Keanu Reeves Joins Tarsem's 'The Panopticon'; Djimon Hounsou Eyed for 'Knights of the Round Table'

The Keanussaiance continues! Reeves is set to star in The Panopticon, the next film from visual dynamo Tarsem Singh, the director behind The Fall, Mirror Mirror, and Immortals. It's been awhile since we'd heard anything about the film, which centers on "a seemingly ordinary man who receives a mysterious package containing a pre-recorded message from himself, warning that the world is about to end and only he can save it. He must race against the clock to piece together the puzzle before time runs out for mankind."

Djimon Hounsou, who has already had quite a year with How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy, is being rumored to replace Idris Elba in Guy Ritchie's King Arthur film, Knights of the Round Table. With Charlie Hunnam as Arthur, Hounsou would play his Merlin-esque mentor. [HeyUGuys]

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Greg Kinnear and Djimon Hounsou Join Renee Zellweger in 'Same Kind of Different as Me'

Have we gotten over our fascination with Renee Zellweger's new face yet? Let's hope so, because not only has all of the conversation about it gotten unseemly, but she's got upcoming projects to talk about. A few days ago she boarded the faith-based drama Same Kind of Different as Me, and now we know who else will be part of this uplifting story, which sounds a little bit like The Intouchables but probably will be less funny.

Greg Kinnear, Djimon Hounsou, and Jon Voight have joined the film, which is based on the bestselling memoir by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. Michael Carney will make his directorial debut, co-writing the script with Hall and Alexandra Foard.  The story tells of how Hall, a wealthy art dealer, befriended Moore who at the time was a homeless man. All of this at the urging of Hall's wife. Here's the synopsis:

An international art dealer Ron Hall (Kinnear) who must befriend a dangerous homeless man (Hounsou) in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife (Zellweger), a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the most remarkable journey of their lives. Voight plays Hall's father, with whom he reconciles thanks to the revelations of his new life.

Production is already underway so expect to see the film some time next year.  Kinnear and Hounsou have had an extremely successful 2014 already. Kinnear starred in the biggest Christian-themed movie of the year in Heaven is for Real, which broke $100M. Hounsou had a supporting role in Guardians of the Galaxy and voiced the villain in How to Train your Dragon 2.

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Trailer for YA Adaptation 'Seventh Son' that You Probably Forgot About

Figure this: Jeff Bridges will be starring in just as many YA adaptations as Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley over the next year. "The Dude" finally got his forever-developing adaptation of The Giver off the ground earlier this month, not that anybody saw it, and next year he'll star in Seven Son, which has been plagued with behind the scenes troubles. More than a year after the first trailer hit a new one has arrived and it looks like a new approach is being taken.

So what's the deal? Seventh Son is based on the first book in The Wardstone Chronicles series, and it began life at Warner Bros. but now falls under the Legendary/Universal banner. That was partially the reason for a nearly two-year delay, although the main reason is the film just didn't have any notable buzz. And clearly producers paid attention to that because this latest trailer is cut in a completely different way, emphasizing the big action and monsters while hyping the studio's success with Godzilla. It's a smart strategy, and with a cast that includes Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore,  Alicia Vikander, Djimon Hounsou, Antje Traue and Olivia Williams it's not hurting for star power.  Here's the official synopsis:

In a time of enchantments when legends and magic collide, the sole remaining warrior of a mystical order (Oscar® winner Jeff Bridges) travels to find a prophesized hero born with incredible powers, the last Seventh Son (Ben Barnes). Torn from his quiet life as a farmhand, the unlikely young hero embarks on a daring adventure with his battle-hardened mentor to vanquish a dark queen (Julianne Moore) and the army of supernatural assassins she has dispatched against their kingdom. 

Directed by Sergei Bodrov, Seventh Son opens in 3D February 6th 2015. 

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First Trailer and Poster for Robert Kirkman's 'Air' Starring Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou

When thousands of people turn up for the 'Walking Dead' panel here at Comic-Con, and thousands more left outside wishing they could get in, it's not because they love zombie TV shows. It's because The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has wisely made humans the focus of the comic and show, recognizing it's their struggles that will attract fans more than just the undead eating some guy's brains. And that focus on character seems to be the approach with Air, a film he's producing that finds another small group of people in a pressure-packed situation.

Starring The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus alongside Djimon Hounsou, Air takes place on an Earth where the atmosphere has been destroyed by nuclear fallout. Humanity's only hope for survival is in the hands of two custodial employees (Reedus, Hounsou) in an underground bunker assigned to look after the cryogenically sleeping scientists who will re-establish society. But as they struggle to maintain the fragile environment in the last livable place on Earth, their sanity begins to crack. The trailer doesn't give away much but the premise is intriguing and it's worth it just to see Reedus back on the big screen again.

Directed by Christian Cantamessa, Air is filming now.

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First Clip from 'Guardians of the Galaxy', New Character Poster, and Rumored Cameo

There has been so much Marvel news lately that the release of the first Guardians of the Galaxy clip feels like a welcome change. After releasing a handful of awesome character posters, including some of the film's colorful crew of villains, this newly-released footage is basically a longer cut of a scene we have seen far too much of. Yes, it's Chris Pratt as Star-Lord being confronted by Korath (Djimon Hounsou) who delivers the "Who?" line that was funny months ago but now has been overused to death. We're also now getting a new one-sheet that puts Benicio Del Toro and his awesome Jim Jarmusch-esque hairdo front and center as The Collector.

More interesting is the press kit Marvel has issued for the film because it reveals the full cast and all of the cameo appearances. Obviously there are SPOILERS ahead so just be warned. So we already know that James Gunn's pal Nathan Fillion will be voicing a character in the film, with many suspecting he'd be playing Cosmo, the talking Russian cosmonaut dog and pal of Rocket Raccoon. Turns out Fillion is actually a "Monstrous Inmate" and not Cosmo, although the canine is in the film portrayed by Fred the Dog. Other confirmed cameos have Stan Lee making his usual pop-in as a Xandarian ladies' man, rocker Rob Zombie will voice the Ravager Navigator Voice, and James Gunn himself turns up as the Maskless Sakaaran.

With ducks, dogs, and talking trees running around what differences would it make to add one more anthropomorphic creature into the mix?  First noticed by StitchKingdom, the credits scroll mentions "Howard the Duck created by STEVE GERBER and VAL MAYERIK", obviously telling us the angry feathered fowl and pop culture icon will be in the movie somewhere. My guess is that Star-Lord, who we know has an eclectic taste for music, probably has an appreciation for movies that are a little off the beaten path and will be watching the awful 1986 Howard the Duck movie on a video screen. Of course, I could be wrong and maybe Marvel is looking for a way to make Howard the Duck relevant again and not just a punchline.

Keep an eye out. Guardians of the Galaxy opens August 1st.


Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy clip : My name is Peter Quill by itsartmag

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'Guardians of the Galaxy' Character Posters Feature Villains Nebula, Ronan, and Korath

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy continues the ramp up to next month's debut, and following yesterday's reveal of three new character posters for some of the supporting cast, today sees the villains getting their time in the spotlight. The images feature Djimon Hounsou as Korath, he of the infamous "Who?" we've seen in a thousand trailers and TV spots, Karen Gillan as Nebula, and Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser. With the exception of Hounsou everyone here is virtually unrecognizable, a credit to the Marvel make-up team.

Directed by James Gunn and starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro, Guardians of the Galaxy opens August 1st.

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team – the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits – Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand – with the galaxy’s fate in the balance. Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” is presented by Marvel Studios. The film releases August 1, 2014, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

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Interview: Djimon Hounsou Talks 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

There's little chance I'll ever forget Djimon Hounsou's powerful, heartbreaking performance in Jim Sheridan's In America, for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Probably should have won, too. Hounsou has worked steadily ever since and earned plenty of other accolades for his work in Blood Diamond, Amistad, and Gladiator, but his upcoming run of films is going to increase his profile even further. This past weekend he could be heard voicing the villain Drago Bludvist in Dreamworks' How to Train Your Dragon 2, and that will be followed later in the summer by his role as Korvath in Guardians of the Galaxy. Hounsou is now officially part of the Marvel Universe and that's pretty darn cool. And that's just the start of it as he's also booked roles in Tarzan and next year's Fast & Furious 7.

So yeah, he's a busy guy, which is why my colleague +Tim Gordon  and I were honored when Hounsou took a few minutes to talk with us about How to Train Your Dragon 2 and, of course, Guardians of the Galaxy. You can watch the interview below and be sure to check us out on Addicted to Film every Sunday night at 7pm on Listen Vision Radio.

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New 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Trailer Strikes a Serious Note; Plus New Image

The trailers we've seen for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy have largely played down any threat the quirky band of heroes are facing. Considering this is more likely to be a comedy than any other film from Marvel thus far, it makes a certain degree of sense to make light of the combustible team dynamics, and taking that approach certainly didn't hurt The Avengers' bottom line.

But the latest trailer, cut for U.K. audiences, strikes a slightly serious tone as we see glimpses of Star-Lord's (Chris Pratt) origin, followed by a desperate plea for help in saving the universe. So we are thankfully spared the overused "Who?" sequence that has been the centerpiece of the marketing up to this point, in favor of a trailer that highlights the space opera aspects and big Star Wars-style action. It's probably a wise move to show there's more to this film than meets the eye. And speaking of that comedy scene, Marvel has released a new image from it featuring Djimon Hounsou as Korvath.

Directed by James Gunn with Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper co-starring, Guardians of the Galaxy opens August 1st.


Guardians of the Galaxy Official International Trailer #1 (2014) - Bradley Cooper Marvel Movie - Trailer Addict by Trailer-Addict

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Review: 'How to Train Your Dragon 2'

When How to Train Your Dragon went on to be a smash and rival Pixar's Toy Story 3 at the Oscars, it must have shocked Dreamworks Animation as much as it did everyone else. The studio had been around probably a lot longer than many thought, and for every creative and box office success like Shrek or Kung Fu Panda, there were numerous other retreads and copycats. Anybody remember MegaMind? Didn't think so. But sequels have proven especially difficult, with few ever coming close to matching the original. Does the string of bad luck continue with How to Train Your Dragon 2?

The answer is a resounding "No" as How to Train Your Dragon 2 is bigger and soars higher than the first and will undoubtedly be one of the year's best animated features. Dean DeBlois takes the directing reins solo this time, and rather than coasting along with what worked before he's expanded and evolved the 'Dragon' universe into someplace unpredictable and dangerous.

Five years have passed and Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is on a different sort of journey, one where he is literally charting a new world astride his dragon pal, Toothless. The rough-housing Viking village of Berk has changed more than Hiccup's slick new armor, with the townspeople living in peace with the dragons they once hated. Astrid (America Ferrera) is now firmly his woman, the people respect him (mostly), and now his father Stoic wants him to take over the role of Chief. Is he ready to handle that kind of responsibility? Does he even want to be Chief? Hiccup must again decide whether to be his own viking or follow in his father's footsteps.

The emotional throughline may be familiar, but honestly it's probably going to be a theme throughout the entire franchise, and it resonates due to a screenplay that throws many unexpected twists into the mix. On one of Hiccup's outings he encounters a group of dragon trappers led by the brash Eret (Kit Harington), who is ensnaring the creatures for Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou), a man building up an army. But while Drago's plans are for evil, Hiccup also encounters the mysterious Valka (Cate Blanchett), a hermit hidden away in an icy cave where she has created a dragon sanctuary of sorts. This isn't about changing the hearts and minds of the Berk people anymore, Hiccup must try and prevent full-scale war while also finding out the secrets to his past.

In some ways the film follows the typical path set by most follow-ups in that there are deeper questions, more characters, and bigger action in the 'Empire Strikes Back' mold. And that also means some of the humor slips into the background, or at least it seems to be relegated to Hiccup's pals (voiced by TJ Miller, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and more) who seem to be around only to appease younger viewers. That's not to say there aren't plenty of laughs, but this is definitely the dark middle chapter of a larger story, one where Hiccup again endures terrible and shocking loss that may be tough for younger audiences. We don't get to see nearly enough of Hiccup and Astrid as a couple, which would have made for a nice parallel with another romantic relationship rekindled in the film. More interesting and explored in greater detail is the bond between Hiccup and Toothless which is stronger than ever but still somewhat tenuous and easily manipulated. Drago, a villain of uncertain ethnic origin, is impressive only in his physical and mental dominion over pretty much everybody, but giving him a stronger motivation would have made an already-great film even better.

And of course the film is a visual stunner with aerial sequences that will take your breath away, and many of the dogfights (dragonfights?) have that Star Wars sizzle; you'd think they were piloting X-wing fighters. Even during the slower moments it's worth taking time to just soak up the surroundings and take in the lush colors and unique creature design. Roger Deakins (Skyfall, No Country for Old Men) had a hand in crafting the film's look and the result stands apart from anything we've seen from Dreamworks before. With heart and action to spare, How to Train Your Dragon 2 reaches incredible heights.

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Djimon Hounsou Joins 'Tarzan'; Tim Roth Heads to 'Selma'; Rose Byrne Leads 'The Something'

* It's going to be a busy summer for Djimon Hounsou, who will be chasing after Chris Pratt's Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, while also voicing the villain in How to Train Your Dragon 2. And now he's taking on another franchise, joining David Yates' developing Tarzan film for Warner Bros. Hounsou will play Chief Mbonga in the film that has Alexander Skarsgard as the titular jungle hero. Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christoph Waltz are also on board the film, which the studio hopes to have ready by July 1st 2016. [Deadline]

* Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs) and Niecy Nash (Reno 911!) are joining Ava Duvernay's MLK biopic, Selma. Roth will play controversial pro-segregation politician George Wallace, while Nash is civil rights activist Richie Jean Jackson. David Oyelowo is set to play Martin Luther King Jr. during his time fighting for voting rights in 1965 Alabama, considered by many to be the height of the civil rights movement.

* With Neighbors a definite hit and earning Rose Byrne the praise she pretty much always deserves, the film's producers, which includes Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures, are eager to work with her again. Byrne is being sought to star in The Something, a Gravity-esque comedy about astronauts who get lost in space. This would be the directorial debut of Rodney Rothman, the former head writer for Late Show With David Letterman. [THR]

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Hear Vin Diesel's Groot in New 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Trailer

By the time Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters it will be the fourth Marvel movie of the summer, and arguably the one with the most questions surrounding it. Can a team only the most die-hard fanboy has heard of be the centerpiece of a new franchise? How will the quirky intergalactic comedy mesh with the rest of Marvel's successful Avengers flicks? And what about the unproven cast of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Dave Bautista? Will audiences be too tired of superhero flicks to turn up?

Those questions aren't going anywhere but now, after a weekend full of teasers, a new full trailer has been released. This one proves just how in-sync writer/director James Gunn is with fans in that he gives them everything they expect from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Not only do we get Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) itching for a fight, but we finally get to hear Vin Diesel's "I am Groot!!" Plus there's the romantic tension between Star-Lord and Gamora, silly hijinks, crazy aliens, plus Glenn Close (!!!) sporting a wild haircut. Yep, this looks like fun.

Guardians of the Galaxy opens August 1st.


Guardians of the Galaxy - Full Trailer 2 (2014 HD) by 80 POUND GAMES

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Nicolas Cage is 'The Runner'; Djimon Hounsou and Alexis Knapp are 'One'

* If one wants to find out what Nicolas Cage will be doing for the next two years, just wait for Cannes to roll around. That's when he piles up his slate with a ton of projects, and he's just added another. He'll star in The Runner as an idealistic New Orleans congressman who becomes embroiled in a sex scandal in the wake of the 2010 BP oil spill. Austin Stark will be making his directorial debut on this one, with production to begin next month.

* Djimon Hounsou and Alexis Knapp will star in One, a post-apocalyptic thriller that sounds like The Stand meets Divergent. Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Murali Thalluri, the story is set in a world after a virus has wiped out 99% of humanity, leaving those who have survived divided into racial groups all fighting for a cure. Knapp will play a captured woman who is mysteriously immune to the virus. [Variety]

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First Trailer for 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Gets Obscene

There's no other way to put it, really: Guardians of the Galaxy is Marvel's riskiest gamble yet. The team of misfit intergalactic heroes aren't generally known by those who don't read comics on a regular basis, and the cast is an odd assortment of supporting players thrust into leads. But for all of that, the film also looks like Marvel's most unabashedly weird and fun yet. And how could it not be with a gun-wielding raccoon and giant tree creature as part of the team?

The first trailer has finally arrived, and it's definitely not intended to be taken seriously. Chris Pratt is Star-Lord, the team's goofball team leader, giving the actor a chance to be an action star while putting his comedic gifts ("Obscene Gesture Alert!") to good use. Zoe Saldana plays the green-skinned warrior Gamora, WWE superstar Dave Bautista is Drax the Destroyer, but what people really want to see are Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel as Groot and Rocket Raccoon. Fortunately, you get plenty of both in this footage, as well as a good deal of John C. Reilly as a Rhomann Dey of the Nova Corps.

This is essentially the same footage Marvel premiered at Comic-Con, only with the visual effects well in place. Those who are familiar with director James Gunn's prior work (The Specials, Slither, Super) will recognize the offbeat tone right away.

Guardians of the Galaxy launches on August 1st, and if it does well a sequel could be on the way. 


Guardians Of The Galaxy World Premiere OFFICIAL TRAILER [HD] by askmen

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'The Walking Dead' Duo of Robert Kirkman & Norman Reedus Re-team for 'Air'; Djimon Hounsou Co-Stars

We've seen Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead dominate comics, TV, and video games, but one area where he has yet to make a mark is on the big screen. While some may be hoping to see his zombie epic hit theaters at some point, for now Kirkman will stick to producing something new, and bringing along the most popular star of his hit series.

THR reports that Kirkman will produce the sci-fi thriller, Air, with Daryl Dixon Norman Reedus on board to star. He'll be joined by Djimon Hounsou in the film written by hot video game writer and designer Christian Cantamessa (GTA: San Andreas). The story sounds like something that should be played on your PS4, and is "set in set in an underground cryogenic facility after a nuclear fallout renders the atmosphere unbreathable. Air centers on its two custodial workers (Reedus, Hounsou), who take care of the cryogenically sleeping personnel that are to re-establish society, but they struggle to preserve their own sanity and lives while maintaining the extremely fragile environment of the last livable place on earth. " Air will mark the directorial debut of Chris Pasetto.

This isn't Kirkman's first brush with Hollywood as back in 2005 his quirky superhero comic Invincible was optioned by Paramount, but that project never developed. Reedus has starred in numerous films but is probably best known for The Boondock Saints. Hounsou will be featured later this year in Guardians of the Galaxy, and has Fast & Furious 7 in 2015.

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Djimon Hounsou Gears Up for 'Fast & Furious 7'

Whatever one may think of the Fast & Furious franchise, it's easily the most ethnically diverse cast around. Paul Walker may be bland as milquetoast, the same can't be said about those who surround him. And thus far, Fast & Furious 7 is looking like quite the melting pot, and the roster just got bigger with the surprising addition of Djimon Hounsou.

Hounsou will be joining his Guardians of the Galaxy co-star Vin Diesel, taking on an unspecified role. Most of the previous stars are returning, but new faces a number of new faces have come aboard including Jason Statham, Ronda Rousey, Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Tony Jaa. All we know about the plot at this point is that it will pick up after the last film's fiery conclusion, heading back to Los Angeles where Statham seeks revenge against Dom's crew.

Hounsou will be pretty hard to miss over the next few months, with the rom-com Baggage Claim, horror project The Vatican Tapes, Seventh Son, and How to Train Your Dragon 2 on the way. James Wan is directing Fast & Furious 7 for release on July 11th 2014. [Variety]

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Joss Whedon Reveals 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'; 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Cast Confirmed

The Marvel panel has just wrapped at Comic-Con, and Marvel dropped a ton of news, but not what everybody was expecting. Introducing the Guardians of the Galaxy cast, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Djimon Hounsou is playing Korath the Pursuer, a cybernetic member of the alien Kree empire and typically an ally of Ronan the Accuser, who will be played by Lee Pace. Hounsou leaked that Korath will be an ally of Thanos in the film, but who knows if that's going to hold up. Also confirmed was Karen Gillan as Nebula, a space pirate and potentially Thanos' granddaughter. Benicio Del Toro will also play the Elder of the Universe known as The Collector, the first to recognize the threat of Thanos.

The big news came right at the end, as Joss Whedon hit the stage floor right at the end of the show, and teased a promo video. The footage featured a metal object being pounded from all sides, with prophetic words in the background about the team's demise. But then the object revolves, and it's revealed to be the face of Ultron, the android enemy of the Avengers, created by Hank "Ant-Man" Pym. The title of the film was then revealed to be The Avengers: Age of Ultron, arriving in the summer of 2015.

So the big news to take from this is that it will be Ultron in The Avengers sequel, and not Thanos. It looks like Thanos will be appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy, which makes sense considering every character has close ties to him. Age of Ultron is also a fairly recent Marvel comics crossover storyline, only completing about a month ago. It had Wolverine going back in time to kill Hank Pym before he could create Ultron, because in the present the android has wiped out nearly all of the superheroes. It's a storyline that closely resembles Xmen: Days of Future Past, ironically.

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Comic-Con: Cate Blanchett and Djimon Hounsou Join 'How to Train Your Dragon 2'

Today's Dreamworks panel at Comic-Con revealed quite a few nuggets of information on How to Train Your Dragon 2. We've already seen a very impressive teaser trailer, but most of the voiced characters had really yet to be revealed. Now we know that two of them will features the voices of newcomers Cate Blanchett and Djimon Hounsou, while details on Kit Harington's character have been revealed.

According to our friends at Bleeding Cool, Harington "is on board to play a cocky dragon trapper called Eret, complete with swagger and a London accent; Djimon Honsou will voice a character taking those trapped dragons and turning them into an army; and Cate Blanchett plays Valka, a stealthy vigilante type set on rescuing as many of the dragons as possible."

Jay Baruchel is back as an older Hiccup, with America Ferrera, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, and more returning. How to Train Your Dragon 2 flies into theaters on June 20th 2014.

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Djimon Hounsou and Michael Pena To Star In 'The Vatican Tapes'

It's tough to get excited over exorcism films nowadays because they all generally tell the same story. Girl gets possessed, exorcism goes terribly wrong, rinse and repeat. And certainly The Vatican Tapes doesn't deviate too much from that formula, but there's reason for optimism now that Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (In America, Blood Diamond) and End of Watch star Michael Pena have joined the cast as production gears up.

Directed by Mark Neveldine (Crank), The Vatican Tapes involves a leaked video of an exorcism gone wrong. Pena plays Father Lozano, a local priest who discovers that a 27-year old girl is possessed by a satanic force. Hounsou is Vicar Imani, dispatched by the Vatican to exorcise the demon and finding it may be more powerful than he imagined. The cast is rounded out by Dougray Scott, Kathleen Robertson, Peter Andersson, and Olivia Dudley.

Honestly, this sounds beneath the talents of both actors, but their must be something to the script that caught their eye.  Filming begins next month.

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Review: 'Special Forces' starring Diane Kruger and Djimon Hounsou

After more than a decade in conflicts in the Middle East since attacks of September 11^th, we’ve seen some films try and tackle the stories of the soldiers involved in the ensuing conflicts. The one thing that we rarely see or hear about is the stories of soldiers from our Allies engaged in the Middle East. This film Special Force aka Forces spéciales as it was released first in France is a film showing us one of these stories. First and foremost it is a war action movie just like any of the ones that are made over here in the States but it is interesting and foreign to us since at times the French are shown to be not as adept in battle or at least that's how it looks from the United States perspective.

Special Forces is a story about a French Journalist, named Elsa(Diane Kruger) who is doing a story about girls being sold to the Taliban in Pakistan. Ahmed Zaief, the Taliban leader she has been focusing her reporting on decides to kidnap her and her friend Amen. The French government decides to send in a Special Forces team to go get her. Led by Kovax (Djimon Hounsou) this six man team of well trained soldiers complete the job of getting Elsa and Amen out of the camp but when their radios are lost they must traverse the rigorous terrain of Pakistan into Afghanistan to get extraction all while being perused by Zaief and his Taliban Forces.

The film is pretty strong as a war movie, the pacing and story good throughout. It’s a film that’s not out to re-invent the war movie genre so it never over reaches its goals during the run time. All of the acting in the film is solid throughout but the villain of the film Zaief is very one-dimensional and cartoonish. There could have been more done with his arc as they tried to show a bit toward the beginning by alluding to his past, but that is completely dropped as he soon becomes a bad guy from a Chuck Norris movie.

The action scenes are quickly edited with rock music scored behind them. While it’s interesting to watch they do very much feel like they are purposely made to invoke the feeling of current popular war video games in the west like Call of Duty or Modern Combat. You very much get to like all of the soldiers since the actors portray their characters very well.  Diane Kruger does a great job of not being just an annoying person they need to save. She brings a nice heft to the performance.

It should be noted that the most of the film is subtitled in French. There is some English in the start of the film and some other languages spoken. The filmmakers of Special Forces were pretty successful in what they accomplished in this picture. They made a foreign action film that feels like a modern day Saving Private Ryan set in our current war climate. This is a film that is really worth checking out especially if the current glut of horror movies and family pictures is something you’re not into. 

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Punch Drunk DVDs

The Mechanic
1972's version of The Mechanic featured Charles Bronson at his steely best as a hitman who begins teaching the tricks of the trade to a young protege. In Simon West's 2011 remake, Jason Statham fits comfortably into a role that he's pretty much been playing his entire career, that of the gritty, cold faced killer. It's only in the addition of Ben Foster as his slightly unstable young charge that that The Mechanic begins to set itself apart from the original. Foster brings a level of nuance to the role unseen in the original, as well as a chaotic energy that is a nice balance to Statham's cool demeanor.





The Rite
Demonic posession has never been so...relaxed. Anthony Hopkins stars as an eccentric exorcist who has seen too much to ever doubt the existence of pure evil. So when a young student comes under his tutelage, full of questions and doubts, the sparks should be flying, but they never really set off. Hopkins is in sleep mode until he goes into full Instinct mode at the end, but that wasn't enough to make The Rite more than a rental for most fans of the genre.







The Other Woman
Another one of the many flicks(Your Highness, Hesher, No Strings Attached) that Natalie Portman crammed in before some dude gummed her all up. The Other Woman is a low key affair featuring the Oscar winner as a woman struggling to connect with her new stepson, who apparently hates her or something. How can anybody hate that face? Does not compute.









The Roommate
Memorable only for poking fun at the obvious ripoffs from Single White Female; Minka Kelly's smokin' hot bod; Cam Gigandet's futile attempts at acting; and Leighton Meester's innocent/psychotic stares that make her look like the world's most insane babydoll.










Thor: Tales of Asgard
Marvel's animated features have always been hit or miss. Some work, some crash pretty mightily. Take this misguided attempt to cash in on the Thor movie, by presenting a Thor that nobody will ever recognize. Seriously? Thor with a sword? Gimme a break, dudes.










Elephant White
Djimon Hounsou and Kevin Bacon pair up as a merc and weapons dealer caught in the middle of a war between two rival gangs. Sign me up.












Vanishing on 7th Street
The name alone will probably have you thinking of some of the classic horrors from years ago: Last House on the Left or House on Haunted Hill. But then you see Hayden Christiansen and there has to be some recognition that this won't be nearly as fun, unless you count the number of times his whiny voice cracks. This is one I really wanted to check out, mainly due to Brad Anderson's direction. The guy has been tops on my list after his film Transsiberian wound up on my Top 10 best films a couple of years ago.

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