“Lawless” is based on a non-fiction book “The Wettest County in the World” by Matt Bondurant. The story takes place in prohibition era, where alcohol was illegal. The Bondurant Boys (Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke) and a mysterious woman (Jessica Chastain) run one of the most well known bootlegging businesses in Franklin County, Virgina. Their reputation is threaten when a corrupt special deputy (Guy Pierce) want a piece of their sales and is willing get it anyway he can. The Bondurant boys must find a way to stop the corrupt deputy, before he ruins their business.

Film Review:

Going into this film, I was expecting the film to have more action sequences. It wasn’t the case, as I didn’t realize until later that this film was based on a true story. I was surprised that I enjoyed this film as much I did given my expectations.

One of the reasons this film worked for me so well was John Hillcoat’s direction. I liked how, he was able to capture everything on the screen. From the time period to the way that he approaches each scene, Hillcoat does a very good job getting everything to work from a direction standpoint. It’s those things that helps make this film very entertaining. The other thing that I liked about his direction was that he’s able to get very good performances out of his main cast. I thought Shia Lebouf , Tom Hardy , Guy Pierce, Gary Oldman and Jessica Chastian worked very well together. Hillcoat does a very good job making their performances gel together. He does that, by making the sure the characters have personality. From the way the lines were delivered to the way the actors approached their characters, Hillcoat does a very good job making the characters and the story interesting.

The major difference between this film and Hillcoat’s last film “The Road” was the fact that rocker Nick Cave handles the screenplay duties like he did in Hillcoat’s 2005 film “The Proposition”. Cave does a very good job with the source material that he’s given. One of the things that I liked about his screenplay, he does a very good job making the characters interesting. Whether it’s giving the characters personality or developing them, Cave does a very good job bring them to life. It helped me enjoy this film a lot, considering I had different expectations. The other thing that the screenplay does well, it builds tension to the initial climax. The reason that it works, Cave does a very good job making you care about the characters. It made the scenes interesting and grabs your attention from a story standpoint.

The only that I didn’t like about this film was the fact that Gary Oldman didn’t have a bigger role, as he was very good as the mobster Floyd Banner. But still, I really enjoyed this film for the performances and John Hillcoat’s direction.

Blu-Ray Extras:

First on the Blu-Ray is the film’s audio commentary track, which features director John Hillcoat and Matt Bondurant, author of “The Wettest County in the World”. This was a very good commentary track. I liked how both of them go into the production of film and talk about how much of the film is based on the book. It gives you insight into both the film and what was done differently from the book. Overall, a very good commentary track.

After the audio commentary track, you have the film’s behind the scenes featurette “The True Story of the Wettest County in the World”. The featurette goes into the back-story of the film and features interviews from the cast and crew talking about the production of the film. This was good, as you get both some historical information about the subjects of the film and you get hear the cast talk about the film. It was an interesting featurette on both levels.

The next two featurette focuses on the historical information that this film is based on. Both of the featurettes do a very good job going to the history behind the film. The first featurette is “Franklin County, VA: Then and Now”. The featurette goes into the history of that time period in that area. It talks about the bootlegging of alcohol that took place in the town during the prohibition era and how the county is surviving today. The other historical featurette is “The Story of the Bondurant Family”. This goes in-depth into the Bondurant brothers, which is told by the book’s author Mark Bondurant. It gives a lot of information on the each of the brothers and relationships between them. It also features images of the Bondurant family, as they were during that time period.

After those featurettes, the disc wraps up with Willie Nelson’s “Midnight Run” music video and deleted scenes.

Final Summary:

“Lawless” is one of the best films that I’ve seen this year. With great direction from John Hillcoat and excellent performances from the cast, “Lawless” is one of those films that may end up on my top 10 list.

Review Rating: Five Stars

Blu-Ray Extras: Four Stars

Anchor Bay Films and The Weinstein Company announced recently that John Hillcoat's latest film "Lawless" will be hitting DVD and Blu-Ray on November 27th. The film was nominated for an illustrious Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes International Film Festival and stars Shia LaBeouf (Transformers franchise, Disturbia), Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception), Academy Award® nominee Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Dark Knight Rises), Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre), Academy Award® nominee Jessica Chastain (Coriolanus, The Help) and Emmy® winner Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce, The King’s Speech

DVD and Blu-Ray special features include an audio commentary with Director John Hillcoat and Author Matt Bondurant; two featurettes: “The True Story of the Wettest County In The World” and “Franklin County, VA: Then and Now”; Willie Nelson’s “Midnight Run” music video; and deleted scenes.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://lawless-film.com/

Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company announced today the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD release of the critically acclaimed film, LAWLESS, from director John Hillcoat (The Road, The Proposition). Written by musician, composer and screenwriter, Nick Cave (The Proposition), inspired by the 2008 biographical novel The Wettest County In The World, LAWLESS follows the bootlegging Bondurant Brothers on their quest for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Shia LaBeouf (Transformers franchise, Disturbia), Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception), Academy Award® nominee Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Dark Knight Rises), Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre), Academy Award® nominee Jessica Chastain (Coriolanus, The Help) and Emmy® winner Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce, The King’s Speech), LAWLESS heads to retail on November 27, 2012 for an SRP of $39.99 for the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and $29.98 for the DVD.

LAWLESS, which was nominated for an illustrious Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes International Film Festival, also stars Jason Clarke (Texas Killing Fields, the upcoming The Great Gatsby) and Dane DeHaan (Chronicle, The Place Beyond the Pines).

The Hollywood Reporter called LAWLESS “A gritty and suspenseful bootlegger tale.” Added film critic, Richard Roeper, in his Reelz Channel review, LAWLESS is “A hell of an entertaining movie, I give it an ‘A’!” Wrote Paste magazine film critic, Tyler Chase, “Lawless blends stylish originality with genre standards into a mixture as potent and explosive as Virginia moonshine.”

They were brothers who became outlaws, and outlaws who became heroes... The three Bondurant boys (Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke), along with their sultry new hire (Jessica Chastain), command the most lucrative bootlegging operation in Franklin County, Virginia. The locals consider them “indestructible.” But the law — in the form of a corrupt special deputy (Guy Pearce) — wants a cut of their action, at any cost. When youngest brother Jack (LaBeouf) gets a taste of power with a deadly gangster (Gary Oldman), the whole business blows sky high. Based on the astonishing true story, the Bondurant brotherhood is the stuff of legend.

The LAWLESS Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD special features include an audio commentary with Director John Hillcoat and Author Matt Bondurant; two featurettes: “The True Story of the Wettest County In The World” and “Franklin County, VA: Then and Now”; Willie Nelson’s “Midnight Run” music video; and deleted scenes. Note: Special features are subject to change.

Learn more about LAWLESS at: http://lawless-film.com/

With “The Dark Knight Rises,” filmmaker Christopher Nolan has completed one of the greatest trilogies in cinematic history. It is a thrilling spectacle with tremendous emotional power, and I came out of it not just fulfilled but quite shaken. Regardless of whatever plot holes this movie may have or if it has one too many characters to deal with, it is still fucking brilliant like its predecessors!

Now I’ll give you more or less a brief outline of “The Dark Knight Rises” without giving away major plot points. I know you all have been seriously pissed about reviewers ruining the movie for you like Homer Simpson ruined “The Empire Strikes Back” for a crowd waiting to see it outside a Springfield movie theater during an episode of “The Simpsons,” and I wouldn’t dare to do the same thing here.

Basically, eight years have passed since Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) took the fall for Harvey Dent’s death in order to hide the murders he committed. Since then, Gotham has entered a time of peace and prosperity, all of which is based on a lie. Enter Bane (Tom Hardy), a brutal and methodical terrorist who plans to reduce Gotham to ashes slowly but surely. This brings Batman out of hiding, but he also has to deal with cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) who catches him off guard, a beautiful corporate executive named Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), and the idealistic young cop John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) whose “hot head” ways makes him much smarter than his fellow officers. So that’s it for the movie’s story.

Actually, to go into full detail over the plot of “The Dark Knight Rises” would take forever as it goes in various directions to where seeing it once is not enough to take everything in. Nolan has said that part of his inspiration for this film was Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” which is known for this famous quote:

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

Now while that quote is never spoken in “The Dark Knight Rises,” it never needs to be. Nolan is fascinated with how the lie over Harvey Dent’s death and actions has helped Gotham while at the same time turned it into a prison state where freedoms are eroded. It also parallels current events in the real world by taking into account the continuing gap between the rich and the poor and how people will go out of their way to manipulate the collective anger regarding it. This movie is of course a huge action spectacle, but it has a lot of things to say about the world we live in today which makes it all the more powerful.

Many have been calling this the “darkest” Batman movie of them all, as if the two which came before it were like a sunny paradise in the realm of “Batman & Robin” (they most certainly were not). But while the movie is indeed a dark vision of a city under siege, it also has a strong ray of hope emanating from it. Bruce Wayne has always wanted to hold Batman up as a symbol to inspire people, and you revel in seeing the impact he ends up having on the characters around him.

People have also been saying that Nolan has put far too many characters into this one movie. Newsflash, Nolan has done that with each of his “Batman” movies, but what truly amazes me is how he has gotten with doing so each time. Every single character in “The Dark Knight Rises,” from Matthew Modine’s bone-headed Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley to Ben Mendelsohn’s greedy businessman John Daggett, informs the movie’s main characters and overall themes throughout. Not a single one of them feels extraneous to the plot or subplots as each illustrates examples of justice and personal responsibility and of how easily misconstrued they can end up being.

Christian Bale completes his tour of duty as Batman with a deeply felt performance. In many ways, “The Dark Knight Rises” is more about the rise of Bruce Wayne than anything else as he is forced to deal with who he is than what his alter ego can do. This character is now endowed with super powers the way Spider-Man and Superman are, and this movie renders him all the more vulnerably human as he starts off walking with a cane and dealing with injuries that are not easily healed. It’s those human flaws however that make Bale’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne all the more powerful and enthralling.

With Bane, Nolan has fashioned a villain that’s far different from Heath Ledger’s Joker which was a smart move. While the Joker was far more desirous of watching the world burn, Bane simply wants it to suffer right down to its dying breath. With Tom Hardy, Nolan has found the perfect actor to portray him as he brings to life Bane’s twisted code of ethics and his utter brutality which allows him to batter his helpless opponents with sheer efficiency. Thanks to Hardy, Bane proves to be Batman’s most formidable foe yet.

As for Anne Hathaway, she is excellent as the character known as Catwoman but who is never actually called Catwoman in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Her portrayal of Selina Kyle never invites easy comparison with the actresses who played her in the past as her version exists in the world of realism created by Nolan. Hathaway succeeds in giving this movie the feeling of exuberance and fun it needs from time to time, and she more than holds her own against acting heavyweights like Bale and Hardy. But then again, this should be no surprise to those who remember her Oscar nominated performance in “Rachel Getting Married.”

And of course you have the usual cast of supporting characters played by Sir Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman. All of them are fantastic as always and give this movie the emotional heft it calls for throughout. We also get a great bunch of franchise newcomers like Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is sensational as the intelligent John Blake, and Marion Cotillard who radiates both beauty and mystery as Miranda Tate.

Technically, “The Dark Knight Rises” looks flawless with cinematographer Wally Pfister capturing the dark corruption consuming the citizens of Gotham which they are forced and inspired to rise out of. And with Hans Zimmer (minus James Newton Howard this time around), we get another rousing and thrilling music score which keeps our adrenaline pumping along with movie’s thrilling action set pieces.

Yes, the movie has some plot holes which I’m sure you will discover for yourself. None of them however were enough to derail my enjoyment of this awesome spectacle Nolan and company have put together. I’m not sure where I would rate this in the series, but while it doesn’t best “The Dark Knight,” it still comes very close to doing so and continues Christopher Nolan’s reign one of the best movie directors working today. I don’t think I am overreacting in the least when I declare “The Dark Knight Rises” to be a fucking brilliant motion picture.

Oh yes, some will say that the movie’s final scenes seem to spell out a potential new direction for the franchise to take as if it were a set up for a sequel. I’d like to think it speaks to the influence Batman hoped to have on the citizens of Gotham, to inspire them to do good. Thanks to Nolan, Batman is a hero we can appreciate and applaud.

* * * * out of * * * *  

The Weinstein Company recently released character poster for their upcoming film "Lawless", which recently premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The film boasts an all star cast that includes Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Gary Oldman, and Guy Pearce. "Lawless" is slated to hit theaters on August 31st.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://lawless-film.com

Plot Synopsis

LAWLESS is the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. In this epic gangster tale, inspired by true-life tales of author Matt Bondurant's family in his novel "The Wettest County in the World", the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against the backdrop of the nation's most notorious crime wave.

Twentieth Century Fox has send information that comedy action film "This Means War" starring Chris Pine and Tom Hardy has moved from it's original release date of February 17th after test screenings and positive word of month. The film will now open in theaters on February 14th. Yes, the same day as Valentine's Day, which happens to fall on a Tuesday this year.


For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: www.thismeanswarmovie.com

Press Release:

Twentieth Century Fox is declaring “War” on Valentine’s Day – moving up by three days its comedy-action film THIS MEANS WAR, to Tuesday, February 14.

This audacious strike comes on the heels of outstanding test screenings and strong word of mouth.


Commented Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution:  “Starting Valentine's Day, we're making WAR, not love. We’re armed and ready with the perfect movie.  This is a picture that that has it all – humor, charm, wit and action – and it plays through the roof. ”

In the film, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy portray the world’s deadliest CIA operatives, as well as inseparable partners and best friends… until they fall for the same woman (Reese Witherspoon).  Having once helped bring down entire enemy nations, they are now employing their incomparable skills and an endless array of high-tech gadgetry against their greatest nemesis ever – each other.


One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world.  These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE:  Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Pictures, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW ANY OF WHAT HAPPENS IN “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES” PROLOGUE, THEN READ NO FURTHER UNTIL YOU HAVE.

“We’re going to be starting a few minutes late as there are still a number of people trying to get in. There are no trailers before the movie… Except of course for that one thing…”

So said the voice over the speaker at Rave Cinemas in West Los Angeles a few minutes before “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” began. But what really got some of us up at 10 am on Friday, December 16, 2011 was the chance to see “that one thing” which was the opening prologue to next summer’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” Our adrenaline rose quickly as Han Zimmer’s powerful music score came over us, and we got our long awaited introduction to Bane as played by Tom Hardy.

The prologue makes full use of the IMAX screen (aside from the opening bit with Gary Oldman) as a number of prisoners whose heads are covered with black sheets are led onto a plane which quickly takes them up into the air. I can’t say much more than that, but you will be able to tell which one is Bane before his sheet is removed. Also, it gives the opening plane sequence from Renny Harlin’s “Cliffhanger” a run for its money.

Hardy looks perfectly imposing as Bane and it goes without saying that he has spent hours upon hours in the gym gaining lord only knows how many pounds of muscle. While his face is covered by a truly frightening looking mask, his eyes and body exude the “don’t f*** with me” attitude that needs no words to express it. If there is a downside, it’s that a lot of what Bane says is hard to make out. You certainly get the gist of what he has to say, but other than that he sounds frustratingly muffled. Still, this is not the Bane from “Batman & Robin” which should quickly relieve die hard fans of the DC Comic Book series.

Watching this prologue in IMAX made me realize how this format truly elevates the movie going experience in a way 3D could only dream of doing. Looking back at when I saw “The Dark Knight” in IMAX, I remember how it felt like we were moving along with the camera over Gotham City. That same feeling returned as we watch Bane make a mid air escape which blew away the audience I was with early in the morning.

Director Christopher Nolan has said that “The Dark Knight Rises” will feature more footage shot in this format than what we saw in the previous film. Of course, with IMAX cameras being as loud as they are, the majority of dialogue scenes will be shot in 35mm and 70mm cameras. Still, technology is catching up quickly with filmmakers as always.

Following the prologue are snippets from the upcoming movie which show Bale still strutting his stuff as the Caped Crusader along with shots which have crowds of people rushing to attack one another. There’s also looks to be a Batwing in this one, but that it looks like a spaceship threatens is a little weird. The final image is the most frightening of all: Bane holding a piece of Batman’s shattered mask.

We also get to see Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Seeing her in the full Catwoman suit was strange at first, but then came another moment where she is sitting in the back of a car with a deeply emotional look on her face that spoke words without her saying a thing. I know a lot of people were worried about her playing this role, but the footage here convinced me Nolan made the right choice in casting her.

But even more thankfully, Hathaway is not descending into the camp Halle Berry got submerged in with “Catwoman.” What the heck was Warner Brothers thinking when they made that one anyway?!

Suffice to say, the prologue gets me all the more excited to check out the final chapter in Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy. As much as I try to control my anticipation and expectations with these big summer event movies, “The Dark Knight Rises” has me waiting impatiently for its release. Everybody cheered when the Warner Brothers logo came up, and they cheered just as loudly when this little taste of what will come came to a close.

Everyone is singing Nolan’s praises like he is the second coming and I just hope he doesn’t get met with the derision which greeted George Lucas with those “Star Wars” prequels.

In the meantime, we’d better start learning that chant which you can hear just underneath the prologue:

“Deshay, deshay, bahsahrah, bahsahrah. Deshay, deshay, bahsahrah, bahsahrah. DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! DESHAY!!! DESHAY!!! BAHSAHRAH!!! BAHSAHRAH!!!”

NOTE: There were a handful of people who left the theatre once the prologue ended, and I strongly advise you not to do that. My review of “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” will be coming up soon, but I can tell you it is awesome and also makes superb use of the IMAX format as well

Lionsgate send us information regarding a special sneak preview of their upcoming release "Warrior", which hits theaters on September 9th, The film starring Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton will having a special sneak preview this weekend on Sunday September 4th at 7:00PM.

For more information on participating theaters, you can goto
www.warriorsneakpreview.com

For more information on the film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.warriorfilm.com

Press Release:

LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced a special sneak preview screening program for the inspirational sports drama WARRIOR. The screenings will be held on Sunday, September 4th at 7:00 pm, at theaters nationwide. The announcement was made by Lionsgate's co-COO and Motion Picture Group President Joe Drake.

To promote the sneak previews, Lionsgate has partnered with Twitter to designate the hashtag #WARRIORMovieSneakPreview, which Lionsgate has also sponsored as a Promoted Trend, allowing Twitter's powerful user base a direct link to buy tickets and continue to spread the tremendous word of mouth the film is receiving.
Moviegoers interested in seeing the film, which Rolling Stone's chief film critic Peter Travers calls "fiercely moving," can purchase tickets in advance at www.warriorsneakpreview.com and use #WARRIORMovieSneakPreview on Twitter to share information about the movie with friends.

"We are in a fortunate position in that the best promotional tool for this incredible film is the film itself," explained Drake of the motivation to allow general audiences this special advance access. "This is truly a movie for everyone, and as we've screened it, people in all demographics- even those who might not have otherwise sought the film out- have been enthralled by its blend of triumphant, inspirational sports storytelling with poignant and powerful family drama."
Adds David Spitz, who heads Distribution for Lionsgate, "Critics and private screening guests have shown extreme enthusiasm for this film in advance of its release, and we are honored to be able to share the experience earlier than promised with audiences everywhere, especially on a patriotic, family oriented weekend like Labor Day that fits so well with the themes of this particular film. We can't wait to read the sneak preview audience's tweets as they become the first consumers to share their reactions with the world."

About Warrior
Rising stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton command the screen as two estranged brothers facing the fight of a lifetime in Lionsgate's WARRIOR, a moving, inspirational action drama from acclaimed director Gavin O'Connor (Miracle).
Haunted by a tragic past, Marine Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for Sparta, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. But when Brendan's unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart, facing off in the most soaring, soul stirring, and unforgettable climax that must be seen to be believed.
A rousing ode to redemption, reconciliation and the power of the human spirit, WARRIOR is also a moving testament to the enduring bonds of family. WARRIOR stars Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom, Star Wars: Episode III), Tom Hardy (the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Black Hawk Down), Jennifer Morrison ("House", Star Trek) and Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder, The Thin Red Line). The film is directed by Gavin O'Connor; screenplay by Gavin O'Connor & Anthony Tambakis & Cliff Dorman and story by Gavin O'Connor & Cliff Dorfman. Lionsgate and Mimran Schur Pictures present a Lionsgate / Mimran Schur Pictures production. A Solaris Entertainment and Filmtribe production