The Hurt Locker

Riveting, Must-See ‘The Hurt Locker’ is Flawless Filmmaking

BrianTT — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:48:17 -0600

CHICAGO – Filmmaking simply doesn’t get much more riveting than Kathryn Bigelow’s incredible “The Hurt Locker,” a cinematic experience unlike any other that you will have this year. Building and releasing tension better than her peers have in a long time, Bigelow has made not only the best Iraq War movie to date but the best film of 2009 at just over the halfway point.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

With “The Hurt Locker,” Bigelow takes viewers to the other side of the world to bring into relatable perspective a daily grind that most of us couldn’t even imagine. The leads in “The Hurt Locker” are soldiers in Iraq who diffuse bombs for a living, often in range of sniper fire and often with materials and equipment tragically unable to protect them should something go wrong.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Hurt Locker” in our reviews section.

“The Hurt Locker” is a visceral, daring, adrenalin-pumping experience that brings a profession that would seem nearly impossible to identify with into relatable, genuine context. It could be your friend, your son, your neighbor, or even you thrown into the nightmare of “The Hurt Locker”.

The film opens with a shocking death (that I won’t spoil) that allows Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner of “The Unusuals”) to join an expert group of bomb-diffusing soldiers in Iraq. The enemy often leaves a bomb in the middle of the road to kill passing troops. When someone sees something suspicious - wires sticking out of some garbage, metal where there should only be sand - they call in James, Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty).

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Hurt Locker” review.

‘The Hurt Locker’ stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse. It was written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. It opens in Chicago on July 10th, 2009. It is rated R.

(Left to right) Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie star in The Hurt Locker.
Photo credit: Jonathan Olley

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 2 Signed ‘The Hurt Locker’ Posters With Star Jeremy Renner

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:53:56 -0600

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 2 signed “The Hurt Locker” posters by star Jeremy Renner and a few other cast members and filmmakers! “The Hurt Locker” stars Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly and Christian Camargo.

“The Hurt Locker,” which opens on July 10, 2009 in Chicago, is the winner of the 2008 Venice Film Festival SIGNIS Grand Prize. The film will be showing at AMC River East and Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema in Chicago as well as CineArts in Evanston, Ill.

To win your “The Hurt Locker” signed poster courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is tell us your danger story in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “The Hurt Locker” with Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce and Jeremy Renner.
Image credit: Summit Entertainment

Here is the synopsis for “The Hurt Locker”:

“The Hurt Locker,” which is the winner of the 2008 Venice Film Festival SIGNIS Grand Prize, is a riveting and suspenseful portrait of the courage under fire of the military’s unrecognized heroes: the technicians of a bomb squad who volunteer to challenge the odds and save lives in one of the world’s most dangerous places.

Three members of the U.S. Army’s elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad battle insurgents and each other as they search for and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad to make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike.

Their mission is clear – protect and save – but it’s anything but easy as the margin of error when defusing a war-zone bomb is zero. This thrilling and heart-pounding look at the effects of combat and danger on the human psyche is based on the firsthand observations of journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal who was embedded in a special bomb unit in Iraq. These men spoke of explosions as putting you in “the hurt locker”.

Acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow brings together groundbreaking realistic action and intimate human drama in a landmark film starring Jeremy Renner (“Dahmer,” “The Assassination of Jesse James”), Anthony Mackie (“Half Nelson,” “We Are Marshall”) and Brian Geraghty (“We Are Marshall,” “Jarhead”) with cameo appearances by Ralph Fiennes (“The Reader”), David Morse (“John Adams”), Evangeline Lilly (“Lost”) and Guy Pearce (“Memento”).

“The Hurt Locker” is produced by Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Greg Shapiro and Nicolas Chartier. The screenplay is written by Mark Boal (the story of “In the Valley of Elah”). Barry Ackroyd (“United 93,” “The Wind That Shakes the Barley”) is the director of photography. The production designer is Karl Juliusson (“K19: The Widowmaker,” “Breaking the Waves”).

Editors are Bob Murawski (“Spider-Man 2,” “Spider-Man 3”) and Chris Innis. The costume designer is George Little (“Jarhead,” “Crimson Tide”). Music is by Academy Award nominee Marco Beltrami (“Knowing”) and Buck Sanders (“3:10 to Yuma”). Sound design is by Academy Award nominee Paul N.J. Ottosson (“Spider-Man 2,” “Spider-Man 3”).

To secure your free “The Hurt Locker” autographed poster, you must be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com Web site account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having a free Web site account with a valid e-mail address is required to win this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup.

Next, simply tell us your best danger story. You must submit your answer using this confidential, Web-based submission form. Please do not comment in this Hookup. Your entry will be invalid if you only comment here and don’t submit into our Web-based form. Please only submit your answer using this submission form.

You must include your first and last name, e-mail address and physical mailing address in your submission. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential and is only for awarding winning entries. Your personal information will not be sold or shared.

Tell us your best danger story now!

This HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film is simple: Two lucky HollywoodChicago.com readers will be randomly selected as the winners of our Hookup for two “The Hurt Locker” autographed posters! The winners will be sent the posters at our expense. Good luck!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: New Trailer For Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘The Hurt Locker’

BrianTT — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:24:56 -0600

CHICAGO – Apple and Trailer Addict released the debut of the new trailer for Kathryn Bigelow’s highly-anticipated Iraq War movie “The Hurt Locker,” opening this summer from Summit Entertainment.

The film played well at the Toronto and Venice Film Festivals last year and opens this July. It stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, and Guy Pearce in the story of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal squad, a group of men who disarm bombs during wartime. The preview is excellent and we can’t wait to see this one. Check it out for yourself.

Watch more HollywoodChicago.com-hosted A&E videos.
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By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

2009 Summit Pictures Preview: ‘New Moon,’ ‘Push,’ ‘Knowing,’ ‘The Brothers Bloom,’ ‘Sorority Row,’ ‘Astro Boy,’ More

BrianTT — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:54:27 -0700

CHICAGO – Summit Pictures sent over release dates, cast & crew, and synopsis information for their entire 2009 slate and even included a few available images for their upcoming slate.

The 2009 Summit films with available production stills include “Push,” “Knowing,” “Next Day Air,” “The Brothers Bloom,” “Sorority Row,” and “Astro Boy”. 2009 pictures without images released yet but with film information below include “The Hurt Locker,” “Bandslam,” and “New Moon,” the highly anticipated sequel to “Twilight”.

“Push”
Release date: February 6, 2009
Cast: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, and Djimon Hounsou
Directed by: Paul McGuigan
Written by: David Bourla
Synopsis: A riveting action-thriller, Push burrows deep into the deadly world of psychic espionage where artificially enhanced paranormal operatives have the ability to move objects with their minds, see the future, create new realities and kill without ever touching their victims. Against this setting, a young man (Chris Evans) and a teenage girl (Dakota Fanning) take on a clandestine agency in a race against time that will determine the future of civilization.

“Knowing”
Release date: March 20, 2009
Cast: Nicholas Case, Rose Byrne, and Chandler Canterbury
Directed by: Alex Proyas
Written by: Ryne Douglas Pearson, Richard Kelly, Juliet Snowden, Stiles WHite, Stuart Hazeldine, and Alex Proyas
Synopsis: Academy Award® Winner Nicolas Cage (National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Leaving Las Vegas) stars in KNOWING, a gripping action-thriller of global proportions about a professor who stumbles on terrifying predictions about the future—and sets out to prevent them from coming true. His increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster—and the ultimate sacrifice.

“The Hurt Locker”
Release date: Spring 2009
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, and Guy Pearce
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Written by: Mark Boal
Synopsis: When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James’ true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

“Next Day Air”
Release date: May 8, 2009
Cast: Donald Faison, Mike Epps, Wood Harris, Omari Hardwick, Emilio Rivera, Darius McCrary, Cisco Reyes, and Mos Def
Directed by: Benny Boom
Written by: Blair Cobb
Synopsis: Life isn’t going smoothly for Leo Jackson. He still lives at home, he just broke up with his girlfriend and he’s had so many complaints about his sloppy work habits that his own mother is threatening to fire him. But Leo isn’t one to let a few bad breaks ruins his day—as long as he’s got plenty of weed to take his mind off his troubles. But when the wacked-out courier accidentally delivers a box containing 10 kilos of high quality cocaine to the wrong apartment, it sets in motion a hilarious and harrowing chain of events that could cost him his life.

“The Brothers Bloom”
Release date: May 15, 2009 (limited); May 29, 2009 (wide)
Cast: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, and Robbie Coltrane
Written and Directed by: Rian Johnson
Synopsis: The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they’ve decided to take on one last job - showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

“Bandslam”
Release date: July 31, 2009
Cast: Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelen Connell, and Lisa Kudrow
Written and Directed by: Todd Graff
Synopsis: When gifted singer-songwriter Charlotte Banksasks new kid in town Will Burton to manage her fledgling rock band, she appears to have just one goal in mind: go head-to-head against her egotistical musician ex-boyfriend at the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands. Against all odds, their band develops a sound all its own with a real shot at success in the contest. When disaster strikes, it’s time for the band to make a choice: Do they admit defeat, or face the music and stand up for what they believe in?

“Sorority Row”
Release date: October 2, 2009
Cast: Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrine Partridge, and Carrie Fisher
Directed by: Stewart Hendler
Written by: Josh Stolberg & Peter Goldfinger
Synopsis: When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to keep the matter to themselves and never speak of it again, so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done, when after graduation a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret.

“Astro Boy”
Release date: October 23, 2009
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucus, and Donald Sutherland
Directed by: David Bowers
Written by: Timothy Harris
Synopsis: Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist. Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero.

“New Moon”
Release date: November 20, 2009
Cast: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Melissa Rosenberg
Synopsis: Bella Swan is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to Summit Pictures.

AstroBoy: “Astro Boy”
Knowing01: Nicolas Cage in “Knowing”.
Knowing02: Nicolas Cage in “Knowing”.
Knowing03: Nicolas Cage in “Knowing”.
Knowing04: Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne in “Knowing”.
Knowing05: Poster for “Knowing”.
NextDayAir: “Next Day Air”.
Push1: Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning in “Push”.
Push2: Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning in “Push”.
Push3: Dakota Fanning and Djimon Hounsou in “Push”.
Push4: Djimon Hounsou and Camilla Belle in “Push”.
Push5: Poster for “Push”.
SororityRow: “Sorority Row”.
BrothersBloom01_2: Rachel Weisz in “The Brothers Bloom”.
BrothersBloom02_0: Adrien Brody in “The Brothers Bloom”.
BrothersBloom03_2: Adrien Brody in “The Brothers Bloom”.
BrothersBloom04_2: Rachel Weisz in “The Brothers Bloom”.

Read our Taylor Lautner casting story for “New Moon”.
Read our Robert Pattinson story on “Parts Per Billion” and “New Moon”.
See our high-quality, 28-image “Twilight” slideshow.
Read our “Twilight” opening-weekend box-office story.
Read our “Twilight” sequel story prior to opening weekend.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com