Gamer

Se, dopo aver visto i trailer, vi volete ancora così male da andare a vedere Gamer, vi consiglio di portarvi dietro una ampia collezione di aghi da infilare sotto le unghie: ne avrete bisogno.

Gerard Butler di mestiere fa il carcerato nel braccio della morte - carriera breve ma non priva di soddisfazioni (e fa sempre curriculum).
Entra in scena Dexter - qui nel ruolo del genio del compiutter - che ha creato una serie di mondi virtuali nei quali gli utenti possono comandare delle persone in carne ed ossa (a dire il vero più "culi e tette" che altro, da quando viene mostrato ) grazie a solito artifizio narrativo impiantato nel cervello a suon di jibba-jabba hi-tech privo di senso.
Ultimo parto della sua geniale quanto empia testolina, un mondo dove i detenuti combattono a suon di armi fichissime, morendo a carriolate. Premio per chi sopravvive a 30 battaglie: la libertà ed un set di pentole in acciaio inox.
Butler ed il ragazzino che lo controlla sono quasi al traguardo, ma qual losco piano si dipana dinnanzi a loro! Ah, perché non ci è dato vivere in un mondo di oneste regole?! Perché?! Perché?! Boh, chissene...

Se avete una vaga sensazione come di "già visto un triliardo di volte", vi state sbagliando: questo non è come i mille film che hanno già sfruttato idee analoghe - è infatti scandalosamente peggio.
Girato dalla solita scimmia col parkinson, ha escogitato un affascinante stratagemma tecnico per nascondere le piccole imperfezioni: coprirle con una colossale esplosione. Il fondale fa schifo? Mettiamoci un'esplosione! Serve un stacco di scena tra due location separate? Esplosione! La trama ha un buco che sembra un cratere? Esplosione!
È bellissimo e molto facile, provateci anche voi: esplosione!

Sorvoliamo sui dialoghi, i concetti triti-e-ritriti, l'overacting costante ed una insultante supponenza che permea tutti i suoi 95 minuti.
Ha però anche alcuni meriti: oltre a settare un nuovo standard negativo per i filmacci d'azione (e non c'è neanche Jason Statham, incredibile), ha procurato una ciotola di cibo a Milo Ventimiglia e John Leguizamo. In tempi di crisi, non è poco.

Voto: 1 - fa intrattenimento quanto un'epidemia di vaiolo.
Trashometro^® 7/10:
Tags: azione, fantascienza, thriller, invereconda porcata, esplosione, esplosioni, esplosioni!, ancora esplosioni!, criminale, mondo virtuale, detenuto, fuga, armi, sparatoria, morte, combattimento, auto, resistenza, hacker, intrusione, Gerard Butler, John Leguizamo, moglie, prostituzione, vendetta, trash.

Statham, Jason

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Data di nascita: 12 September 1972
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) .... [attore]
• The Brazilian Job (2011) .... Handsome Rob [attore]
• 13 (2010) .... Jasper [attore]
• Blitz (2010) .... [attore]
• The Expendables (2010) .... Lee Christmas [attore]
• The Killer Elite (2010) .... [attore]
• The Mechanic (2010) .... [attore]
• Crank: High Voltage (2009) .... Chev Chelios [attore]
• Transporter 3 Special Delivery: Transporters in the Real World (2009) (V) .... Frank Martin [attore]
• Death Race (2008) .... Jensen Ames [attore]

Biografia:
Born in 1972, Jason Statham has done quite a lot in a short time. He has been an Olympic Diver on the British National Diving Team and finished 12th in the World Championships in 1992. He has also been a fashion model, black market salesman and finally of course, actor. He got the audition for his debut role as Bacon in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) through French Connection, for whom he was modeling. They became a major investor in the film and introduced Jason to Guy Ritchie, who invited him to audition for a part in the film by challenging him to impersonate an illegal street vendor and convince him to purchase fake jewelery. Jason must have been doing something right because after the success of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) he teamed up again with Guy Ritchie for Snatch. (2000), with co-stars including Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio Del Toro. After Snatch. (2000) came Turn It Up (2000) with US music star Ja Rule, followed by a supporting actor role in the Sci-Fi film Ghosts of Mars (2001), Jet Li's The One (2001) and another screen partnership with Vinnie Jones in Mean Machine (2001) under Guy Ritchie's and Matthew Vaughn's SKA Films. Finally in 2002 he was cast as the lead role of Frank Martin in The Transporter (2002). Jason is also in the summer 2003 blockbuster remake of The Italian Job (1969), The Italian Job (2003), playing Handsome Rob.

Trivia random: Offered the role of Agent 47 in Hitman (2007/I) after Vin Diesel was dropped from the project. Timothy Olyphant eventually took the role.
Citazione random: "You ain't ever gonna get an Academy Award for doing Crank (2006) and you certainly won't for doing all the other movies I've done."
Salario massimo: $750,000, per The Transporter (2002)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Gamer (2009)

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Regista: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Scrittore: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Genere: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.7/10 (23986 voti)
Durata: 95 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Gerard Butler .... Kable / John Tillman
• Amber Valletta .... Angie
• Michael C. Hall .... Ken Castle
• Kyra Sedgwick .... Gina Parker Smith
• Logan Lerman .... Simon Silverton
• Alison Lohman .... Trace
• Terry Crews .... Hackman
• Ramsey Moore .... Gorge
• Ludacris .... Humanz Brother (as Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges)
• Aaron Yoo .... Humanz Dude

Trama:
Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments, a star player from a game called "Slayers" looks to regain his independence while taking down the game's mastermind.

Trivia random: The opening montage of time-lapse shots and other scenes of the world where we see ads for Kable and/or graffiti of Ken Castle overlaid on buildings or walls are mostly taken from Ron Fricke's wordless film Baraka (1992), for example, the shots of the Giza Pyramids, India, homeless man sleeping under a bridge among others.
Citazione random: Simon: This is unbelievable. Kable, listen. This is the last game. You're gonna end up dead, and I'm going to look like a total asshole if you don't pull your balls together man!

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Leguizamo, John

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Data di nascita: 22 July 1960
Altezza: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Coniuge: Justine Maurer::(5 July 2003 - present) 2 children, Yelba Osorio::(27 August 1994 - November 1996) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Spanish Harlem Project (2011) .... Ray [attore]
• Tlatelolco: Mexico 68 (2011) .... Jesus (rumored) [attore]
• Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) .... Paul [attore]
• Gamer (2009) .... Freek [attore]
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) (VG) .... Sid (voice) [attore]
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) .... Sid (voice) [attore]
• Rage (2009/I) .... Jed [attore]
• The Ministers (2009) .... Dante/Perfecto [attore]
• Miracle at St. Anna (2008) .... Enrico [attore]
• Nothing Like the Holidays (2008) .... Mauricio Rodriguez [attore]

Biografia:
Fast-talking and feisty-looking John Leguizamo has continued to impress movie audiences with his versatility: he can play sensitive and naïve young men, such as Johnny in Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991); cold-blooded killers like Benny Blanco in Carlito's Way (1993); a heroic Navy SEAL, stopping aerial terrorists in Executive Decision (1996); and drag queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). Arguably, not since ill-fated actor and comedian Freddie Prinze starred in the smash TV series "Chico and the Man" (1974) has a youthful Latino personality had such a powerful impact on critics and fans alike. Born July 22, 1964, in Bogotá, Colombia, Leguizamo was four when his family emigrated to the United States. He was raised in Queens, New York, attended New York University and studied under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg for only one day before Strasberg passed away. The extroverted Leguizamo started working the comedy club circuit in New York and first appeared in front of the cameras in an episode of "Miami Vice" (1984). His first film appearance was a small part in Mixed Blood (1985), and he had minor roles in Casualties of War (1989) and Die Hard 2 (1990) before playing a liquor store thief who shoots Harrison Ford in Regarding Henry (1991). His career really started to soar after his first-rate performance in the independent film Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991) as a nervous young teenager from the Bronx out for a night in brightly lit Manhattan with his buddies, facing the career choice of staying in a supermarket or heading off to college and finding out that the girl he loves from afar isn't quite what he thought she was. The year 1991 was also memorable for other reasons, as he hit the stage with his show Mambo Mouth (1991) (TV), in which he portrayed seven different Latino characters. The witty and incisive show was a smash hit and won the Obie and Outer Circle Critics Award, and later was filmed for HBO, where it picked up a CableACE Award. He returned to the stage two years later with another satirical production poking fun at Latino stereotypes titled Spic-O-Rama (1993) (TV). It played in Chicago and New York, and won the Drama Desk Award and four CableACE Awards. In 1995 he created and starred in the short-lived TV series "House of Buggin'" (1995), an all-Latino-cast comedy variety show featuring hilarious sketches and comedic routines. The show scored two Emmy nominations and received positive reviews from critics, but it was canceled after only one season. The gifted Leguizamo was still keeping busy in films, with key appearances in Super Mario Bros. (1993), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Spawn (1997). In 1998 he made his Broadway debut in Freak (1998) (TV), a "demi-semi-quasi-pseudo-autobiographical" one-man show, which was filmed for HBO by Spike Lee. Utilizing his distinctive vocal talents, he next voiced a pesky rat in Doctor Dolittle (1998) before appearing in the dynamic Spike Lee-directed Summer of Sam (1999) as a guilt-ridden womanizer, as the Genie of The Lamp in the exciting Arabian Nights (2000) (TV) and as Henri de Toulouse Lautrec in the visually spectacular Moulin Rouge! (2001). He also voiced Sid in the animated Ice Age (2002), co-starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Collateral Damage (2002) and directed and starred in the boxing film Undefeated (2003) (TV). Afterward, Leguizamo starred in the remake of the John Carpenter hit Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) and George A. Romero's long-awaited fourth "Dead" film, Land of the Dead (2005). There can be no doubt that the remarkably talented Leguizamo has been a breakthrough performer for the Latino community in mainstream Hollywood, in much the same way that Sidney Poitier crashed through celluloid barriers for African-Americans in the early 1960s. Among his many strengths lies his ability to not take his ethnic background too seriously but also to take pride in his Latino heritage. He has opened many doors for his countrymen. A masterly and accomplished performer, movie audiences await Leguizamo's next exciting performance.

Trivia random: Was voted "Most Talkative" in high school.
Citazione random: "Marriage is wild. I thought it was this perfect land of happiness and joy. Wrong! After you say you do, you don't for a long time."
Salario massimo: $2,000,000, per Spawn (1997)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Hall, Michael C. (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Hall, Michael Carlyle
Data di nascita: 1 February 1971
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Coniuge: Jennifer Carpenter::(31 December 2008 - present), Amy Spanger::(1 May 2002 - 2006) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• East Fifth Bliss (2010) .... Morris Bliss [attore]
• Peep World (2010) .... Jack [attore]
• Gamer (2009) .... Ken Castle [attore]
• The Edge of Things (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Mysteries of the Freemasons (2006) (TV) .... Narrator [attore]
• "Hitler's War" (2005) TV series (narrator) (2005) .... [misc]
• Bereft (2004) (TV) .... Jonathan [attore]
• Paycheck (2003) .... Agent Klein [attore]

Biografia:
Michael C. Hall is a North Carolina native and graduate of NYU's Master of Fine Arts program in acting. His most recent performance was on Broadway as the emcee in "Cabaret." Hall has previously starred in nearly a dozen major off-Broadway plays, including "Macbeth" for the New York Shakespeare Festival, "Cymbeline" for the New York Shakespeare Festival at Central Park's Delacorte Theater, "Timon of Athens" and "Henry V" at the Public, "The English Teachers" for Manhattan Class Company, "Corpus Christi" at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and "Skylight" at the Mark Taper Forum.

Trivia random: Attended Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina, the same school attended by actress Emily Procter, actor William Joyner, and editor Hughes Winborne.
Citazione random: I think Dexter is a man who, a part of himself is very much frozen, or arrested in a place that is pre-memory, pre-conscious, pre-verbal. Something very traumatic happened to him, he doesn't know what that is. And I think on some level he wants to know. He denies his humanity, he describes himself as someone who is without feeling, and yet I think that he maybe suspects - in a way that maybe isn't even conscious yet when we first meet him - that he is in fact a human being.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Butler, Gerard

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Nome di battesimo: Butler, Gerard James
Data di nascita: 13 November 1969
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Burns (2010) .... Robert Burns [attore]
• Coriolanus (2010) .... Tullus Aufidius [attore]
• How to Train Your Dragon (2010) .... Stoick (voice) [attore]
• The Bounty Hunter (2010) .... Milo Boyd [attore]
• Untitled Comedy (2010) .... Chaun [attore]
• Gamer (2009) .... Kable / John Tillman [attore]
• Law Abiding Citizen (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Tales of the Black Freighter (2009) (V) .... The Sea Captain (voice) [attore]
• The Ugly Truth (2009) .... Mike Chadway [attore]
• Nim's Island (2008) .... Jack Rusoe / Alex Rover [attore]

Biografia:
Born in Paisley, Scotland, to Margaret and Edward Butler, Gerard Butler was raised along with his older brother and sister in his hometown of Paisley, Scotland. He also spent some of his youth in Canada. His parents divorced when he was a child, and he and his siblings were raised primarily by their mother, who later remarried. He had no contact with his father between the ages of two and 16 years old, after which time they became close. His father passed away when Gerard was in his early 20s. Butler went on to attend Glasgow University, where he studied to be a lawyer/solicitor. He was president of the school's law society thanks to his outgoing personality and great social skills. His acting career began when he was approached in a London coffee shop by actor Steven Berkoff, who later appeared alongside Butler in Attila (2001/I) (TV), who gave him a role in a stage production of Coriolanus. After that Butler decided to give up law for acting. He was cast as Ewan McGregor's character Renton in the stage adaptation of [i]Trainspotting[/i]. His film debut was as Billy Connolly's younger brother in _Mrs. Brown (1997)_. While filming the movie in Scotland, he was enjoying a picnic with his mother, near the River Tay, when they heard the shouts of a young boy who had been swimming with a friend who was in some trouble. Butler jumped in and saved the young boy from drowning. He received a Certificate of Bravery from the Royal Humane Society. He felt he only did what anyone in the situation would have done. His film career continued with small roles, first in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and then Russell Mulcahy's Tale of the Mummy (1998). In 2000, Butler was cast in two breakthrough roles, the first being Attila the Hun in the USA film Attila (2001/I) (TV). The film's producers wanted a known actor to play the part but kept coming back to Butler's screen tests and decided he was their man. He had to lose the thick Scottish accent, but managed well. Around the time Attila was being filmed, casting was in progress for Wes Craven's new take on the Dracula legacy. Also wanting a known name, Butler wasn't much of a consideration. His unending tenacity and drive drove him to hounding the producers. Eventually, he sent them a clip of his portrayal of Attila. Evidently they saw something because Dracula 2000 (2000) was cast in the form of Butler. Attila's producers, thinking that his big-screen role might help with their own film's ratings, finished shooting a little early so he could get to work on Dracula 2000 (2000). Attila ended up being the second highest-rated TV movie ever. Following these two roles, Butler developed quite a fan base, an Internet site and began appearing on lists everywhere. Since then he has appeared in Reign of Fire (2002) as Creedy and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003) as Terry Sheridan, alongside Angelina Jolie. The role that garnered him most attention from both moviegoers and movie makers alike was that of Andre Marek in the big-screen adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel Timeline (2003). Butler played an archaeologist who was sent back in time with a team of students to rescue a colleague. Last year he appeared in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera (2004), playing the title character in the successful adaptation of the stage musical. It was a role that brought him much international attention. Other projects include Dear Frankie (2004), The Game of Their Lives (2005) and Beowulf & Grendel (2005). In 2007 he starred as Spartan King Leonidas in the Warner Bros. production 300 (2006), based on the Frank Miller graphic novel, and Butterfly on a Wheel (2007) co-starring Pierce Brosnan and Maria Bello, which aired on network TV under the title Shattered. He most recently starred in P.S. I Love You (2007) with Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank . In 2007, he appeared in Nim's Island (2008) and RocknRolla (2008), and recently completed the new Mark Neveldine / Brian Taylor film Gamer (2009). His latest film The Ugly Truth (2009) co-starring Katherine Heigl began filming in April 2008.

Trivia random: Was once rumored to be the next James Bond (after Pierce Brosnan). [April 2001]
Citazione random: Sometimes I finish a movie and I get used to a certain lifestyle and when that stops I get a bit lost for about a week. 'No one is bringing me lunch anymore - I've got to go do that myself?' I lose the main point of my focus. Often all I want to do is travel and just get the hell out of there. But I'm actually boring really.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Ventimiglia, Milo

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Nome di battesimo: Ventimiglia, Milo Anthony
Data di nascita: 8 July 1977
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Order of Chaos (2010) .... Rick [attore]
• "Ultradome" (2010) .... (executive producer) (unknown episodes, 2010) [produttore]
• Armored (2009) .... Eckehart [attore]
• Dave Knoll Finds His Soul (2009) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Gamer (2009) .... Rick Rape [attore]
• High-Five Hollywood! (2008) (V) .... [attore]
• Pathology (2008) .... Ted Grey [attore]
• "It's a Mall World" (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• "Winter Tales" (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Intelligence (2006/I) .... Colin Mathers [attore]

Biografia:
Nurturing an impressive body of work that encompasses film and television, Milo Ventimiglia is positioning himself as one of Hollywood's most promising young talents as his career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects. Ventimiglia will next be seen starring in Tom Fontana's new WB Series "The Bedford Diaries" (2006), which focuses on a group of college students in a human sexuality class. Ventimiglia quickly garnered attention when he joined the cast of the critically acclaimed television drama "Gilmore Girls" (2000), as the quiet and complicated 'Jess.' Last year Ventimiglia joined the cast of another critically acclaimed show, NBC's "American Dreams" (2002). He portrayed a 60's war radical and helps bring the show into the 70's. He was also a recurring character on David. E. Kelley's drama "Boston Public" (2000). Before joining "Gilmore Girls" audiences became familiar with Ventimiglia when he starred in the Fox series "Opposite Sex" (2000) which secured him a holding deal with Warner Brothers. His other television credits include guest starring roles on prime time series such as "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000), "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (1996) and "Promised Land" (1996). Segueing effortlessly between the big and small screen, Ventimiglia's passion for the art of acting keeps him drawn to both studio and independent features. Ventimiglia recently starred in the Wes Craven/Kevin Williamson thriller Cursed (2005) and next up is the indie film Dirty Deeds (2005). His other film credits include Winter Break (2003) and Massholes (2000). Additionally he starred in the short films Nice Guys Finish Last (2001) and Must Be the Music (1996), which debuted at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Ventimiglia currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys skateboarding, snowboarding and wake boarding. He also has a passion for restoring vintage muscle cars.

Trivia random: He has a great interest in directing.
Citazione random: On the WB holding deal: ... They said, 'Here's a lot of money and don't work for anybody else. We don't have anything for you, so you're going to be sitting for a while.' That was an interesting thing.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.