Similar to last year’s The Social Network, Middle Men offers another online phenomenon (this time the rise of internet porn) as the basis for a tale of greed, deception and the vast financial rewards to be reaped from it all (all at the cost of everything else, of course).

It’s a sprightly, if derivative yarn which, seemingly due to studio politics, is making its debut in the usually quality-bereft DTV world. While not quite up there with the David Fincher’s aforementioned zeitgeist-encapsulating audience and critic favourite, it’s certainly worthy of a big-screen release and well worth a viewing.

Set in the early noughties, a beefed-up Luke Wilson stars as devoted family man and astute business advisor, Jack Harris. Following a string of successful ventures he’s spearheaded, he is offered the chance to help a couple of .com entrepreneurs who have inadvertently launched the first pay-per-view online porn site. Played by Gabriel Macht and Giovanni Ribisi, the two are clueless when it comes to the business end of things, and through their drug-addled and hopelessly naive behaviour, they owe a wedge of money to the Russian mafia who are looking for a sizable return. Harris’ initial attempts to smooth things over result in an accidental death and a sloppy cover-up, but soon he’s back on track and the trio begin to make untold riches from the nation’s obsession with downloading wrist fodder.

Like all good rags to riches tales, things inevitably begin to slide as Harris grows increasingly intoxicated by the lifestyle and trades in his remarkably supportive wife for a younger model (in the shapely form of Laura Ramsey’s twentysomething online porn starlet). He also finds himself having to deal with an utterly corrupt solicitor (James Caan), while the belligerent Russians make their presence felt once again and even the FBI become entangled in it all.

Sporting the kind of fast-paced, kinetic editing, freeze-frame style as typified by the Goodfellas/Casino era Scorsese and  Boogie Nights, Middle Men could hardly be considered original in both style and substance, but like those film it attempts to emulate, the energy and subject matter (enlivened by some strong performances) really helps to deliver a thoroughly watchable and often entertaining biopic. Wilson (who also delivers the cynical and world-weary Ray Liotta-esque voice-over throughout) offers one of the more memorable performance of his low-key career, while Ribisi (at his wiry best) and Macht are often very funny and equally annoying as they continually threaten to undo all the good work that their business partner has managed to perform, much to his chagrin. A roster of solid supporting actors (including the likes of Kevin Pollak and Robert Forster) manage to really shine in their limited onscreen time, and even Kelsey Grammer (who crops up in a tiny role of an easily-corruptible politician) is surprisingly memorable.

What lets the film down a little is director George Gallo’s need to often cram in unnecessary visual flourishes. His insistence on using a number of those now terribly clichéd CSI-style abstract-y flashbacks stick out like a sore thumb, and it’s almost as if he doesn’t have faith in the inherently fascinating story he’s trying to tell. Wilson’s family fall-out is glossed over too, and the emotional ramifications are never satisfyingly captured or dealt with.

Nevertheless, this is clearly a cut above the types of films which are normally associated with the small screen afterlife, and while it may not reach the dizzying heights of those grander features it models itself on (there’s even the obligatory Rolling Stones number towards the end as events are being wrapped up) this is still a fun and entertaining glimpse into the development of a clandestine culture which, right or wrong, is undeniably a huge and ever-growing part of modern society.

***½~ (3.5/5)

Smodcast Pictures have released the first clip from horror film Red State.

Directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks), Red State stars Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Ralph Garman, Kerry Bishé, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, Kevin Pollak and Stephen Root.

Red State centers on three teenagers come across an online personal advertisement from an older woman looking for kinky group sex. But what begins as a fantasy takes a dark turn as they come face-to-face with a terrifying fundamentalist force with a fatal agenda.

The film was recently shown at the Sundance Film Festival where it attracted mixed-positive reviews.

Check out the clip embedded below:

Red State will be toured across North America from March 5, before opening nationwide in the US on October 19.

Source: MTV Movies Blog

Late last week, Kevin Smith revealed the new poster for Red State which showed Kerry Bishe as ‘The Virgin’ and today via GF Robot.com we get the second poster for the movie which shows Michael Parks as ‘The Father’.

Red State stars John Goodman, Kyle Gallner, Michael Angarano, Melissa Leo, Stephen Root and Kevin Pollak. It should be with us at some point in 2011.

Just like the first poster, this one comes after a fan of the movie paid Kevin Smith $2000 in less than 30 mins for charity. Website, GF Robot.com are the ones to thanks and have donated the money to author, Mitch Albom’s Have Faith in Haiti charity.

Short Description: Kevin Smith steps his foot into horror territory with this politically tinged fright flick starring Michael Parks (FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, GRINDHOUSE) as a controversial Fred Phelps-ish reverend who brings his own brand of zealotry to a wayward group of teens. Smith directs from his own long-in-development script.

On Friday night, Director, Kevin Smith tweeted news of the first poster for his new movie, Red State. The poster was released because a bunch of generous fans pledged $1000 to The Wayne Foundation in less than 30 minutes.

The new poster shows Kerry Bishe as ‘The Virgin’.

Red State stars John Goodman, Kyle Gallner, Michael Angarano, Melissa Leo, Stephen Root and Kevin Pollak. It should be with us at some point in 2011.

We’ve seen the trailer for Bruce Willis’ Cop Out already which you can see here but today we’ve got four brand new clips for you.

Cop Out also stars Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Rashida Jones, Kevin Pollak and is directed by Kevin Smith. It’s set for release 16th April and we’ll hopefully get a review of it soon for you.

Synopsis: Two longtime NYPD partners on the trail of a stolen, rare, mint-condition baseball card find themselves up against a merciless, memorabilia-obsessed gangster. Jimmy (Bruce Willis) is the veteran detective whose missing collectible is his only hope to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding, and Paul (Tracy Morgan) is his “partner-against-crime” whose preoccupation with his wife’s alleged infidelity makes it hard for him to keep his eye on the ball.

When not railing against the airline industry on Twitter Kevin Smith has a new film coming out, a buddy movie previously known as A Couple of Dicks, now retitled Cop Out, and there’s a new clip on the internets today.

There’s been a great theatrical trailer (and its hilarious red band version) for the Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan comedy, and the new clip gives us an excellent look at the smart, foul mouthed hilarity that only Smith can deliver.

It involves Willis and Morgan trading jokes with an arrested felon (Seann William Scott) as it acts as a great teaser to the balls out wit that is sure to permeate the film.

MovieWeb had the goods on show first, and the clip is embedded below, working people may not wish to play this one out loud while the boss is hovering…

We’ve seen the green band trailer for Bruce Willis’ Cop Out already but what’s the point in watching a trailer for a 15 / 18 movie without seeing it in it’s true light? Today, MySpace have released the new red band trailer for the movie and it looks excellent.

Cop Out also stars Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Rashida Jones, Kevin Pollak and is directed by Kevin Smith. It’s set for release 26th February and we’ll hopefully get a review of it soon for you.

Remember this is red band so you have to be 17 to watch it.