Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington
Director: Neil LaBute
Release Date: September 19, 2008
Running Time: 110 min
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributor: Screen Gems

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Lakeview Terrace succeeds for the most part because it doesn’t present itself as a joke or parody. What seems to be a plot derived from a Martin Lawrence comedy is gradually heightened to a drastic state of realism that unfortunately doesn’t really reach its full potential.

Oddly enough, the forest fires that constantly blaze behind the homes in an upmarket LA community called Lakeview Terrace can be seen as a hidden metaphor for the main character's racism: a constant burning that could wipe out the entire forest. Bitter racism hasn’t been presented with such strong construction and straight forward clarity for quite some time, as far as movies go.

For me, it seemed I would have to be really moronic not to take the part... The stage is much more a test of nerve (than film) and seeing what you are made of. It would be very easy to do simple stuff. It doesn't really interest me that much... Every actor has limits. It's sort of testing out where they are. Luckily, I haven't found them yet. I suppose the thing I've learned is that I think I am more capable than I thought I was... There are a lot of actors who think you can just go on stage and do it - you can't. says Dan Radcliffe.

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I would have to admit that I was never a big fan of Daniel Radcliffe. Not until recently, that is...

What made me change my mind? Lots of things. First of all, the young actor is willing to accept his limits, but instead of giving up and admit that that's the way it will be, he has the courage and the energy to surpass even his own expectations. I think it was the way he argued about why he accepted the part in the play Equus that made me realize this young man is tougher than I think.

Second, I watched December Boys, probably for the fifth time. It was less than stellar, even boring at times, but Dan made a big dive in exploring his role as an orphan who became too attached to a girl. I find his performance to be quite heartbreaking and incredibly realistic. He's not your so-awesome-goodlooking-gorgeous-type-of-guy, but he's more real to me than someone like Orlando Bloom or Hayden Christensen for that matter.

Did you ever wonder what it takes to become a fan nowadays? Am I saying there are requirements to be considered a fan? Well, there are basically two kinds of fans- the ones who observe, praise and continue to patronize movies and the other, the obsessed, dellusional ones who want to even dictate how an actor should behave in public.

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Here's one comment that might give you an idea of how some fans think nowadays (the serious ones, that is):

Might I also add that Fandom in general tends to be completely deluded in the area of self-importance. Actors may or may not decide to engage their fans in whatever manner they choose. The fact remains that as Big and All Powerful as the fans believe they are, nothing could be further from the truth. Regardless of the numbers, fandoms remain but a blip on the larger radar. Power is generated by the critical acclaim of one's peers and the selling power at the box office, the second being generated by numbers which far outweigh any fandom. Either the projects are admired and viewed BY THE LARGER MASSES, or they aren't.

Many talented actors have forged quite memorable careers without paying one iota of heed to fans or fandoms. Then too, many have actively shunned such intrusion, and likewise done quite well.

The comment is in response to someone who posted her ( or is it a he?) disgust over some photos of Robert Pattinson who came out of a Hollywood pub, with some girls in tow, and other 'revealing' photos taken by the most friendly of all creatures, the paparazzi.

Every Monday, tMF gives you a rundown on who's making the biggest buzz among the current crop of young talents, based on the hottest news about upcoming movies, awards and nominations, magazine covers and interviews, and special appearances on festivals, talk shows and upcoming TV series or just from anything that make fans more excited about movies!

Some rants! I'm beginning to arrive at the conclusion that maybe Jamie Bell is becoming more and more under-rated. Why should Mr. Foe only get a limited release? The young actor is phenomenal, for Chrissakes! If you're a bonafide fan of young actors, its time for you to watch Mr. Foe and demand for more of Jamie Bell. In our weekly top 3, he's definitely covered. So is Zac Efron, and don't tell me he sucks in High School Musical, wait till you watch him in Me and Orson Welles!

Another mention, this time, the disturbing behavior and mind-set of fans. Question: If you saw a picture of a young actor you admire leaving a Hollywood pub, will you think - fast and furious - he's trying to ruining his life by drinking? My Answer: What an insecure, hopeless dick you must be!

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Capturing the third spot for the first time is Shia Labeouf. With half a mil salary, Labeouf is definitely enjoying a career high. Recent incidents seem to highlight how much people are interested in getting to read news about the young actor.

The Buzz: Perhaps some of the more serious fans have watched LaBeouf's older and better movies- A Guide to Recognizing your Saints, Holes, The Greatest Game Ever Played. I mean the guy can act. It would be sad to relegate him into predictable, formulaic movies that you'll automatically forget once you leave the theater.

The good news now is that he's about to do a rather intriguing character in Dark Fields. We recently blogged him on this new flick from filmmaker Neil Burger, the same guy who gave us Edward Norton's The Illusionist. In this new movie Shia is to play "an intellectual slacker and former cocaine addict". It goes deeper and darker when Labeouf's character discovered he's in possession of a new drug, with some very curious effects. I think the role is perfect for him.

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The Buzz: After last week's papz episode, Rob is reported to be preparing for another indie flick, entitled Parts Per Billion. Produced under ChubbCo Film, the movie is a mixture of love story, drama and some thriller to add some bits of spice from a script developed by Brian Horiuchi. The writer-director is credited for coming up with such films as Isle of the Dead and America so Beautiful. Pattinson is supposed to play one of the characters, Erik.

I recently posted my film review of How To Be, definitely one of his best films so far and the 'potential' that Rob has shown recently is finally realized in his realistic and funny portrayal of Art. A character very much opposite the real Robert Pattinson.

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The Buzz: Jim is blazing hot for his powerful portrayal of an IRA spy in the thriller Fifty Dead Men Walking. As reported earlier, the movie encountered some problems when the author and the very person Jim played in the movie raised his legal objection to the movie. A few days later, a settlement was reached and Toronto has shown the film as scheduled.

Recent news has confirmed some of our earlier concerns, that perhaps Jim and the cast and crew of the movie might be in some form of danger. Here are Jim's observation, when he answered questions during the Toronto Press briefing:

They (the IRA) knew where we were at every moment. So I felt fine. It was a weird feeling knowing that this organisation was looking after me and Kevin in particular, making sure we were ok and respected by everybody. We were going to places we would never dream of going if we weren’t with them. It was a thrilling experience, a thrilling ride.”

“I had a few moments when we were filming in a fairly rough area of Belfast - we were doing a night shoot - and slowly, the crowds grew and grew,” he recalled. “There were kids everywhere stealing our sandwiches and drinking our tea, and they multiplied, they were everywhere. We were doing a scene, and there was a stone that smacked me in the head. There were kids effing and blinding and shouting at me. That was the only time I thought, ‘ok, maybe I’m not as safe as I think I am’.

That's not all, Jim is also playing the lead in Heartless and is part of the ensemble cast for Crossing Over.

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What's on your mind? Have we missed your favorite young actor and failed to give him the buzz he deserves? Are there other young actors that should have made the list this week? Let us know your thoughts!

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I would guess that at some point in our lives, almost all of us have been a fan - some are probably more die-hard than others - but we have at one point or another looked up to and admired someone special - a great athlete perhaps, or an amazing movie actor, a talented singer or leader of a rock band, maybe an author or writer or poet..

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As a book and movie fan, there can be no greater joy than the anticipation of the movie adaptation of a favorite book. I can still remember how excited I became a few years ago upon hearing that one of Anne Rice’s Vampire books was about to be made into a movie. When JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series was first considered for big screen adaptation, I’m pretty sure the books’ loyal readers were just as excited. Right now, although we have no Harry Potter movie in sight, and although we continue to protest the delay of its release, fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight couldn’t care less.

In this special report, tMF looks at the light and fun sides of fandom and then treks over to its darker and more disturbing side.

Four incredibly cool and interesting trailers- Josef Fares' semi-authobiography Zozo, a different vampire tale in Let the Right One In, Harmony Korine's Mister Lonely, and finally the shockingly wicked 13 Tzameti from Gela Babluani.

13 Tzameti: The Grand Jury prize winner at Sundance, this is simply one of a kind movie- relentless, unforgiving and utterly unforgettable. Just the trailer will leave you cold and excited. If you want to watch something different, then get this at netflix or buy the DVD- it's definitely worth it!

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About the Movie: Twenty-two-year-old Sebastien (Georges Babluani) leads an impoverished life with his immigrant family constantly struggling to support them. While repairing the roof of a neighbor’s house, he overhears a conversation about an expected package which promises to make the household rich. Sensing the opportunity of a lifetime, Sebastien intercepts the package which contains a series of specific instructions. Following the clues, he assumes a false identity and manages to slip through the grasp of the enclosing police as he ventures deeper and deeper into the countryside. The closer he gets to his destination and the more people he meets along the way, the less he understands about what he is looking for. Ultimately, he comes face to face with a ring of clandestine gamblers placing bets on the outcome of a multi-player, high stakes tournament of Russian roulette. Directed by newcomer Gela Babluani, 13 TZAMETI is a winner-take-all thriller, where an unfortunate young man is transformed into Contestant #13 with no way out save his luck.

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Coming Soon reported that Shia LaBeouf signed on to be in the upcoming thriller film called Dark Fields about a loser (LaBeouf) who gets his hands on a top-secret pharmaceutical smart pill but soon discovers that it has lethal and lasting side effects.The project is said to be in the vein of Fight Club and The Game. It's directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist) which will start shooting in New York this winter. The film is based on the 2002 novel by Alan Glynn titled, The Dark Fields. Director Neil Burger says that it won't be handled in a science fiction way, and goes on to tell Coming Soon:

"It's more like if there's viagra or steroids, why isn't there something that increases your synaptic connections and makes you think smarter and faster, but it's not without side effects and consequences."

A more detailed 'Dark Fields' Synopsis:

"An intellectual slacker and former cocaine addict, now eking out a living as a copywriter for a small publishing house. Through a bizarre series of coincidences, Eddie finds himself in possession of MTD-48, a drug that has some curious effects. On his first trip, Eddie discovers that the drug boosts the intellect, making him far smarter - but also faster, more intuitive, and more charismatic. By warding off sleep and focusing his attention span, Eddie finds that the drug enables him, in a matter of hours, to write a book, learn a foreign language, or predict certain events by detecting patterns in vast amounts of information. What author Glynn has imagined is the perfect drug for the information age, one that makes its user a match for the ceaseless flow of data from television and newspapers to the Internet. Rather than being lost in the overload of endless news, history, opinions, and other information, the user of MDT-48 can take it all in and find meaningful patterns within it. It is an addictive combination, and the book follows Eddie's adventures as he goes through numerous career changes: from copywriter to stock trader and ultimately high- finance guru. However, like all drugs, MDT-48 has its downside, including lethal withdrawal symptoms and terrifying side-effects that can render a user homicidal. If this were not enough, the drug itself is both created and distributed by a shadowy corporation worthy of Pynchonian paranoia, and it isn't too long before Eddie begins to suspect that he didn't just "find" MDT-48 after all."

Named as one of the UK's Stars of Tomorrow, the young and talented Tom Payne has nowhere to go but up!

While his first movie role is a supporting one for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Payne managed to shine. As Phil Goldman, Tom gave the role his own brand of sexiness and charm. He stars alongside Frances McDormand, Ciaran Hinds and Amy Adams in this Bharat Nalluri's period comedy. Payne relished the opportunity to show his versatility as an actor and his work impressed producer Stephen Garrett: "Tom plays a rather dim young man and he brought great charm and charisma to a part that could have been dull," says Garrett.

British audiences would probably remember Tom as Brett Aspinall in television drama series Waterloo Road. But he's about to play his most challenging role so far- portraying the legendary footballer George Best. Here's more:

Best was a Northern Irish professional football player, best known for his years with Manchester United. He was one of the first celebrity footballers, but his extravagant lifestyle led to problems with alcoholism which curtailed his playing career. Best's lovable, cheeky image won him many fans, during his career and after, despite his public drunkenness on TV, his convictions for drunk driving and assaulting a policeman, allegations of domestic violence, and his inability to give up drinking even after the transplant. GQ named him as one of the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years

Definitely a fantastic role for the young actor!