ArtInsights Blog

Cinema Siren: Spring Movies: 10 Classic Films For The Season

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 21:50:00 +0000

Elvis, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Alfred Hitchcock fill this Easter collection.

Last month, I got a chance to meet Ben Mankeiwitcz, the Turner Classic Movies host and curator, who is actually from the DC area, and was here promoting this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, running from April 25-28 in Hollywood. If you haven't heard, they have a festival, and Cinema Siren can attest to the fact that they feature both great movies and great guest stars.

This year, they'll include Polly Bergen, Ann Blyth, Mel Brooks, Jane Fonda, Mitzi Gaynor, Tippi Hedren, Max Von Sydow, Eva Marie Saint and Mickey Rooney, just to name some of my favorites.

When I talked to Mankeiwitcz, he said those who attend are some of the most knowledgeable movie fans in the world, but surprisingly diverse in age. He said one fan who expertly quoted stats of actors and actresses of the 1950s was 13 years old.

Though Cinema Siren, alas, will be in England, not in Hollywood, (filming interviews at an indie English studio where Trance was filmed), I can highly recommend this convention.

If you've never gone to a con before, and you are passionate about classic movies, this might be the perfect one to check out. It got me thinking.

The early part of this year has been rife with bad to mediocre new releases at the multiplex, and there's little to recommend for viewing during this holiday weekend or over spring break, when families are looking for a great movie to enjoy together.

When all else fails, when you need a sure win, you can always look to the classics. So Cinema Siren has compiled the top ten best movies that feel like spring. Mostly I went for lots of color, joy and fun, and above all, lots of blooming flowers and greenery.

You might have seen these in all their technicolor beauty, but they are worthy of repeat viewing … maybe if we watch them enough, the flowers will grow faster!

10. Girl Happy (1965) Everyone needs a little Elvis to bring on spring … He plays a nightclub singer, as usual, and juggles Shelley Fabares and Mary Ann Mobley during spring break in Fort Lauderdale. Just as silly as the rest of his movies, and of course you can always choose Blue Hawaii, featuring Angela Lansbury as his southern mama, and is filmed on location, but Girl Happy shows the crazy Spring Break vibe has been in evidence for decades.

9. Brigadoon (1954) Although this movie was mostly filmed on a soundstage, there is a lushness to it, and the motif of spring awakening is a consistent thread. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse make amazing dance partners. The score is lovely, and the story is a very charming spring feverish love story.

8. State Fair (1945) With the only original music written for a film by Rogers and Hammerstein, this stars Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews and Dick Haymes. Off everyone goes to the fair, all falling in love, tasting spiked minced meat, riding carnival rides and promoting prized pigs. Dick Haymes shows off his gorgeous baritone, and there are flowers and fun all around.

7. Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) Debbie Reynolds as Tammy, falls for hot old money Leslie Nielsen, who is trying to grow a new tomato hybrid to keep his family plantation afloat. This movie is cute as can be. Love and the famous Oscar nominated song Tammy are floating through the spring air.

6. Leave Her to Heaven (1945) I felt like I had to include something bright and beautiful on the outside, with a darker core. No movie fits that bill better than Leave Her to Heaven, starring Gene Tierney as the stunningly beautiful femme fatale who destroys all around her through her jealousy. Jean Crain, Cornel Wilde and Vincent Price co-star. The movie has gorgeous technicolor scenery, and Tierney is striking in her luxurious costumes. Want spring warmth in color, but stone cold winter in emotion? This great classic (one of Martin Scorsese's favorites) is perfect.

5. Rear Window (1954) Seems like this particular Hitchcock classic, and my favorite, would remind fans most of spring, because in it everyone has all their windows open, and sounds of music and chatter fill the air. Winter keeps us all inside and what a lovely reminder this movie is of how much we can enjoy the fresh air and the world around us as it warms. Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly with that spectacular embrace will warm you as well…

4. On the Town (1949) Co-directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, a movie with Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller and Vera Ellen would have to be a pleasure to watch, and it surely is. It feels a little like spring break, with Gene Kelly chasing around Miss Turnstiles all day. It shows the best of New York in perfect weather. A great celebration of friendship and urban adventure which is elevated further by spectacular singing and dancing.

3. Easter Parade (1948) Judy Garland and Fred Astaire star in this great movie with some really famous Irving Berlin songs. Gene Kelly was originally cast but broke his ankle, so Astaire came briefly out of retirement. As it's set at Easter, of course it is perfect viewing this time of year, and the costumes and dance routines are legendary, as is Judy Garland, whose voice is so friendly and warm, it alone could bring on spring!

2. Royal Wedding (1951) Fred Astaire and Jane Powell play a brother and sister visiting London during the big event, and meet their matches, all the while dancing and singing for their supper. The famous dance on the ceiling is in this movie. Why does it celebrate spring? I just spent a February week in London. No question that in Royal Wedding, it is spring at very least, and there is a joyous celebratory feeling throughout.

1. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) There's so much spring in this movie, it has a song named after it. Howard Keel plays a big burly and hot redheaded mountain man who goes into town and comes back with a wife (Jane Powell). She's happy just long enough to discover he has six brothers she's expected to live with — time to play matchmaker! Lots of dancing and singing, and gorgeous technicolor makes this movie delicious from beginning to end.

Hopefully, time we spend with these great movies bursting with color and intensity of joy or passion, will serve to build positive expectation and welcome springtime. We've been inside long enough. Time to let some favorite classics remind us warmth and new birth is coming.

More on Turner Classic Movies and the TCM Classic Film Festival.

Check out what's playing at AMC Hoffman Center 22 and Regal Potomac Yard Stadium 16.

About this column: Leslie Combemale, "Cinema Siren", is a movie lover and aficionado in Northern Virginia. Alongside Michael Barry, she owns ArtInsights, an animation and film art gallery in Reston Town Center. She has a background in film and art history. She often is invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic Con, where she has been a panelist for The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster and the Harry Potter Fandom discussion. See more of her reviews and interviews on www.artinsightsmagazine.com.

Cinema Siren Reviews The Croods: Quest for Fire Meets the Simpsons

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:15:00 +0000

Frenetic Fun, Stone Age Family style

3 starfish

The Croods, the new 3D computer animated feature release from Dreamworks, is the story of a prehistoric family who take a road trip out of necessity. Patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage) spends every day protecting his family by alternately leading them on life-endangering family hunting trips and terrifying them into staying in their tiny cave-home with stories about everything in the outside world being potentially deadly. “Never not be afraid”, he says…Daughter Eep (Emma Stone) believes that’s no way to live. Her sense of adventure carries her farther away from the cave and her dad’s controlling nature, much like any teen looking to figure out who they are. Everything changes when their cave is destroyed in the dramatic earth shifts that are turning all they know into a barren, cracked, and lava-laden landscape.

Fortunately a nomadic young hottie named Guy (Ryan Reynolds), in the cro-mag version of designer hip hugger jeans, knows how to navigate the big bad world heretofore unknown and mysterious to Grug and his brood. Guy is one step ahead on the evolutionary scale…he uses tools, fire (baby suns!), and wears shoes.

He has a sloth pet called “Belt” who helps hold his pants in place. Needless to say he is of enormous appeal to a curious and rebellious teen daughter. Sparks fly not only from Guy’s torch but between he and Eep. The rest is all about the growth and movement forward Grog and his family must embrace to survive and thrive, which includes listening and learning from their new guide. Thank the prehistoric gods the movie is anchored with glorious visuals and a ton of action. The prerequisite scenes about acceptance, communication, and family togetherness are overly sentimental, and don’t match the overall tone of the movie. They seem clunky, and a bit shoehorned or forced. Still, your kids won’t notice their heavy handedness. They’ll be too busy enjoying the gorgeous technicolor topography and inventive looking prehistoric flora and fauna. It is all tailor-made for 3D, and enthralling for the entire audience from its teeniest to oldest members. We discover all the newness on this adventure, at the same times as the family, and this connects us together and keeps our interest.

So much is going on around us all now that makes parents feel impending doom…we are all working harder for less, sometimes not feeling sure what we have built for our families will be there tomorrow. You get the sense that these filmmakers were tapping into that with this story, creatively showing the sacrifice and optimism necessary to see a family through hardship. There is an attempt to show a bit about the human condition, the blunt necessities life drives us to, that result in this movie having a few darker undertones beyond all the frenetic doings. Death is a reality and potentially always around the next corner. To the movie’s credit, the characters don’t dwell on it, which allows for kids to enjoy all the action and excitement. Warning: There is a scene where one family member is put in mortal peril that proved to be too scary for the eight year old girl sitting a few seats from me.

This movie started out in 2005 as a stop motion Dreamworks/Aardman collaboration co-written by John Cleese called Crood Awakening, about a caveman living in a village with a prehistoric genius. That story morphed into the “first modern family” story we all see now, after Dreamworks and Aardman parted ways in 2007 and director Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch) left Disney, and chose to rework it after he created the 2010 blockbuster hit “How to Train Your Dragon”.

The story isn’t really anything new, but the advancements in computer animation are impressive. So much is changing so quickly it’s worth a trip to see in theaters just to see how lifelike and detailed they can make these cartoon creatures and their surrounding environments. Spring break is upon us. In a week with little to inspire younger moviegoers at the box office, The Croods is great fun and a pleasant diversion for the whole animation loving family.

Kickstarter Does It Again: “Veronica Mars” Gets A Movie

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:05:00 +0000

It’s official. The Veronica Mars series is getting a movie. A television series about a modern day Nancy Drew, Veronica Mars has a rabid fanbase that jumped at the opportunity to fund a feature film for their beloved series through Kickstarter.

It all began with the creator of Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas, approaching Warner Bros. with the idea to have fans fund the production of a Veronica Mars film while Warner Bros. handles marketing and distribution costs. Thomas had already completed a script for the film and actress Kristen Bell had signed up for the project. However, the plan ultimately hinged on if there was enough fan interest in the movie. And there was.

The goal was to raise $2 million in 30 days on Kickstarter.com. That goal was met in less than a day, shattering Kickstarter records. As of now, March 16, the project has 53,131 backers and raised over $3,500,000. And there’s still 27 days left in the fundraiser.

If you’re a Veronica Mars fan and am chomping at the bit for a movie or just want more adventures for Veronica, check out the Kickstarter for the Veronica Mars Movie Project.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-movie-project

March Movie Madness: The Call, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Stoker, Upside Down

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:28:00 +0000

I’m sitting outside the Verizon Center, once again fighting for parking this week with the sports fans next door to my screening movie theatre. It reminds me, even when it matters, sometimes the winning team is a fluke, sometimes it’s well deserved…

As Cinema Siren is meant to “guide you through a sea of celluloid,” I’d like to direct you toward the more deserving teams of filmmakers releasing something this busy week at the multiplex. With spring break upon us, this early March weekend offers an odd mix of genres, with each vying for the top spot at the box office. Best of luck to them, they’d be replacing or be added to a top 10 where only two have even 50 percent positive reviews, and some of which are so bad they should be benched like the tasteless or very badly behaved player they are.

This week, we have four new movies of note, and I’ll briefly give my thoughts and recommendations, so you know what you’re getting into before you hand over your hard-earned cash and sit in expectation for upwards of two hours….

The Call: Don’t Answer

This movie stars Halle Berry as 911 operator Jordan in a race against time to save a teenage abductee Casey (Abigail Breslin). For a story which centers on the potential torture, rape and death of a young girl, it starts off well enough. We learn why Berry’s character is highly invested in keeping alive the girl at the center of the action.

She’s been there before, and it didn’t go well. This means not only will you, dear audience, be watching extended scenes of a terrified teen screaming and crying in the trunk of a car while the serial killer trundles along with her toward his torture lair and kill zone, you will also see the pre-show, where we learn how truly awful the villain is.

Jordan in the 911 “hive,” talking Casey through ways of getting out alive, is tense and compelling. I would argue, however, that from the very first scenes, this movie is extremely unpleasant to watch, and qualifies as anything but a good time at the theatre.

But let’s say you like high-octane suspense flicks where a lot is at stake, and teenage girls being chloroformed and punched is an acceptable plot point. Perhaps you, like Cinema Siren, would like to support a black lead actress carrying a film. In that case, she’d better be driven by making sound decisions.

Unfortunately, The Call quickly veers off-road to four-wheel in the Land of Stupid Choices, that place in horror usually littered with the bodies of promiscuous co-eds. The movie gets weaker and weaker and more far-fetched, as it becomes more and more a revenge fantasy. At one point, Jordan goes alone into a hidden underground hiding place.

I’m tempted to scream, but lean over to a fellow critic and say, “Alone?” to which he replies sarcastically, “Oh, she’s got this!”

Suffice to say by the end of The Call I hated this movie so much, it made me sorry I couldn’t have walked out a full half-hour before. There is no joy, no cohesion, bad choices and a truly gruesome premise. Good acting all around made my distaste all the more unfortunate. When your local theatre gets The Call, don’t answer.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone: Tragic Magic

What happens when you mix great character actors Steve Buschemi and Alan Arkin, and funny men A-listers Jim Carrey and Steve Carell? It should be magic, right? If this was the movie equivalent of the magic trick where a woman gets sawed in half, there’d be blood all over the stage.

No question its heart is in the right place. Carell and Buscemi play lifelong pals who perform together as Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton, making big bucks in Vegas with assistant Jane (Olivia Wilde) in an increasingly stale magic act. The two stars have grown to hate each other. When guerrilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) steals what is left of their audience with his new over-the-top stunts, they lose their jobs and break up. Will Wonderstone get his magic mojo back when he discovers his childhood magic idol Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin)?

For a comedy, this movie has few funny moments. It does, however, have its fair share of mean-spirited elements, along with an “ick” factor that overall can only be described as bad taste. The actors do a perfectly fine job. Alan Arkin builds a particularly interesting and well-developed character, like magic, out of a script made of thin air….Olivia Wilde plays Jane with a straightforward sweetness and optimism that flies in the face of the movie as a whole.

It is the writing, both the dialogue and the script, that can’t seem to decide what it wants to be, or where it wants to go. It is wildly uneven, as is our commitment to any of the lead characters. If they had stuck with Alan Arkin as the movie’s central figure, they would have had something…Added to the weakness in the dialogue is an ending, after intermittent attempts to make the story somewhat believable, that stretches credulity to say the least.

As the end credits roll, our hopes go poof. Let this one disappear from theaters; watch at home if you must. Honestly, you’d be better off buying a magic kit and spending the time learning a real trick or two.

Stoker: All in the Family — Hitchcock Style

Director Park Chan-wook makes his first English-language film with this Gothic creepfest, building suspense slowly with equal amounts of nerve and perve. The visual style is eye-strokingly gorgeous, with set decoration, production design, and editing that together make up for the holes in pacing and storyline.

Hitchcock is beyond an obvious influence, but clearly the film’s inspiration, with several direct odes and parallels to Shadow of a Doubt, starting with the name of the introduction of “Uncle Charlie,” which was also the name of the villain played by Joseph Cotton in the 1943 classic.

The story is of Evelyn Stoker (Nicole Kidman) and her daughter India (Mia Wasikowska). They have just lost Evelyn’s husband Richard to a fatal car crash, when Richard’s preppily handsome and fresh-faced brother Charlie (Matthew Goode) unexpectedly shows up to stay a while. In a country manor where time seems to have stood still, their already seemingly off-kilter world begins to completely unravel and heat up.

It is a sinister slow burn with a very European pace, reminiscent of Polanski’s Repulsion. Psychosexual disfunction permeates the story. Chan-wook seems to excel at juxtaposing disturbing imagery like spiders crawling between India’s legs with family scenes in the innocuously pea green parlor or at the family piano.

Mia’s India sculls about dressed like she’s in an Edward Gorey illustration, demonstrating a curiosity and intensity that leads the audience to question what’s going on behind that deadpan stare of hers. Charlie is clearly more than he seems, and for better or worse we discover just how much more through the course of the movie. Evelyn is an ever-oppressive manipulative presence like a New England Blanche Dubois, but she may turn out to be the least concerning of the lot.

Though the last few minutes of the movie leave you scratching your head about motivation or deeper meaning (perhaps there is none), scenes in which the camera languidly captures what can only be described as an utterly demented family going about their demented doings will stay with you way after the end credits roll. A particularly memorable one recalling The Bad Seed had some audience members wide-eyed and clucking with dread, “No!”…If dark and Gothic is your thing, Stoker will give you the creeps you so richly desire.

Upside Down: See Gravity-Crossed Lovers in So Pretty Sci-fi

The creative idea to put young lovers Adam and Eden (Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst) in two worlds that share opposing gravity and watch them try to find a way to be together is reason enough for curiosity about Upside Down. Alas, the script skips story continuity and any consistent explanation relating to the proceedings, so what could have been a great movie all around will have to survive on breathtaking dreamlike visuals and magnetic leads.

These two worlds are not allowed to fraternize, and are a metaphoric brick in the head about haves and have-nots. Down Below recalls a WW2 post-bomb blitz London. Up Above looks like Coruscant from Star Wars. Where the two meet, frolic, and fall in love as teens is like the most beautiful mountain landscape you’ve ever seen, only times two.

Nevermind the silly and sillier plot points, it’s about the romance and the visuals, which are more than worthy to be seen on the big screen. Director/writer Juan Solanas uses photography and his experience training with famed cinematographer Felix Monti to create a strong personal artistic perspective with a surprisingly small budget.

Twilight shmilight, teens could do far worse than obsessing about this movie. You’ve never seen a couple so bathed in light and aglow with love and its accompanying optimism. Love may conquer all in the end, or leave them alone and dejected, but either way you’ll be in for a dazzling cinematographic ride.

My vote, after going through these four movies, is for Upside Down and Stoker, both of which are in limited release, which might mean a bit of a road trip for some of you. They are both indie films, which means they were created on a much smaller budget, and allowed more freedom to those involved. How lovely that we might actually feel compelled to support what’s good instead of what’s big!

A New Direction For Lucasfilm Animation

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:07:00 +0000

The new Star Wars trilogy is going to be more than three more movies. Think about it. They’re going to explore the era after the fall of Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire. It’s going to be a new era, with new characters and a new story. With that in mind, Lucasfilm has decided to change up their animated series to coincide with the films.

For 5 seasons, Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been entertaining audiences with its stories of the years between Episode II and Episode III. We see the Old Republic wage war with the Separatists; huge battles and epic duels between Jedi and Sith masters. Good stuff.

But now, Lucafilm has decided that it’s time to phase out of the Old Republic. Star Wars: The Clone Warswill be winding down in favor of the new trilogy. But, Dave Filoni, supervising director for The Clone Wars, says that the series isn’t going to just abruptly end. Lucasfilm is still going to produce the series and continue the story, promising some very exciting adventures to come. Star Wars fans, rejoice!

Go to http://starwars.com/news/a-new-direction-for-lucasfilm-animation.html for more information and a sneak peek of an upcoming Clone Wars story.

Artists Up Close

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:12:00 +0000

Our most recent project here at ArtInsights has been doing exclusive interviews with some of our favorite artists at the gallery.

Their responses are really fascinating--telling us about their influences, their process, and even their studios. So cool! You can also get a glimpse of their artwork, as well as links to their artwork on our webpage artinsights.com!

Our first batch is:

Let us know what you think!

Follow us on Twitter @FilmArtInsights to keep up with the latest updates!

Oz The Great And Powerful: The Mild And Functional

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:29:00 +0000

“I don’t want to be a good man, I want to be a great one!” This declaration by James Franco as the title character of Sam Raimi’s new Disney prequel could just as easily be a hope of the director’s as well.

Is the movie great? Is it even good? Oz the Great and Powerful is entertaining and you could do worse than to spend your time watching this interpretation of L. Frank Baum’s world flash flowers and toss monkey wings in your face.

But the weaknesses of it make me walk all the way to the dark edge between recommendation and warning to ponder throwing my ruby shoes into the abyss. Uh oh. Cinema Siren is damning with faint praise here, especially if you know how much sparkly shoes mean to a girl…

This movie tells the story of how the wizard came to Oz and became the man behind the curtain, the wizard Dorothy and her friends seek to solve their problems. This wizard-to-be has his own problem when he arrives in Oz, where he claims to be the chosen one to save them from the wicked witch. He doesn’t have the real magic the good gullible people of Oz are expecting. What’s a charlatan to do?

Give them something to believe in, even if it is all just flash and noise, without substance. And that is how James Franco, who plays the lead, leaves us feeling, as if his character Oscar Diggs, the magician and compulsive liar posing as great and powerful, is missing more than just a dependable moral compass. He’s too self aware, and skims too close to the surface to bring us with him on his emotional arc to finding goodness within himself.

It doesn’t help that the girls around him are like a witch’s harem, either fawning over him, or waiting for the big strong man described in a prophecy to save their kingdom. The shattered relationship between the three sibling sisters would have been fascinating to examine, but we find out little of what motivates them or keeps them at odds. The youngest, Mila Kunis as Theodora, immediately and naively falls for Oscar. Her older sister Evanora schemes back in the emerald city.

Rachel Weisz chews enough scenery to crack a tooth, but she has enough charisma to get our interest. Is she the wickedest witch? It surely isn’t Glinda, the tiara-sporting blonde played earnestly by Michelle Williams. She’s so good she believes Oscar can be both a good man and a great one. The girls could have been given, with a meaty script, some depth of character. Not so, but they sure look good in their various witchy duds!

Some of you fans of the original 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz have read the books on which it was based. If so, you might also know author L. Frank Baum had positive feminist ideals sprinkled throughout his books, in part from the influence of his mother-in-law, pioneering feminist Matilda Joslyn Gage. His worlds were matriarchal, and full of powerful women.

How disappointing that these bickering girls fight like cats over just some guy. And the guy being portrayed by James Franco, only seems believable as a tool. We can’t quite go with him when he shows a man choosing to be more. Consequently we aren’t invested in how he succeeds, beyond saving those in peril.

That being said, the visuals are lovely. From the first moment when the opening credits roll, we are delighted with inventive yet nostalgic images. These credits are like watching an ever-changing penny arcade mutoscope, one of those wind-up movie machines from the turn of the last century. The 3D is used creatively and is well integrated with the story, giving an interesting upgrade to sets designed as an ode to the Victor Fleming original.

Purists and folks over 30 might cry foul, feeling nothing can replace or outdo the production design of old Hollywood. With that attitude, they shouldn’t have entered the theatre in the first place. Though the film is uneven, it does offer a diverse representation of all the latest 3D and visual effects to make Oz both magical and real.

The china girl character (she doesn’t even have her own name…) and Finley the flying monkey sidekick aren’t nearly as fatal additions as I’d have expected in terms of the CGI of it. The girl has a creepily tragic yet wistful quality that makes her interesting. The monkey seems to be playing part of Oscar’s conscience, which works to a point, but he delivers most of the jokes (such as they are), and that makes him seem like he’s in the wrong movie, or at the very least, out of place.

I’m so sad that Robert Downey Jr. didn’t take on this role. Even with the missing element of womanly empowerment, it would have been a far better journey to take with him, and in the end we would have believed Oscar to have been moved from chicanery to sincerity. One miscasting isn’t the downfall of this movie, but it very nearly could have been.

Add to it the sisters’ blandness and sycophancy, and you have only the connected memory of a 1939 classic and some great visuals to grasp for comfort. As the original is one of the greatest classics of all time, it makes appreciating this film all the more of a challenge unless you block memory of the original and all knowledge of L Frank Baum’s works.

There are effects and action and fun enough for those on the search, especially in early March….Although it can qualify as solid entertainment for the effects and production design alone, there’s not enough to make a new classic to match the old. This movie may be mildly diverting, but for that you’ll have to keep looking somewhere over the rainbow. It ain’t here.

Cinema Siren: Movie Review: 'Oz the Great and Powerful': The Mild and Functional

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:54:00 +0000

Cinema Siren gives film three out of five starfish.

"I don't want to be a good man, I want to be a great one!" This declaration by James Franco as the title character of Sam Raimi's new Disney prequel could just as easily be a hope of the director's as well.

Is the movie great? Is it even good? Oz the Great and Powerful is entertaining and you could do worse than to spend your time watching this interpretation of L. Frank Baum's world flash flowers and toss monkey wings in your face.

This movie tells the story of how the wizard came to Oz and became the man behind the curtain, the wizard Dorothy and her friends seek to solve their problems. This wizard-to-be has his own problem when he arrives in Oz, where he claims to be the chosen one to save them from the wicked witch. He doesn't have the real magic the good gullible people of Oz are expecting. What's a charlatan to do?

Give them something to believe in, even if it is all just flash and noise, without substance. And that is how James Franco, who plays the lead, leaves us feeling, as if his character Oscar Diggs, the magician and compulsive liar posing as great and powerful, is missing more than just a dependable moral compass. He's too self aware, and skims too close to the surface to bring us with him on his emotional arc to finding goodness within himself.

It doesn't help that the girls around him are like a witch's harem, either fawning over him, or waiting for the big strong man described in a prophecy to save their kingdom. The shattered relationship between the three sibling sisters would have been fascinating to examine, but we find out little of what motivates them or keeps them at odds. The youngest, Mila Kunis as Theodora, immediately and naively falls for Oscar. Her older sister Evanora schemes back in the emerald city.

Rachel Weisz chews enough scenery to crack a tooth, but she has enough charisma to get our interest. Is she the wickedest witch? It surely isn't Glinda, the tiara-sporting blonde played earnestly by Michelle Williams. She's so good she believes Oscar can be both a good man and a great one. The girls could have been given, with a meaty script, some depth of character. Not so, but they sure look good in their various witchy duds!

Some of you fans of the original 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz have read the books on which it was based. If so, you might also know author L. Frank Baum had positive feminist ideals sprinkled throughout his books, in part from the influence of his mother-in-law, pioneering feminist Matilda Joslyn Gage. His worlds were matriarchal, and full of powerful women.

How disappointing that these bickering girls fight like cats over just some guy. And the guy being portrayed by James Franco, only seems believable as a tool. We can't quite go with him when he shows a man choosing to be more. Consequently we aren't invested in how he succeeds, beyond saving those in peril.

Purists and folks over 30 might cry foul, feeling nothing can replace or outdo the production design of old Hollywood. With that attitude, they shouldn't have entered the theatre in the first place. Though the film is uneven, it does offer a diverse representation of all the latest 3D and visual effects to make Oz both magical and real.

The china girl character (she doesn't even have her own name…) and Finley the flying monkey sidekick aren't nearly as fatal additions as I'd have expected in terms of the CGI of it. The girl has a creepily tragic yet wistful quality that makes her interesting. The monkey seems to be playing part of Oscar's conscience, which works to a point, but he delivers most of the jokes (such as they are), and that makes him seem like he's in the wrong movie, or at the very least, out of place.

I'm so sad that Robert Downey Jr. didn't take on this role. Even with the missing element of womanly empowerment, it would have been a far better journey to take with him, and in the end we would have believed Oscar to have been moved from chicanery to sincerity. One miscasting isn't the downfall of this movie, but it very nearly could have been.

Add to it the sisters' blandness and sycophancy, and you have only the connected memory of a 1939 classic and some great visuals to grasp for comfort. As the original is one of the greatest classics of all time, it makes appreciating this film all the more of a challenge unless you block memory of the original and all knowledge of L Frank Baum's works.

There are effects and action and fun enough for those on the search, especially in early March….Although it can qualify as solid entertainment for the effects and production design alone, there's not enough to make a new classic to match the old. This movie may be mildly diverting, but for that you'll have to keep looking somewhere over the rainbow. It ain't here.

Find movie times at Rave Cinemas Centreville or Fairfax Corner 14.

About this column: Leslie Combemale, "Cinema Siren," is a movie lover and aficionado in Northern Virginia. Alongside Michael Barry, she owns ArtInsights, an animation and film art gallery in Reston Town Center. She has a background in film and art history. She often is invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic Con, where she has been a panelist for The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster and the Harry Potter Fandom discussion. Visit her gallery online at www.artinsights.com and see more of her reviews and interviews on www.artinsightsmagazine.com.

The George Lucas Art Museum?

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:11:00 +0000

When you think of the words “art museum”, you aren’t likely to think of George Lucas. But you will soon enough. Lucas, director and producer of the Star Wars films, plans to build an art museum in San Francisco. Probably the biggest question is: why? Lucas states: “There’s a world of young people who need to be inspired.”

This is an interesting move for Lucas, who hasn’t done much since he sold LucasFilm to Disney last year. Lucas is an avid art collector, although you won’t find many Picasso’s or Monet’s in his collection. He’s big fan of Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell though. In fact, Lucas owns one of the largest collections of Rockwell’s work.

The museum will be dedicated in exploring “cultural fantasy”. It will also embrace digital design and animation from Hollywood films. In other words, art that will touch and inspire everyone, not just art critics. Will Star Wars have a place in this museum? Most likely. Lucas has been collecting the art of Star Warsfor decades. And he has more or less stated that his personal collection will be put on display in the museum, which is very exciting.

Currently, no date or exact location has been announced for the museum.

Cinema Siren: Movie Review: 'Jack the Giant Slayer'

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:58:00 +0000

Doesn't amount to a hill of beans; two out of 5 starfish.

By the time the bombastic yet tragic minor-keyedLord of the Rings-type theme music swelled to accompany Jack The Giant Slayer's climactic battle scenes, I was tempted to flamboyantly roll my eyes in slow motion. I couldn't have cared less.

This new release, that was slated for last summer and tellingly sat on the shelf until now, is exceedingly straight-ahead, uninventive and laden with special effects. It leaves the audience feeling like it spent an evening at an expensive restaurant expecting to taste some delicious, innovative dish, only to find themselves digesting a bland, flavorless Betty Crocker casserole. Not only is the cuisine uninspired, ultimately, it doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

Something new? Not hardly. Jack buys beans, a stalk grows into the sky, where a land of giants just biding their time for another chance to take over the world below awaits. There is the addition of a princess who yearns for adventure, runs away from the castle and the tool of a future husband to whom she has been promised and winds up accidentally carried up the beanstalk in Jack's humble cottage. The giants capture her. They love humans… with a side of hollandaise.

It is up to Jack and the leader of the King's men, Elmont, to rescue the princess. That's basically the whole story, and there's nothing in it we haven't heard somewhere before, delivered with far more panache.

The actors can't be blamed. Nicholas Hoult, who is riding on a romcom zombie high with the well-attended, well-reviewed Warm Bodies, does sincerity proud as the title character. He gets a lot of mileage here from that "gee whiz" grin we're all growing to appreciate, and he carries off the perfect mix of awkward outsider and leading hero.

Ewan McGregor as Elmont, the swarthy knight who laughs at fear, and Stanley Tucci as Roderick, an over the top villain hungry for power, do their level best with the endless string of cliched lines they are given. Despite unfortunate costuming that brings to mind Shrek's Lord Farquaad, Ian McShane is a fittingly regal and believable king. Unfortunately, Eleanor Tomlinson, who has the one female role that lasts through the movie, playing Princess Isabelle, is a bit of an empty shell. She has little to do as she is forever getting rescued, providing scant inspiration to little girls looking to damsels in long dresses for empowerment. Shrek's Fiona she is not.

The special effects are one good reason to check the movie out. The diverse environments and the many examples from the species of giants are rendered in extreme detail, although the first panoramic view of the land of the Giants we see had me muttering, "Welcome to another tweaked New Zealand…" The giants are filthy, badly mannered grumpuses who can track Jack's crew by sniffing the air. They have been tracking and snacking on people for eons, as the remains we see in old cages and scattered hither and yon attests. It is hard not to find it entertaining, the way they pop various secondary characters like Tic Tacs or crunchy stalks of celery. To see them do it in 3D is even more hilarious.

The real and enduring problem is the script. Had the filmmakers gone for a pithy Princess Bride vibe, developing cameo characters and a slightly more off kilter or inventive storyline, they really would have had something. These are the usual suspects for an action-adventure flick, all speaking lines we fans of that genre could say in our sleep.

Bryan Singer has had some great hits and created some wonderful movies we can watch over and over again. He should be looking ahead. We all have high hopes for the X-Men: Days of Future Pastbecause it will be bringing together members of the older cast and the younger one, and utilizing time travel in ways he won't yet share.

So. My advice to you, movie lovers who want to see great things from director Bryan Singer, is to look forward to the great cast of X Men being released in 2014 and which starts filming soon! For now, pull out your copy of 1947's Fun and Fancy Free where you can see the cartoon classic Mickey and the Beanstalk. How can anyone top a cast featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy? You can't.

Patch Live Chat: Oscars 2013 featuring Cinema Siren

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:52:00 +0000

Who will hit the red carpet in style? Is Ben Affleck still being punished for Gigli? Who's going to take the Best Picture award home?

Join area Patch columnists, editors, and Cinema Siren as we chat about the Oscars starting at 7 p.m. Sunday.

[Find more details about Sunday night's award show, including what channel it airs on locally by clicking here.]

Expect a bit of snark, a few jokes, some questioning of the Academy's choices, and more.

Put on your finest — or just your pajamas — and accompany us virtually to the red carpet at 7 p.m. and the awards at 8:30 p.m. for some Oscars live chat fun.

Go to the Herndon Patch website and enter your email in the Cover It Live Box here to get a reminder for the live chat and not miss a minute.

For a look at all of this year's nominees, check out Cinema Siren's recent article, Cinema Siren's Observations of the 2013 Oscar Nominations.

Cinema Siren: Scoring Romance

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 22:49:00 +0000

From Cinema Siren on Patch.com

The Best Soundtrack Scores for Love and Romance

Cinema Siren is a big fan of love. There’s nothing more wonderful than being around those in love. It brings everyone around them up, even if the experience can be a bit of a sap-fest.

Anytime I can play Cupid with a well recommended rom-com movie or charming little cafe for a Paris visit, I’m right there for it. I’m back from London just in time to help the romantically inclined or challenged. Sadly, Valentine’s Day is only once a year. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared to do the aural equivalent of tossing rose petals at our significant others, or put ourselves in a loving and romantic mood.

I’ve put together a collection of scores very specifically chosen for romantic interludes. For that time you’ve spirited away to a bed and breakfast or have unplugged your phones and turned in early together…

I didn’t include scores you couldn’t get in their entirety, nor those that you’d find distracting. Some scores have very famous or particularly gorgeous pieces sprinkled within bombast and cacophony. Some, no matter how great they might be, are still too recognizable not to feel cliched or create an inappropriate tape loop in your head.

That kicked Lawrence of Arabia, To Kill A Mockingbird, Last of The Mohicans, A Beautiful Mind and Siesta, all of which are amazing but too aurally diverse as a whole. Titanic, Somewhere in Time, The Way We Were and Love Story are all too memorable, but those of you who don’t mind being able to sing along with every note or imagining a sinking ship are welcome to consider them included.

One could certainly throw together a wonderful romantic collection from parts of the North by Northwest, Vertigo and even Psycho soundtracks. I could have suggested dozens of those I whittled down from the 50-plus scores on my first list.

I found a way to reduce the list to my choices of the very best. Here, therefore, are complete scores with only the occasional departure, if any, from the gorgeous or meditative. Numbering them 10 to 1 is a matter of personal taste as they are all exceptional. Your agreement or disagreement will depend on how much you prefer ambient over the orchestral or melodic. Have fun, whoever you are….You can thank me later.

#10 Whale Rider (Lisa Gerrard) Written by one of the founding members of Dead Can Dance, Gerrard allows undulating synths and guitars to construct the score’s moody, atmospheric soundscape. Her gorgeous voice can be heard just enough to add her trademark ethereal quality.

#9 The Last Emperor (Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Byrne) This Oscar-winning score is a great example of Western and Asian musical influences blended seamlessly by two pop critic darlings. A beautiful heartbreaking theme gives way to Chinese folk music injecting a sparse instrumentation, which makes for a fascinating and mesmerizing balance.

#8 The Hours (composed by Phillip Glass) Famed 20th-century classical composer Glass utilizes his minimalism, using orchestra, string quartet and piano to build sonic layers with repetitive themes that build and deconstruct over and over. Very powerful.

#7 Pride and Prejudice (Dario Marianelli and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet) Though not as strong a score as his “The Brothers Grimm,” this one is far more calm and quite lovely on the whole, making a lovely accompaniment for a shared sunset or snowy evening. Pianist Thibaudet adds his expert and emotional piano-playing to the collection of new pieces all meant to evoke the composers of Beethoven’s era. Those of you who are screaming about ‘How can she place this lower than Philip Glass?’ remember this is based on romance. An entire high school gym could be filled with the sheet music purchased of the score’s song, “Dawn.”

#6 Revolutionary Road (Thomas Newman) It was very difficult to pick on Newman piece to include, but this one is arguably the most emotional of his works, and has his trademark signature sounds of lushness from unusual instrumentation. There are a few discordant moments, but none of it is bombastic. Also, several romantic ’50s songs are included. The theme that repeats is beautiful.

#5 The Fountain (Cliff Mansel) Anytime you get a composer (Cliff Mansel), the Kronos Quartet and Mogwai together, it’s bound to get interesting. Many of the fans of this soundtrack will tell you it numbers among the best ever. It swings from ambient synths and bleeps to swelling strings and everywhere in between, while maintaining consistent and haunting, melancholy intensity.

#4 Crash (Mark Isham) Lots of gorgeous ethnic vocalizations add to a deeply intense and richly emotional work by one of the best contemporary composers for film. Gorgeous from beginning to end.

#3 Out of Africa (John Barry) One of the two most traditionally romantic scores on the list, this orchestral score is very melodic and sweeping. I remember when I went to the premiere of this movie many years ago, more than half the audience left the film red-eyed and weepy. This music is so beautiful it could certainly bring on some tears.

#2 Solaris (Cliff Martinez) So atmospheric it feels like you are being drawn into another world. It has the unique quality of mixing a delicacy with an intensity that gets under your skin and stays there. Very meditative, this score is definitely either for active listening or to be completely in the background. One reviewer said of it, “this music will fill a need you didn’t know you had.”

#1 Passion: Music for the Last Temptation of Christ (Peter Gabriel) This Grammy winner was quite ahead of its time when released in 1989, although it is yet another example of Martin Scorsese’s love of music of all sorts and his belief of it as essential in his films. Based in the rhythms and sounds from a wide variety of countries as diverse as Turkey, India, Morocco and Senegal, it fully lives up to its title. Gabriel shows just how much intensity and emotion can be conveyed through rhythm, and brings together the best musical influences from around the world to do so.

Honorable mention goes to The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, because no list of the best scores is complete without one by the incomparable Bernard Herrmann. This is his most romantic, and draws upon his influences of Debussy and Rachmaninoff, with a wonderful recurring theme that is as romantic as you’ll ever hear. Highly recommended.

In some not too distant future I’ll be making other lists of soundtrack scores for you to consider adding to your playlists. It is essentially the classical music of the 20th and 21st century, and an opportunity for composers to express the depth and diversity of musical expression to a wide audience of film lovers.

Those of you who don’t already listen to scores will be amazed at how well they stand alone and how much they can be enjoyed in any music collection. As a first list, though, these 10 scores perfectly show just how much our lives can be enhanced by the power of music.

Cinema Siren: Celebrate Shakespeare on Film: Top Five of All Time

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:50:00 +0000

From Cinema Siren at Patch.com

LONDON — Cinema Siren is writing from London this week, and preparing to see James McAvoy in Macbeth at Trafalgar Transformed. A fan of his work for years, I jumped at the chance to see a new and exciting version of the play put together by the famous British stage director Jamie Lloyd with production design by Soutra Gilmour, who won the 2012 Evening Standard award for Best Design.

It got me thinking about the many cinematic versions of Shakespeare’s work in film history. Shakespeare never goes out of style, as witnessed by the recent release directed by Ralph Fiennes, Coriolanus in 2012. Joss Whedon is about to release a home movie version of Much Ado About Nothing (no kidding, it was filmed at his house) on June 7, starring his usual suspects including Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz and Amy Acker.

If the director of The Avengers is doing it, it must be cool… I thought now, in honor of my Shakespearean pilgrimage to jolly ole England, I would offer a little list of suggested viewing for those of you who might want to see some of the best versions of his plays immortalized on celluloid. Here are Cinema Siren’s top five of all time:

#5 The Taming of the Shrew (1967) Directed by Franco Zeffirelli: This play can be seen as quite misogynistic, but depending on your perspective, can also be quite empowering for women. What makes this version so compelling is notoriously manipulative train wreck couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton play the leads. It has an earthy, very late ’60s vibe, and includes Michael York, as well as famed Brit Shakespearean actor Cyril Cusack (whose daughter Sinead Cusack has also become a great actress on the Shakespearean stage, winning a Tony for Much Ado About Nothing in 1985…she is also married to actor Jeremy Irons). It may seem like everyone is having too much fun, but these actors, some of the best in film, make it look easy.

#4 King Lear (1983) Directed for TV by Michael Elliott: Cinema Siren is extremely biased about the best King Lear, because I saw a version of this one, starring Laurence Olivier and Diana Rigg, onstage. It’s maybe impossible to do better than a play featuring those two actors together, although adding John Hurt might do it. This recording has every dark, intense quality you could ask for, with all the actors going from subtlety to physical extravagance and back again, like a great symphony played by the best musicians in the world. Olivier won an Emmy for his performance. He was 75 at the time, making him one of the oldest to perform this extremely demanding role in Shakespeare’s longest play. We are lucky to have it to refer to as a study of his great talent. Honorary mention to both the 1997 version with Ian Holm, which is extremely impressive, and the adaptation by great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa in Ran.

#3 Julius Caesar (1953) Directed by Joseph Mankiewicz: This is the famous version with Marlon Brando as Mark Antony and John Gielgud as Cassius, who had played Antony at the Old Vic Theatre in 1930. James Mason as Brutus, Greer Garson as Calpurnia and Deborah Kerr as Portia is enough to make any classic film fan drool with anticipation. The post-Streetcar announcement that Brando was going to tackle this Shakespearean role was met with skepticism, but he wound up with a Best Actor Oscar nomination. Gielgud was so impressed with Brando’s work, he offered to direct him in a stage production of Hamlet, but it never came to pass. Big egos and big drama on set didn’t keep this film from being mesmerizing to watch from start to finish.

#2 Romeo and Juliet (1968) also directed by auteur Franco Zeffirelli: To my mind, this is not only the best version of the play onscreen, but also represents the best of his cinematic work. Unlike previous versions, the actors hired to play the leads, Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey, who at 17 and 15 respectively, were close to the ages the characters would be. It won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design. It was also nominated for Best Director and Best Picture.

#1 Richard III (1955) Directed by Laurence Olivier: Well, I have to save the best for last. Imagine the best Shakespearean actors ever filmed all together in one movie. This is it. Arguably the darkest of his plays, (I’d say King Lear is the saddest, Macbeth is the angriest and Richard III is the darkest…start your fussing here.) We have direction by a master thespian who is also playing the lead. John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson, finishing out the trifecta of brilliance, also star. One of the two best Shakespearean actresses ever, Claire Bloom, plays Lady Anne. Brilliant and excruciating from start to finish. This is why movies were invented, to capture a moment in acting history. See it now.

Since most of you won’t be sitting in the tiny theatre dedicated to this new version of Macbeth in London with me, you can play along at home in the “I <3 Shakespeare" game and see these classic versions with these great actors. I'll report back after seeing Macbeth, and you write your thoughts and favorites below as well. I'm off… for Cinema Siren today "the play's the thing."

A New Film From The Makers Of “Paranorman” And “Coraline”? Yes, Please.

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:13:00 +0000

From the makers of Paranorman and Coraline comes The Boxtrolls. The Boxtrolls is a new 3D stop-motion/CG animated film currently in production by Laika and Focus Features. The story is based off of Alan Snow’s fantasy novel Here Be Monsters.

The basic plot takes place in the city of Cheesebridge. Beneath the city streets live the Boxtrolls, a strange group of people who have raised an orphaned human boy. Like the other Laika films, The Boxtrolls looks to be an entertainingly silly but gripping and overall wholesome adventure about this young boy and his adopted family of oddballs. And, of course, there will also be all the visual flair that Laika is known for. Be excited. The Boxtrolls is coming.

Speaking of the Oscars...

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:10:00 +0000

The Oscars Show is on now at ArtInsights Gallery in Reston, VA!

Show dates: 2/6/13 - 3/4/13

It's always exciting to anticipate the Academy Awards. Who's going to take home an Oscar? Who will be lucky enough to just be nominated? Who will get snubbed? With the Oscars coming up in a few short weeks (Feb. 24), ArtInsights Gallery is hosting a show dedicated to films that have won (or didn't win) Academy Awards.

Being an animation and film art gallery, it's natural that ArtInsights has tons of art from films that have been honored with Oscars and some art from those that have unfortunately never received one. And that got us thinking about some of the interesting stories behind some films and their awards (or lack thereof). For instance, did you know that none of the Harry Potter films have ever won an Oscar? Crazy, I know. And did you know that none of the Star Wars prequels (Episode I, II, or III) have ever won an Oscar?...Not so crazy. Interesting facts like that.

If you're interested in learning more about the movies we have on display and what they've won (or didn't win), come on over to the gallery and check it out!

Jonathan Hwang for ArtInsights

New Museum Exhibition: Illustration 100 Years After Howard Pyle

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:15:00 +0000

Being a gallery devoted to animation and illustration art of all kinds, Artinsights is happy to report a new exhibit all about illustration art at the Delaware Art Museum. Titled: State of the Art: Illustration 100 Years After Howard Pyle, it will showcase the artwork of eight acclaimed artists. The exhibition will run from February 9th to June 1st. If you’re in the Delaware area, we highly suggest that you check it out!

Now, you may be asking “Who is Howard Pyle?” And I would reply “This guy.”

ArtinsightsMagazine also has an exclusive interview with the curator of the exhibit, David Apatoff. Read it here!

Cinema Siren: 'Warm Bodies': an Awesome Zombie Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 22:54:00 +0000

From Cinema Siren for Patch.com

'Zom-com' film rated PG-13 for zombie violence and language.

No, it’s not an ode to necrophilia. It is a charming and whimsical movie that goes deeper than anyone would expect about connectedness, trust and a willingness to change.

I never thought I’d say “this zombie flick is a great date movie,” but now I have. As a matter of warning, it should be rated “Z” for brain-eating zombies. Still, a large cross-section of movie lovers will enjoy it, making it a far better choice February 14th than that new Diehard (coming out that day! Wah?), for everyone from girlfriends hanging out and Twihards, to couples who don’t mind a bit of edge in their flicks.

To all those who have heard or bought into the press about it being a wannabe Twilight clone, I say yes, the Twihards will appreciate it. But it will be even more appreciated by all of us who grew tired of Twilight’s whining and negativity (however much it was dressed in sparkle), and those of us who wanted to scream at that mopey sad-sack Edward to suck it up and get an afterlife.

Warm Bodies plays fast and loose with zombie rules
Here, in this movie, the undead are anything but resigned to their plight. Warm Bodies has an optimism, unabashed romanticism and earnestness that is perfect for a holiday about love. It might be too much for the most cynical filmgoers, even with the dried blood and rotting body bits with which it’s smeared.

Stay far away if you only like your zombies terrifying and the stuff of nightmares. Stay away as well if you are a stickler for the rules of zombie-ism, as you will find Warm Bodies plays a little too fast and loose with those rules. As yet another mash-up, this time of zombies and coming-of-age romcoms (a “zomcom,” if you will) Cinema Siren does believe it adds something worthwhile to both genres.

The story is about R, a zombie who lets us into his conflicted, less-dead-than-we-think brain, as he trudges with the rest of the rotting pack. He takes a Cupid’s bullet to the heart when he sees gun-toting Julie, out with her med-foraging friends, about to become the next zombie Happy Meal. He rescues her and whisks her away to the nick-nack-filled jet airplane this nostalgic zombie packrat calls home, where they share a few sweetly awkward days and nights getting to know each other.

Actor Nicholas Hoult, as ‘R,’ is the star
Love spreads like a scarlet pillow… The rest of the movie is them against the world, which includes Julie’s protective dad (the underused John Malkovitch), a post-apocalyptic general with a quick trigger finger for all things undead.

Aussie ingenue Teresa Palmer, who forever strains against the label of the “blonde Kristen Stewart,” does well enough as Julie, the love interest for an undead 20-something who finds he feels more and more alive when she is near.

R is the star. Actor Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy, X-Men: First Class) is the one who must carry the film on his slumped and shambling frame. He plays a character who feels isolated, misunderstood and trapped inside a shell that belies his inner sweetness.

Director enhances novel on the big screen
It’s probably hard to make friends and make time when you smell like death, speak in grunts and eat human flesh to survive. He works his way through a wide range of emotions, in scenes that require him to play both broadly and with subtlety in quick succession. With natural talent, expanding skill and now adult and undeniable good looks, Hoult will catapult himself into position as an “A” actor with his pick of constantly revolving projects.

Rob Coddry’s “M,” R’s “BZF,” allows the actor to bring his great character acting and perfect timing to the proceedings, and gets big laughs that mean his memorable role might quickly become a fan favorite. He makes impressive use of scant screen time, further perking up the auds with his every arrival.

Director and screenplay writer Jonathan Levine (who made the surprisingly successful cancer dramedy 50/50) makes the depth of the original novel, written by Isaac Marion, translate very well to the screen, keeping and sometimes even enhancing the metaphoric lessons both great and small, which range from tackling racism and bigotry, to youth alienation, to cocooning and isolation in the computer age.

There is also a literary reference you might already have heard about or figured out that is far more meaningful if you know well the original from which it takes inspiration.

Soundtracks builds emotional atmosphere
The soundtrack proves to be a mix of clever and poignant. Levine allows the music, some of which is made up of cheesy ’80s hits you’ll never hear the same way again, to be an integral part of the scene. It builds an emotional atmosphere and adds a component that connects with the audience during the extended times where voiceover narration and slowly shuffling zombies might call a screeching halt to the movie’s forward movement. The best soundtracks do that.

To be sure, the end of the movie arrives in a swell of sweet that might as well have us all singing Todd Rundgren’s “Love Is The Answer,” but that’s what romcoms do. The difference is this is a zomcom. Either you can abide this funky freaky little film, with its conceits and exposed beating heart or you can’t.

I can, and I absolutely loved it. You might find you do, too. One thing’s for sure, your significant other is probably not going to be willing to sit through The Walking Dead on Valentine’s Day. With Warm Bodies, you get zombies and love, all tied up in a big bloody-caked bow. Make it a Valentine’s Day present to yourself.

Abrams To Direct Star Wars: Episode VII

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 21:19:00 +0000

It’s official. JJ Abrams (Star Trek, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness) is going to direct the next Star Wars film. Episode VII, which will be written by Academy Award-winning writer Michael Ardnt, was greenlit when Disney acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. and given a 2015 release.

Abrams says that it “is an absolute honor” to take part in the next generation of Star Wars. And George Lucas himself approves of Abrams as director and has stated that “the legacy couldn’t be in better hands.”

In addition to his proven track record of successful blockbuster films, Abrams has ties with Lucasfilm, using the company’s legendary postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, for all of his features. Abrams also has worked with veterans of the classic trilogy, Dennis Muren (visual effects) and Ben Burtt (sound designer/editor), who offer nothing but praise for JJ.

So dust off those lightsabers and blasters and let out your best Wookie roar. The future looks bright for the Star Wars franchise.

Cinema Siren: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:57:00 +0000

From Cinema Siren for Patch.com

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Chic

Sometimes a movie is just…bad. We can all watch it and see what they had in mind, how the pitch went, how the director and producers signed on, and talked some pretty big stars into taking part.

And we can see the whole thing derail through to post production, delayed release, and as we watch the finished product with an ever-dwindling vestige of hope. Such is the case for Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.

Why Cinema Siren is reviewing this movie at all is a fair question. I go on record as saying there is always a chance a good movie will find its way to the multiplex in January. Not the ones that were in limited released in LA and New York in December to qualify for the Oscars….Those are the movies everyone is busying themselves with so as to clear the otherwise pristine cinematic palate for the chemically enhanced, artificially flavored junk food Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters represents.

Brother and sister ass-kicking team, Hansel and Gretel, are fighting and killing witches 15 years after kicking one into her own fire pit. They are impervious to their spells. A really bad witch (played in extreme over-the-top fashion by Famke Janssen) is capturing kids, and the sass-spouting siblings are hired to gun her down and get them back. They use clever medieval inventions like rigged wind-up tasers, semi-automatic crossbows and sawed off shotguns with hand-carved scroll inlay. Their killing equipment is almost as pretty as they are.

This movie was meant for release almost a year ago and got pushed back from March 2, 2012. The former date suggested more optimism on the part of the studio, and the move to the January movie-ghetto was almost all we needed to know. To add a critic’s preview at 8 p.m. on the Thursday before a Friday release is like unto building its coffin, nailing it shut, and burying this film deep in the cold and wintery earth.

I’m sure its stars, Oscar-nominated Jeremy Renner (of Hurt Locker), and Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia and Quantum of Solace) wish it would stay buried. The two actors are so very pretty to look at, so visually impressive and piping hot in their skin-tight leathers, one could almost just watch them run around looking like Jean Paul Gaultier’s next fashion collection: “Haute Medieval Vigilante Chic.”

They are also very good actors, and especially Renner shows here he is able to deliver any line, however ridiculous, believably. It is as if he is challenging himself to make it work, even with the worst action and dialogue, and both he and Arterton come out of this movie with their integrity. That is more magical than any of the evil witches’ doings.

Suffice to say, where’s there’s sulfur, there’s movie hell. Gratefully, unlike some flicks, Hansel and Gretel won’t be a career-killing move for either star. It is bombastically ridiculous, over the top, and innocuous enough to be vaguely entertaining, and possibly various designers’ inspiration to hire them for their next ad campaign. That’s all.

I’m getting to the point as a critic, where I can’t wait for this month to be over. As hot as the actors are, this movie won’t keep you warm these frozen January nights. As much as I want my readers to go to the movies, let me suggest you stay in, and watch Downton Abbey or Dr. Who. No matter how hard they try, the folks who brought you Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters will not be casting a spell over the box office.

Kicking Off Awards Season

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:16:00 +0000

All of us here at ArtInsights are happy for Ben Affleck, considering his much-talked-about Oscar snub. He's come a long way and deserved this win.

As for the rest of the results, I would have chosen differently in some cases. (Uh, hi, have you seen Jessica Lange in American Horror Story?!) But my opinion is not the one that counts--or rather, I'm not the one bribing the HFPA...

But yay congratulations to the winners! And A+ for effort to everyone else.

Christine Munchak for ArtInsights

And the winner is...

Movies

Drama

WINNER: Argo

Comedy or musical

WINNER: Les Misérables

Director

WINNER: Ben Affleck, Argo

Actor, comedy or musical

WINNER: Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables

Actress, comedy or musical

WINNER: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Actor, drama

WINNER: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Actress, drama

WINNER: Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty

Supporting actor

WINNER: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Supporting actress

WINNER: Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables

Screenplay

WINNER: Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Original score

WINNER: Mychael Danna, Life of Pi

Best Original Song

WINNER: Adele, Skyfall (Skyfall)

Animated feature film

WINNER: Brave

Foreign film

WINNER: Amour

Television

Miniseries or TV movie

WINNER: Game Change, HBO

Drama

WINNER: Homeland, Showtime

Comedy or musical

WINNER: Girls, HBO

Actor, drama series

WINNER: Damian Lewis, Homeland, Showtime

Actress, drama series

WINNER: Claire Danes, Homeland, Showtime

Actor, comedy or musical series

WINNER: Don Cheadle, House of Lies, Showtime

Actress, comedy or musical series

WINNER: Lena Dunham, Girls, HBO

Supporting actor, series, miniseries or movie

WINNER: Ed Harris, Game Change, HBO

Supporting actres

WINNER: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey, PBS

Actor, miniseries or TV movie

WINNER: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys, History

Actress, miniseries or TV movie

WINNER: Julianne Moore, Game Change, HBO

January 12, 2013

It's awards time. Again. We can watch our favorite stars walk, or trip, or stumble down the red carpet in something beautiful, or mock worthy or both. (…Who doesn't remember J-Lo and her lo-cut greenery. Beautiful AND mock worthy!)

One of the first awards ceremonies of the season, The Golden Globes has also things about it both beautiful and mock worthy...

On the one hand, we get to ogle the stars we love (or love to hate). We watch them. They're beautiful and talented, surrounded by even more beautiful and talented people, all hanging out at a party more extravagant than we'll ever know. We imagine, "what if I were one of them." And we go back to crying into our cold microwave dinner.

But, we have hope! Because while we may not be stars, at least we're not the HFPA. This is where things turn acutely from beautiful to mock-worthy. The HFPA are the guys who vote on the winners of the GGs, and I'm not really sure why they still have any merit in Hollywood. They are not critical movie reviewers. They accept bribes. They fire their own workers who try to expose their dishonesty. It's just bizarre that these people's votes mean anything. But hey, their primary residence is in Southern California. And, as far as the Golden Globes go, that's all it takes to be a fancy movie expert.

That said, the GGs are not ALL bad. At the very least, the show gives recognition to more actors, directors, tv shows, soundtracks, and movies, that were otherwise overlooked in other awards ceremonies. Can we talk about Kathryn Bigelow for a second? So the Oscars nominate her movie for Best Picture, but leave her out from the Directing nominations? I suppose she did win in 2009, so maybe the female winner quota has been filled for the next decade. But seriously, how does that make sense? At least she's got a nomination with the GGs.

A lot of other praiseworthy movies and stars were overlooked in the Oscar nominations but have a shot at the GGs. (And sometimes they get snubbed altogether. For example, one of my favorites from 2012, The Dark Knight Rises--nothing? I could listen to that soundtrack over and over. And I could look at Christian Bale over and over. Uhh...) Well, my point was supposed to be, movies that the Oscars might ignore (e.g., The Rise of the Guardians) can still get some attention in the Golden Globes nominee pool.

One final redeeming trait of the GGs is the fun of guessing which nominee will win--and then the horror of watching someone totally undeserving take the globe. I'm looking at you, HFPA...

Christine Munchak for ArtInsights Magazine

Nominations follow.

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on the Hudson

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Best Director

Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Quentin Taratino, Django Unchained
Chris Terrio, Argo

Best Foreign-Language Film

Amour (Austria)
A Royal Affair (Denmark)
The Intouchables (France
Kon-Tiki (Norway)
Rust and Bone (France)

Best Animated Feature Film

Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Original Song, Motion Picture

"For You," Act of Valor, Monty Powell & Keith Urban
"Not Running Anymore," Stand Up Guys, Jon Bon Jovi
"Safe and Sound," The Hunger Games, Taylor Swift. John Paul White, Joy Williams & T Bone Burnett
"Skyfall," Skyfall, Adele & Paul Epworth
"Suddenly," Les Misérables, Claude-Michel Schonberg & Alain Boublil

Best Original Score, Motion Picture

Mychael Danna, Life of Pi
Alexandre Desplat, Argo
Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina
Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil, Cloud Atlas
John Williams, Lincoln

Best TV Movie or Miniseries

Game Change
The Girl
Hatfields & McCoys
The Hour
Political Animals

Best TV Series, Drama

Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom

Best TV Series, Comedy

The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash

Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Actor, TV Series Comedy

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis C.K., Louie
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama

Connie Britton, Nashville
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife

Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie

Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Toby Jones, The Girl
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie

Julianne Moore, Game Change
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
Sienna Miller, The Girl
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie

Max Greenfield, New Girl
Ed Harris, Game Change
Danny Huston, Magic City
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie

Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Cecile B. DeMille Award

Jodie Foster

The First Trailer For “Trance” Will Send Your Brain For A Spin

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 21:17:00 +0000

Trance, a new UK film starring James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson and directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, the opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympic Games), has released its first trailer courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. The film will be a psychological, reality-bending thriller revolving around art thieves and hypnotism.

“Fine art auctioneer Simon (McAvoy), in league with a gang led by underworld boss Franck (Cassel), plots the audacious theft of a masterpiece by Goya from a major public auction. When Simon double-crosses the gang during the robbery, Franck retaliates violently and knocks him unconscious. In the aftermath of the heist, Simon sticks stubbornly – and perhaps shrewdly – to his claim that the violent trauma has left him with no memory of where he stashed the artwork.

“Unable to coerce the painting’s location from Simon, Franck and his associates reluctantly join forces with a charismatic hypnotherapist (Dawson) in a bid to get him to talk. But as they journey deeper into Simon’s jumbled psyche the boundaries between reality and hypnotic suggestion begin to blur and the stakes rise faster and far more dangerously than any of the players could have anticipated.”

Check out the trailer here:

Trance is set to be released in the UK on March 27th. A US release date has yet to be announced.

Star Trek Into Darkness – To Boldly Go Where No App Has Gone Before

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:21:00 +0000

Paramount Pictures and and Qualcomm Incorporated (they design and produce digital wireless telecommunications products and services) have announced a joint undertaking for the next Star Trek film “Star Trek Into Darkness”(which is set to be released May 2013). This joint project is a mobile app that uses “cutting edge technologies” to unveil a variety of surprise movie related materials by having users interact with their environment with the app (audio scans, geo-location recognition, image recognition).

Short story (tldr)? Turn on the app whenever you hear or see Star Trek related media, like a commercial, and see if you unlock some exclusive content based on the audio captured, images (captured on your camera), or just based on your position on the planet. You might unlock some really cool content. That’s pretty awesome.

The app is set to be released at the end of January with the first unlockable content available off the “Star Trek Into Darkness” tv-spot during the Super Bowl. Yet another reason to watch the big game! One final bonus: everyone who downloads the app will be entered into a sweepstakes for a VIP trip to the US premiere of the film.

In case you’re wondering, the technology for this app has been around for quite some time. However, this is the first time that such a broad, digitally-interactive campaign has been placed into a smartphone app. Will it be successful? We’ll see.

Don’t take our word for it, though. Read the release for yourself.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND QUALCOMM ANNOUNCE UNPRECEDENTED “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” APP USING CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES

KICK-OFF WILL BEGIN WITH THE ABILITY TO UNLOCK THE FIRST OF MANY SURPRISES DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE BIG GAME THIS FEBRUARY

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 7, 2013) – Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom Inc., and Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), through its subsidiary Qualcomm Labs, Inc., today announced that Gimbal™ context awareness technologies will be used to deliver exclusive content and advanced real world game experiences for the “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” application based on the upcoming movie from J.J. Abrams.

These cutting edge technologies are being showcased in a never before-seen way and will enable users to automatically engage with a wealth of movie related materials by utilizing their real-life surroundings to auto-complete integrated missions by employing audio scan, geo-location recognition, and image recognition functionality powered by Qualcomm Vuforia. The “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” app will launch at the end of January. Qualcomm’s Chairman and CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs made the announcement today during his keynote address at the International CES show in Las Vegas.

During the second quarter of the big game, the app will allow users the ability to unlock the first of many surprises during the airing of the “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” tv-spot, making this one of the most unique and interactive apps ever created for a movie. As a bonus, users who register for the app will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for the chance to win a VIP trip to the U.S. premiere. To be the first to get the app and enter the sweepstakes, visit www.StarTrekMovie.com/CES.

“We are excited about collaborating with Paramount on this app as it further brings to life Qualcomm’s vision of the digital sixth sense, where devices intelligently interact with the world around you,” said Dr. Jacobs. “By leveraging the Gimbal platform, this app harnesses the power of the smartphone to bridge the digital and physical world, allowing the studio to market the film in the real world and simultaneously bring users into the film’s story and world.”

Highlights of the “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” app include:

• An audio scan function that can be turned on to automatically recognize and reward users for watching “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” content on TV and other media;

• An image scan function that enables users to interact with images printed or viewable in the real world;

• A geofencing function for location-based experiences;

• New “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” content, such as videos, images and wallpapers delivered directly to users’ mobile devices;

• Exclusive opportunities and special offers only available to app users;

• One lucky sweepstakes winner will be rewarded with the grand prize of attending the “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” U.S. premiere.

“STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” is written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman & Damon Lindelof and directed by J.J. Abrams. Abrams is producing with Bryan Burk through Bad Robot Productions, along with Lindelof, Kurtzman and Orci. Jeffrey Chernov and Skydance Productions’ David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake are the executive producers.

“STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” opens in theaters everywhere May 17, 2013.

# # #

No purchase necessary. Open to US and Canadian (excl. Quebec) residents age 13 or older. Enter by 1/11/13. For details and restrictions, see Official Rules at www.StarTrekMovie.com/CES.

Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Gimbal and Vuforia are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is the world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm’s licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm’s engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog,Twitter and Facebook pages.

“Frozen” Looks Like It Will Give Chills

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:24:00 +0000

Disney has officially unveiled a bit of concept art for their next big non-sequel film,Frozen, giving people a glimpse of what’s to come. The art is beautiful, showing a frozen, painful looking landscape that is certainly unnatural.

The story of Frozen is based (very loosely) on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Anna, the protagonist, must go on an epic quest to track down her frostier (pun intended) sister, Elsa, who is known as the Snow Queen and is the reason that the kingdom is in a state of perpetual winter. Accompanying Anna is the daring cliffhanger, Kristoff, and his faithful reindeer, Sven. They must work together to find the Snow Queen and stop her before the entire region is frozen over.

Frozen will be released on the appropriately frosty November 27th, 2013. Look forward to it!

Disney Gets A Death Star

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 21:26:00 +0000

A long time ago (about a month ago), in a galaxy far far away (probably in California or at Skywalker Ranch) Disney finalized the agreement to acquire Lucasfilm in a landmark deal valued at just over $4 billion. Like Marvel, the House of the Mouse now controls the future of the Star Wars franchise. And yes, there will be another Star Wars. Episode VII is slated to hit theatres sometime in 2015.

Reactions to the deal are mixed. Many are horrified or afraid for the franchise. Plenty others are excited. To quote JJ Abrams: “Part of me? Thrilled. Part of me? Terrified. Most of me? Thrillified.” That seems to be the general sentiment to the news. One thing is for sure: Episode VII could be the landmark film that reenergizes the Star Wars franchise. Now that the saga of Anakin and Luke Skywalker is basically over, what is next in store for the galaxy? The return of the Empire? A new Jedi order? Han and Leia’s kids!? We’ll find out in 2015.

ArtInsights Gets a Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (cmunchak) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 21:13:00 +0000

Have you been inside the gallery lately? You probably noticed that we got a makeover! Why don't you come by and see how good we look! And while you're here, you can check out our new arrivals--of which we have tons!

See you soon!

Christine Munchak for ArtInsights