Flixploitation

The 2012 Omie Award Winners

2012-02-24T11:42:00.000-06:00

I know that tens of you are eagerly anticipating the winners of the Omie Awards. Here they are in all their glory.

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Picture goes to…

for showing that incoming apocalypse can be beautiful,

Melancholia. Producers: Meta Louise Foldager and Louise Vesth

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Director goes to…

(tie)

for making a balls out translation of the Swedish favorite,

David Fincher, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

and

for making a film about a getaway driver into a sleeper hit,

Nicholas Winding Refn, "Drive"

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Actor goes to…

for portraying a man dealing the dark side of sexual addiction, Brandon Sullivan,

Michael Fassbender, "Shame"

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Actress goes to…

for portraying a mother that is struggling to keep her destructive son in check, Eva Khatchadourian,

Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Supporting Actor goes to…

for portraying a mobster who wants a stock car, Bernie Rose,

Albert Brooks, "Drive"

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Supporting Actress goes to…

(an unprecedented four way tie)

for portraying a girl trying to forge a relationship with her father, Alexandra King,

Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

for portraying a woman that broke up her family, Julie Speer,

Judy Greer, "The Descendants"

for portraying a woman that is reeling from personal tragedy, Mrs. O'Brien,

Jessica Chastain, "The Tree of Life"

for portraying an emotionally damaged sister, Sissy Sullivan,

Carey Mulligan, "Shame"

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Original Song goes to…

for encapsulating the struggle for people of color,

"The Living Proof" from "The Help"

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Foreign Language Film goes to…

a film about a woman losing her memories captures beauty with poetry,

"Poetry". Director: Chang-dong Lee

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Animated Feature goes to…

a 3D adaptation of the beloved comic strip series,

"The Adventures of Tintin". Director: Steven Spielberg

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Original Screenplay goes to…

(tie)

for a story about a woman that refuses to grow up,

"Young Adult". Written by Diablo Cody

and

for a story about the greatest day of life could be your last,

"Melancholia" . Written by Lars von Trier

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Adapted Screenplay goes to…

for a story about a disillusioned lawyer who tries to cash in a wrestler's prowess,

"Win Win". Story by Tom McCarthy and Joe Tiboni. Written by Tom McCarthy

The Omie Award for Most Deserving Documentary goes to…

for showing the inside story about what it takes be on the front page,

"Page One: Inside The New York Time". Producers: Alan Oxman and Adam Schlesinger

And for the granddaddy of them all, The Suck-It! Award goes to…

a movie exploiting 9/11 to get the sympathy of the audience,

"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" nomination for Best Picture

Another year has gone by and more people are getting screwed over for getting their deserved nominations. We broke all the rules this year. Congrats to big winners, "Shame", "Melancholia" and "The Descendants" Until next year...

Trailer Tuesday Smackdown - 2/21/2012

2012-02-21T12:01:00.000-06:00

The winner last week is "Beyond the Black Rainbow". That trailer is weird and I love it. This week is very subdued. Here are the two trailer duking it out this week.

The US "Sound of Noise" trailer.

This trailer is very quirky and wacky with its "Stomp" vibe with taking random objects to make music. I love this trailer.

"Friends with Kids" red band trailer.

Possibly the bathroom humor would turn off a number of people, but you have to admire the people in this movie.

Other trailers: Struck by Lightning, Cherry, Dorothy and the Witches of Oz, Intruders and Pusher (Remake).

Trailer Tuesday Smackdown - 2/14/2012

2012-02-14T12:20:00.001-06:00

Okay. Since nobody is voting for the smackdowns, I am no longer opening the voting. I am going to decide the trailers and the winners. Maybe if I build up more than ten readers, I could re-open it.

The clear winner last week was "The Amazing Spider-Man".

I have read the book and I was fine with it. Looking at the trailer, I was surprised that it was more action packed that I thought it was. I didn't want to post the first trailer that it was meh.

This trailer reminded me of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but more fucked up then that movie.

Other trailers: Seeking A Friend For the End of the World and Extraterrestrial

Voting Is Now Open...

2012-02-07T15:00:00.000-06:00

Here are the nominees for the 4th Annual Omie Awards. Make sure to vote for the person or movies that you think should have been nominated for an Oscar. (Remember, this is for the omitted nominees. Not the actual nominees this year.) The winners will be revealed on Friday, February 24th.

Happy voting!

Trailer Tuesday Smackdown - 2/7/2011

2012-02-07T11:51:00.002-06:00

Well, since nobody voted on the last Trailer Smackdown-- I didn't expect anybody would-- I declare the winner of last week is "Iron Sky." This week sees more big budget trailers. I am not including Super Bowl teasers, because they are a tease-- not a full trailer. Here are the contenders:

We haven't seen Sarah Polley behind the director's chair since her exquisite movie "Away From Her" came out in 2007. Now, she is back with "Take the Waltz". It stars tjhe phenomenal Michelle Williams as woman who is married to Seth Rogan, but has feelings for another man, Luke Kirby.

The offical trailer for "The Amazing Spider-Man" came out. I know that people have reservations of having a reboot, but I have to say that I kinda like the badass Peter Parker, than the dorky one of the Sam Raimi series of movies. Don't get me wrong, two out of the three movies were my favorites.

Other trailers include: Game Change, Brake, and Red Lights

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

2012-02-06T14:07:00.001-06:00

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011)

Directed by: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

Stars: Jessie Misskelley Jr, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, John Mark Byers and Terry Hobbs

Being that this is the final film of the Paradise Lost trilogy, it feels bittersweet. I have watched the West Memphis Three started out as teenagers who are now in their mid-30s. It was heartbreaking to me that these three innocent men are still behind bars, even though the original judge that presiding over their trailer, David Burnett have denied their appeals numerous times.

The movie goes back to the side of the three men saying that they are innocent, even though they went down a similar path with Revelations as accusing another stepfather of the murdered boys saying that he might be involved, Terry Hobbs. I did not want to get into what was discussed, but it might be possible that he could have done it.

This film showed the new evidence that was not available back in 1994 when the trials were going on. there was evidence that showed the Byers was not mutilated by a knife, but by a wild animal that found the bodies. New DNA evidence showed that a hair belonging to Terry Hobbs was on the shoelaces that was found of the boys. None of the DNA from the WM3 was found on the victims.

The one person that was vocal about making the WM3 die is now stomping for their release, John Mark Byers. he is adamant that the WM3 should be released.

You would think that the new evidence that was introduced would grant the men a new trial, but it doesn't. They have to go into huge hurdles in order to get their convictions overturned. Luck was on their side as Burnett was not assigned to their case.

I won't tell you what happens at the end, but I felt that the WM3 have gotten a raw deal. I felt duped. Really? It reinforces the fact that the justice system is broken. This is it on the screen. Shown in its full un-glory. When I finished watching the film, I was aggravated. These three innocent men have gotten a raw deal. Their youth was taken away from them and the state of Arkansas took a huge shit on them. This makes me question, how could take have happened? It makes me question the validity of the judicial system as it is today.

My Rating:

Paradise Lost 2: Revelations

2012-02-06T13:07:00.002-06:00

Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000)

Directed by Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

Stars: Jessie Misskelly Jr, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, John Mark Byers, Kathy Bakken, Burk Sauls, Brent Turvey

After the events of the first film, the story of the West Memphis Three has made international news. The way that the first film unfolds it is revealed that the boys did not receive a fair trail when they were convicted of murdering Chris Byers, Stevie Branch and Michael Moore in 1993.

A group has formed to free the three who are now in the their twenties lead by Burk Sauls who has gathered people from across the nation in order to stomp for the cause of freeing them.

This movie does not have the same impartiality as the first film. It seems to take a very pointed look at the stepfather of one of the victims named John Mark Byers. He is a man that has very heated threates against the WM3. he is shown to have has a violent past. There was the mystery behind his wife's death. Damien Echols himself pointed the finger at Byers saying that he was the one who killed those boys.

There were experts for the defense that were not used during the first that dissemable the porsectuiong notions that the boys were killed in a different place and they bodies were dumped in the creek bed that faithful May day. An expert named Brent Turvey was shown the crime scene photo that suggested that one of the boys has a bite mark on his face that did not match anybody of the convicted men.

During the course of the film, it was suggested that the WMPD have covered up potential evidence that would have exonerated the teens, but either it was destroyed or simply lost.

The major misstep with this movie was the pointed way that the filmmakers accused John Mark Byers as the killer without any evidence of his guilt or innocence. After a while, I had grown tired of looking at Byers face all the time if he was burning the graves of the killers with gasoline, him pulling out his dentures or his constant presence at the numerous appeals that the men have filed. It grew tiresome.

My Rating:

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hills

2012-02-06T12:45:00.002-06:00

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hills (1996)

Directed by Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

Stars: Jesse Misskelley, Jr, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols

I heard about this movie from Tassoula from the Cinebanter podcast when they recently had a discussion about the now trilogy series of documentaries from HBO films. It was shown on VOD over the weekend and I had to see them.

The first movie tells the story of three outcasts from West Memphis, Arkansas that are accused of committing the murders of three 8-year-old boys in May 1993. Directors Berlinger and Sinofsky follow the trails of the accused.

First, it was Jessie Misskelley Jr that tried first, because of a coerced confession that would admitted into evidence that said that Echols, Baldwin and himself committed the murders. Even though, it seems that the Jessie's story didn't fit the timeline of when the murders occurred. The subsequent trails of the three teenagers seemed to be a media circus.

It was a modern day witch hunt. Accusing these three boys of a crime that they may not have commit. I understood the families of the murder victims when they said that they want the accused burn in hell. Personally, I was a little sketchy if they were actually innocent or not. It seemed the evidence or lack thereof was all circumstantial evidence and here say. There was no physical evidence that linked the trio to the crimes.

After the credit rolled on the movie, I was flabbergasted by the outcome of the trial. How could this be possible? The judicial is a joke if this was the outcome. Did I have my doubts about the verdict? Absolutely. Did I believe that they were all innocent? No. I had my doubts about Echols in the last moments of the movie.

This movie had me shaking my head in disbelief. The filmmakers' cameras were an impartial jury to the people who may not have known about what really happened. Unprecedented access was more astonishing them the OJ Simpson trial or Michael Jackson's. It amazes me that the filmmakers could make a film that did not pass judgment on anyone. It cast reasonable doubt on other potential suspects that the WMPD did not bother to investigate. Amazing.

My Rating:

The Omie Awards Announcement

2012-02-02T10:47:00.001-06:00

It's that time again ladies and gentlemen for the award show for the people that were left out of the Oscar nomination list last week. To the tens of people reading this, send me your picks of who was left out. The nominees will be announced on February 7th. Get your vote in. Thanks.

Tuesday Trailer Smackdown - 1/31/2012

2012-01-31T12:00:00.000-06:00

I wanted to do something different than the same old boring bring you reviews and ranting. I want to give you my tens of readers a voice of sorts. The American public have seen lots of trailers, but I want to see which one is the best of the best. I will pick my favorites from the past week to go head to head. It's your job -- my readers -- to determine which trailer reigns. At the end of the year, we will crown the granddaddy of them all; Best Trailer of the Year. Sound good?

God Bless America Red Band Trailer

Being that I am sick and tired of irrelevant people getting a "star" status, I don't mind that Frank (Joel Murray) is killing these douchebags. The movie is from the twisted mind of Bobcat Goldthwait that brought us the doggy blowjob movie, Sleeping Dogs Lie and World's Greatest Dad.

Iron Sky Teaser Trailer for the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival

You know, I love a good Nazi movie. Well, I'm saying that is going to be the greatest film since, Schindler's List -- which I still don't get why people love it -- but this movie suggest that the Nazis were not defeated. In fact, they have set up a moon base to rise again in 2018.

Other trailers: The Cold Light of Day, Seeking Justice and Lockout.

Vote for you favorite:

A Moment of Quiet Reflection...

2012-01-30T18:27:00.000-06:00

Michael Fassbender in the pages of the February 2012 issue of W Magazine

Ever since I saw this picture of Fassy, it saddens that he was not nominated for an Oscar for his performance in "Shame." Hey, at least, I get to wonder if he is going commando or not. Hehe.

Red Tails

2012-01-28T14:01:00.004-06:00

Red Tails (2012)

Directed by Anthony Hemingway

Written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder
Based on the book by John B. Holway

Stars: Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Tristan Wilds, Method Man, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr

Since I had my 2011 movie fast, I wanted to start this year with the movie that should been seen, Red Tails. Damn the critics. This is a story that needed to be told. It's sad that the movie took over twenty years to get to the big screen.

Am I saying that the movie is best movie of the year? No. This is a part of history. Pioneers of the sky. The first Negro squadron during World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen. They were told that they were colored; they could not pilot a plane, because they don't have to the intelligence to do it. It shows that when the men escorted Allied bombers into target zones, they did not lose one bomber. That's says something.

Being a man of color, it was a duty to see that movie. It was our history on the big screen. I learned some things that I never knew. I learned that the title of the film came from the squad paints the back end of their new planes to escort the bombers. I don't know if all the other stuff in the film was true about somebody drinking problem, another being trapped behind enemy lines or a misguided romance.

Much like another film about a black outfit, Glory, this generation of young people needs to know their history that may not be in history books. It is up to people like George Lucas who put up $93 million of his own money to fund this picture. To this day, a studio will not support an all-black film. It really shows you that some things never change.

Don't go into this movie thinking that it is the best movie of the year. The dialogue sounded like "Movie of the Week" territory. There were some wonkiness with the editing. Go to the movie for the dogfight scenes. They were the highlight of the movie.

My Rating:

Are the Oscars Irrelevant?

2012-01-24T10:46:00.000-06:00

Earlier this morning, the nominations of the 84^th Annual Academy Awards have been announced. There were some surprising nominees and others those movie predictors anticipated this whole “awards season.” I had this lingering questions, are the Oscar relevant?

When the very first Oscars were handed out in 1929, Hollywood was in a much different mindset, with the film companies dictating what the actors, directors and writers to work with them. The Hayes Code system limited the creative process for many filmmakers that lead to different ways of innovation.

Fast forward to now; Hollywood studios are more concerned about pushing a mediocre product out than slowly nurturing a movie to the best quality possible.

As you may have known, I have decided not to watch any 2011 movies in the theater, because I felt that the quality of the movie have been subpar. It has been a growing trend ever since the writers’ strike in 2007. It was a belief that quality of the movies will suffer in 2009. It turned out to be true.

It seems to me that the trend is still happening, even though the strike is long over. There are movies that have you scratching your head. Really? This awful movie is being released. The actors have to go to these talk shows and promote a movie that they know is shit. All of this occurs because; the studios want to make their money back.

Now that awards season is down to the final stretch, it seems that people don’t care about going to the movies that much. The movies that have been nominated, the average person has not seen it, let alone heard of it.

There seems to a disconnected between the American public and the Oscars. The Oscars is for film critics only and movie fanatics. The average American is not going to care about who wins Best Documentary Short Subject or Best Sound Mixing. They don’t care.

The Academy tries to be hip last year with having younger hosts with Anne Hathaway and James Franco to boost ratings. That was a colossal failure. The problem is apathy. Who wants to watch people gets awards for mediocre performances in a mediocre movie that gets a lot of hype in the swing of things.

Let me pose a couple of questions to you. What was your number movie of last year? Was it nominated for an Oscar? If it was, would watch it again?

I have seen a lot of movies in the past twenty-five years. There are movies that I have seen hundreds of times and there are some movies that I have seen only once. You know that was, awards season. The movies that were hyped up to be the best Hollywood has to offer. Those movies should be lucky that I saw it at all.

The American public is sick and tired of being duped into going movies that are supposed to be great and are not.

There needs to be a serious revamp. The Academy is broken. Now, the Academy is a joke. It’s time to start cleaning house.

The Proposition

2012-01-03T11:44:00.000-06:00

The Proposition (2005)

Directed by John Hillcoat

Written by Nick Cave

Stars: Ray Winstone, Guy Pearce, Danny Huston, David Wenham, Richard Wilson and Emily Watson

I heard so much praise about John Hillcoat's The Proposition that it was compared to an Eastwood or Leone flick. After watching the movie, I would highly disagree with that statement.

My first mistake was that I was expecting to be blown away about this movie. I was expecting it to be The OK Corrale the whole movie, but I felt that the movie didn't have anybody to root for.

The outlaw gang, The Burns Brothers are being pursued by the law for the rape and murder of a local woman, which lead to the house being burned down. Capt. Stanley (Winstone) offers a proposition for the middle brother, Charlie (Pearce) to keep his younger brother, Mikey (Wilson) from a hanging is to have Charlie seek the older brother, Arthur (Huston) and kill him within nine days.

I was not expecting to the movie to be a bullet barrage all the time, but I felt that the movie was disconnected to the audience. I felt that none of the main characters are sympathetic enough to root for them. You have Charlie that does say much, Capt. Stanley that would make a brother kill another brother, a psychotic in Arthur and a puss like Mikey. Who are we supposed to root for?

I tried to get through this movie and I lost interest in it. I didn't care. I didn't care what happened, who died, etc. I had enough.

My rating:

Flix Rant: My Inner Feminist Is Coming Out

2011-12-27T13:24:00.000-06:00

Last night, I sat down and tried to watch Frank Capra's 1934 Oscar winning movie, It Happened One Night. Looking at the movie I was immediately irritated that the same thing was going to happen like it did with His Girl Friday, when I reviewed it. Maybe this is my 21st century mind at work, but I have to say, "Why do these women end up with these assholes?"

I know that it was a different time, but come on people! For examples, Claudette Colbert is a socialite who marry a man against her father's wishes. She leaves for New York. I was rooting, "Good for you, girl." Then, the cad has to come in the form of Clark Gable as a boozy newspaper reporter who treats her like shit. She swoons over him, please!

I had the same gripes with the The Philadelphia Story as well with the brash Katharine Hepburn has to end up with the ex-husband in the end. I'm sorry, I spoiled that for everybody, but I have to get my point across.

Why couldn't these women be happy and content, instead of settling with a man that is no good for them?

This is not an old thing. There are prime examples of movies today with the same premise that had me scratching my head. Even though, I thought that The Ugly Truth was a piece of shit. I was infuriated that a woman (Katherine Heigl) would swoon over Gerard Butler. Besides the fact that he is hot, his character was an abrasive prick. Would you ever say those things to the woman that you supposedly "love"? Fuck off. She would drag Eric Winter around like a rag doll and discard him for the asshole. Really, girl? Really?

I also had a problem with You Got Mail that Tom Hanks character's completely destroyed Meg Ryan's family bookstore in order to buy it for a major corporation and she falls for him. Just like that. Are you kidding me? Grow a pair of ovaries, ladies. Get a man that will not do you wrong. You don't see woman of color dealing with that shit. They ain't having it.

All I am saying is that I am getting sick and tired of these poor defenseless women having to settle the first man that show them any kind of attention. I needed to get that out.

A Raisin In the Sun

2011-12-26T12:54:00.001-06:00

A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Directed by Daniel Petrie

Written by Lorraine Hansberry

Based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry

Stars: Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeill, Ruby Dee, Louis Gossett Jr., Diana Sands, Ivan Dixon, John Fiedler and Stephen Perry

I wanted to give all my readers and my sister-in-law a nice After Christmas present, me reviewing a black movie. It's a miracle, everyone. Rejoice!

Anyway, I hear about A Raisin in the Sun for a while now. I always wanted to see it, but I never got the chance to until recently. I am so glad that I did.

Three generations of the Younger family are living in a cramped two bedroom Chicago apartment. Walter (Poitier) tries to make sense of his place in the family unit when a business of investing in a chain of liquor come up. He needs the money to put in a down payment. The only he could get that is from the insurance money that would be given to his mother, Lena (McNeil). The Younger family try any way they can to get out of the muck they are stuck in.

Being that this was play adapted to the screen, I did not feel that it was just a play translated to screen. It felt raw, real and uncompromising with the desperation that these people are feeling to get out of their circumstances. You wonder who do they not kill each other?

The performances of the main actors were great, except I had some troubles with Poitier. His movements felt over-dramatic sometimes. He originated the role on the theatrical production. It shows on the screen. I though that Claudia McNeil was a tour de force at the matriarch of the family. You felt her pain and anguish of see her husband die, her daughter being lost to the world and her son struggle to the man of the family.

This is a fantastic piece of work that should have gotten a lot more attention than it did.

My Rating:

The Expendables

2011-12-20T11:12:00.000-06:00

The Expendables (2010)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

Written by Sylvester Stallone and David Callaham

Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eric Roberts, Steve Austin, David Zayas, Giselle Itié, Charisma Carpenter and Mickey Rourke

This movie was touted in being the best "B" movie to be released. I think that statement is true. It has all of the action stars from yesteryear in this movie. I knew the movie would be stupid fun like The A-Team. I was prepared to see non stop action, blood, fights and big ass motherfucking guns. I was a happy boy.

A group of over-the-hill mercenaries are sent to impossible missions by Tool (Rourke) in order to save hostages from terrorists. During one mission, a team member goes rogue, Gunner (Lundgren) and team has to recovery. When a handler named Church (Willis), tells the the Expendables about a plot to assassinate an overzealous dictator from the island of Vilena, General Garza (Zayas) and a former CIA operative, James Munroe (Roberts) who is trafficking cocaine with Garza's daughter, Sandra (Itié) as a bargaining chip.

This movie is not made for film critics. This is made for the teenage boy in all of us that wants to see guys fighting, blowing shit up and have bazooka guns in their hands. It's like porn. You would cream in your undies watching this movie.

I was not expecting an intricate plot or compelling dialogue. I was looking for balls to the wall action. There were some instances that I cringed. When Gunner blew a guy away in half, I was like "Whoa". Terry Crews as Hale Caesar with his bazooka tommy gun was EPIC. Jason Statham as Lee Christmas throw knives into bodies that I didn't know was humanly possible.

The movie is awesome. I enjoy every minute of the movie. I had a good time. You should as well.

My rating:

La mujer sin cabeza

2011-12-19T12:36:00.000-06:00

The Headless Woman (2009)

Written and directed by Lucretia Martel

Stars: María Onetto, Claudia Cantero, César Bordón, Daniel Genoud, Guillermo Arengo, Inés Efron and María Vaner

I know that you guys thought that I was thinking another "vacation" from viewing movie, but I had some personal problems that I had to deal with. I hope you understand. Back to the reviewing.

I have always wanted to watch Lucretia Martel's The Headless Woman for a couple of years since I saw the high Metacritic score of 81. I always mistaken this movie for An Unmarried Woman from 1978 with Jill Clayburgh and Alan Bates, which I haven't seen. Maybe one day.

The movie is very subtle in the way that the story is told. A affluent dentist named Vero (Onetto) is distracted on a deserted road and runs over something. She doesn't stop to see what she hits. She drives on. In the days after the ordeal, she is in a haze. Vero is guilt-ridden that she might have a killed a person. Her family thinks that she has simply run over a stray dog. The notion of what she might have done weighs heavily on Vero's conscience.

This is a slow burn kind of movie. You are not spoon fed what exactly is happening with the story. I believe that Martel wanted to leave the story open for interpretation as to whether Vero committed a hit and run or it was all in her mind.

I believe I know what really happened and a couple of critic agree with me. This film is not for everyone. There are those that will get bored and those that will not get it entirely. That's fine. I think that it is a fine piece of work that I crave for instead of the remakes, sequels, prequels that are clogging up cinemas now. I long for a movie like this.

My rating:

Final Impressions - 12/2/2011

2011-12-02T10:59:00.000-06:00

Hmm. There is no major releases this week. We have a bunch of Oscar movies starting their limited runs. Let's get started, shall we?

Directed by Steve McQueen

Shame

This is the third collaboration between director Steve McQueen and lead actor Michael Fassbender.

I covered the latest trailer a couple of weeks back. I love that a movie would be released with a "NC-17" and they don't give a fuck about appealing to the MPAA. Usually, the rating will be the death of box office potential. Possibly the awards buzz with it could help it stay afloat.

Directed by Takeshi Kitano

Autoreiji

I don't know anything about this movie.

Here is the synopsis of the movie from IMDb: "The boss of a major crime syndicate orders his lieutenant to bring a rogue gang of drug traffickers in line, a job that gets passed on to his long-suffering subordinate."

It seems like another gangster story. Next.

Directed by Julia Leigh

Sleeping Beauty

This is not fairy tale story about the narcoleptic woman that has to wait for a guy to wake her ass up. This movie is about Lucy (Emily Browning), a young university student drawn into a mysterious hidden world of unspoken desires. Okay.

Directed by Michael F. Sears

A Warrior's Heart

This movie was supposed to come out last year, but it didn't. I wonder why. Because it's shitty. It has a shirtless Kellan Lutz, Chord Overstreet and some other chicks. Blah, bah, blah.

Disposable movie.

Directed by Matthew Leutwyler

Answers to Nothing

I saw the trailer for this movie. My reaction was meh. It stars Dane Cook--wait, hold up--he is the lead of this movie. Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Am I being punked right now?

Bikur Ha-Tizmoret

2011-11-29T12:53:00.003-06:00

The Band's Visit (2007)

Written and directed by Eran Kolirin

Stars: Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri, Khalifa Natour, Rubi Moskovitz, Uri Gavriel, Imad Jabarin, Shlomi Avraham

The Band's Visit is one of those movies that have been talked about and universally praised that I had to see what the fuss what about. Seeing the movie on the library shelf, I was hesitant that I might not like it. I did. A lot.

The movie is about a group of Egyptian police musicians called Alexandria Ceremonial Orchestra travel to Israel for a last ditch effort to save the band from budget cuts. Upon arriving what they think Beit Hatikva instead of Petah Tiqva, they have to stay with a worldly diner owner, Dina (Ronit Elkabetz) for the night. These people that should be enemies find a common bond around music.

The film won the Audience Prize Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It was a lock to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, but the movie was disqualified because most of the film's language was in English.

Doing a movie with competing nationalities can be tricky. It could go in Crash territory really fast. The movie as a whole is a comedy of errors of sorts. The humor is from the uncomfortable silences as some people are stuck in their ways while others did not.

I enjoyed the natural progression of the relationship between Dina and leader of the group, the uptight Lieutenant-colonel Tawfiq Zacharya (Sasson Gabai). You would never think think these people would form a bond and they managed to do that beautifully. There was one scene that made me choke up when Tawfiq told Dina about his son.

The best focal point of the movie was the music. I don't know that much traditional Arab music, but I was enthralled. This movie really should be experienced once.

My Rating:

Trailer Tuesday - 11/29/2011

2011-11-29T10:50:00.000-06:00

I hope you guys recovered from your turkey hangovers to watch a couple of trailers that were released over the Thanksgiving holiday. Just two.

The first trailer for "The Rep" is a documentary about repertory theaters. What is a repertory theater, you ask? It is a theaters that shows classic movies. Nowadays with everyone going to see mindless blockbusters and renting movies on Netflix, these theaters sere struggling to stay afloat. The movie is still in production. It was conceived to be a web series, but with enough good word of mouth it might come out in theaters.

There is the trailer for Ed Burns next directorial effort called "Newlyweds". Ed plays Buzzy (try not to think of bees) who is living in NYC with his new wife, Katie (Caitlin Fitzgerald). Their quaint life is torn asunder when Buzzy's rebellious sister, Linda (Kerry Bishe) comes into town and stays in their apartment. As you may have guessed, their lives turn upside down. The movie opens on December 26th.

Final Impressions (Holiday Edition) - 11/23/2011

2011-11-23T11:02:00.001-06:00

Since Turkey Day is happening on Thursday, the movies are coming out in full force today. The picking are better this week than last week.

The Descendants

It has been seven years since Alexander Payne has a directed a movie since Sideways. His follow up in another loosely adaptation of the a book. People are talking about George Clooney being a front runner for the Best Actor Oscar.

The setting is in Hawaii. It looks nice. I heard some news that the movie is not all it is cracked up to be. It seems like one of those movies that is being hyped up for no payoff. I could be wrong.

The Muppets

It has been awhile since a Muppets movie has hit the big screen. Jason Segel tries to recapture the magic of the nostalgia from people who have grown up with them and kids that are just introduced to them.

The movie is like The Smurfs were humans are introduced to the cartoon characters.

It all seems a little meta like the original movies were.

My Week with Marilyn

Opening in limited release is the movie that is getting Michelle Williams a lot of Oscar attention.

I heard about this movie when a rival Marilyn Monroe movie was in production at the time. People are talking mainly about Michelle. Not much else.

Hugo

This is Martin Scorsese first foray in having a 3D feature. It's a based on a beloved children's book. I wonder what the movie is going to be like without the guns and f-bombs.

A Dangerous Method

Here is another Oscar contender that is opening in NYC and LA. There is a lot of buzz surrounding this movie as well.

The movie would seem a little to stiff to strike a cord with movie audiences.

Arthur Christmas

I have seen trailers for this movie. It seems like one of this disposable holiday kid flicks to get children to drag their parents along.

Trailer Tuesday - 11/22/2011

2011-11-22T10:05:00.000-06:00

Once again, a slew of trailers have been released for our viewing pleasure. Let's take a peek at them, shall we?

I know that first trailer of Tarsem Singh's upcoming rival Snow White film, "Mirror, Mirror" came out on the same day as of the last post. I didn't want confuse you into thinking that they are the same movie. Far from it. Snow White (Lily Collins) is chased by the Evil Queen, inexplicably played by Julia Roberts. That cutie Armie Hammer is in the movie as the Prince and Nathan Lane as the Queen's manservant, Brighton. It opens March 16, 2012.

The second trailer for the next sappy, syrupy Nicholas Sparks adaptation, "The Vow" has been released. Urgh! Why do people get sucked into this bullshit over and over again? Sparks alum Rachel McAdams (The Notebook) and Channing Tatum (Dear John) comes together about a couple gets into a car accident. The wife loses the memories of their time together and he tries to make her fall in love with him again. It opens February 10, 2012.

Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster reunite with "The Messenger" director, Oren Moverman for what is being touted as the movie with the most corrupt cop ever put on screen. That is a big statement to say the least. Harrelson plays Dave Brown, a veteran police officer in 1990s LA. His life is spiraling out of control. The movie has all star cast of Ice Cube, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon, Ned Beatty, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi and Sigourney Weaver. It opens January 27, 2012 wide.

"Gone" seems like the kind of disposable movie that would typically come out in the vast wasteland between January to April. It deals with Jill (Amanda Seyfried) who tries to find a serial killer that kidnaps her sister Molly (Emily Wickersham) who kidnapped her years earlier. Whatever. The movie opens February 27, 2012.

I am surprised that nobody is reporting about the first trailer for Pixar's upcoming movie, "Brave". People have been buzzing about this movie when the first images of the movie came out. the movie follows a young girl named Merida who defies her family's tradition to be a warrior in medieval Scotland. It opens Summer 2012.

The Maltese Falcon

2011-11-19T12:58:00.000-06:00

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Currently #105 of Top 250 Films on IMDb
(As of this posting)

Directed by John Huston

Written by John Huston
Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett

Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Elisha Cook Jr.

The Maltese Falcon is one of those staple movies that have been in the lexicon of film goers for seventy years since it came out. I just watched this three Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Greenstreet. For john Huston's directorial debut, I did not disappoint.

True to it's film noir roots the movies starts with the murder of private detective Sam Spade's (Bogart) partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) when he was trying to tail a prep. The woman that hired the team, Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Astor) is being exposed as being a part of a conspiracy that have innocent people killed because of a priceless Maltese falcon statue made in the 16th century.

From the word go this movie have you going on a wild roller coaster ride that leads to the satisfying conclusion.

I was surprised that "deer in the headlights" Peter Lorre was in the film as Joel Cairo. A lot skinner I might add. Bogart played spade like an anti-hero. he is not likable, but he is charming enough enough to make you forgive his transgressions. Mary Astor as the femme fatale was fine. I don't see why everyone wants to be with her. Greenstreet as the "antagonist" of the movie, Gutman was a little weird. He was nominated for an Oscar. I don't see it, but standards were different back then.

My favorite part of the movie was the dynamic between Spade and Gutman's young hitman, Wilmer Cook (Cook, Jr.) Spade treated Wilmer like a gnat that needed to be swatted. I loved the banter between them.

The movie was a delight to see the twists and turns, the anger and betrayal. Easy, breezy, beautiful, Cover Girl.

My Rating:

Final Impressions - 11/18/2011

2011-11-18T13:39:00.000-06:00

This week is very light on the new releases. Um... yeah.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1

Holy shit! They are breaking this movie up into two parts. Are you fucking me? Do Twihards want to see more of this insipid "romance"?

Summit tries to suck money money out of the American public. they are the real bloodsuckers.

I saw the first movie. It was awful. I don't care about these movies. I have no interest with these brooding assholes. I can't wait for 2013. No more of these movies! YAY!!!!

Happy Feet 2

I have seen bits of the first movie. Not memorable.

So, it's another sequel.

What else can I say?