Geeky Critic

Netflix May Delay New Release Movies by a Full Month [NetFlix]

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:13:00 +0000

I rarely get new releases, but this does sound like bad news.

Netflix May Delay New Release Movies by a Full Month [NetFlix]
Netflix has become the savior of home entertainment for many, but recently Netflix has been in talks with major studios about delaying new release movies by a month or more. Why? The major studios are willing to drop the price of the DVDs it sells to Netflix with the understanding that all new release movies wouldn't be accessible to its customers for up to a full month after release date—presumably in hopes that more people would buy their stupid DVDs. It would cut Netflix's costs by almost half, but there's no word yet on if that savings would be passed on to its loyal customers.

Run for Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:37:00 +0000

Now that you have run the NYC Marathon, how about a documentary on its history?

Netflix: Run for Your Life

Ricky Gervais to Host the Golden Globe Awards - ComingSoon.net

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Good news for the Golden Globes. I always thought the show suffered from a lack of host. And Ricky Gervais is a great choice.

Ricky Gervais to Host the Golden Globe Awards - ComingSoon.net

Prisoner escaped after swapping identity with twin brother | UK news | guardian.co.uk

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:44:00 +0000

No, he is not a Bluth!

Prisoner escaped after swapping identity with twin brother | UK news | guardian.co.uk: "A man pleaded guilty today to attempting to pervert the course of justice by switching identities with his twin brother, causing him to be wrongly released from custody."

Here is more news about the Arrested Development movie.

Classic Cinema Online Streams Free Classic Films - Streaming Media - Lifehacker

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Classic Cinema Online Streams Free Classic Films - Streaming Media - Lifehacker: "Classic Cinema Online has gathered together hundreds of films in categories ranging from Action to Westerns and even old cinema shorts and news reels. They routinely feature selections of movies based on the time of year, holidays, and other notable events."

The website seems to be down right now (a side effect of being mentioned in Lifehacker probably), but the premise is exciting enough to make a classic movie geek jump around. I will say more once I can actually see their selection.

Whatever Works

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Woody Allen's Whatever Works (his return to NY) is now available on DVD.

Netflix: Whatever Works

The Big Blog Theory

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:22:00 +0000

The Big Blog Theory:

...
The Big Bang Theory, of course, raises strong feelings among scientists. Right here at Discover, you can read both pro and anti feelings about the show. The complaints are mostly about the cheerful reliance on various stereotypes that we would just as soon see stamped out. All four of the main scientist characters are socially maladjusted guys; the one main non-scientist is a blonde woman with severe science-phobia.
...

I never watched this show, but I saw enough scientist stereotypes on screen (the last one being Better Off Ted). What we need is a show about scientists written by someone, who has gone through the scientific training process (see Carl Sagan's Contact and Jorge Cham's PhD Comics). It should be an office comedy set in a lab depicting scientists as normal people. Not uber-geeky, not ultra-smart, not single-dimensional. Just regular. Scientific process provides enough tension, drama and entertainment. The cultural clash between the civilians and the lab-folk doesn't have to be the center of every show (I am not saying it can't be funny, I am just saying enough is enough).

I also have a problem with this segment:

And as socially awkward as the scientist characters are, they are also portrayed as lovable and warm people at heart. Shows like this humanize science, and who knows what ten-year-old kid will see an episode and start thinking that physics is a career to which real people can actually aspire.

Not all of us are loveable, not all of us are warm. I don't think painting all the scientists with the same brush (geeky, smart, socially-inept, but loveable and warm) is the best way to draw more real people towards scientific careers.

Hulu Says Goodbye to Free Entertainment

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:36:00 +0000

Gorram it!

Hulu Says Goodbye to Free Entertainment: "Almost nothing will stay free on the Internet forever. In the beginning, it will be available to all -- tantalizing you with its new ways, sucking you into addiction. And then the inevitable announcement will come: We must add ads! We must require payment! This stuff isn't free, you know! We need to make ends meet!

Hulu Testing Subscription-Based Service Internally

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:58:00 +0000

I wouldn't be happy to pay for Hulu, which is more or less my only source for TV, but if they have better offerings and a good price I could consider.

Hulu Testing Subscription-Based Service Internally:
According to the Streaming Media blog, popular video streaming web site Hulu is in the process of internally testing a subscription service.

Live-Action Barbie Movie Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:47:00 +0000

Did Hollywood go completely nuts?

Live-Action Barbie Movie Coming: "Universal Pictures has acquired the film rights to Mattel's Barbie to make a live-action feature, says The Hollywood Reporter .

Laurence Mark ( Julie & Julia , Jerry Maguire ) is producing the movie.

Universal also distributes Mattel's animated Barbie movies.

Barbie general manager/Mattel senior vice president Richard Dickson and Barbie vice president entertainment Rob Hudnut will executive produce."

Watch David Lynch, become smarter

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:29:00 +0000

Once I watched four David Lynch movies in a night. Dune, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive. I don't remember being extraordinarily smart the next day. Just sleepy. And a bit crazy.

Reading Kafka improves learning, suggests UCSB psychology study: "Reading a book by Franz Kafka -- or watching a film by director David Lynch -- could make you smarter. According to research by psychologists at UC Santa Barbara and the University of British Columbia, exposure to surrealism enhances the cognitive mechanisms that oversee implicit learning functions."

Larry Gelbart, Writer of Comedy, Dies at 81

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:01:00 +0000

The article mentions it only briefly, but he was a member of the legendary writing team of Cid Caesar. You can see his interviews in Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour compilation DVDs.

Larry Gelbart, Writer of Comedy, Dies at 81: "The writer’s caustic wit was a creative force behind the enduring success of the television series “M*A*S*H” and film comedies like “Tootsie.”

Hulu - Arrested Development

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Looks like Hulu will start removing Arrested Development seasons 2 (on Oct 9) and 3 (on Sept 11). So if you haven't watched them yet, hurry.
Hulu - Arrested Development

(or, you know, if you have watched them 37 times and want to go for 38 while you have the chance.)

I'm easy

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:36:00 +0000

Happy Birthday Lily Tomlin.

Babe ****1/2

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:47:00 +0000

I wouldn't have watched Babe, if it weren't on the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" list. And what a miss that would have been.

I am sure many others make the same mistake. It is a children's movie, from a children's book. The idea of cute, furry animals teaching morals doesn't sound very attractive at first, but Babe's Capra-like innocence gets you at the end. (And don't you think there might be a hidden meaning to this? In 1940s Capra still believed George Bailey was real. 50 years later, George Bailey can only exist as a stupid pig!).

This article from NY Times is a good after reading.

Crazy Buddies

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:01:00 +0000

I finally started to watch first season of Saturday Night Live. I have been putting it off for a while mainly because of the size (Season 1 has 8 discs and there are how many seasons, again?). Also, my dislike of the current SNL (I know, the old ones are better!) was effective.

Anyway, episode 6 of the first season was hosted by Lily Tomlin (accompanied by an all-nurse band. And guess who was the leader of the band? Howard Shore. Turns out, the guy who created the "Lord Of The Rings symphony" started out as the leader of the house band.). As usual, Tomlin does a monologue and at the end of the monologue she suggests:

Wouldn't it be nice if all those people roaming the streets of NY, talking to themselves, were paired off, so that they could walk around in couples and look like they are having an actual conversation.

This reminded me of another sketch I had seen. Dana Carvey, in his funny yet short-lived Dana Carvey Show (which can be seen on Hulu. By the way, I noticed the show after Stephen Colbert mentioned in his interview with Charlie Kaufman that they worked together) had a sketch called "Crazy Buddies", which exactly does what Tomlin suggested, pair off the crazy people.

So, how do you explain this? Dana Carvey is an SNL alum, but there are about 20 years between the two episodes. Is it recycling? Long distance plagiarism? Remake? Or do great minds think alike?

New Year's Resolution

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:25:00 +0000

Here it is. My resolution for the new year is to blog more and write about every movie I see (and saw).

I used to do that before, because I believed if I did not comment (think, reflect) on what I saw, it was just a waste of time (and considering how much time I spend watching movies, it is quite a landfill). Then, somehow I felt I every review had to be a well-structured essay (I think the book "How to become a film critic", even though a good one, is the culprit here), which of course meant spending more time for each post and that led to an aversion to the whole thing. And quite honestly, not every movie deserves that much attention.

So, from here on I will try to put down all my thoughts, structured or unstructured. I came to understand that is the way the blog world works (Is is a good thing? I don't know). That of course only applies to the writing, I don't intend to post nonsense just to have something.

I hope my movie-logs will be of interest to some. I stay out of the mainstream and try to catch unusual and unknown titles. Once again, sorry about the grammar. I am not a native speaker and am trying to do my best. Finally, if you have something to say (negative or positive), please comment. Like every blogger, I like comments.

Happy new year!

Milk ****

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:32:00 +0000

I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine. We were talking about people around us and trying to decide who is "normal" and who is "weird". At the end, we decided that no one around us was qualified to be in the "normal" list (including ourselves). The moral of the story is, unless you are willing to live on an island in isolation (which in itself is quite weird, if I might add), you have to accept people as they are and let them live their lives the way they want.

Harvey Milk was one of many people, who just wanted to be left alone. Only, he did something about it.

Director Gus Van Sant and writer Dustin Lance Black chose a documentary-like approach by using Harvey Milk as his own life's narrator and cutting some footage from the era into the movie. This behind the scenes effort combined with another one of Sean Penn's method powered character creations (and a strong supporting cast), makes Milk disturbingly authentic.

It is disturbing, because it is hard to believe all this happened less than 50 years ago. Homosexuals being beaten up by the police, discriminated against by the public. And then Prop 6... Oh, wait, didn't we have something like that this year?

The biggest irony surrounding Milk is its end of November (almost December) release date. I don't know whether a movie could have stopped Prop 8, but (paraphrasing Harvey) "We at least would have known one of them". The movie might be mentioned for a number of Oscars in a month or so, but I don't think Harvey will be happy.

Synecdoche, New York ****?

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:03:00 +0000

So... Here we are again. You, the big writer; me, the geek who likes to play the critic.

I started with "Being John Malkovich". That was my first Charlie Kaufman "experience" and frankly I didn't get much out of it. I was young and cinema was just a fascination, not love. However, I never thought about seeing the world through someone else's eyes (literally) until that day and was therefore, let's say, intrigued. What was the next one? Human Nature? A probe into the laws of society. Once again, it was entertaining and different, but didn't make a permanent mark.

Adaptation was the real clincher for me. Some called it "weak" back then, but the way you twisted and turned a simple book adaptation, poked fun at the mainstream, while professing your love of cinema was quite refreshing. I saw it twice in the movie theater (which is something you don't do often, when you are on a tight college student budget) and then again later on DVD.

Although wildly original, "Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind" seemed weak at first compared to "Adaptation". However, a second visit, years later, proved I just wasn't ready, when I first saw it. Apparently, one has to suffer from love to fully appreciate it.

So, what is this last one about Charlie? Is it about death? You sure talk about death a lot. It doesn't feel like a movie about death though. Could death be just a vehicle to talk about life? Just a catalyst to get the ball rolling.

Or is it about love? You go around it long enough with your Hazel and Caden. Are you invading Woody Allen's territory while he is in Europe? New York, love. This is how he started, you know. Wasn't "What's Up Tiger Lily" at least as weird as Being John Malkovich, if not more so? Then, the autobiographic love stories came along. Annie Hall, Manhattan. (I know, I know, both of you are writing about "fictional" characters, none of these people are related to your life.)

Even if you are not running in Allen's domain, you are using quite a bit of his gang. Jerry Adler is doing cameo work, but Dianne Wiest and Samantha Morton are front and center. Maybe you should start your own posse, now that you are a bona fide "auteur". (loved the pacing by the way. This is how it should be. Forget about the plot connections, just give us the story!) You already have Catherine Keener and wouldn't every director love to work with Philip Seymour Hoffman day after day? (I am curious though, did he follow you around, to get you completely? And who do you like better as you? Nicholas Cage or Hoffman? (I know, fictitious characters, right))

Some will call this a masterpiece, while others will say you are arrogant and write too smart, because your film won't let its secrets out right away (This is very popular lately, isn't it? Especially on TV. "Your show is canceled, because it is too smart". Tell that to Sid Caesar, who was parodying "The Bicycle Thief" 60 years ago).

Me? I am holding my judgement for now. I laughed at your jokes, I enjoyed superb acting, I fired a few neurons trying to solve your puzzles. More or less what I expect from the first pass of a Kaufman movie (much like a Kubrick or Lynch). I will watch "Synecdoche, New York" again, in months, maybe in years. And as I hit the life stops you hit, it will make more sense.

Thank you for letting us into your brain once again. It is as fun as it is messy.

Let The Right One In **1/2

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:25:00 +0000

I was fortunate enough to see this Swedish (wait for it, artsy types)... vampire movie (what the hell, right? That's what I thought) in an early screening.

It is the tale of the friendship between a nerdy, outcast junior high kid, Oskar and a real outcast, a vampire girl, Eli. Oskar is being bullied by other kids in the school; Eli is being bullied, well, by the sunlight and lack of human blood. An old man brings the girl the much needed blood, so that she doesn't go out and bite people. She goes out to talk to her new friend at night, life is good. However, the system breaks down eventually.

If you are familiar with the vampire genre, Let The Right One In will not present anything new (and if you can figure out the title before seeing the movie, you are familiar with the genre). It goes through the expected bloody, violent scenes and emotional tension; but fails to hold the viewer's attention (at least mine).

I see the movie has gotten some following so far. So, if the subject matter sounds interesting you might actually like it, but you have been warned.

Burn After Reading ****

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:15:00 +0000

First minutes of Burn After Reading; three bit players and one star (John Malkovich) are in a room. At the end of the scene, a frustrated Malkovich leaves, slamming the door. You would expect a cut to the next scene at this moment, but camera stays on the bit player sitting next to the door. One, two seconds, nothing. On the third he raises his eyebrows with a "Wow!" expression. No punchline, no complicated gag, yet it puts a smile on your face. These few seconds exemplify Coen Bros. brand of comedy.

Coens, as always, rely heavily on character comedy, which requires detailed introductions. In the red corner, ladies and gentlemen, we have the heavyweights of Washington. A CIA analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich), his doctor wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) and her lover Harry Pfarer (George Clooney). And, in the blue corner, we see the staff of Hardbodies Gym, self-conscious Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), not so bright Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) and the manager Ted (Richard Jenkins). None of the characters is as eccentric as those of The Big Lebowski, which makes the opening half a little slow, but warmup jokes, like the one mentioned above, keep the audience connected. When the two worlds finally collide, the increasingly stupid spy story gets underway.

Coen regulars Clooney, McDormand and Jenkins are joined by newcomers Malkovich, Pitt and Swinton in BAR. Great comedic performances all around. Pitt on the silly side, Swinton somewhat reserved. McDormand, Clooney, Malkovich all out as usual. JK Simmons also makes a short appearance towards the end.

Take it as a spy movie parody, a satire on CIA or on the stupidity of human beings. I don't care. Chances are, Coens don't either. Bottom line: Burn After Reading is the most entertaining movie so far this season.

Contact

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:10:00 +0000

Does all the attention on the LHC and "the biggest experiment in history" remind anyone of Carl Sagan's Contact? The hope, the excitement and of course the fear surrounding the LHC is very similar to the response "The Machine" was getting in the book and in the movie.

By the way, if you haven't seen it, now is the time. Contact is undoubtedly one of the best movies ever made on the subject of science and scientists. If you want to learn more about us, just watch Ellie Arroway.

Requiem For A Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:08:00 +0000

Human beings are selfish, in case you haven't noticed. We usually don't share other people's pain, especially if we don't have a direct connection. Of course hearing stories of war victims or hungry children on the news is a downer, but most of us forget about them once the "cute animal story of the day" kicks in.

Receiving sympathy is even harder for fictional characters, since they only exist if we can find their real life counterparts, be it ourselves or someone around us. Otherwise they are just names on a page or shadows on the screen.

Being a person who has never tried drugs, not even smoked a cigarette and rarely broke rules, I can't claim much direct connection to the four addicts of Requiem For A Dream. Yet each time I watch the movie I find myself quite depressed and on the verge of tears, which seemingly contradicts the view above.

Sara Goldfarb's (Ellen Burstyn) words, when confronted by his son about taking diet pills: "I'm somebody now, Harry. Everybody likes me. Soon, millions of people will see me and they'll all like me.", reveals the real story under the drug loaded surface. You see, Requiem For A Dream is not about willing or accidental junkies, it is about us. We are all addicted to something, we are all Harry, Tyrone, Marion or Sara one way or another. We all want to be somebody. Some of us study to get the best grades and land a prestigious job. Some work overtime to make pocketfuls of money. Others spend hours in the gym to have the strongest muscles.

In our youth we are told a healthy dose of addiction leads to success, but Hubert Selby Jr. has a cautionary note in his finale. We never reach our dreams, because as soon as we reach one we replace it with another. Those who can't break this cycle will either lose their health like Harry, their dignity like Marion, freedom like Tyrone or mind like Sara. One thing is certain though, we will all lose the dream.

Ghost Town **1/2

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:39:00 +0000

I have recently moved from Dallas to Minneapolis and of course, one of the first things I did was to change my email subscription settings in Landmark Theaters' mailing list to the new city to get screening invitations. In Dallas, you would just print the email and show up at the theater for the screening. Those with patience and free time (being a scientist, I have both) would come in early, wait in line and get the seats. I could even pick tickets up earlier the same day for a guaranteed seat. As it turns out, in Minneapolis you need to RSVP via email first and only get the invitation if you win the draw. I don't know the reason for this and I don't know what the odds are, but I know it will be sad to miss previews for the Oscar contenders in November and December. So, dear studio PR people, how many unique hits do I need to get invited to these things?

Anyway, on with the movie.

Ghost Town, written and directed by David Koepp, is yet another adventure among the incorporeal. Remember when they used to be scary? Now they are just funny. I blame Casper.

The first act of Ghost Town goes down smoothly. We are introduced to the principal ghost, Frank (Greg Kinnear), a fast talking, Blackberry loving, NY business type and the principal human, Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais), a nerdy, obsessive, insensitive, lonely dentist. Gervais drives the comedy initially with his subtly detailed character, somewhat reminiscent of his David Brent from The Office (UK) and one-liners, which considering the writers' action-packed background are surprisingly good. But when Bertram dies (a little bit, as his doctor, played by SNL's Kristen Wiig, puts it) while under anesthesia and comes back, he starts to "see dead people".

As a man of solitude, this new arrangement does not agree with Dr. Pincus at all, because all the ghosts have unfinished business (what a surprise!) and no one else to turn to. Since he can't keep them out (like paparazzi, but with the ability to go through walls), Bertram's life becomes unbearable. Frank, seeing the opportunity, offers a deal. In exchange for breaking his wife Gwen's (Téa Leoni) marriage plans, Frank will convince all the other ghosts to leave Pincus alone. During the negotiations, we, the humble moviegoers, get to enjoy the ghost-based-comedy and of course the amazing chemistry between Kinnear and Gervais's conflicting characters.

Unfortunately, the movie takes a downturn as soon as Bertram notices Gwen for the first time. He falls in love with the brilliant, beautiful woman and suggests Frank to use himself as a bait to break up her engagement. The rest is a half-baked screwball comedy loaded with messages on human relations. Don't get me wrong I am not against romance or messages on film, but when you do that, you are putting yourself against legends like Frank Capra and Howard Hawks. If you have some original, untold, unseen story or an entertaining way to tell an old one, go ahead; but if not, better avoid the whole thing.

With Frank and Bertram's casual chatter gone and talented Téa Leoni buried deep into the pit of romantic depression, tempo suffers quiet a bit in the second half of Ghost Town. Ending the movie somewhere along the way to the expected "big finish" could have saved face, but when does that happen, really.

It could have been a decent comedy or a decent romantic comedy with this cast if only the writers could commit one way or the other. In this version the flat and rushed romance writing (how long was the "boy chases girl? 15 seconds? Come on!") after the initial pure comedy, drags the whole thing down. Of course you can always watch the first half and then leave, but better wait for the DVD.

Extra credit homework: How would you save this movie if you were the editor?

Joss Whedon Strikes Back

noreply@blogger.com (Genetikci) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:11:00 +0000

Remember the writer's strike a while ago? How it brought the whole entertainment industry to a halt? Joss Whedon, who apparently doesn't know how to stop writing, used the break to create a 3 episode Internet-mini series, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

It is a superhero musical (which is not very weird if you remember Once More With Feeling episode of Buffy), but the protagonist is the villain Dr. Horrible, instead of the hero, Dr. Hammer.

Expectedly, it is the villain who has the alter-ego. By day, Dr. Horrible is a nerdy guy, who has trouble speaking to the girl he likes. Real trouble starts when his two lives clash.

Shows writing crew includes a bunch of Whedon's and a Whedon in-law. Similarly, the production team includes many names from Joss's earlier adventures.

The star of the show Neil Patrick Harris fits perfectly in the Whedonverse at his first try; while his co-star, Nathan Fillion, who owns sizeable real estate in Whedonverse, is as always extraordinary and charming even in his character's vanity. The lady of the show, Felicia Day, who was one of the trainee Slayers in the last season of Buffy, deserves to be fought for.

Dr. Horrible is funny, entertaining, exciting. Unfortunately, it will only be available until July 20th for free. After that, it can be bought online and Joss promises a DVD in the future. So, hurry up today and experience the new kind of entertainment.

PS: You can still watch it on Hulu