Who Is The March King?

Raccoons Get Their Feet In The Door

2012-02-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

"If you don't put your stuff out there, no one's ever gonna see it." This should be an obvious sentiment for anyone trying to make it in the arts... and really it's more of a life credo. There's no reason not to do something you've never done before so long as you've got the time... which you do. But so many people are scared to death of exposing themselves to new experiences. Look, I am not the best example of this, but in the last year I've turned things around by changing my own point of view. When I used to fight the idea of going and doing things I deemed dangerous in the past, I will now simply jump on the opportunity and always feel much better for trying.

The most current example? Well just next month I will be participating in the International Family Film Festival with one of my best friends. Together we wrote an animated screenplay: Critter Crossing. And one day we decided we should enter it... and now it's in... our tiny screenplay is an official selection at a pretty special event. That gives me hope. Mostly because we actually saw a good opportunity and took advantage of it (this is my first festival as a writer). Rather than deny ourselves the opportunity out of fear of failure, we managed to enter and who knows, maybe even win for our writing abilities.

Something that gets me excited here is, we'll get to see a reading of a key scene as done by a professional group of actors. And then my friend and I will be involved in a Q&A. I guess I'm just happy knowing that we found one festival that we liked, entered it, and got in on our first try... in a way it's validating the fact that we weren't just making believe we had something good. Now if only we could sell the thing...

If you'd like to learn more about the event, you can do so HERE.

Biggest Oscar Snubs

2012-02-10T03:17:00.000-08:00

Now that the nominees have been given a time to settle in... and we've been able to catch those few final 2011 pictures that we didn't have a chance to see until now two months into 2012... I'd like to take a moment and discuss the baffling "For Your Consideration" contenders who somehow didn't make the cut.

In Acting:

Michael Fassbender - Best Actor

Between Shame, A Dangerous Method, and Jane Eyre I was assuming somebody would have stood up and said, "Hey, Michael Fassbender's having a breakout season! Maybe he deserves something for his (not so surprisingly) excellent work!" But alas, he's been avoided. I had assumed that, with the popularity of Inglorious Bastards, the way he managed to make X-Men First Class miraculously not suck, and well... a should be winning performance in Shame the academy would be chomping at the bit to get his name into the ceremony somewhere. After all, lately it seems a quick pan over to him in the audience would make many ladies swoon. Oh well, we should be seeing him up for many awards in the future.

Ryan Gosling - Best Actor

True, he's had a few chances already, but that's no excuse to ignore two excellent performances in Drive and The Ides of March. In fact, Ryan and Emma Stone were the only things that kept me watching Crazy, Stupid, Love. In the end I put this one up to a stacked category. Better luck next time.

Tom Hardy - Best Supporting Actor

Warrior and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are amongst the largest oversights in this years ceremony. And Tom Hardy deserves serious recognition for both of them. He's really shown us his ability to mutate his performances this year. And that is a major step toward being a truly great actor.

Between the three actors I have just listed, I'm hoping to see a new era in the "Best Actor Race". Like the old days of Pacino, DeNiro, and Hoffman... or Dean and Brando... I think we're in for more than a few treats in the coming years.

Brian Cox - Best Supporting Actor

In Coriolanus, Brian Cox gave one hell of a performance. And if he were up for this award I would have him winning in any Oscar pool. But somehow the man came up dry this year. This may be my biggest disappointment of the season.

Carey Mulligan -Best Supporting Actress

She's really coming into her own these days surprising me in both Drive and Shame this year to the point that I pretty much will see any movie with her name on it (not an easy feet). I'll be rooting for Carey Mulligan in the years to come.

In Film:

Shame - Best Picture, Best Director

This one's a long shot, but the film was truly excellent. I think the NC-17 knocked a few voters out of contention, and yes that statement surprises me as well. But that rating was actually necessary for this film. And in my opinion it was done as tastefully as other R-rated movies look at war and the like. But we live in a prudish country. And while a large percentile of the film community is more open-minded about... well everything... there are still stragglers in each major branch of the sexuality conversation.

Drive - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography

What a good little movie. Drive was just interesting. It had a classic appeal while hitting its crescendos harder than most films in recent memory. With all of the buzz Nicolas Winding Refn had been getting leading up to the nominations I had definitely put him before Scorsese and Payne.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography

I can't speak highly enough about Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I may be in the minority, but everything about this flick works for me. And anyone in the film industry that doesn't see the high quality of each separate part that went into making this picture, makes me sad for the direction we may see things go in the near future. But that's rambling, and I don't truly believe we'll see such a slump. 2012 does look promising.

Warrior - Best Picture

I would have no problem with this film winning the ultimate prize. But it was neglected, ignored... and I don't understand why. I guess many members of the academy just didn't take it seriously on initial release and I may be speculating, but they probably didn't run the most aggressive of "FYC" campaigns. They got Nick Nolte on the board. But in my opinion, either of the leads would be more deserving of the nod.

Winnie the Pooh - Best Animated Feature

The quality of Winnie the Pooh is surprising in the same way that learning blueberries are good for you is surprising. Everyone should be expecting something good from a new Pooh movie so long as it sticks to the source material... and it did. Since Rio was allowed to be ignored (thank god), I had hoped we might see some of the less noticed animated films get a chance. We did I suppose, but not in the way I anticipated.

African Cats

Disney Nature is doing an excellent job. If March of the Penguins can take it all, I think African Cats should at least be up for the honor. And since I have seen the majority of those nominated I feel I can say that this was more deserving than... at least two of those that made it.

Ralph Fiennes - Best Director

I've made myself more than clear about my feelings here. It's too bad some superior work get pushed to the side... but I guess some people in the industry don't think it's all that important to actually go out and see new movies.

That's all I've got right now. But as I finish off those last few films (I'm down to 5 or 6 I think) I may have some more to say on the subject. I am still excited for this years Oscars, but I would be more excited if any of these listed were in contention.

2012 Oscar Love (and hate): Part 2

2012-01-29T02:20:00.000-08:00

In the last few day I was able to trim the short list of films I've missed down to seven. Hopefully I'll be able to catch the rest very soon and add a little more complete insight into the Oscar race this year. That being said, let's get to it.

DIRECTING

Who I'd like to see win: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
What Terrence Malick did was create something poetic on a grand scale. I've spoken in some depth about this film here. The bleeding fact is the film would be nothing without Terrence's masterful direction. In his long (and very short) career he has made both films I love and films I hate. But it's never been because his directing prowess was lacking. Most of his films still work on some level just because he is such an interesting force behind the camera.

Who I think will win: Alexander Payne, The Descendants
I like Alexander Payne. I've enjoyed all of his movies. But his winning this award would be a mistake. This is honestly his weakest picture to date, and this category is too strong for him to be allowed to slip in by merit alone. Frankly, the only way Alexander Payne wins for this film, is politics.

COSTUME DESIGN

Who I'd like to see win: Michael O'Connor, Jane Eyre
There was a presence in this film. It was as if everything had come together just right to make what we saw on screen absolutely believable. At least, the imagery was there. If there were any weakness in Jane Eyre (which there may have been) it wasn't because of the art department and it certainly wasn't because of Michael O'Connor. I commend the man for a job well done.

Who I think will win: Michael O'Connor, Jane Eyre
This is honestly a no brainer to me, but then I've been wrong before.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Who I'd like to see win: Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
This film was haunting, and as in the Directing category, I often feel a great cinematographer is an extension of a great director. They work as a team and invent something wholly beautiful. And this one came out just right in the imagery department.

Who I think will win: Janusz Kaminski, War Horse
Janusz Kaminski is among the best. That's fact, not opinion. I think this year is just an extension of his long and illustrious career.

ART DIRECTION

Who I'd like to see win: Anne Seibel and Hélène Dubreuil, Midnight in Paris
When you fall into so many pasts and never feel out of place, there's something magical to that. Midnight in Paris is worthy of every award it's been nominated for and I'm gunning for the academy to recognize the amazing subtlety that these two brought to the world.

Who I think will win: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Hugo
Look, it's probably gonna win something. But this somehow seems wrong. The train station was massively designed and everything about the movie had a very specific style to it... Just, to me, that style didn't work. Very little worked in Hugo and I'm expecting that fans of the film will be disappointed in the lack of Oscars it actually receives after so many nominations. I think this is one of the better things the movie has to offer, but I don't think it did its job... I mean, I think it drew more attention away from the performances (which perhaps should have been ignored anyway) than it should have. And when a piece of a team ignores the rest of that team to try and gain simply for its self, it usually just makes the incongruity of everything else more apparent. I would prefer to see Midnight in Paris or Harry Potter or The Artist... or War Horse win before this.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

This is my most difficult category...

Who I'd like to see win: Kung Fu Panda 2
At the end of the day, I think Dreamworks has turned their act around. This year they annihilated Pixar (2 nominees to Pixar's 0). And I think Kung Fu Panda 2 should be the frontrunner for the award. Everything in the film worked for me... especially that ending which was so well earned. I can't speak highly enough about this film.

Who I think will win: Rango
But then, I don't know. I loved Rango as well... though not as much as Kung Fu Panda 2. And I list it here as an example of how good this category is. Anyone could win (with the probable exception of Puss in Boots). I don't know enough about Chico & Rita or A Cat in Paris to put them in the running here, so Rango takes the probable possible position. But really, Kung Fu Panda 2 should win.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Who I'd like to see win: Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
In a silent role, she commanded attention and was instantly lovable. I think that's at least worthy of some note.

Who I think will win: Octavia Spencer, The Help
She deserves it. Something about her attitude was right on the money. She proved that a potentially annoying character could be thoroughly lovable if put in the right hands. Bravo.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Who I'd like to see win: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
If Marilyn Monroe can be recreated on screen, Michelle Williams comes as close to doing it as I've ever seen. She's grown into quite an actress. And for my money I'd give her a chance at shining in almost any movie.

Who I think will win: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
I've learned one thing since I began watching the Oscars at least twenty years ago... don't underestimate Meryl Streep. If she is in a movie, she will probably be nominated for an Oscar, no matter how bad the surrounding movie is. And if that surrounding movie is any good, she will probably win. Well, The Iron Lady is somewhat good. And Meryl is up to the pedestal already giving a cheerful speech about all the wonderful people in the room she knows and you know what? Everybody's okay with this. Even the women she beats out are okay with it. And that my friends is called power.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Who I'd like to see win: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
I really liked Beginners. And I liked Christopher Plummer even more than I liked the movie. So that's key.

Who I think will win: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
It probably won't be Jonah Hill. That would really be insane. He was interesting to watch, butnot an Oscar winner... but then we'll see. But if I've learned anything (other than the Meryl thing... which is true by the way) it's that age, respect, and the recognition of a long and wearied career proving that it still has some life left to it will usually beat out the newcomer... usually. Yeah, there's a chance that Nick Nolte or Max von Sydow may get it for similar reasons. And Kenneth Branagh impressed me even more once I went back and watched Sir Laurence Olivier in interviews. But in my mind, Christopher Plummer has hit the gas. After all, he was the most fun nominee to watch.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Who I'd like to see win: Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Here's the idea, Gary Oldman has been consistently ignored by the academy. It's funny in a way because he probably has turned out more Best Supporting Actor worthy performances in the last twenty years than most actors do in their entire careers. But the joke is that he is forgotten because he's so good. The academy doesn't nominate him because they forget that they are even watching him. They just assume that he is the character in the movie and there for that actor must be just like the character he is playing (something we know to be false). But they couldn't ignore him this year, and yes it was a damn subtle performance... but thank god. It's nice to see a barebones, "this is the character this is what he'd do," approach actually get some attention.

Who I think will win: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Look, George Clooney did not earn Best Actor this year. Neither did Brad Pitt. They gave solid performances and can be seen as frontrunners, but neither one of them actually proved to anyone that they deserved this award. Demián Bichir probably won't win just because I don't believe enough of the academy has seen A Better Life to vote for him... but The Artist has been a massive success and I think a number of people have the words "upset" running through their minds. I want Gary to win, but I'm not just looking at it from the angle of, "who's got the best acting chops." I'm trying to think from an academy member's perspective. Politically (in the film world sense) what would it mean for a French actor to take the award? What did it mean when Roberto Benigni took it back in 1998?

BEST PICTURE

This year is so absurdly a toss up, because each of these films is so very different. But I'm gonna look at it thinking about the past... and what the academy wants to say about the future. That's a tough thing to do. But maybe it's just this. The best movie should win and we will try to figure out what that is. Sometimes we'll fail (Crash), but we'll always at least try.

Who I'd like to see win: Midnight in Paris
This is, in my opinion, the most complete film in the category. I've not met a single person who didn't like it. And there's no film, in my mind, that could prove its self more worthy of recognition this year. If you've seen it, you can at least agree with me that it accomplished what it set out to accomplish... and I'd like to see Woody back in the spotlight. If you haven't seen it, stop griping about how boring Woody Allen is and actually give him a chance. He's a top ten director. And he's made a top ten (or top nine according to the academy) film.

Who I think will win: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Okay, this film surprised me. It is undoubtedly the best movie I've seen on the subject of 9/11. And I probably cried in the theatre. Though it managed to uplift me at the same time and I left with an extra pep in my step. I think this is the film the academy can agree on. And it's a good one. I wouldn't complain. Honestly the only films I'd gripe about are Hugo and The Descendants, just because they didn't make it this far on their own merits. But after the victory by The King's Speech, I have more faith in the academy to at least try to find something everybody can agree is good.

Well, there you have it. Once I see more foreign films and documentaries, I'll give a comment on those guys. And I've got a few Oscar articles in store for the month of February, but this should help show where I'm coming from. And perhaps what collective pieces help me to form an opinion. I hope the Oscars are good this year. Billy Crystals back, and that's a very good thing.

2012 Oscar Love (and hate): Part 1

2012-01-25T01:09:00.000-08:00

As of now I still have nine films left to see amongst the nominees (not including shorts and obscurities still unavailable in the US). But the list is out. And most members of the Academy still miss at least a few of the short-listers. So what do I think about the final ballot?

WRITING (Original Screenplay)

This is a tough category, and while I have missed two of the films I still feel the three I have seen all have a decent chance of winning.

Who I'd like to see win: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Something about this film works so much better than I could have anticipated. Woody took a very simple idea worthy of a creative writing course in high school and made a highly memorable film out of it. I think he deserves to win just for showing us his mastery.

Who I think will win: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
And I can't argue with this. He made something no one's even attempted in decades. He found someone willing to produce it and now there's this charming little film just resting in the memories of people all over the world.

WRITING (Adapted Screenplay)

Who I'd like to see win: Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Solder Spy
They took an interesting story and ingratiated themselves into an understated, breathing film. I commend bravery and I think this film stinks of it. Just wish it was up for Best Picture.

Who I think will win: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball
I like this film a lot... and I love Sorkin. But the vast majority of baseball fans were decidedly unimpressed by this feature. The thought being, it didn't even try to tell the true story and missed most of the key marks. Still, as an active ignorant of Baseball (it's too boring for me) I find the final film at least interesting.

VISUAL EFFECTS

Who I'd like to see win: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Nothing else this year compares. Just watching Caesar's expressions is amazing. But then consider, he was more believable than most of the human actors and you know you've got something special.

Who I think will win: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The obvious front runner takes it. And thank god, if Real Steel went away with a statue I don't think I'd believe in a benevolent universe any more.

SOUND MIXING

Who I'd like to see win: Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson, War Horse
The sound had to be perfect and I think it really was. To make an audience care about a horse in the middle of, well, a war... your lead doesn't have any lines... sound has to come up big. And it does.

Who I think will win: Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
I hope this doesn't happen. Once again Michael Bay has made a piece of shit and called it art. The movie is too convoluted and as with the others that came before it, I have trouble understanding which robot is even doing what at what time and for what reason. But then, almost like clockwork, a bad movie always walks away with something.

SOUND EDITING

Who I'd like to see win: Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis, Drive
This film breathes so well. And the sound is pitch perfect.

Who I think will win: Ren Klyce, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I'd be okay with this, though I feel the sound did more for Drive. They honestly are very close in quality, so I just assume the more popular film will win.

MUSIC (Original Song)

Who I'd like to see win: Bret McKenzie, Man or Muppet from The Muppets
This song was so very fun. I personally can't wait to see it performed at the ceremony.

Who I think will win: Bret McKenzie, Man or Muppet from The Muppets
Like Real Steel, if I see Rio walk away with a statue, my brain may implode. And this Muppets song is just so much more interesting.

MUSIC (Original Score)

Who I'd like to see win: Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tinker Tailor just did everything right for me, so I'm gunning for it in every category. Score is a big one as that specifically helped make the movie for me.

Who I think will win: John Williams, War Horse (or The Adventures of Tintin)
I just find it hard to believe that John gets nominated twice in one year and doesn't take the prize... but then there's always the possibility that he splits his votes.

MAKEUP

Who I'd like to see win: Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
With the exception of the aging makeup at the end, I've liked what they've done with this whole franchise in the looks department.

Who I think will win: Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle, Albert Nobbs
This is one of the films I missed, but based on what I've seen in promos, and assuming the aging makeup does effect the voters opinions, the door is open for something odd like making a woman a man to take the cake.

FILM EDITING

Who I'd like to see win: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
This may be biased, but I just don't like the editing in the original film. So to see this version succeed so completely where the other one fell short... well tat gets me giddy. I like both films, but that one quality of the original takes away so much from my experience.

Who I think will win: Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
I just think there's nothing else to compare this to in the last fifty years. And I feel the voters will jump on the bandwagon. After all, I can't believe that one of the others like Hugo would even stand a chance. Man did I dislike the editing in Hugo.

I'll be back to talk about the rest of the awards in Part 2.

Praising George Lucas For A Change??

2012-01-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

Before you get the wrong idea, this is not an article about Red Tails. This is simply a decisive article about my opinion of Lucas' most recent statement wherein he said that he is retiring from "blockbuster" filmmaking. Thank God. Between the Star Wars prequels and the Indiana Jones sequel I honestly didn't know how much more I could take from the one time phenom. And to put it more clearly, I think Red Tails looks like the work of a confused, misguided filmmaker a la Oliver Stone's Alexander. Some times passion projects just don't make sense. The long and short of it is this, Lucas is a tired old man with little left in the way of ideas... so he has to edit and reedit his old work until it no longer resembles the thing we once loved. He has, over the course of the last twenty years, essentially ruined his two great franchises. And in the wake of this, I've personally discovered that his other films just don't interest me in the slightest. American Graffiti is incredibly overrated and contrived even for its time. And THX 1138... well I can't say overrated because I have yet to meet anyone who likes the film... but it is certainly derivative in the worst kind of way (ie. we can see the cut and paste from the literature he copied). Then suddenly even his greatest achievements become derivative as Lucas himself calls Star Wars a remake of The Hidden Fortress. In the end, I've come to find that Lucas has never had an original idea, rather he has surrounded himself with people that make him look better. The mere fact that he calls The Empire Strikes Back his least favorite Star Wars should be proof enough that he simply doesn't understand. Empire is the one that he didn't write and man does it show. So yes, I am praising Lucas (in a rather negative way). Thank you for what you have done... the wonderful things you gave me in my childhood. But thank you even more... for going away. Your presence will not be missed on the film front. Leave the rest to Spielberg. He's the reason we've put up with you for so long anyway.

I'm not a negative person, but when someone so frequently destroys the things I love, I can only be malicious in return. It's simple like that. We fans can only take so much abuse before we snap. And the studios clearly get it... not giving Lucas any help in producing his latest film. Now if we could only get quality, untouched editions of those great classics that made us like him to begin with...

Joss Whedon Is Becoming A Production Machine

2012-01-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

The speculation on late blooming Cabin In The Woods can take a backseat in my mind for the next couple months (it comes out in April) as I mull over the fact that one of my favorite, frequently ignored writer/directors, Joss Whedon is on a mission. With Cabin looming, Joss has recently finished production on big budget Marvel/Disney tentative blockbuster The Avengers as well as a very under the radar adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (a personal favorite of mine). And now he's announced yet another mystery project (In Your Eyes?). What excites me most is the idea that Joss Whedon who has suffered more than a few set backs in recent years (Dollhouse cancelled, Firefly cancelled, Angel cancelled) is blooming into a production machine.

Dr. Horrible was a tremendous success and it seems studios are finally recognizing what an excellent creative mind Joss has. But let's not ignore the other factor that I am certain studios are salivating for; Joss can make quality material, cheaply. Dr. Horrible had literally no budget and won an Emmy. Much Ado was shot over a long vacation weekend and I'm assuming it'll be of good quality. Not to mention, the man is responsible for a massive television franchise in Buffy and Angel respectively. His film Serenity was only made because diehard fans pushed for the Firefly finale to happen. People are genuinely passionate about Joss' work. I know I am. And I'm excited to see what new steps he takes with his career once The Avengers comes along. I thoroughly expect it to be big, hard hitting, excitement.

My 2011 Wrap Up

2011-12-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

As we wrap up 2011 I have decided to look back and consider the whole of filmdom... at least as much as 365 days can offer. What follows is a list that perhaps says more about my tastes and expectations than it does about the state of Hollywood, but what can I say? I am an opinionated cinephile and wish to have my opinion considered when you check out that next movie. As per usual, there are far more films in the middling categories than the top or the bottom. But then, the race simply wouldn't be as exciting if everything was excellent all the time. I have yet to see War Horse, J. Edgar, Carnage, and Pariah to name a few. But it is near impossible to catch everything. Anyway, this is how I feel about every film I have seen this year:

My Bottom 10 Of 2011:
Battle: Los Angeles
Conan The Barbarian
Cowboys & Aliens
Hall Pass
Insidious
Real Steel
The Three Musketeers
Transformers: Dark of The Moon
Unknown
Your Highness

Movies I Hated:
The Adjustment Bureau
Arthur
Bad Teacher
The Devil's Double
Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark
The Hangover Part 2
Like Crazy
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Rio

Movies I Thought Could Have Been Better:
Another Earth
Cars 2
Contagion
Crazy, Stupid, Love
The Debt
The Descendants
Green Lantern
Hugo
Immortals
Limitless
Paul
The Rum Diary
Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World
Super 8
The Thing
Water For Elephants
X-Men: First Class

Movies I Liked:
30 Minutes Or Less
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Captain America: The First Avenger
Cedar Rapids
A Dangerous Method
Footloose
Friends With Benefits
The Green Hornet
Hanna
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hesher
Horrible Bosses
The Ides Of March
The Iron Lady
Jane Eyre
The Lincoln Lawyer
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
My Week With Marilyn
Our Idiot Brother
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
Source Code
Submarine
Sucker Punch
Thor
A Very Harold And Kumar Christmas

Movies I Loved:
The Adventures Of Tin Tin
African Cats
Beginners
The Cave Of Forgotten Dreams
Coriolanus
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Melancholia
Moneyball
The Muppets
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Sarah's Key
Scream 4
The Tree Of Life
Winnie The Pooh
Young Adult

My Top 10 Of 2011:
Attack The Block
Drive
Kung Fu Panda 2
Midnight In Paris
Rango
Shame
The Skin I Live In
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Warrior
Win Win

Cinema: In The Wake Of A Broken Week

2011-12-14T03:15:00.000-08:00

What makes a good film? It's the cast, the writing, the directing, the cinematography, the music, the crew. So many elements come together to craft a motion picture truly worthy of an audience. The surprising and sad fact is, the movies that most deserve respect and recognition often fall flat come release. It's happened with many of my favorites (GATTACA, The Big Lebowski, 12 Monkeys... all gaining their audience after several years collecting dust). But people usually still show up to the movies... often not the right movies, but still you, the consumers, have planted your butts in the seats and will be staring off in one direction for about two hours, conveniently able to watch something new on a Friday or Saturday night when you finally have that free time.

This last weekend, theaters across the nation saw the release of several movies hopeful to make a killing in the box office... and it just didn't happen. In fact, what looks to be one of the worst movies of the year (New Years Eve) has become the highest grossing picture of the week. It didn't have big numbers, but there are seriously better options out there. Look, this weeks numbers have been lower than the slump seen after the attacks of 9/11. That's a scary prospect.

If Hollywood can't find a way to put together a season worth seeing, then there's a problem. But it's not just the movies. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a very good movie just sitting on a limited release. Shame will not get play in most theaters because people are too afraid to give NC-17 another chance. But times change and people do too. I think people are more willing than ever to give NC-17 a try. And I personally am excited to see Young Adult, but the critical response to Diablo Cody of late has been both harsh and completely uncalled for. She is an Oscar caliber writer. Anyway, these are minor issues.

First and foremost, it costs too much to go to the movies. It's true. How can the public be asked to visit a theater, spend $10-$15 (in some cases $18) on a ticket, then spend another $6 on a tub of popcorn that should be $2-$3 tops even in a thriving market, and spend another $2-$5 on a beverage that they could get for less than a dollar at the grocery... much less bring another person with them (cause no one wants to come alone) and spend the same sums on them?

Look, date night is taking a hit. People want to be able to talk with each other. Yes, films are a happy distraction for the new couple (or the very old), but it's not enough to assume people will just chuck up the change for any random picture. Sure some marketing could improve... there are very creative ways of getting the word out on new film that people just aren't taking advantage of. I'm not really a fan of the Paranormal Activity franchise, but they have consistently marketed these smaller budget flicks well somehow getting the audience to "request" these films come to theaters. That's unprecedented to say the least. But marketing aside, the main word on my mind is: GREED. Studios, if consumers are not buying your product you need to find a way to fix your business so they will.

It's that simple. The movie theaters are not solely responsible for the mark up in ticket prices since the '90s... it's the studios. And they need to find another way.

Then again, perhaps we are entering a new age. With new content constantly at our fingertips at home and on the internet, perhaps we will see a complete overhaul of the system. But in the wake of the death of big studios, what will take its place? I for one am not interested in just watching viral material for the rest of my life. So what's next?

Wet Floor: Considering The Holidays

2011-11-28T23:36:00.001-08:00

A Very Harold And Kumar Christmas

It's silly and childish at best... but I always have fun watching a Harold and Kumar flick. It's the only franchise of this kind that still makes me laugh at all. And that earns it a special place in my heart. Sure, American Reunion may actually not suck, but that's a BIG if. In all respects, this new H+R picked up in a very surprising situation and I enjoyed watching everything unfold in its own ridiculous way. And NPH certainly helps keep the movie going in the third act.

Genre: Stoner, Holiday Comedy

Immortals

Tarsem is a hard man to understand. It seems he will always put artistry before literary content. The Cell is a very questionable movie at best and The Fall is like a labour of love somehow overcoming all cinematic obstacles to make something I've never seen before. And then there comes Immortals. It was entertaining enough and I'm not gonna tell you not to see it, but something is off about the movie. The thing I can most easily pinpoint is the portrayal of the gods. They aren't interesting. They can't make decisions that should be common sense. They peeve me really and I can't say I enjoy the majority of actors playing these roles. Then the titans are a total mess. They all look the same and have no character what-so-ever, really more like the Puddy Patrol

than terrible masters of creation. But you know, the movie is still alright. And surprisingly, I will recommend the 3D iteration of this one. If you see it at all, see it in style.

Genre: Artsy, False, Greek Action

Like Crazy

I hated how this movie made me feel. It dredged up memories I never want to think of again. If you are a masochist I will recommend you see this. Otherwise, you may wanna keep away. Still, fair is fair, and I suppose Like Crazy did what it set out to do. So props to Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones. Still, I don't know why anyone would ever want to make another person feel that way. FYI Felicity Jones is wonderful.

Genre: Masochistic, Near-Chick-Flick Love Story

The Descendants

Alexander is a great filmmaker. It's that simple. In my opinion, The Descendants does not live up to the hype, but that is only because the hype was set too high. In the end it comes down to this, the movie is interesting, the performances are solid, the direction is good... I guess what's questionable is, this doesn't quite feel like an Oscar movie (whatever that means) and I'm pretty sure we will see it at the awards. It just has too much buzz to not come up in a good portion of Academy ballots. But if I compare it to a film like Win Win (which I would place in a similar category of motion picture), it really stands no shot at "Best in show."

Genre: Find-Your-Family, Dry Comedy

A Dangerous Method

David Cronenberg's latest outing is one of intrigue. There are excellent performances here, great direction, interesting script... but something about the flick doesn't quite reach the level of his last few features. I enjoyed A History Of Violence and when Eastern Promises came out I just fell in love with the way Cronenber had grown as a filmmaker (I like his old horror flicks, but he keeps switching it up these days). Well he's still growing. He proved that he can take on a completely different kind of movie. He proved that he could make it something worth talking about, and I would very much like to see it again... but it's not quite finished in my mind. The last line of the film is good, but it just feels like there should be a little bit more there. A small note but it makes a big difference in how an audience leaves the movie.

Genre: Psychological Drama

The Muppets

Now we're talking. The Muppets appeared on my Most Anticipated Films of 2011 List. And it delivers. Jason Segel keeps moving up in the world. After his success with Forgetting Sarah Marshall he has managed to write another great script (there was one small section I did not care for, but lets ignore that for now since the movie as a whole was still quite good). The Muppets turned me into a child leaving me with that giddy feeling of the old movies. The new muppet, Walter, works very well as a driving force of the plot and the songs made me happy on so many levels. Plus, I got to see some of my favorite characters in a very interesting stage of their lives. Knocked it out of the park with this one guys.

Genre: Muppets (duh)

My Week With Marilyn

Here's where I really think we're looking at an Oscar candidate: Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. She does her job and then some capturing all of the lady's nuances in a believable way while carrying a weak-at-times film on her shoulders. Sure, there was a lot of good, but there was also a great deal of bad. Simply, I cared nothing for the characters or the situation, though on occasion something good would catch my eye. And I'm still not sure how I feel about Kenneth Branagh... surely his career is quite similar to Laurence Olivier's, but did he play the role well? I'm probably being too hard on the production, but I'm still wondering if we're going to get that perfect Oscar flick this year (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy please?).

Genre: Historical Fanfare

Hugo

Scorsese thinks he's made a masterpiece here. Well it's a love-letter to masterpieces anyway. But I could never put it in that category. The pacing of this film is just off in every way I can imagine. Sacha Baron Cohen is quite good and deserves an Oscar nod though I sort of doubt we'll see that (he is mostly the comic relief of the film and boy did we need comic relief). I love Chloe Grace Moretz. Everything she's done in the last three years has just been excellent... her performances anyway. Now I'm a cinephile and a huge fan of classic cinema. So I totally get where Scorsese's coming from here. And at times I wanted to cheer the film on, but the majority of Hugo was a cookie-cut and spelled out, directionless (or too many directioned), overly sentimental, solitaire pissing contest. Worth a view, but every once and a while Martin Scorsese decides he's a "Genre" filmmaker and sadly he's usually not.

Genre: Mishmash, Adult Fairy Tale for Kids or something... I don't really know.

Ralph Fiennes' Coriolanus

2011-11-13T02:04:00.001-08:00

It seems a faux pas at times, but I am always interested in new (and interesting) interpretations of Shakespeare's works.

Having been a massive fan of Julie Taymor's Titus, I quickly assumed her own version of The Tempest would be that next great adaptation. But alas, near a year has gone by and the more I think on that film the more I despise every inch of it. True, it costars a number of excellent actors (Alan Cumming, David Straitharn, Chris Cooper), but none of these people had very much to do. And somehow Julie Taymor only managed to focus on the most mundane of things. It's a strange play, no doubt... but somehow I had anticipated a far more interesting film from such a creative piece.

Near a full year later, enter Coriolanus. Not just Coriolanus... but Ralph Fiennes' Coriolanus.

And somehow that makes sense. Fiennes is one of those excellent actors who always seems to get snubbed come around Oscar season. See The Constant Gardener. And I believe it will happen again. However, Ralph has an Ace in the Hole this time. This time he is the director.

Ralph Fiennes surprised me. He made me happy to say I believed in his movie, that I was actively excited to see it going in with the mindset that it would indeed be great. Frequently this makes it harder for a movie to live up to the "hype", but Coriolanus did. It lived up to the hype and made me crave another Ralph Fiennes film. If he could perform the way he performed whilst being in charge of the crew and the cast around him, I have so much more than faith in his future abilities as a film maker.

On another note, Brian Cox blew this thing out of the water.

He had such an excellent role and really made use of the words that Shakespeare gave him. If he does not get any kind of critical acclaim for this performance, then shame on the institution of film criticism.

But what is Coriolanus? I admit, entering the theatre I had only a limited knowledge of this lesser known work by the bard. I'll tell you now, it's not a member of the Apocrypha. This goes so far as to say, it is considered just another example of Shakespeare's masterdom over language and storytelling. I can now say I prefer this work to the likes of Julius Caesar, Macbeth, or Othello (Iago exempt). And that's a pretty buff group of plays right there. But somehow Caius Martius Coriolanus is such an interesting character to me. He seems so real, so steadfast and honorable (in his own way), and so stubborn. He's the kind of character that makes you wonder if good men can be bad and bad men can in fact be good. To me he is a symbol of man attempting to preside over the faculties of their own will. Trying too hard to be in control can lead to terrible struggle. In this case, Coriolanus' struggles take him to the opposite ends of his being. How does a man become his own enemy? And how do a people watch that man and not call him evil?

Coriolanus. It's worth your time in a darkened theatre.

Wet Floor: Pain Is Motivation

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Skin I Live In

Pedro Almodovar has made something impressive. All at once it seems filthy and distasteful and wonderfully shocking brain candy. I don't really know how to describe it. All I can say is, there's a moment in the third act when me and three of my friends (mind you none of us are squeamish or afraid to stare down a shocking moment) looked at each other with mouths agape. Something had wracked our brains and I'm almost positive we had all been raped. That's the only explanation I can think of. And yet, somehow, I need to see this again a maybe probably even need to own this and it's certainly making a run for my top ten films of 2011.

Genre: Softcore, Sci-Fi, Mindmashing Tragicomedy.

The Three Musketeers (in 3D)

Well goshdarn if I wasn't forced to see this movie for a friends birthday. All I can say about this film? Similar notes as the above... I feel as though Paul W.S. Anderson has raped me. But this time there is no joy in the experience. Just utter pain. Thoughts of suicide. If you go to see this movie, just go in aware that you will lose a full two hours of your life that you can never ever ever get back again.

Genre: Blunt ripoff of an adaptation that hadn't read the source material in the first place.

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Oh man. This movie was something else. As if getting another great performance from John Hawkes wasn't treat enough, I'm all at once introduced to Elizabeth Olsen. And you know what? I want to get to know her better. This girl is the younger sister to the Olsen twins and wow can she act circles around the both of them. Good, crazy movie worthy of at least a single visit.

Genre: Cult Thriller.

The Rum Diary

This prequel to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is not bad. I like Depp as Hunter. I like Richard Jenkins in everything. And Aaron Eckhart is a fine actor. Still, it never really touches on that insanity we see in Fear and Loathing. Perhaps it's the absolute lack of Gilliam, or maybe it's just that the original story is just and earlier work and thus Hunter himself had not been quite so corrupted by sin. Whatever it is, it's alright. We get more plot sans insanity and I honestly like "more plot" (I know I'm one of the few in Hollywood). Not a half bad, no exactly perfection.

Genre: Sin Dramedy worthy of a few shots of Rum beforehand.

Footloose

If you have any memory of loving the original, this is a very worthy remake. The dancing is far superior and almost everything works. I have only two minor complaints here: Dennis Quaid isn't bad, but he just can't deliver like John Lithgow can. They are just a different caliber of actor. So sadly ( and I like Quaid) this casting becomes a downgrade. The other thing is, the plot of this movie just doesn't work in a modern world. In the 80s it was fine. I could easily believe that a town would be so capable of shutting its self off from the rest of the world. But not today when phones have internet and internet is everywhere. This is something that is completely ignored. And perhaps that's for the best. Though I wish they had just accepted that it HAD to be a period piece like Donnie Darko is a period piece. Still, this is a good movie and worth your time and money.

Genre: Dance Flick with a Heart.

Melancholia

I just got back from this one and am pleasantly surprised. The first act is far more comical than I expected. The actors make good use of interesting dialogue and little quirks I am certain were written into the script from the get go. It's just a well thought out film and that is something I am always happy to see. The ending is pretty solid and worth two plus hours wait it takes to reach it. And the acting, even by Kirsten Dunst, is quite good. Perhaps this is not an Oscar contender, but that would simply be due to politics. Quality entertainment here.

Genre: Epic, Sci-Fi, Tragedy.

The Surprising Dead

2011-11-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

I've been less and less interested in The Walking Dead since last season's "awkward" finale. It was an interesting choice to go to the CDC... but it would have been a far more interesting one to stay there (at least for a little while). It's odd because this is AMC's highest viewed show and yet it doesn't even remotely compare to Mad Men or Breaking Bad (in my opinion the top two dramas on TV). There's just something missing in these latest episodes. It may be compelling characters. It may be lack of drive (ie. no direction or end game in sight). Sure they want the show to last a while, but why should anybody care if the story's no good? Television has been plagued with this mistake for decades. Just because a show has viewers doesn't mean it should be forced to stretch its story beyond a recognizably proper climax.

This is how I've been feeling since last year. And the first two episodes didn't help. In fact, I was just about to give up on the series all together when something interesting happened. This most recent episode... it wasn't "perfect", I'm not gonna say "perfect". It had almost as many flaws as the last two. But somehow, someway, they saved it. There was a key decision that one character made at the end of this episode that shifted my view of the show just enough to keep me watching (for the next three weeks anyway).

SPOILERS

Now I'm not a fan of the missing girl. She should already be dead and they honestly should have given up the search by now. And the little boy, he should be dead as well. The fact that they happened to run into a vet at the perfect moment of need... well I guess I shouldn't be arguing against coincidence, but it feels cheap. And then this magical moment of desperation. An attempt to find drugs that may save someone else's life gone horribly wrong. A new character (that we don't really care about),Otis, proving to be a genuinely nice fellow running with Shane, a character that we're supposed to care about (and for what it's worth I kind of like him more than most of the other leads). They get overrun and somehow, desperation actually takes effect. One character makes a massive and dark decision.

END SPOILERS

Like I said, the show has flip-flopped around looking for direction and losing it. But there was a small spark of magic that makes me think The Walking Dead could make me feel this way again. We'll see. Only time will tell.

But the loss of Frank Darabont as show runner still leaves me wisely cautious.

THE STAND??

2011-10-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ben Affleck's been given the reigns to one of Stephen King's coolest novels, The Stand. And I'm surprised to say I'm very much okay with this. Every couple years we get a little news about this book or The Dark Tower getting the theatrical treatment, but somehow (despite the massive fan base) these rumors never seem to pan out. Well, if it happens this time Ben sounds like a good choice to me. True, his films regularly leave me feeling... I dunno... incomplete. Like the elements were all good on their own, but somehow the writing didn't pan out, or maybe the film approached something a little too coldly. I felt this in Gone Baby Gone, I felt this in The Town... Though somehow that makes sense for The Stand.
PSEUDO-SPOILER
The second act finale alone leaves you in a state of shock and that ending is just blood cold.
END PSEUDO-SPOILER
Ben's ability to work with actors adds an exciting element to this piece. His flicks always look really good from a cinematography standpoint. And the scope is already almost there. I think The Stand would be a positive step for Affleck, and Affleck may be a good influence on The Stand. Especially after that massacre of a miniseries.

Somebody mentioned Jon Hamm for The Walking Dude. That would be awesome! What do you all think?

The Thing, The Prequel To The Thing, The Remake Of The Thing

2011-10-15T03:21:00.001-07:00

This weekend I made it a point to go out and catch the first midnight of The Thing, the new prequel to one of my all time favorite films: The Thing... I'm cool with using the same title personally. It does have a number of cross-over moments with the original which is what makes the idea so much fun. Anyway, the major complaints from reviewers are as follows:

1. The movie is a carbon copy of the original.

Response: It's really really not. I promise you at the very least it is not the same movie. Some elements are the same because the variables of the creature its self must remain in order to stay true to form. But the greater majority of the film is its own thing. It even paces its self differently which may hurt it, but at least it is its own movie.

2. The ending is weak.

Response: Yes the initial ending may be a little weak, but it ask a number of interesting questions... like what world would spawn a creature like this? How intelligent is the creature really? Besides, if you wait just a few moments after the credits begin rolling, you are treated to an excellent little bit of cinema that legitimately made me gitty. I'm a fanboy for John Carpenter's flick so nothing makes me happier than properly being set up for that superior film.

3. The main character seems to have already seen the original film given her knowledge of the creature.

Response: That is a joke. When you see the original film, that test scene is genius and you know what(?) a little too smart for Kurt Russell's character. All-be-it cool. I love that sequence. So when we get to a similar sequence in this prequel I was actually really happy with the choice Mary Elizabeth Winstead made. It was an excellent example of taking two different characters in similar situations with different backgrounds and giving them different logical realizations. Surprisingly, Mary's actually makes more sense. This may be the element that most kept me in the movie, enjoying the movie.

In Short: The Thing (2011) is an alright flick. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a good actress and while Joel Edgerton seems like a would-be Kurt Russell he's still quite good. The CG doesn't look as good as the practical effects of the original, but it's not bad. Honestly, if a few more things had happened in that finale I think I would have loved it. So if you like the original at all, this is worth a view. It's more interesting, in my opinion, to go out and see a connected story than a full on remake. That's what Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes did. Though Rise stood well on its own merits (that franchise always called for a more realistic Ape). The Thing is more like another chance to see what this creature does. I think it's unlikely this will lead to any further sequels/prequels. But it was nice to get just a semi-interesting one off like an additional episode.

Wet Floor: Moments That Breathe

2011-10-10T02:48:00.000-07:00

SPOILERS

Moneyball

I just saw it for the second time and somehow... it got better! I don't know how much work Sorkin did on this screenplay, though I'm assuming quite a bit. But I'm left with just a truly wonderful moment stuck in my head... there's the recognition the Pitt is cursed, truly jinxed, and Pratt steps up to bat and then there's this perfect directorial explosion of brilliance. Sound, Cinematography, Performance... it's all just pitch perfect here. These are always brief comments on films (and I'd like to keep it that way), but man that was such a brilliant scene. This film truly makes me wonder about the potential of baseball if certain peoples (who shall remain nameless) would get their heads out of their asses and recognize that the game could use a couple steps into modernity. That is the fight, no? Anyway, I recommend this one. Even if the very end doesn't hit as hard as I'd like, the scene before sure sticks and that's good enough for me.

Genre: Walk and Talk with less walk and a little more Baseball.

The Ides Of March

While not quite as strong as I would have hoped from Clooney's Junior attempt at directing (Good Night and Good Luck was amazing!!), I still felt like a great deal of the film worked. Firstly it looked beautiful. Then, the performances were pretty top notch. So the real problems I had were the cliches in the writing. Mostly the whole intern subplot (though that is really the movie). It's cool to watch good performers make something like this though. However, if you want a real political thriller that bites, I suggest you just wait for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Genre: Political Intrigue meets Easy Puzzle Film

Drive

Ryan Gosling twice in one month?? Oh how lucky we are. But he's only part of what makes this flick so superb. Excellent directing and writing intermingle in a stylistic reality... and honestly I can't get that song out of my head! But my favorite part of the whole thing is just that very beginning chase sequence. I submit that it be considered amongst the Greatest Car Chases Of All Time list. Yes, it's that good, cause I've never seen one so smartly executed before. Bryan Cranston makes his mark as well and there's a whole cast of quality characters. Somehow I can't fully express what this movie makes me feel. I simply suggest you see it.

Genre: A Hero's Journey

Contagion

I dunno. See it if you must, but it's really not all that.

Genre: Meaningless Sickness Film that ignores any and all interesting plot developments in lieu of whiney annoying characters

That wraps me up for right now. It's actually been a pretty great month in filmdom. What with three of the above as well as Warrior! Man I can't say how good that film was enough.

Teasing The Dragon

2011-09-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

I was a big fan of the initial teaser for David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

It was concise and seemed to give us just a brief idea of what his vision of the story felt like. Yes, I've seen the original Millennium Trilogy. I've never read the books, but I'm assuming the two were pretty similar. So it's not without meaning that Fincher would release this new trailer,

a blunt spectacle that nearly gives away every facet of the story. It's impeccable that Fincher would be wise enough to let the many many existing fans of the original trilogy know just how true he would be staying to the story.

True, it may alienate anyone who hasn't seen the originals. But it seems like a risk worth taking when you know you'll garner the respect of those first fans (of whom there are quite a few). I personally think it's a smart business decision. I think it gives the project some much needed integrity. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I like the trailer, all three minutes and fourty-two seconds of it.

What do y'all think?

Favorite Films: The Lion King

2011-09-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

In 1994 something wonderful happened. Walt Disney Pictures released a film unlike anything they had ever done before. The scope of The Lion King is surprisingly large, it encompasses many years and manages to tug on more than a few heart strings. The characters are incredibly well thought out and add to an already entertaining story of intrigue, familial bond, and greater purpose. True, it is Hamlet... sort of. And yes it's made with a family mentality, but it still manages to get dark and violent at times: Scar is just a sick character and Jeremy Irons plays him to perfection.

I grew up on this movie. It was probably the most watched thing at my house during my Elementary years. Timon and Pumbaa, Zazu, Rafiki these are all the fun characters I used to wish were my friends. Mufasa is such a great father figure to the Simba we cannot help but identify with. Nala is amazing with a personality to match. And the Hyenas are just such fun, evil guys/girls.

But I can't just focus on the characters. Elton John, Tim Rice, and Hans Zimmer did an impressive job of soundscaping the feature. Somehow every musical number just feels perfect. I rewatched the 3D edition in theatres last week and couldn't stop singing along (So glad The Morning Report wasn't in this cut).

In that most recent viewing I discovered that Rowan Atkinson voiced Zazu... something I had never realized before. I had always been aware of the rest of the cast (it is star studded): Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. But somehow I had missed Rowan Atkinson. Oh and Robert Guillaume... but I think he's more of a personal celebrity... like I love him from Sports Night, but here he just kills as Rafiki.

There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. The Lion King is one of those perfect films. I could watch it today and get just as much out of it as I did as a child. If you get a chance to see it in theatres right now, I'm telling you it's worth a revisit. You've only got a week. Then the Blu-Ray comes out and believe me, I am excited for that.

The List So Far:

1927 - Metropolis - Fritz Lang

1928 - Steamboat Willie - Ub Iwerks

1931 - M - Fritz Lang

1932 - Tarzan, The Ape Man - W. S. Van Dyke

1933 - King Kong - Merian C. Cooper +

1934 - It Happened One Night - Frank Capra

1936 - Modern Times - Charles Chaplin

1957 - Funny Face - Stanley Donen

1966 - Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? - Mike Nichols

1982 - The Thing - John Carpenter

1984 - Brazil - Terry Gilliam

1986 - Labyrinth - Jim Henson

1994 - The Lion King - Roger Allers/Rob Minkoff

A Vampire In Atlanta

2011-09-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Vampire Vampire Vampire Vampire - 2011 Best Comedy Short (Atlanta Horror Film Festival)!!

We spent this last weekend in Atlanta promoting our short film Vampire Vampire Vampire Vampire at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival. It was a great experience and I'm thankful everything worked out and we were able to show our faces. If I say the event was a success I'd probably be underselling it. Our film which was originally scheduled to screen once on the evening of the 17th actually showed a total of three times to rather sizable audiences and always to much positivity. This is new to me, the Film Fest circuit. Four of us went with the movie and of those four only one had ever actually been to something like this before. Granted we played LA Shorts pretty recently, but that was local and we only made it out for the one day. In Atlanta we watched a pretty sizable amount of the festival spending three days in attendance and I can attest to being surprised and excited by the quality of some of the work that was shown. I'd like to sight one very cool film that I think more people should see: Der Sandmann which played to a much smaller house (about 8 people). I think this'll win Best Foreign Feature once the awards come out and I am hopeful for our film's success in its own categories.

More impressive than the festival (which was pretty impressive) was the venue its self.

If you ever come to Atlanta for a long weekend and you've got some extra time, check out The Goat Farm. It's sort of a haven for artists of all walks. Truly, creatively stimulating in its own right, the old buildings lend housing to at least 70 artists at any given time (usually more). Our producer/co-writer made a point of saying "I'd definitely go back to live and write for a month, away from the pressures LA." And I agree. It's just a cool place filled with cool people doing what they love most. And doing it well.

I'd also like to comment on our hotel. We stayed at the Inn At The Peachtrees. It's a small Best Western that's recently gone through some very cool renovations. The rooms were very nice and once again the employees were just incredibly helpful and friendly. If I ever return to Atlanta, I'll definitely try to book a room with them. I've never felt so welcome in a strange place as I did on this trip. It makes me excited about my own journey, what I'm working on right now, and all the things that come next. But for now I guess I'm headed back to real life. Somehow even that seems brighter.

WARRIOR

2011-09-14T02:34:00.000-07:00

I just saw Warrior for the first time. I say "for the first time" because I sincerely intend to go see it again. Yes, it's that good. I was surprised by the affect such a simple story could have over me. Warrior is one of those rare films that manages to reflect something of a viewer back at them (By that I mean it is surprising in its ability to evoke empathy). This is a movie with heart. What was that tag line again? "Family is worth fighting for." I like it.

In the theatre, I found myself feeling genuine emotions; truly hoping for the two brothers to find their way. I later had a conversation with a co-worker who had an incredibly similar experience. You should go see this movie. Everyone should. Give it a shot. It's not The Fighter. I don't know why people even began comparing the two (Yeah, they're both about professional fighters... and there are two brothers in each of them, but the resemblances end there). I like The Fighter a lot, but this is something else entirely.

The acting is excellent. Joel Edgerton just killed it. And I couldn't even recognize Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy

in Tommy.

Tommy

Hell even Nick Nolte turned out a great performance, something I have found to be rather rare in the past. Jennifer Morrison was delightful. There's a moment in the third act when all she has to do is smile and I just fall to pieces.

The direction is interesting and consistently eye catching. And there was a very strange quality to the writing, something I like but can't quite place my finger on. Perhaps I'll have more to report after seeing it again.

I love filmmaking like this. You hear that, Gavin O'Connor? I want more!

Miracle Gardens

2011-09-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think about the way the world changes, the glass bulb that flinches like society. Is it really true that we don't know where we stand in the grand scheme of the universe? Or what is the universe, for that matter? When I come around from the daze of contemplation I often recognize that I myself have gone through a quick change of my own. Every day I see the world, and every day I find something new in that something. If you can bare to be in your mind and thinking; if you don't mind hearing your own voice in your head jumping from one concept to another, allowing you to understand how those two things make sense together, or why that was made in the same universe as this. You should try to. I bleed to find those answers. Every day I search and search, and I am only unhappy when I come in contact with something that I haven't solved yet. Because each person, each moment is a puzzle with something hidden just under the surface that can unlock a door.

I often wonder about the rest of the world; what I know of it which is very little (I've never been off the continent), and how we work with it: exist with it. Why are we fighting? I don't mean we shouldn't protect ourselves, that'd be stupid. I just mean, there's no reason to if we can find peace in a world that is only sometimes spiteful. Eventually countries change their minds and see peace as a better option. Be the bigger man. Let the words fall on the table and see who picks them up. It may be that we've been disagreeing without explaining our aspirations for the future to one another... if we're keeping open and continuous contact with others and we can find ways to bond everything seems more plentiful. We create miracle gardens.

1. High Speed - Coldplay
2. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
3. Fear Of Sleep - The Strokes
4. Soft Shock - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. Be Good To Them Always - The Books
6. Hurricane Drink - Florence + The Machine
7. Go It Alone - Beck
8. Rods And Cones - Blue Man Group
9. Cupid De Locke - Smashing Pumpkins
10. Let You Down - Dave Matthews Band
11. Rental Car - Beck
12. Long Division - Deathcab for Cutie
13. Circle Of Life - Mark Rapp
14. '81 - Joanna Newsom
15. Give Up The Ghost - Radiohead
16. The Midnight Special - Creedence Clearwater Revival

3D: On Epic Blunders

2011-09-04T02:22:00.000-07:00

In the last five years we've seen a major resurgence of Films shot in 3D. One of my friends had this to say, "3D should be restricted solely to 'event films'." After this claim he went on to recognize that the greatest Event Films were the ones that came out of left field. So this leads to a dilemma in conscience. Can Hollywood plan an actual legit Event Film? And if so, how will they know to make that particular piece with 3D technology? I sigh.

I am amongst the vast majority of moviegoers who find 3D to be a total crapshoot money-grab. Now it's not that 3D can't work... it's more like, it doesn't in most situations. Here's what's odd about it all, I've only seen three movies that have taken advantage of the technology of 3D and given me a reason to care...

1. Avatar

A film I find rather pointless aside from the scope of new technology used.

2. Jackass 3D

When you have a stunt based series, why not try to shoot the stunts in a way so the audience sees the full stunt in action. Depth plays such an important role in understanding just how stupid what these guys are doing really is.

3. Cave Of Forgotten Dreams

Here's a rare example, and it may never happen again. Herzog found a real thing that most people will never be able to see in their lifetimes. And the art being shown here is honestly in need of a third dimension. The action of the animals, etc. I really like this film.

Look, even Cameron (who is very much responsible for the trend) says the technology is not being used to its potential. That being said, the main complaint I hear about 3D technology to date is the glasses. Those clunky, dark, awful glasses. For me, it's the sore spot they always tend to leave on my nose. And most films shot in 3D are pretty dark, which is a continuous problem no matter how high we turn the projector bulbs up.

The technology does exist without glasses,

just you'd have to sit in a muuuch smaller room in very specific seats to get the effect.

So I guess we have to wait. But Hollywood doesn't want to. And it doesn't help that every piece of crap with some form of action in it gets a greenlight for 3D these days. Here's a recent list of the films that attempted to release in 3D that probably should have stuck to the realms of regular filmdom:

Conan The Barbarian
The Smurfs
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Priest
Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil
Rio
Mars Needs Moms
Drive Angry
Gnomeo & Juliet
Sanctum
Gulliver's Travels
Yogi Bear

I have to stop. Man, that is not a list I'd want to be a part of. I cannot think of a single movie in there that I actually give a damn about.

Maybe it's a question of good versus bad production teams. Maybe the good teams see when 3D is called for and the bad teams just don't care. But the audience is showing more and more that they don't care either. If a movie bombs it's usually a testament to the quality of that movie. In the case of Mars Needs Moms and Conan The Barbarian, I look to 3D as being a direct cause, though Conan may be the worst movie I've seen all year (and that's saying a lot).

Quick History Lesson: the first film to use 3D is a giant piece of crap. Don't believe me? It's called Bwana Devil. Watch it at your own risk.

So what are audiences supposed to do while Hollywood masturbates? Watch Netflix? Maybe.

We could always try this.

Favorite Films: The Thing

2011-08-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

This is probably the greatest remake I've ever seen. When you consider the original film The Thing From Another World, it's barely even comparable to John Carpenter's masterpiece. After all, a space potato just isn't nearly as interesting as the horrifying crab-like anamorphic creature John gave us.

I was referred recently to a piece trying to rationalize everyone's positions in the film... who turned and when, etc. And though I did not find myself particularly blown away by the attempt made, it did cause me to look at the film in a very different way. I just re-watched it and found myself, more than ever before, enamored with the specificity of each character (something I rarely ever paid attention to before). Once I took the time to actually understand each character's reason for being out there in the first place it revolutionized my viewing experience. Not that The Thing could ever tire me, but it sure was nice to find something new in it after so many viewings. I've probably seen it more than ten times by now, so the fact that it can still surprise me is incredibly noteworthy. This is the kind of horror I'm referring to whenever I rant about what "good horror" should be.

It's rare, but the few that do exist leave an invaluable impression on my moviegoing experience.

(SLIGHT SPOILERS) So let me get down to the dirt, once Blair reads the numbers, he loses his grip.

He goes out and destroys everything. Because he knows this is the only way to SAVE THE WORLD. His descent later on is only due to his comrades' fears of the truth. While he could have done well to explain his findings, to him it was more rational to just "fix" the situation himself. The fact that he eventually becomes what he fears is honestly just a beautiful bit of story telling.

Childs is probably the most entertaining character in the whole piece.

He's ire-filled and too quick to act. But somehow these traits serve him well as he manages to get some of those final, excellent moments of the film... He's the wild card.

Mac is the badass who somehow, even though he's just the pilot, figures everything out. He's a man of action. He makes mistakes (frequently) but manages to fix them.

His ability to improvise and command respect deserves attention. (END SPOILERS) After all, he's Kurt Russell. How badass??

And he wears a very fashionable hat.

There's a great deal more, but I'm just giving a few quick examples of the three most recognizable characters in the film. If you ever get an extra chance to see the flick again, you should really do so. if you haven't seen it... I hope you didn't read the above... go see it.

The Thing is one of those few, perfect horror films. They only come along once in a blue moon. But there was a period of time when John Carpenter held the genre in the palm of his hand and made films work that probably wouldn't have if helmed by anyone else. Look at the original. That being said, I have to comment on the upcoming prequel.

I don't think I've ever been this excited and nervous about somebody new touching an established property. I have hope. I think there is potential in going back to that first camp... but only if the filmmakers are very very careful. I hope and assume they are just as in love with Carpenter's film as I am and know how to pay it respect. After all, it is brilliant... and you don't fix brilliance.

Lice Capades
Tags: SOUTH
PARK more...

Anyway, thank you John Carpenter for being partially responsible for making me such a film snob.

The List So Far:

1927 - Metropolis - Fritz Lang

1928 - Steamboat Willie - Ub Iwerks

1931 - M - Fritz Lang

1932 - Tarzan, The Ape Man - W. S. Van Dyke

1933 - King Kong - Merian C. Cooper +

1934 - It Happened One Night - Frank Capra

1936 - Modern Times - Charles Chaplin

1957 - Funny Face - Stanley Donen

1966 - Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? - Mike Nichols

1982 - The Thing - John Carpenter

1984 - Brazil - Terry Gilliam

1986 - Labyrinth - Jim Henson

Wet Floor: Disappoint Me Once...

2011-08-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

This is a random group of films. As summer winds down to a shuttering halt I'm realizing how little I've actually written about the season and the "big movies" that came out. Some of those are in here. Others just didn't leave an impression, and a select few have made it into happy happy reviews. But let's get started with the schlopp:

Cowboys & Aliens

This simply sucked. No need to go into details... though let me just say, I honestly didn't care about a single thing that happened in this movie. I really like most of the actors, but they had nothing to do. The story was pointless and unentertaining. And look, it's all good and fun to get giddy at weird crossovers like this, but they need to actually be crossovers. The cowboys were cowboys, sure. But those aliens just weren't even remotely interesting. The fun of this idea comes from getting both genres in one. But this felt like somebody said "How can we get aliens involved in the west?" then some douchebag responded "I dunno... the goldrush was around that time. Maybe they want gold." "Why?" "I dunno. Who cares?" Then they got to make the thing. Balls. That's just lame guys. This whole movie is just lame.

The Help

Totally lived up to the hype. I definitely felt a few tears during that flashback scene near the end... if you've seen it, you know what I mean. If you haven't seen it, stop surfing and go see it.

Crazy Stupid Love

I wish this was the focus of the movie. These two characters do really work.

Aptly stated, "Two of those words are right." This was so disappointing in that the trailer made it honestly look amazing. And while it did touch greatness for a few very brief moments it mostly lingered in a bogged down studio "enhanced" stupor. Apparently someone at the studio thought a major decision at the end was wrong and thus forced the filmmakers to add on an extra half hour of shite... and you feel that extra half hour let me tell you. Good performers. Mostly good writing. But somehow a camel.

30 Minutes Or Less

Not incredibly funny but not a bad time either. I had fun. It wasn't too long which certainly helped. Nick Swardson is almost always wonderful. So this is mostly a thank you to him. Thank you Nick Swardson for bringing me so much joy over so many years. Still, it's weird that this is a comedy based on true events that actually ended quite horribly. What can you do? It's Hollywood.

Friends With Benefits

Actually not a bad flick. Surprisingly so. I liked the performances and enjoyed a good deal of the humor. Though it does fall into a few cheesy moments and seems to have trouble getting out of that pit. Whatever the case, I still had fun.

Sarah's Key

A great movie. And oddly the only one on this list that I had to see alone. I guess people aren't all that interested in Holocaust stories anymore. And I get that. But sometimes it's worth it to see one when it's not the same recycled stuff. This one actually surprised me. Once I understood the significance of the title... and it doesn't take long to get there... I fell right in with this movie. Everything honestly worked for me. And I left the theatre feeling a need to live. Isn't that a good way to leave a theatre? ...or anywhere?

The Devil's Double

Despite Dominic Cooper's pretty swell performance, the overall movie here just doesn't work very well. It's awkward and disturbing and pointless all at the same time. But when it's good it is good. I'm not gonna say "Don't see it" but I will say it's okay to wait for Netflix.

Captain America was fine and you know how I felt about Attack The Block and Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. So that pretty much wraps me up for the time being. I intend to catch Fright Night and Conan soon... but I don't know, neither one gets me too excited. Now it's just a waiting game for The Muppets, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and A Dangerous Method. Hope you're having fun at the movies.

Adaptation Telovasion

2011-08-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a thought, more and more frequently we've been seeing television shows coming from novels, graphic novels, and the like. While motion pictures have always had their hands in the cookie jar of librarium television has up until fairly recently remained pure. Sure there are exceptions; Poirot, The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman... any kids superhero show. But that's a different story too. If comics are the closest medium to film, it's only natural to take those frames and use them as a storyboard for something moving... it's a key process in filmmaking anyway, so if someone else has done that work for you anyway (and so well) you may as well use it. Huh.

But lately we've been barraged with a very popular number of adaptations in television... Game Of Thrones, The Walking Dead, True Blood, Dexter, The Pillars Of The Earth, The Vampire Diaries... it seems every major premium network (and the CW) has at least one. What's weirder is I don't mind the trend. In some small way it excites me. Think about it. We'll always have books adapted into films that are too short to get the point across. Hollywood will always allow that to happen. Earlier this year I was forced to discover that one of my favorite novels had been adapted into a shameless heap of a film. I'm talking about Atlas Shrugged, a novel that clearly deserves at least a mini-series and more rightly a three season full on series. The content in a novel like that is so massive in scope there's no reason not to put together three 10-part seasons. There's an audience for it. And the day some exec finds they've missed the opportunity, they will be reeling in their seat.

I bring this all up because I've been watching and reading Game Of Thrones in tandem. It's a very cool experience. I'm learning about this lush world and at the same time being given a visual idea of the way it all really comes together. And maybe there are elements they could have adapted better, but I'm still pretty happy up to this point. If I were show runner (I find myself thinking more and more regularly) then I know I'd try to focus on a few key things that these guys don't seem to think are necessary. But c'est la vie.

If that Dark Tower movie and series set up comes together I will be very excited. However, that's a story that calls for a great deal of attention. The specifications are written surely in Stephen King's blood and I see why the projection is being considered and reconsidered because it's true about adaptations... you always run the risk of alienating the readers who so truly love the novels they're watching be shaped into visual mutants. And you know what, I don't want to see a PG-13 Dark Tower... and I don't want to see any televised version of it on anything other than a premium network... because the events rely so heavily on violence and language amongst other things that we may find another massacre of filmdom like The Stand.

Anyway, I've rambled long enough. It's cool to see your favorite works put up on a screen wether it be large or small. But the hope and excitement is only rarely worth the final cut. What do y'all think?

A Great Month Of Sci-Fi

2011-08-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

Anybody who knows me even a little knows I love a good Sci-Fi flick. Well in this last month I have been treated to two exceptional works of Sci-Fi.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

While there were moments in which I found myself less than impressed, when I came out of the theatre I couldn't hold back this feeling of legitimate elation. If the movie had nothing else to offer, the work done on the character of Caesar alone would have been enough to to make me giddy... Andy Serkis (Gollum, King Kong) so masterfully folded what could have been just another Mo-Cap stick figure into a living breathing thing. The technology was brilliant. And I can't believe I get to say this right now, but for once in a Mo-Cap film I honestly believed the characters were feeling genuine emotions...

those eyes, those eyes. They breathed life. But luckily it was more than just Caesar. I can think of at least four distinct ape characters I enjoyed meeting and getting to know throughout the film... and not to spoil anything, but I was tearing up during the bridge scene. Man was that cool. Sure some of the human acting was sub par... but some of it was really quite good as well. And I feel a sense of responsibility from the filmmakers. They really care about this franchise that we've all grown up on, and if Rise manages to get a sequel (which I very much think it will) my eyes will be firmly pasted to the screen. So glad this was my birthday movie this year. So excited to see actual apes in this franchise rather than people in creepy monkey suits. I love the original and most of the sequels, but this is a beautiful reboot to what was a waning series.

Attack The Block

Possibly my favorite movie of the year. Attack The Block is both intelligent and eye-poppingly cool. The aliens were weird and different, and the premise just worked. It's so much cooler to watch a bunch of kids fight off an alien attack than, say, the military (Battle: Los Angeles sucked). Because when it comes down to it... even these characters who are nothing like me or my friends still manage to peak my interest. They didn't plan to be in this situation. They stuck themselves here completely by accident. When you watch the military take action, you're watching people who have mentally prepared themselves. Even if they break down it's not as powerful because they made a choice to be a part of this. But I'm rambling. Attack The Block so effortlessly melds the different levels of cool into a film experience I honestly had given up on this year. So here's to overcoming expectations. And that score... Perfect!

Go see both of these as soon as you get the chance. I highly recommend them for superior film enjoyment.