The Dumb Are Mostly Intrigued By The Drum

Fresno Swede Fest The Second set for Nov. 22nd

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:15:00 +0000

You smell that in the air? I. Smell. Swedes! It's back so this time we have a little more than the 3 weeks heads up from last time to create yourself a masterpeice! Coming to downtown Fresno on Saturday, November 22nd at 1pm is the Fresno Swede Fest The Second (not to be confused with the 2nd Annual Fresno Swede Festival, that'll be going down later next year at Corridor 2122) and it will be held at the C.A.F.E (Collective for Art, Freedom & Ecology) Infoshop in beautiful downtown Fresno (actually, Chinatown but did you know that there's actually people that down know that Fresno has a Chinatown? Crazy...) so you know what that means? We need your entries! This is the call out for everyone in Fresno the get together once again and create some good stuff. Still not sure what a swede is? Here's the vid I always show people the grasp the idea:

Got it? No! Well head on over to They Came From The Valley, click on videos and check out some of the entries from the last show to grasp the idea of what this is all about! So the deadline for this whole thing is going to be Nov. 17th, 2008 at Midnight so we need to receive your entry link via email at thedumbdrum@gmail.com. (We know not everyone wants to put their stuff up on the web so if that's the case, please drop us an email and we'll set up alternative means of entry but the deadline is the same so please plan ahead for this alternative entry method). Yup. that date seems to far away but it's really not so start planning right now by sitting down with a couple friends, bust out your DVDs and figure out a film you guys wanna swede! Please be sure to include your name and contact information in case your swede is chosen and we need to get a hold of you. Here are the rest of the rules: The entries musn't be over 5 mins. in running time. Also, the films must not use any excessively abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening, sexually-orientated or any other material that may violate any laws. And as a little side note, if you do decide to work on a swede for the festival, let us know! We'd love to get some idea of how many films we're going to get (plus, it'll help us sleep) and if you take some still pictures of your production, send them over too and maybe we'll post them here! REMEMBER! If you have any questions, feel free to drop us an email at thedumbdrum@gmail.com and we'll get back at you ASAP! Can't wait to see what Fresno creates come Nov. 22nd so lets get out there and create!

Go blind seeing the first 5 mins. of Blindness

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:47:00 +0000

'Blindness' First Five Minutes @ Yahoo! Video

That headline is a stretch but hey, I worked hard on it okay. ANYways....the film from director Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener) opens up today and if your on the fence about dropping your hard earned rubbles to go check it out, Yahoo! has posted the first 5 minutes of the film for your enjoyment. Check it out and maybe I'll see you at the theater this weekend when I go see Religulous!

Dragonball teaser again: NOW WITH SOUND!

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:38:00 +0000

Dragonball Teaser from dbthemovie on Vimeo.

UPDATE: Already removed. Sorry, hope you guys saw it. If not, you didn't miss much. If we find it again, we'll repost!

Yeah, we posted the leaked trailer yesterday but here's the more better version. The higher resolution doesn't translate to better movie, unfortunately. But if you must, here it is.

The stars give us a few reasons why we shouldn't vote

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:45:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but if Eva Longoria tells me to shoot my dog, I'm doin' it. BRB Eva, RGSTRN 2 VOTE!!

Random Goodness: Wanna see the $35 a ticket movie theater

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:51:00 +0000

We had talked about this numerous times both here and on our podcast: Would the Fresno film crowd support a premium movie theater experience that would run you $35 a ticket? Well MSNBC has found one of those said theaters in Chicago and did this little report from the place. As for local supporting something like this here, I guess it would totally depend on the films screening at said theater (I doubt Hollywood Chihuahua would be shown here) and the prices of the drinks and food. I mean, if this is gonna be strictly a high end place where the norm is spending $120 for a night at the movies, then maybe not. Those seats do look pretty bad ass plus the button to call a waiter over to bring you another Caribou Lou as you enjoy Iron Man 2? Priceless. So you think you would be all for this kind of theater experience here in town or is it too much for Fresno? Maybe a more scaled down version? Let us know your thoughts!

Guess we're never going to see Ali G or Borat again

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:52:00 +0000

I hope you guys weren't too attached to either of these guys (goddamn you fuckers who are still doing Borat impressions) cause in a recent interview Sacha Baron Cohen did with the Daily Telegraph, he proclaimed that the characters are to well know for them to be resurrected and the expressed sadness that he would never play them again. Hmmm, do you really think that they'll never make a return appearance? I'm sure someone like Cohen can figure out new avenues for both characters to return. But in the mean time: RIP Borat. RIP Ali G. You will be missed....

This week's Flashback Feature: Monty Python & The Holy Grail

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:46:00 +0000

I have nothing against Steve McQueen or The Great Escape. Swear! I just had a momentary lapse last week so I forgot to post this feature up. Sorry for those of you who missed out because of my indiscretion. But this week we return with Monty Python & The Holy Grail. Never seen it & tonight will probably not be the night for me to experience this one, unfortunately (please address all hate mail to thedumbdrum@gmail.com) as I have some prior business to attend to. But for the cut followers of the film, it'll be one less big ass head blocking your view of the screen.

Scorsese & De Niro team up once agian for I Heard You Paint Houses

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Rodriguez has Banderas. Burton & Depp. Allen & Johansson. Yup directors have that one actor that they always go to and Scorsese is once again going back to work with Robert De Niro in an adaptation of I Heard You Paint Houses, a 2005 novel by Charles Brandt. The book is about an Irish mob hit man named Frank “the Irishman” Sheeran (which De Niro will be playing) whom claimed to have been the guy to wack Jimmy Hoffa. Sounds like a classic gangster Scorsese flick. Check out Slash Film here for more details on the project and permission is given to begin getting excited for this one.

More Watchmen news revealed

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:43:00 +0000

So as the legal battle between studios continues over Alan Moore's gift to the people of earth, director Zack Synder is working non-stop on the film and recently screened around 26 minutes of the film to select members of the press. First Showing.net was there and the three main things that stood out was the over all badass-ery that will be this film from the screened footage but also these two tidbits: The film will run 2 hours 43 minutes long and the next trailer will be seen on Nov. 14th in front of Quantum Of Solace so get in line now! You can read the report in it's entirety here.

Nintendo announces new DSi; releases in U.S. next year

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:30:00 +0000

If you were thinking about buying yerself or a loved one a Nintendo DS anytime soon, you might want to hold off. Late last night, the money infused company announced an update to the stupidly popular portable gaming device in the DSi. Yup, just add an "i" to the end of it. And what do you get with that "i"? Well, you get a case design that is 12% thinner, bigger screens and here's the cool part: two cameras! Yup, not one but 2! "Now what would I need 2 cameras on a device like this?" is what I asked right before I slapped myself and said "More is less, stupid! They'll surely find use for it!" And the possibility of wi-fi video conferencing on my DSi became a prime selling point for me, if just for coolness factor. Wish my iPhone could do that. Unfortunately, the DSi won't be available here in the States until next year (you can always import one from Japan when they go on sale over there in November for around $180) but keep this in mind this holiday season: they're selling you last years model now, sun! Check out Engadget here for more details, pics & even a gameplay video.

Random Goodness: Colbert & Stewart on EW

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:24:00 +0000

I haven't bought an issue of Entertainment Weekly in a long time (print is still alive?) but this one I will be purchasing. Man, Colbert really nailed it as Michelle Obama with the whole leg crossing thing. She all of a sudden became 10 times sexier to me for some reason....Check out this article for more info on the write up.

Zero Puncuation: Mercenaries 2 Review

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:50:00 +0000

Dragonball teaser charges up online

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:39:00 +0000

Oh man, this film is gonna suck. Sorry, Dragonball Z fans but I have to say this looks pretty bad. But then again, I never go into the ridiculously long anime series so that's where I'm coming from. It would be a nice surprise, though. Hurry before this thing gets pulled!

The DUmb goes live next week! Oct. 8th @ 6pm

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:35:00 +0000

UPDATE: Sorry for the confusion! The date was previously listed as Oct. 6th and it should have been Oct. 8th at 6pm. For this oversight, everyone reading this is allowed to punch Bryan Harley in the face repeatedly (even though it was my fault. We're a team like that). So adjust your schedules accordingly. And sorry if you already made plans with the babysitter.

You've you've might have listened to our podcast, The DUmb. Well, have you ever listened to the podcast and wondered "Man, I'd really like to see what these fat, ugly bastards look like. Nothing could be more visually stimulating than that! They should go a vidcast (or vodcast, depending on who you talk to)!" Well wonder no more. Next week, October 8th at 6pm, we will be streaming our podcast live over at Late Update. Our special guest for that podcast will be Fresno Film Commissioner Ray Arthur so join us as we talk about all things film & Fresno and I'm sure Ray will kick down some entertaining Hollywood stories. The plan is to be able to have live chats as well as possibly take phone calls from listeners for this one but we're still working out all the kinks on that. We'll keep you guys posted here on The Dumb Drum and you can always hit up Late Update as well. Bookmark this link as this is where you'll need to be next Wednesday at 6pm in order to see this epic Fresno event. Hope some of you can make it to our event which will, undoubtedly be riddled with technical problems as well as possibly less cuss words than usual since we're having a legitimate guest on our roll call.....but no guarantee!

Another Way To Die music video drops

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:19:00 +0000

The Jack White & Alicia Keys theme song for the upcoming Bond film Quantum Of Solace has premiered exclusively over at Yahoo!. Check it out and let us know what you think and where it ranks in the hall of Bond movie themes. I do wonder, however, how would Amy Winehouse's version of this would have sounded like.

Have you visited They Came From The Valley lately?

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:41:00 +0000

So They Came From Valley has been around for a while and we've had a pretty good response so far. At this point, users have uploaded 26 different videos (including some of our swedes from the Fresno Swede Film Festival) and I have to say, it's a pretty good gathering of some of the different talents around here. If you haven't gone by in a while, I invite you to do so and discover some of the local talent we have here. Also, if you have some stuff to upload, do it NOW! We're always keeping an eye out for new stuff (but remember, we've got guidelines) so bust out that DV tape and send it up over there. We also have some forums over there to discuss all the latest happenings. Vimeo makes it easy and the quality looks 100 times better than You Tube so why are you still reading this and not over there yet?

Random Goodness: Marc Ecko does Star Wars

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:31:00 +0000

Just last week, PartyMarty & I were discussing the Marvel Comics license Marc Ecko obtained for a couple of years around 1999 and how it was one of the first times that a license was used in that manner to attract the older generation of comic book fans with dope integration between comic books & clothing design. No longer were we limited to logo stamped t-shirts from comic book stores. Nope, the characters we grew up reading had been implemented in a tasteful manner in which nerds all around wouldn't have to fear getting ridiculed for wear such things. And now, it seems that era might have returned with Ecko picking up the Star wars license. Fuck....that Boba Fett hoodie is so fucken dope! Sure, it's $98 but dude......it's a Boba Fett hoodie! You can head on over to the official site here and place you order right now if you got the skrilla but I'm sure we'll be seeing these hitting your favorite mall pretty soon. Guess I finally have a reason to return to the mall to shop for clothes. Head on over to Slash Film here to check out the full post including a special code on how to get $10 off any order over $100 PLUS free shipping. Nice!

Dem Trailers: Seven Pounds

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:22:00 +0000

I saw this trailer for the first time during last Friday's Presidential debate as from what I saw, it looks pretty good. Awesome cast, cool visual style...nice. Supposedly, this is the film that will win the Fresh Prince an Oscar (but remember, so was The Pursuit Of Happyness) but we'll see. Check it out and let us know if you think this is the one for Will Smith.

Dem Trailers: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:59:00 +0000

Lot of trailers today (I guess the studios are expecting Eagle Eye to do big this weekend) and here's David Fincher's newest. A lot of speculation that there's beef happening between the director and the studio heads over the cut of the film but who knows how this'll end up. Some early reviews have been not so nice. Check out the trailer over here at Apple and see what you think.

Dem Trailers: Extended W. Trailer

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:08:00 +0000

W.

Perfect way to start off debate night! This a very extended trailer for Oliver Stone's comedy/drama/satire project. Is this going to be the sneak attack film of the season? Who knows but it looks good so far. And I'm not a huge Stone fan either!

Dem Trailers: The Spirit

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:59:00 +0000

Another trailer from Frank Miller's upcoming film has dropped in to save us from the crap that was the leaked video out of San Diego Comic Con earlier this year. Did it do it's job and clear up that entire mess or just make it worse? Sam jackson has described this film as a real life "Looney Toons" movie. Interesting....Head on over to Moviefone here, check it out and let us know: does this mark the beginning of a long movie career for Miller or the implosion of an artist with too much vision.

New Mighty Muggs reveal themselves

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Behold the great Soundwave! Aight, I wasn't too excited about the Transformers line when it was announced at Comic Con but that looks pretty bad ass!

And although these have been announced for a while, here is the first pic of the entire next wave. Classic Iron Man FTW! And finally, it has been announced that the Indiana Jones line has been canceled. WTF!? I want my damn Dr. Henry Jones, dammit! I know people that have picked these up but according to Mighty Muggs Lounge (which is where all these pictures & info come from), all Waves (including Wave 2) have been cancelled. Time to start picking them up on eBay, people!

Dem Trailers: Valkyrie

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:52:00 +0000

Damn, that was a pretty bad ass trailer. The music, the cuts...yeah, cool as hell. Through all the trouble this production has been through, it's cool to finally see something that really gets me hyped up on the film. Hurry up and check out the trailer over here at Yahoo! and let us know what you think.

The Best Films of 08' (so far) According To partymarty

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:04:00 +0000

Any time you have 4 GREAT comic book films hit the big screen in a year, you know it's going to be an awesome year of film goodness. Seriously, I haven't been this excited about going to the movies in a loooong time. This also marks the first time I watched a movie in a theater around the same time The Fresno Bee gets delivered in my neighborhood. Who does that?? We do it here at The Drum. Anyways, my top 5 of the year so far:

5. Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. really delivered a stellar performance as Tony Stark. This is really a no-brainer here. You've got a mega-millionaire playboy genius who's got it all...and on top of that, he's got a suit of armor that makes him virtually indestructable. He can fly, deflect gunfire, shoot rockets out of his forearm and go 12 for 12 with Maxim cover girls. Tony Stark is the epitome of Alpha Male-ness. Tony Stark is who I wanted to be when I grew up. I like blogging too.

4. Bigger, Stronger, Faster*

When I think of cool documentaries I think of films like Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine and Morgan Spurlock's Super Size me. Those films are intriguing, have a bit of humor and they somehow manage to keep you entertained without the assistance of huge explosions, CGI, or Megan Fox. Bigger, Stronger, Faster* is a documentary by Chris Bell, a regular guy who, like any kid, just wanted to be like Rambo, Arnold and Hulk Hogan. Bell and his brothers are all powerlifters who have experimented with anabolic steroids and this film gives you a peek into their everyday lives, dreams and issues. BSF* also uncovers the dark truth about steroids and the people that use them. What I like most about this movie is you don't have to be a gym rat meathead with tubs of whey protein in your kitchen to love this film. But if you are, then it's f***ing awesome.

3. The Dark Knight

Number 3? Having an epic film like TDK take the third spot really speaks volumes about the kind of year it's been in film. A ridiculously amazing performance by Heath Ledger, a brilliant screenplay and a big fat IMAX screen at 6:00a.m. For me, this is about as close to movie perfection as it gets and it just happens to be about a comic book super hero. I really want to put this at number one, but these two other films got in the way.

2. The Wackness

Ahh, The Wackness. The best movie of 2008 that you probably didn't even hear of because it didn't show in a theater anywhere in the valley. Classic hip-hop soundtrack, a great script and I really thought Josh Peck pulled off the "Shapiro" role pretty damn well. This film really took me back. It reminded me of hanging out with my cousins as we blazed it up and listened to music that would eventually become classics. There were just so many moments from this movie that I could relate to , moments that were so meaningful that I would still remember them to this day like they happened yesterday. This is a movie that you absolutely have to watch ASAP if you haven't already.

1. Cloverfield

I've said it before, I'm a big, fat sucker for epic , "OMG, we're all gonna DIE!!!" disaster movies. War of the Worlds was my fave in the genre until this mofo came outta nowhere and bitch slapped it. For a whole 85 minutes I sat back and watched 4 people in New York try and survive a Godzilla-style attack on thier home and loved ones, all by way of a hand-held cam. For those 85 minutes I forgot where I was, I forgot what bills I had to pay, and I forgot about the car in my drive way with a blown motor that I had just replaced a few months before. The visuals were amazing, the audio blew my mind and I love how Abrams teased the whole way through, never completely reavealing the giant creature that rips NY a new one until the very end. This is film making at it's finest. This is quite possibly my most favorite movie of all time.

Didn't make the list:
Wall-E
The Fall
Hancock

Biggest Disappointments So Far:
The Happening
Drillbit Taylor
The Love Guru

brodiemash's Top 5 Films of 2008 (so far)

brodiemash@gmail.com (Roque Rodriguez) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:32:00 +0000

So we've made it clear into September (OMG, Halloween is right around the corner) and this year has been one of the best as far as the quality of films released so far. And we haven't even started Oscar season which will undoubtedly bring us some more good stuff. So to preempt the barrage of films surging this way, here are my top 5 films released so far this year:

5. Wall-E

I was expecting that this film was gonna be good but I didn't expect what it ended up being: A silent film with so much heart that it leaves you with a good feeling when you leave the theater. You know that age old movie quote "A feel good movie"? Wall-E is the manifestation of that very quote. Pixar has had a track record that rivals any and this one has to rank up there as one of the very best films they've ever done.

4. Iron Man

What can I say? This film rocked my socks off and started off the summer blockbuster season with a repulsor ray to the face of the industry all while giving Robert Downey Jr. the resurrection he's always truly deserved and Marvel Studios the weight it needed to bring us their universe to the big screen. The film was not perfect but it totally kicked ass. In cased you missed it on the big screen, the film will be released on DVD and Blu Ray on Sept. 30th.

3. The Dark Knight

Some of you might be shocked that this isn't #1 on my list and I'm right there with you. It's really hard to describe what a "perfect film" is but this one came so close to living up to that title. There were a few kinks in there that kind of bothered me over all but overall The Dark Knight rocked. We'll see what happens with this film come Oscar season as I'd be surprised if Heath Ledger doesn't get some kind of nomination here.

2. The Wackness

I doubt that this film will make it onto most people's top list (especially here in Fresno since the film never opened up here; according to this the film is going to open in Visalia on Oct. 15th) but I was fortunate to see this awesome film and it touched a brother's heart. From the script to the music, it was an awesome experience and know that nostalgia played a big factor in The Wackness' position on my list. 1994 was a tremendous year in music and life in general for me so this flick really took me back. Awesome stuff.

1. The Fall

Like I've said in the past, storytelling is king in my book. And to see this story come to life through a little girl's imagination just exploded my head. Tarsem's surreal visuals really did a wonderful job of projecting this world in the film. Sure the script might not have been perfect but the acting (especially from Catinca Untaru, who deserves at least a nomination for her role of the young girl Alexandria) packaged along with the sheer awesomeness of the music, visuals & the creativity really made this the most enjoyable film I've seen this year. The film was just released on DVD & Blu Ray so I suggest you pick it up and check it out. Or at least throw it on your Netflix Queue.

And that's the list so far. We still have some heavyweights coming between now & January so who knows how this list will look like when I do my Top 10 of the year then. So let me know what you guys think. Did I miss anything? Let me know what your Top 5 films of 2008 are so far.