Good News Film Reviews

Screenshot: The Doors

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

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Movie News: So You Wanna Work in Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Cineman.co.uk has a very good article for those considering getting into the film industry.

The article simply asks "Are you good at anything?" and goes from there.

You have to they start the back and forth with:

I'm totally useless at everything.

This is not necessarily a problem as plenty of people working in the industry are totally useless.

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Weekend DVD Recommendation: Winter's Bone (2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Reviewer: Scott Nehring

Director: Debra Granik
Written by: Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Garret Dillahunt, John Hawkes, Sheryl Lee and Dale Dickey

Rated R for drug material, language and violent content

Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) is a teen lost to get circumstances. She is the substitute maternal figure to her siblings. Her mother is withdrawn and useless. Her drug-dealing father has disappeared.

Ree is forced to journey through the trashy, dangerous meth culture of the Ozarks after she learns her father placed her home up as collateral to pay his bail. If she wants to protect her young siblings she has to find her old man.

No, this isn't a fun movie.

This Ozarks Odyssey has been overlooked by many people. Given that it received four Oscar Nominations and ignited the career of Jennifer Lawrence and helped promote supporting actors John Hawkes and Dale Dickey, one could assume this film would have landed on everyone's radar. The problem is that it was released in a very good year for film and was lost in the shadow of The Social Network, Black Swan, Toy Story 3, True Grit and The King's Speech. It is worth your time to go back and see this film.

Outside of the brilliant performances, you will get a stunning look into the underside of America. The realism of the environments and people Ree is forced to confront throughout her journey is remarkable. If you have ever seen white trash hovels the rundown, discarded homes and yards will be all too familiar.

The characters are likewise strikingly realistic. It is too common for filmmakers to handle lower class whites as seething racist hicks without minds, morality or reason. Writer/Director Debra Granik (she co-wrote the script with Anne Rosellini), doesn't short change her characters - she doesn't protect them either. The characters are perhaps some of the most realistic people put to screen in years.

This is a pretty depressing film, dealing with meth folks can make someone moody. Do not rent if you want a happy experience. If you're up for a solidly written and executed production that will leave you not feeling, but knowing, you've seen a great film, I strongly recommend this to you.

Hoth Patrol

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

More at Savage Chickens

Movie Poster: The Hammer

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

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Movie Poster: The Wizard of Oz

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

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Movie Poster: El Cid

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Movie Quote: Barney's Version (2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Clara 'Chambers' Charnofsky

Oh Barney, you really do wear your heart on your sleeve. Now put it away, it's disgusting to look at. 

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Movie Poster: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

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Movie Trailer: Circumstance

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

First point - theocracies such as the one oppressing the people of Iran are evil.

Second point - homosexuality is sin/evil.

Third point - submitting to your base urges is sin/evil.

Fourth point - just because the first point exists doesn't mean points two and three are less evil.

The film is made with the presumption that the two girls are innocents. They clearly are not.

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Movie Trailer: The Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

A black and white silent film about an actor who worked in black and white silent films - a little too precious if you ask me.

This film is getting high praise across the board and I haven't heard any detractors as of yet so even with the rather obnoxious gimmick, I have to say I am interested to see how they handle it.

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Movie Trailer: The Son of No One

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

...and the award for most distracting mustache goes to...

Yet another bad cop movie. The trailer doesn't offer anything to make me think it isn't like all of the other bad cop flicks of late.

Am I the only person who sees Al Pacino in a role and expect him to belt out "booyah" at the end of each sentence?

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Movie Poster: Million Dollar Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

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Movie Trailer: Meet Monica Velour

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

A young man meets his idol - a former 80's porn star who is now a washed up single mother. I'm all for showing the reality of porn, otherwise known as it's "ugly side". The problem is that films usually fail to be honest about the abuse and self-destruction that threads through the porn industry and its culture.

It will be interesting to see if they actually explore the real impact of the industry.

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Movie Trailer: Blue Eyes (Olhos Azuis)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Blue Eyes? Why not just title the movie If All of You White People Would Learn Your Lessons We Wouldn't Have to Make Movies Like This?

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Movie Quote: Bolt (2008)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Martin

[after Ester pepper-sprays him]

Spicy eyes! 

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Weekend DVD Recommendation: In the Heat of the Night (1967)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Reviewer: Scott Nehring

Five Oscars - Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Actor (Rod Stieger), Best Sound, Best Screenplay and nominations for Best Director and Best Sound Effects.

This intelligent piece about a black detective performing a murder investigation in a small Southern town frankly examines race relations and provides some of unforgettable moments in American cinema.

While the acting, directing and the technical work on the film are world class, I believe the real success of the film is due to Stirling Silliphant's award winning script. He takes the delicate issue of race and gives it a mature and thoughtful treatment. His masterful character piece avoids much of the usual stereotyping and easy choices in favor of drafting realistic characters struggling against powerful societal forces.

I am always surprised at how many people I know who haven't seen this film. It is truly a film you should watch at least once.

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Movie Poster: My Own Private Idaho

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

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Screenshot: Pandorum

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

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New on DVD This Week (Jan 29-Feb 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Drive

Summary: A sociopath who has a talent for driving moonlights as a criminal wheelman. Needless to say, he gets on a job that goes wrong.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Written by: Hossein Amini
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Christina Hendricks, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Oscar Issac and Christina Hendricks

Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence, language and some nudity

There is some seriously brilliant moments in this film. Unfortunately, there are also some seriously violent, existential moments as well which are mixed with long stretches of pondering, boring moments. This film has been far over-hyped. Despite the presence of one of the best casts I've seen in a long time working under one of the most exciting directors currently working, this film ultimately fails. Approach with care.

The Thing

Summary: A horror movie prequel of John Carpenter's classic horror movie remake of the classic Howard Hawks/Christian Nyby classic horror movie.

Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.
Written by: Eric Heisserer
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Rated R for strong violence, gore, disturbing images, language and the brutal rape of your memories of the John Carpenter film

Big expectations. Low results.

The nasty alien being that tormented the Americans in the 1980's The Thing gets the heavy-CGI treatment.

You know how it seems like all prequels, sequels and remakes over the last 20 years seem to be little more than cheap, diluted reminders of the original work(s)? This is another one of those. If you need to see this, try to do so as inexpensively as possible.

In Time

Summary: In the future you get to live until 25. After that you have to buy each additional year in life. A socialist morality tale ensues.

Director: Andrew Niccol
Written by: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy and Olivia Wilde

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality and nudity, and language

Even if you buy the silly conceit that drives the film, you still need to contend with the "evil rich people kill the innocent poor people" socialist blathering. Even if you can handle that...well, you need to be more discerning.

Other Releases This Week:

Dream House (A family who moves into a new home discovers there was a brutal crime committed against the previous residents.)

Texas Killing Fields (An East-coast cop helps out a local detective solve a series of murders in the Texas bayous.)

Outrage (Takeshi Kitano (Vic Romano for all of you MXC fans) stars as a criminal who is charged to take control of rogue traffickers working his turf.)

The Hammer (A deaf wrestler wins a championship)

The Double (An FBI Agent and a retired CIA operative team up to solve the murder of a US Senator - y'know, like they do in real life.)

The Big Year (Three bird watchers compete to see the rarest bird in North America.)

Thunder Soul (Alums from a high school band return to pay tribute to their former band leader)

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To Make a Movie You Must Have a Plan - A Business Plan That Is!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

By Wayne Johnson

Over the years I have gained a greater understanding of the script and its function in a film production. Not only does it contain your story but, it contains much more. Scheduling, casting, locations, wardrobe, and a host of other hard data is retrieved from the script.

As important as the script is there is another document that is often if not always over looked by the Indy filmmaker. The Business Plan. This plan is as essential as the script in some ways. It is what will be done when the film is completed, it is how you will gain funding for future scripts and it is the document which the businessmen who invest in films will require.

A simple search through the Internet will open this whole new world for most Indy filmmakers. I found two short articles and experts that will get you on your way into this wondrously strange world of business.

Karen Klein specializes in Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Personal Finance and is published in Bloomberg Business Week and the Los Angeles Times.

In her article How to Create a Business Plan for Restaurant Venture Capital, she points out some major areas to focus on when trying to find venture capital for a business.

“Provide ROI Data for the Restaurant Industry – This is a critical point when writing your restaurant business plan. Get in touch with restaurant industry associations and gather data, which will back up your requests for funding. Find out what’s succeeding and why. This is evidence you will need before approaching any venture capitalists.” (Klein, 2011)

As a filmmaker you are probably asking “What the heck is ROI?” Exactly. Business people use the language of business. You need to have an idea what that language is and what it means. If you really want to find the investors for your film, you need to speak their language.

Another major factor is finding out why your company, and your film production should be a company, is not having any luck finding funding. Your story is perfect, the cast is great but you can’t understand why your getting turned down.

Martin Zwilling is a veteran startup mentor, and angel investor (Oh, another term you really should learn).
In his article Investors Will Routinely Reject Your Business Plan if it Lacks Industry Expert Data. I think that pretty much sums it up.

It is extremely important that you do your homework and get your facts from the professionals. All the research you did on your location and characters could come in handy here. Go to the library, get online find a college student that goes to school for business and get them to do it, but find the answers and by answers I mean numbers on why your company, not just film will Return On Investment!

I think some of my readers will start to see my logic for getting a business degree while making films. It’s all about the business to the guys with the money. Sure some of them will be sold on the idea, and a good story always helps, but you have to show, with a clear reasoned plan how you are going to make their money back. Ultimately how you are going to make money.

So to all my hard-core artist friends out there, my suggestion, get down to your local community college and sign up for Business 101. It will make you money and ultimately make your film in the end.

Wayne's commentaries can also be found on his site New Discourses On Art.

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Movie Poster: King Kong

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

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Movie Trailer: This Means War

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

The summary of the film, based on this trailer is "two government employees utilize and destroy millions of dollars of taxpayer money while fighting over an immoral, slut." Fun for the whole family.

One would think that two men who have found themselves in such powerful positions would understand that a woman who is willing to propose a "sex tie breaker" is perhaps not worthy of fighting over.

This ad is a great rebuttal to those who whine when people who are concerned about the moral lessons being promoted by Hollywood. "If you don't like it, don't watch it." Right. The problem is that this ad, and others, which show premarital sex, discuss said sexual relations in a glowing manner and suggest that multiple partners is a desirable situation are legion. This ad plays on TV during programs like football games when children are likely to be watching. It doesn't matter if we don't watch the movie, the trailers themselves also promote social engineering.

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The History of Christian Films

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

This is a pretty old site, but it has a succinct history of Christian film. The timeline starts to get vague after 1970, but the early stuff is still good.

Movie Quote: What Women Want (2000)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Nehring) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Nick Marshall

I can see elegant parties...

Darcy McGuire

You can see all that?

Nick Marshall

Well, maybe you're naked and I'm the only guest, but it's still elegant.

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