Two Word Heap

For the Weekend of October 9, 2009

Grant Tingley — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:34:00 +0000

This weekend doesn’t have much to offer at all…

I would really recommend taking this weekend as an opportunity to catch up on things that you may have missed over the past few weeks.

Couples Retreat

Directed By Peter Billingsley

OK… time to guess about what the plot will be about… 4 sets of couples go on a retreat together. Why are they going on a retreat? Some are dragged and some are doing their best to save their marriage. Whilst on the retreat in paradise some just want to party and others take it seriously. Either way the trip isn’t what any of them expected and in the end they learn valuable lessons about themselves and their relationships.

I wonder if the trailer will confirm this guess or try and hide it… either way I am sure that I am right.

View Trailer

Whether or NOT?!:
NO!

The trailer merely confirmed my thoughts…
This movie will end up being a boring shit storm of mediocrity… and that depresses me. There is a cast here that can really elevate a comedy, but none of them really have done much good in recent years. People like Bradley Cooper seem more apt to take over the roles that this group could’ve once nailed out of the park.

Notables: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, Jean Reno, John Michael Higgins, & Ken Jeong

WOW, that is already it for the wide releases… one movie… wow…

Well I am going to jump into only one limited release for this weekend, and that is essentially the only one that I recomend. The rest I do NOT recommend, especially GOOD HAIR…

An Education [limited]

Directed By Lone Scherfig

I don’t know much about this movie at all, but I do know that there are actors I like, and that there is a writer I like, and by LIKE I mean LIKE A WHOLE GOD DAMN LOT! So that being said, let’s watch the trailer for the first time together and delve into this a bit after wards…

View Trailer

Whether or NOT?!:
MEH? No?

I don’t know, it seems like a good enough flick, but I thought the trailer was dull. There were some good moments, but if I am basing this purely off the trailer I have to say no! There are a lot of great people involved in it, and I would just say that you should give it a chance eventually, but if you have other movies that you have missed up to now, go grab those.

BUT NOTE!!! Nick Hornby wrote the screenplay and he wrote the book that one of my all time favorite movies is based upon… High Fidelity, so there is a real good chance it might be a really good flick.

Notables: Carey Mulligan, Olivia Williams, Alfred Molina, Peter Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, & Emma Thompson

For The Weekend Of October 2, 2009
For The Weekend of March 6th, 2009
For The Weekend of May 1, 2009

“War/No More Trouble” by Songs Around the World

Tyler Hauser — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:35:52 +0000

Playing For Change
Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music.

Trouble Comes in Threes
The Smartest Man in the World

For The Weekend Of October 2, 2009

Grant Tingley — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:24:49 +0000

Wow, it has been a while since I have done one of these… let’s just delve into this and go with the GUT with these!

Capitalism: A Love Story

Written and Directed by Michael Moore

I don’t like Michael… end of story. He spreads ill-informed information like a raging fire. He gets people to become incredibly KNOWLEDGEABLE with his version of the truth. Now the thing that I have to state here is that I am nonpolitical on TWH and I hopefully will rarely spout a political opinion here, my problem isn’t the direction that Michael wants the country to go in… I don’t care if we get Health Care or not… I don’t care if we get Gun Control or not… I don’t care if Dub-eee-ya was an idiot or not… I just don’t care. The thing is that Michael so blatantly shapes facts to fit whatever he wants, and a lot of the time there isn’t even a smidgen of fact in the facts he shapes. He interviews people and makes them seem like idiots by having a snarky commentary and sound effects when they are talking. He interviews people and makes them seem like the most brilliant people by putting heroic music behind them.

I won’t continue on with this because it could get really boring, and my friend Jordan might cry with my berating of his hero.

View Trailer

Whether or NOT?!: YES.
Just because the guy is an idiot doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t see it. Bowling for Columbine was a great flick. If you take your personal feelings out of it, it was entertaining and brought up interesting points. That is what a doc is suppose to do: bring up interesting points to help YOU form YOUR OWN opinion. A documentary shouldn’t BE your opinion, and that is what so many people use Michael Moore movies as: their own opinion.

Not only does this show how weak you are about free thinking, but it shows how weak you are by being distracted by flashing pictures and loud noises. You are all the same people that think Megan Fox is the hottest girl ever… A little fact: she isn’t.

Ok, see this flick because you should be aware of all stances on important societal topics. You should take in all sides of arguments to form your own opinion about things that will effect your life. So PLEASE everyone watch this, but remember every bit you watch take with a grain of salt and add it to the stew that you should be using to form your own opinion.

Notables: Michael Moore

A Serious Man

Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

This is a Coen Brother’s movie… yep…

View Trailer

Whether or NOT?!: YES!
Didn’t you read what I wrote about it?

This is a Coen Brother’s Movie…

WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW!?

Notables: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, & Richard Kind

Zombieland

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

This is a movie about a rag tag group of people that is going to fight a bunch of zombies… sounds like a movie done a million times before…

***talking off screen***
Oh… it’s a comedy?
***talking off screen***
Oh really? Woody Harrelson?
***talking off screen***
I thought he was dead…
***talking off screen***
OH HOLY SHIT REALLY? He did that!? That’s embarrassing…

Well given this new information, apparently this is just a movie that has only been done once before… COUGH COUGH Shaun of the Dead COUGH COUGH… So it should be essentially just as good as the second time we saw zombies a million years ago. And I refuse to research which movie mentioned zombies second… BUT I BET IT WAS FANTASTIC!

View Trailer View Trailer

Whether or NOT?!:YES!!!! OH GOD YES!!!
Come on… This movie is going to be fantastic. It has a great cast. Someone I always love (Woody) with someone I have begun to love because he is just a baby (Jesse Eisenberg). So see this movie.

I believe Tyler Hauser already saw it and said something like

OH GOD IT IS AMAZING OH MY GOD… MY BRAIN IS HURTING IT WAS SO AWESOMELY HILARIOUS… FANTASTIC FANTASTIC!! Liam Neeson was Amazing, and Ralph Fiennes was HILARIOUS!

Oh… I think I accidentally used Tyler’s quote about Schindler’s List, but I am sure it is interchangeable with Zombieland…

Notables: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Bill Murray, & Mike White

Whip It

Directed by Drew Barrymore

This is essentially a proper, more mainstream follow up for Juno star, Ellen Page, and it seems to be a perfect fit for her. An outcast girl who ends up embracing the differences about herself and goes out to find out what she wants to do with her life… OK, pretty standard story, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be good.

View Trailer

Whether or NOT?!:YES!
This will be a great movie, and it would be a good one to take your little lady friend too… Well, that is if you have a lady friend. Girls love to see their “sisters in vaj” running around doing shit… and roller derby? That’s cool shit.

Notables: Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig, Daniel Stern, Marcia Gay Harden

The Invention of Lying

Written and Directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson

Now this is a movie that you can’t really compare to any other flick. I have heard this movie described by other comedians as “A movie that we are all upset we didn’t think to make – it is so simple but it is so brilliant.”

Essentially, this is a movie about a society that hasn’t figured out what “lying” is yet, and assumes that everything that you say is the god’s honest truth. WHY? Well, because they won’t know any better. AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENS?! Someone figures out how to lie, and all hell breaks loose…

View Trailer

Whether or NOT?!: YES!
God this weekend is super jam-packed… but this is a movie that I have been looking forward to for a long long long long long time. I want to see it, and you should want to see it. If the simple premise doesn’t make you go “SHIT I SHOULD SEE IT”, then… just see it anyways… stupid…

Notables: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K., Jonah Hill, Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, John Hodgman, Nathan Corddry, Martin Starr, Jason Bateman, Christopher Guest, Stephen Merchant and there is a possible Edward Norton cameo? But who knows…

Can someone please tell Edward Norton to make a Death To Smoochy 2 before I have a heart attack?

JEES! There is a million movies this weekend… a million movies WORTH SEEING for one reason or another. But if you have to see one, please see The Invention of Lying. PLEASE! Oh wait… maybe it is Zombieland that you should see… Though I know Mr. and Mrs. Jordan will see Capitalism… I guess the Coen Brothers and Whip It are being left out in the cold… that sucks… OH WELL!

HEY READERS!

Which movie are you more excited to see?
Will you see Michael “Blow Hard” Moore’s movie and are you upset that I just called him a “Blow Hard”?

For the Weekend of October 9, 2009
For The Weekend of September 4, 2009
For The Weekend of July 31, 2009

Elephant Eats Baby | Illustration

Tyler Hauser — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:06:47 +0000

Elephant Snack by {link:http://nocturnal-devil.deviantart.com/}Nocturnal-Devil{/link}

Utada Hikaru Typo Portrait
Let’s Sex
FREE Strips of Paper

Die, Sweet Roadrunner, Die

Tyler Hauser — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:21:30 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sweet Coraline

Pirate Radio | Trailer

Tyler Hauser — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:59:53 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

We Live In Public | Trailer
Toy Story 3 Teaser Trailer
Paper Heart | Trailer

Blackmail | Project Hitchcock

Carlene — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:57:39 +0000

The moment Al Jolson told audiences “You aint heard nothin’ yet” in the monumental 1927 film The Jazz Singer, the film industry changed forever. Filmgoers could now hear their favorite stars speak and sing on screen, something literally unheard of until 1927, which signaled the death of the silent film and the scramble to use this new technology. Though The Jazz Singer was billed as a “talkie” and is credited with being the first film with sound, it was in reality only a part-talkie, with the sound bits being the songs and a bit of improvised dialogue. The first full length talking picture was the 1928 American crime film, Lights of New York. British filmmakers were scrambling to make the first British talkie, and Hitchcock did just that in 1929 with Blackmail, whose taglines proudly proclaimed “SEE & HEAR it—Our Mother Tongue as it Should be—SPOKEN!”.

The Film

Blackmail is the story of a shopkeeper’s daughter, Alice, played by The Manxman’s Anny Ondra, her policeman boyfriend, Frank, played by newcomer John Longden, and an unfortunate murder that has taken place. It all starts when Alice and Frank have a fight about what to do on a date, which leads to her going off with a strange artist, which is always a bad idea; Alice later finds herself in her underwear and in a compromising position. The artist attempts to rape Alice (portrayed beautifully in a disturbing off-screen scene with sound and shadow), Alice defends herself by stabbing the artist to death. In shock, Alice runs out of the apartment, wiping away all traces of her presence and proceeds to wander the streets all night, pondering what she has done. Can she go to the police? Will anyone believe her story of self-defense? What will her boyfriend think? Eventually, news of the murder spreads, and Frank discovers Alice’s involvement. They discuss this in Alice’s father’s shop, which brings an odd man around. This man, Tracy, played by Donald Calthrop, tries to blackmail Alice for her involvement in the artist’s murder. Tracy invites himself to breakfast, helps himself to expensive cigars, and generally causes Alice to beg Frank to let her confess. Frank somehow discovers this man Tracy is a criminal and pegs the murder on him. Tracy is arrested, but before they interrogate him, he tries to escape and dies. Alice tries to confess to the murder out of guilt, but since Tracy is dead nobody believes her, and strangely enough everyone lives happily ever after.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Advent of Sound and Hitchcock

Working with a new technology proved to be a challenge, which is why Blackmail is sometimes forgiven for the unfinished look it presents. Originally slated to be a silent, many of the scenes were re-shot or dubbed to accommodate for sound. Plus, as with many of the silent film stars, the leading lady could not speak English very well. They tried to make up for this by having her dubbed by a British actress, making all of her lines sound and look extremely awkward and forced. On top of all this, the film dragged and the acting was over the top, probably due to the discomfort sound provided. Aside from all of the flaws, Blackmail had some great moments, such as the aforementioned off-screen attempted rape scene, as well as the first use of the ’shock cut’ when Alice is reminded of the dead artist’s hand when a homeless man reaches out to her, and as she screams, her scream is mingled with that of the landlady who finds the artist’s body. Also employed brilliantly is the word ‘knife’, which is used in every sentence in a scene, hilariously causing Alice to go absolutely mad with guilt. In all, Blackmail is a film not without faults, but is an important film for the Hitchcock lover to view because of the small snippets of brilliance embedded within, and for it’s place in film history as the first British talkie.

The Manxman | Project Hitchcock
The Lodger | Project Hitchcock
The Farmer’s Wife | Project Hitchcock

Instructions

Tyler Hauser — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:12:50 +0000

No related posts.

Pining 101

Carlene — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:13:17 +0000

This week we travel, somewhat reluctantly, back into the lovin’ arms of Craigslist for a glance at what the lonely people of this fair city are up to. As far as quality goes, this week’s MC is akin to the traveling strippers of Alberta: not your first choice, but better than seeing your hometown’s locals get up there and shake it for a few beers.

Miss seeing your handsome face. – w4m – 21 (work, sw. )

Date: 2009-09-16, 11:00PM MDT

ever since i told you i was into you, you’ve been avoiding me at work… unfairly. I get that the interest isn’t mutual, and you’re seeing someone else, but please don’t deprive me of your smiling face everyday because of it. Please forget i mentioned anything, and come back with your witty banter and cute plaid shirts.

Location: work, sw.
it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1378461155

Textbook “I like him/he doesn’t like me back/he also has a supercool girlfriend who is much more attractive than me and I can’t compete with her fun sexy charm and well-readedness” situation. Someone needs to go back to Pining 101 with Professor Carlene: if you work up enough effort to tell someone you are interested in them, you have to face the consequences that maybe they don’t feel the same way and might want to avoid you the next time your mug comes around. Bold moves sometimes garner bold responses, and in this case, that is clearly what has happened. I assign finding a new source of cute plaid shirts (I suggest the local library), and start looking for a new object of fixation. Because unless you’re willing to stick it out for 3-5 years, wait until he’s single and then tell him you’ve always loved him in an airport, you’ve got better things to do. Leave the pining to the masterclass.

You know, this mentality might be why I have such brilliant dating luck… until next week.

my beard was soft
Love at the Library
What’s Up With Starbucks?

“In the midst of an awkward pause” | Tweet by Rainn Wilson

Tyler Hauser — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:16:24 +0000

When in the midst of an awkward pause just softly utter the word “delicious”… See what happens.

– from Rainn Wilson via Twitter

Two Word Heap

For the Weekend of October 9, 2009

Couples Retreat

An Education [limited]

Related posts:

For The Weekend Of October 2, 2009
For The Weekend of March 6th, 2009
For The Weekend of May 1, 2009

“War/No More Trouble” by Songs Around the World

Related posts:

Trouble Comes in Threes
The Smartest Man in the World

For The Weekend Of October 2, 2009

Capitalism: A Love Story

A Serious Man

Zombieland

Whip It

The Invention of Lying

HEY READERS!

Related posts:

For the Weekend of October 9, 2009
For The Weekend of September 4, 2009
For The Weekend of July 31, 2009

Elephant Eats Baby | Illustration

Related posts:

Utada Hikaru Typo Portrait
Let’s Sex
FREE Strips of Paper

Die, Sweet Roadrunner, Die

Related posts:

Sweet Coraline

Pirate Radio | Trailer

Related posts:

We Live In Public | Trailer
Toy Story 3 Teaser Trailer
Paper Heart | Trailer

Blackmail | Project Hitchcock

The Film

The Advent of Sound and Hitchcock

Related posts:

The Manxman | Project Hitchcock
The Lodger | Project Hitchcock
The Farmer’s Wife | Project Hitchcock

Instructions

Pining 101

Miss seeing your handsome face. – w4m – 21 (work, sw. )

Related posts:

my beard was soft
Love at the Library
What’s Up With Starbucks?

“In the midst of an awkward pause” | Tweet by Rainn Wilson

Related posts:

“This is a celebrity tweet” | Tweet by Rainn Wilson
“Movie trailers” | Tweet by Rainn Wilson
“Yankee Candles” | Tweet by Diablo Cody