Film Narrative

The original, not the remake

2008-09-10T11:22:00.002-04:00

This is hardly a new movie, but over the weekend, I finally made myself sit down to watch a classic.

"Psycho" is pretty intense. It's not shocking like the contemporary slasher flicks try to be, it's shocking in a totally different way. There's not an overflow of blood and gore, there's just terror, and suspense and mystery.

Well, there's mystery if someone hasn't already spoiled it for you. That's one trouble with classics; they are referenced and parodied too much in popular culture. I wonder if the next generation won't bother watching "Fight Club" because they already know how it ends.

Anyway, I avoided "Psycho" for years, because even parodies scared me. But it's a great movie and shouldn't be missed.

2008-09-04T13:18:00.002-04:00

My new job has me contributing to a blog here on blogger.com, so I revisited the Film Narrative this morning.

I now have my own much more active blog, but it is of a more general nature, rather than focusing on movies.

But that doesn't mean I don't still love/hate the film industry, and I do still care about posting online reviews and previewing obsessively that which is to come ("Arrested Developmnet: The Movie," anyone?)

However, since the last movie I saw was "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2," primarily to make fun of it, reviews will have to wait a while longer. But then again, if you've stuck with us this long, might you stick around another week or so?

Sex and the C-bus

2008-06-04T11:51:00.003-04:00

The "Sex and the City" movie was a lot of fun; it was better than reviews led me to expect. That doesn't happen frequently, so it was nice to see a movie I thought would be a disappointment succeed instead.

I mean, yeah, it was hokey, but so was the show. In that sense, it was true to fans. Mr. Big was still a jerk, who writers attempt to make redeeming, Miranda was still cranky, and Samantha was still a big loveable slut bomb.

Carrie, self-absorbed as ever, is still the character I identify most with, no matter how much I wanted to slap her at her most pathetic. The only one who had things going her way was Charlotte, the prissy, yet maternal one. Despite a mishap in Mexico early in the movie, she hits the jackpot by the end.

Jennifer Hudson's character wasn't really necessary, but she added some humor to a low point in the movie, when Carrie is reeling and struggling to recover from the worst clash with Big yet.

One big complaint I heard about this movie was that it dripped with commercialism. Judging from the Vitamin Water, Sprint, and new car tie-in advertising I saw weeks before the movie came out, I had to agree. However, the complaint that Carrie focuses too much on labels in the movie is not as valid; sure, she tries on a bajillion designer dresses at one point, but weren't all those magazine photo shoots and runway cat walks from the series more of the same? Carrie's style has always been individualistic, but labels were still in their somewhere, right down to the Manolo Blahniks on her feet. The show was just as much about fashion as it was about relationships. Hence the whole "love and labels" bit is justified.

Those who followed the show, whether it was the orginal HBO series or the tame TBS version, will love it. If you haven't seen too many episodes, you may find it hard to care about these characters.

All in all, I liked it; despite a run time of 148 minutes, it goes a lot faster than you'd think. So go on, dress up and get out there. I saw a lot of Carrie wannabes in the theatre the other night, and worred my hair might count me among them unintentionally. Fortunately, I was wearing an outfit Carrie wouldn't be caught dead in-- jeans and a hoodie.

Cloverfield: The Blair Witch Project meets LOST?

2008-01-22T12:30:00.000-05:00

A big group of us took advantage of having the following day off and saw Cloverfield on Sunday night.

Hopefully no one has spoiled this one for you yet, because I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did if someone had told me what everyone was running away from in terror in those teaser trailers. Of course, to say I 'enjoyed' it is a little strange, because I kind of felt like I was going to throw up the entire time. There's suspense for you...

It's a short movie, but I don't think I would have been able to take it if Cloverfield had been much longer. That sounds like a bad remark, but that's just coming from someone who doesn't like being freaked out for much more than 84 minutes straight.

I won't say much more, but here are some tips:

1) Watch closely in that last scene and you might just notice something that my brother noticed that no one else in our group did.

2) After you watch it, hit up Imdb's entry about the movie for some fun trivia.

3) You might have heard that you need to stay for the credits, but to be honest, I'm not sure it's worth sitting through. Although the one song in the film, played during the credits, it kinda fun. This movie has little to no soundtrack otherwise.

I was somewhat dreading seeing this, because I do NOT like being scared. This movie was pretty freaky, but I still thought it was good. It's a neat concept: filming a terrifying event with one hand-held camera, with clever "flashback" sequences in between filiming segments. And as a fan of LOST, I can see where J.J. Abrams's hand was in this project.

Atonement

2008-01-17T11:12:00.001-05:00

I saw Atonement last night, even though I had seen a trailer months ago and thought it looked pretty sappy. However, it exceeded my expectations. It had some clever twists and turns, and some mystery to it.

For an 'epic love story,' the two lovers (James McAvoy and Kierra Knightley) were rarely in the same scene, but the separate stories going on made it more than just a romance film. It is a war movie, and a story about betrayal and regret. It was told well, and though it was at times confusing, the plot eventually clarified itself.

While I found the final scenes somewhat bizarre, I am unable to think of another way to tell the ending that would create the same effect on the audience.

The movie did have a little bit of humor despite the somber trailer I had seen. I don't want to say much about the plot, but I am glad I saw it.

On Sunday this film won two Golden Globes for Best Drama and Best Original Score. The film failed to win in the five other categories it was nominated for, which were Best Actress (Knightley), Best Actor (McAvory), Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan) and Best Screenplay.

Remembering 2007

2007-12-26T11:25:00.000-05:00

For me, 2007 will not be an easy year to forget. There's a good reason I didn't post much this year: I just didn't feel like it. In early February my Mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We were soon told it was an aggressive malignant type of tumor that could only be treated but not cured. Watching her slow decline as she dealt with her body and mind failing her made 2007 easily the worst year of my young life. Mom died in November, it took less than a year. With Christmas reminding us of her absence even more, these last few days have been especially hard, but I've been trying to remember how she was special to me.

I love talking about movies; I will talk to anyone, anytime about any movie. My wife puts up with my endless babbling about how fantastic Martin Scorsese is, most of my friends enjoy discussing recent films they've seen, I've turned my sister into an addict, I even get my dad to watch a new movie once in a while. I get excited when I talk about a good movie, very few things truly garner my emotions and my friends and family all understand that. And whenever I would tell Mom about an upcoming movie or what I saw the night before, she would listen, and comment and sometimes she would get excited too.

Coming from a family of librarians and writers, I've learned to appreciate the value of the written word. Mom loved books, reading, writing, language and storytelling. Movies have long been my preferred medium for storytelling, yet I always knew I could count on her to watch something with me, if I thought she might enjoy it of course. Likewise Mom introduced me to many of her favorites. Whenever I watch Charade, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, A Christmas Story, or her favorite: American Graffiti; those films will always make me think of her.
Mom was always able to connect with me about my interests. Maybe that came easy to her, she was my Mom after all. But it's going to take a while for me to accept that there is one less person in the world who understands me. She will be missed.

Best of the Year
I didn't get out to see many movies this year but here is a list of the ones I did (note: many of these I didn't see until they were on DVD).

Catch and Release
Zodiac
300
Reign Over Me
Meet the Robinsons
Grindhouse
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters
Hot Fuzz
Spider-man 3
Shrek the Third
Knocked Up
Ratatouille
Transformers
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Simpsons Movie
The Bourne Ultimatum
3:10 to Yuma
No Country for Old men
The Golden Compass
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Juno*

I've been trying to keep up on all the year end reviews and top ten lists for 2007, and what I keep hearing is that this was the best year for film in a long time. Many have compared it to the great years of the 1970's. I wish I could say I had noticed but I simply wasn't paying much attention.

Since I didn't see very much I will give you my top seven films of the year.

1. No Country for Old men
2. Zodiac
3. Knocked Up
4. Ratatouille
5. The Bourne Ultimatum
6. Juno*

7. 3:10 to Yuma
8. Grindhouse

Here's a look back at my 2006 movie list. I still think that was a pretty good year.

*Update 12/31: I got to see Juno on Saturday and it was good; better than most of what I've seen this year.

Movies I've Seen Recently

2007-10-17T11:14:00.000-04:00

Good Luck Chuck

I saw this Dane Cook flick last night. It had its moments, but man is it a chick flick. I felt like I was losing some respect for Cook just hearing some of the more cheesey dialogue coming from his mouth. But it was cute, and I would deem it a good date movie.

The premise is, Chuck is a good luck charm for women; every woman who has ever been with him ended up marrying the next guy they dated. Once women start realizing this, Chuck becomes a very sought-after guy. Watch out for the gross-out factor with a couple of the conquests Chuck seeks in order to break his curse. Jessica Alba does well as the cute-but-klutzy girl Chuck falls for.

Reign Over Me

I remember this movie came out around my birthday in March and I really wanted to see it. It never came to a theatre around where I live, so I was happy to see it on DVD at last.

Adam Sandler is heart-breaking as Charlie Fineman, a man who lost his wife and three daughters in 9/11. Director Mike Binder, I was warned, has been criticized for tending to beat his audience over the head with an overall message or theme. There was definitely a theme in this movie, of redemption and finding peace of mind, but I think it was tastefully done.

Don Cheadle plays his former college roommate who meets up with Fineman again on the street. When he realizes Charlie is not doing well, he gets involved with his life and tries to help him out. It also helps Cheadle's character, who complains early on to Liv Tyler, who plays a therapist, about not having anything in his life but work.

Bonus: Donald Sutherland as the no-nonsense judge in a later scene. B.J. Novak plays a lawyer you'll want to hit.

Across the Universe

I had been looking forward to seeing Julie Taymor's Beatles musical for months. I really enjoyed it, because it was beautifully done and had some really creative sequences. The best part, of course, was the music. The worst, however, was the character development. Maybe Taymor didn't have enough time to expand them the way she may have wanted, but I think some parts could have been taken out (like the unusual "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" scene early on) to allow for better quality characters.

The "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" sequence, which shows hundreds of young men being drafted to fight in Vietnam carrying the Statue of Liberty, is so strong it will make your hair stand on end. The "Strawberry Fields" scene, where the main character pins and smashes strawberries onto a canvas as his friend sees carnage in the wasteland of Vietnam, is surely commentary on today's situation in Iraq.

I liked it a lot, but I found myself wanting more. This is an unusual feeling to walk away with, after a 131 minute film.

3:10 to Yuma

2007-09-19T11:06:00.000-04:00

Owen and I saw 3:10 to Yuma last week.

Russell Crowe plays a great bad guy. A friend pointed out that you can't go wrong with Crowe in a period piece. After Yuma, I have to add to that: you also can't go wrong with Crowe as a nasty "rotten as hell" thief.

Bale is heart-breaking as the crippled, down-on-his-luck rancher with a family that doesn't respect him. He is also the most likeable character in the film.

I am a fan of westerns, but some can't help but have parts that seem to drag a little. This film is devoid of those parts. Every second holds interest and progresses character development. The characters are unpredictable and yet entirely believable.

This movie is a remake, but I have not yet seen the original. Reviews I read, however, claim the recent version blows the original out of the water.

Edit: Also this movie has the most fantastic poster I've seen all year.
-Owen

"Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots" (© M. Baily)

2007-07-13T15:29:00.001-04:00

Since it first aired back in 1984, the Transformers have been idols for man-geeks to worship. Giant, super-intelligent robots from space that can change into cool looking cars, trucks and planes... what more could an adolescent boy want? If you grew up in the 80s as I did, you had heard about Transformers. Most likely you had some of the toys; I remember being particularly jealous of a kid who had the Optimus Prime with the attached tractor trailer. Maybe you were fortunate enough to see the 1986 film based on the TV show when it was released in theaters that featured the great voice talents of Orson Welles, Peter Cullen, Scatman Crothers and Judd Nelson(?).

The big question is, why was there all this demand for a live-action film almost 20 years after the show was off the air? Sure, there were a few attempts at rebooting the show for a new generation of fans but they never came close to reaching the popularity of the original series. Why make a film based on a cheesy 80s kids show? The answer: geeks never forget a good thing. Throw giant robots from space on the screen and we will watch the battles until our eyes glaze over, then we'll watch some more. I don't even really remember watching the show all that much but you can bet I remember seeing them everywhere. And when I heard that a live-action robot smackdown movie was going to be showing on the big screen, I couldn't wait to see it.

Even after I heard Michael Bay would be directing, I still wanted to see it as soon as I could, I mean Steven Spielberg produced it, he wouldn't let it suck right? When the day finally came and the lights came back on in the theater, I realized that I hadn't been blown away. I'm not sure how high my expectations had reached (someone said it was like seeing Jurassic Park for the first time), but they were not met.

I guess the robots of Transformers were pretty awesome, definitely the best special effects I think I've ever seen. Optimus Prime doing pretty much anything makes this movie worth the price of admission. Whether he's speaking about the rights of sentient beings with his commanding voice or absolutely destroying the face of a Decepticon while fighting in the middle of the freeway, Optimus rules.

Unfortunately most of the other transformers are horribly underused, each getting approximately two lines and one chance to show off their supposedly unique skills. Shia LeBeouf is great in the lead, all the other human characters are just fluff. Some are funny while most are annoying and useless, wasting screen time that could have been filled with more, oh I don't know... Transformers? The film is too long as it is and the plot sucks; Bay probably shot a 3 hour movie and only used the scenes that looked cool instead of the ones that helped the story make sense. Also, Michael Bay must be in love with military, the movie is full of slow motion shots of soldiers getting in and out of various assault vehicles, during the beginning of the film I thought I was watching one of those loud Army commercials.

Go see it for the robots and try not to cringe during the Michael Bay moments, you'll know them when you see them. I really hope they get someone else to direct the sequel. Also check out this Burger King commercial featuring the big 'O'.

Knocked Up

2007-06-06T15:11:00.000-04:00

Judd Apatow's latest film has received great reviews from coast to coast AND it gave Pirates of the Caribbean a run for its money over the weekend at the box office. Knocked Up accomplished this rare feat of combining critical and commercial adulation for good reason: it's the best movie of the summer.

I will be first to point out that Apatow handles his male characters better than the female ones, but in Knocked Up he sure comes close to nailing how real people, of both genders, behave in these sorts of situations. His last film was about a nerdy man in his 40's who was still a virgin and how his friends try to "help" him. The situation this time centers around Ben, a slacker with 5 roommates, who hooks up with Allison, a young professional whose career is on the rise. It's a one night stand by every meaning of the phrase and the moment she finds out she's pregnant is when the movie really starts.

As the potentially happy couple tries to get to know each other and "make it work", we meet and get to know some of their friends. Ben is living in never-neverland where you don't have to grow up. He and his friends sit around watching (and quoting) movies and making stupid bets with each other. Allison lives with her sister Debbie who has a husband and two little girls. As Ben and Allison grow closer, they watch as Debbie's marriage goes downhill. Lines are drawn, sides are chosen and... well, you'll just have to go see it if you want to know how the funniest movie of the year ends.

For more on Judd Apatow's work, here's an interview with him about his career starting with TV's Freaks and Geeks.

Reviews: Pan's Labyrinth, Dreamgirls, Children of Men (All Snubbed!)

2007-05-31T11:20:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to write about a few films that I feel got a big fat snub at last year's Oscars, even though they were each wonderfully made. All of these films are out on DVD now, I highly recommend each one.

Pan's Labyrinth

I just got this on DVD, I absolutely loved it when I saw it at theater. I kept thinking about it and telling people about it days after I saw it. It's magical, scary, beautiful and brutal all at once. Watching it again I couldn't help but think about "Labyrinth", the Jim Henson production from the 80's. I loved those kind of movies and to me Pan's felt like a grown up version of those Henson fantasy stories. And I'm serious, this one is not for the kiddies. Pan's Labyrinth is for the adults who are still kids at heart.

Dreamgirls

My wife had wanted to see this when it came out, but I wasn't crazy about going; traditionally I don't enjoy musicals, at all. But she had made me watch Chicago which turned out to be pretty good so I trusted her on this one, besides the early buzz on Dreamgirls was very good. It was surprisingly good; I even believed, for 2 hours, that Beyonce Knowles could act. I fear it might not be as impressive on the small screen but it is a great film regardless. Maybe I'll cave in to my wife's wishes after all and watch Moulin Rouge! with her next.

Children of Men

I just got this one on DVD also. If you are a film geek, you have to see this one simply for the cinematography. My jaw was on the floor during every single action sequence. Read this if you want to know more about how the film crew created some of the most breathtaking chase and combat scenes I've ever seen on film. And on top of the longs takes and flawlessly blended effects, you have a great plot and strong characters inhabiting a frighteningly realistic setting. One of my favorite releases of last year, go rent it now.

Are you there George? It's me, Vader

2007-05-30T10:25:00.000-04:00

Dear Mr. Lucas,
I recently read a post on Fan Pop concerning the proper order in which one should view all of the Star Wars films. The traditional argument is usually between two different approaches: The viewer watches episodes I-VI in numerical order as you claim you originally conceived and intended. Or the films can be viewed in the chronology of IV, V & VI followed by I, II & III, the same order the stories were so dramatically rescued from your brilliantly cluttered brain to the open arms of the public. Some purists would argue that only episodes IV, V & VI are worth watching. At the same time other purists would claim that not only should the newer films be included but also the Clone Wars animated series... and the Ewok movies... and the Star Wars Holiday Special. Today, let's simply deal with how the six feature length episodes should be viewed.
To begin, whether or a potential viewer has ever seen a Star Wars film drastically affects what order the films should be viewed. Some would say that one who has never seen Star Wars is a perfect candidate to start with Episode I and watch it the way you intended. I would say rubbish, and remind that idiot of all of the great surprises and twists from the original trilogy that would be ruined by watching the prequels first (You're just wrong George!). However if one watches the original trilogy first, then the prequel trilogy the viewer is faced with ending their experience with lower quality films, boring side narratives, and one huge downer of an ending. Can this conundrum ever be solved?
Personally my favorite was the suggestion of watching Episode IV & V, then shift gears and watch I, II & III as simply a really long flashback, THEN watch VI to tie it all together. I Think this format works best both for fans and for those new to the saga, but that's just my opinion. They're your movies George, you can tell people how to watch them all you want, they just don't have to listen.

Sincerely,
D.V.

P.S. In honor of all of the hoopla on the web in regards to the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Star Wars, here's something I found to be entertaining; a look at Anakin/Darth Vader's psyche from a medical perspective.

Spidey = emo kid?

2007-05-11T15:21:00.000-04:00

"Spider-Man 3" came out last Friday, and I had a feeling it was going to be record-breaking even at that point, before the box office figures came in Monday morning. We were there for the 9:30 show, and we were actually being seated by ushers, asking how many people we had in our group (we had six). We ended up sitting in the fourth row, a little too close for comfort.

I think it was pretty good. A little silly at some points, but that's okay for a comic-based film. Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker showed a new side-- wild and fun-loving at first, but breeding into something a little more sinister, eventually. I loved how Peter Parker's "dark side" looked suspiciously like the lead singers of many of today's whiny punk bands. Black eyeliner and all.

The biggest complaints I am hearing are about the villains; too many, and Venom was butchered. I think it can be agreed James Franco's character was a must, to wrap up that ongoing story. So, Sandman or Venom? I think Sandman was better created, but the filmmakers knew fans wanted to see Venom come into the films. Maybe it would have been best to wait.

Topher Grace plays a great smarmy Eddie Brock, rival photographer to Peter Parker (and determined to "catch Spider-Man with his hand in the cookie jar"), but he can't pull off how menacing Venom is meant to be. He's not big enough, and I can't picture VENOM still having the voice of Grace. Shouldn't he sound as demonic as he looks?

Mary Jane is given a lot of exposure in this film, showing a couple more facets to her character. She too has her own life, and doesn't ENTIRELY exist to be rescued again and again by Spider-Man. I know a lot of people don't think Dunst was the best choice for the role, but I think she does well, especially in this third installment.

The film's theme of facing your own dark side is conhesive with previous films' idea of "with great power comes great responsibilty." I appreciated the duality of the red and black suits, and thought Maguire did well pulling off both personalities.

The movie runs 2:20, probably due to cramming so much in, so go see it earlier than I did.

Oscar Predictions (with winners)

2007-02-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

(2.26.07) UPDATE: Picks I correctly predicted are denoted with an (*), incorrect picks denoted with an (X) and have the actual winners added below. Out of the 21 categories I attempted to predict, I got only 11 right. No surprises with the big awards but I was surprised by a lot of the technical selections.

(2.22.07)
Here are my picks for Sunday's Academy Awards show:

Adapted Screenplay:
(X)Children of Men
Winner: The Departed

Original Screenplay:
(*)Little Miss Sunshine

Editing:
(X)Babel
Winner: The Departed

Cinematography:
(X)Children of Men
Winner: Pan's Labyrinth

Art Direction:
(*)Pan's Labyrinth

Costume Design:
(X)Dreamgirls
Winner: Marie Antoinette

Makeup:
(*)Pan's Labyrinth

Original Score:
(X)The Queen
Winner: Babel

Original Song:
(X)"Listen" from Dreamgirls
Winner: "I Need To Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth

Sound Editing:
(*)Letters From Iwo Jima

Sound Mixing:
(*)Dreamgirls

Animated Film:
(X)Cars
Winner: Happy Feet

Foreign Film:
(X)Pan's Labyrinth
Winner: The Lives of Others

Documentary Feature:
(*)An Inconvenient Truth

Supporting Actress:
(*)Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls

Supporting Actor:
(*)Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine

Best Actress:
(*)Helen Miren in The Queen

Best Actor:
(*)Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland

Directing:
(*)Martin Scorsese for The Departed

Best Picture:
(X)Letters From Iwo Jima
Winner: The Departed

I won't even try to pick the short film categories as I have not seen any of them, the academy should just upload the nominees to their website; it would benefit everyone involved.

DVD Review: A Prarie Home Companion

2007-02-21T09:05:00.000-05:00

Featuring an all-star ensemble cast, meticulous pacing, and a demonstration in the fine art of blending comedy, drama and ambient dialogue, there's no mistaking who directed A Prairie Home Companion. Robert Altman's final film possesses each of the signature elements associated with his filmmaking style. It's not his best film, nor most groundbreaking; but now that the knowledge it was his last work has sank in, Companion has inescapably become one his most important films.
Yesterday Altman would have been 82. He never won an Oscar for directing, but he was nominated six times and received an honorary award from the Academy just last year. A Prairie Home Companion is an excellently crafted film with each of the players on top of their game. The film is about death, endings and last shows. It possesses both humor and tragedy and makes me smile just thinking about it.
The DVD is great, if you're an Altman fan, go buy it; it's essential to your collection.

Garrison Keilor worked closely with Altman on this film and he wrote a sort-of eulogy a while back, here's the link. And here's an article from today's New York Times about a recent tribute to Altman attended by many of the actors who had worked with him.

Oscar Nominations

2007-01-23T15:21:00.000-05:00

Here are the big winners in order of nominations recieved:

Dreamgirls (8)
Babel (7)
The Queen (6)
Pan's Labyrinth (6)
The Blood Diamond (5)
The Departed (5)
Letters From Iwo Jima (4)
Notes On A Scandal (4)
Little Miss Sunshine (4)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (4)
Little Children (3)
Apocalypto (3)
Children of Men (3)
United 93 (2)
The Devil Wears Prada (2)
Flags of Our Fathers (2)
The Prestige (2)
Cars (2)

To see the complete list, go here.

There were some obvious surprises regarding the results announced today. But what about the subtle ones? Pan's Labyrinth got as many nominations as The Queen? Mel Gibson's Apocalypto snagged three nods along with Children of Men, and how about Little Miss Sunshine for best picture? That old bus may have a few more miles left in it after all.
I'm going to have to hurry up and see Babel, and The Queen. While I am at it, I'll have to check out Letters From Iwo Jima too; today's nominations just made me want to see it even more (I think it might the favorite for best picture now). At some point I'll make my predictions on here. I can't wait for February 25, should be a fun night.

Best Movies of 2006

2007-01-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of all the 2006 releases I've seen, starting with my favorite movies of the year (NOTE: I didn't get to see half the films I wanted to in 2006).

My 10 Favorites
The Fountain
The Prestige
Borat
Children of Men
Clerks II
Little Miss Sunshine
The Departed
V for Vendetta
A Prairie Home Companion
Pan's Labyrinth

Runners Up
Brick
A Scanner Darkly
Over the Hedge
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
Bubble
Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
United 93
Cars
The Illusionist
The Black Dahlia
Monster House
Thank You For Smoking
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
16 Blocks

Films That Disappointed Me
The Break-Up
The Da Vinci Code
Mission: Impossible III
X-Men: The Last Stand
Superman Returns
Marie Antoinette

Films I Did Not Choose To See
The Holiday
Eight Below
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
Charlotte's Web
Employee of the Month
Take the Lead
Scary Movie 4

And in case you're interested, here is the list of 2006 films I wanted to see but didn't get around to (Blockbuster will be getting all of my money over the next few months). Some of these are still in theaters if you missed them as well.

The Proposition
Lady Vengeance
Art School Confidential
Hard Candy
Lonesome Jim
Winter Passing
Nacho Libre
Lady In the Water
Miami Vice
The Descent
World Trade Center
Half Nelson
Snakes On a Plane
Crank
Idiocracy
Hollywoodland
The Last Kiss
Jet Li's Fearless
The Science of Sleep
The Last King of Scotland
The Queen
Shortbus
Little Children
Flags of Our Fathers
Letters From Iwo Jima
Babel
Death of a President
Volver
Stranger Than Fiction
Casino Royale
For Your Consideration
10 Items Or Less
Apocalypto
Blood Diamond
Rocky Balboa
The Good Shepherd
The Curse of the Golden Flower
Venus
An Inconvenient Truth
The War Tapes
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Jesus Camp
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
This Film is Not Yet Rated
Shut Up and Sing

Also, here is Wikipedia's 2006 in Film page, it's fun to look back.

By the way, The Oscar nominations will be announced tomorrow morning; I'll try to post my thoughts on the selections quickly so check back here periodically.

Film links

2007-01-21T16:15:00.000-05:00

If George Lucas updated Singin in the Rain.

Funny preview of who could be playing James Bond next.

Another trailer mash-up, funniest idea for one that I have seen yet.

Wikipedia page explaining the re-cut trailer phenomenon.

Some clips from the film Jesus Camp, see some of it before it comes out of dvd.

An article about Charlie Kaufman and how he changed Hollywood screenwriting.

The 100 scariest scenes in the movies.

A web-game in honor of the Little Miss Sunshine DVD release.

Jim Emerson's tips on film criticism, a good read, he writes well.

Cinematical's seven best westerns you should be watching.

Article about movie heroes from the 80s coming back in new films, in honor of the news that a new Indiana Jones movie is officially starting production this summer.

Awesome site where you can download Mystery Science Theater-esque commentaries to play while watching your favorite films.

An article about how gays struggle to get decent work in Hollywood.

Article about Robert DeNiro and directing The Good Shepherd.

That's all I have today, enjoy!

Genre: The Romantic Comedy

2007-01-19T16:48:00.000-05:00

After I made my post about The Fountain and Sci/Fi films I decided to discuss another genre, one that until recently, I cringed at the mention of: The Romantic Comedy. I've come to appreciate a good Rom/Com ever since my wife and I began dating two years ago. In that time there has been a few great examples of the genre but along the way there has been a lot of stinkers as well. Then I read this post about the current lack of good Romantic Comedies. These guys make an interesting point that the genre has evolved into many sub-genres. Obviously this transformation didn't happen overnight; over the last decade there have been some major shifts in direction for these types of films.
I think that there are a select few really good films in this genre. Then there are those many well-made attempts. Finally, there a whole bunch that all feel the same and end up being a waste of time watching because, essentially, you've seen it before (of course this thinking applies to every genre). Here's a list I found of some great Rom-Coms.
I just wanted to state that I'm more willing to watch these films now that I am married, even though I don't have a lot of interest in most of them. The good ones make it worth it. Oh, and the whole spending-time-and-watching-a-movie-with-my-wife thing helps too.

DVD Review: Clerks II

2007-01-15T16:44:00.000-05:00

What can I say that would properly sum up Clerks 2?... it's a fitting conclusion. The whiny, obnoxious and crude duo of Dante and Randal (Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson) are well-loved characters among film nerds. Clerks is the model by which all aspiring filmmakers base their first attempts, either on purpose or unconsciously. The release of Clerks put director Kevin Smith on the map and since 1994 he has had, for the most part, a successful career making movies about boys who won't grow up and the women who inexplicably fall for them.
The Kevin Smith microcosm is made up of Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and Clerks 2. Smith's "View Askewniverse", named for his production company, contains a wide variety of characters; some make multiple appearances (Jay and Silent Bob appear in all of his films), while others seem to exist only within one of Smith's intertwined plots. There are even passing references to characters or events from past Smith films in his later ones to help interconnect the world he has created.
But the trials and tribulations of Dante and Randal are what got this whole mess started. Clerks 2 allows us to catch up with our favorite counter-jockeys and we learn that not a whole lot has changed; in fact the only thing that has changed is that Dante and Randal are now working at Mooby's, and that's only because the Quick-Stop burned down. Neither seem to know what to do with their lives yet, even though they are both rapidly approaching 30. The basic plot is Dante is about to be married and will soon move to Florida with the new wife (played by Smith's real wife) but Dante doesn't exactly seem excited about these new changes in his life, Randal is upset about this but doesn't make his feelings widely known, Dante however may be secretly in love with Mooby's manager Becky (Rosario Dawson). Randal takes out his frustration over losing his best friend on Elias (Trevor Fehrman), a hopeless, Jesus-loving nerd (these are some of the funniest moments in the film).
What I'm trying to say is: go rent it, it's frickin' hilarious. And the story is good too.

Review: The Fountain

2006-12-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

I saw this a while ago but never got around to setting aside enough time for writing about it. Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain is stunning. If you like philosophical stories, science fiction stories, or stories that contain unconventional ideas then you must see this film. Unfortunately you'll have to wait until it's on DVD at this point; it's already out of theaters and it came out less than a month ago. I'm surprised it got such a wide release on November 22, to be honest I can't believe this movie even came to fruition. If you can't wait to rent it and don't mind knowing the plot in advance, there is a great graphic novel version of the story that Aronofsky published when he didn't think he was ever going to get the film made. The story behind the making of The Fountain alone is inspiring to anyone who's had a hard time trying to organize a dream project with little support from others.
The Fountain cannot be described, it has to be seen. It's about death, life, love and the fear of losing it forever. It's difficult to watch at some points, but for the most part you won't be able to look away. The trailer doesn't really tell you what the film is about (a major reason why most people didn't get interested by it); I don't think I can really tell you what it's about. I can tell you that it's powerful and it will affect you if you allow it. This is easily one of my top 5 movies of the year and one of my new favorites in the category of Sci-Fi.
I was pretty psyched for this movie when I first read about it a couple years ago, then came that first trailer and I was hooked. A story that spans 1000 years? It has conquistadors AND space travel? And on top of that the visual effects were jaw-dropping. I was hoping so badly for an epic Sci-Fi movie; the 2001: A Space Odyssey of my generation. As a fan of Science Fiction films, it saddens me when I try think of the best films of the genre; there's really only a handful of standards by which all others are compared. But this year there has been a pretty good crop of genuinely good Sci-Fi fare. A Scanner Darkly was the best adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel to date, The Science of Sleep possessed some of the same ideas that were floated in Michel Gondry's previous film the masterful Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Fountain turned out to be more of a mind-trip than anyone had anticipated, and the soon to be released Children of Men looks to be a well presented, terrifying vision of our near future a la George Orwell's 1984.
So I still have hope for the genre and can't wait to see what future filmmakers will come up with, and I hope that there will always be someone out there with have the foresight to finance them. Here are some stories about the current state of Science Fiction in Cinema: An MSNBC story on futuristic films, and an article from Wired about Sci-Fi in Hollywood.

Robert Altman

2006-12-13T12:31:00.000-05:00

I've been putting this off for a while, but I just wanted to say a few things about the death of director Robert Altman. Of his films I've only seen Gosford Park, M.A.S.H. and Nashville. From what I've read, these are considered to be some of his best so I'd like to say I know his style, however it sounds like he had many. Nashville is my Dad's favorite movie, he reminds us all of this often as Altman is his favorite director. After watching it I can see why my Dad likes it but I don't think it has the same appeal to my generation. M.A.S.H., on the other hand, I enjoyed; having only seen the TV show before watching the source material I can say that I can appreciate both for similar and different reasons. Gosford Park didn't appeal to me at all for various reasons; I just didn't find the upstairs/downstairs thing that interesting really and the pacing was brutally slow.
I've always wanted to go through Altman's filmography and absorb as much as I could but I've never gotten around to it; now that he's left us I feel ashamed for putting off watching his films. I'm convinced that my favorite Altman film is one that I haven't even watched yet so I'm excited to see as many of his as possible. I'm going to start with A Prairie Home Companion, the last film he did before he died and one based on a radio show that seemed to be on in the background throughout my entire youth. If you're interested in seeing the highlights of Altman's film career, here's a NY Times article that chronicles them.

Michael's Answers

2006-12-07T19:57:00.000-05:00

1. Popcorn or candy?
Popcorn, from any AMC so that i am able to put on as much heart attack butter as possible, so that my hand is glistening in the movie light

2. Name a movie you've been meaning to see forever.
Honestly i cannt think of a film i have been meaning to see but haven't yet.

3. You are given the power to recall one Oscar: Who loses theirs and to whom?
this was before my time.. but... LOL... Best Picture: The French Connection 1973. It should've been A Clockwork Orange... WHO SAW THAT COMMING!!?!?!

4. Steal one costume from a movie for your wardrobe. Which will it be?
Steve-O's costume from SLC Punk when he gives the FU to his parents... classic

5. Your favorite film franchise is...
Um, honestly this is freaken hard, prolly Spiderman though

6. Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why'd you invite them? What do you feed them? Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Johnny Depp, Darren Aronofsky, Christopher Nolan. Each one encompasses what i love about movies and that’s variety and skill. I think Mexican would be good, cannot go wrong with Mexican

7. What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater?
If they were to be zapped out of existence and put into another dimension where their phones no longer work and they have to watch a rerun episode of Mork and Mindy, "Mork Goes Erk." But i guess i will settle with them getting kicked out of the theatre and with no refund.

8. Choose a female bodyguard: Ripley from Aliens. Mystique from X-Men. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2. The Bride from Kill Bill. Mace from Strange Days:
For some reason Meryl and Owen say The Bride. I don’t see why they are over looking Sarah Connor from Terminator 2, which took on the Terminator in the first one and lived! I mean she fought the future and won, while The Bride fought the past and won. I will put all my money on Sarah.

9. What's the scariest thing you've ever seen in a movie?
A group of my friends and myself sat around a TV to watch Signs for the first time. That film was a very scary possible future.. if aliens existed.

10. Your favorite genre (excluding comedy and drama) is?
Sci Fi. I freaken Love Sci Fi, from shitty films from Even Horizon to Star Wars, Sci Fi is something that i will always take the time out of the day to watch in that genre

11. You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power?
First i would ban Uwe Boll from ever making a film. Second i would push and also put as much money in front of David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, and Wes Anderson in order to get the best films out of these guys

12. Bonnie or Clyde?
Seriously why is this question here? i pick or

13. Who are you tagging to answer this survey?
Andrew

Meryl's answers

2006-12-05T10:44:00.000-05:00

1. Popcorn or candy?
Popcorn, with extra butter.

2. Name a movie you've been meaning to see forever.
200 Cigarettes

3. You are given the power to recall one Oscar: Who loses theirs and to whom?
Oscar Night, 2005: “Finding Neverland” got screwed over.

4. Steal one costume from a movie for your wardrobe. Which will it be?
Kate Hudson’s band-aid wardrobe from “Almost Famous,” of course.

5. Your favorite film franchise is...
X-Men

6. Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why'd you invite them? What do you feed them?
Cameron Crowe, Wes Anderson, Jennifer Anniston, Steve Carrell, and Adan Sandler. They have all led pretty interesting careers. I think we would go out for Chinese.

7. What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater?
A swift foot to the cell phone.

8. Choose a female bodyguard: Ripley from Aliens. Mystique from X-Men. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2. The Bride from Kill Bill. Mace from Strange Days:
I agree with Owen: “Hands down, The Bride from Kill Bill.”

9. What's the scariest thing you've ever seen in a movie?
“Temple of Doom” heart-ripping-out-of-chest-cavity scene.

10. Your favorite genre (excluding comedy and drama) is?
Existentialist , in the vein of “Eternal Sunshine,” “Huckabees” and “Waking Life.”

11. You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power?
Cameron Crowe can do anything he wants.

12. Bonnie or Clyde?
N/A

13. Who are you tagging to answer this survey?
I think Baily and Brandon should fill this out.

The answers...

2006-11-29T14:42:00.000-05:00

Here's my answers to yesterday's MEME I linked to. Discuss. Respond.

1. Popcorn or candy? Candy... sometimes. Mike and Ikes.

2. Name a movie you've been meaning to see forever. All About Eve.

3. You are given the power to recall one Oscar: Who loses theirs and to whom? I can't decide, either Robert Redford or Kevin Costner needs to volunteer giving up their best director Oscar to Martin Scorsese, who deserved it both times.

4. Steal one costume from a movie for your wardrobe. Which will it be? Aragorn's grubby ranger outfit from The Fellowship of the Ring.

5. Your favorite film franchise is... Indiana Jones (I don't care if they make another one or not.)

6. Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why'd you invite them? What do you feed them? Assuming they have to living: Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, Natalie Portman, Peter Jackson. Why? Just for the stories they'd tell about their experiences and the people they've worked with. Also, I'd feed them cheese pizza.

7. What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater? A Mike and Ike to the back of the head.

8. Choose a female bodyguard: Ripley from Aliens. Mystique from X-Men. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2. The Bride from Kill Bill. Mace from Strange Days: Hands down, The Bride from Kill Bill.

9. What's the scariest thing you've ever seen in a movie? The Facehugger in Aliens.

10. Your favorite genre (excluding comedy and drama) is? Crime/Gangster

11. You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power? Run it to the ground funding as many dream projects as possible for my favorite Indie directors= Best movie year ever.

12. Bonnie or Clyde? Bonnie all the way.

13. Who are you tagging to answer this survey? Some friends at work.

Film on the web

2006-11-28T21:15:00.000-05:00

Today is random movie link day, where I send you, the reader, across the web to distant sites where you will find movie related entertainment and revel in your movie-geekdom.

First off, at Nostalgia Central, I found a list of 40 things that only happen in the movies, very funny list, and so true.

Next stop, over at Film Experience Blog, Nathaniel posted a fun movie MEME; fill it out and post it here or send it to your fellow cinephiles.

The Independent online has a good write up about CGI and the direction it is taking Hollywood.

Slate.com has a funny parody of It's a Wonderful Life, starring the Bush administration.

On to a new site I found called The Aspect Ratio; they have a list of good but overlooked movies. Most of them are Indies and sound like they're all worth watching.

And now two articles from the NY Times, one about how A Christmas Story is just now becoming a popular holiday classic, and the other is an interview with Zack Snyder and Frank Miller about the upcoming adaptation of Miller's 300.

Finally we wrap up today with a list from Mark Beall's Geek Beat over at Cinematical: Eight Things I Learned From The X-Men.

Marie Antoinette review

2006-11-28T20:57:00.000-05:00

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is fun movie to look at and to listen to, however the story itself feels a bit disjointed; even those who enjoyed Lost in Translation may find themselves wanting a bit more substance. The cast is actually very good; Kirsten Dunst radiates while portraying the character of the free-spirited Queen while Jason Schwartzman plays the subdued and bewildered King Louis XVI. Other supporting players include Rip Torn as the outgoing King and Molly Shannon as one the Queen's social friends. There's a lot of turning up of noses, and extensive learning of the rules on how a Queen behaves and spends her day; many of which are broken by the young Queen, even more so as she grows bored of the royal life.
I enjoyed the music and the costumes and getting a glimpse of the pallace at Versailles (they filmed on location). I did not enjoy the abrupt ending, nor the lack of any real history, save for a the occasional moment when someone would run up to Louis with bad news about peasants. This movie feels a lot longer than it is and we get bored with it about the same time the Queen does; only for serious fans of Coppola, Dunst, or costume dramas.

Borat review

2006-11-09T11:33:00.000-05:00

In case you're looking for something funny to see this weekend, here's some advice: Go see Borat. If you've already seen it, see it again; after that go see Stranger Than Fiction (opening Friday). Seriously though, Borat is hysterical. I've never laughed as hard as I did at this movie; there are a couple of parts where it started to hurt to keep laughing but I did anyway. A while back I wrote about Sacha Baron Cohen and his role in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and how he was even funnier than Will Ferrel.
In Borat, Cohen again lives and breathes his character, this time as Borat, the fictional Kazakhstani journalist who travels to America to gain "Cultural learnings of America for make benefit glorious nation of Kazakhstan" (as the title informs us). Basically he acts like a clueless foreigner and unknowing Americans make themselves look quite stupid by either ignoring his outrageous statements about Jews, Women and Homosexuals or even worse, they show their true colors and agree wholeheartedly with him.
Watching the film you may stop and realize that you yourself might not handle an encounter with Borat any better; any one of us would act one way or the other. I was impressed however with how some of the duped dealt with Borat by being polite and trying to correct him on how things are done in Western Civilization. Then there are the people who made me ashamed to be American, like the rodeo manager or the road-tripping fraternity members. Borat makes us laugh at own awkwardness but also at our ignorance.
Borat was the number one movie last weekend and it only played in 800 theaters as compared to the standard 3000+ theaters a typical widely released film receives. This weekend it should be showing just about everywhere (that way even the rodeo manager can see himself on the big screen). If you want to know more about the character of Borat check out the Wikipedia article devoted to him.

Another film opening this weekend, in addition to Stranger Than Fiction, is Babel (in case you're not in the mood for laughs). The reviews and buzz on Babel are good so I'd say it's a safe bet and would be an interesting follow-up to the culture clash themes of Borat.

Random film links

2006-11-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

Today is random movie link day, here you'll find neato articles and lists from some of the websites I read periodically.

The Independent has a great list of
the best and worst quotes, monologues and one-liners from the movies.

Newsweek has a feature on recent and upcoming prequel releases (there are quite a few coming out soon).

Yahoo's Holiday Movie Preview is up and running, check it out to take a look at all of the end of the year releases.

I found this cool site the other day: it's a list the 1000 greatest movies. It's compiled from over 1,000 top ten lists by filmmakers and critics, the most comprehensive one I've seen yet.

And lastly I have some late Halloween links. Over at The Geek Zine they have a list of the 13 best horror films and the 20 greatest killers on film. Also, Time Magazine has a feature on the new class of horror films called "The Splat Pack".

The Prestige review

2006-11-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

Before all the highly anticipated films of November and December start coming out, let me tell you about the best film October had to offer. The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan, stars Hugh Jackman (Wolverine from X-Men) and Christian Bale (Batman) as two competing magicians during the early 1900s. A while back I reviewed The Illusionist and was mildly surprised to find that I enjoyed it. However, I had a hunch that The Prestige was going to be better and more fun to sit through; I was right.
Nolan's magical mystery shows a dark side to all of the onstage fun and showmanship of being a magician. Secrets and betrayal run rampant, lives are ruined, friends and loved ones suffer from the dedication these men have for their craft. Supporting roles from Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie add much flavor to the narrative but Jackman and Bale are the keys to what makes this film so engaging.
I can't say much about the story because I feel you should know as little as possible before seeing it but I will say this: pay attention; the opening lines of "are you watching closely?" are more important than you realize. If you catch yourself thinking about your shopping list or something during the movie you may miss something important and get totally lost; keep up and you will be rewarded. Go see The Prestige, It's on my short list of my favorite films of the year with A Scanner Darkly and Little Miss Sunshine.

Check out Flixster

2006-10-27T17:44:00.000-04:00

For the last few months I've been a user on a site called Flixster; it's kind of like a MySpace for movie lovers. You set up a basic profile page, list some of your favorite movies, actors and directors, talk about yourself a little bit, then the fun starts. If you're a Netflix member, you know how addicting rating movies using their star system can be. Once I was on Flixster a few days I found that I had rated over 1000 movies in a little less than a week (see my ratings). Now of course making friends through Flixster is one the major goals of the site and they have developed a simple way for you to meet people with similar or opposite film tastes. Take the MCT (Movie Compatibility Test) and see where you compare with people who rated the same movies you did. I had a lot of fun making my friends sign up and take the test and seeing how they rated the 50 sample movies. On the site you can also add favorite actor photos and movie clips to your profile page. Also you can make theme lists and even create a widget to display them on your bloc or mishaps like the one on I made of all the recent movies I've seen (see sidebar). So if you use mishaps, gangs or Live Journal, check out fluster and see what you think.

In the news today, the Dixie Chicks documentary Shut Up And Sing was denied ad time on the NBC and CW networks. The reasons vary and they are all vague, but the point here is that this is a film defending freedom of speech and it's getting censored by giant corporations. The film opens in 4 theaters this weekend in LA and New York.

Also if you have seen The Departed and it's original version Infernal Affairs, check out David Bordwell's commentary on the two over at his site, a very good read.

That's it for now, next post will be my review of The Prestige; guess what? I liked it... A LOT.

DVD review: The Break Up

2006-10-24T14:08:00.000-04:00

If you've ever been in a relationship where you fight over the same dumb little things over and over: don't watch The Break Up, you'll start having flashbacks. Unfortunately for our couple in question they never do anything to make changes to avoid the next round of petty conflicts. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are apparently a real life couple off camera, let's hope that they are nicer to each other in reality. Though the DVD cover claims "The funniest movie of the year", there is nothing funny, or even fun for that matter, about this story.
The movie begins with what is probably the 100th fight about Vaughn's character being careless and inconsiderate and Aniston's being overbearing and demanding and ends in her stating that "it's over". Instead of talking about it the two of them try to see how long the other will go before wallowing back. The antes are upped and lines are crossed and both of them begin to realize maybe they really can't go on together. They each have moral support from friends and family (who they don't listen to) and all involved seem to think that they should just talk it out.
There is a moment near the end when I thought that maybe it would have a conventional Hollywood ending (thus becoming the worst romantic-comedy ever), but the writers decided to continue down the slippery slope and conclude this story of a crumbling relationship the only way it could. One redeeming aspect of the film is that there are a couple of scenes between Vaughn and Jon Favreau that are hilarious, seeing them together again made me remember how much I enjoyed Swingers. If you still want to see it, go right ahead, but please don't watch it with a date.

I just want to blog on the web all day

2006-10-18T11:54:00.000-04:00

I've been pretty busy at work the last few weeks, plus my netflix subscription ran out so I haven't had much time or topics to post about. But never fear dear reader, I will be making a concerted effort to get back into the swing of updating regularly again soon enough. Since my last post I've seen The Illusionist, The Departed and Employee Of The Month. One was surprisingly good, one was disappointing, and the last was just as good as I had expected it to be.
Being October and all, I've been in a scary movie mood so be prepared for a list or two featuring scary movies/moments in the upcoming weeks. While we're on the subject of lists, here's one that I enjoyed. Bullz-eye.com made up a list of best musical moments in film, excluding musical scores and songs written directly for a film. It's a very good list and they have video clips of most the moments featured, that's at least an hour of your day wasted right there.
In other horror news, there is a rumor of a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds with Naomi Watts starring. Bad... idea. I think the original is just fine, though the link provided makes a good argument for a remake, I feel that Hitchcock films are untouchable, so leave them alone.

That's all for now, this weekend I'm going to see The Prestige and if I'm lucky The Nightmare before Christmas in 3-D.

The Departed review

2006-10-17T11:12:00.000-04:00

It's shameful that I haven't posted about The Departed yet, considering how big of a fan I am of Martin Scorsese. Most critics are exclaiming that Marty's back, that we have a new American crime classic on our hands, and how good it is that Scorsese is doing a gangster movie again. All that is nice and all but it sounds a little insulting to me, didn't those people like The Aviator? (nominated for 11 Oscars in 2004) Wasn't Scorsese supposed to win best director that year finally? (he didn't) Scorsese is a great director no matter what he does, however I don't think that this film is up to par with some of his previous efforts. Some people are even saying it's his best film since Goodfellas, this may be true but I don't think this film is half the movie Goodfellas is.
Here's my problem: I really like the Chinese-made original, Infernal Affairs. Too much so apparently because I kept comparing the two films in my head while watching The Departed; I didn't want to but I couldn't help it. The Departed is a good movie but the story had lots of little things added to each story that worked fine in the original and when you add it all up you get an even more complicated story, more characters to keep track of, and on top of that you have to make sure that your stars have enough screen time.
Now I know they cut some of Jack Nicholson's scenes, but this movie could have been a little shorter or it could have focused more on the cat and mouse game and less on unnecessary additions to the plot. What's hard about my complaints about the movie is that, the three characters that got more screen time than needed were all really good. Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg all turned in great and funny performances but they took away from the main theme of the duality found in good and bad guys. By the way, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio were fantastic as the moles trying to root each other out. I want to see DiCaprio up for Best Actor this year, he nailed it.
Overall the film was pretty good and if you haven't seen Infernal Affairs you'll love it. It is violent but it's spread out until the end. A small complaint though: I'm sick of seeing digital gore and I am very sad that Scorsese of all people employed the use of it. When people start getting shot at the end of a movie I want it to look real (i.e. use blood packs and on set sparks) don't paint it in digitally in post-production. So there's what I think of the film, go see it and judge for yourself.

The Illusionist review

2006-10-17T10:28:00.000-04:00

So a while ago I saw The Illusionist and I never got around to writing about it. Before seeing it, the film was just that other magician movie that didn't look as good as The Prestige (a film I will be quick to see this weekend). Now that I've seen it, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. The Illusionist stars Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel and is directed by Neil Burger.
Norton plays the title character of Eisenheim the Illusionist who may or not have supernatural powers. He uses that mystery to his advantage when he attempts to take down the crown prince in Vienna at the turn of the 19th century. There's a little bit of politics and a little of romance, served with a large order of mystery and twists. Norton and Giamatti are the standouts here, Giamatti is especially on his game and he seems to channel Claude Rains in Casablanca. Biel is just fine in her role as childhood sweetheart to Eisenheim and political tool to the crown prince. The camerawork and lighting are top notch and creates a very convincing century-old vibe to the film via a use of sepia tones and iris-ins and outs.
Edward Norton once again reminds me that he is one of our better actors working today (somehow I forget that fact when I don't see him something for a while). If you haven't seen The Illusionist, do so before the marketing machine behind The Prestige makes you forget about it.

The Black Dahlia review

2006-09-21T16:57:00.000-04:00

I got to go out and see The Black Dahlia the other night even though the latest from Brian DePalma had been getting less than positive reviews. I actually enjoyed it and I don't know if that was due to the low expectations I had or that fact that I wanted to like it. Either way, I liked it and I couldn't quite see what everyone didn't like about the film.
Be forewarned, there is not a lot of time actually spent on the investigation of the murder of Elizabeth Short. The film actually is buddy cop movie starring Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart, oh yeah and Scarlett Johanson is in it too, but really she's not that noticeable. Hilary Swank actually stands out here, as does Mia Kirshner, in her few scenes as the doomed 'Dahlia'. Eventually we do get a conclusion about the murder that ties everyone involved in the story to the crime.
This film is full of allusions and homages to other films, DePalma's included. Watch for scenes that immediately make you think of The Untouchables and Carrie. Also there are many references to a 1928 silent film called The Man Who Laughs. The James Ellroy apparently has this theme also. So, throughout The Black Dahlia we see clips from the 1928 film, references to Victor Hugo (author of the original novel), even clown paintings scattered in key locations. The only thing I knew about The Man Who Laughs before seeing The Black Dahlia was that the film version has been cited as an inspiration for the character of The Joker from the comic book universe.
Hartnett, Swank and Eckhart are all good in their acting turns and DePalma is in fine form here, even though he took over production from David Fincher. If you like crime stories from this era or Brian DePalma films, than The Black Dahlia is for you.

Netflix review: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

2006-09-21T16:20:00.000-04:00

First time director Shane Black has made a very entertaining dark comedy with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Starring Robert Downey Jr. as our narrator Harry; the film follows him as he stumbles from a life of crime in New York to the upside down world of Hollywood as a wanna-be actor. Hollywood apparently is bristling with swank parties, powerful people and deadly people; however there is no police presence whatsoever.
While in Hollywood, Harry is paired up with a private detective, Val Kilmer in one of his funniest roles. Harry is supposed to observe the life of a private eye to help prepare him for a movie role, but that's not important to the story. Harry also meets up with a childhood friend, played by Michelle Monaghan, who is much better in this movie than she was in Mission: Impossible III. But that's not important either.
In fact not much is important to the story in this film, the murder mystery that three of them get involved with is not that interesting (did I mention Val Kilmer is really funny?). The movie is not very serious but sometimes takes itself so. However, throughout the movie Downey's character cracks jokes about how we are actually just watching a film; his character is very aware in that aspect.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a very funny movie, don't get me wrong. There's just not that much to it all.

Harvey Dent rumors

2006-09-19T10:59:00.000-04:00

Being the Batman geek that I am, I have to run any news I think is cool regarding the upcoming Batman Begins sequel: The Dark Knight. A while ago it was reported that Liev Schreiber was being considered to play Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two Face (the character has appeared twice previously in Batman films). It's generally assumed that Harvey Dent will be Batman's ally in seeking justice through most or all of The Dark Knight, then later becoming one of the most notorious rogues gallery members as Two Face in a third film. I can't wait to see what director Christopher Nolan does with that relationship.
Now according to Cinematical, Schreiber is out and a new name is getting tossed around, one that I can't believe hasn't been mentioned yet. Guy Pearce, the man who got his first break in Memento; a film that put Nolan's name on the map as well. From L.A. Confidential, to Ravenous, to Memento, Pearce has always impressed me; he even made The Time Machine bearable. I wasn't very thrilled with any of the other names mentioned for this role and I think Pearce would be dead on. He has the ability to project that scary level of passion for justice as D.A. Dent, and he could easily be just as creepy when portraying Two Face. I hope this is more then just a rumor and that Nolan and company are doing what they can to get Pearce. We should be hearing something official on this within a few weeks.

'Chicks' doc shows no regrets

2006-09-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

Until their new album was released a few months ago,The Dixie Chicks had completely dropped off the radar. Now that Taking The Long Way has gone platinum, it's safe to say that lead singer Natalie Maines' comment about President Bush didn't hurt their careers all that much. A new film about the Chicks, directed by two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple, is showing at the Toronto International Film Festival. It documents their work on the new album and how their lives were changed by the backlash to Maines' comments. The film, titled Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, has received minor coverage, while President Bush is making quit a splash at the festival with multiple films featuring him.
In March of 2003, in front of a London audience, Maines spoke out against the President and his decision to invade Iraq, saying that she was "ashamed that the President was from Texas" (the Chicks' home state). After that the band faced protests, lower ticket sales, radio boycotts, a death threat that attracted concern from the FBI, and general ostracism by the country music community. Apparently the Red Cross even rejected a $1 million donation from the band. Blue collar heroes such as singer Toby Keith and Larry the Cable Guy publicly criticized the Chicks; in his act, The Cable Guy said about Maines: "That little fat one better shut up". President Bush was quoted about the negative reaction of fans to Maines' statement, saying that "Freedom of speech is a two way street".

Maines and her bandmates, Emily Robinson and Martie Maguire, have lost many supporters since the day they chose to speak out about something other than music. But they have also gained many new fans who applaud their independence, myself included. For more on the film, follow the link to Phil Gallo's review at Variety.

take a geeky look in the mirror

2006-09-13T13:59:00.000-04:00

I thoroughly enjoyed this list I found while digging through The Movie Blog archives. Originally published on ToyFare's website, it's called The Geek 100 and if anything, the list is an entertaining read for geeks and non-geeks alike. It's a list of the greatest moments in film, tv, comics and pop culture; according to geeks (it includes the bizarro episode of Star Trek). I had so much fun going through this list; many items on it are moments from some of my favorite films. Check it out and see if you can remember the first time you witnessed these geek-culture-shaping events.

In other news, Apple Computer has announced the ability to download movies from it's online iTunes Store. Currently, only titles from Disney, Miramax, Pixar and Touchstone are available (come on Hollywood, get with the program!). This could potentially be a very big step. The resolution of the iTunes movies and shows is TV quality and it looks great on your computer at full screen. Down the road, users will be able to broadcast their downloaded movies and TV shows wirelessly to their TVs when Apple releases their 'iTV' device next year. You still can't burn them to DVD but I think iTunes users are really going to make this thing take off.

Last but not least, if you want to see a clip... sorry, THE CLIP, from the film Death Of A President; you'll have to look for it for yourself cause the link I had to the Daily Mail was taken down.

update: Jackson busy with other dragons

2006-09-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

So it seems that Peter Jackson may not be doing The Hobbit after all, but I guess that's okay because it sounds like he's got a new project to be excited about. It's called 'Temeraire', based on a series of novels of the same name, by Naomi Novik. I looked up the books and they sound really interesting. The concept of the stories is that during the Napoleonic era, dragons are used as a sort of air force.

"'Temeraire' is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love -- fantasy and historical epic," states Jackson about acquiring the rights. "I can't wait to see Napoleonic battles fought with a squadron of dragons. That's what I go to the movies for."

This sounds like a really great project and I would love to see it done, but at what cost? Will Temeraire be a fair substitute for Jackson's version of The Hobbit?

If you still want to read more about the proposed Hobbit movie, head over to Looking Closer Journal where Jeffrey has some good ideas.

In other news, the film Death Of A President will get a U.S. theatrical release and the Borat movie gets good reviews from Toronto.

is The Hobbit in the works?

2006-09-11T17:31:00.000-04:00

I've read all over the internet today that, according to Variety magazine, MGM's CEO Harry Sloan announced some of the big projects his studio will be taking on in the near future. Included were sequels to The Pink Panther and The Thomas Crown Affair, a new installment of the Terminator series, and most surprisingly: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (MGM owns the distribution rights to a Hobbit film). And he wants Peter Jackson to direct.
I had given up hope on the prospects of seeing The Hobbit in theaters, and at this point I am still very skeptical. However, regardless of my outer pessimism, the geek within is very, very excited. How does Peter Jackson actually fit into this equation? Well he's quoted over at Aint it Cool News saying that he hasn't been approached yet but he would love to do The Hobbit, however he says his schedule for the next couple of years is filling up (Though I have a feeling that if they asked him to do it, he'd find the time). No word from New Line (who owns the rights to make The Hobbit) on whether they see eye to eye with MGM.
It really wouldn't be the same if they didn't bring back the entire Oscar winning crew from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. So of course there's already an online petition you can sign that is addressed to MGM and New Line, pleading for the same level of quality that we got with the LOTR trilogy. I've already signed it; I would love to be able to watch The Hobbit, follow it with the LOTR trilogy and not be able to tell they were made as separate projects. Alas, it's still very early to determine if this project will even happen; I won't be convinced until they actually start filming.

Here are a few simple demands I ask of MGM and New Line:
1. They must get Ian McKellen to return as Gandalf the Grey.
2. Peter Jackson and Weta have to be behind the production.
3. The Oscar winning writing team of Jackson, Philppa Boyens and Fran Walsh should write the script, or the cohesiveness will be off.
4. Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins, no he's not too old.
5. Hugo Weaving in a quick appearance as Elrond would be nice.
6. They have to find a great voice actor for Smaug the dragon and it can't be Sean Connery or James Earl Jones. I suggest Brian Cox, he's great and he's Scottish.

That is all I ask (That, and please don't call it Bilbo Begins).

netflix review: United 93

2006-09-10T21:56:00.000-04:00

I don't believe I've ever gotten a knot in my stomach from watching a movie, but about 30 minutes or so into United 93 I started to feel it. The feeling didn't go away until I was able to fall asleep later that night. Knowing what you're about to see depicted is not enough to prepare you for actually sitting through this film. The suspense is tremendous because you know exactly what the people on screen are about to be confronted with. The state of confusion and lack of communication between those in authority is painfully frustrating to watch. United 93 is an immensely depressing movie.
I have yet to see World Trade Center, as I wish to watch it also from the comfort of home, but I know already that United 93 will prove to be the more powerful and memorable of the two. This film is not just about the one plane that failed to reach it's imposed destination, it's about everything that went wrong that day. Every attempt by the FAA to work with the military to try and avoid maximum destruction was thwarted, as were any actions the military tried to get approval on by those highest in command. United 93 covers all the events of 9/11, focusing on the efforts made by a few passengers, based on the facts that we know.
I don't expect it will be on top of the weekly rentals list and I doubt very many DVD copies were sold since its Tuesday release; people will watch this one when they're ready. If you do plan on watching it though, don't do it alone, you'll need the company of another human afterward so you don't find yourself thinking too much about what you just saw. Down the road when we have all the information about everything that happened on that day, I believe that United 93 will still be remembered as the definitive film about the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

are you talking to me?

2006-09-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

Wow, there is a new trailer for Casino Royale on the net (I recommend the super-high-quality version) and it's got me pretty excited for a new Bond movie. I will say that I was not to keen on Daniel Craig for the role of 007 (my pick was Clive Owen). He just didn't look right to me (he's blond!), besides, had we really seen him do any action films of this scale? Plus, I am a BIG fan of Pierce Brosnan as Bond (which is silly because, only the first two Bonds he did were really any good).
But, I did know this about Craig: he's a really good actor and has incredible screen presence. I first saw him in Road To Perdition where he impressively played the insecure son of Paul Newman's gangster character. He had a starring role in Layer Cake that put him on the map with film fans, again playing a gangster. Most recently I saw him in Steven Spielberg's Munich, which had great acting from everyone in its huge cast; Craig still stood out to me though.
Then when I learned that Martin Campbell, the director of Goldeneye, would be returning to helm the new Bond movie, I got really interested. The first trailer that came out a while back was okay but this new one has sold me on it; count me as officially excited for Casino Royale.

Just in case you were wondering, this is NOT a remake of the 1967 comedy Casino Royale starring Peter Sellers and David Niven, though the names of the characters ARE the same (due to both films being based on the same Ian Fleming novel).

politics in film

2006-09-07T11:38:00.000-04:00

After my post yesterday about President Bush's acting debut and his eerie physical similarities to Sterling Hayden, I got to thinking about politics in movies. Politics and film have always had an unstable relationship. Movies containing political ideas, whether subtle or substantial to the plot, generally are not that popular with the typical movie going masses. However, political movies have always been popular with Oscar voters, and that trend has seemed to have increased somewhat in the last few years.
Last year each of the five best picture nominees were either political in nature or were embraced/rejected by those with political agendas. In addition, when Million Dollar Baby won the award the year before, many claimed it was due to a major plot point of the film and how it dealt with a particularly hot issue of the time.
If you do a search for "best political movies" you get a wide variety of results. You may find a list of movies about Presidents or the political machine such as The American President or Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (yes those count as being political films). Or you might find a list that contains movies like Million Dollar Baby or Crash; great stories that have political undertones (intended or not) that just might press you rethink your position on an issue. A few films combine both aspects and we get All The President's Men and The Manchurian Candidate.
I tend to like films in the second category. Any film that tells an engaging story, fictional or historical, and forces me to look at an issue from another perspective, political or not, has done its job well. Here is a quick list of my favorite political movies in no particular order:

All The President's Men, Crash, Requiem For A Dream, The Contender, JFK, Wag The Dog, Dr. Strangelove, The Insider, Bowling For Columbine, American History X, Traffic, The Life Of David Gale, Nashville, A Clockwork Orange, Million Dollar Baby, House Of Sand And Fog, Syriana, The Manchurian Candidate

Some upcoming political films include: This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Man Of The Year, The U.S. Vs John Lennon, Bobby, All The King's Men, The Good Shepherd

So today while I scanned the Internet for movie related news I found myself reading more and more articles about political films. In addition to the release of D.O.A.P. and its upcoming screening at Toronto's film festival, there are quite a couple of other hot button films that are garnering attacks from both sides of the political spectrum.

- Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth will be out on DVD November 21 in an eco-friendly package. Gore's film about global warming received much criticism from conservatives trying to convince us all that our current grotesque pollution levels are just fine.

- ABC will be showing their mini-series The Path To 9/11 on Sunday and Monday nights at 8:00pm. Former members of President Clinton's administration are already criticizing the film, claiming the it points the finger at Clinton's Presidency and fabricates events to support the accusations made.

Finally, one week before the fifth anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington, comes the story of the plane that didn't reach it's intended, but still unknown target. The film United 93 was widely hailed by critics when it was released back in April, disliked only by the few who found they weren't ready to watch it. The DVD came out on Tuesday, and it was given a very 'quiet' release if I must say. I'm going to watch it by the weekend and will let you know what I thought of it here, that is if I can bring myself to get out of bed the next day.

a gentleman and an officer

2006-09-06T12:04:00.000-04:00

When I saw this photo of Bush speaking to the Military Officers Association of America (Sept. 5) it immediately made me think of a certain dark-comedy about the end of the world and the nutso general who starts the whole mess.

Stanley Kubrick's choice of angles when shooting Sterling Hayden's Gen. Jack T. Ripper added a level helplessness to those scenes. I'll never forget when Ripper explains why he made the order. He goes on about how he's sick of the politicians trying to make military decisions and that war should be left to the Generals, that's when you realize that it's already too late to stop the planes from reaching their targets. Dr. Strangelove is a must see film.

In a related story, British TV network More4 is going to show a 'what if?' mocumentary showing the aftermath of a fictional assassination of President Bush. This story made national news right before the labor day weekend and pretty much everyone forgot about it. However, the film, Death Of A President, will be shown on More4 on October 9 and is screening soon at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10. Obviously D.O.A.P. has generated controversy, rage and curiosity stateside, but it's doubtful this film will be shown in the United States, at least while Bush is still in office. But maybe down the road it'll get a DVD release that we can all watch and judge for ourselves.

september... it's about time

2006-09-05T13:05:00.000-04:00

Alright, the month of September is finally here, we can all breath easy: quality movies are on the horizon.

Highlights of this month include L.A. throwback mystery tales, Hollywoodland (Sept. 8) and The Black Dahlia (Sept. 15); The Science of Sleep (Sept. 15) meets the annual quirky, cerebral movie requirement; Jet Li's alleged last martial arts film Fearless (Sept. 22); and rounding out the first month of the Oscar season comes the future story of humanity struggling to survive, with Children of Men (Sept. 29).

I've got a couple of links for you also. Over at Pajiba they've put together a list of the best movies you've never seen (I've only seen two of them), check it out and get to renting some unknown treasures. Also, at Twitch Guru, I found a malicious list of the worst uses of CGI in a lot of recent movies (finally someone else noticed those horrible, fake wolves in The Day After Tomorrow).

I don't know what the next movie I see will be (any recommendations?), but when I do you'll hear all about right here.

netflix review: Infernal Affairs

2006-08-29T15:51:00.000-04:00

I finally sat down and watched Infernal Affairs last night, and oh man, I can't wait for The Departed. I hate to say it, but Scorsese may be biting off more than he can chew. I mean it's hard to remake a movie unless you do it better but I fear the master himself, even with the impressive cast he put together, may not be up to the challenge.

Infernal Affairs stars Tony Leung Chui Wai and Andy Lau (who co-directs) as yin and yang; Leung plays a cop who's been undercover for ten years with the mafia and Lau plays a gangster who has infiltrated and worked his way up to a high position in the police force. Both sides learn they have a traitor in their midsts and focus all efforts toward sniffing the other sides' planted mole. The intertwined plots will confuse you, I promise but if you pay attention you will be rewarded by a well-crafted good guy-bad guy morality play.

Definitely worth renting (I may even buy it) and when The Departed comes out I will be first in line to see if Scorsese makes the story his own. I you like gangster movies or Chinese action flicks than this one's for you.

sports movie nostalgia

2006-08-25T11:51:00.000-04:00

Disney's new film Invincible, starring Mark Wahlberg based on a real guy who went to open tryouts for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1970s is coming out today. Early buzz is that it's not too bad, similar to The Rookie and Miracle (also Disney releases).

So along that theme, I wanted to present my favorite sports movies list.

1. Raging Bull - One of my all-time favorite films, with or without the boxing.
2. Bull Durham - The best written and funniest baseball movie ever.
3. Breaking Away - Great cast and story, hey maybe Lance watched this growing up.
4. Field of Dreams - Fantastic premise and memorable writing.
5. Eight Men Out - The story of the infamous 'black sox', good companion to Field of Dreams.
6. Friday Night Lights - The ugly politics of high school football on display.
7. Major League - Second funniest baseball movie of all time, sadly too true to reality yet again.
8. White Men Can't Jump - The movie that introduced streetball to all us white kids growing up.
9. Hoop Dreams - Documentary that follows two promising high school players for four years on their heartbreaking quest to make it to the pros.
10. Million Dollar Baby - One of Clint Eastwoods' best directed films; and like all great sports movies, it's more about life in general than sports.

I know what you're thinking, where's Rocky or Hoosiers? I'm so ashamed... I've never actually sat down and watched either film.

Here's a link to the IMBD's top 50 sports movies list based on user votes so you can see where your favorites stand.

There's been a lot of buzz about the documentary Jesus Camp; how it was screened at Michael Moore's film festival after the makers tried to have it pulled from the lineup claiming they didn't want the film to be labeled too liberal, and then Moore later stating that was a shameless publicity stunt saying that the makers begged for it to be screened. Well here's the trailer for Jesus Camp, and holy crap it's scary.

You can also now see the trailer for Little Children, the latest film from the director of In The Bedroom, this one has quickly become one my biggest I-need-to-see-it movies that are coming about over the next few months (Oscar season!).

Finally, if you absolutely have to know everything about the Tom Cruise/Paramount fallout, there's a good piece that explains all involved and their likely motives.

Little Miss Sunshine review

2006-08-22T16:58:00.000-04:00

In addition to Ricky Bobby, I was fortunate enough to have time to take in Little Miss Sunshine over the weekend. If you haven't read much about the film, let me say now that it doesn't have much to do with beauty pageants.

The title refers to the pageant that Olive, the youngest of the Hoover family, is granted entry to by way of a technicality. The family, one of the more dysfunctional and realistic ones you'll ever see on screen, puts all other crises on hold and packs up the VW Bus and leaves for California.

The opening scene where we meet all of the characters involved is almost real time and lasts close to twenty minutes; it shows the family coming together to eat dinner (something most dysfunctional families rarely do). That may sound boring but it flies right by and we learn all we need to know about each character and we crave more as the scene ends. Worthy of note, all six Hoovers are present in almost every scene, making frame composition a challenge. The rest of the movie is the family trying to stand each other in the small quarters of the bus as they race to get the pageant in time. There are many obstacles.

Standout performances include Alan Arkin as the unabashed grandfather and Steve Carell as the tormented Uncle. Like recent films such as the Squid and the Whale and the Royal Tennenbaums, Sunshine is drenched in the humor and tragedy that all families experience. This one is by far the sweeter of the three, but just as well conceived.

a sunny comedy that shines

2006-08-22T15:14:00.000-04:00

The other two Film Narrators and I went to see Little Miss Sunshine together Sunday. I had been looking forward to the movie for a few weeks now, and my expectations were met. This is one of the best movies I've seen in months, and I am probably going to purchase it when it comes out on DVD.

An avid fan of Wes Anderson flicks, most notably The Royal Tenenbaums, I noticed some similarities right away between Sunshine and Tenenbaums. The camera angles, character development, a similar sense of humor. However, this is not an Anderson film. It was directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, a duo best known for their work doing... music videos.

This film focuses around six family members and you can't help but like each of them. The dad, played by Greg Kinnear, took a little while to warm up to, but by the end I was rooting for him as well. Toni Collette does an outstanding performance as the mother who tries to keep everything and everyone together. The son, played by relative newcomer Paul Dano, has some of the funniest lines, despite having taken a vow of silence-- oh, you'll see what I mean. Steve Carell plays an untraditional role, but shines as well.

In a movie where one bad thing happens after another to a poor family, I tend to get frustrated (I can't stand watching Meet the Parents because I just feel terrible for Ben Stiller the whole time). However, this movie keeps it on the lighter, perhaps sunnier side, and the misfortunes are bearable to watch. After all, they're doing it all for 7-year-old potential beauty queen Olive, and when you see her you'll be able to relate.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby review

2006-08-22T11:38:00.000-04:00

So this weekend I saw Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and I'll start by saying that the title is probably the weakest aspect of the film.

First off, when I heard they were making this movie I kind of groaned. I was afraid that it just wouldn’t be any good and Will Ferrell’s film comedy career would be over. Talladega Nights is written by Ferrell and director Adam McKay, the same team behind Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy. I thought ‘How can it go wrong? I liked Anchorman’, but there was this voice in my head saying that I shouldn’t waste my time with it. Well the voice was wrong, but I think I know what it was trying to tell me: This movie is simply Anchorman on wheels.

In the film we have an arrogant, ignorant, close-minded goof who’s at the top of his game before it all comes crashing down due to a ground-breaking change that conflicts with his narrow view of reality (sound familiar?). In Anchorman it was the addition of a female to a 1970s high profile news crew, who’s an equal if not better reporter than the hero. This time it’s the appearance of a homosexual Frenchman trying to conquer NASCAR, who again appears to easily upstage our hero Ricky Bobby; semi-offensive confrontations ensue. Here’s a tip, if you like Ferrell doing his impression of the president AND you find the French accent even a little bit comical: go see this movie. The French driver in question is played by Sacha Baron Cohen, and he is hysterical.

The movie runs a little long but has a great supporting cast, many of whom get underused, too bad for them. Although Talladega Nights is not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as Anchorman, it’s a little bit smarter.

Brick review

2006-08-22T11:17:00.000-04:00

My latest Netflix rental was the 2005 release Brick. Written and directed by Rian Johnson (his first full-length feature), the film garnered a lot of attention at last year’s Sundance Film Festival when it won the Special Jury Prize. The film is based on a very simple but unique idea. Take a genre and lift the dialogue, mood and characterizations and place it in an entirely new setting. In this case, Johnson took a typical Noir-ish, gumshoe story and set it in the present day with high school kids filling the roles of tough guys, femme fatales, gangsters and informants.
Needless to say, the concept works very well. Lead tough guy Brendan, played perfectly by Joesph Gordon-Levitt, gets a mysterious phone call from an ex-girlfriend, she sounds scared and seems to want help. He sets off to find out wants she’s gotten into and enlists the help of The Brain, a local know-it-all.
The story has its twists and turns and you have fun watching the classic roles of ‘the muscle’ and ‘crime lord’ filled by such boyish faces. My only issue with the story is that I didn’t care how it ended; it was more fun to just watch the variety of characters. It felt like they slapped on a generic Maltese Falcon like speech at the end that sort of made sense. But it is still a very well-crafted movie and I highly recommend it for fans of 30s and 40s Noir fans.

My next Netflix review will be of Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong cop thriller that Scorsese has remade and is releasing this October as "The Departed".

who's doing what and with who

2006-08-18T14:39:00.000-04:00

They tell me it's been a week since I've updated the site. Well, here's a weeks worth of news:

Over at Yahoo Movie News they're reporting that two off my favorite directors will be working on new projects soon. Wes Anderson will start filming his latest flick The Darjeeling Limited in India starting at the end of this year. The film is yet another Anderson/Owen Wilson writing collaboration (I'm a little tired of Owen Wilson but these two do write good screenplays together). Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody play three brothers on a spiritual trip to India after their father dies. Ah, another family dramedy from Anderson, I can't wait.

Also reported, Tim Burton will bring the musical Sweeney Todd to the big screen and guess who's playing the title character? Burton's go-to guy for off-the-wall characters, Johnny Depp. This should be weird and visually appealing, but we wont know if it's good until it's seen.

I've read that there will be a film adaptation of the children's book "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs". I personally remember that one well and as a child had a fear of being squashed by giant meatballs whenever it rained. This fits well with the slowly developing screen version of "Where the Wild Things Are", another of my boyhood favorites. Spike Jonze was attached to the project last I heard but it seems to be in development limbo, they don't even know if it will be CGI or live-action yet.

A short comment about another project that I would love to see actually happen. Apparently there is a Metal Gear Solid movie slated for release in 2008 by Universal Pictures. We need to write some letters because I want Universal to make this movie happen. The video games this film would be based on are more finely crafted than half of what Hollywood puts out each year. The plots, the action, the cut-scenes are flawless and on top of that the lead hero is the ultimate one-man army. And you know who would be perfect to play Solid Snake?... Hugh Jackman. I know, it would be nice to get the guy who does the voice acting for the games but you need to have a star to get something obscure like this moving. If you haven't play the games, go rent Metal Gear Solid for the playstation or Twisted Snakes for the Gamecube and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Finally, here's a story that just made me angry reading it. I wish that Bryan Singer would just have stayed on and did X-men 3, it could have been so much better than what we got this summer. I'll admit I was excited to see what he would do with Superman, but after seeing both films I was doubly disappointed. Granted, Fox could have waited a couple years and let Singer complete the trilogy after his work on Superman, but they had to get the movie out to compete with Supes. Enter Brett Ratner, the man who brought us the Rush Hour movies and a sub-par adaptation of Red Dragon (saved only by the phenomenal cast). Ratner, combined with the fact that Fox rushed through every step of the filmmaking process, directed a lack-luster, stale action movie. I don't even care if they continue the series. If they try, it won't have Singer's vision and it will be minus most of our favorite mutants. I'd rather see another Singer-directed Superman film before I watch any more X-men movies, and I don't even like Superman that much. Read the whole story and you too will be as depressed as I am right now.

live free like pirates or die hard like spiders

2006-08-10T13:09:00.000-04:00

Here's a tentative but mostly official release schedule for the summer of 2007:

May 4: Spider-Man 3
May 18: Shrek the Third
May 25: Pirates of The Caribbean: At World's End
June 8: Ocean's Thirteen
June 15: Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer
June 22: Evan Almighty
June 29th: Live Free or Die Hard
July 4: Transformers
July 13: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
July 27: The Simpsons Movie
August 3: The Bourne Ultimatum
August 10: Rush Hour 3

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I have to say it's an impressive, yet boring lineup. Every single one of these is either the latest in a franchise; a spinoff from a previous summer movie; or based on a TV show. But again I'm torn; I actually want to see most of these movies. In fact I have a moderate to strong desire to see all of these films with the exception of Rush Hour 3, a movie I have little to no interest in seeing (which is the same way I felt about Rush Hour 2).

I guess this is the kind of stuff that we expect from summer movies (Michael Bay will never win an Oscar) but with this volume of franchise releases I don't see how any original films are going to be able to garner any mass attention, let alone any money at the box office. I guess filmmakers with fresh ideas will have to fight over the other 8 months of the year. However, as a fan of box office trends I am anxious to see how obscene the grosses generated by the month of May alone will be with the Spiderman, Shrek and Pirates threequels. For the record, the films I'm most anticipating are: Spiderman 3, The Bourne Ultimatum and Harry Potter 5.

how soon is to soon?

2006-08-08T13:45:00.000-04:00

World Trade Center is coming out tomorrow, a release date that is a little over a month shy of the 5th anniversary of the attacks in NYC. For the paper I write for I had the opportunity last week to interview some local fire fighters and police officers and ask what they think about a 9/11 movie being made. The answers varied, as expected. Here's some of the quotes I got, for those interested:

"Personally, I have shied away from this kind of stuff," said a local fire fighter. "Even documentaries. I'm not ready for Hollywood's version either."

The fire fighter added that while it's nice to be honored by Hollywood, glorifying fire fighters and police officers hasn't really done any true service to what he and other officials do.

However, a local police officer praised the makers of World Trade Center for doing their research. Michael Pena spent time living with the Port Authority man he portrays in the film, Officer William Jimeno.

"I'll probably see it," said the police officer. "I know it was approved by some of the fire fighters and police officers involved. They're the ones who have been through the tragedy more than us as a nation... we as citizens should respect that."

I spoke with many others, but this is a sample of some of what is being said about the film. I think I'm on the fence on this one, but I'm keeping an open mind and I'll go see the movie as well.

I want to see that

2006-08-07T15:36:00.000-04:00

Here is a little list (I know... another list) of movies coming out this year that I want to see. We'll start with what is left of this month:

August

World Trade Center - August 9
Yes I’m ready to see it, and then I’m going to rent United 93 when it comes out of DVD.
Idlewild - August 25
I think this movie looks like a lot fun and will showcase some great music.

September

This Film Is Not Yet Rated - September 1
I’ve been dying to learn the secrets of the MPAA, let’s just hope that this documentary actually delivers them.
Hollywoodland - September 8
A promising noir starring Ben Affleck as the ill-fated George Reeves and Adrien Brody as the P.I. on the case.
The Black Dahlia - September 15
This Hollywood murder mystery comes from the author of ‘L.A. Confidential’, starring Josh Hartnet and Scarlet Johansson. Directed by Brian De Palma.
The Science Of Sleep - September 15
This movie just looks cool, watch the trailer. Directed by Michel Gondry.
The U.S. Vs John Lennon - September 15
A documentary about John Lennon’s fight. Made with Yoko’s permission.
All The King’s Men - September 22
A remake of a southern political drama, starring Sean Penn and Jude Law.
Jet Li’s Fearless - September 22
Allegedly Jet Li’s final action film, guess I better go see it.
Children Of Men - September 29
A future-story with the premise being that humankind can no longer create children.

October

The Departed - October 6
Scorsese. Nicholson. DiCaprio. Damon. Gangsters. Crime. ‘Nuf said.
Little Children - October 6
From the director of ‘In the Bedroom’. An ensemble drama with character paths crisscrossing in both comic and tragic ways.
Running With Scissors - October 11
A boy from an unstable family is raised by his mother’s therapist.
Man Of The Year - October 13
Barry Levinson directs this story of a late-night talk show host who runs for president.
Flags Of Our Fathers - October 20
Clint Eastwood’s take on the American side of the battle of Iwo Jima.
Killshot - October 20
Adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel about a couple in the Witness Protection Agency on the run from a pair of killers.
The Prestige - October 20
Christopher Nolan directs this tale about two rival magicians at the turn of the twentieth century. Is it magic or is it real?
Babel - October 27
Tragedy hits while an American couple are on vacation, three stories from around the world woven together by the director of ‘21 Grams’.

November

Volver - November 3
The latest film from Pedro Almodovar about three generations of women dealing with a death in the family.
Stranger Than Fiction - November 10
Will Ferrel stars as a character in an author’s new book. However, both creator and creation seem to exist in the same reality.
Casino Royale - November 17
The origin story of the greatest film spy ever. James Bond is back and blonde in what some are calling “Bond Begins”.
Tenacious D In ‘The Pick Of Destiny’ - November 17
Tenacious D. Jack Black. Kyle. The Pick Of Destiny. Rock on.
For Your Consideration - November 17
Christopher Guest and friends take on the Awards season head-on with this Oscar spoof.
The Fountain - November 22
Darren Aronofsky directs a film that covers 1000 years of a man’s life.

December

Apocalypto - December 8
Mel Gibson depicts the fall of the Mayan kingdom. Yes, I know what he said and yes, I would still like to see this.
The Good German - December 8
Steven Soderbergh directs this murder mystery set in post-war Berlin.
Rocky Balboa - December 22
Sylvester Stallone is back as Rocky when a computer simulated fight between Rocky and the current champ lures the Italian Stallion out of retirement.
The Good Shephard - December 22
Robert De Niro directs and co-stars in this story about the early history of the CIA.

now in list-o-rama vision

2006-08-04T13:59:00.000-04:00

I've been obsessing over movie lists of all sorts lately (hey we could have a 'What's you favorite movie list?' pole) and I found another one that I thoroughly enjoyed. The Top Fifty Movie Endings of All Time list! Now be careful with this one, it's full of spoilers to many great movies. So if you come to a movie you haven't seen yet, please please please, do not read the ending on the list; just skip ahead to the next film that you have seen. This was provided by one of our linked sites, Filmcritic.com they're pretty cool. And if you like lists about movies check to the right for the Film Site link and head on over there for lists upon lists on everything from actors to quotes to genres to favorites moments. That's all I've got for today, one bit of advice: if you haven't watched the trailer for Martin Scorsese's new movie The Departed then head over to Yahoo! Movies for the link to that, I think it looks really good.

the answers to life, the uni...um.. yesterday's questions

2006-08-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

So here are my answers to the survey I posted yesterday, let me know what you guys think:

1) What film made you angry, either while watching it or in thinking about it afterward? Basic starring John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, the movie plays like an intriguing military murder mystery and then at the end plays a game on the viewer where they try to see how many twists we’re willing to put up with, beyond frustrating to accept. Then there is The Game starring Michael Douglas, whoever thought it would be cool to play this kind of joke on a man for his birthday (and film a movie around the concept) should be shot.

2) One of your favorite movie lines: "Gentlemen. You can't fight in here. This is the War Room!" from Dr. Strangelove.

3) Describe a perfect moment in a movie: The scene in Jaws when Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider are drinking, bonding and singing after a day of shark chasing and Shaw completely takes us out this story and tells another one about the USS Indianapolis that puts ice in your veins.

4) Most exotic or otherwise unusual place in which you ever saw a movie: Not really exotic but definitely unusual; I was on vacation in London when Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith came out, so my sister and I went to a midnight showing surrounded by a crowd of UK geeks followed by a very late cab ride back to the hotel with a Star Wars-loving cabbie.

5) Is it possible to know with any certainty if you could like or love someone based partially on his or her taste in movies? If so, what film might be a potential relationship deal-breaker for you, or the one that might just seal that deal? Personally I don’t think that taste in movies is everything, especially in a relationship. But I suppose I can say that I would have a hard time understanding someone if they hated Casablanca.

6) The scene you most wish you could have witnessed being filmed: The opening scene in Reservoir Dogs where they are at breakfast and talking about Madonna. However they would have had to put a muzzle on me so I could refrain from geeking out and laughing during the whole scene.

7) Ideal pairing of actors/actresses to play on-screen siblings (or parents and children): Harrison Ford and Dennis Quaid (could Indy have a brother?).

8) Your favorite movie poster/one-sheet, or the one you’d most like to own: An original 1933 King Kong one-sheet.

9) With total disregard for whether it would ever actually be considered, even in this age of movie recycling, what film exists that you feel might actually warrant a sequel, or would produce a sequel you’d actually be interested in seeing? L.A. Confidential, (yes I know the Black Dahlia is coming out soon but it’s not going to have Russell Crowe or Guy Pearce in it). I loved the atmosphere of that movie, and of that era in Hollywood and it’s so much fun to go back to that time and watch tough cops take on tougher criminals.

10) Your favorite political movie: Other than Casablanca? Dr. Strangelove and All the President’s Men.

11) Favorite special effects moment: The T-Rex fight from the original King Kong, the skeleton fight from Jason and the Argonauts, the dragon from Dragonslayer, Blade Runner’s futuristic vision of Los Angeles, and the Neo vs. 100 Smiths fight from Matrix Reloaded.

12) What is the movie you’ve encouraged more people to see than any other? The Royal Tennenbaums, everyone who has a family should see this movie.

13) Your favorite movie theater: The Arena Grand in Columbus.

14) Your favorite film made for children: The Incredibles.

15) Your favorite character name: General Jack T. Ripper.

16) Your favorite film of 1970s, -80s, -90s: The Godfather, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Silence of the Lambs.

17) Your favorite movie based on a book you’ve read: The Lord of the Rings trilogy (blasphemy, I know).

18) Your favorite book you'd like to see as a movie and who should direct and star: The Catcher in the Rye (REALLY blasphemous). Starring as Holden I would cast Jesse Eisenberg (the older brother from The Squid and the Whale) and I would have Mike Nichols direct. I can’t even begin to talk about how much this needs to be a movie and how it would be nearly impossible to pull off but would be brilliant if done correctly (Dokota Fanning may NOT play Phoebe!).

19) Describe a moment in a movie that made you weep: In 21 Grams when Naomi Watts finds out what happened to her family, and the scene in The Sixth Sense when the boy gives his mom a message from her dead mother.

20) Describe a transcendent moment in a film (a moment when you realized a film that just seemed routine or merely interesting before had become something much more): In the movie Collateral, there’s a scene at a jazz club that changes that movie for me. Everything after that point in the film has more meaning regarding the characters involved and what the film tells us about the way we live our lives and how we decide when to act upon our instincts and when we simply give in to what we believe to be inevitable.

That's it, took me a while to mull over some of the questions but it was a lot of fun, I encourage anyone to try and answer these and if you like share you answers here.

HOLY SCHNIKES BAT... DARK KNIGHT?!

2006-08-01T16:57:00.000-04:00

So there i was minding my own business when i realized i missed a call. It was my roommate. Now i tend to put off calling people back while i am at work for at least a half hour or so.. but i felt i should.. there seemed to be a disturbance in the force if you will. To cut to the chase, i find out that Mr. Christopher Nolan has announced the title of the new Batman, The Dark Knight. How cool is that? What i am not finding cool, and finding it harder to digest is that there is going to be an appearance of another Knight in the film from a Knights Tale, Heath Ledger who will probably sport some make-up and have a grin on his face a lot.. care to take a guess on who i am speaking of? As we all know by now the rumors surrounding the supposed role to play Joker stretched from Mark Hamill ( an obvious one to me), to .. what i just found out to day to be Paul Rubin.. LOL. In any case i am not thrilled but i will give him a chance. Also it rumored that Ryan Phillippe will portray a younger Harvey Dent (aka Two-Face) but facts are unclear as to whether they will have Dent in the 2nd film. ALSO.... there is a real big reason as to why they named it The Dark Knight. Although this is skipping around a bit, The Dark Knight Returns will be the 4th installment of the franchise. If you don’t really know what that means.. it means that Frank Miller will probably be apart of the directing (Sin City anyone?!) and there will HOPEFULLY be a Superman vs Batman battle.. oh man.. you can find all this out if you surf the WB website long enough.. anyways that’s my info for today what do you got Owen?! lol.

film survey

2006-07-31T15:05:00.000-04:00

I've been coming across a lot of interesting film surveys lately on some of my favorite movie sites. While I read the questions and then the answers that various web users had posted and then reflected on what my answers would be and then wondered how some of my friends or family would answer, I realized something. I think I enjoy talking about movies a little bit more than I do actually watching them.
That's a hard fact for me to swallow. Me, the guy who loves movies and can't get enough of them. I accept that I don't have as much free time to just watch a movie when I feel like it; getting married and working for a living has cut down on my viewing time dramatically, not that there's anything wrong with that.
In college I hosted screenings at the house I lived in and watched at least two or three more movies on my own in only a week's time. Now I'm down to one new movie a week, sometimes none. I find myself carefully selecting the next film I am willing to devote time to and setting a time when I'll be able to watch it. Occasionally I'll catch up with friends and family and that's when I really seem to enjoy movies as of late, when I'm talking about them.
So here are a few of my favorite questions from other surveys that I'm throwing out there (modified with some questions of my own design).

1) What film made you angry, either while watching it or in thinking about it afterward?
2) One of your favorite movie lines
3) Describe a perfect moment in a movie
4) Most exotic or otherwise unusual place in which you ever saw a movie
5) Is it possible to know with any certainty if you could like or love someone based partially on his or her taste in movies? If so, what film might be a potential relationship deal-breaker for you, or the one that might just seal that deal?
6) The scene you most wish you could have witnessed being filmed
7) Ideal pairing of actors/actresses to play on-screen siblings (or parents and children)
8) Your favorite movie poster/one-sheet, or the one you’d most like to own
9) With total disregard for whether it would ever actually be considered, even in this age of movie recycling, what film exists that you feel might actually warrant a sequel, or would produce a sequel you’d actually be interested in seeing?
10) Your favorite political movie
11) Favorite special effects moment
12) What is the movie you’ve encouraged more people to see than any other?
13) Your favorite movie theater
14) Your favorite film made for children
15) Your favorite character name
16) Your favorite film of 1970s, -80s, -90s
17) Your favorite movie based on a book you've read
18) Your favorite book you'd like to see as a movie and who should direct and star
19) Describe a moment in a movie that made you weep
20) Describe a transcendent moment in a film (a moment when you realized a film that just seemed routine or merely interesting before had become something much more)

Post your answers as comments or email them to me at filmnarrative@yahoo.com

death list five

2006-07-26T14:28:00.000-04:00

In case you're planning on dying soon, here is the list of 50 movies you should see before said impending doom according to the Sunday Mail website:

1 Apocalypse Now
2 The Apartment
3 City of God
4 Chinatown
5 Sexy Beast
6 2001: A Space Odyssey
7 North by Northwest
8 A Bout de Souffle
9 Donnie Darko
10 Manhattan
11 Alien
12 Lost in Translation
13 The Shawshank Redemption
14 Lagaan: Once Upon A Time in India
15 Pulp Fiction
16 Touch of Evil
17 Walkabout
18 Black Narcissus
19 Boyz n the Hood
20 The Player
21 Come and See
22 Heavenly Creatures
23 A Night at the Opera
24 Erin Brockovich
25 Trainspotting
26 The Breakfast Club
27 Hero
28 Fanny and Alexander
29 Pink Flamingos
30 All About Eve
31 Scarface
32 Terminator 2
33 Three Colours: Blue
34 The Royal Tenenbaums
35 The Ladykillers
36 Fight Club
37 The Searchers
38 Mulholland Drive
39 The Ipcress File
40 The King of Comedy
41 Manhunter
42 Dawn of the Dead
43 Princess Mononoke
44 Raising Arizona
45 Cabaret
46 This Sporting Life
47 Brazil
48 Aguirre: The Wrath of God
49 Secrets and Lies
50 Badlands

I like it, it's a good list, obviously some glaring absences: Star Wars (at least the first one), Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia; but all-in-all it's a good variety. It was compiled by a group of experts, but we don't know who they are, the story didn't elaborate. For the record I've seen 27 of them, so I guess I better take care of myself, I have quite a bit of viewing to do before I go.

In other news, can you guess today's birthday boy by the characters he's played?

Jim Williams

Verbal Kint

Lester Burnham

Bobby Darin

Lex Luthor

That's right... Kevin Spacey is 47 today and shares birthdays with Sandra Bullock, Kate Beckinsale and the late Stanley Kubrick

russian sci-fi gives me the creeps

2006-07-26T11:36:00.000-04:00

Last night I finally got around to watching my latest Netflix delivery Night Watch, or Nochnoy Dozor for the linguists. This is a film that Netflix practically screamed at me to watch on their recommendation page, based on the fact that I liked The Matrix and I have an interest in foreign films. And if you liked The Matrix (an even better example starring Keanu Reeves would be Constantine) and you can tolerate subtitles (or bad voice-over acting) then I would highly recommend this movie.
The story is about a handful of characters who are "Others", humans with special gifts and powers (Shapechangers, Sorcerers, Vampires and the like) who are in a millennium old battle between light and dark. When you are discovered to be an "Other" (you may not know you are one) you choose to join a side. If you choose dark you become a member of the Day Watch, however if you choose light you're added to the Night Watch. The film centers around a new "Other" that's been discovered, one that is very powerful. Of course both sides are trying to find him/her first to maybe tip or break the balance of the delicate truce they have all agreed to uphold.
Night Watch is full of special effects that will only make you want more and the acting is flat but not boring just like The Matrix. The look of the film is very dark (duh!) and the editing is a little hyper but you get used to it. I would however, recommend watching it with the English audio track turned on as the subtitles would probably distract from the action on-screen. Apparently when Night Watch was released it broke every Russian box office record there. I've read that this is the first in a trilogy based on novels by Sergei Lukyanenko, so hopefully we'll get to see the rest of this story on film.

that's not funny

2006-07-24T14:37:00.000-04:00

Well, I wasn't going to post anything about it until it was officially announced but it sounds like a pretty sure thing that Heath Ledger will be playing The Joker in the next Batman movie. Favorite, rumored runner-ups of mine were Hugo Weaving (who was Agent Smith in The Matrix and Elrond in The Lord of the Rings) and Paul Bettany (who was Silas in The Da Vinci Code and played as Geoffrey Chaucer in A Knight's Tale, also starring Ledger). Hot off his Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain, Ledger is quite a talent. Plus he's the right age for Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman. To my knowledge he's never played a villain, yet I don't doubt his ability to be sinister; but can he be maniacal? In my mind Jack Nicholson will always be the Joker, he made it his own, and although his performance was a little corny it was maniacal. The corniness may not have been his fault however, to me the Burton Batmans have always possessed a campy edge to them, though not nearly as much as the 60s TV version or the later films starring Val Kilmer and George "I ruined Batman" Clooney.
Director Christopher Nolan has given a new spin to the legacy of Batman. He showed both sides of Bruce Wayne in great detail and it added so much to the story. Ledger will be just fine as the Joker, possibly better than Nicholson, as long as Nolan and his writers do Bats' favorite nemesis the justice they did the Dark Knight in Batman Begins. No word yet on a title for this one, I've got a few ideas bouncing around but nothing that grabs me, anyone got a good Batman vs Joker title?

a sequel worth seeing

2006-07-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

I saw Clerks II over the weekend. There is much to say about it. I came out of the theatre feeling satisfied with the ending, and thinking it had been a pretty funny movie. Could have done without the donkey show, but that's my only big complaint.

Being a fan of the original, low-budget 1994 Kevin Smith gem, I was excited for a sequel, but also hesitant. Was Smith taking his New Jersey-based cult classic franchise too far? "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" had been one inside joke after another. However, I think Clerks II may be enjoyed by Smith fans and newcomers alike.

There were many homages to the original, such as an updated Star Wars debate, this time between a Lord of the Rings fanatic and Randall, who doesn't recognize LOTR as a trilogy. The debate itself is hysterical, but I wonder if Smith couldn't think of a way to end it. I can picture him thinking, how do I wrap this up? What if one of the characters spontaneously pukes? Yeah, that's a great conversation-stopper. As much of a fan as I am of unexpected vomiting, I think Smith should further avoid writing himself into corners.

The high school kid, played by Trevor Fehrman, did a great job in this as an awkward Jesus-loving, LOTR obsessed Transformers geek, who is clearly the current butt of Randal's jokes, taking a little bit of a load off of Dante. Kevin Smith's wife, Jennifer, wasn't as impressive as Fehrman; I couldn't tell what she was trying to make her character out to be, either a prim and proper cake-baking trophy wife, or a bra-flashing trailer trash wife.

Rosario Dawson was really good; she has proven to be a very versatile actress, excelling in roles as different as Sin City, Rent, and Alexander. She is sufficiently charming in Clerks II as the other love interest of Dante's. Playing the boss everyone wishes they could work for, Dawson shines as a reason to stay in New Jersey.

This film was raunchier than the original, and yet softer. Randal had very little weakness in Clerks, but getting older seems to have made him slightly more sentimental. I kept waiting for him to turn on Dante as he did so often in the original, but he seemed to be a little more sincere in this one.

a second opinion

2006-07-18T08:48:00.000-04:00

I saw A Scanner Darkly as well, at the one theatre in Knoxville, TN that was showing it (along with Thank You For Smoking, An Inconvenient Truth, and Wordplay). I haven't read the story the film is based on, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it was going to be this big, government conspiracy movie, and it was really more about the inner struggle of one person. I went in knowing it was going to be depressing, and it sure was, but that's okay. It was a good story, but it was more about friends sitting around having conversations than what I thought it would be. The film looked great, of course, so I have nothing to complain about with that. I think I'd better watch it again, because I wasted too much time waiting for the movie to turn into what I was anticipating that I may not have paid as much attention to what was really going on, like I should have.

I can see clearly now

2006-07-17T14:29:00.000-04:00

so, I saw A Scanner Darkly yesterday and I must say that I am quite the satisfied moviegoer. The newest film from Richard Linklater was engaging, funny, well-written (thank you PKD), disturbing and above all inventive. The animation was so much fun to watch, the dialogue was faithful to the book and the performances were dead on. Most notably, Robert Downey Jr's portrayal of the sinister Barris was exactly as I remembered him from the novel. Keanu Reeves was great as the main character Fred/Arctor whose addiction is so far along that he has no idea his brain is rotting. Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson are used a little bit less and that works well also. This film deals with paranoia, drug addiction, trust and civil liberties, some heavy stuff so be prepared for some very talky scenes. I'm a fan of the novel and this movie to me is simply a visual representation of that story and it's awesome in its presentation, I want more films to look like this.

Also, on the web today, you can view the trailers for new films coming from Pedro Almodovar and Michel Gondry. Almodovar's newest is titled Volver and is about three generations of women dealing with their lives. Gondry, who last directed The Enternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is releasing an even kookier looking film starring Gael Garcia Bernal called The Science of Sleep in which the main character has trouble keeping reality and his dreams separate. Bernal and Gondry are two of my favorite new people working right now and I can't wait to see what they've done together, the trailer looks great.

film clips

2006-07-13T17:18:00.000-04:00

Now that's she had her baby, Angelina Jolie is going back to work. She will soon be lending her acting and voice talents to many movies. Announced today, Jolie will star in a film about Mariane Pearl, widow of Daniel Pearl a jounalist who was killed in Pakistan in 2002. Then, opening in December, Jolie will appear in The Good Shepard, co-starring Matt Damon. Officially she will be voicing a character in an animated film called Kung Fu Panda which will also features voices from Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, and Dustin Hoffman. At last, unofficially, I believe I read a while back that she will be voicing the mother of Grendel in a graphic, animated adaptation of Beowulf.

In other animated news, a little film called Shrek the Third has added to it's already expensive returning cast. Eric Idle, Maya Rudolph and Cheri Oteri are among the new additions to the Shrek franchise.

devilish good fun

2006-07-12T10:09:00.000-04:00

Okay, I guess it's introduction time. I'm Meryl, and I too am a filmaholic. I am a journalism major at Muskingum College, where I am the entertainment editor of the Black & Magenta newspaper.

I saw The Devil Wears Prada over the weekend. Meryl Streep plays a great boss from hell. The ice queen, loosely based on real-life Vogue magazine empress Anna Wintour, did a wonderful job making assistant Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, feel like dirt.

Based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger, Prada is what many classify as "chick lit," a genre inspired in the late 90s by Bridget Jones' Diary. However, a chick book does not necessarily a chick flick make; okay, it's a catty movie about the fashion industry, as one friend put it. But it's still got a sense of humor. There's enough about this movie to make it appeal to men, I believe. Maybe Owen can be a better source for that, I could be wrong.

All in all, this movie was fun for me, as a newbie to the working world. For anyone who hated their first "real" job, this is for you.

film clips

2006-07-11T15:56:00.000-04:00

The only big news on the internet today is that you can view the trailer for the new Rocky film starring Sylvester Stallone that's titled Rocky Balboa, you can watch the trailer at the Yahoo! Movies site. It actually looks decent; Stallone is writing and directing in addition to reprising the role he made famous in 1976. I can't believe how big he looks in the trailer, he's supposedly old and I've always heard he was short but he looks the opposite in those boxing scenes.

Also Clint Eastwood has been selected to receive the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award by the British Academy of Film & Television Arts for excellence in film, I couldn't agree more. Look for his two-film version of the Pacific chapter of World War II to be released consecutively later this year (don't tell him he's old either).

new additions

2006-07-10T15:02:00.000-04:00

We have a new contributor to the site: Meryl (I'll let her introduce herself when she's ready). She'll be adding a different perspective to the site and is a pretty darn good writer too. Check out her take on the new Pirates flick below. I've also linked some other movie blogs I've been enjoying recently, you can find them on the right under "other film blogs".

expanding thoughts

2006-07-10T14:47:00.000-04:00

I have a bit to add about Pirates (and kudos, Owen, for the Almost Famous reference about Depp).

I saw it on Friday night at the 9:45 showing. I might recommend the film, but I wouldn't advise that viewing time. Its 2.5 hour runtime makes for a late night.

It was fun, it had crustacean people with tentacles sprouting from their faces, and Keira Knightley got to kiss both Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. These are the highlights. It's not that it was a terrible movie, it just wasn't as strong as the original. The original succeeded beyond all expectations, as it was a movie based on a theme park ride, but in doing so, it set up too much hype for this sequel.

One interesting role in this film was played by Naomi Harris, who played the mystical Tia Dalma, an ex-flame of Jack Sparrow. She was creepy and seductive at the same time and seemed almost worth adding the extra minutes to the overall length of the film. Look for Harris later this year in Miami Vice.

The movie could have been better, and the early scenes with the cannibalistic tribe seemed to be thrown in to make for a cool trailer, but it wasn't awful. I just hope they trim down the third one. Keith Richards is rumored to be making a cameo in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, so as long as they don't clutter the third film with too many other cameos and subplots, maybe it will be worthwhile.

And if you do see the second film out now, let me know if you find the ending scene as surprising as my friend did.

thar she blows!

2006-07-10T11:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, no more pirate jokes I promise...really. But seriously, $135 million in three days?? I'll be the first to say it... Johnny Depp is a golden god! In case you weren't aware, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest opened on Friday and since then everyone in the known universe has seen it but me. That's the highest three day box-office take in history and that's taking into account $22 million still went to Superman Returns over the weekend. So apparently we were all waiting on this one for a while and couldn't fork over the nine bucks fast enough, even though critics said the story was weak and the film ran too long. Regardless of said criticism, I too really would like to see it, IF (that's a big if), I can free up 2 1/2 hours of my week. When I do I'll tell you all about here.

Some small news tidbits here and there, nothing big so click the links if you're really hungry for news. Opening this weekend are Little Man and You, Me and Dupree so... yeah... I would recommend NOT seeing either of those and instead using as much gas as it takes and driving to your nearest big city to watch A Scanner Darkly because it would be so much more worth your time and money then those brain-cell draining films opening in wide release on Friday. Support smart indies! ahem... that's all.

it's rated 'AARRRH'

2006-07-06T14:54:00.000-04:00

Not much news to report today, no major trailers releases of note either... so yeah, want to know what I think of this summer so far? sure you do.

Superman Returns and Over the Hedge have been the only movies that really struck me as both entertaining and well-made. All other releases have been mediocre or downright disappointing. I'm hoping for the best out of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie opening tomorrow but early reviews claim that the makers have substituted entertaining storytelling for even more action and effects than the last film had. Also it clocks in at over 2 hours and 20 minutes, which critics are saying is too long (again, so was the last one for that matter). A Scanner Darkly is high on my list to see this summer, I'm a fan of the novel, plus those who have seen it claim it's the truest Philip Dick adaptation to date.

All told, this summer has been pretty decent, I really hope Pirates is good though because that would pretty much ruin summer for me if it sucks.

minding the business

2006-07-03T18:32:00.000-04:00

So the word is that Superman Returns didn't produce big enough returns during it's opening week, how is this possible you ask? It made and estimated $84.2 million from Tuesday night through Sunday for crying out loud, why is that not a success story? Well to be honest the film cost Warner Brothers upwards of $250 million to produce and publicize, and Spiderman 2 and X-men 3 all made more than Supes in did their 3 day+ weekends... and the dreaded Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is coming out this friday. So, actually the booted one's producers have plenty to be fearful of.

What did I think of the movie you ask? I thought it was amazing; It had action, it was heartfelt, Brandon Routh was so Christpher Reeve as Clark Kent and he made Superman his own. I won't even question the special effects, there is no need, they were real to me. The liberties that the filmmakers took with the Superman legacy are acceptable as long as they capitalize on the changes made, and I am sure that they will. In my opinion, the film is a huge success.

Not much else to report, though John Woo will not be making his versions of Spyhunter (based on an old video game) or He-man (based on an even older cartoon, a childhood favorite of mine at that), at least anytime soon. I could live without Spyhunter (Vin Deisel was rumored to star) but I would love to see a He-man film, especially a John Woo-ed version. What do you all think? Who should play Prince Adam? Do not say Dolph Lundgren...

wheeling and dealing

2006-06-29T13:47:00.000-04:00

So I've got some news about some upcoming deals and films that are in negotiation. It sounds like Leo DiCaprio wants to star in a Timothy Leary biopic. That could be pretty cool, I would be interested in seeing that for sure. He was excellent in The Aviator as Howard Hughes, I just wonder who might be good to direct this sort of film?

Also in the works, the Wolverine spinoff of the X-men franchise starring Hugh Jackman, is being slated for next summer but sources say it will more likely be out the summer of 2008. Is anyone else not that enthused about it? I don't know why but I'm kind of over X-men movies, the last one was a little disappointing. Maybe this will be different, we'll see.

And lastly, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are planning to do a film together in which they are both patients in a cancer ward and decide together to break out and do all the things they've always wanted to do before they die. It sounds like this could be a very entertaining and maybe touching film, neither actor has had a big hit in a while yet both are widely liked by moviegoers. The film is called The Bucket List, if you don't get the title it's okay.

Check back tonight for my summer movie analysis.

comic geeks unite!

2006-06-27T20:44:00.000-04:00

Starting tonight and continuing through the weekend, superhero fans will be flocking to cinemas everywhere faster than speeding bul... sorry, you get the idea. Yes, Superman Returns is opening on select screens tonight and will be showing in a ridiculous 3,915 theaters starting tomorrow. I myself will be witnessing the second coming this weekend, my wife has grudgingly agreed to see it with me for my birthday.

As an added bonus, reports are in that the Spiderman 3 teaser trailer will be showing before the film, of course we'll have to wait until next summer before we get to see Spidey swinging again. On a side note, the next Batman movie still is not even near to beginning production (but I want it now!)

That's all for now, my next post will feature my opinion of this year's summer films so far.

the persistence of vision explained

2006-06-26T20:27:00.000-04:00

Good evening… if you feel you’ve reached this blog by accident, by all means leave. If by some far-fetched, unexplainable, fluke of the world wide web, you actually meant to visit this page... then read on if you dare.

On with the topic: Here I will discuss movies and what I like about them and what I don’t like about them… but mostly what I like about them because for the most part I can’t get enough of them. I read a lot of movie and news web sites every day and I thought I would post here what I learn about what’s coming out, what’s been out, and interject my opinion about them.

Most of all I wish this to be a place of discussion. I want to hear what other people think, because above all things… I love talking and sharing about movies with other movie lovers.

Keep it tuned right here because summer isn’t even close to being over yet and I still have a lot of films to see.