Everyone's a Critic

It is Written

2008-12-08T20:03:00.013-05:00

Review: Slumdog Millionaire

What is Slumdog Millionaire?

A) A new film by Danny Boyle
B) A film with no major stars
C) One of the Best films of the year
D) All of the Above

The Answer is D. Slumdog Millionaire, is bound to be the surprise of the award season. It's a beautiful, touching, romantic, uplifting yet quite harsh look at the rise of a poor boy in India to his appearance on India's Who wants to be a Millionaire. I know how that sounds, but its truly a cinematic feast. Go out and see it now. It's a great holiday movie that will leave you both humbled and enriched.

Danny Boyle has always been a visually inventive, solid director. He has the ability to push and blend genre to create something greater than given. I give Boyle credit for single-handedly resurrecting the zombie genre with his awesome 28 Days Later. He made a cult classic in Trainspotting. He elevated a standard Event Horizon-ish sci-fi film into something more in Sunshine. And he showed he could make films with a lot of heart in Millions, a tale of a boy who sees saints and comes across a fairly large sum of money just when his single father needs it the most.

I adore Millions. It wears it's heart on its sleeve, but I love it for it. Boyle is always visually inventive. The guy makes good looking flicks (even 28 Days Later which was shot on Mini DV). His actors are always solid. But Millions was really his first use of child actors, and the performances he elicits are phenomenal. That film help really set the stage for Slumdog.

The narrative is fractured around how young slum kid Jamal could possibly know the answer to these questions. The film then cuts back and forth between the present and the rest of Jamal's life to show how he came to know what he does and be where he is today. Three different actors play the three leads as the pass children, to teenagers to young adult. Most were untrained actors. All of them do amazing work.

The films is fantastic in that it takes the Bollywood genre and deconstructs it and adopts it for western audiences. This is a Indian film made by an English writer and director yet it feels totally authentic. This is for India what City of God was for Rio. I don't know if life is like that, but it feels right. Bollywood films adhere to strict guidelines regarding the precantage of action, romance and musical numbers must be in the film. And Slumdogs has that mix without seeming forced. They even threw in a musical number, just when I thought they had forgotten. And not only that, but it furthers the plot! The film mixes both English and native language with ease, never once being annoying. Boyle uses the Tony Scott interactive subtitle route and it fits beautifully into the film, becoming just another piece of the frame rather than an intrusion on the film. The subtitle's intergration should help those who cry foul and run away from foreign fairs.

The use of M.I.A is extremely deft. The beginning chase scene is perfectly complimented by her. Also the use of Paper Planes. Listen, I am addicted to this song. Ever since before I heard it attached to the Pineapple Express trailer. When itstarted during the movie, it put a smile on my face. Then I thought, really, why are they using it? But honestly by the time the montage with it is finished (and it is quite a montage) you'll find that the song is actually telling the narrative in a way you'd never imagine possible. It's quite fitting.

Also, unlike Millions, which some might deem to saccharine, Slumdog is quite harsh. There is torture, blinding, fist-fights, murder, riots, things that you'd usually wouldn't find in something that is actaully an uplifting film. But its those real world tragedies that ground the narrative and enrich the story. Without all this strife as a backdrop, Jamal's rise wouldn't be so moving. It is inspite of all this adversity that Jamal strives to find happiness, not with money but with the woman he loves.

I really can't recommend this film enough. There aren't enough films like Slumdog around. Films made with craft and heart. Films that were shot on a limited budget, yet feel epic. Who has no movie stars, but it doesn't matter. It's a about the characters, not the people playing them. Films like Slumdog don't come around often. And when the do, they should be heralded and supported. I hope this puts Boyle, who often struggles finding finacing for films, in a position where he'll be making many more for an awfully long time. Don't be surprise if this walks away with some Gold men come Oscar time. It deserves to. Cherish this. Go with friends. Find it in the theatre. And experience Slumdog Millionaire.

Have You Ever Seen a One Armed Man Punching at Nothing but the Breeze

2008-12-02T20:10:00.016-05:00

Review: The Wrestler

I'm a huge fan of Darren Aronofsky. Before The Fountain, I had to argue with many that he wasn't purely the MTV stylist that Requiem for the Dream tagged him as. Don't get me wrong, Aronofsky is an amazing visualist. The Fountain only proves that. With that film (one that i waited six years dying for) he took himself to the next level of cinematic craft, creating a visually innovative and stunning film, as well as an emotional one. There is an underlying humanity beneath all the pretty flash of Requiem and Fountain, and with The Wrestler, that flash has been stripped as bare as the soul of lead role Mickey Rourke's Randy "the Ram" Robinson. All that's left is his humanity. And boy is it a beauty to see.

Much has been and will be made of Mickey Rourke's performance. It's not hyperbole. Rouke deserves every word dedicated to his accolades. It's been a long time coming. The Wrestler is the role Rouke was born to play. I'm so glad that Aronofsky stood by his gut, and took a budget cut; Nicholas Cage gracefully stepping aside and backing Rourke a role written for him. The film works on a meta level. The Ram's career mirroring Rourke's own.

Randy: "The 90's sucked"

Yes they did for Rouke, who literally disappeared for the screens for a decade before returning in smaller character roles thanks to Robert Rodriguez and Tony Scott. If this film had a subtitle it'd be the Passion of Mickey Rourke. As Randy himself says, he's a "dired up piece of meat." A man whose career has taken as much toll as his body. Randy is washed up and alone. A daughter that hates him, and a crush on a stripper near her end much like him. Both burdened with a occupation and responsibility they cannot escape.

Yet together Marisa Tomei's Cassidy and Rourke's Ram have that beautiful chemistry of two old souls surviving the life they've been dealt. Tomei deserves her praise as much as Rourke. If anything, and its minor, its that at age 44 she's still too beautiful to play a washed up stripper. Would you say no to a naked Marisa Tomei standing in front of you? I'm half her age and I don't think so. But despite that physicality its Tomei's working class, brown beaten spirit that shines through. She's a glimmer of hope in both the film and Randy's life.

Also not to go unnoticed is Evan Rachel Wood. I've had my eye on her since Once and Again years ago. She's come a long way since Thirteen. Wood's screen time is brief but brimming with emotion. There's beauty in her few scenes with Rourke that really does capture a girl that would like nothing better to have a Daddy again. A father Randy never was, and never can be.

All this is grounded by Aronofsky's uncharacteristically plain, verte-style camera. Rourke is introduced through a series of tracking back shots, Rourke's bleached hair and huge shoulder blades on display more than his mug. This is a man whose best days are behind him. He is not walking at us into a brighter future, he's walking away from former days filled with glory. The Ram's saga is built on the details that Aronofsky and cinematographer Maryse Alberti (in place of his usual collaborator Matthew Libatique) loving capture with deft subtly. This is a film about how Randy prepares to face the world, whether it his audience or the deli counter he works at (in an wonderfully reversed Raging Bull-like entrance). Whether it's with bandages, steriods, bleach and tanning, or hair nets and swallowing pride, the every day minutia of the Ram's life is the journey.

It all builds to a beautiful final rematch with The Ram's old foe, The Ayatollah. It ends with a staunch ambiguity that lets the viewers decide as they are sheparded out the door to an amazing original track by The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen (who should hopefully win Best Song Oscar. Go download it now.)

The Wrestler is a film with its heart on its sleeve. I hope it gives a gold statue to Rourke and opens more doors for Aronofsky. Together they've crafted a touching modern tragedy, and one of the best films of the year.

Disappearing Trick

2008-12-02T15:44:00.002-05:00

So, yes, once again, its been awhile. My fault completely. Between moving to Brooklyn, among other things, parts of my life got dropped by the wayside.

Witness example A.

But that's not all, I'm coming up on my one year anniversary of the blog, and I'm thinking about what I want to use it for and the site in general.

So I'm going to be experimenting a little. Bear with me. And forgive, alittle.

More posts to come soon.

Changeling trailer! New Clint Eastwood film! J. Michael Straczynski !

2008-09-12T09:18:00.004-04:00

I started getting excited for this film when I found out J. Michael Straczynski (of Babylon 5 fame) wrote this film. And Clint always delivers solid films. After seeing this trailer, and what I've heard out of Cannes, look for it to be collecting Oscars later on, maybe even for star, Angelina Jolie.

New Bond Trailer! Watch now and rejoice!

2008-09-10T09:17:00.004-04:00

My love of Bond was established long ago with Sean Connery and a little film called Gold Finger. It was cemented with a film called from Russia with Love. The Bond franchise is a staple of my film going experience. I really enjoyed Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Goldeneye restarted the Bond franchise my generation after it had all but died. He was an awesome Bond it lukewarm to bad Bond films. Then Martin Campbell (who also directed Goldeneye) with Daniel Craig gave us a Bond shot in the arm with Casino Royale. I really enjoyed that film. It had it's problems, but, like Batman Begins, it left us with a promise of a truly kickass sequel to follow. Well, with the teaser, I was thoroughly excited. With this, well... let me just say, the Bond series may have just Dark Knighted itself. There. You heard it here first.

Is it November yet?

Quantum of Solace opens Nov 14th.

I'm the dude playin' the dude, disguised as another dude!

2008-09-07T15:49:00.004-04:00

Review: Tropic Thunder

So, after three weeks of it being the number one movie in America, I finally got around to see Tropic Thunder. I can’t say that it was “built up” for me. It wasn’t, in fact of the people I knew who saw it they said simply, it’s funny.

And it is funny. In fact the way the movie starts with it’s pseudo-commercials/fake movie trailers are priceless. People in the theatre didn’t know what was going on. It was quite hilarious. So was the beginning part of the film within the film also called Tropic Thunder.

So lets go with the positive. Robert Downey Jr. owns the movie. Owns it. You can see the movie just for him and be satisfied. I’m so happy to see his return to glory this year. He deserves it. And his fake trailer with its amazing cameo is priceless. Simply priceless.

Also Jay Baruchel aka Steven Karp from Undeclared is great. He doesn’t have much to do here, but he’s great. I love me some Steven Karp. I’m really hoping him and Seth Rogen do that post-apocalyptic movie that showed up as a short on Youtube a few months ago, Jay & Seth vs The Apocalypse. I’m sold for that, especially after all the post-apocalyptic movies that have been coming out of late.

Also someone whose every line made me smile was Danny McBride. This is his break out year (I had only previously known him as Bustass in David Gordon Green’s All the Real Girls) with this, coupled with Pineapple Express, he’s in the two big comedy blockbusters of the summer. And he kills.

Unfortunately, the movie has problems. The narrative seems like a dead weight hanging around the movies neck, and the things that move it into place are boring. Its surprisingly graphically violent. More so then I expected, but that’s not a major problem. The problem is that some jokes fall dead. There are points in the film when I know that I’m supposed to laugh but I wasn’t and that shouldn’t be. Yes, comedy is hit and miss, but true classics don’t have that sound of crickets I found myself going through too many times. Now granted, there are equal killer moments, but in the end it just seems like a wash. The film is absurd to the extreme, which I’m fine with if it garners greater laughs. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. There were many times I felt myself saying, “no they didn’t” even though it was telegraphed it was going to happen. And I’m not part of the Jack Black hating crew, but he rubbed me the wrong way in this film, and his storyline was contrived. Though he did have one of the greatest lines of the film.

When all is said and done, Tropic Thunder really is like Downey's line above. Its a dumb Hollywood blockbuster pretending to be a comedy satire of big Hollywood blockbuster war flicks that's really just that, a big summer blockbuster.

Overall, both Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder, the summer’s two blockbuster’s failed me. Good for a laugh, but I won’t see them again anytime soon. Well maybe Pineapple (which I enjoyed more). That’s such a DVD movie.

Zack and Miri Make an R-rated Trailer

2008-09-03T10:58:00.004-04:00

So here's the link to the trailer for Kevin Smith's hilarious upcoming film, Zack and Miri make a Porno. I wish I could embed it for you, but i can't. Check it out and laugh, but beware, not for the office environment.

Watch it here.

Appaloosa Trailer!

2008-09-02T09:48:00.004-04:00

So if you read the fall preview, you knew that I had my ear to the ground about a Ed Harris directed Western starring him and Viggo Mortensen. Til now I hadn't known jack, only the people involved and the quality they strive to produce. I mean honestly, after see A History of Violence who would not be pump to see these two together again and as partners!

From what i've gathered from the trailer above, Viggo & Harris are badass men called in by the higher ups to clean up a town polluted by the scum of Jeremy Irons. I am so there!

Watch the trailer is HD quicktime at the apple site.

Appaloosa will be released Sept 17th.

Looking Ahead: 2008 Fall Movie Preview

2008-08-29T17:27:00.048-04:00

After the a summer blockbuster season ruled by superheroes (tentpoled by Iron Man and The Dark Knight and filled in nicely by Incredible Hulk and Hellboy 2). And lets not forget the other great film coming out this summer, pixar classic Wall-E.

As we look to the fall usually we find the race for the elusive Oscar heating up as the studios roll out their big guns for award nights. Generally speaking this is where the big names directors roll out there next masterpieces or failures and all and all critics top ten list are never fully complete until New Years Eve where some January releases are squeaked in around Christmas for Oscar contention. So without further ado, the 2008 fall preview:

Note, I am not stating all fall films, just the ones that I find the need to point out. For a full list check here.

Color Coding: Must sees are in Red. Of interest are in Blue. On the fence are Yellow.

Sept 12th

Burn After Reading

The Coen’s first film the their Oscar awarding winning No Country for Old Men devles back into their quirky humor before they were known for making Javier Bardem a prince valiant haired killer. The cast including, Brad Pitt, Francis McDormand, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and JohnMalkovich. The plot revolves around important C.I.A info falling into the hands of the clueless Pitt and McDormand. Then they blackmail Malkovich. Hilarity ensues. First must see of the fall.

Righteous Kill

Pacino. DeNiro. Yeah, yeah I know, but that doesn’t earse the fact that I get a stink off of this film. I could be wrong and maybe the energy of these two performers together sparked some movie magic they haven’t had in several films, but I doubt it.

Sept 17th

Appaloosa

I know what you’re saying, what the hell is this? Well actually this is the cinematic equivalent of a blind buy for me. I haven’t seen a trailer for it. I haven’t seen a poster. No one’s pumped it up. It’s a western directed and starring Ed Harris with Viggo Mortensen. Watching those two performers sells it for me. Who knows it could be the sleeper film that came after the year of the western that was 2007. Find out more here.

Sept. 19th

The Duchess

Another Keria Kightly costume drama? Yawn. But I know she has her supporters out there. It might wield some good performances, but it will probably end up like last years Atonement for me. I’ll see it eventually, or not.

Sept. 26th

Miracle at St. Anna

Spike Lee is hit or miss for me. I respect his work, I just don’t always enjoy it. This is Spike doing a WWII film. Count me interested. This might be Oscar contention.

Blindness

Fernando Merieless whose City of God was phenomenal, and whose Constant Gardner was less so, delivers his next film. I am a huge Julianne Moore fan, so having her in it has me there already. The posters and the trailers have me hooked. Unfortunately the buzz out of Cannes said it was a miss. But what do the French know? I’ll let my enthusiasm go unblemished.

Choke

Read the Chuck Palahniuk book. It was interesting. Not as good as Fight Club though thematically similar. The film could be a sleeper. Personally, I think it looks flat. A tough book to put up on the screen. Jury is still out.

Oct. 3rd

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

Simon Pegg? Plus. Stock Hollywood comedy? Minus. Could be good for a laugh or date. Could make my skin crawl or be forgotten the next day.

Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist

Horrible title. And good god, one of the downfalls of seeing The Dark Knight 4 times in the theatre was seeing this thing play before it every time. By the third time I actually took interest. I like Michael Cera though. It has some good music behind it and I think a high schooler would possibly love this. If it introduces the youngsters to some music that mid twenties me is listening to, power to it. Cute date flick.

Oct 8th

Rocknrolla

I think the eight other people who saw Revolver along with me would agree that it got shat on for no reason. Not a huge Guy Ritchie fan as some are, but his films, minus the unspeakable Swept Away, are always enjoyable. This one looks a like an awesome British gangster time with a great cast. Despite the fact that the studios are dumping it.

Oct. 10th

Body of Lies

Crowe. DiCaprio. Ridley Scott. I feel the trailers don't really sell me the whole film or how good it might be. Right now it looks like Tony Scott's Spy Game the Ridley Scott version. And lets not forget that it’s written by Oscar winning William Monahan of Departed fame, who also wrote Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven (and whose lesser seen director’s cut is absolutely classic). This means we'rein for a well written, well shot film. What’s so bad about that?

Ashes of Time Redux

I have seen part of Wong Kar Wai’s Ashes of Time. It’s a horrible print on a wrongly formatted dvd and I’m going to struggle with my filmmakers OCD to watch the original fully before seeing this gloriously shot film re-cut and beautifully restored to its mind numbingly stunning image in the theatre. Could this be Wong’s Apocalypse Now Redux? I’ll be there in the theatre to tell. Check out the trailer here.

Oct 17th

The Brother’s Bloom

I really enjoyed directors Rian Johnson’s first film Brick. A great little debut with a nice original voice. Let’s hope he continues it here, with what looks like a 60’s heist film starring Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz. Looks like a good time to me.

Max Payne

I don’t expect this to be a great film. I’m just hoping for it to be fun. I love the video game and I hope its adapted right. Its got tons of things to love. Action, guns, Mark Wahlberg, noir trappings, Mila Kunis, Mila Kunis shooting guns. Lots of things. So lets just hope for a decent action flick, and not the Departed 2.

Olivier Stones Bush satire. We’ll see.

Oct 24th

Changeling

Basically at this time Clint Eastwood could take a shit and get an Oscar nom, but its not undeserved. The man consistently makes solid films. Buzz from Cannes is that he’s done it again. The great news is that its written by Babylon 5 creator, and comic author (Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Amazing Spiderman) J. Michael Straczynski. I'm a huge fan of his writing, if you haven't seen B5 or read his comic series, check them out! If he hits Hollywood gold, it would be a great thing in my opinion. Look for this as another Oscar contender starring Angelina Jolie.

Synedoche, New York

I think Charlie Kaufman writing is absolutely fantastic. This is his first directorial effort. I’ve heard contrasting things, but regardless my butt is in the seat. The man that gave of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation & Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind deserves that much.

Oct. 31st

Zack and Mira Make A Porno

Kevin Smith. Seth Rogen. I really think Smith is getting better as a director, and he does hiliarious rated R comedy. Clerks 2 had so much heart in it while being funny and if he can transfer that here, things should be fine.

Nov 7th

The Boy in Striped Pajamas

I’ve never read the book, but I hear its heartbreaking. A boy a boy living next to a Nazi concetration camp and befriending a boy behind the wire, this can only lead to tears. And maybe Oscars.

Nov 14th

Australia

Hugh Jackman/ Nicole Kidman epic. Looks pretty. Actually reminds me of Peter Jackson's Depression era scenes in King Kong. Not a Baz Luhrmann fan. Hmmm…..

Quantum of Solace

Who cares about the title anymore. New Daniel Craig Bond! They had me at Bond, James Bond.

The Road

I have the Cormac McCarthy novel sitting on my stack of things to read. Hopefully I’ll get to it before this. Viggo Mortensen with his kid doing a lone wolf and cub across a post-apocolyptic America. The pics I’ve seen look superb.

Dec 5th

Punisher: War Zone

First one, sucked. Second one, Thomas Jane cool, movie sucked. Third time: back to a Dolph Lundgren route with a no name Frank Castle. I’ve heard contrasting reports about the chaos behind this film. Whether confirmed or not, from what I’ve seen it just looks like shit. How hard is it to get Punisher right? He's serial killer who happens to kill the right guys, criminals. The end. And I hear they’re turning it from rated R to pg-13? Guh! Studios execs are idiots! Oh and nothing says Christmas like the Punisher. Holy Christ!

Frost/Nixon

Now here’s what I’ll be seeing this weekend instead. Didn’t know about it til a week ago, but Ron Howards next film looks to be a winner in my book. And another possible Oscar nod. Could be this year’s Good Night and Good Luck. Plus bonusFrank Langella Nixon!

Dec 12th

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Here’s a studio meeting, it goes like this: we need a new film to remake. How about remaking a beloved sci-fi classic? And we can put Keanu Reeves in it! Barf. What a waste of Jennifer Connelley. Wake me when the nightmares over.

Defiance

Ed Zwick WWII flick. Daniel Craig. Leiv Schriber. Jamie Bells. Loooks great. Two baddass Daniel Craig movies in one season!

Dec 25th

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Brad Pitt aging backwards. David Fincher is back again. Absolutely loved Zodiac, here’s looking for a repeat. Fincher always insures quality. Looks stunning. Here’s for Fincher’s first Oscar bid.

The Spirit

Frank Miller. Will Eisner’s Spirit. Sin City like style. Hmmm. Miller’s solo directorial effort. At Christmas? Really? This is like Grindhouse on Easter. This will not go well. My city screams!

Dec 26th

Revolutionary Road

Sam Mendes. Dicpario. Winslet. Don’t know much about it. But I can’t wait to see it. That’s saying something. Could be another Oscar squeaker.

Valkyrie

Bryans Singer’s Tom Cruise starring WWII film about assassinating Hitler. Its been bounced around scheduling wise. Lots of WWII movies this year, wonder if this one might be the victim of burnout. We'll see. I hope not. Look forward to seeing though after a disappointing Superman Returns.

So there you have it. My picks so far. There might be others that I’ve yet to hear about, or could be added. Notable absent are films I’m dying to see like Terrance Malick’s Tree of Life, Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler and Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards that will come out next year. On a whole though I don’t have my big time auteur tentpole that I’m absolutely dying for like last year’s There Will Be Blood. Here’s hoping for surprises and great filmmaking this fall season.

No Heroics

2008-08-28T10:07:00.002-04:00

So here's a little trailer for show about superheroes living regular lives out of Britain called No Heroics. I'm a big fan of UK shows. Keeping Up Appearances, Black Adder, Spaced. Extras. The Office. Great, now another UK cult show I'll have to search the Internet for. Take a look.

Does this mean you could poke Aaron Sorkin?

2008-08-28T09:34:00.007-04:00

You know, its funny. I've been on a major Sorkin kick this summer. First I finally saw Charlie Wilson's War on dvd finally (which I loved) then I bought and watched the first four seasons of the West Wing, and currently I drudged up my bootleg copies of Sports Night that I'm enjoying on my computer every night. By the way, Sports Night will release a 10th anniversary dvd edition Sept 30. Expect me to review it then. And as always I was sad to see Studio 60 go.

So yeah, I can say I'm a big Sorkin fan.

News comes today that Sorkin has signed a deal to write a screenplay about, of all things, the founding of Facebook. That's right, Facebook. Like go on there and write on your friends wall and poke them, Facebook.

While I can't say how intriguing said funding is, I will say that if I had to pick someone to elevate such material that I wasn't vomiting at the mere mention of it, it's Sorkin. I have often stated that Sorkin could write about characters reading the phone book and I would watch it. I guess this is tantamount to that.

For more info, check out the story here.

And the facebook group here.

Sidenote: If you go on facebook and search Aaron Sorkin you will actually find the profile he used to announce it. Sadly you cannot become his friend.

In My Headphones: Post-Modern Musical Pop Art

2008-08-26T22:49:00.008-04:00

Review: Girl Talk- “Feed the Animals”

So I know, for someone who claims to run a film, music and literature site, I’m very heavy on the film and not so much on the lit and music. Well allow me to start to mend that fence.

Welcome to my latest obsession, Girl Talk. Girl Talk is actually one guy, DJ Gregg Gillis, whose eclectic taste for modern music leads him to blend divergent sources ranging from Public Enemy, Kanye West, Metallica, The Police, Jackson 5, and Kelly Clarkson into interesting and unbelievably catchy packages. Gillis uses tons of illegal samples creating beats, and melding material in ways not usually evident (who knew mixing Elton John’s Tiny Dancer and Notorious B.I.G’s Juicy would be so delicious, ie Smash Your Head). Girl Talk often uses something close to thirty samples per song, sometimes three or four at once. So if your not digging a track, give it thirty seconds, you might hear a well known hook that gets you right back in.

Sampling isn’t new. It’s been used heavily to great effect in rap music for years. But the multiple and often antithetical sources create inspiring tracks (if you had told me a month ago that I’d be jamming to Kelly Clarkson mixed with NIN, I’d have said you were sniffing glue). On his newest album, Feed the Animals, Gillis has continued his mix happiness, bringing not only stellar tracks, but an overall album. This is the self contained DJ album for the Ipod generation. Throw this on at a party. It will definitely get things jumping. Feed the Animals ebbs and flows not only within individual tracks but across whole the album, making a complete seamless package that other mash-up artist don’t provide with their individual mp3-ready-for-myspace one-offs.

Take this little tidbit. On tracks 4, What’s it all about, Gillis mixes Michael singing with the Jackson 5 “ABC” backbeated to Vanilla Ice’s “Havin a Roni” that kicks into a backbeat of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” during Michael’s chorus. It’s a euphorically transcendent ending to a song. Not only does it play into my love of ABC but then puts it against the universally loved Queen, Gillis is playing on your love and recognition of the source material to draw you into his world. You like the source, you like the mash, you like the Girl Talk song.

Good for him. My boys sent me Girl Talk’s way after catching him burning it up over in Chi-town at Lollapalooza. Feed the Animals is provided In Rainbows style for pick-your-price payed download at his site. You can get the album as one whole mix or separated tracks. And paying certain prices get you better files and hardcopies. Smart move considering the legal hurdles he’d have to jump through with all his samples. It’s a quick and effective way to bring fans into his flock. Count me among them, I’m sold. After listening to Feed the Animals hardcore for at last two weeks I’m already trying to get a hold of his previous three albums especially his previous Night Ripper (what I’ve heard so far, I love). I’m also happily holding tickets for his sold out November show here in New York at Terminal 5.

Girl Talk walks the walk. If your looking for a great summer party mix to end the summer, get it now. Be glad you did.

Check out his Myspace page to get a feel.

That's the man behind the music folks, Gregg Gillis. No seriously, I got that off his wikipeida page.

Temp Bastard

2008-08-26T10:34:00.007-04:00

BJ Novak (Ryan the former temp now jailed boss on The Office) has officially confirmed that he will staring in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards. He signed the contract Friday. That makes him join the ranks of Eli Roth, Brad Pitt, and Mike Myers. I'm interested to see Novak in this role, something totally different than taking abuse from Michael Scott. Novak is also a writer and producer on The Office. He says that he's really excited for the upcoming season and that he and Toby will be in the first episode. Oh The Office, how far away are yea.

And apparently Novak did a solo show with a puppet. I'd like to see that.

Sidenote: Unfortunately Simon Pegg won't be able to be in Inglorious Bastards to to scheduling issues. In response to the miss opportunity he apparently said, "It's like Tom Selick saying, oh well, who the fuck is Indiana Jones?"

New York, I Love You trailer

2008-08-25T10:02:00.004-04:00

So here's the trailer for the next installment of the city love stories, New York, I Love You. I absolutely love the first film, PARIS JE T'AIME. Honestly its one of the best anthology films in recent memory. New York, much like Paris Je T'aime revolves around multiple short films by a plethora of directors that sometimes overlap one another. Check out the list of talent attached here. And the trialer below.

For some reason I just expected to hear LCD Soundsystem- "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down"

Crazy Fanboy Dark Knight Sequel Wet Dreams!

2008-08-21T21:35:00.007-04:00

Spoiler note: For you three people who haven't seen the Dark Knight yet, you might not want to read this as it does devulge plot information.

You know what the mark of a good franchise is? When people are already dreaming of the third one before they exit the theatre. Dark Knight has definitely wetted the appetite of fanboys (and they have big appetites) around the word. Now the fan theories have been floating around the Internet for weeks, accompanied by some great fan art, my favorite of which is this

I almost ran this stuff awhile ago but decide against it, but after the following artwork I just felt compelled to. (Note, the following fan work is created by a different artist than the previous. His work can be found here)

I never thought of Harley Quinn as a viable option, but god if that pic isn't sweet. I could dig that.

Never thought of Dr. Who for Riddler, but I could go for it.

I think this Catwoman is too manish. But Marion Cotillard as the Cat is a way to go.

Which brings me to actual plot theories. Here's mine (that has been refined through help of friends).

Dark Knight leaves Batman in a very dark place. Rachel is dead. Harvey is gone. And he's on the run from an ally (Gordon and the cops). Thematically speaking Batman has to work his way into the light, which is a pretty tall task. Right now Bruce Wayne has a gaping whole in his heart, one that could easily played with and filled by Catwoman. Now Tim Burton's Catwoman is near and dear to many fans heart, including my own. Much like Ledger's Joker, whomever inherits the Catwoman mantle would have to forge there own image. This would be fine because a more realistic jewel thief Catwoman has never been explored on film and that would probably be the way Nolan would go. Selina Kyle would be an interesting choice as a villain. With the lost of Rachel, Bruce could definitely find Catwoman an attractive package; a woman that also deals with a hidden identity, someone like him, a soulmate. Throwing himself completely into a Batman persona after Rachel's death and his fight with Joker, a relationship with Catwoman could bring him back to his much needed humanity. However in the end Selina will cross lines Bruce will not, leaving him alone once again, but back from the edge of the abyss and a better Batman.

For this arc to work though, Catwoman and Batman have to team up against a common foe, and that's the Riddler. Now the thing about the amazing world Nolan has created is that it's very realistically based. Therefore villains that could use some proper treatment, chief of which Mr. Freeze, fit awkwardly into the created universe. The Riddler plays right into the established rules, especially if you follow the trend of the Joker now inspiring other villains. Combine that with a Zodiac like Riddler who manipulates the media(something clearly established by the Dark Knight) you can have quite an explosive film. With the Riddler battling the dark knight detective's brain while Catwoman captures his heart, these externalized struggles could make for a great capper of the trilogy.

So what are your thoughts?

Sidenote: Jude Law for Riddler anyone? Watch Road to Perdition again. Tell me he can't match the egotistical Riddler for menace and aloofness.

Righteous (or ILL) Kill?

2008-08-21T11:21:00.008-04:00

Pacino. DeNiro. I should be on this. I'm not. Early word on the street was that its a major let down. That's really a shame. I'll still see it for myself. Probably on DVD.

What's up with the "ripping off the Departed" Rolling Stones usage? Does not score points in my book.

The gold standard.

Frost/ Nixon & Bush

2008-08-21T09:25:00.006-04:00

Here's the international trailer for Frost /Nixon, the new Ron Howard film that I had no clue about until today. The film revolves around Nixon's interview post-resignation with the British talk show host David Frost. Frank Langella plays Nixon. Color me interested. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for 70's recreations. Check it out below.

Any films that has the man who played Skeletor in it is fine by me.

And secondly we have Oliver Stone's (who previously made a Nixon film himself with Sir Anthony Hopkins) Bush film W. The following clip is behind the scenes footage from Access Hollywood. Not much to get excited about really other then this is, as least my first extended viewing of Brolin's Bush outside of ther trailer. Honestly I don't really know how to feel about this one folks. I know there's going to be a resurgence of debate once it gets closer to its Oct release date (and a little something called the Elections) but overall I have a tentative "meh." Stone is a talented filmmaker, but he's hit or miss for me. I do remember enjoying his Nixon, though that was quite awhile ago. I just hope W. gives Bush some depth instead of just playing him as some cheap joke. Cause honestly, a fifth grader can make a Bush joke.

Soapbox: What the hell is Fox smoking?

2008-08-20T15:03:00.009-04:00

It must be crack. Must be.

I'm sorry folks, I don't like to get on my soapbox and pontificate, but on this i feel I must. Fox studios (specifically head Tom Rothman) is making colossal blunders today. I can't keep silent.

First news of the day was Fox filing an injunction to stop the release of WB's Watchmen due to rights that stretch back to the 80's. Yeah, okay. You and I both know they are not going to let the Watchmen be delayed. Not in a post-Dark Knight climate. Watchmen has potential to be big. So don't worry, I don't think anything short of Alan Moore being granted the power of God himself could stop Watchmen's March release date. So it comes down to settlement. Meaning money. Now I am not a naive fool. Hollywood is business. Business is about money. Fox will probably likely drop this whole thing for a nice tidy sum that will make them say " Who watches the Watchmen?" They couldn't give two shits. But its low ball, that's all. Where was this injunction when it was being film? I mean it wasn't like the weren't posting VIDEO BLOGS about the making of the damn thing! Or that it had a trailer in front of the Dark Knight? Maybe all the Fox Execs finally decided to check out Batman and realized they could make a dime without lifting a finger. Whatever.

Secondly comes news that Rothman is taking control of X-Men Origins: Wolverine from director Gavin Hood because it was "too dark" and they wanted to make it more "family friendly." Now excuse me, but when did a guy with essentially three knives sticking out of his hands become Barney? Honestly! I think all comic fans would support the idea of a family friendly Wolvie. NOT! But then again this a studio that decided making such franchises such as Alien vs Predator & Die Hard, (two adult rated R properties by the way) and turn them into more "family friendly" pg-13 fair. Right, cause that worked out so well for them. Jesus Christ, did you watch the Dark Knight? The average comic book geek audience is 18 and above, not kiddies! In fact the comic book industry can attest to the fact that it doesn't have a replenishing younger readership, hence the art form is suffering! Trust me, a hardcore Wolverine is what the doctor ordered. And Gavin Hood is a good director. He won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film for Tsotsi! A dark and gritty film by the way. AN OSCAR!

So hopefully they just had bad sushi or something and they will get their collective heads out of said asses. Other than that... shame Fox. Shame.

Wolverine is not happy with Fox, not one bit.

Vicky Cristina Woody Allen

2008-08-17T18:29:00.012-04:00

Review: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I am a huge Woody Allen fan.

I've practically written a thesis on him, The Six Types of Woody Allen. The basic gist of it is that Woody films fit into Six basic categories:

1) The Early Funny Ones (pure comedy's): Sleeper, Bananas, Annie Hall, Bullets over Broadway, Hollywood Endings

2) Bergmanesque (hardcore dramas): Interiors, September, Husbands & Wives

3) Felliniesque (Surreal existential pieces/autobiograpichal pieces): Stardust Memories, Deconstructing Harry, Celebrity, Radio Days, Mighty Aphrodite

4) Psuedocumentary (Mockumentaries/ narratives include documentary devices): Take the Money and Run, Zelig, Sweet and Lowdown

5) Magical/Fantastical(those that feature supernatural or out there elements): Alice, Scoop, Everyone Says I Love You, Purple Rose of Cairo and his New York Stories segment Oedipus Wrecks

And finally something I like to call 6) Pure Woody Allen (dramatic stories featuring humor whose homages are less outright and are often novelistic in narrative): Manhattan, Hannah and her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors

The thing about critiquing a Woody Allen film is that you inevitably compare it to his other works (Match Point is the dramatic narrative echo of Crimes and Misdemeanors minus the Woody part). This is both a hobby of Woody fans as well as a sometime unfair standpoint(oh it was good, but it was no Annie Hal, etc). Unfortunately it's bound to happen, and while that may lay undue criticism on works that would be hailed by other artist, it's just bound to happen for a man who puts out a film per year and has such a large oeuvre as Woody.

This leads us to Woody's latest flick, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I'm gonna try to make this review as non-Woody Allen fan friendly as possible while still being a Woody Allen fan.

To put it simply, Vicky Cristina is simply charming. Allen has taken the invitation from Spain for financing and fashioned a little story that is fill with beautiful people in a beautiful place trying to figure out who they are. It's a postcard to Barcelona. It's a forties travelogue film(right down to the iris ins and outs, where you lose yourself for 90 minutes a visit another country from the comfort of your movie theatre seat. It has all the Woody staples. The Title cards. The Great music. The existential dialogue. It's quite pretty. So are its stars. Bardem and Cruz have a sizzling hot energy to them and their interaction (fights alternating between Spanish and English, subtle physical movements that mark them as former lover) are fun to behold. Scarlett, while also pretty to look at, doesn't need to do much and plays what she is dealt (her highlight being beguiled by Bardem's Juan Antonio when he invites her and her friend for a threesome). Rebecca Hall also impressed with her woman finding less and less satisfaction with her marriage after being not but. Her storyline was unexpected for me and she had some nice points. She also is the current film bearer of the "Woody Allen tick" torch (for those not in the know, in films Allen doesn't star in there is inevitably an actor who carries his mannerism. Whether this is there way of speaking his dialogue or something Allen imposes himself, I am quite curious about.) Patricia Clark also has a nice, albeit protracted arc, but she puts the most into it. But while this is all well and good, Vicky Cristina is not without its problems.

The chief of which is the omniscience narrator whose voice over guides us through the film. While literary and useful at first to set the stage of the film, the voice over's continued use through only robs the film of actual growth. Why see Cristina's dissatisfaction when we can be told about it. It's the cardinal sin of telling, not showing that keeps the film from being great. We are told about things that we should see onscreen, things that would bring us closer to the characters and help us empathize. Instead the narration keeps us at arms length and shorts the characters development that is sorely needed. Instead of complete characters we get sketches. The brooding mysterious artist, the woman in search for herself, the crazy ex wife, etc.) The storylines of Vicky Cristina are ripe with possibilities not fully explored because of unrounded characters. I just invented a word.

Penelope might not get naked, but she's still smoking.

Also, fair warning, I know Vicky Cristina has gotten a lot of buzz because of its storyline and the potential threesome and Scarlett and Cruz's spit swapping. If that is what your looking for in this film, you came to the wrong theatre. It's there, but in a restrained tasteful way. Gratuitous isn't in the film's vocabulary, and that's probably want you want when you think of Johansson and Cruz making out in a darkroom. Could the sex scenes be hotter or even existent? I guess, but that's not what the film was about. I will say the Johansson Bardem sex scene, while not even remotely graphic, is shot absolutely beautiful for a way the gives you the sex without showing anything and resorting to the "pan to fireworks" sort of cliche. Vicky Cristina really isn't about sex. In fact, sex in the film is quite empty or simple just enjoyable for sex sake. The film is actually about relationships and finding fulfillment in them( including sex, artistic inspiration, friendship, relationship stability, self fulfillment).

Anyway, for those Allen fans out there, I stick it in the Pure Woody Allen category. Its like a more serious Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy. A Barcelona Night Sex Drama. Ironically enough Midnight in Barcelona was a working title. Its charming and pleasant and pretty to look at. Allen directs it well and the story has novelistic echos (Vicky's storyline echoing Judy's, Cristina's and Vicky's playing off one another) however, when put into perspective with the likes of Hannah and Manhattan, Vicky invariably falls short.

But its not supposed to be a masterwork, its simply a good film. It's better than most out there. Unfortunately Woody's worst enemy is himself.

Here's looking at you Woody.

Sidenote: Personal Top 10 Woody Allen Films
1) Stardust Memories
2) Interiors
3) Crimes and Misdemeanors
4) Sleepers
5) Hannah and her Sisters
6) Husbands and Wives
7) Zelig
8) Purples Rose of Cairo
9) Manhattan
10) Match Point

Fly Like Paper, Get High Like Planes

2008-08-17T18:20:00.005-04:00

Review: Pineapple Express

I’m gonna keep this one short and sweet. I’ve seen Pineapple twice now, and I still feel the same way. It’s okay. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time. I laughed a little. Enjoyed Franco’s Saul a shit ton. Found Danny McBride hilarious. And there were some lines that I found very quotable. I love David Gordon Green and Tim Orr, and they did bang up job. I hope this opens a lot of doors for Green. Its just at the end of the day, I found it enjoyable but forgettable, and I guess I wanted more. That might be my own personal problem, not the film’s fault. I wanted to love it. Instead I enjoyed it.

But that trailer for it was dope.

Muppet Kanye West! Puppet Music Video Extravaganza

2008-08-12T10:39:00.004-04:00

Funny, I've now seen two puppet music videos in one day. That has to be a record. Morningwood has one too, but leave it to Kanye to blow them away. Enjoy West's perfectly time video for "Champion." Hurray for Muppet Olympics!

Other Muppet Music videos:

Morningwood "Sugarbaby"

A personal fav, Saves the Day- "Freakish"

Grandaddy of them all, Weezer- "Keep Fishin"

And not for the kids, Sad Kermit sings "Hurt"

"Nobody Goes Full Retard"

2008-08-11T01:53:00.003-04:00

I'm not about watching scenes from a movie before it comes out (hell, nowadays even trailers can show too much) but there were six clips released for Ben Stiller's upcoming Comic War Epic Tropic Thunder, and I randomly chose this little gem. If the moive is half as funny as this then I am sold. Look for Tropic Thunder to be going toe to toe with the currently number one comedy (and number two at the box office behind the behemoth that is the $441 mil grossing Dark Knight) Pineapple Express starting this Weds.

Rober Downey Jr is the man. Glad to see him on the upswing!

Those Bastards!

2008-08-07T22:21:00.013-04:00

Can't take credit for it, but this image makes me smile.

So unless you've been living under a rock for the last few weeks (or maybe just watching The Dark Knight for your nth time) you've most likely heard by now that QT is finally making his much talked about, decade in the making war film (cribbing a 70's film title only) Inglorious Bastards! Or Basterds if you're going by the spelling in the leaked script.

The plot revolves around a group of Jew Nazi Hunters featuring a five chapter revenge strucuture that includes a story of a young French girl (which may even be filmed in French New Wave style.) Insiders who have read it (and luck bastards on the internet) are calling it phenomonal. Anyway, some casting has leaked as far as what actors will be playing this now legendary band of badasses. As names like Mickey Rouke, Tim Roth and Michael Madsen were once floated about the confirmed Bastards are currently Hostel director Eli Roth, former Office temp BJ Novak, and leading this group is Brad Mothefucking Pitt. That's how it'll read in the posters. With the motherfucking in his name (think that was part of the contract.)

UPDATE: Also thrown out there has been Simon Pegg and Corey Fledman!

While I still hope Roth might be involved (him + Nazi Villain+QT= awesome). I'm extremely excited to see you else will join this gang.

You know out there somewhere, Samuel L Jackson wanted to play Fred Williamson 's part.

The Chapters are as follows:

Chapter 1: Once Upon a Time... Nazi Occupied France

Chapter 2: Inglorious Basterds

Chapter 3: German Night in Paris

Chapter 4: Operation Kino

Chapter 5: Revenge of the Giant Face

Not sure what that last one means, but I've heard it's a doozy! Now starts the long wait. Color me excited!

BTW, has anyone seen the Tarantino presents Larry Bishop's Hell Ride? If you have no clue what I'm talking about, check out the grinhouse goodness trailer here.

Sidenote: Check out how many films Michael Madsen is currently working on. Mr. Yellow is busting his ass!

Wolverine Comic Con Teaser!

2008-07-28T09:35:00.002-04:00

Do I need to say anything? Only sucky thing is that it's in two parts. Not my deal. Enjoy!

Thoughts? Badass! Now thats a Wolverine movie! Plus, Blob, Gambit, & Deadpool! Liev as Sabertooth! Looks like fun, can't wait to see it for real.

SPACED, It's Finally Here!

2008-07-26T14:46:00.009-04:00

You think I'm unemotional, don't you. I can be emotional! Jesus I cried like a child at the end of Terminator 2. -Tim Bisley (Simon Pegg)

And so starts the glorious if too brief journey into the UK series known as Spaced. I had heard of Spaced when Shaun of the Dead had hit our shores and being a fan of that film, I was definitely curious. It wasn't til right before Hot Fuzz, that I was able to get my hands on the series (14 episodes, two season, thank you bittorrent!). Until now Spaced has only been available stateside in bootlegged form passed from fan by hand to hand (and Internet.) I immediately fell in love with the gang of geeks and regular joes that inhabit Spaced. These people are my friends. These people are me.

If Couplings is the UK Friends, then Spaced is the UK Friends for the geek crowd. The type that own comics, adore Gillain Anderson and whose speech is laden with pop culture references like they are going out of style. Envisioned as "a cross between "The Simpsons" (1989) "The X Files" (1993) and "Northern Exposure" (1990)" by creators/writers and stars Jessica Stevenson & Simon Pegg, Spaced's heart is about a guy and a girl who meet in a coffee shop, bond and then pretend to be a couple to get a couples only apartment. A skinny Nick Forst and others show up and hilarity ensues. Directed by Edgar Wright, Spaced episodes move like freight trains and are brimming with enough homages to choke a small horse. All this makes for hilarious, if brief viewing experience. But Spaced fanboy soul really is in its lovable characters that become near and dear to you in no time at all. It's a credit to Stevenson and Pegg and that Spaced emotions, not witty remarks really are the draw.

I encourage everyone to seek this dvd set out. It's loaded to the gills with special features and the episodes are presented with quality. Plus, its only 14 episodes! My favorite episodes are ep 4, Battles and ep 5, Chaos. First involving Pegg, Frost and paintball. The second involving a rescue plan for a captured pet. Hilarious! Enjoy it while you can. You be glad you did. I'm off to watch the second season!

How is it the foriegn Dvds always have the better covers?

I Have a Name For My Payne...

2008-07-24T15:23:00.010-04:00

...and it is Marky Mark! No disrespect, I'm actaully a Mark Wahlberg fan (Boogie Nights, the Departed) but even he couldn't save The Happening (though a good script and a different director might have)

Anyway, I did quite enjoy blazing my way through the video game Max Payne a few years ago. It was fun, dark, and a had a pulpy heart I quite enjoyed. His premise has shades of the Punisher, (and the drug induced level where you played his families murder flashback was a bitch). Overall it did have the makings of a nice little film. From what I've seen, Wahlberg nails the voice-over work, but it is a video game film, so who knows. Anyway check out the new posters realsed for the film. Second one is classic Payne (and the game cover) so I dig that one. And I'm not sure about the first... were there angels in the game? I don't remember that.No really, I don't remember angels. Especially shiny ones.

The Night is Always Darkest Before the Dawn

2008-07-20T12:22:00.015-04:00

Review: The Dark Knight

I’ve been waiting for this film. I’ve been waiting since I watched a magical film known as Tim Burton’s Batman over and over again as a kid. I’ve been waiting since I got into comics and read Frank Miller’s Year One & Dark Knight Returns along with Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke. And I’ve been waiting since Chris Nolan put Batman and Gordon on a rooftop at the end of his fantastic Batman Begins, had them talk about escalation and showed us a Joker Card. It was then that a pact with the audience was made. Not just for a sequel, but one that could rule them all. A cinematic version of Batman the likes of which has never been seen on screen. A truly disturbing, maniacal Joker, a truly detective Batman, a Dark Knight. Three years later, promise fulfilled. And then some.

The Dark Knight is everything I hoped it would be and more. This is not only a phenomenal Batman film, it’s a great film. Period. End of story. I’m not gonna call it the Godfather 2 of superhero movies. Though it is a great crime film. I will call it Batman’s Empire Strikes Back. But not only that, the reason why you have to see it. The reason why everyone will be talking about it is that its done what comic fans have known for a long time.
Comics can be adult too.

This film is for everybody who cringes when someone’s total view of comics is the SLAM, POW, BOOM, of the old Adam West Batman series. Yes, comics can be corny and lightweight, just like movies can. But just like the film medium, they can also be adult, strikingly intellectual and dramatically heartbreaking. And that’s what tale that Christopher and Jonathan Nolan along with David Goyer have crafted.

And this is craft, from all the people involved. From a beautifully tragic script, to often stunning cinematography by Wally Pfister, everyone is firing on all cylinders. I can’t heap enough credit on Nolan. He went in and declared he was going to make the film his way. And boy did he ever. I adore Batman Begins. Until this, it was the purest representation of the Batman I love to be realized onscreen. Some however had beef with how Batman’s fight sequences were depicted. I have heard the “choppy editing” criticism many times. I personally had no problem with The Begins sequences. I felt the montage gave Batman an almost mythic quality, a force of justice and fear that he never fully had onscreen. It made the “Batman sneaks up on crooks” scenes the way they should feel, frightening. Well it’s like Nolan heard the criticism from some and took it as the throwing down of the cinematic gauntlet. Most of Batman’s fights are choreographed in continuous long takes where you simply watch Batman just dismantle hood after hood on his path to his target. Nothing will get in his way. And it’s Bale, and you know he’s unstoppable. It was the biggest “take that” Nolan could do. There’s one scene where Bruce Wayne, in a tux no less, just tears through a henchman and dismantle’s his shotgun with the ease of rolling out of bed. It’s just one of the many badass moment’s within this film.

Another thing I simply have to mention is the pacing. In Begins, the first forty mintues flew by. And those first forty hold a lot of powerful stuff, so much to the fact, that on first viewing, I felt they almost didn’t have enough time. That’s a criticism that has changed over multiple viewings. However Dark Knight moves like a freight train. It hits the ground running and never stops. It’s a rollercoaster tragedy. The pacing, like the film itself, pulls no punches, and just constantly moves, grows and astounds you. This isn’t even a Batman film. It’s the ensemble of Gotham City. Every character, large to small gets their due. I’m talking about bit part cops on Gordon’s crew included. What the Nolan’s have done with these characters is make them real, and with giving each of them a spotlight to create a tangabile world. Gotham is a place of graft and greed like no other city you’ve seen. The only good people who survive it, do so with major causalities. But they do survive. And they continue on, even in the face of insurmountable odds. And because of that, despite all the death and darkness, The Dark Knight is actually about hope and the prices you pay for it.

So let’s talk about performances. Heath. Everyone will be talking about Heath. And rightly so. His Joker is electrifiying to watch onscreen. He totally disappears into the role. And does what so would deem the unthinkable, makes it his own in the face of Nicholson’s performance. That’s a bold task to achieve. And a achieve it he does. They way he deliver’s “Do you want to know how I got my scars?” is absolutely classic. His Joker has his own psychology that is totally askewed form a normal reality, yet wholly intact. The performance is beautiful to watch, down to the ragdoll like skipping away from the hospital. He just nails it. It’s such a shame that he’s gone. This performance would have shot him to superstardom.

And of course there’s Bale. He IS Batman. He now owns the role in my mind. Bale owns the psychology, the front of a goof playboy, the rage and force of nature that is Batman, and the moral compass that is the true Bruce Wayne. I love how it takes a village to make Batman too. Batman wouldn’t be Batman without the support structure he’s establish of Caine’s Alfred as his heart and conscisous, Freeman as his own personal Q, and Oldman’s Gordon as his partner in a war against crime. All of these men are stellar in their roles. Lets specifically mention Oldman though. Of the three of them, he is given the most to do, and God, does he do it beautifully. Oldman disappears into Gordon, one of the few good cops in a city of corruption. Who would have thought Drexel would become the truest representation of Gordon we’ve seen. This is the Gordon written about in Frank Miller’s Year One. The one that puts his job before everything, sometimes to the detreatment of his family. Can we talk about how badass and overdue it is to simply have Batman talk on a roof with the signal. Did it need to take five movies to make that happen?

Also great is Gyllenhaal, who brilliantly steps into the role of Rachel. Maggie has a thankless part here, but she plays it well. Her chemistry with Bruce seems real, and they look better together. Katie Holmes always looked to young for Bale, and I believed she was a an attorney about as much as I believed Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist in The World is Not Enough. Maggie is real, and her relationship with Harvey totally logical. Apparently Rachel loves to get it on with coworkers, it was subtly hinted that Rachel and a thing with the now dead DA form Begins as well. Office whore. Anyway, when Gyllenhaal is called upon, she absolutely nails it, and its heartbreaking.

Which leads us to the films unsung hero, Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent. This is Eckhart’s role of a lifetime. I’ve always liked him, particularly in Thank You for Smoking and the little seen but tender Conversations with Other Women. Here, Eckhart shines as Gotham’s White Knight District Attorney. He is just a good man, trying to do his best in a dark world. His lines are instantly memorable and his work subtle. Eckhart gets to bring his nice guy image but add it with a hint of darkness that replaces the smartasses he’s usually called upon to play. His gentleness combined with his darkness creates a fascinating human being whose fall is Shakespearian in it’s tragedy. When Dent flips the coin, it really is a tossup as to what will happen. And Two Face, whoa, this ain’t your Tommy Lee Jones neon pink make-up. I’m so proud of how they have kept Two Face’s look hidden from the public. In this day and age of internet leaking, its astonishing and makes it’s reveal in the film all the more terrifying. This is Tim Sale’s Two Face all the way, and Eckhart owns the role, just as much as Ledger does his. I really can’t praise him enough, he’s almost the main character of the film and I hope gets recognized for his work.

In fact, I hope that this film does get the recognition it deserves (I’m looking at you Oscar). This film should be lauded across the board. It’s not just a comic book film, it’s a piece of art. It’s one of the best films of the year to date, followed by Wall-E, Iron Man, and Snow Angels. Check out that list. Who’d have thought I’d see the day where two absolutely fantastic superhero movies come out in the same year and are amazing for the exact opposite reasons.

My only qualm, is where do we go from here? How do you top this, or continue on? Even a great third film will be slightly diminished compared to this. Who do you use? Will we see a Zodiac style Riddler take the stage, throwing Gotham into Chaos again and leaving Gordon cryptic messages signed only by a question mark? Might the Penguin pop up as a secondary mob boss on Gotham’s transition to freak town? By the end of Dark Knight, all our heroes have taken significant losses, some more then others. What will Wayne’s arc be? He’s at a pretty low point by the end of the film, what he needs in the third film is glimmer of hope. Will they do this by making a first true Catwoman? Don’t get me wrong Michelle Pfeiffer is iconic as the Catwoman she was cast to be, but that’s not the Catwoman of the comics. Not the jewel thief with questionable morals. Not the woman who is a female Batman of sorts, who is his equal, and who finds him as wildly attractive as he finds her. To go there would be to do what Ledger has done here, go a completely different route form their predecessor and make the role their own. That’s a tough act to follow.

And so is this film, but Nolan and crew are more than up for the challenge. It is always darkest before the dawn. And the dawn is coming!

Go see this film, then see it in IMAX, then see it again. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

Sidenote: The Dark Knight grossed 66.4mil in it's openning day. The largest openning ever in 24 hours.

Watchmen! UPDATED! In HD Quicktime!

2008-07-17T15:58:00.008-04:00

UPDATED. So here's the link to the amazing quicktime version of the Watchme n T railer. It looks pretty freaking amazing. Quailty wise. Just seeing classic images makes me giddy. Watch it now. Or see it in front of the Dark Knight. Enjoy!

I can't guarantee how long this will stay up, but it will be online courtesy of Empireonline on Friday. Also its should be in front of the Dark Knight, inc ase that movie was not awesome enough. I love Alan Moore's Watchmen. Its one of, if not the greatest use of the comic form. It help inspire the term Graphic Novel. Let's hope this does it justice. 2009 is too far away.

Ridley. DiCaprio. Crowe.

2008-07-17T14:11:00.004-04:00

Here is the new Ridley Scott film Body of Lies. I'm always excited about a new Ridley Scott film. They man puts out quality. And one of best friends loves him to death. Secret recommendation: Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven. Totally different film. Anyway, this looks pretty sweet, though oddly reminds me of Ridley's brother Tony's Spy Games. Thoughts?

Shameless Self Promotion!

2008-07-17T09:08:00.002-04:00

Creatures

If there has been a lack of posts as of late, here's why. It might be tacky to self promote, but it's something that has comsumed my last month or so. The band is a great bunch of guys out of Buffalo called Settings. The song is "Creatures" If you dig them, be sure to check them out on Warp Tour.

Visit their Myspace page here.

Special shout out to my fellow crew members Russ, Dan & Jimmy for getting it done.

New Office Webisodes! Rejoice!

2008-07-11T09:44:00.003-04:00

So since we got cut short on our potentially longer fourth season of The Office (thank you wirters strike, though I fully support it) we are treated to the return of NBC Office webisodes (ironically one of the things the writers strike was about.)

The first batch of these babies that hit the web were fantastic tidy overs til the next season. I'm sure these will be the same. Oh, Michael Scott, the fall is so far away...

Bears, Beats, Battlestar Galactica!

Iron Man Baby, IRON MAN!

2008-07-10T10:28:00.006-04:00

First off, I never wrote a reviews of Iron Man (shame on me, I've been busy, more on that later) but it really is one of the best superhero to come out recently. Downey was the man, Favreau directed the hell of of it, Paltrow was hot and fun again, and Jeff Daniels was a bald badass! That's right, I said it. In summary, it was a great summer movie should be. It hit all the right notes and made you feel good. And want an Avengers movie.

After that, actaully before, it was release, people (EVERYONE including a very happy Marvel Studios) were talking about the eventual and worthy sequel based on its high praise and massive box office reciepts. Problem was, they were lowballing Favs. And thats just not right. Singer had a deal for X2 almost immediately. Rami, the same for Spidey. Favs got Marvel issuing a release date (one that he thought unattainable for quality) and Favs started publicly saying "Robert and I would love to do Iron Man 2, but they haven't signed me yet." Marvel didn't like that he said that to everyone who obviously called them out to get their shit together and get Downey and Favs locked with Fav's wish date.

Well, Marvel got smart people! Thank god. Good move. Cause I was getting a little worried. Go Favs! Go Downey! Start counting down to Iron Man 2!

By the way, Downey is going to be Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. Thoughts on that?

R.I.P Sydney Pollack

2008-05-27T08:23:00.005-04:00

Sydney Pollack

1934-2008

Every year we lose more and more. This past Monday, Sydney Pollack join the ranks of fallen but not forgotten filmmakings. My sympathies to his loved ones. He was 73.

Indiana Jones and the Suspension of Disbelief

2008-05-27T06:33:00.008-04:00

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS! If you haven't seen the film, you may not want to read this. You have been worn.***

What the Fuck!

::Sigh::

Sorry, couldn't hold that one back. I'm pissed. Better, I was extremely pissed after seeing the latest Indy flick. Now maybe its just me, but that's not the emotion I was hoping to have. Okay, short review time, then venting. In short, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an idiotically mechanical, plot-heavy, soulless fluff, not so much thrill ride. That's my short review.

Here's the long version.

What happened? This screenplay is atrocious. Downright sad. I wanted to punch myself in the face the first ten minutes of the film. Then it got a little better. But not much. First off, this is not the Indy you remember. Don't go in thinking that. If you do, it'll be like seeing a love one on a deathbed, a pale comparison to what they used to be. Honest to god, this is what we waited for? Frank Darabont's Spielberg approved Lucas rejected screenplay wasn't better than this? That's not possible. Okay, I recant, highly unlikely. In fact, that's what this film is. Highly unlikely. Everything in it is highly unlikely and it's highly unlikely I'll ever watch it again.

Alright, let's look on the brightside. There were things I liked about this film. They were few and far between but when they happened, I smiled and felt like I was watching something worthy to be called an Indiana Jones movie, not the CGI filled over DI'd monstrosity before me. I'm not a huge fan of Temple of Doom, but this makes it look like Shakespeare. Here's the list:

Things that were good:

-the ant hill paramount logo open. That shot. Nothing more.

-The Indy shadow hat reveal.

-Harrison. After the opener. He IS Indiana Jones. Good to see him come alive again.

-Shia LaBeouf's rebel without a cause intro and presence in the film.

-The College campus chase.

-The map travel sequences

-Peru, and Indy's reference to Young Indy series.

-Indy blowing the dart into the guys throat.

-Indy and Mutt first finding the Crystal Skull.

-Indy needing his own knife bit.

-Indy's line to Marion "They weren't you." in the truck (single greatest moment in the whole film.)

-Indy's fist fight with the big Russian guy during the stupid ant attack, but not the ant attack itself.

What was horrible? Everything else. However there were some things that were just so bad that I must note.

-Indiana Jones surviving a nuclear explosion. In a fridge. Yup. That's right. It happens. In the first ten minutes. An A-Bomb levels a whole town, but the shockwave carries Indy in his lead-lined fridge to safety. He then gets out and precedes up the hill to have a gigantic mushroom cloud appear on the horizon. I'm sorry, but did Indy become Captain American during the fifties? Did he become Superman? Cause I'm pretty sure only Superman could surviving a nuclear-fucking-explosion without a damn scratch, lead-lined fridge or not!

-Indy's lack of using his whip. This is minor, but I feel necessary. He uses it three times in the movie. Now I know he doesn't use it much in Last Crusade, and that's fair, but come on. Least give us something! He whips the gun out of a Russians hand in that ridiculous opener and you can barely see Harrison doing it. In fact, it's shot in a way that I'm not sure it is him. Then he uses it again in same scene to swing from the rafters. Cool. Then he uses it as a rope to try and save Mac at the end. That's all. ::sigh::

-The "Indy is a Commi" subplot, hamfistedly introduced and drop as soon as its not necessary (like three scenes later). First off, okay, i get it, we're in the fifties. Done. I got that. I don't need 18 bagillion references to the reds, Indy fighting the reds, yadda yadda yadda. Its like they kept having to tell us the were in the cold war instead of just being in the cold war. People didn't talk this much about WWII when the Nazi's were involved. And the thing is, it's a throw away plot. That concept, if used properly is an interesting idea, not one I planned on seeing, but could be interesting if done, not just tossed out there. And also, the Men in Black are so uptight cause Indy helped the Soviets. Well if you know about that, don't you know they kidnapped him in Mexico too? Or does the bureau's influence not encompass that cause its the fifties. Plus, with his war record, that the colonel readily supplies, shouldn't they be alittle less suspicious? Red Scare. I get it it. God.

-The massive truck-we have to try and top Raiders but we can't throw some bad CGI and compositing in there instead-chase through the jungle. The sword fight is cool. But God, the chaseis unnecessarily long. You know what it reminded me of? The Brontosaurus scene in Peter Jackson's King Kong. I have the sames problem with it. Too long, bad CGI, and wholly unnecessary. Oh and Mutt has balls of steel apparently cause he got hit there like three times during the sword fight. Maybe he gets it from his Nuclear Holocaust surviving old man? With Genes like that, you wonder how Sean Connery passed away. It must have taken a lot. Oh yeah, and then Mutt saves the day by going Tarzan and attacks Cate Blanchett with monkeys. I am not exaggerating. God, I wish I were.

-Missed opportunities and lack of character (development and otherwise). I like Mutt. He's cool. No Shortround, but who is. I like Mutt as Indy's son. If you're going that way, cool. But at least make it pay off!!!!! Last Crusade is all one big father son story. And while I wouldn't do them back to back, if you are, at least get into it and explore the wealth of emotional and character possibilities inherit there in! If Last Crusade turned Indy into a man, Crystal Skull could turn that man into a father. That's powerful stuff! Is that in there? Nope. Have killer ants instead. No I don't want killer ants I want characters I can care about, thank you. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. And then, there's Karen Allen. Any Indy fan loves Marion. She is the one. She could stand toe to toe with Indy. And she's back! But then she doesn't do anything. Indy and her have two good moments, the one in the truck, and the one in the sand pit. But putting the two of them back together on screen should have been magic. Instead it just induced nostalgia of a far better film. And her intro is poorly handled. After having left her on at the altar, Indy sees her again, literally goes Goofy, and rambles up for a hug. Know what would have been great? Marion punching him ala her intro at bar in Raiders. It would have been a call back and a solid character moment. the crowd would have cheered. But oh wait, I forgot, there is no character in this movie. ::Sigh::

-The whole ending. I don't even have the strength to go into it.

Ironically, there's a scene in the film that says it all. During the awesome campus chase, the Russians end up crashing their car into a statue of the late, and missed Marcus Brody. The head falls into the driver's lap. Meanwhile Indy looks on from the back of the motorcycle he's riding with Mutt. Indy is just an observer to this whole spectacle and the sadness in his eyes and the sullying of the memory of his good friend is exactly the way I feel about this film.

Want to see a good summer movie, go watch Iron Man!

Memories of a better time.

Well, there's always Friday... aka how preplanning can avoid crowd misconduct

2008-04-29T23:13:00.006-04:00

It seems my zest to see Iron Man at an advanced screening was a little premature. Let me just say that I'm not writing this piece as a case of sour apples. Let me explain the situation.

Last week I entered a Village Voice contestant for an advanced screening of Iron Man at AMC Loews Kips Bay Theatre . I enjoy attending advance screenings and have done so before. I recieved an email for me and a guest to attend. However seating was not reserved and it was overbooked. This is not a problem, this was stated. I understand this. My problem is this, for a 7:30pm screening, I waited from 6pm til that time only to find out that they were taking 200 people. That was the capacity. Thats not the problem. I had waited a long time, but, thems the breaks, so to speak. My problem is this. During my wait, servals times were head counts conducted. Several times did people ask for the capacity and were not told. Now the capacity doesn't change, if the theatre can hold 200 and your letting 200 hundred in, then fine, but inform the people! The number of seats didn't change from the time I was standing online, and there were quite a few wrapped around the block behind me. If we were informed earlier of where the cutoff was, there really wouldn't be a fuss. Instead, due to mismanagement, several people were angry that they didn't get in. That's understandable, but then they were treated in a rude way and dismissed. If people were told the capacity while waiting in line, if they were aware of where the cut off was, then they knew what they were getting into. Instead, several people waited for an hour and a half or more in ignorant bliss fully believing they were going to see the film. Keeping people in the dark only leads to agrievation.

In future events I hope that the people sponsoring these screenings will be more prepared so situations like this can be avoided. Yeah, it sucks I didn't get to see Iron Man, but I'll see it Friday. The bad taste in my mouth from the poor handling of the crowd however, will not be remedied so quickly.

Why so serious?

2008-04-29T16:08:00.007-04:00

Okay. First off, for all three of you who have complained about my lack of posting over the past month... I'm sorry for the absence. But I'm back baby!

Here's update about a little film (and by little I mean HUGE) film called The Dark Knight. If you been living in the cave, it's the new batman film. So here is a taste of the many glorious posters attached to this new cinematic masterpiece. If that doesn't make a Batman freak happy, then I feel sorry for you. You must be Mr. Freeze.

Check out the rest of the gallery, here.

Oh, and for those of you (like me) that can't wait, here's a crappy youtube version of the new trailer out soon. Can. NOT. WAIT.

I'm heading out to see Iron Man tonight. Expect that shortly, plus some other reviews I've been lacking in.

Holy 80's Cartoon Ridiculousness Batman!

2008-03-21T10:48:00.007-04:00

No, this isn't about the Dark Knight. I wish I had something about that little piece of cinematic asskickery to tell you about. No, what you're about to see here is something far removed. Something that takes me back to the days of my youth where I would sit in front of the TV and watch my favorite cartoon shows. They were listed in this order: Thundercats, He-Man. Silverhawks, Transformers and G.I. Joe. All these shows, despite whatever limitations, have a place in my heart.

I even remember watching the G.I. Joe Movie ( and god, upon modern viewing, boy does that suck) but Cobra Comander, Destro, Duke and Flint are part of my upbringing that I cherish. When news first broke that there would be a big budget action specatle based on the beloved G. I. Joe, I had a natural fan reaction.

Dear God, what now.

I'm going to be honest. The idea that Stephen Sommers (of Mummy, Mummy Returns and -excuse me one second while I barf- Van Helsing fame) was going to usher this small part of my youth to the screen kinda made me cringe in horror. And by cringe, I mean cold water and shrinkage kind of cringe. Seriously, Van Helsing is quite a sin to repent for. However, Larry Hama is involved (he who sheparded G.I. Joe in comic form as well as did some kickass Wolverine of my youth) so they kind of balance one another out.

Now of course my favorite Joe is Snake-Eyes. A silent, ninja, sword weilding, gun toting piece of martial arts machine awesomeness is kinda hard for a child to resist. Well, today some of my worry kind of lifted in at least knowing that visually, Snake-Eyes will be brought to life on screen with some justice.

And he's being played by Darth Maul himself, Ray Park. Awesome. Stephen Sommers, please don't rape my childhood. Check out the silent ninja below.

My Blueberry Nightness!

2008-03-20T11:40:00.004-04:00

So even though I am on vacation, I felt compelled to put this little tidbit up about Wong Kar Wai’s upcoming movie My Blueberry Nights. If you have never seen anything by this master, then I suggest you run out post-haste and find his whole filmography including, Chungking Express, Happy Together, Fallen, Angels, In the Mood for Love, and it's companion piece 2046 (which, unfortunately after three attempts I still have not gotten through, note to self, don't start watch artsy foriegn films at 2am, you WILL fall asleep no natter how good.)

Wong Kar Wai is known for his beautiful looking films (generally working with awesome collaborator Christopher Doyle, though equally badass Darius Khondji of Se7en shoots Nights). My Blueberry Nights marks a first for him, as it is his first complete English film. With a cast that includes Norah Jones, Natalie Portman, Jude Law, David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz, he's certainly heading in the right direction. Take a look at stunning poster below and check out the trailer here.

My Blueberry Night opens in the U.S. on April 4th 2008.

The Wonder World of Pixar's Wall-E!

2008-03-12T07:18:00.011-04:00

It's been known for many years that the best working coming out of the House that the Mouse built is everything coming out of Pixar studios. Pixar is the last vestige of quailty animation that used to be a Disney standard (before they de-evolved into the wasteland of direct to video, "from the makers of Lion King 1 1/2" bullshit.)

I have a special place in my heart for all of Pixar's films, and while I have been lasped of late (missing both Cars and Ratatouille, sorry, I know, I know...) count me first in line to see Pixar's next great, the incredible and awfully cute looking, Wall-E. Check out the final trailer below

Or check it out in full HD Quicktime here

Wall-E and Johnny 5 separated at birth? You decide

Last night I had a dream that you grew a garden on the trampoline and I was so happy that I invented peanut butter

2008-03-06T20:50:00.004-05:00

Artist in Spotlight: David Gordon Green

The above title, for those of you scratching your heads, is a line from an amazing film that is very close to my heart called All the Real Girls directed by one of my favorites, David Gordon Green. Last night, David, along with actress Olivia Thirlby took part of a one hour discussion at the Apple Store in SoHo about their new film Snow Angels, an adaptation of a Stewart O’Nan novel due to be released limitedly Friday Mach 7th.

This gives me a great opportunity to gush about a director I love in an open forum. Green’s filmography falls directly into what I call “The Terrance Malick” category (yes, no one can best Malick, but his spiritual offspring can be felt) shared by last years beautiful meditation epic The Assassination of Jesse James. Green’s film are generally beautifully shot (thanks to constant collaborator, and personal fav DP Tim Orr) thoroughly naturalistic, indie films of great emotional depth. To date, he has only directed five films, with two of them to be released this year. I fell in love with his second film, and from there went back and forward with much fan delight. He is truly one of the great directors to come out of his generation, and arrived so fully formed that it is quite impressive. Green’s films are really a love him or leave him type of filmmaking, where you either dig it or don’t. If you do, the wonders that you encounter are a sheer joy. Here’s a rundown on his short filmography.

George Washington (2000)- A beautiful naturalistic film about black and white kids in the south, their youth and innocence, and an event that shatters it all. Filled with solid performances by all the non-actors, Green and company compose a beautiful magic hour dream of childhood spent in rundown buildings and majestic train and junkyards.

All the Real Girls (2003)- From its opening single frame shot, to it’s very beautiful Land dog end, All the Real Girls is one of the most emotionally honest and resonant onscreen romances to come our way. Introducing me to the then unknown acting talents of it’s phenomal stars, Paul Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl, Jesse James) and Zooey Deschanel (Elf, and Jesse James, though not with Paul) Green forms a pitch perfect portrait of young, small town love that is as heartbreakingly authentic as it is poetic. Watch the scene on the playground that says it all. Netflix this now. A great gateway into his work. Personal pick.

Undertow (2004)- A southern gothic, B-grade exploitation rooted, artsy 70’s style film, about two swamp rat boys on the run from their Uncle, after witnessing him commit murder, searching for a buried treasure. This is Green’s most artsy, and probably his most Malick like work (ironically of which Malick is a producer on). Undertow is a miss-mash of genre’s that form an extremely beautiful, if not for everyone film.

Snow Angels (March 7, 2008)- Green’s first adapted work, covers several interconnecting love stories, and a missing child in a snowy small town. Staring Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Olivia Thrilby, and Michael Angarano. Further review to come.

Pineapple Express (August 8, 2008)- A surprising team-up of creative minds finds Green directing a Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg script produced by the extremely talented, funny and red hot Apatow group. An 80’s inspired stoner buddy action comedy looks to be the film that will explode Green into mainstream recognition. From what I’ve seen and heard it looks hilarious, and I hope this helps open some doors for Green (like maybe his in need of financing Sci-fi project;)

I encourage everyone to sample this awesome director. Anyway, back to the panel.

The evening started out with a screening of the Snow Angels trailer

Afterwards Green and Thirlby talked about the film, showed two scenes and fielded comments from the audience.

Scene description:

Clip one “Hey You” – Thirlby and Angarano enacting a very sweet, awkward and honest first kiss. Most of this footage is in the trailer.

Clip two (missed the title)- This one featured drunk born again Christian Sam Rockwell outside trying to get into his house to see separated wife Kate Beckinsale and child. Sam has a scuffle with Kate’s new boyfriend Nicky Katt (a personal fav Mr. Harry Senate of Boston Public, and also Boiler Room, and Planet Terror). Their altercation is a funny yet violent one that ends with Katt submissive holding Rockwell in the snow and Beckinsale running out to greet them with a handgun. Favorite line:

Katt goes into Karate stance after Rockwell whips his scarf Indiana Jones Style at him.

Rockwell: What? You gonna Kung Fu me?

The memorable talking points of the night from Thirlby and Green were as follows:

Green was offered the adaption of Snow Angels while All the Real Girls was running the circuit at Sundance. He wrote primarily in that time frame, on planes and in the throes of a bad break-up. Green said he wanted to push himself as a writer and adapt someone else’s work rather than the fairly organic way he usually writes for pieces he directs. He gave his screenplay to the producers and said, if you like it, pay me, if not, don’t and throw it away.

Thirlby was drawn to Snow Angels because of Green’s body of work and his excellent screenplay. When they met for lunch to discuss the film, she flipped the bill.

Green’s involvement in Confederacy of Dunces is now dead due to legal issues. They had a great cast lined up and he finds it unfortunate that he will likely never do the project.

Green is producer on Jeff Nichol’s Shotgun Stories (which he said should be released this April). Jeff was a friend of David’s from college and David’s second unit DP, Adam Stone shot the film. Green stated it was one of the most beautifully shot anamorphic indie films in the last ten years.

Nichols and Green also collaborated on the screenplay for Nichols next film, Goat adapted from Brad Land’s memoir.

Green enjoys the family feel of making his films with the guys he knew in college. He finds it interesting how their various interest gel into a complete work. He also said he was writing something with one of his sound guys and it was fun seeing him put on his writing hat.

Green’s worst day on set was when the last day when they showed up to shoot the key scene of the film and all the snow had melted. Green kinda had a meltdown. Shovels, ice rinks and trucks bringing in snow were employed to dress the scene. Appearently you can't tell the difference.

During the editing of Snow Angels, a very serious movie, Green and his editor found themselves making gag reels from outtakes to keep sane. Striving to release some comic tendencies led to Pineapple Express.

Green came to Pineapple Express after a set visit to Apatow’s Knocked Up. He found the way they work were very similar to his, though they make commercial comedies while he makes indie dramas. They decided to experiment and team-up.

Green hope is to work in many different genre in the next few years.

Green also still has ideas for a sci-fi film but needs to get some commercial cred, to get backing for it.

The evening ended with the screen of the red band trailer for Pineapple Express. I had only previously viewed a scene form the film that was released online earlier this year. The trailer for the “80’s stoner buddy action comedy” was hilarious and definitely wowed the audience. Check it out below.

Afterwards Green was nice enough to hang around and chat with some fans (myself included) that lined up to shake his hand.

The whole night was a wonderful experience for me and it just made me feel good that a director I admire was such a nice person. Good luck to Green, I can’t wait to see Snow Angels, and I hope Pineapple blows his profile up.

Thanks again to David, Olivia for their time and Apple for hosting the event.

Snow Angels opens in limited release March 7.

Pineapple Express is slated for August 8.

Funnier than the Oscars! Do you want to F&#@ Ben Affleck? Jimmy Kimmel does!

2008-02-25T08:48:00.003-05:00

So here's a little post Oscar video of fun. Watch it for yourself. Discuss.

And the Oscar goes to....

2008-02-25T02:43:00.006-05:00

Real quick. Here's the Oscar winners, because I have way more coverage to do. Over all I think the show was pretty lackluster. Though you can't blame it on its time. The montages were forced. Not too many stars showed up who weren't nominated or associated with the films or presenting. For this they rushed the strike? This is the one big show of the season? Well at least there were quality films up. Oh well. ONCE won best song!!!! Yeah! I need to do a write up for that film.

Best Picture - No Country for Old Men
Best Actor- Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Actress- Marion Cotillard
Best Supporting Actor- Javier Bardem
Best Supporting Actress- Tilda Swinton
Best Director- Coen Brothers
Best Original Screenplay- Daiblo Cody
Best Adapted Screenplay- No Country for Old Men
Best Cinematography- Robert Elswitt
Best Editing-Bourne Ultimatum
Best Art Direction- Sweeney Todd
Best Costume Design- Elizabeth: the Golden Age
Best Makeup- La Vie en Rose
Best Score- Atonement
Best Original Score- Once
Best Sound- Bourne Ultimatum
Best Sound Editing- Bourne Ultimatum
Best Visual Effects- The Golden Compass
Best Animated Feature- Ratatouille
Best Foreign Film- Die Falscher
Best Documentary- Taxi to the Dark Side
Best Documentary Short- Freeheld
Best Animated short- Peter & the Wolf
Best Live Action Short- Le Mozart des Pickpockets

Oh, and for those who missed it, here's Best Song, "Falling Slowy" from Once by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova .

The Truth is Right Here, possibly for a limited time

2008-02-24T10:04:00.002-05:00

So what we have here is someone video taping the X-File 2 trailer they saw at Wondercon.

First reactions? Well, not going to lie, the sight of Mulder and Scully at it again makes me very, very happy. And, they both look really good (that's not just my crush on Gillian Anderson going for you). Also Billy Connolly? Sweet! And all X-Files andventures are better in the snow, expect when Scully somehow miss the freaking Titanic sized spaceship abocve her in the first film.

I'm trying to keep myself on the outside of this one, so I can just go in and watch the movie clean. The X-files always holds a place in my heart, and while the later seasons took it down a notch, there are at least 4 seasons of thorough asskickery for me to enjoy.

July 25th 2008 people. Mark you calenders X-Phillies.

Oscars 2008 or How They Learned to Settle the Writer Strike So There Would Be a Red Carpet

2008-02-22T22:24:00.008-05:00

So it’s that time of year again, when glistening gowned starlets and well tuxed leading men come together for one, five-hour extravaganza that is the Oscars. Well, hopefully not five hours. I’ve loved watching the Oscars since childhood. It was always kind of a family event. A film geeks Superbowl. As I’ve matured, and now have actually seen most of this years nominees, speculating on who will walk away with the gold man is some good fun. Since the Oscars are a very political affair (featuring such things as the “We Owe You” rule W.O.Y ie. Russell Crowe winning for Gladiator the year after he should have won for The Insider; Marty winning for The Departed instead of Raging Bull, and so on) I like to break down my picks into the standard Will Win and Should Win, which aren’t always necessarily the same thing. The following are my picks on limited categories denoted by color, with some explanation. In the event of a Will/Should similarity the winner will be Yellow. I’ll have the winners updated Monday. Here’s hoping I win the office pool.

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Atonement-Tim Bevan, Eric Fellnwe, Paul Webster
Juno-Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick, Russel Smith
Michael Clayton- Sydney Pollock, Jennifer Fox, Kerry Orent
No Country For Old Men- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Scott Rudin
There Will Be Blood- Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Lupi JoAnne Sellar

While I would love to see PT Anderson win (W.O.Y for Magnolia) I highly doubt it is going to happen. Though he’s my solid number two. Atonement was the foreign press (Golden Globes) little darling, and I think it will get snuffed here maybe picking up Costume and Score. That leaves safe bet and awesome film No Country the clear winner.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney for Michael Clayton (2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007)
Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah (2007)
Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises (2007)

Nice crop of talented and deserving actors, but Daniel Day-Lewis (literally) pummels the competition to be drinking his milkshake holding a little gold man. Nuff Said.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
Julie Christie for Away from Her (2006)
Marion Cotillard for Môme, La (2007)
Laura Linney for The Savages (2007)
Ellen Page for Juno (2007)

Marion Cotillard, who won the Golden Globe, clearly deserves this one. However Julie Christie fans cried foul and we might see her get it here. Dark Horse, Ellen Page if they want to push her as a hot new talent.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Casey Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men (2007)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Hal Holbrook for Into the Wild (2007)
Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton (2007)

Any other year, Tom Wilkinson would have this locked. Too bad Bardem cattle gunned his chances in the head. Hoffman had his gold man with Capote. Affleck might get it, but I’m betting he’ll be returning with a win in years to come. I love Hal Holbrook, but he’s just happy to be there. Winner: Bardem, and rightfully so, friendo!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Cate Blanchett for I’m Not There. (2007)
Ruby Dee for American Gangster (2007)
Saoirse Ronan for Atonement (2007)
Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton (2007)

Cate pretty much has this locked up. Her Dylan was the type of performance that the Oscars love. And she totally deserves it. Which is a shame cause Amy Ryan feels like she was pulled off the streets nonactor in Affleck's underappreciated Gone Baby Gone. I give Ryan her nod for authenticity, but I’m happy with Cate going home with the gold. Long shot: Ruby Dee winning a lifetimer for the slap heard around the world.

Best Achievement in Directing

Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood (2007)
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen for No Country for Old Men (2007)
Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton (2007)
Jason Reitman for Juno (2007)
Julian Schnabel for Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (2007)

Love PTA but it’s the Coen’s year, and plus possibly the only time both brothers will get the directing nod instead of just Joel. Schnabel made a cinematic gem with Diving Bell, but the Golden Globes already got him, though he’s a good third bet. I’d love to see Gilroy get it too, but not before the rest, and I have a feeling he’ll return here. Reitman makes Daddy proud out doing the old man. And he’s just happy to be in the group, and companies get to market him as Oscar Nominated director Jason Reitman.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for Screen

Juno (2007): Diablo Cody
Lars and the Real Girl (2007): Nancy Oliver
Michael Clayton (2007): Tony Gilroy
Ratatouille (2007): Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco
The Savages (2007): Tamara Jenkins

All of them are good but Daiblo Cody wins for her heartfelt, though I feel flawed, first screenplay. She’s the Hollywood it thing. I’d love to see Gilroy and I think he’s her only competition in the field with his tight, intelligent, and thrilling Clayton.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Atonement (2007): Christopher Hampton
Away from Her (2006): Sarah Polley
Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (2007): Ronald Harwood
No Country for Old Men (2007): Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
There Will Be Blood (2007): Paul Thomas Anderson

Anyone who has read the book knows that the Coen’s film is one of the finest and faithful translations to screen ever. Any divergences are for the improvement of the piece. No Country had this before the others even showed up. Wildcard is Diving Bell.

Best Achievement in Cinematography

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007): Roger Deakins
Atonement (2007): Seamus McGarvey
No Country for Old Men (2007): Roger Deakins
Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (2007): Janusz Kaminski
There Will Be Blood (2007): Robert Elswit

Can I give it to all of them? No? Oh well. God, tough choices. First lets give some respect to Deakins for his double duty. Elswit too, though Clayton wasn’t nominated. Honestly I’d be happy with any of them. Unfortunately I think Deakins might knock himself out. Which leaves Elswitt and Kaminski in my mind. Both have some W.O.Y coming to them (Elswit for Magnolia and all PTA films, plus Good Night and Good Luck; Kaminski for Schindler’s List, redefining the look of a war film in Private Ryan, and Munich) Close call, but I think Kaminski wins on just the lensing used to put you in Bauby’s world.

Best Achievement in Editing

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007): Christopher Rouse
Scaphandre et le papillon, Le (2007): Juliette Welfling
Into the Wild (2007): Jay Cassidy
No Country for Old Men (2007): Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
There Will Be Blood (2007): Dylan Tichenor

Love to see Tichenor get some W.O.Y for this and also Jesse James. Welfling has a shot for jump cut eye blinks. But Oscar tradition goes best picture goes best editing, so look for the Coens to run out of speeches.

*Special Note: I want to wish Best Song for Once. Everyone who hasn’t should go see the film. And Buy the Cd. I’m just so happy to see them perform. Truly love this movie. Should win hands down in my book.

So that’s it for my picks. Sorry for the categories that got short changed, but I don’t want to be here all night.

If you are intested in others opinions, check out the man himself, Mr. Clooney’s right here. Also please leave your own thoughts in the comments.

If you would like to fill out an Oscar ballot of your own, make sure you print out a copy awesomely provided by IMDB here.

So with that, I’m off to cover the Oscars. Toodles!

Who Watches the Watchmen

2008-02-20T11:37:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to post this sweet pic from a little film called Watchmen. I'm not sure how to feel about this project yet. It's been through development hell for years before getting this far. Watchmen is hands down, in my and many others opinion, the greatest comic of all time. Can a two hour film really do this dense literary superhero epic justice? I reserve hope. And I pray for Allan Moore.

Little Piece of my Childhood

2008-02-18T20:46:00.004-05:00

Like many kids from my generation, I'm sure we remember the joy of a little book called, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Below is some of test footage from the live action film, currently in post production, by amazing director Spike Jonze (of Being John Malkovich & Adaptation fame).

While this is only a sample of the awesomeness to come, I can't help but smile at it. I am a huge Jonze fan and can't wait to see the final product. By these indications, things look to be in good hands. Supposedly, the Wild Things where filmed with static faces and manipulited with cgi to give expression. However they do it, looks good to me. James Galdofini with voice the monster in the final version.

Watch the Wild Thing version of Fight CLub

Advanced Screenings: Diary of the Dead

2008-02-15T00:16:00.005-05:00

Believe me, this was not how I imagined spending my Valentine’s Day.

Seeing an add in the Village Voice my friend and I sent an email to get two free tickets to a screening of George Romero’s new entry into the zombie world, Diary of the Dead. Not twenty seconds later we received an email back. And we knew we were seeing the movie.

Romero’s latest is something totally different from his previous zombie films. Gone are the mass extra filled frames of his previous efforts. Gone are the big names and Hollywood action that comprised his previous entry, Land of the Dead. Diary consists of “found footage” culled from two on scene cameras, as well as various web videos, security, and handi-cam footage. This entry follows the makeshift film school crew, who in the mists of making there own horror film, inadvertently discover the scarier documentary in the world around them, when the dead rise. Their film is The Death of Death.

I don’t claim to be a Romero enthusiast or disciple. The only previous film I have seen of his is the cult classic Dawn of the Dead. While I certainly respect Romero’s brand of B-horror/social commentary, Dawn wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Diary however I find far more fascinating.

It is interesting that Romero has chosen the “found footage” technique for this piece. It’s also unfortunate that it will probably garner comparison to the other found footage movie of late, Cloverfield. While the two films are wildly dissimilar, they share the same narrative problem:

Why, for God’s sakes, are you still filming this?

While Cloverfield addresses this problem up front and then moves on to the good stuff, Romero has other plans. George is more interested in the fact that they are still filming, unfortunately his why, the director's incessant need to document the situation, falls flat under the numerous, and unlikely occasions it is addressed. Romero is offering up a zombie filled criticism on the Youtube generation mass media machine. It’s a brilliant point he’s driving; the problem is that he drives it a little too hard and often. Dairy’s heavy handedness is it’s undoing.

The stilted “meaning of life, why is this happening” dialogue of the film counteracts the inherit realism it is trying to achieve. At no point do the events we view feel real, and Romero is too much of a showman to pass of up cool tricks. The fact the kids would take the time, while in the middle of a zombie filled world, in a black militia encampment to steal their surveillance footage to enhance their doc is asinine. While it provides us the cool “oh look they are editing the scene we just watched” moment, it also detaches us from the film. So does the director, refusing to drop his camera and run after witnessing a friend shoot two zombie’s dead to remain in the same room with the corpses tethered to the wall as the camera charges while the rest of his posse goes off to experience off screen horrors. These and numerous other instances feel false to the real world aesthetic and only take you out of the picture. However, it’s this same detachment that Romero wants to examine.

If it’s not on camera it doesn’t happen.

That’s the mantra repeated numerous times throughout the film. Unfortunately no human would be this compulsive to get things on camera. After the director/cameraman Jason’s girlfriend’s family is found zombified and the killed, he doesn’t even stop the camera to console her. Romero does afford the couple some feeling; Jason puts down the camera in an out of focus shot to console Debra. He then rudely, immediately resumes his camera duties. How great would it be to have him talk to Deb, see her grieving, turn off the camera and then only see them in the aftermath of their talk? It would be akin to what Rodriguez did in Planet Terror with his missing reel, allowing character relationships to move forward with the climax unseen. The viewer then fills in the blanks for themselves. But then again:

If it’s not on camera it doesn’t happen.

Romero isn’t interested in a character study, this is social commentary we are talking about, and thus, moments like this are missed.

Don’t get me wrong though, Romero does nail some things perfectly on the head. The opening scene is enthralling and totally sets up the piece. Every zombie attack and death is handled with horror buff delight. The tension and dread are readily apparent when not uncut by the comical. And then there are the overtop, cheesy touches that just fill you with geek glee.

Samuel the deaf Amish zombie killer, anyone?

Oh yes indeed. But unfortunately there is too much cheese in Diary to make it a tasty or thoughtful dessert. Romero aspires to great things, and for that I applauded the effort, unfortunately the film ends up coming short. If I cared about these characters, it’d be one thing. If I was allowed to forget the gimmick and go with the movie, it would be another. But sadly, neither is true, which leaves Diary a fascinating if stunted experience. It’s worth a look for diehards, and horror buffs, but nothing to write on your Myspace page about. But hey, on the plus side, it was a free ticket for a 95 minute ride.

And I got an email from George Romero.

Diary of the Dead opens Friday February 15th in select cities.

Castaways: And So it Begins, the Beginning of the End

2008-02-09T12:16:00.000-05:00

***Castaways is a feature dedicated to one of my favorite TV shows, Lost. I am a huge fan (though not nearly as obsessive as some) and this feature will spotlight episodes reviews and other theories/discussion on a weekly/Biweekly schedule during the course of the season. WARNING. The following article assumes you have seen the respective episodes to date. If this is not the case, please beware of spoilers.***

Episodes Reviewed:
4.1-“The Beginning of the End”
4.2- “Confirmed Dead”
Mobisode 13- “So it Begins”

So with last week we began with the highly anticipated fourth season premiere of Lost “The Beginning of the End.” When last we left our favorite Losties in the series changing finale “Through the Looking Glass”, Charlie had sacrificed himself to allow a radio transmission for help, though not before warning Desmond that it was “Not Penny’s Boat.” Savior Jack had brought his people up the mountain, captured Ben, and called Naomi’s freighter friends for help. But not before Locke and risen from the skeleton pit to knife Naomi in the back.

So things should be good, right? Help is on the way. Well of course not, this is Lost, and we all know that the future is a foreboding one of Jack hopped up on meds with a scraggly beard, wanting to jump off of bridges and yelling to Kate that they have to go back. But how exactly did they get to this predicament? Well this week’s flashforward does not offer up the answers to this particular question, but it does provide us a solid Hurley story, which we haven’t really seen since “Dave.”

Hurley flips out in a convenience store and after a short-lived OJ chase, is brought in by the cops. He pleads to go back to the nuthouse and they gladly grant it. There he meets the effectively creepy Abaddon who offers to get him out of the hospital, and wants to know what happened to the rest of the Oceanic 815 survivors. Hurley flips, he leaves, but Hurley is haunted by Charlie. Later on relaxing outside, a very lucid Charlie visits Hurley, clearly accepting the fact that he is dead, but yet is here. He warns Hurley that “you know they need you.” Whatever that means. A not yet bearded Jack shows up at the end to play a round of horse with Hurley. Jack’s afraid that Hurley will “tell their secret” and Hurley assures he won’t, and admits to Jack that he was wrong to go with Locke.

This Hurley flashforward offers up some good stuff. The first of which is the short haired Charlie. This seems to differ from his visions of imaginary friend Dave. He knew, only what Hugo did. Vision Charlie (as I like to call him) seems to be far more aware of things than Hurley does. He admits to his own death, but also to the importance of Hulrey’s mission. If Vision Charlie was purely a figment of his imagination (ala Dave) why would Hugo imagine him with a haircut, one of which Hurley has never seen him with? Maybe its just me, but I tend to recollect people the way they were, not as if they have changed. Maybe that’s just me. In this way Vision Charlie is startlingly like the old woman who visited Desmond in last years “Flashes Before Your Eyes.” Vision Charlie seems to want to correct the timeline though albeit in a cryptic manner.

Also good is the inclusion of the Oceanic Six. So far we know Jack, Kate, and Hurley with three others got off the island (I know who the other three are, but that would be telling.) I like that the surviving six have kinda become celebrities in the future, this can lead to interesting things is future flashforwards, especially when Jack mounts his return to the island. Theory: Jack and Kate return to the island and thanks to some weird time paradox become the Adam & Eve skeleton in the cave of season 1.

Back on the island in “present time” Desmond returns to warn of Charlie’s death and the freighter people in general. The beach group heads off to tell Jack. On their way to do so, Hurley gets separated and finds himself at Jacobs cabin. After seeing Christian Shephard through the window, along with Jacob’s eye. Hurley meets up with Locke, and decides Jack’s wrong. Meanwhile not quite dead Naomi has run off, and the freighter people are getting suspicious. After all, are girl can only be collecting firewood for so long. Kate finds Naomi in a tree, they tussle and Naomi covers for the Losties, radioing her last message to the boat “Tell my sister love her.”

The 815ers finally all get together and mourn Charlie’s death, and the great schism occurs, splitting the survivors into two groups. Team Locke, comprised of Hurley, Calire, Alex, Carl, Sawyer, Rousso, Ben, and tons of extras who are heading back to the New Otherville barracks for safety to fight of the supposed rescuers. And Team Jack of Kate, Juliet (way to go with both ladies Jack!) Desmond, Sayid, Sun, Jin, Rose, Bernard, and way fewer extras who want to hitch a helicopter ride home and wait for the freighter people. Oh how quickly people loose faith in Jack. The Man of Science, Man of Faith lines are now clearly drawn. And we are left with Upham from Saving Private Ryan, parachuting down to rescue Jack’s people.

Lost seasons premieres seem to follow the reverse Star Trek movie motif, the odd ones are amazing, the evens are just good. While season four’s premiere isn’t bad, it does feel a tad like filler. There is a lot positioning of the chess pieces on the board to establish what looks to be a fascinating season four. Unfortunately, it kinda seemed poorly written, which is odd considering its from creators Carlton Cuse and Dameon Lindeloff who penned many a key and awesome episode over the course of the series, including the aforementioned season three finale. There are several scenes where we cut back and a character says “So that’s what happened to Charlie” or something to that affect. I understand why they do it. People need to get information and you don’t want to repeat it too many times, especially since it would take away from the very moving “I’m going with my friend” speech Hurley gives to divide the Losties in twain. But it all seems like a stall tactic til the rescuers come. I mean, anyone who thought Naomi was really dead from Locke’s knife last season is delusional. Mikhail (aka Patchy) died what, like three times last season? People on Lost have more lives than a cat (still waiting for that zombie season Carlton and Dameon) with maybe the exception of Pablo and Nikki. Still, “The Beginning of the End” is reminiscent of season two opener, where we spent three episodes around the first ten minutes of opening the hatch (remember the days of the Hatch, oh how far we’ve come.) Basically the episode is an IOU, a promise of ass-kickery to come.

This kicks into high gear with great affect in episode 4.2 “Confirmed Dead.” Now this is the season premiere we wanted to see. “Confirmed Dead” introduces us to the rescuer (or the bizarro Fantastic Four as I like to call them), each one of the four with their own flashback. We really get to see the crashed Oceanic 815 that Naomi eluded to last season in “D.O.C” There are a lot of questions raised. Why do they want Ben? How do they have a picture of adult Ben if he has never left the island? Is Abaddon Dharma? How did a Dharma polar bear end up in Tunsia? Why was Charlotte looking for it? Why was she not surprise to find it? Why was Daniel crying at the sight of the wreckage? How does Miles communication with the dead fit into all this? Why were these people chosen for a reason? How will Hurley seeing Jacob affect things to come? Whose Ben’s man on the boat? The list goes on. This is the true awesomeness of Lost, to give us these mysteries. Not only that, we get some nice character moment.

Kate: Why didn’t you tell me we had back –up?
Jack: I gave you the wink, thing…

I love that. Sawyer calling Locke Col Kurtz. Its all great with some nice action thrown in. Leave it up to Lost vet Drew Goddard, fresh off the success of Cloverfield to give the fans everything the want. How the hell is Locke still walking? I screamed during the opener, and here he at least gives a reason why they aren’t digging another grave. “Confirmed Dead” sets the stage for an awesome season to come. And honestly, I can’t wait.

Finally lets talk about something that some fans might have missed, the Lost mobisodes (which ironically enough, is something the WGA strike is about) that were a Verizon marketing scheme. to download to your cellphone but are also featured a week later on ABC.Com. Instead of being throwaways featuring non-cast members these short 2-3 minute eps are like deleted scenes of the series. Most of them are trivial little things like Juliet looking at Ben’s X-rays and knowing he has cancer, but as a whole they are very enlightening. Several feature Jack, Michael, and Sun and Jin as well as Ben and Juliet. One would expect that these are the key figures in season 4. However the most important installment is called “So it Begins” the final episode, thirteen. It features Christian Shephard walking around in a suit on the island, and telling Vincent to go wake up his son, cause he has “work to do.” This leads directly into the first scene of the pilot. This little missing piece could possibly the most important of all and its so awesome that the creator did it in this way.

Christian Shephard’s presence on the island has been a contention among fans for the whole series. Ever since Jack started seeing him in the first season, there has been much speculation of his role in the overall scheme of the show. Many even wondered if he was indeed Jacob himself.

With this episode we have Christian walking around, able to communicate with Vincent, and aware of some higher purpose for Jack. This is the first time we’ve seen him minus a person (Jack seeing him) Speculating that he is like Yemi is a tad premature because Yemi clearly stated to Eko that he wasn’t his brother. Christian states to go get “my son” meaning Jack. Is he the smoke monster? I don’t know. But this is the first time a vision has appeared without a witness, unless you count Vincent, which I don’t. It also makes Christian appearance to Hurley in Jacob’s cabin, even more monumental. I have a feeling Christian Shephard will be an integral part of season four.

So with these three things my obsession with all things Lost has once again kicked into to high gear. Watch enjoy, and speculate. I’d love to hear others thoughts. And for all the fans of the show please check out Lostpedia.com, which is where I obtained all photos. It’s a great site for all Lost fans.

Until next week….

Coming Soon: 4.3 "The Economist"

Bond, James Bond: Teaser Poster

2008-02-07T10:21:00.000-05:00

First off, I'm a huge James Bond fan. Have been for years. And while I wasn't blown away by Casino Royale, I fully support Daniel Craig in the role. He is one dark, kick ass James Bond. The next film is the oddly named Quantum of Solace. I'm excited.

On the Cutting Room Floor: La Vie En Rose

2008-02-05T20:56:00.000-05:00

I think we’ve gone about as far as we can go with the musician biopic. The new Hollywood trend born from the gushing reviews of Ray and Walk the Line, has, at least in my mind, come to an end. This is the year that has seen the genre mocked to a tee with Walk Hard and then deconstructed and risen like the phoenix to a new level of artistry in the densely abstract I’m Not There. Honestly where is there left to go? What new ground is there to explore? With Control (a movie I am pining for on DVD) I think the genre bore enough fruit for now. Time to replant and wait a few years for something new to sprout. So where, pray tell, does it leave this undiscovered pearl of a film, La Vie En Rose?

Well it is everything that a musical biopic has become. It has a standout performance by lead, Marion Cotillard, who better win the Oscar, beautiful cinematography and directing with exceptional period production design. So what sets it apart form its Hollywood brethren? One thing, structure.

This day and age everyone and your mother knows the basic plot a music bio. Starts off as a youth, is discovered, gets into drugs, fights addiction, either succeeds or pulls a James Dean. La Vie en Rose (or La Môme, French for "the kid" as the Oscars call it) is definitely guilty as charged. However where it differs in getting from A to B is that the film is presented as a memory; fluidly and reflexively moving back and forth through out Edith Piaf’s life to show you what you need to see and when, for dramatic effect. In this way, Rose one ups it’s Hollywood siblings putting an effectively beautiful spin on a genre

What I knew about Edith Piaf prior to this film could be summarized like this; she was an old popular French singer. And while that it is true, I had no idea the depth of her story. Piaf’s life started out in the brothel and ends in her deathbed looking much older than her 47 years, riddled by drug addiction and harsh living. Surviving her tumultuous youth, Piaf is discovered at an early age and grabs life by both hands wrangling all she can from it. Director Olivier Dahan deftly shifts from old age, youth, and height of her popularity with stunning effect. Themes and traits are shown across her life, benefiting from looking at Piaf’s life as a whole and dissecting it in that fashion. We start with her collapsing on stage, and that immediately informs what we then experience in her childhood. We know that this sweet little girl will one day be a collapsing singer and thus we are immediately drawn into her tale. The films non-linear style creates an absorbing and dense study of a fascinating woman.

All this would not be possible without Cotillard. As with most biopics, this a career making role. Cotillard (along with the exceptional and impeccably cast child actress Pauline Burlet) richly sketch the interesting Piaf. Cotillard particularly inhabits Piaf in a way DeNiro once (and will forever in the minds of viewers) inhabited Jake LaMotta. The beautiful Cotillard is physcially transformed into Piaf from age 17 all the way to 47, and she never once feels false. In fact she becomes Piaf to me, and probably many others, with her slumped shoulders, awkward jog, and deeply expressive eyes. Did I mention Cotillard has to play half the film drunk? That’s a hard job for any actress, but Cotillard never loses the realism. She is the anchor that keeps the film perfectly grounded. Unlike her US brothers La Vie en Rose never exalts Piaf as a saint. Quite the opposite. Cotillard is literally laid bare for all her imperfections to be seen. There is never a Hollywood gloss that surrounds so many musicians’ lives, just the tale of one deeply talented and troubled woman.

Centered by Cotillard breathtaking portrayal of Piaf, La Vie en Rose isn’t afraid to get dirty. It’s always honest about its subject, she is what she is, and the film does not judge her for it. That’s up to the viewer. In that way La Vie En Rose is less Walk the Line. It’s more like the French Raging Bull. Pull quote that. The structure is straight forward yet reflexive, a snapshot of memories leading to a sensational finale. The last half-hour, depicting Piaf's final day reveal insights and experiences that even Piaf might not want to admit to herself. Hunt for La Vie en Rose on DVD, and enjoy the gut-wrenching life of this talented forgotten performer. Its well worth it. Go Marion!

The Perfect Team Killer

2008-02-03T22:29:00.000-05:00

I know these past two entries haven't been about my chosen topics. I don't care. All my life, I've seen my father watch sports. I have a saying that to be a New York sports fan, is to suffer. I don't know how many Sundays I've seen my father hang his head in shame. Well tonight, some of that suffering ended. Tonight I saw my Dad hop around the room like a little kid. The Giants won the Superbowl. They said it couldn't be done. 18-1 New England, couldn't make the perfect one count. Wow, that was an amazing game. 17-14. I'll be updating with some true reviews later this week.

The Giants won the Superbowl. I still can't believe it.

Giants, Cowboys and Hitler, oh my!

2008-01-31T15:35:00.000-05:00

Not that this has much to do about anything, but being a Giants fan, I found this incredibly funny. Have a look.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=K2triiYXSY8

While you are reading this, a monster is attacking the City

2008-01-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

Review: Cloverfield

It started in the summer. I was sitting in the theatre waiting to watch a little movie. You may have heard of it. It was called Transformers. I was giddy as a school boy cause I was about to relive my childhood where Optimus Prime would transform from a Mack truck into the battle-ready, Megatron-kicking leader of the Autobots. I could barely contain myself. As the lights dimmed I prepared for the two hour plus ass kicking of giants robots blowing shit up.

I had no idea what I was in for.

As crappy Coke commercials gave way to actually trailers (remember the days when there weren’t commercials in front of movies? Those days I sorely miss.) I had no idea what lay ahead. Up popped what looked like some lo-fi inde film about some youngsters sending off their friend to Japan or something. This was an odd choice to start with I thought to myself, but I totally dug it. Then, the power went out. And everyone in the theatre was like “wtf mate?” Very soon these same 20-somethings were rushing to the rooftop with their videocam POV.

And then a building exploded. The audience literally flipped.

As the hipsters ran down the stairs and out the building, whispers rushed along the crowd. What the hell were we watching? As we moved to the streets, there was an explosion in the distance. Then the statue of liberty head landed in the middle of the street.

The audience flipped.
I turned to my friend. If this was the new Godzillia, I was sooooo there. The words flashed on the screen.
From producer J.J. Abrams.
The Lost guy?
01-18-08.
And then black. No title.
Nothing.

My mind was racing. What had I just seen? I wanted to know. A monster movie from a found-footage POV interested the hell out of me. It was so good; it made me forget that I was about to see Transformers. Giant fucking robots blowing shit up! I forgot I was going to see my childhood on the screen.

This was my first experience with the marketing phenomenon known as Cloverfield.

On the drive home, it wasn’t Optimus Prime and Bumblebee we were talking about it, it was what was that no named movie. I said anything by the creator of Lost and Alias is worth a look to me. We made a pact we see it as soon as it came out.

I went home, hopped on yea old internet and discovered that it wasn’t directed by J.J only produced, this guy named Matt Reeves was in the chair. And it was written by Drew Goddard, who I knew from Lost, and that was good in my book.

Friends thought I was crazy. Blairwitch Godzillia? Come on! But I maintained that if it was executed with half of the intelligence as that trailer, I would be set. In my heart I’m as down for a good monster movie as I am two people having deep conversations over coffee.

So fast forward to opening weekend, I’m in a packed theatre about to see this film. Does it work?

Oh yes it does! Cloverfield carries its gimmick through all the way. What we are supposedly watching is footage from a camera found in what was once Central Park. Reeves and Goddard get around the narrative conceits in some truly nice ways.

The first twenty minutes play out like an extended version of the trailer, as we get to know our cast at this farewell party. But once the power goes out we very quickly start coming down the other side of the rollercoaster.

One of the many smart things the film does is make the “camera man” Hud, a true character in the piece even though he is rarely glimpsed on screen. It is literally Hud’s eyes through which we watch this film and his quips and insight ground the outrageous situation. Now yes, there are times when Hud films when no one else would. He also proves to be remarkably steady in a key juncture in the film, a situation where you’d expect him to be anything but, and he’s steady as a rock. And they magically find a riff in the space time subway continuum that allows them to take a 6 train and end up in Columbus Circle. Do I care? Not in the least. If this was reality a monster wouldn’t be attacking the City. This is a semblance of reality. The one scene that really hit home was just after the Statue of Liberty head gets thrown into the streets we see people taking pictures of it with their cellphones. Let me tell you. I was in the city when the steampipe exploded back in the summer, and people were doing the same thing. I know. I was one of them. That little tidbit is so inherently "real." I love it. If something like this attacked New York, this is what it would look like.

Now some have cried foul about the 9/11-ish imagery of the film. And yes, it does help solidify the thisisreallyhappening feeling. Some feel that this is disrespectful and abusive. Well as a New Yorker, I for one, do not. It’s been a while since the attacks, and with no disrespect for the families, Cloverfield never uses the evocative imagery to pull your heartstrings.

Cloverfield is complete escapism. And smart one at that. I mean other than the utterly dumb device of trying to save a friend who’s in the middle of the monsters warpath, it completely clicks for me. And honestly, in the right mindset, I might be crazy enough to attempt that rescue myself. The love story works for me. Tons of men have done crazy things for love. Sometimes, to quote Good Will Hunting, you just "have to go see about a girl.” Just maybe not when a creature is destroying midtown and spider things from Starship Troopers are running amok(sidenote, Phil Tippet the man who made dinosaurs walk the earth in Jurrasic Park & insects crawl in Troopers had a hand in this. So its appropriate.) But really people, if they just turn tail and ran, there would be no movie. It would be a half hour film. Its already Seventy minutes (eat that!) how much shorter do you want it to be?

So do you see the monster? Well, yes and no, you get enough to get you worried, and then feel it throughout the rest. Not to worry, they give you the money shot. Boy do they ever. The effects work on this film is great, keeping it jiving with the insane world we are watching.

I’ve also heard people nitpick the characters. Or as some have put it, the lack there of. People, I don’t know about you, but I came to see a monster movie, not Squid and the Whale (which I love, but for example sake) okay? Lets see here. What’s on the movie monster checklist? Monster? Check. Scares? Check. People to fight and escape the monster? Check. Army? Check. Explosions? Check. Where did I lose you? The leads are flushed out enough in the exposition heavy opener to get you to feel enough for them. I know all I need to know. Many have griped that they are following “a bunch of white pretty rich kids.” Well, I don’t know about you, but I can’t exactly afford to live in the middle of Manhattan. But you know who can? Rich, pretty white kids. And Woody Allen. Don’t turn this into revenge on the yuppies; Its not.

Cloverfield is a film you either dig it or you don’t. Me, I dig it. I think it’s the best kind of thrill ride, short, smart and sweet. It’s exactly what it should be and knows when to end. Great job by all involved. It deserves all the money its making and more. This a true theatre movie, to be seen big, loud, and with as many people as possible. This type of film is the reason going to the cinema is an event, an experience. And oh you should savor this larger than life. Count this as my first favorite film of the year. It’s sure to be a cult hit for years to come. I really loved it, but then again, there was no doubt.

They had me at Transformers.

In My Headphones: Vietnam, fishing trips, Italian Opera

2008-01-29T21:51:00.001-05:00

Review: Cold War Kids-“Robbers & Cowards”

It was over the summer. I was sitting downstairs in my best friend’s bedroom shooting the shit. He had some low music playing off his laptop. A song that I would later know as “St. Johns” came on. I literally stopped mid-sentence, pointed to the computer and asked “Who is this? And why haven’t I been listening to them?” My friend grinned.

This was my introduction to the awesomely named Cold War Kids.

Their LP, Robbers & Cowards is a collection of songs from the various EP’s they have put out and rerecorded for this awesome studio album. How do I describe the their style? Well, they’re an indie bluesy soul rock band that has hints of folk and gospel combined with a junkyard band. That’s right, a junkyard band. There are times during this CD where the various shakers, rattles and other divergent sounds are as if they picked up something in the street, heard it had an awesome sound and worked it into the song. All this is combined with some awesome off beat drumming and backed by a lively piano that equals a force of a band having discovered the magic of music, having fun and loving every minute of it. I love the sound on the CD, I heard it was sight to behold live (note they are one of the many bands I am actively awaiting shows for.)

The Cold War Kids also have some amazingly catchy and meaningful lyrics. Lead vocalist Nathan Willett doesn’t sing about young love and heartbreak like most the bands you know. In fact most of the songs are very storyteller based. Songs Such as “We Need a Vacation” speak of alcoholic fathers who miss graduations and slowly tear their families apart. They talk about divorce and the shame anger and viciousness that come where once sweet laughter filled a household in “Hair Down.” The aforementioned “St. John” tells the tale of a guy on death row for accidentally killing one of a group of kids who were attempting to rape his sister. Most powerful of all in “Hospital Beds” they show the casualties of war, about making friends with people you would never choose to; the injured who merely lay next to you. However these meaty tales aren’t drowned into our ears. These songs are delivered with a verve that is addictive. You’ll find yourself rocking to the tunes while screaming their catchy lyrics.

The Cold War Kids deliver thoughtful, storied poetry for your ears with zestful instrumentation. They throw enough change ups for you to always keep it interesting, and know when to repeat their mantras like “Vietnam, fishing trips, Italian Opera” on “Hospital Beds” the zenith of the album.

The album has been out for a while now, but it deserves to be checked out. It’s very rare to find a sound that is refreshing and simply this good. They went back into the studios in December. I can’t wait to hear the next album.

Bookmarked: No one belongs here more than you

2008-01-28T23:26:00.000-05:00

***Bookmarked will feature literature that I want to spotlight both old and current***

I was first introduced to writer/director Miranda July through her awesome quirky little indie film called Me and You and Everyone We Know. That filmed bowled me over with how much love it had for its characters. Not that all the characters were lovable, but like the work of Raymond Carver, you could tell the creator cared about them. July worked her way to the forefront of the film circuit with various short film work. One in particular Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?(which she wrote/starred in but did not direct) features John C. Riley as a pollster. I love that one. You can find it here.

July takes her skills as a short filmmaker and brings it to literature with her first novel, a collection of short stories called No one belongs here more than you. The book complies various shorts that she’s had published over the years, with some new ones thrown in for good measure. The collection features 16 stories all pertaining in there own way to the nature of love.

I am a huge fan of the short story format. Short stories (much like short films) are an art form onto themselves, mimicking conventional narrative while breaking all the rules. In shorts I find subtly comes much more into play due to the size restraint. This is not an exhaustive novel, it’s a place where what is not said holds as much power, and often more, as what is.

July brings here trademark skew to these various tales, especially early ones with The Swim Team, of a young woman who teaches a group of old folks how to swim in a small town without a pool by simulating swimming by putting their heads into buckets of water. Odd as that may sound, July writes all her characters with conviction, making even their creepiest imperfections palpable. In The Shared Patio she makes a woman’s need for affection so desperate that we cheer when she achieves it with her unconscious neighbor who has had an epileptic seizure in front of her. Trust me, as off putting as that sounds, it reads much better.

The collection also seems to grow as you move forward, and improve with each passing short. The standout by far is Something That Needs Nothing which features the not quite platonic love affair between two long time female friends who room in Portland. Another is I Kiss a Door about a female Rockstar’s creative flame and her relationship with her father. Also potent is the final installment How to Tell Stories to Children, of a woman that never had children but is godmother to a young girl. The story spins a beautiful relationship between the young child and her surrogate mom and is filled with the happiness and melancholy of having your little one grow up before your eyes.

Be warned though, all the shorts are frankly sexual, sometimes even to discomfort. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I was just a little stun by it. July taps into some universal feelings on the nature of love, grounding even her most outlandish settings. There’s a longing that lives within the hearts of all her characters, one they will go to great lengths to fill, sometimes with disappointment. And it is in those longing hearts that we discover something truly wonderful.

The Dichotomy of Juno

2008-01-28T19:46:00.001-05:00

Review: Juno

Sigh. Well a lot has been said about Juno. Critics praise it, fans embracing it. Tons of light has been thrust upon it, and not without good reason. I’ve read many reviews that hail it as “the best movie of the year.” Eighteen to be exact. That’s right. I’ve counted. And with it sweeping up Oscar nods (among them Jason Reitman best director, Ellen Page best actress, and Best Picture) the people behind this 2.5 Million budgeted, over 80 million grossing little gem must be sitting on cloud nine. So right about now is the time (according to my watch) is where the detractors come in. Now before you boo me off the stage, lets get some things straight.

I really enjoyed it. It has some honest to God genuine heart. Which is a blessing in this day in age. Cause as you read this multiplexes are filling up with the likes of 10,000 B.C. (minus Raquel Welch and plus Hal Emerich, so talk about a bad trade) and other dreck. Maybe that’s why so many critics cling to it. If I had to sit through a billion Norbits a year, Juno most certainly would be like finding water in the desert. I’d probably hail it as the second coming. But it’s not. Its just a sweet movie, about a really sarcastic girl who, gets pregnant and decides to have this baby, but give it to the chick form Alias who’s married to the guy from arrested development, and along the way she has some very funny and heart wrenching encounters. Oh and J Jonah Jameson and the CJ form the West Wing are her parents. And it has a totally “indie” soundtrack, most of the songs I already had on my Ipod. And, and…. This should be my movie! This is my bread and butter, people! I should drink this up like Daniel Plainview drinks milkshakes. As a close friend said when I asked him if he had seen Juno, “You mean the movie that’s going to be my favorite movie of the year?” Well it wasn’t his favorite (he feels very much the same way about it that I do) he didn’t love it. And neither did I. And like a scorn lover, I think I kinda resent it for it. I’ve seen it twice now, once by myself, and the second with friends. And I thought the same thing twice:

Man, nineteen year old me would have loved this movie.

But I’m not nineteen anymore, I’m twenty-four. And maybe growing up is hard to do (or is that breaking up?) but I can’t get passed this feeling, that my affection isn’t quite pure for it.

When people look back at 2007 in cinematic terms, I think they will say two things. One, it was the year of the Western (or the varied return there of: Jesse James, No Country, There Will be Blood, and the criminally overlooked 3:10 to Yuma) Second; it was the year of the abortion movies. Or should I say, not abortion movies. Knocked Up, Waitress, and Juno form the trifecta of girls who are going to see this thing through, and man we should laugh at it, and sometimes get misty. On the opposite end of that spectrum is 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days which is about a college girl and her roommate actually going to get an abortion behind the iron curtain. Leave it to the foreigners to confront you with dramatic, hard-hitting realism. Over here in America though (where no one will see 4 Months, which came out Jan 25th. Find your local art-houses), we like our non-abortion fantasies. In these worlds, Seth Rogen gets Katherine Heigl, and Michael Cera, Ellen Page. Bravo to those boys. Heigl has an excuse though; she was drunk. Ellen Page, despite this being her first time, apparently didn’t realize Bleaker didn’t have a rubber on. One assumes Juno thought he had one of those “dick skin” condoms Rogen talks about in Knocked Up. You know, the ones where you “hollow out a dick, and put it on.” Sidenote, I loved Knocked Up. I thought it was hilarious, and laughed thoroughly with my friends while watching it in the theatre. I never once tried to bash it for the things its detractors appall (its rampant misogynism) because I never took it for more then it was, a fantasy and a good time.

Juno is a fantasy too because, make no mistake, no sixteen year old girl is Ellen Page. I have a goddaughter who’s thirteen, and she can barely get half the pop culture references I throw around, let alone Juno. And she’s more likely to listen to Britney Spears than Iggy Pop. But then again she’s a real teenager and Juno, is most definitely not. Not even close. And she’s not a three dimensional character either. This is not to undermine the work of Page who deserves the praise, though not an Oscar. What she does is enthuse Juno’s slick slang chick with genuine emotion. I repeat again, genuine emotion. But genuine emotion does not a full form person make. But Page really does make the role her own, and kudos for her, she deserves it.

And I like Jason Reitman too. Thank You for Smoking was an awesome film. It had polish and was funny. This is that plus heart, and heart will always go the extra mile for you. Reitman is a smart young director, and these two films are a fantastic start to what I hope is a long and lucrative career. Juno doesn’t have an easy tone to achieve. Let’s not forget that our little Juno MacGuff is preggers, for shiz. Reitman knows how to strike the proper balance so that we laugh during Juno instead of dreading what this poor girl is gonna do. He also handles, along with the heneedstobeinmoremovies Jason Bateman, a creepy yet sincere man-child relationship with Juno. His place is one of a guy who still wants to be the cool music kid (which oddly enough is akin to the also heneedstobeinmoremovies Paul Rudd in Knocked Up) who isn’t quite ready to accept his adult responsibilities in a world where things didn’t quite turn out as he imagined when he was 20 rocking out to Sonic Youth and watching horror films in his parents basement. Jennifer Garner’s precise, child wanting wife is also a tricky spicket handled with pure grace. If Garner got to show stuff like this on Alias maybe she wouldn’t have had to do Elektra. Or Daredevil for that matter. P.S. I love you Jen. Anyway, Garner takes a role that could be summed up as queen bitch, but it would destroy the service she is for the film. I love Vanessa and Mark’s story. It throws a monkey wrench into what you except would happen in this type of film and is one of the many treasures. Reitman handles his actor extremely well, and knows, after all, that the film is grounded on them. If Page wasn’t half of what she was, this movie would fail. Ditto all the way around. Reitman throws in some nice indie touches and a Wes Anderson-ish track team and some cool tunes and knows how to make the best out of this soup.

I guess where the film goes wrong for me is the script. I know Diablo Cody (great name by the way) is the Hollywood “it thing” now for this. And there is no reason she shouldn’t be. It’s a good effort for a first timer. But it’s just that, a first time. And little things show through. Diablo is being hailed as “the New Tarantino” and that just isn’t so. First off, we really don’t need a new Quentin, we still have mileage on the old one (now if we would only make Inglorious Bastards instead of talking about it) and secondly calling someone “home skillet” does not a Reservoir Dogs make.

Tangent: why does Hollywood always have to reference the new “thing” in reference to the old? Will there every really be “a new Scorsese?” Do we need one for that matter? I wonder sometimes if this was always the case or something that cropped up recently. Was someone “the new Clark Gable” a one point? Maybe I should ask my parents. Anyway…

Some rough patches show through. The first of, and most glaring of which is the films opening 15 minutes in which I (and many critics agree) the film beats you with the “look at me I’m an indie flick” stick until I was as bloody as Billy Bats in the back of Pesci’s car. Seriously. Listen, I’m not some Cassavettes naturalistic snob here. My dialogue doesn’t have to be mumbled out of some non-actors mouth for it to be the shit. In fact I love written dialogue. Sorkin, Taratino, Mamet. The list goes on. I eat that shit up. But I don’t need Dwight from the Office being silenco’ed by someone who has a doodle that can’t be undid. Honest to blog, what kind of fucked up world are we watching? For a minute there I felt like is was in the middle of some weird tangent NYPD Blue-esque universe where no one talks normally and teenagers espouse Phuket, Thailand as an expletive. Have a teenager show you where Thailand is on the map (without using Google) let alone Phuket, and you’ll be quite disappointed. The dialogue isn’t cute, it most definitely isn’t “cool” (because those 15 minutes are quotation mark wanting friends) its just irritating.

But then, something magical happens. Juno tells her parents her predicament and all of a sudden, the fact that her Dad wishes she was into hard drugs instead isn’t annoying. It’s funny, and honest. And suddenly the movie gets tired of tossing out wannabe catch phrases (whether that’s Cody finding the films voice, or Reitman reigning it in we’re all the better for it.) and this little indie that could becomes a pleasure to watch.

And while some might fault the cuteness of the hamburger phone, or the ultra short gym shorts, the film does get more right then it does wrong. For example, a small but simple photo of Juno and Bleaker rocking out on someone’s porch is so true and telling of their relationship that I feel it was pulled form a real photo album, maybe even one of my own.

Maybe it isn’t the film at all that I have beef with, but its packaging. Before I even saw the trailer, at least eight people, critics and the studio were saying that it was “this years Little Miss Sunshine.” Now that offends me. I love that movie I waited months to see it and even journeyed out early one Sunday morning to finally sit and enjoy it in the theatre. And I fell in love with it. As I knew I would. But it was on my own terms, I discovered it for myself instead of having it jammed down my throat. This marketing truly shows how out of touched the Hollywood machine really is with the audience it is playing to. The whole thing about movies such as Juno is the discovery of them. It’s like finding a good band and sharing it with friends. I don’t want to listen to what others tell me is cool; I want to find cool for myself and share it to with the world. Juno was discovered long before I ever laid eyes on it and I really can’t love it like I love its predecessors.

Basically when it comes down to it, Juno is the prom date my parents picked for me. And while she might be all I really need in a girl, it’s just not the same as if I found her myself.

Personal Picks for 2007

2008-01-27T22:28:00.000-05:00

I know this is a few weeks late, but sue me. As this new year has begun, and with the Oscars rapidly approaching I feel its only right for me to indulge in a fun game that we all like to play; Name your Best of 2007.

I have to admit, this year was quite a hard selection. Most of my picks did not appear til the fall season. This means that I was yearning for some good movie action for most of the year. However, all in all, 2007 ended with a dearth of excellent cinema. Here’s my rundown for the year. Don’t really pay attention to the order as it really doesn’t matter after one and two.

1. There Will Be Blood
What else can I say about this movie that hasn’t already been said. I flip between this and No Country on which one I like more. It changes everyday. Honestly they are both awesome films but I think I have to, in the end, go with Blood. After all it gave me my favorite new catch phrase. It was so good that I downloaded the screenplay and read the whole thing in one day, just to experience it again. PT Anderson is one of my personal faves. It’s been a long time since Punch Drunk Love, and well, it was worth the wait. Everything from Daniel Day Lewis to the evocation of Days of Heaven is magnificent. I can’t wait to see it again. Hopefully we don’t have to wait as long for the next one.

2. No Country for Old Men
The Coen Brothers have outdone themselves with this one. They have created one of the greatest movie monsters in recent history in Javier Bardem’s Aton Chigurah. This guy would rip Hannibal Lector a new asshole. But its not only Bardem, but also Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin (who is having an incredible year with Grindhouse and American Gangster). The whole piece comes together with grace that both infuses it with the greatest Hitchcock thrillers and lifts it above the genre into a higher contemplation of violence and the modern world. I’ve read the book, and where Cormac McCarthy sometimes lays a heavy hand, the Coens know when to let the material speak. It’s in what’s not said, those deadly silences on the prairie that the film is its most powerful. Was there even a soundtrack? I can’t remember. All I remember is the wind, and the sound of a cattle gun. It truly is the year of the Western. This is one of the best and most fluid adaptations I have ever seen. One harrowing, gripping ride. The film is better than the book. There. I said it. Call it, Friendo.

3. Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
It took three years for Andrew Dominik’s epic western to hit the screen. This was one of those films that I waited for. And boy was this ever worth the wait. The film is not for everyone. It’s one of those, as some friends would call it, “staring at the wheat films.” And as much as I loathe to use that phrase, this is the pick to use it on if there ever was one this year. Jesse James is a Malick infused contemplation of celebrity and the price of it. Yes it has a long title equal to its long running time. But it is also permeated with a sense of dread. Brad Pitt defines Jesse, and with very little doing makes him a force to be reckoned with. Throughout the whole film I always felt that Jesse was going to kill somebody. Even in scenes he did not appear in, the dread was still there. As if he would still show up at any moment and kill somebody. Casey Affleck (who also rocked it this year in Gone Baby Gone) is truly freakish yet sympathetic as Robert Ford. He deserves his Oscar nom. Also to be noted is the always-excellent Sam Rockwell. His role is a thankless one as the elder Ford brother. Rockwell has to play the stupid guy that gets to hang with the cool kid and he does so with grace and humility. You can see his smile give way to fear. Excellent performances all around. And the ending? The ending is truly transcendent. My heart broke. Catch this one on dvd.

4. I’m Not There
By now everyone’s heard of Cate Blanchett’s excellent turn as electric British phase Dylan analog Jude Quinn. And everyone probably knows the gimmick: different actors playing not quite Dylans. But what all the previews and hyperbole can’t give you is what a densely satisfying film it is. I can’t really talk about the narrative; it’s more of a cinematic experience of everything that is Dylan. This is like film cubism, folding and shifting, moving back on itself and referencing touchstones in Dylan’s life. It’s black and white; it’s lush color; it’s a regular narrative, it’s a documentary. I’m Not There morphs with its various actors and ends creating a product of wonder. Any Fellini fan will flip their shit at Blanchett’s segment. Everyone is marvelous in it including the late Heath Ledger who, ironically enough plays an actor who is depressed and detached separated from his wife and kids. I have to admit I wasn’t the biggest Dylan fan, but between this and Scorsese’s amazing No Direction Home I am officially a convert. Anyone who reads a Wikipedia bio before hand should see the ridiculous splendor of detail. I need to see it again just fully appreciate this monumental work of postmodern filmmaking. You haven’t seen anything like it this before.

5. Michael Clayton
Best John Grisham movie that wasn’t written by him. Many props to all involved, including writer/first time director Tony Gilroy. With fantastic performances by all main players, Michael Clayton comes out on top as a solid, intelligent thriller. A truly overlooked gem (see On the Cutting Room Floor) Catch it in theatres now while it’s re-released.

6. Zodiac
Notice that this is one of the only films that came out prior to the summer. David Fincher’s masterpiece of a crime thriller came out way back in March and has been sorely forgotten in the accolade spewing yearend summation. And that’s a shame. This over two and a half hour film held me in its vice like grip for the duration. Besides the fact that all the actors give great performances and that Fincher pushed new ground with the Viper camera, Zodiac is a well told tale. It’s the most satisfy non-ending to behold, and is a worthy addition to the Fincher oeuvre. Call this the anti-Se7en. Just the facts ma’am, and the facts have never been more compelling. If crime procedurals were always this good, I’d be watching a hell of a lot more Law and Order.

7. Eastern Promises
David Cronenberg does it again, combining his power with star Viggo Mortensen to create a beautiful companion piece to the equally awesome A History of Violence. The story is solid and the twist took me by surprise. All the players make their Russian believable (apparently it was given the thumbs up from the real Russian Mafia) and Viggo is absolutely fascinating. Naomi Watts is given a thankless role as our gateway into this seedy underworld but her and Viggo definitely have sparks. Plays more to the genre than Violence did, but I find myself enjoying it more. Best knife fight in cinema history. Beware of Turkish baths.

8. Once
Raise your hand if you heard of, let alone seen, this film. Good all three of you who did move on to number nine. The rest of you need to see what you’ve been missing. Once is the greatest, most genuine film I have seen all year long. Heart goes along way in my book and this film is literally brimming over with emotion. The plot is simple, boy street musician meets flower girl street seller who also happens to play a wicked piano and sing. Boy likes girl, girls sings with boy and somewhere in between the sweetest romance blossoms with some kickass music. Once is a musical for those that don’t like musicals. It shows the true power and emotion of what music and cinema are capable of. It is, in a single moment both heartbreaking and uplifting. Any film that does that deserves to be seen. If this doesn’t win best song at the Oscars, I will flip my shit. And if you don’t trust me, listen to Mr. Spielberg :
“A little movie called Once gave me enough inspiration to last the rest of the year,” said Steven Spielberg to USA Today.
Nuff said. Netflix it now. Then buy the soundtrack, collectors edition with the DVD. You’ll be glad you did.

9. Hot Fuzz
Is anyone doing better satire today than Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg? These two British chaps have come along to pick up the torch from Mel Brooks and make films that both mock and embrace their genres and in the process come with up with something that is completely refreshing. I don’t think there’s enough room to fit every action film they are riffing off of here, to go through the Michael Bay movies alone would take enough time. Needless to say that while the last half hour is a balls to the wall tour de force, it’s the loving if not homoerotic exaggerated for laughs relationship between Nick Frost’s Danny Butterman and Simon Pegg’s Nick Angel that make the film stick. These two are the definition of buddy cop. If you don’t already own it, I recommend you get the stellar three disc set. Totally worth it. Can’t wait to see what these two guys do next. I’ll be the first in line when they do.

10. The Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson serves up yet another dysfunctional family, but this time its with three brothers who are literally trying to unload their baggage. Many critics have cried foul on this one, stating that Anderson is going in circles. I say, the flashback sequence is worth the movie alone. Anderson hits all the write notes, even if they may sound familiar. Keep an eye out for the cameos. Watch it with its companion short Hotel Chevalier and enjoy the experience. Now where’s that Mastercard movie, Wes?

Guilty Pleasure: Grindhouse

Things I Missed That Could Have Been on This List:
Control, Margot at the Wedding, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

So that’s it for my favorites of the year. I feel I’m bound to have missed some. What are yours? Leave me some feedback.

I Drink Your Milkshake!

2008-01-26T22:11:00.000-05:00

Review: There Will Be Blood

This review has been a long time coming. And yes it will be long. If you haven't seen the movie don't read this. Just know that its good, and go see it. I doubt a lover of cinema will be disappointed.

So is There Will Be Blood a maasterpiece? Well I am loathe to say that about any film made in my lifetime. People throw that word and "genius" around quite too often. But is it good? Yes. Yes it is, it's magnificent to be hold in a way that the words I write now can't quite contain. A few weeks ago I sat through a 2 and half hour plus, Jonny Greenwood drench, Daniel Day-Lewis spewing, oil dripping epic of a character study. And I sat there with a smile across my face. Does it live up to its name? Oh yes. Maybe not to some's satisfaction but most definitely to mine.

But then again I am a PT Anderson freak. Super freak. Those that think this is a depature for him are people who think Boogie Nights is his first film. It's not. That's Hard Eight (Sidney) and all that is is a beautiful character study, a love note to Phillip Baker Hall. So if anything this film is a return. A full circle so to speak, except this time his affection is for Daniel Day-Lewis. So no this is not a depature. Boogie Nights is filled with a glee of a 27 yr old who knows how to use a steadicam as says "Eat my continuous shot intro, and my I am Cuba Homage pool shot, and my Scorese coke dollys. Eat it up!" And I love that. But PT isn't 27 anymore he's 37 and has a kid, and There Will be Blood is a return to character study from a man who has matured but still has that kid love of filmmaking, long shots and letting actors act, inside of him. He's just older. As such, There Will Be Blood is more measured in that way but pulses with that school boy glee.

Day-Lewis deserves every award he's about to recieve for his Kane-esque portrait of a man who has a competition in him, yet yearns for an heir, an equal, a family he he blatantly drops to suceed in his goals. This film, like many other of PT's, is a about fathers and sons and the affect they have on one another. The film hinges on Plainview's relationship to his son, HW and all that it implies. When HW becomes damaged, Daniel is torn, because he can never truly be his, he is now part of what he hates and longs to escapes. HW isn't his only son however. Paul Dano's Eli is too, in a way, a spawn of Daniel, though be it his ambition and greed. If HW is Daniel's heart, the Eli is Daniels black inner reflection. You can see Plainviews affect on his "son" when the beating Eli suffers at Daniel's hand is then transfered by Eli to his father Abel. Daniel's influence is clear, wether Eli admits it or not. The false prophet from God stands very much in Plainviews shadow. But that is where they are different. For Daniel knows what he is, and Eli never can truly admit his lie. All this leads to an ending that really does divde people.

Not me, mind you. I find it a fitting end to an epic tale of a man who in yearning for family, deserts and destorys all that he has of it. Some say it may not be in keeping with the tone of the rest of the film. Well that is your opinion. To me, the end caps and fullfils character traits that we have witnessed all along. Anderson makes you laugh until he makes you stop laughing, and that too can be affective. Tarantino has made a career out of it. You are supposed to laugh. It makes the horror more chilling. Watching this scene with the audience was a treat. I heard the theatre's laughter followed by a collective gasp. And I knew he had them.

I drink PT Anderson's milkshake. I drink it up. Find this film in your town and see it and enjoy. There will be greed. There will be vengance. There will be blood. That's a promise.

"I'm finished!"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ThZI-p8SKe0

On the Cutting Room Floor: Michael Clayton

2008-01-26T20:27:00.001-05:00

***Little note. This is a section called On the Cutting Room Floor. Many of you are aware of the term, it refers to filmmaking where a scene is cut out. This section will be use to spotlight things that I think might have been lost in the shuffle and overlooked. And hopefully, in doing so, help these pieces find an audience.***

So if you took a look at the Oscar best picture nominations, you might have noticed a little picture called Michael Clayton surprisingly staking a little claim. That said, it left most people going "oh yeah, wasn't it that film with George Clooney?" Well it was. And it was also a great gem of a film that most people overlooked back in the fall.

Tony Gillory (who scrpited the equally awesome Bourne series) also scripts this and steps into the director's chair for the first time to hit it out of the park. Not only is there a visual treat (provided by cinematographer Robert Elswitt who pulled double duty this year with PT Anderson's tremendous epic There Will Be Blood) but also excellent performances from all three main players. George Clooney is the titular "fixer" that carries this film, Tom Wilkinson the cheif lawyer Aurther Edens whose mental breakdown Clooney is asked to cover up, and Tilda Swinton corporate lawyer who desperately wants this all to go away. All three are given plenty to work with in the tightly paced script and all or them shine in their roles.

Michael Clayton is reminisent of a good seventies thriller. It feels in tone with All the Presidents Men and other ilk. I've heard it described as the best John Grisham film he never wrote. I'd have to say they are dead correct. The tension is so tight in this film, you feel as if it could snap at any moment. George Clooney is in peril, and I never doubted for a second. Above all, Clayton is smart, which is sad to say, but that is refreshing. Unfortunately intelligent films are few and far between. Michael Clayton is an adult film made for adult audience and as such, it doesn't pander to its audience. It gives you credit as a thinking participant and even plays on your expection. At the end of the day, Michael Clayton is a rewarding film that has you leaving the theatre knowing you've seem something great. While Michael Clayton may not win any of the Oscars it is nominated for, it has already done its job. Thanks to the nods Michael Clayton is being re-released in the theatres. Oscar has given the greatest gift of all, a breath of freash life, and a second chance to find its viewers. Search it out in the cineplexes near you. You'll be glad you did.

Welcome!

2008-01-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

So yeah, I started a blog. But this spot isn't about me getting on my soap box and pontificating (though sometimes I might) my intension is to create this website to be a place of discourse. There are some things in life that I love: film, music, and literature. And if there is one thing I love more than that it's discussing them. In this day and age everyone's a critic, everyone has an opinion, everyone wants to be heard, and generally people are very liberal with letting their positions be known. So basically I'm going to post reviews, opinions and general news that we can talk about. And remember, what I post is merely my opinion. You don't have to necessarily agree with me or what I say. In fact, I'd love you to persuade me different. All too often people use the internet as an anonymous place to bitch and moan. I don't want to do that. Think of this as an extended digital coffee table we're all sitting around, and I'm just tossing out topics of conversations. And you can too, leave comments, hell email me pieces, I'll post them. Let's just talk about what we love and have fun. I'll have my first post up soon. Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

-Manny