tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47629479759107623962024-03-12T23:10:33.856-04:00The Film Official(Officially awesome)P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-69500439077919912662009-06-24T19:31:00.004-04:002009-06-24T20:30:25.906-04:00Earth-shattering news (or: How to resuscitate a dormant blog)Not that I was holding out on posting due to a lack of news and/or movies seen -- difficulties we shall call "technical" halted my blogging for a bit, and there is much to write about as the days ensue (albeit infrequently, still) -- but <a href="http://oscar-watch.ew.com/2009/06/2010-oscars-to-have-10-best-picture-nominees.html?xid=rss-oscarwatch-2010+Oscars+to+have+10+Best+Picture+nominees">this epic nugget from E.W.</a> certainly is worthy of a few words:<br /><blockquote>"After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year," said AMPAS president Sid Ganis. "The final outcome, of course, will be the same—one Best Picture winner—but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009." In the '30s and '40s the Academy recognized between 8 and 12 Best Picture nominees each year.</blockquote>There are pros and cons draped all over this story, and our little gold friend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.etonline.com/media/photo/2008/01/39161/400_oscar_statue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.etonline.com/media/photo/2008/01/39161/400_oscar_statue.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />-Obviously, it makes the whole thing more inclusive, which sort of falls in the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">pros</span> category since a five-film cutoff is a little arbitrary (sure, 10 is, too, but this means fewer films get left out).<br /><br />-The term "Best Picture Nominee" gets cheapened a little -- a certain <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">con</span>.<br /><br />-Because of the Academy's inexplicably strange Best Foreign Language Film rules, another <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">pro</span> is put in play: More recognition for the top non-English films.<br /><br />-Unfortunately, the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">con</span> side of this is it brings documentaries into the discussion, too. Documentaries have no business being listed alongside dramatic films. It's like the CBS Evening News and <span style="font-style: italic;">24</span> fighting for the same Emmy.<br /><br />-Then again, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">pro</span>-wise, another out-from-the-ghetto type of film gets highlighted: the animated film ...<br /><br />- ... but what if the world's Pixar crush becomes even more irrational, and the studio's every offering gets a slot -- no matter how crappy the movie is*? Potential <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">con</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Cough</span><a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-smell-rat.html">Ratatouille</a><span style="font-style: italic;">cough*</span><br /><br />-And the final one is the ultimate <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">pro</span> vs. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">con</span>: Who, excepting animated/foreign language/non-fiction films, gets the final five spots? Will the Academy follow its recent pattern, or revert to old practices?<br /><br />What that means is this: For an extended span, Best Picture seemed the landing spot for period dramas (often epics) and audience/critical favorites (meaning "feel-good" movies; everything from <span style="font-style: italic;">E.T.</span> to <span style="font-style: italic;">As Good as it Gets</span>), with only the occasional outlier (<span style="font-style: italic;">Silence of the Lambs</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Fargo</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Insider</span>) thrown in. Meanwhile, the daring critical faves -- even near-unanimous badass movies like <span style="font-style: italic;">The Usual Suspects</span> -- seemed destined for either Best Director, Best Screenplay, or oblivion*.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kcErNWtw1o">Great song</a>, by the way.</span><br /><br />Lately, though, the Picture category had taken to actually leaving the house a bit. It snubbed some obvious award grabs (e.g. <span style="font-style: italic;">Dreamgirls </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Cold Mountain</span>) and even <span style="font-style: italic;">gave</span> the gold to films that didn't fit the Best Pic Profile (consider: the 2004-07 winning string of <span style="font-style: italic;">Million Dollar Baby</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Crash</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Departed</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">No Country For Old Men</span> -- not one epic or feel-good film on the list).<br /><br />So what will we see, with more slots available? More love for the BIG movie? Or will <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442109/">Charlie Kaufman</a>* and the like finally see one of his movies validated as one of the best of the year?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Which reminds me ... there might be a Kaufman-related post coming soon ...</span>P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-44023014864456139622009-06-08T21:59:00.004-04:002009-06-08T22:20:59.990-04:00What the Doug?Maybe it's the prevalence of "Doug" in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119646/">The Hangover</a> (review coming).<br /><br />Maybe it's because he was in the brilliantly cheesy 1990s slasher flick <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104139/">Dr. Giggles</a>*, which was brought recently to The Film Official's homestead by a little tool called On Demand.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Remember, the black guy always dies first.</span><br /><br />But for some reason, I'm sitting here wondering what we're all wondering: Whatever happened to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0234791/">Doug E. Doug</a>?<br /><br />You know, this guy, from <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106611/">Cool Runnings</a>:<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NACniFCYAS8&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NACniFCYAS8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />Well, after careful research, apparently the answer is this:<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FvfLDmDdHcM&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FvfLDmDdHcM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />Next investigation: Tracking the career of Soldier #267 in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/">Saving Private Ryan</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxCs7P8s6-s/Si3FkLaUnOI/AAAAAAAAAEs/o3znw16HE6M/s1600-h/imgsaving-private-ryan4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxCs7P8s6-s/Si3FkLaUnOI/AAAAAAAAAEs/o3znw16HE6M/s320/imgsaving-private-ryan4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345145558087802082" border="0" /></a> Thank you for your time.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-27128912876151137002009-06-01T19:35:00.006-04:002009-06-02T22:34:07.565-04:00Finally: A best of 2009 list!Recently I dubbed myself a "film sharpshooter," which means I choose the movies I pay for wisely*, which means the list of 2009 releases The Film Official has seen isn't very long, which means the "official" in this title isn't so official, is it? (Cheap joke alert) Official? Heck, I could probably <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090528&sportCat=nba">officiate in the NBA</a> with a record like this.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Ed. note: </span>The Hours<span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span>A Knight's Tale<span style="font-style: italic;"> are exceptions.</span><br /><br />But whatever. Here's a descending look at all the 2009 movies who have been graced by the presence of me*:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Note 2: These rankings are subject to change, as is my mind, so positions might flip as time passes. As <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson">some guy</a> once said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" ... and although I'm not really sure what a hobgoblin is, it sounds pretty scary -- like something that might be trying to drag me to the fire-and-brimstone underworld or something. I want nothing to do with that. OK, end of digression. Here are those long-anticipated rankings:</span><br /><br />8. <span style="font-style: italic;">Watchmen </span>(<a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/watchmen.html">full review</a>): The only true dud on this list. Lots of cool images, one intriguing character ... but when your movie is 12 hours long, shouldn't it at least look good and have, like, at least one intriguing character?<br /><br />7. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Brothers Bloom </span>(<a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/06/feeling-conned-by-brothers-bloom.html">full review</a>): A disappointment because of its imagery, its cast and high expectations after writer-director Rian Johnson auteured the fantastic <span style="font-style: italic;">Brick</span>. This one just unravels, which is a shame.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek </span>(um, cough, "full" <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/05/star-trek-quickie-review.html">review</a>): You know those <a href="http://www.5hourenergy.com/commercials.asp">5-Hour Energy commercials</a> where they bash the sugary energy drinks -- you know, fun now, but doesn't last? <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> is one of those sugary energy drinks.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-style: italic;">Observe and Report </span>(<a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/04/almost-there-observe-and-report.html">full review</a>): Has so much going for it that its occasional forays into ridiculous comedy seem forced. Coulda been.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sugar </span>(<a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/05/sugar.html">full review</a>): Speaking (earlier) of sugar, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sugar </span>is kind of the opposite of sugar. It's more like a piece of whole wheat bread. Perfectly OK, but either 1) could be tastier, or 2) could be better for you.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-style: italic;">I Love You, Man </span>(<a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-rush-you-man.html">full review</a>): Lots of fun, lots of Rush, lots of perfectly captured male awkwardness. Not gonna win any TFO awards unless 2009 really sucks, and it's no comedy HOF-er, but it's still memorably good.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-style: italic;">Up </span>(<a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/05/star-trek-quickie-review.html">full review</a>): Despite its late lapse into convention, it resonates emotionally and has a great message. Looks good, too, but that's kind of a duh for Pixar at this point.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-style: italic;">Drag Me To Hell </span>(<a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/06/anything-but-drag-or-another-pukey.html">full review</a>): The only film on the list that exceeds expectations. It starts out slow ... but that's just director/co-writer Sam Raimi tricking you into thinking you're in for ordinary horror. Fun, funny, jumpy, creative -- all-time great it ain't, but it completely nails its target.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-52270644979459735672009-06-01T18:54:00.004-04:002009-06-01T21:01:12.780-04:00Anything but a Drag (or: Another pukey punny blog title)When you're a film sharpshooter like me -- that is to say, you avoid seeing movies that look especially crappy, and you're not even sure the "merely OK" types (e.g. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473705/"><span style="font-style: italic;">State of Play</span></a>) are worth your time/money -- quite often you'll come away disappointed, since you're aiming high almost all the time.<br /><br />Now, you take that and combine it with a <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/ruins-or-why-did-i-watch-this.html">documented love of horror</a> (and the <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/05/bad-horror-bad.html">insistence that horror isn't especially tough to pull off</a>), and it's easy to leave the theater underwhelmed instead of chilled by the latest offering, be it a slasher flick or a supernatural thriller.<br /><br />(And when the film in question runs up <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/drag_me_to_hell/">a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes</a> ... well, that's just recipe for a Michael Bay-like explosion in one's face.)<br /><br />Which, in an incredibly long-winded way, brings us to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127180/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Drag Me To Hell</span></a> ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/artman2/uploads/1/alison_lohman_drag_me_to_hell_movie_image.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/artman2/uploads/1/alison_lohman_drag_me_to_hell_movie_image.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/artman2/publish/movie_news/Drag-Me-To-Hell-trailer-003120209.php">The Hollywood News</a> with the pic)</span><br /><br />... which, simply put, was exceptional. Not in a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/"><span style="font-style: italic;">There Will Be Blood</span></a>, preserve-this-film-after-the-ice-caps-melt kind of way. It's more of a best-movie-I've-seen-this-year situation.<br /><br />First: <span style="font-style: italic;">Drag</span> -- <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000600/">Sam Raimi</a>'s story of an insecure-yet-ambitious bank employee (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0517844/">Alison Lohman</a>) who, through certain fault of her own, becomes cursed by an old gypsy woman (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712404/">Lorna Raver</a>) -- is not horror in the typical sense. It makes you jump, close your eyes and/or wince in disgust, but always winks at you.<br /><br />Well, not always. Part of its brilliance is how it begins; basically, it tries to fool you into thinking it's a straightforward horror story -- with its flashback opening, then some early scenes of absurdly phony dialogue (the Lohman character is even listening to diction tapes on the way to work!).<br /><br />But it's all just a setup for another of Raimi's bizarro trips, which starts in a parking garage and ends -- well, I won't tell you where it ends. I'll just say this: As the curse becomes more and more outrageous, the scares more creative and the solutions increasingly strange, the film asserts itself as something of a less-gory, bigger-budget version of Raimi's classic <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092991/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Evil Dead 2</span></a>.<br /><br />No, there's no amorous tree here ... but there is an (understandably) angry black cat, an adventurous housefly and a whole lot more fun.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-41001564757028034932009-06-01T08:28:00.000-04:002009-06-01T08:28:01.257-04:00Feeling conned by The Brothers BloomAfter mentioning it <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/04/unexpected-surprise-wait-isnt-that.html">once </a>or <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/05/opening-minutes.html">twice </a>-- not to mention loving writer-director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426059/">Rian Johnson</a>'s debut, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Brick </span></a>-- <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844286/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Brothers Bloom</span></a> was a must-watch, despite its <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brothers_bloom/">lukewarm critical reception</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/hitfix/photos/73936/BrothersBloom_event_main.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/hitfix/photos/73936/BrothersBloom_event_main.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Pic found at <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/events/2009-4-6-the-brothers-bloom">HitFix</a>)</span><br /><br />Sadly, the critics were right. What starts out as a fun, breezy and occasionally poignant story -- two grifter brothers (Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody) and their near-silent accomplice (Rinko Kikuchi) who attempt a multi-continent con on an eccentric heiress (Rachel Weisz) -- gradually takes on larger themes as the con gets bigger and the film gets longer. In the end, it goes pretty much where you think it'll go, it takes too long to get there, and the message is delivered with a heavy hand.<br /><br />One additional complaint on con movies: The plots tend to be too big or too intricate or too both. There's nothing wrong with a simple ruse -- fewer holes can be punched, making for a film that doesn't leave you going, "Hey, wait a second ..."<br /><br />One compliment on <span style="font-style: italic;">Brothers </span>(aside from the performances, which are -- unsurprisingly -- quite good): Johnson knows how to create him some images. Lets hope he gets his hand on a script* that lets him show his knack for aesthetics within the confines of an equally great story.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Looks like that <a href="http://www.scificool.com/rian-johnson-talks-looper/">could be </a></span><a href="http://www.scificool.com/rian-johnson-talks-looper/">Looper</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Let's hope so.</span>P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-49892218238062651792009-05-31T20:11:00.005-04:002009-05-31T20:53:52.561-04:00Up to no great (or: Pixar is overrated)I, like <a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?ref=rss&id=2592">about $68.2 million worth of my peers</a>, saw <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1049413/">Up</a> </span>this weekend -- and no, that doesn't mean I aimed my eyes at the sky.<br /><br />Funny thing is, although the film is set partially in a house that -- powered by balloons -- flies to South America, neither did <span style="font-style: italic;">Up</span>. Instead, <span style="font-style: italic;">Up </span>did what most Pixar movies do: It shot lower and hit its mark.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firstshowing.net/img/disneypixar-up.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 186px;" src="http://www.firstshowing.net/img/disneypixar-up.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/04/09/disney-and-pixars-full-animated-line-up-through-2012/">Firstshowing.net</a> with the pic)</span><br /><br />That's not to say the film isn't good. It is. But "good" is they key word here, because what it does well -- it's about as emotionally grabbing as any film I've seen, and really leaves you wanting to hug somebody -- is offset partially by the same thing that hindered <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wall-E</span></a> and some of the other offerings from the unthinkable-to-question* animation studio: After unfurling another of its creative setups (this one involving a lonely widower fulfilling an unusual promise to his late wife), it devolves into formula (this one an "edge-of-your-seat" action finale that left me nowhere near falling off the theater's upholstery).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Although, it must be noted, I <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-smell-rat.html">did not like </a></span><a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-smell-rat.html">Ratatouille </a><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-smell-rat.html">one bit</a>.</span><br /><br />Up's downturn isn't nearly as maddening as <span style="font-style: italic;">Wall-E</span>'s, since the former never reached the heights of the latter before treading familiar territory (although it did have me near tears earlier than any film I've seen, even my favorite little robot story). Still, it's a disheartening continuation down the "safe" path for the studio. It's like Spielberg's in charge there or something. Even the most original of concepts turn into unoriginal narratives by movie's end. It's as if they're pulling in adults, then pandering to the kiddies.<br /><br />Although those box office numbers -- and the critical reception -- suggest everyone's pretty much OK with it. So I suppose it's hard to second-guess a studio that kills every time it releases something.<br /><br />Still, just once, I'd love for that great creative team to go unchecked, offering something as weird and wild and wonderful as, say, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286244/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Triplets of Belleville</span></a> -- in other words, a story that wows just as much as the technique does.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-59833406458881117632009-05-29T23:08:00.003-04:002009-05-29T23:15:33.848-04:00Star Trek quickie reviewThe Film Official emerges from the shadows to tackle a rare in-theaters movie. Thoughts on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796366/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span></a> ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/images/star-trek-crew.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 191px;" src="http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/images/star-trek-crew.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Pic from <a href="http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/news1.shtml">ISN News</a>)<br /></span><br />... It's dece.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-49180843258226778462009-05-26T21:46:00.005-04:002009-05-26T22:55:15.614-04:00The Elephant ManSample titles for this blog post, which were scrapped because I couldn't decide on just one:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Elephant Man: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000186/">David Lynch</a>, without all the nonsense</span></span><br /><br />or<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Elephant Man: The *real* Best Picture of 1980 (or at least better than <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081398/">the consensus top film</a>)</span></span><br /><br />or<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Elephant Man: Why, again, isn't this considered an all-time great by outfits <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years..._100_Movies_%2810th_Anniversary_Edition%29">like AFI</a>?</span></span><br /><br />Yes, friends, this stylized account of the life of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Merrick">Joseph Merrick</a> (mistakenly known as John Merrick) is that good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cinema-scope.com/images/300-elephant_man.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://www.cinema-scope.com/images/300-elephant_man.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://www.cinema-scope.com/cs30/feat_daney_lynch.html">Cinema Scope</a> with the pic)</span><br /><br />What's brilliant about <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080678/">The Elephant Man</a> -- the story of a deformed former circus sideshow (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000457/">John Hurt</a>) who takes up residence in a London hospital thanks to a curious doctor (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000164/">Anthony Hopkins</a>) and becomes something of a high-society curiosity -- is its breadth of style and substance.<br /><br />It's got director Lynch's impeccable craft -- e.g. that mid-film dream sequence -- but ditches his typical nonsensical storyline for a thoughtful tale told at a measured pace. It's equally bright and dark, showing the best of humanity and the worst -- and all those moral gray areas, too. And when the film reaches its almost inevitable conclusion, it is simultaneously happy and sad, bringing about the urge to cry ... for some reason, although it's hard to peg exactly why.<br /><br />Heartbreaking? Heartwarming? Try both. Or how about this: It's heart-tugging -- easily one of the most emotionally affecting films out there.<br /><br />So why, again, does this one get so often shafted in the annals of film history?P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-76212146239818812142009-05-24T06:41:00.000-04:002009-05-24T06:41:00.659-04:00They Live to be campyClassic <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000118/">John Carpenter</a>* ...<br /><br />*And no, not <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Carpenter">this John Carpenter</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.realitybreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/they-live_blagoyovich.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 421px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.realitybreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/they-live_blagoyovich.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Found on the review blog <a href="http://www.realitybreak.com/2009/03/18/ebs-b-movie-reviews-they-live-1988/">Reality Break</a>)</span><br /><br />There's really not much to say that hasn't been said in praise of Carpenter's wrestler-starring (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roddy_Piper">"Rowdy" Roddy Piper</a>, a Canadian who for some reason wore a Scottish kilt in the ring) sci-fi/political satire about how the world is being taken over by in-disguise aliens ... who are delivering subliminal messages that are decipherable only to the trained eye (the trained eye, of course, being covered by special sunglasses). In fact, I've already <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/04/happy-earth-day-earth-sucks.html">said it myself</a>.<br /><br />But I'll say it again: Really, the film is just ridiculous.<br /><br />Yeah, ridiculously <span style="font-style: italic;">awesome</span>.<br /><br />Most fans will point to the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OImKPh6N_Lw">"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass" line</a> -- and for good reason.<br /><br />I prefer the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqKFadyJxwg">best hand-to-hand fight scene I've ever witnessed</a> (NSFW). Oh, and the ending is great. And let's not forget the fate of the character played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002668/">George "Buck" Flower</a>, one of the most memorable bit players you'll ever see.<br /><br />Bonus bit: If you've got a few minutes, read the short story upon which They Live is based -- <a href="http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/9412/8oclock.html">"Eight O'Clock in the Morning,"</a> by Ray Nelson. It is absolutely nothing like the movie.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-86779809302582124582009-05-23T13:43:00.003-04:002009-05-23T14:05:25.611-04:00inding orresterSo a while back I sat down to watch the 2000 <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001814/">Gus Van Sant</a>-directed <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181536/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Finding Forrester</span></a>, because I remembered it being pretty good: A story of an urban* kid (then-newcomer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0114532/">Rob Brown</a>) whose basketball passion is coupled with a love of books -- and who happens to stumble upon a reclusive old author (THE <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000125/">Sean Connery</a>) living in his neighborhood.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Hooray euphamisms!</span><br /><br />This time, though, something struck me as the first few minutes unfolded:<br /><br />Where the eff is the F-word?<br /><br />It's not just that the film takes place in an inner-city* high school, where that word -- and countelss others -- are prevalent in the halls. It's that it takes place at any high school. Any one of them. "Cursing like sailors" should be changed to "cursing like students." I'm sure even schools labeled Christian have a few rebellious kids who experiment with the f-dash-dash-dash word at the lunch table.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Another euphamism!</span><br /><br />But not here, not in <span style="font-style: italic;">inding orrester</span>. Sure, they certainly were targeting a PG-13 rating when omitting the most flexible of profanities, but that doesn't excuse it. Here, it's ridiculously distracting. If your movie attempts to capture any sort of dialect -- be it street-wise black, gangster Italian, bored rural high schooler, whatever -- you've got to be fully authentic to make it work. And in those above cases and many others, "authentic" starts with "F."<br /><br />How this word became the standard for an R-rating is beyond me, but that's the way it is. Which is why, when scanning the list of truly, indisputably all-time-great movies (set in contemporary times, at least), a VERY small number of them carried a rating of less than R.<br /><br />And no -- despite its redeeming qualities, this F-less wonder is not on the list.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-86192996392333741562009-05-22T18:52:00.009-04:002009-05-22T22:22:39.756-04:00Waitress<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473308/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Waitress</span></a>, feel-kinda-good movie of early 2007 ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/0/6066/21_2008/waitress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 311px;" src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/0/6066/21_2008/waitress.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Pic found at <a href="http://www.yumsugar.com/1647087">YumSugar.com</a>)</span><br /><br />... feel-good, because it's a fun comedy with quirky characters and a happy message; feel-only-kinda good because of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Shelly#Murder">horrific fate</a> of writer-director-star <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Shelly">Adrienne Shelly</a>, which need no snarky comment because it was simply horrible.<br /><br />Still, that doesn't make the movie itself off-limits, especially with <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/waitress/">all the superlatives</a> thrown its direction back in oh-seven.<br /><br />***Spoilers abound below***<br /><br />As fun as Waitress can be -- and it is quite funny, quite often -- the movie at its core is one gigantic cliche. A wayward, pregnant Southern waitress with a knack for baking pies (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005392/">Keri Russell</a>) is married to an overbearing jackass (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005438/">Jeremy Sisto</a>) and helped only by her quirky waitress friends (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0385644/">Cheryl Hines</a> and Shelly, whose performance is as great as her storyline isn't) ... until a Northern doctor (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0277213/">Nathan Fillion</a>) shows up and sweeps Russell off her feet. Sort of.<br /><br />Sort of, since she *doesn't* end up with the doctor. Why? Because nearly all the male characters in this movie are idiots. Sisto is a jerk. Fillion is a dope. Even the Shelly character's love interest (Eddie Jemison), cute as he might be, also is pretty dim. Well, OK, they saved room for the Sage Old Man character (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0341431/">Andy Griffith</a>, who else?) ... because all old people are smart, of course, and you're not smart until you get old, right*? But the point is, in a great swoop of Girl Power, Russell decides that, well, that Fillion's character is a dope.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*But, when you're old, of course you must die during the movie to illicit sympathy from the audience. That's as American Movie Formula as apple pie (and all the other pies served in this movie)**.<br /><br />**Another reason why I didn't get caught up in the </span>Waitress<span style="font-style: italic;"> frenzy: I'm a health food absolutist and thus don't eat pie. So the whole mouthwatering delight thing was lost on me.<br /></span><br />Anyway, yes, Waitress sidesteps the she-finds-love-with-another-man cliche. But it replaces it with another: The happily-ever-after-with-me-and-my-baby cliche. You see, Russell's character *hates* this baby throughout the movie, because it's her husband's, it's making her fat, etc. Of course, this is true until the baby gets born*. Then she realizes how beautiful it is and how complete her life is and blah, blah, blah.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*And, while I'm at it, why do movies always show the obligatory birth scene? They might not all be as graphic as </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478311/">Knocked Up</a><span style="font-style: italic;">'s, but they're just as gratuitous. </span><br /><br />But the mother-loving-baby thing isn't the bad part here. It's the fact that mother loving baby = everything will be wonderful until the end of time! (This wondefulness factor goes for all the sympathetic characters in the script, BTW. They all win. Except the dead guy, but he was old, so that's OK. He's probably in heaven anyway -- the eternal version of happily-ever-after.)<br /><br />But here's the thing: No matter how happy you get, sometimes life just sucks. The happily-ever-after thing is pure nonsense. There's nothing wrong with things ending positively, but good God -- at least show her struggling with her taxes or something! Maybe stubbing a toe? Her favorite singer losing on <span style="font-style: italic;">American Idol</span>? Something!<br /><br />It's disgustingly ironic how Shelly's life ended, when you consider the way her final film did. I *will not* say it proves my point, because it doesn't -- otherwise, every character would die before the credits roll. And that would be ridiculous.<br /><br />But so is the happily-ever-after concept. It must be stopped, lest our intelligences be insulted again ... and again .. and again ...P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-84396125769430517472009-05-21T14:58:00.009-04:002009-05-21T19:23:57.565-04:00Bad, horror. Bad!Seeing <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/drag_me_to_hell/">the early reviews</a> -- early as in, only 11 of them by Thursday afternoon -- of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000600/">Sam Raimi</a>'s latest, <span style="font-style: italic;">Drag Me to Hell</span>, it's hard for a horror fan not to get a little giddy.<br /><br />Because good horror is a mysterious (and elusive) fig.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/drag-me-to-hell-screening.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/drag-me-to-hell-screening.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Thanks to <a href="http://screenrant.com/super-sneak-preview-drag-hell-sabrina-5255/">Screen Rant</a> for the pic)</span><br /><br />Aside from the very, very, VERY exceptional cases -- and this is true for any genre (comedy, sci-fi, action, etc.) -- rarely does an offering reach an all-time-great level. But there's just something about a solid scare-fest -- say, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1082868/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Quarantine</span></a> -- that's so much more satisfying than your typical entertaining actioner.<br /><br />Also, and let me say this very quietly ... IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO MAKE!<br /><br />Seems to me, good horror needs three elements to succeed (succeed = not suck):<br /><br />1) An ominous, uncomfortable atmosphere -- a looming sense of dread that doesn't let up until the credits roll. Basically, just create likable (or at least tolerable) characters and threaten their lives somehow. Done.<br /><br />2) A script that isn't riddled with horrifically stupid dialogue or nonsensical, eye-rolling plot points. We don't need <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmore_Leonard">Elmore Leonard</a> exchanges and a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Usual Suspects</span></a>-level storyline here, just a little bit of logic and realism, even in an unreal world.<br /><br />3) A lack of excess. There's nothing wrong with a little violence/gore, but sometimes it's just too much, and too mean. A great example is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450278/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hostel</span></a> -- it kills in the atmosphere department and has a solid script ... but once it reaches its payoff, it's just too much.<br /><br />Sure, this doesn't account for everything*. But it's a pretty simple set of rules that shouldn't be that hard to follow. No, you're not necessarily going to get huge critical success -- but hey, <span style="font-style: italic;">Anchorman</span> only <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anchorman/">hit 64% on RottenTomatoes</a>, and if that's not a legend in the world of genre films, nothing is. Like comedy fans, horror-philes have relatively low expectations, too.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Let's not forget about side genres such as the cheesy, over-the-top slasher/monster flick (e.g. the old <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_%28franchise%29">Friday the 13th series</a>) or the action-horror hybrid (you could throw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090605/">Aliens</a> into this basket). There's also the bizarro-horror, which Raimi himself nailed in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092991/">Evil Dead II</a>.</span><br /><br />I was going to rant on a couple of horror entries I've sampled lately (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245674/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Thir13en Ghosts</span></a> going on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389722/"><span style="font-style: italic;">30 Days of Night</span></a>) -- but why waste time? I already did that watching them. In short, they didn't follow the rules -- brainless plots and dumb dialogue that waste a few pretty cool kills and effects.<br /><br />Instead I'll just sit here hoping <span style="font-style: italic;">Drag Me to Hell</span> doesn't fall into same traps. I don't want to scream its title as I leave the theater, thinking about another $10 and two hours wasted on bad horror.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-27378177357593972442009-05-18T15:54:00.014-04:002009-05-18T20:36:28.357-04:00May 18.On May 18, ...<br /><br />1860: A guy named Lincoln is <a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=5011">nominated for the presidency</a>.<br /><br />1927: The famous <a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=3283">Grauman's Chinese Theater opens</a>, paving the way for a certain film blogger to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335438"><span style="font-style: italic;">Starsky & Hutch</span></a> on his only trip there.<br /><br />And, in a different year, not too long ago: Unbeknownst to many (but knownst to a few), one of the people who would bring said blogger into this world is, herself, brought into this world.<br /><br />Hi, Mom!<br /><br />Now, because the truck stop was all out of "Happy Birthday!" cards, here's a sample of favorites from one of The Film Official's favorites*:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Note: She has pretty good taste**.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">**Especially when it comes to sons.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">-The Silly-</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Die Hard</span></a><br />Yippie kay-yay, mother!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417148"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Snakes on a Plane</span></span></a><br />Speaking of mothers, I've had it with all these <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4t6zNZ-b0A">monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane</a>!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122933/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Analyze This</span></a></span><br />A film with a plot so complex, it requires repeat viewings. Lots of them.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">*Insert <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000316/">Mel Brooks</a> Movie Here*</span><br />My mother certainly wasn't among the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107977/">Robin Hood</a> villagers shouting: "Leave us alone, Mel Brooks!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxCs7P8s6-s/ShHzBZgMQlI/AAAAAAAAAEc/HgSh_-gg2WM/s1600-h/robin+hood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 170px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxCs7P8s6-s/ShHzBZgMQlI/AAAAAAAAAEc/HgSh_-gg2WM/s320/robin+hood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337314238762074706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">"And a very happy birthday to <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span>, ma'am!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">-The Serious & The Scary-</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140352"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >The Insider</span></a><br />Not only is this an intense, near-perfect portrayal both of journalistic integrity and the weight of responsibility, but <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000128">Russell Crowe</a> offers perhaps his best performance as the title character, a cigarette-company whistle blower struggling with whether he should spill all he knows about nicotine. Heck, Crowe might have even deserved an Oscar win for this or something.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Alien</span></a></span><br />I'm no parent or anything, but I believe those books contain a special "bonding" section, wherein it offers this advice: "The best moments between mother and son are simple ones, such as quiet walks through the park, reading chapter books, or watching movies about unlikable crewmembers being killed by a hissing, acid-blooded force of nature."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084787/"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >The Thing</span></a><br />"... or, if you don't want a visible alien, why not try one that simply infiltrates a victim's bloodstream and morphs itself into a perfect facsimile of that person?"<br /><br /><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxCs7P8s6-s/ShH1BuHNAsI/AAAAAAAAAEk/X_eoNF__dfk/s1600-h/the+thing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 135px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxCs7P8s6-s/ShH1BuHNAsI/AAAAAAAAAEk/X_eoNF__dfk/s320/the+thing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337316443317666498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">According to sources close to the situation, this scene might have been scream-inducing ...</span><br /><br />And, of course ...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">-The Ones I'll Never Forget-</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099892/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Joe Versus the Volcano</span></a></span><br />They might disagree, Mom, but <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/04/vastly-underrated-joe-versus-volcano.html">I'm with you on this one</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104940/"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >The Muppet Christmas Carol</span></a><br />You can have your Dickens prose or your <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799237/">Alastair Sim</a> (or even your <a href="http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/a-christmas-carol/promo-clip">Jim Carrey, coming soon</a>). In The Film Official's household, the story of Scrooge, ghosts and of Christmas itself comes as told by the Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat. No doubt.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095489/"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >The Land Before Time</span></a><br />Unfortunately, I can't type anything about this movie. My vision suddenly, inexplicably, has blurred.<br /><br /><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/landbeforetime/images/thumb/5/5b/Littlefoot_with_Mother.jpg/300px-Littlefoot_with_Mother.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/landbeforetime/images/thumb/5/5b/Littlefoot_with_Mother.jpg/300px-Littlefoot_with_Mother.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Tear-inducing photo from <a href="http://landbeforetime.wikia.com/wiki/Apatosaurus">Wikia.com</a>)</span><br /><br />Happy Birthday, Mom.<br /><br />--Your son.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-63847154199843928472009-05-17T09:21:00.008-04:002009-05-17T22:25:32.460-04:00Road to nowhere?The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHYZ7xDyBEw">long-anticipated trailer</a> to the long-anticipated <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Road</span></a> finally emerged last week, with the film seeming ... promising. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road">Cormac McCarthy's novel</a> won the Pulitzer. Still, the movie was supposed to be released in 2008. A delay, obviously, isn't a good sign, but it's not necessarily a harbinger of doom, either.<br /><br />One of the more intriguing questions when discussing <span style="font-style: italic;">The Road</span> is "Who is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384825/">John Hillcoat</a>?" -- as in, who's this dude slated to direct dudes like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001557/">Viggo Mortensen</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000234/">Charlize Theron</a>*?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*OK, she's not really a dude, unless you're referring to <a href="http://www.art4reel.com/wp-content/slider/images/ad3.jpg">this monster-ous role</a>.</span><br /><br />And then God (On Demand) answered with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Proposition</span></a>, a 2005 Australian import and one of only three films (and the most recent) in Hillcoat's directorial filmography.<br /><br />This is our concern, dude, because <span style="font-style: italic;">The Proposition</span> ain't all that great.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/images/guyprop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 179px;" src="http://www.dvdtalk.com/images/guyprop.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Pic from <a href="http://www.dvdtalk.com/interviews/blood_and_dust.html">DVDTalk.com</a>)</span><br /><br />Strangely enough, this Western <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/proposition/">wowed critics</a> with its story of a brooding Aussie outlaw (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001602/">Guy Pearce</a>) accepting a brooding Aussie copper's (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935653/">Ray Winstone</a>) deal of turning in his vicious, brooding gang-leader brother (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0404111/">Danny Huston</a>) in order to save their meek younger brother (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0934019/">Richard Wilson</a>; who doesn't do a whole lot of brooding because he's busy bawling).<br /><br />Like I said, there's a whole lot of staring, a whole lot of emoting, a whole lot of philosophizing (and sure, considerable violence) -- but almost none of it comes with much narrative grab; you keep wanting to care about these characters, but even the sympathetic ones' plights are overdone and thus, not all that interesting.<br /><br />OK, so labeling this a Hillcoat-related concern isn't necessarily fair, as a director's early efforts don't necessarily predict a lack of potential greatness (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000217/">Martin Scorsese</a> did <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068309/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Boxcar Bertha</span></a>, after all, which screamed "change the channel!" after about three minutes). Hillcoats feel for the visual clearly is keen. Really, most of the problems stem from musician <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cave">Nick Cave</a>'s script, where the dialogue isn't all that sharp and several scenes seem forced.<br /><br />So let's hope Hillcoat got a good one with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Road</span>, and it ends up as more than Viggo, et al staring off into space for 120 minutes while emotive music plays and wind blows and flies buzz.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-3721502546312667452009-05-15T16:32:00.006-04:002009-05-15T17:54:05.241-04:00Can't forget Sarah MarshallThanks to HBO for bringing <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800039/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Forgetting Sarah Marshall</span></a> back (because, you know, it's been gone so long) ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/080415/forgetting-sarah-marshall_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/080415/forgetting-sarah-marshall_l.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20192061,00.html">EW.com</a> w/the pic ... and a bad review that spends way too much time talking about something that doesn't really matter in this movie ...)</span><br /><br />In that linked review, much time is <strike>spent</strike>wasted talking about writer/star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781981/">Jason Segal</a>'s nude scene -- and that wasn't the only place that mentioned Segal's exposed Jason (or is it Johnson*?). My reaction is much like the one re: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000870/">Kathy Bates</a> in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0257360/"><span style="font-style: italic;">About Schmidt</span></a> -- as in, so what? I'm not necessarily interested in seeing that, but here's an easy remedy: Look away and get on with your life/the movie.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Whaddaya need </span>that <span style="font-style: italic;">for, Dude?</span><br /><br />Another complaint about <span style="font-style: italic;">FSM</span> is its derivative nature, as it harkens back to all those <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0031976/">Judd Apatow</a>/<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0736622/">Seth Rogen</a> comedies. And, well, it does, with the same rhythm (and, in many cases, the same players). So it's not wholly original in its execution. But that's not the point.<br /><br />What separates <span style="font-style: italic;">FSM </span>from the crowd (and this goes for <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> comedies) is its spot-on look at relationships. Good ones, bad ones, all the interested parties, everything. Unlike <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478311/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Knocked Up</span></a>, it doesn't cop out with the phony, who-could-believe-that? ending. Unlike <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396269/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wedding Crashers</span></a>, the main antagonist -- the dude who's with the main dude's girl -- isn't a total cookie-cutter a-hole.<br /><br />And here's the most mature part: Sarah Marshall (the Segal character's ex, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068338/">Kristen Bell</a>) ain't exactly a saint, but she's not a total you-know-what, either. She has her problems. So does Segal's character. So does his new love interest (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005109/">Mila Kunis</a>), Sarah's new love interest (a mostly funny but sometimes over-the-top <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1258970/">Russell Brand</a>), the probably gay guy who is obsessed with Sarah's new love interest (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1706767/">Jonah Hill</a>, hilarious as always), the innocent virgin who is trying--well, you get the point.<br /><br />Which makes it well worth the time, even if the laughs -- albeit hard* -- aren't as frequent as in other comedies of this type.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*This includes one of the funniest lines in years, though, uttered by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0748620/">Paul Rudd</a> (as an airhead surfing instructor). Let's just say it's got something to do with carpet, but not drapes.</span>P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-25913495917982806812009-05-13T23:21:00.005-04:002009-05-13T23:57:59.323-04:00The king of all ...... cheesy horror films:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dcealumni.com/picture_library/movies/omen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 285px;" src="http://dcealumni.com/picture_library/movies/omen.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Pic from <a href="http://hollywood.dcealumni.com/2005/21/107/7212005-john-moore-remake-the-omen-666/">hollywood.dcealumni.com</a>)</span><br /><br />OK, cheesy might be a little unfair, because when I say "cheesy horror films," you (likely) say "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002146/">Jason</a>!"*<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*When I say "sportz," </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEVdca9U9LM&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=ED9441CFC963F147&index=3">you say "nutz"</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> ...</span><br /><br />But there's a difference between the truly, icky, awful, terrified feeling you get when you watch an unrelenting piece like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072271/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Texas Chain Saw Massacre</span></a> (the original ... duh) or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Alien</span></a>. Those are small, contained situations -- a house in the middle of nowhere, a space ship -- and neither has grand ideas nor many supernatural qualities.<br /><br />Typically, when you enter the realm of Satan or 666*, there must be some sort of suspension of disbelief, since the concept of EVIL incarnate is, well, slightly silly.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llOmqi6gKQo">Episode 666</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> is an exception here.</span><br /><br />So here we go, with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075005/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Omen</span></a>, a 1976 offering (again, not <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0466909/">the remake</a>) from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001149/">Richard Donner</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atticus_Finch">Atticus Finch</a> himself, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000060/">Gregory Peck</a>. Peck plays Thorn, a politician whose son, Damien (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827032/">Harvey Stephens</a>), is no more his son than I am. Instead, their relationship spawned from an under-the-table adoption ... and it ain't workin' out so hot for our protagonist. Because, well, Damien is the Antichrist, and Thorn (with the help of a suspecting photog played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001831/">David Warner</a>'s incredible accent) must stop the little devil (haha) by killing him. Which kinda makes dad a little uneasy, what with the moral repercussions of offing a kid and all.<br /><br />The film has its share of unintentional comedy, but it seems to know it ... if just barely. Everything is played straight, but you get the sense that, deep down, everyone's winking at you (or smiling, as it were ... if you've seen the ending, you know what I mean).<br /><br />Then there's the film's strongest quality, and I'm not talking about the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3vnI810x9Y">totally badass decapitation scene</a> (yeah, don't click on that one, all you squeamish types). <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075005/trivia">IMDB's trivia section</a> for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Omen</span> says the following:<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><blockquote>Director Richard Donner credits the success of the film to composer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000025/">Jerry Goldsmith</a>, whose music made the film scarier than it would have been had he not been involved.</blockquote>Totally. Agree.<br /><br />Goldsmith won an Oscar for his work here. In a cheesy horror movie. That's how good the score is.<br /><br />Enjoy:<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bWpdbXTQfnE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bWpdbXTQfnE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-54054307591190014832009-05-12T12:56:00.000-04:002009-05-12T12:56:00.458-04:00Once is enough.After almost two years of <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once/">hearing all about</a> what <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Once</span></a> was about, I finally got to see what <span style="font-style: italic;">Once</span> was all about.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dynimg.rte.ie/0000bc3410dr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 202px;" src="http://dynimg.rte.ie/0000bc3410dr.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://www.rte.ie/arts/2007/0129/once.html">RTE Entertainment</a> with the pic)</span><br /></div><br />The verdict: A big, emphatic blah.<br /><br />It's not that this story -- an Irish busker's (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Hansard">Glen Hansard</a>, of something called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Frames">The Frames</a>) slight romance with a Czech immigrant/pianist (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark%C3%A9ta_Irglov%C3%A1">Markéta Irglová</a>, also a musician), with a side dish of Hansard's character trying to complete an album -- totally sucks. It has nice moments and insights, especially is it pertains to the sheer incomprehensibility of some women's actions*.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*And yes, most men are incomprehensible, too ... but I'm a dude myself, so </span>my <span style="font-style: italic;">actions make sense, dammit!</span><br /><br />But that doesn't make the movie any good. Mostly because it's boring. Mostly because, as a "modern musical," there's way too much music here -- I'd say about half of the film's 85 minutes are wordless except for guitar strums and sung notes.<br /><br />Not that music being prevalent in film is a bad thing (see: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj4O8oxGbQ0"><span style="font-style: italic;">Chicago</span></a>). It's just this music really isn't any good (the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Hansard#Awards_and_nominations">Oscar for Best Song</a> notwithstanding). It's not <span style="font-style: italic;">horrible</span>, per se -- I'd hate to see the modern-day country music version of this -- but it's simply simple. As an unabashed music snob, I must again and again point out to all who will listen that "arty" music often is completely the opposite. I play the guitar about as well as I can weld, but give me a six-string and about a month of practice and I could be just as good <span style="font-style: italic;">Once</span>'s protag. I mean that. An open chord ain't exactly a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEVbidwBO84">John Petrucci solo</a>.<br /><br />Which also lends another element to my overall dislike of this movie: I can't get all that wrapped up in a guy's journey when I'm sitting there screaming: "You think this is hard?! Try changing tempos once in a while! Mix in a few other time signatures, why don't you?! And for the love of God, why do all you people hate drummers so much?!"<br /><br />It's not totally the point, of course, which saves this movie a little. As mentioned before, the musician's relationship with Irglova's character -- she's got a husband somewhere, so their romance doesn't really take off -- is intriguing and realistic, but that story is so buried beneath melancholy, repetitive tones, it's pretty much forgettable.<br /><br />I guess it's a good thing I didn't see the film until now. Guess it's obvious I won't be seeing it again. The title of this post says it all: <span style="font-style: italic;">Once</span> is enough.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-8833840793943965482009-05-11T21:29:00.005-04:002009-05-11T21:35:32.583-04:00Should I ... ?If there's one -- and I think there's only one -- reason to see the oh-so-INDIE! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mpLvUY8TUE"><span style="font-style: italic;">Away We Go</span></a>, it's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Gaffigan">this guy</a>:<br /><br /><object width="360" height="278"><param name="movie" value="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/10881"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/10881" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="360" height="278"></embed></object><br /><br />... or maybe I'll just listen to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Pale_%28Jim_Gaffigan_album%29">this</a> for the 1,567,834th time.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-64389942718019485192009-05-11T15:12:00.001-04:002009-05-11T15:12:00.598-04:00Peace sells, and Will Ferrell's buyingThe news-gathering music website Blabbermouth.net <a href="http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=119839">tipped me off</a> to an audio update from <a href="http://theliveline.com/">TheLiveLine.com</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadeth">Megadeth</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Mustaine">Dave Mustaine</a>: "I'm going to be working on the new Will Ferrell movie <b>'Land Of The Lost'</b>... and going to be putting some music on that. I went and saw the movie last week and it was hilarious. I loved it. I love <b>Will Ferrell</b>; think he's hilarious anyways. But, yeah, we're getting ready to send some music up to these guys right now and you're listening to some in the background, and then I'll be heading up there this week to hopefully finish all this off with their guys. And man, how exciting for me."<br /><br /><b>"Land Of The Lost"</b> is set to hit theaters on June 5. Check out a trailer below. </blockquote><br />Here is that trailer ...<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gDORApKiltM&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gDORApKiltM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />Hmmm. Megadeth's still got it, even after all these years, but is that enough to make <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457400/">Land</a> watchable? I mean, Mustaine's crew once contributed <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-DJPyMldjg">a solid song</a> to ... <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107362/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Last Action Hero</span></a>.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-42758549313653405102009-05-11T08:34:00.000-04:002009-05-11T08:34:00.475-04:00Beautiful ...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxCs7P8s6-s/SgeP5HF_dII/AAAAAAAAAEU/XTyWXjx80qc/s1600-h/assassination.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 157px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxCs7P8s6-s/SgeP5HF_dII/AAAAAAAAAEU/XTyWXjx80qc/s320/assassination.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334390494963135618" border="0" /></a><br />... just beautiful* ...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*No, I'm not referring to the dude in the tub.</span><br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R67ZTjGw8MM&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R67ZTjGw8MM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />... did I mention beautiful?<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N3zdYRW7jI0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N3zdYRW7jI0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />I've <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/04/saddest-ending-in-world.html">dropped this movie's name</a> enough <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/random-thoughts.html">in previous posts</a>, so it's about time I give <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443680/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford</span></a> (deep breath) its what-for.<br /><br />As I write this, I'm not sure <span style="font-style: italic;">Assassination</span> is at all inferior to 2007 shoulda-been Best Picture Winner <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/"><span style="font-style: italic;">There Will Be Blood</span></a>. I <span style="font-style: italic;">am</span> sure it's superior to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/">the one that actually won the award</a> (more on <span style="font-style: italic;">No Country</span> <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/05/no-country-to-revisit.html">here</a>).<br /><br />Why? I posted three elements above: The gorgeous cinematography (by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005683/">Roger "How the #$%& Hasn't He Won an Oscar?" Deakins</a>), the interplay between <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/">Brad Pitt</a> (as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James">James</a>) and Oscar nominee <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000729/">Casey Affleck</a> (as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ford_%28outlaw%29">Ford</a>)*, and the chills-inducing score by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0147022/">Nick Cave</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0255145/">Warren Ellis</a> (which didn't even get nominated). But those, like I said, are just elements. The whole is just as good.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Although the rest of the cast -- especially the ever-excellent <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005377/">Sam Rockwell</a> -- isn't far behind.</span><br /><br />Strangely, I would only recommend <span style="font-style: italic;">Assassination</span> to a select group; it <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=jessejames.htm">was box-office poison</a>, and for once, it's easy to see why: It's slow and long (160+ minutes), and if you don't buy the pace, you're gonna hate it. But if you're of the right mindset, there's just something hypnotizing about this story of early hero worship and celebrity (which, incidentally, is not unlike writer-director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0231596/">Andrew Dominik</a>'s only other, <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/05/choppah.html">aforementioned</a>, film, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221073/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Chopper</span></a>), as the aging outlaw James drifts through the downside of his train-robbing career -- with the ambitious, voice-cracking young Ford tagging along and, ultimately, doing away with his idol.<br /><br />Getting euphemistic, I'll say the plot unfolds "methodically" and also episodically, but I'm not sure anything could/should have changed. Every frame seems perfectly placed, and not just aesthetically*. The dialogue, too, seems spot-on, allowing the story to advance without any sense of contrivance.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*The Film Official Challenge: How many words can I use that end in "ically"? Technically, I say four. At least in these two grafs.</span><br /><br />The result: When Ford finally shoots James, you know absolutely why (at least in the context of the film), but without being beaten over the head with reasons. Also, you know the heroism eventually given Ford is not one found in fairy tales -- <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/04/saddest-ending-in-world.html">not one that will end happily</a>, but not like the stuff of phony tragedy, either.<br /><br />If the story sounds literary, that's because it is. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zmmjdN6Wg">opening scene</a> -- and various parts throughout -- are narrated as if being read from a book (perhaps <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Assassination_of_Jesse_James_by_the_Coward_Robert_Ford_%28novel%29">this book</a>). That narration is a useful tool, filling in blanks that often go untold in poor adaptations of subtext-heavy novels. In the end, everything is understood, everything is felt, everything is ... beautiful, even if tragically* so.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Yep, another "-ically"!</span>P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-40769053797802914552009-05-10T08:33:00.001-04:002009-05-10T08:33:00.437-04:00Whatever Work dayBusy with the whole day-job thing, although I'm sure I'll spend a little time wondering about <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1178663/">this film</a>'s trailer ...<br /><br /><object width="360" height="284"><param name="movie" value="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/10814"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/10814" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="360" height="284"></embed></object><br /><br />Early verdict: It's not so great, but an irrational love of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202970/">L.D.</a> (not to mention a little help from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000095/">Woody</a>) can overcome anything.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-9987246886898812322009-05-09T07:27:00.004-04:002009-05-09T21:25:05.602-04:00Sugar<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"The BEST film OF THE YEAR!"</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />--Me</span></span><br /><br />On a recent trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Florida_metropolitan_area">SoFla</a>, I had the chance to catch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0990413/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sugar</span></a> at one of those cheap arty theaters -- the ones which, in a perfect world, would be prolific and flush with people*. This one, well, wasn't. Which is too bad, because it was well worth the $5 to see this muted film about a Dominican baseball player (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2714417/">Algenis Perez Soto</a>) trying to hack it as a minor-league prospect.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Strangely, despite a decent amount of theaters that actually show real films sometimes, the whole Palm Beach/Broward/Dade area only had one theater showing </span>Sugar<span style="font-style: italic;">. Strange.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn-images.hollywood.com/cms/300x375/5400416.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 300px;" src="http://cdn-images.hollywood.com/cms/300x375/5400416.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://www.hollywood.com/content/feature_detail.aspx?id=5413743&p=7">Hollywood.com</a> with the pic)</span><br /><br />Two things about <span style="font-style: italic;">Sugar</span> -- 1) In a (very) small sample, it really is the best film I've seen in 2009 ... but here's hoping it gets passed. A lot. Because 2) It's little more than a nice movie, a well-made, realistic depiction of a story that, honestly, isn't earth-shatteringly compelling.<br /><br />It follows the emotional journey, not so much the baseball one (although the two certainly are interlocked), of Miguel "Azucar" (Sugar) Santos, born into Dominican squalor but also born with an electric* right arm. He spends time at a local baseball academy, heads to Phoenix for spring training, then earns a spot in his club's (the fictional Kansas City Knights) system, on a Single-A team in ... rural Iowa. Obviously, a culture clash ensues -- Azucar barely speaks English -- although the clash is not of the cliched variety. Same thing when an injury temporarily sidelines our hero -- it's not as if his career is over, as would be the case in a formula-driven piece.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Not literally. Now THAT would be -- wait, I'm gonna stop here before we really do get another one of those stupid comic book/superhero movies: </span>The Electric Arm<span style="font-style: italic;"> -- "Shockingly good!"</span><br /><br />Really, this film sidesteps most cliches (although it does feature a cameo from everyone's favorite baseball bit player, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance-enhancing_drugs">Performance Enhancing Drug</a>). It's made very quietly, not bludgeoning us with backstory or unnecessary expository dialogue. Kudos to filmmakers <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1349818/">Anna Boden</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0281396/">Ryan Fleck</a> for being hugely realistic here.<br /><br />And yet ...<br /><br />That realism almost gets <span style="font-style: italic;">Sugar</span> in trouble. Because as the story unfolds (I could explain, but that would be spoiler-tastic), some of the events become decreasingly interesting. Non-fantasies/fairy tales/comedies should be realistic, but some things can be omitted. Sugar just doesn't seem to leave out much as it goes for the true-to-life thing. Which makes it drag a bit, dampening the end result.<br /><br />Would I rather have this than some piece of formula fluff? Especially from a movie about sports? Absolutely. Still, for a film to reach true greatness, there must be more. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sugar</span> the movie is a little -- not totally, but somewhat -- like sugar the substance: Empty.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-53145214081943558722009-05-08T14:14:00.000-04:002009-05-08T14:14:00.589-04:00I fink what you are 'earing is my ack-sontFun over at EW.com, as they've offered <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20204699,00.html">16 of the worst accents in film history</a>*.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Although they might want to adjust the list when <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0124930/">Gerard Butler</a> offers <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-wMe9vxkWI&feature=related">his own accent FAIL</a> later this year. Then again, at least Butler won't <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124315/awards">win an Oscar</a> while mangling an American inflection. </span><br /><br />Interestingly, they singled out a few actors in comedies -- including <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000188/">Steve Martin</a>'s (supposedly; it's not like I saw the piece of junk or anything) <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20204699_4,00.html">bad faux-French attempt</a> in the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383216/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pink Panther</span></a> remake.<br /><br />With that precedent set, thank GOD they didn't go after <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0010527/">this one</a>:<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vQ7JWqFtKHc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vQ7JWqFtKHc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-76622066966688238872009-05-08T09:03:00.001-04:002009-05-08T09:03:00.577-04:00Donnie Brasco(Not so) fresh from the underwhelming film year called 1997, comes a nice little mob movie ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.johnnydeppfan.com/interviews/dbint1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 299px;" src="http://www.johnnydeppfan.com/interviews/dbint1.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Photo pulled from <a href="http://www.johnnydeppfan.com/interviews/dbfeaturette.html">my browser's home page</a>)</span><br /><br />It's not brilliant, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119008/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Donnie Brasco</span></a> -- the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Brasco">based-on-a-true-story</a> story of an undercover FBI man (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/">Johnny Depp</a>) who infiltrates a segment of the New York mafia through a likable small-time hood (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000199/">Al Pacino</a>; rarely has he been better). It's small and subdued and sometimes slow. But it gets most things right*.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Even </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000162/">Anne Heche</a><span style="font-style: italic;">'s Nagging Wife character ends up serving a purpose, rather than just being there so the filmmakers could create a large female role without having to exert themselves too much in the writing process.</span><br /><br />What's best is that it never sensationalizes, never romanticizes*, and never becomes slave to a derivative plot. It's not as purely gripping/intense/brilliant as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Goodfellas</span></a>, the greatest of all mob movies, but it's not trying to be. It's a character study first and last, a study of two guys who are mostly decent despite this world of crime surrounding them.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Unlike <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/">one of the most overrated movies of all time</a>.</span><br /><br />The cast works well, too, beyond Depp and Pacino and Heche -- best among the bit players are <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0316079/">Paul Giamatti</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625789/">Tim Blake Nelson</a> as FBI operatives. Also, <span style="font-style: italic;">Brasco</span> deserves points for not letting the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000514/">Michael Madsen</a> character (a quasi-boss) become a stunt casting; he so easily could have turned into a vicious <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002672/">Mr. Blonde</a>, but instead he's just another mafia honcho with understandable anger issues.<br /><br />Sure, as movies go, the mob scene is pretty much played at this point. But as long as they're made thoughtfully, like <span style="font-style: italic;">Brasco</span>, the genre needn't be completely closed to submissions.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762947975910762396.post-14665649690416733222009-05-07T16:20:00.000-04:002009-05-07T16:20:00.255-04:00The Adventures of PriscillaAs those (<a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/05/rt-new-york-times-memos.html">aforementioned</a>) <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/movies/03darg.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&ref=moviesspecial"><span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times</span> memos</a> lamented, there's an issue with the way gays are portrayed in film. Obviously, it's in the stereotypes.<br /><br />Stereotype No. 1: They're fairy-sissy-boys or beer-swilling biker-dykes whose sole purpose is to provide some sort of punchline. Funny? Sometimes. Sometimes quite. Other times ... not so much. You can make fun of anything -- and I mean a-ny-thin-guh -- if you do it right. Too often it's not done right.<br /><br />Stereotype No. 2: Unmentioned by <span style="font-style: italic;">NYT</span> but still frustrating -- uber-tragic figures whose existences are so horrifically bleak that they might as well kill themselves (see: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274558/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Hours</span></a>). Realistic? Almost certainly. But these character types exist across sexualities, races, economic statuses, etc. -- and almost always, they're painful to watch*.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*And not the rewarding kind of painful. Just the painful kind.</span><br /><br />Kudos to films that avoid these. Films like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Brokeback Mountain</span></a>, which had the unfortunate flaw of being boring, or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1013753/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Milk</span></a>, which had sympathetic characters but simply pathetic narrative and dialogue. One that hits it on all fronts, though, is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109045/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert</span></a>, an Australian camp classic from 1994.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/10/10/priscilla_thumb_081010064822544_wideweb__300x300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/10/10/priscilla_thumb_081010064822544_wideweb__300x300.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Photo from the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/tv-reviews/the-adventures-of-priscilla-queen-of-the-desert/2008/10/10/1223145631268.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sydney Morning Herald</span></a>)</span><br /><br />Priscilla is a bus. Its drivers/occupants are an Australian drag queen duo (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001602/">Guy Pearce</a> and <a href="http://thefilmofficial.blogspot.com/2009/03/three-man-weaving.html">Agent Smith himself</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0915989/">Hugo Weaving</a>) and a bereved transsexual (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000654/">Terence Stamp</a>) who are heading <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Sydney+NSW,+Australia&geocode=&dirflg=&daddr=Alice+Springs+NT,+Australia&f=d&sll=-33.859084,151.207151&sspn=0.03357,0.048151&ie=UTF8&z=5">from Sydney to remote Alice Springs</a> for a show. The story's a little thin, but the trio (and the folks they meet along the way -- friendly or <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> unfriendly) keep things interesting most of the time. The dialogue is sharp. The Oscar-winning costumes are great ... and I'm not a bloke who cares much about costumes. And as a desert-lover, I'll never get tired of rocky, dry vistas.<br /><br />But extra points because these characters never fall into neither gay stereotype category, despite the fact that they're clearly flaming and there's a lot of hate in that there Outback. They're instantly likable, even the obnoxious Pearce -- and not in a condescending, "Aren't those gay people cute?" kind of way. They're sad at times but never incomprehensibly depressing. They're, ya know, <span style="font-style: italic;">people</span>.<br /><br />Yes, that's right. Real characters, not stereotypes or stunts. What a concept! We'd be better served if <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> movie characters -- gay or straight or anything in between -- were like this.P_T_Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11662624758922622259noreply@blogger.com0