TGIF

     The most downloaded trailer in HISTORY.  You're welcome.

 

Movies I Watched Over the Holidays

     Because Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without them.

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

 

     Probably one of the most classic Christmas movies ever made, to me the most memorable scenes come from Randy Quaid, in one of his most famous roles as Cousin Eddie.  Beverly D'Angelo and Chevy Chase give equally outstanding, hilarious performances as the mother and father of a wayward and dysfunctional family, brought together only by yuletide traditions that go hopeless awry.

2. Surviving Christmas

 

    Although it is certainly not a cerebral breakthrough or cinematic gem, Ben Affleck and the rest of the cast do turn out to make a mildly funny and entertaining holiday story about a rich boy who buys a family to relive his childhood memories of Christmas.  Completely unrealistic and slightly predictable, it still makes me laugh.

3. The Family Stone

 

       This Christmas comedy/drama centering around an insecure, neurotic woman meeting her husband's loud, blunt, vulgar (but close) family has to be one of my favorites.  The cast is full of big names - Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson, and Craig T Nelson to name a few.  The plot thickens when it is discovered that the family matriarch, Cybil (Keaton) is sick with terminal cancer, and may not live to see her son marry a woman she dislikes so greatly.  Endearing and full of great dialouge, I never miss this film each year.

4. Home Alone

      Clearly the best out of the franchise, Home Alone was box office gold when it appeared in 1990.   With writing by John Hughes, direction by Chris Columbus, music by John Williams, and Macaulay Culkin as the lead role of Kevin McCallister, this movie could not have been created better.  It's the only other film that rivals Christmas Vacation as far as memorable holiday quotes go.  Catharine O'Hara, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern are great in their supporting roles.  I always watch it and imagine what I would do if I was eight years old and home alone.  Probably eat all the cookies in the cookie jar, turn up the thermostat without anyone getting upset, use all the hot water for showers...those types of things.

5. Bad Santa

       Billy Bob Thornton portrays probably the worst Kris Kringle in cinematic history in this dark comedy about a man that dresses up as Santa in order to scout establishments out and rob them later.  He's an alcoholic, womanizer, and has no regard for the feelings of the children that flock to take their picture with him.  This film is as hysterical and crude as it gets - and it's one of my holiday traditions.  

(img sources = listal.com/abc.com/fanpop/com/jokeapparel.com/ew.com)

   

Merry Christmas!

     SHITTER WAS FULL!  

     Whatever it is you celebrate and encounter today, have fun doing it.

 

"The Hobbit" Trailer Released to Web Today

     Amazing!  I literally held my breath and was on the edge of my seat for the entire two and a half minutes!  I cannot wait for this epic movie of epic-ness!

Teaser Trailer Tuesday - "The Cabin in the Woods"

     The latest from Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard. I'm not sure what to think about this.  I laughed during this trailer probably more than I should have though.

A Monday Post on a Tuesday (Yes, I'm Alive)

     I have been on hiatus for almost three weeks, but am coming back with my usual news, a review for The Descendents and a list of popular Christmas movies that I partake in each year.  Until then,  I meant to post this yesterday but forgot.  It would've been funnier yesterday, because, you know...it was actually Monday.  It's still funny today though, because if you think about it Tuesdays suck just as much.

 

Tim and Eric's Awesome Movie, Great Job

     One of the funniest duos to ever hit Adult Swim are now making a movie.  Great teaser trailer!

 

Documentary Wednesday: "Pulling John"

     No fringe sport seems to rival the exclusive but earnest following that professional arm wrestling has garnered, and Pulling John is a 72-minute explanation of why.  Entering the world of competitive professional arm wrestling, we find that there are just as many trash talkers, hot shots, and aging veterans as with any other sport, and they all collide perfectly in this documentary gem.

    The documentary's focal point rests on John Brzenk, the reigning arm wrestling champion for over 25 years.  John is considering retiring and getting out while he's on top, while out in Virgina, an up-and-coming champion named Travis Bagent is stealing the spotlight.  Travis is a big talker who has a victory record to back it up, and more than anything he wants a match with his hero and icon, John Brzenk.  Meanwhile, a Russian champion, Alexy Voevoda, trains in the Ukraine in hopes of besting Travis, who he lost to in a previous match.  The fate of the three athletes rests on their rigorous exercises, their confidence (and sometimes arrogance), the support of their friends and family, and most importantly, their mental strength to face the wrestling matches of their lives.  

     It's a short film, just barely over an hour, but it's an educating and amusing look at the world of arm wrestling and the crazy guys who inhabit it.  It might be a good film to watch before arm wrestling becomes an official Olympic sport in the 2012 games.  That's not a joke; it actually is going to be an official sport next year, which may or may not be beneficial.  I mean, now the thumb wrestlers may come forward and demand their Olympic spot.  It's a slippery slope if you ask me. 

(img source= qubmovies.com

Comedian Patrice O'Neal Dead at 41

     Rest in peace, buddy.  The world is less funny without you.

(www.thelaughbutton.com)

Movies I Watched Over the Weekend

     I know some of you are sad that I didn't do a Thanksgiving-genre movie collection review...it's coming for Christmas, so don't worry.  In the meantime I watched films that span from foreign and depressing to John Travolta in cheesy and revolting 80s clothes.

1. Treeless Mountain

     

   I am becoming a pretty big fan of Korean cinema.  They have some quality productions, from the scary and ridiculous to the dramatic and touching, Treeless Mountain being the latter.  This film follows two young girls, Jin and Bin, adjusting to life without their mother after she leaves to find their estranged father.  They are dumped into the hands of a strict, verbally cruel aunt who would rather drink in bars with her friends than feed the girls a decent supper.  Their adventures, from befriending a mentally-handicapped boy to selling roasted grasshoppers for snack money, are chronicled in a slow but methodical drama.  The lack of music or a soundtrack, along with strong, natural acting and minimalistic but engrossing dialouge primed the film for a very "real-life" feel.  The characters, almost all women, were flawed but likable.  As the older sister, Jin is brave and determined, but also rash and occasionally cold; Bin is young, innocent, flexible and kind, but very naive and easily lost without the watch of her older sister.  Their relationship takes on a new mold as they realize life without their mother may be more permanent than they initially thought, and that the roller-coaster ride of emotions is all a part of growing up.
2. The Experts
     
This 1989 flick is absurd and stupid, but also, to its credit, entertaining while taking a few jabs at the Cold War era mindset.  The ''experts" in this movie are two down-on-their-luck loser friends Travis and Wendell (John Travolta and Arye Gross, whose last name actually describes every outfit and hairdo he flaunts in this movie).  Travis and Wendell work the bottom rungs of a New York nightclub, dreaming of better things besides a life in a studio apartment and their ladies leaving them.  When a mysterious man offers them a chance to start a nightclub in Nebraska, they jump at the opportunity and are relocated to a small-town resembling America not on the cusp of the 90s, but the 50s.  What they don't know is that a) They are in Soviet Russia, not Nebraska (the town is a replica in the middle of nowhere), b) everyone in the town is a Russian spy, and c) they were only brought in as "experts on American culture" so that the spies would blend easier into American society across the ocean.  Obviously humor, adventure, and romance with the local girls ensue.  There's nothing too deep or realistic about this film at all - just a lot of it is clever one-liners, decent, amusing acting by Travolta, Gross, and Kelly Preston, and some bad fashion.  Watch it if you don't care about losing 90 minutes of your life, or if you're stoned.  It's written by one of the guys that wrote Hardbodies for God's sake.
3. Running on Empty

     
     As I'm sure you know by now, what with all the Stand by Me posts, references, links and such, that I am slightly obsessed with River Phoenix.  In fact, I'm going to take this time to educate you: Leonardo DiCaprio owes his career to the death of River Phoenix, because if Phoenix was still alive and breathing today DiCaprio would be a nobody.  All of DiCaprio's roles would've easily gone to Phoenix, because, you know, River Phoenix is cooler.  And more talented.  And better looking.  But I digress.  
     This movie was such a breath of fresh air for me - slow, but not dull or boring; realistic but pleasant; with such great acting, great writing, and great direction, I'm surprised it wasn't nominated for more than two Oscars (River Phoenix lost Best Supporting Actor to Kevin Kline and Best Screenplay Written for the Screen went to Rain Man instead).  Running on Empty is, in a sentence, about a family fleeing from the mistakes of their past, and one son's brave decision to stop and take hold of his future, no matter what the cost.  River Phoenix is Danny Pope, a high school senior whose parents, Annie and Arther Pope (Judd Hirsh and Christine Lahti, who are amazing in their roles), are wanted by the FBI for a bombing they carried out in protest of the Vietnam War.  Danny is certainly used to picking up and moving, changing his name, and keeping the family secret, but that proves difficult when Danny falls for a quirky girl (Martha Plimpton, one of Phoenix's real-life partners), and a music teacher at his new school nurtures his talent for playing piano and offers him a chance to go to Juilliard.  Siskel and Ebert named this film on their "Best of 1988" list, River Phoenix stars in it, and 1988 was also the year I was born.  If those aren't reasons for you to get off your ass and see this movie, I don't what are.

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Trailer for "Mission Impossible 4"

     You're welcome.  Happy Friday. 

 

Scorsese's "Hugo" Meets Theaters with Rave Reviews

     Martin Scorsese's newest mob/crime FAMILY film Hugo featuring the talents of up-and-comer-kinda-Elijah-Wood-look-alike Asa Butterfield and his co-star Chloe Moretz is opening today nationwide, and I'm sure they have a lot to be thankful for.  It's already received a 97% rating on RottenTomatoes, mostly praise for its lush and vibrant visuals.  If you and your family celebrate Thanksgiving in front of the silver screen, please don't see pop culture drivel crap like Twilight.  See films with imagination and technique, and, you know, heart.

 

Blast from the Past!: "Girl, Interrupted"

     Girl, Interrupted is as disturbing and lingering in the brain as an overdose of Valium, but the even better news is that it has so much more going for it than that.  It is actually one of the only movies I don't totally hate that is set in a mental hospital and set around mental health patients, their friendships, failures, phobias and disorders. 

    It's disappointing, because the setting of a mental health facility - present day, or 50 years ago - is brimming with potential, in every facet of film.  The character dynamics, score, and camera work all can be explored in unique ways due to the fact that the environment is full of broken mental states and larger-than-life personalities and stories.  Hollywood smelled the opportunities from miles away long ago, and must have decided after releasing the amazing One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest in 1975 that mental health movies should instead be full of cliched and unrealistic nonsense that borders on disrespect and ignorance.  The most recent criminal has been John Carpenter's The Ward, which was more than just an awful film - it was an awful film about a mental hospital.  It failed in every way that Cuckoo's Nest and Girl, Interrupted have succeeded.

     Based on the nonfiction book by Susanna Kaysen, the movie follows Susanna's downward emotional spiral that eventually ends up with a borderline personality disorder diagnosis and 18 months in a mental health facility.  During her stay she becomes close friends with each inhabitant of the ward - in particular, a fragile young burn victim, a rotisserie-chicken eating sad case (Britney Murphy is fantastic), a pathological liar (Clea DuVall), and Lisa (Angelina Jolie), a hyper-psychotic blonde with a sharp tongue and not a care in the world what people think of her or the havoc she brings to herself and others around her.  It is Susanna's relationship with pseudo-leader Lisa that is the cause of Susanna's every high point and low point during the troubled 18-month period of her life.

     Some people debate whether Jolie deserved the Oscar she received for her performance in this film; I find myself thinking that she absolutely deserved it, but not without mentioning that she managed to merge herself so seamlessly with the insecurity and recklessness of Lisa due only to the equally incredible performances surrounding her.  This is one of Winona Ryder's better films, and one of Britney Murphy's most shining moments.  Whoopi Goldberg is a surprising strong point in the film, whose character resembles nothing of "Nurse Ratchet".  The writing is engaging, focused, and realistic.  The moments of sorrow and anger are cocooned well within the moments of laughter and hilarity, sharing with the audience the roller-coaster ride of emotions that come with living among - and being - mentally ill.  Girl, Interrupted offers up one story out of thousands - a girl who lived, wanted to die, cried, laughed, drank, smoked, broke rules, took medication, and healed from it all.  

*Available to watch instantly on Netflix*

(img sources = isky.co.nz/flickr.com)

Teaser Trailer Tuesday: New "Hunger Games" Trailer

     

      Elizabeth Banks looks...kinda crazy in this.

Movies I Watched Over the Weekend

     Old-school horror and new-modern thriller were the name of the game.

1. Carrie (1976)

       I can't believe I had never seen this film before.  Holy crap it scared me.  I hadn't been that creeped out since seeing The Exorcist or The Descent.  Sissy Spacek as the lead protagonist of poor, abused, mistreated Carrie White was brilliant.  Supporting roles from Amy Irving, Piper Laurie, and John Travolta were just as engaging.  There are certain famous scenes in movies that are described to you your whole life - when Orson Welles drops the snow globe in Citizen Kane and whispers, "Rosebud"; when Al Pacino is shot up at the end of Scarface; when Janet Leigh is stabbed in the shower scene of Psycho.  Carrie had several such iconic scenes, most notably the havoc she releases onto her school when she is humiliated at prom.  That scene was under-described to me my whole life.  Sometimes darkly comical, but nothing ever less than dark, this movie was one of the better adaptations of Stephen King, and makes me wish for the days of true horror films. And shame on you Patricia Clarkson for participating the TV remake!  Geez-us, is nothing sacred to you people anymore?!?
2. Marathon Man (1976)

      Nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1977 (Laurence Olivier), Marathon Man is a thriller following the story of a man's murdered government-agent brother and the Nazi psychopath that comes looking for him.  This particular Nazi has an affinity for diamonds and amateur dentistry, so I wouldn't recommend anyone watch this movie if they have a weak stomach when it comes to dental drills and scalers as torture devices.  The soundtrack is as jarring as any 1970s film, building tension in every scene.  Dustin Hoffman was stellar as usual; this film was post-All the President's Men, Midnight Cowboy and Straw Dogs, but pre-Rain Man, Tootsie, and Kramer vs. Kramer.  Between playing a woman, a handicapped man, a male prostitute, and a marathon runner-wannabe being chased by Nazi war criminals, I'd say Hoffman's career warrants the phrase "eclectic".
3. The Perfect Host (2010)

      The Perfect Host is not the perfect movie, but it proves itself to be entertaining, cunning, and full of bewildering twists, headlined by two fantastic leads nonetheless.  Like many reviews you're bound to find on this film, it's better if you just watch it on your own, instead of having it described to you.  That way nothing is given away.  It's actually kind of like Last House on the Left meets The Dinner Game (French film).  And by that I mean, a "slick criminal" meets an "absolute psycho" and realizes he is way in over his head at probably the sickest dinner party you'll ever be invited to.

*All recommendations are available to watch instantly on Netflix*

(img sources=horronews.net/wearysloth.com/shockmansion.com)

Teaser Trailer Tuesday - "Into the Abyss"

     Werner Herzog's latest film.  Finally, the filmmaker who has directed so many films on life, from Grizzly Man to Encounters at the End of the World, it looks like he is finally making a movie about the other side - death.

Happy Belated Birthday to Peter Jackson

     I had no idea, but apparently Peter Jackson was born on Halloween (Oct. 31st, 1961), which made him 50 years old yesterday.  Happy Belated Birthday, Peter.  I would have posted something yesterday, but I was too busy stuffing my face with candy and watching bad scary movies.

 

Don't Watch That, Watch This

     Cartoons are not just for kids anymore.  I came across these two feature-length films, and immediately noticed the striking similairities - both are basically vignettes of short stories and monologues, each section is animated in a different style, and both deal with very adult, dark themes.  If animated films interest you, and you're looking for something more twisted than Ren and Stimpy, look no further.  Turns out only one of these is completely worth your time though.

Don't Watch That:  "Fears of the Dark" ("Peurs du Noir")

Watch This:  "Cartoon Noir"

 Where Fears of the Dark loses:
     Fears of the Dark was not an incredibly awful film by any means.  It was just very...French.  Too much pretentious abstraction and not enough explanation.  Some sections were definitely creepier and easier to follow than other sections.  Some vignettes were a flat-out bore.  The animation was stunning, but to me, some of the stories fell flat.  This film did receive some praise, and does have a fan base; it was even nominated for a Golden Reel Award for Sound Editing.  As far as an "adult cartoon" goes, however, this movie would be a lost cause for most audiences. 
Where Cartoon Noir wins: 
     This animated gem is fantastic.  Six sections of terrifying fun.  Each animation style is impressive in its own right, from stop-motion to pencil.  There are two vignettes by American animators, one vignette by a Spanish animator, and the rest by Eastern European storytellers.  The diversity of cultures was an advantage to this film.  From alien abductions to suicide to mannequins that come to life, cartoons have never been so frightening and alarmingly original.  My personal favorite vignettes were "Ape", "The Cat and the Moon", and "Joy Street".  Overall I loved Cartoon Noir - so much so that I watched it twice.

This is also available on Netflix Watch Instantly (HINT HINT).  

(img sources=cinequest.org / knightscove.com)   

Teaser Trailer Tuesday - "Chronicle"

       The 'found footage film/POV' movie and the superhero movie - two totally original and not overdone genres.  Merged into one!  Wow, how crafty, and not at all expected.     

AMC Renews "Walking Dead" for Season 3

     While the first season ended horribly, Frank Darabont was fired quit, and the second season began just as bad, the second episode of the second season was apparently good enough to have AMC renew one of the network's biggest-hitters, The Walking Dead.  I can't help but feel that although this can be an entertaining thriller, it will eventually end up, just like a staggering zombie, with an axe to the head.  In the meantime, the fan base is most certainly relieved.

  

 (img source=gawkrasserts.com)

 

The Year of, "It's About Time"

I read an interesting article today about how the upcoming Oscars next year may yield some wins for certain actors and actresses that have been overlooked for awards their entire careers - some careers as long as 60 years.  Among the list include Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs, Gary Oldman for Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy, Christopher Plummer, and Max Von Sydow.  It was interesting, and I thought I'd share it with my faithful readers.  It will be a difficult race with old-school contenders such as George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio, and brilliant new-comers like Jessica Chastain and Elizabeth Olson.

The full article is here:
http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=676540

(img sources = biographychannel.co.uk/trailersunleashed.org

Teaser Trailer Tuesday: "Miss Bala"

      Fun fact: Mexican pageants have a "Best Drug Mule" category.

 

Hey look, Shia Labeouf was in another bar fight

      Shia Labeouf apparently got into a "violent altercation"(E! News) at a bar in Vancouver over the weekend, and just like Lindsay Lohan's gray and decayed tooth, everyone shrugged and went, "Meh."  There's also apparently video footage of it all, and I won't spoil the ending...ok, yes I will.  Labeouf ends up on the sidewalk getting pummeled by some drunk guy and tries to fight back but his friends restrain him.  

   You know, I strangely kinda like Shia Labeouf.  I don't mind him most of the time.  He's a decent actor that unfortunately picks shitty movies to star in and then trashes them during the press junket (classy), and has a sense of humor that can teeter on the borderline of douchey...but I find myself intrigued by his coming-and-going scruffy facial hair and short stature.  In any case, I hate to see any American get his ass whooped by a Canadian.  This has to be repaid blood for blood.  I vote we hire an American actor to hit Michael Cera as hard as he can in the face, and then we call it good.  If you think about it that's the only fair thing to do.

(img source - virginmedia.com)

Blast from the Past! : "Skins"

     One of the most stereotyped, misunderstood and misrepresented ethnic groups in American media today are Native Americans.  It seems the only movies they're depicted in at all have teepees, headdresses, and cowboys chasing them with guns.  A question arises: Where is the Indian of today?  And how should he be represented?

     Luckily, we have directors like Chris Eyre, who, as a Native Indian himself, has appropriate insight into issues and lifestyles today on the reservation, and along with great talent, can make extraordinary films.  Skins is a perfect example.  Released in 2002 and based on a novel by Adrian C. Louis, Skins tells the story of Rudy Yellowlodge, a Sioux Indian working as a cop on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, one of the poorest places in the country.  While Rudy watches his people descend into alcoholism, unemployment, and senseless, violent domestic feuds, he tries his best to keep the peace within his own family - especially with his older brother Mogie, who lives up to almost every poor, drunken, deadbeat Indian stereotype.  Mogie and Rudy care deeply for one another as brothers; they both endured an alcoholic father and saw firsthand how isolating, discouraging and depressing "the rez" could be.  It's clear Rudy chose a different path in life, serving the community in law enforcement and contributing to society, but he is restless and infuriated by the politics of what goes on around him, though he's powerless to control them.  From drug addicts abusing their wives and killing their friends to white liquor store owners setting up shop on the border of the reservation, and making a killing off alcoholic Natives with a welfare check to spend and plenty of time to spend it, Rudy is at the end of his rope.  As Mogie begins to sink more and more into trouble, first with the law, then with his health, Rudy becomes a rez vigilante, out to set everything right that has been wronged against his people - realizing that the first changes must begin within himself.
     This film is better written, more endearing, and a more realistic perspective into the Native condition than Eyre's previous work, Smoke Signals, ever hoped to be.  No matter what your race or skin color - brown, black, yellow, or white - this movie will affect you.  Graham Greene's performance as Mogie is amazing, both funny and heart-breaking, proving exactly why he is one of the most well adjusted and successful Native Hollywood actors today.  Eric Schweig and Gary Farmer do not fall short in their roles either.  This film won a load of awards at Sundance, and in a perfect world, would be better-known and more famous than Smoke Signals and Pow-Wow Highway.    This movie doesn't enforce us in our perceptions and paradigms about Native Americans, and thankfully so.  It smashes and tears down every notion we've had, and everything we've supposedly learned about Native culture and issues.  We finally have an accurate film about the Indian of the present, not the past, and we're invited to see and share the burden laid on him everyday. 
     And just as a sidenote, I would be totally down with the renovations and "adjustments" to Mount Rushmore if the Ogala Sioux wanted them.


(img sources = artistdirect.com / brianredesign.com)

Trailer for a Thursday - "The Avengers" from Marvel

     You're welcome.

 

"Arrested Development" no longer arrested, is actually developing now

      It's official - the amazing never-should've-been-cancelled TV phenomenon Arrested Development is back.
    Even though it's only for 10 episodes (which apparently constitutes a season), those 10 episodes I'm sure will be funnier than any other crap that television has to offer today.   We'll take what we can get.  Not to mention a movie coming out in early 2013.
   The announcement was made over the weekend, at the New Yorker Festival.  Ahh, the nostalgia this video brings.  Reunited - and it feels so good!

Well this looks good.

     Also, Happy Friday to all you suckers that have jobs.  

 

Documentary Wednesday: "Confessions of a Superhero"

     Confessions of a Superhero is a part-sad, part-comic look at the lives of street performers on Hollywood Boulevard, making a living by dressing up as icons of culture and popular superheroes, and posing for pictures with the tourists and passer-byes of Hollywood, California.  Little do those tourists know that these "street performers" and "pan-handlers" have dreams of stardom and fame of their own - most of them based solely on delusion.

      This documentary was tantalizing and a little heart-breaking.  It focuses mostly on four people that work the Hollywood Strip - Christopher Dennis, whose obsession with Superman is beyond creepy; Maxwell Allen, a make-believe "bad-ass" who dresses up as Batman and claims he has a dark past in Texas that includes a "body count" from here to eternity; Jennifer Wenger, who dresses up as Wonder Woman and dreams of being the next big actress; and Joe McQueen, who also dreams of fame and fortune while climbing into his Hulk costume as he goes to work each day.  Most of them work solely off of tips and gratuities that tourists and pedestrians are able to provide (or are guilt-tripped into providing).  The way these characters make their living is not the sad part; it's how they dream of bigger and better things.  They daydream of Academy Awards and auditions leading to the red carpet; they romanticize their futures in Hollywood as if the gold platter and silver spoon is just out of reach.  This documentary, more than any other I've seen, shows how hard it is to "make it" in show business.   It's well put together by director Matt Ogens, neither condemning nor mocking any of the participants.  He takes their lives and their dreams as seriously as they do.  
     The most interesting part was finding out where each participant went post-filming of this documentary.  Some, such as Jennifer Wenger or ex-homeless man Joe McQueen (the one I truly rooted for), actually starred in some very big titles (from True Blood to My Name is Earl to spoof films) and have quite a resume to build on.  Others (*cough* Batman! *cough*) have little more than viral YouTube fight videos to lend to their names.  At any rate, this is an interesting piece of work with a great soundtrack, vivid imagery, and the true heart of Hollywood in it - many come, and very, very, very few are chosen. 


(img source = tomillenium.files.wordpress.com)

Cool Movies I Watched Over the Weekend

     I took a break from the dramatic and dark to the funny and innocent.  It's all about a balance.

1. North
     While this is a film Roger Ebert claimed to have "hated, hated, hated", I found it to be pretty quirky, well cast, and cute.  Elijah Wood stars as North, a talented young kid feeling a bit neglected by his parental units at home, played cleverly by George and Elaine  Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  He thinks he is a pretty good kid - smart, athletic, nice, organized - a child any parent would be proud to call their own.  After hiring a lawyer (John Lovitz is brilliant) at the behest of his best friend (Matthew McCurley), North is successfully separated from his parents in a court of law and ordered to find new parents by noon on Labor Day.  

Thus he sets off across the globe, from the frozen plains of Alaska to the frontiers of Texas to the beaches of Hawaii, interviewing and "testing out" seemingly perfect families.  That's when he realizes he misses his own.  Bruce Willis as the ever-present "guide" to North is an especially nice touch. He really works that pink bunny suit.  A lot of critics gave this movie some lashings, pointing out how unrealistic the plot was, and how it's only for kids who hate their parents.  That's moronic bullshit.  It was a satire that apparently Americans are too sensitive to handle.  Another score for Rob Reiner in my book.

2. The Kid

      This sweet little piece of cinema is one of the better Charlie Chaplin films, in my opinion.  More endearing and emotional than Modern Times, this film was one of Chaplin's later works in 1921.  It follows the story of The Tramp (Chaplin's lovable and laughable character) who finds an abandoned child and takes him in.  Five years later events unfold that threaten their relationship, especially when the child's original mother comes looking for him.  At 50 minutes in length, it's under an hour long of much needed film culture I'm sure you could use.  The score and acting are all beautiful.  The dynamic between the Tramp and the Kid is hard to mimic even today; they are poor but happy, down-trodden but faithful to one another.  This silent film almost a century old screams more plot and character development without uttering a single word than most blockbuster summer flicks today.  The humor is very subtle, but blatantly funny if you recognize Chaplin for who he was - a genius.

(img sources = mamapop.com / brightlightsfilm.com)

Trailer for "Being Elmo: A Puppetters Journey"

     A post in honor of the great (but late) Jim Henson.  Interesting documentary!

Hollywood loves books...and all the ideas they come with.

     You know, I hate to sound like a broken record, but Hollywood has been creatively bankrupt for years now.  The last time I was at the movies, four out of the five previews I begrudgingly sat through were remakes, or based on novels.  That made me curious - how many other books are headed for the silver screen?   It didn't take long for me to find a long list of movies lined up for just this fall alone.  I chose to mention the five most relevant ones to you.  Some of you may recognize these titles, but don't even try to come off as someone who avidly reads.  I know this audience.  The only thing you've probably read today besides this pathetic sentence was the side of a pill box.

1. The Rum Diary 

     One of Johnny Depp's newest projects, set to come out in October, includes this Hunter S. Thompson adaption about an alkie journalist working in Puerto Rico in the 1950s.  Amber Heard is also starring as his love interest in the film.  Catchy title.  You know, because it's a diary.  About rum.  

2. We Bought a Zoo

     Based on a true story about a family that uses their hard-earned life savings to purchase a zoo, Matt Damon plays the lead role as the family patriarch that apparently thought that was a good idea.  Catchy title.  You know, because they buy a zoo. 

3. Paradise Lost

 

      Paradise Lost will be loosely based on John Milton's epic poem about Adam and Eve's exile from the Garden of Eden, and directed by the guy who did I, Robot (Alex Proyas).  Also, Bradley Cooper is rumored to be playing the Devil.  All of these sentences together make me a little nervous.

4. The Big Year

     I actually read the premise for this movie, saw the cast (Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Jim Parsons, and Steve Martin to name a few) and seriously thought this was a Wes Anderson film.  I don't know, bird-watching, men going on an adventure, Owen Wilson...it all screamed Anderson to me.  Then I saw the trailer.  It's not.  

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

     This movie is actually not coming out this fall, it releases next year. But being as this is probably one of my favorite books of all time, I have vested interest in it.  I wasn't too happy when I heard this was being made into a movie.  I was pissed off.  I feel a little better knowing that the director is the writer of the novel, Stephen Chboksy, but I can't help but feel like nothing is sacred anymore.  This book is amazing.  After you finish reading this, or the labels for your pills, or both, you should go read this book.  

Happy weekend, readers. 

(img sources=tipsfornonsenselife.blogspot.com/nextmovie.com/screenrant.com/vox.en.com/luuux.com)

"J. Edgar" Trailer - Up and At 'Em on a Wednesday

     Oscar bait.

 

Nothing In the "Dark"

      Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is an over-promised and under-delivered mess that tries its very hardest to function on two tiers - the first being the Guillermo del Toro tier, which includes typical elements of a del Toro story -  a story about a child in dire straits, with realistic violence and danger to go along with it; the second, the tier of an American filmmaking rampage attempting to overshadow an original, well-crafted film with a utterly awful remake.  As much as I respect del Toro and all of his previous work, this is one skeleton he should have kept in the closet.
     The story begins with a recently divorced father Alex (Guy Pearce) who has his young daughter Sally come stay at his recently renovated dream house for the summer.  Sally does not warm up, however, to her father's new house guest - his new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes), who is just as enthusiastic about the house as Alex is.  Though Kim tries hard to impress Sally and buddy up to her, Sally is clearly angry about her parents' separation, and wants to go home to her mother's house.  While the adults are obsessing about making the cover of an architecture magazine and moving in all their antiques and artwork, Sally is left on her own to draw in her room and wander the grounds of the house, exploring every nook and cranny.  The basement of the house, however, hides a dark secret - small creatures locked in the furnace long ago when the previous owner lost his young son to their deviance.  Sally is the perfect new victim for the demons; she's a child, alone and vulnerable.  Sally's curiosity gets the best of her, and after letting the wickedness out of the furnace, she realizes her new "friends" have hidden intentions, and are more aggressive and evil than they seem.  Her father denies they exist, wondering if his daughter is crazy.  Kim, however, is more sympathetic, and begins to investigate the mystery for herself.  She finds that time is running out for Sally, and they won't be able to leave the house without a fight.
     
     The original Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was creepy and downright scary.  Del Toro even praised it as "the scariest TV movie of all time".  This respect indicates he clearly wanted nothing more than to pay homage to a 1970s horror classic, but he should have known better than to attempt to transform a story over 30 years old that was shown on television late at night into a feature-length CGI-fest film.  The acting, even by up-and-coming child actress Bailee Madison, was average at best.  She was certainly no match for Ivana Baquero, the young girl of Pan's Labyrinth, Del Toro's most successful previous film.  The creatures were scuttling computer-generated rats, much less terrifying and revolting than those of the original.  The ending was much less satisfying, and only in the sense that it didn't really make sense.  More than anything, it's disappointing to see Del Toro cash in for mediocrity.  I walked out of the theater more afraid of running out of gas on my way home because I spent my last ten bucks on a bad movie than I was to turn off the lights that night.  
     It never fails - see the original, NOT the remake.

(Un)Cool Movies I Watched Over the Weekend

     And sorry, but none of them are about 9/11.

1. Feed the Fish

     While Feed the Fish begins as a dark comedy about a struggling writer who decides to isolate himself in Wisconsin for a few weeks while his friend trains for the annual Polar Bear Plunge, it ends as a sappy rom-com with all the predictable elements.  Tony Shalhoub does a great job as the quirky small-town sheriff, who shoots both his pistol and his mouth off at inappropriate times.  Other than that, though, the film is as consistently dull and forgettable as the snow-covered flatlands of Wisconsin.  I actually almost forgot to add it to the list, that's how forgettable it is.  Good thing I got it out of the way.
2. Jeepers Creepers

      Sometimes you're just in the mood for a good-old fashioned teen horror film.  The kids are really stupid and gullible, there's lots of screaming and blood...it's great.  No matter what you think about this 2001 cult classic, you have to admire its opening weekend - the biggest and most profitable in history for Labor Day weekend.  The runner-up is its sequel, Jeepers Creepers 2.
     Unfortunately, like so many horror films, the first half is great, above average even, but the rest of the movie sucks.  Once the initial spooks are delivered, the tense atmosphere built up, and the audience suckered in, the monster is revealed too early and its all downhill from there.  The make-up, effects, and acting by Justin Long and Gina Philips are all decent.  Too bad the writers didn't work a little harder on those damn minor details, like a solid plot that doesn't end in complete ridiculousness.

3. Hobo with a Shotgun

     I don't think there is a way to overstate the absolute over-the-top-ness of this movie.  Paying, no doubt, an homage to 70's exploitation and grindhouse films, I'm not sure I've ever seen a gorier movie.  Rutger Haur is the most brilliant thing about this movie, starring as a hobo that catches a ride on the rails into a new town, wanting a new life.  The town he's moved to, however, is called Scum Town, and for good reason.  It's overridden with crime, drugs, murder, and hate for the homeless, all fueled by a tyrannical crime lord named Drake.  He, along with his two psychopathic sons, Ivan and Slick, find the laughter and thrills most people get from amusement park rides in torching school buses full of children or decapitating people with barbed wire.  The hobo sees the human abuses all around him and decides to do something about it.  After befriending a hooker named Abby, he wreaks havoc on Scum Town, his trusty double-barreled shotgun in his hands.  
     Definitely do not watch this if you have even a slightly weak stomach.  There is some serious shit that goes down in this movie.  Keep in mind, however, that it is all purposely over-the-top.  It's supposed to be absurd.  I expected the writing to be a little better, and the relationships with the protagonist to be a little more endearing, but I'm not sure why I expected a movie with this title to have anything other than ruthlessness and shotgun shells to the head.   Seriously, this movie is so absurd.  I mean, there's a pedophile Santa that roams around for God's sake...AND IT'S NOT EVEN CHRISTMAS.  Don't worry though, he gets his.  If you're in the mood for vigilante justice and comic violence, rent it and put a nickel in a homeless man's cup next time you see him begging by the freeway. 

(img sources= rlslog.net/horrownews.net/anythinghorror.com)

Teaser Trailer Tuesday - "Dragonslayer"

     Young anarchists, skateboards and fireworks...what could go wrong!  Winner at SXSW.  Can't wait to see it.

Peter Jackson is Determined to Clear the Name of the 'West Memphis Three'

     Peter Jackson is the coolest guy ever.  He's from New Zealand, takes years to make epic, large-scale movies that win Oscars and make millions, and lost nearly 70 pounds in ten months.  What a badass. Now, he and Fran Walsh are funding an on-going search on the West Memphis Three case, nearly two decades old, surrounded by controversy, and recently brought to light with the release of all three suspects in the case, now presumed innocennt after 18 years in prison.  
    A bit of background for those of you that are not familiar with the case: the West Memphis Three was the name given to Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley after three young boys were brutally murdered, stripped, and hog-tied by a creek in Arkansas in May of 1993.  Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley were three local youths accused of the murders.  They pleaded not guilty, defending their innocence, but due to some outrageous press spin, reckless forensic evidence, and a small community angry over such a hanous crime they attributed to satanic cults and witchcraft, the men were thrown into jail with life sentences; Echols was sentenced to death.  
   As with many cases today, fast forward, and lo and behold, advanced forensic evidence concluded that there was not enough evidence to without a doubt convict Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley of the crime.  They were released last week, after pleading guilty as part of a bullshit plea bargain.  Peter Jackson described the bargain with more tact than I care to have, calling it a "whitewash", saying that justice had not been served, and that "there's a triple child killer who has walked free for the last 18 years". (guardian.co.uk)  

   When the guy who brought the Balrog to life is angry, just stay out of his way.  Or take his money. Jackson and his wife, Fran Walsh, as well as other celebrities including Eddie Vedder and Johnny Depp, are demanding a pardon and a clear name for the Memphis Three, as well as an on-going search for the real killer, and Jackson is throwing in his own money to make sure the case stays open.   

    The documentary made by HBO in 1996, "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders of West Memphis" is a great documentary for anyone looking for all the details of the case, the trial, and the media circus that ran it all.  I am personally on Jackson's side; the case was a Salem witch hunt, with high emotions over a disgusting crime and three troubled youths to pin it on.  Wrongful imprisonment for 18 years and sloppy police work, however, do not heal the wounds of any of the victims' families; it only makes more victims - keeping the innocent locked up, and the guilty to roam free.  And the fact that Peter Jackson is standing up to fight it makes him that much more of a cool guy BADASS.

(img sources=cinemablend.com / iwatchstuff.com)  

Things are looking up for Nicholas Cage.

     Oh yeah.

 

Documentary Wednesday: "Gasland"

      Among the many politically-centered environmental documentaries I've encountered this year, Gasland, a winner at Sundance and an independent film with an interesting trailer I posted here on BoomMic months ago, was one that intrigued me.  It seemed almost exactly like the Erin Brokovich story, only now she has a gas mask and a banjo, and travels around the middle and eastern United States putting people's flammable water into jugs and testing them.  This film is actually MUCH more disturbing than that.

    Filmmaker Joshua Fox tells the story of how he awoke one day on his beautiful 40-acre property in Pennsylvania to a lease offer by a natural gas energy company, offering to pay handsomely per acre if Fox would allow drilling and hydraulic fracturing to take place on his property.  The hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", was stated by the energy company to be completely harmless to the water, soil, and general environment surrounding it.  Fox decided to do some investigating before he signed any agreement.  Nearly a month later, after traveling around the country to dozens of homes and properties, and witnessing the damage that fracking had done to both the places and people, he had incriminating footage, countless amazing interviews, and one hell of a story on his hands.  

    Fox's quiet, meek narration throughout the film may seem odd at first, but the crazy shit in this film honestly speaks for itself.  The narration is just to keep you calm, honestly.  Fox interviews dozens of home owners whose water was contaminated with fracking materials and chemicals, making the water toxic, and most of the time, completely flammable.  The consequences of the poisonous water were insidious; many property owners developed severe health problems, including brain tumors, migraines, and cancer.  The areas visited are almost exclusively rural, with low to middle class families raising animals and children, and trying to live a quarter of a mile away from leaking gas tanks that pollute their air and cause their pets and horses to lose hair, have mange, and die.   

     The scientific and concise explanation of the fracking process does not take away from these jaw-dropping tragedies.  Fox juxtaposes these images of misery and disregard for environment against those working for a solution in Washington, as well as energy CEOs working for profits.  

     This documentary, in the end, only went on a search for answers, and it did it in a genuine way.  This sincerity is sometimes lost in the documentary genre; once you watch enough documentaries, there are tell-tale signs if a director, writer, or producer set out only to confirm their already settled beliefs, or if they were only searching for truth.  Fox was indeed in search of the truth; his home was on the line.  Unfortunately, truth is what he got.  If you are ever in the mood to get angry or be in utter disbelief at human behavior, watch this film.  It is important.  It is well-made.  And it will never make you take your faucet water for granted again.  

(Img sources=news.fowl.org/media.jinni.com)