One Guy's Movie Blog

My Top 10 for 2009

2010-01-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

This is my top 10 for 2009. Keep in mind, I did not see all the movies that were released in 2009. So if I left The Final Destination: 3D off the list, don’t get mad; I can only rank movies that I have actually seen. So, without further ado . . .

10. Star Trek
Was it a Star Trek movie? No, not really. But it was an awful lot of fun, and it breathed new life into a dead franchise. Chris Pine (after a lot of complaining by staunch and irrelevant Trekkies) turned out to do a pretty decent job as Kirk, and Zachary Quinto seemed like he was born to play Spock. For me, Star Trek was the only palatable summer blockbuster last year. Compared to stinkers like Wolverine, Transformers, and GI Joe, that may not be saying much, but it is a sign that the studios haven’t completely lost touch with what makes good cinema.

9. Sunshine Cleaning
Just so you know, this is not a sequel to Little Miss Sunshine. This was a quiet little inde film featuring Amy Adam’s first lead performance, and she does very well as the former high-school cheerleader who never did anything with her life. When she finally decides to get some self-respect and start a new business, cleaning up crime scenes seems doesn’t seem like the most likely of professions. But with the help of her sister, played brilliantly by Emily Blunt, she comes to feel the real value of family, and she finds that she is a much stronger person that she ever thought she could be. This is fantastic inde fimmaking that would be hard to sell to a major studio, but it works all the better because of it. This movie is wonderfully heartfelt and emotionally engaging. Amid all the blood and body fluids, there is a beautiful message about believing in yourself and truly coming to understand who you really are.

8. Inglorious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino’s WWII movie took me by surprise. Although Tarantino’s films are all pretty solid, I’ve found it hard to get really worked up about any of his films since Pulp Fiction (Although Kill Bill vol.2 was pretty good). However, Tarantino’s foray into the war movie genre kept me riveted. I never knew what to expect around each bend in the script and felt myself engrossed in Tranatino’s signature intimate dialogues that seem to wander far from the action of the story but then wind back on themselves in a way that makes them seem like they were relevant the whole time. Sure, it wasn’t historically accurate, and Eli Roth’s performance was not believable at all, but two fantastic performances by Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz elevate some of the movie’s pitfalls to high art.

7. Where the Wild Things Are
I know there was a lot of head-scratching on the part of long-time fans of the book when this movie was released, and there are rumors that the studio wanted to can the entire movie altogether, but I feel that this was one of the most important films of the year. For me, this movie was an impressionistic voyage into the conflicting and oft-times uncontrollable emotions of a child. For some, it was a story of a little boy who actually got a on a boat, sailed to an island, and hung out with a pack of monsters who seemed to be at each other’s throats a lot. For others, it was a rough and raw voyage into Max’s psyche where we were able to see Max’s conflicting emotions interact in physical ways. I found beauty in Max’s conflicted self and the chaos of the wild things (not to mention the fantastic world created by Spike Jonze and the special effects team). And in the end, Max’s smile says it all—things may not be perfect, but he’s come to better understand himself. And I think he’ll be OK.

6. The Hurt Locker
I have to admit, the shaky cam got me a little sick at times, but The Hurt Locker was as good a war movie as any I’ve ever seen. But unlike many of the recent Iraq War movies, director Katheryn Bigelow doesn’t sink to politicizing the war. Instead, she gives us a raw character study of the soldiers who are fighting, the danger they face, and the effect that the stress of their adrenaline-filled lives has on them, their relationships, and their life back at home. But more than the excellent script and the superb directing, Jeremy Renner’s performance as Sgt. William James, the tortured explosives expert, is a real stand out. You may not agree with him, but by the end of the film, you come to understand that he is making the only decision he can make.

5. Up In the Air
I don’t really know what to say about this movie except, great writing, great directing, and great performances from George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and (especially) Anna Kendrick. This movie was smart, artistic, funny, and emotionally engaging throughout—a rare combination in today’s studio madness over remakes and flashy blockbusters. It’s not very often that a big studio film like this can make me excited to go to the movies, but it did just that. Amid all the explosions and action figures, maybe Hollywood still has a heart.

4. District 9
Some estimates put the cost of James Cameron’s Avatar at close to $500 million. District 9 cost only $30 million to make, and proves that you don’t have to put your entire studio up as collateral to make a visually and emotionally engaging and exciting sci-fi film. As much as I was blown away by the world of Pandora, Neill Blomkamp’s insect-like aliens seemed more “real” to me. And the story of the hapless Wirkus Van De Merwe, who—at first—seems kind of annoying, becomes a supremely empathetic character who you root for, even though you know he is still mostly self-interested. It’s a beautiful and exciting piece of filmmaking by people who know the power of sci-fi to question current social, historical, and political practices and use it well.

3. Zombieland
OK, so I’m a sucker for a good zombie flick. But this is more than just another zombie movie; it’s fun, funny, and completely, deadpaningly self-aware. It’s the kind of movie that you walk out of with a smile on your face, simply because you just had a really good time. I found myself sad to leave Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock behind as I walked out the theater, and I desperately wanted more. And—really—isn’t that what we all want from a movie? Throw in some zombie and it just makes it all that much better.

2. Moon
Three reasons why Moon was one of my favorite movies of the year: Sam Rockwell, Sam Rockwell, and Sam Rockwell (oh yeah, and the script, cinematography, set design, and directing didn’t hurt either). The afore-mentioned actor carries the entire film quite literally. He is, in fact, the only live actor in the entire movie. But more than Sam Rockwell’s awesome performance, Moon is a great throwback to the classic sci-fi films of the 70s, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris. It uses the sci-fi genre to explore what it means to be human. It’s not flashy. There are no big explosions of action set-pieces, just solid moviemaking at its best. And unlike a vapid summer blockbuster, Moon stays with you, makes you think, and is not easily forgotten. See it.

1. (500) Days of Summer
Again, this movie represents everything I love about the movies. Call it a postmodern romantic comedy. Sure it’s a story of boy meets girl, but that’s where all the usual romantic comedy clichés stop. What I loved about this movie is the fact I had no idea what to expect from one moment to the next and loved every minute of it. Although we’re told at the very beginning that “this is not a love story,” we still root for Tom and think, “Maybe, just maybe, he’s going to walk off into the sunset with Summer anyway.” Well, there is a happy ending. It’s not the ending you might expect, but it still leaves you rooting for Tom and believing in the magic of love. At this point it is probably needless to say that the writing and directing were great and that Joseph-Gordon Leavitt’s performance as Tom is fantastic. And Zooey Deschanel may just be playing Zooey Deshanel, but that doesn’t bother me a bit. All that, plus french new wave, animation, YouTube-style testimonials, a kicking soundtrack, and the best musical dance sequence this year make this movie my number one for 2009.

My Oscar Post

2009-02-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

So, I guess I'm obligated to do this. So here is my Oscar post.

Slumdog Millionaire was awesome and deserves everything it got (except maybe bast song, "Jai Ho"!?). Five words: Danny Boyle is the man.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button deserved to win best special effects and it did.

Sean Penn blindsided me. I totally thought Mickey Rourke would win, even if he is kind of slimy.

Heath Ledger: nuff said.

Seth Rogan and James Franco: nuff said.

Still miffed that Bruce Springsteen's song from The Wrestler wasn't nominated.

Still mad The Dark Knight wasn't nominated for Best Picture (It wouldn't have won, but still, one the most highly reviewed movies of 2008 and grossing $1 billion at the box office deserves some recognition).

Hugh Jackman was alright. The opening musical number was amusing (Anne Hathaway stole the show), but next year, I think they should get a comedian again.

And next year, I hope they nominate some films that people actually cared about.

The Curious Case of the Special Effects

2009-02-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

If you've seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, you probably sat there going, "I know that's Brad Pitt's face on that little old man, but that is not Brad Pitt's body." I was amazed and curious as to how they achieved the whole effect. Now there is a website set up by the Benjamin Button people that shows you exactly how they did it. And not only that, but you'll be amazed at the number of things that you didn't even realize were special effects. I was astounded. I thought the FX were good, but I didn't realize how far they had gone. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is truly a huge leap in the area of movie special effects, as big a leap as Jurassic Park or Forrest Gump were in the 90s.

Visit Benjamin Button FX here, and be amazed.

Video of the Week: Joaquin Pheonix on Letterman

2009-02-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

So this is about the weirdest thing I've seen in awhile. I realize that Joaquin Phoenix has said that he is retiring from acting so that he can pursue a career in hip-hop, but it looks like he's checked out a little early. Here he is on Letterman, pretty much despondent and maybe a bit angry about something (even before Letterman mocks him). I expect this kind of thing from people who aren't used to being interviewed, but it's not like he hasn't done this before. Watch the video below and be completely dumbfounded by Phoenix's complete lack of . . . well, anything.

What did you think?

A Racist Exploitation Film up for Best Picture?

2009-01-26T15:52:00.000-08:00

If you haven’t seen Slumdog Millionaire yet, I urge you to see it, either now at your local art house movie theater or eventually on DVD. It is a great movie by one of my favorite directors, Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Millions). It is one of my favorite movies of 2008 and is the favorite for winning the Academy Award for Best Picture.

That being said, since Slumdog has been nominated for Best Picture and it has received almost universal acclaim from critics nationwide, a few dissenting voices have arisen, calling the movie exploitative of India’s poor and blaming it for the perpetuation of negative Indian stereotypes in the west.

Jamal, the main character, rises from the poverty-stricken slums of Mumbai and there are depictions of police torture, child mutilation and exploitation, and Indian gangsters. Some Indian critics have accused Boyle of taking these negative images of India and using them to his advantage to play on the heart strings of a western audience, to excite their emotions improperly.

Although it is true that some of the power of the movie derives from the depiction of Jamal and his brother’s surroundings as they face a hard life of child labor, crime, and fear of Hindu violence against Muslims, it is also true that the movie focuses on Jamal’s struggle to overcome these circumstances.

Personally, I don’t see a lot of Bollywood movies. In fact, I have never seen a Bollywood movie—unless you count Bend it Like Beckham, which I don’t. As a result, I don’t know what kind of image Indian filmmakers are trying to portray to western audiences. As well, I’ve never been to India, so I can’t testify as to the truth of Boyle’s depiction of India. But I do know that Boyle has said that this movie is a “love letter to India.” And in interviews, I’ve seen he has been nothing but respectful of Indian culture. (Let me note that Boyle is British.) In fact, because India does not have the strict child labor laws that are enforced in the UK and US, Boyle decided to use western-style child labor laws while shooting the child actors in the movie, in order to avoid even the suggestion of impropriety.

When was the last time you saw an American movie that depicted a person rising above their station? A victim of child abuse or poverty who grows up to make something of him or herself? This is a very common theme in western cinema, especially American cinema (In fact it is a key American mythological archetype). Maybe part of the problem lies in the idea that Indian critics do not appreciate the archetype that resonates so well with western audiences. To back this up, I have heard that at screenings in India the movie has been perceived as boring and confusing by the general population.

I don’t know. I would like to say that the film transcends time and place because it is really about the triumph of the human spirit and the will to rise about your circumstances. It is a celebration of life (both the good and the bad) that just happens to be set in India, but could have been set anywhere. But am I being culturally insensitive when I say I don’t think the movie was exploitative of Indian society?

Come Oscar night, sitting among the bowls of dip and chips on my couch, I’ll be rooting for Slumdog Millionaire to win Best Picture, for Danny Boyle to win Best Director, and for Simon Beafoy to win Best Adapted Screenplay, because—in the end—I think Boyle’s film is a superb example of what movies should be: uplifting, unflinching, visually beautiful, well written and well acted. But a small part of me will also be wondering if I’m a perpetuating cultural ignorance. I hope this is not the case.

Trailer posted below.

Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire? What did you think?

Screenplays Galore!

2009-01-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

We've already established that I'm a geek, right? Well here's some more geekiness to add to the case against me. I happened to hear about this website that archives movie scripts: simplyscripts.com.

Mind you, these are not synopses or plot outlines or novelizations, but the actual shooting scripts of big movies free for download in pdf. For example, the site has the complete scripts for all the Golden Globe nominated movies, and has an archive of past Oscar winners for best screenplay.

Usually these types of scripts are not available to the general public; it's not as if you can walk into your local Barnes & Noble and walk into the screenplay section. But now they are all available for free download.

Granted, I really wanted to see the script for The Fountain, one of favorite films of all time, but it was not available. So not all film scripts are in the archive, but a good portion of them are. If you get a chance, click the link above and visit the site and have fun comparing the script in your hand to the movie you see on screen (but, of course, only real film geeks do that sort of thing).

Video of the Week: The Business of Being Born

2009-01-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post a movie trailer this week for a documentary that my wife and I saw recently. It's called The Business of Being Born. The documentary examines the business of birthing babies in the united states and questions our current system of OB/GYNs and hospital deliveries. It's eye opening to see that the US has the 2nd highest infant mortality rate in the developed world, it has the highest rate of C-sections, and lowest number of natural child births in the world—by a wide margin. The documentary is very obviously on the side of midwives and home births, but it presents its message in a very loving and informative way. It doesn't finger wag, or call for the eradication of OB/GYNs. And although, you may roll your eyes and think that this kind of thing is only for hippies, this movie shows you that it's not and backs up its argument with great research and interviews. It is very informative and well made, and I highly suggest watching it. (It is currently available on Netflix.) Check it out below.

Oldie but Goodie: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

2009-01-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

Director:
Philip Kaufman
Starring:
Donald Sutherland
Jeff Goldblum
Veronica Cartwright
Leonard Nimoy
Brooke Adams

I just saw this film for the first time a few weeks ago and I was really surprised at how well it holds up today, and how relevant it is in today’s society. This is the first Invasion movie I have seen out of the three that have been made, including the original 1556 and the 2007 remake with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Whereas the first Invasion takes place in a small town, the 1978 version takes place in San Francisco and follows Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), a department of public health worker, and his coworker Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams), as unexplainably strange things begin to happen around them, namely, that ordinary people are being replaced by alien clones.

What I found most terrifying about this movie was the characters’ inability to explain anything about the odd occurrences around them. Not only are their friends and family turning into emotionless zombies, but they are at a complete loss as to how they can communicate what is going on. Building terror in the movie, in large part, stems from the fact that those who know what is going on cannot explain it to anyone, and no one believes them. And as a viewer, you can see that something is wrong, so you feel their frustration as they try and explain to others what is going on and no one believes them. In particular, a good portion of the movie is devoted to convincing Dr. Kibner (Nimoy), a friend of Bennell’s, that something is going on that cannot be explained by psychology, but to no avail. Eventually, the small group of survivors find themselves fighting for their lives and trying to stay awake so that they are not turned into invaders themselves.

Taking place during the cold war, there are obvious themes of a silent take over and assimilation into an alien collective with no individuality. However, at the same time, there also seems to be a general distrust for authority figures, academics, and scientists. In this movie, those who are supposed to be the guardians of rationality and scientific advancement are the very same people who are trying to convince you that nothing is wrong and that there must be something wrong with you if you believe differently. It’s very scary to think that those who are supposed to make you better, both physically and mentally, are the very ones trying to turn you into a zombie “for your own good.”

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is still relevant today for some of the same reasons in struck a chord in 1978. In a post-9/11 world, we are told to fear the terrorist among us, the sleeper cells that are just waiting for the order to strike. They don’t look different than you or I, but could strike at any moment. At the same time, especially under the Bush administration, there is a fear that the government is taking over our lives, intruding into our space, eves dropping on our phone calls, all in the name of preventing an attack—in other words, “for our own good.”

But perhaps more important than any of the political of social reasons that make this movie relevant, is the fact that Invasion of the Body Snatchers is just a well made movie. It has a solid script and has some great performances from Sutherland, Cartwright, Goldblum and Nimoy—who deftly leaves Spock behind in a great nuanced performance. Overall, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a great thriller that keeps you guessing and delivers a smart story with good action and great suspense.

Oldie but Goodie: Alien

2009-01-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

Alien is turning 30. That's right, Alien was originally released in 1979. It was directed by Ridley Scott who went on to direct Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, and is currently making a new Robin Hood movie titled Nottingham. But Alien was the movie that first got him noticed as a director.

The story follows the crew of the interstellar mining ship Nostromo as they are awakened from their cryogenic sleep early by the ship's computer. The computer, named Mother, has detected a signal from a nearby uninhabited planet. The crew is ordered to investigate and finds the remnants of a crashed alien spacecraft in which they find alien eggs. Shortly thereafter the crew is forced to bring an alien on board after which they find themselves the unwitting prey of a dangerous beast.

Of course, the movie stars Tom Skerrit, Sigourney Weaver (who made a name for herself as Ripley), Ian Holm, John Hurt, Yaphet Kotto, Henry Dean Stanton, and Veronica Cartwright.

As a thriller, this movie is pretty good. It has some really good plotting and some jumpy moments. Scott does a good job of using the cramped, dark mood of the ship to really create a sense of creepiness. And, like Hitchcock, Scott holds back on showing you too much in order to give the viewer a sense of uneasiness, which build on the tension that is already present. Also, the movie is not content with simply deteriorating into a predator and prey movie, but instead throws in some curve balls related to the "real" mission of the spacecraft and the duplicitous nature of one of the crew members. It's smart in the sense that it keeps you guessing and thinking about what's going on, making the viewer take some jumps of logic rather than spelling everything out.

My only real criticism of Alien is that it seems to borrow too much from Star Wars, released only two years earlier. Some of the sets seems to follow the style of Star Wars (and 2001: A Space Odyssey). And the full classical score (something very distinctive to the Star Wars movies) seems, at times, to conflict with the tone of the film. That is to say, soaring classical music complemented the soaring themes and storyline in Star Wars. In Alien, a similar musical style seemed to distract from the action because it seemed out of place in a smaller, simpler story line and physical space.

Overall, I would say that Alien is a great sci-fi horror movie. And if you're in the mood for a smart, creepy movie, it might be time to revisit it.

Oldie but Goodie

2009-01-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

I've decided that it would be silly of me to post movie reviews on my blog. This is because I don't normally see brand new movies when they come out, and I certainly don't get invited to advanced screenings like "real" critics. For these two reasons, I don't think writing movie reviews here would be helpful to anyone reading. For example, I saw Eagle Eye last week at the dollar theater, but it's been out for at least a month now. If I reviewed it now, I'm not sure it would really help anyone decide what to go see this weekend.

On the other hand, I just like watching and writing about movies, so I've decided to create a new feature for one guy's movie blog: Oldie but Goodie. In these postings, I'll just review movies that are not at the movie theater currently, movies that you may have heard of but have not seen, or movies that you may have seen but may have forgotten about. In Oldie but Goodie postings, I just want to revisit these movies, discuss them, and maybe look at them with a fresh perspective.

I find that, often, new movies are judged according to what other movies were released that weekend, that month, or that summer, in conjunction with the immediate social or political climate, to say nothing of general movie trends or movies that seem to be "in style" at the moment. For example, Citizen Kane opened to mixed reviews and was booed at the Academy Awards. But now it is cherished as one the greatest movies of all time.

Therefore, I think there is value in reexamining movies outside of their original context, to judge how they stand up now, or to see if they take on new meanings as they age.

I am constantly rediscovering older movies thanks to Netflix, but I would certainly welcome suggestions from anyone out there who would like to know more about an older movie that they've never seen but always wanted to, or a movie they have seen but would like to see a different perspective on.

Pixar's UP: Up in the air.

2009-01-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

You might have recently heard about Pixar's next movie, to be released this summer: UP. Not too many of the details of the story are known just yet, but it revolves around a grumpy old man who ties a bunch of balloons to his house so that he can get away from everyone and be left alone. But his plan hits a snag when he finds that a optimistic boy scout from the neighborhood has stowed away.

As you can see from the picture above, Pixar again looks to be bringing us some beautiful animation. No doubt the visuals will be creative, interesting, fresh, and beautifully rendered, as they always are at Pixar. But recently, I got into a bit of a squabble with a fellow commenter on one of the movie blogs that I follow. I expressed concern that a story revolving around a grumpy old man might not hold my children's attention. For example, some of Pixar's stories tend to skew more adult in theme, like Cars and Ratatouille. Cars follows the existential crisis of a talking car sandwiched between two exciting race scenes at the beginning and the end of the movie. My kids loved the race scenes but were completely bored by everything in between—as was I. As well, Ratatouille deals with the same sort of internal crisis. And, to boot, the antagonist that my kids are supposed to be afraid of is a mean food critic. Needless to say, the threat of a negative restaurant review didn't exactly have my children sitting on the edge of their seats. Keeping this in mind, I expressed concern that UP may turn out to be the same sort of thing, a story that has no real villains or moral choices, but rather focusing on the internal struggle of a jaded, all be it beautifully animated, old man.

I was attacked mainly for implying that Pixar movies are kid's movies, and that the strength of a Pixar movie lies in my children's enjoyment of it. However, notwithstanding the fact that Pixar often makes good films that both children and parents can enjoy, I would argue that Pixar makes children's movies, or at least they aim for a family-friendly audience. For example, Pixar's best movies (Toy Story 1 and 2, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Wall-E) all deal with issues that are central to the lives of small children like loss of family, learning between good and evil, fitting in, loneliness, and believing in yourself. And the characters in these stories have clear objectives and a clear line between right and wrong, good and bad. (We're not talking Ghost in the Shell, here, people.) And whether we like it or not Pixar movies are marketed to children with toys, sponsorship of Happy Meals, and commercials during Saturday morning cartoons.

Adults can deal with moral ambiguity, and we can identify with existential crises because we realize how complicated the world is. But children need to see clear lines drawn in order to better learn those lessons and understand the world around them. They need to know that the challenges they face are large, but they need to know they can overcome them. They feel reassured and safe when the good guy wins and the bad guy is punished.

This is what I hope Pixar can achieve with UP, but I'm slightly skeptical. As I said before, not much about the story's actual plot has been released, but I hope that the old man in question can face a series of insurmountable tasks and overcome them instead of simply ruminating over his own existence. I have faith in Pixar, and they've come through before. I hope they can do it again this summer.

Watch the teaser trailer below.

What do you think? Does Pixar make kid's movies? Does UP look commercially viable?

Video of the Week: A Couple of Great 2008 Movie Retrospectives

2009-01-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of great videos that I came across this week that both do a good job or reflecting on the past year in movies. They are different, but both good in their own ways. Check them out below.

What did you think? Leave a comment.

Video of the Week: Thundercats Live Action Movie

2008-12-22T14:07:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't spent a lot of time on here lately, but I thought this was so neat that I had to blog about it. Now, before you get too excited, this is not a real trailer for a real movie. It is a fan made trailer that was cut together from movies starring Brad Pitt, Vin Diesel, Hugh Jackman, and others, and has some added CGI. Anyone who remembers Thundercats will think this is a pretty cool, not just for its nostalgia, but for its fidelity to the original cartoon. Here it is:

What did you think? Leave a comment.

It has Arrived!

2008-12-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

A little while back I announced that Netflix had finally come to its senses and would be offering the Watch Instantly feature to its Mac-using members. That day has finally come. I streamed my first movie the other night: THX 1138. The quality was pretty good. It wasn't 100% DVD quality, but it was darn close. Even in full screen mode the picture was suprisingly good—much like the Fox or ABC's online episode player. (It is sad that most of the shows I watch online are on NBC, whose video player is lower quality. In full-screen mode the picture is severely blurry.) To watch the movies on my computer, I had to download a bit of software first (Microsoft's Siverlight), but it didn't take much time and it was easy to install.

I did have a bit of a problem though because unlike some other online players, the full-screen mode did not disable my screen saver. As a result, I had to remember to touch the mouse pad every once-in-awhile. If the screen saver kicked on, I would be returned to the smaller web viewer. Also, if I exited full screen mode, when I tried to go back the picture would freeze. But going back and forth a couple of times, usually fixed the problem.

All-in-all it seems like there may be a few bugs that need to be worked out, but overall it was great. I really feel like I'm getting the most out of my Netflix membership now. In fact, I now have more movies in my Watch Instantly queue than in my DVD rental queue. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," here I come.

Are you a Mac user and a Netflix member? Tell me how your experience has been.

Video of the Week: New Star Trek Trailer

2008-11-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

So, I know it seems like all I do now is post videos. But, honestly, there hasn't been a whole lot of exciting movie news lately. Except this: Apparently a trailer for the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie was attached to Quantum of Solace this past weekend.

Before I actually saw the trailer, I read some discussion boards from those who had seen the trailer in the theater, over the weekend, and WOW. Of course I knew that a franchise this popular and beloved would not be receive well by the die hard Trekkies because they have set the original series right up next to the bible and they take themselves waaaaaay too seriously. But I was surprised by the amount of HATE generated by a two-minute trailer.

On the other hand, many of the self-confessed moderate-Trekkies and most of the non-Trekkies thought the trailer looked awesome. After all, both Kevin Smith and Edgar Wright have already seen the movie and give it high praise.

As for me, I am cautiously optimistic, and I think the trailer shows some promise of an entertaining movie, whether or not you know anything about Trek. But I am surprised that people could get so worked-up and analyze a clip that basically gives no hint of a storyline and almost no dialogue. One post I saw actually analyzed the "realistic" beaming effect, and one guy condemned the whole trailer based on Simon Pegg's single line. When you see the trailer (follow the link, sorry I can't actually embed it here), whether you think it is awesome or rotten, you'll probably be scratching your head and saying to all the fanboys out there: "Get a life!"

Watch the trailer here.

What do you think about the new Star Trek? Let me know, I'm interested to hear your feedback.

Video of the Week: The Haunting in Connceticut

2008-11-11T07:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of post lately, I've been in Arizona and haven't had much time to comment on the latest movie news, let alone blog about it. Anyway, maybe this will get your spirits up.

Most scary movie trailers are fairly cheesy, or maybe intriguing, but usually I just look at them and say, "we'll see" because usually the trailers are filled with images that are supposed to be scary, but are not simply because of the nature of a trailer--a short commercial for a movie. The fact is, it's really hard to scare somebody in a 30sec ad. Real terror takes time to build up. But the trailer I have posted below actually kind of creeped me out, so I thought I would share it with the rest of you and see what you think.

I'm also interested in this movie because I know about the events that it is based on. It looks like they changed a few details and exaggerated it, but that is the nature of movies. Anyway, watch it and tell me what you think.

Howard Not Cheadle: The Petition

2008-10-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

The blogs and entertainment websites have been a-buzz with the recent news that Don Cheadle will replace Terrance Howard as Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes in Iron Man 2. Initially, the reason given was a dispute over Howard's paycheck for the next Iron Man, but in a recent interview with Scott Simon of NPR, Howard said that there was no dispute. In fact, he says he learned about the switch just like the rest of us, through the media. In the interview, he seemed offended and remarked that Hollywood contracts aren't worth the paper they are printed on, insinuating that Marvel has broken a contract with Howard. So, why is Cheadle going to be Rhodes in Iron Man 2, and not Howard (who did a wonderful job)? We may never know, but there are some very devoted fans out there who want to do something about it.

The website howardnotcheadle.com is devoted to a petition to let Marvel studios know that fans want Howard to be in Iron Man 2, not Cheadle.

Now, personally, I have nothing against Don Cheadle. In fact, he's probably one of my favorite actors, and I think he could do just as good a job as Howard did in Iron Man, but that is not the point. There is no need to replace Howard and doing so only disrupts the continuity of the story and characters. But in the end, a petition like this will have virtually no effect on the studio. Remember, studios don't listen to movie-goers, they only listen to movie-goer's money.

So, you can go the website and sign the petition, or you can speak with your money by boycotting Iron Man 2 and all other Marvel Studio releases in theaters and on DVD. But, who are we kidding? We'll see it anyway. And that is precisely why studios don't listen.

What do you think of the Howard/Cheadle switch? Sound off in the comments section.

Netflix Has Finally Come to Its Senses

2008-10-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

I just recently joined Netflix. And I know what you're thinking: "The 'one guy' at One Guy's Movie Blog did have a Netflix account?" Yes, I am ashamed to admit that I have been missing out of the beauty of mail-dvd-rental goodness. But I have repented and turned my heart toward unlimited rentals and streaming movies. And that last part (the streaming movies) is the part I want to talk about. As some of you may know, I am a Mac user, and Netflix's streaming movies feature will not work on my Mac, which has been a major issue with Mac users as you can imagine. But Netflix just announced that it has finally found a platform that will allow Mac users to benefit from the "watch now" feature they are currently paying for but have not been able to use until now. Apparently, the video format runs on Silverlight, which can be downloaded for Mac or PC for free. Currently, the service has only been opened up to a handful of testers, but should roll out for everyone by the end of the year. Yipee! Hooray! Mozoltov!

Video of the Week: If Hollywood Directors Made Campaign Ads

2008-10-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

Since the election is just a little over a week away, and McCain is down in the polls, I thought I'd post something relevant. What if John McCain hired Hollywood directors to make some new election ads for him? They might look something like this.

V ideo of the Week: Sleepless in Seattle, the Horror Movie

2008-10-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

I've post videos in the past, and I've received lots of feedback on them, so I thought it might be fun to do it on a regular basis. Starting today, I'm going to try and post a Video of the Week every Monday.

This week's offering is a recut trailer for the movie Sleepless in Seattle. Much like the Shining recut trailer I posted a little while ago, this trailer gives a different spin on the classic romantic comedy.

Tell me what you think. Leave a comment below.

Gosling Rumored to Wear the Green Lantern Ring of Power

2008-10-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been a faithful visitor to One Guy’s Movie Blog, you will have picked up on the fact that I’m a big Green Lantern fan and was thrilled when I heard that the script for the Green Lantern movie was in it’s final stages. Some guys over at Latino Review even got a copy and they were very public in their praise of the story and the characters and, basically, the whole thing.

So, some more exciting news comes our way this week as we found out that Ryan Gosling is up for the role of Hal Jordan. Now, there are some naysayers in the movie blogosphere who say that Gosling doesn’t “look” like Hal Jordan, or that he seems too soft. But I am with the majority who think Gosling would be an awesome choice. He is a great young actor who has shown a considerable range. And for those who say that Gosling can’t play the part of a cocky test pilot turned superhero, check out his movie Fracture, where he showed he could be self-assured but with a hint of humanizing self-doubt.

Since GL has been fast tracked by Warner Brothers, and aims to start shooting in early 2009, I hope they can nab Gosling before he signs on to other projects.

Can Gosling pull-off Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern? Sound off in the Comments section.

Let the Right One In: Americans Are (Apparently) Too Dumb for Subtitles

2008-10-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

If you are into Swedish vampire films (like, who isn’t?), then you may have heard the buzz surrounding a little film called Let the Right One In, directed by Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson. In fact, early reviews for the film, which centers around the relationship between two children, one of whom is a vampire (it has been described as a coming-of-age Vampire movie), were so good that Matt Reeves (of Cloverfield fame) has been tapped to remake an American version of the film. And, get this, the remake was announced before the Swedish version even had its wide release in Sweden.

Understandably, Alfredson was a little miffed. He told Moviezine that “Remakes should be made of movies that aren’t very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong, … I’m very proud of my movie and think it’s great, but the Americans might be of an other opinion. The saddest thing for me would be to see that beautiful story made into something mainstream. … I don’t like to whine, but of course – if you’d spent years on painting a picture, you’d hate to hear buzz about a copy even before your vernissage!”

It bothers me that, for some reason, studio executives don’t think that American audiences can handle subtitled (or, heaven forbid, dubbed) films. It’s not as if there is not a precedent. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a big hit, and it was up for a best picture academy award. And what about The Passion of the Christ, or Apocalypto? Both of which also made a lot of money. Even a lot of the Jackie Chan American rereleases were dubbed. (Heck, do you remember that German song “99 Red Balloons”? It was a big hit, and then they made an English language version and nobody liked it.) American audiences don’t have a problem with subtitled and foreign language films when those movies are worth seeing and they are supported by the studios.

I’m just sick of the studios thinking that American audiences are dumb, and that we don’t want to be challenged by our entertainment. Granted, some of the biggest films lately have not exactly been intellectually challenging. On the other hand, look at the success of The Dark Knight. TDK isn’t your normal brainless action movie. It’s dark and thought provoking, challenging in ways that studios don’t normally think American audiences can handle. When you look at it, it is the movies that break convention, that defy audience’s expectations that make the most impact.

Personally, I don’t have a lot of faith in Matt Reeves because I didn’t think Cloverfield was very good. But more than that, often when a foreign film is remade for American audience’s it falls flat and lacks the originality and creativity that made the original so good—I’m thinking of all the J-horror remakes that we seem to have been bombarded with since The Ring.

If Let the Right One In is an original, thought-provoking, and genre-defying movie in its original Swedish, why change it just so American actors can speak the lines in English? There is no reason other than the fact that some studio exec thinks we are all stupid, and the remake will fail as a result.

Check out the trailer for Let the Right One In here, and let me know what you think.

Are we all stupid? Can a wide American audience not handle subtitles?

The Shining: A Family Film

2008-09-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

If you have seen The Shining, this will be hilarious. If not, you won't get this at all.

Shyamalan Contemplates Unbreakable 2

2008-09-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

So I think we can all agree that M. Night Shyamalan’s movies have not all been as successful as The 6th Sense. And his last offering, The Happening, was pretty much dreadful. However, I still have faith in Shyamalan. I stood by him with The Village, and I defended the artistry of Lady in the Water. But my favorite Shyamalan movie is Unbreakable. I know it wasn’t a huge success at the box office, but I think it was his best script so far, and it had more emotional depth than The 6th Sense. Well, Shyamalan told MTV news last week that he might be contemplating a return to the story of the physical and ideological opposites Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) and David Dunn (Bruce Willis).

Originally, Shyamalan had planned Unbreakable as a three-part story, but once he got to writing it, he realized that the first part (the origin story) was a whole movie on its own, so he never really got to the other two parts that he was planning. He says in the MTV article that while filming Unbreakable he talked with Jackson about where his character would go in the sequel if it ever got that far. And Jackson has expressed interest in working with Shyamalan again.

I, for one, would be extremely excited to see Shyamalan return to his glory days with some of the most excellent characters he has created so far. I think he’s extremely misunderstood as a filmmaker and the studios tend to market his movies in completely the wrong way (i.e., both Lady in the Water and The Village were marketed as “horror” movies, which—as anyone who has seen them can tell you—they are not). To me Shyamalan is an art-house, inde filmmaker trapped in the body of a blockbuster director. It’s too bad he was reduced to dwindling on the gratuitous bullet wounds of victims in The Happening in order to seem more “horror.”

I’m also looking forward to Shyamalan’s next project, a live-action screen adaptation of the popular cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender. I hope, when he is working with material that is not his own, he can finally hit one out of the park and prove to audiences and the studios that he is the great director he proved he could be with The 6th Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs.

What do you think of Shyamalan’s moives? Do you want to see Unbreakable 2? Leave a comment.

Marc Guggenheim writing Green Lantern Script

2008-09-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

Although DeNiro’s departure from the latest Mel Gibson movie caused a bit of a halabaloo in the blogosphere, I would rather talk about a lesser talked about bit of information from Marc Guggenheim who is, apparently, the writer for the upcoming Green Lantern movie. At comiccon.com you can read an interview with him and he mentions that he’s been working really hard on the Green Lantern script and that it is “an incredibly faithful rendition of the character” and that they are approaching it “from a fan's perspective.”

The Green Lantern is one of my most favorite comic book heroes ever. To me the most interesting thing about Hal Jordan and the other GLs is that their rings’ strength is based on their own willpower, which is deeply psychological: You’re only as strong as you believe yourself to be. I think there’s some really deep and interesting things to explore with Hal Jordan.

My only concern is that any GL movie will get bogged down in all the space stuff and the aliens, etc.—All the special effects stuff—instead of focusing on Hal Jordan’s inner battle with his belief in himself. In fact, the Green Lantern movie could potentially have the same psychological complexity as The Dark Knight. But we’ll see. Please Hollywood, don’t mess this one up.

Are you looking forward to a big screen adaptation of the Green Lantern, too? Leave a comment.

The Dark Knight: 1966

2008-09-12T12:53:00.001-07:00

Just a little fun for Friday. What if The Dark Knight had been made in 1966? What would it look like? The result is pretty cool.

BATMAN: The Dark Knight 1966 Trailer (BATMAN!) from gurgledurr on Vimeo.

Batman 3: Rumors and Speculation

2008-09-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

Probably the biggest news going on right now is speculation over the plot and cast of the next Batman movie. For the past few weeks rumors have been flying around concerning Johhn Depp or Brian Austin Green as The Riddler, Cher as Catwoman, and Verne Troyer or Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin, not to mention the pictures of Kristen Bell dressed as Harley Quinn. In fact, Michael Caine caused a raucous earlier this week when he announced that he had a conversation with a studio head who told him that Depp and Hoffman would be playing The Riddler and The Penguin respectively. All this despite the fact that Nolan has already said he has made no definite plans for the next Batman and is going to make one or two other movies before returning to the franchise.

Well, Depp responded that playing the Riddler would be a “cool gig”; Hoffman said he didn’t think he would make a very good Penguin; and I’m guessing that no one even remembers Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills 90210, anyone?). But in the end, know that any Batman casting speculation is just that, speculation. Not only is Nolan taking some time off, but he’s also said that he’d rather focus on some lesser known Batman villains in the future rather than retreading villains used in previous movies.

Personally, I’d love to see Bane on the big screen or maybe the Mad Hatter. As well, the Verntriloquist would fit in well with the mob undertones of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I’ve also read about a lesser known villain named Mr. Zsasz who is essentially a serial killer who uses knives to kill his victims and then cuts himself to mark each kill on his own body, so he’s covered with scars. That kind of darkness would fit right in with the tone of the movies so far.

What villain would you like to see go up against Bruce Wayne in the next Batman movie? Leave a comment and let me know.

Michael Cera Denies All Knowedege of a Possible Arrested Development Movie

2008-09-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

A little while ago (a few months, that is) Jason Bateman hinted that an Arrested Development move was in the works, based on the critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged TV show of the same name (MTV). And it wasn’t just an “I’ve been talking with some people about the possibility” kind of a thing, but a “Michael Hurwitz has a story and all the actors have agreed to do it” kind of thing, like “just waiting on scheduling.” But the National Post just released an interview with Michael Cera (who played Jason Bateman’s son) for his upcoming comedy, Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, where he denies any knowledge of an Arrested Development movie, and, in fact, sounds downright unenthusiastic about the possibility. He says “I don't think I would want to see a movie of the series if I was a fan, anyway, [...] and I don't really see a need for it if you can get the three seasons on DVD” (National Post).

Well, I don’t know about other fans, but I’d line up right now for an Arrested Development movie. Where is the faith, Michael Cera? I know that the show was on the verge of cancellation for its entire three season run, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some very dedicated—and rabid—fans out there wanting more. In fact, I don’t know any other type of Arrested Development fan but the rabid and obsessed. If done right, as Bateman hints to in the MTV interview mentioned above, an Arrested Development movie might bring joy to millions of fans whose loss of the Bluth family has left their daily lives dull and depressing.

Do you want to see an Arrested Development movie? Leave a comment and let me know.

Retraction: Babylon A.D.

2008-08-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I wrote a post extolling the awesomeness of the Babylon A.D. trailer? Well, I want to retract any excitement I had for this movie. Right now, Babylon A.D. is has a 5% over at RottenTomatoes, not to mention the fact that the director actually released a public statement saying that the movie was really horrible, just a few days before its release. Apparently, The director, Mathieu Kassovitz, wanted to make a full-fledged R-rated action movie, but the people at Fox wanted to make it a PG-13, so they sidestepped Kassovitz and cut the movie down. Apparently, a lot of the plot fell on the cutting room floor, and Kassovitz was pretty pissed off. (Click here to read his reaction).

In sum, don’t judge a movie by its trailer.

Facebook:The Movie, and Other Product Placement Movies

2008-08-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, read the headline again. It says what you think it says. Apparently, (as reported by multiple websites including /film and Yahoo Movies) Facebook: The Movie is coming. Not only that, but Alan Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) is penning the script. It seems that there is nothing so popular that movie executives can’t try and make a buck off it.

Just a few months ago I heard about a deal Milton Bradley made with a major studio to develop movies based on its most popular games, like Monopoly, Life, and Boggle (seriously, Boggle? Yes, Boggle was specifically mentioned.)

Also, news comes today that Bret Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men 3) is trying to make a Guitar Hero movie (/film). Why do people feel the need to make anything that is even remotely successful into a movie? How did the movie become the greatest measure of success in this country? You’re not important until someone has made a movie about you, your book, or your “What I Did Last Summer” essay from 5th grade.

I am at a loss. Facebook: The Movie, Guitar Hero: The Movie, Boggle: The Movie? I’m not sure I have heard of a dumber ideas since … my goodness, I’m not sure I have heard of a dumber ideas for movies.

Are you holding your breath for Sorry: The Movie? Leave a comment and let me know.

See Films Differently

2008-08-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick one, but I stumbled across a great set of promo-type commercials made by VW to promote independent film. They are hilarious; a man reducing Die Hard to a movie about fashion, a woman interpreting Toy Story as an expression of adolescent sexuality, Mary Poppins is really the Exorcist with songs, and more. I've posted two of my favorites below and to the right, and posted a link to others on YouTube. If you love movies, you'll love these short videos. And if you don't love movies, you'll probably think they're stupid.

See Films Differently YouTube Channel: Here

Theaters without Movies: The Wave of the Future

2008-08-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of news stories this week have caught my attention because of they indicate that that old media is finally giving in to new media. First off, Warner Brothers has announced that it is launching a Hulu-like site for its properties like Veronica Mars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, One Tree Hill, The OC, etc. (/film). The site will be ad-supported like many of the network sites, but it is also providing a way to search shows not only by title and season but by theme and keyword. For example, you could search for the word “Spike” within Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it will bring up all the episodes that deal with the character Spike. This new service will also provide mashable downloads that you can post on your own site (or YouTube?).

Second of all, the makers of No End in Sight (an Iraq war documentary) are releasing the Sundance award-winning film on YouTube between Sept. 1 and Nov. 4th for free. Between those dates, all you have to do is logon to YouTube and you can watch the entire documentary for free (Hollywood Reporter).

Let the Internet revolution begin! Personally, I prefer watching TV online, when I don’t have to pay attention to time slots, or if I’m going to be home on time. And, to boot, there are less commercials, so you spend less time watching Ronald McDonald and the Geico Gecko and more time with Buffy and Veronica. And if you don’t like sitting at your desk to watch, nowadays it’s super easy to hook your computer up to your TV.

Of course, there is no word as to whether WB will offer movies on its site, but the makers of No End in Sight have offered their movie up for free. Which is probably easier to do for documentary features than fiction because of lower costs, etc. But it shows a willingness on the part of moviemakers to get their work out to the people without having to filter it through multiplexes and PBS.

Taken to its extreme, eventually there might not be any need for movie theaters. Just logon to Marvel.com to watch Iron Man 4 on the day of its release. Some might say this would be sad, and I grant that the theater experience can’t really be duplicated with a TV and a couch. But drive-ins still operate, right? Old media doesn’t die; it just becomes nostalgia.

Check out my love for cheap late-night cinema at Adventures @ the Dollar Theater. Do you want to watch movie theaters go extinct? Leave a comment below.

Veronica Mars: The Movie?

2008-08-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

I know I haven’t made a post in almost a week, but honestly, there wasn’t much news to talk about; however, I came across a tidbit that is interesting, and I’m not sure how I feel about it: Entertainment Weekly, and a handful of websites are reporting that Kristen Bell and Rob Thomas (not the guy from Matchbox 20, the producer/writer) have been in some preliminary talks about a possible Veronica Mars movie.

On the one hand, I loved the short-lived Veronica Mars. It only ran two full seasons, and the last season was kind of scattered and wasn’t tied up when the show was canceled. But it had great writing and acting, critical acclaim, and was just a joy to watch. And, honestly, I think the show should have gone on (as Rob Thomas pitched to WB execs) as Veronica Mars in the FBI, which would have been a natural continuation of her story and character. But making a movie doesn’t seem like the right move.

A TV series with Veronica in the FBI would have been great because the show would have time to develop over a season—building characters and transitioning from the previous seasons—but throwing Veronica into the FBI for a movie with no time to transition her from a college freshman would seem to alienate fans and the VM mythos. I would hate for it to turn out like other TV-shows-turned-movies like Mission: Impossible (where the entire premise of the show as basically thrown out the window to make an action movie) or the new X-Files: I Want to Believe (that, as a stand-alone storyline, doesn’t really satisfy the mythos of the original show).

I’m just trying to say that it would be hard for Thomas to reign in all the VM history and make it relevant in a new storyline that also works as a stand-alone movie. Serentiy turned out well, but Joss Whedon was only working with half a season’s worth of shows. In any case, I hope all things turn out for the best. And in the mean time I’ll be watching Kristen Bell electrocute people on Heroes.

Are you a VM fan? What do you think about a possible movie? Leave a comment below and let me know.

EW source article: Here.

Babylon A.D.: Totally Sweet Trailer

2008-08-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

I just saw the trailer for Babylon A.D. yesterday and I was blown away. I'd heard about this movie and seen a short behind-the-scenes featurette a few months ago, but the full trailer took my breath away. I have to tell you, I'm not a big Vin Diesel fan, but this movie turns out half as good as the trailer, I might become one.

Quick synopsis: Vin Diesel is a hired to transport a mysterious girl from a futuristic, war-torn Eastern Europe to the future megalopolis of New York.

If Blade Runner and Children of Men are two of your favorite movies, you'll probably get all giddy watching this trailer like I did. Of course, there is always the chance that this movie will completely suck (there are plenty of good trailers for bad movies), but at least the trailer makes me want to go see it, which is what a good trailer should do.

I suggest going to the Apple Movie Trailers website here and clicking the Babylon A.D. poster to view the trailer. If you don't have Quicktime, you can watch here on YouTube, but it's not very high quality.

If this trailer excites you too, let me know; leave a comment below.

Let the Boycotts Begin: Disability Groups Rage Against Tropic Thunder

2008-08-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, The New York Times reported that Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics, is calling for a boycott of the upcoming movie Tropic Thunder, opening this Friday. Apparently, Ben Stiller plays an actor who makes a film called “Simple Jack,” about a mentally disabled boy, in an attempt to win an Oscar and, in this context, the word “retard” is used several times. However, this is only a sub-plot—an appendage to a movie who’s main focus is to skewer the excesses of Hollywood and degrade the cult of celebrity.

Now, I am not going to say that these guys should just “cool it,” or “can’t they take a joke?” Admittedly, “retard” is offensive to the mentally handicapped community. But what most boycott groups often forget is the context within which these things are spoken. The word “retard” is not used in this movie to degrade the mentally challenged; it is used to degrade those people who use that language. There is a supreme difference between glorifying offensive language and writing a character who uses offensive language to illustrate the fact that that character is an idiot. In fact, DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan has said of the controversy that “‘Tropic Thunder' is an R-rated comedy that satirizes Hollywood and its excesses and makes its point by featuring inappropriate and over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations. The film is in no way meant to disparage or harm the image of individuals with disabilities”(The New York Times).

Satire is about offending people with extreme negative stereotypes in order to get people to think about the way that those stereotypes actually affect them. It makes fun of those people who are offensive, rude, and stupid, by showing them for what they really are. If anything, I would think that the writers, actors, and directors of this movie are trying to illustrate the idiocy and bigotry of those who actively use offensive language without regard to those whom it actually affects.

For heaven’s sake, Robert Downey, Jr., dons blackface to illustrate the excesses of self-absorbed actors. Do you think the character he plays is supposed to be a positive role model of cultural sensitivity? No. Because this is a satirical comedy, I would suggest that the use of offensive language and images is not aimed at degrading the subjects themselves (be they disabled or African-American), but rather aimed at mocking the peddlers and sellers of such ignorant stereotypes.

Am I wrong? Leave a comment and let me know.

A Sneek Peek at The Road

2008-08-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you. I’m not usually the type to get all weak in the knees at the prospect of looking at stills of a movie in production. When I see that Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince pictures have been released on the web, I shrug my shoulders while other salivate, or do an in-depth analysis of a the new trailer (I’m looking at you RottenTomatoes). So, I would not in good conscience subject you all to my inner fanboy, but this one is special.

USA Today has posted the first look at The Road, based on the Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. It stars Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, and 11 year-old Kodi Smit-McPhee.

I bring you this news simply because I am excited about it. It is a movie based on a book by my favorite author, in my favorite genre (sci-fi), and starts one of my favorite actors (Viggo Mortensen, although Charlize Theron is no slouch). A trifecta for me. Anyway, I hope you are as excited as I am (and praying that it doesn’t turn out really badly). Read the article, including some insights from Mortensen, and check out the pictures here.

What do you think about The Road? Leave a comment below.

Lock, Stock, and One Intelligent Gentleman Smoking a Pipe?

2008-08-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I heard that Robert Downey, Jr., has just been cast in a new Sherlock Holmes movie, which wasn’t much news. But today IESB is reporting that not only is Downey, Jr., playing Sherlock Holmes, but that Guy Ritchie (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) is directing and promising an “action packed” Sherlock Holmes, where Holmes is not only good at “deduction and all that stuff” but is also a skilled martial artist. He promises that the newer, updated version (presumably present day?) has all the elements of the original, Watson included.

I agree, updating the character for the 21st century might be kind of cool, but I’m not sure “action packed” and “martial arts” are exactly what Holmes is all about. And if Ritchie’s previous movies are any indication of what to expect from the Holmes update, we might see Holmes hanging out in a strip club with gangsters, beating the pulp out of a stooge, all the while spewing obscenities that would make Dick Cheney blush.

What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.

Source: http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5292&Itemid=99

Evil Dead 4 a Strong Possibility for Raimi

2008-07-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I just got on the Terminator geeks about looking forward to a franchise that hasn’t had much going for it in the last few years. Now it’s my turn to geek out. (Just a little bit). Apparently, Sam Raimi, at the Drag Me Down to Hell panel at Comic Con, revealed that he’s been thinking about and planning on doing another Evil Dead movie, and expressed an interest in having Bruce Cambell reprise his role as Ash, our chainsaw-cum-steel-handed hero (he’s probably better know to the kiddies as the fussy usher from Spiderman 2 or the French waiter from Spiderman 3).

I have to admit, Army of Darkness (Evil Dead 3 for the uninitiated) came out when I was about 15 and I thought it was one of the coolest movies ever made. Granted, I watched it more recently and I realized that it was one of those movies that is gloriously bad but you love it anyway.

But let's get down to brass tacks: Army of Darkness had two endings, one for an American audience and one for a European audience, that are very different and would spawn two very different follow-ups to the Evil Dead franchise. The American version ends with Ash waking up in the present day and shooting a demon with his “boom stick” in S-Mart (“Shop smart, shop S-Mart”). The other version has Ash taking too much of the sleeping potion and waking up in a post-apocalyptic London, laughing manically. So the question is, should Ash fight demons in a modern day discount store or in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Either way, I’m game.

Remakes and Sequels Galore!

2008-07-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Darren Aronofsky Confirmed for new RoboCop
This is slightly odd news considering that Aronofsky's previous films (Requiem for a Dream, Pi, and The Fountain) have not only been inde films but very deep and contemplative about subjects like death, addiction, and the meaning of life. I would imagine that a new RoboCop movie (which is rumored to be a sequel, not a remake) would be a big-budget, blow-em-up type film, very different from Aronofsky's other work. But, heck Nolan did it with Batman. Maybe Aronofsky can bring some death, addiction, and life to a new RoboCop.

Tr2n
That would be "Tron 2" for those of you who can't tell that the 2 is supposed to be an O. Yeah, I didn't get it at first either. Apparently, ComicCon attendees were completely caught off guard by a teaser trailer for an upcoming Tron sequel--with Jeff Bridges! You can read a complete description of the footage shown at ComicCon here. There have been rumors of a Tron sequel for years, but no one (at least I didn't) give it much credence. Apparently, it's happening and set for release in 2010.

The Wolfman
Yes, folks, the old Wolfman think Del T is being remade with Benicio Del Toro in the lead role. Personally, Ioro kind of looks like a wolf, so this should be perfect for him. You can visit the site for the new movie here. It doesn't offer much but a teaser, so I'll hold off on speculation until we see a trailer.

Other Bits
In other news, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Warner Bros. is looking to remake classic Twilight Zone episodes into feature length movies and Tim Burton has found his leading lady for a new Alice in Wonderland adaptaion.

I know everybody always complains that Hollywood can't come up with new ideas anymore and all they do is rehash what they've already done, and sometimes I agree. But, at the same time, sometimes the remakes, reboots, and far-off sequels actually turn out better than the originals. Who knows? Maybe there is something to be said for updating stories that touched us in the past so that they may wow us again and make us think about them in new ways.

Geeks Geek-out Over New Terminator Movie

2008-07-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

Why is there so much excitement over the new Terminator movie, Terminator: Salvation? Sure, the first one was arguably awesome. It had a great concept, great script, and great special effects that had never been seen before. It also gave a huge career boost to the now governor of California. T2? Yeah it was great . . . when I was twelve years old. And did anyone actually see T3?

Okay, even if you still think that T2 was one of the greatest movies ever made (say, next to Lawrence of Arabia), the new movie is still being brought to you by McG (which is like Kevin Smith making a sequel to Lawrence of Arabia—it would give you pause). And if his name doesn’t make you want to take him seriously, neither will his movies. This is the man who brought us both vapid Charlie’s Angels movies, the wonderfully bad We Are Marshall, and don’t forget The Offspring Complete Music Video Collection.

I would like to give this new addition to the franchise the benefit of the doubt. I want it to succeed. I would like to see this movie legend revived much the same way Batman Begins (not to mention TDK) and Iron Man have breathed new life into superhero movies. It’s just hard to take it seriously.

Hopefully, Terminator: Salvation can give the franchise a much needed shot in the arm. Since it’s been 16 years since T2 came out, the franchise needs one heck of an adrenaline shot to get its blood pumping again.

Megan Fox Puts on Weight for Transformers 2

2008-07-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Multiple sources are reporting that Megan Fox was asked to gain (yes, I said gain) weight for Transformers 2 (at least 10 pounds). Naturally, there is some speculation as to why she was asked to gain weight. I have heard the theory that director Michael Bay likes bigger girls, but this seems ridiculous—even if Fox gained 10 pounds, she would still border on anorexic. Although, she did say (at people.com) that Bay “doesn’t like skinny girls,” giving this theory some credence.

Mostly, the weight gain is attributed to the fact that Fox just finished shooting the Diablo Cody penned Jennifer’s Body, where she lost some weight and—she says—she got “scrawny.” And, I suppose, in order to play a high-school-cheerleader-turned-serial-killer you might lose some weight. Doesn’t everyone know that cheerleader serial killers don’t have a lot of time to eat healthy between all the rigorous cheerleading workouts and the dismemberment?

Remember when Carrie Fisher was told to lose ten pounds before shooting Star Wars? I suppose actresses are still regularly asked to lose weight, but there are still quite a few actresses that probably need to be tied up and have Crisco forced down their throats. (I’m looking at you Olsen twins.)

TDK, BIggest Opening Day EVER!

2008-07-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

So, if you haven’t heard the news, The Dark Knight has officially had the the biggest opening day EVER. With $66 million on Friday alone, The Dark Knight beat out the last winner Spiderman 3 ($59 million). Of course, a good chunk of that came from midnight showings (about $17 million). But not only is there good news for the big wigs at Warner Bros.; all the early reviews—and all the word of mouth I have heard—places TDK at the top of a very short list of the best reviewed movies of the year. It’s currently at 94% at RottenTomatoes.com and not likely to take a dive at this point.

To reiterate my last post: I hope $66 million on opening day makes Warner Bros. sit up and take notice, so that they will give other talented directors like Christopher Nolan the money and creative space to explore their other DC properties and turn them into both critical and financial successes.

You Can't Outrun Yourself: Studios Finally Discover That Superheroes Are More Than Cartoons

2008-07-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Over at slashfilm.com I just read some rather non-news about the upcoming Flash movie in development. The non-news is this: The Flash is in development. A while ago I heard this from another movie site, which also posted a tag line for the upcoming movie: “you can’t outrun yourself.” How friggin’ sweet is that?

I’m glad that superhero movies are taking a turn for the better. Finally mass audiences (and the movie industry) are cluing into something that comic book lovers have known all along: comic books are not about the flashy costumes, big explosions, and cool gadgetry; they’re about the characters. As much as I loved the Tim Burton Batman movies. The subsequent movies quickly devolved into flashy action movies with no heart and no character progression. Carey’s Riddler and Jones’ Two Face were just second-rate reincarnations of the campy Batman TV series of the 60s (not to mention Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze). Thank goodness for Christopher Nolan, who took Batman and actually made him a real person, not a caricature.

Apparently, after the success of the new Iron Man movie and the fantastic Hulk reboot, Warner Bros. is taking another look at its DC properties, namely The Flash and The Green Lantern, as well as Green Arrow and others, which may mean potential fast-tracking and better stars/directors than the lame attempt they were trying to make earlier this year with a Justice League movie, sans Superman and Batman, with a league of B, C, and D list talent. All I can say is that if the advance buzz for the The Dark Knight lives up to the hype, Warner Bros. better treat their other DC properties like the royalty.