Why I Love Film - #6 (in anticipation of Super 8)

In this series, I do my best to capture small moments, or performances, or little tech tricks I love about the world of film. With this episode, however, I'm feeling compelled to write about something a bit different.

The trailer for Super 8 hit theaters, interwebs, and TV sets not too long ago, and while the underground anticipation for the JJ Abrams film seems to have grinded to a halt, my anticipation has been exponentially growing. The Spielbergian feel to it, the music in the trailer, all the quick editing, the things that go bump in the night (the burned man in the car...)...

Of course, this is a Steven Spielberg production. It has that feel to it, if you've ever seen his more fantastical fare. I'm reminded of ET almost immediately, with bits of Hook and even some of the grandiosity of Jurassic Park. But, this is also distinctively a JJ Abrams film. I could consider it a love letter to one of the greatest directors of all time, but since we haven't been witness to the project yet, that would be a bit... too much.

For all of it's glory, however, here is the trailer for Super 8. Note the Spielberg qualities, note the music and how it forms itself in the trailer, the editing and wide cinematography... you'll know why I love film.

Hanna

Terminatrix.  

The most disappointing thing about Hanna is that the theater wasn't crowded. About less than half full, and everyone there loved it. Opening night, no less. Perhaps everyone went to go see Your Highness instead? Even so, the people who opted for Your Highness probably wouldn't make up the proper crowd for an art house thriller directed by the man behind Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. This is purely speculation, as all tastes are different. I'll certainly be seeing Your Highness at some point, but, I'm paid to. So, that point is probably moot, too. Regardless, the fact that the theater had elbow room, room for me to store my bag in another seat, and only a total of probably forty or so people... it's a bit depressing. 

More after the cut--

In Theaters This Weekend

Gorgeous.

Four movies, each with equally high anticipation on my part. The Russell Brand remake of Arthur, Joe Wright's latest film Hanna, a soul searching film about a surfer called... Soul Surfer, and the latest from David Gordon Green called Your Highness. 

Note - my anticipation for Soul Surfer isn't anticipation in the strictest sense. I'm not looking forward to a good movie. I'm looking forward to a train wreck. And I'm going to bet money that I get one. Of course, not a train wreck like Red Riding Hood, but a bitter accident nonetheless. 

Which is more worth your time and money? Well, that's why I do this. Onward ho. 

More after the cut--

Hop

"I'll take a Geoffrey, please"

For those who know me, it's no secret that I usually find movies like this a bit deplorable. There's just something about the live-action/animation hybrid that I can't ever get behind. Be it Yogi Bear, or the Scooby Doos, or the Alvin and the Chipmunks' films, I'm always reminded of the glory days where Roger Rabbit was king. But, a lesson I learned from reading Roger Ebert prevails in these situations - you judge the movie for what it is and if it achieves what it set out to. Hop is a film that does just that - it's sweeter than candy, it's a kid's movie through and through, but it has enough in it for adults to enjoy. And the most enjoyable thing about the movie? The comedy isn't once forced. Yes, there are pop culture references every now and then, but it's all derived from the situation. And situational comedy is always the best option. 

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Red Riding Hood

Bella and Edward look on...

I grew up wanting this film. Not this film, strictly speaking, but what this film could have been. I've often said that the most important part of film criticism is to not judge what could have been, but what is, and simply that. I know that I was a fan of the fairy tale from a young age, even to this day. And I know that the film I always wanted to see what more The Ghost and the Darkness (a truly terrific and terrifying film) and less Twilight (which I enjoy, for what it's worth). But, what we got was Twilight and not The Ghost and the Darkness. 

What sets them apart is this - Red Riding Hood could have been a film about a wolf hunt, about the strength of family, and a feminist's wet dream. Red Riding Hood wound up being a film about a teenage love story between an outsider and the pretty girl, and a whodunit about a werewolf. Careful distinction - Little Red Riding Hood is almost exactly like the former, and Catherine Hardwicke's version is exactly like the latter. Remember that Catherine Hardwicke gave us the first Twilight. She almost ruined that, and she did ruin this. Beyond repair. 

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Little Fockers, Tron: Legacy, and Others on DVD This Week

Looking at their 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes... 

On DVD this week, an almost unanimous group of disappointing films. Little Fockers, Tron: Legacy, Casino Jack, and I Love You, Phillip Morris. Each film manages to destroy the hype that surrounded them for months, and leave very little for the viewer to walk out of the theater and praise. Of course, Tron: Legacy is almost immune to any sort of criticism being that it's strictly a film for the fan of the original (which is a masterpiece). But, being that Legacy is also a film that can be seen without seeing the original, that sort of evens the playing field. 

More after the cut --

Limitless

Apparently NZT does nothing for posture...

Limitless is limited. But, it proposes something interesting. Granted, it's proposal is one we've heard dozens of times, a couple of which were to chilling effect (echoes of Flowers for Algernon are plenty), but that doesn't mean it isn't a fun story. The man with nothing suddenly becomes the man with everything. Eddie Morra, played with Bradley Cooper, is given a wonder drug that allows him to use all of his brain, rather than just twenty percent. 

Side effects may include nausea, blackouts, migraines, and Robert De Niro's performance.

More after the cut --