In Theaters This Weekend

Buckle in. This is going to be a long one - three days, eight releases, one of which has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (you read that right. Zero.). In order, we have:

... is that an Android Market tag?

I Am Number Four, Unknown, Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son, Vanishing on 7th Street, I Am, Immigration Tango, Even the Rain, Brotherhood. Interestingly enough, I Am and Brotherhood are only opening in two random cities - Portland, Oregon and Dallas, Texas, respectively. But, both are opening to noteworthy reviews full of praise. Could there be awards potential? Most likely, I'm thinking.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this weekend's releases is not that there are so many, not that I Am Number Four has been advertised since December last year, it's that up until a couple of weeks ago when the film's promotion really took off, I thought that the guy in the poster was Jim Caviezal. It's not. And I feel stupid.



More after the cut --

The Sunset Limited

Primacy.

It is always a trick to adapt theater to a feature film. Easier to do so for television, though that's probably a gross overstatement. HBO might be the best place to do it; they harbor independent film. Even trickier, maintaining a swift and watchable pace with only two actors and heavy religious dialog. Thankfully, Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, and Cormac McCarthy have no problem with this. The Sunset Limited is engaging, thought-provoking, and sincere. 

Of course, being a McCarthy work, there is a sense of boundless eternity that is tinkered with throughout, and the ending is more of a truce than anything else, but this is usually so of his writing. Things happen, we talk about why, and then we go home. It doesn't matter which side wins, just so long as each side is heard. 

More after the cut --

God Save the King, Book III

For those of you just joining the series, I'm taking a look back on Stephen King's contribution to the world of film. The good, the bad, and the 'wtf'. From the top. In four parts.

Books I and II focused on the good (Carrie, Shawshank, The Shining, etc.) and the bad (Pet Semetary, Dreamcatcher, *cough*thegreenmile*cough*). We're at Book III now, and it's time to ask Hollywood a very serious question on behalf of the King -

Seriously, guys? Guys. Seriously.

More after the cut -- 

Unstoppable and Others on DVD Tomorrow

A small Tuesday, for sure, with only three releases of note. Tony Scott's Unstoppable, the break-out documentary/indictment of America's public education system Waiting for Superman, and Woody Allen's latest You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.

I like it when the week brings me new things to watch - I haven't had the chance (maybe that's a good thing) to see Unstoppable, and I'm chomping at the bit to finally see Waiting for Superman. I watched You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger with my girlfriend, and we both loved the hell out of it. But, also, we're both obnoxiously big Woody Allen fans. So, that was probably to be expected.

But, I want to take a look at each DVD release, and see which might be worth my, and what's infinitely more important, your money.







More after the cut --

The Social Network.

"No, I will not accept your friend request."

David Fincher is a technician. In the computer world, he would be a programmer. That might be why he was attracted to such a character in the first place. Much like Fincher, Jesse Eisenberg is a technician (or a programmer) of an actor. Meticulous in detail, and remarkably articulate and precise, both David Fincher and Jesse Eisenberg are a match made in BIOS.

More after the cut -- 

Why I Love Film - #4 (nsfw... at all)

Well, this could be safe for work, if you work at home. But, since I'm going deep into The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974, not 2003) here, you might want to read this entry when you clock out.

now you know why.

More after the cut--

In Theaters This Weekend

Travelocity meets Tragedy

Four films, three days, one weekend. Which one will you go see? Adam Sandler's latest romantic comedy Just Go With It, Disney's Gnomeo and Juliet, Channing Tatum's swords-and-sandals epic The Eagle, or... Justin Bieber. 

More after the cut -- 

Sanctum

Richard Roxburgh searches for the point of the film...

The most depressing thing about Sanctum is that, quite literally, it's pointless. And, being a film produced by James Cameron, it's also the most disheartening. But, his involvement was minimal: it flows like a Cameron film, the characters are Cameron-esque characters that speak Cameron-esque dialog, but... it's more like another director doing an impression of a Cameron film. There is no heart, there is no movie magic, just a poor man's version of The Descent, with bad 3D. And no emotional involvement. 

More after the cut -- 

God Save the King, Book II

In preparation for the new adaptation of The Stand, due in theaters... sometime in the next few years (the project has only just been announced), I'm taking a look back at Stephen King's contribution to the world of film - the good, the bad, and the 'wtf'. Last time, we focused on the good: Carrie, The Shining, on down to The Mist. Overlooking... several. 

He's laughing because Maximum Overdrive still makes money.

More after the cut -- 

Life as We Know It, Paranormal Activity 2, and Others on DVD Tomorrow

As the studios keeping pumping out their sure-to-be failures into theaters, sometimes DVD release weeks are a bit... lackluster, rather than blockbuster. #horriblepun

Life as We Know It, Paranormal Activity 2, You Again, My Soul to Take, It's Kind of a Funny Story, and Wild Target all get a release onto shelves tomorrow, but which one is more worth your time and money? Almost unanimously based on the critical reception, you might as well skip this week. And, I  haven't seen any of these, so you can't really take my word for it either. But, we'll look into each release, just to see what we have on our hands. 

At the very least, you can still go see The Roommate, right? 

yeah, no, I didn't think so. 

More after the cut -- 

Why I Love Film - #3

In 2006, a small film came out called Alpha Dog, and I was reintroduced to an actor I came to know when I was a kid watching the Disney channel. Ben Foster was in a goofy "sit-com" called Flash Forward with a girl named Jewel Stait, who went on to achieve her own fame through Firefly. She grew to be the same adorable actress I was used to, but... Ben Foster?

from the Disney channel?!

More after the cut --

Season of the Witch - Part II

In my initial review of Season of the Witch, I promised a second part, after going into detail about why it's not so bad, as long as its not taken seriously. Much like Nic Cage's other outings recently (notably, The Wicker Man) the comic gold mined from the project is invaluable. But, here in this, I want to take a closer look at what it is exactly that makes this film something special. Not something good, but... special.

It's the hair. 

More after the cut -- 

The Mechanic

Victory loves preparation 

The Mechanic, based off of the 1972 Charles Bronson movie of the same name, is an interesting film. In Micheal Winner's original, the storyline is the same, the performances are weaker, and the direction is inept. With this slick remake, however, everything is polished and put neatly into its place. I was reminded of 2008's Taken more often than not, and any movie that can get me to remember that one is solid in my book. Taken, by all means, is a beautiful film. 

However, this is The Mechanic we're talking about. A Simon West film, of which Roger Ebert said "this film is so well made, that one forgets to ask why it even had to be made at all?" To him, I pose another question "why the hell not?" 

More after the cut -- 

In Theaters This Weekend

Single White Meester

There isn't much happening this weekend in terms of releases. We have a Single White Female rip-off called The Roommate, a James Cameron produced underwater (shocker) thriller, a Natalie Portman marriage melodrama, and a mystery experiment from director Aaron Katz called Cold Weather. 

More after the cut -- 

Let Me In, Monsters, and Others On DVD This Week

I do my best to post these entries on Mondays, and sometimes on Tuesdays if Mondays do not permit.

But, I had to work at 4am yesterday, and I woke up about two hours ago. So, ... the DVD's this week have been released, whether or not I blog about them. Let's take a look at what came out, yeah?

Let Me In, Monsters, Conviction, and Welcome to the Rileys were released yesterday. I warmly enjoyed the first three, and have yet to see Welcome to the Rileys. But, now that it's on DVD, I can pick it up and get to it. I love Kristen Stewart, especially her indie work, and the combo of Melissa Leo and James Gandolfini is bound to be intense.

Outside of that, though, which is worth your money? My money will be spent on probably either Monsters or Let Me In, but I want to talk about each.









More after the cut --

God Save the King, Book I

Stephen Takes a "Stand" in Theaters Soon

Petition to bring Molly Ringwald back to the big screen.

It's happening again. Stephen King is letting another one of his books be adapted for the big screen. But, this is a bit different - technically, it's not a remake, by general standards. The Stand has never been a feature film before, but it has been a miniseries. Granted, that was back in 1994.

So, in honor of this King classic being rebirthed for the filmgoers in all of us, I want to take a look back at the man's contribution to the world of film. The good, the bad, and the wtf. From the top. In four parts.

More after the cut --

Let Me In

From the director of... Cloverfield?

In 2008, Tomas Alfredson gave audiences a nervous peek at the life of two lonely people - one, a young boy with an interest in vengeance and knives. The other, a child, who feeds off of human blood. Both children walk through life feeling alone, though seeking very similar things. They both need comfort, they need togetherness, they need each other. In any way they can get it. 

Director Matt Reeves, of Cloverfield misfortune, tackles not just the screenplay by, but also the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist "Lat den ratte komma in (Let the Right One In)". Lindqvist wrote the 2008 adaptation.

More after the cut --

The Company Men

If Ben Affleck keeps this up, he'll never have to look for work.

When critiquing a film, there are a handful of things you have to consider - the tone of the film, the depth of the performances, how it flows as a whole, key moments that help the film develop an emotional resonance, so on and so forth. At least, that's how I do it. One should judge the story presented, and how it fits into the world the film assumes. The Company Men, for all intents and purposes, is a perfect film. Nothing is out of place. But, even though the film sets out to do what it achieves and has no sense of pretense about it, there is something in the mix that just doesn't ring true. 

More after the cut --

In Theaters This Weekend

Upon his escape from Shawshank

This weekend seems to bring us quite the haul in terms of what to go see. There's our annual exorcism thriller, The Rite, with Anthony Hopkins doing what he does best - intimidating*. There's The Mechanic starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster, and then there are three smaller releases, most likely in larger cities.

Javier Bardem, who recently recieved a Best Actor nomination at this year's Oscars, stars in Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu's Biutiful. A smaller comedy called From Prada to Nada, and Gregg Araki's Kaboom, all in limited release.

More on these films, and their trailers, after the cut -- 

The 83rd Annual Academy Award Nominees

Apparently he has lice or something...

Oh my. What a morning. My alarm clock went off at 5:20am, even though I had nothing to do until around 8:30 or so, for one specific reason - Oscar nomination day. 

Should be its own federal holiday; I swear to God. 

More, and the full list of nominees, after the cut --

RED, Saw 3D, and others on DVD tomorrow.

Retired, and extremely dangerous

It's Monday night. Who knows what that means?

that tomorrow is Tuesday? yes. But, that also means that we get a new shipment of DVD's in to help get us through the week! What are we going to get? Well, we have a choice of five -

Red, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Saw 3D, Nowhere Boy, and Secretariat.

The real question is "which is more worth my money?". Let's take a closer look at each.






More after the cut --

The King's Speech

G-g-got any k-k-k-kings?

It's the type of film we've all seen before - the "high brow British drama", the man who overcomes adversity, the "buddy" movie, etc. The thing that separates The King's Speech from, say... The Queen, or The Deal, or any Stephen Frears pic, is that this film has no pretense. That isn't to say that a certain amount of pretense is a bad thing (I quite enjoy The Queen and The Deal, and most Stephen Frears pictures), but it's to say that this film most certainly knows where its boundaries are, and there isn't a need to ever cross the lines to make a "movie" out of it. It's a storyteller's film - it's a true story. 

More after the cut --

Why I Love Film - #2 (nsfw)

Another slow news day - which means I get to sit back for a moment and remember why it is I do this in the first place, what it is that drives this passion of mine, and how exactly all this came to be.

Doug protects his family, at all costs.

I've always been a fan of justice in film. Fathers going on war paths to protect their families, men standing up to do the right thing, people truly getting what it is they deserve - and, in 2006, I fell in love with the idea all over again. Alexandre Aja's too underseen, and sorely underrated, The Hills Have Eyes remake touched me on a deep personal level.

More, and some spoilers, after the cut --

Catwoman and Saddam - A Match Made in Casting Heaven

Every now and then, a casting director and their team wind up making brilliant decisions that wind up leaving us with devastating and altering performances. From Al Pacino in The Godfather, to Natalie Portman in Black Swan, we've been given the gift of transcendence several times. And, next year, in 2012, we're most likely going to get it again.

More after the cut --

In Theaters This Weekend

Reason #412 why I hate Ashton Kutcher

Two wide releases (The Company Men and No Strings Attached), and a "wider" release of Peter Weir's The Way Back hit cinemas this weekend. Which are you going to see? 

A closer look at all three after the cut --

Blue Valentine

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams make beautiful noise.

2010 has been a magnificent year for film. We've received films from some of cinemas most important directors, new directors have laid claim to their spots as current heavyweights, and we've been given performances that will stand the test of time.

More after the cut --

Takers, Buried, and Others on DVD Today

The screenplay credit for this movie always makes me laugh.
I refuse to believe this movie has a screenplay.

Takers represents the greatest irony in cinema last year - it's a heist film, right? Bank robbers, cops, but it's a heist film for the BET generation. But, the film is presented as acceptable, even notable, escapism. In that, we have our irony: the film's greatest heist has nothing to do with the story. It has to do with the near $60 million gross for the film. We, as a country, were taken.

More after the cut --

The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards

He honestly doesn't give a damn.

After the disappointing failure of a live feed of the awards show on this blog, I gave up the stress and had a chance to truly enjoy the show as it was meant to be seen. On good ol' fashioned television. Ricky Gervais hosted the party and most of the expected winners won. All in all, it was a normal night, but thanks to Gervais' extraordinarily nonchalant sense of humor, it was definitely a night to remember.

More, plus a list of winners after the cut --

Season of the Witch - Part I.

Nicolas Cage, realizing which movie he's in.

There's a lot to be said about Season of the Witch. Whether or not any of it is good... you'll have to decide that for yourself. After nearly 90 minutes of American actors doing impressions of British actors doing American accents (think... Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), my decision was pretty much made for me as to what I could say. 

More after the cut -- 

Why I Love Film - #1

On days when the news is slow, or when there isn't anything new that I want to see, I like to go back through the archives and revisit the films - and the moments, thereof - that made me fall in love with film in the first place. From a crappy cartoon I loved for some reason when I was a kid, to the Missouri Waltz's inclusion in Winter's Bone, there are way too many reasons for me to count. But... I'm about to try.

So, with the first entry in this series, what better place to start than at the beginning, yes?

More after the cut --

Ridley Scott's Alien prequel births Prometheus

OH, GOOD FOR YOU.

Deadline.com released an exclusive on the formerly upcoming 'Alien' prequel directed by Ridley Scott. Basically, all the exclusive tells us is that we've held out hope for nothing. It isn't happening. BUT - at the same time, we're now holding out hope for something possibly even greater. And while Ellen Ripley won't be battling the slimy black creatures from before, Noomi Rapace is locked in to do battle with... something. Ridley isn't saying what, at this point, only that hardcore Alien fans will be able to see the film as something of a prequel, but he's found a more original and engaging plotline. 

Critics' Choice Awards are in!

And while it hasn't exactly been a frustrating year in terms of predicting the imminent Oscars, at least the 2010 canon has been up to snuff. Lots of great films, even though we had our fair share of crap. Here is a list of the major winners, with the tech winners linked below.

Those trophied after the cut --

3 is a Magic Number - Beasts, Balloons, and Toys.

Only twice in the Academy Award's history has an animated feature film been nominated for Best Picture. Beauty and the Beast broke through and achieved its nomination after its release in 1991, and Up achieved something greater after its release in 2009 - Up battled the existent Animated Feature category, which seems to relegate all animated films into its cage, to become the second animated nominee and the first CGI nominee. And the first to do it with 10 nominees, though that's probably the only reason it happened. Maybe we can thank the unforgivable Wall-E snub for this, as we can thank The Dark Knight for giving us 10 nominees in the first place.

Eddie Knows Best

In the history of the Academy Awards, the Best Editing category has been an indicator for the Best Picture winner. And what's the best indicator for our Editing nominees? The annual ACE Eddie Awards, honoring the best in the field of motion picture splicing.

Martin Scorsese once said that when editing two shots together, you have three shots to contend with. Both shots, plus the one in-between that no one sees. With that sort of mindset, you don't have to wonder why his editor Thelma Schoonmaker and he work so well together.

This year's Feature Film nominees, after the cut -

In theaters this weekend, and "The Lamest Weekend Ever"

*beep*

The first weekend of January is commonly referred to as the worst weekend for film all year. Delayed releases are pushed out of the shelves and into theaters, and the films that no one really had hope for are silently cast out. It's a dead pool of cinema. For a fair example, our only wide release so far this year has been a Nicolas Cage medieval science fiction thriller about a witch whose powers come from the Black Plague. Really? But, don't fret - the review for that is coming soon.

Yahoo! Movie News - Lamest Movie Weekend of the Year

Click above for the full article. But, most worthy of mention are the inclusions of Bride Wars, Leap Year, and Supernova. Now you know that with which we contend. January is, usually, the dead pool for filmgoers.


Last weekend, Season of the Witch was the only wide release we were given. The second weekend in, we're getting Ron Howard's lastest The Dilemma, and the Seth Rogen update of The Green Hornet. Those, and some smaller limited releases. Here's a closer look at each -

Jane Eyre

Cary Fukunaga's decidedly more Gothic adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's moving and disturbing 1847 novel comes to theaters this year. And it's shaping up to be my most anticipated of 2011, right now. 

"It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility;
they must have action, and they will make it if they cannot find it." -
Charlotte Bronte

The Girl With the Hell of a Makeover

"The tattoos aren't drawn in pencil, Mark. They're drawn in ink.
and no, you can't see them."

It could have been Emma Watson, it could have been Kristen Stewart, it could have been Lea Seydoux (I know, right? who?), it could have been... hell, Natalie Portman. Maybe Mila Kunis! It wasn't ever going to be Noomi Rapace again, unfortunately. Wisely, though, she declined to reprise the role she originated. 

Star Wars gets a re-re-release. Again.

First, they take the N-word out of Huck Finn. Now, this?

A New Set. George Lucas Strikes Back. The Return of the Trilogies.

Love and Other Oscar Hosts

"You know, there's a pill for that..."

The most comforting thing about Edward Zwick's first foray into the rom-com world is that we can be pretty sure he won't be doing it again. Love and Other Drugs was far from a success, and it's understandable why. Think back to... Autumn in New York. Or Sweet November. Or Stepmom. Or Love Story. You remember how banal those films were? This really isn't any better. That isn't to say that the film is without merit, or not at all enjoyable. It has merit, and it's a ridiculously easy watch. It's medicine that goes down smooth, but never gets to the symptoms. 

The Social Network and others on DVD today

You and 500,000,000 other people like this.

The Guild nominees - our one stop shop.

Consider this a reference post, if you will - here, you'll have a complete list of SAG, DGA, PGA, and WGA. Let's start with the most recent -

Conviction

"It's okay, sis. Annette Bening still isn't winning."

In the backwoods of Massachusetts, two children grew up relying on only each other. Betty Anne and Kenneth Waters. Years later, after being the resident “bad egg” of their town, Kenneth is locked up for life - without parole - for a murder he might not have committed.

True Grit is a true hit.

The latest film from the Coen Brothers has passed the $100 million mark, specifically, the $110 million mark, and the success is just bound to keep growing. This is the first film for Joel and Ethan to pass this mark domestically, and it speaks very highly of where film might be headed over the next couple of years.

Our movie made how much?

Numbers like this make me a bit hopeful for the immediate future, as a filmgoer. We can see the impact, both financially and in popular culture, that Black Swan has made - here, below, is a recent Jim Carrey/Black Swan spoof -

The State of the Race: Best Animated Feature - A Look Back, and Forward

Thanks for playing, everyone else!

It's thanks to Pixar, really, that the modern animated film is something to talk about in terms of the Academy Awards. Well, Pixar, Disney, and Dreamworks. And, of course, Hayao Miyazaki. The four major players in the category since its conception in 2001. Pixar has five of the nine available trophies, losing only two nominations. They are, undoubtedly, the kings of the mountain. This year, with Toy Story 3, they'll get their sixth Oscar and maintain their title. Of course, we should look at this objectively and talk about the other nominees. But, let's face it - if Toy Story 3 isn't winning this, no one is. 

The State of the Race - Our Screenplays

In part three of our discussion on how things might shape up on Oscar nomination morning, we're brought to this - the Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. Several new faces will be nominated alongside a handful of Academy veterans, each deserving of their place. But only two will take home the above naked gold man. 

So. Let's get down to brass tacks. Or, gold tacks, if you will.

127 Hours

Directed by Danny Boyle

Fifteen minutes of sunlight every day. At 8:30am, a lone raven flies overhead. Almost out of water. No more food. God knows how long is left to go. 

The Importance of Jackass 3D

So important, in fact, that I stopped what I was currently writing to share this with all of you - this is, without a doubt, the best awards moment of the year. Not since the "Not since [...]" campaign for Toy Story 3, nor the audacious "why the hell not" campaign for Zack Snyder's Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, has one advertisement taken me so far aback and made me think "You know what? Okay. Yes."

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my favorite thing of the season -

The State of the Race - Part Deux

With a concentration of the Supporting acting categories, and our confusing Best Director contenders.

Don't stop. Get it, get it.

Yesterday, we focused on the Best Picture, Actor, and Actress categories, and got a great response. Hopefully, this will prove just as interesting. 

First thing's first -

The State of the Race

The days are narrowing. Soon, we, in the film community, will be flooded with endless talk of The King's Speech vs The Social Network, James Franco vs Colin Firth, and Natalie Portman vs... well, no one, really. That Oscar is hers. That's right - it's getting close to Oscar nomination day. Might as well be a holiday.

You're damn right.

Nearly 250 eligible films, and far more than that, have been released this season (2010, though we're in 2011), and while I've only seen about a middling 1/4 of the films released, what a season it was. An entry into my top20, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island, sort of redefined how I saw filmmaking, Toy Story 3 shattered box office records, and Black Swan and True Grit showed us that the general movie going audience isn't really in the mood for, say... Tooth Fairy, anymore. Together, we're growing and film is growing. And that, I think, is the most impressive feat achieved last year. As a medium, film -- for over 130 years -- has bonded the world in a way that so few other art forms have. From the time when we first saw traffic crossing over the Leeds Bridge, to a Fenway Park shootout in The Town, we've come a long way. Advances in technology, many tragic deaths, and the births of some of the world's greatest minds. Film is, and will always be, terribly, terribly important.

But, it's 2010 we're rewarding. And out of the eligible films, let's consider what our nominees will most likely be in Picture, Actor, and Actress -

Pete Postlethwaite, thanks for my childhood.

Pete Postlethwaite, 1946-2011

British actor, rightly knighted, has passed away. After a long battle with cancer, we're now afforded the chance to look back on his remarkable career.

Roger Ebert and the late, still great Gene Siskel talk about criticism.

Ebert on Ebert, as such. Why it is we do what we do, and how we should do it. Sound advice, from the men who revolutionized film criticism.

I totally took notes.



And, for those of us who wish to do this professionally, these are the notes to take. Both Ebert and Siskel make incredible points, almost prophetic points, on the dangers of political correctness and how disabling it can be for a new writer to find his or her voice.

Rest in peace, Mr. Siskel. And keep on keepin' on, Roger.

True Grit and The Fighter

       

In this, we find two films, in common yet remarkably different - two films: one, a project so epic in vision that it becomes distressingly standard, and another so simple in execution that it can't help but remain three cuts above the rest. The former, another entry from David O'Russell. The latter, the latest from our revered Coen Brothers. The Fighter, and True Grit.