Alright everyone,
I'm incredibly sorry for the lack of updates to the blog. Let me just say that teaching is the biggest and most time consuming waste a person can dedicate themselves to and that I was a fool to have done so. Now, with that said, I am still continuing this foppish quest which means don't expect a lot of updates until summer rolls around this year. Next year there is a better chance of things picking up again. However, as a Thanksgiving treat, here is the final score from the last Indie Fantasy Moguls game...and what a friggin upset it was.
BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
ELIZABETH:THE GOLDEN AGE 14.1 0 0 7
ACROSS THE UNVIERSE 19.3 5 0 7.9
DARJEELING LIMITED 6.1 10 0 8.1
SHOOT EM UP 12.8 0 2 7.4
THE NANNY DIARIES 25.8 0 0 6.2
RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 3.2 0 0 7.4
THE BRAVE ONE 36.5 0 8 7
THE INVASION 15.1 0 1 6
TOTAL 132.9 15 11 7.125
GOS
STARDUST 38.4 0 2 8.1
THE KINGDOM 46 0 7 7.3
THE HEARTBREAK KID 35.1 0 5 5.8
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 6.7 3 0 7.7
THE 11TH HOUR 0.7 5 0 6.6
MICHAEL CLAYTON 28.7 5 4 7.8
RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 50.7 3 10 6.4
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 1.1 2 0 8.6
TOTAL 207.4 18 28 7.2875
WANNABE
SUPERBAD 121.5 3 19 8.1
RUSH HOUR 3 139.7 2 13 6.5
3:10 TO YUMA 53.2 0 12 8.2
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL 1.3 4 0 8.4
THE SEEKER 8.5 0 1 4.7
30 DAYS OF NIGHT 27.5 0 8 7.1
HALLOWEEN 58 0 9 6
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES 2.9 5 0 8.2
TOTAL 412.6 14 62 7.15
PERENNIAL
DARFUR NOW 0 0 0 0
GRACE IS GONE 0 0 0 0
I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 0.2 5 0 6.9
SAW IV 31.8 1 5 6.5
RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 0 0 0 0
LUST, CAUTION 2.8 6 0 8.1
SHINE A LIGHT 0 0 0 0
LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 4 0 0 7.2
TOTAL 38.8 12 5 7.175
RANK BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB OVERALL
1 WANNABE GOS WANNABE GOS GOS 18
2 GOS CASTLE GOS PEREN WANNABE 16
3 CASTLE WANNABE CASTLE WANNABE CASTLE 8
4 PEREN PEREN PEREN CASTLE PERENNIAL 6
Just so everyone knows the score, these are the results of who was winning as of October 30th, the given deadline of the league...but if it had been longer...grrrr. GOS...you goin down next time son. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving ALL!!!
wannabe
Friday, November 23, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Whim
They were bothering him. Always harassing, nagging, and pushing him in directions where he didn't want to go. Blah, blah, blah, watch your carbs, blah, blah, blah, don't ever like Adam Sandler, blah, blah, blah, etc. Well...dammit, he was boss and that meant what he did had power. It was time to make a power play to show these juvenile egocentric cavemen that he was the boss and that they should go say Ug! somewhere else.
It was with such fervor and umph that the man known as Wannabe walked into the publicity room and muttered the words, "We're dropping Hit Man from our slate and adding Lars and the Real Girl." It should be a hit, and I don't want any sass about it otherwise you will be fired on the spot and kicked into the trash bin with all the rest of the crap I ate last night. Start your publicity and alert the news. I'll be sleeping in my room. Tell me when we make the first million." With that he walked back into his office and shut the door. He might have laid his head on his desk for all the gaping people at the window staring at him, wondering how he could have done such a silly thing, but he never managed to close his eyes. Oh well, he thought, if this doesn't work out right, it will force me to cut out some people, and I can already think of which naysayers to can.
How does this affect everything? Find out next week on the weekend update!
Wannabe
It was with such fervor and umph that the man known as Wannabe walked into the publicity room and muttered the words, "We're dropping Hit Man from our slate and adding Lars and the Real Girl." It should be a hit, and I don't want any sass about it otherwise you will be fired on the spot and kicked into the trash bin with all the rest of the crap I ate last night. Start your publicity and alert the news. I'll be sleeping in my room. Tell me when we make the first million." With that he walked back into his office and shut the door. He might have laid his head on his desk for all the gaping people at the window staring at him, wondering how he could have done such a silly thing, but he never managed to close his eyes. Oh well, he thought, if this doesn't work out right, it will force me to cut out some people, and I can already think of which naysayers to can.
How does this affect everything? Find out next week on the weekend update!
Wannabe
Monday, September 10, 2007
Indy Fanatix S2 Week 5
Alright gents,
here's the update below.
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 $SHOOT EM UP 5.4 0 0 8.2
5 $THE NANNY DIARIES 20.8 0 0 6.3
6 $RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 3.1 0 0 7.5
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 14.6 0 1 6.1
GoS
1 $STARDUST 34.6 0 2 8.2
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.55 5 0 6.4
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 $IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 0.04 2 0 8.7
PERENNIAL
1 *DARFUR NOW 9.3 10 0 8.2
2 GRACE IS GONE 3 2 0 6.8
3 $I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 0.02 5 0 6.8
4 SAW IV 45 3 5 5.9
5 RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 13.75 1 0 5.5
6 LUST, CAUTION 8 6 0 7.1
7 *SHINE A LIGHT 6.7 2 0 7.9
8 $LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 3 2 0 7.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 103 4 17 8.4
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 129.2 2 13 6.5
3 $3:10 TO YUMA 14 0 5 8.7
4 *HITMAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 $HALLOWEEN 43.7 4 9 6.4
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 428.4 4
GOS 324.69 3
CASTLE 216.9 2
PERENNIAL 88.77 1
PTA RANKINGS
PERENNIAL 31 4
GOS 29 3
WANNABE 21 2
CASTLE 15 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 60 4
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 17 2
PERENNIAL 5 1
IMDB
GOS 7.3375 4
CASTLE 7.0875 3
PERENNIAL 6.9125 2
WANNABE 6.575 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 1 2 3 8 3
GOS 3 3 3 4 13 1
PERRENNIAL 1 4 1 2 8 3
WANNABE 4 2 4 1 11 2
So, with that update here's what it boils down to. Few films had outstanding BO this weekend, but even so the only new release to enter the top 5 was 3:10 to Yuma. Shoot 'Em Up bombs as per Castle's luck so far, but it has some very nice IMDB scores currently. In The Shadow of the Moon is a slight bomb as well for GoS only garnering 2 points in PTA while Perennial's unheard of I want someone to eat cheese with gets some max PTA exposure. So far, Wannabe's(Mine) looks like the best BO slate so far and with that the best top5. However, Wannabe struggles with IMDB scores and PTA against GoS who has a pretty even slate throughout. Perrennial has the best PTA slate full of un heard of indy releases, but even so now he has two movies that will not be released during this season and will need to be pushed back. Darfur Now and the Rolling Stones doc Shine a Light. Poor Castle, his slate is half released and half bombs already. It will be tough and full of shrewd decisions if he is to make his way back up the ladder. As for me, yes I've done well but I have two predicted bombs still coming up on my list and 1 other movie that has to be changed due to being pushed back out of season. My winning streak should be in jeopardy and on the downslope pretty soon. Whereas GoS's only moderately successful slate so far is where the threat is. His films have not performed as well as predicted so far, but even so they have held him aloft enough to let him rely on hope that a future release could make up the difference, which it might. There is the threat. Alright gents, til next week.
Wannabe
here's the update below.
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 $SHOOT EM UP 5.4 0 0 8.2
5 $THE NANNY DIARIES 20.8 0 0 6.3
6 $RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 3.1 0 0 7.5
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 14.6 0 1 6.1
GoS
1 $STARDUST 34.6 0 2 8.2
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.55 5 0 6.4
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 $IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 0.04 2 0 8.7
PERENNIAL
1 *DARFUR NOW 9.3 10 0 8.2
2 GRACE IS GONE 3 2 0 6.8
3 $I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 0.02 5 0 6.8
4 SAW IV 45 3 5 5.9
5 RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 13.75 1 0 5.5
6 LUST, CAUTION 8 6 0 7.1
7 *SHINE A LIGHT 6.7 2 0 7.9
8 $LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 3 2 0 7.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 103 4 17 8.4
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 129.2 2 13 6.5
3 $3:10 TO YUMA 14 0 5 8.7
4 *HITMAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 $HALLOWEEN 43.7 4 9 6.4
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 428.4 4
GOS 324.69 3
CASTLE 216.9 2
PERENNIAL 88.77 1
PTA RANKINGS
PERENNIAL 31 4
GOS 29 3
WANNABE 21 2
CASTLE 15 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 60 4
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 17 2
PERENNIAL 5 1
IMDB
GOS 7.3375 4
CASTLE 7.0875 3
PERENNIAL 6.9125 2
WANNABE 6.575 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 1 2 3 8 3
GOS 3 3 3 4 13 1
PERRENNIAL 1 4 1 2 8 3
WANNABE 4 2 4 1 11 2
So, with that update here's what it boils down to. Few films had outstanding BO this weekend, but even so the only new release to enter the top 5 was 3:10 to Yuma. Shoot 'Em Up bombs as per Castle's luck so far, but it has some very nice IMDB scores currently. In The Shadow of the Moon is a slight bomb as well for GoS only garnering 2 points in PTA while Perennial's unheard of I want someone to eat cheese with gets some max PTA exposure. So far, Wannabe's(Mine) looks like the best BO slate so far and with that the best top5. However, Wannabe struggles with IMDB scores and PTA against GoS who has a pretty even slate throughout. Perrennial has the best PTA slate full of un heard of indy releases, but even so now he has two movies that will not be released during this season and will need to be pushed back. Darfur Now and the Rolling Stones doc Shine a Light. Poor Castle, his slate is half released and half bombs already. It will be tough and full of shrewd decisions if he is to make his way back up the ladder. As for me, yes I've done well but I have two predicted bombs still coming up on my list and 1 other movie that has to be changed due to being pushed back out of season. My winning streak should be in jeopardy and on the downslope pretty soon. Whereas GoS's only moderately successful slate so far is where the threat is. His films have not performed as well as predicted so far, but even so they have held him aloft enough to let him rely on hope that a future release could make up the difference, which it might. There is the threat. Alright gents, til next week.
Wannabe
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Shoot 'Em Up
Action films, of late, have been...well...pretty crappy and I think the audience for action films have known this which is why there has been a surge in interest in comic book films that tend to have lots of action. In fact, most of the better action films tend to be smaller releases such as Ong-Bak and District B13. But a movie whose description mentions the main character helping to birth a baby in the middle of a gunfight grabbed me by the balls and made me go see it. You've probably seen the commercials for it and the crazy over the top action in it with Clive Owens. Well, unless you've seen the movie then you haven't really seen over the top yet.
Shoot 'Em Up plays like a videogame turned into real life with bosses and crazy levels where any part of the environment is indestructible. In some ways, it feels like the writer/ director Michael Davis said, here are some badass ideas for a fight scene/s now lets create some sort of through line. Then again, the story does do a great job of commenting on what it means to be a good person and father. It also shares a real love of gunplay that I haven't seen since Equilibrium. Davis obviously wanted to show how many ways to could kill someone with bullets and guns, the most inventive of course being holding bullets near a fire until they get so hot they fire. Because of the bizarre story line and the excellent fight scenes, I have issues with how to judge this film. It's like watching Ultraviolet except good. Storywise, it feels haphazard and will-o-the-wisp, but it has enough gravitas to weigh down this fun crazy shooter to keep the film from flying away completely. Oh, by the way, the introduction to Clive Owen in this film is one of the best introductions I have seen in a long time. (Whats up with all the ridiculous references to cartoons? Trying to accent the cartoon violence?)
As for acting, well, the three main characters are Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, and Monica Belucci. All three of which have pretty cut and dry characters. Clive Owen is the Duke Nukem hobo badass. Possibly a previous black ops man who of course can wipe out thousands with his ingenuity. Paul Giamatti is the crazy sicko hired help bad guy who is trying to kill a baby that Owen has taken. Belluci is the whore who decides to help Owen and they kind of fall into the rhythm of being a couple and adopt the child as their own somewhat. Now both Giamatti and Owen have their own ticks as characters and I really like both of their jobs. Giamatti looks incredibly creepy and Owen is a major badass and there are moments where you realize that this is essentially his Bond film if he were Bond. And thank God Belluci is in this as a hooker because she is so hot! Unfortunately, I don't know what the heck to do with Giamatti's bizarre accent. It just doesn't fit and he comes across slightly as an evil version of the KFC icon. It really throws me everytime he speaks and I never liked it in this movie. Doesn't seem to fit. But besides that, all of the actors do great jobs with the narrowly defined characters they were given.
Directorially, the shots are beautiful and crisp and the director obviously knows how to turn a heavy scene in to a funny moment and then back. I was quite impressed with teh handling of the comedy bits, they were just right and at worst amusing to see, but never annoying. The action scenes, while yes, they are quite out there and very specific to this film, are still awe inspiring and a necessary watch for any action directors out there looking to make a high adrenaline movie.
Conclusion:
The setup is very stylistic and the directing becomes abvious but it is done in a way to accent the crazy scripted fights that happen constantly. The over the top attitude of the characters, actors, and everything comes together nicely with the constant cartoon violence and feel. Essentially, this is a saturday morning cartoon involving lots of guns and violence using real people. I highly recommend everyone to see thsi film and make your own opinion, but I'm going to stick to...
4.2 out of 5
Wannabe
Shoot 'Em Up plays like a videogame turned into real life with bosses and crazy levels where any part of the environment is indestructible. In some ways, it feels like the writer/ director Michael Davis said, here are some badass ideas for a fight scene/s now lets create some sort of through line. Then again, the story does do a great job of commenting on what it means to be a good person and father. It also shares a real love of gunplay that I haven't seen since Equilibrium. Davis obviously wanted to show how many ways to could kill someone with bullets and guns, the most inventive of course being holding bullets near a fire until they get so hot they fire. Because of the bizarre story line and the excellent fight scenes, I have issues with how to judge this film. It's like watching Ultraviolet except good. Storywise, it feels haphazard and will-o-the-wisp, but it has enough gravitas to weigh down this fun crazy shooter to keep the film from flying away completely. Oh, by the way, the introduction to Clive Owen in this film is one of the best introductions I have seen in a long time. (Whats up with all the ridiculous references to cartoons? Trying to accent the cartoon violence?)
As for acting, well, the three main characters are Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, and Monica Belucci. All three of which have pretty cut and dry characters. Clive Owen is the Duke Nukem hobo badass. Possibly a previous black ops man who of course can wipe out thousands with his ingenuity. Paul Giamatti is the crazy sicko hired help bad guy who is trying to kill a baby that Owen has taken. Belluci is the whore who decides to help Owen and they kind of fall into the rhythm of being a couple and adopt the child as their own somewhat. Now both Giamatti and Owen have their own ticks as characters and I really like both of their jobs. Giamatti looks incredibly creepy and Owen is a major badass and there are moments where you realize that this is essentially his Bond film if he were Bond. And thank God Belluci is in this as a hooker because she is so hot! Unfortunately, I don't know what the heck to do with Giamatti's bizarre accent. It just doesn't fit and he comes across slightly as an evil version of the KFC icon. It really throws me everytime he speaks and I never liked it in this movie. Doesn't seem to fit. But besides that, all of the actors do great jobs with the narrowly defined characters they were given.
Directorially, the shots are beautiful and crisp and the director obviously knows how to turn a heavy scene in to a funny moment and then back. I was quite impressed with teh handling of the comedy bits, they were just right and at worst amusing to see, but never annoying. The action scenes, while yes, they are quite out there and very specific to this film, are still awe inspiring and a necessary watch for any action directors out there looking to make a high adrenaline movie.
Conclusion:
The setup is very stylistic and the directing becomes abvious but it is done in a way to accent the crazy scripted fights that happen constantly. The over the top attitude of the characters, actors, and everything comes together nicely with the constant cartoon violence and feel. Essentially, this is a saturday morning cartoon involving lots of guns and violence using real people. I highly recommend everyone to see thsi film and make your own opinion, but I'm going to stick to...
4.2 out of 5
Wannabe
Monday, September 3, 2007
Fanatix Indie League 2 Week 4
Alright gents, you know the drill so here is the breakdown of what has happened.
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 $THE NANNY DIARIES 16.5 0 0 6.5
6 $RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 2.9 0 0 7.5
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 14.1 0 1 6.1
GoS
1 $STARDUST 31.9 0 2 8.2
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.4 5 0 6.6
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
PERENNIAL
1 *DARFUR NOW 9.3 10 0 8.2
2 GRACE IS GONE 3 2 0 6.8
3 I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 2.2 2 0 6.2
4 SAW IV 45 3 5 5.9
5 RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 13.75 1 0 5.5
6 LUST, CAUTION 8 6 0 7.1
7 SHINE A LIGHT 6.7 2 0 7.9
8 $LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 2 2 0 7.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 92.4 4 14 8.5
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 122.2 2 13 6.6
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 *HITMAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 $HALLOWEEN 31 4 5 6.5
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 415.1 4
GOS 324.9 3
CASTLE 245.5 2
PERENNIAL 89.95 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 33 4
PERENNIAL 28 3
WANNABE 22 2
CASTLE 16 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 51 4
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 21 2
PERENNIAL 5 1
IMDB
GOS 7.2875 4
CASTLE 6.8875 3
PERENNIAL 6.8375 2
WANNABE 6.3625 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 1 2 3 8 3
GOS 3 4 3 4 14 1
PERRENN 1 3 1 2 7 4
WANNABE 4 2 4 1 11 2
Alright, so what happened this week? Well, Perennial's first film came out, Ladron Que Roba a Ladron. It earned some PTA but nothing else. And despite my reluctances and predictions that Halloween was going to rip myself a new one, it earned excellent Labor Day Box Office and some PTA with its top 5. I still highly doubt if it can stay in the top 5 for more than possibly 2 weeks at best, but it is turning out to have been a very smart trade on my part earlier for the film. My movies are racking some serious top5 and BO. PTA is okay, but I really need to work on my IMDB. ALSO, MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THAT TWO MOVIES HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK BEYOND THE SEASON'S RELEASE DATES. MY MOVIE HIT MAN AND PERENNIAL'S FILM DARFUR NOW HAVE BOTH BEEN PUSHED BACK TO NOVEMBER...MEANING SOME MORE TRADING WILL BE GOING ON QUITE SOON I'M SURE AS I STRUGGLE TO RECOUP MY LOSS. Until then, good luck gents and let me know if you would like to trade anything. Peace!
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 $THE NANNY DIARIES 16.5 0 0 6.5
6 $RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 2.9 0 0 7.5
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 14.1 0 1 6.1
GoS
1 $STARDUST 31.9 0 2 8.2
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.4 5 0 6.6
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
PERENNIAL
1 *DARFUR NOW 9.3 10 0 8.2
2 GRACE IS GONE 3 2 0 6.8
3 I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 2.2 2 0 6.2
4 SAW IV 45 3 5 5.9
5 RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 13.75 1 0 5.5
6 LUST, CAUTION 8 6 0 7.1
7 SHINE A LIGHT 6.7 2 0 7.9
8 $LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 2 2 0 7.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 92.4 4 14 8.5
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 122.2 2 13 6.6
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 *HITMAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 $HALLOWEEN 31 4 5 6.5
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 415.1 4
GOS 324.9 3
CASTLE 245.5 2
PERENNIAL 89.95 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 33 4
PERENNIAL 28 3
WANNABE 22 2
CASTLE 16 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 51 4
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 21 2
PERENNIAL 5 1
IMDB
GOS 7.2875 4
CASTLE 6.8875 3
PERENNIAL 6.8375 2
WANNABE 6.3625 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 1 2 3 8 3
GOS 3 4 3 4 14 1
PERRENN 1 3 1 2 7 4
WANNABE 4 2 4 1 11 2
Alright, so what happened this week? Well, Perennial's first film came out, Ladron Que Roba a Ladron. It earned some PTA but nothing else. And despite my reluctances and predictions that Halloween was going to rip myself a new one, it earned excellent Labor Day Box Office and some PTA with its top 5. I still highly doubt if it can stay in the top 5 for more than possibly 2 weeks at best, but it is turning out to have been a very smart trade on my part earlier for the film. My movies are racking some serious top5 and BO. PTA is okay, but I really need to work on my IMDB. ALSO, MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THAT TWO MOVIES HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK BEYOND THE SEASON'S RELEASE DATES. MY MOVIE HIT MAN AND PERENNIAL'S FILM DARFUR NOW HAVE BOTH BEEN PUSHED BACK TO NOVEMBER...MEANING SOME MORE TRADING WILL BE GOING ON QUITE SOON I'M SURE AS I STRUGGLE TO RECOUP MY LOSS. Until then, good luck gents and let me know if you would like to trade anything. Peace!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Fanatix 2 week 3: A Foreboding Return
So, just because he had gone to Africa, they thought he was through. Done for. Washed up like a piece of driftwood. Well, they'd regret that.
Willo turned from the balcony and the rain drenched night of the Kenyan countryside toward the plush hotel, the only restaurant in the area, and his future. Everyone had thought he had gone mad or was just a sore loser, but he knew the truth. He knew that by escaping America he would be able to see how best to improve his overseas sales once he returned. Plus, the rise in Christian box office had made him realize that there was an entire population of people he could tap into in Africa, he just needed to get some data first. And the problem with any data, is that it takes time.
The bump grazes the underside of his foot as he enters the tropical belly of the hotel. Its a cool rainy night so most of the travelers are milling about like cattle, chewing the cud and huddled up against each other in fear of whats outside in the drenched dark waiting for them. They know nothing and everything at the same time. Or maybe they know nothing but their body instinctively guesses. Either way, no one moves toward the front door at night ever.
Scanning the light mahogany bar in the left corner, Willo sees him. The bartender has just finished refilling his drink with a purple pinkish liquid. Possibly a mango drink , a rare dessert of a drink in these parts. Unlike the other silly tourists, this one is attired in a wide-brimmed safari hat, the kind you might expect to see on Theodore Roosevelt if he were hunting. Hmmm. Bully.
"So, have you made up your mind yet?" The young man asks as he sits beside him.
"A drink first if you don't mind."
"Sure."
The bartender comes almost at once, bringing his favorite drink. He had found out it was his favorite three weeks agao when had arrived and everynight he made him one when he saw him. Willo realized he rather liked the black bartender for he was a friendly sort.
"I'm sorry, I just don't like getting involved in anything without something to soothe my nerves first."
"It's okay. You're an expatriot see? You like to sit and eat in cafes on the street."
"This is hardly a cafe and please, don't quote Hemingway to me. He was pretentious."
A scowl covered the young man's face, but being a conscientous sort he quickly hid his face in shadow while taking the brunt against his favorite author, knowing that he couldn't afford to be rude. After all, he needed something from Willo.
A few seconds later, "So, did you decide?"
"Yes."
"Well?"
"The legal documents are in my room strewn out over my bed. I think you'l like the gist of it. I, blah blah blah, hereby sign over my American assets to blah blah blah. I had the lawyer fax it this morning." Even as Willo was saying it, he wished that he was giving these assets to someone else. The bartender maybe? With his fuzzy black scalp and trim ears on his hulking frame? What would he do with them? Ahh, but it was too late now. Maybe he would cast him as the lead in his first African film, he did make excellent blackberry mojitos at least.
The sad part about collecting data and being abroad in other countries accepting drinks from black bartenders named Bobby Bershmere is that the costs add up and unfortunately studios in America cost taxes which eat up people's funds quicker than the locusts of the seven plagues. But, he reflected, it would be okay since he knew he would return in the future with his data and wipe out the competition, even this energetic Hemingway chap. Knowing this, Willo didn't feel too bad about signing the document and turning over and changing the name of his American studios to Perennial Studios.
ALRIGHT FELLAS. PERENNIAL STUDIOS HAS JUST JOINED US FOR THIS SEASON. THE WEEKEND JUST ENDED. AND HERE ARE THE CURRENT STANDINGS WITH PERENNIAL FIGURED IN. NOW THINGS ARE GOING TO GET ROUGH AND THE WIGGLE ROOM FOR MISTAKES AND ERROR JUST GOT A LOT SMALLER.
STUDIO RELEASE BO PTA TOP5 IMDB
Castle
Elizabeth: The Golden Age * Fri. Oct 12 41 5 3 8.1
Across the Universe Fri. Sep 14 45 3 6 6.8
The Darjeeling Limited Sat. Sep 29 22 3 0 7.2
Shoot 'Em Up Fri. Sep 7 39 1 4 6.4
The Brave One Fri. Sep 14 65 4 7 6.5
$The Nanny Diaries Out 7.8 0 0 6.5
$Resurrecting the Champ Out 1.8 0 0 7.8
$The Invasion Out 11.5 0 1 6.1
GoS
The Kingdom Fri. Sep 28 55 5 7 7
The Heartbreak Kid (formerly Seven Day Itch) * Fri. Oct 5 125 6 11 7
In the Valley of Elah Fri. Sep 14 31 3 5 7.7
Michael Clayton * Fri. Oct 5 37 4 4 7.4
In the Shadow of the Moon Fri. Sep 7 3.1 6 0 8.1
Resident Evil: Extinction Fri. Sep 21 41.5 4 6 6.3
$Stardust Out 26.5 0 2 8.2
$the 11th Hour Out 0.15 5 0 6.5
Perennial Studios
Darfur Now * Fri. Oct 12 9.3 10 0 8.2
Grace Is Gone * Fri. Oct 5 3 2 0 6.8
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With Wed. Sep 5 2.2 2 0 6.2
Saw IV * Fri. Oct 26 45 3 5 5.9
Run, Fat Boy, Run * Fri. Oct 26 13.75 1 0 5.5
Lust, Caution Fri. Sep 28 8 6 0 7.1
Shine a Light (formerly Untitled Rolling Stones Documentary) Fri. Sep 21 6.7 2 0 7.9
Ladron Que Roba A Ladron Fri. Aug 31 1.3 0 0 6.2
Wannabe
3:10 to Yuma Fri. Sep 7 31 1 3 6.7
Hit Man * Fri. Oct 12 51 6 7 7
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising * Fri. Oct 5 16 0 0 4.2
30 Days of Night * Fri. Oct 19 22 3 5 5.5
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Fri. Sep 21 49 2 4 5.9
Halloween (2007) Fri. Aug 31 33 4 6 5.6
$Superbad Out 68.6 4 10 8.6
$Rush Hour 3 Out 109 2 12 6.6
BO
Castle 233.1 3
GoS 319.25 2
Perennial 89.25 1
Wannabe 379.6 4
PTA
Castle 16 1
GoS 33 4
Perennial 26 3
Wannabe 22 2
Top 5
Castle 21 2
GoS 35 3
Perennial 5 1
Wannabe 47 4
IMDB
Castle 6.925 3
GoS 7.275 4
Perennial 6.725 2
Wannabe 6.2625 1
RANK TOTAL POINTS
3CASTLE 9
1GOS 13
4PERENNIAL 7
2WANNABE 11
SORRY FELLAS FOR THE FUNKY SCORING. I'M CURRENTLY OUT ON VACATION SO THE FORMS I AM USING TO CALCULATE THIS AREN'T AS NICE AS THEY NORMALLY ARE, BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GATHER THE SAME AMOUNT OF COLLECTIVE DATA. MOSTLY THIS WEEK, CASTLE WAS HIT THE WORST. MY STUFF DID REALLY WELL BUT RESURRECTING THE CHAMP AND THE NANNY DIARIES BOTH FAILED TO GET ANY PTA OR TOP5 WHICH MEANS THEY PROBABLY WILL NEVER GET ANY AND THE ONLY NEW MOVIE THIS WEEKEND TO GET ANYTHING WAS WAR WHICH NO ONE OWNED. THE TIMES ARE GETTING ROUGHER, GOOD LUCK GENTLEMEN. TIL NEXT WEEK,
WANNABE
Willo turned from the balcony and the rain drenched night of the Kenyan countryside toward the plush hotel, the only restaurant in the area, and his future. Everyone had thought he had gone mad or was just a sore loser, but he knew the truth. He knew that by escaping America he would be able to see how best to improve his overseas sales once he returned. Plus, the rise in Christian box office had made him realize that there was an entire population of people he could tap into in Africa, he just needed to get some data first. And the problem with any data, is that it takes time.
The bump grazes the underside of his foot as he enters the tropical belly of the hotel. Its a cool rainy night so most of the travelers are milling about like cattle, chewing the cud and huddled up against each other in fear of whats outside in the drenched dark waiting for them. They know nothing and everything at the same time. Or maybe they know nothing but their body instinctively guesses. Either way, no one moves toward the front door at night ever.
Scanning the light mahogany bar in the left corner, Willo sees him. The bartender has just finished refilling his drink with a purple pinkish liquid. Possibly a mango drink , a rare dessert of a drink in these parts. Unlike the other silly tourists, this one is attired in a wide-brimmed safari hat, the kind you might expect to see on Theodore Roosevelt if he were hunting. Hmmm. Bully.
"So, have you made up your mind yet?" The young man asks as he sits beside him.
"A drink first if you don't mind."
"Sure."
The bartender comes almost at once, bringing his favorite drink. He had found out it was his favorite three weeks agao when had arrived and everynight he made him one when he saw him. Willo realized he rather liked the black bartender for he was a friendly sort.
"I'm sorry, I just don't like getting involved in anything without something to soothe my nerves first."
"It's okay. You're an expatriot see? You like to sit and eat in cafes on the street."
"This is hardly a cafe and please, don't quote Hemingway to me. He was pretentious."
A scowl covered the young man's face, but being a conscientous sort he quickly hid his face in shadow while taking the brunt against his favorite author, knowing that he couldn't afford to be rude. After all, he needed something from Willo.
A few seconds later, "So, did you decide?"
"Yes."
"Well?"
"The legal documents are in my room strewn out over my bed. I think you'l like the gist of it. I, blah blah blah, hereby sign over my American assets to blah blah blah. I had the lawyer fax it this morning." Even as Willo was saying it, he wished that he was giving these assets to someone else. The bartender maybe? With his fuzzy black scalp and trim ears on his hulking frame? What would he do with them? Ahh, but it was too late now. Maybe he would cast him as the lead in his first African film, he did make excellent blackberry mojitos at least.
The sad part about collecting data and being abroad in other countries accepting drinks from black bartenders named Bobby Bershmere is that the costs add up and unfortunately studios in America cost taxes which eat up people's funds quicker than the locusts of the seven plagues. But, he reflected, it would be okay since he knew he would return in the future with his data and wipe out the competition, even this energetic Hemingway chap. Knowing this, Willo didn't feel too bad about signing the document and turning over and changing the name of his American studios to Perennial Studios.
ALRIGHT FELLAS. PERENNIAL STUDIOS HAS JUST JOINED US FOR THIS SEASON. THE WEEKEND JUST ENDED. AND HERE ARE THE CURRENT STANDINGS WITH PERENNIAL FIGURED IN. NOW THINGS ARE GOING TO GET ROUGH AND THE WIGGLE ROOM FOR MISTAKES AND ERROR JUST GOT A LOT SMALLER.
STUDIO RELEASE BO PTA TOP5 IMDB
Castle
Elizabeth: The Golden Age * Fri. Oct 12 41 5 3 8.1
Across the Universe Fri. Sep 14 45 3 6 6.8
The Darjeeling Limited Sat. Sep 29 22 3 0 7.2
Shoot 'Em Up Fri. Sep 7 39 1 4 6.4
The Brave One Fri. Sep 14 65 4 7 6.5
$The Nanny Diaries Out 7.8 0 0 6.5
$Resurrecting the Champ Out 1.8 0 0 7.8
$The Invasion Out 11.5 0 1 6.1
GoS
The Kingdom Fri. Sep 28 55 5 7 7
The Heartbreak Kid (formerly Seven Day Itch) * Fri. Oct 5 125 6 11 7
In the Valley of Elah Fri. Sep 14 31 3 5 7.7
Michael Clayton * Fri. Oct 5 37 4 4 7.4
In the Shadow of the Moon Fri. Sep 7 3.1 6 0 8.1
Resident Evil: Extinction Fri. Sep 21 41.5 4 6 6.3
$Stardust Out 26.5 0 2 8.2
$the 11th Hour Out 0.15 5 0 6.5
Perennial Studios
Darfur Now * Fri. Oct 12 9.3 10 0 8.2
Grace Is Gone * Fri. Oct 5 3 2 0 6.8
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With Wed. Sep 5 2.2 2 0 6.2
Saw IV * Fri. Oct 26 45 3 5 5.9
Run, Fat Boy, Run * Fri. Oct 26 13.75 1 0 5.5
Lust, Caution Fri. Sep 28 8 6 0 7.1
Shine a Light (formerly Untitled Rolling Stones Documentary) Fri. Sep 21 6.7 2 0 7.9
Ladron Que Roba A Ladron Fri. Aug 31 1.3 0 0 6.2
Wannabe
3:10 to Yuma Fri. Sep 7 31 1 3 6.7
Hit Man * Fri. Oct 12 51 6 7 7
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising * Fri. Oct 5 16 0 0 4.2
30 Days of Night * Fri. Oct 19 22 3 5 5.5
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Fri. Sep 21 49 2 4 5.9
Halloween (2007) Fri. Aug 31 33 4 6 5.6
$Superbad Out 68.6 4 10 8.6
$Rush Hour 3 Out 109 2 12 6.6
BO
Castle 233.1 3
GoS 319.25 2
Perennial 89.25 1
Wannabe 379.6 4
PTA
Castle 16 1
GoS 33 4
Perennial 26 3
Wannabe 22 2
Top 5
Castle 21 2
GoS 35 3
Perennial 5 1
Wannabe 47 4
IMDB
Castle 6.925 3
GoS 7.275 4
Perennial 6.725 2
Wannabe 6.2625 1
RANK TOTAL POINTS
3CASTLE 9
1GOS 13
4PERENNIAL 7
2WANNABE 11
SORRY FELLAS FOR THE FUNKY SCORING. I'M CURRENTLY OUT ON VACATION SO THE FORMS I AM USING TO CALCULATE THIS AREN'T AS NICE AS THEY NORMALLY ARE, BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GATHER THE SAME AMOUNT OF COLLECTIVE DATA. MOSTLY THIS WEEK, CASTLE WAS HIT THE WORST. MY STUFF DID REALLY WELL BUT RESURRECTING THE CHAMP AND THE NANNY DIARIES BOTH FAILED TO GET ANY PTA OR TOP5 WHICH MEANS THEY PROBABLY WILL NEVER GET ANY AND THE ONLY NEW MOVIE THIS WEEKEND TO GET ANYTHING WAS WAR WHICH NO ONE OWNED. THE TIMES ARE GETTING ROUGHER, GOOD LUCK GENTLEMEN. TIL NEXT WEEK,
WANNABE
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Superbad
'Superbad is only somewhat good'
In life, most elitist film people tend to disregard teen comedies and coming of age stories unless they are told with a serious bent due to the lackluster teen films that came out in the 90's including Can't Hardly Wait, and the spoofs that followed such as Not Another Teen Movie. Of course, before that there were many classics like Clueless and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. So where does the recent film Superbad fall? I would place it as a good film that most people can enjoy, except the conservative. The plot? Easy, three dorks in high school scheme to get alcohol and sleep with the hot girls of their choice and along the way grow up some and come to terms with their lives. So why is this film better than most? Because of Judd Apatow. Judd also helped to create 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, two very funny films with a lot of heart, the main ingredient. See, teen comedies and films are made to relate to teens as well as adults by making people relive the angst and anxiety felt during those pitiful years and as times have changed the purpose has been mostly to share lessons of learning with other students who could relate to the experiences in the film. Superbad, unfortunately, gets a lot of the social scene from what I remember in high school correct. The big difference is two fold: The language is much worse and the patience of the females are much higher. If two girls at my old school had liked such young fellows, they would have saved their face after the embarassment caused by the drunken party at the end. As for language, well, my friends know I am do enjoy me some coarse language but man, this is the first time I have blushed at hearing things. I mean, damn, do kids really talk this frankly and coarsely about everything nowadays? Anyhow, a break down of got it rights:
Good: The movie has a lot of heart and the actors play the characters with enough honesty to be completely passable in their beliefs and issues. Also, it doesn't hurt that the bad police cop routine is mapped out and put to such great use. Why are they bad? Because they want to look cool. Also, the humor for most of the people is fresh and interesting despite some of its toilet roots.
Bad: The humor is so crude it feels put on sometimes and the story is a basic coming of age friends tale. Plus, the weird Frodo-Sam undertones Jonah Hill places in the story is a bit odd.
Conclusion: If you like to remember high school years and enjoy fresh interesting comedy with loads of crude humor, then this is the film to see. If you find language "shocking" or "ill-mannered" then stay at home with your life support system. And if you are on the bench, nothing is funnier than the tons of hand-drawn animated penises in the film. Yes, I said that correctly. It's damn funny.
3.8 out of 5
In life, most elitist film people tend to disregard teen comedies and coming of age stories unless they are told with a serious bent due to the lackluster teen films that came out in the 90's including Can't Hardly Wait, and the spoofs that followed such as Not Another Teen Movie. Of course, before that there were many classics like Clueless and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. So where does the recent film Superbad fall? I would place it as a good film that most people can enjoy, except the conservative. The plot? Easy, three dorks in high school scheme to get alcohol and sleep with the hot girls of their choice and along the way grow up some and come to terms with their lives. So why is this film better than most? Because of Judd Apatow. Judd also helped to create 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, two very funny films with a lot of heart, the main ingredient. See, teen comedies and films are made to relate to teens as well as adults by making people relive the angst and anxiety felt during those pitiful years and as times have changed the purpose has been mostly to share lessons of learning with other students who could relate to the experiences in the film. Superbad, unfortunately, gets a lot of the social scene from what I remember in high school correct. The big difference is two fold: The language is much worse and the patience of the females are much higher. If two girls at my old school had liked such young fellows, they would have saved their face after the embarassment caused by the drunken party at the end. As for language, well, my friends know I am do enjoy me some coarse language but man, this is the first time I have blushed at hearing things. I mean, damn, do kids really talk this frankly and coarsely about everything nowadays? Anyhow, a break down of got it rights:
Good: The movie has a lot of heart and the actors play the characters with enough honesty to be completely passable in their beliefs and issues. Also, it doesn't hurt that the bad police cop routine is mapped out and put to such great use. Why are they bad? Because they want to look cool. Also, the humor for most of the people is fresh and interesting despite some of its toilet roots.
Bad: The humor is so crude it feels put on sometimes and the story is a basic coming of age friends tale. Plus, the weird Frodo-Sam undertones Jonah Hill places in the story is a bit odd.
Conclusion: If you like to remember high school years and enjoy fresh interesting comedy with loads of crude humor, then this is the film to see. If you find language "shocking" or "ill-mannered" then stay at home with your life support system. And if you are on the bench, nothing is funnier than the tons of hand-drawn animated penises in the film. Yes, I said that correctly. It's damn funny.
3.8 out of 5
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Black Snake Moan
'Moan with pleasure'
When Craig Brewer's first hit the big scene with Hustle & Flow, there was a lot of critical dismissal despite the strong reviews most critics gave to it and Terrence Howard's performance. When the film went on to gain several nominations at the Academies, tunes were changed and the film was recognized for what it was, a film exploring the roots of hip hop and what that style of music means to some people and how things can be. It always helps that Howard won an Oscar for it. Of course, as soon as the trailer for Brewer's next film came out, Black Snake Moan, people dismissed him again calling him a one-time hack and got lucky with the good casting of Terrence Howard in his last film. I'll admit that the casting scenario of Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, and Samuel Jackson sounds like a pseudo bad comedy and that the trailer screamed sexploitation with the craziness of Ricci's character being chained to a radiator next to a cursing Samuel Jackson. I mean lets face it, the last time I remember Ricci being in a good movie was Casper and Jackson had just come off of the great success of Snakes on a Plane. Plus, I had heard that Justin Timberlake acts and never sings while Samuel Jackson does sing, which I had no idea what to expect. So I blew it off.
But man, when those reviews started flying in for the movie, some were as I had feared describing how terrible of a sexploitation flick it was, but most were pretty supportive of the film and thought it was pretty good. I was struck not knowing what to do. Finally, my better half settled the debate by mentioning that she wanted to see it and now that it is out on Redbox (of course I watched it for a dollar!) I must admit defeat and claim Craig Brewer to be a guru of creating exploratory music films.
Not only does Black Snake Moan manage to sidestep every possible footfall, it also does an elegant dance over everytrap, taunting the audience with its dazzle and embrazoned attitude. Ricci gives her best performance in years. Jackson does a great job and even Timberlake reveals he has some acting chops. Honestly, I like this film better than Hustle & Flow for several reasons and the hateful critics...well they are just wrong.
Assumption 1: It's a sexploitation piece showing tons of Ricci's chest and disturbing masturbatory images. False. The film is really about the fixing of one's soul and of each other through blues music and caring. Yes, Ricci does several topless scenes with verve and vigor and yes she is tied to a radiator half naked for a good bit, but not for that long and the radiator and chain are simply metaphorical symbols in her battle against her nymphomania that she contracted after having been sexually abused by her father at such a young age. This is a film of healing, not only for Ricci but also for Jackson whose wife has just left him.
Assumption 2: Samuel Jackson can't do blues. False...he looks pretty comfortable doing it. I mean, yes, I can tell he was better at some songs than others but his voice was uncannily suited for Blues style music. He performs excellently and I think I have a new wish item for Christmas.
Assumption 3: Craig Brewer is a hack and got lucky with Hustle & Flow. COMPLETELY WRONG. The level of visual imagery and symbolism in this film is astounding and even though it requires a stretch of the imagination at times, Brewer writes such a good script that it isn't a fight to stretch and ride with the characters. The characters become real people despite the obvious religious overtones and heavy symbolism and are able to carry the story on their backs despite its seeming unwieldyness as a script which tells me that Brewer knows how to direct his shit. Honestly, this film was a huge risk for him and for Paramount but after having seen the film I can tell that their decision to let him go for it was well founded and I look forward to the next two music films he comes out with of which I hear one is country. Brewer has a knack for not only knowing how to portray events and people, but also how to create character arcs in a manner that is fresh and different from most of Hollywood's techniques. He can communicate this to the actors and it is obvious that his craft has improved tenfold in this film. I am awed and will never doubt the guy again. Strike 3, I'm out.
But even my awe has limits. As good and as awesome as this film is, none of the actors show break out promise. Ricci does the best as its a huge change for her, but her constant one-note torture of sexism is at times slightly hard to take. Samuel Jackson is terrible as an old man at times. Even good old Justin doesn't get to show a whole lot of range. Sure, he can be a good upbeat lad or a raging crazy guy. But the transitions between these attitudes and moods is where he needs some tweaking.
Conclusion: This film blew me out of the water by destroying any pre-made assumptions I had. I think the trailer for the film did it a huge disservice but thinking back I have no idea how they would have marketed this differently to try and attract crowds. It is simply an art house flick with mainstream aura to it. Everything about this film is well done although at times the editing is a little too rough and the actors while doing a great job of upholding and making the story excel, can't stretch themselves too far without having trouble. Definately a rent and maybe a buy.
4.5 out of 5
Wannabe
When Craig Brewer's first hit the big scene with Hustle & Flow, there was a lot of critical dismissal despite the strong reviews most critics gave to it and Terrence Howard's performance. When the film went on to gain several nominations at the Academies, tunes were changed and the film was recognized for what it was, a film exploring the roots of hip hop and what that style of music means to some people and how things can be. It always helps that Howard won an Oscar for it. Of course, as soon as the trailer for Brewer's next film came out, Black Snake Moan, people dismissed him again calling him a one-time hack and got lucky with the good casting of Terrence Howard in his last film. I'll admit that the casting scenario of Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, and Samuel Jackson sounds like a pseudo bad comedy and that the trailer screamed sexploitation with the craziness of Ricci's character being chained to a radiator next to a cursing Samuel Jackson. I mean lets face it, the last time I remember Ricci being in a good movie was Casper and Jackson had just come off of the great success of Snakes on a Plane. Plus, I had heard that Justin Timberlake acts and never sings while Samuel Jackson does sing, which I had no idea what to expect. So I blew it off.
But man, when those reviews started flying in for the movie, some were as I had feared describing how terrible of a sexploitation flick it was, but most were pretty supportive of the film and thought it was pretty good. I was struck not knowing what to do. Finally, my better half settled the debate by mentioning that she wanted to see it and now that it is out on Redbox (of course I watched it for a dollar!) I must admit defeat and claim Craig Brewer to be a guru of creating exploratory music films.
Not only does Black Snake Moan manage to sidestep every possible footfall, it also does an elegant dance over everytrap, taunting the audience with its dazzle and embrazoned attitude. Ricci gives her best performance in years. Jackson does a great job and even Timberlake reveals he has some acting chops. Honestly, I like this film better than Hustle & Flow for several reasons and the hateful critics...well they are just wrong.
Assumption 1: It's a sexploitation piece showing tons of Ricci's chest and disturbing masturbatory images. False. The film is really about the fixing of one's soul and of each other through blues music and caring. Yes, Ricci does several topless scenes with verve and vigor and yes she is tied to a radiator half naked for a good bit, but not for that long and the radiator and chain are simply metaphorical symbols in her battle against her nymphomania that she contracted after having been sexually abused by her father at such a young age. This is a film of healing, not only for Ricci but also for Jackson whose wife has just left him.
Assumption 2: Samuel Jackson can't do blues. False...he looks pretty comfortable doing it. I mean, yes, I can tell he was better at some songs than others but his voice was uncannily suited for Blues style music. He performs excellently and I think I have a new wish item for Christmas.
Assumption 3: Craig Brewer is a hack and got lucky with Hustle & Flow. COMPLETELY WRONG. The level of visual imagery and symbolism in this film is astounding and even though it requires a stretch of the imagination at times, Brewer writes such a good script that it isn't a fight to stretch and ride with the characters. The characters become real people despite the obvious religious overtones and heavy symbolism and are able to carry the story on their backs despite its seeming unwieldyness as a script which tells me that Brewer knows how to direct his shit. Honestly, this film was a huge risk for him and for Paramount but after having seen the film I can tell that their decision to let him go for it was well founded and I look forward to the next two music films he comes out with of which I hear one is country. Brewer has a knack for not only knowing how to portray events and people, but also how to create character arcs in a manner that is fresh and different from most of Hollywood's techniques. He can communicate this to the actors and it is obvious that his craft has improved tenfold in this film. I am awed and will never doubt the guy again. Strike 3, I'm out.
But even my awe has limits. As good and as awesome as this film is, none of the actors show break out promise. Ricci does the best as its a huge change for her, but her constant one-note torture of sexism is at times slightly hard to take. Samuel Jackson is terrible as an old man at times. Even good old Justin doesn't get to show a whole lot of range. Sure, he can be a good upbeat lad or a raging crazy guy. But the transitions between these attitudes and moods is where he needs some tweaking.
Conclusion: This film blew me out of the water by destroying any pre-made assumptions I had. I think the trailer for the film did it a huge disservice but thinking back I have no idea how they would have marketed this differently to try and attract crowds. It is simply an art house flick with mainstream aura to it. Everything about this film is well done although at times the editing is a little too rough and the actors while doing a great job of upholding and making the story excel, can't stretch themselves too far without having trouble. Definately a rent and maybe a buy.
4.5 out of 5
Wannabe
Monday, August 20, 2007
Fanatix Indie League 2: Week 2
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 THE NANNY DIARIES 66 4 8 6.1
6 RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 2.25 3 0 7.8
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 5.9 0 1 6.2
GoS
1 $STARDUST 19.5 0 2 8.3
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.06 5 0 7.1
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 33 3 5 8.8
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 87.6 2 9 6.7
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 HIT MAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 HALLOWEEN 33 4 6 5.6
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 323.1 3
GOS 312.16 2
CASTLE 286.15 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 33 3
CASTLE 23 2
WANNABE 21 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 39 3
GOS 35 2
CASTLE 29 1
IMDB
GOS 7.3625 3
CASTLE 6.8875 2
WANNABE 6.3 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 2 1 2 6 3
GOS 2 3 2 3 10 1
WANNABE 3 1 3 1 8 2
Hey fellas, well as we can see, the Invasion was a failure, Superbad did well but not quite what I hoped. WHo knows what it will do in a while. Rush Hour 3 is still going strong and the 11th Hour was a great PTA flick, but will it last? Only next week can tell,
so tune in next time....
Wannabe
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 THE NANNY DIARIES 66 4 8 6.1
6 RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 2.25 3 0 7.8
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 5.9 0 1 6.2
GoS
1 $STARDUST 19.5 0 2 8.3
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.06 5 0 7.1
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 33 3 5 8.8
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 87.6 2 9 6.7
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 HIT MAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 HALLOWEEN 33 4 6 5.6
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 323.1 3
GOS 312.16 2
CASTLE 286.15 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 33 3
CASTLE 23 2
WANNABE 21 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 39 3
GOS 35 2
CASTLE 29 1
IMDB
GOS 7.3625 3
CASTLE 6.8875 2
WANNABE 6.3 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 2 1 2 6 3
GOS 2 3 2 3 10 1
WANNABE 3 1 3 1 8 2
Hey fellas, well as we can see, the Invasion was a failure, Superbad did well but not quite what I hoped. WHo knows what it will do in a while. Rush Hour 3 is still going strong and the 11th Hour was a great PTA flick, but will it last? Only next week can tell,
so tune in next time....
Wannabe
Friday, August 17, 2007
Death at a Funeral
'At least Death comes with a casket'
You know how sometimes you see a trailer that makes you laugh outloud and then you see the film and feel that all the best parts were already shown? Well, Death at a Funeral is better than that, albeit not by much. This film lacks heavily in some of the realm of essentials that it tries to dabble in as a film. It's directed by Frank Oz, aka Yoda, with a cast of relative unknown actors in America and has the feel of a small quirky British comedy. The problem is that Oz should have taken more notes from A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures before making this film and less from Wes Anderson.
Death at a Funeral stars highlt talented actors in a dark situation comedy. It's perfect casting and the script allows for wonderful comedy to ensue, however this genre of movie REQUIRES not only a good script and cast, but a sure and knowing hand as director to make it work. The vision has to be there otherwise someone somewhere along the way will get lost and the whole thing will tumble from the tightrope known as intelligent humor down to the dull brown sod below it. The trend for these types of films recently has been a downer to me. Wes Anderson is an interesting director but he tends to make his movies so depressing that it becomes hard to laugh despite whatever happens. Frank Oz thankfully never falls into this trap. He realizes that the situation of a grieving estranged family at a funeral and the script provide enough gravitas to the atmosphere to keep it dark throughout without his help. So he focuses on making things lighter and adding the comedy in an honest fashion, as the script and material requires itself to be taken. Oz does all of the first things right. Instead, he falls with Anderson in the problem of not making it light enough. Sure there are hallucinogenic drugs and scandalous stories abounding as ties grow taut and it all resolves in an awkward speech at the end that is far from outstanding...but the real problem is the lack of outrage in the characters. The actors all do a nice job of hitting punchlines and comedic timing, but the problem is their reactions! For God's sake, their father is gay and they only joke once before asking, "you mean he's a gay?" The problem with honest reactions is that it sometimes requires further involvement in characters and delving further into how a character would react instead of just following the pacing of the script and then molding the two into an organic material. It is why A Fish Called Wanda succeeds so well, after all who could ever play outrage better than Kevin Kline? No, the problem doesn't come from any one actor in fact but from all of them leading me to believe that it was a directorial choice used to emphasize the fact that the family was trying to keep its staunch upper lip position and a shot for more subtle comedy. It works at tmes, but the reason why it isn't consistent is because there is no strong reaction or time spent on anyone in particular. Honestly, if that was fixed, I think the jokes would have reached farther and hit more often and made this film much better. The best reaction in this film was the absolute horror with which Howard found an unexpected surprise in his mouth. More big reactions at times please, especially when the people are holding private conversations.
As for scenery, well, this could, should, and probably will be a play. It's practically set in one place which must have been nice for the set designers and the director, but it is also well adapted. The lighting is good for a small film like this. And the music is amusing at times.
Lastly, as to actors, well where to start. Mathew MacFayden as the main character is great. His composure and general appearance scream meek and average and it is great to see his anger. He is the only one who could downplay everything and still have it come across crystal clear what went through his character's head. I loved the scene where he writing the check and Peter Dinklage goes off about writing. However, he could have used more variation and some more disbelief at times. Speaking of Peter Dinklage, he comes across as a very good actor and now I have to admit he was perfect for the part. Not only for height reasons which added some great laughs, but also for his talent which amazed me because I believed him to be possibly gay, and he walked a fine line but never crossed over into too campy or diva-like De Niro did in a recent movie. Instead he was just a short gay man there to pay respects and get what he deserved. No big tears or crying about feeling like a cheap whore and he seemed respectable. Great choice for him. Andy Nyman as Howard the hypochondriac is great after a while seeing how he keeps getting gipped and mistreated, although its hard to like him fully because of his annoying ass habits. He is a good foil though to Ewen Bremmer's Justin who just whines and tries to catch an old girl pathetically. It's sad, because I've seen Bremmer in other films where he is hilarious, but in this film his character is just bland to begin with and then he is underused and his reactions needed more punch. Good guy, but not for the part. Lastly, if it seems that I'm only focusing on the guys, its because I am since they tend to be the ones in the film who lose their heads and go crazy. The last two main men are Alan Tudyk and Kris Marshall. I have followed Tudyk since his Serenity days and I have to admit that it was a good part for him in this film even if he is a litle too wonky all the time. I also felt that he could have had more fun with the part and that he didn't need to necessarily try so hard to be that character. It was pretty obvious that he was trying really hard to get the "I'm-coocoo-for-cocopuffs-crazy" humor that is in the character. At times, he gives just teh right amount and at others he's a little too much of a scene stealer or the fact that he is thinking of something to improv next is in his eyes and can jolt the audience back and forth in believability in his character. He's great for the part, but he needed a little better tweaking and direction from the director. Kris Marshall I have seen before as well, in what, I can't remember but it doesn't matter since he is perfect in this film as the favored child who went into pharmacy and then used his knowledge in making and selling illegal drugs in a hawkish way. He holds himself always in a I'm better than you manner because I am a knowledgeable pharmacist person and it makes it that much sweeter to watch him have his ass on the line throughout the film. Thankfully, he is not an odious person and so even though he is involved in things that make him easy to hate, his personality is one of trying to help others, even to save himself, which makes it okay that he isn't outed in the film.
Conclusion:
Strong females with little to no comedy to do lead me to believe that the writer was male. The situations and the dialogue and even the subject material and setting are all perfectly set up and in place. The actors picked are more than suited for their roles. The director starts on the right foot, but he doesn't tweak and work with the actors enough to get the utmost out of the script and talent which leads the film to feel like it could have been better. It was a great try and compared to Stepford Wives its a step up, but Oz needs to get his game back on and produce some excellent guffaws to herald his return with his next film, if he gets the chance. Keep the Force, you need it.
3.6 out of 5
Wannabe
You know how sometimes you see a trailer that makes you laugh outloud and then you see the film and feel that all the best parts were already shown? Well, Death at a Funeral is better than that, albeit not by much. This film lacks heavily in some of the realm of essentials that it tries to dabble in as a film. It's directed by Frank Oz, aka Yoda, with a cast of relative unknown actors in America and has the feel of a small quirky British comedy. The problem is that Oz should have taken more notes from A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures before making this film and less from Wes Anderson.
Death at a Funeral stars highlt talented actors in a dark situation comedy. It's perfect casting and the script allows for wonderful comedy to ensue, however this genre of movie REQUIRES not only a good script and cast, but a sure and knowing hand as director to make it work. The vision has to be there otherwise someone somewhere along the way will get lost and the whole thing will tumble from the tightrope known as intelligent humor down to the dull brown sod below it. The trend for these types of films recently has been a downer to me. Wes Anderson is an interesting director but he tends to make his movies so depressing that it becomes hard to laugh despite whatever happens. Frank Oz thankfully never falls into this trap. He realizes that the situation of a grieving estranged family at a funeral and the script provide enough gravitas to the atmosphere to keep it dark throughout without his help. So he focuses on making things lighter and adding the comedy in an honest fashion, as the script and material requires itself to be taken. Oz does all of the first things right. Instead, he falls with Anderson in the problem of not making it light enough. Sure there are hallucinogenic drugs and scandalous stories abounding as ties grow taut and it all resolves in an awkward speech at the end that is far from outstanding...but the real problem is the lack of outrage in the characters. The actors all do a nice job of hitting punchlines and comedic timing, but the problem is their reactions! For God's sake, their father is gay and they only joke once before asking, "you mean he's a gay?" The problem with honest reactions is that it sometimes requires further involvement in characters and delving further into how a character would react instead of just following the pacing of the script and then molding the two into an organic material. It is why A Fish Called Wanda succeeds so well, after all who could ever play outrage better than Kevin Kline? No, the problem doesn't come from any one actor in fact but from all of them leading me to believe that it was a directorial choice used to emphasize the fact that the family was trying to keep its staunch upper lip position and a shot for more subtle comedy. It works at tmes, but the reason why it isn't consistent is because there is no strong reaction or time spent on anyone in particular. Honestly, if that was fixed, I think the jokes would have reached farther and hit more often and made this film much better. The best reaction in this film was the absolute horror with which Howard found an unexpected surprise in his mouth. More big reactions at times please, especially when the people are holding private conversations.
As for scenery, well, this could, should, and probably will be a play. It's practically set in one place which must have been nice for the set designers and the director, but it is also well adapted. The lighting is good for a small film like this. And the music is amusing at times.
Lastly, as to actors, well where to start. Mathew MacFayden as the main character is great. His composure and general appearance scream meek and average and it is great to see his anger. He is the only one who could downplay everything and still have it come across crystal clear what went through his character's head. I loved the scene where he writing the check and Peter Dinklage goes off about writing. However, he could have used more variation and some more disbelief at times. Speaking of Peter Dinklage, he comes across as a very good actor and now I have to admit he was perfect for the part. Not only for height reasons which added some great laughs, but also for his talent which amazed me because I believed him to be possibly gay, and he walked a fine line but never crossed over into too campy or diva-like De Niro did in a recent movie. Instead he was just a short gay man there to pay respects and get what he deserved. No big tears or crying about feeling like a cheap whore and he seemed respectable. Great choice for him. Andy Nyman as Howard the hypochondriac is great after a while seeing how he keeps getting gipped and mistreated, although its hard to like him fully because of his annoying ass habits. He is a good foil though to Ewen Bremmer's Justin who just whines and tries to catch an old girl pathetically. It's sad, because I've seen Bremmer in other films where he is hilarious, but in this film his character is just bland to begin with and then he is underused and his reactions needed more punch. Good guy, but not for the part. Lastly, if it seems that I'm only focusing on the guys, its because I am since they tend to be the ones in the film who lose their heads and go crazy. The last two main men are Alan Tudyk and Kris Marshall. I have followed Tudyk since his Serenity days and I have to admit that it was a good part for him in this film even if he is a litle too wonky all the time. I also felt that he could have had more fun with the part and that he didn't need to necessarily try so hard to be that character. It was pretty obvious that he was trying really hard to get the "I'm-coocoo-for-cocopuffs-crazy" humor that is in the character. At times, he gives just teh right amount and at others he's a little too much of a scene stealer or the fact that he is thinking of something to improv next is in his eyes and can jolt the audience back and forth in believability in his character. He's great for the part, but he needed a little better tweaking and direction from the director. Kris Marshall I have seen before as well, in what, I can't remember but it doesn't matter since he is perfect in this film as the favored child who went into pharmacy and then used his knowledge in making and selling illegal drugs in a hawkish way. He holds himself always in a I'm better than you manner because I am a knowledgeable pharmacist person and it makes it that much sweeter to watch him have his ass on the line throughout the film. Thankfully, he is not an odious person and so even though he is involved in things that make him easy to hate, his personality is one of trying to help others, even to save himself, which makes it okay that he isn't outed in the film.
Conclusion:
Strong females with little to no comedy to do lead me to believe that the writer was male. The situations and the dialogue and even the subject material and setting are all perfectly set up and in place. The actors picked are more than suited for their roles. The director starts on the right foot, but he doesn't tweak and work with the actors enough to get the utmost out of the script and talent which leads the film to feel like it could have been better. It was a great try and compared to Stepford Wives its a step up, but Oz needs to get his game back on and produce some excellent guffaws to herald his return with his next film, if he gets the chance. Keep the Force, you need it.
3.6 out of 5
Wannabe
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Doctor Strange
You know, up until now I never thought that the Marvel Animated universe would be able to find its feet. I mean, yea, Ultimate Avengers 1 and 2 were interesting but were very straightforward without a whole lot of subtext or anything. And honestly Invincible Iron Man was a big letdown. So, with trepidation setting in my bones, I rented the recent Marvel Anime offering of Doctor Strange.
Unlike the other movies, I had little to no idea as to what Dr. Strange was about. I knew he was one of the oldest characters in the Marvel universe and that his big thing is magic. Maybe that is why I liked it more? I don't know. I knew the plot well enough after having played ultimate alliance to be able to guess what the outcome of the film will be as will most people who have seen a movie like this before. I think the biggest difference is the voice acting. The story itself is fun to sit through if you haven't ever read the comics, but it is like all the others very straightforward and an origin story. The real difference is the magic and how that ties into spirituality. Essentially the film tries to teach you that sometime you have to change who you are to fix your problems and that usually only good people are the ones who deserve power and not those who want it. In that sense, it has more of a bite and backbone to it than the previous films.
As for animation, it is beautifully done and there doesn't seem to be any real choppy segments or anything. I loved every bit of it, although there is still the occassionally painfully obvious CG animation segments which really are not being utilized properly since they don't mesh in with the animated backgrounds. I get the feeling that this could be done on purpose or maybe for lack of financial reasons and they don't care, but they should because it is always a disheartening and annoying experience.
Last is voice acting which I have to admit is quite good. Never once did I want to shoot myself or cut off my ears after having heard a ridiculous remark that reeks of Hollywood-talking-to-kids style. In fact, the dialogue was quite enjoyful despite the generic mysticism approach of answering questions in a vague style a la Karate Kid and other fine films.
Conclusion:
The film takes a very generic approach to telling the story of Doctor Strange. However, all the voice actors get behind it and do their job well. The animators and director show a love of exploring the new world of magic and what that might mean (vanishing swords rock!) and the best part is that this story more than the others does a better job of developing characters and creating an understanding and connection with them. I didn't know the tons of warriors who died or their names...but I felt like I did. And that is an accomplishment. My hats off to Jay Oliva and I hope that Marvel Animated continues to improve. They have a ways to go still before convincing me that Avengers Reborn is a good idea.
3.8 out of 5
Wannabe
Unlike the other movies, I had little to no idea as to what Dr. Strange was about. I knew he was one of the oldest characters in the Marvel universe and that his big thing is magic. Maybe that is why I liked it more? I don't know. I knew the plot well enough after having played ultimate alliance to be able to guess what the outcome of the film will be as will most people who have seen a movie like this before. I think the biggest difference is the voice acting. The story itself is fun to sit through if you haven't ever read the comics, but it is like all the others very straightforward and an origin story. The real difference is the magic and how that ties into spirituality. Essentially the film tries to teach you that sometime you have to change who you are to fix your problems and that usually only good people are the ones who deserve power and not those who want it. In that sense, it has more of a bite and backbone to it than the previous films.
As for animation, it is beautifully done and there doesn't seem to be any real choppy segments or anything. I loved every bit of it, although there is still the occassionally painfully obvious CG animation segments which really are not being utilized properly since they don't mesh in with the animated backgrounds. I get the feeling that this could be done on purpose or maybe for lack of financial reasons and they don't care, but they should because it is always a disheartening and annoying experience.
Last is voice acting which I have to admit is quite good. Never once did I want to shoot myself or cut off my ears after having heard a ridiculous remark that reeks of Hollywood-talking-to-kids style. In fact, the dialogue was quite enjoyful despite the generic mysticism approach of answering questions in a vague style a la Karate Kid and other fine films.
Conclusion:
The film takes a very generic approach to telling the story of Doctor Strange. However, all the voice actors get behind it and do their job well. The animators and director show a love of exploring the new world of magic and what that might mean (vanishing swords rock!) and the best part is that this story more than the others does a better job of developing characters and creating an understanding and connection with them. I didn't know the tons of warriors who died or their names...but I felt like I did. And that is an accomplishment. My hats off to Jay Oliva and I hope that Marvel Animated continues to improve. They have a ways to go still before convincing me that Avengers Reborn is a good idea.
3.8 out of 5
Wannabe
Fanatix Indie 2 Update
Alright, so after that switcharoony there, here are the current stats...
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 THE NANNY DIARIES 66 4 8 6.1
6 RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 2.25 3 0 7.8
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 THE INVASION 60 3 5 5.6
GoS
1 $STARDUST 9.2 0 2 8.4
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 THE 11TH HOUR 23 11 0 7.7
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
WANNABE
1 SUPERBAD 55 2 6 6.7
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 49.1 2 5 7.4
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 HIT MAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 HALLOWEEN 33 4 6 5.6
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
CASTLE 340.25 3
GOS 324.8 2
WANNABE 306.6 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 39 3
CASTLE 26 2
WANNABE 20 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 36 3
GOS 35 2
CASTLE 33 1
IMDB
GOS 7.45 3
CASTLE 6.8125 2
WANNABE 6.125 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 2 1 2 7 2
GOS 3 3 2 3 11 1
WANNABE 1 1 3 1 6 3
So GoS and Castle lead still for now... but the draw between Wannabe and Castle has shortened...remember that!
Wannabe
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 THE NANNY DIARIES 66 4 8 6.1
6 RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 2.25 3 0 7.8
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 THE INVASION 60 3 5 5.6
GoS
1 $STARDUST 9.2 0 2 8.4
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 THE 11TH HOUR 23 11 0 7.7
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
WANNABE
1 SUPERBAD 55 2 6 6.7
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 49.1 2 5 7.4
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 HIT MAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 HALLOWEEN 33 4 6 5.6
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
CASTLE 340.25 3
GOS 324.8 2
WANNABE 306.6 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 39 3
CASTLE 26 2
WANNABE 20 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 36 3
GOS 35 2
CASTLE 33 1
IMDB
GOS 7.45 3
CASTLE 6.8125 2
WANNABE 6.125 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 2 1 2 7 2
GOS 3 3 2 3 11 1
WANNABE 1 1 3 1 6 3
So GoS and Castle lead still for now... but the draw between Wannabe and Castle has shortened...remember that!
Wannabe
Fun Factoid of August
Well, I decided this week to possibly do a great factoid on the much maligned and hated Uwe Boll. A director known in the US for directing drivel films usually. I was counting the # of his films on IMDB's bottom 100 list (4 by the way), when I came across a much better and funnier fun factoid. After having read the feedback concerning the movie in question, I feel perfectly at ease asking everyone to rush to their nearest Blockbuster or logon to Netflix and rent the next great masterpiece of bad, this day and age's Plan 9 from Outer Space...Anus Magilicutty!!!! Seriously, that's the name of the movie and apparently it was 99% unscripted, which ALWAYS goes well with new people on camera where every flaw is magnified. The name alone makes me want to see this sure to be terrible film and then couple it with bad improv and I am there in a heartbeat. IF someone sees this movie, please, Please, PLEASE write a review for it and send it to me to post. also, if you want to let me borrow the film, I won't mind. :) I hope this brightens your day, I know it did mine. And for all my friends, don't be surprised if I just start using a new descriptive phrase for you....What a ridiculous friggin title. Uwe Boll may be bad but this is why he isn't THAT bad.
Wannabe
Wannabe
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
To have and to have not...
The light glistens from a stopping bus, but the cloaked man at the stop stays seated on the bench; his eyes lowered with only the tip of his nose poking out from under his wide brimmed fedora. His bone white hands grip the brown and worn suitcase a little too tightly and his feet twitch, as if waiting for something or one to kick. He waits. The bus pulls away and fades into the scratchy wet night. The twitches stop and the man raises his eyes, good eyes, cruel eyes, to see the cloaked man across the street. Without a sound, he follows him down the street and around the corner to a rundown mangy bar called Samuel's, the Bezt place on Urth for a Brew.
Inside the two men quickly find a table off in a corner, for security reasons for themselves and everyone else as well. Only after taking off their coats in the dark do they exchange pleasantries. Since they agreed to nicknames before meeting in case anyone overheard, only the titles of Castle and Wannabe are occassionally overheard by the far too nosey waiter, Jim, who takes their orders. Once Jim leaves, Wannabe places the briefcase on the table and passes it over to Castle. Castle opens it and takes out several documents. He scans them over for the fine print, glances back at Wannabe, and says "So it's how we agreed?"
"To the letter."
"Perfect."
Without another word, he quietly signs the documents. One for himself and one for Wannabe and before the waiter can return with their food, the two men get up, shake once, grab their jackets and leave the bar in different directions. In the end, everyone gets what they want, except maybe Jim who has to pay for their drinks out of his paycheck and GoS who finds out the next day in the paper that Castle and Wannabe have teamed up to trade some films.
Castle has traded Halloween for the Brave One and Penelope for Resurrecting the Champ.
Wannabe has traded King of Kong: A fistful of Quarters for Halloween.
Wannabe
Inside the two men quickly find a table off in a corner, for security reasons for themselves and everyone else as well. Only after taking off their coats in the dark do they exchange pleasantries. Since they agreed to nicknames before meeting in case anyone overheard, only the titles of Castle and Wannabe are occassionally overheard by the far too nosey waiter, Jim, who takes their orders. Once Jim leaves, Wannabe places the briefcase on the table and passes it over to Castle. Castle opens it and takes out several documents. He scans them over for the fine print, glances back at Wannabe, and says "So it's how we agreed?"
"To the letter."
"Perfect."
Without another word, he quietly signs the documents. One for himself and one for Wannabe and before the waiter can return with their food, the two men get up, shake once, grab their jackets and leave the bar in different directions. In the end, everyone gets what they want, except maybe Jim who has to pay for their drinks out of his paycheck and GoS who finds out the next day in the paper that Castle and Wannabe have teamed up to trade some films.
Castle has traded Halloween for the Brave One and Penelope for Resurrecting the Champ.
Wannabe has traded King of Kong: A fistful of Quarters for Halloween.
Wannabe
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Fanatix Indie League 2: Week 1
Alright gentlemen. NOw that Willo is off in Africa God knows what, here's how the first week breakdown begins...with your souls!
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 THE NANNY DIARIES 66 4 8 6.1
6 PENELOPE 11.1 2 0 7.5
7 HALLOWEEN 33 4 6 5.6
8 THE INVASION 60 3 5 5.6
GoS
1 $STARDUST 9.2 0 2 8.4
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 THE 11TH HOUR 23 11 0 7.7
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
WANNABE
1 SUPERBAD 55 2 6 6.7
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 49.1 2 5 7.4
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 HIT MAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 KING OF KONG:A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS 1.1 0 0 6.9
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
GOS 324.8 3
CASTLE 317.1 2
WANNABE 274.7 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 39 3
CASTLE 25 2
WANNABE 16 1
TOP 5
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 32 2
WANNABE 30 1
IMDB
GOS 7.45 3
CASTLE 6.6625 2
WANNABE 6.2875 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 2 2 2 8 2
GOS 3 3 3 3 12 1
WANNABE 1 1 1 1 4 3
Although the game has started and I have am definately far behind, I must say thet the first weekend brushoff was not so bad. Stardust did poor BO despite its strong IMDB standing and even though Rush Hour 3 isn't supposed to be that great it didn't get a terrible IMDB and managed to rack some good BO and TOP 5 and even a couple of PTA to start things off right. And with my comedy Superbad coming out this week, I expect to be cleaning up for a while to start off this competition. Tell me if you want to change because you don't wanna take me on...I'll understand. :)
Peace!
Wannabe
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 THE NANNY DIARIES 66 4 8 6.1
6 PENELOPE 11.1 2 0 7.5
7 HALLOWEEN 33 4 6 5.6
8 THE INVASION 60 3 5 5.6
GoS
1 $STARDUST 9.2 0 2 8.4
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 THE 11TH HOUR 23 11 0 7.7
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
WANNABE
1 SUPERBAD 55 2 6 6.7
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 49.1 2 5 7.4
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 HIT MAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 KING OF KONG:A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS 1.1 0 0 6.9
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
GOS 324.8 3
CASTLE 317.1 2
WANNABE 274.7 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 39 3
CASTLE 25 2
WANNABE 16 1
TOP 5
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 32 2
WANNABE 30 1
IMDB
GOS 7.45 3
CASTLE 6.6625 2
WANNABE 6.2875 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 2 2 2 8 2
GOS 3 3 3 3 12 1
WANNABE 1 1 1 1 4 3
Although the game has started and I have am definately far behind, I must say thet the first weekend brushoff was not so bad. Stardust did poor BO despite its strong IMDB standing and even though Rush Hour 3 isn't supposed to be that great it didn't get a terrible IMDB and managed to rack some good BO and TOP 5 and even a couple of PTA to start things off right. And with my comedy Superbad coming out this week, I expect to be cleaning up for a while to start off this competition. Tell me if you want to change because you don't wanna take me on...I'll understand. :)
Peace!
Wannabe
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Stardust
'Good Gaiman, Good'
So as you may or may not know, there is a little heralded fantasy film currently in theaters titled Stardust and based off of the novel of the same name written by Neil Gaiman. If you didn't know, then it is your lucky day for me to tell you about it and express a wish for you to go see it. Many comparisons for the film have dubbed it a ripoff of Princess Bride or some other such nonsense. Honestly, I would feel refresed with a Princess Bride knockoff right now with all the Harry and literary fantasy look alikes. The moniker of Princess Bride is only true in terms of tone. This fantasy film unlike many others combines several of the same elements as Princess Bride, mostly humor and the themes of love and acceptance. Since it is a Neil Gaiman property you can believe that there is some excellent ideas thrown about and what on the surface appears to be your typical romantic fantasy tale, instead becomes a tale of how what makes a person who they are isn't their status or royalty or looks. The movie is directed by Matthew Vaughn who directed Layer Cake and was one point attached to X-Men 3. I hear now though that he might be attached to an upcoming Thor movie which after having seen this film should be amazing, since it is obvious that he has a great imagination that is necessary for fantasy and knows how to communicate his ideas and characters to the actors perfectly. None of the characters in this film are boring, even the ones that are typically straight forward parts. I'm not saying that some do better than others, just that all of the actors are entertaining and amusing in their own fashion. Considering the scope and scale of this adventure, I believe Vaughn did an extremely good job in bringing the vision to life. However, and this is the killer, either on Gaiman's side or on Vaughn's...sometimes the pacing is too slow. It starts slow and I noticed several times when the picture should have been cut slightly sooner, which is not a good thing to notice. However, considering the genre-breaking work he is handling, it is hard to blame Vaughn for not being completely sure how to handle the editing. I hear that Across the Universe is sharing some similar woes currently in its test screenings. Besides the slow moving moments though, this film is a real gem.
As for actors, there is one real reason to see this movie, Robert De Niro. Not because he does an excellent job, in fact he might have been one of the worse believable ones in the cast, but because seeing him play that type of character is a real treat for fans of De Niro whom have probably never seen him in such a light. The other real reason to see this film is Michelle Pfeiffer as Lamia. After all the years she is still crazy hot and yet I have never seen her in a bad role. Why doesn't she do more work? I bet its because Hollywood is absolutely nuts, although no where near as nuts as her puberty making role in this film. Another great one to look for is the affable and excellently acted protagonist played by Charlie Cox. Seriously, this guy is good and has a future. He's probably a jerk in real life or something but I would never know from this film. Claire Danes is okay but pales compared to her other majorly famous love role as Juliet, which I'm sure she's tired of being linked to. but think about this, the film is so amazing that it even has Ian McKellan as a narrator...a narrator! Seriously, this film rocks and is a good addition to the fantasy canon that I must one day own.
4,5 out of 5
So as you may or may not know, there is a little heralded fantasy film currently in theaters titled Stardust and based off of the novel of the same name written by Neil Gaiman. If you didn't know, then it is your lucky day for me to tell you about it and express a wish for you to go see it. Many comparisons for the film have dubbed it a ripoff of Princess Bride or some other such nonsense. Honestly, I would feel refresed with a Princess Bride knockoff right now with all the Harry and literary fantasy look alikes. The moniker of Princess Bride is only true in terms of tone. This fantasy film unlike many others combines several of the same elements as Princess Bride, mostly humor and the themes of love and acceptance. Since it is a Neil Gaiman property you can believe that there is some excellent ideas thrown about and what on the surface appears to be your typical romantic fantasy tale, instead becomes a tale of how what makes a person who they are isn't their status or royalty or looks. The movie is directed by Matthew Vaughn who directed Layer Cake and was one point attached to X-Men 3. I hear now though that he might be attached to an upcoming Thor movie which after having seen this film should be amazing, since it is obvious that he has a great imagination that is necessary for fantasy and knows how to communicate his ideas and characters to the actors perfectly. None of the characters in this film are boring, even the ones that are typically straight forward parts. I'm not saying that some do better than others, just that all of the actors are entertaining and amusing in their own fashion. Considering the scope and scale of this adventure, I believe Vaughn did an extremely good job in bringing the vision to life. However, and this is the killer, either on Gaiman's side or on Vaughn's...sometimes the pacing is too slow. It starts slow and I noticed several times when the picture should have been cut slightly sooner, which is not a good thing to notice. However, considering the genre-breaking work he is handling, it is hard to blame Vaughn for not being completely sure how to handle the editing. I hear that Across the Universe is sharing some similar woes currently in its test screenings. Besides the slow moving moments though, this film is a real gem.
As for actors, there is one real reason to see this movie, Robert De Niro. Not because he does an excellent job, in fact he might have been one of the worse believable ones in the cast, but because seeing him play that type of character is a real treat for fans of De Niro whom have probably never seen him in such a light. The other real reason to see this film is Michelle Pfeiffer as Lamia. After all the years she is still crazy hot and yet I have never seen her in a bad role. Why doesn't she do more work? I bet its because Hollywood is absolutely nuts, although no where near as nuts as her puberty making role in this film. Another great one to look for is the affable and excellently acted protagonist played by Charlie Cox. Seriously, this guy is good and has a future. He's probably a jerk in real life or something but I would never know from this film. Claire Danes is okay but pales compared to her other majorly famous love role as Juliet, which I'm sure she's tired of being linked to. but think about this, the film is so amazing that it even has Ian McKellan as a narrator...a narrator! Seriously, this film rocks and is a good addition to the fantasy canon that I must one day own.
4,5 out of 5
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Superman Returns
'Supes Returns with a Vengeance!'
Have you ever eaten an imitation of something, such as say crab or tofu meant to be chicken and found it to be delicious but not quite right? Unfortunately the same can be said of Singer's recent attempt to make a worthy sequel to the second film of the old-school Christopher Reeves Superman movies by Richard Donner. Singer cut his teeth directing big time comic book movies by creating the X-Men franchise from scratch. So, let's just say I've been wanting to see this film for a while now but things like IMDB's current 6.9 rating have kept it from the top of my list. Now, since the last gloriously rich colors have faded from the screen, I would like to go in depth on why IMDB has that score and where Singer messed up. However, I would first like to point out the amazing job stylistically and directorially Singer achieved with this film. Then to finish, I would like to discuss the stupidity of studio politics that screwed with this film and the X-Men franchise and the possibility of future Superman movies.
The first question about any Superman movie set in the same continuity as the Donner films is can the actor playing Superman/Clark Kent do it right? HELL YEA HE CAN. I never thought I would see the charming acting style of Reeves done so well again after his death, but man, Brandon Routh has the look and the fumbling Kent down perfectly. Although there is something slightly...slightly too perfect about his appearance as Superman and too lacking. Reeves eyes used to sparkle even as Superman and you had the sense that he laughed with them. Routh seems to have not picked up on the laughing trait of Superman but everything else is played up nicely. Also, Routh's Superman becomes much more believable and interesting as the movie begins, he just starts a little awkward which is fair since he is a newbie to Hollywood and he has just been asked to fill one of the most iconic roles in history in the same style as the most iconic actor to have played him. Great job sir! Speaking of superman, another thing I appreciated about this film was that the writing and Singer intentionally play up the Christian undertones and the Christ motif throughout in a manner that isn't mindnumbingly Matrix. I don't know, I had nver noticed the parallels until maybe a year or two before the film came out when I dove back into graphic literature and I am happy to see that it is given more prominence so that the world can understand why Superman survives and is needed as an icon. Other great things involve the sets and the feel of the film and even the angles. Singer has a couple of shots that are obviously his own but because he developed an organic palette of angles and shts based off the ones Donner would have used in the old films, not even the angles Singer creates on his own feel outside the realm of possibility and fit in nicely with the rest of the film. Everything looks like it came from the Donner days of the films and feel slightly 40-50 years older. I have to say though, that I am not so sure I am a fan of the use of modern day materials such as cell phones and laptop computers...as a design aesthetic it just doesn't sit well with me and occassionally felt like potential advertising.
Other things I appreciate include the great actor choices from Parker Posey as Kitty to Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. Parker plays Kitty very straight and she eeks out as much as she can given the script. I have to admit that with Kevin's Lex I sort of missed the more old talky-jokey Luthor of Gene Hackman days. However, there are moments such as when he is begging Lois Lane to tell him something that you can see that Spacey saw the old films and easily stole the craziness and attitude of Hackman. He was merely building on it. Spacey's Luthor spent five years in jail and had to bag an old lady to come back and he holds all of that against Supes, so it makes more sense for him to be less jokey and more about cool calculating evil business, and Spacey knows how I like it. The other two big happy castings for me are James Marsden as Lois Lane's fiance and Sam Huntigton as Jimmy Olson. Marsden's character comes off as a good guy with some concerns, which makes sense now that he is engaged to Lois who once had a thing with a man who could move buildings and shoot heat rays from his eyes. He's Superman right? I'm sure Marsden's character is constantly asking just how Super is Superman? Superbig?...anyhow, Marsden never dips into the jealous evil boyfriend territory and even makes you like him if you are rooting for Supes and Lois to get back together. I never knew what was so great about his as Cyclops, but now that I can see his eyes, it makes all the difference. Also, Sam Huntigton as Jimmy Olson is perfect. His nice kid but constantly turning up short when he needs things to work luck is perfectly displayed in Worthington's expressions. I once wondered who Worthington was when I heard he got picked up for a big part in an upcoming movie, now I know and I approve. He's got real skill and I look forward to more of him. Unfortunately the character I got to know the least and remember from the old films the worst is Frank Langella's character. In this film he plays him as a nice news boss who knows how to handle his staff to make sure they get the real "selling" news. He is good, but there doesn't seem to be much to go on.
Lastly, what I love concerning this film is most of the script. Almost every character has dialogue that sounds like it could have come from the actors of the Donner films and that it was therefore a continuance of every character. The fact that the film goes in depth to show what Superman means and to show why he is needed is a very nice touch. I also liked the whole thing dealing with Superman searching for home and the role that home plays in our lives to be very well put together. Although I kind of wish that superman had some qualms about throwing the only giant vestige of his home planet back into space, I understand that the film was long as is and couldn't handle much longer.
Now, as to what really bugs me, and this is not something small, is the script. Although the dialogue and characterizations and scenarios are excellent, and it even does a fine job of setting things up after the second film and explaining the past and giving Superman quite the situation to walk into, there is no excuse, none, for the child. This critique is meant for those who have seen the film so if I have spoiled something, sorry. Superman should never have had a child in this film. It added too much on and felt a little too cliche. I would have introduced the kid in this film and developed the idea of the Supes child in the next film. It was rushed and didn't look good especially since Lois Lane doesn't confess to anyone. Only Luthor and Lois know...what crap. Supes should be able to see his own son and Marsden character should know the truth as well. That is essentially its own little drama in and of itself and should have been another movie. Also, what in the world was all of the is Superman dead junk? Look, Raimi and Singer, you don't need to show the city waiting in expectation, cheering, or mourning to show that a city needs its heroes or supports them. When you do, the action becomes about the nameless masses cheering which is okay for maybe a 2-3 seconds but then it needs to pass because there was no tension in this film. Sure, Supes comes the closest to dying that he ever has, but no one realy believes he'll die, he is Superman! So all of that in the hospital and the slow waiting to see if Superman was okay should have been sped up because the audience wants to know but if we think we already know then the waiting isn't anticipating anything, its just maddening the viewers. And then there is the biggest plop of this film...Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. To her credit, Bosworth pulls off the caring for her son and family thing and at times is able to do the desiring Supes but hating him at the sametime. I think she thought that the craziness of Lois Lane from Margot Kidder's days would have died some since she won the Pulitzer Prize and is engaged with a son and good man...but that is wrong. Sorry, but Lane has much more defiance and crazy will power and a very STRONG personality that Bosworth just never reveals. The old Lois Lane was great because she would spite Superman for the hell of it but you knew from how she held herself and swayed a little that she didn't really spite him and it was just her way of dealing brusquely with the world around her. I really hope Bosworth can gain some piss and vinegar back into her character in the next outing, because it was possible in the writing, just was never utilized in the acting. Now for the other real reason why I despise the child of superman idea. In the past, the films have always been about Superman and his relation to the people and what he means to them and what he means to Lois Lane. Hell, the Dean Cain Superman show survived pretty much because of the excellent rapport of the characters playing Supes and Lois Lane. By introducing Marsden's character into the film, it made sense and it added a layer of spice and one-upmanship, a chance to see something new and different from the Man of Steel besides the hunkydory good guy. He was envious, never held it against Marsden and never got jealous. In all he was a good guy about it. So now the movie ends with this extra layer coming between Superman and Lois Lane which is what the audience wants, especially the females. They might not care about the fighting or the cool shots or anything else, but then you add in the romance with the Superman who is the hunk of dreams and they are there. So not only do you have that layer, but you manage to efficiently change the focus from Supes and Marsden and Lane to Supes and son and how will the son affect everything. The father son theme is a big part of the Supes mythology, but he is supposed to symbolize the savior, Christ, what you will and guess who is commonly accepted not to have had a son? Exactly. The son thing completely clashes with the savior motif of the film and it suggests several things that come across poorly. A. Superman conceived a child with Lois Lane outside of wedlock, conservative christians will love it. B. If Superman is a literal Christ figure, then you are suggesting Christ had a son. I don't care about either theologically, but I know that audience members do, especially those from where I spawned. Also, honestly I never wanna see a movie or television show entitled the Adventures of Superman Jr. Anyhow, with the plus and cons mapped out, here's the stupidity of the studios for you.
This is all from second hand sources called articles that I read and pieced together over time, so the actual attitudes and conversations of said studios could be completely inaccurate or imagined. When Singer was gearing up for X-Men 3, Warner Bros. approached him and impressed with his work, offered him a chance at Superman. Singer, seeing it as the Holy Grail of comic book films knew he had to do it and he was a HUGE fan of the Donner films. When he agreed to it, Fox was terribly upset since he had just finished the box office whopping X-Men 2 and they wanted another soon. They were upset that Singer was going to Warner Bros. to direct another comic film for a rival studio. I believe that Singer wanted them to wait until he had done Superman and then he would have come back and directed X-Men 3, but Fox was pissed so they told him to forget it. He shrugged and off he left. Fox already had a date planned for X-Men 3 and they wanted it to combat the Superman movie in the same summer, so they refused to back down from the planned release date even though they had no helmer to pull it all together. Then they hired Matthew Vaughn after his turn doing Layer Cake but when they insisted that he move to LA to direct X-Men 3, he quit saying he wasn't going to force his family to move from London to LA. And still, they refused to move the release date. As time grew short, with only a couple of months of pre-planning left before going into production supposedly, they hired Brett Ratner. He had lots of studio pressure to create a product to compete with superman and no time to really revise and edit the script like it needed. So, he did a rush job of it creating the X-men film that is the least likable and cofirming what many thought about poor affable Ratner, that he simply wasn't that good of a director whether it was fair to think so or not. Then there was the whole rumored business about the actors. Like I said, Fox had it in for Singer at thsi point and Warner and they wanted to make them pay for not finishing a trilogy. Sony had Raimi after all. Anyhow, apparently thsi hatred spilled over. Rumor had it that the reason Cyclops dies so early in X-men 3 is because he was given a part in the Superman film and in fact at one point the studio considered writing him out all together. Also, during this whole bad blood thing, supposedly Singer met with Famke Jannsen in Australia(the woman who plays Jean Grey) to possibly offer her the part of Kitty. Famke thought about it and told him that she had a big part in the new X-men movie and didn't want to risk losing the part or being written out of it for playing a smaller part in his film. It was understandable and things passed. This bad blood between the two companies did more hurt to Fox's credibility in the long run than WB or Singer, but that sort of pressure and tension can not have helped either camp to turn out the quality product necessary. As for future Supermen installments, WB has said maybe if the script is much lower budget and Singer has stated that he will be returning to the franchise again after finishing his current project Valkyrie and possible one more film just to get the script right. Plus, if Singer doesn't get back soon, then you may see Routh appearing in the new JLA movie that WB is cooking up. So expect more superman in one form or another and I'm betting next time Lois Lane will be tougher after all the flack crappy fanboys and critics like myself have been dishing out.
4.3 out of 5
Have you ever eaten an imitation of something, such as say crab or tofu meant to be chicken and found it to be delicious but not quite right? Unfortunately the same can be said of Singer's recent attempt to make a worthy sequel to the second film of the old-school Christopher Reeves Superman movies by Richard Donner. Singer cut his teeth directing big time comic book movies by creating the X-Men franchise from scratch. So, let's just say I've been wanting to see this film for a while now but things like IMDB's current 6.9 rating have kept it from the top of my list. Now, since the last gloriously rich colors have faded from the screen, I would like to go in depth on why IMDB has that score and where Singer messed up. However, I would first like to point out the amazing job stylistically and directorially Singer achieved with this film. Then to finish, I would like to discuss the stupidity of studio politics that screwed with this film and the X-Men franchise and the possibility of future Superman movies.
The first question about any Superman movie set in the same continuity as the Donner films is can the actor playing Superman/Clark Kent do it right? HELL YEA HE CAN. I never thought I would see the charming acting style of Reeves done so well again after his death, but man, Brandon Routh has the look and the fumbling Kent down perfectly. Although there is something slightly...slightly too perfect about his appearance as Superman and too lacking. Reeves eyes used to sparkle even as Superman and you had the sense that he laughed with them. Routh seems to have not picked up on the laughing trait of Superman but everything else is played up nicely. Also, Routh's Superman becomes much more believable and interesting as the movie begins, he just starts a little awkward which is fair since he is a newbie to Hollywood and he has just been asked to fill one of the most iconic roles in history in the same style as the most iconic actor to have played him. Great job sir! Speaking of superman, another thing I appreciated about this film was that the writing and Singer intentionally play up the Christian undertones and the Christ motif throughout in a manner that isn't mindnumbingly Matrix. I don't know, I had nver noticed the parallels until maybe a year or two before the film came out when I dove back into graphic literature and I am happy to see that it is given more prominence so that the world can understand why Superman survives and is needed as an icon. Other great things involve the sets and the feel of the film and even the angles. Singer has a couple of shots that are obviously his own but because he developed an organic palette of angles and shts based off the ones Donner would have used in the old films, not even the angles Singer creates on his own feel outside the realm of possibility and fit in nicely with the rest of the film. Everything looks like it came from the Donner days of the films and feel slightly 40-50 years older. I have to say though, that I am not so sure I am a fan of the use of modern day materials such as cell phones and laptop computers...as a design aesthetic it just doesn't sit well with me and occassionally felt like potential advertising.
Other things I appreciate include the great actor choices from Parker Posey as Kitty to Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. Parker plays Kitty very straight and she eeks out as much as she can given the script. I have to admit that with Kevin's Lex I sort of missed the more old talky-jokey Luthor of Gene Hackman days. However, there are moments such as when he is begging Lois Lane to tell him something that you can see that Spacey saw the old films and easily stole the craziness and attitude of Hackman. He was merely building on it. Spacey's Luthor spent five years in jail and had to bag an old lady to come back and he holds all of that against Supes, so it makes more sense for him to be less jokey and more about cool calculating evil business, and Spacey knows how I like it. The other two big happy castings for me are James Marsden as Lois Lane's fiance and Sam Huntigton as Jimmy Olson. Marsden's character comes off as a good guy with some concerns, which makes sense now that he is engaged to Lois who once had a thing with a man who could move buildings and shoot heat rays from his eyes. He's Superman right? I'm sure Marsden's character is constantly asking just how Super is Superman? Superbig?...anyhow, Marsden never dips into the jealous evil boyfriend territory and even makes you like him if you are rooting for Supes and Lois to get back together. I never knew what was so great about his as Cyclops, but now that I can see his eyes, it makes all the difference. Also, Sam Huntigton as Jimmy Olson is perfect. His nice kid but constantly turning up short when he needs things to work luck is perfectly displayed in Worthington's expressions. I once wondered who Worthington was when I heard he got picked up for a big part in an upcoming movie, now I know and I approve. He's got real skill and I look forward to more of him. Unfortunately the character I got to know the least and remember from the old films the worst is Frank Langella's character. In this film he plays him as a nice news boss who knows how to handle his staff to make sure they get the real "selling" news. He is good, but there doesn't seem to be much to go on.
Lastly, what I love concerning this film is most of the script. Almost every character has dialogue that sounds like it could have come from the actors of the Donner films and that it was therefore a continuance of every character. The fact that the film goes in depth to show what Superman means and to show why he is needed is a very nice touch. I also liked the whole thing dealing with Superman searching for home and the role that home plays in our lives to be very well put together. Although I kind of wish that superman had some qualms about throwing the only giant vestige of his home planet back into space, I understand that the film was long as is and couldn't handle much longer.
Now, as to what really bugs me, and this is not something small, is the script. Although the dialogue and characterizations and scenarios are excellent, and it even does a fine job of setting things up after the second film and explaining the past and giving Superman quite the situation to walk into, there is no excuse, none, for the child. This critique is meant for those who have seen the film so if I have spoiled something, sorry. Superman should never have had a child in this film. It added too much on and felt a little too cliche. I would have introduced the kid in this film and developed the idea of the Supes child in the next film. It was rushed and didn't look good especially since Lois Lane doesn't confess to anyone. Only Luthor and Lois know...what crap. Supes should be able to see his own son and Marsden character should know the truth as well. That is essentially its own little drama in and of itself and should have been another movie. Also, what in the world was all of the is Superman dead junk? Look, Raimi and Singer, you don't need to show the city waiting in expectation, cheering, or mourning to show that a city needs its heroes or supports them. When you do, the action becomes about the nameless masses cheering which is okay for maybe a 2-3 seconds but then it needs to pass because there was no tension in this film. Sure, Supes comes the closest to dying that he ever has, but no one realy believes he'll die, he is Superman! So all of that in the hospital and the slow waiting to see if Superman was okay should have been sped up because the audience wants to know but if we think we already know then the waiting isn't anticipating anything, its just maddening the viewers. And then there is the biggest plop of this film...Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. To her credit, Bosworth pulls off the caring for her son and family thing and at times is able to do the desiring Supes but hating him at the sametime. I think she thought that the craziness of Lois Lane from Margot Kidder's days would have died some since she won the Pulitzer Prize and is engaged with a son and good man...but that is wrong. Sorry, but Lane has much more defiance and crazy will power and a very STRONG personality that Bosworth just never reveals. The old Lois Lane was great because she would spite Superman for the hell of it but you knew from how she held herself and swayed a little that she didn't really spite him and it was just her way of dealing brusquely with the world around her. I really hope Bosworth can gain some piss and vinegar back into her character in the next outing, because it was possible in the writing, just was never utilized in the acting. Now for the other real reason why I despise the child of superman idea. In the past, the films have always been about Superman and his relation to the people and what he means to them and what he means to Lois Lane. Hell, the Dean Cain Superman show survived pretty much because of the excellent rapport of the characters playing Supes and Lois Lane. By introducing Marsden's character into the film, it made sense and it added a layer of spice and one-upmanship, a chance to see something new and different from the Man of Steel besides the hunkydory good guy. He was envious, never held it against Marsden and never got jealous. In all he was a good guy about it. So now the movie ends with this extra layer coming between Superman and Lois Lane which is what the audience wants, especially the females. They might not care about the fighting or the cool shots or anything else, but then you add in the romance with the Superman who is the hunk of dreams and they are there. So not only do you have that layer, but you manage to efficiently change the focus from Supes and Marsden and Lane to Supes and son and how will the son affect everything. The father son theme is a big part of the Supes mythology, but he is supposed to symbolize the savior, Christ, what you will and guess who is commonly accepted not to have had a son? Exactly. The son thing completely clashes with the savior motif of the film and it suggests several things that come across poorly. A. Superman conceived a child with Lois Lane outside of wedlock, conservative christians will love it. B. If Superman is a literal Christ figure, then you are suggesting Christ had a son. I don't care about either theologically, but I know that audience members do, especially those from where I spawned. Also, honestly I never wanna see a movie or television show entitled the Adventures of Superman Jr. Anyhow, with the plus and cons mapped out, here's the stupidity of the studios for you.
This is all from second hand sources called articles that I read and pieced together over time, so the actual attitudes and conversations of said studios could be completely inaccurate or imagined. When Singer was gearing up for X-Men 3, Warner Bros. approached him and impressed with his work, offered him a chance at Superman. Singer, seeing it as the Holy Grail of comic book films knew he had to do it and he was a HUGE fan of the Donner films. When he agreed to it, Fox was terribly upset since he had just finished the box office whopping X-Men 2 and they wanted another soon. They were upset that Singer was going to Warner Bros. to direct another comic film for a rival studio. I believe that Singer wanted them to wait until he had done Superman and then he would have come back and directed X-Men 3, but Fox was pissed so they told him to forget it. He shrugged and off he left. Fox already had a date planned for X-Men 3 and they wanted it to combat the Superman movie in the same summer, so they refused to back down from the planned release date even though they had no helmer to pull it all together. Then they hired Matthew Vaughn after his turn doing Layer Cake but when they insisted that he move to LA to direct X-Men 3, he quit saying he wasn't going to force his family to move from London to LA. And still, they refused to move the release date. As time grew short, with only a couple of months of pre-planning left before going into production supposedly, they hired Brett Ratner. He had lots of studio pressure to create a product to compete with superman and no time to really revise and edit the script like it needed. So, he did a rush job of it creating the X-men film that is the least likable and cofirming what many thought about poor affable Ratner, that he simply wasn't that good of a director whether it was fair to think so or not. Then there was the whole rumored business about the actors. Like I said, Fox had it in for Singer at thsi point and Warner and they wanted to make them pay for not finishing a trilogy. Sony had Raimi after all. Anyhow, apparently thsi hatred spilled over. Rumor had it that the reason Cyclops dies so early in X-men 3 is because he was given a part in the Superman film and in fact at one point the studio considered writing him out all together. Also, during this whole bad blood thing, supposedly Singer met with Famke Jannsen in Australia(the woman who plays Jean Grey) to possibly offer her the part of Kitty. Famke thought about it and told him that she had a big part in the new X-men movie and didn't want to risk losing the part or being written out of it for playing a smaller part in his film. It was understandable and things passed. This bad blood between the two companies did more hurt to Fox's credibility in the long run than WB or Singer, but that sort of pressure and tension can not have helped either camp to turn out the quality product necessary. As for future Supermen installments, WB has said maybe if the script is much lower budget and Singer has stated that he will be returning to the franchise again after finishing his current project Valkyrie and possible one more film just to get the script right. Plus, if Singer doesn't get back soon, then you may see Routh appearing in the new JLA movie that WB is cooking up. So expect more superman in one form or another and I'm betting next time Lois Lane will be tougher after all the flack crappy fanboys and critics like myself have been dishing out.
4.3 out of 5
Monday, August 6, 2007
Fanatix Indie League 2:The Beginning
Sad sad news fellas. The Phony Express today reported that the maverick entrepreneur known only as Willo had decided on a whim to scrap up and close up shop in America and peddle his cinematic goods in Africa after realizing that he hadn't been number 1 against his thought of "mediocre competitors." As such, there are now only three big distributors in the U.S. headed by GoS, Castle, and Wannabe respectively. Although angry at the loss suffered under the summer season, Willo vowed before stepping onto his cushy Lufthansa flight, "Fear not Americans, I will soon return and restore the quality to your entertainment and then you will come to know me and love me more than yourselves." After which he boarded the flight, sold his studio to the Bank of America, and flew to create Africa to create the first Masai run film studio. Analysts are currently scratching their heads at this decision, but since he is an eccentric magnate, they figure it'll blow over in a couple of months and his return is assured. With the blockbuster season drawing to a close, the three leftover studios have turned their head to the coming Fall which is when typically they release the films they financed but were flops due to being poorly done. So lets see now what schlock these studios plan to unleash upon us for the coming season and what analysts think of each studios chances of doing well.
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 THE NANNY DIARIES 66 4 8 6.1
6 PENELOPE 11.1 2 0 7.5
7 HALLOWEEN 33 4 6 5.6
8 THE INVASION 60 3 5 5.6
GoS
1 STARDUST 71 3 6 7
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 THE 11TH HOUR 23 11 0 7.7
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
WANNABE
1 SUPERBAD 55 2 6 6.7
2 RUSH HOUR 3 60 2 5 5.2
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 HIT MAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 KING OF KONG:A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS 1.1 0 0 6.9
8 THE ASSASINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
GOS 386.6 3
CASTLE 317.1 2
WANNABE 285.6 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 42 3
CASTLE 25 2
WANNABE 16 1
TOP 5
GOS 39 3
CASTLE 32 2
WANNABE 30 1
IMDB
GOS 7.275 3
CASTLE 6.6625 2
WANNABE 6.0125 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 2 2 2 8 2
GOS 3 3 3 3 12 1
WANNABE 1 1 1 1 4 3
Well, John. I have to say that currently, Wannabe's studio is simply not looking so hot. However, he does seem to have the best spanned out schedule for release. Currently GOS has a great lineup and Castle has some great picks too, but everyone has at least one or two stinkers on my list. Who knows this season? Maybe they know something that we don't! Either way, I know my enthusiasm for this year has just taken an abrupt turn. And now for the weather...
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 THE NANNY DIARIES 66 4 8 6.1
6 PENELOPE 11.1 2 0 7.5
7 HALLOWEEN 33 4 6 5.6
8 THE INVASION 60 3 5 5.6
GoS
1 STARDUST 71 3 6 7
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 THE 11TH HOUR 23 11 0 7.7
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
WANNABE
1 SUPERBAD 55 2 6 6.7
2 RUSH HOUR 3 60 2 5 5.2
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 HIT MAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 KING OF KONG:A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS 1.1 0 0 6.9
8 THE ASSASINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
GOS 386.6 3
CASTLE 317.1 2
WANNABE 285.6 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 42 3
CASTLE 25 2
WANNABE 16 1
TOP 5
GOS 39 3
CASTLE 32 2
WANNABE 30 1
IMDB
GOS 7.275 3
CASTLE 6.6625 2
WANNABE 6.0125 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 2 2 2 8 2
GOS 3 3 3 3 12 1
WANNABE 1 1 1 1 4 3
Well, John. I have to say that currently, Wannabe's studio is simply not looking so hot. However, he does seem to have the best spanned out schedule for release. Currently GOS has a great lineup and Castle has some great picks too, but everyone has at least one or two stinkers on my list. Who knows this season? Maybe they know something that we don't! Either way, I know my enthusiasm for this year has just taken an abrupt turn. And now for the weather...
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The Simpsons Movie
'The Ultimate Simpsons Movie!'
Most, if not all of America knows of the Simpsons existence. I'm betting that even the Amish are out in the fields discussing the raucous nature of the long running cartoon comedy show. Created by Matt Groening back in the 80's and then followed with Futurama, which was eventually canceled, the Simpsons have seen a lot of ups and downs. It reenergized interest in traditional animation back in the day before Pixar showed up and it provided a breeding ground for many other series to come. Family Guy, The Tick, and many other cartoon shows would never have happened without the initial breakthrough of The Simpsons. Years later and the show is still going strong, albeit not quite like it used to do. Also, their first movie was just released after years of protesting the idea of making a movie saying if they did they would want the movie to be a great movie and appropriate for the big screen. Well, they succeeded and this is how.
Now, I actually spent a good portion of my summer trying to get more in touch with my inner Simpson. As a child, I was definately a fan of Bart, but I quickly tired of the show. So for most of June and July I borrowed and watched all of seasons 2,3,4, and 6. Yes, I realize I skipped two seasons, but its not like it is a very sequential show to begin with. 18 years later and how old is Bart? Exactly. And honestly, there are a couple of episodes but it inspires as much interest in me as most of the terrible Family Guy episodes now do since it is back. So, I am still not a huge fan of the show and from what I hear age hasn't helped the recent seasons. The film has eleven writers which normally tips me off that this is going to be a terrible film, however, it only has 1 director and this might be the saving point of the film.
The film is obviously directed by 1 very zany, clever, and funny man. I admit that the film does do what I had feared which is riff off of tons of other movies before it, but instead of doing it in a silly manner, it is obvious that the reason why it has eleven writers is so that each of the jokes are perfect. I don't think there was one joke I didn't catch nor one that didn't at least make me chuckle. I especially loved the references to Disney and the fun Silverman had mocking them. The other incredibly nice thing about the film that Family Guy and the Simpsons forgot about in later seasons, is emotion. True, the show is about a highly dysfunctional family that are constantly screwing up everything, but in order for you to care and share in the small triumphs of life with the characters, emotion and relationships between them is important, not the jokes. This film fills up every second with a well-timed joke that leads to a plot point and then another joke and occassionally hitting upon poignant moments between the crumbling family and town of Springfield. The film focuses on The Simpsons, as it should, and discusses the idea of what it means to be a real father. The traditional 2-D animation is augmented by some 3-d CG sometimes and the new characters are quite amusing and fun to watch. As for Spider-Pig...I want the song as a ringtone. In the end the film is excellent and is just the right size proportionately for the big screen. The story pokes fun at everyone and everything in a lighthearted manner that always elicits laughs. And the film feels like a great family film except for one or two curse words. (One uttered by Marge! I know!) I highly recommend this film as a great chapter in the Simpsons world and just to get some great laughs in. Congratulations David Silverman, Matt Groening, James Brooks, and the thousand writers on creating one of the best cartoon movies of this decade so far and on making a great big screen version of your show come to life.
4.6 out of 5
Wannabe
Most, if not all of America knows of the Simpsons existence. I'm betting that even the Amish are out in the fields discussing the raucous nature of the long running cartoon comedy show. Created by Matt Groening back in the 80's and then followed with Futurama, which was eventually canceled, the Simpsons have seen a lot of ups and downs. It reenergized interest in traditional animation back in the day before Pixar showed up and it provided a breeding ground for many other series to come. Family Guy, The Tick, and many other cartoon shows would never have happened without the initial breakthrough of The Simpsons. Years later and the show is still going strong, albeit not quite like it used to do. Also, their first movie was just released after years of protesting the idea of making a movie saying if they did they would want the movie to be a great movie and appropriate for the big screen. Well, they succeeded and this is how.
Now, I actually spent a good portion of my summer trying to get more in touch with my inner Simpson. As a child, I was definately a fan of Bart, but I quickly tired of the show. So for most of June and July I borrowed and watched all of seasons 2,3,4, and 6. Yes, I realize I skipped two seasons, but its not like it is a very sequential show to begin with. 18 years later and how old is Bart? Exactly. And honestly, there are a couple of episodes but it inspires as much interest in me as most of the terrible Family Guy episodes now do since it is back. So, I am still not a huge fan of the show and from what I hear age hasn't helped the recent seasons. The film has eleven writers which normally tips me off that this is going to be a terrible film, however, it only has 1 director and this might be the saving point of the film.
The film is obviously directed by 1 very zany, clever, and funny man. I admit that the film does do what I had feared which is riff off of tons of other movies before it, but instead of doing it in a silly manner, it is obvious that the reason why it has eleven writers is so that each of the jokes are perfect. I don't think there was one joke I didn't catch nor one that didn't at least make me chuckle. I especially loved the references to Disney and the fun Silverman had mocking them. The other incredibly nice thing about the film that Family Guy and the Simpsons forgot about in later seasons, is emotion. True, the show is about a highly dysfunctional family that are constantly screwing up everything, but in order for you to care and share in the small triumphs of life with the characters, emotion and relationships between them is important, not the jokes. This film fills up every second with a well-timed joke that leads to a plot point and then another joke and occassionally hitting upon poignant moments between the crumbling family and town of Springfield. The film focuses on The Simpsons, as it should, and discusses the idea of what it means to be a real father. The traditional 2-D animation is augmented by some 3-d CG sometimes and the new characters are quite amusing and fun to watch. As for Spider-Pig...I want the song as a ringtone. In the end the film is excellent and is just the right size proportionately for the big screen. The story pokes fun at everyone and everything in a lighthearted manner that always elicits laughs. And the film feels like a great family film except for one or two curse words. (One uttered by Marge! I know!) I highly recommend this film as a great chapter in the Simpsons world and just to get some great laughs in. Congratulations David Silverman, Matt Groening, James Brooks, and the thousand writers on creating one of the best cartoon movies of this decade so far and on making a great big screen version of your show come to life.
4.6 out of 5
Wannabe
Monday, July 30, 2007
Fanatix Indie League FINALE!!!
Alright fellas, well we've had some fun guessing and I've had some fun writing stories for each of you. Unfortunately, the time had come for this league to end. It was supposed to end July 30th and so it shall. With that in mind, here is the most recent up to date standings. Also, know that I will soon be sending invites today probably for a new season to start next week, so be vigilant and quick so that I might further your hallows of glory!
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 $RATATOUILLE 179.68 5 13 8.5
2 $PAPRIKA 0.73 4 0 7.9
3 $NO RESERVATIONS 11.75 0 1 6.5
4 $SIMPSONS 71.85 5 5 8.6
5 $*DAY WATCH 0.43 1 0 7.1
6 $*BUG 7 0 2 6.8
7 $ONCE 6 8 0 8.6
8 $EAGLE VS. SHARK 0.2 3 0 7.2
GoS
1 $TRANSFORMERS 284.5 4 11 7.9
2 $EVENING 12.4 0 0 7.1
3 $OCEAN'S 13 114.5 4 11 7.3
4 $NANCY DREW 24.7 0 0 6
5 $GOLDEN DOOR 0.82 6 0 7.2
6 $*YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 0.002 0 0 7.5
7 $INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS 0.3 0 0 7.3
8 $*EVEN MONEY 0.06 0 0 5.9
WANNABE
1 $KNOCKED UP 145.1 7 11 8.1
2 $SURF'S UP 57.3 0 3 7.2
3 $FF4 128.8 5 9 6.3
4 $BLACK SHEEP 0.06 0 0 6.6
5 $RESCUE DAWN 3 7 0 8.6
6 $I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY 71.6 5 9 6.4
7 $SICKO 21.5 9 0 8.5
8 $*FIDO 0.3 0 0 7.5
WILLO
1 $EVAN ALMIGHTY 96.2 3 9 5.9
2 $HP5 241.7 6 12 7.8
3 $HAIRSPRAY 59.3 2 5 8.1
4 $LIVE FREE OF DIE HARD 125.1 3 9 7.9
5 $*HOSTEL II 17.6 0 0 5.6
6 $*SEVERANCE 0.14 0 0 6.8
7 $CAPTIVITY 2.57 0 0 4.8
8 $*MR. BROOKS 28.2 0 2 7.7
BO RANKINGS
WILLO 570.81 4
GOS 437.282 3
WANNABE 427.66 2
CASTLE 277.64 1
PTA RANKINGS
WANNABE 33 4
CASTLE 26 3
GOS 14 2
WILLO 14 1
TOP 5
WILLO 37 4
WANNABE 32 3
GOS 22 2
CASTLE 21 1
IMDB
CASTLE 7.65 4
WANNABE 7.4 3
GOS 7.025 2
WILLO 6.825 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 3 1 4 9 3
GOS 3 1.5 2 2 8.5 4
WANNABE 2 4 3 3 12 1
WILLO 4 1.5 4 1 10.5 2
Well, as you can see from the rankings, I win! And GOS barely loses to Castle by .5 points since GOS and WILLO tied in PTA. I credit my ability to stay alive to I now pronounce you chuck and larry since it gave me excellent PTA, TOP 5, and BO right toward the end before the IMDB score could drop too low. Castle's simpsons is doing and will do well...but it was a little late and No Reservations is a flop. Harry Potter keeps on going as well as Hairpsray! So there you are gents, Send me the top 20 list for the next season and I shall set it up to start on next monday after the draft on Sunday! Peace!
Wannabe
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 $RATATOUILLE 179.68 5 13 8.5
2 $PAPRIKA 0.73 4 0 7.9
3 $NO RESERVATIONS 11.75 0 1 6.5
4 $SIMPSONS 71.85 5 5 8.6
5 $*DAY WATCH 0.43 1 0 7.1
6 $*BUG 7 0 2 6.8
7 $ONCE 6 8 0 8.6
8 $EAGLE VS. SHARK 0.2 3 0 7.2
GoS
1 $TRANSFORMERS 284.5 4 11 7.9
2 $EVENING 12.4 0 0 7.1
3 $OCEAN'S 13 114.5 4 11 7.3
4 $NANCY DREW 24.7 0 0 6
5 $GOLDEN DOOR 0.82 6 0 7.2
6 $*YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 0.002 0 0 7.5
7 $INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS 0.3 0 0 7.3
8 $*EVEN MONEY 0.06 0 0 5.9
WANNABE
1 $KNOCKED UP 145.1 7 11 8.1
2 $SURF'S UP 57.3 0 3 7.2
3 $FF4 128.8 5 9 6.3
4 $BLACK SHEEP 0.06 0 0 6.6
5 $RESCUE DAWN 3 7 0 8.6
6 $I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY 71.6 5 9 6.4
7 $SICKO 21.5 9 0 8.5
8 $*FIDO 0.3 0 0 7.5
WILLO
1 $EVAN ALMIGHTY 96.2 3 9 5.9
2 $HP5 241.7 6 12 7.8
3 $HAIRSPRAY 59.3 2 5 8.1
4 $LIVE FREE OF DIE HARD 125.1 3 9 7.9
5 $*HOSTEL II 17.6 0 0 5.6
6 $*SEVERANCE 0.14 0 0 6.8
7 $CAPTIVITY 2.57 0 0 4.8
8 $*MR. BROOKS 28.2 0 2 7.7
BO RANKINGS
WILLO 570.81 4
GOS 437.282 3
WANNABE 427.66 2
CASTLE 277.64 1
PTA RANKINGS
WANNABE 33 4
CASTLE 26 3
GOS 14 2
WILLO 14 1
TOP 5
WILLO 37 4
WANNABE 32 3
GOS 22 2
CASTLE 21 1
IMDB
CASTLE 7.65 4
WANNABE 7.4 3
GOS 7.025 2
WILLO 6.825 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 3 1 4 9 3
GOS 3 1.5 2 2 8.5 4
WANNABE 2 4 3 3 12 1
WILLO 4 1.5 4 1 10.5 2
Well, as you can see from the rankings, I win! And GOS barely loses to Castle by .5 points since GOS and WILLO tied in PTA. I credit my ability to stay alive to I now pronounce you chuck and larry since it gave me excellent PTA, TOP 5, and BO right toward the end before the IMDB score could drop too low. Castle's simpsons is doing and will do well...but it was a little late and No Reservations is a flop. Harry Potter keeps on going as well as Hairpsray! So there you are gents, Send me the top 20 list for the next season and I shall set it up to start on next monday after the draft on Sunday! Peace!
Wannabe
Monday, July 23, 2007
Ghost Rider
'Ghost Story Rides Away With Itself'
When Ghost Rider first came out, I wasn't sure what to do. The comic books were never the most outstanding things ever, but the concept of Ghost Rider is the friggin coolest and most badass concept ever. The bounty hunter of Satan who turns against him to save the innocent and tick off Satan. He rides a bike and uses a chain and has a flaming skull. This opens up all sorts of AWESOME ideas for storylines and what all. plus creates a badass looking character. Then again, no one has been able to get his origin story down well. So with this lense I will destroy this movie.
Mark Steven Johnson was the first tip off. The guy directed Daredevil which I wasn't too afraid of, but then he wrote Elektra which made me choke on my phlegm and bile a little. I hear he's currently working on the Preacher series for HBO...which I hope is completely false or his best work to date. Ghost Rider, however, was written by him as well and there are some good things to say about it. Like the fact that the Ghost Rider gets a pretty good origin tale in it that should function as his tale. Unfortunately, the dialogue is terrifyingly stilted and the situations in which the actors are supposed to draw a line for continuity are badly set and the characters actions make no sense. Yes, I'm looking at Eva Mendes and her character who comes to Cage's apartment after having been stood up twice by the love of her life and then telling him he has one last chance. WHAT? Seriously, I have respect for women and I would like to think that even the dumbest woman would have enough dignity to not go a-begging like that. I did like the touch of the four elements, horsemen of the apocalypse that work with Blackheart the main bad guy as it forced the Rider to get creative and it brought a certain literary aspect to the picture that was quietly amusing. For the rest though, its about as good as roasted poo on a stick. Sure it might look cooler and cling more, but damn its stench reeks.
The CG for the film is AWFUL. I understand that fire and flaming skulls are hard to do convincingly, but man it looked like an 80's character. Thankfuly the motorbike is awesome and I want it. The elementals were very eh, and felt incredibly jobberish. The main two villains of Blackheart and Satan are played well but the choice to have Blackheart look human I'm still out on. And that whole bit with Mark Slade was completely foreseeable. Sure some of the cinematic choices were dynamic in a very Michael Bay fashion, but even that can't save a crappy film. Neither could Cage's honest attempt at portraying Johnny Blaze help. Cage does really well for his part though. Eva Mendes, not so much. In the end, the film stinks but its great for some laughs if you want to recapture some of the cheesy 80's feel with some 60's dialogue. Trust me, its a funny combination.
1.8 out of 5
Wannabe
When Ghost Rider first came out, I wasn't sure what to do. The comic books were never the most outstanding things ever, but the concept of Ghost Rider is the friggin coolest and most badass concept ever. The bounty hunter of Satan who turns against him to save the innocent and tick off Satan. He rides a bike and uses a chain and has a flaming skull. This opens up all sorts of AWESOME ideas for storylines and what all. plus creates a badass looking character. Then again, no one has been able to get his origin story down well. So with this lense I will destroy this movie.
Mark Steven Johnson was the first tip off. The guy directed Daredevil which I wasn't too afraid of, but then he wrote Elektra which made me choke on my phlegm and bile a little. I hear he's currently working on the Preacher series for HBO...which I hope is completely false or his best work to date. Ghost Rider, however, was written by him as well and there are some good things to say about it. Like the fact that the Ghost Rider gets a pretty good origin tale in it that should function as his tale. Unfortunately, the dialogue is terrifyingly stilted and the situations in which the actors are supposed to draw a line for continuity are badly set and the characters actions make no sense. Yes, I'm looking at Eva Mendes and her character who comes to Cage's apartment after having been stood up twice by the love of her life and then telling him he has one last chance. WHAT? Seriously, I have respect for women and I would like to think that even the dumbest woman would have enough dignity to not go a-begging like that. I did like the touch of the four elements, horsemen of the apocalypse that work with Blackheart the main bad guy as it forced the Rider to get creative and it brought a certain literary aspect to the picture that was quietly amusing. For the rest though, its about as good as roasted poo on a stick. Sure it might look cooler and cling more, but damn its stench reeks.
The CG for the film is AWFUL. I understand that fire and flaming skulls are hard to do convincingly, but man it looked like an 80's character. Thankfuly the motorbike is awesome and I want it. The elementals were very eh, and felt incredibly jobberish. The main two villains of Blackheart and Satan are played well but the choice to have Blackheart look human I'm still out on. And that whole bit with Mark Slade was completely foreseeable. Sure some of the cinematic choices were dynamic in a very Michael Bay fashion, but even that can't save a crappy film. Neither could Cage's honest attempt at portraying Johnny Blaze help. Cage does really well for his part though. Eva Mendes, not so much. In the end, the film stinks but its great for some laughs if you want to recapture some of the cheesy 80's feel with some 60's dialogue. Trust me, its a funny combination.
1.8 out of 5
Wannabe
Fanatix Indie League Update
Coming close to the finish line!!!! Don't forget, the competition ends on the 30th of this month. I will be sending out invites for a new league draft/round soonish. I hope you have enjoyed the small anecdotal stories and I look forward to hopefully continuing them into the next part of the Fanatix season. Here's how everything is looking so far!
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 $RATATOUILLE 165.6 5 13 8.6
2 $PAPRIKA 0.7 4 0 7.9
3 NO RESERVATIONS 38 0 1 6
4 SIMPSONS 100 4 9 6.9
5 $*DAY WATCH 0.35 1 0 7.1
6 $*BUG 7 0 2 6.8
7 $ONCE 5.5 8 0 8.6
8 $EAGLE VS. SHARK 0.17 3 0 7.2
GoS
1 $TRANSFORMERS 263 4 11 8
2 $EVENING 12 0 0 7
3 $OCEAN'S 13 114.5 4 11 7.3
4 $NANCY DREW 24.4 0 0 6
5 $GOLDEN DOOR 0.74 6 0 7.2
6 $*YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 0.002 0 0 7.7
7 $INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS 0.25 0 0 7.4
8 $*EVEN MONEY 0.06 0 0 5.9
WANNABE
1 $KNOCKED UP 142.7 7 11 8.1
2 $SURF'S UP 57.1 0 3 7.2
3 $FF4 128.8 5 9 6.3
4 $BLACK SHEEP 0.06 0 0 6.6
5 $RESCUE DAWN 1.1 7 0 8.6
6 $I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY 34.7 4 5 6.7
7 $SICKO 19.1 9 0 8.5
8 $*FIDO 0.3 0 0 7.5
WILLO
1 $EVAN ALMIGHTY 93.5 3 9 6
2 $HP5 207.5 6 9 7.8
3 $HAIRSPRAY 27.8 2 3 8
4 $LIVE FREE OF DIE HARD 116.5 3 9 8
5 $*HOSTEL II 17.6 0 0 5.5
6 $*SEVERANCE 0.14 0 0 6.8
7 $CAPTIVITY 2.4 0 0 4.9
8 $*MR. BROOKS 28.1 0 2 7.7
BO RANKINGS
WILLO 493.54 4
GOS 414.952 3
WANNABE 383.86 2
CASTLE 317.32 1
PTA RANKINGS
WANNABE 32 4
CASTLE 25 3
GOS 14 2
WILLO 14 1
TOP 5
WILLO 32 4
WANNABE 28 3
CASTLE 25 2
GOS 22 1
IMDB
WANNABE 7.4375 4
CASTLE 7.3875 3
GOS 7.0625 2
WILLO 6.8375 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 3 2 3 9 3
GOS 3 2 1 2 8 4
WANNABE 2 4 3 4 13 1
WILLO 4 1 4 1 10 2
So, I am still in the lead and barely hanging on. I doubt I'll be able to recoup my losses in the BO rank before the end of the season. Castle surely won't be able to since he has two new movies coming out just days before the end of the season. My IMDB score might suffer some due to Chuck and Larry which might give some points to Castle from my spot. However, with the popularity of Sandler, I can probably expect to hang on to more top 5 points next week and maybe some PTA. Ian's Introducing the Dwights is a pretty big flop, however he is making up for everything with Transformers which might or might not be around for more top 5 and PTA next week. I'm betting Castle's Simpsons movie grabs some top 5 and maybe some PTA. Unfortunately for Willo, the outlook of his recent release Hairspray isn't looking too good and it might be safe to say that he is probably done earning PTA and Top 5 points on everything except Potter. As this season comes to a close, the flexibility in the ranking becomes more rigid, however, the scores have also become much more closer. Cheers gentlemen and I will talk to you soon next week!
Wannabe
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 $RATATOUILLE 165.6 5 13 8.6
2 $PAPRIKA 0.7 4 0 7.9
3 NO RESERVATIONS 38 0 1 6
4 SIMPSONS 100 4 9 6.9
5 $*DAY WATCH 0.35 1 0 7.1
6 $*BUG 7 0 2 6.8
7 $ONCE 5.5 8 0 8.6
8 $EAGLE VS. SHARK 0.17 3 0 7.2
GoS
1 $TRANSFORMERS 263 4 11 8
2 $EVENING 12 0 0 7
3 $OCEAN'S 13 114.5 4 11 7.3
4 $NANCY DREW 24.4 0 0 6
5 $GOLDEN DOOR 0.74 6 0 7.2
6 $*YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 0.002 0 0 7.7
7 $INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS 0.25 0 0 7.4
8 $*EVEN MONEY 0.06 0 0 5.9
WANNABE
1 $KNOCKED UP 142.7 7 11 8.1
2 $SURF'S UP 57.1 0 3 7.2
3 $FF4 128.8 5 9 6.3
4 $BLACK SHEEP 0.06 0 0 6.6
5 $RESCUE DAWN 1.1 7 0 8.6
6 $I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY 34.7 4 5 6.7
7 $SICKO 19.1 9 0 8.5
8 $*FIDO 0.3 0 0 7.5
WILLO
1 $EVAN ALMIGHTY 93.5 3 9 6
2 $HP5 207.5 6 9 7.8
3 $HAIRSPRAY 27.8 2 3 8
4 $LIVE FREE OF DIE HARD 116.5 3 9 8
5 $*HOSTEL II 17.6 0 0 5.5
6 $*SEVERANCE 0.14 0 0 6.8
7 $CAPTIVITY 2.4 0 0 4.9
8 $*MR. BROOKS 28.1 0 2 7.7
BO RANKINGS
WILLO 493.54 4
GOS 414.952 3
WANNABE 383.86 2
CASTLE 317.32 1
PTA RANKINGS
WANNABE 32 4
CASTLE 25 3
GOS 14 2
WILLO 14 1
TOP 5
WILLO 32 4
WANNABE 28 3
CASTLE 25 2
GOS 22 1
IMDB
WANNABE 7.4375 4
CASTLE 7.3875 3
GOS 7.0625 2
WILLO 6.8375 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 3 2 3 9 3
GOS 3 2 1 2 8 4
WANNABE 2 4 3 4 13 1
WILLO 4 1 4 1 10 2
So, I am still in the lead and barely hanging on. I doubt I'll be able to recoup my losses in the BO rank before the end of the season. Castle surely won't be able to since he has two new movies coming out just days before the end of the season. My IMDB score might suffer some due to Chuck and Larry which might give some points to Castle from my spot. However, with the popularity of Sandler, I can probably expect to hang on to more top 5 points next week and maybe some PTA. Ian's Introducing the Dwights is a pretty big flop, however he is making up for everything with Transformers which might or might not be around for more top 5 and PTA next week. I'm betting Castle's Simpsons movie grabs some top 5 and maybe some PTA. Unfortunately for Willo, the outlook of his recent release Hairspray isn't looking too good and it might be safe to say that he is probably done earning PTA and Top 5 points on everything except Potter. As this season comes to a close, the flexibility in the ranking becomes more rigid, however, the scores have also become much more closer. Cheers gentlemen and I will talk to you soon next week!
Wannabe
Monday, July 16, 2007
Fanatix Indie League Update
Here you go fellas. With all the competition I'm currently on top but with the last few weeks coming to a close, I can guarantee I will fall mightily once my last predicted film has to become a reality. Sad. Here we are!
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 $RATATOUILLE 142.9 5 12 8.6
2 $PAPRIKA 0.68 4 0 7.9
3 NO RESERVATIONS 38 0 1 6
4 SIMPSONS 100 4 9 6.9
5 $*DAY WATCH 0.35 1 0 7.1
6 $*BUG 7 0 2 6.9
7 $ONCE 5 8 0 8.6
8 $EAGLE VS. SHARK 0.16 3 0 7.2
GoS
1 $TRANSFORMERS 224 4 9 8
2 $EVENING 10.8 0 0 7.1
3 $OCEAN'S 13 112.5 4 11 7.3
4 $NANCY DREW 24.1 0 0 6
5 $GOLDEN DOOR 0.7 6 0 7.2
6 $*YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 0.002 0 0 8
7 $INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS 0.14 0 0 7.4
8 $*EVEN MONEY 0.06 0 0 5.9
WANNABE
1 $KNOCKED UP 138.2 7 11 8.1
2 $SURF'S UP 56.8 0 3 7.3
3 $FF4 127.2 5 9 6.4
4 $BLACK SHEEP 0.05 0 0 6.6
5 $RESCUE DAWN 0.6 7 0 8.7
6 I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY 125 6 9 6.9
7 $SICKO 15.8 9 0 8.5
8 $*FIDO 0.3 0 0 7.5
WILLO
1 $EVAN ALMIGHTY 87.7 3 9 6
2 $HP5 139.7 5 5 8.1
3 HAIRSPRAY 60 2 4 5.9
4 $LIVE FREE OF DIE HARD 103.3 3 9 8
5 $*HOSTEL II 17.6 0 0 5.6
6 $*SEVERANCE 0.14 0 0 6.8
7 $CAPTIVITY 1.4 0 0 5.1
8 $MR. BROOKS 28.1 0 2 7.7
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 463.95 4
WILLO 437.94 3
GOS 372.302 2
CASTLE 294.09 1
PTA RANKINGS
WANNABE 34 4
CASTLE 25 3
GOS 14 2
WILLO 13 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 32 4
WILLO 29 3
CASTLE 24 2
GOS 20 1
IMDB
WANNABE 7.5 4
CASTLE 7.4 3
GOS 7.1125 2
WILLO 6.65 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 3 2 3 9 2
GOS 2 2 1 2 7 4
WANNABE 4 4 4 4 16 1
WILLO 3 1 3 1 8 3
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 $RATATOUILLE 142.9 5 12 8.6
2 $PAPRIKA 0.68 4 0 7.9
3 NO RESERVATIONS 38 0 1 6
4 SIMPSONS 100 4 9 6.9
5 $*DAY WATCH 0.35 1 0 7.1
6 $*BUG 7 0 2 6.9
7 $ONCE 5 8 0 8.6
8 $EAGLE VS. SHARK 0.16 3 0 7.2
GoS
1 $TRANSFORMERS 224 4 9 8
2 $EVENING 10.8 0 0 7.1
3 $OCEAN'S 13 112.5 4 11 7.3
4 $NANCY DREW 24.1 0 0 6
5 $GOLDEN DOOR 0.7 6 0 7.2
6 $*YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 0.002 0 0 8
7 $INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS 0.14 0 0 7.4
8 $*EVEN MONEY 0.06 0 0 5.9
WANNABE
1 $KNOCKED UP 138.2 7 11 8.1
2 $SURF'S UP 56.8 0 3 7.3
3 $FF4 127.2 5 9 6.4
4 $BLACK SHEEP 0.05 0 0 6.6
5 $RESCUE DAWN 0.6 7 0 8.7
6 I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY 125 6 9 6.9
7 $SICKO 15.8 9 0 8.5
8 $*FIDO 0.3 0 0 7.5
WILLO
1 $EVAN ALMIGHTY 87.7 3 9 6
2 $HP5 139.7 5 5 8.1
3 HAIRSPRAY 60 2 4 5.9
4 $LIVE FREE OF DIE HARD 103.3 3 9 8
5 $*HOSTEL II 17.6 0 0 5.6
6 $*SEVERANCE 0.14 0 0 6.8
7 $CAPTIVITY 1.4 0 0 5.1
8 $MR. BROOKS 28.1 0 2 7.7
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 463.95 4
WILLO 437.94 3
GOS 372.302 2
CASTLE 294.09 1
PTA RANKINGS
WANNABE 34 4
CASTLE 25 3
GOS 14 2
WILLO 13 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 32 4
WILLO 29 3
CASTLE 24 2
GOS 20 1
IMDB
WANNABE 7.5 4
CASTLE 7.4 3
GOS 7.1125 2
WILLO 6.65 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 3 2 3 9 2
GOS 2 2 1 2 7 4
WANNABE 4 4 4 4 16 1
WILLO 3 1 3 1 8 3
Friday, July 13, 2007
Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix
'Harry Potter and the Order of Emoting'
Before I rant and rave a bit, know that one the way back I was completely rebuked by the people who I saw this with who thought this movie was excellent...however, they also strongly disliked Harry Potter 3 and 4 for reasons that sounded bizarre and completely contrary to my views on the films. So, let me delve in.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in my opinion, is the worst of all the films so far. The visual style is lacking for the most part in originality. The dialogue is stilted and delivered a bit too obviously. Oh, and the whole Harry angst whiney thing that he ALWAYS does, which was heavily prevalent in the book, comes out well enough for me to despise it. I liked the book for being darker than the last one but honestly, all the crap with Harry Potter as a maturing teen going through angst ticks me off since he can never do much more than whine and feel mistrusted. I understand that each novel is a different lesson in growing up and I have actually come to appreciate the structure and intelligence of the novels, although it did take me a while. However, I was informed that not enough of Harry's angst was in the film, which I completely disagree with since I could barely stand to watch the screen whenever he felt "alone". Harry is the weakest protagonist I have ever seen. Each book he requires others to insure that he learns a lesson which he is unable to learn quickly and easily on his own. Just not my taste.
Anyhow, the film. The film starts off promising with some great visuals and editing, somewhat disorienting, but really promising and well done. But soon after Harry leaves the normal world and comes to Hogwarts, the story becomes a bit too...angsty for my taste. The style soon becomes a very obvious continuance of the style employed in the fourth film to make everything seem darker. Thankfully, Yates seems to understand how to make some great beautiful moments, however they are so far apart and the main three actors have such a hard time holding their own without overdoing everything. Radcliffe has come far, but still struggles and the editing is lazy at best. Rupert Grint has a lesser role and as such can't let his natural charm come across as much and when it does, the laughing moments aren't usually funny seeing as how they seem like a complete rehash of previous Ronald Weasley "moments" from other films. Hermione is simply overdone. Most of the beautiful moments in this film come from practically everyone else but the three main characters and the beginning, the ending, and the bit with the destruction of the O.W.L.s comes to mind of particular great visualization. Also, the Black estate is well done if scantily used. I must say, that although I had a very different vision of the death in the novel, I must applaud Yates subtle and great handling of it. The best part of the movie though belongs to Dolores Umbridge played with panache by Dolores Umbridge and Sirius Black who is otherwise known as Gary Oldman. Oldman makes the scenes work that he is in and a better choice for Sirius Black could never have been found. Also well done is Michael Gambon's Albert Dumbeldore who really steps up his game in this film and convinces me that Dumbeldore should be in control of Hogwarts. Alan Rickman as Snape is always a pleasure. Even the Weasley brothers and Luna Lovegoode are excellently handled.
Conclusion:
To be fair, the story is told with some flashes of brilliance occassionally and the rest at a low hum. A lot of the effects, settings, and plot works well enough. Most of the actors are great to watch with some standing out more than others due to the script from newcomer Michael Goldenberg. However, I think maybe I just didn't like the story as much in this one. I honestly am terribly uncomfortable and dislike teen angst stories usually. The main actors didn't impress me and could be seen as taking a step back in some cases in acting styles. However, I highly doubt that my tale of discouragement and dislike of this film will stop the Potterites and influence any of them. No one will ever agree with me on this point, which is fine. Unfortunately, now I am stuck with at least one more film of Potter and Yates. Hopefully Yates will surprise me and the dialogue won't be so bloody obvious about EVERYTHING thanks to the return of Steve Kloves as scripter. One last chance Yates, one last one.
3.3 out of 5
Wannabe
Before I rant and rave a bit, know that one the way back I was completely rebuked by the people who I saw this with who thought this movie was excellent...however, they also strongly disliked Harry Potter 3 and 4 for reasons that sounded bizarre and completely contrary to my views on the films. So, let me delve in.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in my opinion, is the worst of all the films so far. The visual style is lacking for the most part in originality. The dialogue is stilted and delivered a bit too obviously. Oh, and the whole Harry angst whiney thing that he ALWAYS does, which was heavily prevalent in the book, comes out well enough for me to despise it. I liked the book for being darker than the last one but honestly, all the crap with Harry Potter as a maturing teen going through angst ticks me off since he can never do much more than whine and feel mistrusted. I understand that each novel is a different lesson in growing up and I have actually come to appreciate the structure and intelligence of the novels, although it did take me a while. However, I was informed that not enough of Harry's angst was in the film, which I completely disagree with since I could barely stand to watch the screen whenever he felt "alone". Harry is the weakest protagonist I have ever seen. Each book he requires others to insure that he learns a lesson which he is unable to learn quickly and easily on his own. Just not my taste.
Anyhow, the film. The film starts off promising with some great visuals and editing, somewhat disorienting, but really promising and well done. But soon after Harry leaves the normal world and comes to Hogwarts, the story becomes a bit too...angsty for my taste. The style soon becomes a very obvious continuance of the style employed in the fourth film to make everything seem darker. Thankfully, Yates seems to understand how to make some great beautiful moments, however they are so far apart and the main three actors have such a hard time holding their own without overdoing everything. Radcliffe has come far, but still struggles and the editing is lazy at best. Rupert Grint has a lesser role and as such can't let his natural charm come across as much and when it does, the laughing moments aren't usually funny seeing as how they seem like a complete rehash of previous Ronald Weasley "moments" from other films. Hermione is simply overdone. Most of the beautiful moments in this film come from practically everyone else but the three main characters and the beginning, the ending, and the bit with the destruction of the O.W.L.s comes to mind of particular great visualization. Also, the Black estate is well done if scantily used. I must say, that although I had a very different vision of the death in the novel, I must applaud Yates subtle and great handling of it. The best part of the movie though belongs to Dolores Umbridge played with panache by Dolores Umbridge and Sirius Black who is otherwise known as Gary Oldman. Oldman makes the scenes work that he is in and a better choice for Sirius Black could never have been found. Also well done is Michael Gambon's Albert Dumbeldore who really steps up his game in this film and convinces me that Dumbeldore should be in control of Hogwarts. Alan Rickman as Snape is always a pleasure. Even the Weasley brothers and Luna Lovegoode are excellently handled.
Conclusion:
To be fair, the story is told with some flashes of brilliance occassionally and the rest at a low hum. A lot of the effects, settings, and plot works well enough. Most of the actors are great to watch with some standing out more than others due to the script from newcomer Michael Goldenberg. However, I think maybe I just didn't like the story as much in this one. I honestly am terribly uncomfortable and dislike teen angst stories usually. The main actors didn't impress me and could be seen as taking a step back in some cases in acting styles. However, I highly doubt that my tale of discouragement and dislike of this film will stop the Potterites and influence any of them. No one will ever agree with me on this point, which is fine. Unfortunately, now I am stuck with at least one more film of Potter and Yates. Hopefully Yates will surprise me and the dialogue won't be so bloody obvious about EVERYTHING thanks to the return of Steve Kloves as scripter. One last chance Yates, one last one.
3.3 out of 5
Wannabe
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Ratatouille
'Bird flies again with Ratatouille'
Brad Bird is the little animation genius that could. Seriously. Some people started doubting Pixar back when Cars came out and they weren't as impressed as they had been. Not sure why really, but they were. Well, they are no longer allowed to gripe. Pixar houses many monumental talents including Brad Bird and John Lasseter. Considering Bird made this film after Jan Pinkava quit and he had to start from scratch for the project makes it all the more stunning when I say that this is by far the BEST Pixar film yet.
Ratatouille, unless you have been living in a windowless cave with no television (WHAT?) you should know, is about a rat that wants to be more and desires to cook who teams up with an awkward and highly unskilled boy to try and cook in a famous restaurant in Paris. The story is pretty simple on the outside, but it is not the mindblowing concept that wows us, or even the great animation, its how Bird weaves everything together to create fleshed out characters and story arcs for EVERYONE. Sure the main characters get the good stuff, but even the periphery characters have great arcs and are excellently voiced. My one gripe is the cliched cooking romance, but at least this film doesn't go off the deep end with it. Plus, its a Disney film, of course it is going to be full of cliches. I especially love the well thought out details such as Remy working as the poison detector for all of the rats at first. The film also does several references to the film's title which helps to solidify in my mind what I think the movie is actually about. Let's see, the motto is that anyone can cook, a rat is the main character who ends the movie by cooking a kickass peasant dish called ratatouille. Essentially emphasizing the fact that the poorest and/or dirtiest creatures in the world still have something to offer of worth. Also, sometimes its better to stick to your roots. Thinking back now, this film reminds me a lot of other films at times like Oliver! and Secrets of the Rats of N.I.M.H. If nothing else, the character of Anton Ego, the food critic in the film is entirely ripped off from the pervasively spooky style of Tim Burton. Seriously, my favorite little bit was that his room was in the shape of a coffin.
As for voice acting, no one does a bad job ever. Patton Oswalt, an unknown to me, does a great job as the rat Remy and needs to prepare for a career in animation at least. Loe Romano as Linguini is hilarious and perfectly captures Linguini's awkwardness without making him sound pubescent. Peter O'Toole is excellent as the villainous Ego. Although I approve of it in the end, I would have never suspected Collette to have been played by Janeane Garofalo since there weren't any terrible flat obtrusive jokes on her part. In the end there isn't one bad performance. The animation is top notch as always and the imagination is cranked high for this Disney film. I'm sure I'll be analyzing this film for screenplay reasons later. Til then, I recommend watching The Incredibles which is Bird's other Pixar movie, or The Iron Giant which was pre-Pixar. If that doesn't work for you, then just go watch the first few seasons of The Simpsons where he worked as an executive consultant. Yea, isn't that cool?
4.6 out of 5
Wannabe
Brad Bird is the little animation genius that could. Seriously. Some people started doubting Pixar back when Cars came out and they weren't as impressed as they had been. Not sure why really, but they were. Well, they are no longer allowed to gripe. Pixar houses many monumental talents including Brad Bird and John Lasseter. Considering Bird made this film after Jan Pinkava quit and he had to start from scratch for the project makes it all the more stunning when I say that this is by far the BEST Pixar film yet.
Ratatouille, unless you have been living in a windowless cave with no television (WHAT?) you should know, is about a rat that wants to be more and desires to cook who teams up with an awkward and highly unskilled boy to try and cook in a famous restaurant in Paris. The story is pretty simple on the outside, but it is not the mindblowing concept that wows us, or even the great animation, its how Bird weaves everything together to create fleshed out characters and story arcs for EVERYONE. Sure the main characters get the good stuff, but even the periphery characters have great arcs and are excellently voiced. My one gripe is the cliched cooking romance, but at least this film doesn't go off the deep end with it. Plus, its a Disney film, of course it is going to be full of cliches. I especially love the well thought out details such as Remy working as the poison detector for all of the rats at first. The film also does several references to the film's title which helps to solidify in my mind what I think the movie is actually about. Let's see, the motto is that anyone can cook, a rat is the main character who ends the movie by cooking a kickass peasant dish called ratatouille. Essentially emphasizing the fact that the poorest and/or dirtiest creatures in the world still have something to offer of worth. Also, sometimes its better to stick to your roots. Thinking back now, this film reminds me a lot of other films at times like Oliver! and Secrets of the Rats of N.I.M.H. If nothing else, the character of Anton Ego, the food critic in the film is entirely ripped off from the pervasively spooky style of Tim Burton. Seriously, my favorite little bit was that his room was in the shape of a coffin.
As for voice acting, no one does a bad job ever. Patton Oswalt, an unknown to me, does a great job as the rat Remy and needs to prepare for a career in animation at least. Loe Romano as Linguini is hilarious and perfectly captures Linguini's awkwardness without making him sound pubescent. Peter O'Toole is excellent as the villainous Ego. Although I approve of it in the end, I would have never suspected Collette to have been played by Janeane Garofalo since there weren't any terrible flat obtrusive jokes on her part. In the end there isn't one bad performance. The animation is top notch as always and the imagination is cranked high for this Disney film. I'm sure I'll be analyzing this film for screenplay reasons later. Til then, I recommend watching The Incredibles which is Bird's other Pixar movie, or The Iron Giant which was pre-Pixar. If that doesn't work for you, then just go watch the first few seasons of The Simpsons where he worked as an executive consultant. Yea, isn't that cool?
4.6 out of 5
Wannabe
Monday, July 9, 2007
Fanatix Indie League Update
Once again, here we go with the weekly update and soon I will have a review out for Ratatouille. Here ya go!
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 $RATATOUILLE 109.5 5 9 8.7
2 $PAPRIKA 0.64 4 0 8
3 NO RESERVATIONS 38 0 1 6
4 SIMPSONS 100 4 9 6.9
5 $*DAY WATCH 0.35 1 0 7.1
6 $*BUG 7 0 2 6.9
7 $ONCE 4.5 8 0 8.6
8 $EAGLE VS. SHARK 0.14 3 0 7.2
GoS
1 $TRANSFORMERS 155.4 4 5 8.1
2 $EVENING 8.3 0 0 7.1
3 $OCEAN'S 13 109.1 4 11 7.3
4 $NANCY DREW 23.2 0 0 6
5 $GOLDEN DOOR 0.6 6 0 7.2
6 $*YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 0.002 0 0 8.4
7 $INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS 0.04 0 0 7.6
8 $*EVEN MONEY 0.06 0 0 5.9
WANNABE
1 $KNOCKED UP 132 7 11 8.2
2 $SURF'S UP 56 0 3 7.3
3 $FF4 123.8 5 9 6.4
4 $BLACK SHEEP 0.04 0 0 6.6
5 $RESCUE DAWN 0.1 5 0 8.8
6 I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY 125 6 9 6.9
7 $SICKO 11.4 9 0 8.5
8 $FIDO 0.3 0 0 7.5
WILLO
1 $EVAN ALMIGHTY 78.7 3 9 6.1
2 HP5 230 9 13 7.6
3 HAIRSPRAY 60 2 4 5.9
4 $LIVE FREE OF DIE HARD 84.4 3 7 8.1
5 $*HOSTEL II 17.6 0 0 5.6
6 $*SEVERANCE 0.14 0 0 6.8
7 CAPTIVITY 12.9 0 0 4.9
8 $MR. BROOKS 28 0 2 7.7
BO RANKINGS
WILLO 511.74 4
WANNABE 448.64 3
GOS 296.702 2
CASTLE 260.13 1
PTA RANKINGS
WANNABE 32 4
CASTLE 25 3
WILLO 17 2
GOS 14 1
TOP 5
WILLO 35 4
WANNABE 32 3
CASTLE 21 2
GOS 16 1
IMDB
WANNABE 7.525 4
CASTLE 7.425 3
GOS 7.2 2
WILLO 6.5875 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 3 2 3 9 4
GOS 2 1 1 2 6 2
WANNABE 3 4 3 4 14 1
WILLO 4 2 4 1 11 2
Alright gents, you know the drill. I'm afraid that the God of Shadows slate is no longer changeable, let's hope then that he chose well as Transformers would indicate since he earned 155 million dollars in a week. He should easily be able to get it over 200 million. Causing all sorts of havoc. I guess that his current predicament is just because his movie was released and he can no longer stand on predicted ratings. Hopefully, his real ones won't be quite as good. Besides that gents, I hope this finds you well. Peace!
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 $RATATOUILLE 109.5 5 9 8.7
2 $PAPRIKA 0.64 4 0 8
3 NO RESERVATIONS 38 0 1 6
4 SIMPSONS 100 4 9 6.9
5 $*DAY WATCH 0.35 1 0 7.1
6 $*BUG 7 0 2 6.9
7 $ONCE 4.5 8 0 8.6
8 $EAGLE VS. SHARK 0.14 3 0 7.2
GoS
1 $TRANSFORMERS 155.4 4 5 8.1
2 $EVENING 8.3 0 0 7.1
3 $OCEAN'S 13 109.1 4 11 7.3
4 $NANCY DREW 23.2 0 0 6
5 $GOLDEN DOOR 0.6 6 0 7.2
6 $*YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 0.002 0 0 8.4
7 $INTRODUCING THE DWIGHTS 0.04 0 0 7.6
8 $*EVEN MONEY 0.06 0 0 5.9
WANNABE
1 $KNOCKED UP 132 7 11 8.2
2 $SURF'S UP 56 0 3 7.3
3 $FF4 123.8 5 9 6.4
4 $BLACK SHEEP 0.04 0 0 6.6
5 $RESCUE DAWN 0.1 5 0 8.8
6 I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY 125 6 9 6.9
7 $SICKO 11.4 9 0 8.5
8 $FIDO 0.3 0 0 7.5
WILLO
1 $EVAN ALMIGHTY 78.7 3 9 6.1
2 HP5 230 9 13 7.6
3 HAIRSPRAY 60 2 4 5.9
4 $LIVE FREE OF DIE HARD 84.4 3 7 8.1
5 $*HOSTEL II 17.6 0 0 5.6
6 $*SEVERANCE 0.14 0 0 6.8
7 CAPTIVITY 12.9 0 0 4.9
8 $MR. BROOKS 28 0 2 7.7
BO RANKINGS
WILLO 511.74 4
WANNABE 448.64 3
GOS 296.702 2
CASTLE 260.13 1
PTA RANKINGS
WANNABE 32 4
CASTLE 25 3
WILLO 17 2
GOS 14 1
TOP 5
WILLO 35 4
WANNABE 32 3
CASTLE 21 2
GOS 16 1
IMDB
WANNABE 7.525 4
CASTLE 7.425 3
GOS 7.2 2
WILLO 6.5875 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 1 3 2 3 9 4
GOS 2 1 1 2 6 2
WANNABE 3 4 3 4 14 1
WILLO 4 2 4 1 11 2
Alright gents, you know the drill. I'm afraid that the God of Shadows slate is no longer changeable, let's hope then that he chose well as Transformers would indicate since he earned 155 million dollars in a week. He should easily be able to get it over 200 million. Causing all sorts of havoc. I guess that his current predicament is just because his movie was released and he can no longer stand on predicted ratings. Hopefully, his real ones won't be quite as good. Besides that gents, I hope this finds you well. Peace!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
SiCKO
'America is certainly sicko'
Everyone knows Michael Moore. For better or worse, the self-aggrandizing master is the face of practically all liberal views and can possibly be attributed to the rise and resurgence in the recent popularity of good documentaries. Like Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame, Moore makes a habit of inserting himself into his documentaries in an effort to add a humorous human element and to create a personal attachment between audience and material. Sure, hearing about people being shot in Vietnam was terrible, but it was nothing to seeing a soldier blow out the mind of a local villager on national television. By creating characters that are empathetic and the common American everyman, Moore thrives off of this empathy for these characters and their individual stories to emphasize his agenda and political views. Because his films do not even bother to take an impersonalized stance and feel sometimes a bit too muhc like propaganda, I have never forced myself to watch them. But after hearing that this film was not as bad as his previous films in terms of trying to make him look good and it touched upon the healthcare system which is one I have become increasingly worried about unlike many of peers, I decided I had to see it. So I did, with my in-laws, one whom is Democrat and the other Republican. And here's how it goes...
Sicko, the most recent film by Michael Moore focuses specifically on the power and clout of insurance companies and how corrupt the American system is for healthcare. The people chosen as examples are honestly very sad and angering examples of common people being destroyed by money-grubbing healthcare "professionals." I have no love for insurance companies as the job simply doesn't make sense. I pay someone a certain amount each year until something bad happens to me and then they will pay me back...what if I am unlucky? What if I suffer from some disease that makes me chronically ill or there is certain medication I constantly need? At what point does my medical health become dire enough to warrant pay back? What if the insurance goes broke and out of business? Obviously these are very simplified concerns, but it is possible to see that there are too many "ifs" involved and the next logical step as a businessman is to strip down and control the ifs into a manageable handfull and I'm sure to do it in a way that brings in more financial profitability for the company. One of these attempts to control the pay back of money is the commonly heard phrase in the movie of "the procedure is too experimental." I personally found great favor in seeing the one man who was told his daughter couldn't have the second cochlear implant write a letter to the CEO of his insurance asking them how they would like to be in Michael Moore's new movie and then having the CEO call him personally to let him know that the decision for not allowing the surgery had been reversed. That was humorous. Unfortunately, most of the personal experiences shared in this film are not of the happily ever after variety and proved one thing to me and my wife. Those who are insured are not much better off than those who aren't except that they at least have the right to apply for the money needed. I'm sure not all people get dicked around as much as Moore points out and that insurance does pay for most of its people, but the fact that certain people who worked in the industry have a certain quota of people to deny and there are jobs for those who will try everything to take the money back from people after it has been given to them is a shame. I only write this because most of the people checking Moore's facts in this film have had to say that most of the facts are correct.
However, they don't have to say that other countries are as great as he paints them. Although it was a great thing to see all of the people getting the help they needed in Cuba, I found it amusing that in terms of healthcare, Cuba was listed 39th on the list that Moore showed, just two behind U.S.A. Although I have heard great things about the French and the English healthcare, and this film does avidly attack the perception that under a socialized healthcare system doctors wouldn't get paid enough and people wouldn't get the same level of care by showing that people now don't get anywhere near the same level of care and only the super rich get better care than anyone else, I do think that his inability to find fault at all is slightly annoying. He never asked why the English have terrible teeth for instance. I hear its because there simply aren't enough dentists but is that because the social healthcare system doesn't pay as much for dentists because they consider it a superficial need? These are not addressed of course. However, after watching the film, there is no denying that America is paying way too much for medicine. I was disheartened by the amount it would cost for me to get the same drugs for my cholesterol in the other countries than it takes here. Also, Moore insinuates that doctors are really just trying to get as much out of their money as they can in America and are to blame for the jacked prices. He ignores the fact that doctor offices have to pay so much for all of their assistants. Big offices require more money for equipment, workers, nurses, receptionists, property taxes, clearinghouse fees, billing software, etc. Moore also doesn't mention that in a lot of the poorer neighborhoods, the doctors tend to have trouble collecting. Hell, in nice neighborhoods people have trouble collecting from their patients to pay for these things. Doctors figure in the amount of the loss they will receive for that year and incorporate that into their pricing because they don't have time to go and forcefully collect on their fees. Tons of doctor are going out of business and the most profitable positions these days are shrinks. Moore discusses NONE of these issues and concerns that help to provoke and sustain the current predicament.
Also, and this is where most people jump in, many wish Moore had not inserted himself after the first half. He takes the viewer on a journey as if he were Michael Palin exploring a far off distant country. It's great because everything seems to be so linearly explained and makes sense because we are seeing everything from Moore's point of view, which then means we tend to lose perspective. What's great though is that in the first part of the film without Moore to guide us, we were comparing the stories of the scarred to ourselves and creating our own point of view. Also, with Moore came his grandstanding and "look at me! look at me!" tactics. While slightly humorous, i felt bad watching the people on the boat when they went to Gitmo. Moore knew they would have no intention of letting them in, a boat full of supposed NY heroes off the coast of Florida outside one of the most well-known terrorist detainee camps since forever. Why does Moore put the N.Y. people through this? If he wanted to portray himself in a truly great light, he would simply take them to the hospital and never have wasted his time at Gitmo. Also, he had no reason, none at all, to show what he did for the poor guy whose wife almost died and ran the biggest Michael Moore hate blog. It was amusing but also childish. Now he will know who the anonymous man is and you have rubbed his ego in his face and flaunted it for the world to see. No good can come of this.
Conclusion:
While I have decided I don't like Michael Moore as a person, I do think he makes a fairly well artuculated case against the Healthcare system. I agree that the medicine is overpriced, and hell I have always liked the idea of a socialized system and this answered a few concerns and questions I had about it. It also opened my eyes more to the blatant cruelty and systematic profiteering of the insurance companies. I was glad to have seen the film. It is a great starting place, and nothing more, for a good discussion followed by a huge movement to change our healthcare. Something is wrong with it and instead of jumping to conclusions, something needs to be done about it and it should be decided by a good debate, a very public debate, so that hopefully no matter of bribing and stupidity can keep the Hill from ignoring it. Hillary lost my vote for sure after this, so God help the Democrats if they choose her as their candidate. For more points of view, the Democrat in-law said he was glad to see it because it only confirmed what he knew already but that he disliked Moore and thought it had some flaws and needed perspective. The Republican in-law found in interesting and thought it was well done and brought up several good points, but also hated Moore and thought it was a good starting point for the public discussion. In the end, no one I know enjoys Moore and here is his greatest weakness. Yes, he is amusing and can add a human element, but by putting himself into all of his films he defeats them with his arrogant and snobbish behavior and grandstanding. I'm afraid that by putting his face on all his ideas and thoughts which are fairly liberal, he is creating more conservatives simply because people do not like him as a person. He's a good filmmaker and rabble rouser and will probably be known in the history of film and possibly America for the controversy he has aroused, but he will lose everytime if he keeps making films that inextricably tie him to the source material.
4.2 out of 5
Wannabe
Everyone knows Michael Moore. For better or worse, the self-aggrandizing master is the face of practically all liberal views and can possibly be attributed to the rise and resurgence in the recent popularity of good documentaries. Like Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame, Moore makes a habit of inserting himself into his documentaries in an effort to add a humorous human element and to create a personal attachment between audience and material. Sure, hearing about people being shot in Vietnam was terrible, but it was nothing to seeing a soldier blow out the mind of a local villager on national television. By creating characters that are empathetic and the common American everyman, Moore thrives off of this empathy for these characters and their individual stories to emphasize his agenda and political views. Because his films do not even bother to take an impersonalized stance and feel sometimes a bit too muhc like propaganda, I have never forced myself to watch them. But after hearing that this film was not as bad as his previous films in terms of trying to make him look good and it touched upon the healthcare system which is one I have become increasingly worried about unlike many of peers, I decided I had to see it. So I did, with my in-laws, one whom is Democrat and the other Republican. And here's how it goes...
Sicko, the most recent film by Michael Moore focuses specifically on the power and clout of insurance companies and how corrupt the American system is for healthcare. The people chosen as examples are honestly very sad and angering examples of common people being destroyed by money-grubbing healthcare "professionals." I have no love for insurance companies as the job simply doesn't make sense. I pay someone a certain amount each year until something bad happens to me and then they will pay me back...what if I am unlucky? What if I suffer from some disease that makes me chronically ill or there is certain medication I constantly need? At what point does my medical health become dire enough to warrant pay back? What if the insurance goes broke and out of business? Obviously these are very simplified concerns, but it is possible to see that there are too many "ifs" involved and the next logical step as a businessman is to strip down and control the ifs into a manageable handfull and I'm sure to do it in a way that brings in more financial profitability for the company. One of these attempts to control the pay back of money is the commonly heard phrase in the movie of "the procedure is too experimental." I personally found great favor in seeing the one man who was told his daughter couldn't have the second cochlear implant write a letter to the CEO of his insurance asking them how they would like to be in Michael Moore's new movie and then having the CEO call him personally to let him know that the decision for not allowing the surgery had been reversed. That was humorous. Unfortunately, most of the personal experiences shared in this film are not of the happily ever after variety and proved one thing to me and my wife. Those who are insured are not much better off than those who aren't except that they at least have the right to apply for the money needed. I'm sure not all people get dicked around as much as Moore points out and that insurance does pay for most of its people, but the fact that certain people who worked in the industry have a certain quota of people to deny and there are jobs for those who will try everything to take the money back from people after it has been given to them is a shame. I only write this because most of the people checking Moore's facts in this film have had to say that most of the facts are correct.
However, they don't have to say that other countries are as great as he paints them. Although it was a great thing to see all of the people getting the help they needed in Cuba, I found it amusing that in terms of healthcare, Cuba was listed 39th on the list that Moore showed, just two behind U.S.A. Although I have heard great things about the French and the English healthcare, and this film does avidly attack the perception that under a socialized healthcare system doctors wouldn't get paid enough and people wouldn't get the same level of care by showing that people now don't get anywhere near the same level of care and only the super rich get better care than anyone else, I do think that his inability to find fault at all is slightly annoying. He never asked why the English have terrible teeth for instance. I hear its because there simply aren't enough dentists but is that because the social healthcare system doesn't pay as much for dentists because they consider it a superficial need? These are not addressed of course. However, after watching the film, there is no denying that America is paying way too much for medicine. I was disheartened by the amount it would cost for me to get the same drugs for my cholesterol in the other countries than it takes here. Also, Moore insinuates that doctors are really just trying to get as much out of their money as they can in America and are to blame for the jacked prices. He ignores the fact that doctor offices have to pay so much for all of their assistants. Big offices require more money for equipment, workers, nurses, receptionists, property taxes, clearinghouse fees, billing software, etc. Moore also doesn't mention that in a lot of the poorer neighborhoods, the doctors tend to have trouble collecting. Hell, in nice neighborhoods people have trouble collecting from their patients to pay for these things. Doctors figure in the amount of the loss they will receive for that year and incorporate that into their pricing because they don't have time to go and forcefully collect on their fees. Tons of doctor are going out of business and the most profitable positions these days are shrinks. Moore discusses NONE of these issues and concerns that help to provoke and sustain the current predicament.
Also, and this is where most people jump in, many wish Moore had not inserted himself after the first half. He takes the viewer on a journey as if he were Michael Palin exploring a far off distant country. It's great because everything seems to be so linearly explained and makes sense because we are seeing everything from Moore's point of view, which then means we tend to lose perspective. What's great though is that in the first part of the film without Moore to guide us, we were comparing the stories of the scarred to ourselves and creating our own point of view. Also, with Moore came his grandstanding and "look at me! look at me!" tactics. While slightly humorous, i felt bad watching the people on the boat when they went to Gitmo. Moore knew they would have no intention of letting them in, a boat full of supposed NY heroes off the coast of Florida outside one of the most well-known terrorist detainee camps since forever. Why does Moore put the N.Y. people through this? If he wanted to portray himself in a truly great light, he would simply take them to the hospital and never have wasted his time at Gitmo. Also, he had no reason, none at all, to show what he did for the poor guy whose wife almost died and ran the biggest Michael Moore hate blog. It was amusing but also childish. Now he will know who the anonymous man is and you have rubbed his ego in his face and flaunted it for the world to see. No good can come of this.
Conclusion:
While I have decided I don't like Michael Moore as a person, I do think he makes a fairly well artuculated case against the Healthcare system. I agree that the medicine is overpriced, and hell I have always liked the idea of a socialized system and this answered a few concerns and questions I had about it. It also opened my eyes more to the blatant cruelty and systematic profiteering of the insurance companies. I was glad to have seen the film. It is a great starting place, and nothing more, for a good discussion followed by a huge movement to change our healthcare. Something is wrong with it and instead of jumping to conclusions, something needs to be done about it and it should be decided by a good debate, a very public debate, so that hopefully no matter of bribing and stupidity can keep the Hill from ignoring it. Hillary lost my vote for sure after this, so God help the Democrats if they choose her as their candidate. For more points of view, the Democrat in-law said he was glad to see it because it only confirmed what he knew already but that he disliked Moore and thought it had some flaws and needed perspective. The Republican in-law found in interesting and thought it was well done and brought up several good points, but also hated Moore and thought it was a good starting point for the public discussion. In the end, no one I know enjoys Moore and here is his greatest weakness. Yes, he is amusing and can add a human element, but by putting himself into all of his films he defeats them with his arrogant and snobbish behavior and grandstanding. I'm afraid that by putting his face on all his ideas and thoughts which are fairly liberal, he is creating more conservatives simply because people do not like him as a person. He's a good filmmaker and rabble rouser and will probably be known in the history of film and possibly America for the controversy he has aroused, but he will lose everytime if he keeps making films that inextricably tie him to the source material.
4.2 out of 5
Wannabe
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