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
Monday, August 27, 2007
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
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