'The Happening did not happen'
Shyamalan tends to fall into one of two categories: love him or hate him. His early commercial work is undoubtedly his best with Signs and The Sixth Sense leading the way. Whereas his later work became too preachy with things like The Village and Lady in the Water. The truth of the matter is this, Shyamalan comes up with good ideas that involve a twist and then plays them out. Unfortunately, his dialogue and sometimes the twists and conclusions are not able to live up to the great premise he sets. The thing about Signs and The Sixth Sense that works is that they are able to make the viewers care about the characters more than the great premise, so that when the surprise twist comes, it really is a surprise. That and Shyamalan used to be more subtle when giving hints. He likes to have everything in the film tie together in some Hitchcockian manner. No loose ends. So, where does this film fit in his canon?
The Happening is no where near as bad as The Village and it is better than Lady, but it isn't able to capture the old genius of his original work. The premise is interesting and Shyamalan proves that he knows how to make a creepy film. Most directors love to show gore, why? Because they think it scares people. Not true, it grosses people out. A person being shot doesn't scare me, it just makes me want to vomit. It is not being able to see the consequences of forces beyond our understanding which scares mankind. Sixth Sense it was the dead. Signs had aliens. Village had a fictitious monster and Lady had some bizarre fairy tale come to life. The Happening also has an unknown force that is attacking the population. They explain it and how it makes sense and to be honest, after the movie, walking the dog on my street with no other humans present and only the hum of bees...it was creepy. Shyamalan for all of his faults knows how to scare people and how to get inside the human psyche for images and scenarios that will last a long time. His weakness, is his writing and working with actors.
The writing in this movie borders on ridiculous. Some scenes dialogue is so obvious in what it is supposed to do to the audience that it sounds like it was simply lifted from other movies. Of course, one or two moments might be okay and I'm sure people could blame this on Marky Mark. However, the truth is that Shyamalan hasn't taken the time since becoming famous to hone his dialogue as much as necessary to produce what is needed. The ties to the environmental crisis is blatantly clear and now my head hurts thanks to his clubbing.
As for the actors, here is where this movie succeeds and dies. EVERYONE ELSE EXCEPT for the two leads do a great job. I know some have said that John Leguizamo is bleh, but honestly, his character and the self-sacrificing choices he makes are great to watch and are believable. Whoever plays Ms. Jones is psychotic and lovely to watch. Even the two kids are great. However, Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel have NO CHEMISTRY. None. I know the dialogue is supposed to help and every once in a while we see that Mark Wahlberg can be upset and or charming. That's it. Zooey can look wide-eyed and crazy. So why does this matter? What is this film about? It's about The Happening and the environmental crisis. What does it need to be about to be a good film? The relationship and healing of the two main character's love and relationship with each other. THIS IS THE BIGGEST FLAW IN THE FILM. Shyamalan has done a decent job of almost recapturing the glory of his first few films, but he put too much focus in the wrong place and a good film is a more subtle film. He needs to remember that his films require subtlety and that he can't just throw in the towel when presented with a problem he can't think of to fix right away. The good news is that this film shows he is making improvements and steps to recapture his former days, the bad news is that it is not there yet and a lot of great visuals and a good premise is now wasted on only an okay movie. I wonder how many premises he has left? Lets hope we see him figure things out before it is too late.
3.4 out of 5
Wannabe
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Summer List
Man, it has been forever since I have had a chance to post anything. Thankfully, my teaching year is winding down and I am finally getting a chance to come back and spend some time on my loves instead of just trying to survive the first year. And for anyone who thinks first-year teachers don't deserve praise and money...you deserve to be flogged. Anyhow, I have been keeping up with movies this entire long while, I just have not been able to write reviews about them. So here is how I am going to kickoff this summer. Below will be a list of movies I rate as the top best 5 summer movies SO FAR. I'll also include some reasons why. After this list will a new review for Shyamalan's recent debacle, The Happening. And if I can get to it after that, the announcement and postings of a new season of Indie Fanatix League!! Woot Woot! Happy day I'm a loser. :( Oh well.
Anyhow, the top best 5 movies so far this summer(May - Now) are:
5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
"#5? Really?" Yes. Why? Because it blew. However, it is still Indiana Jones and everyone in their right mind will see it and you might want to know what they are talking about. I'm sorry, I'm not sure whose choice it was, Lucas or Spielberg, but the entire premise of the movie is too much science fiction. I know that the old-school adventures are similar and related to the early sci-fi days and they do a decent job of combining them. But Indiana Jones has traditionally focused more on the exotic locations and ideals. As over-the-top as he has been in the past, the world of Indiana Jones is based in a universe we could potentially believe. However, the strain of the collaborating monkeys, the mystical powers of the crystal skull, and the ridiculous ants and random attack scenes for no reason break the ability to believe and follow along with the movie. Especially the damn atomic bomb scene. The decision to rely on CGI and special effects at all instead of just doing everything without it really helps to destroy this movie. Besides the water cooler conversation you will get out of this movie, you should also come out enjoying and knowing about Shia's take on Indy's son if the rumors are to be true that he will continue the franchise. You might want to know a little about his intro to the series and his origins. I will say this, he is the most refreshing part of the movie to me...but the chip on his shoulder is a bit too large.
4. Speed Racer
Yes, Speed Racer is ahead of Indiana Jones. Unlike Indy, which tries to promise a certain experience and fails, Speed Racer seems very bleh to begin with for the older generation and manages to deliver an okay and thrilling experience. The CGI alone in this film is a great reason to watch it as the Wachowskis have advanced technology for films into the future once again. It is the first and only time a movie has been made in which I feel it is a true live action cartoon. Somehow, all the people are animated...I swear. I doubt anyone will love it, but the car scenes are pretty sweet and you will probably leave thinking, eh. Which is better than what you would thought you would leave with.
3. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
I read this series a long time ago and I was impressed with the dedication to the story and theology shown in the first film. But man, I don't remember Narnia being this dark. This is certainly a movie that rests on its human actors to uphold the movie...human actors that are not that old. So they uphold it only so so, but better than they did in the first film. Also, the fight scenes and the decisions made in the battle are pretty cool. I must say that the bad guy and the dwarf are AMAZING. Peter Dinklage has finally earned my approval. However, the conclusion to the film is slightly...friggin Deus Ex Machina. I hate that device. But other than that, it is a good dark ride that brings up a lot of questions about the presence of God and how it could work in our world.
2. Kung Fu Panda
Friggin Jack Black. One of my least favorite stars and yet he managed to put out one of the best CG movies I've ever seen. This movie is fun, smart, well directed and written. The jokes are good and it is full of Kung Fu references. Although, some casting choices were really weird, this made me laugh for hours. Great quotable movie, plus everyone can see it. So go do it!
1. Iron Man
Yea, if you haven't heard, this is good. Damn good. I never liked Iron Man, but with Robert Downey in the part, this movie came together and now I do. Possibly the best comic book movie ever made. Definitely entertaining. I don't know a single person who dislikes this film. See it and you won't regret it. Now to see if Marvel can uphold the quality with Hulk.
Unfortunately, some films I would like to recommend but that came out before May began are Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Forbidden Kingdom. Sarah Marshall is HILARIOUS! Whereas Forbidden Kingdom has the epic battle between Jet Li and Jackie Chan and feels slightly like a modern day Karate Kid. Whoever the bad kid is though has a future ahead of him. That was some crazy intensity.
Wannabe
Anyhow, the top best 5 movies so far this summer(May - Now) are:
5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
"#5? Really?" Yes. Why? Because it blew. However, it is still Indiana Jones and everyone in their right mind will see it and you might want to know what they are talking about. I'm sorry, I'm not sure whose choice it was, Lucas or Spielberg, but the entire premise of the movie is too much science fiction. I know that the old-school adventures are similar and related to the early sci-fi days and they do a decent job of combining them. But Indiana Jones has traditionally focused more on the exotic locations and ideals. As over-the-top as he has been in the past, the world of Indiana Jones is based in a universe we could potentially believe. However, the strain of the collaborating monkeys, the mystical powers of the crystal skull, and the ridiculous ants and random attack scenes for no reason break the ability to believe and follow along with the movie. Especially the damn atomic bomb scene. The decision to rely on CGI and special effects at all instead of just doing everything without it really helps to destroy this movie. Besides the water cooler conversation you will get out of this movie, you should also come out enjoying and knowing about Shia's take on Indy's son if the rumors are to be true that he will continue the franchise. You might want to know a little about his intro to the series and his origins. I will say this, he is the most refreshing part of the movie to me...but the chip on his shoulder is a bit too large.
4. Speed Racer
Yes, Speed Racer is ahead of Indiana Jones. Unlike Indy, which tries to promise a certain experience and fails, Speed Racer seems very bleh to begin with for the older generation and manages to deliver an okay and thrilling experience. The CGI alone in this film is a great reason to watch it as the Wachowskis have advanced technology for films into the future once again. It is the first and only time a movie has been made in which I feel it is a true live action cartoon. Somehow, all the people are animated...I swear. I doubt anyone will love it, but the car scenes are pretty sweet and you will probably leave thinking, eh. Which is better than what you would thought you would leave with.
3. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
I read this series a long time ago and I was impressed with the dedication to the story and theology shown in the first film. But man, I don't remember Narnia being this dark. This is certainly a movie that rests on its human actors to uphold the movie...human actors that are not that old. So they uphold it only so so, but better than they did in the first film. Also, the fight scenes and the decisions made in the battle are pretty cool. I must say that the bad guy and the dwarf are AMAZING. Peter Dinklage has finally earned my approval. However, the conclusion to the film is slightly...friggin Deus Ex Machina. I hate that device. But other than that, it is a good dark ride that brings up a lot of questions about the presence of God and how it could work in our world.
2. Kung Fu Panda
Friggin Jack Black. One of my least favorite stars and yet he managed to put out one of the best CG movies I've ever seen. This movie is fun, smart, well directed and written. The jokes are good and it is full of Kung Fu references. Although, some casting choices were really weird, this made me laugh for hours. Great quotable movie, plus everyone can see it. So go do it!
1. Iron Man
Yea, if you haven't heard, this is good. Damn good. I never liked Iron Man, but with Robert Downey in the part, this movie came together and now I do. Possibly the best comic book movie ever made. Definitely entertaining. I don't know a single person who dislikes this film. See it and you won't regret it. Now to see if Marvel can uphold the quality with Hulk.
Unfortunately, some films I would like to recommend but that came out before May began are Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Forbidden Kingdom. Sarah Marshall is HILARIOUS! Whereas Forbidden Kingdom has the epic battle between Jet Li and Jackie Chan and feels slightly like a modern day Karate Kid. Whoever the bad kid is though has a future ahead of him. That was some crazy intensity.
Wannabe
Friday, November 23, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving
Alright everyone,
I'm incredibly sorry for the lack of updates to the blog. Let me just say that teaching is the biggest and most time consuming waste a person can dedicate themselves to and that I was a fool to have done so. Now, with that said, I am still continuing this foppish quest which means don't expect a lot of updates until summer rolls around this year. Next year there is a better chance of things picking up again. However, as a Thanksgiving treat, here is the final score from the last Indie Fantasy Moguls game...and what a friggin upset it was.
BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
ELIZABETH:THE GOLDEN AGE 14.1 0 0 7
ACROSS THE UNVIERSE 19.3 5 0 7.9
DARJEELING LIMITED 6.1 10 0 8.1
SHOOT EM UP 12.8 0 2 7.4
THE NANNY DIARIES 25.8 0 0 6.2
RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 3.2 0 0 7.4
THE BRAVE ONE 36.5 0 8 7
THE INVASION 15.1 0 1 6
TOTAL 132.9 15 11 7.125
GOS
STARDUST 38.4 0 2 8.1
THE KINGDOM 46 0 7 7.3
THE HEARTBREAK KID 35.1 0 5 5.8
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 6.7 3 0 7.7
THE 11TH HOUR 0.7 5 0 6.6
MICHAEL CLAYTON 28.7 5 4 7.8
RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 50.7 3 10 6.4
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 1.1 2 0 8.6
TOTAL 207.4 18 28 7.2875
WANNABE
SUPERBAD 121.5 3 19 8.1
RUSH HOUR 3 139.7 2 13 6.5
3:10 TO YUMA 53.2 0 12 8.2
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL 1.3 4 0 8.4
THE SEEKER 8.5 0 1 4.7
30 DAYS OF NIGHT 27.5 0 8 7.1
HALLOWEEN 58 0 9 6
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES 2.9 5 0 8.2
TOTAL 412.6 14 62 7.15
PERENNIAL
DARFUR NOW 0 0 0 0
GRACE IS GONE 0 0 0 0
I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 0.2 5 0 6.9
SAW IV 31.8 1 5 6.5
RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 0 0 0 0
LUST, CAUTION 2.8 6 0 8.1
SHINE A LIGHT 0 0 0 0
LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 4 0 0 7.2
TOTAL 38.8 12 5 7.175
RANK BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB OVERALL
1 WANNABE GOS WANNABE GOS GOS 18
2 GOS CASTLE GOS PEREN WANNABE 16
3 CASTLE WANNABE CASTLE WANNABE CASTLE 8
4 PEREN PEREN PEREN CASTLE PERENNIAL 6
Just so everyone knows the score, these are the results of who was winning as of October 30th, the given deadline of the league...but if it had been longer...grrrr. GOS...you goin down next time son. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving ALL!!!
wannabe
I'm incredibly sorry for the lack of updates to the blog. Let me just say that teaching is the biggest and most time consuming waste a person can dedicate themselves to and that I was a fool to have done so. Now, with that said, I am still continuing this foppish quest which means don't expect a lot of updates until summer rolls around this year. Next year there is a better chance of things picking up again. However, as a Thanksgiving treat, here is the final score from the last Indie Fantasy Moguls game...and what a friggin upset it was.
BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
ELIZABETH:THE GOLDEN AGE 14.1 0 0 7
ACROSS THE UNVIERSE 19.3 5 0 7.9
DARJEELING LIMITED 6.1 10 0 8.1
SHOOT EM UP 12.8 0 2 7.4
THE NANNY DIARIES 25.8 0 0 6.2
RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 3.2 0 0 7.4
THE BRAVE ONE 36.5 0 8 7
THE INVASION 15.1 0 1 6
TOTAL 132.9 15 11 7.125
GOS
STARDUST 38.4 0 2 8.1
THE KINGDOM 46 0 7 7.3
THE HEARTBREAK KID 35.1 0 5 5.8
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 6.7 3 0 7.7
THE 11TH HOUR 0.7 5 0 6.6
MICHAEL CLAYTON 28.7 5 4 7.8
RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 50.7 3 10 6.4
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 1.1 2 0 8.6
TOTAL 207.4 18 28 7.2875
WANNABE
SUPERBAD 121.5 3 19 8.1
RUSH HOUR 3 139.7 2 13 6.5
3:10 TO YUMA 53.2 0 12 8.2
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL 1.3 4 0 8.4
THE SEEKER 8.5 0 1 4.7
30 DAYS OF NIGHT 27.5 0 8 7.1
HALLOWEEN 58 0 9 6
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES 2.9 5 0 8.2
TOTAL 412.6 14 62 7.15
PERENNIAL
DARFUR NOW 0 0 0 0
GRACE IS GONE 0 0 0 0
I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 0.2 5 0 6.9
SAW IV 31.8 1 5 6.5
RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 0 0 0 0
LUST, CAUTION 2.8 6 0 8.1
SHINE A LIGHT 0 0 0 0
LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 4 0 0 7.2
TOTAL 38.8 12 5 7.175
RANK BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB OVERALL
1 WANNABE GOS WANNABE GOS GOS 18
2 GOS CASTLE GOS PEREN WANNABE 16
3 CASTLE WANNABE CASTLE WANNABE CASTLE 8
4 PEREN PEREN PEREN CASTLE PERENNIAL 6
Just so everyone knows the score, these are the results of who was winning as of October 30th, the given deadline of the league...but if it had been longer...grrrr. GOS...you goin down next time son. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving ALL!!!
wannabe
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Whim
They were bothering him. Always harassing, nagging, and pushing him in directions where he didn't want to go. Blah, blah, blah, watch your carbs, blah, blah, blah, don't ever like Adam Sandler, blah, blah, blah, etc. Well...dammit, he was boss and that meant what he did had power. It was time to make a power play to show these juvenile egocentric cavemen that he was the boss and that they should go say Ug! somewhere else.
It was with such fervor and umph that the man known as Wannabe walked into the publicity room and muttered the words, "We're dropping Hit Man from our slate and adding Lars and the Real Girl." It should be a hit, and I don't want any sass about it otherwise you will be fired on the spot and kicked into the trash bin with all the rest of the crap I ate last night. Start your publicity and alert the news. I'll be sleeping in my room. Tell me when we make the first million." With that he walked back into his office and shut the door. He might have laid his head on his desk for all the gaping people at the window staring at him, wondering how he could have done such a silly thing, but he never managed to close his eyes. Oh well, he thought, if this doesn't work out right, it will force me to cut out some people, and I can already think of which naysayers to can.
How does this affect everything? Find out next week on the weekend update!
Wannabe
It was with such fervor and umph that the man known as Wannabe walked into the publicity room and muttered the words, "We're dropping Hit Man from our slate and adding Lars and the Real Girl." It should be a hit, and I don't want any sass about it otherwise you will be fired on the spot and kicked into the trash bin with all the rest of the crap I ate last night. Start your publicity and alert the news. I'll be sleeping in my room. Tell me when we make the first million." With that he walked back into his office and shut the door. He might have laid his head on his desk for all the gaping people at the window staring at him, wondering how he could have done such a silly thing, but he never managed to close his eyes. Oh well, he thought, if this doesn't work out right, it will force me to cut out some people, and I can already think of which naysayers to can.
How does this affect everything? Find out next week on the weekend update!
Wannabe
Monday, September 10, 2007
Indy Fanatix S2 Week 5
Alright gents,
here's the update below.
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 $SHOOT EM UP 5.4 0 0 8.2
5 $THE NANNY DIARIES 20.8 0 0 6.3
6 $RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 3.1 0 0 7.5
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 14.6 0 1 6.1
GoS
1 $STARDUST 34.6 0 2 8.2
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.55 5 0 6.4
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 $IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 0.04 2 0 8.7
PERENNIAL
1 *DARFUR NOW 9.3 10 0 8.2
2 GRACE IS GONE 3 2 0 6.8
3 $I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 0.02 5 0 6.8
4 SAW IV 45 3 5 5.9
5 RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 13.75 1 0 5.5
6 LUST, CAUTION 8 6 0 7.1
7 *SHINE A LIGHT 6.7 2 0 7.9
8 $LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 3 2 0 7.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 103 4 17 8.4
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 129.2 2 13 6.5
3 $3:10 TO YUMA 14 0 5 8.7
4 *HITMAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 $HALLOWEEN 43.7 4 9 6.4
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 428.4 4
GOS 324.69 3
CASTLE 216.9 2
PERENNIAL 88.77 1
PTA RANKINGS
PERENNIAL 31 4
GOS 29 3
WANNABE 21 2
CASTLE 15 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 60 4
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 17 2
PERENNIAL 5 1
IMDB
GOS 7.3375 4
CASTLE 7.0875 3
PERENNIAL 6.9125 2
WANNABE 6.575 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 1 2 3 8 3
GOS 3 3 3 4 13 1
PERRENNIAL 1 4 1 2 8 3
WANNABE 4 2 4 1 11 2
So, with that update here's what it boils down to. Few films had outstanding BO this weekend, but even so the only new release to enter the top 5 was 3:10 to Yuma. Shoot 'Em Up bombs as per Castle's luck so far, but it has some very nice IMDB scores currently. In The Shadow of the Moon is a slight bomb as well for GoS only garnering 2 points in PTA while Perennial's unheard of I want someone to eat cheese with gets some max PTA exposure. So far, Wannabe's(Mine) looks like the best BO slate so far and with that the best top5. However, Wannabe struggles with IMDB scores and PTA against GoS who has a pretty even slate throughout. Perrennial has the best PTA slate full of un heard of indy releases, but even so now he has two movies that will not be released during this season and will need to be pushed back. Darfur Now and the Rolling Stones doc Shine a Light. Poor Castle, his slate is half released and half bombs already. It will be tough and full of shrewd decisions if he is to make his way back up the ladder. As for me, yes I've done well but I have two predicted bombs still coming up on my list and 1 other movie that has to be changed due to being pushed back out of season. My winning streak should be in jeopardy and on the downslope pretty soon. Whereas GoS's only moderately successful slate so far is where the threat is. His films have not performed as well as predicted so far, but even so they have held him aloft enough to let him rely on hope that a future release could make up the difference, which it might. There is the threat. Alright gents, til next week.
Wannabe
here's the update below.
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 $SHOOT EM UP 5.4 0 0 8.2
5 $THE NANNY DIARIES 20.8 0 0 6.3
6 $RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 3.1 0 0 7.5
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 14.6 0 1 6.1
GoS
1 $STARDUST 34.6 0 2 8.2
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.55 5 0 6.4
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 $IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 0.04 2 0 8.7
PERENNIAL
1 *DARFUR NOW 9.3 10 0 8.2
2 GRACE IS GONE 3 2 0 6.8
3 $I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 0.02 5 0 6.8
4 SAW IV 45 3 5 5.9
5 RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 13.75 1 0 5.5
6 LUST, CAUTION 8 6 0 7.1
7 *SHINE A LIGHT 6.7 2 0 7.9
8 $LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 3 2 0 7.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 103 4 17 8.4
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 129.2 2 13 6.5
3 $3:10 TO YUMA 14 0 5 8.7
4 *HITMAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 $HALLOWEEN 43.7 4 9 6.4
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 428.4 4
GOS 324.69 3
CASTLE 216.9 2
PERENNIAL 88.77 1
PTA RANKINGS
PERENNIAL 31 4
GOS 29 3
WANNABE 21 2
CASTLE 15 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 60 4
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 17 2
PERENNIAL 5 1
IMDB
GOS 7.3375 4
CASTLE 7.0875 3
PERENNIAL 6.9125 2
WANNABE 6.575 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 1 2 3 8 3
GOS 3 3 3 4 13 1
PERRENNIAL 1 4 1 2 8 3
WANNABE 4 2 4 1 11 2
So, with that update here's what it boils down to. Few films had outstanding BO this weekend, but even so the only new release to enter the top 5 was 3:10 to Yuma. Shoot 'Em Up bombs as per Castle's luck so far, but it has some very nice IMDB scores currently. In The Shadow of the Moon is a slight bomb as well for GoS only garnering 2 points in PTA while Perennial's unheard of I want someone to eat cheese with gets some max PTA exposure. So far, Wannabe's(Mine) looks like the best BO slate so far and with that the best top5. However, Wannabe struggles with IMDB scores and PTA against GoS who has a pretty even slate throughout. Perrennial has the best PTA slate full of un heard of indy releases, but even so now he has two movies that will not be released during this season and will need to be pushed back. Darfur Now and the Rolling Stones doc Shine a Light. Poor Castle, his slate is half released and half bombs already. It will be tough and full of shrewd decisions if he is to make his way back up the ladder. As for me, yes I've done well but I have two predicted bombs still coming up on my list and 1 other movie that has to be changed due to being pushed back out of season. My winning streak should be in jeopardy and on the downslope pretty soon. Whereas GoS's only moderately successful slate so far is where the threat is. His films have not performed as well as predicted so far, but even so they have held him aloft enough to let him rely on hope that a future release could make up the difference, which it might. There is the threat. Alright gents, til next week.
Wannabe
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Shoot 'Em Up
Action films, of late, have been...well...pretty crappy and I think the audience for action films have known this which is why there has been a surge in interest in comic book films that tend to have lots of action. In fact, most of the better action films tend to be smaller releases such as Ong-Bak and District B13. But a movie whose description mentions the main character helping to birth a baby in the middle of a gunfight grabbed me by the balls and made me go see it. You've probably seen the commercials for it and the crazy over the top action in it with Clive Owens. Well, unless you've seen the movie then you haven't really seen over the top yet.
Shoot 'Em Up plays like a videogame turned into real life with bosses and crazy levels where any part of the environment is indestructible. In some ways, it feels like the writer/ director Michael Davis said, here are some badass ideas for a fight scene/s now lets create some sort of through line. Then again, the story does do a great job of commenting on what it means to be a good person and father. It also shares a real love of gunplay that I haven't seen since Equilibrium. Davis obviously wanted to show how many ways to could kill someone with bullets and guns, the most inventive of course being holding bullets near a fire until they get so hot they fire. Because of the bizarre story line and the excellent fight scenes, I have issues with how to judge this film. It's like watching Ultraviolet except good. Storywise, it feels haphazard and will-o-the-wisp, but it has enough gravitas to weigh down this fun crazy shooter to keep the film from flying away completely. Oh, by the way, the introduction to Clive Owen in this film is one of the best introductions I have seen in a long time. (Whats up with all the ridiculous references to cartoons? Trying to accent the cartoon violence?)
As for acting, well, the three main characters are Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, and Monica Belucci. All three of which have pretty cut and dry characters. Clive Owen is the Duke Nukem hobo badass. Possibly a previous black ops man who of course can wipe out thousands with his ingenuity. Paul Giamatti is the crazy sicko hired help bad guy who is trying to kill a baby that Owen has taken. Belluci is the whore who decides to help Owen and they kind of fall into the rhythm of being a couple and adopt the child as their own somewhat. Now both Giamatti and Owen have their own ticks as characters and I really like both of their jobs. Giamatti looks incredibly creepy and Owen is a major badass and there are moments where you realize that this is essentially his Bond film if he were Bond. And thank God Belluci is in this as a hooker because she is so hot! Unfortunately, I don't know what the heck to do with Giamatti's bizarre accent. It just doesn't fit and he comes across slightly as an evil version of the KFC icon. It really throws me everytime he speaks and I never liked it in this movie. Doesn't seem to fit. But besides that, all of the actors do great jobs with the narrowly defined characters they were given.
Directorially, the shots are beautiful and crisp and the director obviously knows how to turn a heavy scene in to a funny moment and then back. I was quite impressed with teh handling of the comedy bits, they were just right and at worst amusing to see, but never annoying. The action scenes, while yes, they are quite out there and very specific to this film, are still awe inspiring and a necessary watch for any action directors out there looking to make a high adrenaline movie.
Conclusion:
The setup is very stylistic and the directing becomes abvious but it is done in a way to accent the crazy scripted fights that happen constantly. The over the top attitude of the characters, actors, and everything comes together nicely with the constant cartoon violence and feel. Essentially, this is a saturday morning cartoon involving lots of guns and violence using real people. I highly recommend everyone to see thsi film and make your own opinion, but I'm going to stick to...
4.2 out of 5
Wannabe
Shoot 'Em Up plays like a videogame turned into real life with bosses and crazy levels where any part of the environment is indestructible. In some ways, it feels like the writer/ director Michael Davis said, here are some badass ideas for a fight scene/s now lets create some sort of through line. Then again, the story does do a great job of commenting on what it means to be a good person and father. It also shares a real love of gunplay that I haven't seen since Equilibrium. Davis obviously wanted to show how many ways to could kill someone with bullets and guns, the most inventive of course being holding bullets near a fire until they get so hot they fire. Because of the bizarre story line and the excellent fight scenes, I have issues with how to judge this film. It's like watching Ultraviolet except good. Storywise, it feels haphazard and will-o-the-wisp, but it has enough gravitas to weigh down this fun crazy shooter to keep the film from flying away completely. Oh, by the way, the introduction to Clive Owen in this film is one of the best introductions I have seen in a long time. (Whats up with all the ridiculous references to cartoons? Trying to accent the cartoon violence?)
As for acting, well, the three main characters are Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, and Monica Belucci. All three of which have pretty cut and dry characters. Clive Owen is the Duke Nukem hobo badass. Possibly a previous black ops man who of course can wipe out thousands with his ingenuity. Paul Giamatti is the crazy sicko hired help bad guy who is trying to kill a baby that Owen has taken. Belluci is the whore who decides to help Owen and they kind of fall into the rhythm of being a couple and adopt the child as their own somewhat. Now both Giamatti and Owen have their own ticks as characters and I really like both of their jobs. Giamatti looks incredibly creepy and Owen is a major badass and there are moments where you realize that this is essentially his Bond film if he were Bond. And thank God Belluci is in this as a hooker because she is so hot! Unfortunately, I don't know what the heck to do with Giamatti's bizarre accent. It just doesn't fit and he comes across slightly as an evil version of the KFC icon. It really throws me everytime he speaks and I never liked it in this movie. Doesn't seem to fit. But besides that, all of the actors do great jobs with the narrowly defined characters they were given.
Directorially, the shots are beautiful and crisp and the director obviously knows how to turn a heavy scene in to a funny moment and then back. I was quite impressed with teh handling of the comedy bits, they were just right and at worst amusing to see, but never annoying. The action scenes, while yes, they are quite out there and very specific to this film, are still awe inspiring and a necessary watch for any action directors out there looking to make a high adrenaline movie.
Conclusion:
The setup is very stylistic and the directing becomes abvious but it is done in a way to accent the crazy scripted fights that happen constantly. The over the top attitude of the characters, actors, and everything comes together nicely with the constant cartoon violence and feel. Essentially, this is a saturday morning cartoon involving lots of guns and violence using real people. I highly recommend everyone to see thsi film and make your own opinion, but I'm going to stick to...
4.2 out of 5
Wannabe
Monday, September 3, 2007
Fanatix Indie League 2 Week 4
Alright gents, you know the drill so here is the breakdown of what has happened.
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 $THE NANNY DIARIES 16.5 0 0 6.5
6 $RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 2.9 0 0 7.5
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 14.1 0 1 6.1
GoS
1 $STARDUST 31.9 0 2 8.2
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.4 5 0 6.6
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
PERENNIAL
1 *DARFUR NOW 9.3 10 0 8.2
2 GRACE IS GONE 3 2 0 6.8
3 I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 2.2 2 0 6.2
4 SAW IV 45 3 5 5.9
5 RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 13.75 1 0 5.5
6 LUST, CAUTION 8 6 0 7.1
7 SHINE A LIGHT 6.7 2 0 7.9
8 $LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 2 2 0 7.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 92.4 4 14 8.5
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 122.2 2 13 6.6
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 *HITMAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 $HALLOWEEN 31 4 5 6.5
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 415.1 4
GOS 324.9 3
CASTLE 245.5 2
PERENNIAL 89.95 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 33 4
PERENNIAL 28 3
WANNABE 22 2
CASTLE 16 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 51 4
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 21 2
PERENNIAL 5 1
IMDB
GOS 7.2875 4
CASTLE 6.8875 3
PERENNIAL 6.8375 2
WANNABE 6.3625 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 1 2 3 8 3
GOS 3 4 3 4 14 1
PERRENN 1 3 1 2 7 4
WANNABE 4 2 4 1 11 2
Alright, so what happened this week? Well, Perennial's first film came out, Ladron Que Roba a Ladron. It earned some PTA but nothing else. And despite my reluctances and predictions that Halloween was going to rip myself a new one, it earned excellent Labor Day Box Office and some PTA with its top 5. I still highly doubt if it can stay in the top 5 for more than possibly 2 weeks at best, but it is turning out to have been a very smart trade on my part earlier for the film. My movies are racking some serious top5 and BO. PTA is okay, but I really need to work on my IMDB. ALSO, MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THAT TWO MOVIES HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK BEYOND THE SEASON'S RELEASE DATES. MY MOVIE HIT MAN AND PERENNIAL'S FILM DARFUR NOW HAVE BOTH BEEN PUSHED BACK TO NOVEMBER...MEANING SOME MORE TRADING WILL BE GOING ON QUITE SOON I'M SURE AS I STRUGGLE TO RECOUP MY LOSS. Until then, good luck gents and let me know if you would like to trade anything. Peace!
INDIE LEAGUE BO PTA TOP 5 IMDB
CASTLE
1 ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE 41 5 3 8.1
2 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 45 3 6 6.8
3 DARJEELING LIMITED 22 3 0 7.2
4 SHOOT EM UP 39 1 4 6.4
5 $THE NANNY DIARIES 16.5 0 0 6.5
6 $RESURRECTING THE CHAMP 2.9 0 0 7.5
7 THE BRAVE ONE 65 4 7 6.5
8 $THE INVASION 14.1 0 1 6.1
GoS
1 $STARDUST 31.9 0 2 8.2
2 THE KINGDOM 55 5 7 7
3 THE HEARTBREAK KID 125 6 11 7
4 IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH 31 3 5 7.7
5 $THE 11TH HOUR 0.4 5 0 6.6
6 MICHAEL CLAYTON 37 4 4 7.4
7 RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION 41.5 4 6 6.3
8 IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON 3.1 6 0 8.1
PERENNIAL
1 *DARFUR NOW 9.3 10 0 8.2
2 GRACE IS GONE 3 2 0 6.8
3 I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH 2.2 2 0 6.2
4 SAW IV 45 3 5 5.9
5 RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 13.75 1 0 5.5
6 LUST, CAUTION 8 6 0 7.1
7 SHINE A LIGHT 6.7 2 0 7.9
8 $LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON 2 2 0 7.1
WANNABE
1 $SUPERBAD 92.4 4 14 8.5
2 $RUSH HOUR 3 122.2 2 13 6.6
3 3:10 TO YUMA 31 1 3 6.7
4 *HITMAN 51 6 7 7
5 THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING 16 0 0 4.2
6 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 22.5 3 5 5.5
7 $HALLOWEEN 31 4 5 6.5
8 THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD 49 2 4 5.9
BO RANKINGS
WANNABE 415.1 4
GOS 324.9 3
CASTLE 245.5 2
PERENNIAL 89.95 1
PTA RANKINGS
GOS 33 4
PERENNIAL 28 3
WANNABE 22 2
CASTLE 16 1
TOP 5
WANNABE 51 4
GOS 35 3
CASTLE 21 2
PERENNIAL 5 1
IMDB
GOS 7.2875 4
CASTLE 6.8875 3
PERENNIAL 6.8375 2
WANNABE 6.3625 1
BO PTA TOP IMDB TOTAL RANK
CASTLE 2 1 2 3 8 3
GOS 3 4 3 4 14 1
PERRENN 1 3 1 2 7 4
WANNABE 4 2 4 1 11 2
Alright, so what happened this week? Well, Perennial's first film came out, Ladron Que Roba a Ladron. It earned some PTA but nothing else. And despite my reluctances and predictions that Halloween was going to rip myself a new one, it earned excellent Labor Day Box Office and some PTA with its top 5. I still highly doubt if it can stay in the top 5 for more than possibly 2 weeks at best, but it is turning out to have been a very smart trade on my part earlier for the film. My movies are racking some serious top5 and BO. PTA is okay, but I really need to work on my IMDB. ALSO, MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THAT TWO MOVIES HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK BEYOND THE SEASON'S RELEASE DATES. MY MOVIE HIT MAN AND PERENNIAL'S FILM DARFUR NOW HAVE BOTH BEEN PUSHED BACK TO NOVEMBER...MEANING SOME MORE TRADING WILL BE GOING ON QUITE SOON I'M SURE AS I STRUGGLE TO RECOUP MY LOSS. Until then, good luck gents and let me know if you would like to trade anything. Peace!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
