The Reader
2008, dir. Stephen Daldry.
star. David Kross, Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, Bruno Ganz, Lena Olin
2 hours 6 minutes
Contnuing the Nazi theme of the season (having just seen Valkyrie, and a preview for Defiance played in front of both films), Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star in The Reader, based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink. David Kross stars as Michael, a young german teenager in 1858 who falls ill as is helped by a strange older woman Hanna, played by Winslet. They conduct an affair, but then without warning, Hanna disappears. Ten years later, Michael is studying law and ends up at a war crimes trial where one of the defendants turns out to be Hanna herself. Michael could help exonnerate her (at least partially), but refuses to do so out off secrecy, as does Winslet, who admits to actions she did not do out of shame for her own secret.
In a similar vein to Valkyrie, The Reader examines to collective guilt of the German people with regard to the holocaust, and asks whether or not or not there are different levels of that guilt. My issue with The Reader, however, is that Hanna's actions do not make sense to her. Without giving it away, I can tell you I do not share Hanna's secret shame; that said, if the choice were revealing that secret or facing a life sentence in prison, I would reveal the shameful truth in a heartbeat, not matter how embarassing it might seem. But as I said, that may be easier for me to say, considering I'm not in that position.
Winslet is great as always as Hanna, and will probably nab another Oscar nomination for the role. The best performances, though, are Kross and Fiennes sharing the role of Michael. Fiennes gives what I think is his best work since The English Patient, and certainly his most subdued. Kross is equally strong as the younger Michael, and hopefully will show up in a lot more work. The great strength of the two actors is that their portrayals blend seamlessly into each other, and it feels like one whole character, rather than two separate ones.
3 1/2 stars out of 5.
saw Saturday afternoon at Silvercity with Paddy, my aunt Susan, and Steve. had a can of Coke Zero and some popcorn.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Life Understood Backwards
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2008. Dir. David Fincher. 2 hours 47 minutes.
Saw Benjamin Button on Boxing Day. Had a diet Coke.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the story of man (played by Brad Pitt) who is born as an old man, and goes through his life aging backwards, becoming more youthful as everyone else around him gets older. The film takes its name, premise, and protagonist's name from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but nothing else.
The film will probably remind many of Forrest Gump, and with good reason, as they both had the same screenwriter. Benjamin Button, I would argue, has a bit more depth to it. While Gump seemed to revolve around the theme of chance and fate, Button is more directly about life and how we travel through it. Although I am only 27, I think I can safely gauge that I will be happy to trade my youth for wisdom, an oppurtunity that Button does not seem to get. Forrest Gump traveled through life as an idiot, essentially; Ben Button, while growing younger, develops what I would describe as a vapidity. This is not a flaw of Brad Pitt's performance, but actually a strength, since I feel that loss of accumulated wisdom is the point of the story.
Cate Blanchett does a strong job as Button lifelong love, Daisy, especially in the framing scenes at her deathbed, where she recounts the tale to her daughter, played by Julia Ormond, who I would love to see make a comeback into mainstream films (or any films at all) since she seemed to disappear in the late 90's. There's been awards talk for Taraji Henson, who plays Button's adopted mother, but I can't say that her performance did much for me.
Overall, I liked Benjamin Button quite a bit, and it really made me ponder my own life, which is all you can ask of any film.
5 stars out of 5
2008. Dir. David Fincher. 2 hours 47 minutes.
Saw Benjamin Button on Boxing Day. Had a diet Coke.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the story of man (played by Brad Pitt) who is born as an old man, and goes through his life aging backwards, becoming more youthful as everyone else around him gets older. The film takes its name, premise, and protagonist's name from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but nothing else.
The film will probably remind many of Forrest Gump, and with good reason, as they both had the same screenwriter. Benjamin Button, I would argue, has a bit more depth to it. While Gump seemed to revolve around the theme of chance and fate, Button is more directly about life and how we travel through it. Although I am only 27, I think I can safely gauge that I will be happy to trade my youth for wisdom, an oppurtunity that Button does not seem to get. Forrest Gump traveled through life as an idiot, essentially; Ben Button, while growing younger, develops what I would describe as a vapidity. This is not a flaw of Brad Pitt's performance, but actually a strength, since I feel that loss of accumulated wisdom is the point of the story.
Cate Blanchett does a strong job as Button lifelong love, Daisy, especially in the framing scenes at her deathbed, where she recounts the tale to her daughter, played by Julia Ormond, who I would love to see make a comeback into mainstream films (or any films at all) since she seemed to disappear in the late 90's. There's been awards talk for Taraji Henson, who plays Button's adopted mother, but I can't say that her performance did much for me.
Overall, I liked Benjamin Button quite a bit, and it really made me ponder my own life, which is all you can ask of any film.
5 stars out of 5
Saturday, December 27, 2008
This Is Not A World Warr II movie ....
Valkyrie
2008, dir. Bryan Singer.
stars Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Thomas Kretchmann, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard
2 hours
Saw this on Christmas Day at Silvercity, with Paddy, my aunt Susan, my cousins Steve and Lauren, and Lauren's friend Malcolm, all the way from Scotland.
Tom Cruise stars in Valkyrie, one of a few movies this winter that deal with Nazi Germany and World War II. In this case, Valkyrie is the story of a group of German officers and businessmen who believe that Hitler has done only harm to Germany (specifically, militarily), and that he must be replaced. And of course to replace him, he must be assassinated. The film covers the 15th and last such attempt, with Cruise leading the team to kill Hitler and use the SS’ own mechanisms against itself to facilitate a coup d’etat.
The disadvantage this film has is that it’s a well-known fact that Hitler was not assassinated, but committed suicide in his bunker near the end of the war. So of course, the audience knows this plan will fail. Thus the film, in order to generate any suspense, must show the whys and hows of that failure, and for good measure, should show just how close it was. To give credit the film, I, only half-seriously, thought the plan was going to work. By that I mean that film is successfully suspenseful, in that the visceral part of my brain took over from the logical.
Cruise is surrounded in the film but a host of talented British actors, including Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Kenneth Branagh but despite what some have said, I thought Cruise held together the ensemble well. Don’t get me wrong here, he is definitely more Tom Cruise than Claus Von Staffenberg (the officer he portrays), but he is convincing in his portrayal.
Valkyrie may not be the deepest film you see this year, but it is an entertaining movie, and hopefully might lead Tom Cruise to some favoured status.
3 stars out of 5.
2008, dir. Bryan Singer.
stars Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Thomas Kretchmann, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard
2 hours
Saw this on Christmas Day at Silvercity, with Paddy, my aunt Susan, my cousins Steve and Lauren, and Lauren's friend Malcolm, all the way from Scotland.
Tom Cruise stars in Valkyrie, one of a few movies this winter that deal with Nazi Germany and World War II. In this case, Valkyrie is the story of a group of German officers and businessmen who believe that Hitler has done only harm to Germany (specifically, militarily), and that he must be replaced. And of course to replace him, he must be assassinated. The film covers the 15th and last such attempt, with Cruise leading the team to kill Hitler and use the SS’ own mechanisms against itself to facilitate a coup d’etat.
The disadvantage this film has is that it’s a well-known fact that Hitler was not assassinated, but committed suicide in his bunker near the end of the war. So of course, the audience knows this plan will fail. Thus the film, in order to generate any suspense, must show the whys and hows of that failure, and for good measure, should show just how close it was. To give credit the film, I, only half-seriously, thought the plan was going to work. By that I mean that film is successfully suspenseful, in that the visceral part of my brain took over from the logical.
Cruise is surrounded in the film but a host of talented British actors, including Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Kenneth Branagh but despite what some have said, I thought Cruise held together the ensemble well. Don’t get me wrong here, he is definitely more Tom Cruise than Claus Von Staffenberg (the officer he portrays), but he is convincing in his portrayal.
Valkyrie may not be the deepest film you see this year, but it is an entertaining movie, and hopefully might lead Tom Cruise to some favoured status.
3 stars out of 5.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
IMDB
I like the IMDB, it's a good tool, but it can be dumb as shit sometimes. A good example is today's poll:
Which of these performers made the worst post-Oscar winning career choices? (Suggested by "Jdchrstnsn")
Dan Aykroyd
Kim Basinger
Nicolas Cage
Kevin Costner
Whoopi Goldberg
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Dennis Hopper
Tom Hulce
Juliette Lewis
John Lithgow
Pat Morita
Haley Joel Osment
Chazz Palminteri
Burt Reynolds
Elisabeth Shue
Billy Bob Thornton
John Travolta
Jon Voight
Robin Williams
Dan Aykroyd, Dennis Hopper, Tom Hulce, Juliette Lewis, John Lithgow, Pat Morita, Holey Joel Osment, Chazz Palminteri, Burt Reynolds, Elisabeth Shue, and John Travolta have NEVER WON Oscars. That's more than half the list they've provided. I mean, come on, you're supposed to be the source for accurate film information, and this is what they provide. For christ's sake.
Which of these performers made the worst post-Oscar winning career choices? (Suggested by "Jdchrstnsn")
Dan Aykroyd
Kim Basinger
Nicolas Cage
Kevin Costner
Whoopi Goldberg
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Dennis Hopper
Tom Hulce
Juliette Lewis
John Lithgow
Pat Morita
Haley Joel Osment
Chazz Palminteri
Burt Reynolds
Elisabeth Shue
Billy Bob Thornton
John Travolta
Jon Voight
Robin Williams
Dan Aykroyd, Dennis Hopper, Tom Hulce, Juliette Lewis, John Lithgow, Pat Morita, Holey Joel Osment, Chazz Palminteri, Burt Reynolds, Elisabeth Shue, and John Travolta have NEVER WON Oscars. That's more than half the list they've provided. I mean, come on, you're supposed to be the source for accurate film information, and this is what they provide. For christ's sake.
Upcoming movies in the next week
Welcome to the holiday edition of Upcoming Movies, and on this Christmas weekend, there are a bunch:
Tomorrow, Christmas Day. If your family is starting to annoy you and you want to escape to the movies, you have no less than 7 new movies opening in Ottawa tomorrow. Here are your choices:
The Reader
This adapation of the bestselling German novel (and Oprha's Book Club pick) is about a man who discovers that the older woman he had as a lover when he was young might have a terrible secret in her past. Psst .... the secret involves Nazis. Directed by Stephen Daldry (The Hours) and starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Brune Ganz and my favorite Romanian actress, Alexandra Maria Lara (this is the 3rd film in 4 years with Ganz and Lara, all of which involved Nazis).
The Spirit
Comic Book writer Frank Miller directs this comic book adapatation, which is getting some downright awful reviews. Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson.
Bedtime Stories
From Disney comes this Adam Sandler movie where he tells stories to his nephews, and the stories come to life. Sarcastic Yay!
Doubt
This new film is about a power struggle between a head nun and a young idealist priest in a New York parish in the 1960s. The play was a huge hit on Broadway, and teh film has garnered lots of awards attention already. Stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis. Opens on Christmas Day, but also heads to the Bytowne a week later on New Years Day if you want to support your local independent theatre.
Valkyrie
Want more Nazis? Instead of Oprah's Book Club pick The Reader, you can have Oprah's Couch Club pick Tom Cruise in Valyrie, where Cruise must single-handedly assasinate Adolph Hitler in order to restore Scientology as the dominant force in Germany. From director Bryan Singer, and also starring Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, and Bill Nighy.
Marley & Me
Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston adopt the worst puppy ever, but grow to love it. If you want to see a real bad dog, rent White Dog.
And my pick for a Christmas movie this year, David Fincher's
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt stars as a a baby born as an old man who then ages backwards, while the world keeps going forward. The movie looks fantastic, and I encoruage everyone to check it out. Also stars Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton.
I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas.
Tomorrow, Christmas Day. If your family is starting to annoy you and you want to escape to the movies, you have no less than 7 new movies opening in Ottawa tomorrow. Here are your choices:
The Reader
This adapation of the bestselling German novel (and Oprha's Book Club pick) is about a man who discovers that the older woman he had as a lover when he was young might have a terrible secret in her past. Psst .... the secret involves Nazis. Directed by Stephen Daldry (The Hours) and starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Brune Ganz and my favorite Romanian actress, Alexandra Maria Lara (this is the 3rd film in 4 years with Ganz and Lara, all of which involved Nazis).
The Spirit
Comic Book writer Frank Miller directs this comic book adapatation, which is getting some downright awful reviews. Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson.
Bedtime Stories
From Disney comes this Adam Sandler movie where he tells stories to his nephews, and the stories come to life. Sarcastic Yay!
Doubt
This new film is about a power struggle between a head nun and a young idealist priest in a New York parish in the 1960s. The play was a huge hit on Broadway, and teh film has garnered lots of awards attention already. Stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis. Opens on Christmas Day, but also heads to the Bytowne a week later on New Years Day if you want to support your local independent theatre.
Valkyrie
Want more Nazis? Instead of Oprah's Book Club pick The Reader, you can have Oprah's Couch Club pick Tom Cruise in Valyrie, where Cruise must single-handedly assasinate Adolph Hitler in order to restore Scientology as the dominant force in Germany. From director Bryan Singer, and also starring Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, and Bill Nighy.
Marley & Me
Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston adopt the worst puppy ever, but grow to love it. If you want to see a real bad dog, rent White Dog.
And my pick for a Christmas movie this year, David Fincher's
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt stars as a a baby born as an old man who then ages backwards, while the world keeps going forward. The movie looks fantastic, and I encoruage everyone to check it out. Also stars Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton.
I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Who Wants to Be $501,959.70 CDN-aire?
That's how much 20 million Indian Rupess is ... so not even half a million US dollars. Still, it's a lot for a slumdog from Mumbai, I guess.
Paddy and I caught Slumdog Millionaire last night at the World Exchange. I drank a bottle of Coke Zero. The movie is about a young man named Jamal who grew up in the slums of Mumbai and Bombay in India, who ends up winning 20 million Rupees on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Officials believe that he must have cheated, so they interrogate/torture him into telling them how he did it. Gradually, he reveals how each question is related to important events from his life, from his early childhood right up until present day.
The film has a frenetic energy that has eluded most this year's films, and while some may complain that it's all too convenient, I think that that may be the point. The movie strives to show how fate will lead us on our path to getting what we need in life. Dev Patel, as the oldest of the Jamals, is fantastic in his role, though I'm not sure why he's getting awards and award nominations as a supporting actor, since he's clearly the lead in this film. Overall, a great time at the movies, and, with apologies to Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder, the best end credits dance sequence all year. (It's kind of a Bollywood film, so of course there has to be a dance sequence).
4 and a half stars out of 5.
Slumdog Millionaire
2008. 1hour 56minutes.
dir. Danny Boyle. Star. Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Freida Pinto.
Paddy and I caught Slumdog Millionaire last night at the World Exchange. I drank a bottle of Coke Zero. The movie is about a young man named Jamal who grew up in the slums of Mumbai and Bombay in India, who ends up winning 20 million Rupees on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Officials believe that he must have cheated, so they interrogate/torture him into telling them how he did it. Gradually, he reveals how each question is related to important events from his life, from his early childhood right up until present day.
The film has a frenetic energy that has eluded most this year's films, and while some may complain that it's all too convenient, I think that that may be the point. The movie strives to show how fate will lead us on our path to getting what we need in life. Dev Patel, as the oldest of the Jamals, is fantastic in his role, though I'm not sure why he's getting awards and award nominations as a supporting actor, since he's clearly the lead in this film. Overall, a great time at the movies, and, with apologies to Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder, the best end credits dance sequence all year. (It's kind of a Bollywood film, so of course there has to be a dance sequence).
4 and a half stars out of 5.
Slumdog Millionaire
2008. 1hour 56minutes.
dir. Danny Boyle. Star. Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Freida Pinto.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations
Perhaps more relevant to winning an Oscar are the SAG Awards, more so than the Golden Globes or other Critics awards. Why? Beacuse the Oscars are not voted on by critics, but by the Academy, which is by and large made up of actors (with other film professionals making up a minority). Expect a strong correlation between these nominations and the Oscar nominations:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
RICHARD JENKINS / Walter Vale - “THE VISITOR” (Overture Films)
FRANK LANGELLA / Richard Nixon - “FROST/NIXON” (Universal Pictures)
SEAN PENN / Harvey Milk - “MILK” (Focus Features)
BRAD PITT / Benjamin Button - “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
MICKEY ROURKE / Randy - “THE WRESTLER” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Kym - “RACHEL GETTING MARRIED” (Sony Pictures Classics)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Christine Collins - “CHANGELING” (Universal Pictures)
MELISSA LEO / Ray Eddy - “FROZEN RIVER” (Sony Pictures Classics)
MERYL STREEP / Sister Aloysius Beauvier - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
KATE WINSLET / April Wheeler - “REVOLUTIONARY ROAD” (Paramount Vantage)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JOSH BROLIN / Dan White - “MILK” (Focus Features)
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. / Kirk Lazarus - “TROPIC THUNDER” (Paramount Pictures)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Father Brendan Flynn - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
HEATH LEDGER / Joker - “THE DARK KNIGHT” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DEV PATEL / Older Jamal - “SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
AMY ADAMS / Sister James - “DOUBT” (Miramax Flms)
PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Maria Elena - “VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA” (The Weinstein Company)
VIOLA DAVIS / Mrs. Miller - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
TARAJI P. HENSON / Queenie - “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
KATE WINSLET / Hanna Schmitz - “THE READER” (The Weinstein Company)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture [the SAG equivalent of Best Picture]
DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
RICHARD JENKINS / Walter Vale - “THE VISITOR” (Overture Films)
FRANK LANGELLA / Richard Nixon - “FROST/NIXON” (Universal Pictures)
SEAN PENN / Harvey Milk - “MILK” (Focus Features)
BRAD PITT / Benjamin Button - “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
MICKEY ROURKE / Randy - “THE WRESTLER” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Kym - “RACHEL GETTING MARRIED” (Sony Pictures Classics)
ANGELINA JOLIE / Christine Collins - “CHANGELING” (Universal Pictures)
MELISSA LEO / Ray Eddy - “FROZEN RIVER” (Sony Pictures Classics)
MERYL STREEP / Sister Aloysius Beauvier - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
KATE WINSLET / April Wheeler - “REVOLUTIONARY ROAD” (Paramount Vantage)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JOSH BROLIN / Dan White - “MILK” (Focus Features)
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. / Kirk Lazarus - “TROPIC THUNDER” (Paramount Pictures)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Father Brendan Flynn - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
HEATH LEDGER / Joker - “THE DARK KNIGHT” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DEV PATEL / Older Jamal - “SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
AMY ADAMS / Sister James - “DOUBT” (Miramax Flms)
PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Maria Elena - “VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA” (The Weinstein Company)
VIOLA DAVIS / Mrs. Miller - “DOUBT” (Miramax Films)
TARAJI P. HENSON / Queenie - “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” (Paramount Pictures)
KATE WINSLET / Hanna Schmitz - “THE READER” (The Weinstein Company)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture [the SAG equivalent of Best Picture]
DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)
Will O'Neill Film Screening # 2 - To Live and Die In L.A.
The next film screened is going to William Friedkin's 1985 action crime thriller To Live And Die In L.A. Friedkin is well-known for his car chase stunts from The French Connection, but many (myself included) feel that the chase in TLADILA is just as good. The film stars William Petersen as a US Secret Service agent with the counterfeit division investogating the murder of his partner (who yes, I kid you not, had ONE day until retirement) at the hands of master counterfeiter Willem Dafoe.A great unrelenting crime film, with just enough 80's cheeze factor to give it a couple good laughs, not the least of which is the score by none other than Wang Chung.
To Live and Die In L.A., Saturday December 27th at 2:30 pm.
To Live and Die In L.A.
1985, dir. William Friedkin, 1 hour 57 minutes
stars William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, Dean Stockwell, John Pankow, Robert Downey Sr., John Turturro, Debra Feuer.
To Live and Die In L.A., Saturday December 27th at 2:30 pm.
To Live and Die In L.A.
1985, dir. William Friedkin, 1 hour 57 minutes
stars William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, Dean Stockwell, John Pankow, Robert Downey Sr., John Turturro, Debra Feuer.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
New Mayfair January Schedule
The Mayfair (the NEW Mayfair) has just released their new schedule for January, which is also the first indication of what kind of programming they'll be doing under the new management. Some highlights include:
LOTS of James Bond:
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View To A Kill
Casino Royale
Quantum of Solace
some classic cult films:
Eraserhead
Showgirls
Vigilante
Mean Streets
some recent films:
Changeling
Choke
Rocknrolla
Let The Right One In
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
a lot of Asian cinema, the only one I recognized was Mad Detective,
quite a few documentaries, most of them about movies and the arts,
and it all starts off at the grand opening Open House (free, by the way) with some shorts by the very talented people at IFCO, and a screening of Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis, with supposedly "live music".
Looks to be a promising month. Between the Mayfair, Bytowne, and regular theatre schedules, there's about 27 films I want to check out in January, so I don't know how I'm going to pull all that off. We'll see, I guess.
LOTS of James Bond:
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View To A Kill
Casino Royale
Quantum of Solace
some classic cult films:
Eraserhead
Showgirls
Vigilante
Mean Streets
some recent films:
Changeling
Choke
Rocknrolla
Let The Right One In
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
a lot of Asian cinema, the only one I recognized was Mad Detective,
quite a few documentaries, most of them about movies and the arts,
and it all starts off at the grand opening Open House (free, by the way) with some shorts by the very talented people at IFCO, and a screening of Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis, with supposedly "live music".
Looks to be a promising month. Between the Mayfair, Bytowne, and regular theatre schedules, there's about 27 films I want to check out in January, so I don't know how I'm going to pull all that off. We'll see, I guess.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Upcoming movies in the next week
Another week, another batch of movies. If you can find your way around in the weather and without buses, here are some movie-going options:
Wednesday
Ashes of Time Redux
2008, Wong Kar Wai. This new version of Ashes of Time played at the Cannes Film Festival last May, but it hasn't gotten great reviews. To be honest, the trailer playing at the Bytowne hasn't really done anything for me.
Exclusively at The Bytowne
Friday
Tell No One
2007? 2008? I guess this is a new movie, although it played in Gatineau during the summer of 2007. Now it gets an English-subtitled release (don't let the trailer fool you; this is a French film). The trailer looks pretty good, and the film includes Canadian actress Marie-Josee Croze.
Exclusively at the Bytowne
Slumdog Millionaire
This new 2008 film from Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine) is already winning awards, and look for some Oscar love as well. A 2008 Golden Globe nominee for best drama (and the first of the nominees to play in Ottawa), the film is about a young boy from Mubai who makes it to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and finds that every question somehow relates to his slum upbringing. Considered by many to be the best film of the year.
Exclusively at World Exchange
Seven Pounds
This new film with will Smith and his director of Pursuit of Happyness is about an IRS agent who has the ability to drastically affect the lives of 7 unconnected individuals. Presumably not by auditing them.
Yes Man
I have to admit that this new Jim Carrey film has interested me more than anything he's done in 10 years. I'll probably still wait 'til video, however.
and for the kids, there's
The Tale of Despereaux.
Those of you who subject yourselves to TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8 will have seen that family schill themselves for this animated film, featuring the vocal talents of Emma Watson, who apparently plays Hymen or Harmony or whatever the girl character's name is in Harry Potter.
And as I noted last month, The Wizard of Oz is playing at the Bytowne this Monday and Tuesday. If you haven't seen it on teh big screen, make a point to check it out.
***
The Bytowne has posted their schedule for January, and some highlights include classics such as Trainspotting, Akira Kurosawa's High And Low, and The Apartment from Billy Wilder. New releases include some critical heavyweights like Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman; and The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke. Some acclaimed foreign films include the 2008 Palme D'Or winner The Class, and the swedish vampire tale Let The Right One In. Plus, there's always Repo, The Genetic Opera featuring none other than Paris Hilton. Who says The Bytowne doesn't have class?
Have fun!
Wednesday
Ashes of Time Redux
2008, Wong Kar Wai. This new version of Ashes of Time played at the Cannes Film Festival last May, but it hasn't gotten great reviews. To be honest, the trailer playing at the Bytowne hasn't really done anything for me.
Exclusively at The Bytowne
Friday
Tell No One
2007? 2008? I guess this is a new movie, although it played in Gatineau during the summer of 2007. Now it gets an English-subtitled release (don't let the trailer fool you; this is a French film). The trailer looks pretty good, and the film includes Canadian actress Marie-Josee Croze.
Exclusively at the Bytowne
Slumdog Millionaire
This new 2008 film from Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine) is already winning awards, and look for some Oscar love as well. A 2008 Golden Globe nominee for best drama (and the first of the nominees to play in Ottawa), the film is about a young boy from Mubai who makes it to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and finds that every question somehow relates to his slum upbringing. Considered by many to be the best film of the year.
Exclusively at World Exchange
Seven Pounds
This new film with will Smith and his director of Pursuit of Happyness is about an IRS agent who has the ability to drastically affect the lives of 7 unconnected individuals. Presumably not by auditing them.
Yes Man
I have to admit that this new Jim Carrey film has interested me more than anything he's done in 10 years. I'll probably still wait 'til video, however.
and for the kids, there's
The Tale of Despereaux.
Those of you who subject yourselves to TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8 will have seen that family schill themselves for this animated film, featuring the vocal talents of Emma Watson, who apparently plays Hymen or Harmony or whatever the girl character's name is in Harry Potter.
And as I noted last month, The Wizard of Oz is playing at the Bytowne this Monday and Tuesday. If you haven't seen it on teh big screen, make a point to check it out.
***
The Bytowne has posted their schedule for January, and some highlights include classics such as Trainspotting, Akira Kurosawa's High And Low, and The Apartment from Billy Wilder. New releases include some critical heavyweights like Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman; and The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke. Some acclaimed foreign films include the 2008 Palme D'Or winner The Class, and the swedish vampire tale Let The Right One In. Plus, there's always Repo, The Genetic Opera featuring none other than Paris Hilton. Who says The Bytowne doesn't have class?
Have fun!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
If Good Movies Die, Keanu Dies. If Keanu Dies, Good Movies Survive.
The Day The Earth Stood Still
2008, dir. Scott Derrickson. Stars Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, Jon Hamm.
1 hour 45 minutes.
Saw this Sunday night with Paddy. Had a can of Coke Zero.
I bought the original, classic, actually good version of The Day The Earth Stood Still on blu-ray last weekend, and it included a free pass to see this remake. So I didn't pay, and yet I still felt ripped off. This film is just stupid. Keanu Reeves looks awful. It's over, buddy. Did I say the film is stupid? It's not laughably bad, because that I can find entertaining. It's dull, boring, tepid. It's one thing to be subtle, it's a wholly different thing to just be vague and ambiguous for the sake of covering up your own lack of interesting ideas. Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates, you're both Oscar winners. Act like it. And by that I mean, ACT like it. I don't even know what to say.
0 stars.
2008, dir. Scott Derrickson. Stars Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, Jon Hamm.
1 hour 45 minutes.
Saw this Sunday night with Paddy. Had a can of Coke Zero.
I bought the original, classic, actually good version of The Day The Earth Stood Still on blu-ray last weekend, and it included a free pass to see this remake. So I didn't pay, and yet I still felt ripped off. This film is just stupid. Keanu Reeves looks awful. It's over, buddy. Did I say the film is stupid? It's not laughably bad, because that I can find entertaining. It's dull, boring, tepid. It's one thing to be subtle, it's a wholly different thing to just be vague and ambiguous for the sake of covering up your own lack of interesting ideas. Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates, you're both Oscar winners. Act like it. And by that I mean, ACT like it. I don't even know what to say.
0 stars.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The Will O'Neill Film Screening Collective
The Will O'Neill Film Screening Collective is going to be a loosely scheduled series of film screenings at my apartment. Basically, every so often, I'm going to sit down to watch a really good film and invite whoever wants to watch it to come join me. It's going to be very informal, just sitting around watching movies on DVD or Blu-Ray. They won't be planned out very far in advance, maybe just a week or so. I'll be posting each notice here on this blog, and you can also join the Facebook group. So, if you see a film posted and you think you might want to watch it, come on over. Bring some snacks or something to drink if you want, or otherwise just bring yourself. The films will be scheduled at variable times; some will be on weekends, some on weekdays, some in the afternoon, some in the evening, and maybe even a few late at night. I'm going to try to do one every couple of weeks or so, but they may be more frequent during times like the holidays.
The first screening is this Thursday at 8, with Lars Von Trier's film Europa. Other films that may be screened in the future include:
Paris, Texas
Last Year at Marienbad
Cat People
To Live and Die In L.A.
The Searchers
Down By Law
and other films by directors such as:
Ingmar Bergman
Martin Scorsese
Alfred Hitchcock
Jean-Luc Godard
Michael Mann
Werner Herzog
Also, if people have suggestions, send them along and I might include them on the schedule.
The first screening is this Thursday at 8, with Lars Von Trier's film Europa. Other films that may be screened in the future include:
Paris, Texas
Last Year at Marienbad
Cat People
To Live and Die In L.A.
The Searchers
Down By Law
and other films by directors such as:
Ingmar Bergman
Martin Scorsese
Alfred Hitchcock
Jean-Luc Godard
Michael Mann
Werner Herzog
Also, if people have suggestions, send them along and I might include them on the schedule.
Will O'Neill Film Screening # 1 - Europa
The first Will O'Neill Film Screening is this Thursday Night, December 18th, at 8 pm. The film is Lars Von Trier's 1991 film, Europa. The film is in English with some German, and is 1 hour 47 minutes long.
Synopsis
“You will now listen to my voice . . . On the count of ten you will be in Europa . . .” So begins Max von Sydow’s opening narration to Lars von Trier’s hypnotic Europa (known in the U.S. as Zentropa), a fever dream in which American pacifist Leopold Kessler (Jean-Marc Barr) stumbles into a job as a sleeping-car conductor for the Zentropa railways in a Kafkaesque 1945 postwar Frankfurt. With its gorgeous black-and-white and color imagery and meticulously recreated (if then nightmarishly deconstructed) costumes and sets, Europa is one of the great Danish filmmaker’s weirdest and most wonderful works, a runaway-train ride to an oddly futuristic past.
Synopsis
“You will now listen to my voice . . . On the count of ten you will be in Europa . . .” So begins Max von Sydow’s opening narration to Lars von Trier’s hypnotic Europa (known in the U.S. as Zentropa), a fever dream in which American pacifist Leopold Kessler (Jean-Marc Barr) stumbles into a job as a sleeping-car conductor for the Zentropa railways in a Kafkaesque 1945 postwar Frankfurt. With its gorgeous black-and-white and color imagery and meticulously recreated (if then nightmarishly deconstructed) costumes and sets, Europa is one of the great Danish filmmaker’s weirdest and most wonderful works, a runaway-train ride to an oddly futuristic past.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Golden Globe Nominations (with comments)
For those of you who care, Oscar season is in full swing now, with some awards and nominations already having been announced. The first of the big ones, the Golden Globes, were announced this morning, and here they are, with my comments:
Actor, Comedy
Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
James Franco, Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleason, In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman Last Chance Harvey
No real complaints here, though I would have thrown in Will Ferrell from Step Brothers instead of one of the In Bruges boys, which has got to be the most depressing "comedy" I've seen all year.
Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader
These could easily be the 5 Oscar nominees, although either Rosemarie DeWitt or Debra Winger from Rachel Getting Married could knock out Amy Adams.
Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, Ben Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
Clearly missing Christopher Nolan for Dark Knight, and Gus Van Sant for Milk.
Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. Tropic Tunder
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
The Golden Globes have always been known for star-fucking as much as for honouring worthy performances, but Tom Cruise? Tropic Thunder? Funny as shit, but giving Cruise back some cred should be award enough. Fiennes for The Duchess is also bullshit. Should be Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, or James Franco for Milk, or Eddie Marsan for Happy Go Lucky. Or for star power and honoring comedy, Brad Pitt or John Malkovich from Burn After Reading.
Oh Well, doesn't matter. If you're looking for an economic stimulus, take all the money you can spare and bet it on Ledger.
Actor
Leo DiCaprio, Rev Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Again, don't be surprised if these are the five Oscar nominees, with Clint Eastwood for Gran Turino possibly knocking someone out (hint: one of the pretty boys).
Best Comedy/Musical
Burn After Reading
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
I would ahve thought Tropic Thunder would have landed here, and Step Brothers should have, either over In Bruges, which, as I said earlier, was the most depressing comedy I've seen in a long long time.
Actress, Drama
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Joie, The Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved you So Long
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Five probable, and obvious choices.
Actress, Comedy
Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia
Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey
I'm very happy to see Rebecca Hall here, and Frances McDormand, but I still say this (and the Oscar) should go to Sally Hawkins. Her performance seems so easy, and flighty, but I defy anyone to fake that kind of constant demeanor as convincingly as she does.
Picture, Drama
Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
The big category, but where's The Dark Knight. Don't worry, I still think it will be ehere when the Oscar nominations are announced.
Actor, Comedy
Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
James Franco, Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleason, In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman Last Chance Harvey
No real complaints here, though I would have thrown in Will Ferrell from Step Brothers instead of one of the In Bruges boys, which has got to be the most depressing "comedy" I've seen all year.
Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader
These could easily be the 5 Oscar nominees, although either Rosemarie DeWitt or Debra Winger from Rachel Getting Married could knock out Amy Adams.
Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, Ben Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
Clearly missing Christopher Nolan for Dark Knight, and Gus Van Sant for Milk.
Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. Tropic Tunder
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
The Golden Globes have always been known for star-fucking as much as for honouring worthy performances, but Tom Cruise? Tropic Thunder? Funny as shit, but giving Cruise back some cred should be award enough. Fiennes for The Duchess is also bullshit. Should be Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, or James Franco for Milk, or Eddie Marsan for Happy Go Lucky. Or for star power and honoring comedy, Brad Pitt or John Malkovich from Burn After Reading.
Oh Well, doesn't matter. If you're looking for an economic stimulus, take all the money you can spare and bet it on Ledger.
Actor
Leo DiCaprio, Rev Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Again, don't be surprised if these are the five Oscar nominees, with Clint Eastwood for Gran Turino possibly knocking someone out (hint: one of the pretty boys).
Best Comedy/Musical
Burn After Reading
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
I would ahve thought Tropic Thunder would have landed here, and Step Brothers should have, either over In Bruges, which, as I said earlier, was the most depressing comedy I've seen in a long long time.
Actress, Drama
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Joie, The Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved you So Long
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Five probable, and obvious choices.
Actress, Comedy
Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia
Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey
I'm very happy to see Rebecca Hall here, and Frances McDormand, but I still say this (and the Oscar) should go to Sally Hawkins. Her performance seems so easy, and flighty, but I defy anyone to fake that kind of constant demeanor as convincingly as she does.
Picture, Drama
Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
The big category, but where's The Dark Knight. Don't worry, I still think it will be ehere when the Oscar nominations are announced.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Upcoming movies in the next week
If the weather and the transit strike aren't keeping you down, there are a few new movies coming out in the next week for your enjoyment
Friday
Milk, 2008, from director Gus Van Sant. Stars Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, and Diego Luna. I caught this in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, and now it opens wider, including in Ottawa. I highly recommend it, and I have no doubt that it will garner some Oscar nominations.
The Day The Earth Stood Still, 2008
This remake of teh 1951 sci-fi classic hits regular and IMAX theatres as well on Friday. I'm a big fan of teh original, so I'll be checking this out for curiosity's sake, if nothing else, though I admit the trailer intrigues me.
Stars Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates, and Jaden Smith.
Outsourced, 2008
I have no idea what Outsourced is about, so:
"Outsourced opens in Seattle, where thirtysomething mid-level manager Todd Anderson (Josh Hamilton) oversees the call centre for Western Novelty, a company selling kitschy knick-knacks. In a ruthless cost-cutting maneuver, Todd’s shark of a boss informs him that Western Novelty is outsourcing the call centre to India. Unless Todd agrees to relocate to India for three to four months to train his replacement, he’ll not only lose his job, but his stock options as well.
Grumbling all the way to Bombay, Todd initially makes zero effort to embrace his new home or familiarize himself with India’s rich and varied culture, despite the unfailingly friendly efforts of his replacement, Puro (Asif Basra) to make him comfortable. Over time, however, Todd gradually overcomes his resistance to savour and celebrate the cultural differences between the U.S. and India. Of course, it helps that he has a lovely and spirited tour guide in Asha (Ayesha Dharker), his star employee.
Sweet but never saccharine, Outsourced benefits greatly from the pairing of Hamilton and Dharker, whose beguiling workplace romance feels natural, as the film mostly avoids the rank clichés found in the majority of contemporary romantic comedies. More impressively, the filmmakers depict the Indian characters with empathy and respect; they’re as puzzled by Todd as he is by them.
Outsourced is a happy surprise. What could have easily been yet another, patronizing fish-out-of-water comedy, about an American yuppie surrounded by zany ethnic stereotypes, turns out to be a smart, low-key charmer.
– Tim Knight, Reel.com"
If you're a Patti Smith fan, you'll be expecting, of course, Patti Smith: Dream of Life, which opens at the Bytowne on Friday. The trailer played in front of Resevoir Dogs on Monday, and it looked like your standard musician documentary.
and, if you want to know what you SHOULDN'T do with a power drill, check out Darren Aronofsky's debut feature PI, from 1998. I caught this at the Mayfair when it first came out 10 years ago, and I'm excited to see it again on the big screen this Monday night at the Bytowne. It comes just in anticipation of Aronofsky's latest work, The Wrestler, which should be out in January. It is worth seeing, buses or no buses.
caution, this trailer does contain some spoilers, apparently
Have fun!
Friday
Milk, 2008, from director Gus Van Sant. Stars Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, and Diego Luna. I caught this in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, and now it opens wider, including in Ottawa. I highly recommend it, and I have no doubt that it will garner some Oscar nominations.
The Day The Earth Stood Still, 2008
This remake of teh 1951 sci-fi classic hits regular and IMAX theatres as well on Friday. I'm a big fan of teh original, so I'll be checking this out for curiosity's sake, if nothing else, though I admit the trailer intrigues me.
Stars Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates, and Jaden Smith.
Outsourced, 2008
I have no idea what Outsourced is about, so:
"Outsourced opens in Seattle, where thirtysomething mid-level manager Todd Anderson (Josh Hamilton) oversees the call centre for Western Novelty, a company selling kitschy knick-knacks. In a ruthless cost-cutting maneuver, Todd’s shark of a boss informs him that Western Novelty is outsourcing the call centre to India. Unless Todd agrees to relocate to India for three to four months to train his replacement, he’ll not only lose his job, but his stock options as well.
Grumbling all the way to Bombay, Todd initially makes zero effort to embrace his new home or familiarize himself with India’s rich and varied culture, despite the unfailingly friendly efforts of his replacement, Puro (Asif Basra) to make him comfortable. Over time, however, Todd gradually overcomes his resistance to savour and celebrate the cultural differences between the U.S. and India. Of course, it helps that he has a lovely and spirited tour guide in Asha (Ayesha Dharker), his star employee.
Sweet but never saccharine, Outsourced benefits greatly from the pairing of Hamilton and Dharker, whose beguiling workplace romance feels natural, as the film mostly avoids the rank clichés found in the majority of contemporary romantic comedies. More impressively, the filmmakers depict the Indian characters with empathy and respect; they’re as puzzled by Todd as he is by them.
Outsourced is a happy surprise. What could have easily been yet another, patronizing fish-out-of-water comedy, about an American yuppie surrounded by zany ethnic stereotypes, turns out to be a smart, low-key charmer.
– Tim Knight, Reel.com"
If you're a Patti Smith fan, you'll be expecting, of course, Patti Smith: Dream of Life, which opens at the Bytowne on Friday. The trailer played in front of Resevoir Dogs on Monday, and it looked like your standard musician documentary.
and, if you want to know what you SHOULDN'T do with a power drill, check out Darren Aronofsky's debut feature PI, from 1998. I caught this at the Mayfair when it first came out 10 years ago, and I'm excited to see it again on the big screen this Monday night at the Bytowne. It comes just in anticipation of Aronofsky's latest work, The Wrestler, which should be out in January. It is worth seeing, buses or no buses.
caution, this trailer does contain some spoilers, apparently
Have fun!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Are you cool? I need you to be cool.
Resevoir Dogs
1991
dir. Quentin Tarantino. Star. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney.
Steph, Paddy and I saw this on Monday at the Bytowne. Steph split our usual diet pepsi and popcorn. There were a few problems with the print, including sound problems on the second reel, and a weird purple haze around any black objects or clothing in the film (and since the thieves all wear black suits, this was kind of annoying).
I was never as much a fan of Resevoir Dogs as I was Pulp Fiction, but like many films, that changed once I saw it up on the big screen. Even though it seems more intimate than most heist films, because it shows more of the aftermath and none of the actual heist, I found that Tarantino's alternating extreme close-ups and very wide shots gave the characters a larger-than-lifefeel that has always been absent in my home viewings. Overall, a great time at the movies.
5 stars out of 5
1991
dir. Quentin Tarantino. Star. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney.
Steph, Paddy and I saw this on Monday at the Bytowne. Steph split our usual diet pepsi and popcorn. There were a few problems with the print, including sound problems on the second reel, and a weird purple haze around any black objects or clothing in the film (and since the thieves all wear black suits, this was kind of annoying).
I was never as much a fan of Resevoir Dogs as I was Pulp Fiction, but like many films, that changed once I saw it up on the big screen. Even though it seems more intimate than most heist films, because it shows more of the aftermath and none of the actual heist, I found that Tarantino's alternating extreme close-ups and very wide shots gave the characters a larger-than-lifefeel that has always been absent in my home viewings. Overall, a great time at the movies.
5 stars out of 5
Monday, December 8, 2008
Home (away from home) Viewing Highlights of the week
On my travels, besides our trip to see Milk, I did catch a few other films while I was away.
On the plane, I caught a few films on my portable DVD player, including Carl Theodor Dreyer's Ordet, Rabid Dogs by Mario Bava, and Breathless, by Jean-Luc Godard. My favorite though, was a danish film called Brothers, from a woman named Susanne Bier. It concerns two brothers, one of whom is a drunk, loser ex-convict, and another who is married with two kids, and then goes off to Afghanistan and is presumed dead. The loser brother comes in to help around the house, and ... things happen. But not necessarily what you think happens, or why. I don't want to give too much away, but I highly recommend this film. If, however, you don't like to watch Danish films, you can wait until next year's remake, directed by Jim Sheridan (In The Name of the Father; In America) and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, and Natalie Portman. Well worth a look.
I couldn't find a trailer for the film, unfortunately.
On the plane, I caught a few films on my portable DVD player, including Carl Theodor Dreyer's Ordet, Rabid Dogs by Mario Bava, and Breathless, by Jean-Luc Godard. My favorite though, was a danish film called Brothers, from a woman named Susanne Bier. It concerns two brothers, one of whom is a drunk, loser ex-convict, and another who is married with two kids, and then goes off to Afghanistan and is presumed dead. The loser brother comes in to help around the house, and ... things happen. But not necessarily what you think happens, or why. I don't want to give too much away, but I highly recommend this film. If, however, you don't like to watch Danish films, you can wait until next year's remake, directed by Jim Sheridan (In The Name of the Father; In America) and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, and Natalie Portman. Well worth a look.
I couldn't find a trailer for the film, unfortunately.
Got Milk?
Back from vacation, and I did get to see a few films while I was away.
Milk
2008 dir. Gus Van Sant. Star. Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna.
Although it doesn't come out until this Friday here in Ottawa, I saw Milk last weekend in Vancouver with Paul and Heather at the Fifth Avenue and Burrard st. theatre. I had some popcorn and diet coke.
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States. After a few failed attempts, Milk was elected at a City Supervisor in San Francisco in 1978. His election came as a result of the gay community amssing in district around the intersection of Market and Castro sts. This biopic, Van Sant's first mainstream film in almost a decade, shows Milk's life from his move to SF in 1970 up until his assassination at the hands of a colleague in 1978. Although the film is very straightforward in style, and is absolutely the typical biopic, this is made up for by the great performances, especially from Penn and Brolin, who will more than likely earn Oscar nominations.
If you live in Toronto, Vancouver, New York or similar big city, go check out this film. If not, check it out this weekend when it opens wide. And if you're a homophobe, you probably won't see it, but you should.
And lay off the twinkies.
4 stars out of 5
Milk
2008 dir. Gus Van Sant. Star. Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna.
Although it doesn't come out until this Friday here in Ottawa, I saw Milk last weekend in Vancouver with Paul and Heather at the Fifth Avenue and Burrard st. theatre. I had some popcorn and diet coke.
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States. After a few failed attempts, Milk was elected at a City Supervisor in San Francisco in 1978. His election came as a result of the gay community amssing in district around the intersection of Market and Castro sts. This biopic, Van Sant's first mainstream film in almost a decade, shows Milk's life from his move to SF in 1970 up until his assassination at the hands of a colleague in 1978. Although the film is very straightforward in style, and is absolutely the typical biopic, this is made up for by the great performances, especially from Penn and Brolin, who will more than likely earn Oscar nominations.
If you live in Toronto, Vancouver, New York or similar big city, go check out this film. If not, check it out this weekend when it opens wide. And if you're a homophobe, you probably won't see it, but you should.
And lay off the twinkies.
4 stars out of 5
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Upcoming movies in the next week
With Australia and Four Christmases opening today, there are no new wide releases on Friday. However, there are some new and classic films opening at the Bytowne and the Mayfair:
Friday
JCVD
This film is Jean-Claude Van Damme, the washed-up direct-to-DVD action star playing a man named Jean-Claude Van Damme, a washed-up direct-to-DVD action star. Apparently he's actually supposed to be good in this. Exclusively at the Bytowne
Saturday
Audition
Some Japanese Horror for you all, at the Saturday Sinema at the Mayfair. Don't worry though, since I'm positive Saturday Night Sinema will be continuing at the new Mayfair
Sunday
The Wizard of Oz
One of the all time classic films closes the doors on the Mayfair as we know. Proceeds go to the Alzheimer Society of Ottawa and Pembroke. If you miss it though, fear not, it's also playing next month at the Bytowne.
Monday
Babette's Feast
I don't know much about this one except that it's Danish, and has Bibi Anderssen in it.
I'm off to Vancouver tomorrow for a week, so I don't know how many entries there will be (or if I'll get to see any movies.)
Friday
JCVD
This film is Jean-Claude Van Damme, the washed-up direct-to-DVD action star playing a man named Jean-Claude Van Damme, a washed-up direct-to-DVD action star. Apparently he's actually supposed to be good in this. Exclusively at the Bytowne
Saturday
Audition
Some Japanese Horror for you all, at the Saturday Sinema at the Mayfair. Don't worry though, since I'm positive Saturday Night Sinema will be continuing at the new Mayfair
Sunday
The Wizard of Oz
One of the all time classic films closes the doors on the Mayfair as we know. Proceeds go to the Alzheimer Society of Ottawa and Pembroke. If you miss it though, fear not, it's also playing next month at the Bytowne.
Monday
Babette's Feast
I don't know much about this one except that it's Danish, and has Bibi Anderssen in it.
I'm off to Vancouver tomorrow for a week, so I don't know how many entries there will be (or if I'll get to see any movies.)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Killer Lampshade
Someone asked me how Criterion decides what films they release on DVD and Blu-ray. Some films they license from big Studios like Paramount or Universal, and some Criterion actually owns the rights to themselves through their sister company, Janus Films. Not all Janus Films properties get the Criterion treatment, however. Here is clip from a film called Hausu (House), a Japanese horror film from the 1970's, whose North American rights are owned by Janus. I think you can see why Criterion is sitting on this one:
Pink Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1968, dir. George Roy Hill. star. Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Katherine Harris, Strothers Martin.
1 h 50 min
This was the second part of last night's double-bill at the Mayfair, and the last film I will ever see at the Mayfair in its current incarnation. Still had some diet pepsi from The Sting, so I didn't refill.
My joke blog entry title is a double reference. The first is that the film print seemed to have absolutely no yellow left in it (only red and blue, or magenta and cyan for those you who want to get technical). Being a western, with the usual western tones of brown and beige, this meant that the whole film had a very pronounced pink hue to it. I don't really feel like this changed my impression of the film, however, though some might be inclined to feel that it emphasizes the latent homosexuality between Butch and Sundance. Overwall though, this is a great Western, and seeing as how not many of those get made these days, I was glad that I got to see it.
4 stars out of 5 (5 out of 5 if you were to get up to pee during two of the musical montages).
1968, dir. George Roy Hill. star. Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Katherine Harris, Strothers Martin.
1 h 50 min
This was the second part of last night's double-bill at the Mayfair, and the last film I will ever see at the Mayfair in its current incarnation. Still had some diet pepsi from The Sting, so I didn't refill.
My joke blog entry title is a double reference. The first is that the film print seemed to have absolutely no yellow left in it (only red and blue, or magenta and cyan for those you who want to get technical). Being a western, with the usual western tones of brown and beige, this meant that the whole film had a very pronounced pink hue to it. I don't really feel like this changed my impression of the film, however, though some might be inclined to feel that it emphasizes the latent homosexuality between Butch and Sundance. Overwall though, this is a great Western, and seeing as how not many of those get made these days, I was glad that I got to see it.
4 stars out of 5 (5 out of 5 if you were to get up to pee during two of the musical montages).
The Sting
The Sting
1973, dir. George Roy Hill. star. Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning
2h 9min
Saw this last night at the Mayfair with Paddy. I sat in the balcony because those are the only seats I find comfortable, so hopefully once the "new" Mayfair opens up with new seating, I can sit closer to the screen. Ate some popcorn and a diet Pepsi. The print was in decent shape, though the sound was a bit muddled. I'm not sure whether that was the print, or the sound system at the Mayfair (also being redone by its new operators). The film has some good laughs, and some homosexual subtext between Newman and Redford (if you're into looking for that sort of thing), but not nearly as much of either as the evning's second flic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
3 stars out of 5
1973, dir. George Roy Hill. star. Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning
2h 9min
Saw this last night at the Mayfair with Paddy. I sat in the balcony because those are the only seats I find comfortable, so hopefully once the "new" Mayfair opens up with new seating, I can sit closer to the screen. Ate some popcorn and a diet Pepsi. The print was in decent shape, though the sound was a bit muddled. I'm not sure whether that was the print, or the sound system at the Mayfair (also being redone by its new operators). The film has some good laughs, and some homosexual subtext between Newman and Redford (if you're into looking for that sort of thing), but not nearly as much of either as the evning's second flic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
3 stars out of 5
Monday, November 24, 2008
Synecdoche, New York
Synecdoche, New York
2008. dir. Charlie Kaufman. star. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Emily Watson, Tom Noonan, Jennifer Jason Leigh.
2 hours 5 minutes
Steph and I caught this on Friday night at the Bytowne, where we split some popcorn and a diet Pepsi.
Synecdoche, New York is the sixth film to come from the pen of Charlie Kaufman, and the first he has directed himself. And like he previous efforts, such as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the film is by no means straightforward. It (loosely) concerns a playwright (played Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his forty-year effort to put together his massive theatre project that includes, among other things, and life-sized replica of Manhattan built inside a warehouse in …. Manhattan (keep repeating to yourself, “Charlie Kaufman, Charlie Kaufman”). But that is merely the plot, and the film is about two more grandiose concepts: the human mind, and life itself. Heavy stuff.
As the theatre project takes hold, it gradually becomes clear that Hoffman is making a play of his own life. He casts fill-ins for his ex-wives and girlfriends, and then eventually even himself. He ends up spending so much time with these actors, however, they then become an integral part of his real life, and so much must cast actors to play the actors who are playing his love interests. And so on, and so on.
I was in no way confused by Synecdoche, NY, but it is a film that I want to revisit again. One of the central themes, though, is that every one is the central character in their own life, and that their interpretation of the other people around them is not reality, but in fact, just their interpretation. Next time you’re on the bus, or train, or plane, or in a store, or whatever the situation may be, remember that the person beside you is living an entire life, just as complex as your own. It may give you a new perspective on things.
5 stars out of 5
Fun Fact of the day: Philip Seymour Hoffman's character's last name in the film is Cotard, which is a reference to Cotard's Syndrome, which is defined as a rare neuropsychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that he or she is dead, does not exist, is putrefying or has lost his/her blood or internal organs.
Once you see the film, it will make sense.
2008. dir. Charlie Kaufman. star. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Emily Watson, Tom Noonan, Jennifer Jason Leigh.
2 hours 5 minutes
Steph and I caught this on Friday night at the Bytowne, where we split some popcorn and a diet Pepsi.
Synecdoche, New York is the sixth film to come from the pen of Charlie Kaufman, and the first he has directed himself. And like he previous efforts, such as Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the film is by no means straightforward. It (loosely) concerns a playwright (played Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his forty-year effort to put together his massive theatre project that includes, among other things, and life-sized replica of Manhattan built inside a warehouse in …. Manhattan (keep repeating to yourself, “Charlie Kaufman, Charlie Kaufman”). But that is merely the plot, and the film is about two more grandiose concepts: the human mind, and life itself. Heavy stuff.
As the theatre project takes hold, it gradually becomes clear that Hoffman is making a play of his own life. He casts fill-ins for his ex-wives and girlfriends, and then eventually even himself. He ends up spending so much time with these actors, however, they then become an integral part of his real life, and so much must cast actors to play the actors who are playing his love interests. And so on, and so on.
I was in no way confused by Synecdoche, NY, but it is a film that I want to revisit again. One of the central themes, though, is that every one is the central character in their own life, and that their interpretation of the other people around them is not reality, but in fact, just their interpretation. Next time you’re on the bus, or train, or plane, or in a store, or whatever the situation may be, remember that the person beside you is living an entire life, just as complex as your own. It may give you a new perspective on things.
5 stars out of 5
Fun Fact of the day: Philip Seymour Hoffman's character's last name in the film is Cotard, which is a reference to Cotard's Syndrome, which is defined as a rare neuropsychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that he or she is dead, does not exist, is putrefying or has lost his/her blood or internal organs.
Once you see the film, it will make sense.
Friday, November 21, 2008
New Movies this Weekend
A couple new movies this week, and a few classics as well:
Friday:
Synedoche, NY
2008. dir. Charlie Kaufman. star. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan
This is the directorial debut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who wrote Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. I am told that you will not understand this on your first viewing, so we'll see. Steph and I checking this out tonight.
exclusively at the Bytowne
Heaven and Earth
2008. dir. Deepa Mehta
I've seen a preview a couple of times. Seems like it's an India-Canada immigration drama. Mehta's last film was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
2008. dir. Mark Herman. star. David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga
The story of two young boys interacting through opposites sides of a concentration camp fence during World War II in Germany. Expect tears.
exclusively at World Exchange Cinemas
Bolt
animated crap, with the voices of Hannah Montana (or whatever the fuck her real name is) and John Travolta. It'll be shit. You know I'm right.
Twilight
As I'm not a 15 year old girl, I have no comment on the vampire tale. I bet it'll suck, though (hahahahahahahahahahah ... I am funny)
Monday through Wednesday:
Check out the Mayfair before it becomes something else (though hopefully something better)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1968)
The Sting (1973)
both dir. George Roy Hill. star. Paul Newman, Robert Redford.
Butch Cassidy is a great western with awful fucking music and a stupid bicycle scene. Without that crap, it'd be one of my favorite westerns.
The Sting is considered a classic (and it won the 1973 Best Picture Oscar, though I feel that The Exorcist and Cries And Whispers are far better films).
Wednesday
Australia
2008. dir. Baz Luhrman. star. Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman.
Big Aussie epic centering around the bombing of Darwin. I'm sure it'll be the feast for the eyes, though I have no idea whether it'll be any good. A warning though, it clocks in a a whopping 2 hours and 44 minutes.
Four Christmases
2008. dir. Seth Gordon. star. Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon.
The premise is that Vaughn and Witherspoon play a couple who have to visit all of their families on Christmas. Since both of their sets of parents are divorced, that means 4 christmases. Hence the tile. The trailer has some laughs in it, though don't all trailers? We'll see, I guess.
Friday:
Synedoche, NY
2008. dir. Charlie Kaufman. star. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Tom Noonan
This is the directorial debut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who wrote Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. I am told that you will not understand this on your first viewing, so we'll see. Steph and I checking this out tonight.
exclusively at the Bytowne
Heaven and Earth
2008. dir. Deepa Mehta
I've seen a preview a couple of times. Seems like it's an India-Canada immigration drama. Mehta's last film was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
2008. dir. Mark Herman. star. David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga
The story of two young boys interacting through opposites sides of a concentration camp fence during World War II in Germany. Expect tears.
exclusively at World Exchange Cinemas
Bolt
animated crap, with the voices of Hannah Montana (or whatever the fuck her real name is) and John Travolta. It'll be shit. You know I'm right.
Twilight
As I'm not a 15 year old girl, I have no comment on the vampire tale. I bet it'll suck, though (hahahahahahahahahahah ... I am funny)
Monday through Wednesday:
Check out the Mayfair before it becomes something else (though hopefully something better)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1968)
The Sting (1973)
both dir. George Roy Hill. star. Paul Newman, Robert Redford.
Butch Cassidy is a great western with awful fucking music and a stupid bicycle scene. Without that crap, it'd be one of my favorite westerns.
The Sting is considered a classic (and it won the 1973 Best Picture Oscar, though I feel that The Exorcist and Cries And Whispers are far better films).
Wednesday
Australia
2008. dir. Baz Luhrman. star. Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman.
Big Aussie epic centering around the bombing of Darwin. I'm sure it'll be the feast for the eyes, though I have no idea whether it'll be any good. A warning though, it clocks in a a whopping 2 hours and 44 minutes.
Four Christmases
2008. dir. Seth Gordon. star. Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon.
The premise is that Vaughn and Witherspoon play a couple who have to visit all of their families on Christmas. Since both of their sets of parents are divorced, that means 4 christmases. Hence the tile. The trailer has some laughs in it, though don't all trailers? We'll see, I guess.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Home Viewing Highlights of the week
Until the End of the World (DVD)
1991. dir. Wim Wenders. star. Sam Neill, William Hurt, Max von Sydow, Jeanne Moreau
4h40min
Not a typo; this film is indeed, in the director's cut version, 4 hours and 40 minutes long. And there's probably a good film in there, but I'm sure it could have been cut down (although technically it has, for North America, but that version is apparently incoherent).
UtEotW is about a woman in a mildly dystopian future Europe, who, while escaping France, runs into a man who has been travelling to all corners of the world documenting images for a project of his father's. The woman chases the man all the way to the Australian Outback, where she discovers the project is a way to help blind people see again using computers. They soon discover that the device can be modified to allow people to watch their own dreams after they wake up, and the woman soon becomes addicted to the device.
There is a lot more going on, but that covers the jist of it. If you're willing to put the time in, it can be a rewarding film experience, but I feel that given teh premise, this could have been a popular hit had Wenders found a way to make it a normal length. Note that this director's cut version is only available from Germany and Italy, so you'll need a region-free DVD player to watch it (and you'll have to find it on ebay or amazon.de).
They Were Expendable (DVD)
1945. dir. John Ford. star. John Wayne, Robert Mongomery
2h15min
I had this in a JohnFord/John Wayne box set and had never watched it, but I'm glad I put it in this weekend. I was expecting the usual jingoistic John Wayne war film, and although it has those elements, it has one of Wayne's best performances (one where he doesn't always seem like "John Wayne"), and more importantly, some of the best air-to-sea battle scenes ever shot, even to this day. the reason is that those scenes were made while John Ford was still a Captain in the US Navy, and they are in fact real battles scenes, with real Navy PT boats fighting real Japanese Zeroes. Very cool stuff. Check it out sometime.
From Russia With Love (Sean Connery)
Live and Let Die (Roger Moore)
Casino Royale (Daniel Craig)
All Blu-Ray
In anticipation on Quantum of Solace, I watched these three Bond movies, three of my favorites, all on Blu-Ray. They all look fantastic, and are good samples to show why Blu-Ray is a good investment if you're really into films.
Also note that I caught a James Bond edition of Mythbusters, and they declared that, even though they couldn't quite pull it off themselves, the speedboat jump over the police car from Live and Let Die is in fact plausible. So there you have it.
Go get a Blu-Ray player, and go get some Bond. If you buy them at Future Shop, they come in nifty metal cases.
1991. dir. Wim Wenders. star. Sam Neill, William Hurt, Max von Sydow, Jeanne Moreau
4h40min
Not a typo; this film is indeed, in the director's cut version, 4 hours and 40 minutes long. And there's probably a good film in there, but I'm sure it could have been cut down (although technically it has, for North America, but that version is apparently incoherent).
UtEotW is about a woman in a mildly dystopian future Europe, who, while escaping France, runs into a man who has been travelling to all corners of the world documenting images for a project of his father's. The woman chases the man all the way to the Australian Outback, where she discovers the project is a way to help blind people see again using computers. They soon discover that the device can be modified to allow people to watch their own dreams after they wake up, and the woman soon becomes addicted to the device.
There is a lot more going on, but that covers the jist of it. If you're willing to put the time in, it can be a rewarding film experience, but I feel that given teh premise, this could have been a popular hit had Wenders found a way to make it a normal length. Note that this director's cut version is only available from Germany and Italy, so you'll need a region-free DVD player to watch it (and you'll have to find it on ebay or amazon.de).
They Were Expendable (DVD)
1945. dir. John Ford. star. John Wayne, Robert Mongomery
2h15min
I had this in a JohnFord/John Wayne box set and had never watched it, but I'm glad I put it in this weekend. I was expecting the usual jingoistic John Wayne war film, and although it has those elements, it has one of Wayne's best performances (one where he doesn't always seem like "John Wayne"), and more importantly, some of the best air-to-sea battle scenes ever shot, even to this day. the reason is that those scenes were made while John Ford was still a Captain in the US Navy, and they are in fact real battles scenes, with real Navy PT boats fighting real Japanese Zeroes. Very cool stuff. Check it out sometime.
From Russia With Love (Sean Connery)
Live and Let Die (Roger Moore)
Casino Royale (Daniel Craig)
All Blu-Ray
In anticipation on Quantum of Solace, I watched these three Bond movies, three of my favorites, all on Blu-Ray. They all look fantastic, and are good samples to show why Blu-Ray is a good investment if you're really into films.
Also note that I caught a James Bond edition of Mythbusters, and they declared that, even though they couldn't quite pull it off themselves, the speedboat jump over the police car from Live and Let Die is in fact plausible. So there you have it.
Go get a Blu-Ray player, and go get some Bond. If you buy them at Future Shop, they come in nifty metal cases.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Quantum of Solace
2008, dir. Marc Forster. Star. Daniel Craig, Mathieu Almaric, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, and various pleasant looking women.
1h 47m
The 22nd "official" James Bond film came out on Friday to packed, sold-out theatres, but Steph and I managed to see it with Noah and Paul at Silvercity. Steph and I split some peanut butter M&Ms and a diet Pepsi.
QoS is the first James Bond sequel, beginning right after the last scene of Casino Royale (though somehow Bond lost the vest of his suit in that short time), and that is inherently the problem. The movie is more focused on wrapping up loose ends of the CR, and not concrened enough with it's own plot, which is almost arbitrary. Another issue is that supposedly, Le Chiffre (the villain from CS) is merely an employee for Dominic Greene (villain of QoS), yet Greene is kind of a pushover and far less bad-ass than Le Chiffre. Overall, I feel like Casino Royale in 1 1/3 movies, but Quantum of Solace is only 2/3 of a movie. The play well back to back, but Casino Royale is too long, and QoS too constricted.
3 stars out of 5
1h 47m
The 22nd "official" James Bond film came out on Friday to packed, sold-out theatres, but Steph and I managed to see it with Noah and Paul at Silvercity. Steph and I split some peanut butter M&Ms and a diet Pepsi.
QoS is the first James Bond sequel, beginning right after the last scene of Casino Royale (though somehow Bond lost the vest of his suit in that short time), and that is inherently the problem. The movie is more focused on wrapping up loose ends of the CR, and not concrened enough with it's own plot, which is almost arbitrary. Another issue is that supposedly, Le Chiffre (the villain from CS) is merely an employee for Dominic Greene (villain of QoS), yet Greene is kind of a pushover and far less bad-ass than Le Chiffre. Overall, I feel like Casino Royale in 1 1/3 movies, but Quantum of Solace is only 2/3 of a movie. The play well back to back, but Casino Royale is too long, and QoS too constricted.
3 stars out of 5
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Home Viewing Highlights of the week
Redbelt (Blu-Ray)
2008, dir. David Mamet. Star. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Alice Braga, Randy Couture, Emily Mortimer
Watched this on Monday night and listened to the audio commentary by Mamet, one of the greatest living American playwrights and screenwriters, and Couture, who I'm told is of the greatest living mixed martial arts fighters. Both have interesting stories to tell about their respective industries, and the film itself, one of my favorites of the year so far, looks crystal clear and sharp in hi-def. If you haven't checked out this film yet, go rent it.
L.A. Confidential (Blu-ray)
1997, dir. Curtis Hanson. Star. Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Danny Devito, David Strathairn, James Cromwell
After I finished Redbelt, I popped in this classic for the first time in many many years, and for the first time in hi-def. For some reason the opening studio logos look really bad (like old VHS quality) but then the film itself looks amazing. This, along with Chinatown, are probably the two best films noir made since the classic era of that genre/asthetic/whatever you want to call it. It's a great film, just released on Blu-Ray and DVD in a new special edition that includes, among other features, the pilot episode of the failed L.A. Confidential series, starring Keifer Sutherland in Spacey's role. It also acme with a 6 song CD of songs from the 50's era.
Heart of Glass (dvd)
Invincible (dvd)
Even Dwarfs Started Small (dvd)
all dir. by Werner Herzog
Every time I see a Herzog film, I think that's it's my favorite Herzog film ever, and then I pop in a new one and start over again. So far I've seen over a dozen, and not one of them has been uninteresting.
Heart of Glass is about a town desperate to find the secret recipe to ruby glass after the glasssmith dies before bequeathing it upon someone else. Oh, and Herzog had the entire cast hypnotized while they did their parts. Very weird, cool stuff.
Invincible is about a jewish strongman in 1930's Germany, and how he discovers pride in his own religeous identity and fights to protect his people from teh horrors he knows are coming from the Nazis. Stars Tim Roth as a Nazi magician and propaganda artist.
Even Dwarfs Started Small is about a town that is populated by dwarfs, and only dwarfs. As far as I know, this may be the only all-dwarf film I've ever seen.
2008, dir. David Mamet. Star. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Alice Braga, Randy Couture, Emily Mortimer
Watched this on Monday night and listened to the audio commentary by Mamet, one of the greatest living American playwrights and screenwriters, and Couture, who I'm told is of the greatest living mixed martial arts fighters. Both have interesting stories to tell about their respective industries, and the film itself, one of my favorites of the year so far, looks crystal clear and sharp in hi-def. If you haven't checked out this film yet, go rent it.
L.A. Confidential (Blu-ray)
1997, dir. Curtis Hanson. Star. Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Danny Devito, David Strathairn, James Cromwell
After I finished Redbelt, I popped in this classic for the first time in many many years, and for the first time in hi-def. For some reason the opening studio logos look really bad (like old VHS quality) but then the film itself looks amazing. This, along with Chinatown, are probably the two best films noir made since the classic era of that genre/asthetic/whatever you want to call it. It's a great film, just released on Blu-Ray and DVD in a new special edition that includes, among other features, the pilot episode of the failed L.A. Confidential series, starring Keifer Sutherland in Spacey's role. It also acme with a 6 song CD of songs from the 50's era.
Heart of Glass (dvd)
Invincible (dvd)
Even Dwarfs Started Small (dvd)
all dir. by Werner Herzog
Every time I see a Herzog film, I think that's it's my favorite Herzog film ever, and then I pop in a new one and start over again. So far I've seen over a dozen, and not one of them has been uninteresting.
Heart of Glass is about a town desperate to find the secret recipe to ruby glass after the glasssmith dies before bequeathing it upon someone else. Oh, and Herzog had the entire cast hypnotized while they did their parts. Very weird, cool stuff.
Invincible is about a jewish strongman in 1930's Germany, and how he discovers pride in his own religeous identity and fights to protect his people from teh horrors he knows are coming from the Nazis. Stars Tim Roth as a Nazi magician and propaganda artist.
Even Dwarfs Started Small is about a town that is populated by dwarfs, and only dwarfs. As far as I know, this may be the only all-dwarf film I've ever seen.
Upcoming movies in the next week
This Friday, the 22nd official James Bond film hits theatres. It is called Quantum of Solace, and sure, that doesn't make sense, but neither do "You Only Live Twice", "Live and Let Die", and plenty of other titles. A note, though; Quantum of Solace is a direct sequel to the last Bond film, Casino Royale, the first time this has been done in the series, so you will need to have seen Casino Royale to understand it. If you haven't caught Casino Royale, go pick it up on Blu-Ray, or DVD, both of which come with a coupon for free admission to Quantum of Solace. (I should work for MGM).
Dir. Marc Forster (of Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction, Kite Runner)
Star. Daniel Craig, Mathieu Almaric (from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)
Other movies coming out this week:
The Class.
The 2008 Cannes Palme d'Or winner is playing at the Canadian Film Institute on Friday, as part of their European Union Film Festival
Tron
This 1982 Disney film, one of the first movie sto contain computer animation, is playing this Sunday, also at the Canadian Film Institute, for no apparent reason other than it's a really cool film, and it stars Jeff Bridges.
Jules and Jim
This classic Truffaut film is playing at the Bytowne on Monday, but I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of it, and will probably be skipping it myself.
And for those of you into this sort of thing, at select Cineplex theatres, High School Musical 3 is being shown in a sing-a-long edition.
No, seriously.
Dir. Marc Forster (of Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction, Kite Runner)
Star. Daniel Craig, Mathieu Almaric (from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)
Other movies coming out this week:
The Class.
The 2008 Cannes Palme d'Or winner is playing at the Canadian Film Institute on Friday, as part of their European Union Film Festival
Tron
This 1982 Disney film, one of the first movie sto contain computer animation, is playing this Sunday, also at the Canadian Film Institute, for no apparent reason other than it's a really cool film, and it stars Jeff Bridges.
Jules and Jim
This classic Truffaut film is playing at the Bytowne on Monday, but I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of it, and will probably be skipping it myself.
And for those of you into this sort of thing, at select Cineplex theatres, High School Musical 3 is being shown in a sing-a-long edition.
No, seriously.
Monday, November 10, 2008
I've Loved You So Long
I've Loved You So Long (2008, dir. Philippe Claudel; star. Kristin Scott Thomas)
1hour 57 minutes
Saw this Saturday night with Steph, and we split a diet pepsi and some popcorn.
**** SPOILERS AHEAD ****
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I've Loved You So Long is a new film from France that concerns a woman who gets out of prison after 15 years, serving time for murder. She goes to live with her younger sister, who was not allowed any contact with her sister during that time. Kristin Scott Thomas plays the newly freed woman, in a fairly emotionless performance until the last 5 minutes.
My problem with the film is simple; instead of actually caring about the characters and the story, all I actually cared about was who she killed, and why she killed them. We find out fairly early on that she killed her own child, and the fact that she plays a doctor made me suspect that euthanasia was the "why." And in the last 15 minutes or so, I found out that I was correct, though not fully correct. Because although Scott Thomas' character did euthanize her son, for valid reasons (the condition is never really revealed, though it must have been bad), she apparently never told anyone that that was how and why she killed her son. This serves only to support the feelings of the character, while not being realistic in any way (it also ignores the fact that her method would have been discovered in any halfway competent autopsy, which would be mandatory in any case of homicide). For me, anytime I am more concrned about the contruction of a film, rather than the film in and of itself, signals that the film isn't all that good to begin with.
2 1/2 stars out of 5.
1hour 57 minutes
Saw this Saturday night with Steph, and we split a diet pepsi and some popcorn.
**** SPOILERS AHEAD ****
l
l
l
l
l
V
I've Loved You So Long is a new film from France that concerns a woman who gets out of prison after 15 years, serving time for murder. She goes to live with her younger sister, who was not allowed any contact with her sister during that time. Kristin Scott Thomas plays the newly freed woman, in a fairly emotionless performance until the last 5 minutes.
My problem with the film is simple; instead of actually caring about the characters and the story, all I actually cared about was who she killed, and why she killed them. We find out fairly early on that she killed her own child, and the fact that she plays a doctor made me suspect that euthanasia was the "why." And in the last 15 minutes or so, I found out that I was correct, though not fully correct. Because although Scott Thomas' character did euthanize her son, for valid reasons (the condition is never really revealed, though it must have been bad), she apparently never told anyone that that was how and why she killed her son. This serves only to support the feelings of the character, while not being realistic in any way (it also ignores the fact that her method would have been discovered in any halfway competent autopsy, which would be mandatory in any case of homicide). For me, anytime I am more concrned about the contruction of a film, rather than the film in and of itself, signals that the film isn't all that good to begin with.
2 1/2 stars out of 5.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Upcoming movies in the next week
Moulin Rouge - 2001, Baz Luhrman; Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor. Playing at the Mayfair on Thursday (probably won't see, though I've never seen it, and I'd like to).
I've Loved You For So Long - 2008. Kristin Scott-Thomas. Opening at the Bytowne on Friday. Not sure who the director is, but Kristin Scott-Thomas is supposed to be really good as a woman reunited with her sister after having been in prison for 15 years for a brutal murder. Was playing at Starcite in Gatineau for the past few weeks, but without English subtitles. (will probably see)
Role Models - 2008. Paul Rudd, Stiffler, McLovin. [I figured those names would mean more than the actors' real names]. Opens Friday at any theatre near you. There's a few good laughs in the trailer, so who knows, I might see it.
Shoot the Piano Player - 1960, Francois Truffaut. Truffaut's second feature demonstrates his love for old Hollywood crime films. Playing at the Bytowne next Monday, and if you're a fan of French new Wave, you have to go see it. (Will definitely see)
I've Loved You For So Long - 2008. Kristin Scott-Thomas. Opening at the Bytowne on Friday. Not sure who the director is, but Kristin Scott-Thomas is supposed to be really good as a woman reunited with her sister after having been in prison for 15 years for a brutal murder. Was playing at Starcite in Gatineau for the past few weeks, but without English subtitles. (will probably see)
Role Models - 2008. Paul Rudd, Stiffler, McLovin. [I figured those names would mean more than the actors' real names]. Opens Friday at any theatre near you. There's a few good laughs in the trailer, so who knows, I might see it.
Shoot the Piano Player - 1960, Francois Truffaut. Truffaut's second feature demonstrates his love for old Hollywood crime films. Playing at the Bytowne next Monday, and if you're a fan of French new Wave, you have to go see it. (Will definitely see)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
2008, dir. Kevin Smith; star. Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan, Jeff Anderson
1 hour 42 min
Steph, Paddy and I saw this Sunday night at Silvercity. Had a bag of dark chocolate M&Ms.
So is the story any good in Kevin Smith's new film? No, not really (it forgot to actually end itself, although I've since learned that's only the fault of the editor ... Kevin Smith himself). Did everyone in the theater laugh for literally the entire time? Yeah. It was actually pretty funny, though it wasn't straight up Kevin-Smith-funny, but more of an amalgam of Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow's styles, though Apatow has nothing to do with it. Although Mewes and Anderson are both Smith regulars, Rogan, Banks, and Robinson (who have the three biggest roles) are all Apatow vets. Rogan and Robinson are both playing the same characters they usually play. (I'm not sure Rogan is actually capable of being anyone but himself at this point).
But hey, it's got lots of laughs, and, as you might imagine, lots of tits. What else can you ask for on a Sunday night?
But, I warn you, it did have the most digusting thing I've seen in a film all year ... an extreme version of an occasional by-product of anal sex.
3 1/2 stars out of 5
Something to watch for: a cameo by Kenny of Kenny vs. Spenny during the high school reunion scene.
2008, dir. Kevin Smith; star. Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan, Jeff Anderson
1 hour 42 min
Steph, Paddy and I saw this Sunday night at Silvercity. Had a bag of dark chocolate M&Ms.
So is the story any good in Kevin Smith's new film? No, not really (it forgot to actually end itself, although I've since learned that's only the fault of the editor ... Kevin Smith himself). Did everyone in the theater laugh for literally the entire time? Yeah. It was actually pretty funny, though it wasn't straight up Kevin-Smith-funny, but more of an amalgam of Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow's styles, though Apatow has nothing to do with it. Although Mewes and Anderson are both Smith regulars, Rogan, Banks, and Robinson (who have the three biggest roles) are all Apatow vets. Rogan and Robinson are both playing the same characters they usually play. (I'm not sure Rogan is actually capable of being anyone but himself at this point).
But hey, it's got lots of laughs, and, as you might imagine, lots of tits. What else can you ask for on a Sunday night?
But, I warn you, it did have the most digusting thing I've seen in a film all year ... an extreme version of an occasional by-product of anal sex.
3 1/2 stars out of 5
Something to watch for: a cameo by Kenny of Kenny vs. Spenny during the high school reunion scene.
Happy-Go-Lucky
Happy-Go-Lucky
2008, dir. Mike Leigh; star. Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsam
1 hour 57 min
Steph and I saw Happy-Go-Lucky Saturday night at a packed house at the Bytowne. We split a popcorn and diet pepsi.
Happy-Go-Lucky, as the title suggests, is a upbeat (Steph felt TOO upbeat) film about a 30 year old woman named Poppy living in London working as a kindergarten teacher. Nothing seems to bother this woman much, and she manages to stay happy ALL THE TIME. Really, it's kind of disturbing. Sally Hawkins is pretty good as Poppy, and Eddie Marsam plays her disgruntled (and blatantly racist) driving instructor.
This film was definitely less of a downer that Miek Leigh's last film, Vera Drake, which was about a woman giving out illegal abortions during World War II in England.
4 stars out fo 5
2008, dir. Mike Leigh; star. Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsam
1 hour 57 min
Steph and I saw Happy-Go-Lucky Saturday night at a packed house at the Bytowne. We split a popcorn and diet pepsi.
Happy-Go-Lucky, as the title suggests, is a upbeat (Steph felt TOO upbeat) film about a 30 year old woman named Poppy living in London working as a kindergarten teacher. Nothing seems to bother this woman much, and she manages to stay happy ALL THE TIME. Really, it's kind of disturbing. Sally Hawkins is pretty good as Poppy, and Eddie Marsam plays her disgruntled (and blatantly racist) driving instructor.
This film was definitely less of a downer that Miek Leigh's last film, Vera Drake, which was about a woman giving out illegal abortions during World War II in England.
4 stars out fo 5
Changeling
Changeling
2008, dir. Clint Eastwood; star. Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kelly, Amy Ryan, Colm Feore
2 hours 21 minutes
Saw the Changeling Friday morning by myself at South Keys. All I had was a diet pepsi, which did last all the way through this film which is about 30 - 40 minutes too long.
You know how some movies have, at the end, some epilogical text over the screen just before the credits. Well, during the last half hour of this film, I kept thinking that was was going on would usually just be covered by that kind of text. And then, when the film finally ended, they actually had some of that concluding text ... and, the first three paragraphs simply restated what the audience had just seen happen fifteen minutes earlier.
Angelina Jolie was very good in the film, in a very nuanced performance (not a stereotypical weak woman, but not overly strong in an unbelievable way), but the rest of the cast doesn't do much. The story was a bit hard to believe, but apparently it's all based on ftacts. Yet through the first half, I kept thinking that there's no way the police would get away with something so ridiculous, and yet, thinking about it after, I guess the way they do it makes sense.
3 1/2 stars out of 5
2008, dir. Clint Eastwood; star. Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kelly, Amy Ryan, Colm Feore
2 hours 21 minutes
Saw the Changeling Friday morning by myself at South Keys. All I had was a diet pepsi, which did last all the way through this film which is about 30 - 40 minutes too long.
You know how some movies have, at the end, some epilogical text over the screen just before the credits. Well, during the last half hour of this film, I kept thinking that was was going on would usually just be covered by that kind of text. And then, when the film finally ended, they actually had some of that concluding text ... and, the first three paragraphs simply restated what the audience had just seen happen fifteen minutes earlier.
Angelina Jolie was very good in the film, in a very nuanced performance (not a stereotypical weak woman, but not overly strong in an unbelievable way), but the rest of the cast doesn't do much. The story was a bit hard to believe, but apparently it's all based on ftacts. Yet through the first half, I kept thinking that there's no way the police would get away with something so ridiculous, and yet, thinking about it after, I guess the way they do it makes sense.
3 1/2 stars out of 5
Friday, October 31, 2008
Ghostbusters
"Dog and Cats, living together .... mass hysteria!"
Ghostbusters, 1984, Ivan Reitman; Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis
Caught Ghostbusters tonight at the Bytowne with my brother Paddy, and ran into Jovana and some people. Had a diet Pepsi and some popcorn, and some of Jovana's leftover vegetable pad thai, which was nice and spicy.
Ghostbusters was one of my favorite movies in the 80's, and it was awesome to see it on the big screen. The print was in great condition for what was supposedly an original print from 1984, and the only technical problem was that the projectionist missed a reel change. Bill Murray somehow seems even cooler than he usually does in what I think is one of his best roles, comedic or otherwise. He pretty much has 95% of the best lines, but half of his genius is in his facial expression. But the coolest image on the big screen: the Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man.
Really awesome film, really fun time, plus it was all for a good charity, Operation Go Home ... and, as an added bonus, Chez 106 was handing out free DVDs, and I picked up a copy of In Bruges.
5 stars out of 5.
Lame audience comment of the night: "This film is in HD ... Horrible Definition!"
Fun fact of the day: At the beginning, the librarian tells the ghostbusters that she had an uncle who thought he was St. Jerome. And St. Jerome is the patron saint of ... that's right ... librarians.
Ghostbusters, 1984, Ivan Reitman; Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis
Caught Ghostbusters tonight at the Bytowne with my brother Paddy, and ran into Jovana and some people. Had a diet Pepsi and some popcorn, and some of Jovana's leftover vegetable pad thai, which was nice and spicy.
Ghostbusters was one of my favorite movies in the 80's, and it was awesome to see it on the big screen. The print was in great condition for what was supposedly an original print from 1984, and the only technical problem was that the projectionist missed a reel change. Bill Murray somehow seems even cooler than he usually does in what I think is one of his best roles, comedic or otherwise. He pretty much has 95% of the best lines, but half of his genius is in his facial expression. But the coolest image on the big screen: the Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man.
Really awesome film, really fun time, plus it was all for a good charity, Operation Go Home ... and, as an added bonus, Chez 106 was handing out free DVDs, and I picked up a copy of In Bruges.
5 stars out of 5.
Lame audience comment of the night: "This film is in HD ... Horrible Definition!"
Fun fact of the day: At the beginning, the librarian tells the ghostbusters that she had an uncle who thought he was St. Jerome. And St. Jerome is the patron saint of ... that's right ... librarians.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Upcoming movies in the next week
Thursday: Ghostbusters in playing at the Bytowne; definitely going to check that one out. I beleive it may be a charity showing too, plus, since unlike last year, the Bytowne isn't playing any Halloween movies, I guess this is as close as it gets.
Friday: Opening in Ottawa - The Changling (dir. Clint Eastwood, star. Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Guy Pearce) [probably going to see]
- Happy-Go-Lucky (dir. Mike Leigh, star. Sally Hawkins) [will maybe see]
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno (dir. Kevin Smith, star. Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks) [will defnitely see]
Monday: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is playing at the Bytowne. Probably going to skip that one.
Friday: Opening in Ottawa - The Changling (dir. Clint Eastwood, star. Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Guy Pearce) [probably going to see]
- Happy-Go-Lucky (dir. Mike Leigh, star. Sally Hawkins) [will maybe see]
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno (dir. Kevin Smith, star. Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks) [will defnitely see]
Monday: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is playing at the Bytowne. Probably going to skip that one.
Psycho
Saw this Monday night at the Bytowne. Had the usual problems of older prints, with the sections near the ends of each reel being pretty rough, but the rest of the film was in good shape. Prints probably came from the re-release these Hitchcock films got 20 years ago when Universal bought part of the Hitchcock library.
Maybe it's just me, but I never found much of this film to be funny, intentionally or not. But there were plenty of laughs in the audience, which I've come to expect at the Bytowne lately. The second murder (won't spoil it) comes off as more jolting on the big screen than I've ever felt before (and Hitchcock didn't even direct that sequence; he was sick that day).
Overall, one of my 5 favorite Hitchcocks, and it was great to see it on the big screen.
5 stars out of 5
Fun Fact: Supposedly, this is the first Hollywood film to show a flushing toilet.
Maybe it's just me, but I never found much of this film to be funny, intentionally or not. But there were plenty of laughs in the audience, which I've come to expect at the Bytowne lately. The second murder (won't spoil it) comes off as more jolting on the big screen than I've ever felt before (and Hitchcock didn't even direct that sequence; he was sick that day).
Overall, one of my 5 favorite Hitchcocks, and it was great to see it on the big screen.
5 stars out of 5
Fun Fact: Supposedly, this is the first Hollywood film to show a flushing toilet.
Rachel Getting Married
Steph and I saw this on Saturday night at the Bytowne, which was pretty packed. The trailers make it seem like a comedy, and although there are a few funny lines, it's actually a pretty depressing film. Anne Hathaway puts in a strong leading performance, which will probably grab her an oscar nomination, which is clearly what she was gunning for in most of her big scenes. So, despite not being the comedy I thought it would be, overall teh film was pretty strong. Plus it's nice to see Debra Winger in a film again.
Fun Fact: the dishwasher scene is based on a real (and apparently more prolonged) agrument between Sidney Lumet (father of screenwriter Jenny) and Bob Fosse.
4 1/2 stars out of 5
Fun Fact: the dishwasher scene is based on a real (and apparently more prolonged) agrument between Sidney Lumet (father of screenwriter Jenny) and Bob Fosse.
4 1/2 stars out of 5
Passchendaele
Paul Gross is one vicious bastard. The movie opens with his character bayonetting a young German soldier through the forehead, and doesn't let up with the violence in teh war scenes, and the stiff cheezyness in the non-war scenes. With a climactic "one-in-a-million shot", Gross also manages to throw in a little explicit religious imagery too.
3 stars out of 5
3 stars out of 5
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby (1968, Roman Polanski)
Saw this Monday Oct. 20th at the Bytowne. Went by myself, but ended up sitting beside Lesley, who is the best person to sit beside if you want to make fun of a movie. Had some popcorn and a diet Pepsi, as well as the rest of my Hershey Kisses from W., the night before. The film slipped off the reel part way through, and Lesley and I debated whether jesus or satan made this happen.
I suppose that maybe this movie was scary in 1968, and it certainly did beget The Exorcist and The Omen later on in the 70's, but teh acting is pretty poor, and overwrought. But hey, god is dead and Satan lives, right? I did like the music, and the dream sequences were memorable, although the devil costume in the sex scene was a ridiculous, and we didn't even see that much of it.
Of interesting note: A scene near the end has a very pregnant Rosemary (Mia Farrow) wander confusingly across a busy Manhattan street through traffic. Apparently this scene was completely improvised, and Roman Polanski reassured Mia Farrow by saying that she'd be ok because no one would kill a pregnant woman.
Of course a year later, Charles Manson would prove Mr. Polanski very very wrong.
Saw this Monday Oct. 20th at the Bytowne. Went by myself, but ended up sitting beside Lesley, who is the best person to sit beside if you want to make fun of a movie. Had some popcorn and a diet Pepsi, as well as the rest of my Hershey Kisses from W., the night before. The film slipped off the reel part way through, and Lesley and I debated whether jesus or satan made this happen.
I suppose that maybe this movie was scary in 1968, and it certainly did beget The Exorcist and The Omen later on in the 70's, but teh acting is pretty poor, and overwrought. But hey, god is dead and Satan lives, right? I did like the music, and the dream sequences were memorable, although the devil costume in the sex scene was a ridiculous, and we didn't even see that much of it.
Of interesting note: A scene near the end has a very pregnant Rosemary (Mia Farrow) wander confusingly across a busy Manhattan street through traffic. Apparently this scene was completely improvised, and Roman Polanski reassured Mia Farrow by saying that she'd be ok because no one would kill a pregnant woman.
Of course a year later, Charles Manson would prove Mr. Polanski very very wrong.
"W."
W. (2008, Oliver Stone)
Saw this Sunday night with my brother Paddy and my girlfriend Steph at SilverCity in Gloucester. Had a bottle of diet Dr. Pepper and some dark chocolate Hershey Kisses.
Josh Brolin does a great job as still-President Bush, and many of the supporting actors are good, especially Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, but I'm not sure there's much point to this film right now. Some people say it's too soon, and no one's in the mood for a movie about Bush, but I think it's really that there's no real new information here. It feels more like a TV movie-of-the-week. Oliver Stone should have waited 10 years or so, to let history start settling the dust of Bush's presidency. But, solid effort, and great work from Brolin.
Saw this Sunday night with my brother Paddy and my girlfriend Steph at SilverCity in Gloucester. Had a bottle of diet Dr. Pepper and some dark chocolate Hershey Kisses.
Josh Brolin does a great job as still-President Bush, and many of the supporting actors are good, especially Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, but I'm not sure there's much point to this film right now. Some people say it's too soon, and no one's in the mood for a movie about Bush, but I think it's really that there's no real new information here. It feels more like a TV movie-of-the-week. Oliver Stone should have waited 10 years or so, to let history start settling the dust of Bush's presidency. But, solid effort, and great work from Brolin.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Virgin entry
This is a just a test, intro entry. I'm just going to use this blog to go over all the movies I watch, whether at home or at the theatre. But I haven't watched a movie today.
Possible movies this weekend:
W. (will probably see)
Passchendale [hope I've spelled that correctly] (will probably see)
Elegy (maybe see ... though I have an inherent distrust for film adaptations of Philip Roth novels)
Frozen River (was considering seeing, but I got so sick of it just from having seen the trailer ten times at the Bytowne.
Possible movies this weekend:
W. (will probably see)
Passchendale [hope I've spelled that correctly] (will probably see)
Elegy (maybe see ... though I have an inherent distrust for film adaptations of Philip Roth novels)
Frozen River (was considering seeing, but I got so sick of it just from having seen the trailer ten times at the Bytowne.
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