Thursday
Wild at Heart
Friday
Star Trek
Mothers and Daughters
Cherry Blossoms
Saturday
You Changed My Life
Spaceballs
Ms. 45
Sunday
Muppets From Space
Ghostbusters
Monday
Singin’ in the Rain
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Gran Torino
Gran Torino
2008. Dir. and starring Clint Eastwood.
2 hours.
Clint Eastwood makes his self-proclaimed final acting appearance in Gran Torino, about a recently widowed Korean War vet struggling to co-exist with his new Asian-American neighbours. Eastwood ends up getting involved his the Asian gangs in Detroit, leading to bloody results.
The problem with the film is that Eastwood overly plays his character, leading his sternness to come off as parody. His Asian co-stars are fairly good for being mostly amateurs, but Eastwood drags it down as he growls lines like "Get off my lawn."
Not terrible, but not up to par with Eastwood's recent masterpieces.
2 1/2 stars.
Saw by myself at the Mayfair.
2008. Dir. and starring Clint Eastwood.
2 hours.
Clint Eastwood makes his self-proclaimed final acting appearance in Gran Torino, about a recently widowed Korean War vet struggling to co-exist with his new Asian-American neighbours. Eastwood ends up getting involved his the Asian gangs in Detroit, leading to bloody results.
The problem with the film is that Eastwood overly plays his character, leading his sternness to come off as parody. His Asian co-stars are fairly good for being mostly amateurs, but Eastwood drags it down as he growls lines like "Get off my lawn."
Not terrible, but not up to par with Eastwood's recent masterpieces.
2 1/2 stars.
Saw by myself at the Mayfair.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Future Film Round-up
- Rod Lurie (The Contender) will be doing a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs. James Marsden will star, and the story will be relocated from rural England to the Deep South.
- Spider-man 4, due out in May of 2011, may be in 3-D.
- Kevin MacDonald (State of Play) will be adapting Isaac Asimov’s time travel novel The End of Eternity.
- Clark Gregg has joined the cast of Iron Man 2.
- David Slade, who directed the great unseen thriller Hard Candy (starring a pre-Juno Ellen Page) will direct the third Twilight film. And I still won’t see it.
- Universal will be remaking David Cronenberg’s Videodrome.
- Michael Caine has joined the cast of Chris Nolan’s next film, Inception. He joins Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Marion Cotillard.
- Robert Rodriguez is rebooting the Predator franchise. His Predators hits theatres next July.
- Denzel Washinton will star in Tony Scott’s Unstoppable. It will be the fifth film for Scott and Washington.
- Again unnecessary: Russell Brand is in talks to star in a remake of Drop Dead Fred.
- Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas are teaming up again for a sequel to Wall Street. Charlie Sheen played Douglas’ protégé in the first film … this time it will Shia TheBeef.
- Robert Zemeckis is considering making a Roger Rabbit sequel using motion capture technology.
- Miramax has bought the rights to remake the French thriller Tell No One.
- Spider-man 4, due out in May of 2011, may be in 3-D.
- Kevin MacDonald (State of Play) will be adapting Isaac Asimov’s time travel novel The End of Eternity.
- Clark Gregg has joined the cast of Iron Man 2.
- David Slade, who directed the great unseen thriller Hard Candy (starring a pre-Juno Ellen Page) will direct the third Twilight film. And I still won’t see it.
- Universal will be remaking David Cronenberg’s Videodrome.
- Michael Caine has joined the cast of Chris Nolan’s next film, Inception. He joins Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Marion Cotillard.
- Robert Rodriguez is rebooting the Predator franchise. His Predators hits theatres next July.
- Denzel Washinton will star in Tony Scott’s Unstoppable. It will be the fifth film for Scott and Washington.
- Again unnecessary: Russell Brand is in talks to star in a remake of Drop Dead Fred.
- Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas are teaming up again for a sequel to Wall Street. Charlie Sheen played Douglas’ protégé in the first film … this time it will Shia TheBeef.
- Robert Zemeckis is considering making a Roger Rabbit sequel using motion capture technology.
- Miramax has bought the rights to remake the French thriller Tell No One.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
Nanook Taxi
At the Mayfair.
Friday
Wolverine
Hugh Jackman returns to yet another X-Men movie, this one a prequel telling the Wolverine origin story. Also satrs Danny Huston and Liev Schreiber.
The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Matthew McConaughey makes another romantic comedy. And it will suck.
Hunger
The film concerns young men imprisoned in Ireland for political crimes who decide to go on Hunger Strikes in 1981. Won quite a few awards in Britain last year, opens Friday at the Bytowne.
Sars Wars
Zombie film from Thailand. Midnight at the Mayfair.
Saturday
Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks stars in the Oscar-winning film from 1994. At the Mayfair.
Tremors
At the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Mayfair is showing both original Predator movies, if you have time to bleed.
Predator
Predator 2
Monday
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
From director Peter Greenaway. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
The Mayfair is showing this double bill of Mexican-themed classics, just in time for a swine flu epidemic ... uh, I mean, Cinco de Mayo. There will be traditional Mexican folk dancers performing at 6:30 … or maybe there won’t be.
Frida
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Nanook Taxi
At the Mayfair.
Friday
Wolverine
Hugh Jackman returns to yet another X-Men movie, this one a prequel telling the Wolverine origin story. Also satrs Danny Huston and Liev Schreiber.
The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Matthew McConaughey makes another romantic comedy. And it will suck.
Hunger
The film concerns young men imprisoned in Ireland for political crimes who decide to go on Hunger Strikes in 1981. Won quite a few awards in Britain last year, opens Friday at the Bytowne.
Sars Wars
Zombie film from Thailand. Midnight at the Mayfair.
Saturday
Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks stars in the Oscar-winning film from 1994. At the Mayfair.
Tremors
At the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Mayfair is showing both original Predator movies, if you have time to bleed.
Predator
Predator 2
Monday
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
From director Peter Greenaway. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
The Mayfair is showing this double bill of Mexican-themed classics, just in time for a swine flu epidemic ... uh, I mean, Cinco de Mayo. There will be traditional Mexican folk dancers performing at 6:30 … or maybe there won’t be.
Frida
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I'm Not From Here; I Can't BE An Example For Anyone."
Wendy and Lucy
2008, dir. Kelly Reichardt
Starring Michelle Williams, Will Patton, Scott Wilson, Will Oldham.
1 hour 20 minutes
Michelle Williams stars as Wendy who, with her dog Lucy, stop off in a small Oregon town on their way to Alaska in search of work. Wendy doesn’t have very much money, and her car is almost dead. Things go from bad to worse when Wendy is caught shoplifting food, which leads to her dog disappearing.
Wendy and Lucy is the second film from director Kelly Reichardt, after Oldjoy, the story of two old friends who go on a road trip and then hike to some famous hot springs. Like Oldjoy, Wendy and Lucy is not overly concerned with the story, but rather the characters, in this case almost exclusively Wendy. Unlike other movies (especially independent ones), Wendy and Lucy doesn’t follow the usual route of making the small-town locals eccentric characters, but rather portrays them as being rather ordinary, no different really than people you’d meet anywhere.
That, however, may be the film’s undoing, because at the end of a long-feeling hour and twenty minutes, you’re not quite sure what the point of it all is. Wendy ends up in town, problems arise, and they’re not resolved, only abandoned, not to put too fine a point on it. Michelle Williams is very convincing in her role, but everyone just seems to be there to feed her character’s plot.
2 ½ stars
Saw with Steph at the Bytowne.
2008, dir. Kelly Reichardt
Starring Michelle Williams, Will Patton, Scott Wilson, Will Oldham.
1 hour 20 minutes
Michelle Williams stars as Wendy who, with her dog Lucy, stop off in a small Oregon town on their way to Alaska in search of work. Wendy doesn’t have very much money, and her car is almost dead. Things go from bad to worse when Wendy is caught shoplifting food, which leads to her dog disappearing.
Wendy and Lucy is the second film from director Kelly Reichardt, after Oldjoy, the story of two old friends who go on a road trip and then hike to some famous hot springs. Like Oldjoy, Wendy and Lucy is not overly concerned with the story, but rather the characters, in this case almost exclusively Wendy. Unlike other movies (especially independent ones), Wendy and Lucy doesn’t follow the usual route of making the small-town locals eccentric characters, but rather portrays them as being rather ordinary, no different really than people you’d meet anywhere.
That, however, may be the film’s undoing, because at the end of a long-feeling hour and twenty minutes, you’re not quite sure what the point of it all is. Wendy ends up in town, problems arise, and they’re not resolved, only abandoned, not to put too fine a point on it. Michelle Williams is very convincing in her role, but everyone just seems to be there to feed her character’s plot.
2 ½ stars
Saw with Steph at the Bytowne.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
I Love You. They're Watching.
Tell No One
2006. Dir. Guillaume Canet.
Stars Francois Cluzet, Marie-Josee Croze, Jean Rochefort.
Tell No One is a French Hitchcock-style thriller about a man named Alex (Cluzet) who's wife is killed one summer night. He is suspected of the murder, but a notorious serial killer takes the blame instead. Eight years later, events occur that cast suspicion upon Alex once again, while at the same time he begins to believe that his wife was never really dead in the first place.
This leads to a labyrinth mystery involving Alex's friends and family, and his wife's family as well, revealing just how connected they all are. The problem is that the film never really sets up the connections; rather, every time a clue is given, the film waits five minutes to tell you who a character is so that you can understand the connection. This may be ingenious to some, but I found it annoying, as the film was impossible to properly follow.
Everything leads to the last 15 minutes of the film, where the film ties all the loose ends together by introducing a couple of extra character connections, lest there be any plot holes left behind. Again, some critics have said the film is almost airtight in this regard, but I found it cheating. Plus, I spotted a fairly large plot home, in invisi-text below (highlight the spoiler below with your cursor if you want to read it):
BEGIN SPOILER
Alex's wife was told he was killed, and that is why she chose to leave and hide. She comes back though, because she found out he was still alive because of the investigation resuming being in the newspapers. However, after her "death", he was a prime suspect, so that would also have been in the newspapers, and she would have found out right away that he was still alive.
END SPOILER
Overall, I thought the film was trying to be too clever for its own good, and cheated its way out of explaining things.
2 stars. Saw with Steph at the Bytowne.
2006. Dir. Guillaume Canet.
Stars Francois Cluzet, Marie-Josee Croze, Jean Rochefort.
Tell No One is a French Hitchcock-style thriller about a man named Alex (Cluzet) who's wife is killed one summer night. He is suspected of the murder, but a notorious serial killer takes the blame instead. Eight years later, events occur that cast suspicion upon Alex once again, while at the same time he begins to believe that his wife was never really dead in the first place.
This leads to a labyrinth mystery involving Alex's friends and family, and his wife's family as well, revealing just how connected they all are. The problem is that the film never really sets up the connections; rather, every time a clue is given, the film waits five minutes to tell you who a character is so that you can understand the connection. This may be ingenious to some, but I found it annoying, as the film was impossible to properly follow.
Everything leads to the last 15 minutes of the film, where the film ties all the loose ends together by introducing a couple of extra character connections, lest there be any plot holes left behind. Again, some critics have said the film is almost airtight in this regard, but I found it cheating. Plus, I spotted a fairly large plot home, in invisi-text below (highlight the spoiler below with your cursor if you want to read it):
BEGIN SPOILER
Alex's wife was told he was killed, and that is why she chose to leave and hide. She comes back though, because she found out he was still alive because of the investigation resuming being in the newspapers. However, after her "death", he was a prime suspect, so that would also have been in the newspapers, and she would have found out right away that he was still alive.
END SPOILER
Overall, I thought the film was trying to be too clever for its own good, and cheated its way out of explaining things.
2 stars. Saw with Steph at the Bytowne.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
2009 Cannes Film Festival Line-Up
OPENER
"Up," U.S., Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
CLOSER
"Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky," France, Jan Kounen
IN COMPETITION
"Bright Star," Australia-U.K.-France, Jane Campion
"Spring Fever," China-France, Lou Ye
"Antichrist," Denmark-Sweden-France-Italy, Lars von Trier
"Enter the Void," France, Gaspar Noe
"Face," France-Taiwan-Netherlands-Belgium, Tsai Ming-liang
"Les Herbes folles," France-Italy, Alain Resnais
"In the Beginning," France, Xavier Giannoli
"A Prophet," France, Jacques Audiard
"The White Ribbon," Germany-Austria-France, Michael Haneke
"Vengeance," Hong Kong-France-U.S., Johnnie To
"The Time That Remains," Israel-France-Belgium-Italy, Elia Suleiman
"Vincere," Italy-France, Marco Bellocchio
"Kinatay," Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
"Thirst," South Korea-U.S., Park Chan-wook
"Broken Embraces," Spain, Pedro Almodovar
"Map of the Sounds of Tokyo," Spain, Isabel Coixet
"Fish Tank," U.K.-Netherlands, Andrea Arnold
"Looking for Eric," U.K.-France-Belgium-Italy, Ken Loach
"Inglourious Basterds," U.S., Quentin Tarantino
"Taking Woodstock," U.S., Ang Lee
OUT OF COMPETITION
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," Canada-France, Terry Gilliam
"The Army of Crime," France, Robert Guediguian
"Agora," Spain, Alejandro Amenabar
MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
"A Town Called Panic," Belgium, Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
"Ne te retourne pas," France-Belgium-Luxembourg-Italy, Marina de Van
"Drag Me to Hell," U.S., Sam Raimi
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
"Petition," China, Zhao Liang
"L'epine dans le coeur," France, Michel Gondry
"Min ye," France-Mali, Souleyumane Cisse
"Jaffa," Israel-France-Germany, Keren Yedaya
"Manila," Philippines, Adolfo Alix Jr., Raya Martin
"My Neighbor, My Killer," U.S., Anne Aghion
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Bong Joon Ho - "Mother"
Alain Cavalier - "Irene"
Lee Daniels - "Precious"
Denis Dercourt- "Demain Des L'Aube"
Heitor Dhalia - "Adrift"
Bahman Ghobadi - "Nobody Knows About Persian Cats"
Ciro Guerra - "The Wind Journeys"
Mia Hansen-Love - "Le Pere De Mes Enfants"
Hanno Hofer, Razvan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Propescu and Ioanna Uricaru - "Tales From The Golden Age"
Nikolay Khomeriki - "Tale In The Darkness"
Yorgos Lanthimos - "Dogtooth"
Pavel Lounguine - "Tzar"
Raya Martin - "Independencia"
Corneliu Porumboiu - "Police, Adjective"
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang - "Nymph"
Joao Pedro Rodrigues - "To Die Like A Man"
Haim Tabakman - "Eyes Wide Open"
Warwick Thornton - "Samson & Deliah"
Jean Van De Velde - "The Silent Army"
Hirokazu Kore-ede - "Air Doll"
"Up," U.S., Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
CLOSER
"Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky," France, Jan Kounen
IN COMPETITION
"Bright Star," Australia-U.K.-France, Jane Campion
"Spring Fever," China-France, Lou Ye
"Antichrist," Denmark-Sweden-France-Italy, Lars von Trier
"Enter the Void," France, Gaspar Noe
"Face," France-Taiwan-Netherlands-Belgium, Tsai Ming-liang
"Les Herbes folles," France-Italy, Alain Resnais
"In the Beginning," France, Xavier Giannoli
"A Prophet," France, Jacques Audiard
"The White Ribbon," Germany-Austria-France, Michael Haneke
"Vengeance," Hong Kong-France-U.S., Johnnie To
"The Time That Remains," Israel-France-Belgium-Italy, Elia Suleiman
"Vincere," Italy-France, Marco Bellocchio
"Kinatay," Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
"Thirst," South Korea-U.S., Park Chan-wook
"Broken Embraces," Spain, Pedro Almodovar
"Map of the Sounds of Tokyo," Spain, Isabel Coixet
"Fish Tank," U.K.-Netherlands, Andrea Arnold
"Looking for Eric," U.K.-France-Belgium-Italy, Ken Loach
"Inglourious Basterds," U.S., Quentin Tarantino
"Taking Woodstock," U.S., Ang Lee
OUT OF COMPETITION
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," Canada-France, Terry Gilliam
"The Army of Crime," France, Robert Guediguian
"Agora," Spain, Alejandro Amenabar
MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
"A Town Called Panic," Belgium, Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
"Ne te retourne pas," France-Belgium-Luxembourg-Italy, Marina de Van
"Drag Me to Hell," U.S., Sam Raimi
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
"Petition," China, Zhao Liang
"L'epine dans le coeur," France, Michel Gondry
"Min ye," France-Mali, Souleyumane Cisse
"Jaffa," Israel-France-Germany, Keren Yedaya
"Manila," Philippines, Adolfo Alix Jr., Raya Martin
"My Neighbor, My Killer," U.S., Anne Aghion
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Bong Joon Ho - "Mother"
Alain Cavalier - "Irene"
Lee Daniels - "Precious"
Denis Dercourt- "Demain Des L'Aube"
Heitor Dhalia - "Adrift"
Bahman Ghobadi - "Nobody Knows About Persian Cats"
Ciro Guerra - "The Wind Journeys"
Mia Hansen-Love - "Le Pere De Mes Enfants"
Hanno Hofer, Razvan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Propescu and Ioanna Uricaru - "Tales From The Golden Age"
Nikolay Khomeriki - "Tale In The Darkness"
Yorgos Lanthimos - "Dogtooth"
Pavel Lounguine - "Tzar"
Raya Martin - "Independencia"
Corneliu Porumboiu - "Police, Adjective"
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang - "Nymph"
Joao Pedro Rodrigues - "To Die Like A Man"
Haim Tabakman - "Eyes Wide Open"
Warwick Thornton - "Samson & Deliah"
Jean Van De Velde - "The Silent Army"
Hirokazu Kore-ede - "Air Doll"
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
Earth
From Disney and the makers of Planet Earth, comes this documentary, in honour of Earth Day, about three animal families over the course of a year or so. I think it’s elephants, penguins and ducks, though I could be wrong about that last one.
Highway 61
Bruce McDonald week continues at the Mayfair with Highway 61 starring Dom McKellar. The McDonald fest ends on Friday with McDonald’s new film Pontypool, with star Stephen McHattie in attendance.
Friday
The Soloist
From director Joe Wright (Atonement) comes this true story about an L.A. Times columnist (Robert Downey Jr.) who befriends a homeless, schizophrenic musical genius (Jamie Foxx).
Wendy and Lucy
Michelle Williams received rave reviews last fall for this film, from the director of OldJoy. Opens on Friday in Ottawa at the Bytowne.
12
A Russian remake of 12 Angry Men. At the Bytowne.
Moving Violation
After Pontypool ends, Stephen McHattie will introduce this cult classic that he stars in. At the Mayfair.
Fighting
I think the title says it all. I think, but I do not care.
Obsessed
Beyonce beats up a white chick from Heroes. Yeeeeaaaah.
Saturday
Nosferatu
After the success of the Metropolis screenings featuring live music, the Mayfair is next giving the same treatment to F.W. Murnau’s silent horror classic Nosferatu, based on the story of Dracula.
Alligator
This month’s Saturday Night Sinema at the Mayfair is this Jaws-with-Gators rip-off, penned by John Sayles. Free for Mayfair members.
Sunday
Adventures of Milo & Otis
The Humane Society is holding this charity screening at the Mayfair. Well-behaved dogs are welcome to attend. I AM NOT KIDDING about that.
Monday
Raging Bull
Robert DeNiro’s Oscar-winning role as boxer Jake Le Motta. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
Unrepentent
About Canada’s genocidal treatment of the Native peoples of this land. At the Mayfair.
Endgame
From conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. At the Mayfair.
Earth
From Disney and the makers of Planet Earth, comes this documentary, in honour of Earth Day, about three animal families over the course of a year or so. I think it’s elephants, penguins and ducks, though I could be wrong about that last one.
Highway 61
Bruce McDonald week continues at the Mayfair with Highway 61 starring Dom McKellar. The McDonald fest ends on Friday with McDonald’s new film Pontypool, with star Stephen McHattie in attendance.
Friday
The Soloist
From director Joe Wright (Atonement) comes this true story about an L.A. Times columnist (Robert Downey Jr.) who befriends a homeless, schizophrenic musical genius (Jamie Foxx).
Wendy and Lucy
Michelle Williams received rave reviews last fall for this film, from the director of OldJoy. Opens on Friday in Ottawa at the Bytowne.
12
A Russian remake of 12 Angry Men. At the Bytowne.
Moving Violation
After Pontypool ends, Stephen McHattie will introduce this cult classic that he stars in. At the Mayfair.
Fighting
I think the title says it all. I think, but I do not care.
Obsessed
Beyonce beats up a white chick from Heroes. Yeeeeaaaah.
Saturday
Nosferatu
After the success of the Metropolis screenings featuring live music, the Mayfair is next giving the same treatment to F.W. Murnau’s silent horror classic Nosferatu, based on the story of Dracula.
Alligator
This month’s Saturday Night Sinema at the Mayfair is this Jaws-with-Gators rip-off, penned by John Sayles. Free for Mayfair members.
Sunday
Adventures of Milo & Otis
The Humane Society is holding this charity screening at the Mayfair. Well-behaved dogs are welcome to attend. I AM NOT KIDDING about that.
Monday
Raging Bull
Robert DeNiro’s Oscar-winning role as boxer Jake Le Motta. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
Unrepentent
About Canada’s genocidal treatment of the Native peoples of this land. At the Mayfair.
Endgame
From conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. At the Mayfair.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Future Film Round-up
- Supposedly, Transformers 2 will be clocking in at 2 hours and 28 minutes. Why? Who knows.
- Sofia Coppola’s next film will be Somewhere, the story of a bad-boy actor (played by Stephen Dorff) who lives at the Chateau Marmont in L.A. when a visit from his daughter (played by Elle Fanning) forces him to examine his life.
- David O. Russell will direct The Fighter (previously slated to be directed by Darren Aronofsky). Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg will star.
- Demetri Martin is joining Brad Pitt in Steven Soderbergh’s Moneyball.
- Marlon Wayans will star in Living Biblically, about a man who spends a year of his life living, as literally as possible, by the rules of The Bible.
- Angels & Demons comes out next month, but Columbia has already decided to move forward with the third Robert Langdon story, called the Lost Symbol.
- Jason Statham will take over for Charles Bronson in a remake of The Mechanic
- Sofia Coppola’s next film will be Somewhere, the story of a bad-boy actor (played by Stephen Dorff) who lives at the Chateau Marmont in L.A. when a visit from his daughter (played by Elle Fanning) forces him to examine his life.
- David O. Russell will direct The Fighter (previously slated to be directed by Darren Aronofsky). Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg will star.
- Demetri Martin is joining Brad Pitt in Steven Soderbergh’s Moneyball.
- Marlon Wayans will star in Living Biblically, about a man who spends a year of his life living, as literally as possible, by the rules of The Bible.
- Angels & Demons comes out next month, but Columbia has already decided to move forward with the third Robert Langdon story, called the Lost Symbol.
- Jason Statham will take over for Charles Bronson in a remake of The Mechanic
Deserve's Got Nothin' To Do WIth It
Unforgiven
1992, dir. Clint Eastwood
Stars Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Jaimz Woolvett
2 hours 11 minutes
Clint Eastwood’s last Western played Monday night at The Mayfair. Winner of four 1992 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Unforgiven is the story of an aging former gunslinger and killer William Munny (Eastwood) who is brought back from retirement, sobriety, and quiet family life, by a young excited bounty hunter (Woolvett) to kill two cowboys who had maimed and disfigured a young prostitute, after which her fellow brothel co-workers pooled together $1,000 to place on their heads. Munny recruits his former partner (Freeman), for the job, but each of the trio find that they are no longer the men they used to be, or want to be, or both.
This is the underlying theme of the film, and maybe even the purpose of it, from Eastwood’s perspective as the director. It is indeed the last Western he made (so far, though I think it’ll stick), and throughout the film the idea of legend versus truth comes into play. The brothel is in town run and presided over by sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Hackman), who has no patience for vigilantes or violence, except by his own hand, that is. Before the aforementioned trio arrive into town, a famous assassin, English Bob (Harris) comes into town to seek the bounty, complete with his own biographer (Rubinek) to record (and embellish) every detail for history’s sake. Little Bill and English Bob have a past together, and within minutes of Bob showing up into town, Little Bill takes his guns, beats him up, and locks him in the town jail. There Little Bill explains to the biographer the difference between the legends of the West and the reality of it.
After that, Munny and his group arrive into town to take on the job, but only Munny finds that he has the stomach to be a killer. Ironically, he had been the most reluctant of the three. Little Bill takes matters into his own hands after the job is done, requiring Munny to return to town to enact revenge on him.
With Unforgiven, Eastwood had crafted what many called a fitting eulogy to the Western genre, although there have been a few great Westerns in the 17 years since, including Tombstone, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and the HBO television series Deadwood. Those, however, have all been revisionist Westerns, much in the mold of Unforgiven, so perhaps it would be more accurate to call Unforgiven Eastwood’s passing of the torch to another generation.
5 stars.
Saw by myself at the Mayfair.
1992, dir. Clint Eastwood
Stars Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Jaimz Woolvett
2 hours 11 minutes
Clint Eastwood’s last Western played Monday night at The Mayfair. Winner of four 1992 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Unforgiven is the story of an aging former gunslinger and killer William Munny (Eastwood) who is brought back from retirement, sobriety, and quiet family life, by a young excited bounty hunter (Woolvett) to kill two cowboys who had maimed and disfigured a young prostitute, after which her fellow brothel co-workers pooled together $1,000 to place on their heads. Munny recruits his former partner (Freeman), for the job, but each of the trio find that they are no longer the men they used to be, or want to be, or both.
This is the underlying theme of the film, and maybe even the purpose of it, from Eastwood’s perspective as the director. It is indeed the last Western he made (so far, though I think it’ll stick), and throughout the film the idea of legend versus truth comes into play. The brothel is in town run and presided over by sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Hackman), who has no patience for vigilantes or violence, except by his own hand, that is. Before the aforementioned trio arrive into town, a famous assassin, English Bob (Harris) comes into town to seek the bounty, complete with his own biographer (Rubinek) to record (and embellish) every detail for history’s sake. Little Bill and English Bob have a past together, and within minutes of Bob showing up into town, Little Bill takes his guns, beats him up, and locks him in the town jail. There Little Bill explains to the biographer the difference between the legends of the West and the reality of it.
After that, Munny and his group arrive into town to take on the job, but only Munny finds that he has the stomach to be a killer. Ironically, he had been the most reluctant of the three. Little Bill takes matters into his own hands after the job is done, requiring Munny to return to town to enact revenge on him.
With Unforgiven, Eastwood had crafted what many called a fitting eulogy to the Western genre, although there have been a few great Westerns in the 17 years since, including Tombstone, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and the HBO television series Deadwood. Those, however, have all been revisionist Westerns, much in the mold of Unforgiven, so perhaps it would be more accurate to call Unforgiven Eastwood’s passing of the torch to another generation.
5 stars.
Saw by myself at the Mayfair.
The Press Can Spin This ANyway They Want
State of Play
2009, dir. Kevin MacDonald
Stars Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Robin Wright Penn, Harry Lennix, Viola Davis
2 hours 7 minutes
State of Play is the new film from director Kevin MacDonald, director of The Last King of Scotland, and grandson of Emeric Pressburger. The film depicts the investigation by both the police and the press into the death of a young woman on a subway platform.
Russell Crowe plays a seasoned journalist investigating a separate double homicide, which he eventually, and perhaps inevitably, links to the young woman. Rachel McAdams plays Crowe’s younger colleague, and Helen Mirren plays their editor-in-chief. Ben Affleck plays a Congressman and boss to the young woman, who just happens to be Crowe’s old college roommate.
The film is a condensed version the BBC mini-series from 2004, with 6 hours worth of story crammed into 2 hours. I thought the film was fairly clever in all of its twists (even the ones there were obvious 20 minutes ahead of time), but, like last month’s Duplicity, the story was done in by the last, unnecessary twists that after further thought, really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and certainly complicates matters from a legal perspective.
Overall, a decent thriller with one too many plot turns, though I am really curious to check out the original mini-series.
3 ½ stars
Saw with Steph and Paddy at Silvercity.
2009, dir. Kevin MacDonald
Stars Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Robin Wright Penn, Harry Lennix, Viola Davis
2 hours 7 minutes
State of Play is the new film from director Kevin MacDonald, director of The Last King of Scotland, and grandson of Emeric Pressburger. The film depicts the investigation by both the police and the press into the death of a young woman on a subway platform.
Russell Crowe plays a seasoned journalist investigating a separate double homicide, which he eventually, and perhaps inevitably, links to the young woman. Rachel McAdams plays Crowe’s younger colleague, and Helen Mirren plays their editor-in-chief. Ben Affleck plays a Congressman and boss to the young woman, who just happens to be Crowe’s old college roommate.
The film is a condensed version the BBC mini-series from 2004, with 6 hours worth of story crammed into 2 hours. I thought the film was fairly clever in all of its twists (even the ones there were obvious 20 minutes ahead of time), but, like last month’s Duplicity, the story was done in by the last, unnecessary twists that after further thought, really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and certainly complicates matters from a legal perspective.
Overall, a decent thriller with one too many plot turns, though I am really curious to check out the original mini-series.
3 ½ stars
Saw with Steph and Paddy at Silvercity.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
Vampiro
Lee Demarbre’s documentary about the former WWE wrestler from Thunder Bay. Wednesday and Thursday at the Mayfair, followed by Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler.
Friday
The Owl and the Sparrow
At the Mayfair
El Topo
The orginal Midnight Movie, Friday and Saturday at midnight, at the Mayfair.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy
Canadian film about the relationship between a single mother, her son, and a washed-up fighter. AT the Bytowne.
17 Again
Matthew Perry gets wet(?) and becomes Zak Efron. It happens, people.
Crank High Voltage
Jason Statham beats people up.
State of Play
Based on the acclaimed BBC miniseries, starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Harry Lennix, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams. From Kevin McDonald, the director of The Last King of Scotland.
Saturday
Play Misty For Me
Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, about a disc jockey who is being stalked by an avid fan. At the Mayfair, part of their month-long Clint Eastwood festival.
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood won his first Oscar for this, his last Western, about an old bounty hunter brought out of retirement for one last job. One of the greatest westerns ever made, also stars Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, and Gene Hackman in his Oscar-winning role. At the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Princess Bride
Mayfair’s Sunday family matinee is this classic film from the late 1980’s. Starring, among many good actors, Andre the Giant.
Monday
Elephant
Bytowne’s Must See Cinema this week is this recent film, the middle part of Gus Van Sant’s trilogy of Death (along with Gerry and Last Days). Based not so loosely on the Columbine massacre, which by no coincidence was ten years ago this week.
Tuesday
Tuesday brings the start of the Mayfair’s Bruce McDonald mini-festival, starting with Roadkill and Hard Core Logo.
Roadkill
Hard Core Logo
Vampiro
Lee Demarbre’s documentary about the former WWE wrestler from Thunder Bay. Wednesday and Thursday at the Mayfair, followed by Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler.
Friday
The Owl and the Sparrow
At the Mayfair
El Topo
The orginal Midnight Movie, Friday and Saturday at midnight, at the Mayfair.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy
Canadian film about the relationship between a single mother, her son, and a washed-up fighter. AT the Bytowne.
17 Again
Matthew Perry gets wet(?) and becomes Zak Efron. It happens, people.
Crank High Voltage
Jason Statham beats people up.
State of Play
Based on the acclaimed BBC miniseries, starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Harry Lennix, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams. From Kevin McDonald, the director of The Last King of Scotland.
Saturday
Play Misty For Me
Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, about a disc jockey who is being stalked by an avid fan. At the Mayfair, part of their month-long Clint Eastwood festival.
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood won his first Oscar for this, his last Western, about an old bounty hunter brought out of retirement for one last job. One of the greatest westerns ever made, also stars Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, and Gene Hackman in his Oscar-winning role. At the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Princess Bride
Mayfair’s Sunday family matinee is this classic film from the late 1980’s. Starring, among many good actors, Andre the Giant.
Monday
Elephant
Bytowne’s Must See Cinema this week is this recent film, the middle part of Gus Van Sant’s trilogy of Death (along with Gerry and Last Days). Based not so loosely on the Columbine massacre, which by no coincidence was ten years ago this week.
Tuesday
Tuesday brings the start of the Mayfair’s Bruce McDonald mini-festival, starting with Roadkill and Hard Core Logo.
Roadkill
Hard Core Logo
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Future Film Round-up
- The Farrelly brothers are making a Three Stooges movie, and are negotiating with Jim Carrey to play Curly, Sean Penn to play Larry, and Benicio Del Toro to play Moe. Ok? Ok.
- Vanessa Redgrave has joined the cast of Robin Hood, as has William Hurt.
- Ladies, calm down, but … Zak Efron has dropped out of Footloose. Please find a way to go on with your lives.
- Woody Allen 2010 has added Nicole Kidman to its cast.
- Richard Linklater is shooting a “thematic and spiritual” sequel to Dazed and Confused. So, same ideas, none of the same characters.
- Rhys Ifans has joined the cast of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (both parts, presumably).
- Tony Scott will next direct Unstoppable, about an … unstoppable … runaway freight train filled with toxic chemicals. Something tells me they’ll stop it … or maybe they won’t.
- Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are making a film called Date Night (shockingly not for Universal Pictures), with Mark Wahlberg and James Franco co-starring.
- Peter Morgan will complete his Tony Blair trilogy (The Deal, The Queen) with The Special Relationship. Michael Sheen will reprise his Tony Blair, with Dennis Quaid starring as Bill Clinton (Russell Crowe had been rumoured), and Julianne Moore as Hillary Clinton. Like the first part, The Deal, this will be made for cable television. Peter Morgan will direct it himself this time.
- Michael Sheen, however, also has to do his fill of crap (The Underworld films) and thus has joined the cast of the Twilight sequel, New Moon.
- Footloose-less Zak Efrom will star as Johnny Quest.
- Vanessa Redgrave has joined the cast of Robin Hood, as has William Hurt.
- Ladies, calm down, but … Zak Efron has dropped out of Footloose. Please find a way to go on with your lives.
- Woody Allen 2010 has added Nicole Kidman to its cast.
- Richard Linklater is shooting a “thematic and spiritual” sequel to Dazed and Confused. So, same ideas, none of the same characters.
- Rhys Ifans has joined the cast of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (both parts, presumably).
- Tony Scott will next direct Unstoppable, about an … unstoppable … runaway freight train filled with toxic chemicals. Something tells me they’ll stop it … or maybe they won’t.
- Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are making a film called Date Night (shockingly not for Universal Pictures), with Mark Wahlberg and James Franco co-starring.
- Peter Morgan will complete his Tony Blair trilogy (The Deal, The Queen) with The Special Relationship. Michael Sheen will reprise his Tony Blair, with Dennis Quaid starring as Bill Clinton (Russell Crowe had been rumoured), and Julianne Moore as Hillary Clinton. Like the first part, The Deal, this will be made for cable television. Peter Morgan will direct it himself this time.
- Michael Sheen, however, also has to do his fill of crap (The Underworld films) and thus has joined the cast of the Twilight sequel, New Moon.
- Footloose-less Zak Efrom will star as Johnny Quest.
3 Week Movie Catch-Up
I Love You Man (2009)
Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones
Funny “bromance” movie, lots of good laughs, plus the usual Apatow-esque cast of overly-weird supporting characters.
Silvercity, with Steph, Gary, and Paddy. 3 ½ stars.
Duplicity (2009)
Dir. Tony Gilroy. Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson.
More twists than a bag of pretzels. Roberts and Owen are charming, yet dislikable, but the final twists that [SPOILER] negates almost the entire film feels way too convoluted, even for this film. Not as good as Gilroy’s debut Michael Clayton, but a decent rental-worthy film.
Silvercity, with Paddy. 3 stars.
Alien (1979)
Dir. Ridley Scott. Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto.
In space, no one can hear you scream. Ridley Scott’s second film is still frightening and adrenaline-pumpking 30 years later, even after I’ve seen it more than a dozen times. Still the best of the Alien films, just because it’s more about the characters and the atmosphere, rather than the effects and the monster.
Bytowne, with Paddy. 5 stars.
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
Dir. Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef.
Leone’s second film of his Dollars trilogy finds Eastwood’s Man With No Name teaming up with rival bounty hunter Van Cleef in tracking down and apprehending the head of a gang of Mexican bandits who happens to be addicted to marijuana. Surprisingly, it takes them over two hours to apprehend the pothead Mexican.
Mayfair, with Steph and Paddy. 3 ½ stars.
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
Dir. Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef.
The Dollars trilogy concluded with The Man With No Name (who is repeatedly named Blondie throughout the film) alternately teaming up with or competing against Wallach and Van Cleef (this time a bad guy) to find a cache of stolen Confederate gold during the later years of the Civil War. Leone’s masterpiece, with the tensest dual in Western history ending off the film.
Mayfair, with Paddy. 5 stars.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Dir. Martin Scorsese. Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton.
One of my ten favorite films of all time, and just in time for Easter, Scorsese’s adaptation of the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis (from a script by Paul Schrader) explores the conflict between the godliness and humanity of Jesus Christ. The film is infamous (and controversial) for the half-hour plus end sequence where Jesus sees what his life would be like had he decided not to follow his calling. This is a fantastic film that shows Jesus in a way that no one else would dare, which makes it that much more appealing.
Mayfair, all by myself. 5 stars.
The Godfather (1972)
Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Marlon Brandon, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Richard Castellano, Talia Shire, Abe Vigoda, John Cazale, Sterling Hayden, Diane Keaton.
Routinely called one of the greatest films of all time, and the 1972 Academy Award Best Picture, The Godfather is the sprawling story of the Corleone crime family from the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s. I’ve seen this film more times than I can think of, and I’ve always been impressed by Pacino and Caan, but always felt that Brando was just okay. But last night, watching the film on the big screen, I saw for the first time how great Brando is in a very understated way. He is not the most dynamic, and definitely not the loudest, but he is absolutely the soul of the film.
Bytowne, with Steph and Paddy. 5 stars.
Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones
Funny “bromance” movie, lots of good laughs, plus the usual Apatow-esque cast of overly-weird supporting characters.
Silvercity, with Steph, Gary, and Paddy. 3 ½ stars.
Duplicity (2009)
Dir. Tony Gilroy. Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson.
More twists than a bag of pretzels. Roberts and Owen are charming, yet dislikable, but the final twists that [SPOILER] negates almost the entire film feels way too convoluted, even for this film. Not as good as Gilroy’s debut Michael Clayton, but a decent rental-worthy film.
Silvercity, with Paddy. 3 stars.
Alien (1979)
Dir. Ridley Scott. Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto.
In space, no one can hear you scream. Ridley Scott’s second film is still frightening and adrenaline-pumpking 30 years later, even after I’ve seen it more than a dozen times. Still the best of the Alien films, just because it’s more about the characters and the atmosphere, rather than the effects and the monster.
Bytowne, with Paddy. 5 stars.
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
Dir. Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef.
Leone’s second film of his Dollars trilogy finds Eastwood’s Man With No Name teaming up with rival bounty hunter Van Cleef in tracking down and apprehending the head of a gang of Mexican bandits who happens to be addicted to marijuana. Surprisingly, it takes them over two hours to apprehend the pothead Mexican.
Mayfair, with Steph and Paddy. 3 ½ stars.
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
Dir. Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef.
The Dollars trilogy concluded with The Man With No Name (who is repeatedly named Blondie throughout the film) alternately teaming up with or competing against Wallach and Van Cleef (this time a bad guy) to find a cache of stolen Confederate gold during the later years of the Civil War. Leone’s masterpiece, with the tensest dual in Western history ending off the film.
Mayfair, with Paddy. 5 stars.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Dir. Martin Scorsese. Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton.
One of my ten favorite films of all time, and just in time for Easter, Scorsese’s adaptation of the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis (from a script by Paul Schrader) explores the conflict between the godliness and humanity of Jesus Christ. The film is infamous (and controversial) for the half-hour plus end sequence where Jesus sees what his life would be like had he decided not to follow his calling. This is a fantastic film that shows Jesus in a way that no one else would dare, which makes it that much more appealing.
Mayfair, all by myself. 5 stars.
The Godfather (1972)
Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Marlon Brandon, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Richard Castellano, Talia Shire, Abe Vigoda, John Cazale, Sterling Hayden, Diane Keaton.
Routinely called one of the greatest films of all time, and the 1972 Academy Award Best Picture, The Godfather is the sprawling story of the Corleone crime family from the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s. I’ve seen this film more times than I can think of, and I’ve always been impressed by Pacino and Caan, but always felt that Brando was just okay. But last night, watching the film on the big screen, I saw for the first time how great Brando is in a very understated way. He is not the most dynamic, and definitely not the loudest, but he is absolutely the soul of the film.
Bytowne, with Steph and Paddy. 5 stars.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
I.O.U.S.A.
Mayfair
Friday
Trouble the Water
Nominated for Best Documentary, about Hurricane Katrina. Bytowne.
Gomorrah
About the Sicilian Mafia. Bytowne.
Rip: The Remix Manifesto
Mayfair.
12 Rounds
Starring WWE’s John Cena. You’ve now been warned. Everywhere.
Monsters vs. Aliens
In IMAX 3D, no less. Silvercity (IMAX); Everywhere (regular).
Haunting in Connecticut
Everywhere.
Crossing Over
The long delayed Harrison Ford film about illegal immigration and the Us-Mexican border. Don't go if you're looking for Sean Penn, however; his role was cut out in editing. World Exchange
Saturday
Anthropophagous
Midnight at the Mayfair. Free for members.
Sunday
The Deer Hunter
Mayfair’s month of epic matinees concludes with the first major film about the Vietnam war, the 1978 best picture winner. Starring Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken (in his Oscar-winning role), John Savage, Meryl Streep, and John Cazale in his final role (he died just after shooting ended).
Monday
Alien
Ridley Scott’s director’s cut. Bytowne.
There is also, at the Canadian Film Institute on Wellington St., the 2009 Latin American Film Festival, which runs from this Friday, March 27th, 2009, until Sunday, April 5th. There are two many films to list here, so please go to:
http://www.cfi-icf.ca/index.php?option=com_cfi&task=showevent&id=21
Lots of good stuff going on.
I.O.U.S.A.
Mayfair
Friday
Trouble the Water
Nominated for Best Documentary, about Hurricane Katrina. Bytowne.
Gomorrah
About the Sicilian Mafia. Bytowne.
Rip: The Remix Manifesto
Mayfair.
12 Rounds
Starring WWE’s John Cena. You’ve now been warned. Everywhere.
Monsters vs. Aliens
In IMAX 3D, no less. Silvercity (IMAX); Everywhere (regular).
Haunting in Connecticut
Everywhere.
Crossing Over
The long delayed Harrison Ford film about illegal immigration and the Us-Mexican border. Don't go if you're looking for Sean Penn, however; his role was cut out in editing. World Exchange
Saturday
Anthropophagous
Midnight at the Mayfair. Free for members.
Sunday
The Deer Hunter
Mayfair’s month of epic matinees concludes with the first major film about the Vietnam war, the 1978 best picture winner. Starring Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken (in his Oscar-winning role), John Savage, Meryl Streep, and John Cazale in his final role (he died just after shooting ended).
Monday
Alien
Ridley Scott’s director’s cut. Bytowne.
There is also, at the Canadian Film Institute on Wellington St., the 2009 Latin American Film Festival, which runs from this Friday, March 27th, 2009, until Sunday, April 5th. There are two many films to list here, so please go to:
http://www.cfi-icf.ca/index.php?option=com_cfi&task=showevent&id=21
Lots of good stuff going on.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Future Film Round-up
- Robin Hood news: Scott Grimes (ER, Band of Brothers) will play Will Scarlett, and Thunder Bay’s own Kevin Durand (played the bad ass mercenary last season on Lost) will play Little John. The film will be release in May of 2010, ten years to the month that Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe put out Gladiator.
- Sony and Marvel have announced some release dates:
Iron Man 2: May 7th, 2010
Thor: May 20th, 2011
Captain America: July 22nd, 2011
Avengers: May 4th, 2012
- Speaking of Iron Man, Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson have both now officially been cast.
- Joe Wright (Atonement) will direct Indian Summer, about the dying days of British colonialism in India.
- Stone Cold Steve Austin has been cast in Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables
- Warner Bros. is making a new movie version of Stephen King’s novel It.
- Producer Dino De Laurentiis has announced that he is bringing MacGyver to the big screen.
- We’re still more than 3 months away from the release of Transformers 2, and Paramount has announced that Transformers 3 will be released on my 30th birthday, July 1st, 2011. If I’m 30, does that make me too old to be seeing Transformers movies?
- The Coen brothers will next be doing a remake of the John Wayne classic True Grit.
- Sony and Marvel have announced some release dates:
Iron Man 2: May 7th, 2010
Thor: May 20th, 2011
Captain America: July 22nd, 2011
Avengers: May 4th, 2012
- Speaking of Iron Man, Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson have both now officially been cast.
- Joe Wright (Atonement) will direct Indian Summer, about the dying days of British colonialism in India.
- Stone Cold Steve Austin has been cast in Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables
- Warner Bros. is making a new movie version of Stephen King’s novel It.
- Producer Dino De Laurentiis has announced that he is bringing MacGyver to the big screen.
- We’re still more than 3 months away from the release of Transformers 2, and Paramount has announced that Transformers 3 will be released on my 30th birthday, July 1st, 2011. If I’m 30, does that make me too old to be seeing Transformers movies?
- The Coen brothers will next be doing a remake of the John Wayne classic True Grit.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
Schrader’s Exorcism
Wednesday and Thursday at the Mayfair is this documentary of Paul Schrader’s extreme difficulty of bringing his Exorcist prequel to the screen (or not bringing it, as it were). Followed each night by one of Schrader’s earlier writing efforts.
Taxi Driver
Directed by Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, this classic has Robert De Niro driving around New York City looking to clean up the filth. Violently, if necessary.
Thursday
Raging Bull
Also directed by Scorsese and written by Schrader and starring De Niro, the story of boxer Jake LeMotta.
Friday
Duplicity
From the director of Michael Clayton, this movie has Julia Roberts and Clive Owen playing rival spies who team up to con two multinationals out of millions of dollars.
I Love You, Man
The rise of the bromance film, this one has Paul Rudd recruiting Jason Segel to be his Best Man.
Knowing
Nicholas Cage plays a father whose son finds a piece of paper in a time capsule that contaisn the dates and body counts of every major world disaster in the last 50 years … plus a whole bunch more. Cage must therefore save the world.
Labyrinth
For March break, the Mayfair is playing the classic, with creatures by Jim Henson … except David Bowie, Jim Henson couldn’t have thought of him.
Riki-Oh
From IMDB: A young man with superhuman strength is incarcerated at a prison run by corrupt officials and seeks to use his martial arts to clean up the system.
At the Mayfair.
Saturday
This Saturday, at the Mayfair, two action movies directed by Tony Scott and starring Tom Cruise. One in a jet, one in a racecar. The same movie.
Top Gun
Days of Thunder
Sunday
Examined Life
Did you skip 1st year philosophy too much? Fear not.
At the Bytowne
2001: A Space Odyssey
One of my favorite films of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s space epic plays Sunday at the Mayfair.
Monday
Amores Perros
Alejandro Innaritu’s debut hyperlink film plays Monday night at the Bytowne.
Tuesday
The International (Beynelmilel)
About Turkish musicians during the 1980s. Part of the Turkish Film Festival at the Bytowne.
The Usual Suspects
In a double with Valkyrie is Bryan Singer’s crime classic where nothing and nobody is what it seems.
Schrader’s Exorcism
Wednesday and Thursday at the Mayfair is this documentary of Paul Schrader’s extreme difficulty of bringing his Exorcist prequel to the screen (or not bringing it, as it were). Followed each night by one of Schrader’s earlier writing efforts.
Taxi Driver
Directed by Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, this classic has Robert De Niro driving around New York City looking to clean up the filth. Violently, if necessary.
Thursday
Raging Bull
Also directed by Scorsese and written by Schrader and starring De Niro, the story of boxer Jake LeMotta.
Friday
Duplicity
From the director of Michael Clayton, this movie has Julia Roberts and Clive Owen playing rival spies who team up to con two multinationals out of millions of dollars.
I Love You, Man
The rise of the bromance film, this one has Paul Rudd recruiting Jason Segel to be his Best Man.
Knowing
Nicholas Cage plays a father whose son finds a piece of paper in a time capsule that contaisn the dates and body counts of every major world disaster in the last 50 years … plus a whole bunch more. Cage must therefore save the world.
Labyrinth
For March break, the Mayfair is playing the classic, with creatures by Jim Henson … except David Bowie, Jim Henson couldn’t have thought of him.
Riki-Oh
From IMDB: A young man with superhuman strength is incarcerated at a prison run by corrupt officials and seeks to use his martial arts to clean up the system.
At the Mayfair.
Saturday
This Saturday, at the Mayfair, two action movies directed by Tony Scott and starring Tom Cruise. One in a jet, one in a racecar. The same movie.
Top Gun
Days of Thunder
Sunday
Examined Life
Did you skip 1st year philosophy too much? Fear not.
At the Bytowne
2001: A Space Odyssey
One of my favorite films of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s space epic plays Sunday at the Mayfair.
Monday
Amores Perros
Alejandro Innaritu’s debut hyperlink film plays Monday night at the Bytowne.
Tuesday
The International (Beynelmilel)
About Turkish musicians during the 1980s. Part of the Turkish Film Festival at the Bytowne.
The Usual Suspects
In a double with Valkyrie is Bryan Singer’s crime classic where nothing and nobody is what it seems.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
No Prisoners!
Lawrence of Arabia
1962. dir. David Lean. 3 hours 39 minutes.
Starring Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer.
The month of epics continued on Sunday with Lawrence of Arabia, which Paddy and I saw Sunday afternoon at the Mayfair. The film is the story of T.E.. Lawrence, a British officer assigned to Arabia who helps the Arabs overcome and defeat the Turks during World War I. Lawrence won the respect of the Arabs by leading them through vast deserts that were believed to be uncrossable, and by uniting different Arab tribes against a common enemy, something that may have been a mistake in hindsight.
Lawrence of Arabia is based upon the memoirs of T.E. Lawrence himself, and a later book, written after Lawrence’s death, shows that those memoirs were somewhat exaggerated. That seems likely from watching the film, which is almost entirely about the man’s deeds, but very little about his motivation. Still, it is the kind of film that is only concerned about deeds, and they are dramatized excitingly. The film has an epic scope that few films have match, before or since, and some of the shots, such as Omar Sharif’s character materializing out of the desert, and simply amazing.
4 stars.
1962. dir. David Lean. 3 hours 39 minutes.
Starring Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer.
The month of epics continued on Sunday with Lawrence of Arabia, which Paddy and I saw Sunday afternoon at the Mayfair. The film is the story of T.E.. Lawrence, a British officer assigned to Arabia who helps the Arabs overcome and defeat the Turks during World War I. Lawrence won the respect of the Arabs by leading them through vast deserts that were believed to be uncrossable, and by uniting different Arab tribes against a common enemy, something that may have been a mistake in hindsight.
Lawrence of Arabia is based upon the memoirs of T.E. Lawrence himself, and a later book, written after Lawrence’s death, shows that those memoirs were somewhat exaggerated. That seems likely from watching the film, which is almost entirely about the man’s deeds, but very little about his motivation. Still, it is the kind of film that is only concerned about deeds, and they are dramatized excitingly. The film has an epic scope that few films have match, before or since, and some of the shots, such as Omar Sharif’s character materializing out of the desert, and simply amazing.
4 stars.
Away We Go
Revolutionary Road is still in some theatres, and Sam Mendes already has a new film coming out. Here's the trailer:
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Argentine/Guerilla
Che
2008. dir. Steven Soderbergh. 4 hours 18 minutes + intermission (or roughly 2 hours 9 minutes for each part if viewed separately)
starring Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bechir, Julia Ormond, Franka Potente, Lou Diamond Phillips
Steven Soderbergh's epic film Che is of an unusual nature; it is one complete film, and yet two very different films at the same time (Tarantino's Kill Bill might be an apt analogy). Aside from Benicio Del Toro as Ernesto Guevera, most characters only show up in one half or the other, and are of little interest anyway. The films are even different in the details, such as colour palate and camera techniques, and even nitty gritty things like different subtitles fonts and different aspect ratios.
The first film, commonly know as The Argentine, details Che's involvement with the Cuban revolution that led to Bastista's downfall in 1959, and Fidel Castro coming to power. The scenes, shot like a traditional Hollywood film with bright colours, and set dolly shots, are inter sped with grainy black and white footage depicting Che's visit to New York City and the UN in 1964. Che is shown joining Fidel's mercenaries and eventually rising to near the top of the command, culminating in the revolution's decisive victory in Santa Clara.
The second film (Guerilla) picks up 6 years later. There is nothing in either film showing Che's role in early post-revolution Cuba, or his campaigns in Venezuela or Congo, or even his ideologies or reasons for choosing his battles. The film just begins with Che, in disguise, entering Bolivia and trying to recreate his triumphs of Cuba in that country. Of course he fails, and the second film is much harsher and grittier. Gone is the fancy camera work and bright colours, replaced his entirely handheld shots amongst the grey and brown shrubbery of the Bolivian countryside. The film is very close to being almost black and white.
Which is, in a way, what Che was. Neither film is interested in his ideas, only in the active pursuit and implementation of that philosophy. There are no grand speeches really, just an almost documentary-like view of Che's military techniques (especially in the second film), and how the differences in the people of Cuba versus the Bolivians allowed Che to succeed in the former country, but not the latter. You can only lead people if they want to follow you. There isn't a lot of characterization of anyone other than Che, and even he is described through his actions, not his words (except for the brief NYC scenes).
I remain torn as to how I think Che should be viewed. I saw it all in one shot, but I'm sure it would work well viewed one half at a time. It may even work in the opposite order. Part One describes his rise, Part Two his fall. I'm sure which would teach us more.
5 stars.
2008. dir. Steven Soderbergh. 4 hours 18 minutes + intermission (or roughly 2 hours 9 minutes for each part if viewed separately)
starring Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bechir, Julia Ormond, Franka Potente, Lou Diamond Phillips
Steven Soderbergh's epic film Che is of an unusual nature; it is one complete film, and yet two very different films at the same time (Tarantino's Kill Bill might be an apt analogy). Aside from Benicio Del Toro as Ernesto Guevera, most characters only show up in one half or the other, and are of little interest anyway. The films are even different in the details, such as colour palate and camera techniques, and even nitty gritty things like different subtitles fonts and different aspect ratios.
The first film, commonly know as The Argentine, details Che's involvement with the Cuban revolution that led to Bastista's downfall in 1959, and Fidel Castro coming to power. The scenes, shot like a traditional Hollywood film with bright colours, and set dolly shots, are inter sped with grainy black and white footage depicting Che's visit to New York City and the UN in 1964. Che is shown joining Fidel's mercenaries and eventually rising to near the top of the command, culminating in the revolution's decisive victory in Santa Clara.
The second film (Guerilla) picks up 6 years later. There is nothing in either film showing Che's role in early post-revolution Cuba, or his campaigns in Venezuela or Congo, or even his ideologies or reasons for choosing his battles. The film just begins with Che, in disguise, entering Bolivia and trying to recreate his triumphs of Cuba in that country. Of course he fails, and the second film is much harsher and grittier. Gone is the fancy camera work and bright colours, replaced his entirely handheld shots amongst the grey and brown shrubbery of the Bolivian countryside. The film is very close to being almost black and white.
Which is, in a way, what Che was. Neither film is interested in his ideas, only in the active pursuit and implementation of that philosophy. There are no grand speeches really, just an almost documentary-like view of Che's military techniques (especially in the second film), and how the differences in the people of Cuba versus the Bolivians allowed Che to succeed in the former country, but not the latter. You can only lead people if they want to follow you. There isn't a lot of characterization of anyone other than Che, and even he is described through his actions, not his words (except for the brief NYC scenes).
I remain torn as to how I think Che should be viewed. I saw it all in one shot, but I'm sure it would work well viewed one half at a time. It may even work in the opposite order. Part One describes his rise, Part Two his fall. I'm sure which would teach us more.
5 stars.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Blu-Ray Review: Australia
Australia
2009. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. 2 hours 45 minutes
Starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Bryan Brown, David Wenham
I missed Baz Luhrmann’s epic western romance, Australia, when it came to theatres last fall, but I managed to finally catch it on blu-ray last night. Many critics disliked the film, because they felt it was hokey and ridiculously long, but those are in fact the reasons I thought it was great. Don’t be fooled, this is not a film, this is a movie.
Nicole Kidman stars as Sarah, an English aristocrat’s wife who was come to join him on his cattle ranch in Northern Australia, near Darwin (near is a relative term in a country where most of the interior is still pretty ragged). Hugh Jackman, as The Drover (that’s the only name his character gets) is hired to escort her there, and then, after all the ranch staff quit or are fired, Kidman hires Jackman to help her drive all the cattle back to Darwin so that they can be sold to the Army for food in support of World War II. Pearl Harbor has just been attacked, and the Japanese air force turns around and attacks Darwin, separating Kidman, Jackman, and a mixed-blood aboriginal boy that they’ve adopted, leading to a harrowing adventure to reunite them all.
Australia is not a movie you should go into comparing it to other modern movies. It is more a film of the 1930s and 1940s, with over-the-top set designs and costumes, a bombastic orchestral score, and archetypal characters and plotlines. Each beat in the film is entirely predictable, yet the film’s wholesome old-time feel makes it a good time at the movies. In fact, I would even say it’s a good family film, of the type that usually don’t get made any more. Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman could just have easily been Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh, and the film is very much an Australian Gone With The Wind, with its themes of war, class struggle, and racism.
A great film, and the blu-ray disc looks and sounds awesome. Check it out if you get the chance.
4 ½ stars.
2009. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. 2 hours 45 minutes
Starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Bryan Brown, David Wenham
I missed Baz Luhrmann’s epic western romance, Australia, when it came to theatres last fall, but I managed to finally catch it on blu-ray last night. Many critics disliked the film, because they felt it was hokey and ridiculously long, but those are in fact the reasons I thought it was great. Don’t be fooled, this is not a film, this is a movie.
Nicole Kidman stars as Sarah, an English aristocrat’s wife who was come to join him on his cattle ranch in Northern Australia, near Darwin (near is a relative term in a country where most of the interior is still pretty ragged). Hugh Jackman, as The Drover (that’s the only name his character gets) is hired to escort her there, and then, after all the ranch staff quit or are fired, Kidman hires Jackman to help her drive all the cattle back to Darwin so that they can be sold to the Army for food in support of World War II. Pearl Harbor has just been attacked, and the Japanese air force turns around and attacks Darwin, separating Kidman, Jackman, and a mixed-blood aboriginal boy that they’ve adopted, leading to a harrowing adventure to reunite them all.
Australia is not a movie you should go into comparing it to other modern movies. It is more a film of the 1930s and 1940s, with over-the-top set designs and costumes, a bombastic orchestral score, and archetypal characters and plotlines. Each beat in the film is entirely predictable, yet the film’s wholesome old-time feel makes it a good time at the movies. In fact, I would even say it’s a good family film, of the type that usually don’t get made any more. Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman could just have easily been Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh, and the film is very much an Australian Gone With The Wind, with its themes of war, class struggle, and racism.
A great film, and the blu-ray disc looks and sounds awesome. Check it out if you get the chance.
4 ½ stars.
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
Che Part II
The second part of Steven Soderbergh’s nearly 5 hour epic opens on Wednesday, at the Bytowne. On Wednesday and Thursday, it is playing back to back with Part I.
Death or Canada
The Mayfair is showing this documentary about the mass immigration of Irish to Canada due to the potato and cereal famines.
Otto: or Up With Dead People
A gay vampire movie, from Canadian filmmaker Bruce La Bruce, who if you don’t know him from anything, you may at least remember his Rusty video. Mayfair.
Friday
Chandni Chowk To China
The first ever Bollywood kungfu flick. At the Mayafir (where else?)
The Big Lebowski
After No Country For Old Men, the Coen brothers followed up with the ridiculously funny Burn After Reading. After Fargo, they followed up with this, the ven funnier Big Lebowski. AT the Mayfair.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
If only it had been the actual final chapter. At the Mayfair.
Race To Witch Mountain
Another remake of a Disney 70s live action flick. Dwayne “not The Rock” Johnson stars.
Miss March
Teen. Sex. Comedy. Any other synopsis would be pointless.
Last House on the Left
Remake of the Wes Craven’s notorious debut, which itself was a remake of Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring, which itself was an adaptation of a Swedish folk tale, of which there is nothing left in this new film.
Saturday
Ten years ago, myself and a bunch of friends all saw the Indiana Jones trilogy back-to-back-to-back at the Mayfair one afternoon in March. Well we’re all a bit heavier, everything is more expensive (except admission at the Mayfair) and Lucas and Spielberg have ruined our childhoods with that Crystal Skull nonsense, but the original trilogy is back, 3 for the price of one, Saturday afternoon at the Mayfair.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Hatchet
Midnight at the Mayfair.
Sunday
Lawrence of Arabia
Say the words “epic film” to someone, and more than likely they’ll say Lawrence of Arabia. David Lean’s classic film about the life of T.E. Lawrence plays Sunday morning at the Mayfair. It’s about 3 ½ hours, but has an intermission.
Fiddler on the Roof
Come from the epic set in the Middle East, stay for the Jewish musical. Sunday afternoon at the Mayfair, right after Lawrence of Arabia.
Monday
Heavenly Creatures
The film that launched the careers of Kate Winslet and Peter Jackson. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
In honour of St. Patrick’s day, the Mayfair is playing two irish-themed musicals, the recent Oscar-winning Once, and the classic, The Commitments. Both for the price of one.
Once
The Commitments
Che Part II
The second part of Steven Soderbergh’s nearly 5 hour epic opens on Wednesday, at the Bytowne. On Wednesday and Thursday, it is playing back to back with Part I.
Death or Canada
The Mayfair is showing this documentary about the mass immigration of Irish to Canada due to the potato and cereal famines.
Otto: or Up With Dead People
A gay vampire movie, from Canadian filmmaker Bruce La Bruce, who if you don’t know him from anything, you may at least remember his Rusty video. Mayfair.
Friday
Chandni Chowk To China
The first ever Bollywood kungfu flick. At the Mayafir (where else?)
The Big Lebowski
After No Country For Old Men, the Coen brothers followed up with the ridiculously funny Burn After Reading. After Fargo, they followed up with this, the ven funnier Big Lebowski. AT the Mayfair.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
If only it had been the actual final chapter. At the Mayfair.
Race To Witch Mountain
Another remake of a Disney 70s live action flick. Dwayne “not The Rock” Johnson stars.
Miss March
Teen. Sex. Comedy. Any other synopsis would be pointless.
Last House on the Left
Remake of the Wes Craven’s notorious debut, which itself was a remake of Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring, which itself was an adaptation of a Swedish folk tale, of which there is nothing left in this new film.
Saturday
Ten years ago, myself and a bunch of friends all saw the Indiana Jones trilogy back-to-back-to-back at the Mayfair one afternoon in March. Well we’re all a bit heavier, everything is more expensive (except admission at the Mayfair) and Lucas and Spielberg have ruined our childhoods with that Crystal Skull nonsense, but the original trilogy is back, 3 for the price of one, Saturday afternoon at the Mayfair.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Hatchet
Midnight at the Mayfair.
Sunday
Lawrence of Arabia
Say the words “epic film” to someone, and more than likely they’ll say Lawrence of Arabia. David Lean’s classic film about the life of T.E. Lawrence plays Sunday morning at the Mayfair. It’s about 3 ½ hours, but has an intermission.
Fiddler on the Roof
Come from the epic set in the Middle East, stay for the Jewish musical. Sunday afternoon at the Mayfair, right after Lawrence of Arabia.
Monday
Heavenly Creatures
The film that launched the careers of Kate Winslet and Peter Jackson. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
In honour of St. Patrick’s day, the Mayfair is playing two irish-themed musicals, the recent Oscar-winning Once, and the classic, The Commitments. Both for the price of one.
Once
The Commitments
Monday, March 9, 2009
The World Will Look Up And Shout "Save Us", and I'll Whisper, "No."
Watchmen
2009, dir. Zack Snyder. 2 hours 43 minutes.
starring Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode.
A few years back, Time Magazine lsited the greatest english-language pieces of literature from the 20th century, and one lone graphic novel made the list, Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Ever since its 1986 release, a film version has been in the works, and after many false starts, it's finally here.
Watchmen takes place in an alternate 1985 where Nixon is still the US President and costumed superheroes actually exist, though none have any real superpowers, save for Dr. Manhattan (Crudup) who becomes a god-like being due to a nuclear accident. One the superheroes, The Comedian (Morgan) is murdered, and another, Rorshach (Haley) takes up the case to solve the murder, fearing his other brethren may be next. All this leads to a showdown in Antartica, where the heroes must save the world, possibly from itself.
That synopsis makes the story sound like that of any other superhero adventure, but its not. Watchmen is much more self-reflective, and as such, much darker too. The film is incredibly violent, contains nudity, and the heroes and villains are fairly indistinguishable. All of this made for a very interesting comic book, but unfortunately, the mistake Zack Snyder has made has been his own resolute faithfulness to the original book. The result is a nearly 3 hour movie with too many characters and too many subplots, and not enough time to give justice to them all, leaving the audience unable to care for almost any of it.
Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, however, is easily the best part of the film. His character narrates most of the film, and probably should have just narrated the whole thing. His character's arc is also the most complete, since his fate seems to be the logical fate of any archtypal superhero.
Watchmen is either too long or too short, it's difficult to say which, though we'll get our chance in June when the 3 1/2 hour director's cut Blu-Ray comes out.
Until then, 3 stars (4 stars for the visuals and Haley, 2 stars for the rest of the acting and the adaptation).
FUN? FACT: In a curious irony, one scene has Crudup's character lecturing Morgan's character about parental responsibility. If you get that, you get it, and if you don't, you don't need to.
2009, dir. Zack Snyder. 2 hours 43 minutes.
starring Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode.
A few years back, Time Magazine lsited the greatest english-language pieces of literature from the 20th century, and one lone graphic novel made the list, Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Ever since its 1986 release, a film version has been in the works, and after many false starts, it's finally here.
Watchmen takes place in an alternate 1985 where Nixon is still the US President and costumed superheroes actually exist, though none have any real superpowers, save for Dr. Manhattan (Crudup) who becomes a god-like being due to a nuclear accident. One the superheroes, The Comedian (Morgan) is murdered, and another, Rorshach (Haley) takes up the case to solve the murder, fearing his other brethren may be next. All this leads to a showdown in Antartica, where the heroes must save the world, possibly from itself.
That synopsis makes the story sound like that of any other superhero adventure, but its not. Watchmen is much more self-reflective, and as such, much darker too. The film is incredibly violent, contains nudity, and the heroes and villains are fairly indistinguishable. All of this made for a very interesting comic book, but unfortunately, the mistake Zack Snyder has made has been his own resolute faithfulness to the original book. The result is a nearly 3 hour movie with too many characters and too many subplots, and not enough time to give justice to them all, leaving the audience unable to care for almost any of it.
Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, however, is easily the best part of the film. His character narrates most of the film, and probably should have just narrated the whole thing. His character's arc is also the most complete, since his fate seems to be the logical fate of any archtypal superhero.
Watchmen is either too long or too short, it's difficult to say which, though we'll get our chance in June when the 3 1/2 hour director's cut Blu-Ray comes out.
Until then, 3 stars (4 stars for the visuals and Haley, 2 stars for the rest of the acting and the adaptation).
FUN? FACT: In a curious irony, one scene has Crudup's character lecturing Morgan's character about parental responsibility. If you get that, you get it, and if you don't, you don't need to.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Star Trek
I'm going to be the first to admit that there's a list a thousand miles long of awesome trailers for shit films. And I'm skeptical about Star Trek films after the last couple (plus the whole even numbered vs. odd numbered thing).
But still, this is a pretty bad ass trailer.
MAY 8th, 2009
But still, this is a pretty bad ass trailer.
MAY 8th, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Future Film Round-up
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
- Sony is developing a remake of Total Recall. A deal is said to be imminent.
- Speaking of remakes, Warner Bros. is redoing The Neverending Story.
- The deal is done. After thinking that it wouldn’t happen, Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to play Nick Fury in Iron Man 2 (he cameoed in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk). The deal also includes an option for nine (yes, 9!) other Marvel comics films.
- Monopoly and Clue weren’t enough, so there are also now plans for a Ouija film. I have no idea how, but the article does say to not expect anything like Jumanji.
- Warner Bros. is working on adaptation of the comic book series The Suicide Squad.
- Warner Bros. is also remaking Arthur, as a vehicle for Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
- Ed Helms (The Daily Show, The Office) is developing an original screenplay (thank god someone is) about four Civil War re-enacters who are accidentally transported back in time to the real Civil War.
- Cate Blanchett has signed on to play Maid Marion in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, opposite Russell Crowe.
- The Broadway musical Damn Yankees is getting another big screen treatment, this time starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jim Carrey.
- Bill Condon is going to direct Eddie Murphy in a biopic of Richard Pryor.
- Woody Allen 2010 (that’s what I’m calling it) has added Antonio Banderas to its cast.
- Arrested Development is a go, but has not been written yet.
- J.J. Abrams is developing a sequel to Cloverfield.
- The least prolific director ever, Terrence Malick (only 4 films since 1973) has a new film coming out, maybe this year, maybe next. It’s called Tree of Life, and the original plot synopsis made it seem as if it was a small character film set in the 1950s (the period of Malick’s childhood). However, a new twist is word from an FX company that is working on giant IMAX CGI dinosaurs for the film. No idea what that means, so take it as it is.
- Malick part II (2 days later): Now it looks like there are TWO Malick films coming in the next year; the one I mentioned above, and an entirely IMAX film about the birth and death of the universe. Both films are having their effects done by Douglas Trumbull, who worked on 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- The 3rd Narnia film (Voyage of the Dawn Treader) will be released December 10th, 2010.
- Edward Zwick (Last Samurai, Blood Diamonds) is making In The Heart Of The Sea, about the true story that inspired the novel Moby Dick.
- Atom Egoyan’s next film is Chloe, which is a remake of a French film from a couple of years back called Nathalie…
- Leonardo DiCaprio has been cast in Christopher Nolan’s next film, Inception.
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The Lives of Others) will be directing Tom Cruise’s next film, the 28th Ammendment, about a US President who discovers a secret cabal that controls the Government.
- Steve Carell is making a film called Hi-T, about a man who experiences uncontrollable mood swings after taking testosterone injections.
- Sony is developing a remake of Total Recall. A deal is said to be imminent.
- Speaking of remakes, Warner Bros. is redoing The Neverending Story.
- The deal is done. After thinking that it wouldn’t happen, Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to play Nick Fury in Iron Man 2 (he cameoed in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk). The deal also includes an option for nine (yes, 9!) other Marvel comics films.
- Monopoly and Clue weren’t enough, so there are also now plans for a Ouija film. I have no idea how, but the article does say to not expect anything like Jumanji.
- Warner Bros. is working on adaptation of the comic book series The Suicide Squad.
- Warner Bros. is also remaking Arthur, as a vehicle for Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
- Ed Helms (The Daily Show, The Office) is developing an original screenplay (thank god someone is) about four Civil War re-enacters who are accidentally transported back in time to the real Civil War.
- Cate Blanchett has signed on to play Maid Marion in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, opposite Russell Crowe.
- The Broadway musical Damn Yankees is getting another big screen treatment, this time starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jim Carrey.
- Bill Condon is going to direct Eddie Murphy in a biopic of Richard Pryor.
- Woody Allen 2010 (that’s what I’m calling it) has added Antonio Banderas to its cast.
- Arrested Development is a go, but has not been written yet.
- J.J. Abrams is developing a sequel to Cloverfield.
- The least prolific director ever, Terrence Malick (only 4 films since 1973) has a new film coming out, maybe this year, maybe next. It’s called Tree of Life, and the original plot synopsis made it seem as if it was a small character film set in the 1950s (the period of Malick’s childhood). However, a new twist is word from an FX company that is working on giant IMAX CGI dinosaurs for the film. No idea what that means, so take it as it is.
- Malick part II (2 days later): Now it looks like there are TWO Malick films coming in the next year; the one I mentioned above, and an entirely IMAX film about the birth and death of the universe. Both films are having their effects done by Douglas Trumbull, who worked on 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- The 3rd Narnia film (Voyage of the Dawn Treader) will be released December 10th, 2010.
- Edward Zwick (Last Samurai, Blood Diamonds) is making In The Heart Of The Sea, about the true story that inspired the novel Moby Dick.
- Atom Egoyan’s next film is Chloe, which is a remake of a French film from a couple of years back called Nathalie…
- Leonardo DiCaprio has been cast in Christopher Nolan’s next film, Inception.
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The Lives of Others) will be directing Tom Cruise’s next film, the 28th Ammendment, about a US President who discovers a secret cabal that controls the Government.
- Steve Carell is making a film called Hi-T, about a man who experiences uncontrollable mood swings after taking testosterone injections.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Movie I'm Waiting For The Most This Year
This is, of course, a personal and subjective opinion, but Michael Mann is my favorite living and active filmmaker. Except for The Keep, which is not readily available and has been disowned by Mann himself, I have seen all of his work, and I have loved it all. Even Miami Vice. SO I'm excited that Mann has a new film coming out this year, on my birthday, no less (July 1st). It's called Public Enemies, about the gangsters of Depression-era America. Johnny Depp stars as John Dillinger, and Christian Bale stars as Melvin Purgis, who was second-in-command to J. Edgar Hoover at the FBI.
Here is the new trailer for Public Enemies:
Here is the new trailer for Public Enemies:
Upcoming movies in the next week
Upcoming Movies This Week
Friday
Watchmen
The first big movie of 2009 hits theatres (normal and IMAX) this Thursday night at midnight. A few years back, Time Magazine made a list of the greatest English-language novels of the 20th century, and The Watchmen was the only graphic novel on the list, Word is that this adaptation is extremely faithful, and the scenes I’ve seen in trailers hold true to that. As does the running time, which IMDB currently lists at 2 hours and 43 minutes.
Know Your Mushrooms
From the director of Grass, so you can probably guess what kind of mushrooms we’re talking about. At the Mayfair.
Evil Dead
Sam Raimi’s low budget debut, starring the legendary Bruce Campbell. The Coen brothers also worked on the crew. Midnight at the Mayfair.
One Week
Joshua Jackson (Pasey from Dawson’s Creek) stars in the Candian film about a man who goes on a road trip when he finds out he’s about to die. At the Bytowne and Silvercity.
Cadillac Records
Beyonce. She sings. About the famous Chess Records label, Beyonce plays Etta James.
Saturday
Pink Panther
If you’ve never had a chance to see a film starring Peter Sellers, here’s yoru chance. Not as much for kids as the Steve Martin remakes are.
Pink Panther Strikes Again
One of the better Sellers PP sequels.
Army of Darkness
Sam Raimi’s second sequel to Evil Dead. Midnight at the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Wild Bunch
Mayfair’s Epic Matinee series continues with this classic Western from director Sam Peckinpah. Stars William Holden, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates, and others.
Who Does She Think She Is?
At the Mayfair, this is a documentary about 5 women who refuse to choose between being mothers and having careers. If you’ve ever worked in a large diverse office, you’ve probably seen the ramificatiosn of this issue.
Tuesday
Grass
A documentary about marijuana, narrated by Woody Harrelson. At the Mayfair.
Friday
Watchmen
The first big movie of 2009 hits theatres (normal and IMAX) this Thursday night at midnight. A few years back, Time Magazine made a list of the greatest English-language novels of the 20th century, and The Watchmen was the only graphic novel on the list, Word is that this adaptation is extremely faithful, and the scenes I’ve seen in trailers hold true to that. As does the running time, which IMDB currently lists at 2 hours and 43 minutes.
Know Your Mushrooms
From the director of Grass, so you can probably guess what kind of mushrooms we’re talking about. At the Mayfair.
Evil Dead
Sam Raimi’s low budget debut, starring the legendary Bruce Campbell. The Coen brothers also worked on the crew. Midnight at the Mayfair.
One Week
Joshua Jackson (Pasey from Dawson’s Creek) stars in the Candian film about a man who goes on a road trip when he finds out he’s about to die. At the Bytowne and Silvercity.
Cadillac Records
Beyonce. She sings. About the famous Chess Records label, Beyonce plays Etta James.
Saturday
Pink Panther
If you’ve never had a chance to see a film starring Peter Sellers, here’s yoru chance. Not as much for kids as the Steve Martin remakes are.
Pink Panther Strikes Again
One of the better Sellers PP sequels.
Army of Darkness
Sam Raimi’s second sequel to Evil Dead. Midnight at the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Wild Bunch
Mayfair’s Epic Matinee series continues with this classic Western from director Sam Peckinpah. Stars William Holden, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates, and others.
Who Does She Think She Is?
At the Mayfair, this is a documentary about 5 women who refuse to choose between being mothers and having careers. If you’ve ever worked in a large diverse office, you’ve probably seen the ramificatiosn of this issue.
Tuesday
Grass
A documentary about marijuana, narrated by Woody Harrelson. At the Mayfair.
I AM Spartacus!
Spartacus
1960, dir. Stanley Kubrick. 3 hours 18 minutes, plus an intermission.
starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, and Woody Strode.
In 1958 or so, William Wyler was preparing a big budget adaptation of the biblical epic Ben-Hur. Kirk Douglas, who had worked with Wyler on The Detective Story, desperately wanted the title role, but Wyler went with Charleton Heston (with whom he'd made The Greatest Show On Earth) instead. Douglas decided to try to one up them, and developed Spartacus, about the Roman slave that led a revolt that almost succeeded.
Spartacus, interestingly enough, is one of the only of the big Sword and Sandal epics of the 1950s and 1960s that does not feature any religious overtones in any way (although there is one offhand line where Laughton says that he, like most people, only believe in the Gods when they have to, in public). The film is, in fact, more of an allegory of socialism and worker's rights. So much so, in fact, that many right wing Hollywood stars denounced it, notably John Wayne. The film also ended up ending the blacklist, as Kirk Douglas insisted that screenwriter Dalton Trumbo actually get credit for the screenplay.
Peter Ustinov won an Oscar for his role in the film, as a slave dealer, but Charles Laughton gives the best performance, as a Roman senator who helps free Spartacus' wife and child, out of a sense of honour, but more so to infuriate his rival Olivier. Kirk Douglas gets star billing, however, as Spartacus, and gets most of the big speeches, and gets to martyr himself as well.
Spartacus is Kubrick's least Kubrickian film, as it was the only time in his career that he didn't have complete control. In truth, it shares little in common with Barry Lyndon, Paths of Glory, or Full Metal Jacket, and is more like any of the other big costume epics of the era. But of those epics, it is definitely one the best.
Paddy and I saw this Sunday afternoon at the Mayfair, and the Technicolor print, redone in the early 1990's, looks fantastic.
5 stars
FUN FACT: The new print contains a deleted scene featuring Olivier and Curtis bathing each other. However the scene had no soundtrack left, and since Olivier had died by the 1990's, his voice was dubbed by his former protege, Anthony Hopkins.
1960, dir. Stanley Kubrick. 3 hours 18 minutes, plus an intermission.
starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, and Woody Strode.
In 1958 or so, William Wyler was preparing a big budget adaptation of the biblical epic Ben-Hur. Kirk Douglas, who had worked with Wyler on The Detective Story, desperately wanted the title role, but Wyler went with Charleton Heston (with whom he'd made The Greatest Show On Earth) instead. Douglas decided to try to one up them, and developed Spartacus, about the Roman slave that led a revolt that almost succeeded.
Spartacus, interestingly enough, is one of the only of the big Sword and Sandal epics of the 1950s and 1960s that does not feature any religious overtones in any way (although there is one offhand line where Laughton says that he, like most people, only believe in the Gods when they have to, in public). The film is, in fact, more of an allegory of socialism and worker's rights. So much so, in fact, that many right wing Hollywood stars denounced it, notably John Wayne. The film also ended up ending the blacklist, as Kirk Douglas insisted that screenwriter Dalton Trumbo actually get credit for the screenplay.
Peter Ustinov won an Oscar for his role in the film, as a slave dealer, but Charles Laughton gives the best performance, as a Roman senator who helps free Spartacus' wife and child, out of a sense of honour, but more so to infuriate his rival Olivier. Kirk Douglas gets star billing, however, as Spartacus, and gets most of the big speeches, and gets to martyr himself as well.
Spartacus is Kubrick's least Kubrickian film, as it was the only time in his career that he didn't have complete control. In truth, it shares little in common with Barry Lyndon, Paths of Glory, or Full Metal Jacket, and is more like any of the other big costume epics of the era. But of those epics, it is definitely one the best.
Paddy and I saw this Sunday afternoon at the Mayfair, and the Technicolor print, redone in the early 1990's, looks fantastic.
5 stars
FUN FACT: The new print contains a deleted scene featuring Olivier and Curtis bathing each other. However the scene had no soundtrack left, and since Olivier had died by the 1990's, his voice was dubbed by his former protege, Anthony Hopkins.
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