Links: The Future of Film Criticism?

Is the revamped At The Movies the future of film criticism? I certainly hope not. I've only managed to watch clips of the new show, which features the Bens (Mankiewicz and Lyons), not because of a lack of access or time but because of a lack of patience. When people call the commentary shallow I think they're possibly being kind.

Going along with the theme of the decline of film criticism, Ben Lyons in particular is facing the brunt of Film Lovers's discontent. Watch the show once and it's easy to see why. Or just read this LA Times article and you'll get the idea without wasting your time.

Critic Ben Lyons gets many thumbs down

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 12/9

Before I say anything about anything, can I mention that yesterday was completely ridiculous? Because it was. Completely. It was busy from (literally) the second I walked into the office. Maybe I'll go into the details later but it included everything from an incredibly stupid mistake by me (try booking a car in the wrong city) to having a bird shit on my head. No kidding. That was awesome.

Okay, enough of that.

The first thing I want to mention (or would this be the second? Whatever...) is that the film that was once called Kids In America (and is now apparently called Young Americans) seems to have finally gotten a release date. KIA was my first gig as an Office PA. We shot out in Phoenix back at the beginning of '07 and for a long time there's been no word on when the film would actually be released. Until now. Now, according to IMDB, Kids In America aka Young Americans will be coming out on January 30, 2009. Of course, this is IMDB and therefore not always 100% reliable. And these things are always subject to change. But it's exciting and maybe it's even a little bit true. I'm not sure I really want to give them money to let me in the theater to watch it, but I am curious. We'll see I suppose.

Onto the weekend.

Friday PM:

We wrapped a little on the late side and by the time I got home I barely felt like dinner, let alone going out anywhere. So J and I parked in front of the TV, grabbed some drinks, and wandered through the oh so interesting programming that occupies the Friday night schedule. Luckily IFC was there to rescue us from the other mediocre options we were presented with.

They were totally showing Reefer Madness.

J and I decided that this crazy guy is awesome.

J has more of a relationship with the flick than I do, having once owned it on VHS. The only time I've seen it has been streaming online (I once watched it over the course of two days during a particularly boring stretch at ANTM). The reefer madness never really entered my life until I was a little older.

Reefer Madness is a riot. It's "scare tactics" really only serve to glorify the use of Marijuana. Those "awful" parties the kids go to look like a blast to me. Dancing, drinking, making out with strangers... what's so bad about that??? I guess there is always the madness, murder, and mayhem that eventually ensues. Eh, whatever!

The transfer on IFC looked not horrible but man oh man did that sound bad. I guess Reefer Madness isn't the kind of fare Criterion is going to pick up and restore anytime soon. Can't say I blame them. It's entertaining, maybe even subversive, and definitely exploitative but yeah. It's Reefer Madness.

And being that it's in the public domain, it's available online for watchin'.

After Reefer Madness I actually attempted to give The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake a chance. Um. Bad call. Not only is it awful (it's really awful) it's just plain, straight boring. After 40 minutes I just could not take anymore of Jessica Biel's stomach. I mean sure, it's a nice stomach, but come on.



And that guy who plays her fiance? So trashy! Why do movies and television always stick the absurdly hot girl with the really gross guy? It's so not fair. I mean, I know it's playing into a male fantasy, letting your regular Joe guys imagine for a second that they could ever have a chance with a girl like that (yeah right). But come on. NO FAIR. Chicks watch these movies too. If you're going to give Jessica's stomach that much screen time, at least give me a comparable set of male abs to stare at too.

TCM 2000 sucks.

*It's also bad beyond her stomach. It's just more of the same, slicked up Hollywood Horror. It has none of the grittiness or raw energy of the original. It looks horrible. It completely fails at building tension. And it's boring. I'm not really sure which offense is worse.

Saturday Afternoon:



After a lazy morning and moderately productive early afternoon, I finally got into my Friday Night Lights marathon. I watched the first four episodes of season 1 and I love it. It's so good! The show shot in what's very much so Peter Berg's style so it looks incredibly cinematic. Which is to say it looks good. Beyond the visuals though, what really makes the show great, is the story telling and the character treatment. The writing is just brilliant. These people come across as "real"; their relationships, the plot developments, the depiction of life in a small football town, it's all believable. I'm completely hooked.

I hear season 2 isn't as good but after what I've seen of season 1 I will watch all of it and be glad for it.

Sunday:

Another reason why I love TCM (Turner Classic Movies not Texas Chainsaw Massacre): all day Sunday they were doing a Disney movie marathon.

I started with:

Swiss Family Robinson



I adore Swiss Family Robinson. What kid wouldn't love that story of adventure? fighting Pirates, chasing off tigers, wrestling giant snakes, and living in the coolest tree house imaginable. No wonder they all decide to stay on the island. I wouldn't want to leave either!

Followed By:

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea



This movie was always one of my favorites as a kid. Personally, I think it shows my good taste. The stellar cast alone is reason to watch. Kirk Douglas, Petter Lorre, James Mason. Damn that's some casting. Sure the effects look a little cheesy now but I can still appreciate how groundbreaking they were for the time.

Kirk Douglas's little song routine is still one of my favorites ever. I'm not a huge fan of musical things, but I love that song.

Followed By

Old Yeller



Is it weird that I never saw this as a kid?

Followed By

The Parent Trap

Which I didn't actually watch because I had to go grocery shopping and eat and run to the airport to pick-up K.

Followed By

Pollyanna



It's been YEARS since I last saw Pollyanna. I still think the "Glad Game" is silly but I like the movie. I'd still really like to see the silent version starring Mary Pickford.

I'd also really like to see Happy-Go-Lucky. An apparently modern take on the story. It's been getting pretty good reviews and sounds fun.

***

Apologies for the brevity, but it's another busy day in the office. We wrap shooting today so probably needless to say, there's a lot going on. Moving all of the wrap gifts from the office to our cars not being the least of it. But yes, enough slacking for me. Back to work.

***

On the Slate:

I honestly don't really know. Haven't had time to think about it.

Links: Ebert's Top 20 of '08

Ebert's posted his list of favorite movies from 2008. And rather than doing the normal list of 10 he's gone and made a list of 20. Good for him.

It's an interesting list. There's a lot on it I haven't seen yet but it encompasses a wide range, including everything from Iron Man to Ballast. I don't know if I agree with all of his selections but it's a fun list nonetheless.

Check it: Roger Ebert's Best of '08

Thoughts: Film Independent's Spirit Awards and M4M

Film Independent announced the Spirit Award Nominees today. You can see the full list at their website. The Awards will be held on February 21st and be broadcast on IFC.

M4M has been nominated for Best First Feature (Barry Jenkins, Justin Barber), Best Cinematography (James Laxton), and the Acura Someone to Watch Award (Barry Jenkins).

Congratulations to Medicine for Melancholy, Justin, Barry, James, and everyone else for their nominations!

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 12/1

Hi! I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I drove out to Phoenix for the holiday to spend some time with my family. It was nice minus the six hour return drive that took nine hours. There was food, I cooked, my grandmother was in town from Florida, I didn't have to work, I slept. The family drove up to Sedona for an afternoon and I enjoyed the lovely scenery. Of course I forgot my camera and failed to take pictures. Oops. The drive was tiring but it's always nice to be with family on the holidays.

My brain is a bit sluggish at the moment, still slow from the Holiday or something. Bear with me.

Thursday:

After delicious food (turkey for the family, homemade veggie pot pie for myself), wine, and pie, we all settled on the couch and chilled out while we digested.



Fox Movie Channel was running a Planet of the Apes marathon and we ended up watching the original Planet of the Apes.

It's really been a while since I've seen it. In fact, I think Tim Burton's version was actually the last Ape movie I'd seen (I am NOT a fan). I do still enjoy the original. They take themselves so seriously. And of course I remember the first time I saw the ending, and how I really was shocked. I actually watched the movie before I was old enough to have had the ending spoiled for me. So I had no idea that the twist was coming.

One thing about watching movies like this with my family though. Especially with my dad. He never "remembers" anything (which is just silly, he remembers plenty but likes to play like he's forgotten). So of course we're sitting there watching, he wanders off for the last five minutes and then comes back and asks "What happened? Where are they?" My mom says "Come on, you remember Planet of the Apes!" Which of course he does. "Oh yeah, that's what happened, right?" as he lists off all of the major plot points of the last half hour.

Yes dad, yes it was.

Normal banter in my house. Oh family.

Friday PM:

I guess I must be insane because I actually agreed to go to the mall on Friday. It was kind of terrifying. I'm excited that I once again own pants that fit me (I have an issue with that. All of my pants seem to have gotten to be too large for me in the last year). I also finally bought a new pair of sneakers. I should perhaps try and do that more frequently than once every two years.

I did manage to survive the rabid hordes and eventually made it home to the safety of my living room. After Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and time reading Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, everyone kind of wandered off and I had the TV to myself. Ovation TV was running Andy Warhol themed programming all weekend and I decided to watch I Shot Andy Warhol.



I haven't watched the film since college (I watched it as part of a Women In Film retrospective type thing). I remembered liking Lili Taylor in it a lot, being somewhat shocked by certain parts of it, and just enjoying it as it fed into my fascination with Andy Warhol and that period in NYC.

I still find that scene intriguing. The people and personalities involved, the art and music and film, the lifestyle. I wish I could have seen The Factory, been a part of that at least peripherally. Or maybe not The Factory exactly. But that sort of creative scene.

Anyway. I Shot Andy Warhol is cool.

Saturday PM:

Australia. I had to see it. I'm a fan of Baz Luhrmann, I like romance and daring and adventure, I think Australia is a pretty neat looking place.



Watching the film, I couldn't help but be reminded of many, many other movies. Walkabout comes to mind almost immediately (for reasons beyond the obvious shared location) but it's not the only one. Throughout Lurhmann reminds us of old Hollywood, the Westerns, the War Epics, the Love Affairs. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.

The reviews on this one seem to be split and I feel like it's definitely one of those love it or hate it films. I loved it.

Doesn't hurt that Hugh Jackman looks AMAZING. I finally understand his being named Sexiest Man of the Year. Indeed. Also, that kiss between

What really stood out for me though was Brandon Walters. Walters plays Nullah, the half white, half aboriginal child whose fate much of the plot revolves around. Walters is incredible. His performance is definitely something special.

Sunday:

Before embarking on what would turn out to be one of the worst drives ever, I ate delicious apple pancakes. And then I watched Joe Wright's adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Wright also directed last year's Atonement and the upcoming (eventually) The Soloist.



Atonement is ok, it's one of those movies that I liked less the more I thought about it, but I still really enjoy Pride & Prejudice. I like Keira Knightly as Lizzie Bennett (and everyone else as the rest of the Bennetts). Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorite books, it's such a great story with fabulous characters, and I enjoy the different adaptations of it. It's true though that Matthew Macfadyen is no Colin Firth. I still think Firth's Mr. Darcy is better.

I also wish Wickham had had a bigger role in this film. I felt like that subplot wasn't given enough time to develop. However, considering the film is all ready hitting two hours as it is, I suppose something had to be cut.

That's the hard thing about seeing a book you love adapted into a film. Something usually has to go but as a reader you're loathe to give anything up. It's always an interesting question, is the movie a good film or a good adaptation? Sometimes it's one, sometimes the other, and every once in a while it actually manages to be both.

Pride & Prejudice is a good movie, a decent adaptation, and a fair amount of fun.

On The Slate:

Friday Night Lights. The TV show. Seasons 1 & 2. I'm excited.

Play Misty For Me and Day for Night, both in from Netflix.

And maybe some James Bond although at this point I'm beginning to lose hope. So sad!

Links: The End

This is pretty cool if you've got some time to waste. Or just want something interesting floating in the background.

The End

(watch it as a slide show)

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 11/24

I feel like I had such a productive weekend that involved a lot of doing nothing. Hey, whatever works right?

Friday PM:

Shooting was on hiatus last week which meant we were able to get out of the office fairly early on Friday. And by early I mean before 7 PM. It was pretty awesome.



I spent most of the night just hanging out and appropriately enough the one movie I watched was the Reno 911! movie. Not something I bothered to watch previously. I wonder why...

The movie had a few moments that made me giggle but I really don't think Reno is a show that lends itself to the feature format. The improv bits come together nicely in short bursts but over the extended storyline... It was exceptionally silly.

Whatever. There are worse things I could have watched. Like Twilight... (am I going to be attacked by angry tweens if I proclaim my complete disinterest in this film publicly? I said nothing!)

Saturday AM:

Why did I wake up so early??? And why did I spend so much time on the damn couch after actually waking up early? Oh yeah. Headache. Too much beer the night before. Skins!



Oh man, of all the bad TV I watched Saturday morning (there was kind of a lot) I am totally in love with this British import. I <3 BBCA. I can't believe I have to wait for January to Netflix it all. *Sigh* I guess that's what the DVR is for.

Seriously though, if you think the hijinks of Gossip Girl are tasty, please oh please check this silliness out. It's a bunch of British teens drinking and getting high and F'ing. Plus all of the drama and scandal that that all entails.

I watched an episode (or maybe it was two, I'm not sure, I was kind of hazy with the hangover) and baby. I want more!

What else did I watch? Um. I dunno. Some South of Nowhere. A little bit of Pee Wee. Some other nonsense. Skins was all that was really interesting.

Oh wait! I'm a liar. I also watched Friday Night Lights. Now that is an actually quality show. One I'm not ashamed to admit I like (as if I have any shame anyway). I'm so going to Netflix this one.

Saturday PM:

I did some other stuff in the afternoon. Ran some errands. Ate food. You know. Life. Exciting!



Before it was time to go out for the evening I watched one of my Netflix DVDs, The Pillow Book.

The Pillow Book first caught my interest years ago during my Ewan McGregor phase. Mmmm... that was a phase that should have probably never ended. He's so cute.

Anyway. I stuck it on my Netflix queue ages ago as part of my search for really good, sexy films (think of classy stuff along the lines of Y Tu Mama Tambien not porn please). I had this idea in college for having a "Sexy Cinema" themed movie night, that never happened, and I still kind of like the idea. I've yet to put together the perfect list of films but I'm working on it. Suggestions are always welcome!

Sorry, tangent. Back to The Pillow Book. The flick is alright. There are some hot moments, the story is intriguing. I was hoping for more visually but I don't think it quite lives up to the hype. I also found it kind of slow and not in a good way.

Not my favorite movie. But if you want to see more of Ewan's junk (this boy is not shy!), that's one place you won't be disappointed.

Saturday Night:



Hung out with some friends and ended up watching a LOT of Triumph the insult dog from Conan. Not something I would normally sit and watch a lot of but I have to admit the dude is funny. Especially that Star Wars one. I also particularly liked the Hollywood Squares bit. Good times.

I know. I lead a very exciting life.

Sunday:

I slept in Sunday morning which was glorious. It's my favorite way to spend Sundays. I don't get nearly enough sleep. After hardly sleeping Friday night and waking up way too early Sunday, it was nice to spoil myself.

After reading for a while (I finally finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which has consequently all ready been adapted into a film due out in '09), getting my car smog check done and grocery shopping, L came over for some lazy TV time. We watched some Oprah, I cooked, K came back from PHX. The Wedding Singer was on TV.



The Wedding Singer is all about nostalgia for me. It's a nostalgia film, made for anyone who has any memory of the 80's. And, ironically perhaps, it's a nostalgia film for me in the sense that it always makes me think of high school. It came out when I was still happily dating my high school EX. He was my first serious relationship and a lot of my high school career involved him. There are a lot of memories, good and bad. It was also during this time when I found myself more seriously invested in film. A lot of movies bring back a lot of memories, again good and bad. It was at his house that I first discovered Kubrick and watched Dr. Strangelove. He was the reason I missed the theatrical re-release of The Exorcist (he wanted to see Deuce Biggolo: Male Giggolo. Again. Don't even get me started on that one!). He loved The Wedding Singer.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the movie. I'd probably enjoy it no matter what. But watching it now for me is never about the eighties jokes or the hair or the bad clothes. It's always a trip down memory lane. It brings back warm fuzzy feelings for a time that I really have no desire to revisit but still occasionally miss.

People who say that high school encompasses the best years of your life are either liars or haven't led very exciting lives. High school was no where near the best years of my life. Neither was college for that matter. But there were certainly good times and good people and every once in a while I don't mind a movie that takes me back there. The Wedding Singer is one of those movies.

Sunday PM:

If The Wedding Singer was the warm and fuzzy part of the evening then this next bit was the "gouge my eyes out" part. Oh no. Someone put on Charm School. You know. The thing on VH1 with Sharon Osbourne and the girlies from Rock of Love.



I have nothing to say about this trash. It was so godawfulbad. Do people like that really exist? Do people really like this show?? Whyyyyyy???

After that I had to save my brain cells somehow. What better way than with Fellini and 8 1/2?

Yes. I know. I'm a snob.



I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of Italian cinema is sadly lacking. I have a cursory acquaintance with most of the big names: Fellini, De Sica, Antonioni, etc but I have not seen nearly enough. I'm using Netflix to reconcile this sad lack and fill the gap.

I have to say, I loved 8 1/2. I think it's a beautiful film that captures filmmaking so neatly. It's true that there are many insider jokes, but I don't think it's so obtuse that people will be left out. I mean, as long as you like old Italian flicks.

It's such an intriguing mix of memory, fantasy, and reality. Where do the lines end? Guido is great. He's such a Man/Boy. Trying to make life fit his fantasy, to make his film fit his memories, to make his fantasy his film. To have it all either fall apart or come together, depending on how you look at it.

This film frequently finds itself at the top of Best Of Lists. You better believe there's a good reason for it. What I wouldn't give to see a print of this in a theater. If anyone hears of a screening in the LA area, please let me know.

On The Slate:

You may have noticed that I still haven't seen Quantum of Solace. I know, excuses. But my parent's have seen it either and they like the Bond stuff and I'll be home for Thanksgiving. So that's now the plan.

Coming from Netflix: Play Misty for Me and Day for Night. Eastwood and Truffaut. I sort of have mixed feelings about Truffaut so I'm especially curious to check this one out. I'm also continuing with the theme of artsy meta-filmic flicks. I'm getting my film nerd on hardcore. Go me?

Thoughts: SAG Strike?

The flutter of hope that had been ignited by last week's resumed talks between SAG and the AMPTP seems to have been quashed. They talked with a mediator for all of two days before worries of a strike once again emerged.

Really guys? That's the best you can do?

A quick article at Hollywood Reporter.

I don't have much to say about what I think of the deal or who I think is right or wrong. Frankly, I don't really much care. After last year's WGA strike, a slow year of production, and the continued decline of the economy, I'm with everyone else on this one. What we care about is being able to work. It's all ready become difficult. It's hard to find jobs, more and more of my friends are unemployed. I personally have no idea what I'll be doing come January. My current job takes me through the middle of December, I figure I won't be working through the holidays, and then...?

For most of us, it's not about whether or not a SAG strike would be justified. It's about being able to pay rent or mortgages; it's about survival. We all just want to, need to, work. Is that really so much to ask?

If SAG is that unhappy with the contract, would it really be that hard to just sign the damn thing for now and renegotiate in a couple of years? It's not like this contract is forever. Now is not the time for a power play. Now is time for reason and compromise.

Just give us a break all ready.

And for anyone in the industry who's tired of this nonsense, there's a No SAG Strike petition floating around. Check it out. Sign it. Let's get back to work.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 11/17

I may not have made it to Quantum of Solace (boo!) but the weekend wasn't a complete waste. Now that my work schedule is falling into the realm of reasonable I feel like I'm actually catching up on everything life related. Including movie watching.

Friday PM:

I nixed my Quantum of Solace plans after I didn't finish work until around nine or so. I mean, I know that's obviously still early enough to catch a movie. I was just tired! Give me a break, okay?

I did manage to make it home for Pizza and Beer night though. We had a "Make your own pizza" night which was pretty rad. So fresh made pizza, seasonal beer, and a little Shakespeare in Love. Not too bad, I think.



Shakespeare in Love is one of those movies that I saw, I liked a lot, and then I kind of forgot about. Watching it again (for the first time in years) I can understand how that happened. With a screenplay by the fabulous Tom Stoppard I probably don't need to say that I love the writing. But I do! Otherwise, the film is well done, I enjoy it, but eh. It's not an earth shattering film experience. I might even go so far as to say it's a very safe movie. It's light and feel good and really, there's nothing wrong with that. I enjoy it. I'll probably enjoy it again the next time I watch five years from now. But it's not really something I need to own.

Saturday Afternoon:

I actually managed to wake up at a decent time and spent my day Saturday out and about. I rode my bike through the Marina, ran some errands, finally got my hair cut, hung out by the pool, had Pinkberry for only the second time ever, rode out to the beach for the sunset. Other than the smoke in the air giving me a headache, it was a great afternoon.

A quick note about the fires. It's crazy out here. The air is awful, as in it's actually full of ash. All of our thoughts are with the people being directly effected by these fires. It's pretty horrible. It's so bad that the news is actually reporting on it (rather than just sensationalizing it, as Wil Wheaton pointed out in his Twitter the other day).

After inhaling more smoke than was good for my head, I went home with a vague headache and the desire to just crash on the couch and watch something interesting on TV for a while. Luckily TCM was more than happy to oblige.



As part of their "Essentials" series they were showing Stanley Kubrick's 1957 film Path's of Glory. While I definitely consider myself a Kubrick fan, I have to admit that this particular film had managed to escape me. I'm glad I've finally scene it.

What struck me most about it, is Kubrick's use of the frame. The cinematography is fantastic and the contrast between the different locations is great. The close claustrophobia of battle, the open luxury of the commanders's quarters. Also, the mise-en-scene with the use of lines, the movement of soldiers in the foreground and background. This is the kind of movie I just want to watch over and over in order to really absorb everything that's happening visually.

Say what you will about Kubrick, be a fan or not, it's hard to deny that his reputation has been earned. Especially when you watch his early films.

Sunday PM:

I was supposed to go see the B-52's last night (roommate J scored some tickets) but my head was still killing me and leaving the house was the last thing I wanted to do. So instead I took a long shower, put on some comfy pajamas, and popped in Factory Girl.



I had added Factory Girl to my Netflix ages ago but finally just got around to watching it. I hadn't heard much about it from the critics but it came highly recommended from a friend. And given my slight obsession with all things New York City in the 60's, I was inclined to give it a go.

The verdict? It looks cool... It's the story of Edie Sedgwick, a sensational story on it's own, depicted in a shallow, disappointing manner. She's such a fabulous character, her story could have been told so much better! There really was no need to take the liberties that they took. Anyway, the movie isn't Horrible, it's just not great. What it does have going for it: Sienna Miller who looks great as Edie and, I never thought I would ever say this, Hayden Christiansen. Seriously, I think this is the only time I've ever liked the guy. While I know there have certainly been better Bob Dylans, Christiansen managed to really make it work for me (keep in mind that his character isn't really just Dylan, he's credited as "The Musician" and is supposedly a mix of several people Edie was involved with after her days at The Factory). Maybe it was the chemistry between him and Miller. Maybe his bad acting just really suits Dylan's personality. I don't know. Either way, the scenes with him and Miller were all my favorite.

And that was pretty much my weekend. The rest was dedicated to sleeping and being social and cleaning my room. I feel accomplished for once.

On The Slate:

Quantum of Solace. I promise this time!!!

JCVD - Maybe. Am I really admitting that I want to see this? HA!

Tropic Thunder and Wall-E both come out on DVD tomorrow and you can bet I'm going to be at the Best Buy tomorrow night buying them both. They were easily two of my favorite movies of the year so far and I want them!!! Plus I hear the DVD's are going to be really cool.

Beyond that, whatever I end up getting from Netflix. Right now I'm leaning towards 8 1/2 and Lust, Caution. But we'll see.

Thoughts: The Twilight Phenomenon

It's a boring day in my world of production. After a busy Wednesday and a busy-ish start to the day yesterday, it has been really, really slow. So here I am, bored, browsing the internet, and eating a bowl of goldfish when my half interested perusal of an article on the future of renewable energy is interrupted by surprised exclamations from down the hall.

"What?!? It's SOLD OUT?"

Quantum of Solace? I think to myself.

Wrong.

While I'm sure Bond is doing a brisk business at the box office, this was not the film in question. (And yes, I didn't need to hear anything else to know it was a movie being talked about. I'm in a production office after all.) In fact, the movie being discussed hasn't even opened for wide release yet.

If you follow movies at all I bet you can guess what I'm talking about here. It's the phenom that has swept the message boards, whipped the tweens into a rioting frenzy, and I guess could be seen as the Next Big Thing.

Or I guess it isn't next. At this point it just is.

Yeah, you know. Twilight.

That's right, scheduled to open next week, Twilight is all ready selling out. And I know it's not unprecedented. Dark Knight sold out showings before it opened. Harry Potter. Star Wars Episode 1. But where these flicks were all parts of franchises well established, Twilight isn't even officially a franchise yet. Not that it won't be, they're all ready figuring out the sequels.

I'm not surprised though. Months ago when I first heard of the movie, I was surprised to learn of its rabid fan base. What the heck is Twilight and why are people freaking out about it???

I know a little bit more about Twilight now than I did then. It's a vampire book, first of all. It's the first in a series by author Stephanie Meyer and the movie is starring Kristen Stewart and some dude with crazy hair. (I'm kidding. The dude's name is Robert Pattinson). Normally I would think this would be something I'd be excited about. I love vampires and I'm a sucker for romance. Not huge on the crazy hair, but I can forgive that. Maybe if I ever got around to read the books I'd be more into it.

As it is though, I'm not surprised by the enthusiasm of the fans but I'm watching from the side lines more bemused than anything else. Could have something to do with the trailers, which leave me uninspired. I've been hearing OK things though about so who knows. Maybe it will be ok. I'm sure it will be great for the fans. And if it's anything like Harry Potter, then I bet the sequels will be even better.

As for me, I'll check out the books first.

On the subject of Twilight though. I'm sure it's a Must See for the fans. I bet it could even be enjoyable for those of us not in the know. Really though, probably bad form for a critic to call it "Must See" based on the (bad!!!) trailers. Shouldn't you wait to, you know, see a movie before glorifying it? Before sicking the unknowing public upon it? Cause yeah, rabid fandom aside. It could still totally suck.

I'm just sayin'.

For your further Twilight pleasure:

Twilight 101 on Film School Rejects


Twilight the book on Amazon


Stephanie Meyer's website

And, of course, The Trailer.

Trailers: The Sky Crawlers

It may be really long, but this trailer looks incredible. The Sky Crawlers is the latest film from director Mamoru Oshii (known for the epic "Ghost in the Shell"). The animation looks fantastic, even in this not great res version of the teaser.

Ghost in the Shell was one of the first anime films to peak my interest. It opened me up to a new world of animation. I'm definitely excited to see what this new flick has to offer.

This is shaping up to be a very good year for animation.

Links: Roger Ebert on Synechdoche, N.Y.

I'll link to the whole article, but mostly I wanted to point out this one bit:

I was instructed long ago by a wise editor, "If you understand something you can explain it so that almost anyone can understand it. If you don't, you won't be able to understand your own explanation." That is why 90% of academic film theory is bullshit. Jargon is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

I have to admit, that made me giggle. Oh Film Theory, your BS is part of why I love you!

Here's the rest of it: O, Synecdoche, my Synecdoche!

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 11/9

Here it is, a week into November, and I'm finally making my return to weekend writing! It's been an interesting few months. Interesting... There has been a lot going on with work and life. Last week I transition from one job to another and it now seems like I may actually have time for a life again. Yay!

I like having a life.

Friday PM:




After a late night at work I decided to relax with a couple of episodes of Dexter. After friends have been recommending it to me for years, I finally started watching season one. I only planned on watching an episode or two and then going to bed.

I curled up in bed, hit play on my laptop, and... nine episodes later my roommate was leaving for her Saturday morning marathon training and I thought it might be a good idea to hit stop. So much for one or two episodes. I guess you could say it sucked me in.

While there are a few moments where the production values took me out of the show (what was up with the sound design in the hockey arena???), overall this show is awesome. Hey Netflix, can you mae Season 2 available for instant watching? Thanks!

Also, Netflix making it's streaming video watcher available for Mac users is one the best things that's happened for my movie watching in a long time. It's what got me to finally return to Netflix after I put my account on hold several months ago. I missed my Netflix.

Saturday:

After finishing Dexter I decided that it was time to catch up on some Gossip Girl. I missed all of October so I had a few episodes to catch up on.




GG is one of my guilty pleasures. It can be so bad but it tastes so good! Season two has had its ups and downs. I loved the Shakespearean flavor to Chuck and Blair's plan to humiliate Vanessa but was disappointed in the subplot's execution. Dan's been kind of annoying but I'm loving everything Jenny. Tomorrow's episode looks to be pretty hot.

And who knows, maybe I'll actually be out of work early enough to watch it! Imagine that!

Saturday PM:



Saturday night I passed on party plans and instead committed my evening to finally watching David Fincher's True Crime thriller Zodiac. Burritos, Sangria, and serial killers, what more could you ask for in an evening?

I'm still a little torn on how I feel about the movie. It had moments that really got me but overall I found it lacking. The pacing at the beginning is awkward and I didn't really get into it until at least a third of the way into it. I did enjoy it though and L and K seemed to like it a lot so there you go.

On The Slate:

Quantum of Solace baby! Need I say more?

Links: Cult Status

I've had plenty of discussions (and occasionally arguments) regarding whether or not a movie is "Cult". Is Napolean Dynamite? (I say No). How about the Big Lebowski? (Maybe?). Brazil? (Yes, for sure).

Anyway, IFC has a neat little article about Cult movies and a short list of flicks that aspired to become one.

Check it out: Pass the Kool-Aid

Production: On Confidence

Confidence is a funny thing. It can be so hard to have and so easy to lose. You can be confident when you should be careful, fearful when you're really fine.

Normally I'm fairly confident in my abilities. I know how to do my job. I like to think that I do it well. However, I have moments where I'm not so sure. On the first day of a new job, at moments when I have to talk to new people (especially "Important" people), in the occasional interview, if I've made a mistake. I'm certainly not infallible, I do make mistakes. But then again, who is and who doesn't?

There was this thing that happened today that made me feel not more confident per se, but it did make me realize I need to be a little less hard on myself.

First, back track to a year and a half ago. I had just moved to LA and was just wrapping on my first big feature (Kids in America now apparently Young Americans). It was my last week in the office and that week I was working with Accounting since Production had all ready wrapped. I had been working on the show since January and I knew all of the ins and outs, all of the little quirks. However, that last week as the sole Production person left, I found myself increasingly nervous that I was making mistakes. I would send the APOC (Assistant Production Coordinator) silly IMs about questions I really knew the answers to. I just didn't trust my own judgment. He was mostly patient with me, only giving me a hard time once when I asked him a really silly question about the fax machine ("What am I, a Xerox manual?"). It was just that being alone stripped away a measure of my confidence.

Come back to the almost present. Last week I had a brief interview for my new job. It's a job I know how to do. I know how it works. It's my first time officially doing it but there really isn't anything that's new to me. Doesn't mean I wasn't nervous during the interview. There was a lot riding on it. I was exhausted, having been well past the point of sleep deprivation, but mostly I was desperate. Desperate to get away from my previous place of employment where things had gotten so bad that I was ready to quit without having another job lined up. Regardless of whether or not the balance in my bank account would support me. Thankfully my interview panned out, after an incredibly awkward first fifteen minutes that stemmed in part from my lack of confidence. Lack of confidence can cost you jobs and has cost me one or two (House and Entourage come to mind. House I would have loved, Entourage wasn't really a position I wanted which I think came through in the interview as well). Luckily this time I was able to pull myself together and by the end of the interview everything was gravy.

Jump up to yesterday. My first day. Nothing major happened but I found myself taking two to three times longer to complete tasks than I normally would. Because of confidence. Insurance Certs? No problem! But... did I fill it out right? Am I sending it to the right person? Do I need to make X number of copies? It was all just first day jitters and now today I'm rolling right along. I feel confident :)

What happened this morning though that made me think of all this? Well, at my last job it was my responsibility to book cars for the talent to and from set during production. At some point in the late afternoon or evening the 2nd AD would call me or text me or IM me (or I would bug the shit out of him) and he would give me the times that the cars were needed for the next day. I would then book them and email everyone who needed to know the confirmations. It was a little bit of a process but not rocket science by any means.

My last day at the old place was Monday and to get them going I booked the cars for Tuesday and CC'd the 2nd AD (and several other people) on everything so he could see how it went. He's a smart guy, it's nothing he can't handle. Yesterday went fine and I didn't hear from him. Until this morning.

8:45 AM I miss a call from him. I call him back about ten minutes later.

"Hey, what's up?"
"Yeah, I was trying to avoid this, but..."

He then went into a list of questions and concerns (mostly just concerns) about the car service. It really wasn't anything he couldn't figure out for himself. He called me because I knew what was going on. Because I could tell him right away if he made any mistakes. He called to be reassured. He called me for the exact same reason that I called my old APOC about the fax machine. Sometimes you just need a little back-up.

The last two days have just had me reflecting on where I've been and where I've now gotten. I remember naively thinking during that last week on Kids In America that I was ready for everything LA had to throw at me. That I would be on a new film in a matter of weeks (as it turned out it was a matter of months before I found my next job and even longer until I got another feature). That I would be promoted in a show or two. It took me longer for all of that, I learned so much more than I even realized there was to learn, I've had a million and one different experiences and grown professionally as well as personally.

There's still a lot more of all of that to be done but now I've actually made it to where I wanted to go. I've reached my first short term goal. It didn't happen yesterday. It happened today. I now officially have that title that is the first on a short list of titles I'm working to have. More importantly, people are trusting me. They're asking me the questions I used to ask others. And now, I'm the one with the answers (or at least a lot of them! Can't be too cocky here, I still have plenty of my own questions).

Don't get me wrong, the last months, the last weeks especially, have been incredibly hard. Again, both professionally and personally. There are several very good reasons why I haven't updated this blog more in the last few months. I don't know if things are turning around now but in the optimistic atmosphere that I seem to be finding myself in (due in part to the historic election results from last night) I feel like maybe I can start to relax. Maybe things are heading back up.

Either way, this is pretty rad.

Trailers: The Uninvited

I had heard rumors for a while that a remake of 2003's Korean film A Tale Of Two Sisters was happening. And now we've got the trailer.



I'm not generally a fan of these remakes as most of them have been terrible (The Ring is a rare exception). I think there's also been a huge failure in adapting the mostly Asian stories to American cinema (there are occasionally films from other places like the upcoming Quarantine which is a remake of the Spanish language film [Rec]). Something about cultural and historical differences. Imagine that.

Anyway, my point is that I'm very not excited about The Uninvited. If nothing else that trailer looks silly and the title is horrible. The Uninvited? That's really the best they could come up with? They couldn't have called it something more generic? Do you have any idea how many other horror movies there are out there called The Uninvited? I can promise you there are a few.

I do however highly recommend the original Tale of Two Sisters. It's an atmospheric, creepy movie that builds the tension well and pays off in the end. I enjoy it quite a bit.

Thoughts: Goodbye Luke

From Anne Thompson at Variety:

I met Paul Newman once, At Cannes. He was there for Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. He was my height, and looked straight at me with his brilliant blue eyes. They were piercing, intensely blue. Almost azure.

After a long battle with cancer, Newman died Friday, at his farm near Westport, Conn. Here's the A.P. obit.

Sure he was gorgeous. Always. But that was by no means the sum of his gifts. Newman was insecure, people who worked with him have said. He wasn't one of those actors who took his gift for granted. He fussed and worried and needed his directors to reassure him and hold his hand. They were always rewarded.

Here's William Goldman from Adventures in the Screen Trade:

Paul Newman is the least starlike superstar I've ever worked with. He's an educated man and a trained actor and he never wants more close-ups. What he wants is the best possible script and character he can have. And he loves to be surrounded by the finest actors available, because he believes the better they are, the better the picture's apt to be, the better he'll come out. Many stars, maybe even most, don't want that competition.

They don't make them like him anymore.

Thoughts: My Problem With Sarah

So look, I write reviews about movies. I have a blog but I keep politics out of it. I'm normally very careful when it comes to staying on topic. Sure, I'm pretty socially liberal. I also believe that the Constitution is a great thing and I don't like Bush. However political ramblings aren't normally my thing.

Sometimes you need to break even your own rules.

I also could have written this weeks ago but honestly I really wanted to give Palin the benefit of the doubt. I learned quickly that she wasn't someone I'd agree with politically but that doesn't necessarily disqualify her from being a decent Vice Presidential candidate. However, after more research on my part and more interviews on hers, my mind has been made up.

I'm not really talking about Sarah Palin and why I don't like her though. I'm talking about why I don't like her as the selection for the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. There's a difference there.

Beyond all of the nonsense, all of the rhetoric, beyond the fact that I disagree with many of Palin's policies and political stances, I have one huge problem with her selection.

It's her gender.

Yeah, that's right, I don't like the fact that she's a chick.

The thing is, I feel like her selection was based almost solely on that fact. I don't think it had anything to do with credentials, competence, political savvy, or capability. It was an insulting move by the GOP to win over the female voters who supported Hillary. The logic behind the Palin choice seems to be "Hey, she's a woman so other women will vote for her!"

Come on? Really?

(Granted I also think it has to do with the fact that she's crazy conservative. But mostly I think it's the gender card.)

Of course I would love to see a woman VP. And woman President would be amazing. But. I would never base my decision of who to vote for solely on a person's gender. Gender does not trump all.

Have I mentioned that I find this insulting?

Personally, I want to be taken seriously. I want to get jobs. I want to succeed in my particular choice of career. But I want that success to be based on merit and talent. Not on my cleavage.

A woman being selected for something just because she's female is just as bad as a woman NOT being selected for something just because she's female. That's not what I'm working for. I'm working for equality. I'm working for respect. I'm working to be seen as an intelligent, qualified human being. I want gender to be taken out of the equation.

Realistic or not it's a goal to work towards.

This Palin nonsense goes right along with what I'm fighting against.

And I have to admit I feel bad for her! I can't help it. She is so clearly out of her league. Watching those Couric interview clips was just down right painful. Yes I was annoyed by Palin's answer to the passport question, which I found insulting for a whole different set of reasons. But that whole bit about Russia? The whole floundering for an example of why John McCain is such a "maverick"? (If I have to hear that word one more time in regards to this election so help me...). That all just hurt.

I don't agree with her ideology but that's nothing new when it comes to half of the politicians out there, regardless of whether or not they happen to like to wear a dress. I'd be creeped out by her but not horribly surprised or particularly bothered by her selection if that's all it was. I all ready know that I don't agree with McCain on a number of things so why would I expect to agree with his VP choice? It would have been nice but it wasn't expected.

It's beyond her stance on abortion or her opinions on proper sex education. It's beyond her gross misuse of government funds. It's beyond all of the normal ridiculous politics.

It's about how McCain, his advisors, and the Republican Party view women, our intelligence, our emotions, and our abilities. It proves that they are still completely set in a chauvinistic and condescending mindset. This is still the old Boys Club. They're not opening up the door for women; they're not letting us play the game. They're keeping us on their arms as another pretty accessory. To them all we're good for is filling the role of trophy wife. And lord save the ugly ones. Or the smart ones. Or the independent ones. Or any girl that refuses to play by their rules. Because in their world there's still no room for us. They're just trying to dupe us into believing that there might be.

Palin should stay in Alaska and deal with her Russian fly-byes. If the Republican Party wants this little girl to take them seriously they're going to have to do better than that. Their lack of respect for me has completely killed any chance of their gaining MY respect. Don't talk down to me, don't preach to me, don't insult me. Treat me like the thinking, decision making adult that I can occasionally be and trust that I am actually capable of sound judgment.

Yes, I want a woman to be President. But I want someone like Germany's Angela Merkel or even Pakistan's late Benazir Bhutto. I don't want some hockey mom who is about as good at looking smart as Jessica Alba in The Fantastic Four.

Man, if you're going to vote for McCain and Palin, then whatever. Your choice. But make that choice for the right reasons. Like her not because she looks good but because you think she's capable of being a world player. Personally the idea of her having an active role on the world political stage frightens me.

And I don't even want to think about what the world must be thinking when they look at us right now. Normally this would be one of those times when I say you've got to laugh because what else are you going to do? I can't laugh at this. I can stare dumbfounded. I can be baffled. But I can't laugh. There's nothing even remotely funny here anymore.

It's just sad.

Thoughts: The Answer Man

I love you.

Q. Yo dude, u missed out on "Disaster Movie," a hardcore laugh-ur-@zz-off movie! Y U not review this movie!? It was funny as #ell! Prolly the funniest movie of the summer! U never review these, wat up wit dat?
S.J. Stanczak, Chicago

A. Hey, bro, I wuz buzier than $#i+, @d they never shoed it b4 hand. I peeped in the IMDb and saw it zoomed to #1 as the low$ie$t flic of all time, wit @ lame-@zz UZer Rating of 1.3. U liked it? Wat up wit dat?

The full article Here.

Thoughts: Labor Issues

An interesting post about the current state of things in this lovely entertainment industry I work in.

Hollywood Labor News

I honestly haven't really been following what's been going on the last few weeks. I went on vacation and basically turned my brain off. All I know is that things are still really slow out here. So many people I know are unemployed with no real leads on anything. I do keep hearing "I might have something in a few weeks" which is encouraging but not. There's optimism I guess but also a lot of frustration.

I at least have an offer to go back to my old job at ANTM. I was hoping to be able to move on to something new but hey, it's not a bad gig and it's a job. It's nice to have something.

The Wait and See game is continuing. I hope this nonsense get figured out soon. I just want to work.

Thoughts: TCM's Summer Under The Stars

I know I've been very quiet this last month but I had to break the radio silence for this. One of my favorite parts of television in the summer is TCM's Summer Under the Stars. Every day in August they will devote their programming to one star. There have been so many classic movies that I've been introduced to through TCM's summer over the past years, Robert Mitchum in Night of The Hunter, Bette Davis in The Letter, Anthony Perkins in Friendly Persuasion.

This year's summer began last night with Michael Caine and continues today with Charlie Chaplin. Gregory Peck is tomorrow and I may have to not leave my house.

Check out TCM's website for more info: Summer Under The Stars

Here's the full schedule:

Michael Caine Friday, August 1
Charlie Chaplin Saturday, August 2
Gregory Peck Sunday, August 3
Marie Dressler Monday, August 4
Claude Rains Tuesday, August 5
Anne Bancroft Wednesday, August 6
Greta Garbo Thursday, August 7
James Garner Friday, August 8
Fred MacMurray Saturday, August 9
Doris Day Sunday, August 10
Richard Widmark Monday, August 11
Kim Novak Tuesday, August 12
Peter Lorre Wednesday, August 13
Greer Garson Thursday, August 14
Rita Hayworth Friday, August 15
Fred Astaire Saturday, August 16
Gene Kelly Sunday, August 17
Jack Palance Monday, August 18
Barbara Stanwyck Tuesday, August 19
Edward G. Robinson Wednesday, August 20
Ava Gardner Thursday, August 21
Trevor Howard Friday, August 22
Laurel & Hardy Saturday, August 23
Henry Fonda Sunday, August 24
Ingrid Bergman Monday, August 25
Janet Leigh Tuesday, August 26
Tony Curtis Wednesday, August 27
Charlton Heston Thursday, August 28
Marlon Brando Friday, August 29
Katharine Hepburn Saturday, August 30
Spencer Tracy Sunday, August 31

***

As for myself, I've just had a lot of life stuff going on. I'll return to regular posting eventually. Until then, go see The Dark Knight. It's amazing.

Review: Hancock

I have to be honest. I was very not sure about Hancock. I was never able to get fully excited about this summer’s Will Smith action vehicle. On the one hand, I like Will Smith. On the other, the trailers were lackluster at best. On the one hand, the story concept was intriguing. On the other, the original premier was canceled only a month before for reshoots (never a good sign).

In the end my deciding factor was that a friend of mine worked on it last summer and if nothing else, it’s cool to see your friend’s names in the credits. And he did get a pretty good credit so I at least wasn’t disappointed in that.

After everything my expectations for Hancock were fairly low. I like a lot of the talent that was involved, on both sides of the camera, but the scattered marketing campaign and rumors of numerous changes to the original script and story kept the excitement level from building too high. I think that was probably for the best as Hancock turned out to be an entertaining but not great summer flick.

Will Smith plays John Hancock, an alcoholic super hero the world would rather see go away. His antics often cost more than the good they necessarily serve. For example, Hancock saves the life of a man stuck in front of a chain but manages to cause a massive train wreck in the process. The man he saves is Ray Embry (Jason Bateman), a down on his luck PR agent with dreams of saving the world through marketing. Ray brings Hancock home to meet the family, son Aaron (Jae Head) and wife Mary (Charlize Theron). It’s obvious from the start the Hancock makes Mary uncomfortable and it’s this dynamic that plays a major part of the film’s second half.

The buzz for the film is right in that Hancock gives us something nice and original, especially for the first half. It’s also right in that the transition to the second half is awkward a good bit of the film’s originality degenerates into the standard super hero fighting with an unexceptional twist.

Not to say that Hancock isn’t enjoyable. If nothing else Will Smith is his usual charming self and if you’re a fan of his you’ll more than likely be very happy with what you get. Will Smith is one of those actors I will watch in almost anything (except for Hitch apparently…) and I like his treatment of Hancock’s many ups and downs. I think he brings the character respectably to life and I have no complaints there. Jason Bateman is also great as Ray. He makes Ray into an incredibly likable and sympathetic guy. Ray’s character could have easily turned into a sap you pity but instead Bateman makes him someone who believably holds his own in extreme circumstances. The dynamic between the two men, how they come together and how they ultimately need each other is one of my favorite parts of the film. It adds a nice human element to all of the action and highway destruction.

Charlize Theron is also fine as Mary. I don’t even mind all that much what they end up doing with her character. She too has good chemistry with Will Smith and while I agree that the second half of the film is lacking I don’t think she’s to blame.

For me, the problem is in how the film is ultimately indecisive. Someone somewhere couldn’t decide what to do with this movie. Do we keep it a dark, adult super hero story and risk the R rating? Or do make it nicer, advertise it in front of family flicks like Prince Caspian, and risk less at the box office. The people at the top went so far and then got cold feet. And the film suffers for it. In just the narrative structure alone, the momentum of the story if killed before it ever really gets going. I think one of the reasons there is so much talk about the first half and the second if is because the halves are so noticeable. There is no smooth arc easing one into the second, there is just the build up and then the twist. After the twist the only thing left is the standard super hero movie action. The action’s not bad, it’s just nothing amazing either.

Hancock goes both ways. There’s the good: the actors are likable and the dialogue is solid. And the bad: the story is uneven and Peter Berg is occasionally self indulgent with his editing.

Where does that leave us, the audience? Hancock is a fun movie that some will love, some will hate, and most will probably forget. Either way, it’s going to make a killing at the box office.

Back

And she's back! After quite a bit of busy and stress I'm back to blogging. I've seen quite a few movies since I've last posted but I'm just going to ease into things. So for now, check out a review for Hancock. We'll see what else I can get to throughout the week.

Away For A Bit

I've had some family stuff come up so unfortunately I'll be away from blogging for a little while. I've got a few good things from the weekend I'd like to talk about but it's going to have to wait.

In the mean time, if you're in LA you still have one more chance to see Medicine For Melancholy at the LA Film Fest! Tomorrow at 2 PM at The Regent in Westwood. I was able to see it Friday night (it's one of the things I want to talk about) and it's great. I highly recommend it.

I may post in the next few days but I probably won't. If nothing else, I will be back next week.

Thoughts: News Worth Sharing

Two little bits I found whilst perusing Hollywood Reporter's website.

The first is that L.A. Confidential will be getting a special edition DVD come September. While I normally am less than excited by so-called "Special Editions" this one actually sounds like it could be pretty cool.

Hollywood Reporter Article.

The features sound interesting and I'm tickled by the idea of a commentary by critic Andrew Sarris. I have a feeling I'll probably end up purchasing this one.

The other news is bigger and even more exciting.

I get to mention once again Medicine For Melancholy. I heard the news last night thanks to a Myspace bulletin but it's still really cool to see it making actual Hollywood Reporter news.

M4M has been picked up by IFC!

I'm completely psyched for Justin and Cherie and everyone else. I have a damn good idea of how much work they all put into this film. It's just great to see their commitment and dedication rewarded.

If you're in LA you should definitely venture out to the LA Film Fest this weekend and check it out! I can't wait to see it tomorrow.

IFC Films picks up 'Melancholy'

The LA Film Festival

And that's what I've got for now. Back to work!

Thoughts: T-Rex's Tips for Filmmaking

I'm amused.

(Click on the picture for the full comic)

Review: The Happening

Do you ever look around at the world and feel like we’re at the tipping point? That we are precariously balanced, about to fall into disaster. The media is full of talk of global warming, the looming energy crisis, the extinction of different species, pollution, food shortages; the list goes on. We can tune it out but it’s hard to ignore completely. There’s a tension, a waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The Happening begins on this perch and slides into the disaster.

I feel like I’m one of the few people who actually enjoyed M. Night Shyamalan’s newest film. Maybe it’s because I’m a fan; the only movie of his I can say that I straight up do not like is Signs. Maybe it’s because I had no expectations going into it. Either way, while I can’t necessarily argue that it’s a good film, I will say that it is enjoyable and I feel like it gets it right in the places where it really counts.

The story is an exercise in end of the world paranoia. There has been a mysterious attack in Central Park. The population of New York has been exposed to some toxin. It begins with disorientation and incoherent speech. Its ending is fatal. We watch the event spread from the park to the city’s rooftops. And then we are spirited away to Philadelphia. We reach Elliot Moore’s classroom moments before the word of the attack does. And then we see the confusion spread faster than the toxin itself.

Is it terrorists? Is it our government? Is it something natural? Through the increasing panic one thing becomes clear: it is spreading to smaller and smaller populations and nowhere is safe.

We follow Elliot (Mark Wahlberg), his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), Elliot’s friend and fellow teacher Julian (John Leguizamo), and Julian’s young daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). They flee Philadelphia only to find themselves stranded in a small town that lies in the center of the Northeast states being attacked. From there it becomes a race to safety and a fight for survival.

Unlike M. Night’s previous films there is no “twist” at the end. There is no magical solution. Whether or not our characters survive is taken out of their hands. The plot is laid out for us step by step, as is the film’s message. It’s all made very simple. The way the story is told can be a turn off; it can come across as preachy and overly moralizing. At the same time though it lets us focus not on figuring out some convoluted story, we can focus instead on what these characters are going through, what they are feeling, it gives us time to connect.

Unfortunately, we don’t necessarily have something solid to connect to. It’s hard to be engaged with characters when you can see the actors struggling with the material. I like Mark Wahlberg a lot and I think he has the potential to do great things, especially when he’s paired with a strong director, however he also has the potential to be wooden and unconvincing. In The Happening I feel like that is the case. His performance feels stiff and forced. The delivery on some of his lines is just downright painful to watch.

It’s a problem of script and direction. I didn’t particularly care for a lot of the dialogue and the actors frequently seemed to not quite know what to do with it. Zooey Deschanel had more or less one expression that she kept plastered on her face for most of the film. While the argument could be made that Alma is in shock and is having a difficult time adjusting to the circumstances, the result is a character who’s emotions fall flat. John Leguizamo also tried really hard to deliver a strong performance. He’s really good but again he just doesn’t have enough good material. You can see him struggling with it.

Stylistically I feel like The Happening has fallen behind M. Night’s previous films. Where you may not like The Village, you could probably at least agree that it looks good. The same with Lady in The Water and even Signs, no matter what they look good. The Happening looks ok. It just doesn’t live up to the bar that M. Night seems to have set for himself. Of course, when he works with cinematographers like Roger Deakins and Chris Doyle you’re pretty much guaranteed a beautiful looking film. That aside the cinematography in The Happening is very much like the script. For the most part unremarkable, at times distractingly bad.

Wait, did I not say that I enjoyed The Happening? With all of these flaws, what is there to possibly like?

While technically the film fails, emotionally it surprisingly manages to work. Despite everything I found myself time after time reacting to what I was seeing happen. I cared. Even where the performances don’t work, the chemistry between the actors does. At the same time I was cringing over Wahlberg’s delivery of a line, I was completely buying the relationship between Elliot and Alma. Their interactions with each other made me smile. There is genuine warmth. The same is true in their relationship with Jess. I believed Alma’s protective, maternal instinct where the little girl was concerned.

The film is as much about the love these characters feel for each other and their struggles to fully acknowledge and express it as it is about the mysterious toxin killing people. It’s about their struggle to overcome the problems that are of their own making.

In the end, M. Night somehow manages to overcome himself and deliver a film that hits all of the right emotional notes. It’s by no means brilliant, it’s even an odd choice for a summer release (the season of blockbusters), but personally I think it’s ultimately an enjoyable story to see told. Especially if you’re a fan of M. Night. Otherwise, there’s plenty in the film to dislike and you may want to give something else a try instead.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 6/16

I feel like I have a lot of updating to do. I watched more movies this weekend than I have the last few weeks. I've also been so busy with work that I have a backlog of things I want to write about. I won't say exactly what though since I don't know how much time I'll have to get to it all and I don't want to disappoint anyone when something gets left out.

Before I talk about my weekend I do want to share these to interviews though. The first is an absolutely fantastic one with Andrew Stanton, the writer and director of Pixar's Wall-E. I have told you guys I'm extremely excited about this movie, haven't I? Anyway, you can find the interview here. It pretty much just reaffirms all of the reasons I love Pixar.

The second interview is with director M. Night Shyamalan. Okay, so I may be the only person ever to actually like The Happening. Really the only movie of his that I can straight up say I don't like is Signs. I'm a fan and if nothing else I have to respect his love of movie making. Say what you will about this guy, his love of film seems genuine and that right there makes him a lot more respectable than a lot of directors out there. He does what he does and leaves it up to you to decide if you like. Either way he doesn't compromise his vision, even if that vision may be highly flawed.

Anyway, I'll talk a bit more about The Happening in a minute. You can find his interview here.

Now that that stuff is out of the way let's move on to my weekend shall we?

Friday PM:

A picture from the set of my short "Tomorrow's Party"

Rather than watching other people's work, I actually made a bit of progress on my own. I spent the night working with the guy who is potentially going to be providing me with music for my short. I'm now way past my April goal of finishing but I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised. The picture editing I finished more or less when I hoped to. I just completely underestimated how much time the music was going to take me.

One thing about me: I'm a complete perfectionist. Especially when it comes to anything remotely creative. When I was younger I used to do this thing where if I didn't think I could get something as perfect as I wanted it, I just wouldn't do it. A fear of failure or some such thing. I've grown past that bit but sometimes it can take me a really, really long time to finish something.

In this case, I could have settled on a couple of music options earlier. They just weren't quite right for my film. And if I settle on less than perfect music, well, what was the point of putting all of this time and energy into something that I'm just going to give up on in the final act? Instead, the process has dragged out two months longer than I hoped it would. I think the time will be worth it though. From the progress made Friday night I feel like what I'll be getting is music that fits the story and the emotions that I'm attempting to convey. Every little detail is so important; the more details I get right the better my final film will be. This film means so much. I want it to be as close to perfection as it humanely possible to get.

It's also been a huge learning process. I can add this music experience to the list of other things I now know. It's all to make the next one that much easier to do ;)

Saturday Afternoon:

I was so incredibly lazy all weekend. Saturday started with breakfast (huevos rancheros from a little Mexican joint nearby. Delicious!), moved on to hanging out in my front yard, and finally made its way to film. That wonderful marine layer we're all so used to out of the westside maybe Saturday a bit chilly. A slightly overcast, chilly Saturday? Perfect time to go to a movie!



So here's where I'll talk more about The Happening. See, the thing is, I really enjoyed it. Yes, it's flawed. Yes, there's a lot wrong with it. The acting is stiff, the dialog can be absolutely atrocious, stylistically I don't think it's as strong as M. Night's other films. However, emotionally it hit all of the right notes for me and while I can't really argue that it's a good film I can confidently say that it is an enjoyable one. If you're a fan of his previous works then I definitely recommend you go see The Happening. If you're not? Then you may want to wait for video. I don't regret seeing it in the theater (especially since I went to a cheaper matinee show) but it's not necessarily something that absolutely has to be seen on the big screen.

I also have to mention that I really do appreciate the restraint they showed in releasing a film that runs only about an hour and half long. When there are so many films with ridiculously inflated running times, it is so incredibly nice to get a film that doesn't run too long. Hollywood just doesn't seem to know when to say "Stop, it's time to CUT now" anymore. A movie doesn't have to be over two hours long in order to be good. In fact, a too long running time has frequently been my biggest complaint about a lot of films in the recent past. Shorter can most definitely be better.

I'm really hoping to write a full review on The Happening in the next couple of days so I won't write anymore now. I think I've really said enough at this point anyway.

Saturday PM:

After going to the local park with a few people and throwing a baseball around until it was too dark to see, we came home and just kind of hung out for a while. There was a bit of channel surfing going on that I didn't pay much attention to.

Finally the channels stopped changing and we were left watching 2003's Ben Affleck vehicle Paycheck.



I never actually saw Paycheck when it came out. At the time I was working part time at a video store and even the free rental didn't convince me that watching Paycheck was a good idea. I mean, John Woo is a cool director, he's made some awesome films. However he's not exactly someone I would pick to direct an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story. (Honestly the only Philip K. Dick adaptation I've ever liked is Ridley Scott's Bladerunner. Possibly a "duh" statement. And even that departs quite a bit from the story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.)

Ben Affleck? Yeah, I'm not really a fan. So Paycheck I skipped.

Finally watching it this weekend what I have to say is this: It's not a good movie. But. It's an ALMOST good movie. It has a lot going for it and it certainly keeps my interest. In the end it doesn't quite work as well as I would have liked but it's fun. I'm sticking with my original opinion of John Woo being the wrong choice for this film though. The focus is too much on making it a standard action flick rather than taking advantage of all of the cool things the story offers.

Again, I'm kind of hoping to be able to write a full review so I'm going to move on to the next one now. Don't want to blow my load to early now, do I? Er, is that I bad phrase to use? I think maybe it is...

On to Sunday!

Sunday PM:

One of my favorite animated films ever was on Sunday night. Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. I've talked about my love of Miyazaki in my reviews of Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle.



Spirited Away is possibly his best film. Character design, story, writing, animation, I can not think of one thing I wish was better. I love it all. So much time and care obviously goes into his films. The results are beautifully crafted films that far surpass most of what we see America producing. His films are always kid friendly and yet challenging for the adult viewer as well. There is always a strong moral center but his themes never come across as preachy.

I love this movie so much. I highly recommend you all watch it. There's a good chance you'll fall in love as well.

After Spirited Away, K and I managed to once again leave to couch and get out of the house. We had somewhere we needed to be. After all, The Incredible Hulk opened this week.



I've gotta say, the rumors are true. Marvel managed to deliver us TWO excellent comic book movies this summer. It gives me hope for their future adaptation plans. I'm not sure I liked the Hulk more than Iron Man but I enjoyed it at least as much. It's really well done. Edward Norton continues to earn my love. He and Liv Tyler are also great together. She's not always my favorite actress but I've liked her more than I haven't. I guess I can't completely blame her for Armageddon. She's not the worst part of that movie. (I'm looking at you animal crackers! Worst. Scene. Ever.)

She's good in The Incredible Hulk though. As is the rest of the cast. And the CGI. Sure the Hulk still looks like CGI. But dude, he's a giant green guy. How realistic are we really expecting him to look? The action is one thing that I would say Hulk does better than Iron Man. Where the final fight in Iron Man leaves me wanting more, it's a bit anti-climactic, all of the action in Hulk is great. It's well paced, it's explosive, and all of the build up comes together in one kick ass finale.

And thank you Marvel. First Robert Downey Jr. and now Ed Norton in all of their male shirtless glory. I am one happy lady right now. Damn but do they both look good. I've never been one to put up pictures of celebrities on my walls. But these movies are really making me reconsider that decorating decision. There are worse things to stare at than Ed Norton in torn up jeans. Mmmm... I would tear those pants up myself, I tell you what!

Is it just me or is this post getting increasingly inappropriate?

Again. Moving on.

On the Slate:

Lifeforce - In from Netflix. Hopefully I'll have time to give it a go.

The Tripletts of Bellville - It's been a while since I've watched this one. I'm all in the mood for it so maybe I'll make that happen this week.

Mongol - I really need to see it!

Medicine For Melancholy - Playing as part of the LA Film Festival I'm planning on going to the Friday PM showing. For more info check out the LA Film Fest's website.