Clerks II did over three times better than the entire run of the original film. If you want to compare opening weekend grosses, it did about 30 times the business of the original. In what world does it make sense to compare apples to watermelons?
Pirates, Lady, Monster House, Little Man, and Dupree are all much bigger general audience draws. Smith's movie did beat out the decidedly more PG-13 Super Ex-Girlfriend, and the often-overlooked per-screen average shows Clerks II outdid Little Man and You, Me, and Dupree. Looking at the just under a grand per screen difference between Smith and Shyamalan, the donkey show movie did about as well as the narf/scrunt/gobbledeguk tentpole movie.
How do you classify this as a disappointing opening?
Not only compared to its source film, but in relative terms, the Clerks II opening was definitely above average for a--let's face it---arthouse movie opening on 2000 screens against the mid-July mouth-breather fare. I don't play the box office grosses like a pony race the way lots of folks do. It's all relative, folks.
In the interest of fair play, I've been a big fan of Smith's movies for a while now, ever since a dear friend and cinema mentor insisted I watch Clerks. through Chasing Amy in a single sitting. You can armchair direct all you want, or Marvel Comics Presents "What If?" your versions of his movies to death, but give the ultra-criticism a rest. He makes movies some people like and others don't. The fact everyone has an opinion of how he should run his life, filmmaking career, or merch line indicates there's a thick layer of jealousy underneath that veneer of "he could do better".
My review of the movie is about two sentences long:
My lady and I agreed it was the best Summer (multi-thousand screen release) movie we'd seen this year. This isn't a movie about Going Home Again, it's about Finding Out Where Home Is.
As for the "about"....
Fuck David Poland.
Send hate to the email. I'll be happy to delete.
Read MoreElectric Shadow
On Reactions
On one of my frequent trips to the IMdB today, I took a quick glance at the Opening This Week column, only to find Kevin Smith's Clerks II not listed. Take a look for yourself. I sure don't give as much of a damn about My Super Ex-Girlfriend or that Water movie.
After the widely-reported Smith-Siegel fight today, I think it's hilarious that IMdB's Studio Briefing reports on the day's events, whereas the Earth's Biggest Movie Database screwed up a major theatrical release listing.
On the topic of the above-mentioned fight, here's my take: dislike something all you want, but don't fuck with everyone else experience, or you deserve what you get back.
The one time I've been in a physical fight in a movie theatre was when some guy stood up and said "fuck this, I didn't know it was in Spanish" loud as he could at a screening of The Motorcycle Diaries, obviously thinking he had paid for a ticket to Easy Rider 2: Argentinian Nights. I was sitting a couple rows behind him and cursed under my breath in Spanish as he walked by on his way out.
"What, you want something, wetback?"
I was stunned into absolute silence. A rare thing indeed, which those who know me can attest to gladly.
I stood up after he got back walking, followed him and grabbed him by the shirt just as we got to the door. I pushed the door open with his body and let him trip over himself to the ground. The resistance he offered wasn't much, considering he was a half foot shorter than I was.
I pressed him against the wall outside the theatre and told him, "if you want a fight, you're fucking with the wrong spic".
I was shaking, I was so angry. It was the first time someone explicitly tossed a slur in my face. Let's all take a moment to thank Carlos Mencia for teaching a whole new generation of ignoramuses how to denigrate different cultures with a variety of slurs they had probably not heard in normal conversation. Unlike blacks, latinos don't go around calling each other "beaner", or "wetback", or "spic" on a regular basis.
Thing is, if you looked at me in the light of day, you probably wouldn't immediately pick out my hispanic heritage, since I'm half-white, and of the other half, only a quarter is Cuban (the other 1/4 is Chinese). Compared to this little dude, I'm a beast. Half of the fear in his eyes was probably due to actually being called on his bluff, but the other was my own.
I'd never really been Big Scary "Ethnic" (a term I hate with the fire of Krypton's sun) Dude, and it freaked me out how angry I got. I don't think I'd ever been that angry, or have been since.
I got a mumbled "shit dude, I'm sorry" and he scampered off.
Shalit---er, Siegel didn't call Smith a "mick" or anything, but the level of disrespect shown is worse. That was the third time I'd seen my movie. I can't imagine how pissed off those critics were on their first trip to Mooby's. Kevin's shown more restraint just calling Joel on the carpet for being a hypocrite and lazy reporter than many would.
Jeff ran a piece the other day about the cinema as a temple, and it really, really is. Don't go shouting in my place of worship, asshole, or fear the Lord's wrath. I guess the Lord's wrath got dished out from his online department today, and rightfully so.
Read MoreTransformers: The Geeks Shall Inherit
Today's edition of Penny Arcade ( webcomic juggernaut) touches on a chord that has crept up time and time again: don't fuck with our franchise.
Michael Bay's live-action feature film adaptation of 80's wallet-buster Transformers is set for release next 4th of July, and AICN talkbacks and advance photos have once again sent geekdom into a Superman looks too fruity kind of uproar, and I think some people are bitching just to get some attention.
The two robots people have seen photos of are Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. The extent of criticism has been "Bumblebee was a VW Beetle in the cartoon" and "Optimus Prime has flames painted on his Truck Form chassis". Jesus F(ucking) Christ.
I was a fan of the show and the animated movie as a kid, the latter notable for Orson Welles' posthumous appearance as the voice of Unicron the world devouring menace and the hilarious use "You've Got the Touch" in an early scene, and...well, that's it really. These robots and the huge chunk they took out of my parents' pocketbook hold an indellible place in my childhood. Giant robots and young people with big dreams. That's America, right there, according to the TV conditioning my generation got. Let's hear it for the Freedom Eagle, ya'll.
It is the right and responsibility of those who filled the Hasbro coffers to demand nostalgic justice, but at a certain point, you can't just take one form of media and transplant it to another.
When Kevin Smith made Clerks into a cartoon, he not only had to find a way around the langauage censors, but make a black and white $28k movie into a primetime, full color cartoon. There had to be some flexibility in the translation, or it wouldn't have worked creatively.
It didn't work out overall thanks to stupid programming execs, but that's the story of many underappreciated gems, for which another day will be set aside.
Thanks to the internet, it seems there has to be some big hairy deal every time someone sitting in their mom's attic decides they'd do it better than the pros. That probably makes me sound like the quintessential fanboy traitor, but my concern comes from a genuine place.
Bay is certainly not one of my favorite directors, but if there's anyone on the planet who can do giant robots and explosions right, it's him, through and through. ComiCon this week will turn out to be an indicator of what the relationship is going to be like from here on out, and I can only hope Bay is going to give the fan masses a drop of reassurance to get them to chill the hell out.
Read MoreAnother Op'nin', Another Snore
Another Op'nin', Another Snore
Looking at the list of releases this weekend, the only exciting thing to note is that A Scanner Darkly is opening on two screens at the local arthouse, Miracle 5. In the five years I've lived in Tallahassee, the "Miracle" is usually when a non-IndieBuster opens and lasts more than a week or two. An IndieBuster is what I call arthouse movies that the broader audience not only boasts having seen to boost their Indie Cred or the impression that they are like totally deep and shit. Movies like Lost in Translation or mainstream foreign releases like Amelie are good examples of this. Man 1: "Oh my god, Preston, I saw the most totally weird movie." Man 2 (Prestron): "Oh, what was it like, bro?" Man 1: "I mean, it was, like, weird...but awesome. Not awesome, but like weird awesome. You know?" Preston: "Dude, I know what you mean. Have you seen the new M. Night--whatever his name is movie? It's totally weird and indie as shit. I heard they made for like seven bucks. J/k, j/k." Man 1: "It reminds me of that one movie by that guy..." Preston: "Yeah dude, it was just like that, I totally swear, bro...it was like, quality." Arthouse movies are getting co-opted more and more by mainstream folks who want the status conferral from being able to say "I saw it". Check me out, I'm hot shit, I watch cool movies. I don't like or understand them, but I'll be damned if I don't watch them. A Scanner Darkly won't pick up business in towns like Tallahassee until it's had a couple weeks to roll around through word of mouth. Bigger non-metropolis cities like Austin have big huge benefit pre-screenings of movies like this one sponsired by their local film societies. The Tallahassee Film Society does their best to facilitate a better moviegoing experience in Florida's Capitol City, but there's only so much you can do with AMC and Regal as the sole exhibitors in this burg. Most people reading this have had access to An Inconvenient Truth since shortly after its release, but we got it weeks later, and as broadly as its been publicized, people don't hit up docs and other less First Weekend Dependents the first two weeks and then don't go, they find them throughout their run. The Regal booking mentality that rules the day with theatres like the Miracle is that if it's dead for two weeks, it's pointless to keep it there. If someone would just set up an Angelika or Alamo Drafthouse styled venue, we'd be a viable arthouse movie town. Why hasn't someone stepped up to the plate? It's there for the taking...an art-hungry town that just wants the content delivered. The answer, I've come to find, is that no one wants to put up their money and take any risk. What a surprise... Everybody wants to steer the ship but not fund the expedition. Movie-going has become less of an outing than a herding, and it shows in the drop in attendance. It isn't just the movies, it's the sucktastic experience that people want nothing to do with too. If you make it more difficult to see the good movies in a good venue, you are more a gate-closer than a gate-keeper. Not only are ad-sellers running exhibition now, but the three big companies (AMC Loews, Regal, and Cinemark) jointly own the preshow junk advertising company that everyone complains about, National CineMedia. When you sit through 20-25 minutes of preshow garbage in addition to a movie that might be just O.K., you start to resent the fact that you're paying for it in the first place. This has been said before, but it's getting worse, and we can never stop complaining about it. Needless to say, I'm going to start dissecting about each one of these CineMercials whenever I see them, which of course, is gonna be every time I go see a movie theatrically. Son of a bitch!Culture On Demand: The Beginning
Culture On Demand: Part One
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeois Proletarian I've become fascinated of late with how the broader adoption of entertainment technology has affected the average moviegoer. I must here make the distinction that this is a "disasterous train derailment" flavor of fascination, rather than a "childlike" variation. DVD has spread so many forms of knowledge and entitlement, it's almost like a mutant gene has been unleashed. You no longer have to be a true cineaste to know about behind the scenes hijinks and hiccups from your favorite movies. You just have to sit on your couch and devour hour upon hour of stationary Autopiloted Research. This phenomena has spread to the emergence of the Trivial Cinemaniac: a being who regurgitates the most tremendously uninteresting details about their favorite $20 spent at Wal-Mart. Ironically, it's the multi-dip-happy studios that may have redivided the classes in movie fandom. Recent top sellers like Munich, Walk the Line, and King Kong have been released in separate single disc and multidisc Collector Editions simultaneously. Kong and the Rings movies have added Extended Editions to the mix. Unlike the flurry of Uncensored Director's [INSERT CATCHY LINE FROM FILM] Editions we've seen since DVD hit the mainstream, these conscientious divisions of product features make you pay for The Good Edition rather than pack everything in a One Edition Fits All Edition. This class division is based on entry cost, just as the division between Laserdisc enthusiasts and VHS buyers was based on a perceptively major price difference. With DVDs, the rough $20ish price point has made it the replacement for VHS as standard video format, but the $10-15 for the Sexy Looking Boxed Edition is almost another Unit of Fun in itself. Americans are nothing if not consumerist packrats by nature. We invite our friends over, and like Warlords of Commerce and with a sweep of our arm, we say, "Check this out!" and really mean, "Behold! My stuff is great! Do you not wish you also had this unique piece of unecessary kitsch? Indeed I have Things that are replete in Coolness!" This is the first part of a recurring feature that was inspired by various acquaintances (no one person in particular) commenting on how their twenty or thirty $5 DVDs from Wal-Mart constitute a Film Library and ratify their status as a Movie Lover, which of course, is like calling rape "misunderstood affection".SXSW Days 2 & 3
SXSW Days 2 & 3
This year's SXSW has been universally strong, from the features I've seen, and I'm keeping so busy that I'm running way behind. I'm hitting some really solid niche market products first and run a couple other major highlights, Before the Music Dies and Shadow Company as soon as I can. Some topics aren't for everyone, but with "niche indies" (as Peter Bart called them) becoming a big deal in the mainstream, there's more room than ever for strong niche product. Al Franken: God Spoke If you hate Al Franken, you likely won't see this film, so it won't have the chance to change your mind. Franken's book tour confrontation with Bill O'Reilly is the kickoff to this Pennebaker-produced doc that follows the progression of Al from humorist to commentator to statesman. We watch the birth and early-life complications of Air America, conflicts with Republicans targeting the one liberal talk figure in a sea of conservatives, and the galling insult and injury that drives Al to explore running for the Senate. The impending sense of doom as the film approaches Election Day 2004 is palpable, but the bittersweet button on the film will really be satisfying for those who love Franken's work, and will only really change some minds if you can get a right-winger to watch it. If this is preaching to the choir, I say preach on. It's wonderful to see this brilliant man's life paralleling other great political men. On a trip to Tallahassee a couple years ago, George Butler told me that John Kerry will have lived the lives of three men by the end of his lifetime. This film starts with the SNL funnyman and concludes with the humble, brow-furrowed man of the people that Franken is becoming, much to his surprise. Tales of the Rat Fink Ron Mann's subject specialization is incomparable here. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth is a major cultural icon, but you wouldn't know these days. This doc does its best to correct that problem. Roth was a major force in the Hot Rod era, making major trends like graphic t-shirts, pinstriping, and custom fiberglass designs not only the hot style of the moment, but carrying over for years to come. Animated segments featuring Roth's signature Rat Fink character are exceptionally well-done, but they can run longer and show up more frequently than some may have patience for, generally speaking. Regardless of that minor quibble, the movie is a lot of fun for anyone who was ever accused of being a "weirdo" growing up, whether for how they look or how they act. Celebrity voice cameos pop in via the method Roth's story is told, through voiceover. John Goodman plays the man himself, with various others including recognizable actors, wrestlers, musicians, and authors piping in as the voices of the custom cars Roth designed. Call this a primer for the Pixar movie coming out later this year. If schools employed Ron Mann to do their educational films, kids would learn a lot more on "video day" at school. I went into Rat Fink a relative newcomer, but I came out a proselytizer. If you've never seen Grass or Go Further, find an afternoon and get to know this filmmaker a bit better. The Life of Reilly Charles Nelson Reilly: three words that, provided you know who he is, cause an instant reaction. Isn't he that funny guy from "The Match Game"? Isn't he that guy from "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir"? "Isn't he that funny guy from TV"? All of the above are accurate, but they don't nearly crack the surface of this deeply complicated, fascinating figure of American cinema, stage, and art. To say he's a cultural icon is an understatement. People can poke fun or impersonate him all they want in an effort to trivialize him, but his resume and life story beg to differ. For some time starting in 1999, Reilly performed a one-man, three hour plus show about the story of his life. He toured the country, from performance halls to universities, telling stories with tragic and surprising content. Reilly took over the Uta Hagen acting program. He nearly died in a circus fire as a child. He was told by the President of NBC that "we don't put queers on TV" (boiy was he wrong). For years, and even still today, he's brushed off as a schtick comedian. In the film, he performs Hamlet at over 70 better than many men of any age I've seen deliver the same speech. This "concert doc" captures an edited-down, 90 minutes or so of absolutely riveting performance from one of the most under-appreciated actors of his or any generation of the 20th century.The Big Deals
The first is an expose on American credit debt system. The next is the big reveal on the Hollywood ratings system. The last examines the resurrection of the music industry out of the ashes of the record industry. All three are absolutely brilliant documentaries that must be seen. Maxed Out What would happen if someone did an expose documentary on the American debt industry? Well, now we know. Director James Scurlock has made more powerful people uneasy in their seats than even Kirby "This Film is Not Yet Rated" Dick. Maxed Out follows the trail of the debt business through the lives of a broad range of Americans. Dr. Elizabeth Warren from Harvard expounds upon the grave seriousness of new debt legislation and the fact that low income consumers who are almost completely incapable of repaying are just the debtors credit companies want. According to her, she was told by a high-ranking executive that bankruptcy filers are their best targets for two reasons: 1) they have a taste for credit, and 2) they can't file for bankruptcy again. The friendliness betweek the Bush II administration and the debt industry is profound, and explored fully in the debt legislation recently passed in addition to Bush's appointment of Larry Thompson, a former President of Providian Financial (the Enron of creditors), as the nation's debt czar. Shortly after his appointment, Thompson was under investigation by the Justice Department. Clips of Jerry Falwell guilt-tripping his parishioners into tithing and giving to the church, Suze Orman pushing the FICO score's importance (when she has a sponsorship deal with the company), and U.S. Representatives fruitlessly petitioning the Bankruptcy legislation before it passes by a wide margin all appear throughout. These clips and others anger you, sadden you, and call you to action all at once. This movie will inevitably get compared to Super Size Me, but whereas that film stays somewhat playful and arch throughout (don't get me wrong, I love the movie), this one starts that way briefly and digs deep into debt culture and doesn't pull punches. People could ignore the fact that McDonalds makes people fat, but they can't ignore the debt everyone in America shares and rarely thinks about actively. Maxed Out is going to be one of the biggest surprises of the festival, I'm sure. A friend made mention that it doesn't stand a chance of getting acquired due to its target: influential people with money; however, I respectfully disagree. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised this is not, and people from "both sides of the aisle" will be all over it once they see it. Mark my words: you have to find this film and see it. After the screening, the director and some of the participants, one of whom lost a son to the crushing emotional weight of his debt. The crowd was alive and supportive, and if popular reaction is any indicator, this will continue to be one of the most talked-about films of the festival. This Film is Not Yet Rated Not only did Kirby Dick's exceptional documentary get rated NC-17 by the ratings board it slaps in the face, but he recut it after he resubmitted it, including the names of the people on the Appeals Board. Someone give Kirby Dick the "Biggest Balls in Hollywood" award. The shock value inherent in revealing the kind of secrets Dick does in his film is more startling than the "moral aberrance" present in many of the films the MPAA has given the dreaded NC-17. The X rating was a badge of honor until the blockbuster era began, when the renamed NC-17 would kill your film before it got out of the blocks. Recent films with notable directors and actors (from Boys Don't Cry to Where the Truth Lies) have seen the rating almost or definitively cost them audience and exposure. Bingham Ray, formerly of United Artists and currently of October Films, used the "F" word when talking about them: Fascism. People risked a great deal to say things, and some are still anxious about the impact of their participation. Echoes of the HUAC hearings of the 50's are heard when they mention that the second question most often asked (usually left out in documentary specials on the subject) was "are you a member of the Screen Writer's Guild?" and the amount of fear in the appeals rooms is just as palpable. Wouldn't you be afraid if your film's rating was presided over by two members of the clergy? This film gives us that peek behind Jack Valenti's Oz curtain we've always wanted.The Spirit of Radio
The Spirit of Radio
One of the first striking things about Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion is the really snazzy new Picturehouse animated logo. The presentation of the whole movie is exceptional overall. At the North American premiere last night at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX, John C. Reilly introduced the film to a packed-in house. He was greeted with thuderous applause and could not have been in better company. We open in Mickey's Dining Car, with voice-over narration by Kevin Kline's Guy Noir. As a longtime listener to the radio show, I was impressed how undistracting it was having another voice saying the lines usually spoken by Keillor himself. The film is conscious of the fact that radio variety programs have been out of style for decades, as the radio show always has, but that's not all of the point here. Altman's film is about the undying spirit of bygone eras, reminding us the passion and humor that is not so out-of-touch as some may lead you to believe. The narrative is part radio show, part real, and the structure is unconventional to say the least. All the aforementioned are good things though, rest assured. The overlapping, Mamet-esque rambling from various characters and the radio setting immediately brought to mind a Mamet play called The Water Engine. The play begins as a radio drama and shifts back and forth from the studio to a conventional stage play in much the same way characters like Guy Noir and the Dangerous Woman (Virginia Madsen, smoking-hot dame as ever) interweave into the lives of these "real" people performing in a fictionalized version of APHC. Highlights include the radiant singing voice of Meryl Streep, the sharp, acerbic one-liners, and the recalling of the golden age of radio throughout the script. One of the screenwriters was in attendance, and I wish I could have shook his hand or bought him a beer or six. Few films talk about mortality as much as Prairie Home does and end up reaffirming your desire to get up the next day and change the world somehow rather than consider giving up. John C. Reilly and Woody Harrelson bounce off one another so well it's remarkable no one has used them together previously. Their song about bad jokes absolutely killed. There were moments of suspension and then uproarious laughter related to Duct Tape, Descartes, and Texans who "talk funny and whose eyes don't focus". Back to Ms. Streep though, I have to say she lights up the whole room, she's so "on" and "in", and she continues to surprise me every time. There isn't a moment I remotely doubt any of her motivation or think she's over the top. Lily Tomlin and she are just as well-matched as Harrelson and Reilly. Their interplay and overlap will be the subject of many-a rewatching, since there's no way to catch it all through the laughter. Maya Rudolph plays the Stage Manager from Noises Off!-type part well, the sensible link in a chain of chaos, and Tommy Lee Jones provides a wonderfully contrasting role compared to that of his recent turn as Pete in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Even Lindsay Lohan shows some decent chops as Streep's dismissive, withdrawn poet daughter, Lola. So much of the film is symbolic and semiotic in its delivery, and it hits the right notes the whole way through. Last year, a major surge in movies about or wherein music is transformative and positively empowering became apparent. This show crackles with electric bits of wit and passion throughout. I'll put together more fleshed-out coverage of this and other SXSW films after the fest is over. Below you will find linked a cobbled-together video file of Matt Dentler (Festival Producer Supreme) bringing in John C. Reilly to introduce to the film along with screenwriter Ken LaZebnik: SXSW Presents Robert Altman's A Prairie Home CompanionThe Winners, The Surprises, and The Strange
The Winners, The Surprises, and The Strange
This year's Oscars were without controversy for the most part, but there were some notable moments throughout the evening that deserve mentioning. The Oscar Show with Jon Stewart First-time host Jon Stewart started out the evening visibly nervous (wouldn't you be?), with a few jokes that may or may not have been off the cuff, but were regardless, less than successful. He hit his stride with "Good night, and good luck. That's how George Clooney ends his dates." And had a few more falters throughout the night. The closest to Dave Letterman Uma/Oprah-ing was his relentless referencing of the Three 6 Mafia, winners of Best Song. His opening sequence was hilarious, as were a few jokes throughout the evening. He wasn't the perfect host, but he warmed into the part over time, and any criticism will be greatly overshadowed by the Brokeback Upset. George Clooney: Sexiest Man Alive 1997, Fallen Batman, Academy Award Winner Sure enough, later in the show, he was referred to as Academy Award winner George Clooney, and he grinned self-consciously. Clooney's statement about being proudly out-of-touch was not only sincere, but revealing of his personality and motivation. He doesn't do it for the fame or the women (though it can be nice), but rather, because he feels it is how he can make a difference in world turning a blind eye to so many injustices. Martin Scorsese said it best when he referred to a film director as a smuggler of sorts, bringing hidden truths to a wider audience who finds them without even knowing they did. It's Time for a Montage! The classic film clip montages throughout the night celebrated the power of Film Noir and the Traditional American Western (Not Gay at All) among other things, and were very strong in their editing and execution. I never found myself thinking "when is this gonna be over?" Stephen Colbert: Shadow Host The mock campaign ads narrated by Stephen Colbert were almost too funny for comfort for Hollywood's elite on their night of glamour and self-consciousness. No matter how much the actors may have squirmed, these mock ads were some of the funniest Oscar material in years. More than anything, it makes you miss his This Week in God and other assorted assignments before he moved over to The Colbert Report. Memoirs of a Geisha: Prettiest Picture of the Year I can see the DVD ads now, trumpeting wins in Art Direction, Costumes, and Cinematography as reasons to see a rather vapid movie. Don't get me wrong, the movie is pretty, but not very good. In Memoriam in Review The loss of phenomenal talents each year is sad for various reasons, but this year it struck me more so than usual that we're losing our legends and not making up enough ground from year to year. We lose an Anne Bancroft and a Robert Wise and gain a Felicity Huffman and a Bennett Miller (Capote). We lose an under-appreciated legend, Brock Peters, and see the rise of a new A-list talent, Terrence Dashon Howard (rumored to be playing boxer Joe Louis in Spike Lee's next film). Aside from the marquee names, we lose more character actors than even the worthy elevation of David Strathairn can make up for. It's Not So Hard Out Here For a Pimp Jon Stewart said it best just after the Three 6 Mafia won their much-deserved statue for Hustle & Flow. Of the three nominated Best Songs, "Pimp" is so much more than even the performance could express. If there's any justice in the world, people will give H&F a shot and not just write it of as "another hip-hop movie" and let the music move them too. Best Actor/Best Son Phillip Seymour Hoffman's heartfelt thank you to his mother and mothers everywhere was one of the most affecting, sincere moments of the night. He'd been the presumed winner for a long time now, but he still had such a genuine feeling of humble gratitude when called up. You could see it in his voice and the way he shook with joy at the microphone. Few more-deserving men have graced the stage than 2006's Best Actor. Oscar Knew How to Quit Brokeback Over the last couple weeks, some anti-gay sentiment began seeping out in the gossip rags from some elder statesmen (Tony Curtis, a Hollywood legend/crossdresser) Academy members who disdained the presumed Best Picture frontrunner, Brokeback Mountain. Though Ang Lee won for Best Director (the first Asian winner of the award), the movie was held back by the alleged anti-gay backlash and the metric ton of giveaway DVDs Lionsgate Films sent out to Academy voters in the month leading up to the voting deadline. Best Picture Crash Gets Cut Off In the year the Academy stressed short acceptance speeches more than anything, of all awards to cut off, they did it to big-deal upset winner Crash! I'm not the world's biggest fan of the flick, but the way they cut off such a triumphant win could only be classified as rude. Crash took down the win, but not the respect of the Academy (or at least the producer).David Lean's Film of: Talking at the Movies
"Is that Obi-Wan Kenobi?"
-as Alec Guiness makes his first appearance
"There's no way that was three and a half hours long. It felt like half of Return of the King."
"That was good stuff."
-some guy to his dad
Me: "What'd you think?"
Girl with a Guy: "It was really good, I couldn't believe that I'd never heard of it before."
Her Date: "Well, now you have."
Vintage Love
Vintage Love
I've been terribly inconsistent as of late, as filing deadline for Edge Magazine loomed on top of my new day job eating up the time I haven't spent in rehearsal for Jane Eyre: The Musical (which isn't as strange as you might think). The beginning of the year, as is often the case, turns out to be a lousy time to see movies unless you're going to festivals. Speaking of, I'm going to be hitting South by Southwest this year with my pardner Kirk, of Eclectic Boogaloo fame. Expect a series of snippets leading up to the festival itself. It pains me to admit kinship with Must Love Dogs, a movie last year I hoped I would fall in love with but knew I would probably never call back. John Cusack's character made part of his measure of a woman hinge on whether or not she liked Doctor Zhivago, David Lean's classic film about love, loss, and revolution in early 20th century Russia. The story of the doctor-poet (or poet-doctor, depending on your perspective) still resonates today, as does Lean's Lawrence of Arabia. Themes of political bodies invading lives violently and unnaturally carry through both films, but the greatest difference between the two is the epic love story of Zhivago, rarely paralleled even today, over forty years later. In Zhivago, love is messy, complicated, and not remotely easy by any stretch. FSU's Student Life Cinema presented the film this past Sunday (2/12) as the latest in their Silver Screen Sundays series of classic films, which have included everything from Singin' in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz to the original 1954 Godzilla and the aforementioned Lawrence of Arabia. Upcoming films in the series include Alred Hitchcock's Rear Window and the James Dean career-defining Rebel Without a Cause. The hundred or so people there with me last night were half of the reason to go see it, aside from the "first time on a big screen" factor. Sitting with a modern audience and gathering their reactions on a forty year-old movie is an absolutely priceless experience. The parallels between the way the Reds were referring to the White Guard as "counter-revolutionaries" was strikingly similar to the "insurgents" we hear about on the news. The short, bitter ideological debate between Zhivago and Strelnikov was still stirring, representing the two major viewpoints in world politics: the clenched fist and the open hand. The tender, passionate exchange between Yuri and Lara still envelops you the moment she reads the poems and says, "This...this is not me, it's you" and he corrects her by pointing at the verse's title. Kamarovsky's return was greeted with a healthy snicker from the audience, and the Balelaike reveal produced the delighted chuckle I remember from the first time I saw the film. The story was remade as a British TV miniseries a few years ago with Keira Knightley in the Lara role. Though I haven't seen it, I've heard alternatively that it's horrible and that it's better than this movie. Knightley's okay, but no one will outdo Julie Christie...she owns Lara. Lara is the definition of that irresistible woman with a thousand problems. The one that it makes no logical sense to pursue in a world that makes no logical sense in the first place. The one who has used men and been used herself to the point that she wants to "just live" and be happy. There's always been a desperate shortage of Lara's in the world, and there always will be. Women, just as men do, too easily fall into the trap of masking their feelings and desire with propriety. Human beings as a species are social creatures, and the easy choice is always to conform to the social mores that surround you. True bravery comes in being bold enough to take the risks inherent in being with someone else, whether from a different social class, or race, or sex than people expect or approve. The time Yuri and Lara had was comparatively brief, but rewarding and fulfilling, more so than the long stretches of time they spent thinking about each other and "going through the motions". If you give a thought to Valentine's Day this year, choose to be passionate, reckless, and irrational, but most importantly, be honest.What I Did on My Cinematic Vacation
What I Did on My Cinematic Vacation
Now that most of last year's best movies are actually arriving in most cinemas (not just NY/LA), I've finally seen most of the big-name pictures of the year and feel comfortable rattling off my favorite films of the year. I'm doing so with reservations, such as: Movies I Missed Grizzly Man Munich Mrs. Henderson Presents The New World North Country Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room The Constant Gardener Transamerica Tsotsi The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada I'm sure there a couple of others I hang my head in shame about, but they escape me at the moment. Movies That Didn't Do "It" Crash March of the Penguins The 40 Year-Old Virgin None of these really did it for me. Pick any of the thousand reasons people have been bitching about any of them and you get in the ballpark of my take on them. Crash slammed everything in your face and tried a bit too hard, but I do admire the strong performances in the film and the unvarnished perspectives it exposed. Penguins we'll skip, because I'm already dreading the near-certain win for Documentary Feature it's lined up for, and I don't want to get further disheartened. Virgin had its moments, and it hit some genuine chords, but as a whole it's not as cohesive and repeat-viewable as other comedic fare that came out last year. Signs of the End Times Fantastic Four The Dukes of Hazzard The Man The Perfect Man Monster-in-Law Kicking & Screaming Doom Two for the Money House of Wax Thou Shalt Not Spinoff or Sequelize Deuce Bigalo 2 Miss Congeniality 2 Cheaper By the Dozen 2 The Legend of Zorro XXX: State of the Union Elektra Guess Who Bewitched No more need be said. Let's think happier thoughts, shall we?The Best of Times
For me, there were twelve movies that really stood out as the best of the best. Ranking them has proven nearly impossible, so I've resolved to list them alphabetically instead. The Big Twelve The Beat That My Heart Skipped Brokeback Mountain Capote Good night, and good luck. A History of Violence Hustle & Flow Match Point Murderball Nine Lives Paradise Now The Squid and The Whale Syriana For the sake of putting all my favorites in one place, I've a nearly-as-long list of movies that were also excellent, but just shy of the creme de la creme. The Contenders 2046 The Aristocrats Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Batman Begins Broken Flowers Camping a la Ferme (Country Meets Hood) Cinderella Man Dear Frankie The Family Stone Green Street Hooligans In Her Shoes Junebug Kontroll Pride & Prejudice RENT Separate Lies Sin City Walk the Line Wedding Crashers Yet other movies turned out to be a lot of fun as a result of the atmosphere I saw them in, whether the people or the immediate circumstances. Stand-Out Experiences Coach Carter Elizabethtown Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Jarhead King Kong Layer Cake The Merchant of Venice Narnia Proof Shopgirl The Wedding Date (believe it or not) That approximates the map of different films I saw this year, and I could wait until the end of time to post this and still miss something, so here it is, for better or worse. As with every year, my life took upturns and downturns that were affected and in some cases heavily impacted by the movies I saw. This year's already turning out to be a whole new can of worms, and I think I like it best that way. This particular entry will end up getting updated from time to time with transcriptions of notes I wrote on these films, as well as photos and other little mementos. This is the closest to a scrapbook as I get, so check back every once in a while.Oscar noms
Oscar noms hit this morning.
Without further ado, here are my immediate (jotted down this morning in shorthand) thoughts on the major nominations:
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Frontrunner
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
With an Oscar already under his belt for Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki's latest trippy fantasy adventure has been out of theatres for months, but like all of Studio Ghibli's movies, it sticks with people.
The Underdog
WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT
A huge hit with the American and British public, the endearing claymation pair of Wallace and Gromit stand an outside chance of swiping this award from Miyazaki on sympathy (the original models were burned in a fire) and hard work (claymation can take years and years).
TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Frontrunner
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
My mother, an avid National Geographic documentary lover, hated this movie. It bored me out of my skull, and it made insane amounts of money. Why? At the time, it was the only kid-safe movie out, and people took their kids out en masse for a welcome reprieve from the house. It makes it more bearable that Morgan Freeman's voice narrates the thing, but it's epic in boredom.
The One That Should Win
MURDERBALL
This stirring, uplifting story of Quadriplegic (you read that right) Rugby players was painfully overlooked, mostly thanks to its title (the original name of the sport). For anyone who has felt run over by circumstance, this empowering film leaves you feeling as if you could take on the world.
DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
STREET FIGHT
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
The Frontrunner
KING KONG
I find it hard to believe anything can topple the 800-pound gorilla in this category in particular. The motion capture on Kong alone, not to mention the Brontosaur stampede and the T-Rex royal rumble were absolutely stunning.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
WAR OF THE WORLDS
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES
(ORIGINAL SCORE)
The Frontrunner
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Composed by the same guy who did The Motorcycle Diaries, Gustavo Santaolalla, one of the most memorable themes in cinema this year comes from this film.
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
MUNICH
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES
(ORIGINAL SONG)
The Frontrunner
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" - HUSTLE & FLOW
I don't even remember the other two songs, let alone do I care about either one's contribution to the film in question. "Pimp" is so vitally integral to H&F's story that you couldn't separate them and have the same movie.
"In the Deep" - CRASH
"Travelin' Thru" - TRANSAMERICA
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
The Frontrunners
PARADISE NOW and TSOTSI
The first is a powerfully moving tale of two best friends-turned suicide bombers, and the second is the powerfully moving tale of a young gang leader in Johannesburg. Foreign Film is always a toss-up, and this year all I have to go off of is what my industry sources mention.
DON'T TELL
JOYEUX NOèL
SOPHIE SCHOLL - THE FINAL DAYS
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Frontrunner
CRASH
A popular pick rather than one chosen on merit, this screenplay is great not for the efficiency of the prose, but for the social impact it has had. Not the best script of the year, or even written by Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby), but it's almost definitely it.
The Underdog
MATCH POINT
No, it has nothing to do with racial strife, or geopolitical fraud, or communist persecution, or even screwed up family relationships. Woody Allen's latest film is the most sharply-written, however, and that still counts for something, doesn't it?
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
SYRIANA
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
The Frontrunner
Rachel Weisz - THE CONSTANT GARDENER
This award is a bit of a toss-up, but Weisz's performance is easily the most haunting and indellible of the pack.
The Newcomer
Amy Adams - JUNEBUG
According to most who've seen it, Amy Adams is a good enough reason to see the whole movie, and I agree. Her sweet, nosy southern girl was one of the most charming and disarming performances in recent memory.
Catherine Keener - CAPOTE
Frances McDormand - NORTH COUNTRY
Michelle Williams - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
The Frontrunner
George Clooney - SYRIANA
"Fat Clooney", as many have referred to this part, was one of the most stunning performances Clooney has put on film, and Clooney himself is the new filmmaking golden boy, as 2005 really was his year. Good Night, and Good Luck may not win anything, but Clooney will triumph here.
The Guy Who Should Win
Paul Giamatti - CINDERELLA MAN
In recent years, this guy has gotten unrightfully snubbed, first for a nomination for American Splendor and then for Sideways last year. A truly deserving actor who got the SAG Award for this part, which for many actors means more than the Oscar.
The Big Surprise
William Hurt - A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Who saw it coming that Hurt's over-the-top, gangster godfather performance in one of the year's most critically-acclaimed films would punch through and take the place on the list most people thought would house Don Cheadle's name? Not me!
Matt Dillon - CRASH
Jake Gyllenhaal - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
The Frontrunner
Reese Witherspoon - WALK THE LINE
She's essentially won every award she could for this part, and March 5th will be no different. Her portrayal of June Carter is touching and authentic, and even for people who aren't fans of all her other work (me), she pulls it all off very well.
The Big Surprise
Keira Knightley - PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Don't get me wrong, I loved Pride & Prejudice, but I never thought for a moment while watching that this was an Oscar-caliber performance. Knightley plays the part, but doesn't nearly blow you away in the way Matthew MacFadyen (Mr. Darcy) and others in the movie do.
Judi Dench - MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
Felicity Huffman - TRANSAMERICA
Charlize Theron - NORTH COUNTRY
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
The Frontrunner
Philip Seymour Hoffman - CAPOTE
With a Golden Globe, SAG Award, and multiple other honors under his belt already, Hoffman is the main contender here. Heath Ledger's Brokeback performance is a big deal compared to his past work, but it's nothing compared to the virtuoso portrait of one of America's greatest writers.
The Big Surprise
Terrence Howard - HUSTLE & FLOW
Howard's pair of strong performances in this film and Crash skyrocketed him to the A-list. A truly deserving actor giving a powerful performance in one of 2005's overlooked great movies.
Heath Ledger - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Joaquin Phoenix - WALK THE LINE
David Strathairn - GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
The Frontrunner
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - Ang Lee
One of the many awards Brokeback is said to certainly win, director Lee is one of the most versatile auteur voice working today. He's a great director and he has put together a movie that could have been horrible in the wrong hands.
The Outside Shot
CRASH - Paul Haggis
The way Hollywood was rallying around Brokeback for months is what's starting to happen with Crash, so who knows, Haggis may just pick up a statue in place of his movie winning for Best Picture.
CAPOTE - Bennett Miller
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK. - George Clooney
MUNICH - Steven Spielberg
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
The Frontrunner
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
There isn't much more to be said about the awards behemoth that is Brokeback. While I don't see it picking up any acting awards, this one it's a lock for almost certainly. Why do I say almost?
The Outside Shot
CRASH
Crash has seen a major late surge in support and promotion from Lionsgate and the Hollywood community. Go figure, that with a cast of 70something actors, that lots of people across Hollywood are invested in this movie. The blunt racial commentary and strong performances cover up a didactic script and make this movie important socially.
The Big HUGE Surprise
MUNICH
It was widely expected that the fifth nominee for Best Picture would certainly be Walk the Line, but then Spielberg's Munich Olympics opus came in like a thief in the night. Widely criticized, and as a result highly controversial, this movie will pick up viewers as a result of the nomination, but certainly won't win.
CAPOTE
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
Read MoreThe Year 2005 In Review: A Preview
Next week will feature lists and summary pieces about the past year in film, as we in smaller markets only get to see a clutch of films a few weeks later than those of you lucky (or unlucky, depending) enough to live in NYC or LA.
I will say this: I'm shocked the Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven got buried at one cinema in LA for two weeks and no one outside the loop even heard about it. It's at the top of my "All-Time Movies I Liked A Lot and Wanted to Love But Some Studio Prick Decided I Wanted the Choppy Version of Instead of the Real Cut So I Thought a Completely Innocent Director Was at Fault" list.
This is made even more criminal in that it's one of the few really solid, successful attempts at a respectful representation of Muslim crusaders. Salahaddin (usually pronounced "Saladin" with a very proper English accent) in particular isn't the fire-breathing satan dragon he's been portrayed as in the past, whether in popular cinema or literature.
I wonder if the "Extended Edition" of Gladiator is better than the "Theatrical Cut" that didn't thrill me too much.
Read MoreLove Tragically
The story of Tristan & Isolde has seen nearly as many permutations as that of Romeo & Juliet, including an excellent opera by Wagner. Conspicuously lacking was a feature film adaptation, which the story can now successfully claim...depending on your taste. The trailer for T&I also illustriously joins the ranks of the "Trailers of Doom", previews that summarize the entire movie in roughly 2-3 1/2 minutes. Good work, marketers, you've managed to make the entire movie relatively unsurprising to anyone who caught the three minute version. My mother actually mentioned she was glad one wouldn't have to waste the money on seeing it, since the ad team did such a good job of showing it to us as a free bonus for seeing Brokeback Mountain. T&I is very well-shot and acted, perfectly designed and costumed, and full of stock characters and story elements you've seen before in the myriad tragic love stories that derived their stories from this one. If you're remotely familiar with what the movie's about, you know what you're going to see. The fight choreography, I must say, is very well-done, for any boyfriends being dragged to see the movie against their will. The violence outweighs the lovin' at nearly a 4:1 ratio. All sorts of weapons are used, from maces and spears to single swords and shields. At one point, we get a tournament fight where the combatants use a single sword and dagger each that blazes by from move to move. The plethora of 18-24 year-old girls sitting around me this afternoon cooed each time James Franco looked dreamy and gasped each time the lovers were betrayed by themselves or forces outside their control. Almost all of them left the auditorium with tears streaming save one particularly cute girl who could be heard saying "am I the only girl who didn't cry" to her date. Sumptuous in composition and not remotely spare in its attention to detail, the strong performances by Sophia Myles, James Franco, and Rufus Sewell, along with the rest of the cast don't change the fact that you can predict what's happens next the whole way through. A few moments that come off unintentionally goofy are entirely forgivable, but it is indeed a story you've seen before. The attention and care paid in the production values let you focus on the story, which doesn't hit you too hard over the head with messages of considering what you are and are not willing to give up for the sake of love. Sometimes, the illogical, ill-advised, and generally disapproved choice is the best one to make for yourself and the one you care for. No matter what, it's better than most all other (non-expanding/platform) new releases out at theatres.Syriana and The Squid
Just as both movies were leaving town (or so I thought), I caught Syriana and The Squid & The Whale. Both movies shot up the charts in contention as two of my favorites of the year, one probably thanks to the other. I saw the first show of the day of The Squid & The Whale was only seen by about six people other than me. Four of these six were little old women who had a terribly spirited conversation about Splenda and sugar substitutes. Squid shows all the messy details of a divorce, from the outside in and from the inside out. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, two actors who are consistently at the top of their game, play the husband and wife who make their kids' lives hell for the majority of the running time as a result of finally deciding their marriage won't work. Noah Baumbach, a sometimes-collaborator of Wes Anderson's, shows the same talent for casting as his colleague, and a similarly bare style that comes off successfully, likely thanks to lower expectations than people have of "the" Royal Tenenbaum. Unfortunately, after an expertly-crafted piece like this one, Noah will be cursed with similar preconceptions. The coping mechanisms the two young men stuck in between their parents develop are darkly comic and spiritedly tragic, thanks to how honest they come off. The elder brother elects to mimic his father while his younger brother clings closer to mom. Throwing a wrench in an already complex machinery, younger brother starts plowing headlong into puberty at the same time. The Squid and The Whale is a story about a young man fighting against himself whose parents don't realize that they're helping hurt him. It isn't terribly import who is the squid and who is the whale.Playing in the Sandbox
While I waited for Syriana to start, I saw at least twenty or thirty people stream in to the next show of Squid. It seems people have caught on to when movies are leaving town, as Thursday afternoons aren't often that busy. Soderbergh's Traffic is ten times the movie Crash is, and so is Stephen Gaghan's Syriana. Whereas Haggis' movie is super-important because people saw it in droves, Gaghan's is important thanks to its actual content. Syriana is about the soldiers of cultural imperialism and how they're crushing us with ethnocentric, anti-global business policy. The complexity of that sentence's structure is on-par with that of the film itself. For some, that's a major negative, but I'm glad that among a sea of alleged "thinking man's movies," there is one that actually deserves the title. The Molasses-to-Rum interchange from character to character takes time to develop and establish the connections between the ensemble as they relate to the oil trade and each other. Crash uses the "coincidental event" tie as a reason to smash everyone into each others' path, which honestly comes off as pretentious. Syriana sidesteps this pitfall by establishing the players as characters who are already interconnected by the oil business. There is an interconnecting event, but it doesn't try so damned hard to seem important and excessively didactic. Powerfully moving performances abound from Alexander Siddig, George "Fat" Clooney, Matt Damon, Tim Blake Nelson, Chris Cooper, and Amanda Peet (a shocker). One of my favorite notes in the film comes from the wisened lion that is Christopher Plummer. While berating a materialistic marionette prince, he spells out the "friendly relations" between the West and the Middle East almost better than the trailer-featured diatribe from Tim Blake Nelson. The most under-recognized actor of 2005 and even 2004, Jeffrey Wright, gives a fantastic performance as a man struggling under the yoke of racial prejudice. Wright's plight highlights the fact that the civil rights movement only changed surface problems for a bright, innovative black man in America. His work here, in addition to Broken Flowers and The Manchurian Candidate, is just as award-worthy as he was in Angels in America last year. Having Squid to warm my cinematic mind up was useful going into Syriana, as the majority of movies I saw in 2005 didn't make me think to much. Much to my delight, the movie didn't leave town, but rather moved across town to the AMC 20. If you're in Tallahassee or another town where Syriana is hanging on by a thread, be sure to catch it before it disappears.The Producers: The Movie Musical In Rearview
I saw the adapted adaptation again this past Wednesday night, and I enjoyed it about a hundred times more than I did the first time around. I found myself laughing and carrying on, and giving less of a care about attention to detail than...enjoying the hell out of it? It may have been the company (castmates from a local production of Jane Eyre), or just not caring as much about scrutinizing it, but I found myself having a lot more fun than I think I should have. On a related note, we have our first piece of Arthouse Cowboy reader email: I just finished reading your piece on The Producers and have to take issue with your comment "I've enjoyed the Broadway Cast Recording more as "isn't that funny, they made it a musical" than "it's revolutionized theatre" as some would falsely allege". I know I'm writing this from Australia but I don't know of anyone who has claimed it has revolutionized theatre. I've seen it (on stage) and whilst it was fun, it's a forgettable show with the worst set of lyrics I've encountered in many a year. My reading is that when it opened on Broadway, most critics saw it as a throwback to a fun, silly musical comedy that they don't make anymore and a slap it the face to the bloated English invasion a la Phantom of the Opera (and the less said about that film the better). But revolutionary? Come on! Regards, Warren Jones Me to him: I wholeheartedly agree with where I think you're coming from: the "revolution" comments and others like them come from the same folks I know here in the states who just love the newest thing to death as soon as it opens and herald it as "the show that saved Broadway". The Producers did, unfortunately, revolutionize one thing: ticket prices. The Producers shot prices through the ceiling and did change Broadway, albeit it for the worse. If you love reading or hate reading, feel free to fill my digital ear with comments or criticism.The Grand Canyon Effect
At the age of 13 I saw the Grand Canyon, in person, for the first time.
Spring Break was a wasteland of anything to do in suburban Dallas, and the opportunity to go presented itself in an optional school trip to the Four Corners states. The sights I would see, the pictures I brought back, and the money I raked in playing poker would be unforgettable.
Arches, Bryce Canyon, and a variety of other National Parks became permanently stamped in my memory, along with the fact that I got along better with the sponsors than with most of the kids on the trip itself. Toward the end of the trip, we set in on the big Kahuna: Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Growing up, you hear amazing things about this natural masterwork, and see scads of pictures. By the time you see it in person, whether at thirteen or thirty, it's not nearly as awe-inspiring because you've had all that majesty related to you way ahead of time.
By the end of our time in Grand Canyon, the most memorable thing was the price list at the local McDonald's, where their St. Patrick's Day Mint Milkshake cost four bucks and change, while a burger meal cost upwards of seven.
What the hell does any of this have to do with Ang Lee's wonderfully-composed Brokeback Mountain? I fell victim to the Grand Canyon Effect when I saw it, as will, I suppose, most of America. Everyone knows in advance what it's about, and that it ends tragically. It's getting too much coverage too fast.
Those who are staunch defenders of the film are rushing to quell the far right and naysayers, but at the same time have in effect "let the terrorists win" by watering down the effect for most of the moviegoing public. Tallahassee, a major blue-state city in a predominantly blue county, doesn't get it until January 13 at the earliest. I saw it in Dallas because I was already tired of waiting in November.
All that said, Brokeback really holds you and it breaks my heart in the last act, mostly thanks to a few under-recognized performances from Linda Cardellini, Kate Mara, and Roberta Maxwell. Jeff has thankfully had the means to do a lovely writeup and tribute to this lady in the current column on the main page of Elsewhere, which I urge you to read. He's made mention of these women and their vital performances to the film, and I couldn't agree more.
Why hasn't anyone picked out Randy Quaid's turn toward the beginning of the film as solid and authentic? The cowboys aren't just homosexuals in a straight-friendly world, they're non-western actors in a western movie, and Quaid brought that immediately to mind.
If I were a betting man (and I am), I'd pose a guess that Brokeback, frontrunner though it may seem at the moment, will fall to a sleeping giant in the Picture category.
Brokeback, by my estimation, could very easily lose steam, and to be fair, it's wonderful, but I think Match Point has it on overall points. Even though I haven't seen Munich and a few other contenders, I not only call this the best all-around movie I've seen all year, but also the lead contender for Best Picture. If there's one constant I've seen over the years in the Hollywood award dance, it's people changing partners tons of times before the clock strikes.
Heath Ledger does great here comparative to his other work for sure, but his performance is nuanced and quiet, emulating but not embodying the part like a Brando or (for a Western vet) Warren Oates would have. Good for Heath, but this doesn't put him in the pantheon like Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Capote does.
Jake Gyllenhaal has his moments of strength, but others that reminded me how often I see him giving us lines as Jake with a mustache and age makeup rather than as Jack. Michelle Williams really is the best lead performance in the pic, and Anne Hathaway does a lot more with her part than most critics have given her credit for doing.
The acting is very well-done by all accounts, but there are issues of cohesion that linger throughout. You've got Randy Quaid/Roberta Maxwell- level talent and authenticity right next to city boys being a bit out of place. The score threads simply and effectively throughout, and the pictures are pretty as hell, but there are some pieces that don't fit quite right.
The kissing at one point reminds me of how Dennis Quaid described how he and his partner in Far From Heaven went about it the wrong way: they were men kissing like kissing was a physical strength contest. Even for being men of that time when there was no Bravo on cable, that kiss just didn't read at all.
Little nitpicks like the above don't count too much with a picture that amounts to such a gorgeous big picture as Brokeback, but they make the difference between being on pitch and being just the tiniest bit too sharp.
Read MoreThe Point
Match Point is it, folks. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's the bee's knees, for all intents and purposes. Without going into plot detail, it's relatable, fine-tuned, and surprising (all in multiple ways). It's the best reason for there to be an Ensemble Acting award at the Oscars, it's a return to form (by all accounts) for Woody Allen, and it easily surprises anyone who doesn't read too much about the movie in advance. Issues of love, lust, fidelity, trust, betrayal, materialism, and social class all come up and are all at the forefront of the story. I've wanted to enjoy Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in a movie ever since I started avoiding movies that feature him, and he's very good here. Not one word or gesture coming from him seemed to mischaracterize his role in the least. That second sentence is true of every single actor I can think of in the movie, the ensemble is that good. I've found myself saying "Fuck me, that was good" ever since seeing it last Thursday, 29th December. Woody Allen really hits the mark with what I can honestly say is the worst date movie of the year. Trust me.The Promise of Gossip
Rumor Has It... had a promising, up-and-coming screenwriter-turned-director (Ted Griffin) attached to it, as well as an extremely bankable cast. There was a direct connection to one of the most iconic popular movies of the 1960's, The Graduate, and everything seemed to be going to plan. Then the director got dumped, some gossips say it was a result of "creative differences with star Jennifer Aniston that amounted to a star trying to direct from the wrong side of the camera, with Aniston wanting it to be more of a vehicle than true to the script she signed on for originally. Griffin got dumped for Rob "Alex & Emma makes us forget he made This is Spinal Tap" Reiner and everything went to shit, apparently. Thanks to the critical press as well as the ticket-buying (who didn't) public, that's precisely what happened. It was up against seven bazillion other things that had many times better quality grades. It couldn't have won if it had tried. Here's the thing: I can appreciate the movie, not only as a student of anthropology, but as an actor who's performed in far-less-than-stellar circumstances. The script itself is an interesting twisted family issues story with a redemptive ending and a novelty premise that (again, allegedly) got completely fucked by one casting choice. Shirley MacLaine makes the most of the mess around her by adapting the character she wanted to play into the goofball surroundings she got stuck with. Your heart shatters along with Mark Ruffalo, but when he isn't around, it's a wacky slapstick escapade. Kevin Costner is so "in" it isn't even funny. Richard Jenkins is always so precise it's a shame no one will see him tear the shit out of this role as Aniston's father. Aniston, meanwhile, is in another movie most of the time. She has moments of genuine empathy, but she completely dumps it out the window in others, playing 'Rachel from Friends" as this character. In the anthropological field, scientists sometimes have tiny shards of complex cultures from which to extrapolate the most intricate of civilizations. In this movie, there are pieces of "what it could have been" all over the place.The Producers: The Movie Musical in Six Minutes
I love good musicals. I love Mel Brooks humor. I love The Producers (1968). I love farce. This new vintage isn't to my taste. People howled in the evening show I saw of the Mel Brooks-produced, frankensteined musical last week in Garland's new AMC Firewheel 18 with a couple friends. I had a couple laughs out loud, but not more than one and a half times, to be really honest. You lose something going from the stage to the screen, notably jokes about intermission, the audience, and so on. You can approximate some of these, but they're never as funny as they are live. The cameos from Michael McKean, Jon Lovitz, Richard Kind, Andrea Martin, and even camera-conscious Jai Rodriguez (a Broadway replacement Carmen Ghia and one of the Queer Eye feloows) tickled me more than most of the movie did. Nathan Lane's "Betrayed" number was more entertaining than the movie that preceded it, summarizing the whole thing in under six minutes. Will Ferrell could only do so much to keep the movie entertaining too. The man's a mad raving genius in the right role. Gary Beach and Roger Bart were in another movie entirely: one I wish I'd gotten to see, because it seemed absolutely hilarious. I've enjoyed the Broadway Cast Recording more as "isn't that funny, they made it a musical" than "it's revolutionized theatre" as some would falsely allege. It revolutionized ticket prices, and for the absolute worst. If this was going to be the year of the movie musical comeback, we're screwed.Ode to an Abomination: Grandma's Boy
I resist dedicating the time to a full review of the new AdamSandlerCo movie, but had to make mention of how horrible it is, since it opens Friday. God, I just can't do it. I want to write more, but that's just helping them.Friday, December 30, 2005 at 12:17 AM
Please Hold
I've got gobs of new material that's filled a number of pages in my notebook and a whole load of photos to share, but the circumstances of making the 14 hour drive from Dallas to Tallahassee in the morning have put those journalistic endeavors on hold. I wrote that in boldface to make sure you read it as sincere...or pitiable, who cares. For reference, these are the features you can expect in the new year: Reviews of The Producers (a shrugger...wasn't great, wasn't entirely horrible either, but needed an intermission), Brokeback Mountain (Grand Canyon Effect), and the thoroughly excellent Match Point, which doesn't require snarky parentheses. Talking at the Movies with Mom, Editions 2 and 3 (Brokeback and Match Point) A new list for each major post, including an addendum to The Ones That Got Away. Overlooked actors, the Unseen piece broken into chunks, and a host of other little "Year in Review" bits. I desperately ened to sleep. Good night, folks. See you in 2006.Ones That Got Away
As seems to happen every year, there's a clutch of movies that make it to theatres, but for one reason or another (didn't come to town, was in town for a week, etc.), I didn't see. The list is composed of movies that I wanted to see, so as to not include stuff that didn't sound remotely interesting or that I didn't mind catching on DVD. In a year full of movies like Paradise Now and The Aristocrats playing to near-empty (and at times empty save for one person) houses, there are plenty of great flicks that slipped through the cracks for me and most of America. Mondovino As much as wine's popularity surged after Sideways hit big with mainstream and arthouse audiences alike, it's slightly surprising this allegedly fascinating doc about the business of wine making, bottling, and delivering didn't get the kind of release or notice as other docs did later on in 2005. The Beautiful Country Bai Ling, recently more famous for singing badly on VH1's "But Can They Sing" along with the likes of Morgan Fairchild and Joe Pantoliano, apparently gives a fantastic turn in this "now it's here, now it's gone" release from earlier in the year. From what I hear, sumptuous visuals meshed with a fascinating immigrant story made this a Terrence Malick movie without the Malick. Me & You & Everyone We Know One of the many notable directorial debuts of 2005 had heaps of acclaim before most people even saw it. Now available on DVD, Miranda July's film focuses on the difficulty in interpersonal connection in the modern world. An unemployed shoe salesman (John Hawkes) meets a lonely performance artist (Miranda July) and finds himself completely engrossed in someone he barely knows. Breakfast on Pluto Neil Jordan's latest sees Cillian Murphy taking his third "off-beat" type role in as many movies (Batman Begins, Red Eye). Murphy plays Kitten Braden, a foster child who leaves behind small-town Ireland for big city life in London. Kitten becomes a cabaret singer and meets all manner of people in 1960s/70s London, with the turbulence of the times and terrorism swirling around her. Supporting turns by fantastic actors such as Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, and Stephen Rea make this one I was sorry not to see while home. Last Days I heard extremely mixed notices on this pseudo-bio-slice-of-life/death Kurt Cobain piece from Gus Van Sant. I'll never really forgive the waste that was the 1998 Psycho remake, but Van Sant still completely won me over with Good Will Hunting and Drugstore Cowboy and a few other films to the point that I'll give him a chance no matter what might not come out quite right. Oddly, as much as I like Gus, I've still not seen Gerry or Elephant, though I'd very much like to very soon. This list may be shorter than expected, but the reason is that other films belong to a list to be posted on Thursday, The Unseen: Movies You Didn't Know You Missed in '05. Come back for thoughts on Ushpizin, (Green Street) Hooligans, The Comedians of Comedy, Where the Truth Lies Hustle & Flow, Dear Frankie, The Great Raid, Prozac Nation, Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist, Tarnation, Saint Ralph, and Little Manhattan. I'd have posted all of these today, but the list goes and goes, and I find myself continuing to add to it.2005's Last Bang: Back in Dallas
This is the time of the year for upheaval, and more so than previous years, I've been hit by the Upheaval Fairy, so I apologize for the multi-week disappearance. Most of that time, I haven't had consistent access to the net, let alone time to type things out. This week provides me a great opportunity to get back on track and ahead. Have a great time with your loved ones and look for frequent updates over the next week. With the year coming to a close, the next few days see the release of a big group of movies that I've yet to see. Before compiling a year-end list as so many already have, I've got some work yet to do, though the next few days will see the posting of lists that this fact has no bearing on whatsoever. Expect Ones That Got Away, a list of the notable movies I missed this year, as well as The Unseen (movies no one got to see) on Tuesday. Thursday I've got a sneak of Woody Allen's Match Point that I'm greatly looking forward to seeing. I'll likely shoot something up that night, with a more substantive piece following early next week.Talking at the Movies
King Kong "Okay, this is a bit excessive." -a pretty girl (the completely out of my league type) sitting just down the row at King Kong, during the three T-Rex/Kong pas de quatre in a canopy of vines Same Girl: "Why did you take me to movie with all those spiders in it?" Her Date: "I swear, I didn't know. Let's see something else this weekend, how about The Family Stone?" Girl: "Yeah, that looks really funny." -the girl from above and her date, under the mistaken impression The Family Stone is all screwball comedy The Family Stone during the trailer for Ice Age 2 Me: "I heard this movie was packed on its opening weekend while Kong was pretty sparse." My Mother: "Kong is Kong, who cares. It is what it is." during the trailer for Tristan & Isolde Mom: "Glad there's no reason to waste money on it now, they just showed us the whole movie." Mom: "Okay, we get it, the house is a cage and they're all animals, stop showing us shots of the house." Mom: "Wow." -repeated throughoutKinship and Social Chaos (Talking @ the Movies vol.2)
I caught The Family Stone just a few days ago with my mother, so I'll preface my capsule review with a transcription (from notes) of the conversation we had afterward, continued a few days yet later. There are some minor spoilers sprinkled throughout, so be aware. Mom: "That was the best cast I've seen in a long time." Me: "You mean they not only looked like they were blood, but felt like they were too?" Mom: "Yes, it felt very authentic, and extremely well-directed. The script could have made it really stupid if it weren't so well-acted and directed." Me: "You mean the partner-swap thing?" Mom: "Oh yes." Me: "As soon as Claire Danes showed up, I said, 'oh, no. I was starting to really like this a whole lot.' and then everything turned out fine." Mom: "And the brother--" Me: "Luke Wilson?" Mom: "I'm sure you would know his name better than I would." Me: "He's a really fantastic actor. I heard they were originally looking at him for the lead." Mom: "Oh, he was much better as the brother, he was a fantastic foil." Me: "Did you catch Amy wearing those rings at the end there?" Mom: "Oh yes, that was one of my favorite little touches. That's where the expert direction really shows, in those little details that aren't thrown in you face." Me: "That girl, Rachel McAdams, is a really fantastic actress, I've become a big fan of hers. She more than held her own opposite Diane Keaton, who's one of my all-time favorite actors." Mom: "Well what a great job they did of being each other. Amy was her mom but younger. They were both so wonderful." Me: "I'm glad Craig T. Nelson got this gig, he was always really undervalued until he did The Incredibles." Mom: "Overall, just wonderful." A couple days later... Me: "What did you like most about the movie, now that it's had some time to sink in? What really got you the most?" Mom: "I think the part lots of people will be really affected by is the scene with the scars in bed." Me: "Jesus, yes, that wrecked me." Mom: "I think it made a statement about all the families that have suffered and dealt with Breast Cancer, since it's really turned into something of an epidemic. The movie did a great job of striking at the heart of the concept of an ideal American woman being a Tyson chicken: all breast and thighs. Diane Keaton's character is all about what makes a real woman." Me: "Everett's breakdown with his mom was the part that really got to me the most." Mom: "Different things get to different people." Me: "There's something for everyone more than usual." Mom: "I definitely have to agree. Just great all around. You know, that Jessica Parker girl did such a fantastic job of embodying that uptight, back-East type. It sounds cheap to say, but it was really spot-on casting. I just had some problems with the cinematography. Sometimes there were moves I just didn't understand, in terms of what we were supposed to be looking at." I don't have too much else to add that Dr. Deyoe-Chiullan (Mom) and I didn't go over above, but for what it's worth, the trailers still terribly misrepresent this movie as some kind of slapstick balls-to-the-wall romp. I am very glad to see it playing strongly even in the face of Kong and The Lion, The Witch, and the Jesus Allegory in the Wardrobe. As soon as it can be on network TV for the holidays, this will become a perennial favorite on the video racks.The Gorilla Abides
There's not much that's not already been said about Kong. I also found myself in a half-empty theatre, along with most of America. The first hour or 70 minutes or so is long, but the amount of character development is strong. I couldn't imagine watching it three times in a weekend, as friends did for Jackson's Rings films or tons of girls I knew when I was 14 saw Titanic. I've studied Anthropology at FSU for the last four years, and I'll be damned if they didn't do some outstanding, awe-inspiring animal behavior animation. Just as the amazement would start to wane during each sequence, I'd be surprised to find myself saying "how much longer is this gonna go?" time after time. I love visual spectacle, and am fully capable of making the unpopular choice and proclaim my enjoyment of a movie regardless of its (often major) flaws. So many sequences started awakening the 8-year-old inside me, but just as often, I felt compelled to tug on mom's shirt and ask if we can have popcorn. The Bronto Run sequence was dazzling, and was supposed to be entirely implausible, but I still found myself wondering how there weren't more puddles of people after it was all done. Upon repeat viewings, I'm sure it'll grow on me. Dont' get me wrong, I really enjoyed the majority of it a whole lot, especially Jack Black and Andy Serkis' performance as Kong himself was virtuoso. My date had to ask if I was okay near the end when the big monkey lost his fight. That escape of breath just before he falls really killed me, and in the best parts of the movie, it did feel like I was awash in my younger years all over again. Don't let anyone tell you the movie's no good, but don't go in expecting a world-shattering, perfect adventure movie. Oh, and for the record, I dig all the chatter about Heart of Darkness.Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at 11:07 PM
Ones That Got Away
As seems to happen every year, there's a clutch of movies that make it to theatres, but for one reason or another (didn't come to town, was in town for a week, etc.), I didn't see. The list is composed of movies that I wanted to see, so as to not include stuff that didn't sound remotely interesting or that I didn't mind catching on DVD. In a year full of movies like Paradise Now and The Aristocrats playing to near-empty (and at times empty save for one person) houses, there are plenty of great flicks that slipped through the cracks for me and most of America. Mondovino As much as wine's popularity surged after Sideways hit big with mainstream and arthouse audiences alike, it's slightly surprising this allegedly fascinating doc about the business of wine making, bottling, and delivering didn't get the kind of release or notice as other docs did later on in 2005. The Beautiful Country Bai Ling, recently more famous for singing badly on VH1's "But Can They Sing" along with the likes of Morgan Fairchild and Joe Pantoliano, apparently gives a fantastic turn in this "now it's here, now it's gone" release from earlier in the year. From what I hear, sumptuous visuals meshed with a fascinating immigrant story made this a Terrence Malick movie without the Malick. Me & You & Everyone We Know One of the many notable directorial debuts of 2005 had heaps of acclaim before most people even saw it. Now available on DVD, Miranda July's film focuses on the difficulty in interpersonal connection in the modern world. An unemployed shoe salesman (John Hawkes) meets a lonely performance artist (Miranda July) and finds himself completely engrossed in someone he barely knows. Breakfast on Pluto Neil Jordan's latest sees Cillian Murphy taking his third "off-beat" type role in as many movies (Batman Begins, Red Eye). Murphy plays Kitten Braden, a foster child who leaves behind small-town Ireland for big city life in London. Kitten becomes a cabaret singer and meets all manner of people in 1960s/70s London, with the turbulence of the times and terrorism swirling around her. Supporting turns by fantastic actors such as Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, and Stephen Rea make this one I was sorry not to see while home. Last Days I heard extremely mixed notices on this pseudo-bio-slice-of-life/death Kurt Cobain piece from Gus Van Sant. I'll never really forgive the waste that was the 1998 Psycho remake, but Van Sant still completely won me over with Good Will Hunting and Drugstore Cowboy and a few other films to the point that I'll give him a chance no matter what might not come out quite right. Oddly, as much as I like Gus, I've still not seen Gerry or Elephant, though I'd very much like to very soon. This list may be shorter than expected, but the reason is that other films belong to a list to be posted on Thursday, The Unseen: Movies You Didn't Know You Missed in '05. Come back for thoughts on Ushpizin, (Green Street) Hooligans, The Comedians of Comedy, Where the Truth Lies Hustle & Flow, Dear Frankie, The Great Raid, Prozac Nation, Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist, Tarnation, Saint Ralph, and Little Manhattan. I'd have posted all of these today, but the list goes and goes, and I find myself continuing to add to it.2005's Last Shot: Back in Dallas
This is the time of the year for upheaval, and more so than previous years, I've been hit by the Upheaval Fairy, so I apologize for the multi-week disappearance. Most of that time, I haven't had consistent access to the net, let alone time to type things out. This week provides me a great opportunity to get back on track and ahead. Have a great time with your loved ones and look for frequent updates over the next week.
With the year coming to a close, the next few days see the release of a big group of movies that I've yet to see. Before compiling a year-end list as so many already have, I've got some work yet to do, though the next few days will see the posting of lists that this fact has no bearing on whatsoever. Expect Ones That Got Away, a list of the notable movies I missed this year, as well as The Unseen (movies no one got to see) on Tuesday.
Thursday I've got a sneak of Woody Allen's Match Point that I'm greatly looking forward to seeing. I'll likely shoot something up that night, with a more substantive piece following early next week.
Read MoreTalking at the Movies
King Kong "Okay, this is a bit excessive." -a pretty girl (the completely out of my league type) sitting just down the row at King Kong, during the three T-Rex/Kong pas de quatre in a canopy of vines Same Girl: "Why did you take me to movie with all those spiders in it?" Her Date: "I swear, I didn't know. Let's see something else this weekend, how about The Family Stone?" Girl: "Yeah, that looks really funny." -the girl from above and her date, under the mistaken impression The Family Stone is all screwball comedy The Family Stone during the trailer for Ice Age 2 Me: "I heard this movie was packed on its opening weekend while Kong was pretty sparse." My Mother: "Kong is Kong, who cares. It is what it is." during the trailer for Tristan & Isolde Mom: "Glad there's no reason to waste money on it now, they just showed us the whole movie." Mom: "Okay, we get it, the house is a cage and they're all animals, stop showing us shots of the house." Mom: "Wow." -repeated throughoutKinship and Social Chaos (Talking @ the Movies vol.2)
I caught The Family Stone just a few days ago with my mother, so I'll preface my capsule review with a transcription (from notes) of the conversation we had afterward, continued a few days yet later. There are some minor spoilers sprinkled throughout, so be aware. Mom: "That was the best cast I've seen in a long time." Me: "You mean they not only looked like they were blood, but felt like they were too?" Mom: "Yes, it felt very authentic, and extremely well-directed. The script could have made it really stupid if it weren't so well-acted and directed." Me: "You mean the partner-swap thing?" Mom: "Oh yes." Me: "As soon as Claire Danes showed up, I said, 'oh, no. I was starting to really like this a whole lot.' and then everything turned out fine." Mom: "And the brother--" Me: "Luke Wilson?" Mom: "I'm sure you would know his name better than I would." Me: "He's a really fantastic actor. I heard they were originally looking at him for the lead." Mom: "Oh, he was much better as the brother, he was a fantastic foil." Me: "Did you catch Amy wearing those rings at the end there?" Mom: "Oh yes, that was one of my favorite little touches. That's where the expert direction really shows, in those little details that aren't thrown in you face." Me: "That girl, Rachel McAdams, is a really fantastic actress, I've become a big fan of hers. She more than held her own opposite Diane Keaton, who's one of my all-time favorite actors." Mom: "Well what a great job they did of being each other. Amy was her mom but younger. They were both so wonderful." Me: "I'm glad Craig T. Nelson got this gig, he was always really undervalued until he did The Incredibles." Mom: "Overall, just wonderful." A couple days later... Me: "What did you like most about the movie, now that it's had some time to sink in? What really got you the most?" Mom: "I think the part lots of people will be really affected by is the scene with the scars in bed." Me: "Jesus, yes, that wrecked me." Mom: "I think it made a statement about all the families that have suffered and dealt with Breast Cancer, since it's really turned into something of an epidemic. The movie did a great job of striking at the heart of the concept of an ideal American woman being a Tyson chicken: all breast and thighs. Diane Keaton's character is all about what makes a real woman." Me: "Everett's breakdown with his mom was the part that really got to me the most." Mom: "Different things get to different people." Me: "There's something for everyone more than usual." Mom: "I definitely have to agree. Just great all around. You know, that Jessica Parker girl did such a fantastic job of embodying that uptight, back-East type. It sounds cheap to say, but it was really spot-on casting. I just had some problems with the cinematography. Sometimes there were moves I just didn't understand, in terms of what we were supposed to be looking at." I don't have too much else to add that Dr. Deyoe-Chiullan (Mom) and I didn't go over above, but for what it's worth, the trailers still terribly misrepresent this movie as some kind of slapstick balls-to-the-wall romp. I am very glad to see it playing strongly even in the face of Kong and The Lion, The Witch, and the Jesus Allegory in the Wardrobe. As soon as it can be on network TV for the holidays, this will become a perennial favorite on the video racks.The Gorilla Abides
There's not much that's not already been said about Kong. I also found myself in a half-empty theatre, along with most of America. The first hour or 70 minutes or so is long, but the amount of character development is strong. I couldn't imagine watching it three times in a weekend, as friends did for Jackson's Rings films or tons of girls I knew when I was 14 saw Titanic. I've studied Anthropology at FSU for the last four years, and I'll be damned if they didn't do some outstanding, awe-inspiring animal behavior animation. Just as the amazement would start to wane during each sequence, I'd be surprised to find myself saying "how much longer is this gonna go?" time after time. I love visual spectacle, and am fully capable of making the unpopular choice and proclaim my enjoyment of a movie regardless of its (often major) flaws. So many sequences started awakening the 8-year-old inside me, but just as often, I felt compelled to tug on mom's shirt and ask if we can have popcorn. The Bronto Run sequence was dazzling, and was supposed to be entirely implausible, but I still found myself wondering how there weren't more puddles of people after it was all done. Upon repeat viewings, I'm sure it'll grow on me. Dont' get me wrong, I really enjoyed the majority of it a whole lot, especially Jack Black and Andy Serkis' performance as Kong himself was virtuoso. My date had to ask if I was okay near the end when the big monkey lost his fight. That escape of breath just before he falls really killed me, and in the best parts of the movie, it did feel like I was awash in my younger years all over again. Don't let anyone tell you the movie's no good, but don't go in expecting a world-shattering, perfect adventure movie. Oh, and for the record, I dig all the chatter about Heart of Darkness.The Importance of Being Prejudiced
Every Jane Austen-ite girl I know anticipated this newest adaptation of Pride & Prejudice with dread.
Colin Firth's interpretation of Darcy to them epitomized everything anyone could do with the character in the BBC miniseries, in addition to it providing them all they could wish for in an exceptionally literal translation of a novel.
The line outside the Regal Governor's Square 16, which we promptly left for the AMC 20 at the other mall.
I personally recognized the marvelous acting done by Firth and Jennifer Ehle in the miniseries, but it wasn't as entrancing to me as, say, the French TV miniseries version of The Count of Monte Cristo. I could appreciate it, but it doesn't inspire the rabid rewatchability felt by so many Austen-ites.
The new film version really fires on all cylinders for me though. Matthew MacFadyen's Darcy is exceptionally well-sculpted and relatable, and the supporting cast more than do their part. Keira Knightley doesn't defy any expectations per se, but she does play the part of Lizzie Bennett very capably.
Donald Sutherland plays Mr. Bennett quietly and authentically, never going for the stereotypical father part, and though Brenda Blethyn goes the other direction, playing Mrs. Bennett extremely high-energy, her tack on the character is constantly entertaining. Jena Malone pops in as a delightfully oblivious sister Lydia, one among a family that--heaven forbid--actually resemble one another.
Judi Dench walks in sometime past the halfway point, raising the stakes as she always does. Just a week or so ago, I re-watched to 2002 Importance of Being Earnest with her as Lady Catherine's spiritual cousin, Lady Bracknell. She may end up a nominee in the Supporting Actress category rather than Lead Actress, but who knows as this point.
As a whole, the movie left my friend Aaron and I, both single guys in a "He's Not That Into You"-world, moderately deflated afterward. We both immediately said something to the effect of "I wish women would let you be 'bewitched by [them], body and soul" and the two female friends with us merely sighed and made swooning sounds about how pretty MacFadyen was.
The only hangups I had were related to suspending the disbelief of the time period and the propriety associated with it, not because I don't believe that's how it was, but because I've seen this sort of "society separates us" type story many, many times. Let's face it, most movies set in this time period are exclusively about this topic; however, this one does manage the material very well.
The line outside the Tallahassee Best Buy early Friday morning.
Regardless of definition 3, there were a couple unbeatable deals on gifts I bought for people that I knew no one else wanted. The side benefit would be standing in lines with soccer moms and other types who could give me a different angle on holiday movies.
One lady was really an art cinema enthusiast who saw In Her Shoes for the millisecond it was in town first-run. She was looking the most forward to Narnia and The Family Stone just for the cast, not taking particularly to the trailer or poster.
A woman behind us actually made a sound of disgust about that poster. Good job marketing, you've upset the red-staters.
A sherriff's deputy I met at the mall said he and the family don't go out to the movies too much, mostly getting DVDs from Blockbuster.com. He said the DVDs don't replace them going to the movies, there just isn't a lot it's worth taking the small kids to see.
He did say they were really eager to take the kids to see The Polar Express at the local IMAX, and IMAX was the best reason to take the kids, because they love it. He was really surprised to hear King Kong wasn't going IMAX, but Harry Potter was instead. That fact along meant that he might wait for video. Who knew IMAX was that big a deal to some people who don't usually go to the Mall-O-Plex.
Aaron Pagel: collegiate actor, producer, good guy, and Pac-Man champion.
People brought their 2-8 year olds, and no one left. Jesse L. Martin and Adam Pascal, moreso than anyone else, got a huge reaction from the crowd every time the show was theirs. I was also struck by how definitively "end of the 20th Century" it was when Mark (Anthony Rapp) says "smile for Ted Koppel, officer." The film is dated in a good way, capturing the spirit of multiple generations at once.
The audience's hearts heaved in unison at the funeral as soon as Martin reached the end of the first line, wailing an undulating "youuu" to the congregation. There was laughter at the somewhat Bon Jovi music video-style car approaching shot of Roger, and a young man a couple rows behind me called out "anyone have any tissues" as the credits rolled. Lots of content smiles greeted me in the lobby as I walked past everyone else.
See the film at a cinema with a decent sound system, or high belting notes will crack, and the bass will be fuzzy, as it was at Tallahassee's AMC 20.
Read MoreThe line outside the Regal Governor's Square 16, which we promptly left for the AMC 20 at the other mall.
Cowboy On the Street
Black Friday: n. (1) the day after Thanksgiving, (2) typically the busiest shopping day of the year, (3) depending on your point of view, a pox on humanityThe line outside the Tallahassee Best Buy early Friday morning.
A New Lease
Rent begins by setting the "4th wall" on fire and throwing it out the window. Regardless of what a big pile of critics are saying, Rent will continue to be well-regarded for a long while partly thanks to the genuine undercurrent of challenging expectations and authority. In Shakespeare's time, there was no such thing as the fourth wall acting teacher after acting teacher tries to convince us prevents actors in character from knowing there's an audience ten feet away. Soliloquies in Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and countless other classics are meant to be personal moments for characters to have a side conversation with him or herself as well as the audience. "Shall I heare more, or shall I speake at this?" is directed at the audience just as "Seasons of Love" is at the outset of Chris Columbus' rather impressive adaptation of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-winning opus. Part of the reason that this one song, moreso than any other in the show, is singled out as the show's signature, is that it's the catchy thesis of every single character's journey from "December 24th, 1989" to the final, lasting image of the movie. Alleging that "Rent is more dated than Hair," or that it's "no Chicago" (both said by Leah Rosen among many others) not only misrepresents the film's message and outs a bunch of critics as being as shortsighted as cable news networks...not to mention the preposterous idea that Chicago was worthy of all the praise it got in the first place.Rent: The Matinee Experience
I personally enjoy Rent's music and the show as performed live (I've only seen tours), but in its live performance, you really have to be prepared for digesting a multi-course meal. Columbus' film makes the narrative leaner and more easy to digest. I'm a big stickler for faithful adaptation, but not at the cost of the accessibility of the material. "Contact" and "Goodbye Love" are two of the more notable omissions from the film score, in addition to shorter snips here and there throughout. Similar to the recent Harry Potter movie, friends who were much bigger RENTheads than I didn't really notice until they consciously thought about it. Speaking of RENTheads, they are precisely the group I was most worried about going in to see the movie. RENTheads have a habit of singing along to the music in cars, in hallways, at Karaoke night, on a boat, and in your house. Just like eating Green Eggs and Ham, they'll sing the score anywhere, any time. Hell, I've done it, but some of these folks are serious about their right to sing "One Song, Glory" in restaurants that don't have Karaoke going on at the time. I went to see Rent twice on opening day. Not because I'm a massive RENThead, but because, for a variety of reasons, I think it's a very important film and wanted to gauge multiple reactions. I saw the early show with my friend Aaron, who had never heard the music, seen the show, or anything. He enjoyed the movie a great deal, but had the bad fortune to sit next to one of the more virulent RENTheads in the audience. She recited lines before they were spoken, as well as lyrics.Aaron Pagel: collegiate actor, producer, good guy, and Pac-Man champion.
The Late Show
The late show was full of obnoxious RENTheads, with a number singing (not quietly) along with the movie. I wasn't the only person annoyed by this, with a couple people audibly saying "no singing" throughout. The Nokia ski commercial telling people to shut off their phones got applause. Whoever cut it really has hit the thing on the head. Thank you for keeping us awake, whoever you are. "Tango: Maureen: killed like crazy, and when at first watch, the little tags after the end of songs felt a bit like applause breaks, this time, I'd further broken down my expectations and read them as codas, putting a nice button on the number. The lag after "Santa Fe" (the song, not the sequence) was a bit empty, regardless. Hilariously, in the middle of "La Vie Boheme", a small gang of Abercrombie & Fitch wearing trust fund babies got up and left. The themes are so simple and universal that they transcend the term "dated" and more accurately could be called "timeless". The rage of the Gen-X crowd and the complacency of the Boomers came through strikingly and genuinely, the "us" versus "them" division that has blurred severely with the homogenization of the two during the corporatization of America and the rest of the world. RENT, good or bad as it may do in the box office, will live on as a definitive end-of-an-era story.Harry Potter and the Cinematic Event Theory
As an arthouse snob/cineaste/film enthusiast/you name it, I should be able to resist these massive opening weekend blockbuster events, but the Anthropologist in me won't let me miss this once in a blue moon case study opportunity.
I don't read the books, and save the breath needed to tell me I should, because it only helps reinforce the fact that I won't do it under duress. An ex from high school nearly assaulted me when I told her it wasn't "my cup of tea, I prefer Oolong or Earl Grey". The audacity of enjoying science fiction and fantasy and not managing to like J.K. Rowling's pedagogic penchant for highlighting her foreshadowing with floodlights rather than flashlights! Unacceptable!
As a twentysomething looking for friendship as well as romantic companionship, I can forgive a whole lot in terms of taste, and will even pay to take a girl out to a movie I can smell from a thousand paces. I can shut off my critical allergy to bad movies and just enjoy schlock for schlock's sake. A girl doesn't need to know who Fellini or Anontioni are, much less Bresson or Peckinpah. I can deal with an inexperienced filmgoer whose idea of foreign films was shaped by Amelie and Y tu mama tambien and doesn't understand why foreign films can't just be overdubbed.
Women who are rabid about Potter are another story.
These ladies are like the majority of Austen and Wilde devotees before them: there is a certain way to appreciate the material (theirs) and virtually no other. I've rarely felt as physically threatened as when I disclose my personal misgivings about Rowling's writing style. I'm assaulted with everything from "you have no taste" to "you've no idea what you're missing" to "then what do you read?".
The movies are a different story for me, though. Better put, they've grown on me.
I refused to spend money to see Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets in theatres, I was so unimpressed with the first couple books (far as I got through the second one). Seeing them later on DVD, I felt the first two are a bit lumpy in places (more due to source material than Chris Columbus' directorial skills, in my opinion), but Cuaron's third installment got me onboard for the movies through the end. Mike Newell has kept me interested with the beefiest installment yet.
I honestly could have waited a week or a month, but I could feel something going on here, something bigger than other movies released this year.
Unlike the third movie, this one was going to be a full-on Event. This one was gonna be as big as Spider-Man, and bigger than the first flick. There just haven't been many major movies people have anticipating like this one in 2005. People are still looking for escapism just as much as they were three years ago (moreso, I'd wager), and almost no one has stepped up to the plate. Narnia and King Kong will change that, of course.
Potter fans number in the millions across the globe, and the fourth book's release marked the point of major crossover for the franchise. The first movie was coming out months later, and despite what people may tell you in polite conversation, that's when most people really jumped on the bandwagon. The movie was another big jump-on point, where folks would watch the movie and then go buy the books, skipping right on to book 2, "reading" the first one on-screen.
I found it humorous that, like a Jane Austen adaptation, this controversial (among ultra-purists) adaptation featured a big social dance scene. The band that plays in this scene is a very interesting cross-section of members of Radiohead and Pulp, and for the first time made me interested in listening to tracks on a Potter soundtrack.
Superfluity aside, the new Potter plays teen angst very well, and only has a few spots that made we want to shout the Python catchphrase "Get on with it!". Unneeded establishing shots and the terrificly anticlimactic tease of seeing four fights with dragons and only getting one stuck out, but there were surely a couple other things that made me audibly sigh.
Is Potter the end-all, be-all of modern fantasy? Of course not, but it's far from Dungeons & Dragons for sure, and manages to entertain on the screen very capably. The best thing the series has done is help push audience interest in fantasy material while at the same time improving mediocre fantasy fiction writing in its translation to the screen.
In other news, the series has caused a massive surge in sales of FSU scarves, which are garnet and gold, same color and style as Gryffindor/Hogwarts scarves.
Read MoreThe Trailer Hitch
Prior to every tentpole release, there's some sort of big-deal trailers that play. After the demise of the site's Trailer Trash column, I thought I might start running a recurring feature similar to Talking at the Movies, but about trailers seen theatrically and online. I'll throw down a couple sentences, perhaps a few notable quotables (forgive the cheap rhyme), and it'll be over before you notice. In person, an audience gives you a great insight into how the unwashed hordes are reacting to what 90% of them (I'm assuming here) base their cinematic choices on week to week. This installment is broken down into sections, but future ones will be more singularly-focused.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Monster House A CGI animated movie from Zemeckis and Spielberg (producing) about a man-eating house. Spooky but goofy and cutesy. Good crowd response, it'll sell some tickets. Cheaper by the Dozen 2 Great job done here, in summarizing the entire plot in a matter of about three minutes. These are the movies Martin and Levy do so they can afford to do their Shopgirl's and A Might Wind's. King Kong "Yeah yeah, PJ!" and "Holy shit, that's gonna be awesome!" were overheard, and the trailer is also ill of Here's The Whole Damn Movie Disease. Looks sharp and gorgeous, and I've got faith. Superman Returns "Oh my God, are you kidding?" "Have they completely run out of ideas?" "Bo-ring" (as said by Homer Simpson) "Poor Christopher Reeve, why won't they leave him alone". Not a good trailer for this at all, and not even on-par with Batman Begins's teaser. The Superman logo looks more plastic-y and Disney-esque than ever. Tease with an image of Kate Bosworth for the girlies and Spacey for everyone on earth that'll have an aneurysm when they find out he's playing Luthor. Take this thing back to the drawing board, even though the voiceover is a good touch, trash the rest. How do you make an audience full of people unenthusiastic about one of the biggest, most adored superheroes ever? This trailer is a great roadmap. Lady in the Water Shyamalan's return was greeted with groans and cheers, but more groans. "A Bedtime Story"? Are we serious here? I'm one of the minority who really liked Unbreakable, so here's hoping we don't get another movie that's based on one twist we expect coming from the trailer. Signs creeped me out, even with its corny trimmings in places. I'm gonna hold out hope for this one. Happy Feet Return of the Penguins, for the love of...you've gotta be kidding me. Robin Williams and surely a bunch of other celebs voice on this thing, which will certainly make a ton of money. Kids don't see stuff like Zathura, but all of them will see this...shoot me now. Over the Hedge This looks bloody horrible. Good voice matches to animals, but that doesn't make this a reason to sit in a cinema for an hour point five. The Shaggy Dog "So Disney needs to make a new version of all their tired old ideas for each generation now?" -Eric Hurst (Artistic Director, Theatre a la Carte) That says it all, except for the fact that this trailer also suffers from Whole Damn Movie Disease.At Walk the Line
Casanova I just hope the swordplay makes this worth it. This is definitely not the award contender starring Heath Ledger, just something released to get women in seats while on holidays. Munich Eric Bana, Daniel Craig (the new James Bond), Geoffrey Rush, and Stephen Spielberg's names will be on everyone's lips come the end of the year. This movie is gonna end up being a big deal, no matter how good or bad people say it is. The middle-agers and up, who have been drawn out by Good Night, and Good Luck. as well as Capote in their limited releases will go out in droves to see something they were "there for", even though for almost all of them, it was by way of TV. Tony Kushner's name on it seals the deal for me, and just reminds me of how much I wish they'd released Angels in America theatrically before HBO-ing it.Recent Apple Trailers
The Break Up Affair buzz will lead this one to a higher take than it probably deserves, but at least we didn't see all the jokes in the trailer, just one reasonably flat one. Hostel Just watching this trailer makes me writhe in my seat. Eli Roth getting a chance to go as grotesque and grimy as Saw intrigues me, but the general public will see "Saw clone", but maybe they'll give it a chance while waiting to waste money on Saw III. The World's Fastest Indian Anthony Hopkins plays a man from New Zealand with a wickedly fast motorbike. For once, he isn't "the professor" or "the guide" or "the wise one"! Cheers for movies based on remarkable true events. Let's hope it's as good as the trailer allows us to believe. Mrs. Henderson Presents As fluffy as this looks, it'll entertain and play well to a wartime (though that isn't how it feels day in day out, eh?) audience. Every mom will take her daughter over the holidays while father takes son to the strip club. Bloodrayne According to people I know have watched it, on the House of the Dead DVD commentary track, director Uwe Boll compares his seminal Trash Epic to cinema classics such as Gone With the Wind and...Schindler's List. Why are people giving this guy multiple tens of millions to make terrible junk and skittish about giving Chris Columbus (or anyone for that matter) as much as they need to make Rent? Answer: the world isn't fair. Duane Hopwood David Schwimmer is Ross from Friends, but is a drunk with a kid. I'd like to see him do something new, and I think America agrees. First Descent For once, an extreme sports movie trailer makes me interested to see it. Drop the best snowboarders in the world in dangerous, uncharted snowboarding territory, and show one of them snowboarding through an avalanche, and you have my attention. This'll catch people on ESPN, but I don't see it making a lot at the box office. Ellie Parker Struggling Actress: The Movie. In a world...where the movie is shot on DV, and the trailer looks like it's a fourth-generation bootleg off a VHS tape, it still looks like a movie it's easy to pass on. The Libertine Johnny Depp. Sex. Period costumes. Controversy. Every Depp-lusting fanatic in the states only needed the first two to advance their heart rate, but the last two make it even better. The Fountain Wow, that was fast. That's really all one can say, yes? Grandma's Boy What the hell is this mess supposed to be about, exactly? Videogames and a guy pretending that he's sleeping with a trio of old ladies doth not a compelling concept make. To 3am on HBO with you! Big Momma's House 2 We don't need this. I can't believe I watched it.Talking at the Movies: Separate Lies & Good Night, and Good Luck
after Separate Lies....
A Wife: "That poor man."
Her Husband: "Well honey, he was sorta a asshole."
Me: "Who? Bill or James?"
The Wife: "Both."
The Husband: "The kid? He was a sonuvabitch, but the older fella, his wife never really gave a rat's a--"
The Wife: "Harold, let's go."
The Husband: "What? Oh, fine."
Me: "What'd you think?"
Older Lady Who Obviously Hadn't Had a Chat With a Guy My Age in a Long While: "It was sad, but it was smart, and it ended real good."
Me: "What'd you think?"
The Girl My Age: "Like, it gives you a lot to think about. I really had no idea like, you know, where it was going. You know?"
After exiting the theatre, I overheard her starting the "we need to talk" conversation with some hapless bastard on her cell phone.
Good Night, and Good Luck.
after the film....
"I forgot McCarthy was that much of a bastard."
"That's the best movie I've seen in a long time."
"I wish they made a TV show like that, then I'd have somethin to watch."
Older Jewish Lady Who Stayed For the Credits: "Did ya like it?"
Me: "Yes, very much
Older Jewish Lady: "Ya should bring awl yeh friends teh see this moovie, sweetie. Then maybe they learn somethin, yeh?"
Me: "I'll do my best."