Electric Shadow

Bachchan Challenges UK's Guardian

Amitabh Bachchan just today has issued a formal request for correction/retraction over the Guardian's two (I knew about one, not the other) erroneously-sourced, trash slam pieces that used his blog as reference material. I called attention to the situation yesterday. For those who've seen Slumdog, you know a little about how big a deal he is in Bollywood. For those who don't, think of the five top A-list US actors, combine their fame & acclaim, add in the legend status of the same number of Redfords, Newmans, and Deans. That's close to how famous and big of a deal he is.
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Slumdog Back and Forth

Perception can be deceptive, and when it so happens that you open your mouth and people take you at your word, this tendency becomes dangerous in this Imperial Information Age of ours. The wide-sweeping wins of Slumdog Millionaire from one critics' group to the next and the recent exposure (I can't bring myself to say "prestige") of its Golden Globe trophy have exposed it to more backlash, both realized and potential, than ever before. Before I can address my general grievance with the piling-on of hate for this beguiling "little" big film, I must clear up some misconceptions being slung in the interest only of the continuance of news for sake of news. The multitude of directions in which the comments go on Jeff's recent post of a reader's thoughts on Slumdog's inferred mediocrity is an interesting case study of the American (or US-influenced) perspective on the film, where some will defend it as more deserving than standard-issue Oscar Bait and others will shitcan it for not being as beloved to them personally as WALL-E or The Dark Knight, going so far as to invoke the classic "I'll be damned if X movie gets attention and Y movie, which is truly one of the greatest ever made, is ignored. Hollywood elitism at its finest!" flavor of vitriol. The plain truth of the matter is that this is why creative types are in their nature adverse to any sort of awards though secretly love them. Asserting that there is one (movie, actor, script, etc.) specific, objective "Best" anything is inherently ridiculous, since the nature of drama is that it affects everyone differently and quite subjectively. Drama for drama's sake! It makes as much sense as the Bowl Championship Series determining who competes against whom in the NCAA football playoffs. I never thought I'd compare the cinema to American football, so help me. Creatives get all this (minus the football), but they are just as subjectively biased toward this or that not deserving just as they love one thing more or less than someone else. It's all about personal causes and selfish ethnocentricity and prejudice and the whole ball of wax. This is why the internet is such a fascinating and maddening place full of hypocrites, Judases, gods and samaritans depending on who is reading what. This is why the ever-more-mind-numbing series of year-end lists you see is so much preferred by creative types as their judgment on each Year As It Was. So why am I going on about perspective in the same way you sat through a discussion of it stoned or otherwise aloof in high school or college? Nirpal Dhaliwal, a writer for the Guardian wrote up a piece that was linked in the aforementioned Elsewhere post, championing Slumdog Millionaire as a film that could have only been made from a Western perspective and that Amitabh Bachchan was backlashing away on his personal blog. Be as it may that Boyle made a movie that no pioneering Indian-native visionary with his relative clout would (or could) have and it receive the acclaim that it has, a crucial error is overlooked here. I read Amitabh Bachchan's blog semi-regularly, and his comments in this entry seem to have been misinterpreted intentionally to prove a point on both sides of the Slumdog argument. Bachchan addressed this two days later. As far as I've seen, Bachchan hasn't even seen Slumdog Millionaire or directly commented about his thoughts of the film itself. In the original post, he's presenting a couple things that he's seen relentlessly bandied about in his own comments section and adding the slightest bit of commentary. He notes that there are plenty of comments from Indian readers who are that country's equivalent of the States' Nationalist Fanatics who are tens times as "over-sensitive" as they accuse their hated liberal brethren of being. Bachchan adds that every developed country in the world has a Slumdog underbelly, and it's true! Argue all you want that focusing on the slums and the poor is some sort of exploitation, but isn't that what cinema is all about? Voyeurism and exploitation are key ingredients or there wouldn't be a camera recording everything and you wouldn't be watching! Show me where in this movie someone staresinto the camera and tells you "India is a shithole slum where everyone is murdered and robbed" in the style of Reefer Madness. Mumbai Madness, it should have been called, yes? As to why I use the word "beguiling" so many paragraphs ago, one of the reasons I was particularly taken by the film is that it a deceptive beast, really. I watched it first in October at the Austin Film Festival, and afterward said to a friend "if there were justice in the world, movies like this would actually get awards exposure more often than stuffy period dramas primarily spoken in english-accented english." It's from the director of 28 Days Later, Shallow Grave, and Trainspotting, set in India with a great deal of non-English being spoken, and has no recognizable American stars. Described to a friend, it would sound like arthouse, elitist preachapalooza, but turns out more easy to watch than a gameshow itself (even making gameshows like the one at its center seem half-enjoyable again). I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact Slumdog is an odds-on favorite for not only Best Picture nomination, but to win the prize according to the odds. There are those who allege that it would take them multiple viewings to "catch everything" but the same could be said of The Dark Knight, which people I know had seen four times by the time I saw it once. There are also those that would say the Academy's out of touch and "elitist" for whatever reason for possibly nominating this movie instead of WALL-E or The Dark Knight. It would be wonderful if the Academy defied all expectation and put out a list like the following to knock everyone on their ass because this year's Oscar Bait didn't get everyone biting: The Dark Knight Man on Wire Slumdog Millionaire WALL-E Waltz With Bashir ...but they just won't. Slumdog is a very universally appealing and different kind of thing than much of its competition, and I can't see why either of those qualities is a bad thing. What I wonder now is why people are assailing this film for "taking up a spot" and not even touching Frost/Nixon, which, while admirably put together and interesting on its own, really is in a different tier of what I would call memorable. Very good, yes...but one of the five best films of the year...I don't think so. You see, I've tricked myself into getting tied up in all this crap. Enough. The nominations will be out in a few days and I'll have some more things to say then. As for tomorrow, I'm working on a response to some hilarious things I read about Che (mostly the movie and little about the person) on Big Hollywood.
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Disc Roundup (Movies) 11.10.09


Catalog Release of the Week XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (Blu-ray & DVD) New Release of the Week XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (Blu-ray & DVD) New Release Catalog New to Blu Catalog New to Region 1 Reissue Direct to Video Disc Roundup (Movies) is posted each week at some point, depending on how many discs there are to get through. Unless otherwise noted, screener copies of titles reviewed were provided by the respective studio. If you think I've missed something, feel free to send me an email.
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Disc Roundup (Movies) 11.03.09


Catalog Release of the Week XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (Blu-ray & DVD) New Release of the Week XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (Blu-ray & DVD) New Release Catalog New to Blu Catalog New to Region 1 Reissue Direct to Video Disc Roundup (Movies) is posted each week at some point, depending on how many discs there are to get through. Unless otherwise noted, screener copies of titles reviewed were provided by the respective studio. If you think I've missed something, feel free to send me an email.
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Shine On Me

I'm way late to the party by internet standards, but this is one of the most entertaining things I've seen in a LONG time on YouTube. Completely ridiculous, but better than the couple minutes apiece I spent watching trailers for In the Name of the King and Eragon. Regular posting returns later today.
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Rebutting Che

Like so many arguments There is a repeated cycle in Cuban politics of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and one flavor of dictator substituted with another. http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jlima/2009/01/09/some-thoughts-on-soderberghs-che/#comment-28233
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Last Emperor's Scarlotti Rightfully Recognized

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=awardcentral&jump=news&articleid=VR1118009593 The Art Directors Guild plans to induct three members to its hall of fame. Malcolm F. Brown, art director for "Cat Ballou" and the first season of "The Twilight Zone"; Ferdinando Scarfiotti, Italian production designer for "Scarface" and "American Gigolo"; and Bob Keene, production designer for some Academy and Grammy award shows, will all be honored. The Feb. 13 ceremony, to be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, will also include the presentation of awards in nine competitive categories and of the lifetime achievement nod. Nominations for the competitive categories will be announced Jan. 8.
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Can You Find Trick R Treat?

Back in 2007, I was saying that Mike Dougherty's Trick R Treat could take the Halloween franchise crown from Saw with a minimum of effort. Now that it's is finally available for mass consumption on DVD & Blu-ray, it's virtually impossible to find in brick and mortar outlets. After trying big box retailers near me, I found Wal-Mart and Target that weren't carrying it at all, and Best Buy was sold out. Reports like this are coming in from all over the country on message boards and Twitter feeds.

This is just another interesting footnote in the unreasonably rough road to release the movie has seen. Trick R Treat is an anthology horror film (in the vein of Creepshow) that deals with how the spirit of Halloween infects a small town. There are four separate sections to the film, with a creepy little "kid" with a sack over his head named Samhain popping up throughout. It managed to not freak out my wife, who can't take the torture porn and straight-up slasher movies that clog the cineplexes these days. Instead of people rallying to be a part of a gigantic marketing buy from Paramount to "demand" Paranormal Activity go nationwide (as if it won't), I wish there were a more concerted effort to demand availability of Trick R Treat in retail stores nationwide. We can all just order from Amazon and wait, or buy it VOD with no extras for an outrageous $15, but this is not some boutique release, this is a title people have been wanting to get their hands on for a couple years now. It's sold out or backordered all over the country, from burgs to major metros. Like me, do you want yours NOW? Sound off in the comments below
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hiatus continuing, back soon

My father had a stroke a couple days after my last post. It's been a rather full and hectic world for me since then, but I nonetheless apologize for my without-a-trace disappearance. I'm not going anywhere, and am in fact returning to not only this column but am taking the reins of the long-derelict Discland area of the site. The first new post there in some time will be a review of the new Criterion Bluray edition of The Last Emperor. Can't yet guarantee a day, but it'll be this week.
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MIADVD

The Friends of Eddie Coyle Bigger Than Life
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Ironweed (1979) on DVD 24 Feb.

Playbill reports that the Nicholson/Streep-starring Ironweed is set to hit DVD for the first time on 24 February 2009. No word on extras, but good to see the movie going digital. MSRP is a tenner and a five, probably indicating a $9.99 first-week price. Here's five minutes I found on YouTube: Was no one available for "30th anniversary" extras? Guess not.
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BNAT X Post Mortem Part Two

The legend from last night: Trailers in italics, previews in bold, features in big bold. First full writeup comes this afternoon. Beastmaster 2 C.H.O.M.P.S. Hot Dog lobby snack ad The Secret of Magic Island The thought of remaking Beastmaster (was that being talked up) makes me chuckle. Devin from CHUD is right-on wanting to see The Secret of Magic Island. Looks like an ASPCA horror show of animal abuse. White Dog (1982) I gotta be honest, I missed parts of this due to exhaustion and slow, lingering closeups. Definitely deserves a re-watching and poring-over of the extras on the new Criterion edition. Push (2009) This looks utterly atrocious. I wish I could be more charitable than that. Know1ng (2009) This, on the other hand, looks great. Proyas wisely chose a solidly-choreographed sequence to send. Observe and Report (2009) Having recently re-watched The Foot Fist Way, I can't wait to see something else from the pen/typing hands of Jody Hill. Terminator Salvation (2009) McG looks to have a winner on his hands. He just needs to let the movie speak for itself and do what it does. Watchmen (2009) I've kept my wife entirely in the dark about Watchmen and what it is, and her reaction was, "that looks like it's going to be amazing. When does it come out?" Latino Encounter Amin: The Rise and Fall Pop Tarts commercial Mission Thunderbolt Latino Encounter only tangentially (I think?) involved actual latinos, Amin was a holdover from last year but the human bacon bit makes it hilarious each time, did you know pop tarts now feature frosting?, and I can't remember the last trailer for the life of me. Che (2008 Roadshow Cut) This was a rough time for almost everyone in the audience. This was the one thing I was desperate to see that I couldn't have otherwise, and it was excellent. Politics and armchair directing aside (the reasons most are slamming it combined with lack of what I consider reasonable movie-going patience), a brilliant achievement. ------------------------------------- I had to get something up here or I'd be behind. Today and throughout the week (maybe into the next) I'll be giving each piece of the puzzle its own attention. Admittedly, last year had its ups and downs, but this year's was universally strong. I never felt "bought," but all the same will give the various giveaway goodies their own focus, including Sex Panther cologne from Anchorman, which roughly 20 of my workmates have told me they are buying.
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BNAT X Post Mortem Part One

Blocking out 24 hours of your life on a weekend this time of year for an all-you-can-be-fed film festival makes various things very difficult to catch up on, especially sleep and your day job. I've recovered enough on both fronts that I can start piecing together adequate coverage of this year's 26-hour (once all was said and done) tenth annual Butt-Numb-a-Thon. I'll be delivering full-length features on individual films and chunks of related material, topping it off with a BNAT list of some sort regarding favorites and so on. For now, I'll drill through the lineup as it happened, trailers and all, limiting myself to one line apiece. Trailers in italics, previews in bold, features in big bold. Deal with it. Part two in the morning. Invasion USA The Slumber Party Massacre Pinnochio's Birthday Party Stunt Rock Chuck Norris fearmongering, slasher classic, terrible children's cash-in and a BNAT tradition. Teen Wolf (with Teen Wolf live, cut short by projector malfunction) The annual poking of fun at Harry Knowles' pal Jeff Mahler. Fake "wolf teeth" are always good for a laugh. Viva Villa (1934) Unintentionally homoerotic and full of man-love tension...entertaining as hell. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) I'm glad I went in without staggering expectations. One of the year's best that I've seen, but requires 2.5-hour patience, which not as many have these days. Coraline (3D) Freaky and full of anti-establishment sentiment. Beautiful stop-motion work. The reason 3D should exist. Dr. Pepper Commercial The Terrornauts Ashley and I perked up at a commercial for our favorite soda (which we prefer the cane sugar variety of, made here in Texas) and chuckled at how badly someone can cut a trailer. Sahara (1943) Ashley can't roll with Bogart and feels him unappealing. I however love the guy, and he's full of salt and vinegar here. Doc Savage Mega Force The Villain Doc Savage always makes me laugh, Mega Force did not, in fact, contain the greatest stunts I'd ever seen, and I had never even heard of The Villain but now want to find it desperately. Valkyrie (2008) I expected to hate this movie for a laundry list of reasons that had nothing to do with giving the movie a shot. Others have said it "gets the job done and that's it," but I think that's why it's one of the most clean, efficient, no-bullshit things I've seen all year. UP (2009) One of my favorite things I saw. I'm in the tank for Pixar, but I didn't know what to expect. Animatics and storyboards made me well up. Metropolis (1984 Moroder cut) The sound was up waaayyy too high to the point Ashley and I had headaches for the next four hours or so. Hadn't seen it all the way through, and we were watching the only print known to exist. Monsters Versus Aliens (2009) 20 minutes or so, 3 scenes The 3D in this didn't wow me, some of the gags tried too hard, and Stephen Colbert was about the only thing that I unconditionally enjoyed. Not a fair way to judge it compared to the contiguous chunk of UP we saw. My Bloody Valentine The Devil Within Her Metalstorm I barely remember these. My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) I'm not a horror fiend, gorehound, or whatever. This isn't my kind of movie, but it's much, much better than a lot of the crap being sequelized. It knows what it is and what it's doing, and I'll be damned if it doesn't use the 3D as a tool to stand out and not just blend in with the other slashers out there. A moviegoing event for the horror-hungry masses. I Love You Man I missed giant chunks of this due to Ashley still feeling the after-effects of Metropolis, but the consensus seemed positive among those I spoke with. Not earth-shattering, but a good pile of fun and contrast to Valentine. It was just announced as opening night film for SXSW, so I'll see it properly there.
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BNAT X: Last Minute Thoughts

Getting prepped for a 24-hour film festival takes a lot out of you. Ashley and I are getting our last things done before heading to the Alamo South Lamar, and I wanted to throw some last minute guesses based on the "fake lineup" Harry posted late last night. The movies below correspond to something we're seeing, whether new, old, clips or the whole movie. 1. THE CHAMP (1931) -not The Wrestler, that's too obvious 2. SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980) -Star Trek 3. ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010) -Coraline 4. ISHTAR (1987) -Reds? hell, I have no clue 5. THE STING (1973) -something with Newman. This is NOT The Brothers Bloom, it played Fantastic Fest. 6. KURENAI NO BUTA (1992) -Ponyo on a cliff 7. FLASH GORDON (1980) -Flesh Gordon 8. GOJIRA TAI MEKAGOJIRA (1974) -Monsters vs Aliens 9. DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) -this is a stretch, but High Noon, linking from Grace Kelly 10. THE THIRD MAN (1949) -no clue 11. BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) -Valkyrie 12. FIRESTARTER (1984) -Grey Gardens? Whip It!? 13. THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE (1961) -2012 14. GREEN HORNET (2010) -Observe and Report 15. WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE? (1978) -Watchmen 16. EL CID (1961) -Che 1 & 2 (wishful thinking) 17. A BOY AND HIS DOG (1975) -The Road Most of these guesses are probably WAY off, but here's to guessing. See everyone on the other side.
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