Electric Shadow

Efron Can Open Orson Welles

For me, Obsessed is not the story of the weekend. Now that 17 Again has solidified the idea that Zac Efron can open and sustain something that doesn't have High School Musical or another brand stamped on it, it's time to talk about Me and Orson Welles.

Christian McKay, who will be nominated for major awards if Me and Orson Welles is finally released this year
Many are quick to disdain anything that Efron is associated with, but don't let his Disney channel affiliation and wild success turn you off of him here. Even though I've not invested any time in the High School Musical movies, I thoroughly enjoyed him in Hairspray and now this. Instead of playing some super popular jock as would be convenient typecasting, he is a daydreaming artiste-in-the-making. He's alternately naive and arrogant, showing a range and vulnerability he's not had the opportunity to as of yet. Given the plot of the piece, where Welles gives Efron's Richard his break into showbusiness, it's ironic that the "kid" is Welles' ticket into theaters at this point.

Efron brooding
After seeing Welles in March at South by Southwest, I'm amazed it hasn't found distribution yet (last anyone heard). This movie must not go direct to VOD or DVD, it demands a theatrical presentation. It's in the same vein as other films where a real-life figure is involved in "putting on a show." It's definitely as good and in my mind better than Shakespeare in Love if we're comparing apples to apples. Christian McKay's performance as Welles is so good that many reviewers at Toronto last year allowed it to overshadow a very solid coming-of-age period piece. That isn't to say that McKay's Welles isn't worthy of effusive praise, as it's much more than an impersonation. What McKay has produced is a charming, comprehensive channeling of Orson, rich with texture and completely authentic. It's so well done that the superstitious part of me wonders if the cursed luck that daunted much of Welles' later life has somehow infringed on the future of this film.

The only decent photo I could find of James Tupper
As in their real-life counterparts' collaborations, I find it unfortunate that James Tupper's performance as Joseph Cotten has been mostly overlooked for that of McKay. Eddie Marsan also does a sturdy job as John Houseman, a stark contrast in type to his Scott in Happy Go Lucky last year. It would be inaccurate and hyperbolic to call it the greatest film of the year, but it certainly deserves mention as one of the best movies I saw at SXSW and one of my favorites of 2009 thus far. I go see it twice, buy it, and recommend it to friends. I happened to bring a friend along back in March, knowing what this "Secret Screening" was in advance. He's a generation or two older, loves the films of Stanley Kubrick and almost compulsively collects books and movies. He first decided I was worth talking to when our introductory conversation turned to Lawrence of Arabia and 2.35:1 aspect ratios. He loves the smell of books upon books lining the shelves of his den at home and is generally bored by the majority of wide releases each year. After the movie was over, he expressed gratitude for my pressing him to be there at 11am on a Monday. He added something to the effect of, "I didn't feel like a second of my life was wasted watching that. That's rare these days." Me and Orson Welles is a fully satisfying film of its species and breeding that especially deserves to be seen by aspiring creatives: the naive, the jaded, and all in between. We need movies every once in a while that celebrate the craft and history of the stage. There is truly nothing like live, electric theatre. I ascribe to the idea that there are certain staple stories that need to be (and are) done every so often. They are not as often done well or hungrily enough, but this one hits it on the nose. Not everyone will walk in to Welles and walk out revived by the spirit of creativity, but I sure did. Revived and well-fed, I was spoiled for the rest of the festival.
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Most Wanted: The Work of Jack Cardiff

Many have already acknowledged the passing of Jack Cardiff, one of many great cinematographers who people know better by his work than his name. For those who love his craft in any capacity behind the camera, it's time to look at where there are holes in home viewing options. He directed a few features that are still missing on DVD (already featured in our Most Wanted box), but I wanted to give as comprehensive a look as possible at all of his work and where it stands digitally. For someone so associated with the images he burned into the memories of many, I've included those titles he shot that may be on DVD, but not yet Blu-ray, knowing full well that the progression to Blu takes time. As Cinematographer

Hepburn and Bogart
The African Queen (Huston, 1946) Paramount has long-promised this would eventually come to DVD (and now Blu-ray), and it stands as one of the prestige catalogue titles not yet available on home video in the US since VHS. It has been available on DVD in what looks like an all-region Hong Kong dupe of questionable quality for a few years.

Still unreleased, VOD only, and Out of Print
The Awakening (Newell, 1980) Charleton Heston is featured as an archaeologist whose daughter is possessed by an ancient Egyptian spirit. Those archaeologists and their propensity for entanglements with evil spirits! Susannah York is in it as well, and fans of the Harry Potter movies will recognize Miriam Margoyles in a small role. This title has not been on DVD in the US, though it has popped up in the UK and Australia. Americans do have the option of VOd renting through Amazon on their computer for the time being. Death on the Nile (Guillermin, 1978) Starz/Anchor Bay released this Ustinov-starring Poirot movie in 2001, but it has since gone out of print. It would be nice to see a DVD/Blu rerelease alongside other Poirot titles they have. Directed by Cardiff The Mercenaries (aka Dark of the Sun, 1968) This is his greatest directorial effort not released to DVD. Described quite accurately as a cross between The Dirty Dozen and Heart of Darkness, Rod Taylor's performance here is raw and intricate, absolutely stellar. With the major studio release this year of a "death squad on a mission" movie (Inglourious Basterds), one could hope we see MGM or whoever controls Dark of the Sun (as many know it from VHS) give it a decent release at least in time for the Tarantino movie's home video release. That's something I'd buy five of for friends. A great discovery for many that has faded due to never seeing any kind of digital release.

Young Cassidy (1965) John Ford started out directing this movie and then passed the reins to Cardiff when he fell ill. It tells the story of Irish playwright Sean O'Casey (here renamed Johnny Cassidy) and stars no less than Rod Taylor wrestling with choosing from two love interests: a prostitute (Julie Christie) and a bookshop clerk (Maggie Smith). Having never seen it and only read about it, this looks like a lightweight, melodramatic biopic like any other, but the headliners and supporting cast demand it be viewable. Michael Redgrave, Flora Robson, Jack McGowran, Sian Phillips, and Edith Evans are all good reasons to

Dean Stockwell and Mary Ure
Sons and Lovers (1960) Dean Stockwell with a controlling mother bearing down on him plus early 1960s monochrome. Fox owns the rights, so who knows if we'll ever see this one. There's an Australian disc and a Hong Kong crap transfer, but that's not good enough for me. B&W deserves justice.

Marianne Faithfull
The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968) Released in 1999 and now out of print. Alain Deleon and Marianne Faithfull star. Wife leaves her husband and hits the road on a Harley. M.I.A. on Blu War & Peace (Vidor, 1956) Paramount put this one out in 2002. It could be a good addition to a burgeoning catalogue selection. The Barefoot Contessa (Mankiewicz, 1954) MGM released a bare version of this in 2000. I don't care if they make me buy it in a 3 or 4 movie set, I would like to see it in 1080p.

Moira Shearer
The Red Shoes (Powell & Pressburger, 1948) Black Narcissus (Powell & Pressburger, 1947) A dance classic and an emblematic Britons-in-the-jungle story. Criterion's existing editions of both currently sit on the my top Criterion shelf (I have them separated for cataloging purposes). Now that I've seen a few pre-1960 transfers from them and WB, I'm hungry for both of these. I'll pay the upgrade cost on all the ones I already own.

Kim Hunter and David Niven
A Matter of Life and Death [aka Stairway to Heaven] (Powell & Pressburger, 1946) This is available in a double feature package released in January (paired with Age of Consent). Sony have it, and as the progenitors of Blu-ray, this one would be a stellar catalogue title for them to get on store shelves. It's the movie that introduced me to David Niven, and I could watch it any day of the week.

Ava Gardner in Pandora
Pandora and The Flying Dutchman (Lewin, 1951) Kino released this one in 2000. Starring Ava Gardner (also in front of Cardiff's lens in Contessa), James Mason plays a mysterious potential love interest in a picture that isn't very deep, but is great to bask in the technicolor glow of on a Sunday afternoon. The Kino DVD is currently sitting in the Blu-ray price range at $26.99 on Amazon. I'd rather wait a few years than drop that on a 9-year-old DVD at this point.

Screen capture from DVD Beaver's review of Under Capricorn.
Under Capricorn (Hitchcock, 1949) Image released this in 2003 on DVD. I'm not a huge fan of it, but for completion's sake, it should be available in HD, both due to Cardiff's work and the fact it's a Hitch title. The Black Rose (Hathaway, 1950) Tyrone Power, Orson Welles, and owned by Fox. This was part of their 2007 Tyrone Power box set, and I hope to see the thing just rereleased with a Blu coat of paint.

Screencap from Vikings cropped to prevent spoiling.
The Vikings (Fleischer, 1958) Another MGM title dropped on DVD in the early 0's, the 2.35:1 photography demands a Blu-ray transfer with a cast like Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine, and Janet Leigh. The DVD is ten bucks, but I'd pay $20 for Blu. Put it in a box with two other things I don't care about, and I'll buy it anyway. Legend of the Lost (Hathaway, 1957) John Wayne and Sophia Loren star. MGM owns it, and could pack this in a three-movie set of other Wayne movies, easy. Gorgeous frames of West Africa before a series of conflicts split it into a bunch of pieces.

Leslie Caron in Fanny (photo again from DVD Beaver's review)
Fanny (Logan, 1961) Image released this in 2008 after many clamored for it, and I'm uncertain of the quality that came across. As with many of their releases, it's a mixed bag from what I've read, with dirt and flaws marring the opening sequence. Image does not appear to have done any cleanup or restoration, which Cardiff's photography of Marseilles demands. Some are glad it's available, but many fans stay away. Questions abound as to whether Warner Bros. still retains any rights to this title. If they do, they should slap it and a couple other non-marquee name musicals into a restored Blu box and I'd buy it. The Dogs of War (Irvin, 1980) Early 1980's merc movie with Walken and Berenger. Another MGM 2001 release. People buy bundles and double features. Pair it with another action movie from the same era and charge $20.
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The Emperor's Magic Box

There have been a number of developments of late that have started to finally awaken the vocal when it comes to the ridiculous state of digital movie and TV distribution in the U.S. There are various failings that all have to be remedied to keep the selling of movies and TV shows viable in all forms, including physical media. puzzlebox.jpg So many have tried to peg one brand on my generation, the one allegedly ruining the music and movie industries with their compulsive downloading. Since my childhood, I've repeatedly heard how spoiled my generation is, how we've never really had to suffer or go without, and I absolutely agree. We're a bunch of spoiled, uncultured jerks for the most part. Our "rebellion" has emulated that of previous generations, as has our choice in fashion. We're nothing if not derivative to a fault in our collective output and analysis of the world around us. Advances in technology and how we use it have highlighted us as a generation of Little Emperors, the Generation of Entitlement. Our tantrums and acting out have hastened the decline in profitability for media that we thrive on, as we want it now and the established infrastructure of delivery isn't fast enough to keep up. What many are ignoring is that it's not just the bad eggs who are the problem when it comes to media delivery. Everyone has become fed up with how hard it is to do something that seems so easy: giving people the content they want when they want it. The Fall of Brick & Mortar I recently had trouble finding a Best Picture winner (1951's An American In Paris) the day of release on Blu-ray at Best Buy. The closing of Circuit City has also been noted as another reason Best Buy remains comfortable only stocking catalogue releases online and not in-store. As noted in my piece linked above, this phenomenon is not limited to Best Buy, and the only place in Austin I've found these titles is Fry's Electronics, a filthy barn of a place. Jeff recently noted that for the life of him, he couldn't find a copy of the newly restored and remastered Nickelodeon from director Peter Bogdanovich. If you can't find it in New York City, there's something wrong. Why have physical media if you can't go and get it? The thrill of the hunt is a big part of the joy. The majority of my first date with my wife was comprised of scouring Tallahassee, Florida for one specific title on DVD. There used to be just a price premium in the way of getting something in person, but now you don't even have the option to get it, even if you pay more. With the Virgin Megastores closing, Richard Branson's own proclamation that the future isn't in brick & mortar outlets is coming true all around us. The Content Many blame the recession and the proliferation of illegal downloading as reasons you can't walk into stores and find any given new title anymore. That's part of it, but it's also because these stores were never focused on giving the customer the software they want. Instead, the software was the carrot to get you in the door and sell you cables and various other things they make their real money on. If they don't want me in there messing up their pretty store with my sophisticated taste, then fine, I'll shop from my couch. If I could push a button and rent the complete feature package available on the Gigi Blu-ray to watch it with my wife and mother-in-law tonight, I would. The same goes for hundreds, thousands of titles. I'd pay the same $5 I gave Blockbuster to rent Doubt last week if it meant I got access to all the stuff on the disc for around a week, with unlimited replay during that window. I would like this even more if it meant that I could then have some sort of incentive coupon toward buying the physical disc from whoever I streamed the "disc". This would also assuage my rage when I can't pick up a Blu-ray at a store during the week of release. I could then tolerate the wait for an online retailer to ship it. Just thinking about it makes my heart skip a beat. Criterion is experimenting with this through their streaming program, where you can watch the movie online for $5 and then for a year thereafter apply that $5 toward purchasing the disc from them. Juliet of the Spirits, Mon Oncle, and Cleo from 5 to 7 are among the 46 titles they have available. They do not as yet have special features-enabled pay-to-stream options, but I'll be first in line when they do. I just wish I could watch these on my TV. The content is and has been out there in some forms, but not wrapped in an end-to-end model that works for everyone. What we need is a real Swiss Army Knife approach to delivery of content. A box that is WiFi enabled and can sync media of any flavor from your computer or stream from various online outlets is what everyone would want in very general terms. The Magic Box There are tons of movies and TV shows from various studios on Netflix Watch Instantly, which you can watch on your computer, an Xbox 360, or the Roku set-top box (which also does Amazon HD). So far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to plug my computer into my TV, and my wife is never going to allow a new game system in the door, so the Roku box would be my option, right? Not a chance. Even at $100, I'm not going to buy what could become vaporware as standardization progresses. It's connected to only the Netflix W.I. service and Amazon, which while great at the moment, I can't be certain is worth the investment. No matter how good or great a company is that's behind a device, I can't ever bet on just one horse in this game. No matter how much anyone pushes any individual box to me, I am not buying in at a volatile point in the development of such a complex solution. What about if and when someone comes through with the Magic Box I want, which includes access to DVD-style special features? The bottleneck will still come, mark my words, in terms of studio support. All the majors are working on their own gate to the content they own, from Hulu to Crackle to others I can't pronounce. Unlike the HD-DVD/Blu-ray war, there's no physical media format involved here, eliminating a big chunk of user adoption pain. Everyone uses the same codecs for digital, they have since the introduction of DVD. However, what happens when Sony, NBCUni, Paramount, Warner Bros or someone else goes with their own competing service or box? Notice I don't use the word "if". What we really need is a couple companies that make clone boxes that have standard hardware, open-source OS software, and options for software customization. Who cares which service something comes from? I really like what the guys at Boxee have going, and in my opinion, they're the only ones on the right track. All anyone wants is the content and a clean interface. The day these guys get a solid manufacturer putting their OS on a box and selling them for $100 is the day digital downloads really take off. The Pipe None of the spitballing above means anything until broadband finally gets somewhat standardized across the country. What Koreans consider slow is three times the top speed available in major metro areas in the U.S. Ma and Pa in the hinterlands are still transitioning from dial-up, and when you add WiFi into the equation, they get even more confused. Time Warner Cable has decided to freeze their plans to move forward with ultra-high-speed expansion in areas they had earmarked for metered billing. As I've gone on about previously, before they delayed their plan to institute metered billing, TWC is very interested in taking us back to 1995 when it comes to how we access the internet, charging based on usage. Charging by the databyte is like charging a customer at retail for the standard disc price and then and additional arm and a leg for all the freight and storage costs tagged to that disc. Who would pay $45 to watch Twilight streamed over their internet connection to their TV? You should charge for how fast people get where they're going. Nothing else appeals to anyone but the megacorporations we're writing checks to each month. Now comes word that TWC is arbitrarily disconnecting "abusive" users. Whether the guy in question was torrenting 44GB of illegal media or not, that's not an unheard-of amount of data for someone who streams a lot, even YouTube at high quality or HD trailers on Apple's website. I'm all for the pipe-owners policing contraband going through, but assuming everyone's a criminal is irresponsible and will only turn subscribers away. As the conversation has escalated in targeted markets, so has the investigation into towns setting up their own public internet utilities, and some of them are looking pretty competitive. The most unexpected result of all the hubbub could be a major shift in how high speed internet access proliferates. Put new jobs into it and pull away the corporate veil, and it might finally spread like wildfire. The major conglomerates are just going to bury themselves, because they no longer have a President who will let them run free of regulation. He also happens to hold net neutrality as a top issue, and I have a feeling that he isn't interested in helping the conglom ISPs make publicly-owned ISPs illegal. The Bottom Line Digital downloads are coming on apace, but those who allege that people will get over physical media are dead wrong. Human beings will continue to be materialistic hoarders according to their nature (take a class in Anthro sometime). Beyond that, due to limits in the pace of broad adoption in hardware, software, and bandwidth, there will always be a healthy appetite for the highest quality available. As far as the disc media itself goes, all releases going forward should include a digital copy at no premium charge. If you buy it, you should be getting access to that without bothering your tech-head friend. People want this stuff on their portable media players and computers, so don't give them an excuse as to why they feel entitled to break your DRM. When people aren't given the appropriate options in terms of access and selection, they'll find a way. They'll download illegal files from the net, burn them to disc, or sync them to internet-connected home theater PCs. Bootleg DVD stands will pop up in larger numbers. It's up to Hollywood as to whether they want to make money on all the opportunity staring them in the face, but they're screwed if hardware and bandwidth providers let them down. We're on the brink of the most interdependent age in home media we've hit yet, and it'll be fascinating to see how it all unfolds, even if my Magic Box never happens.
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So Many Movies

Wow, the vast majority of my coverage the last few weeks has been of home video releases. What the hell am I doing here, Bitrate Cowboy? Maybe it says something about current releases that I'm barely paying attention to new releases. I've got a review of Pixar's Partly Cloudy and UP in the cooker, to be posted as soon as I can crack them. In reaction to 17 Again's success, I'm finally posting my Me and Orson Welles review. A lot of the movies I saw at SXSW09 have been like this one, I've wanted to just furiously post something, but I've opted to give them some time to breathe. A few have been picked up, a few haven't, and there are others like the Welles movie I'm not sure about. Linklater said that "the studio doesn't want me showing this until the fall" so it may have been picked up on the sly (I hope sincerely that it has). Back later with a lot more.
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The IT Crowd (Season One)

It's now possible, without importing, to legally watch and own one of the only sitcoms on TV of which I'd describe myself as a rabid fan. I first saw The IT Crowd ('eye-tee', not 'it') on a friend's imported DVDs in college, and watched subsequent episodes by falsely representing my IP address to the Channel 4 website so I could use their built-in web player. I shortly thereafter imported the first season DVDs and then the second and found myself loaning them around to all my friends with region-free, PAL-capable DVD players. As of this writing, I've completely lost track of them; however, now I have the identical US release of the first season and the second is coming out soon enough. Show creator Graham Linehan (link goes to his blog, a constant source of interesting news and entertainment) also created Father Ted and Black Books, which some of you may already be familiar with. If you aren't, you've got even more exceptionally hilarious TV to work through. Blind buy it all. If you don't laugh, you probably have some sort of disability preventing enjoyment of life as we know it. The IT Crowd follows Roy (Chris O'Dowd, link goes to his Twitter page) and Moss (Richard Ayoade, link goes to NNDB page where he sports a fancy mustache), I.T. technicians working for Reynholm Industries, a major corporation that does...something or another. If what they produce or do as a company is ever mentioned, I missed it. Jen (Katherine Parkinson) is hired on by the company's owner to manage the I.T. department despite her lack of anything resembling technology proficiency. Hilarity and hijinks ensue. If you like The Big Bang Theory, think of this as the undiluted, far superior original recipe. They're different in configuration, but you can tell Big Bang "borrowed" some components. Fans of sharp modern British comedy will be quite pleased. The show only recently started airing on the IFC channel here in the States, which means most of you have not seen it. The show is shot old-school, with a live studio audience for all the scenes not shot on-location. If you see anyone accuse the production of using a laugh track, slap them down, because it's all audience laughter. The IT Crowd won a 2008 International Emmy for Best Comedy. Say what you will about awards, but this one is well-deserved and rightly-awarded. This show deserves as much exposure as possible. NBC tried reformulating it for US audiences and seem to have failed miserably. As with many things that are remade, this one was fine all on its own. Frankly, NBC or anyone else could just air the British eps as they are in network prime time slots, but they're too scared to try. Video, Audio, Subtitles, and Menus The 1.78:1 SD video upconverts as well as it could, given the compression, and the original 2.0 Stereo track works fine. There are leetspeak subtitles that are hilarious if you're the kind of person who knows what leetspeak is. It's rare that you have a DVD where the menus inspire you to call them the best DVD menus you've ever seen, but these take the cake. Inspired by 8-bit video games, you can just sit and watch the action on screen until it loops back to the beginning. Extras Deleted Scenes (9:18) Deleted sequences from various episodes throughout the season that are just as funny as everything that made it in to the broadcast versions. Behind The IT Crowd (13:45) If ever there were a definitive satire of studio fluff EPK featurettes, this is it. A ridiculous ass-kisser host wearing a fully black beard and hay-colored hair interviews the cast and production team. If I say more, I'll entirely spoil this for you. Hello Friend (11:14) This is a short film written by series creator Linehan about a technological gadget that has a mind of its own. My wife says that I should learn a lesson here and stop using Twitter and my iPod Touch. Hidden: Easter Eggs I know there are Easter Eggs on this release, but I can't find them. I lost the notecard I wrote the "how to" on for my import copy. Someone help me cheat and I'll add the details here, with credit to whoever knows where the digital bodies are buried. Final Thoughts Tragically, the tech geeks this show features could be the death of this show's commercial viability in the US. With the huge time gap since its airing in the UK, illegal download has been the primary means the US has had to see the show. Ironically, one of the most-viewed clips of the show among non-fans is an Anti-Piracy ad that makes fun of the ad from a few years ago that equates media piracy with larceny. I can't find one of the many copies on YouTube that allows embedding, but here's a link over to the one I did find (from the second season of the show). I generally don't recommend buying TV on disc, especially since there are so few releases with decent extras, but this is the exception. If you love The IT Crowd or just imported TV (the best kind), you should buy it. Borrow it from a friend or Watch Instantly on Netflix to taste test, but if you really like it, buy it. Dollars translate to how networks and studios behave. If writer/directors like Graham Linehan composed even 10% of those producing content on US television networks, I'd actually watch TV, commercials and all. If I know you personally and you live in Austin, I will loan this to you on condition you give it back within a few days. This is significant, because I never loan out DVDs anymore. They would almost never come back when I did. I'm willing to risk loss on this one if it means I can turn one more person on to the show.
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Doubt for Easter

Ashley and I recently browsed the aisles of a Wal-mart for the first time in a long, long time looking for clearance-priced Reese's Eggs and eventually found ourselves in electronics browsing the DVDs. We came across an "Easter Movies" display that we found curious. Naturally, there was no Jesus Christ Superstar, Last Temptation of Christ, or even The Passion of the Christ. We were not terribly surprised to find well-known Easter classics Kung-Fu Panda, Over the Hedge and The Animated Passion alongside "old-timer movies" The Robe, The Ten Commandments, and King of Kings. I didn't pay much mind to this reclassification of things until Tea Party Day this week, where a bunch of xenophobic, anti-government fanatics protested taxation at taxpayer expense (police, facilities, state employees among them who took a day off). The Governor of the State of Texas, Rick Perry, actually got up and fanned the flames here in Austin with talk of secession from the Union. If Mr. Perry had paid attention in Texas History class as I and other proud Texans did, he'd know that the Articles of Annexation of 1845 reserve Texas the right to split Texas into up to five states, but not to secede (as he claimed). Perhaps if he had a catholic school nun beating it into him, he would have. I've long thought that Texas splitting into five states could be a good idea, along with the dissolution of the Electoral College, but it won't happen. I'll go into more depth on the laughable state of the Republican Party in Texas in a separate post, but this does bear on how I thought of Doubt while watching the top-notch Blu-ray version earlier today. It is truly remarkable what people will claim in someone else's name entirely in vain, peppering their declarations with half-truths. The Movie Doubt as a play and movie is a parable on convictions. Those you hold and those you enforce are so subjective that no one is ever truly righteous in their judgment on earth. Rather than spend nearly five hours watching The Ten Commandments with commercials on ABC each year, why not make Doubt an annual re-assessment of one's beliefs? Put that in one of those pre-Christmas Easter Baskets instead of Madagascar 2. Set at a Catholic school in the early 1960's, the story concerns the convictions of Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) and the moral character of Father Flynn (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). The play featured only the two of them and Sister James (Amy Adams) and Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis), but the movie expands things to include other characters at the school, including Donald Miller, around whom the controversy swirls. The controversy deals with the exact nature of the relationship between Father Flynn and Donald, the first black student in the school. During awards season, I was with an Academy member friend at an after-party for an Austin Film Society screening. When the conversation finally came around to the Oscars (the deadline for nominations not having yet passed), she spoke only of Doubt. One of the reasons the movie works so well, as she put it (and as Shanley does in the extras) is that no two people see the film the same way. Video & Audio Here we have a crystal-clear video transfer and Lossless DTS 5.1 audio on the main feature. All the extras are in 1080p or 1080i. This is the type of treatment I can get used to. No need for a do-over in this department. Extras Miramax has put together a rather comprehensive set of extras such that I can't really fathom what they would ever double-dip for on this title. Feature Commentary Writer/Director John Patrick Shanley A pretty laid back track from Shanley wherein he mostly relates the reality of the era from which he drew inspiration and his personal history as an altar boy. If you don't have a lot of time on your hands, save it for a raiy day like I did. From Stage to Screen (19:09) Shanley talks about the process of adaptation and a reduced version of the history of the show. He chats a bit with Meryl Streep, whose affection and admiration for Cherry Jones' performance of Sister Aloysius is readily apparent. Fluff-free. The Cast of Doubt (13:50) Dave Karger from Entertainment Weekly interviews Streep, Hoffman, Adams, and Davis, digging in to their relationship with the play and how they brought their respective voices to the characters on the page. A quarter of an hour with this grade of actors is better than years of acting classes in some respects. The camaraderie between them is truly warm and not unlike that of a company that has been doing eight shows a week for a year together. Scoring Doubt (4:40) A film's score is often one of the more invisible pieces of it to the passive viewer. When a score is very well done (as it is here), you don't find yourself noticing it as much as it pairs cleanly with the action. Sisters of Charity (6:23) Shanley's interview with Streep carries into this feature which focuses on the real-life sisters who are portrayed in the film, who he consulted in the writing of the play and the making of the film. The most interesting part of their conversation revolves around the changes in the Catholic Church in the 1960's. Final Thoughts Doubt has a longer, more enduring life to it than many films released last year. It recalls the era of when most of the best films of the year came from the greatest writing minds on Broadway. I wonder, what if Doubt had been released in 1965? It would have truly rocked the establishment and the censors back then. "How dare you criticize the church in the wake of a national tragedy?" It's a testament to the repressionist, puritanical leanings of our country that the issues explored are still relevant today. I'm specifically referring to the chain of command in the church and its refusal to modernize and evolve in important ways. If you really want to provoke thoughtful discussion in a religious household, you'll get more out of watching Doubt than going to mass. Post Script I am not nearly the enemy of critics' quotes as some of my friends are (having once worked in publicity), but I must insist that people not use Ben Lyons for these quotes. Quote Ebert, the New York Post, Rolling Stone, and even USA Today, but leave this guy out. When people look at these discs' back covers a few years down the line, his name will either not register as "prestige" or the person reading it will get a bad taste in their mouth. It should say something that this is the only complaint I have about this disc.
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Splinter


Shea Wigham as Dennis
One of the most pleasant surprises I've had this year is Toby Wilkins' Splinter, a low-budget, indie horror film that takes a different approach to the "zombie" idea without employing traditional zombies at all. I completely missed it last year and have just now finished devouring the Blu-ray from Magnolia like an old-school zombie devours brains. Two couples on the road for different reasons in rural Oklahoma are brought together by chance. A creature of unknown origin terrorizes them and traps them in a gas station. Instead of having some sort of disease-type approach to revive human flesh as some sort of flesh-hungry monster construct, there's something more fungal or scavenger-like to it here. The movie is left open-ended for a sequel, and I would like to see at least one followup, but only if the original creative team returns as well. Paulo Constanzo breaks free of whatever comedy trappings he may have had previously. Make no mistake, no actor magically springs forth into exceptional talent or range, it just takes time for them to be properly given an opportunity to show themselves off. I've sought out his work for some time, seeing potential rarely shouted from the roofs. The real discovery for me was a guy I didn't realize until afterward that I'd seen in Joel Schumacher's underseen Tigerland: Shea Wigham. I was doubly surprised to find that he was born in and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, where I lived for a good six years. His portrayal of Dennis is sharp, tough, and affecting, the last of which you don't really expect in a horror movie. The practical effects work is really the third lead here. A couple friends who are more vocal and active proponents of practical creature effects could get into the details better than I could. What got me the most was that they used CG in only the places where they pragmatically could not build practical effects around it. You'd think that a low-budget horror movie would cheap out where they could, but instead they somehow managed to snag the people who did Watchmen's practical effects just before they jumped into a different cost bracket altogether. There are a couple CG shots that make me groan, but they aren't deal-breakers in any respect, just as the CG cats in Let the Right One In don't sink it either. Video & Audio The movie was shot digitally, and it never has that cheap "camcorder" look, and the Blu-ray transfer is pristine. Included audio is a 5.1 HD Master track with no noticeable artifacting or hiss. Extras Feature Commentary (1) Director Toby Wilkins & Actors Shea Wigham, Paulo Costanzo, and Jill Wagner More interesting and revealing than most cast-involved commentary tracks, much of the conversation deals with things that individuals knew about but are making others aware of for the first time, from improv on the day to how certain things were done. (2) Director Toby Wilkins, DP Nelson Cragg The Splinter Creature (4:05) Some test footage of the gymnast who plays the creature is the centerpiece of this piece on the practical effect that he was. Creature Concept Art Gallery (1:26) A brief look at renders done of the various practical creature effects. The Wizard (1:04) A quick look at the lead pyro effects man, who's a real-life embodiment of the Danny McBride character from Tropic Thunder plus prior military experience. Building the Gas Station (1:53) They built the gas station set where most of the film takes place from scratch. A bare cinder block building became a believable Shooting Digitally (2:23) How using HDcams made the low-budget, claustrophobic shoot easier. Oklahoma Weather (1:57) Shooting around Tornado Alley weather had to have been a nightmare, and this proves it. How to Make a Splinter Pumpkin (2:19) It seems to me this was created for run on HDnet prior to release. Lead actress Jill Wagner shows you how to make your very own Splinter pumpkin for Halloween. HDnet: a look at Splinter (4:33) HDnet's prerelease featurette on the movie. Final Thoughts This movie is an exceptional example of how true artists come together with limited resources and produce a fun, smart, engaging, and enduring movie that people will buy and not rent. It's a movie that's top notch among its genre, and certainly better than the swath of multi-million dollar franchises and remakes that are released each year. Fans will clamor for a solid followup, and general audiences will go for a sequel to a movie they haven't seen as long as it's well-marketed. This is how you do creature horror. Splinter is available on Blu-ray and DVD with identical supplemental features.
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Defining the Press

I saw State of Play last night here in Austin, and it's unfortunate that something other than the movie sticks out more prominently in my memory. In the middle of the film, Russell Crowe has a conversation with Robin Wright-Penn, the details of which I won't go into, but I mention as context for those who have or will see the film for what follows. At this very moment in the film, a member of the press roughly in my age demographic (the Generation of Shame) pulled out his cell phone and did more than check the time. He didn't have a babysitter sending him an urgent text, or a "we've gotta launch the nukes, Mr. President" type call coming in. King Hipster von MuttonChops seated in front of me decided it was best to check his Facebook account during the movie. He didn't just check for a crucial email or message, no, it was as if he were reading the whole damn Facebook cover to virtual cover. If I hadn't intervened, he probably would have spent the next twenty minutes on Twitter, posting things like "OMG #StateofPlay is awesome but no boobs. yet. ne1 know if redhead gets naked??" A tap on the back of his chair from my wife's foot wasn't good enough, and I'd had it with jerks like him ruining everything from press to full-on public screenings, so I leaned forward and told him, "put your fucking phone away." I was already angry, but his response amped me up to incensed. "Uh, what? Excuse me? Calm the fuck down, man. What's your problem?" More forcefully, I repeated, "you put your motherfucking phone away." "Geez man, calm down," he whimpered. Was the profanity deserved? I think I went easy on him. You have a studio rope off and reserve seats for you at an advance screening of a movie and you whip out your smartphone to see who Poked you this hour? His companion from the same organization pulled out her phone within ten minutes of the end. It wasn't worth getting in to at that point. After the screening, at least he knew he'd fucked up to the point he wouldn't look me in the eye when he left. Needless to say, I've sent a message to the studio reps so they can do something about both of them. I should add that they weren't bloggers, but the oblivious audience member would look at their outward appearance and assume as much. I've seen various "so you want to be a film critic" articles pop up, most recently from Devin at CHUD and Will Goss at Cinematical, and if I were to add my two cents, it'd be on this issue. I don't care who you are, you don't pull out a cell phone in the middle of a movie as if it were showing in your living room. Another member of the press a few rows down had to take a call (it didn't ring) at some point, so he quietly shuffled out to the lobby. Why is it so hard for people to disconnect from their little magic screens for 90 to 120 minutes on average? Owning a cell phone does not include a license to use it in a darkened cinema whenever and for whatever you want. My problem, and that of many in the press community, is that inconsiderate "peers" are ruining the experience and no one is doing anything about it. I spoke to a couple friends after the show, relating what went on, and they concurred that we have to start actively policing this ridiculous behavior ourselves. Glares and gentle seat tapping need to be retired in favor of unapologetic reprimand. I'll censor myself from profanity until if and when I have to repeat myself, but if you backtalk me, I'll have it in for you. Complacency equals complicity. With all that out of the way, the movie is excellent, and a full writeup is coming later today.
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The Spirit [Blu-ray]

The Spirit of the title dies and comes back to fight evil. There are a comic book hero, villain, and a bunch of women. It's really not worth going into too much detail about other than noting Samuel L. Jackson gives a Hall of Fame over-the-top bad guy performance. Where it isn't just gorgeous to look at, you get a fair amount of so-campy-it's-fun. The most surprising thing about Frank Miller's version of Will Eisner's The Spirit is that it's not utterly awful. It doesn't work as a whole, but like many movies that fail at the box office, it actually has more redeeming value than plenty of movies that cross the $100 million mark. It's high camp to be sure, the kind of thing that used to carry the "comic book movie" stereotype: hyperbolic dialogue and action paired with cartoonish sets and visuals. The difference here is Miller's personal sense of style. If he was going primarily monochromatic, I would have preferred he go all or nothing. The comparisons (unfair though they may be) to Sin City are inspired directly by this. Taken on its own, The Spirit is interesting to look at beyond the "morbid curiosity" you may see mentioned in other reviews. People will mention that this is Miller's first solo directing effort, and I sincerely hope it isn't his last. This outing was imperfect, but he has better chops than many first-time directors I could name. Video & Audio Enemies of grain will be glad to see that this all-digital production is fully devoid of it. It makes even dirty scenes look clean. Seriously, though. One of the best Video masters I've seen for Blu-ray is coupled with a flawless 7.1 Audio track for one of the best tech demo discs I've seen so far. Extras Green World A look at the greenscreen process they used, a la Sin City. Nothing too revelatory if you've seen how it's done elsewhere. Miller on Miller A Frank Miller bio piece that's mostly retread for those who follow Miller's work and career. History Repeats A piece that covers the history of the character and creator Will Eisner. Of the three featurettes, this is the most worth your time. Animated Alternate Ending Samuel L. Jackson and Gabriel Macht provide voiceover on this ending that got tossed. More engaging than similar "storyboard" cut scenes on other releases thanks to the extra production value lent to it. Feature Audio Commentary Frank Miller and producer Deborah Del Prete BD-Live: MoLog (requires internet connection) This is one of the type of networked features people don't really use on other titles, like "chat while you and a friend watch the movie!" that I don't see many people engaging in using. This blog-ish feature is kind of a neat idea that people might think no one will use on a theatrical disappointment. To the contrary, there are a fair number of people, bloggers even, who love these types of features with flaws like my pal Scott Weinberg and I, who both share an unapologetic soft spot for Sky Captain. It'll be interesting to see if and what kind of community grows out of this thing. This and the other BD-Live features are the first for a Lionsgate Blu-ray. As time-draining as they could potentially be, I wonder about how many people aside from gamers have their Blu-ray players connected to the net. Theatrical Trailer Small quibble here: any other promo spots or anything are a nice historical record of the thing. Believe it or not, universities use DVDs for case studies in advertising. Digital Copy Any studio selling Blu-ray would be wise to include these so that consumers don't go looking for excuses to illegally rip their physical copies. I've actually watched my digital copies of WALL-E and Hellboy 2 more than once each. It'd be nice if there weren't a price premium to Special Editions that include Digital Copies. Just a bug I'll keep in the studios' ears. Final Thoughts This is a pretty impressive release for something that so spectacularly opened and closed last December. That being said, the movie doesn't work as a whole, but it's still worth watching on the Blu-ray release. The extras are not comprehensive, but they're about as much as one can expect this title to see for the rest of its life. You probably have no interest if you saw it and hated it (which doesn't cover many people, since so few saw it), but it's worth tossing in and even buying blind for those who want to pick up a thing or two about how complex, effects-driven sausage is made.
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Love and Hate Blu

A couple days ago, Adam Jahnke (a columnist for The Digital Bits) wrote about what is really driving him nuts about Blu-ray, a format he feels like he should love but simply can't. I've recently touched on this during the Let the Right One In subtitle brouhaha, wondering aloud why people should have to acquire new physical software to change something so simple, technologically speaking, as new subtitles. I'd go a step further and say what a number of people already say amongst themselves: how many Blu-ray users have their players connected to the internet in the first place? Gamers with Playstation 3's certainly, and some home theater enthusiasts might, but isn't the rest of the population only just getting comfortable with the idea of WiFi? As it stands, with looming broadband access caps from at least Time Warner, is BD-Live already dead? There's yet to be a BD-Live killer app, and if it will now cost a premium to have the kind of pipe taken for granted by the format, there may never be. The real solution that consumers would be behind is some sort of Magic Box. It would allow them to rent and watch movies instantly, record live TV, access various streaming services (Hulu/YouTube/etc.) to catch up on shows, and finally, watch DVD-style supplemental features all in one place. You could always buy physical copies that are higher quality than you could ever download, but as for most sides of the TV-bound media-watching experience, consumers want some serious consolidation, and not for an insane premium. Frankly, many are already doing a lot of this with home theater-connected computers, but again, the bandwidth caps being put in place are bringing all this proliferation to a screeching halt. The conversation is less about whether physical or download media will win, but whether either will survive very well. I've run close to off-topic, but here's what I'm getting at: Blu-ray's calling card with BD-Live was that it was supposed to remove the need for hooking a computer up to the TV, and even though it's not living up to that promise (never could), there are no alternatives thanks to limitations being imposed elsewhere. In this era of endless digital possibility, nothing is yet living up. Don't get me started on Blu-ray releases lacking key things in first releases (supplements, lossless video or audio). I love Blu-ray but it drives me nuts almost as often.
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Magnet Triple Feature

Standout specialty distributor Magnet (a subsidiary of Magnolia) has knocked out four strong home video releases in the last two weeks. Timecrimes (reviewed here), Special, and Donkey Punch are all part of their 6-Shooter Film Series, kicked off on home video by Let the Right One In, one of my favorites of last year.

Buy/Rent/Gives You Nightmares
Special is about more than a guy who wishes he were a superhero, it's focused on the social tragedy faced by many who eventually realize they aren't ever going to be significant to the world at large. Donkey Punch follows the over-privileged hipster characters you often get in slasher movies and makes them unsympathetic to the point you just want them all to die in a fire. Shuttle takes a thoroughly dislikable thriller premise and makes you wonder why it's so difficult to look away. These are not your typical genre movies, nor would any one person necessarily like all of them. I personally wouldn't watch the Shuttle ever again, and I only watched Donkey Punch again for the purpose of the commentary. Special This is a better way to spend $20 on a movie this weekend than other options you have. Michael Rappaport plays a shy, humble guy whose brain gets fried by experimental confidence-altering drugs. He's a transit cop who writes people tickets for a living but finds himself chickening out more often than he should out of sympathy. When he takes these pills, he believes he has superpowers.

Michael Rappaport as Les Franken
He's into comic books and superheroes and wishes he were one. The movie was completed in 2004, but is only now coming to home video after a rather nonexistent release otherwise. It's a shame, because it's a better film covering similar subject matter than Observe and Report. O&R's Ronnie Barnhardt starts out nuts, thinks he already is a superhero and then stops taking his pills. Franken wishes he could help protect the public, takes some pills, starts hallucinating that he has superpowers, and goes nuts. Many have gone for O&R, but I feel that's mainly because they're amazed that a Warner Bros. wide release would be that unapologetically uncouth, not because they can really say they enjoy most of what happens on-screen. This is the best acting work anyone has seen from Michael Rappaport. When you give someone with talent good material, it always works. The challenge is then getting it seen. Buy it, rent it, or borrow it. It's only 81 minutes long. Gag Reel Here you've got Rappaport and others screwing up takes and saying "fuck" a lot for a few minutes. HDNET: a Look at Special A bumper promo for HDNET's airing of Special. Shorter and less info than the HBO First Look featurettes. Donkey Punch Three girls from Leeds go on holiday in Mallorca (Spain, for Americans who don't have maps). They meet some sailor boys, go for a ride on the fancy yacht they crew on, take some drugs, and get into a lot of trouble. The title refers to an urban legend sex act wherein a man taking a woman from behind punches her in the back of the neck on the verge of orgasm to cause an involuntary muscle flex. I reviewed the movie back at Fantastic Fest. It's well-acted, well-crafted survival horror on a boat where you hate all the characters onscreen. Not worth watching twice for me. I listened to the commentary while I cleaned my living room. Deleted Scenes (12:42) Prior to each bit, you get something not often seen in Deleted reels: a concise explanation of where the footage was cut from. DVD producers, this is a good idea. Audio Commentary Director Oliver Blackburn and producer Angus Lamont spend a lot of time talking about how female-empowering the script was (which I don't agree with) and how tight the shoot was thanks to setting it on a luxury yacht. Cast Interviews (28:19) The actors talking about how they got involved, got cast, and thought of the script (surprise, they all loved it). They spilt these into three groups: two sets of the guys and then all three girls at once. You can Play All or watch individually. Interview with Olly Blackburn (13:56) The director talks about casting, writing, and production. The Making Of Donkey Punch (17:09) Recycling a bit of what's said elsewhere, you see some behind the scenes stuff. Shuttle Two girls return from vacation in Mexico. They get on the absolutely worst shuttle they could have chosen. The guy driving the bus takes the girls and other passengers anywhere but where they expected. The premise sounds like Saw: Road Trip Edition, and it sort of is. This is the kind of movie I can't bring myself to say I enjoyed, but i must admit it's more intelligently plotted and shot than a lot of stuff I've seen lately. It makes you wonder who you should really trust, or rather, why you should trust anyone. Behind the Scenes (5:00) A few of the actors and production staff talk about the movie, intercut with behind the scenes footage. Casting Sessions (24:00) An audition tape is probably the last thing actors want to see on DVDs of movies they've done. Something aspiring actors may want to take a look at. Deleted Scenes (4:00) A short selection of extended bits of existing scenes. Not much here. Last Thoughts Video and audio on all three releases is par for the course when it comes to DVD. Would Blu-ray make any of them look phenomenally better? Probably not, but it'd be nice to see Blu upgrades for these title down the line. If I'm left wanting, it's that there was so little attention to extras on Special. That's it? No commentary? No substantive making-of or behind the scenes? Of these three movies, this is the one that screams for some look at the story of bringing it to the screen. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad this movie is even on DVD, but we all know we are very unlikely to see a double dip on this release. If you watch the movie and feel the same, just repeat this mantra: "the movie is the special feature" (no pun was intended until I finished typing). I don't believe it's possible to objectively review movies. It's like objectively reviewing food. "For those who like eggplant, it's a delight!" I've made it clear that based on my personal tastes, I'd buy Special and skip the other two; however, others may only watch Special once and love introducing friends to the perils of taking paid transportation in Shuttle. All three are well-made, but they are most palatable to very particular tastes.
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In a Dream opens limited today

SXSW08 favorite and shortlist contender for this past year's Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary In a Dream (reviewed here) opens today at the Cinema Village in NYC. Buy tickets here, because you must see this theatrically if you have the opportunity.

Isaiah and Julia Zagar
An excerpt from my review last March: "Jeremiah's film charts his family history beginning with his father's relationship with his mother Julia, proceeding to pick up characters as we go and constantly touching back on the past and completing the detail work around the whole picture. The symbiotic joys and pressures of maintaining the family Isaiah and Julia built frame the film, always centered around the destructive elements of their life together repairing and reconstructing it through all the crises they face. The film picks up in real-time at a decisive moment when that capacity to rebuild comes into question." Showtimes (daily 4/10-4/16): 12:50p, 2:30p, 4:20p, 6:15p, 8:00p, 10:00p Director Jeremiah Zagar will appear with his parents (subjects from the film) at the 8pm and 10pm shows tonight, 4/10. Jeremiah will appear on his own at the 8pm and 10pm shows on Saturday and the 4:20pm and 6:15pm shows on Sunday.
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Marie and Bruce

Marie and Bruce disappeared, for all intents and purposes, after it screened at Sundance five years ago in 2004. The Weinstein Company has recently released it on DVD without extras. Sometimes the movie is the extra, and here we have an interesting if not infinitely re-watchable performance of a Wallace Shawn work written for the stage. The Movie Saying a movie feels like a stage play put to screen is ordinarily a pejorative, but here it's to the actors' credit. Both Julianne Moore and Matthew Broderick have extensive experience on stage and in front of the camera, and those chops translate quite well to a work that doesn't fully live in either realm. It's a phenomenological back and forth from Marie and Bruce's perspectives as they contemplate divorce. Marie on the delivering end, and Bruce receiving. Even though the play and movie are titled Marie & Bruce, most of the running time is about their time as they spend it apart from one another. In most relationships, I find, people really are more defined by their time apart than their time together. The bits that I enjoyed the most were those that you couldn't reproduce easily on the stage. Video & Audio Standard def video and 5.1 audio that's up to the task. Nothing spectacular. Extras None. Final Thoughts It makes for a movie that's a little difficult to get in to if you've been through a divorce or been married and fought. Not exactly the type of movie you run out to buy or rent, but worth watching for fans of both lead actors and the writing of Wallace Shawn.
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Star Trek: Essence of '77

I wasn't born until 1983, so I've only heard stories from friends and their parents about the summer of '77. You didn't have to be a "geek" or a "nerd" or a five year old who loves CG to go see Star Wars.

Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy
Star Trek world premiere, Alamo Drafthouse, Austin, Texas, Leonard Nimoy in attendance, April 6, 2009. Images by David Hill, copyright 2009
From what I understand, the entire population of the United States saw it a hundred times and everyone owned a copy of Frampton Comes Alive! in those days. When I think of what I saw last night, I recall all those stories about how people kept going back to see Star Wars over and over again in '77. With the help of a highly gifted and disciplined writing team, JJ Abrams has done what many considered impossible: he has truly opened Star Trek up to the masses. You don't need any sort of track record with Trek to jump on, have a hell of a time, and want to go again. They've gone one step further and created something that even the most die-hard fans can respect and roll with, much to the surprise of some. I thought that I was taking my wife to a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan where we were also seeing 10 minutes of the new movie. When we arrived at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, there was a security task force the size of which I'd never seen for one of these things. It looked like 12-20 people in suits ready to give us a thorough "wanding" before we went in. I wanted to dismiss it as a reaction to the Wolverine leak. Friends told me "oh, I've seen that many before," but something was off. Another friend floated the idea we were unwittingly watching the new one, which others of us had thought as well. "Five weeks early? No way," said a friend. Thinking like a former publicity guy, I said, "how much more loyal of an audience could you get than people who'd come out at 10pm on a Monday night to watch Star Trek II?" They could have shown this new Star Trek to a room full of the people who spent $72 million seeing Fast & Furious this past weekend and the reaction would've been just as huge. Different in nuance, but just as big.

Tim League
Star Trek world premiere, Alamo Drafthouse, Austin, Texas, Leonard Nimoy in attendance, April 6, 2009. Images by David Hill, copyright 2009
Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League started us off as our emcee, nearly foaming at the mouth when talking about what he would do if anyone threatened the Alamo's piracy-free perfect record. He introduced Harry Knowles, who further amped up the crowd for what even he thought was going to be Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Then, the cat's tail poked out of the bag when he introduced Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman. All three are producers on the film (the latter two wrote it) and they "wanted to be here in Austin instead of Australia." Really? Star Trek II started up. In a scene taken from many a Butt-Numb-a-Thon, the movie ran out of frame and burned out. Tim asked the Producers Three to take the mic and improvise while he figured out what was going on. A couple jokes about Lost later, and a gentleman with an unmistakeable silhouette slightly disguised by a coat and hat walked up carrying a film can. It was only Leonard Nimoy, who had a bit of fun with us and then announced that we were attending the film's true world premiere. Whoever organized this event deserves a raise. Then we jumped right in to the new movie. It opens on intense action with a score that resembles Terminator 2 more than space opera. Also missing are the long, dreamy titles over space used in previous installments. I could go on listing things that have been changed for the better, but I'd be typing until the movie opens. Suffice to say, the beast has gone through a complete transformation, and absolutely for the better. It had to change to survive. What's resulted is rooted in what the fans love, and celebrates it without trying too hard to live up to what some spent decades constructing and yet others have spent decades worshipping devoutly. To use the source material but effectively start from scratch, the writers employed the plot device that has always done well by Trek: time travel. Time-traveling bad guys change the flow of history to the point that none of the established characters are the same as they once were. Different people than you remember live, love, and die. There's a marked lack of exposition for a long while. Then, Orci & Kurtzman get said what they need said and move on. Bruce Greenwood grounds the movie early on in a scene with Kirk at a bar. Chris Pine puts his own spin on Kirk that faithfully captures what hotshots like him are all about at that age. There have always been smart, capable guys who do stupid things for the hell of it, wanting a direction for their life to drop out of the sky. Karl Urban "plays Southern" as Dr. McCoy more authentically than any European or Australian who's tried in recent memory. Simon Pegg steals each scene he's in where he opens his mouth, which is to say...every scene in which he appears. Everyone else is great, but I don't want to go on forever here. The Enterprise crew all do impulsive, stupid things, but that's what that age is like, isn't it? I'll add that Anton Yelchin is fine as Chekhov. Don't let early reports from footage screenings convince you his pronunciation "gag" ruins things. He plays it straight, and it worked for me as a speech impediment of some sort.

Star Trek has never been this visually dynamic. The camera work is full of lens flares, reflections, and focus effects that really sell the atmosphere as being less steady and...overly-tidy than before. You also have a more nuts n' bolts, gaskets n' pipes styled Enterprise, where the ship feels like a labyrinthine submarine merged with an aircraft carrier. The mixture of practical and CG alien and creature effects are also fantastic, with all kinds of new stuff never seen before in the franchise in terms of design or quality. Star Trek is an unrelenting, slam-bang naval war movie that rarely catches its own breath, even to hold for laughs. Shades of swashbucklers and submarine thrillers alike are all over the storytelling and smash-bam-kaboom stuff going on throughout. It's packed to the gills with plenty sure to thrill people looking for escapist heroism with a healthy dose of optimism. There's plenty of room for interpretation for those who want to look for some allegory that is or isn't intended. The key is that Abrams and his team have bottled that '77 stuff of legend. Looking at the rest of the summer slate, Star Trek is going to own the return business crown. They're opening at the beginning of the summer and they'll have legs even after other releases come out big and then subsequently drop off just as big. That doesn't even take into account the underperformers that fizzle every summer. The smartest move Paramount has made in recent memory (no offense intended) is pushing this back from Christmas 2008. Here's Alamo's blog entry on the event. Cole from Film School Rejects has never watched any Trek of any sort and loved it. Rodney Perkins chimes in with a brief but decisive opinion. The fan community has nothing to worry about either. Back with more later in the day. I have to grab some shut-eye.
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Reconfiguration

I'm taking a break from my massive backlog of SXSW writeups and reviews to do some housekeeping. You'll notice Elsewhere Digital has disappeared from the site. It's actually just been re-shuffled under Arthouse Cowboy for a couple of reasons: it would just sit there between reviews, and the format was a bit too rigid and "old media" in the first place. Just by its nature, having a dedicated DVD column has the baggage of being locked into just reviews. I can and should do a lot more with it than that. The Digital column/feature is not getting a blurb-ridden rundown of every single thing coming out each Tuesday; however, I am doing a summation of what's coming out that piques my interest, regardless of how long down the line I end up getting a copy completely digested. Reviews are also going to be a bit different, where some titles are grouped together, others are quick and dirty, and some will be given deluxe attention and the distinction of being a Top Shelf Disc. Criterion has their Collection, but everyone has their premium shelf of the discs they love, revisit, and find an excuse to stay in and re-watch. Coming up this week are Miramax's Doubt and Magnet/Magnolia's Special, Donkey Punch, and Shuttle. As soon as Amazon delivers my copy of An American in Paris, expect me to disappear from the grid for a day. I've been anticipating that release for a couple years, and I'm not expecting I'll be disappointed. I've also written my first Saturday Night Soapbox piece. It gives me something to pick away at throughout the week, and something for you to read when not obsessively checking Twitter.
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Keep FEARnet On

...and not because I'm a fan. It isn't that I hate it, I just can't honestly say I've watched it but once. On the VOD channel. I never watch Palladium or a bunch of other channels on my lineup, but I have to stand up for this as freedom of content choice. Time Warner Cable has bigger issues on their hands, but this is an indicator of the direction they're going. They want everything to go through the Road Runner Reich when it comes to programming. I like that I could on a whim watch Swamp Thing for free (ad supported) last year. So much of the cable landscape is so disgustingly generic, it's nice for there to be alternatives. So what gives, does TWC not get a big enough cut for their liking? How much more sense does this all make than the Great NBC-KXAN Blackout of 2008? Did those "How to Connect Your Computer to Your TV" videos backfire?
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Saturday Night Soapbox: Metering Innovation

Time Warner Cable, recently divorced from Time Warner proper, wants to take the internet back to 1998, and Austin is next on its list for expansion along with three other cities. Time Warner Cable recently conducted a "trial run" of metered broadband internet billing in Beaumont, Texas and consider it having been a great success. Beaumont is best known as the setting of Footloose. Their "test" flew under the radar because it wasn't a major metro, but now they've woken a sleeping giant: tech industry-rich Austin. How It's Supposed to Work Not since the days of "1000 hours free" AOL has the general public dealt with the concept of "running out of internet usage." Back then, it was measured in time: hours, instead of the proposed total Gigabytes of throughput. Once you go over a certain bandwidth cap, they charge you overage fees like your cell phone company does when you go over on minutes. Minutes are a quantifiable thing that most people can wrap their heads around. When you get into discussing downstream/upstream and bandwidth usage, you fly over a lot of heads. There are implications TWC isn't taking into account and/or don't care about. Many, many people won't get why doing one thing or another "uses" so much of their limit, like when they watch something on YouTube, since they don't think they're "downloading" anything. People who don't know any better will limit their internet use as much as possible at home, for fear of "going over," and instead spend more time online recreationally at work than ever before. TWC will tell you that they are doing this to help support infrastructure upgrades (bullshit, they've done nothing for years on that front) and their continued ability to provide their service. This is about money, but not the way they're presenting it. When, Where, and (Allegedly) Why Almost immediately, Greensboro, NC will start going with the new metered scheme. This summer, it spreads to Rochester, NY as well as Austin and San Antonio, TX. What do all these areas have in common? A lack of competition in broadband providers. As an Austin resident, I can say people who've heard are up in arms and those who have an option are planning to jump ship ASAP. Least lucky are those who live in Round Rock, the suburban home of Dell headquarters. Many of those living there and in other 'burbs work in high tech industries and telecommute remotely on a constant basis. TWC is their only option, with no AT&T DSL or Grande Cable to run to. A friend told me he's seriously considering having a T1 line installed to the tune of around $300 a month based on what he's projected his automatic overage would be month to month. On the subject of heavy bandwidth usage, it is absolutely preposterous to argue (as TWC does) that this is a good move for the broadband industry as a whole on the basis of killing off the BitTorrent users sucking up all kinds of bandwidth. It is true that this move will put BitTorrenting Gigavores on their own terms as to how much they're willing to spend to download all manner of copyrighted material, but this really causes a lot more problems than it solves. BitTorrent freaks will abuse university and business networks. It won't stop them. Just as peer-to-peer sharing like Napster evolved into BitTorrent, it'll move faster than any provider or corporate establishment can keep up with. I'm not defending what people are doing, just saying that's how this always happens. TWC says that 86% of their customers wouldn't notice a 40GB per month bandwidth cap, since they do "standard" web browsing and email checking. In the age of YouTube, Hulu, and broadband-hungry advanced web applications, this is an illogical proposition at best. If that were true, then 86% of their customers would have just stayed on dial-up. The market is already full steam ahead on the streaming, on-demand media train. Large, high-quality digital files will be downloaded frequently and in large volume. The online landscape has been terraformed by broadband availability spreading like wildfire, and that proliferation has been predicated by the concept of bandwidth being all-you-can-eat. Stifling Innovation and Competition a Gigabyte at a Time TWC can't sell ads, charge a distribution fee, or brand content that they don't control. This whole metered usage scam is all about bandwidth discrimination for TWC's gain. The secondary intent is to keep the U.S. in the technological dark ages when it comes to set top technology. This is why the U.S. is so far behind countries like Korea when it comes to IPTV and truly intuitive on-demand services. It's like making every road you already pay taxes on a toll road and then attaching a mileage tax to cars in addition to levying an excise gas tax. This brings me to what I believe is really behind all of this: VOD and digital content revenue. When a TWC subscriber rents or buys a movie digitally that's 1.5 to 2 Gigabytes on average at current compression rates. It's about the same when they watch something streaming from a non-TWC set-top box or a home theater-connected computer (HTPC). TWC provides the pipe but doesn't get a piece of the profit. Unlike people who play World of Warcraft or other online-linked games, movies and other passive content are extremely mass-market things that people already demand in huge volume. When TiVo and DVR-alikes became user-friendly and cost-effective, everyone forgot VCRs ever existed. TWC is a great example of a monopolistic company that wants to continue charging a premium for substandard product. For this strategy to work, TWC would have to succeed in single-handedly de-evolving thousands of sites, services, and software. Unless someone allows them to get away with forcing everyone to subscribe to their anti-competitive services, they've shot their own feet clean off. When other major service providers start "test marketing" metered billing is when we'll see the federal government step in to regulate, but not before. I'd like to be optimistic and think Austin and San Antonio can cause a big enough problem for them to put on the brakes here and now, but I know that's not likely. EDIT:: 5 April 2009, 3:44pm I realize I neglected to mention the impact on VOIP services and providers like Vonage and Skype, who consumers consciously choose over TWC and AT&T due to better reliability, pricing, or service. Is this all a precursor to a telecom crash?
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