Posts tagged with film

I finally got around to watching Who Wants to Kill Jessie (click for a more in depth review) and enjoyed it very much. As part of the Czech New Wave movement (while not as pessimistic or as much of a bummer as the other CNW films) the film is a nice mix of surreal elements and features a heavy bit of slapstick comedy that surprisingly didn’t feel that dated. Add in the charm of my newest “old cinema crush” Olga Schoberova and you’ve got yourself something nice.

In the same vein as this, I recommend the Czech film Lemonade Joe, another surreal slapstick movie but this time in the package of a pretty charming western.

*

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Preview for the new documentary American Grindhouse about the grindhouse cinemas of the 70’s.

Count me in.

Some quick flashes of NSFW.

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Amazing posters for the BAFTA best picture nominees by Tavis Coburn

Via: JoBlo

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Hey! Clips from our short 5K (mostly footage of my ass in Illinois shorts) are featured in the promo for the 3rd Annual Backyard Film Festival. 

To our surprise we actually won the festival last year. We’re looking forward to submitting again and having an all around good time.

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The lady and I saw A Single Man yesterday and while I wasn’t sure how I felt about it during the film, thinking back on it, I did enjoy it a lot and thought it had some good things to offer. For one, it was extremely nice to look at*. While the pacing was a bit slow, it was because of this slow pace that the cinematography really got to shine and take it’s time to explore the details. There was very nice color and composition to nearly every frame. At times the camera lingers a bit too much but what can you do. Not to mention there is all kinds of great suit and car porn the time period had to offer.  A second thing that struck me was how the previously mentioned slow pace only heightened the emotion of what I feel the film essentially was, a study of loss. Much of the praise on this has to go to Colin Firth who was excellent; subtle when he needed to be, which was key. I’m not in a hurry to watch this film again right away but eventually I would love to see how good the Blu Ray looks. I understand what some reviewers are saying about a lot of style, little substance, but make the call for yourself. *Even though we had a pretty crappy print of it. That was fairly disappointing.

The lady and I saw A Single Man yesterday and while I wasn’t sure how I felt about it during the film, thinking back on it, I did enjoy it a lot and thought it had some good things to offer.

For one, it was extremely nice to look at*. While the pacing was a bit slow, it was because of this slow pace that the cinematography really got to shine and take it’s time to explore the details. There was very nice color and composition to nearly every frame. At times the camera lingers a bit too much but what can you do. Not to mention there is all kinds of great suit and car porn the time period had to offer. 

A second thing that struck me was how the previously mentioned slow pace only heightened the emotion of what I feel the film essentially was, a study of loss. Much of the praise on this has to go to Colin Firth who was excellent; subtle when he needed to be, which was key.

I’m not in a hurry to watch this film again right away but eventually I would love to see how good the Blu Ray looks. I understand what some reviewers are saying about a lot of style, little substance, but make the call for yourself.

*Even though we had a pretty crappy print of it. That was fairly disappointing.

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It’s a hell of a medium.

It’s a hell of a medium.

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Since I Posted the Oscar Nominations, Here are the Razzie Nominations

WORST PICTURE OF 2009

ALL ABOUT STEVE

G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA

LAND OF THE LOST

OLD DOGS

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (a.k.a. “Trannies, Too”)

WORST ACTOR OF 2009

All Three Jonas Brothers, THE JONAS BROTHERS 3-D CONCERT EXPERIENCE

Will Ferrell, LAND OF THE LOST

Steve Martin, PINK PANTHER 2

Eddie Murphy, IMAGINE THAT

John Travolta, OLD DOGS

WORST ACTRESS Of 2009

Beyonce, OBSESSED

Sandra Bullock, ALL ABOUT STEVE

Miley Cyrus, HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE

Megan Fox, JENNIFER’S BODY and TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

Sarah Jessica Parker, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS?

WORST SCREEN COUPLE OF 2009

Any Two (or More) Jonas Brothers, THE JONAS BROTHERS 3-D CONCERT EXPERIENCE

Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper, ALL ABOUT STEVE

Will Ferrell and any co-star, Creature or “Comic Riff,” LAND OF THE LOST Shia Lebouf & Either Megan Fox or Any Transformer, TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

Kristin Stewart and either Robert Pattinson or Taylor Whatz-His-Fang, TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON

WORST PICTURE OF THE DECADE (3 SPECIAL 30TH RAZZIE-VERSARY AWARDZ)

BATTLEFIELD EARTH (2000) — Nominated for 10 Razzies, “winner” of 8 (including Worst Drama of Our First 25 Years)

FREDDY GOT FINGERED (2001) — Nominated for nine Razzies, “winner” of five

GIGLI (2003) — Nominated for 10 Razzies, winner of seven (including Worst Comedy of Our First 25 Years)

I KNOW WHO KILLED ME (2007) — Nominated for nine Razzies, “winner” of eight

SWEPT AWAY (2002) — Nominated for nine Razzies, “winner” of five

WORST ACTOR OF THE DECADE

Ben Affleck — (Nominated for nine “achievements,”winner” of two Razzies) DAREDEVIL, GIGLI, JERSEY GIRL, PAYCHECK, PEARL HARBOR, SURVIVING CHRISTMAS

Eddie Murphy — (Nominated for 12 “achievements,” “winner” of three Razzies) ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH, I SPY, IMAGINE THAT, MEET DAVE, NORBIT, SHOWTIME

Mike Myers — (Nominated for four “achievements,” “winner” of two Razzies), CAT IN THE HAT, THE LOVE GURU

Rob Schneider — (Nominated for six “achievements,” “winner” of one Razzie) THE ANIMAL, BENCHWARMERS, DEUCE BIGALOW: EUROPEAN GIGOLO, THE HOT CHICK, I KNOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY, LITTLE MAN, LITTLE NICKY

John Travolta — (Nominated for six “achievements,” “winner” of the Razzies) BATTLEFIELD EARTH, DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE, LUCKY NUMBERS, OLD DOGS, SWORDFISH

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Oscar Nominations for this Year

BEST PICTURE:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

DIRECTING:
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Penelope Cruz - Nine
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Neill Blomkamp and - District 9
Nick Hornby - An Education
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche - In the Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Mark Boal - The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds
Oren Moverman and - The Messenger
Joel and Ethan Coen - A Serious Man
Pete Docter and Bob Peterson - Up

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
Ajami  - Israel
El Secreto de sus Ojos - Argentina
The Milk of Sorrow
Une Prophéte  - France
The White Ribbon - Germany

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of the Kells
Up

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Maurio Fiore - Avatar
Bruno Delbonnel - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Barry Ackroyd - The Hurt Locker
Robert Richardson - Inglourious Basterds
Christian Berger - The White Ribbon

FILM EDITING:
Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron - Avatar
Julian Clarke - District 9
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis - The Hurt Locker
Sally Menke - Inglourious Basterds
Joe Klotz - Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

A lot of nice surprises here.

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Trailer for MachoTailDrop

I’m very interested.

“For all of the world’s fireplaces used to stack skateboard videos and DVDs, it’s increasingly strange how few, if any, feature films exist to directly reflect the ubiquity of the sport and lifestyle in pop culture. The new indie film, Machotaildrop, might be the only across-the-board example. Not only does it have a skateboarder named Walter (played by skater/actor Anthony Amedori) as its main character, the movie’s plush fantasy world serves as a metaphorical backdrop for a modern skater’s journey from passionate amateur to paid-and-jaded pro. After Walter is recruited to the hedonistic dream estate of a major skateboard corporation called Machotaildrop, he’s soon ordered by its shady overseer, The Baron, to raid the territory of an outlaw skater gang called the Manwolfs. Herein lies a moral dilemma and awakening: help Machotaildrop establish a kooky skater theme park inexplicably called Ape Snake on the Manwolfs’ turf and get rich. Or bail.

Machotaildrop is already stirring curiosity online for its attractive cinematography and for surreal imagery that evokes the prim-and-proper stylings of Wes Anderson, the offbeat humor of Spike Jonze, and the acid-tab abstraction of Alejandro Jodorowsky. Accessible to fans of those directors, Machotaildrop still glows with the esoteric yet stonerish attitude synonymous with a lot of skate culture. Veteran and current pro’s like Steve Olson (as a baker-skater) and Rick McCrank (as a snobbish, injured icon) get laughs in supporting roles and the plot lends itself to well-shot bouts of skate tricks.”
Via Slash Film
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First look at the new Spike Jonze short I’m Here. Click through for the Slash Film article

First look at the new Spike Jonze short I’m Here.

Click through for the Slash Film article

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thedailywhat: Robert Penney: “Retro Games With Modern Themes” Exclusively for the Cartridge Video System 2600. [gamesetwatch.]

thedailywhat:

Robert Penney: “Retro Games With Modern Themes”

Exclusively for the Cartridge Video System 2600.

[gamesetwatch.]

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stayforthecredits: kidcasting: Big, 1988 Trivia that blew my mind the other day: To give star Tom Hanks an idea of how a 12 year-old would behave, director Penny Marshall filmed each “grown-up” scene with David Moscow (Young Josh) playing Tom Hanks’s part, who then copied David Moscow’s behavior. (via) Wow.

stayforthecredits:

kidcasting:

Big, 1988

Trivia that blew my mind the other day: To give star Tom Hanks an idea of how a 12 year-old would behave, director Penny Marshall filmed each “grown-up” scene with David Moscow (Young Josh) playing Tom Hanks’s part, who then copied David Moscow’s behavior. (via)

Wow.

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WANT these amazing Tarantino posters by Ibraheem Youssef.

Would love to see what this guy would do with other director’s work; Wes Anderson would be a treat.

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Trailer for upcoming film Boy. From the director of Eagle Vs. Shark.

I like what I see.

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Shaun of the Dead was named best comedy of the decade by Total Film.

Pictured above is their awesome celebratory photo shoot.

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