One of the greatest composers has passed away. I don't have the words, so I'm going to be bad and just link you to the Guardian's article on him.
Here's a few of his "greatest hits":
Main Theme from On Her Majesty's Secret Service:
Main Theme from The Black Hole:
Rest in peace, John and thanks for the tunes.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Hole
Joe Dante doesn't get enough credit for what he does. He's brilliant with kids and knows what works for a kid. From Gremlins to the underrated Matinee, he's able to perfectly capture childhood and suburban life. And now he's back with his first feature-length movie since 2003's Looney Tunes: Back in Action with The Hole.
The Hole is a story of two brothers who find a hole on the floor of the basement of the new house they just moved in. Once they look into the hole, they find out what really scares them.
It's a horror movie for kids and teens, which means no blood and guts, no tits, sex, drugs, etc. But it definitely freaked me out. While the movie suffers from the "wooden lead syndrome"(yeah, that's you, Chris Massoglia, also the lead in The Vampire's Assistant), it does play on fears that are very common and very relatable, especially to us who grew up with Poltergeist and Stephen King's It. Yeah, there's a puppet clown in the movie, which scared the hell out of me at least. Worth mentioning is also that the puppet is the closest thing Dante has gotten to Gremlins since the 1990 movie.
Like I mentioned, the acting isn't this movies strong suit, but it's easy to forgive some bad acting for the scares and the intensity of some of the scenes, especially at the end of the movie. At times the movie feels like an extended episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a show that I loved as a kid or even Eerie, Indiana, Dante's own "weird shit happening around kids" show.
The question is though, if the movie got to me, would I show it to my own child? Yeah, I think I would, at around the age of 11-12. Who knows, maybe she'll be able to calm me down when I start getting scared. My rating for The Hole 7/10.
PS. Joe Dante is involved with one of the best websites available. Go to Trailers From Hell and see great old Sci-Fi and Horror trailers with commentaries from such people as Joe Dante himself, Edgar Wright, Eli Roth, John Landis and many many more! You'll be stuck there for hours, but it really is worth it.
Horror Remake Sequel News!
Yeah, these don't happen too often, I think. Last remake sequel I remember is Halloween 2. Didn't see it though. But Platinum Dunes producer Brad Fuller spilled his guts about what's happening with the sequels to the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street reboots.
About Friday, he said "[Damian] Shannon and [Mark] Swift wrote a great script. We are ready to go, when New Line is ready. But as of yet, they are not ready."
So that's good news. I really enjoyed the Friday remake and I thought this project was dead in the water. At least there's some life in there, though who knows when it'll see the day of light. Interesting trivia note is that this would be the 13th Friday the 13th movie. Can't wait for it.
Then from Crystal Lake to Elm Street, Fuller says: "As for Freddy, as far as I know, there isn't even talk of writing another script." So no more Jackie Earle Haley as the dream demon.
It all makes sense as well. Friday made 65 million on a 19 million budget, where Nightmare on Elm Street only made 63 million on a 35 million budget, so it seems Friday the 13th-series is the more lucrative one at the moment. We'll see what happens in the future, I don't think either one will be buried for too long.
Superman's Got A New Face
Over the weekend, it was announced that Henry Cavill will be Superman/Clark Kent in Zack Snyder's Superman movie Man of Steel. While I like a new fresh face for the role (I only know him from Stardust), I can't help but feel a bit sorry for Brandon Routh.
Routh was one of the best things in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns and was let down by a boring script and totally miscast Lois Lane. And while Superman is probably the least interesting A-list superhero, I'm quite optimistic about Man of Steel. I'm a fan of Snyder's work and he has Nolan producing, so maybe they're actually able to get some life into the movie.
I just hope all those rumours about Lex Luthor and Zod are false. It's time to get some new villains in there.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Top 5 Friday #2: Favourite Movie Scores 2010
For this week, Top 5 Friday will give you my favourite scores of 2010. Or rather, Pieces of Scores From 2010 That I've listened to More Than Any Other, but that title was a bit long. So yeah, I'm not listing the whole score, just the one item on the score.
5. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - Bass Battle
Sure, this movie is mostly remembered by it's great great songs(Why weren't these nominated for Oscars, guys?), but I always loved this one.
4. Tron: Legacy - Derezzed
Haven't seen the actual movie yet, but this score kicks ass. Never before have I wanted to see a movie mostly because of it's score.
3. Social Network - In Motion
I have to admit I was a bit reprehensive of Trent Reznor scoring a movie like The Social Network, but it works beautifully in the movie. The other choice was In The Hall Of The Mountain King, but since that's not original for the score, I went for this one.
2. Inception - Dream is Collapsing
Brilliant score for a brilliant movie. Usually plays when I'm writing something, makes it all feel more epic. Even if it is just for a blog.
1. Test Drive - How to Train Your Dragon
Best score of the year for me, hands down. Everything about this is just gold. Especially this track, which always gives you an extra boost when you're running or whatnot. I really want John Powell to win the Best Score for this one.
And I'll see you again for another Top 5 Friday next week!
5. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - Bass Battle
Sure, this movie is mostly remembered by it's great great songs(Why weren't these nominated for Oscars, guys?), but I always loved this one.
4. Tron: Legacy - Derezzed
Haven't seen the actual movie yet, but this score kicks ass. Never before have I wanted to see a movie mostly because of it's score.
3. Social Network - In Motion
I have to admit I was a bit reprehensive of Trent Reznor scoring a movie like The Social Network, but it works beautifully in the movie. The other choice was In The Hall Of The Mountain King, but since that's not original for the score, I went for this one.
2. Inception - Dream is Collapsing
Brilliant score for a brilliant movie. Usually plays when I'm writing something, makes it all feel more epic. Even if it is just for a blog.
1. Test Drive - How to Train Your Dragon
Best score of the year for me, hands down. Everything about this is just gold. Especially this track, which always gives you an extra boost when you're running or whatnot. I really want John Powell to win the Best Score for this one.
And I'll see you again for another Top 5 Friday next week!
Friday Fun: Big Trouble in Little China
We're at the end of January, which means payday is close, but not quite there yet. To some of us this means we can't really go out to party, have fun with friends, etc. So we stay home, sulk a little bit and then realize "But I can watch movies! Movies can get me out of this funk and I'll be happy again!" This brings on another problem though. What movie to watch? Surely watching Requiem for a Dream or Schindler's List isn't going to help lift your spirits. So what to do?
Don't worry, little one! I have the solution to all of your problems! Well not all, you still need to see a doctor about that one. Sorry.
Big Trouble in Little China is one of the most fun movies I've ever seen. Kurt Russell plays Jack Burton, a truck driver who gets involved into some weird Chinese stuff. Russell did Escape from New York before this one with John Carpenter, the director of this movie as well, and here he's pretty much the total opposite of the badass anti-hero Snake Plissken. Jack Burton doesn't think anything through, he just goes and does. Well, tries to do anyway. Imagine Big Trouble in Little China being like The Green Hornet, where Britt Reid is the sidekick and Kato is actually the protagonist.
Dennis Dun's Wang Chi is the one whose girlfriend is kidnapped and who needs to stop the evil spirit David Lo Pan to save her, Jack Burton just wants his truck back. The movie is a blast from start to the end. The movie didn't do too well at the box office, I suppose the audiences weren't ready for an east-west movie like this one. But with the later successes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Rush Hour, it seems that Carpenter was just ahead of his time. My rating 10/10 for Friday fun.
Here's the trailer:
and here's the very 80's music video. Yes, the lead singer is indeed the director John Carpenter himself. Hmmm...enjoy might not be the proper word, but it'll do.
Don't worry, little one! I have the solution to all of your problems! Well not all, you still need to see a doctor about that one. Sorry.
Big Trouble in Little China is one of the most fun movies I've ever seen. Kurt Russell plays Jack Burton, a truck driver who gets involved into some weird Chinese stuff. Russell did Escape from New York before this one with John Carpenter, the director of this movie as well, and here he's pretty much the total opposite of the badass anti-hero Snake Plissken. Jack Burton doesn't think anything through, he just goes and does. Well, tries to do anyway. Imagine Big Trouble in Little China being like The Green Hornet, where Britt Reid is the sidekick and Kato is actually the protagonist.
Dennis Dun's Wang Chi is the one whose girlfriend is kidnapped and who needs to stop the evil spirit David Lo Pan to save her, Jack Burton just wants his truck back. The movie is a blast from start to the end. The movie didn't do too well at the box office, I suppose the audiences weren't ready for an east-west movie like this one. But with the later successes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Rush Hour, it seems that Carpenter was just ahead of his time. My rating 10/10 for Friday fun.
Here's the trailer:
and here's the very 80's music video. Yes, the lead singer is indeed the director John Carpenter himself. Hmmm...enjoy might not be the proper word, but it'll do.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Howard's Dark Tower Starting to See Light
A few months ago, it was announced that Ron Howard (The Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind) will be doing an adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower book series. Since there were seven books in the series, there's no way Howard is able to do it in one movie, so they've thought of this new interesting approach to it. To do one movie first, then a season on TV, followed by another movie, etc. Which I think will be cool, if it works.
And right now, it seems they've managed to cast their Roland. Or at least very close to it. With names like Viggo Mortensen and Christian Bale popping up, it seems the role has been offered to Oscar-winner (and current nominee) Javier Bardem, according to Deadline Hollywood Daily.
I think Bardem would be good choice for the role. Perfect world would have Clint Eastwood in his 40's in the role, but without CGI that's not going to work and with CGI, it would just be distracting. Bardem has never been bad in anything I've seen him in, and his performance in No Country For Old Men was brilliant.
Other than that, this project is something I'm looking forward to a lot, not only as a Dark Tower fan(still need to read books 6 and 7 though) but also to see if this Movie-TV-Movie-TV thing actually will work. I'm intrigued. If it only wasn't Howard behind it, I would be even more excited.
Oh, and when I was reading these books as kid, I always imagined Roland as Bruce Campbell, probably thanks to The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. What a show.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Oscar Nominations 2011!
Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: The Social Network
Surprises in this category: None, Glad to see Toy Story 3 there.
Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David O. Russell, The Fighter
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David Fincher, The Social Network
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Who will win: David Fincher
Who I'd like to win: David Fincher
Surprises in this category: The lack of Christopher Nolan.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Who will win: Colin Firth.
Who I'd like to win: Colin Firth.
Surprises in this category: Yes, wasn't expecting Javier Bardem, especially as his role is completely in Spanish. Surprising lack of Mark Wahlberg, as well.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
Who will win: Christian Bale
Who I'd like to win: Jeremy Renner
Surprises in this category: Yes, a pleasant one, with John Hawkes getting nominated.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening, The Kids are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
Who will win: Natalie Portman
Who I'd like to win: Natalie Portman
Surprises in this category: None.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham-Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Stansfield, True Grit
Jackie Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Who will win: Melissa Leo
Who I'd like to win: Hailee Stansfield
Surprises in this category: I certainly wasn't expecting Hailee to get nominated, as she is so young. Good on her though!
Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: The Social Network
Surprises in this category: None
Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
Who will win: Toy Story 3
Who I'd like to win: How to Train Your Dragon
Surprises in this category: The Illusionist. Happy to see it's not all dominated by CG animation.
Best Animated Short Film
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let’s Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage
Can't say anything about this category. Day & Night was interesting, but Oscar-worthy?
Best Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King’s Speech
True Grit
Who will win: The King's Speech
Who I'd like to win: Inception
Surprises in this category: The birth of the term "Oscar-nominated Alice in Wonderland"
Best Cinematography
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
Inception, Wally Pfister
The King’s Speech, Danny Cohen
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: Inception
Surprises in this category: I would've thought 127 Hours got nominated here as well.
Best Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King’s Speech
The Tempest
True Grit
Who will win: The King's Speech
Who I'd like to win: The King's Speech
Surprises in this category: None
Best Documentary Feature
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land
Can't say much here, other than I'm happy to see Exit Through the Gift Shop nominated.
Best Documentary Short Subject
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang
Can't say anything here either.
Best Film Editing
Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) Andrew Weisblum
The Fighter (Paramount) Pamela Martin
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company) Tariq Anwar
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) Jon Harris
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: The Social Network
Surprises in this category: Not really a surprise, but I think Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World definitely deserved to get nominated.
Best Foreign Language Film
Biutiful Mexico
Dogtooth Greece
In a Better World Denmark
Incendies Canada
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) Algeria
Glad to see Dogtooth nominated, think Biutiful will win this one though. And Nordic Love for Denmark, Yay!
Best Makeup
The Way Back
The Wolf Man
Barney’s Version
Who will win: The Wolf Man
Who I'd like to win: The Wolf Man
Surprises in this category: I'm just happy for Rick Baker. Though he's had his share, he's got at least 6 Oscars so far.
Best Original Score
How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) John Powell
Inception (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company) Alexandre Desplat
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: How to Train Your Dragon, my favourite score of the year.
Surprises in this category: Really wasn't expecting How to Train Your Dragon to get nominated, very happy about that.
Best Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2
Who will win: Inception
Who I'd like to win: Inception
Surprises in this category: Hereafter? Academy really loves Clint Eastwood.
Best Original Screenplay
Another Year, Written by Mike Leigh
The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech, Screenplay by David Seidler
Who will win: The King's Speech
Who I'd like to win: Inception
Surprises in this category: None, happy to see Mike Leigh nominated though.
Best Original Song
‘Coming Home’ from Country Strong
‘I See the Light’ from Tangled
‘If I Rise’ from 127 Hours
‘We Belong Together’ from Toy Story 3
Who will win: Tangled
Who I'd like to win: Tangled, because why not?
Surprises in this category: None.
Best Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable
Inception was brilliant with this. Surprised for Unstoppable.
Best Sound Mixing
Inception
The King’s Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit
Inception here as well. And surprise of this category is definitely Salt.
Live Action Short Film
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143
No comments on these.
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: The Social Network
Surprises in this category: None, Glad to see Toy Story 3 there.
Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David O. Russell, The Fighter
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David Fincher, The Social Network
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Who will win: David Fincher
Who I'd like to win: David Fincher
Surprises in this category: The lack of Christopher Nolan.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Who will win: Colin Firth.
Who I'd like to win: Colin Firth.
Surprises in this category: Yes, wasn't expecting Javier Bardem, especially as his role is completely in Spanish. Surprising lack of Mark Wahlberg, as well.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
Who will win: Christian Bale
Who I'd like to win: Jeremy Renner
Surprises in this category: Yes, a pleasant one, with John Hawkes getting nominated.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening, The Kids are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
Who will win: Natalie Portman
Who I'd like to win: Natalie Portman
Surprises in this category: None.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham-Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Stansfield, True Grit
Jackie Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Who will win: Melissa Leo
Who I'd like to win: Hailee Stansfield
Surprises in this category: I certainly wasn't expecting Hailee to get nominated, as she is so young. Good on her though!
Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: The Social Network
Surprises in this category: None
Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
Who will win: Toy Story 3
Who I'd like to win: How to Train Your Dragon
Surprises in this category: The Illusionist. Happy to see it's not all dominated by CG animation.
Best Animated Short Film
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let’s Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage
Can't say anything about this category. Day & Night was interesting, but Oscar-worthy?
Best Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King’s Speech
True Grit
Who will win: The King's Speech
Who I'd like to win: Inception
Surprises in this category: The birth of the term "Oscar-nominated Alice in Wonderland"
Best Cinematography
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
Inception, Wally Pfister
The King’s Speech, Danny Cohen
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: Inception
Surprises in this category: I would've thought 127 Hours got nominated here as well.
Best Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King’s Speech
The Tempest
True Grit
Who will win: The King's Speech
Who I'd like to win: The King's Speech
Surprises in this category: None
Best Documentary Feature
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land
Can't say much here, other than I'm happy to see Exit Through the Gift Shop nominated.
Best Documentary Short Subject
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang
Can't say anything here either.
Best Film Editing
Black Swan (Fox Searchlight) Andrew Weisblum
The Fighter (Paramount) Pamela Martin
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company) Tariq Anwar
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) Jon Harris
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: The Social Network
Surprises in this category: Not really a surprise, but I think Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World definitely deserved to get nominated.
Best Foreign Language Film
Biutiful Mexico
Dogtooth Greece
In a Better World Denmark
Incendies Canada
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) Algeria
Glad to see Dogtooth nominated, think Biutiful will win this one though. And Nordic Love for Denmark, Yay!
Best Makeup
The Way Back
The Wolf Man
Barney’s Version
Who will win: The Wolf Man
Who I'd like to win: The Wolf Man
Surprises in this category: I'm just happy for Rick Baker. Though he's had his share, he's got at least 6 Oscars so far.
Best Original Score
How to Train Your Dragon (Paramount) John Powell
Inception (Warner Bros.) Hans Zimmer
The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company) Alexandre Desplat
127 Hours (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Who will win: The Social Network
Who I'd like to win: How to Train Your Dragon, my favourite score of the year.
Surprises in this category: Really wasn't expecting How to Train Your Dragon to get nominated, very happy about that.
Best Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2
Who will win: Inception
Who I'd like to win: Inception
Surprises in this category: Hereafter? Academy really loves Clint Eastwood.
Best Original Screenplay
Another Year, Written by Mike Leigh
The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech, Screenplay by David Seidler
Who will win: The King's Speech
Who I'd like to win: Inception
Surprises in this category: None, happy to see Mike Leigh nominated though.
Best Original Song
‘Coming Home’ from Country Strong
‘I See the Light’ from Tangled
‘If I Rise’ from 127 Hours
‘We Belong Together’ from Toy Story 3
Who will win: Tangled
Who I'd like to win: Tangled, because why not?
Surprises in this category: None.
Best Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable
Inception was brilliant with this. Surprised for Unstoppable.
Best Sound Mixing
Inception
The King’s Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit
Inception here as well. And surprise of this category is definitely Salt.
Live Action Short Film
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143
No comments on these.
Monday, January 24, 2011
IMDb Top 250: Million Dollar Baby
My first movie from the IMDb's Top 250 unseen movies was Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, winner of Best Picture and several other Oscars. Starring Hilary Swank and Eastwood himself, it's a small intimate story of a female boxer and her mentor.It's a very well made movie. A movie that I wanted to like more than I ended up doing.
Hilary Swank's strong and effective performance was well worth the Oscar win (though I wish Kate Winslet would've won that year). Clint Eastwood does his usual grumpy old man role, though a bit more warmhearted this time and if I'm not mistaken, it's the first time you see him cry on screen, which was a brave choice on his part. Morgan Freeman's performance is nothing he can't do in his sleep, so I'm wagering that the Oscar he got for this one was more of a "It's about time" award.
Eastwood's direction is beautifully understated and the lighting in the movie was nothing short of brilliant. The gym especially was done gorgeously and having people wrapped in shadows occasionally worked very well in the movie.
But where the movie falls apart for me is the screenplay. Hard as they try, Eastwood, Swank and Freeman can't save the movie from a cliched script from Paul Haggis. Aside from the three main characters, all the other people in the movie are extremely one-dimensional, especially Swank's character's family, who might as well have dressed as vampires and gone "MWAHAHAHAHA" through their scenes. Also, I must've missed the point of the subplot with Jay Baruchel's Danger as it doesn't seem to amount to anything.
The movie's passion to explain everything to the viewer felt very weird as well. Obviously a movie like this is geared more for the mature audiences, but there's nothing left for the viewer to figure out and even if you have something that bothers you, don't worry, Morgan Freeman's narration will tell you everything. And I mean, everything. At times it felt like watching an audiobook.
I love Clint Eastwood's movies. Unforgiven is one of the greatest movies ever made and Mystic River and Gran Torino get a thumbs up from me. This one left me a little cold though, mainly because of the weak script. I can understand why it won Best Picture though, stories like these thriumph very well at the Oscars, and it wasn't a very big year movie-wise anyway. Though why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind wasn't even nominated for Best Picture baffles me. But that's a story for another time. My rating for Million Dollar Baby: 6/10.
One down, 81 to go!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Top 5 Friday #1: Top 5 Horror Teaser Trailers
Teaser trailers are quite interesting. Sometimes they're much better than the movies and sometimes they're done so far before the movies that the teaser actually promises you a movie you didn't end up getting at all. Here's a collection of horror teaser trailers for you for this Friday:
5. Godzilla
Not so much a horror movie as just horrifically bad. This teaser though is brilliant and about a million times better than the movie.
4. Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors
Not using footage from the movie at all, this teaser trailer has one of the most effective scares in the entire Elm Street movie series.
3. Alien 3
Ok, so this isn't really a top list material, but it has to be added here just because the teaser is nothing like the movie.
2. Bram Stoker's Dracula
I enjoy Coppola's adaptation of Dracula, and I think this teaser is perfect for the movie.
1. The Exorcist
This one you might not have seen before as it was banned at the time for being too unsettling and it is, but it would've been great to see the reactions in the cinemas.
5. Godzilla
Not so much a horror movie as just horrifically bad. This teaser though is brilliant and about a million times better than the movie.
4. Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors
Not using footage from the movie at all, this teaser trailer has one of the most effective scares in the entire Elm Street movie series.
3. Alien 3
Ok, so this isn't really a top list material, but it has to be added here just because the teaser is nothing like the movie.
2. Bram Stoker's Dracula
I enjoy Coppola's adaptation of Dracula, and I think this teaser is perfect for the movie.
1. The Exorcist
This one you might not have seen before as it was banned at the time for being too unsettling and it is, but it would've been great to see the reactions in the cinemas.
The Movie Titles Stills Collection
This website is like heaven for movie geeks like yours truly. It has hundreds if not thousands movie title frames, starting from 1920 to today. Just look at the few that I've gotten here and if you're curious what else they have in there, go look. Do they have your favourite movie? They do.
Wait, what?
You know how you sometimes have those mornings when you wake up, turn on your computer, check what's going on in the world and you see something so bonkers that you doubt that you're awake?
Well apparently Clint Eastwood will direct a musical remake of A Star is Born, starring singer/actor Beyonce Knowles.
Yeah, still wrapping my head around that one.
Well apparently Clint Eastwood will direct a musical remake of A Star is Born, starring singer/actor Beyonce Knowles.
Yeah, still wrapping my head around that one.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
IMDb Top 250: 82 to go!
So I looked through the Top 250 movies on IMDb and there are some glaring omissions in my movie viewing history, some of which make me quite ashamed to call myself a movie geek. But fear not! I will watch all these movies before 2012. So here it is, 82 movies to see in 2011:
1. City of God (2002)
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
3. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
4. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
5. Black Swan (2010)
6. The Pianist (2002)
7. City Lights (1931)
8. The Lives of Others (2006)
9. Modern Times (1936)
10. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
11. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
12. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
13. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
14. All About Eve (1950)
15. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
16. The Great Dictator (1940)
17. Downfall (2004)
18. The Elephant Man (1980)
19. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
20. On the Waterfront (1954)
21. Rebecca (1940)
22. The Seventh Seal (1957)
23. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
24. Touch of Evil (1958)
25. Yojimbo (1961)
26. Ran (1985)
27. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
28. Wild Strawberries (1957)
29. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
30. It Happened One Night (1934)
31. Notorious (1946)
32. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
33. Gone with the Wind (1939)
34. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
35. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
36. Ben-Hur (1959)
37. The King's Speech (2010)
38. The Big Sleep (1946)
39. The Graduate (1967)
40. Amores Perros (2000)
41. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
42. The Kid (1921)
43. Ikiru (1952)
44. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
45. Gandhi (1982)
46. 8½ (1963)
47. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
48. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
49. True Grit (2010)
50. The Killing (1956)
51. La Strada (1954)
52. The 400 Blows (1959)
53. Network (1976)
54. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
55. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
56. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
57. Persona (1966)
58. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
59. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
60. 127 Hours (2010)
61. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
62. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
63. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
64. Mary and Max (2009)
65. Manhattan (1979)
66. Barry Lyndon (1975)
67. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
68. The Celebration (1998)
69. Patton (1970)
70. The Fighter (2010)
71. Roman Holiday (1953)
72. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
73. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
74. In the Mood for Love (2000)
75. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
76. Harvey (1950)
77. Crash (2004)
78. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
79. A Christmas Story (1983)
80. Three Colors: Red (1994)
81. Rope (1948)
82. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
1. City of God (2002)
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
3. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
4. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
5. Black Swan (2010)
6. The Pianist (2002)
7. City Lights (1931)
8. The Lives of Others (2006)
9. Modern Times (1936)
10. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
11. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
12. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
13. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
14. All About Eve (1950)
15. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
16. The Great Dictator (1940)
17. Downfall (2004)
18. The Elephant Man (1980)
19. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
20. On the Waterfront (1954)
21. Rebecca (1940)
22. The Seventh Seal (1957)
23. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
24. Touch of Evil (1958)
25. Yojimbo (1961)
26. Ran (1985)
27. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
28. Wild Strawberries (1957)
29. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
30. It Happened One Night (1934)
31. Notorious (1946)
32. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
33. Gone with the Wind (1939)
34. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
35. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
36. Ben-Hur (1959)
37. The King's Speech (2010)
38. The Big Sleep (1946)
39. The Graduate (1967)
40. Amores Perros (2000)
41. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
42. The Kid (1921)
43. Ikiru (1952)
44. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
45. Gandhi (1982)
46. 8½ (1963)
47. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
48. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
49. True Grit (2010)
50. The Killing (1956)
51. La Strada (1954)
52. The 400 Blows (1959)
53. Network (1976)
54. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
55. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
56. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
57. Persona (1966)
58. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
59. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
60. 127 Hours (2010)
61. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
62. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
63. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
64. Mary and Max (2009)
65. Manhattan (1979)
66. Barry Lyndon (1975)
67. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
68. The Celebration (1998)
69. Patton (1970)
70. The Fighter (2010)
71. Roman Holiday (1953)
72. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
73. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
74. In the Mood for Love (2000)
75. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
76. Harvey (1950)
77. Crash (2004)
78. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
79. A Christmas Story (1983)
80. Three Colors: Red (1994)
81. Rope (1948)
82. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
Catwoman and Bane in The Dark Knight Rises
As you might've heard, they've cast Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Tom Hardy as Bane in the next Batman movie. Well, we knew Tom Hardy would be in it, but we didn't know the role he'd be playing till now. To be honest, it's not really getting me excited for this movie.
I just can't see Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. She just seems too much like that Princess Diaries girl for me still. She doesn't have that sass that all the good Catwomen had, Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer. I can't see Hathaway just to the same level of...well, let's say it's Catwomanness.
Tom Hardy I have a lot of faith on, based on Bronson and Inception, but Bane? Really? One of the least memorable Batman villains, whose only calm to fame is breaking Batman's back in one of the comics. Oh, they did turn him into a piss-poor villains in Batman and Robin, didn't they? Nolan's said that they've remodeled Bane into something new, but why call him Bane then?
Then again, I have to say I was apprehensive about Ledger as Joker in The Dark Knight and look how well that panned out. I have faith in Nolan to pull it off, I'm just very curious about how it'll turn out. And I'm hoping this indeed will be Nolan's last Batman, the man should be working on original material, if it turns out as well as Memento and Inception.
And please, change the title The Dark Knight Rises. It just doesn't work.
I just can't see Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. She just seems too much like that Princess Diaries girl for me still. She doesn't have that sass that all the good Catwomen had, Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer. I can't see Hathaway just to the same level of...well, let's say it's Catwomanness.
Tom Hardy I have a lot of faith on, based on Bronson and Inception, but Bane? Really? One of the least memorable Batman villains, whose only calm to fame is breaking Batman's back in one of the comics. Oh, they did turn him into a piss-poor villains in Batman and Robin, didn't they? Nolan's said that they've remodeled Bane into something new, but why call him Bane then?
Then again, I have to say I was apprehensive about Ledger as Joker in The Dark Knight and look how well that panned out. I have faith in Nolan to pull it off, I'm just very curious about how it'll turn out. And I'm hoping this indeed will be Nolan's last Batman, the man should be working on original material, if it turns out as well as Memento and Inception.
And please, change the title The Dark Knight Rises. It just doesn't work.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Cabbage Fairy
Got this off of Lucky McKee's Twitter feed, thought it was quite interesting. Supposedly it's the first movie ever directed by a woman. It's 115 years old, which blows my mind.
Those poor babies.
Those poor babies.
Memento
Christopher Nolan is probably the biggest director for geeks at the moment. With the double whammy of The Dark Knight and Inception, everyone's eagerly waiting for his next move, directing the poorly named The Dark Knight Rises, the third and supposedly final Batman movie for Nolan. It's going to be huge for him.
But it wasn't always like this for Nolan. Back in 1998, he directed a small independent movie, Following, in which he tampered with chronological storytelling and told a story of a writer and a thief. And this movie lead him to Memento, arguably Nolan's masterpiece.
Memento's story is fairly simple. Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is a man looking for his wife's murderer. Leonard's problem is that he got injured in the same attack that killed his wife and is unable to make new memories. Like he says, everything fades.
Based on a story by Jonathan Nolan, Christopher's brother, what the movie does brilliantly is working the two timelines of Leonard's story, one in black and white moving forwards and the other in in color moving backwards. What could very well be extremely complicated is handled masterfully in directing and editing. Both timelines add to each other and make for a very compelling storytelling. From the opening scene on, you're on a trip that many have tried to mimic, but no one has been able to capture again, let alone better it.
Guy Pearce is Leonard Shelby, through and through. You can see his torment, confusion and determination as he continues his search for the killer, John G. Why this man isn't a bigger star in Hollywood is a mystery to me. From brilliant roles in L.A. Confidential and Ravenous to bit parts in The Hurt Locker and The King's Speech, the guy is always on top of his game and makes his roles memorable. I, for one, would love to see this guy more on the screen. The other actors in the movie, Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss, have good chemistry with Pearce and make it interesting to see if they're actually there to help Leonard or if they're just using him for their own benefit.
For me this all makes the movie better than Nolan's later movies. Memento is better written and tighter than The Dark Knight and Pearce's Leonard makes for a better protagonist than DiCaprio's Cobb in Inception. Nolan hasn't done a bad movie yet (his worst is Insomnia, which, while effective, is missing the edge of the original Norwegian movie), and this is the movie to beat. My rating: 10/10
Musical Moment #1: La Caccia/Zombi
Every now and then I find something movie related music stuff online that I want to share to the world. And here's the first one.
A brilliant cover of some of the themes from the ultimate zombie epic, Dawn of the Dead. The video even has the links to the original cues from the movie, saving you the trouble of going "Hey! That was pretty awesome, I wanna hear even more of this! But how do I go about that?". So sit back, relax and listen. It's scientifically proven* to improve your life at least 23%.
*Ok, it's not, but how cool would that be?
A brilliant cover of some of the themes from the ultimate zombie epic, Dawn of the Dead. The video even has the links to the original cues from the movie, saving you the trouble of going "Hey! That was pretty awesome, I wanna hear even more of this! But how do I go about that?". So sit back, relax and listen. It's scientifically proven* to improve your life at least 23%.
*Ok, it's not, but how cool would that be?
Interesting Movies in 2011: Rubber
Now in this section I'll bring up movies that interest me that are out this year. I've been told that my movie taste is somewhat unusual and some even think it's weird, so the movies I'll bring up here might not be the most common ones. I hope you'll find something that interests you though and something you might not have heard of before.
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First for this year, we have Rubber. It came out last year, circulating in a lot of movie festivals, but hasn't made it to Ireland yet. It's a story about Robert, a killer tire. As far as I know, it's the first ever full-length killer tire movie. That alone gets me interested in the movie.
Official synopsis:
RUBBER is the story of Robert, an inanimate tire that has been abandoned in the desert, and suddenly and inexplicably comes to life. As Robert roams the bleak landscape, he discovers that he possesses terrifying telepathic powers that give him the ability to destroy anything he wishes without having to move. At first content to prey on small desert creatures and various discarded objects, his attention soon turns to humans, especially a beautiful and mysterious woman who crosses his path. Leaving a swath of destruction across the desert landscape, Robert becomes a chaotic force to be reckoned with, and truly a movie villain for the ages. Directed by legendary electro musician Quentin Dupieux (Steak, Nonfilm), aka Mr. Oizo, RUBBER is a smart, funny and wholly original tribute to the cinematic concept of no reason.
A new trailer was released recently for the US market, which you can see here.
Unfortunately there's no Irish or UK release date for the movie yet, but I'll keep you informed once/if one comes up.
Stay tuned for more Interesting Movies in 2011, soon on this very same blog.
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First for this year, we have Rubber. It came out last year, circulating in a lot of movie festivals, but hasn't made it to Ireland yet. It's a story about Robert, a killer tire. As far as I know, it's the first ever full-length killer tire movie. That alone gets me interested in the movie.
Official synopsis:
RUBBER is the story of Robert, an inanimate tire that has been abandoned in the desert, and suddenly and inexplicably comes to life. As Robert roams the bleak landscape, he discovers that he possesses terrifying telepathic powers that give him the ability to destroy anything he wishes without having to move. At first content to prey on small desert creatures and various discarded objects, his attention soon turns to humans, especially a beautiful and mysterious woman who crosses his path. Leaving a swath of destruction across the desert landscape, Robert becomes a chaotic force to be reckoned with, and truly a movie villain for the ages. Directed by legendary electro musician Quentin Dupieux (Steak, Nonfilm), aka Mr. Oizo, RUBBER is a smart, funny and wholly original tribute to the cinematic concept of no reason.
A new trailer was released recently for the US market, which you can see here.
Unfortunately there's no Irish or UK release date for the movie yet, but I'll keep you informed once/if one comes up.
Stay tuned for more Interesting Movies in 2011, soon on this very same blog.
Monday, January 17, 2011
An Education
An Education is a story of a 16-year old Jenny(Carey Mulligan) who's studying hard at school, trying to make her way to Oxford. Her life changes completely when she meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a man twice her age.
Roger Ebert once said "It's not what a movie is about, it's how it is about it." Based on the memoirs of Lynn Barber, the story of An Education certainly isn't the freshest story and it does hit all the predictable notes you would expect it to.
But it's the how that makes the movie very special. Nick Hornby has crafted Barber's memoirs into a very lively script. Not having read Barber's book myself, I can't say how much Hornby has changed from the memoirs, but nevertheless everything in the movie feels real and the characters in it are very genuine.
Speaking of characters, Carey Mulligan portrays Jenny perfectly, getting swept into the web of an older man who promises her the world. Mulligan is able to bring the right dose of naivety and youth to the role and you really feel you see the character grow older (and somewhat wiser) as the movie goes on. All the awards received for this role are very well deserved.
And Peter Sarsgaard's David makes it very believable that Jenny would fall for him. He's able to talk anyone into anything, he's that kind of a suave charmer that even on the audience side, people were getting a bit flustered by him. And of course when the other shoe drops, it's all the more heartbreaking, because you really wanted to things turn out well for them.
All the supporting actors do a terrific job, especially Alfred Molina as Jenny's father. Only person that I didn't really like in the movie was Emma Thompson's headmistress, who seemed to be a bit of a caricature, but luckily her time in the movie was quite limited.
Director Lone Scherfig creates a very believable picture of a small-town England in the 60's and the whole movie is full of life and wit. Extremely enjoyable movie, worth seeing. My score 8/10.
The Last Exorcism
Daniel Stamm's The Last Exorcism is a curious movie. It tells a story of a minister, Marcus Cotton (played perfectly by Patrick Fabian, who you've seen in almost every TV show ever. Seriously, he's one of those "I know that guy..." actors.), who goes around the US performing fake exorcisms for people who claim to be possessed. For his last exorcism, he's bringing a camera crew with him so he can reveal what a sham exorcism really is.
Ok, from the start, I have to say, don't go expecting a balls-out blood-curdling horror movie. For the first half of the movie we get to know Cotton and the newest possessed girl, Nell (Ashley Bell) and her family. Granted, there's a constant feel of uneasiness on the background as you know things will escalate to something bad, it is a horror movie after all.
When it comes to characters, The Last Exorcism is likely the best horror movie of 2010. Patrick Fabian's Cotton is a charming man who is able to talk to himself into any situation and sells his fake exorcisms very well. Ashley Bell does a brilliant job making the viewer feel sympathy for her and later in the movie scaring the hell out of you.
Moving on to spoiler territory now:
There are a few things that ruin some of the movie for me. The use of music for one. If this supposed to be a found footage film(like Blair Witch Project) how did the music end up on the soundtrack? And who exactly edited all the footage once the film crew is dead? I know the director said "It was the Devil", but that's just a cheat.
Spoilers end here.
All in all, a very unsettling drama for the first hour, before turning things over to the horror, followed by a unsatisfying ending. My score 6/10.
Blog Me To Hell? Six Blogs or Only Five? The Blog-o-Monster?
Finding a name for a blog is surprisingly difficult. When you think you're being inventive and unique, you'll find out someone has been just as inventive and unique before you. So I ended up abusing my Finnish roots. At least it's sort of unique and alliterative.
So why a blog? I think there are people out there who are interested on my opinion on movies. And I decided that this year I'll see all the top 250 movies on IMDb. Currently I'm at 169 seen, 81 to go. Will post a list later on on what I still need to see. As the list is changing constantly, I need to pick a date from where the list is valid from.
Other than that, I'll post some movie reviews of what I've seen and what I think you should see, what you definitely should stay away from and everything in between. Might comment on some movie rumors and news as well. Who knows, I'll see what comes of this. Hope you'll stick around and see what this blog will bring.
Juha
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