Random Factoid #388

20 08 2010

Today’s factoid serves as an entry to the Wet Blogathon over at “Encore Entertainment.” Andrew K asks us this:

Isn’t the rain lovely? And more lovely than actual rain….isn’t movie rain lovely? Gene Kelly devoted an entire number to it, after all. What’s your favourite moment of rain on screen? Don’t tell me…keep it to yourself and save it for the weekend. Nothing big, just a picture and a word, a line, a paragraph, an essay (if you’re loquacious) on why you like that particular moment of wetness.

I thought about my moment for a while, really just going through a list of my favorite movies and trying to remember if any of them had any scenes in the rain.  It took me a surprisingly long time to sift through all this information, and then the obvious answer hit me.  My favorite moment in the rain comes from one of my all-time favorite movies, “American Beauty.”

It’s not so much a scene that takes place in the rain, more like the entire climax of the movie.  Obviously, I can’t talk about it without ruining the entire movie, but I can make a list of adjectives that describe it.  Really, the end of “American Beauty” perfectly recaptures every emotion that runs through the entire movie.  There’s happiness and tragedy, grief and sorrow, tumult and calm, satisfaction and disappointment.

But most of all, there is beauty.  My school did away with senior yearbook quotes this year, much to my disappointment, but I definitely would have included this remark from Lester Burnham at the end of the movie as one of my three:

I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me, but it’s hard to stay mad when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much. My heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst. And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it. And then it flows through me like rain. And I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life.

I wouldn’t have used all of it simply due to length, but I just think that those words are some of the most truly profound things a movie has ever said to me.  To all of you reading, I hope that the quotation inspires you to seek out and appreciate some of the beauty lying all around your own life.


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F.I.L.M. of the Week (August 20, 2010)

20 08 2010

It’s the one-year anniversary of the “F.I.L.M. of the Week” column!  I thought the best way to celebrate that milestone would be by featuring one of my-all time favorites, “Almost Famous.”  It’s not exactly little known given its pretty devoted following and its awards season haul, which included an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and a Golden Globe for Best Picture.  Although it was criminally snubbed by the Academy for a shot at the top prize, it is still more than worth your time.

The movie, written by director Cameron Crowe, is semi-autobiographical.  As a teenager, he wrote for Rolling Stone and had the pleasure of touring with bands like Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Jealous, anyone?

Young William Miller (Patrick Fugit) discovers music after his rebellious sister (Zooey Deschanel) flees the tyrannical reign of their mother, the strict fundamentalist Elaine, played with brilliant propriety by Frances McDormand.  As a young boy, Elaine thought her son to be so smart that she moved him up two grades in school, thus socially crippling him.  His sister leaves behind a giant record collection, and William’s obsession with music begins.

Not unlike myself, he begins writing about his passion.  We differentiate, however, in the fact that William’s work gets picked up by Rolling Stone.  The industry-leading magazine asks him to follow Stillwater, an up-and-coming rock band, on their tour and write an article on them.  He meets an interesting crowd aside from the band, who are always skeptical of his intentions, particularly lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee).

The most intriguing figure by far and away is the so-called Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), whose name, age, and intentions are always clouded in mystery.  Penny is a different kind of groupie, offering herself to help the band more as a muse to inspire artistic inspiration than to satisfy lustful desires.  She and William, both in their teen years, form a very interesting relationship while on the road.  Hudson, only 21 at the time of the movie’s release, gives an absolutely masterful performance, and her virtuoso turn is only made more astonishing by her age.

But the movie’s real heart and soul comes from William’s friendship with guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup).  It is he who teaches the young journalist to enjoy the ride and love every minute of being able to do what you love.  Indeed, we watch “Almost Famous” with the same sense of wide-eyed wonder of William on the road, and the movie is an exciting experience that inspires our own fantasies of living out a childhood dream.  Even if that doesn’t involve music, Crowe’s true masterstroke will still be able to delight your latent aspirations.


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Random Factoid #387

19 08 2010

How much would you have paid to watch "How To Train Your Dragon" at home in May?

How comfortable is your home viewing environment?  Would you rather watch a new release there than at the theater?  Cinematical reported on a new development that has been rumored for quite some time now: major studios are going to test pilot a program that would allow you to watch new releases just 30 days after they are released in theaters.  For $50.

That’s a pretty steep cost, but then again, think of all the people that can watch the movie on your TV.  At night, that pays for about 4 people nowadays.  Most living rooms seat five or six; people lucky enough to have theater rooms can fit well over a dozen.  So there’s a certain point where the cost is worth it.

It’s a system that I see working only with families and young teenagers, who are the only demographics that constantly watch movies in groups.  For a family of five, it’s easier to plop down on the couch and watch a movie and pay less than the tickets, the parking, and the concessions at the theater.  Not to mention, it’s probably cheaper.

But many moviegoers like myself are pretty solitary folk, usually sticking to groups of four or less.  For the amount of money it would take my normal group to sit down at my house and watch a movie, we might as well go and have the theater experience.  I really see the system as being beneficial for those of us who just can’t find the time to make it to a certain movie.  However, $50 is a steep penalty for not making it on time.

In recent years, there have been more and more developments undercutting the old-time value of going to the movie theater.  Check out this statistic from Cinematical:

In 1997, the average gap was 172 days, or almost six months. In 2009, the window had shrunk to 131 days, with Fox pushing its DVDs into stores an average of just 119 days after they first hit theaters. A movie opening on March 1 needs to be on DVD by the end of July, or else people will forget that they liked it.

There are so many ways to watch movies now, be it on your laptop or phone, your video game console or iPod.  The act of going to the theater is become less necessary thanks to the availability of movies everywhere.  This just seems like the next logical step.  I will always go to theater, not necessarily for every movie, but with frequency.  Even when I’m the old geezer who insists on doing it the old-fashioned way.


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The Pushback

19 08 2010

"His last words to me ... disappointed."

It’s simply superhuman to meet every expectation that you set for yourself.  Eventually, we all come up short in some aspect.  Today, I have to inform you that I will not be meeting the deadline for some of the plans I laid out at the beginning of the month.

I said that in the first half of the month, I would post this month’s edition of “Classics Corner.”  But seeing as how that time has come and passed, I obviously already missed that.  It will be up soon, obviously sometime before the end of the month.

I also promised the premiere of my podcast towards the end of the month.  Unfortunately, due to the schedule of school and college application deadlines, that’s just not possible this month.  I hope to get started on recording them within the next week or two, maybe to get them up online by the end of September but hopefully October at the very latest.  For those who were holding their breath for that … well, hold a little longer.  It’s coming.  (And for those of you who replied to my email about participation in the podcast, I haven’t forgotten about you.  Anyone else interested can let me know … I still have plenty of open slots.)

And another pushback that is not my own fault – Warner Bros. moved “Going the Distance” back to September 3, a full week later than its original scheduled release date.  Since Hollywood marks Labor Day weekend as the official end of summer (although by that point, I will have been in school for three weeks), I figured I’ll push back my “Comedy Week” along with “Going the Distance.”  So rather than starting this Saturday, it will actually begin on Friday, August 27 with the “F.I.L.M.” highlighting an underrated comedy gem.

Sorry for the tardiness.  I hold myself to high standards, and it’s hard for me not to meet them.


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Oscar Moment: “The Town”

18 08 2010

Since posting my September preview, comments have poured in speculating about Ben Affleck’s latest directorial venture, “The Town.”  Most people have compared it to his first film, “Gone Baby Gone.”  But is that a good thing?

“Gone Baby Gone” has a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the only traction it gained during awards season was for Amy Ryan’s powerful supporting performance.  There are a few assorted nods to Ben Affleck’s skill on his first film, but nothing distinguishing him in a category with every other movie.  It’s worth noting that while Ryan was a critics’ association favorite, she didn’t win the Globe, SAG, or Oscar.

So are we just looking at one impressive performance from “The Town” to keep it in contention?  It has a nice cast including Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm, Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Hall, Oscar nominees Jeremy Renner and Pete Postlethwhaite, Oscar winner Chris Cooper, and Affleck himself (oh, and Blake Lively for looks).

I’d say if there were a potentially nomination-worthy performance from the bunch, it would probably be from either Hamm for crossing over from the small screen well or Renner for another good work.  If the Academy really loves him and wants to make him a marquee name, another nomination would surely help.  Nominations in consecutive years aren’t uncommon and really telling of Academy tastes.  Over the past decade, the only people to have pulled it off are Penelope Cruz, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Johnny Depp.  Only the latter doesn’t have a nice golden statue resting on their mantle.

But I think the biggest question about “The Town” is the one no one can answer as of yet because no one has seen it.  Is it a bona fide Best Picture contender?

Really, the trailer is a muddled mess and just watching it did not sell me on this being one of the ten best movies of the year.  We are resting on the laurels of the people involved to call it an awards prospect.  Would I be writing this if the movie were directed by Antoine Fuqua and starred Matthew Morrison from “Glee?”

Here are my reservations about calling this a contender for the big prize.  We’ve seen studios roll out Oscar hopefuls in September, seeing if they gain enough footing in the awards race.  They reserve the big guns for November and December, and any movie that disappoints in those release slots dooms the studio.  So these mixed-bag candidates often find a home in early fall.  Usually, the movies are either action or drama with the starpower on (and perhaps off) the screen to generate buzz provided that the movie is any good.

These movies generally don’t fare well.  Here are those movies, listed for your convenience by year:

2009

  • Steven Soderbergh’s “The Informant” with Matt Damon received fairly warm reviews.  It only musters two Golden Globe nominations. (released by Warner Bros.)

2008

  • Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies” starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe and nominee Leonardo DiCaprio receives middling reviews, clearly disappointing the high expectations associated with such names. (released by Warner Bros.)
  • “Flash of Genius” starring Greg Kinnear makes virtually no money, receives average reviews, and can’t even get a campaign push. (released by Universal)
  • Spike Lee’s “Miracle at St. Anna” receives terrible reviews and no awards come its way.  Maybe it was the 160 minute runtime… (released by Touchstone)

2007

  • “American Gangster,” released at the very beginning of November, has huge expectations with Ridley Scott as director and Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe pitted against each other.  Box office was great, reviews were pretty good, but the buzz just didn’t sustain.  Despite receiving nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor and the Golden Globes, the only attention it received after that was for Ruby Dee, who won the SAG and was nominated for an Oscar. (released by Universal)
  • “Rendition,” an ensemble drama about the Middle East starring Oscar winners Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, and Reese Witherspoon as well as nominee Jake Gylenhaal, can’t even clear $10 million at the box office.  And with mixed reviews, that kind of cash doesn’t fly. (released by New Line)
  • “We Own the Night” with Mark Wahlberg and Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t ignite the box office or excite the critics.  It did not have an awards season. (released by Sony)
  • “The Kingdom,” a thriller with Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner set in Saudi Arabia, didn’t perform well with either critics or audiences.  No awards followed.  (released by Universal)
  • “3:10 to Yuma,” a remake of a popular 1950s Western with Oscar winner Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, does very well with critics and average with audiences.  It received a surprise Best Ensemble nod from the SAG and was discussed as a potential surprise Best Picture nominee.  Ultimately, it only wound up with two technical nominations. (released by Lionsgate)

In tone, “The Town” appears to resemble “Body of Lies,” “The Kingdom,” and “American Gangster” more than any others listed above.  Only the latter of those had any success in awards season.  Affleck’s latest and “The American,” George Clooney’s latest that I’ll discuss in next week’s column, are the two September wild cards.

“The Departed,” a cop drama like “The Town,” won Best Picture in 2006, and Warner Bros. wants to remind us of that.  With a name like Martin Scorsese behind the movie, though, all buzz is instantly legitimate.  There is no speculation like there is for a Ben Affleck movie.

So, folks, are we looking at a fall flop?  Or a contender?

BEST BETS FOR NOMINATIONS: Best Supporting Actor (Jeremy Renner)

OTHER POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Jon Hamm), Best Adapted Screenplay


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Random Factoid #386

18 08 2010

Last night, for my last movie of summer, I watched “Date Night.”  But not just “Date Night” – I watched the extended version.  This is a pretty big deal for me because I normally hate watching unrated and extended versions.

Way before I had a readership, I wrote this in Random Factoid #11:

I hate watching unrated cuts of movies.  I always want to see the theatrical cut because after seeing “Bruno,” I found out that anything can get an R-rating.  The director could include practically whatever he wanted, but there is a reason that he did not include it in the version that the masses go see.  So I figure that the rated version, while tamer, is probably what the director wanted you to see.

I have a feeling that the word “3D” is headed the way of the word “unrated.”  About a decade ago, “unrated” was something fairly unique.  Now it has become a marketing gimmick to make a little extra profit off some unsuspecting consumers.  See the correlation?

Why did I decided to give this extended edition, basically a tamer way of saying unrated, a whirl?  The theatrical cut of “Date Night” was so short that I wanted to see more.  And more I got.  Not sure if it was worth the 13 minutes of my sleep, but I still enjoyed some of the extra bits.


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REVIEW: The Crazies

17 08 2010

“The Crazies” is a hodgepodge of all our favorite horror premises.  There’s the apocalyptic disease aspect that reminds us of “28 Days Later.”  There’s the last people on earth vibe that emanated from “I Am Legend.”  There’s also the sick zombie action that has led to four “Resident Evil” movies.

You would think that a movie that makes us recall such titles would be worthwhile.  But instead of having something for everyone, there’s is nothing for anyone, granted that they’ve seen any movies in those sub-genres.

Uninspired even by remake standards, “The Crazies” just feels like a waste of time as you watch it.  For an hour and 40 minutes, we trudge through the typical escalation of a viral epidemic that ravages a small town in Iowa.  After 48 hours, the virus turns its victims insane to the point that they would kill friends and family.  The sheriff and his pregnant wife (Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell), among the few uninfected left in the town, have to battle off the zombies to escape to safety.  Not only do they have to fight the crazies, but they are also up against the company that accidentally dispersed the biological weapon, trying to hide their mistake.

Sound familiar?  It’s not just a remake of the 1973 George A. Romero original; it’s a rehash of every horror movie since.  Eventually, enough is enough, and cheap jumps and thrills only spell out boredom.  The movie gets harder and harder to enjoy as it drags on … and on … and on.  We know exactly what’s going to happen just from hearing the premise.  Maybe the perceived lack of originality speaks to how influential the first movie was.  But I missed the memo that the original was some kind of cultural watershed, so I’m just going to interpret this rendition of “The Crazies” as the latest dull entry into the woefully overflowing “been there, done that” category.  C- /


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Random Factoid #385

17 08 2010

Just when you thought I was done talking about “Eat Pray Love,” I come back with ANOTHER factoid.  I am not obsessed with it on an “Inception” level, just to clear the record.

Today’s discussion piece comes courtesy of The Big Picture over at The Los Angeles Times. The post was “What does this say about U.S. manhood: Male critics actually like Eat Pray Love,” and author Patrick Goldstein gave this shocking statistic of the movie’s critical opinion:

Men who liked the movie: 27.

Men who hated the movie: 44.

Women who liked the movie: 15

Women who hated the movie: 24.

Here’s my take on these results.  Looking at them for just what they are, you might assume that male critics have been emasculated or a kind of gender swap happened.  Although I’m not taking statistics next year, I know (perhaps through reading Malcolm Gladwell, perhaps through 15 years of education) how to look at data and interpret it.

Just to point out, male critics don’t like it more.  The percentage of people who liked the movie was nearly identical among the genders, with just a fraction of a percentage point more for women.  The surprising fact is not so much that they liked it at all so much as it is that they liked it just as much as the target gender.

As a self-declared movie critic, I know that more than the quality of the movie itself factors into the grade I bestow upon it.  Preconceived notions play a HUGE part.  If I think I’m going to hate a movie, and it winds up being average, I will probably give it a higher grade than an average movie I thought I would love.

Take, for example, the movies I gave a B this summer.  I was expecting “Robin Hood” to be amazing, and it wound up being just OK.  On the other hand, I was preparing for a disaster with “Despicable Me,” which I actually mildly enjoyed.  Had I seen “Robin Hood” with the expectations of “Despicable Me,” I probably would have given it a higher grade; the same goes for the other way around.

As much as we try to stay subjective in reviewing, we can’t help but let surprise and disappointment play a big part in our feelings.  And I think the surprise of seeing a decent chick flick makes guys more inclined to like a movie, while women would feel disappointment for the same movie.

My conclusion: male support of “Eat Pray Love” doesn’t reflect the quality of the movie; rather, it is evidence of the influence of gender-based stereotypes on the opinion of a movie.


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“Secretariat” Poll Results

17 08 2010

I was less than enthused about “Secretariat” in my Oscar Moment. “Kill me NOW,” I wrote.  Sorry, it’s hard to stay impartial when no one is holding you to journalistic ethics.

But after the inclusion of “The Blind Side” (a hopeful anomaly) in last year’s ten, we have to consider that any movie that is about sports and inspirational might be able to strike a cord with the Academy.  So I left a poll at the bottom, asking you whether you thought “Secretariat” would be a Best Picture nominee.

Looks like you all don’t think “Secretariat” will be trod the same path as “The Blind Side” or “Seabiscuit.”  By a definitive margin, the “no way” option won out, two whole votes over the yaysayers.

I sure hope we bet on the right horse.  Yes, the puns will keep coming all the way through awards season.


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Random Factoid #384

16 08 2010

How’s this for a disturbing report?  Listen to this excerpt from a Cinematical post:

As if you needed another reason to stay home with your hundred home entertainment options instead of seeing a movie in the theater, Gothamist shares a story about bedbug infestations at some of NYC’s cinemas, including the tourist-friendly AMC Empire 25 near Times Square and another AMC up in Harlem (the Magic Johnson Harlem 9). One anonymous reader was attacked by the pests during a showing of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” last night and was even told that the theater staff knew about the problem and had an appointment for an exterminator this week but stayed open without warning (an update to the article now says the theater’s general manager is denying any such knowledge or admittance of fault at all).

I kid you not, the problem extends much farther beyond New York City.  Houston friends, I believe a local theater may have a very dire problem.

Before I go too far into that, I have to provide some crucial information about the way I sit to watch movies.  I change positions a lot, rarely remaining in one for a long time.  I usually tuck one leg under the other at a right angle (the way guys cross their legs), often switching which leg is underneath.  Really, the area around my ankles are the only exposed parts of my body that touch the theater seats.

You may recall a factoid several weeks ago, Random Factoid #358, in which I described a particularly painful experience watching “Salt” from the front row.  I failed to extend the story beyond watching the movie, but there actually is more.  I came out of the theater itching my ankles and lower knees.

When I got out into the light, I looked down at these areas and found my ankles to be covered in what appeared to be big red bug bites.  Since this is the part of my body that touches the theater seat, and I was sitting on the oft-neglected front row, I suspect bedbugs could be the culprit!  And what negligent theater, my dear local readers, could possibly let such a thing happen?

The Edwards Marq*E.


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REVIEW: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

16 08 2010

“Never judge a book by its movie,” says J.W. Eagan.  But if you were to go against the wise sage’s advice and judge, you might think that Rick Riordan’s novel “The Lightning Thief” is some campy piece of kid-lit just a few rungs above Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series,” on the class ladder.  It’s like “Harry Potter,” only written by that awesome history teacher you had in middle school.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Riordan and talking with him about his book, and it is so creative, weaving together all sorts of Greek mythology to create the narrative of modern day demigod Percy Jackson.

“Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” bears a title that suggests a whole Hollywood franchise in the works, and it’s precisely that influence that tarnishes a perfectly good book.  If anything you have seen about the movie seems interesting, I implore you to read the book – or if you don’t have that much time, stop watching the movie when Ke$hA’s “TiK ToK” plays in a casino and start reading from there.

The beginning of the movie is pretty good, managing to capture some of the spirit of its source.  Logan Lerman takes on the titular character, a frustrated dyslexic adolescent who finds out unexpectedly that he is the child of a Greek god.  Hunted by the forces of evil, his best friend (Brandon T. Jackson, best known as the Lance-loving Alpa Chino from “Tropic Thunder”), who turns out to be a satyr hiding his goat legs behind a wheelchair, transports him to Camp Half-Blood, a save haven for demigods.  There he meets other kids like him, the offspring of god-human relations.  Before long, Percy must embark on a quest to clear his name after being accused of stealing Zeus’ lightning.

The adventure is fairly amusing, littered with plenty of celebrities to make you grin.  There’s Steve Coogan as Hades and Rosari Dawson as his prisoner, Persephone.  Uma Thurman plays stone-cold killer Medusa in a very slow sequence.  The always reliable Catherine Keener plays Percy’s mom, and Joe Pantoliano plays her scumbag boyfirend.  Although he doesn’t appear in this phase of the movie, you definitely can’t discuss the movie’s acting without bringing up Pierce Brosnan, who apparently forgot how to act after a disastrous turn in “Mamma Mia.”  He’s still brutal to watch, and if you’re still complaining about Daniel Craig as 007, this movie will make you thankful for the blonde Bond.

But it’s the climax that Columbus and the Hollywood goons absolutely destroy.  It’s an incomprehensible disaster, a cinematic trainwreck in every sense of the word.  Anyone who hasn’t read the book will scratch their heads in confusion at the muddled mess unfolding in front of them.  And those like me, who have read, will marvel at how effortlessly a thrilling literary ending is derailed by the desire to provide cheap blockbuster excitement.  The book’s final twist is revealed in the last handful of pages, leaving the reader gasping in surprise.  The movie, however, jumps the gun and lets the cat out of the bag way too early, robbing the moment of any suspense.

So while it will pass for entertainment, there’s still much to be desired.  A whole lot more can be pulled from Riordan’s rich novels, and a whole lot more of Chris Columbus’ moviemaking magic can be utilized.  B- /


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Random Factoid #383

15 08 2010

Yesterday, I went to my first wedding in well over a decade.  That being said, I don’t really remember much, if anything, about those holy matrimonies.  If I recall correctly, I was a ringbearer at one of my aunt’s weddings…

But while at the ceremony, I felt like I had been going to them my whole life.  As I thought about it more clearly, a thought hit me – I had been going to weddings, just at the movies!  They are a dime a dozen at the cinema nowadays, the blessed sacrament so commonplace that we rarely stop to think about the importance of it.

Really, everything I know about weddings comes from the movies.  Is it a horrible fault when all we know about something comes from a movie?  I’ve learned plenty from cinema – how to make up after cold feet (“Up in the Air”), how to be a good bridesmaid (“27 Dresses”), how to be a good father of the bride (“Father of the Bride”), how to deal with bridezillas (“Bride Wars”), how to break up a wedding (“The Graduate”), how to shine all the attention away from the bride (“Rachel Getting Married”), and how to fit in at any wedding (“Wedding Crashers”).  And that’s just a fraction of what I could say.

Are there any fields of knowledge wonderfully filled in by movies for you?

P.S. – Life’s better with company.


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What To Look Forward To in … September 2010

15 08 2010

Weird to think that the circle is complete and I’m back doing my second September preview post!  All strangeness aside, we have emerged from a summer that many people loathed.  Now it’s up to fall, which begins in September, to redeem the year.  With the big film festivals beginning, it’s time for the Oscar hopefuls to hit the stage and make it or break it.

September 1/3

Getting a head start on the weekend is Anton Corbjin’s “The American,” starring George Clooney.  The director has only one other film under his belt, “Control,” which received enough raves that it’s sitting comfortably on my DVR.  Nevertheless, it’s George Clooney’s only movie of awards season 2010, so that makes it worth seeing.  Added bonus is the trailer gives very little of the plot away.

Apparently Robert Rodriguez didn’t get the memo that more is more when it comes to having old people in action movies, as August’s “The Expendables” bloated cast translated into cash.  But “Machete,” with Danny Trejo as the titular swordslinger along with Steven Seagal (tragically overlooked by Sly), Cheech Marin, and Robert DeNiro, still looks pretty fun.  Plus, there’s Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, and America’s favorite jail bait, Lindsay Lohan!

“Going the Distance” finds a home in September for Labor Day weekend after August just seemed a little too crowded.

Americans remake foreign movies all the time, but “A Woman A Gun and A Noodle Shop” switches it up on us and remakes an American movie.  The source: The Coen Brothers’ “Blood Simple.”  Should be interesting…

September 10

Haven’t we seen enough “Resident Evil” in the last 8 years?  In case we haven’t, “Resident Evil: Afterlife” is here.  I will give the marketing executives credit for the trailer: they get that people can tell phony 3D from real 3D, and they are selling the fact that this is real 3D.

The prospects don’t look much better off the beaten path, either.  “The Virginity Hit” just looks like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” for the YouTube era.

September 15/17

Emma Stone’s “Easy A” looks to make “The Scarlet Letter” much more enjoyable for the juniors at my school who have to read it (I was not among those).  Hopefully this can make a star out of Stone, best known as Jules from “Superbad.”

I have absolutely no idea what to make of the trailer for “The Town” or “Never Let Me Go.”  But with a cast including the likes of Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, and Ben Affleck for the former, which opens in wide release this weekend, I’m definitely in.  Ditto for the latter which opens in limited release on Wednesday and stars Oscar nominees Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley.

“Devil” looks kind of freaky … but I’m wondering how many viewers Universal lost for this movie after “The Last Airbender” was so poorly received.  Maybe selling the movie based on M. Night Shyamalan wasn’t the best idea…

The weekend also brings Philip Seymour Hoffman’s directorial debut, “Jack Goes Boating,” starring he and Oscar nominee Amy Ryan.  It’s a very quirky, melancholy-looking romance.  Hoffman would.

Hey, look, another talking animal movie!  I’ll give “Alpha and Omega” the fact that it has the slight distinction of being Dennis Hopper’s last movie.  Don’t cry; he wouldn’t want us to.

September 22/24

I’m interested in “You Again” because it’s a different kind of high school movie – one where all the students are out of school.  Forced to be around each other, old high school rivals duke it out.  And Betty White watches.  What could be better?

Is “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” a zeitgeist-tapping look at our economy?  Or just Oliver Stone trying to reclaim his glory days?  Carey Mulligan is in it … good reason for me to see it.

Ryan Reynolds inside a coffin for an entire movie?  Will it work?  I want to see “Buried” if for no other reason than to see how they pull it off.

Wednesday sees the latest film from prolific director Woody Allen, “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.”  It has a great ensemble cast, but it didn’t get the greatest reviews at Cannes.  We’ll see how this goes.

I lost so much respect for “Legend of the Guardians” when the filmmakers attempted to convince me that their movie about talking owls was comparable to “The Lord of the Rings.”  Talk about a stretch…

What are YOU looking forward to in September?  Planning on going to the movies at all?  Or just clearing out your DVR…


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Random Factoid #382

14 08 2010

You are probably questioning my manhood after two straight factoids have been about “Eat Pray Love,” but this has very little to do with the actual movie.  This factoid deals with the first ten to fifteen seconds of the movie – the Columbia Pictures logo.

For years, I’ve wondered, “Who the heck is that lady?  What does this logo even mean?  Why the heck is this stone-faced lady standing on a pedestal holding a torch significant in the slightest?”  After “Eat Pray Love,” I decided it was time to do some searching.

Here’s what Wikipedia had to say (and all those scared of the site, this sentence had four references):

Columbia’s logo [is] a lady carrying a torch and draped in the American flag (representing Columbia, a personification of the United States.

I would never in a million years have guessed she was holding an American flag.  Maybe we would get that if we saw some color other than blue!  Most American flags don’t have that much blue on them, and there would be starts all over the blue area.  There’s always the possibility that the flag is big enough that all we can see in the logo is blue space between stars.  But that flag would have to be as big as Rhode Island!  The logo designers back in the 1920s really should have thought that through.

So who would have thought the lady in the Columbia Pictures logo is quite the patriot?  Have any great enigmas like this puzzled you for years – and have the answers surprised you?


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Oscar Moment: “The Social Network”

13 08 2010

Are we just a month and a half away from the release of 2010’s Best Picture?  Ask some Oscar pundits today and they might say just that.  No one has seen “The Social Network,” which hits theaters October 1, in its entirety, but people have sky-high expectations based on the brilliant marketing campaign.

The buzz started with the release of some tantalizing teaser trailers and an intriguingly mysterious poster.  When we saw the full trailer playing before “Inception,” it was a wowing experience (that would still pale in comparison to the two and a half hours afterwards).  The trailer’s opening minute is very unique as it has nothing to do with the movie at all.  Rather, we watch people interacting on Facebook, a reminder of how much it has enhanced our connections to our friends.  Then we pixelate to Mark Zuckerberg, and the history begins.

From just the trailer alone, “The Social Network” looked like a movie for our time, more clearly zeitgeist-tapping than any movie in recent memory.  It takes a dramatic look the founding of Facebook, one of the defining inventions of our time, but also seems to tackle the subject of how the social networking site has affected the way humans communicate with each other.

How much of a judgement call, though, can we make on the movie based on the trailer?

When I thought about the Oscar contenders with the best trailers over the past few years, a few names stuck out in my mind.  “Brothers.”  No nominations.  “Revolutionary Road.”  One major nomination, no Best Picture nomination.  “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”  13 nominations including Best Picture.  It’s a mixed bag of results.  Trailers can be a sign of great things to come or merely disguise the lackluster by showing everything good to offer in two minutes.  So I don’t think we can call it a sure bet just because of the trailer.

And is being the presumed frontrunner the best thing for “The Social Network?”  I analyzed some movies in the same position last year in my Oscar Moment on “Invictus,” and here’s what I found:

The only real conclusion that can be drawn from those results is that having sky-high expectations can often yield unfavorable results.  If people expect something amazing, it is all the easier to underwhelm.

There’s a more in-depth look at the fates of these movies on that posting, but there has been a definite tendency for these movies to underperform in awards season.  This isn’t your traditional awards candidate – at least it isn’t being sold like one.

Sony is selling the movie mainly on the subject.  I bet the average American knows “The Social Network” as “The Facebook movie,” which is certainly good for drawing in an audience.  I think the premise alone draws in $80 million in revenue, but the fact that it’s going to be really good will increase its total take to somewhere in the range of $120-150 million.  I’m hardly a box office analyst, I know, yet I feel pretty confident making this financial prediction.  Judging from the amount of trailer parodies hitting the web, it’s definitely reaching the younger crowd, the most volatile demographic for movies like this.

When it comes to awards, though, money isn’t everything.  “The Social Network” has a lot working in its corner, namely director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.  Fincher is a well-respected figure, earning his first Oscar nomination in 2008 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”  Before that, he directed cult favorites like “Seven” and “Fight Club.”  I didn’t think that his prior resumé qualified him for a project like this, but Fincher has proven himself at being versatile in the past.

While Sorkin doesn’t have an Academy Award nomination to his name, he has earned a great deal of acclaim for his work in writing for movies, television, and the stage.  His style is greatly admired, and he is one of very few writers whose name could sell a product.  Sorkin adapted “The Social Network” from last year’s book “The Accidental Billionaires,” but Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has written off the movie as pure fiction.  The fact that he has so vehemently denied the movie being factual only increase the intrigue around the movie.  Could there be some parts so true he doesn’t want us to know?

Those are the big names of “The Social Network,” and I think most of the praise will fall on the two of them.  Will there be any love for the actors?  Could Jesse Eisenberg, at 27, gain any heat in the Best Actor race?  If the movie winds up being the talk of the town, he could easily find himself in heavy consideration.  If he were to win, Eisenberg would be the youngest Best Actor winner ever.

Best Supporting Actor could get interesting, too.  I don’t think people can take Justin Timberlake seriously enough for a nomination, although anything can happen if the movie is huge.  The first Academy Award nominated boy band member … wouldn’t that be something.

The more likely candidate, it seems, is Andrew Garfield.  Seen him recently?  He was just cast as the new Spider-Man.  The trailer sure makes his performance seem like the kind the Academy loves, lots of screaming and shouting to be found.  Garfield also stars in awards hopeful “Never Let Me Go,” so he could receive a nomination in “The Social Network” as a reward for a great year of work from such a new actor on the scene.  Plus, how cool would it be to have an Oscar winner playing a superhero?

The first time the world gets a glimpse of the movie is at the New York Film Festival.  Until then, we wait.  And watch the trailer again … and again … and again …

BEST BETS FOR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (Garfield), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing

OTHER POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS: Best Supporting Actor (Timberlake), Best Original Score


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