Lynn Redgrave died. Don’t know if you heard, but she was the sister of Vanessa Redgrave. I bring up that news bite because it prompted today’s factoid.
To my knowledge, I have never cried at the death of a celebrity. I might at the sudden death of someone whose movies have entertained me over my life, but that has yet to happen so far.
The death of Heath Ledger shocked me but didn’t make me cry. To be fair, the only movie I had seen of his was “The Patriot” at the time.
The celebrity death that most saddened me would have to be Natasha Richardson, mainly because “The Parent Trap” was one of the biggest movies of my childhood. She just seemed like such a nice person, and she passed so tragically. (Ironically enough, Richardson’s aunt was Lynn Redgrave.)
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for – the culmination of the commenting contest!
Before I announce the winner, I wanted to thank everyone who helped make April a banner month for “Marshall and the Movies.” I’ll show you pictures of some fantastic stats.
The daily stats started high and generally stayed pretty high, and this was the biggest month of viewership in “Marshall and the Movies” history! Thanks everyone!
And as for the comments, which is what I was really trying to boost, there was also tremendous success! Before April, there had been 355 comments left on the blog. Last month alone, there were a whopping 160 comments!
All in all, April was a tremendous month, in large part to you, the reader. Your comments motivated me to write some of what I believe is my best material yet, and I hope I have earned your readership in the months to come.
But now, for the capitalistic exercise of this blog: the incentive. Hopefully, you commented because you wanted to help a poor blogger out, but I’m sure that couldn’t have been entirely it. You obviously wanted the big prize: one of last year’s Best Picture nominees.
Who got it? First, let me explain the process.
I wrote down all the comments (and bonus comments) on Post-It notes, folded them up, and put them inside of my “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” cup. I figured it could serve as my goblet of fire, and I thought it was fitting to draw from something that I had mentioned in a previous factoid.
But now, the moment you have all been waiting for … the winner revealed.
The answer for me is no. I really want to go to one, but there isn’t within hours of Houston. I’ve tried to go when visiting family in Oklahoma City several times, and it just has never worked out.
It’s kind of sad to see how obsolete the drive-in has become. I think it would be so much fun to have large city crowds head to them, but some things just can’t sustain the times. Hopefully, the video store doesn’t become a novelty (as was often discussed on this site last month).
Well, folks, it’s time. The blockbuster has popped up here and there in 2010, but Hollywood is about to hit us with a cavalcade of them. And it all starts here. In May.
Two of these blockbusters – “Robin Hood” and “Shrek Forever After” – failed to even get a vote for the month’s most anticipated. We will see if the box office mirrors the expectations reflected here.
A surprise vote-getter was “Babies,” the documentary that follows the first years of four infants across the world. It scored the same amount of votes (or vote, singular, one vote) as the tentpole action movie “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
I can now be assured that I have female readers judging by the two votes “Sex and the City 2” movie received.
But every other film being released in May combined couldn’t measure up to the staggering five votes that the most anticipated move in May received. Thus, the shameless advertisement of May is for …
It’s May, which means the beginning of the summer movie season (but it’s not like you could have known that from reading this blog)!
I love going to see that big kick-off movie – this year, it is “Iron Man 2” – with everyone else in America who has been waiting for the season as well. But upon analyzing my ticket collection, I noticed that I hadn’t been the opening weekend of the season since middle school. That finals mindset, man …
But this year, I will be taking the AP United States History exam on May 7. After an intense week of studying (which is going to cause me to go semi-incognito for the next seven days), I think “Iron Man 2” will be just what the doctor ordered.
Opening today in theaters is the latest “A Nightmare on Elm Street” movie, which will surely provide the same old horror movie shenanigans. But why settle? You want to see a movie that can scare you in new and unexpected ways. Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games” is a different kind of horror, and it proves to be absolutely terrifying.
In fact, terror might be a better word than horror to describe the movie. It’s not heavily plotted, and it is driven by the sheer terror of the situation that an average family finds themselves in one day at the lake. Out of nowhere, husband and wife George and Ann (Tim Roth and Naomi Watts) as well as their son Georgie are held captive inside their own vacation home by two sadistic young neighbors (Brady Corbet and Michael Pitt). They play cruel games with the unsuspecting family and even wager that the three of them will not live past 9:00 AM the next day. What unfolds is hardly funny as torture, violence, and manipulation make for a truly unforgettable evening.
In case you hadn’t figured it out, this is not a movie for the squeamish or faint at heart. “Funny Games” is a movie designed to terrify you and make you very uncomfortable, and it succeeds in that regards. The events that take place are like a worst nightmare for so many people, such as domestic terrorists violating the privacy of a home.
Haneke uses a very different style than the show-it-all shenanigans usually employed by American horror filmmakers. He is much more restrained and particular about the way he portrays the terror, but it works because of the painful realism that he uses. I won’t ruin the key quirk of his style, just keep a close eye out for oddities.
Nowadays, movies are quickly divided into “art film” and “mainstream film.” The beautiful thing about “Funny Games” is that it dabbles in both. It plays like an art film with its nihilism and deliberate pacing (including one ten-minute shot that will scare the living daylights out of you), but in the middle are drops of that ridiculous American horror that has given us six volumes of “Saw” and eight installments of “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” If you can muster up the courage to sit through Haneke’s two hours of harrowing terror, you’ll find it refreshing to see a movie that can straddle the line between the two camps of film.
Following hot on the heels of yesterday’s factoid announcing my deliberate ignorance of the “Inception” pre-release frenzy, today’s factoid provides some enlightenment as to why that may be.
I hate having movies spoiled, largely because they take away a level of suspense and intrigue from watching it for the first time.
It’s one of the reasons why I have stopped reading so many books that are adapted into movies; while I’m sure they are better, I can usually only muster up the time for a theatrical experience.
I’ve had plenty of movies ruined, too many to even tell here. The most notable in recent memory is “The Notebook.” Thanks to a society that assumes everyone has seen it, people freely talk about the story and the ending. It’s frustrating to know that when I sit down to watch the movie for the first time (believe it or not, I’m one of those three people who hasn’t), I won’t be able to be as riveted by the ending as the millions of others before me.
Anyone else had this unpleasant feeling? I sure hope you haven’t. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
I am attempting to do the impossible: avoid the media blitz surrounding Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” and walk into the theater on July 16th without knowing anything about the plot. I am not going to read plot summaries, watch trailers, or read any sort of specific review.
I am prepared to do whatever it takes not to have this movie spoiled. I will start bringing either headphones or earplugs to tentpole summer movies where previews will most assuredly play. If I see any feature on the movie, I will shield my eyes and go away.
And if any of you ruin anything about the movie by commenting on the site, I will be quite upset. Please respect my wishes and don’t mention anything specific about “Inception.”
In nine days, the summer movie season will officially kick off with the release of “Iron Man 2.” It will most assuredly begin the very profitable period with a bang, potentially with the highest opening of all-time. According to the Los Angeles Times, interest in the movie is very high ahead of the opening and polling has confirmed that people are indeed eagerly anticipating the release. Whether or not it has what it takes to topple the record held by “The Dark Knight” is something no one can really predict.
“The Dark Knight” had many extraordinary circumstances in its favor. The first “Iron Man” movie primed the pump for intelligent popcorn flicks by proving a surprise hit amongst fans and critics. The rebooting of the Batman series with “Batman Begins” also gathered a large fan base, and people were excited for the follow-up. But what arguably became the key factor in the success of “The Dark Knight” was the tragic death of Heath Ledger and a new layer of intrigue that was added to the movie as a result. Rumor was that the drugs Ledger overdosed on were to help him get over the psychological distress of playing The Joker, and excitement to see his villainous turn quickly became some of the most intense anticipation in cinematic history. People threw out casual suggestions about him being in contention for awards, and his death made an Oscar nomination a near certainty. When the movie was released, Ledger’s win was sealed.
“Iron Man 2” features what could be another outstanding villainous role in Mickey Rourke taking on the part of Tony Stark’s foe, Whiplash. After dealing with many substance abuse problems, Rourke triumphantly blazed back onto the Hollywood stage with “The Wrestler” in 2008, winning the Golden Globe and receiving an Oscar nomination. His role in that movie led to a surge of interest in the actor, and the first role he took was in “Iron Man 2.”
But did Mickey Rourke lose all chances of being considered for Best Supporting Actor by being alive in the months leading up to the release of “Iron Man 2?”
It may be best to start by analyzing the category.
This is a category that LOVES villians – Christoph Waltz this year, Ledger, Javier Bardem in 2007, Tim Robbins in 2003. It is also a category that likes to reward actors (usually veterans) who are overdue for a trophy – Alan Arkin in 2006, Morgan Freeman in 2004. By these two characteristics, Rourke would appear to have a great shot. He’s scary even whenever he’s not a villain, and he has a great deal of Academy support despite his loss two years ago to Sean Penn for Best Actor.
Judgement, however, cannot be based on the category alone. It’s hardly a secret that the Oscars don’t like comic book movies. They declined to nominate “The Dark Knight” for their highest prize despite being successful in every area and popular with every group in favor of “The Reader,” a movie that had lukewarm support from critics and fans. Right out of the gate, Rourke and “Iron Man 2” have a massive strike against them. It would take the movie out of the picture without the expanded field, no matter how much praise it was met with. In my estimation, it will take a tremendous performance by Rourke to overcome this hurdle, one that I believe he is fully capable of delivering. But if the movie tanks critically as sequels often do, it would be all but impossible for him to be nominated.
Then again, Heath Ledger overcame it. We can never know how performance vs. politics played out or how things would have turned out had he been alive. All politics aside, I believe Ledger gave one of the greatest performances that I have ever seen, and he deserved to win an Oscar for it dead or alive. It was a total immersion, and if Rourke can pull off something similar, I see no reason for him not to be nominated or even win. But awards can’t just be about the art; it’s a game where how you play matters just as much as how you act on screen.
I’m skeptical about Rourke’s chances, as you can tell. We just have to remember that performances aren’t given and movies aren’t made to win awards; they are made to entertain and captivate an audience. If Rourke blows us away with Whiplash, awards attention is just a bonus. The real award comes from the creation of art that does more than serve its purpose.
BEST BETS FOR NOMINATIONS: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing/Editing
OTHER POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS: Best Supporting Actor (Mickey Rourke)
There are few better feelings than sitting in a movie and realizing that you have figured out the plot twist. I’m not talking about walking into a romantic comedy and knowing that the marquee names are going to wind up together; I’m talking about having a revelation that you have discovered a surprising direction that the movie will take.
I have a few that I am very proud of. I called the ending of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” within the first five minutes, which is probably the one I take the most pride in.
I called “Gran Torino” within 30 minutes as well as “Get Smart” within the first 20 minutes. Other than that, I can’t remember anything else in the recent past.
Any twists that you are particularly proud of calling WITHOUT SHARING THE TWIST ITSELF? Don’t go ruining “The Sixth Sense” for anyone.
Way back in Random Factoid #5, I let you all know the first time I saw PG-13 and R-rated movies, but those were mere exceptions. Those were individual movies within the ratings, not a blank check to see any movie within the rating.
I can trace back when my parents stopped their discretion with R-rated movies to July 18, 2008, when I was 15. I really wanted to see “Wanted” (pun fully intended), and my mom just caved in and let me go. From then on, my parents just didn’t seem to care what I was seeing just as long as I paid for the ticket.
I said way back in Random Factoid #10 that I have a … distinct laugh. When I think something is funny, I don’t hesitate to laugh. Sometimes, I get a little loud. To a certain irritable person, they might also add the adjective obnoxious.
I don’t mind glares or being shushed, largely because I dish them out quite often. But I do it whenever it is a direct violation of standard movie decorum – talking on the phone, loudly talking, and such things that any sane person would never do.
Yesterday, however, at “Date Night,” I received my first sign of outward aggression to my laughter. The couple sitting directly in front of my friend and I seemed to be annoyed by our constant laughter, particularly my deep chuckles. It was a funny movie, what was I supposed to do? I would see them whispering after I let out a laugh with particularly high volume.
But suddenly, halfway through the movie, the couple got up and moved to the end of the row – as far away from me as comfortably possible. Of course I knew it was because of me. But with their empty seats, I got a footrest.
The stars in comedy heaven lined up and brought together the two of the funniest people in the sitcom galaxy, Steve Carell and Tina Fey, for an on-screen outing in “Date Night.” It feels strangely like watching an episode of “Saturday Night Live” nowadays: incredibly potent actors trudging through material that doesn’t deserve their comedic talents.
But once you can put that issue to rest, what you are left with is a reminder of the power of the actor. It takes extraordinary expertise to entertain an audience with poor writing, and Carell and Fey emerge from the ashes looking like heroes. Honestly, these two could read off the entire health care bill and have one of the highest grossing movies at the box office.
It’s amazing to watch these two comedians play off of each other. Together, they put their own unique spin on some dry lines and injecting some much-need humor into them while managing to turn lackluster repeated gags into hilarity. “Date Night” is all about them; the movie’s best moments are when it turns off the roaring plot engine and lets them take the wheel.
For those of you who nitpick at actors playing the same role over and over again, you could potentially scoff at the stars. There are plenty of moments where we catch glimpses of Michael Scott and Liz Lemon. But as a fan of both “The Office” and “30 Rock,” I see absolutely no problem with that. There’s a reason why these are two of the highest profile characters on television, and it’s not a bad thing to see these two actors incorporating a little bit of what they do best. “Date Night” is no day at Dunder-Mifflin or TGS; it’s two average people like Michael and Liz thrown into outrageous circumstances beyond their control. As much as we might not want to admit it, there’s a little bit of each of those characters in all of us, and Carell and Fey have to channel a little bit of their small screen personas to make us care what happens to the Fosters on the big screen.
Do you ever hear a song in a movie and from then on forever associate it with that movie?
Well, I do. Last night at prom, I heard Flo-Rida’s “Right Round” for the first time in months. While the song played, I could not stop thinking about “The Hangover.” If you are one of the 10 people in the world that haven’t seen the movie, you wouldn’t know that the song played over the hilarious ending credits. Anyone that has seen the movie does not need me to go into detail.
I knew the song before I saw “The Hangover;” really, anyone who listened to the radio knew it too. But now, the song will forever me connected with the movie.
I think a great plane movie has to be entertaining and attention-grabbing, but it can’t be too rousing or hilarious because then you can’t fully express yourself (not wanting to wake up those pesky sleeping passengers). It also has to play well on a computer screen or a screen the size of your wallet.
I selected my two favorite movies that I have watched on a plane, one that was provided by the airline and one I brought myself.
The best movie Continental Airlines has ever provided me is “Michael Jackson’s This Is It.” And it beat out a Best Picture winner in “A Beautiful Mind” largely because it made me happy. I just sat there and really realized how many great songs MJ really made.
The best movie I have seen that I brought myself on a plane is “City of God,” Fernando Meirelles’ sweeping tale of the slums of Rio de Janeiro. In fact, it’s one of my favorite movies of all time.
Any favorites for you all? Has anyone happened to have seen “Up in the Air” while up in the air?
Lynn Redgrave died. Don’t know if you heard, but she was the sister of Vanessa Redgrave. I bring up that news bite because it prompted today’s factoid.
Opening today in theaters is the latest “A Nightmare on Elm Street” movie, which will surely provide the same old horror movie shenanigans. But why settle? You want to see a movie that can scare you in new and unexpected ways. Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games” is a different kind of horror, and it proves to be absolutely terrifying.
Following hot on the heels of yesterday’s factoid announcing my deliberate ignorance of the “Inception” pre-release frenzy, today’s factoid provides some enlightenment as to why that may be.
It may be best to start by analyzing the category.
There are few better feelings than sitting in a movie and realizing that you have figured out the plot twist. I’m not talking about walking into a romantic comedy and knowing that the marquee names are going to wind up together; I’m talking about having a revelation that you have discovered a surprising direction that the movie will take.
I said way back in 
Do you ever hear a song in a movie and from then on forever associate it with that movie?
Another factoid brought to you by 
Marshall and the Movies 
The Winner of April’s Comment Contest Is…
2 05 2010It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for – the culmination of the commenting contest!
Before I announce the winner, I wanted to thank everyone who helped make April a banner month for “Marshall and the Movies.” I’ll show you pictures of some fantastic stats.
The daily stats started high and generally stayed pretty high, and this was the biggest month of viewership in “Marshall and the Movies” history! Thanks everyone!
And as for the comments, which is what I was really trying to boost, there was also tremendous success! Before April, there had been 355 comments left on the blog. Last month alone, there were a whopping 160 comments!
All in all, April was a tremendous month, in large part to you, the reader. Your comments motivated me to write some of what I believe is my best material yet, and I hope I have earned your readership in the months to come.
But now, for the capitalistic exercise of this blog: the incentive. Hopefully, you commented because you wanted to help a poor blogger out, but I’m sure that couldn’t have been entirely it. You obviously wanted the big prize: one of last year’s Best Picture nominees.
Who got it? First, let me explain the process.
I wrote down all the comments (and bonus comments) on Post-It notes, folded them up, and put them inside of my “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” cup. I figured it could serve as my goblet of fire, and I thought it was fitting to draw from something that I had mentioned in a previous factoid.
But now, the moment you have all been waiting for … the winner revealed.
Read the rest of this entry »
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: April, Comment Contest, Marshall and the Movies
Categories : Marshall and the Movies