Film Quote Fridays #4

For Film Quote Fridays, I couldn't resist posting this one. If you have about 10 minutes to spare, it's absolutely worth it and positively brilliant. I wonder how many days it took to make. 100?

Answer to last week's quote: "Office Space"

"The Happening"

At first glance, the PR move for Shyamalan's new movie, "The Happening", struck me as a weak way to anticipate a Shyamalan flick. With TV spots constantly billing this as "his first R rated movie", I didn't think that movies of his caliber needed this type of cheap and easy marketing. But then I saw this clip and now I'm hooked.

I like to think that more often than not, that I'm immune to marketing gimmicks. But this clip was interesting enough to get me to plunk down $10 to see it this weekend. I guess the marketing team hooked me - this time. ;)

NOTE: if you think an R rating is nothing special, just watch the last "Rambo" movie. The editors submitted their cut to the MPAA sure that it was going to come back with an NC-17 rating. Much to their surprise, it came back with an R. One of the most gruesome bloodbath flicks I've seen in a long while.

The Freeze Frame Ending

Not everybody can pull off the freeze-frame ending. Not Paul Walker in "Running Scared", not John Philbin and Nia Peeples in "North Shore" either. And certainly not "The Tiny Hands" guys in last week' post. Come to think of it, I believe the only freeze-frame ending that ever nailed it was "Rocky" - thank goodness. Not to mention, it's a pretty out-dated way to end a flick, so I doubt that we'll see any new attempts any time soon. Maybe we should keep it that way. Yuck.

Two Sides to Every Story

One thing that I admire most about filmmaker/docudramatist Morgan Spurlock is that he tries to convey both sides to his stories. Yes, it's easy to poke fun at McDonald's and it's even easier to look down on the government for its lack of alternative to fossil fuels, but chances are, that you're looking at it from an outsider's perspective.

To make a valid argument, you'll need to understand both sides to an issue. And although he clearly has a point to prove in all of his works (corporate carelessness and consumer ignorance in Supersize Me, the lack of government efforts towards a cleaner, safer and preserved environment as a coal miner in 30 Days) he also makes sincere efforts to understand the opposition's viewpoint by immersing himself inside the issue rather than above it.

Until you put yourself in someone else's shoes, you'll never fully understand why things are the way they are. Even if it is just for 30 Days. That's 30 days more than you and I have put in.

Film Quote Fridays #3

"Good evening Sir, my name is Steve. I come from a rough area. I used to be addicted to crack but now I am off it and trying to stay clean. That is why I am selling magazine subscriptions."

Answer to last week's quote: "North Shore"

Dog Day Afternoon

This performance is why Al Pacino is great.

After years and years of hearing about it, I finally was able to watch the legendary "Dog Day Afternoon" starring Al Pacino. Don rented it on Netflix and I can now see why it was always mentioned whenever the classics would come up. I'll tell you this much - the movie had it all... a great story, A GREAT performance by Pacino, a great cast and my favorite...low-down, gritty RAWNESS!

Made in 1975, this movie has to be one of the most organic movies ever made. By that, I mean the setting, the realism, the improvisation, the dialogue, the performances and the directing was subtle, calm, smooth and hit like a sledgehammer!

The Story
Without giving away too much (in case you're the 1 person left on Earth who hasn't seen it. Oh wait...that was me.) the story is based on a real life incident about an unstable man who robs a bank to pay for his lover's operation. From the first five minutes of the movie, the realism sets in as it was perfectly portrayed by the actors and the authenticity of capturing the unfolding of life scenarios, interaction and mannerisms on film. Don and I both agree that this has to be the best bank heist movie ever made.

The Performances
From Charles Durning's portrayal of Detective Moretti to Pacino's unstable Sonny Wortzik, the authenticity of interaction between the cast is captured beautifully and most of all, honestly. Pacino carried the weight of the film on his shoulders and pulled it off from beginning to end - which is no easy feat considering that the entire movie relies upon the layers of struggle that Pacino's character must convey not only consistently - but constantly - always worried, always thoughtful while sprinkling it all with bits of satisfaction here and there.

The Direction
This is the first Sidney Lumet movie I've ever seen. And he gave me a treat from the first establishing shots to the last minutes of the movie. His style was patient, calm and was able to make me feel as if I was experiencing the same anxiety both from the hostages AND from Pacino's character. His sense of establishing a realism and authentic, organic vibe in the film was the best I've ever seen from a major studio movie. I was blown away.

Overall
If you haven't already seen it, cheat yourself no longer and make it a point to see it. My brain is crammed with movies from throughout the years and I thought I'd seen it all. Then I saw Dog Day Afternoon.

Top 10 Teen Angst Mainstream Films

Again, as it stands with any other of my lists, ask me on another day and I'll probably have a different list. But today...here it is - my Top 10 Teen Angst Mainstream Movies:

10. Rebel Without a Cause
9. The Breakfast Club
8. Say Anything
7. Romeo and Juliet (The Baz Luhrman Version)
6. Kids
5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
3. The Outsiders
2. What's Eating Gilbert Grape
1. American Graffiti

Honorable mention: Thirteen

Filmmaker Sydney Pollack

The thing that comes to mind when I first think about Sydney Pollack is how natural he always seemed when he was acting - from Tootsie to Michael Clayton - even in a movie that he's starring and directing in. My most memorable Sydney Pollack role was in Eyes Wide Shut. His scenes with Tom Cruise left enough of an impact to stick in my head for almost ten years now.

But many of us would overlook his passion as a director and filmmaker which is evident in his work as well as in "Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters". This clip is just a reminder. Bravo, Sydney! And thank you.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

From the moment I saw the trailer last year, I knew it was something that I had to see. After months of working post production on Shiro's Head, I was finally able to catch "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" from Netflix over the weekend. First off, the editing was was a building block to the whole story courtesy of the skillfull Juliette Welfling. The cinematography from award winning top-tier DP Janusz Kaminski was as good as any movie can get. The cast led by Mathieu Amalric was superb and the screenplay writing (though I watched the English subtitled version adapted from the book by Jean-Dominique Bauby) from Ronald Harwood was moving. Mostly, the artistic direction and guts from American director Julian Schnabel was way more than I initially expected and was prepared to give him credit for.

Synopsis
This real life account of the editor of French "Elle" fashion magazine Jean-Dominique Bauby was played out like a moving painting. In 1995, Bauby was a high-rolling French playboy who had a life-threatening stroke that left him paralyzed from the head down. His condition was a rare one known as "locked-in syndrome". He was only able to blink his left eye. It was with the blinking of his left eye that he was able to communicate with others to write his memoirs which later became a successful bestseller.

Overview
Because there is way too much in this movie that will allow me to ramble on for days, I'll break it down to just a few of my high points. It's a uniquely great movie that is not only touching, but inspiring and artistically driven. I won't spoil it too much for you: Director Schnabel has won me over (which isn't easy to do) with respect as a director with a REAL vision. Rocker, former fashion model and "Mrs. Polanski" Emmanuelle Seigner of "Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle" gives a BAD-ASS , empowering performance as Bauby's ex and the mother of his children (she also has a song that sets the tone for the soundtrack entitled "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye"). Max von Sydow gives an emotional performance as Jean's father, I feel like I now know Marie Josee Croze just from her sensitive performance and the cool soundtrack is perfectly accompanied with rich visuals I won't soon forget.

Although this movie won't be for everyone, those who do "get it" will appreciate it. Definitely one for the collection.

Film Quote Fridays

In film school, one of my Directing course instructors would always start off each class by calling role with favorite film quotes. He'd call our names and instead of answering with a "present" or "here" we would respond with a favorite film quote.

You would think with over 25 students in the class we would run out of quotes, but we never did. Somehow we always found a new one. One of my favorites? "You're killing me, Smalls!"

Top 16 Underdog Movies

My earlier post featuring a clip from the movie "Breaking Away" reminded me of all my favorite underdog flicks. And after thinking about it, I thought I'd dedicate this post to the classics. I know - they're open for debate - and if you ask me at a different time, I'll probably have a different list, but here they are as of now:

16. Rudy
15. Startup.com
14. American Movie
13. October Sky
12. The Count of Monte Cristo
11. The Passion of the Christ*
10. School of Rock
09. The Karate Kid
08. North Shore
07. Seabiscuit
06. Jerry Maguire*
05. Breaking Away
04. La Bamba
03. Million Dollar Baby
02. It's a Wonderful Life*
01. Rocky

(*yes, it qualifies)

Recreation of D-Day

I can't tell you how excited I get every time I watch this. I found this cool video clip of three graphic designers and how they managed to recreate D-Day on a tiny budget for an episode of the BBC history show Timewatch.

You have to watch the whole thing from beginning to end to fully appreciate it. Just fantastic.

Frakkin' Favreau! 4 Reasons to See Iron Man

Not being in tune with graphic novels or comics, I'm not usually one to race out and catch the latest comic book-based movie especially after The Hulk and Fantastic Four. BUT...this weekend I caught Iron Man on the big screen and I have to say...I was blown away! It was a great surprise throughout the whole flick (don't worry - no spoilers):

1. Great Pacing
From the moment the movie starts up to the very end...the ride was wild and well-timed. The action, comedic pace and over-the-top dramatics were well delivered by Robert Downey Jr. (freaked me out), Jeff Bridges and Gwenyth Paltrow and Terrence Howard.

2. Great Style
Throughout the drama and action, the movie was able to maintain a comic-book style and feel that was well played over-the-top which really complemented Downey Jr.'s amped-up antics.

3. Actors Reigning It In
You're talking about leading actors such as Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwenyth Paltrow in supporting roles - but they played it perfectly as each one of them was able to tone down their talents to not only fit their supporting roles, but to make the most of every bit of screen time with that talent - especially Jeff Bridges' subtlety in delivering a great, menacing performance. He really switched himself up for this one. And Robert Downey Jr.? Other Brat-Packers should take note...this is how you make a comeback!

4. The Directing
Believe it or not, it wasn't until the end credits that I discovered that Jon Favreau directed it! Huh? You mean Rudy, Made, Elf and Dinner for Five? That Jon Favreau?! Yep. I was probably the only one on the planet that didn't know that. But because of that, the movie actually won me over on its own merits. That was the best surprise of all, because not in a million years would I have guessed Jon Favreau to be able to orchestrate a well-paced, well directed big-budget action flick that is actually FUN! The studio stock in Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau the director is well on the rise. 2 thumbs up!


(Reason 5: there's a cool scene after the end credits!)

My Oscar Pick for Leading Actor

This year is a rich one for the Lead Actor category for the Academy Awards. I've seen just three of the five movies that are nominated for the Actor in a Leading Role category.

There Will Be Blood: Daniel Day-Lewis
Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street : Johnny Depp
Eastern Promises : Viggo Mortensen
Michael Clayton : George Clooney
In the Valley of Elah : Tommy Lee Jones

Now, because I haven't seen "...Elah" or "Clayton" it may not be a fair assessment to make a prediction just yet. However, after finally watching the UNBELIEVABLE performance by Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood", I think it's safe to say that Day-Lewis will walk away with the award. No doubt, hands down. And if not, then the members of the Academy need some serious retooling.



The Movie

Although the movie clocked in at over two and a half hours, the pacing was excellent through the direction of Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia). And although his style was made clear, he wasn't afraid to shine the emphasis on the actors' abilities to push the direction of the movie even further.

The Actors

Nuts. Just Nuts! The energy in this movie is like none that I've ever seen before - and I did see the Coen's "No Country for Old Men" which was a masterpiece in itself, but for reasons largely due to the Coen's direction. "Blood", however knocked my socks off with a performance from Day-Lewis that I didn't know could exist in today's cinema.

Starring opposite Day-Lewis is Paul Dano who scored huge points especially after his work in one of my all-time favorite movies, "The King". He gives Day-Lewis the perfect complement to bounce off such intense interaction scene after scene.

Academy Hating on The Score

From the opening to closing credits and everywhere in between, the haunting orchestral score by Radiohead's guitarist Jonny Greenwood not only added its own horrific character to the movie, but knew how to make everyone squirm in their seats at any given moment. It was the score that played a crucial part in making me want to go and see this movie. It's that powerful.

It beats the heck out of me as to how this score was "overlooked" (ahem...snubbed...huh?...what?) among the five nominees for Best Original Score. The members of the Academy must be hating on Radiohead for turning the entertainment industry on its ear by setting examples to all artists with their new distribution method. And now probably setting an example of their own, perhaps?

Overall
From the opening titles to the last scene, the score, the acting and the direction has made this movie an instant classic for moviegoers everywhere (especially with the last "Milkshake" scene). "There Will Be Blood" will strike gold...in the form of a statue, come February 24th.

King of California

Starring Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood, Directed by: Mike Cahill

Here's another from 34,000 feet in a series of in-flight movies. Coincidentally, before I left for my trip, I was about to put this movie on the Netflix queue.

Set in Santa Clarita, California (shout out to the Old Road!), this strange tale of a father recently released from a mental institution tries to convince his daughter to help him search for lost Spanish treasure buried underneath their local Costco. Wow. There's another one.



The Best Part.
They captured the desperation and soullessness of the valley perfectly and to a tee. From the newly developed cookie-cutter track homes to the clusters of fast=food restaurants and the sleepy, dry dustbowl "in the middle of nowhere" vibe. Very monotonous, tedious and well, nowhere. The setting helped personify the storyline and added another character to the film as well.

The Worst Part
The layers of this movie that I think were intended weren't fully there. It seemed as if there was a forced/calculated effort to follow the current trend of producing a story-driven low budget indie, except this one had a huge hollywood star attached to it. Not a good sign for an indie flick. I've dug Michael Douglas' stuff since "The Streets of San Francisco", so let me be the first to say that he does better on the big screen with big actors and big directors. Otherwise, his strengths won't be best utilized without a strong supporting cast.

Cases in point - "Wall Street", "Traffic", "The Sentinel". He was great in all three, but not every A-lister can pull off a low budget indie. Nor should every A-lister try. The chemistry has to be right in order for it to work, otherwise it seems like the star is just trying to go slummin' to see how the other half lives.

Overall
The casting of Michael Douglas just didn't seem to fit the role. He's a great actor, just not in this role (you know...like Tom Hanks in Da Vinci Code). The suspension of disbelief for any movie is key and I just couldn't buy it. Evan Rachel Wood did a great job with the flick and I think it was she that brought the weight of credibility and believability to the table for this one.

So, the concept and potential was there, but the execution wasn't.

Martian Child

Starring: John Cusack, Joan Cusack (of course), Amanda Peet and Bobby Coleman, Directed by Menno MeyJes

As a frequent flyer, I always look forward to movietime on the airplane. It's fun. BUT...it's always more fun when they show films that sneak in under the theatrical radar that turn out to be pleasant surprises. But this one wasn't your usual cookie cutter storyline. Nope. In this drama, the quirky premise showcases John Cusack as David, a widower who decides to pick up the pieces of his life by moving on and adopting an abandoned child that believes he is from Mars. Try pitching that to a studio.

With as strange a storyline as this is, it wouldn't have worked if it weren't for the pure talent of Bobby Coleman who plays Dennis, the little foster child. This kid had displayed so many layers to his on-camera acting skills that it was simply effortless to believe. And at the end, isn't that what we all want in our 90 minute escapes? To believe?



Technical
There's really not much to talk about in technical terms regarding the movie. You can easily tell why this movie has gotten lost on the mainstream radar. From the cinematography to the editing, sound, etc. it all seems pretty average - that is to say that nothing jumps out more than the other. All of the production elements are on an even keel and were very subdued. Maybe it was intentional, but given the star power in the film, I was hoping for more production value.

The depth of this movie comes strictly from its storyline and acting. "But it's a John Cusack movie! It has to be decent at the least!" Well, if "Being John Malkovich" was a 10 and "Serendipity" was a 7, then this would be a 5. It's good, but it drags a bit here and there. A lot could've been edited from the final cut, which I believe would've helped to juice more emotion from certain scenes.

Best Part
The best part of the movie, aside from Coleman's role, was the perfect use of the song "Mr. Blue Sky" from ELO. It actually made me max out the mono volume in my headset. That was probably the closest it got to a Cameron Crowe moment.

Overall
Martian Child is a pleasant surprise with a new angle. The talents of Amanda Peet and John Cusack weren't used, but little Bobby Coleman saves the movie.

10MPH Documentary

From Hunter Weeks and Josh Caldwell comes a very interesting premise for a documentary - riding a personal transport vehicle across the country. A Segway to be exact. They call their filmmaking debut 10mph which is the speed that they travel from Seattle to Boston as they embark on a cross-country journey while riding a Segway that not only takes them, but also takes us through the country's heartland, colorful citites, different terrain and most importantly different walks of life.

You can download the movie for free here.

2008 SAG Award Winners

In a time when the movies that are being released are more story-based (There Will be Blood, No Country for Old Men, Little Miss Sunshine, Atonement, Juno, etc.), vs. CGI FX based (LOTR, King Kong, Harry Potter, Spider-Man, etc.), it's refreshing to see that specific level of talent has emerged and in some cases re-emerged (Josh Brolin, Daniel Day-Lewis) onto the movie scene.

You can view the complete list of the 2008 SAG winners here and listen to sound bites from acceptance speeches here.

Heath Ledger

At the moment, I was working on a test animation for Shiro's Head when Don told me about the news. One of the few actors whose work I really respected and truly one of the younger actors whose work I was looking forward to seeing in later years. Just a sad situation. It seemed to have made everyone stop to think. Even the president.

The Coen Bros. Foreshadow "No Country"

Just browsing the net and came upon this old 1991 article of the Coen Bros. interview by Jim Emerson of Cinepad.com. The interivew seems to eerily foreshadow a command performance that over a decade later would surface under the name "No Country for Old Men". It seems to (help) clarify their unique approach to moviemaking. Read the article.