taybo20's Film Rants

OSCAR Picks!! (WIN A FREE MOVIE FROM ME)

2011-02-27T11:21:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess it just seems I don't have time, or maybe I just don't care to post to this blog. But, the OSCARS are tonight and it is a tradition to post my picks. And being that competition can be fun, go ahead and send me your picks and if you get more than I do, I'LL TAKE YOU TO A MOVIE!!!!

That's a pretty good deal right?!? Just have your picks sent to me before the OSCAR telecast begins tonight.

Okay so here we go...

Best Picture: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, The King's Speech
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Original Screenplay: David Seldier, The King's Speech
Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Editing: Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter, The Social Network
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, True Grit
Animated Feature: Lee Unkrich, Toy Story 3
Art Direction: Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias and Doug Mowat, Inception
Costume Design: Jenny Beavan, The King's Speech
Documentary: Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz, Exit Through The Giftshop
Doc Short: Sara Nesson and Mitchell W. Block, Poster Girl
Foreign Film: Canada, Incendies
Make-Up: Rick Baker and Dave Elsey, The Wolfman
Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network
Original Song: Randy Newman, Toy Story 3
Animated Short: Jakob Schuh and Max Lang, The Gruffalo
Live Action Short: Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite, Wish 143
Sound Editing: Richard King, Inception
Sound Mixing: Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick, Inception
Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb, Inception

So there we are. Admittedly, some of the choices aren't necessarily the ones I want to win, only what my predictions are. 2010 was a very good year for film; much better than 2009 in my opinion. Should be a great show tonight! Good luck!

GLEE S. 2 Ep. 3

2010-10-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

"Grilled Cheesus"

Recap: Kurt's father has a heart attack leaving him in a very cold place. Meanwhile, Finn has begun to pray to the image of Jesus on a grilled cheese sandwich he has made. These events frame this episode focused on religion and spirituality.

Seemingly things are working out for Finn, just as he is prays for them. After talking to the Counselor Pillsbury, he comes away with the sense that none of it real.

Mercedes takes Kurt to church, even though he protests, as he is doesn't believe in God. While initially the glee club was going to sing spiritual songs, with Kurt's protests and the support of Sue, they aren't allowed to sing about spirituality. This causes tension within the group between religious and non-religious characters.

Analysis: This is a return to what Glee is all about, inclusiveness and tolerance. After the first two episodes that were purposed differently, this episode deals with a very touchy subject and does well to explain the different viewpoints to which have become stereotypical in today's society.

Having characters come face to face with their beliefs almost always creates strong emotions that translate well through the screen. Religious beliefs are often held closer to the heart than anything else. It is what most turn to in bad times, and that which we use to acknowledge thanks and to explain the situations we are in.

The episode rightly explains the viewpoints very concisely of all the parties involved whether it be Christian, Jewish, non-believing Gay or non-believing straight.

It was great to get Mercedes back to singing. She get's two songs in this episode, trying to make up for her inexplicable absence from the first two episodes of this season. Add to that Kurt's solo, which brings tears to the eyes as you are reliving his memories.

The only issue this episode has, is that it still is falling into the routine of offering forced solo expositions for musical numbers. This is extremely tiresome for me. I understand why they do so many solos, but the best part of "Glee" has always been using the music to smoothly tell the story and to use the ensemble cast in the numbers. When a character simply says, "I would like to sing now", it's almost a cop out for using a song to replace dialogue.

Music must haves:
"I Want To Hold Your Hand"
"Bridge Over Troubled Water"
"One Of Us"

GLEE S. 2 Ep. 2

2010-10-01T12:31:00.002-05:00

"Britney/Brittany"

Recap: The episode starts with the New Directions trying to figure out a song for the homecoming pep rally. Will and Brittany shoot down Kurt's desire to do a Britney Spears song, with the former not approving of the music and the latter revealing her "haunted" past of closely sharing a name with Britney Spears. Apparently Brittany's full name is Brittany Susan Pierce (Brittany S. Pierce).

We finally get to meet Dr. Carl Howell (John Stamos), Emma's significant other. Will, wanting to know his competition better, invites Carl to talk to the glee club about their dental hygiene. While the majority of the kids have good teeth, a few of the kids have issues requiring them to go under general anesthesia.

While going under anesthesia, Brittany is listening to Britney's "I'm A Slave 4 U". This quells her fear of Britney Spears, leaving only Will as the force not allowing New Directions to sing a Britney Spears song at the pep rally.

Rachel is still being obsessive about Finn and wants him to stay off of the football team for good. However, Coach Bieste allows both Finn and Artie back on the team. Though there is some tension between Finn and Rachel, it ends up being resolved by the end of the show, putting their relationship in it's strongest phase yet.

Will overreacts to a suggestion from Emma to relax, which culminates in him performing "Toxic" with New Directions at the pep rally. While Will is left searching for answers to attaining his desires, Emma and Carl drive off seemingly happy.

Analysis: We finally get to see Heather Morris not only sing, but really dance. She was absolutely stunning to look at in this episode, and absolutely demanded attention. Her rendition of "I'm A Slave 4 U" was stunning and breathtaking to the point I wanted more Heather Morris. Fortunately the next number was, "Me Against the Music" with her bff on the show and in real life Naya Rivera. While Rivera wasn't featured, it was still a joy to get to see her in a song where she wasn't overshadowed by the power singers on the show.

The show writers seem to be putting the Rachel/Finn relationship on a back burner. This is a very good thing, and will allow for other story lines to be explored, such as ones dealing with Artie, Kurt and Mercedes. (Honestly, give me some more Mercedes solos please!) In fact, based on the teaser for next week, we will be getting an episode dealing with Kurt. In addition, it was good to see Coach Bieste allow Finn and Artie back on the team in this episode instead of trying to stretch this subplot into multiple episodes.

Will's story seems to be on edge as the woman he wants he can't have and his ex believes that they will end up getting back together. He is dismayed at the end of this episode, as if he is lost and unsure of what to do. This is great for the writers as they have plenty of options for Will. I don't see Will going back to his ex, and I'll admit it was strange seeing her in the episode for all of 15 seconds. I believe that he will end up with Emma, but he has a lot of maturing to do.

Ultimately this episode was about being yourself. Though people may make suggestions to you, they should be taken in small doses. Otherwise you risk going overboard and alienating people further. Becoming a better person isn't about radically changing who you are; it is about taking who you are and removing the obstructions to allow for you to be the best you can be.

Music must haves:
"The Only Exception"
Whatever Britney songs you like...

GLEE Season 2 Ep. 1

2010-09-21T23:04:00.002-05:00

I will be honest, I don't watch any TV shows regularly, except for Glee. It takes a lot for me to care enough about a show to make sure I set aside enough time to watch it every week. This show has captured me by appealing to my love for the musical and by using witty, fun and refreshing dialogue.

The first episode of Season 2 debuted tonight and again proves why it is not only popular on TV, but also on iTunes (the songs from tonight's show are in the top 20 most popular).

The premise for the episode is that we are at the beginning of a new school year. The Glee club believes they have earned the respect of the other students and have decided to open up auditions so that they can hopefully increase their chances to beat rival Vocal Adrenaline. What we begin to find out is that Rachel doesn't want any new members for fear of losing the spotlight as top singer/soloist. In fact she purposely misleads another girl so that she can't audition. The girl, played by Charice, is finally given her chance and completely amazes with a rendition of "Listen" from Dreamgirls. (This by the way is a song that Charice has been singing for a while, as you can youtube her many performances. It doesn't lessen the amazement of a voice like that coming from such a small girl.) While she is given the chance to join Glee club, she is scooped up by Vocal Adrenaline after Sue lets them know about her talent.

Which brings us to Sue and Will. Nothing has changed. Though part of the episode they are teamed up because of a perceived funding threat by a new football coach, Coach Bieste, the end of the episode puts them back in their places, at each others throats.

The new coach, played by Dot Jones, has caused some havoc for Finn by cutting him from the team. Being a woman, she explains through out the episode that she has faced prejudice for being a football coach and doesn't want to made a fool of again. Will had already insulted her by not allowing her to eat lunch at his table. Finn wasn't trying to make a fool of her and was serious about having Artie try out for the team, but she didn't accept it. However, at the end of the episode Will and Coach Bieste make ammends, which makes me believe that Finn will be back on the team having to fight for his QB spot back. There is a new kid on the block Sam Evans, played by Chord Overstreet. He, like Finn is a wonderful singer and a football player. After Finn gets kicked off the team, Sam takes the QB position.

There are a couple other conflicts that are in the beginning stages such as Quinn taking back her place as Cheerios Captain. Santana has been demoted to the bottom of the triangle, literally, and so there is now some tension between the former friends.

Also, Tina has broken up with Artie and is now dating Harry and his abs. This was Artie's reasoning for wanting to try out for the football team. Artie wanted a body that would get Tina back.

Ultimately, the episode seems to revolve around people in a dog eat dog world. Though you may try and fool yourself into meaning well, you must analyze you intentions to see who you are really trying to help and what it says about your character. If you are unwilling to show compassion and acceptance to others, than you can't expect them to show compassion and acceptance back. Hypocrisy is something that anyone can fall into. With many of the members taking matters into their own hands, there seems to be some seeds of distrust that will no doubt bloom later this season.

I can't wait! I'm a certifiable GLEEK!!

Music must haves:
"Listen"
"What I Did For Love"

(Oh and is it just me, or does Lea look super thin?)

Williams on HP 7 II?

2010-09-14T12:00:00.006-05:00

Mr. Williams

So there is news making the film score circles and the Harry Potter legions freak out. According to Potterish, they have received confirmation from WB Brazil that the esteemed John Williams will be scoring Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (yes if you didn't already know the final HP film is split into two parts). A move that would remove Alexander Desplat, who is scoring Part 1.

In my opinion this is a dreadful move that is a strong disservice to Desplat. He has been brought in on a project to basically write half of a score to a film. He will not be able to fully realize any of his music because he won't be able to write the second half of the score. None of the other production members or post-production members were replaced such as the Cinematographer or Editor. Why should the composer be any different?

Then there is a part of me that wants Williams to score the final HP film. A part that emotionally resonates with Williams coming back to a film franchise that he made indelible. "Hedwig's Theme" is proof of that. But in the context of the film, I don't feel that it is right. Director David Yates should have gotten Williams for both parts.

Mr. Desplat

This is still just a rumor, however. I won't believe this is fact until either Williams, Desplat or Yates confirm this to be true. But I honestly hope it is false. For the good of the films, the burden is upon Desplat to not only use the Williams themes but also create his own themes that can be fully realized in the course of the entire two-part film. The music has a story to tell and should be told by one storyteller, not two.

Morning Glory trailer

2010-08-05T17:42:00.001-05:00

From the J.J. Abrams camp (Bad Robot Productions) comes what seems to be a very heartfelt, yet fun film. I'd like to call it a Rom-Com-Dram, basically meaning our usual Romantic-comedy, but with some depth to the story.

I have seen this trailer multiple times, going back to June. However, I have seen it at theatres in the last week twice! But I'm not complaining; this trailer is wonderfully cut and shows many things to look froward too. In someways, this may be a rebirth for Harrison Ford. He looks amazing in this film.

Besides Ford, the cast as a whole looks really strong. Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum round out a pretty solid group. The story is most simply about a young producer that is given a chance on a not-so-hot show. The underlying elements seem to be based in trust, faith, humility and perseverance.

If you have not seen the trailer, here it is below. Check it out!

Remaster of "The Little Mermaid" soundtrack? Here's a quick shot...

2010-07-29T01:17:00.001-05:00

If anyone knows me, they know I love score music. If they really know me, they know one of my favorite composers is Alan Menken. Having scored so many great Disney classics, I still find myself going back over and over to the Oscar winning, The Little Mermaid from 1989. The film is what turned Disney animation around and started a stretch of critical success that had been missing from the company for a long time.

Unfortunately for the score lovers out there, the score seems to be lacking a fullness to the sound. To put it in perspective, in some ways it is as if you were at a concert, but instead you are inside of a very tiny room that was completely sound proof so the music just died against the walls. Or something to the effect that the instruments have no room to breath so they sound flat and dull.

So, I have quickly edited some tracks to add a little "umph". I have uploaded these to youtube and though there is a quality loss in the conversion, I believe the difference can still be heard. Forgive also the crudeness of the presentation as I quickly threw them together.

Hopefully, the 4th release of this soundtrack will get a very much deserved remastering and remixing. Below are the clips. Enjoy!!

If you would like a lossless copy of any of the edited tracks, let me know. I'll let you hear them in their full glory! :) (Supposing you still enjoy score music after listening to these clips and aren't deaf from the horrible edit)

New Trailer - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

2010-06-28T19:39:00.003-05:00

The "second" trailer has been released for the 2-part finale for the Harry Potter series. After recently re-watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I must say that I am intrigued and excited for this finale.

The previous film really astounded me by the production quality. Though the film suffered from acting troubles from some of the young cast members, the look and sound were absolutely amazing.

Deathly Hallows, filmed by Eduardo Serra, already looks amazing and I'm sure the final color grading isn't done. And I have no doubt that Alexandre Desplat will provide a perfect score to this film. But don't worry, I'm not forgetting about the wonderful job David Yates did in the previous 2 films. For me, the Harry Potter films have gotten better with each release except maybe in the case of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But Yates has since Order of the Phoenix has really drawn me in and made me want to be apart of the characters in this story.

This is now my most anticipated movie for the rest of 2010 and for 2011. A DECADE of film, comes to an end. I don't like to throw this word around a lot, but this looks "Epic".

Great Trailers #2 - "The Adjustment Bureau"

2010-06-18T16:39:00.000-05:00

A new trailer that has me extremely interested is The Adjustment Bureau. What I find so intriguing is the slow build and strong emotionality that fills this trailer. The plot is presented quickly, while focusing on the relationship between the characters David Norris (Matt Damon) and Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). While the story will undoubtedly be about a forbidden love, there is still enough intrigue and chase (action) for me to have questions about the resolve of the story.

What helps to sell this trailer is the use of 1 particular piece of music that the editor cuts the video on beat with. The music is "Breath and Life" by Audiomachine. It is the music that starts out the trailer and goes to about :50. It works extremely well because the music also slowly builds just as the trailer does. Not only that, but it sounds similar to the other major piece of music which is "Kaneda's Death (Adagio in D)" by John Murphy.

Great Trailers #1 - "Star Trek" (2009)

2010-06-10T17:40:00.001-05:00

In 2008, I was already excited for Star Trek, the reboot from J.J. Abrams. Though I had doubts early, as the trailers began to be released I was feeling all the more better about this film being fun and enjoyable. Then as the news was announced that the opening of the film would be moved from December to May for "monetary reasons" I began to lose interest and questions started to arise. Is this really just for money? Is the film even finished? Is it just not that good? Are there issues with editing?

However, J.J. Abrams got the buzz ball rolling and generated major excitement with his 3rd trailer that debuted in front of Watchmen. In fact, it had me so riled up, that I forgot what movie I was even there to see. I wanted to go read up on some new Trek information.

What makes this trailer great in my opinion, is the ability to cut on the music and the smart use of slow motion. It really becomes a trailer that "sets the stage" for the coming film. It showcases the crew of the Enterprise and gives us a glimpse at our nemesis. All while using the music to create a hopeful resonating tone meant to entice the viewer to become part of the journey.

If you enjoy the music, you can buy the track "Freedom Fighters" off the recently released album "Invincible" from Two Steps From Hell.

And now for your enjoyment, the trailer...

Movie Reviews: "Kick-Ass"

2010-05-09T19:57:00.002-05:00

All over the blogosphere, reviewers have been talking about the greatness of Kick-Ass. But I must confess, I don’t really see it. Sure the homages to the superhero genre are great, but when the elements of the film are stripped away the basic narrative becomes confused. (And please don't think of me as some old person that just doesn't understand.

Now I will admit that I very much enjoyed this film. There are many funny scenes and lines in this film and the violence plays perfectly. It was an extremely entertaining film.

The parts of the film I draw issues with, however, come mostly from the main character Dave/Kick Ass (Aaron Johnson). It's not the performance (it’s spot on), but it’s the character’s story. I haven’t read the comic series, but his motivations are all self-centered and seem to spawn from his urge of having something meaningful in his life. He is a lonely and otherwise sad person that as he says, “just exists”. So to create something that has meaning in his life, Dave decides to take “delusions of grandeur” to the next level by trying to create himself as a super hero.

Now interestingly, the contrasts to the super hero genre in the script may be the most interesting parts. Dave wants to become something that helps others (a super hero) in an attempt to really only help himself. Also super heroes in comics tend to be lonely because of their super hero status; for they have to be otherwise their enemies could use their significant others for manipulation purposes. But for Dave’s purpose, he’s already lonely and looking to garner something real that he can cling on to and hold. He thus creates the alter ego Kick Ass. But it isn’t the alter ego he wants to hold on too.

The story from here begins to shift narratives. The main narrative is about Dave becoming something he is not to fill a missing void in his life. However, it becomes the weaker part of the story when the secondary narrative dealing with Big Daddy (Nic Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) begins to progress the story giving a pathway for Dave’s narrative to follow. There is no doubt in my mind that the scenes with Big Daddy and Hit Girl are absolutely imperative to stimulate this movie and move it along. Otherwise, we are stuck with a kid who has dressed up as a super hero, become an internet phenom, and feels complete in his life as that faux super hero. The story is finished; Dave has reached where he wants to be, in fact he could even get the girl without doing anything else and he doesn’t really seem to have much of an urge to do anything else. However, every super hero story needs a moral to be learned.

The best thing about the narrative of this story is that it speaks to not needing to be super to do the right thing. In fact, the story is at its best when Dave recants a line about ‘No power means no responsibility’ and he ends the scene with ‘that’s not true’ (I’m paraphrasing). But the point is, that if everyone would take responsibility we would all wield power to change the world. Instead far too often, we are the guy in the window that just turns away. Though the unfortunate end is that by not taking an action our demise becomes worthless. In this way, Dave finally encapsulates what a true super hero is supposed to be, a figure who’s morals are to be lived up too. This is obviously juxtaposed to the revenge motif that dominates the last half of the film. Sadly by using guilt for Dave to come to his moral conclusion, it is the selfishness theme that resonates, and not the selfless theme.

I will join the masses in lauding the awesomeness of Hit Girl. Ms. Moretz does a wonderful job at completely stealing the film and becoming a true internet sensation. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to hear or see what she would say/do next.

All in all, I think that this is a fun movie to see, but is not one that has amazing depth to its narrative. Sure there are many themes and elements that refer to present day issues concerning most notably violence. But adding those into the film does not necessarily make the film great as some fantastic commentary on social issues. It still must rely on its narrative to give meaning to the film. A narrative that is as confused as a generation is confused about its super heroes and their moral obligations and beginnings. Hmm…maybe that’s the point….nah.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Nicholas Cage, Mark Strong, Lyndsy Fonseca

Movie Reviews: "How to Train Your Dragon"

2010-04-06T21:05:00.002-05:00

(Note: I saw this movie in 2D with DTS sound and absolutely loved the experience. No 3D necessary.)

I'll just come out and say it, what a WONDERFUL film! I was absolutely surprised and swept away. Honestly the marketing wasn't working for me. It felt to "kiddish" and I was afraid to give it a chance. But thankfully, the blog-o-sphere and tweet-o-sphere kept urging me to see it, and so I did. And it has become my favorite Dreamworks Animation film.

"How to Train Your Dragon" is simply about a 'different' boy, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and by circumstance his befriending of a dragon. The village of vikings the boy lives in is opposed to having anything to do with the dragons except to kill them. However, after being shown the errors of being stubborn, realize that the dragons are an ally and not an enemy. But it is up to the young Hiccup to unexpectedly lead them and teach them.

The story is engaging from the very beginning and it never lets you go. The movie continually asks for an emotional response from the audience as it navigates the themes of loneliness, friendship, father/son relations, love, misconceptions and a host of others. As classic as the story is, the exoticism of the plot elements keep the journey of the film fresh and exciting. Directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders (of "Lilo & Stitch fame) do an excellent job of crafting a film that is fantastically fun and entertaining, while still having a sense of purpose.

Part of my love affair with this film is owed greatly to the score of John Powell. (I bought this score and am listening to it as I write this review.) I love his music and this score does not disappoint. His beautifully moving themes are absolutely breathtaking when set against the visuals of the film. When there is no dialogue, the music speaks. Every beat of his music not only adds life and excitement, but also evokes that extra bit of emotion from the viewer.

Much credit also has to go to Roger Deakins, ASC BSC, for the work he does on this film. His prowess in cinematography proves the usefulness and need for Directors of Photography even in the animated world. There is no doubt that he helped to accentuate the stunning visuals and create a more unique look than has traditionally been seen in digitally animated films. (The NY Times has a great article on this.)

I am extremely thankful to those urging the viewing of this film. I took a chance on this film, much like Hiccup takes a chance in the film, and it made all the difference; proving that stories can be engaging and emotional even in a "kids world". This movie made me smile, saddened me, angered me and even gave me chills. There is no age minimum or maximum for this film. Watch it by yourself, with friends, with family, on a date or however and enjoy it. I know you will!

Moment I was sold: When Hiccup takes toothless for their first flight.

Rating: 8/10

Directors: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Christ Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, TJ Miller, and Kristen Wiig

Old Classics: "The Big Sleep"

2010-04-02T18:29:00.000-05:00

I used to have a fear. This fear had kept me from watching some amazing movies. What was that fear? That black and white film would bore me and be a waste of my time. I know its a strange fear, but that is honestly what kept me from watching the great classics in the history of film. As I watch these classic films, its astounding how they grab a hold of my attention and do not let go. The color (or lack there of) suddenly becomes a moot point and the story has taken control.

Which brings me to one of my new favorites, "The Big Sleep". Now obviously it is a favorite among many as it is rated #143 out of the top 250 on IMDB.com, and I can clearly see why. The film is filled with action, drama, sensuality, fatality and mystery. In other words, its the perfect example of 'Film Noir'.

The story follows Private Detective Philip Marlowe who has been called to the Sternwood Residence at the request of General Sternwood. His youngest daughter, Carmen (Martha Vickers), is in trouble and he requests the aid of Marlowe to clean up the problems. The story heats up when Carmen's older sister Vivian (Lauren Bacall) begins to confuse Marlowe, mentally and sensually.

In almost every scene, Marlowe is present. We are meant to follow the story in his footsteps trying to figure out the puzzle as the pieces are shown to us. Every time we learn a little bit about a character, we are suddenly thrust into a brand new tangent that sets us back to square one.

The writing is very coy as many scenes are very "word" heavy. But these scenes require that the viewer pay very close attention because it is basically a spoken boxing match. This is no clearer than in the scenes between Bogart and Bacall. The scenes are charged with emotion as the two have their back-and-forths. But besides the incredibly strong delivery of lines, the real hero of this film is the director Howard Hawks whom tells an amazingly intriguing story from a script that was penned by multiple writers who didn't necessarily speak to each other. The list of amazing talent continues on with Max Steiner (score) and Sid Hickox (cinematographer). Both Max and Sid do an amazing job at capturing and expressing the dramatic moments in wonderfully honest ways.

There are very many interesting tidbits about this film. One in particular is that there are in fact two versions of this film: a 1945 pre-release and the 1946 theatrical. The differences are detailed in a special feature on the DVD, but suffice to say that the former had much less Bacall screen time. In my opinion, after watching both versions the 1946 version is much better as the energy is heightened with the extra amount of Bogart and Bacall scenes. But to get some of these scenes, they not only had to re-film, but also had to shoot entirely new footage almost a year after the original production ended. Amazingly when watching the 1946 version, I didn't notice any differences. Which is a testament to the quality of the production.

Should you see this film? Oh you have got to see this film! It is a great example of noir and a film that helps one to understand classic American cinema.

Moment I was hooked:
When Marlowe and the audience see Carmen Sternwood's legs in her short skirt, in the first scene of the film.

Favorite Scene: When Vivian (Bacall) tries to sugar Marlowe (Bogart) of the case in a small diner.

My rating: 8/10

Neal has integrity!

2010-04-01T18:29:00.000-05:00

In an article by Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood, she writes about the recent acting change on the ABC show Scoundrels. Neal McDonough was fired because of his refusal to do "sex scenes". Whether or not you agree about doing sex scenes or not, it is nice to know there is an actor with enough integrity to put his family and faith over greed and fame. Check out the article below.

No Sex Please, I'm Neal McDonough...

"The Expendables" vs. "The A-Team"

2010-04-01T14:21:00.000-05:00

Note: From a blog posed at Chud.com. I know there was a new trailer released for "The A-Team", but that still doesn't really change my feeling towards the movie.

When I first saw the trailer for "The A-Team" I couldn't help but smile. Not for the fact of being happy, but because I was just about to start laughing. In my opinion the film is absolutely goofy. But the real kicker was at the end of the trailer when I completely lost it, as I saw Bradley Cooper firing the machine gun of a tank that had just fallen from an exploding air plane.

Now fast forward to the recently (today) released trailer for "The Expendables". As if we don't have enough male testosterone floating around in the summer blockbusters this year, we actually get to witness some "old guys" do their thing. Now I will admit, during the viewing of "The Expendables" trailer I couldn't help but think, "I can't wait to see this". I was then surprised with the August release date (a month where the "bad" movies get relegated). Does someone know something I don't?

There is no doubt in my mind at this time, I have no care to see "The A-Team" however, I most definitely want to see "The Expendables". Besides the trailer for "The Expendables" just being better, the overall look is much more appealing. The title, I guess, gives a little bit of the movie away, but it feels like the characters in "The Expendables" actually have a chance to die as opposed to the obviously going to live A-Team. Drama speaks to me and "The Expendables" definitely seems to have the drama working for it. Even if it is just a crutch to show more gratuitous action. I also think the cast for "The Expendables" is much stronger and much more watchable if only because they give me that gritty feeling.

What say you, "The Expendables" or "The A-Team"?

"Beauty and the Beast" Blu-ray Announced!!

2010-03-30T20:21:00.000-05:00

The time has finally arrived. After losing track of my DVD version of the film, I am finally being rewarded with a reprint and what makes this even better is that it will be in the Blu-ray format! Interestingly, Disney had once had in mind to release "Beauty and the Beast" this past Valentine's day in 3-D. However, it would seem that they are looking for the best profit chance in that they will release this Blu-ray, re-release the film in 3-D, and then release a 3-D version on Blu-ray since 3-D seems to be all the rage.

Doesn't matter to me, I love "Beauty and the Beast" (Disney's version anyways). The story is wonderful, the character voices are perfect and the music is absolutely splendid. Paige O'Hara has a fantastic voice for the sensual yet strong Belle and the music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman draws you in and won't let you go. Not to mention you may very well be singing the songs after the viewing.

The magical date is October 5th, 2010 and I can guarantee you that I will be first in line to receive my copy.

A little background:
- "Beauty and the Beast" was the first animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In fact, the year following was when the Academy created a Best Animated Feature category.
- Won 2 Oscars for Best Score and Best Song

Directed by: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
Starring:
Paige O'Hara
Robby Benson
Richard White
Jerry Orbach
David Ogden Stiers
Angela Lansbury

Blu-Ray Deals for You!! - "Serenity"

2010-03-30T13:53:00.001-05:00

So are you a "Firefly" fan? A Joss Whedon fan? How about a "Serenity" fan? Do you have any idea what I'm asking right now? If not, than you are probably not a browncoat. However, today is your lucky day because at Amazon.com, they have a great deal on the movie "Serenity". For only $9.99 you can own "Serenity" and it will be on BLU-RAY! If getting the movie wasn't enough, you are getting in on blu-ray as well for a super low price!

"Serenity" is a great, fun film. It is based on the show "Firefly" that was granted only one season on Fox. It is one of the greatest travesties to ever have befallen broadcast TV that it was cancelled. Basically, if you like drama, comedy, action, and ships that may or may not be falling apart at any given second than you'll love this. It's kind of a new age western, set in space. Don't worry, you don't have to watch "Firefly" prior to watching "Serenity", but after watching "Serenity" you are definitely going to want to see "Firefly". Check it out and enjoy!

Director/Writer: Joss Whedon
Starring:
Nathan Fillion
Gina Torres
Alan Tudyk
Morena Baccarin
Adam Baldwin
Jewel Staite
Sean Maher
Summer Glau
Ron Glass
Chiwetel Ejiofor

The Poor OSCAR Night...

2010-03-09T12:37:00.001-06:00

I'm one of those people that loves to watch the Oscars. But I'm also one of those that can't stand the non-sense and waste in the televised program as well.

As many know, besides honoring those that created the films, the Oscars are designed to generate more revenue whether it be at the box office, PPV or on home video. But however you slice it, the Oscars are about the films. And so should be the focus of the program.

Instead, you were greeted with dance numbers that show off the talents of others instead of the nominees or in some cases aren't even shown the talent of the nominees (Cinematography and Editing both got shafted). You have presenters trying to steal the show in the couple of minutes they have to speak with usually horribly written introductions to award categories.

The best part of the night was the Sound Editing portion where the v.o. by Morgan Freeman helped to explain the award. For the average movie watcher, it is hard for them to understand why movie "A" is nominated over there favorite film of the year per se. But by explaining these categories, people can understand and even appreciate the work that has gone into these films. They suddenly feel like they have some knowledge of why the Academy awards certain people or films. It also helps to take away from the massive amount of pretension that the award show has.

Overall, I feel that the Academy not only has a duty to award the best of the year, but to also incorporate the movie goers by using the Oscars as a teaching moment. It doesn't have to be massive explanations that take large amounts of time, but a quick explanation and then clips of the work that will not only involve the viewer at home but also create interest in the given work. The Oscars can become more popular, lucrative and beneficial just by becoming more simple and having integrity to the reason for honoring certain films.

PS - Let the hosts host, and the presenters present. It doesn't matter who the host is when you only see them for 15 minutes.

PSS - Adam Shankman, your show was convoluted and messy showing no consistency from award to award. Thanks, but no thanks.

2010 OSCAR Picks

2010-03-06T09:43:00.004-06:00

The time has come! There are many categories I'm just not sure about and I believe that there will be many "upsets". Also, keep in mind that these are my picks as winners and only that. In some of these categories, I believe there were better choices but in some cases those films weren't even nominated. Without further ado, here are my picks for the 2010 OSCARS.

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)

Best Animated Film: "Up" (Walt Disney) - Pete Docter

Acheivement in Art Direction: "Avatar" (20th Century Fox) - Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

Acheivement in Cinematography: "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) - Barry Ackroyd

Acheivement in Costume Design: "The Young Victoria" (Apparition) - Sandy Powell

Acheivement in Directing: "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) - Kathryn Bigelow

Best Documentary Feature: "The Cove" (Roadside Attractions)

Best Documentary Short Subject: "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" - Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert

Acheivement in Film Editing: "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) - Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: "Un prophète" (Sony Pictures Classics) - France

Acheivement in Makeup: "The Young Victoria" (Apparition) - Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Original Score: "Up" (Walt Disney) - Michael Giacchino

Original Song: "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" - Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Picture of the Year: "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)

Best Animated Short Film: "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" (Brown Bag Films) - Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell

Best Live Action Short Film: "The New Tenants" - Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Acheivement in Sound Editing: "Avatar" (20th Century Fox) - Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Acheivement in Sound Mixing: "The Hurt Locker" (Summitt Entertainment) - Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

Acheivement in Visual Effects: "Avatar" (20th Century Fox) - Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, and Andrew R. Jones

Adapted Screenplay: "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Springs Pictures and DW Studios) - Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Original Screenplay: "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinsteing Company) - Quentin Tarantino

I have "The Hurt Locker" winning 5 OSCARS and being the overall winner. The rest of the OSCARS seem pretty spread out among the various nominees. But of course, I won't know until Sunday night. It should be exciting!!

OSCARs Challenge - $20 Gift Card

2010-03-02T08:47:00.009-06:00

The OSCARs are this Sunday, March 7th at 8/5p p.m.! It's basically like my superbowl. It should be a fun time with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting the 82nd Annual Event. Things haven't changed much regarding favorites and wide-open races since the nominations came out. Best Picture is looking to be quite the race in fact.

I will be posting my picks on Saturday night. Feel free to either send your pics to me by email or post them in a comment.

If you are the person with the most, correct OSCAR winning picks, you will receive a $20 gift card to Best Buy. Now come on, you can't beat that! It doesn't even cost to try so you have nothing to lose, except possibly dignity and respect if you get absolutely nothing correct.

You have until 12:00am MST on March 7th to submit your picks. (That's Saturday, March 6th at midnight) Again, you must pick the winner in each category. Should there be a tie, the gift card will go to the person that submitted their picks first.

Good Luck to everyone that chooses to participate. It should be a great night!

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Trailer

2010-02-16T19:44:00.004-06:00

A few years ago, I was on a flight to Los Angeles from Dallas. During this flight I was seated next to a young boy. Among his various items, he had a book entitled Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The boy was extremely nice offering me a chance to not only play on his PSP, but to also let me read the book. He spoke over and over about how much he loved the book and how funny it was. I read through a little bit of it, mostly to appease the boy, but found that it was quite silly and intriguing. Looking back, I now am very appreciative of the boy whose earnst got to me to read a book that is now becoming what looks to be a very cute and funny film.

Not only do I want to see this film and think others should as well, the moral of this little tale is to appreciate the times we spend with other people whether we know them or not. It was 2 hours of fun, with a kid that helped me open my eyes just a little bit more.

Click the link below for a trailer:

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Trailer

"Casablanca" a classic?

2010-02-03T12:28:00.006-06:00

(As a preface, this is mostly written out of disagreeing with a certain member of the Slash Filmcast, a podcast that I highly recommend. Adam, I must respectfully disagree.)

As a 23 year old male, who just watched “Casablanca” for the first time the other night, I have no choice but to completely disagree with those that feel it is not a classic. “Casablanca” is a film based in romance with noir, drama, comedy and even musical flair. It is one that relies on the viewer to understand people and their reactions as opposed to being told how to feel about these characters. In my personal opinion, I feel that “Casablanca” is a great American classic, very deserving of the praise it gets. But why is this film so great? What does this film do that is so amazing?

Humphrey Bogart (playing Rick Blaine) sets the standard for the American actor from cynicism to selfishness as well as fully embodying what it means to be a real life American at the core of our being. Set during the early days of WW2, Rick is representative of America and our involvement with other nations. We were isolationists looking out for our own good. We fraternized with other countries, though never taking a “side”. As staunch as Rick is in the film, his moral inconsistencies are directly affected by his sensitivity to doing the right thing when the power and choice are his.

The film is navigated by a forbidden romance that tears at the inner workings of the characters played by Bogart and Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund). During an affair in Paris, before the Nazi invasion, Rick and Ilsa come together amid the turmoil and destruction around them. Set in the “city of love”, it is obvious upon viewing this tryst that Rick has fallen for the beauty of Ilsa and has completely let his guard down. Little does he know, however, that Ilsa is actually married and her husband has been found to be alive. Knowing and discovering this, she leaves Rick alone on a train as she breaks their future plans together while at the same time breaking his heart.

Even if you haven’t seen the film, you know many of the quotes from this film. It is the definitive love story, set amid a tumultuous war where our protagonist is forced to do the right thing even if it is not the outcome the viewer is drawn to root for. As the story progresses it is hard not to feel and understand what the characters are going through, as the emotions are easily relatable.

I would argue when the selling point of a film is based in flash and pizzazz, instead of the emotion, it begins to tell a lot about how we perceive film. Even in a film such as “The Matrix”, we are given the love story which is extremely vital to the final outcome of the film. However, at its foundation “The Matrix” is not an emotional film, but an action film filled with visual effects that have become old. As catchy as the story for “The Matrix” may seem, it is at its core nothing new and can only be appreciated in context. Simply put the story spine is nothing innovative though the story elements supporting it are.

For those that think that “Casablanca” is bland and the visuals are lackluster you must realize exactly what you are saying. For many of the films of the 90’s and 00’s, the grossly overused and abused computer VFX are a complete waste and look increasingly worse as time goes by. However, with “Casablanca” we feel a greater sense of realism as the VFX are done with lighting and perspective; tricks that would be used later in films such as the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Movies in B&W can be very powerful as we allow the contrast in the scenes to help tell the story. It was very possible for “Casablanca” to be shot in color (as many films were during the time period), but the choice in using B&W was to facilitate the story.

Part of the reasoning for “Casablanca” being a classic is more about the time period in which it originated from than anything else. Movies were fresh and new and with every twist of style something was born. By that token, the way Bogart is able to represent an American is why this film is an American Classic. It is America’s movie set in Morocco about an American that doesn’t necessarily get his way. He compromises and let’s his selflessness shine through (an element that is fully integrated into “The Matrix”) at the risk of his own life. Though the elements of compromising and selflessness aren’t new, the way they are portrayed within the film are expressions of a new type of male lead and in subtext a new American.

In defining classics, we can’t be so pretentious as to divide into groups what classics are. By that form of thinking, we can in effect make everything a “classic”. That will only serve to diminish the important films that have “changed the game”.

It is very interesting to me that people complain about narration, yet also complain when things aren’t explained enough. Isn’t it Shakespeare that wrote “brevity is the soul of wit”? If you are forced to ask why Rick and Ilsa are in love, than you have missed a major part of the film and are possibly disconnected from the emotional center of your being. “Casablanca” is timeless because the romanticism and emotion of love is at the very core of our human form. The characters transcend time, because they can be anyone at any time. Their emotion is the same in context or out of context. And as long as we have passion, “We will always have Paris.”

OSCAR Nominations Announced

2010-02-02T08:06:00.003-06:00

Short post, but the Oscars have been anounced! We are now in the home stretch. Some of the categories (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor) are already decided. But it is the categories such as Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture that really excite with their diversity and strength. It will be an amazingly fun Oscars to watch and I can't wait to see Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin host!

One other intersting note, in the Achievement in Cinematography category, Bruno Delbonnel was nominated for "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince". This isn't a surprise based on his work, because I thought the film was beautiful. The surprise is that he is not nominated at the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) awards. Though sometimes this happens where nominees don't match, its a surprise because he in effect replaced Dion Beebe for "Nine". "Nine" has more 'Hollywood' weight so to speak and there lies the surprise.

Congratulations to all the nominees, and good luck! I will be posting my picks sometime before the Oscar Ceremony.

Avatar (movie review)

2010-01-06T10:14:00.010-06:00

My IMDb Rating: 7/10

Average IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Other ratings - @IMDb

BORING!

That’s what I thought during my screening of James Cameron’s “Avatar”. The film is absolutely beautiful to look at and very immersive especially in 3D. However, the narrative that follows along with the visuals is lacking, almost as if the technology needed the story as a supplement.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is an ex-marine that has taken a job with a corporation on the planet Pandora. The business division of the corporation is concerned with only mining an ore that sells for very high amounts back on earth. The science division, however, is more interested in learning the biology of the planet and how it connects with the native, Na’vi. Due to his twin brother being murdered, Sully is chosen to take control of the project his brother was working on. This project involves the neural linking to a Na’vi which gives the user full control of the body. What ensues is a classic story of love, deception, arrogance and redemption.

Many have commented about how closely the story resembles other stories such as “Dances with Wolves”. In my opinion, classic storytelling is classic storytelling and parallels can be drawn between almost all films. My concern for this story is the boring, stiff screenplay that creates no interest or connection to the characters. From the very beginning of the film, there is nothing that draws me into the story. It’s almost as if I am on a theme-park attraction just going for the cool visuals and the fun ride, and the story is simply used to facilitate an A to B transition. Those that feel there are major undertones having to do with huge corporations and the political climate don’t have much to stand on in this film. A much better film that is more tightly written about the “oppression” of huge corporations is “Speed Racer” (not to mention it is much more engaging from a narrative stand point). As far as politics go, I understand the ways in which someone can draw conclusions from this film and match them to the Iraq War. But I don’t believe Cameron is trying to make a commentary with this film. He was able to use real life elements and adapt them for use in this film.

As I said earlier, the visuals are absolutely stunning and the CGI work is incredible. Finally, I am seeing true emotion and texture to CGI characters that I really haven’t seen in the past. Considering that this film was shot entirely in a studio further helps to exemplify the amazing work done in creating the world of Pandora, all the way down to the smallest of details. Character performances are so-so with Zoë Saldana being the shining star. In my opinion this is probably because Cameron was more concerned with the look of the project than the actual story; which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but helps to explain the lack of immersion and attachment to the characters, ironically. Horner’s score has a couple nice moments but for the most part is forgettable. I would be amiss if I lauded the visual look and didn’t speak to the wonderful job Mauro Fiore does in filming this movie.

In closing, I think it is interesting that I felt fully immersed in the visuals of this film, but completely detached from the story of the characters. In fact, had this been a silent film or non-dialogue film, I may have had much more interest. I’ve never walked out of a movie and never will, but had it not been for the visual style, the temptation would have been much greater than it was. I believe that this is a great step for 3D, but is nothing more. This film will be forgotten over the next few years and be nothing more than a flash in the pan. The lasting reminder for this film will be the amount of money it is making as it has crossed $1 billion worldwide. See this film for the epic visual style if you are into that sort of thing. If not, than don’t waste the time or money as there are plenty of better stories to engage you.

The Princess and the Frog (review)

2009-12-26T22:50:00.005-06:00

My IMDB Rating: 5/10
Average IMDB Rating: 7.9/10

Where to start? I applaud the Disney company to getting back to it's roots and producing a solid hand-drawn film. However, that is about where my appreciation for this film ends. I love hand-drawn animation (probably because that's what I grew up watching). Interestingly it feels more raw and true to the emotion of a film, than does the cold, tidiness of computer animation. Don't get me wrong, I love movies like "WALL-E", "Up" and "Toy Story". But they will never compare to the films like "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", or "The Lion King" in my eyes.

"The Princess and the Frog" is about an African-American girl growing up in New Orleans and trying to make something of herself. In her case, she wants to be the owner of restraunt (a dream she shared with her father). As with any Disney animated film, her journey towards her goal allows her to meet strange and interesting characters that determine her final fate. Interestingly in this film, the contrasting undertones of laziness and hardwork come across more as overtones. The film in some respects feels "preachy" at best.

The animation is beautiful and it was a joy to watch. The music on the other hand seemed to be lacking. Perhaps it is just me, but keep Randy Newman with the Pixar animated films and give me Alan Menken any day! (In fact it may be better to stick with Michael Giacchino) Now I'm not saying the music was bad, but there is a certain magic that is lost in this film and I believe it has something to do with the music. In films such as "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast", Menken is able to create a mood very early in the film that later takes you on the journey with the main character. He also uses the themes of his songs in the score of the film. In "The Princess and the Frog", the film starts out flat and I never really feel like I've been transported to a different world. The music seems sporadic lacking cohesive elements with no major themes. Part of this may also be in the screenplay, which seems hastily put together. (Though they did have many problems with people claiming racism and whatnot during the production which forced many changes) For example, in the third act of the film there is a strong reaction by the character Tiana, that seems unreasonable given everything she knows. I was asking myself "How can she be so quick to come to that conclusion?".

Overall, the soul of the film seems to be missing. There is nothing that really captures me and makes me feel for these characters. I am happy that Disney has gotten back to hand-drawn animation. But I hope that they get back to the filmmaking that created the magic of the 1980's and 1990's. Those teams created classics of which "The Princess and the Frog" is not. Overall a solid effort, but nothing more. It only begs for something better in the future.

"Invictus" Trailer

2009-10-28T09:26:00.007-05:00

So the trailer for "Invictus" has dropped and has been all the buzz for the last 24 hours, but for GOOD REASON! I have been waiting for this film all year and am even more excited about seeing some footage. Morgan Freeman has put himself in the driver's seat for Best Actor and Matt Damon may not be too far behind in the Supporting Actor race. As far as other OSCARS go, we'll just have to wait and see, but it is always so hard to count out Clint, especially given the fact that this story has to do with Nelson Mandela.

This is Eastwood's 5th movie in as many years, proving that his talent is second to none. To be able to turn out films of such high quality, so quickly is almost unbelievable. In fact, Eastwood is already working on his next film, "Hereafter" starring Matt Damon which will have a 2010 release.

View the trailer at apple.com by clicking here.
"Invictus" releases on December 11th, 2009. BE THERE!

Revisiting "Speed Racer"

2009-10-16T17:34:00.007-05:00

It now seems unfortunate that I never saw this film in theatres. It was probably because of the acclaim that "Iron Man" was receiving and the lashing that "Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" got from fanboys. This film was for the most part badly reviewed garnering only a measly 36% from Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 6.4/10 on IMDB. As a result, this film really never made it to the top of my list for "must see" as honestly at the time, I didn't really care. I really felt the film was hokey at best.

Yes, the directors of the film are the "famed" Wachowski brothers, who's best work is "The Matrix". But this film ended up hitting at a wrong time and unfortunately got quickly overshadowed by "Iron Man". Not to mention, nothing about the "Wachowski" name really got me as excited for this film, unlike the name Robert Downey Jr. for "Iron Man". Another issue that kind of lead to this films demise, is that "Speed Racer" never was that big. I mean sure, as a kid I remember episodes on Cartoon Network, but other than that it was nothing. Yes, I wasn't around when this originally debuted in the U.S., but the problem was this was not originally American. It was an imported show from Japan that had a small following, during a time in which the U.S. was much more "pro-U.S. production" than it is now. It simply stayed around for all the Anime lovers out there on a very niche network. The final nail in the coffin for me not to see this film, were the box office numbers. "Iron Man" exploded out of the gate and by the end of its run raked in over 400% of its budget ($585 million worldwide). On the flipside, "Speed Racer" stumbled out of the block and simply seemed to quit as it ended up being $26 million short of its budget. Just for added perspective, this film finished 64th and 62nd for overall gross domestically and worldwide, respectively, behind such films as "Nim's Island", "The Forbidden Kingdom", and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" among others.

Is this move really that bad? I was fortunate enough to catch "Speed Racer" on HBO one day and thought, "Well, might as well". And after watching the last 25 minutes of the film, I fell in love. But why?

Though I will agree that the themes aren't necessarily very strong, the story is actually very concise and the visuals are absolutely amazing. In my opinion just as good as "Iron Man" and I personally like this film better. This film deals with integrity, perseverance, and overall morality, yet is packaged in a frenetic, fast paced action film. I have seen in some reviews where they trash the film because of the frantic pace and flashy visuals, while not having any substance. Yes there is a frantic pace and flashy visuals, but it all ties into what the film is all about; in a hectic and crazy world, we sometimes feel as though we are on a ride that we can't control, just going with the flow being manipulated and pushed in all directions. Though the overlying theme in this film is integrity, the underlying theme is enjoying life by slowing down and recognizing the important things and not letting others get the best of us. This is all wrapped up in the montage in the final race. Of course I am no doubt a sucker for voice-over montages and this film has plenty of them; but I love how this film has foreshadowing that all ties in at the end.

Other parts of this film that I absolutely love are not only the high contrast visuals, but the way transitions in this film are used. They basically use a simple wipe, but with characters or other objects in the frame being the wipe. Also, the music for this film is just fantastic! Michael Giacchino is quickly becoming one of my favorite composers. His musical cues heighten every scene with that extra bit of emotionality.

All-in-all, this film is one of my favorites. It was a great summer blockbuster film, that just didn't have the right timing. I strongly urge people to pick this film up. I really don't think you'll be dissapointed. I just recently bought the Blu-Ray version and it looks stunning! A feel good film, a fun film, a smart film, a solid film!

Couple's Retreat (Quip)

2009-10-13T08:24:00.007-05:00

My IMDB Rating: 5/10
Average IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
(My Other IMDB Ratings:http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

So yeah...."Couple's Retreat".... Honestly, I'm not real sure what to say about this film. There were some funny moments but like many comedies, most of those are in the trailer. The performances are all well and good and probably for the most part capture many different couples and the struggles they have in their marriage. The most interesting thing about the film is how the couples resolve their differences. In a world filled with divorce, this film seems to be pro-marriage. Which I am also in favor of.

Sorry for the short review, but there really isn't much to say here. The film is fun and relaxing and is a very good choice for a date.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (review)

2009-07-27T08:13:00.007-05:00

My IMDB Rating: 8/10
Average IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
(My Other IMDB Ratings:http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Well it sure is nice to see another Harry Potter film after what seems like a decade of waiting. Warner Brothers really upset me when they decided to push back the release of HP 6. But now that I have seen the movie twice, I suppose all is well.

This film is once again directed by David Yates, the director of "Order of the Phoenix" and brings back Steven Kloves to write the screenplay. The cast is much the same including the fantastic Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman.

The story begins with scenes of Death Eaters causing destruction in London. And then moves to the set-up for the film, which is Dumbledore and Harry getting Proffessor Slughorn (played by the brilliant Jim Broadbent) to come back to Hogwarts and teach. He is the key for understanding the power of Lord Voldermort.

The movie moves at a fairly quick pace and at 2 and 1/2 hours doesn't seem to be overly long. I would argue that there is a lot that is missing and would have been nice to see. Ultimately, the movie seems overcompressed to the point that the filmmakers added scenes not in the book to help characterize what is in the book. Hopefully that made sense to you, but suffice to say that there is so much in the book that just couldn't be transferred to the film. At least that's how it seems. The scene that most people have a problem with is the scene in which the Weasley's house get destroyed. Now, from a film perspective, this scene seems ridiculous as well. Yates has said that the point of the scene was to help the audience understand that no one is safe anymore and that he also wanted an action sequence so that the film didn't drag in the middle. However, this scene feels sloppy and quickly thrown together, not to mention cliché. If it was that simple, they should have just picked up Harry and taken him to Voldermort at once.

Instead of focusing on Voldermort or the "Half-blood Prince", the filmmakers have spent a little more time on the relationships between Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione. Though needed, I wish some of this stuff could have been built up through the previous movies, especially in the case of Ginny and Harry (I feel that Ron and Hermione have had good build up). I have not read the books, and never will, but from a purely film perspective, one could argue that Ginny hasn't been present for anything and how then all of a sudden do Ginny and Harry get together. Besides a few looks here and there in "Order of the Phoenix", we haven't really seen Ginny since "Chamber of Secrets". Perhaps because of this reason it is good to read the books, but surely they could have had a few more instances where the characters interact. But perhaps they have always felt awkward around eachother and have just now decided to allow their guards down in front of eachother.

The film overall isn't that bad and the technical quality has once again reached a new level of "great". It is actually a very beautiful film, with great cinematography and a great score. The only problems may be in the screenplay, which is no doubt a daunting task, and the direction. Though Yates does a competent job, there just seems to be something extra missing. But alas, the film is what it is and I greatly look forward to the final two films.

You'll notice that I did not put my usual rating at the top of the review, and that is simply because this film is a guilty pleasure. I have actually rated this film at an 8/10, though I know it should be 7.

OSCAR SELECTIONS

2009-02-21T22:27:00.004-06:00

And we are finally here... Thanks to all who are participating in my OSCAR Challenge. And a very special thank you to the Awesome Scott Weinberg from Cinematical! Enough with the pleasantries, here are my picks.

Best Actor - Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Best Actress - Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Supporting Actress - Viola Davis (Doubt)

Best Animated Feature - WALL-E

Best Art Direction - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Cinematography - Slumdog Millionaire

Best Costume Design - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Director - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Documentary Feature - Man on Wire

Best Documentary Short - The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306

Best Editing - The Dark Knight

Best Foreign Language Film - Waltz with Bashir

Best Makeup - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Score - Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman)

Best Song - "Jai Ho" (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Picture - Slumdog Millionaire

Best Animated Short Film - Presto

Best Live Action Short Film - Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)

Best Sound Editing - WALL-E

Best Sound Mixing - WALL-E

Best Visual Effects - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Adapted Screenplay - Slumdog Millionaire (Simon Beaufoy)

Best Original Screenplay - Milk (Dustin Lance Black)

Quantum of Solace (movie review)

2008-11-17T21:11:00.006-06:00

My IMDB Rating - 5/10

Average IMDB Rating - 7.2/10

(My Other IMDB Ratings:http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Well, well, well...how should I even begin. After "Casino Royale", I raved about the script and how well executed the film was. I also said that along with being my favorite of the Bond films, that it was the BEST of the Bond films. So to great expectations I awaited "Quantum of Solace", figuring that it would be just as good if not better than 'Royale'. Could I have been more wrong?

*Sigh* So many people are blaming the wrong person for this disaster of a James Bond film. It is not Director Marc Forster's fault that this jumbled and shallow mess is incoherent and drab, but the writing team comprised of Paul Haggis, Robert Wade and Neal Purvis (the same writers of Casino Royale). Now I think Paul Haggis is one of the best screenplay writers today and it can be seen in "Crash" and "Million Dollar Baby". However, the ball was definitely dropped on this film, as if it were an afterthought. The character of James Bond does not go through any type of emotional drama deeper than that of 2 inches of water. Not only that but they try to parallel the same type of "revenge motive" that supposedly dominates Bond's character with the character of Camille, played by Olga Kurylenko, in a failed attempt to give this story more depth.

Now, yes, I am ripping this film, but it is only because the bar was set so high with the prior film. If you watch "Casino Royale" and then watch "Quantum of Solace" directly after it (which is exactly the time it takes place in the film) then you can actually make sense of the film, because it is for all intents and purposes an addendum to 'Royale' to give closure to Bond over the death of Vespa. Otherwise, "Solace" is a jumbled film, full of useless action sequences that give no exposition. Oh wait, there is no exposition to be given. Bond wants revenge and there is nothing else to it other than that. It would seem that the aforementioned writers wrote themselves into a corner because they had to give closure to Bond before they could move on with him.

Wait! I haven't even gotten to the villain yet. Well it doesn't matter because he is more forgettable than that guy in "The World Is Not Enough". It is a very weak plot line for the villain that basically gets no attention.

So all in all, if you are a Bond fan and/or like action films than definitely see this film, but you don't have to rush to the theatre. Daniel Craig gives another good performance as the British Super Spy. It just ends up being the writing that dooms this film.

Another Quick Three Movie Review

2008-11-11T19:44:00.003-06:00

Changeling 7/10
Clint Eastwood's period drama about a mother whose son goes missing is based on a true story and captures the essence of the story completely. Angelina Jolie stars as Christine Collins, the mother of Walter. When Walter goes missing, the LAPD, which has been corrupted from the top down, tries to force Ms. Collins to accept another boy as Walter. What ensues is the fight for what is right and the discovery of what may have happened to the real Walter.

The movie is set in the late 1920's and is beautifully made. The production design elements are very true to the time. Angelina Jolie should get nominated for Best Actress in a leading role, but I'm not sure much more from this film will be nominated.

Appaloosa 6/10
This western directed by Ed Harris, is a fairly slow moving period piece that is really more of a character examination film. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen star together as the "good guys" that come to the town of Appaloosa to free it from the Tyranny of a character named Bragg (Jeremy Irons). The film is a fairly classic western complete with the protagonist riding off into the sunset. Though interesting in look, the film is mostly forgettable as the depth that could be portrayed is never really reached.

What Just Happened? 7/10
Barry Levinson directs this tongue-in-cheek film written by Art Linson that is all about Hollywood. It is a hysterical film, that may seem exaggerated, but really isn't. Robert De Niro stars as a Hollywood Producer that has more on his plate in one day than most people have in a year. If it isn't one of his two ex-wives, it is a disgruntled director or a very stubborn actor that De Niro has to deal with. The film dwelves into the the life of a Hollywood producer and the stresses and crazy lifestyle that they live. In a way it seems like a Robert Altman movie considering all the celebrities that are in this film. Very interesting to watch, but more of a personal project than a project designed for awards.

A long while...

2008-10-20T07:02:00.003-05:00

I know it has been forever since I have updated my blog, but I will be doing so more often in the future. School and work has impaired my ability to sit down and write reviews as I would have normally. However, as we become more immersed in OSCAR season, I will make sure to have some good insight here for you.

The Dark Knight (movie review)

2008-07-18T20:52:00.011-05:00

My IMDB Rating - 9/10

Average IMDB Rating - 9.2/10 (#1)

(My Other IMDB Ratings:http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Just a few weeks ago, I mentioned that "WALL-E" was the best movie I had seen this year. Well, "The Dark Knight" is the best film I have seen in 4 years (barring "WALL-E" it was "Million Dollar Baby")! A sentiment that, as far as this year goes, is shared by Peter Sciretta over at slashfilm.com. Though it is possible that I am somewhat biased considering the fact that my favorite films are dark, emotional journeys that test human will and mind, while trying to find the good amongst the most evil of circumstances; and that is what "The Dark Knight" is. But there is no doubt that this film is better than any other comic book adaption, and far better than the majority of films out there.

"The Dark Knight" is the ultimate movie about duality and moral ambiguity. In fact, these two motifs can be seen in every character as they deal with extremely tough decisions of honorability. Tensions rise as the characters in the film continue to find the truth behind lies, who is just and who is unjust, what is right and what is wrong, and whether love or logic is the correct answer.

I won't go into plot details because this is a film that needs to be viewed. What I will touch on is the production value of this film is off the charts. Wally Pfister (director of photography), Nathan Crowley (production designer), and Lee Smith (editor) have done amazingly remarkable jobs of aiding Nolan in the creation of this film. From the using of an IMAX camera, to the blowing up of an actual building, to the cutting between 4 different storylines, the viewer is literally dropped into the seemingly real Gotham City to be at once taken on a ride that at no point lags or seems out of place. On top of that, the acting is spot on! Heath Ledger is everything he has been hyped up to being as the Joker. Christian Bale takes the true form of Batman and Bruce Wayne, respectively again. Aaron Eckhart takes his tragic character, Harvey Dent, to Shakespearean heights.

Though the film is an adaption of a comic, through the direction of Christopher Nolan this film exceeds beyond the boundaries of sci-fi, comic geekdom. The movie teaches lessons of faith, hope, honor and love and their effect on the human psyche. This is a film that should not be missed. It is to well made to not be viewed by even the most novice of movie goers. Even in this year of great films, expect "The Dark Knight" to get at least a couple of OSCAR nominations come January.

This is film noir. This is a film.

Hancock (movie review)

2008-07-04T12:53:00.010-05:00

My IMDB Rating - 6/10

Average IMDB Rating - 6.8/10

(My Other IMDB Ratings:http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

"Hancock" is a good summer movie that is very refreshing considering the number of super hero movies that are being released this year alone. It is considerably toungue-in-cheek and fairly funny.

The story is simply about a guy, with super powers, named John Hancock (Will Smith), who being an alcoholic, is very unorthodox in the way he saves people and rights wrongs. After saving Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), his life takes a turn for the better as Ray decides to do a little PR work for him. It is only later we find out the secret of his powers and the secret that Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron) is hiding as well.

Peter Berg does a good job at offering a fairly fresh movie that is entertaining. It is hard to craft a film about a super hero from scratch given the amount of films nowadays from the likes of Marvel and DC Comics. But this film flies in the face of the conventional "super hero" movie and still gives us a character we really care about while giving us a plot that is somewhat believable (there are still holes, but most are forgivable).

The acting is fantastic in the film. Smith (especially), Bateman, and Theron really drive this movie with unique characters that have decent depth and purpose. The acting makes the characters feel very real and invites the viewer in to understand the characters better. And quite honestly saves this movie from utter collapse.

As I said before, this film is fresh and fun and even with all the pre- and post-production issues, still is a movie that audiences will enjoy. Get ya' popcorn ready!

WALL-E (movie review)

2008-06-29T17:37:00.003-05:00

My IMDB Rating - 9/10

Average IMDB Rating - 8.9/10

(My Other IMDB Ratings: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Well, well, the geniuses at Pixar have done it again! The creation of a movie that is enthralling, funny, meaningful, and smart is not an easy job; but the guys in Emeryville, CA seem to have no problem coming up with them. Even if its atypical.

"WALL-E" is a movie about a robot that has been alone, save for his cockroach buddy, for 700 years on the planet Earth. His job has been to clean up all the trash that was left behind by the lazy humans. WALL-E is apparently the only robot to have survived as all the others sit motionless next to heaping piles of trash. WALL-E is a simple robot who does his job while finding time learn about objects that are foreign to him and adding to his ever growing collection of trinkets. Through the watching of an old film, WALL-E begins to long for a lover. He then meets EVE, a robot sent on a confidential directive. After getting to know each other, WALL-E show EVE one of his most prized possessions, a plant. From there the movie literally takes off and we are taken on a journey about love, laziness and doing what's right.

WALL-E is a fantastic movie and one of the tools that aid this film is the non-use of dialogue. In fact for the first act of the film, there are only 4 or 5 words (as actual dialogue) which are actually beeps and buzzes from the robots that sound like words. There are only a few characters in the film that have real dialogue which enables the story to not be bogged down, meaning that the dialogue is not just filler. The pacing is great and and keeps your attention much better than you would think a movie without words would. The emotion shown through WALL-E and EVE is amazing considering they are robots that are supposed to be cold and emotionless. The audience truly feels for the robots. The irony in this movie is the only things that have any resolve and emtion about them are the robots. It's the humans that are cold and emotionless (machine like), not to mention so lazy that they simply sit around seemingly all their life oblivious to the true nature of things. It's not until WALL-E and his friends wake the people up to what's really going on that they begin to take responsibility.

The underlying tone to this film is that laziness and consumerism will breed pollution and death to the planet Earth. With the ever increasing technological advances, things are becoming simpler and simpler for humans. They are required to do less and less whilst being served by machines. We need to remember that cleaning up pollution is not a task that should be reserved to someone or something else. We need to take the responsibility of keeping this planet clean and green.

Andrew Stanton has done a wonderful job with this film crafting a great, layered story with tremendous emotional depth. Thomas Newman's score fits perfectly with the film and adds great context and subtlety to the emotional scenes between WALL-E and EVE. This film is refreshing and enjoyable by anyone no matter the age. This is one of the best Pixar films ever, and is surely the best film this year to date. It should win the OSCAR for Best Animated Feature. And maybe, just maybe it may get a nomination for Best Picture. Make sure to look for references to "2001: A Space Odyssey", Charlie Chaplinesque humor and the Pizza Planet truck from "Toy Story".

Box Office Record for "The Dark Knight"?

2008-06-27T16:44:00.000-05:00

Well it would seem very likely that "The Dark Knight" will be rewriting the record books come the weekend of July 18th. According to Alex Billington at Firstshowing.net, he has gotten word from Movietickets.com that they have sold 8-times as many tickets as they did for Spider-Man 3 in the same cycle. This is big news because currently Spider-Man 3 holds the record for Highest Grossing Opening Weekend Domestically ($151.1 million) and Worldwide ($381.7 million). Ands holds it very comfortably, but not for long.

"The Dark Knight" was already going to be a huge movie, because of the anticipation that had been building for the next Batman after 3 years, dark nature (feeding dark ambition), fantastic cast (Bale, Freeman, Caine, Ledger) and a PG-13 rating (no resctrictions here). But at the tragic news of Heath Ledger's passing, it may have given this movie even more appeal than before. Not a whole lot of people have posted about this, but at the moment of his death, the first thing I was telling friends was that "The Dark Knight" was going to break major records. With the popularity and publicity surrounding Heath Ledger and fans becoming aware this was his FINAL complete film, it was completely logical to assume that more people than usual would be turning out for opening weekend viewings. Not to be insensitive, but there was more talk 6 months out for this movie than any movie in history partially because of news surrounding how Heath prepared for this role and how dark this film would be (and I'm talking about the average movie goer, not some of us geeks that talk about movies from rumor to screen). The acting is apparently so good that Peter Travers from Rolling Stone, is already calling for Heath to win a post-humous OSCAR for his role as the Joker further adding to buzz that is already past high levels.

I truly believe that this film will break opening day records, opening weekend records, second weekend records and almost every record in between. Will it get to the #1 spot for All Time Domestic or Worldwide? I'm not sure, but it will be easily in the top 10. The fact is, if what I believe will happen, happens then "The Dark Knight" will be EXTREMELY close to making as much money or more in one weekend as it did in the ENTIRE release of "Batman Begins" which was $205,343,774 domestically. That is a crazy thought, but one that has an great chance of happening. Why So Serious? Because this will seriously be good for the movie industry.

Set Pictures from "Public Enemies"

2008-06-25T14:38:00.000-05:00

"Public Enemies" directed by Michael Mann, is set to come out July 1st, 2009 and just to give you a slight taste of the design, I have some pictures that a friend took and sent to me. If you didn't know "Public Enemies" stars Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, Billy Crudup, Giovanni Ribisi, and David Wenham. Needless to say a great cast. The album is here. Here are few of the pics...

Really? Are we Serious?

2008-06-24T19:40:00.001-05:00

Just found out that Diablo Cody has been invited by AMPAS to join. Just so you know, AMPAS stands for Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. These are the people that choose OSCAR winners. First off, Diablo Cody is a very fortunate screen writer whom we will most likely never hear from again. And if we do, it will be for something really bad. I guarantee she will never win another OSCAR. "Juno" was a great film, but the screenplay was voted for mainly because of the popularity of the film. It wasn't a great screenplay, but it was unique and generated a lot of revenue at the box office. But based on the writing skills and being that she based the screenplay off of her own experiences, the well has run dry for Diablo. For crying out loud, she only has one completed film credit to her name!!

A Piece from the Fire

2008-06-24T19:37:00.000-05:00

As many of you are well aware, the Universal Studios backlot in California caught fire a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it burned up a lot of stuff. Pictured above is part of a reel from "Back to the Future" that survived the blaze.

The Happening (movie review)

2008-06-21T16:09:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 5.5/10
My IMDB Rating - 5/10
(My Other IMDB Ratings: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Well, this isn't the best Shyamalan film and may be well be the worst. Not that the story is horrible or that the acting is bad, but because of the premise and the execution. The film is basically about a guy (Mark Whalberg) and his family tyring to survive an event that no one can explain.

Shyamalan has a certain style in his films and this film followed that style. It is filled with some vagueness, mixed with a character trying to figure everything out as unfortunate events continue all around them. The characters utter many of their lines very 'matter of fact' like, which in some cases makes people think that the acting is "horrible". The acting isn't horrible, just part of the style. What makes this movie not work, is that it is a movie about the world (plants specifically) fighting back against a human plague trying to entice the viewer to become more "green".

Humans have been referred to as a plague in other movies and this is a belief among some people because we don't really fulfill a 'circle of life'. Shyamalan is basically saying in his film, that because we don't give back to this Earth and insist on just taking, that eventually the world will figure out a way to reach an homogenise nature by killing off humans. Though I agree with recycling and not polluting, this movie just didn't work. It was very blah... No real excitement and basically just preaching that we should be more conscious of pollution. This type of premise is much better served in a documentary and not so much a 'R' rated thriller.

The Incredible Hulk (movie review)

2008-06-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 7.9/10
My IMDB Rating - 6/10
(My Other IMDB Ratings: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Well first off, this "Hulk" is far better than the previous version by "Academy Award Winner" Ang Lee. The former version was to drawn into a 'Beauty and the Beast' type love story that really just dragged the movie down. But enough about that 'abomination'...lol.

"The Incredible Hulk" is a movie simply putting a good guy vs. a bad guy. We find Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) hiding out in Brazil keeping in contact with someone he thinks will find a cure to his "disease". Due to some unfortunate luck, Banner comes back to the United States and meets up with his love interest Elizabeth "Betty" Ross (Liv Tyler). Meanwhile, Emil Blonksy (Tim Roth) is gaining power by taking serums and getting what basically amounts to a blood transfusion. Blonsky eventually turns into an abomination (see pun above), of which only the Hulk can defeat.

This Marvel Comics movie has all the usuals in it: Stan Lee, making fun of the classic uniform, and cameo of the original actor. This movie is more simple than the other comic adaptions, but in its simplicity this movie is somewhat enjoyable. There isn't a whole lot of dialogue, but the movie is paced fairly quick and the action is constant. There seem, however, to be a couple of untied ends that we will supposedly see later, if box office numbers should spur an "Incredible Hulk 2" or I guess that should be "3". One of the shinging stars of this movie is Craig Armstrong who composed the score to the film. The score works extremely well, and the "love theme" between Banner and Ross is exquisite. Though it isn't the best of the comic book adaptions, its not the worst either. This film is very much a "popcorn flick" and should be enjoyed as one.

Kung Fu Panda (movie review)

2008-06-18T21:18:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 8.1/10
My IMDB Rating - 7/10
(My Other IMDB Ratings: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Fun, fun, fun!! This movie is so fun. Okay seriously, "Kung Fu Panda" is a very good film that is filled with laughs and leaves you begging for more. Not only is the voice work great, but the story is smart and refreshing while having a very classic feel. Animation is fine for the subject matter, though not as refined as Pixar.

The story is about an overweight Panda (Jack Black) that wants to be a kung fu master more than anything, including following his father's footsteps and becoming a noodle chef. In his journey to understand his true place, he learns that being yourself is what makes one special.

The movie is filled with great actors including Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, and Dan Fogler. The pacing is very good and keeps attention very well (the little kids behind me didn't blink for a second). But don't be fooled, this isn't just for kids; everybody from 5 to 85 years old will enjoy this film. Make sure you see this film; You won't be let down!

Before the Rains (movie review)

2008-06-18T13:28:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 7.4/10
My IMDB Rating - 6/10
(My Other IMDB Ratings: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Wow!! It feels like forever since I have done a movie review. But hopefully I will be updating with much more regularity.

"Before the Rains" is an Indian (India) movie by Santosh Sivan who also doubles as the Director of Photography. The movie centers around the love affair between a married British man (Linus Roache) and a married Indian woman (Nandita Das). The story for the most part is fairly cliched. Nothing out of the ordinary happens in this movie that you wouldn't expect from a movie about forbidden love. The acting is good and so is the camera work. The movie starts out fairly slow and for being only 98 minutes long, it seems to stretch a little. The third act does a good job of wrapping everything up and giving closure to all of the characters.

My problems with the film mainly came from a very weak screenplay and very minuscule soundtrack. Obviously film in India is still in the infant stages but the screenplay is just really bad. Too many assumptions are made through out the film and basic responses to things seem over the top and too dramatic. The soundtrack has one major theme that seems to be replayed constantly. It isn't a bad theme, but having it replayed throughout the movie just got tiring.

The film as a whole has very good technical production value. However, its the more creative parts of the film that suffer. As a love story the movie is fairly hit or miss never delving into truly deep emotion. The only reason I would recommend seeing this film, is if you are interested in film from India. Otherwise, you'll see 2 or 3 movies like this here in the states.

A Student Film

2008-05-11T18:51:00.000-05:00

The Contemplation from Taylor Fenno on Vimeo.

I actually edited (sound and film) this and was the DP. I even directed a little, coming up with story boards, and the shots I wanted. There was group of us that kinda "directed" the actor. Yeah I know it is horrible...but for the knowledge i had and the time I had to work with, I thought the lighting and camera angles actually worked out pretty well, and that was what I was mainly responsible for.

Quick 3 Movie Review

2008-05-07T13:52:00.000-05:00

Iron Man

A good, enjoyable movie that many will like. One of the better adaptions from a comic book, Iron Man doesn't try to overextend itself and stays with a fairly simple plot. Robert Downey Jr. is absolutely perfect to play the overconfident and conceited Tony Stark. The rest of the main cast consisting of Gwenyth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff Bridges turn in great and believable roles. Director Jon Favreau isn't real visually stimulating, but it doesn't matter because the story, acting, and pace really drive this film to be a good one. This is a perfect movie to open the blockbuster season.

My IMDB RATING - 7/10

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Another movie from the Apatow Production House, that is funny yet very witty. What has really made these Apatow productions work, is using characters that are more real world instead of trying to separate funny characters from reality. The problems and dreams of the characters are very similar to most peoples. Jason Segel wrote a really good film in Forgetting Sarah Marshall that is sure to give any viewer more than a few laughs. Adequate acting make this film a feel good comedy in the midst of turmoil. Maybe a little less male nudity.

My IMDB RATING - 7/10

The Forbidden Kingdom

Wow, Jet Li and Jackie Chan together should make a great martial arts film. Wrong! This film has problems all over the place, mostly with script and direction. And to top it all off, the fighting is way to reminiscent of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (same choreographer). Jet Li and Jackie Chan are thrown into this film that is simply a remake of A Kid in King Arthur's Court. Unless you really like Jet Li or Jackie Chan, don't see this film as it is neither exciting or interesting.

My IMDB RATING - 5/10

AFI Dallas

2008-04-05T17:54:00.000-05:00

So for about the past week and a half, I have been at AFI Dallas. It is a huge film festival that spans 10 days and screens hundreds of films. I was fortunate enough to work for AFI Dallas and become part of the staff. It has been very enjoyable and I have met tons of people that have been very, very nice. I have met many people and should be able to work with them in the future on different projects in L.A. and Dallas. Notable talent that I have seen Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, and Stuart Townsend. I didn't get to see Barry Levinson, Robert DeNiro, or Mickey Rooney.

I have uploaded some pics of the Target Lounge where I worked.

Slaughtered!!!

2008-02-25T18:16:00.000-06:00

Wow....I was pretty confident in my OSCAR picks only to realize that I was no where close!! I got slaughtered. Thankfully only two people took the challenge. And I only owe one of them lunch.

I only got 33% (8/24) of the OSCARS correct. I'm really kind of sad. I can't wait for next year.

HOWEVER, though my night wasn't the greatest as far as picks go, the OSCAR ceremony faired much worse it seems. Nielsen ratings is saying that this is the lowest rated OSCARS in history. And honestly, I didn't think the show was that great; it was pretty mellow. I guess thats what happens when you only have 2 weeks to plan a show...

MY ACADEMY AWARD PICKS!!

2008-02-23T14:23:00.000-06:00

Its OSCAR time and here are my picks!! Good Luck to all those who took my challenge!!

Best Picture - No Country for Old Men (Coen Brothers and Scott Rudin)

Best Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will be Blood)

Best Actress - Julie Christie (Away from Her)

Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)

Best Supporting Actress - Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There)

Best Director - Ethan and Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men)

Best Original Screenplay - Diablo Cody (Juno)

Best Adapted Screenplay - Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men)

Best Cinematography - Seamus McGarvey (Atonement)

Best Editing - Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men)

Best Art Direction - Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer (Atonement)

Best Costume - Jacqueline Durran (Atonement)

Best Makeup - Didier Lavergne, Jan Archibald (La Vie en Rose)
Best Original Score - Dario Marianelli (Atonement)
Best Original Song - Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz ("That's How You Know" from Enchanted)
Best Sound Mixing - Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland (No Country for Old Men)
Best Sound Editing - Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn (Transformers)
Best Visual Effects - Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier (Transformers)
Best Animated Feature - Persepolis (Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi)
Best Foreign Language Film - Beaufort (Israel)
Best Documentary Feature - No End in Sight (Charles Ferguson, Audrey Marrs)
Best Documentray Short - Salim Baba (Tim Sternberg, Francisco Bello)
Best Animated Short - Madame Tutli-Putli (Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski)
Best Live Action Short - Tanghi Argentini (Guy Thys, Anja Daelemans)

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS!!!/Contest!!

2008-01-22T21:26:00.001-06:00

Yes, they have been released. And personally in many of the categories, I feel that I will have a tough time picking winners. There are so many good films this year and not one that just stands out above all the others such as a Titanic or Return of the King.

Academy Award Noms

However, as always I like to have a contest with those that want to pick winners with me. If you would like, please email me your selections as winners in each category before the ceremony on February 24th. If you get more picks right than I do, I will buy you lunch. I will release my picks within a week of the OSCARS ceremony.

My email is taybo20@gmail.com

Actual Golden Globe Winners

2008-01-17T20:22:00.000-06:00

So I went 6/14 on my picks for the Golden Globes. Not real good, but it is harder for me to pick what the Hollywood Foreign Press likes because of a lot more foreign films being up for awards.

http://imdb.com/features/rto/2008/globes

Oh well...

But I can't wait for the OSCARS. I should be around 70% correct. Hopefully....

My Picks for Golden Globe Winners

2008-01-13T18:07:00.000-06:00

Best Picture Drama: Atonement
Best Picture Comedy or Musical: Juno
Best Actor Drama: James McAvoy (Atonement)
Best Actress Drama: Julie Christie (Away from Her)
Best Actor Comedy or Musical: Johnny Depp (Sweeny Todd)
Best Actress Comedy or Musical: Ellen Page (Juno)
Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson's War)
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There)
Best Director: Joe Wright (Atonement)
Best Screenplay: Christopher Hampton (Atonement)
Best Original Song: Alan Menken - That's How You Know (Enchanted)
Best Original Score: Dario Marianelli (Atonement)
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Best Foreign Language Film: 4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile

No Country for Old Men (movie review)

2007-12-23T11:51:00.000-06:00

Average IMDB rating - 8.9/10 (#14 on the top 250)

My IMDB rating - 8/10

No Country for Old Men is a great movie filled with metaphor for the way the world is going. It should be obvious in the title what the underlying meaning of the film is, but honestly I wasn't even positive until after seeing this film.

The Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, turn in possibly their best movie ever. That's saying something since they are the two guys responsible for Fargo, which was nominated for seven OSCARS and won best original screenplay. Of course, it might be saying something as well since they were also behind The Ladykillers.

The film, as I said earlier, is about the way the world is going, told metaphorically through a psychopathic killer. Things have changed in this world, and in the opening narration we understand that from the main characters point of view that people are no longer able to be trusted, nor do they have respect for others. He points out that his grandfather used to be a sheriff, same as him, but didn't feel the need to carry a gun. The pyschopath represents the world's travel towards despair. It never quits and is always moving along. The sheriff is trying to stop the psychopath but just seems to be a step behind. And the person the pyschopath is after, represents those that just happen to get in the way by circumstance, and succumb to the psychopath by acting just like him.

The pacing of the film is great. The film never seems to stretch along, but is always moving and creating tense situations. Its hard to root for anyone in this film, as each character has flaws. The acting is very good all the way around. Each character is very believable. The only thing I found wrong with this movie, was that in the background of one of the scenes there was a Carl's Jr. restraunt. But this movie takes place in 1980. The restraunt should have been a Hardee's.

This movie will be nominated for multiple Academy Awards. It probably won't win any for acting, but should be a very strong contender in Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Direction, and Best Picture.

August Rush (movie review)

2007-12-23T11:39:00.000-06:00

Average IMDB Rating - 7.3/10

My IMDB Rating - 6/10

August Rush is a nice, simple film. The movie is about a boy that seems clueless to everything except music. It is the one thing he understands. He feels that music is the one thing that he can use to find his parents.

Freddie Highmore, puts in a decent performance, but nothing has been as good as his role in Finding Neverland. The kid who seems to have a great deal of talent just has been pushed like he should. Though granted, roles for child actors are never that great.

The music for the film is alright, highlighted by "August's Rapsody", a piece written by Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The movie's faults come mostly from direction and screenplay writing. Many lines of the movie fill forced and unnatural. In some cases you may even blame the acting which comes in at just about par for this movie.

Unless you really like Freddie Highmore, I wouldn't advise you to see this movie. It's just okay.

Enchanted (movie review)

2007-11-22T21:23:00.000-06:00

Average IMDB rating - 8/10 (will update when more votes are counted)

My IMDB rating - 7/10

(other movie ratings - http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

Well, I had the enjoyment of watching a movie that was very good at taking some classics, mixing them up, and spitting out a funny and smart, family film. This film is much better than it looked in the trailers and is actually more appealing then some would think. I guarantee that most of the people that are borderline on whether to see this movie or not, will end up enjoying it if they see it.

"Enchanted" is the tale of a princess, Giselle, (Amy Adams) that is sent to the "real world"(no not the MTV show) by the evil step-mother, Queen Narissa, (Susan Sarandon) of the prince, Edward, (James Marsden) that she is to marry. In the "real world", Giselle learns realities of which she is not aware, while teaching that fairy tales can come true. It just so happens that Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), takes Giselle in with a kind heart and ends up falling in love with her. The story is fairly classic and will be especially recognizable for frequent Disney movie watchers.

The reason this movie intrigued me is because Disney finally took a look at all of their movies that made them famous, and in ways poked fun at them while simultaneously paying homage. A very experienced Disney movie watcher will be able to pick up some of the "wink, winks" that this film has in it. What really makes this film work is that it is written like an animated feature, but the majority of the film is live action. Many plot elements are left unexplained, much like an animated feature, but this helps to keep the screenplay quick and concise. Even the beginning of the film, which is animated, is shot in a 1.66:1 ratio much like some of the 90's and earlier Disney animated films.

What the movie has really done for Disney, in a kind of subtle way, is reintroduced hand drawn animation. With the release of "The Princess and the Frog" (2008) looming, Disney ultimately needed a way to get hand drawn animation back to the forefront in an animated movie world filled with computer animation. This mix of animation and live action worked on so many levels that it surprised me how good this film is. The film was well casted and all the performances are very well done. The direction and screenplay are good as well. The film's score by Alan Menken is wonderful! And the songs, which are written by Menken and Stephen Schwartz, also work very well. Menken very smartly takes bits and pieces, not only of his own work in prior Disney films, but of some of the much older films, by Paul J. Smith, to incorporate in this film. The choreography for the musical numbers is also great, as it kind of has an animated feel as well (which was the overall direction of the movie in my opinion).

As I said earlier, I really enjoyed this film and truthfully can't wait to see it again. The movie worked on many different levels that had a crowd composed of all different ages laughing and enjoying it. Disney actually hit a home-run with a film that was probably meant mostly as a band-aid for the Thanksgiving holiday. Anyone and everyone should see this film. So what are you sitting around for, GO, now!!

We Own the Night (movie review)

2007-10-17T15:48:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB rating - 7.6/10
My IMDB rating - 7/10
(Other movie ratings - http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

"We Own the Night" is a good movie with very fine acting. The story centers around a father (Robert Duvall) and his two sons. One of the sons, Joseph (Mark Whalberg), has followed in his father's footsteps and become a police officer; the other, Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix), has gone in the opposite directing by being the manager of a night club and indulging in what seems to be an immoral life. In the end, however, the film is really about Bobby and how he turns his life around. This is simply a thriller encompassed with family drama.

James Gray does a great job at taking you back in time to the late '80s. From the still shots that draw you into the subject matter to the music that is overheard during the first "scene", the picture very clearly puts the viewer into the correct frame of reference. The cinematography for the film could not have been better. Nor could have the score, which in its best moments is very eerie and tense. Everything flowed very well. The writing was also very good in that it gave smooth transition and believable dialogue.

But let me speak about really the only woman in this film for just a second... Eva Mendes who plays the girlfriend of Bobby, turns in her best performance to date as far as I'm concerned. She was wonderful in her support of the other characters and I now look forward to seeing more of Mendes' more concentrated acting.

For those wondering about the rating, this movie definitely deserves its "R" rating. There is nudity, drug use, and heavy language. However, if this does not offend you, make sure to see this movie; especially fans of Mark Whalberg, Robert Duvall, Joaquin Phoenix or Eva Mendes. It is rather enjoyable. As far as OSCAR nominations go, I don't foresee any for this movie. Not yet anyways.

Revealing Information on Indiana Jones

2007-10-11T18:12:00.000-05:00

With the recent events of releasing spoiler information about the new Indiana Jones movie, I have decided to talk about it briefly. This happened in my home town, and could not believe someone would be this stupid. When you sign a document saying that you cannot disclose any information about a movie except for what has already been released by the company producing the film, then don't say anything!! Tyler Nelson of Edmond, OK made a fatal career mistake in telling the Edmond Sun newspaper three MAJOR plot points of the newest Indian Jones movie slated for a Memorial Day release. This movie has been long anticipated and Spielberg and Lucas have been working very hard to keep everything under raps. But people like this go and ruin everything. Frank Marshall, another producer, reportedly was trying to get Nelson's scenes cut and said that he had cut Nelson from another film in which he is producing. For the good of all people, don't release information. It changes everything when they go to see the movie after knowing things that will happen. As an actor, he should have had respect for the movie goers.

The Heartbreak Kid (movie review)

2007-10-11T17:48:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 5.8/10
My IMDB Rating - 5/10
(Other movie ratings - http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

So yes, I'm very sorry for being away so long. I know nobody really reads my blog, but still I have kind of been slacking as far as writing these reviews. And keeping up to date with movie news. Anyways, I'm back and very excited now that we have moved past my September lull, into OSCAR season.

Now on to "The Heartbreak Kid". This movie is very plain. So my review will be short. The movie is rated "R" with very good reason. Not only is there nudity in this picture, but the language and adult themes are raunchy. This is definitely a film for those 17-40 years of age.

As far as film quality goes, the movie is like the other Farrelly brothers movies. At least from what I could see anyway. The movie doesn't really have much story, and really fails with some of the outrageous and dry humor. Ben Stiller is nothing special in this film and neither are any of the other actors. But, really what can you expect from a picture like this one.

This movie has some funny moments, but is nowhere near the level of "Superbad" or "Knocked Up". And thats go for movie quailty as well. I don't suggest seeing this movie unless you are a big fan of the Farrelly Brothers or of Ben Stiller or of both. The one thing I will say is at least they did give a *wink* to the fanboys of movies that stay and watch the credits. There was not only one scene during the credits, but two. Another reason to stay and watch the credits.

Resurrecting the Champ (movie review)

2007-08-28T19:33:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 7.7/10
My IMDB Rating - 7/10
(Other movie ratings - http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

"Resurrecting the Champ" is a good movie starring Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson. The story is based on a true story that involved J.R. Moehringer. As most can guess the story has been dramatized, but the essence of what J.R. went through seems to have been kept somewhat intact.

Josh Hartnett plays Erik Kernan, a journalist that is struggling to get anything he writes published as it is bland and unimaginative. He feels that the editor is simply out to get him, and begins going behind the editors back. A magazine that is apart of the same news agency ends up giving him the chance to write a feature article after Erik puffs up a story that he hasn't even written.

The story, though very familiar, is on some level somewhat intriguing. By that, I mean the story is layered with themes of integrity and the relationship between father and son. Though because this movie has a somewhat familiar feel, is the reason why I couldn't rate the film an 8. Not to mention the score is very weak, though in all fairness it is written by someone that doesn't usually score major motion pictures.

The most important thing about this film is the acting of Samuel L. Jackson. He plays the curious boxer that the article, which causes controversy, is written about. Jackson's look and feel is absolutely believable. In fact it might be his best pure performance ever. To clarify, this is because he is playing a character that is so far out of what you would consider his stereotype role to be. The question is, will he receive an Oscar nomination? His acting is undeniably great in this film. But what will hurt him is the size, success and obscurity of this film. There are still many pictures to be released that will definitely have great supporting actor roles. At this point, though very early in the season, Jackson is looking at a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

To wrap this review up, "Resurrecting the Champ" is a good film that is worth seeing on a rental. You really aren't missing to much in this film if you don't see it right away. I'm not meaning to downplay Jackson's acting, but the film as a whole is just okay. However, if Jackson does receive an Oscar nomination, make sure you see this film. By that time it will be on DVD anyway.

The Last Legion (Movie Review)

2007-08-25T16:57:00.001-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 5.5/10
My IMDB Rating - 4/10
(Other movie ratings - http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

First, let me say that I have been very unimpressed with the quality of films coming from the Weinstein Company. I understand that they were simply the distributor, but why would they distribute such an abhorrent film. There is absolutely nothing good that I can really say about this film. But instead of systematically ripping this film frame by frame (which would become boring, much like the film), I will simply state a few things to make this a valid review.

The film is mostly intended for 5-15 year old boys. The type of action, lack of gore, use of clean language makes it very easy for a father wanting to spend time with his young sons choose this film as an afternoon outing. Which is the best reason I can give for Ben Kingsley doing this film (he's a good man for doing a film for young boys). The film quality, however, is very low. Though if you are an average 5-15 year old boy, you probably don't care anyways. You are more than excited to your G-rated version of "300". Except "300" actually had a decent story that the young boy could understand. The jumbled story line destroys the continuity of the story. I will fault both the editor and the screenplay writer. However, most of the fault will end up lying with the director, Doug Lefler.

If you are an older person watching this film, and older being above 15, you will probably find that the movie is uncreative and unimaginative. In fact, the movie is so clichéd that you will almost certainly know every line of dialogue and plot point before it appears. This film, as with "Sunshine", feels as though they have been written from a template on how to make the "perfect" action/adventure film. If you can avoid this film, I strongly suggest you do. But like I said earlier, if you are taking your younger sons to this film, it will be an enjoyable outing. Just don't say I didn't warn you...

Death at a Funeral (Movie Review)

2007-08-22T21:40:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 7.5/10
My IMDB Rating - 7/10
(Other movie ratings - http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

A crude, disgusting and vile movie from Frank Oz. Yes, the same Frank Oz that does the voice of many muppets and Sesame Street characters. How could a man that does voices for characters in child friendly shows, make a movie so utterly grotesque? Because it is a funny. Because it is interesting. Because it is a good film.

I may have exaggerated just a little bit by saying that the film is grotesque. Though the film has more than its fair share of cursing and drug use and just a tad of gay, midget sex, the film accomplishes a feat that few others can; and that is finding humor in what is usually the most solemn moment in one's presence on earth. What unfolds is an eclectic story of people coming to the funeral of a man that secretly had more going on than anyone knew. Fortunately for him, he died with a secret that would eventually catch up with him and wreck havoc at his funeral.

The story bounces around from character to character eventually setting up the rather expected and clichéd ending. However, the direction is great and the acting all the way around is very solid providing us with some laughs here and there. The film seems to very long for only being 90 minutes. This can be attributed to some slow moving scenes. The movie by its intended purpose is a dry and dark comedy, but sometimes a little too dry.

The movie for the most part centers around the sons of the man that died, Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) and Robert (Rupert Graves). The story is really about these two brothers and how this funeral brings about the death of their former lives. Daniel has stayed at home helping to support his parents, while his brother has gone off to New York and become a famous writer. What ends up happening is a sort of switching of roles as Robert learns to become unselfish and more modest and Daniel becomes more confident and self-reliant.

The movie will provide some laughs. Not a lot, some. Fans of Frank Oz will enjoy this film. Fans of Alan Tudyk will definitley enjoy his performance. So if you can stomach a lot of dirty language, and enjoy dry, dark comedies than you should enjoy this film. If not, then don't waste your time or your money.

Talk to Me (Movie Review)

2007-08-16T16:36:00.000-05:00

Average IMDB Rating - 7.7/10
My IMDB Rating - 7/10
(Other movie ratings - http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=6073366)

A very good film coming from the likes of Kasi Lemmons, starring two of my favorite actors Don Cheadle (Hotel Rawanda; Crash) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Serenity; Children of Men). The drama is about a freed convict, Petey Green, who has no shame in where he came from or the lifestyle he lives. In sharp contrast is Dewey Hughes, a black man that has seemed to distance himself from whence he came. Dewey is actually referred to as being white because of the way he talks, walks, and dresses more than once in the film.

The "based on true events" story shows us the nature of two completely different individuals that needed each other to create a wave of change. WOL, the radio station that Dewey Hughes works for, is struggling against its rivals. Dewey is given the chance, by his boss (Martin Sheen), to change the radion station with a fresh new sound. Though a little hesitant at first, Dewey hires Petey to be the morning voice of WOL. And from there the story takes off. Petey's edginess is very disliked by the station, but the truth of what he speaks is heard loud and clear by the target audience. Though Petey tries to remain who and what he is, Dewey has plans to change the controversial DJ into something bigger. It ends up being Petey who changes Dewey.

Nothing other than the acting is very brilliant in this film so that is what I will spend my time discussing the most. The direction is fairly generic; this also goes for the cinematography. But neither are necessarily a bad thing. The music, however, is very refreshing as you get to hear some old classics. The acting from both Cheadle and Ejiofor is superb. It would seem that Lemmons, gave the actors full reign on there characters. Unfortunately, neither will grab an Oscar for it. Even though it is very early in the Oscar season, Ejiofor should be nominated for Best Supporting Actor. This is not the first performance that Ejiofor has nailed spot on. He fully encompasses his character and his emotional journey is seen very clearly. For Cheadle, his portrayal is fantastic and real, but he shouldn't hope to get a nomination for a role lacking what could have been great depth. However, if the year is weak in the Best Actor category, then you might just see his name pop up. It would be very reminiscent of Johnny Depp getting nominated for his role as 'Capt. Jack Sparrow' in 2004. Cheadle will eventually win an Oscar; he deserves it too much!!

Film Score Piracy

2007-08-15T20:41:00.001-05:00

It seems Film Music Magazine has written an article having to deal with piracy of film scores. That would be the usually, orchestral music, heard in movies. Though I understand exactly where Robert Townsend is coming from, its hard to be a consumer and listen to what he says. Just in case you want further explanation, every track of music is entitles the composer to "royalties". This means that the company that wants to release the soundtrack would be forced to pay the composer a certain amount, per track, per cd. Doing this for something such as the complete recordings of "Troy" by James Horner or "Black Hawk Down" for Hans Zimmer would be very expensive for the company. It becomes even more expensive when those complete recordings are already available such as they are, where no one would buy the soundtrack because the "bootleg" already exists. The problems come when a film score lover such as myself wants more music than what he originally bought. I like to download expanded and complete scores to add to what I already own as the "commercially available" soundtrack. Sometimes I feel cheated, when I know for a fact that certain cues from the film are in no way present on the "commercially available" soundtrack. Though I don't at all endorse piracy in any way, it seems a complete shame that great scores are: A) never released, B) only released in watered down versions, or C) only available by bootleg.

By the way, if you don't already know (which you should), the Lord of the Rings complete scores are fantastic. That is doing music scores right. Return of the King will be out around December. And oh yeah, I bought those...

On a side not however, if you buy one Horner or Zimmer score, haven't you bought them all... just a little humor for some of you more fanatic soundtrack lovers.

I will occasionally post for download, promo score cd's that aren't available for retail sale. It is a far better way to share music than selling it on a site like eBay.