Obligatory Weekend Movie Post #11... Already!?

BUT BUT BUT RYAN, IT'S NOT THE WEEKEND, I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!

Calm down, it's ok, let me explain. Hollywood has nothing good coming out, so instead they plan to release the movies early hoping to catch people (husbands) trying to avoid the kitchen on today, Wednesday! Does that make sense? No, well nobody goes to watch movies this weekend anyways (except for Twilight fans apparently).

Weekend(ish) Releases:

Ninja Assassin: Yo dawg I was like, yo I need me sum action cuz dis twilight shit is wack! hmmm... ok, so that isn't exactly what people who want to see this are saying, that's just what I hear. Actually I really like James McTeigue, his first outing in the form of V for Vendetta was among my favorites of the year. Though this time it looks like he's stuck with a much weaker plot, and weaker visual effects. I fear this one may be getting calls from the bomb squad.

Old Dogs: Can't learn new tricks. I wonder if this title is about the movie or Disney? How many times can Disney rehash the same story/jokes/characters... of course Wild Hogs proved that number is somewhere around infinity if you can attach to the middle aged male crowd. Oh, and by the way, Robin Williams is 58 and John Travolta is 55... they're past middle age. And I believe a bit old for the, by the way you have two pre-teen children gag. Come on Hollywood, at least aim for the mid 40s, maximum!

Me and Orson Welles: Tentatively titled, me and apparently nobody else cares. Giving the 4 theater, we just want DVD, dump release, has there been less buzz about this movie? Granted I'm game for anything with Orson Welles in the title :).

The Princess and the Frog: While most people are excited about this being Disney's first "black" princess, I'm wondering why does this represent great social change? Where were the calls of social equality finally coming through, way back when Aladdin came out, and Jasmine, an arab princess (far more controversial) was chosen? Oh that's right there weren't any... there's no shame in social equality, but let's not make a big deal out of something nobody honestly cares about.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee: Lives? Is she a cat? Can she hop out of a tree and only lose one? How high does she have to fall before one bites the dust!? Man, so much anxiety and decisions to be made!!! Quick, someone hire a writer to write a book explaining the title they wrote about! Or, not... that made no sense, and I apologize to my reader(s).

The Road: Soon to be followed by its sequel: The Interstate. Dun Dun dunnnnnn. Well it's safe to say this adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel has generated some mixed opinions... then again, could the movie work otherwise? I vote not (though I do have to say the marketing for this movie reminds me a lot of the marketing for Children of Men).

As a side note The Fantastic Mr. Fox goes wide release this weekend, so you also have that option if none of the above inspire you.

Granted if that's the case then have no fear, you're perfectly fine, it's a classic dump weekend as everyone gears up for their Christmas push!

Me + IMDb Hit List = Greatest Day Ever!

So I have to admit not a lot of exciting things happen to me, but when I was informed today that a post of mine, War Movies or Movies During War, was put up on the IMDb hotlist (or IMCb as MadHatter's typing skills would inform) I almost jumped for joy. Countless emails were sent out to family/friends. Let's be honest I have no idea what it really takes to get on there, but to be on a list of movie posts between sites such as Wired.com, Hollywood Reporter, and /Film is a huge deal for me! While I have an idea of who recommended it, I don't want to call out any names so they can come out and admit if they want to, but a huge thanks goes out to them!

So, yeah, as you can imagine I'm very excited, almost giddy, though I'm not sure if there is a difference between giddy excited. Anyways, it's an awesome day. The code you see below is so that technorati will finally accept my blog claim (only taken a few months):

UAX45CD9SCHJ

YIPEE!

Obligatory November 24, 2009

It's Tuesday, and you know what that means! CELEBRATE YOUR UNIQUE TALENT DAY!!!!! Wow... talk about an uneventful name. Granted I don't have a unique talent *cries*. Then again I have you all to love and care for me... hey were are you going!? Come back!!!!! Oh, there you are, note to self: don't get on an escalator while talking to people. So, yeah, about those movies, here we go:

New Releases:

Angels and Demons: and lollipops and gumdrops and chicken and flipper and steak. Oh I though we were just mentioning things. This is a movie? Hmmm, sounds more like a book. Oh wait it was a book! *grabs glasses and smoking pipe* Well sir I do say the book was infinitely greater than this film. It had more texture, substance, and pages.... You know what's good about the movie? TOM HANKS! Was he in your book? No? Oh, so guess what? Movie > Book! It's just math, all things are better with Tom Hanks. A Tom Hanks and Morgan Freeman movie though... would defy all math (yes Hollywood I'm still waiting)!

Funny People: When I first read the cast list for this I thought to myself, but why Adam Sandler, he's not... oh wait, nevermind. Then after seeing it I thought, where's my cupcakes. So you know you never know how a movie will hit you, it's all relative people! Oh, if you want to read my review you can here.

Imagine That: I'd rather not... to be honest I wish there was some sort of medication that would wipe away my memory of Eddie Murphy's films for the past 5 years. He needs to go back to doing adult comedy films, he's better there. Whoever lead him to believe family films were his bread and butter should be fired, re-hired, and fired again.

The Maiden Heist: A movie starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, and William H. Macy couldn't get a theatrical release!? Man this movie must reeeeeeally suck. A blind monkey could sell that movie to the public on name power alone! Of course it does have the anti-good film jinx in Breckin Meyer. Meyer we shall never forgive you for Garfield, NEVER!

Gomorrah: Whew, sounds bad, any medication for it? What are the symptoms? Diarrhea, heartburn, maybe some sort of rash? Oh, it's a movie? Oh, wow, that sounds a bit harsh and depressing... Perhaps it shall be watchable after all. :)

Four Christmases: Really? That many? Is it sad that we were begging them for only one 5 minutes into the film? How is it this movie made $120million while (500) Days of Summer only made $32million!? Way to fail film going public, way to fail!

Other Releases: Shorts, Santa Buddies, Three Monkeys, The Rebirth, Toi&Moi

Blu-Ray Goodies:

Frailty: We all knew prior to this film that Bill Paxton was an acting genius full deserving of countless Oscars. Frailty only took that to the next level showing us his depth as an actor... ok so I kid, but this movie is great, and way too few saw it. So you should check it out if you haven't already!

Way of the Gun: Well since a gun can only point straight, that's its way. Roll credits, mystery solved, crisis averted, go team!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: A film so long and epic it needed TWO DVDs to jam pack it all in!!!! WAHOO! Ok, so not really, but let's be honest nobody has made more money by not selling products than Disney. They have more "limited time editions" than any company on the planet, face it people, we're being scammed!!


What's this? The end? No loud music or thunderous applause? Maybe a clap or two? Nothing? What do I do now? Go? Go where? Out there!? But... but it's scary out there and I don't know what might happen to me!! OK OK OK, fine I'll go already, you don't have to be such a jerk about it... hehe.

The End.

Or is it!?

Samurai Champloo (2004-2005)

I'm back with another anime show review, because you all cared so much the first time around :P *cries*

SAMURAI CHAMPLOO
SERIES DIRECTED AND CREATED BY: SHINICHIRO WATANABE
NUMBER OF EPISODES: 26
OVERALL RATING: 7.50/10

Following the destruction of the tea shop she works in, Fuu saves the lives of two violent samurai, in exchange for their help in finding "The Samurai Who Smells of Sunflowers." On one hand there is Mugen, born on an island of criminals he is not a true samurai, is often sought after by the police, and has a very wild, constantly moving fighting style. On the other hand is Jin, a quiet ronin, born and bread to be the perfect samurai warrior, often giving him the appearance of being cold on the outside.

It's difficult to watch Watanabe's latest anime without bringing up comparisons to his first, and legendarily influential Cowboy Bebop. On some level it is quite obvious Watanabe learned from different mistakes his first outing, doing a better job of time management, and character development. Though at the same time Champloo is a much more cheerful affair than Bebop. That's not to say it's without heavy handed emotion, many of its episodes (especially the arc ones) are, but it doesn't dwell so heavily on the painful pasts of our three main characters. Instead it deals with their journey, the trouble they get into, and the different tasks they must complete along the way.

Though perhaps best of all in comparison to Cowboy Bebop is this time around we really get to spend a lot of time with the main characters. They're there from the first episode, and each episode deals with displaying another aspect of their character. We see how Fuu becomes both a mother and a task to Mugen and Jin, while the two struggle between their sense of freedom, and personal commitment to Fuu. We see them fight, their subtle moments of emotional attachment, and their strange sense of duty despite their volatile attitudes. It's quite amazing how well created the characters are. Each appealing to a different group, all filled with emotional moments, and a sense of care and uncaring towards one another at the same time.

Of course when it comes to Watanabe everyone is always curious about one thing: the style. Here Watanabe combines modern age hip hop with classical Edo attitudes to create a very intriguing style. Often side characters will beat box, talk in modern slang, or even discuss modern events despite them not fitting with the time period. For the most part this works, though at times I found the transitions to be a little distracting. Even then though Watanabe is fully aware of when to, and when not to, use certain aspects of Hip hop. During the show's more emotional moments Watanabe goes for standard dramatic techniques to build a connection with the audience.

As narratives go, Samurai Champloo is rather straightforward. Combining absurd tales for amusement's sake only with deep emotional backstories and tales interwoven. It's a good combination that really allows you to go through the entire range of emotions throughout the series. It never sacrifices plot for action, nor action for plot. Watanabe has a great eye for momentary story telling. By that I mean when the moment comes for the characters to do something that matches their developed character they do it. Even towards the later episodes as they develop certain bonds, they still show signs of disconnection given their harsh pasts.

Unlike Cowboy Bebop though this time around the show's highlight episodes are not found in clumps or story arcs. Instead they're well balanced throughout the series, with each new character arc constantly being brought to the attention of the viewer. While with some shows you can skip entire episodes, Samurai Champloo probably only has maybe 2-3 episodes that bring nothing to the table story wise, but they're probably the most entertaining (including an absurd baseball side story). It's just pure entertainment from beginning to end, great for any anime fan.

At times absurd, and other times deeply moving, Watanabe's followup anime series is a viewer's delight.

The Monday Corner 11/23/2009

Do you feel sexy? Do you feel like everything's going just the way you want? Good, because it's about to get even better! Why? Well ummmmm because you're here! Ok, I should have thought that out more, oh well. Though anyways, I am looking into different ways of doing a podcast in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that!

For your Consideration:
You know what happens when you mix awesomeness and sexiness? LINKS!

Encore's Entertainment takes on 3 Scorsese classics for his top 100 films.

Film Experience tackles the documentary eligible films, and is none too happy about some of the "snubs."

Final Cut lets us know of their top films of the year 2000.

Movie Critical glances at the young career of rising star Sam Worthington.

Movie Moxie wraps up her Vampathon with the release of New Moon, but also glances back at recent installments: Dracula and Blade Trilogy.

The Dark of the Matinee says goodbye to his local indie theater, Carlton Cinema, who is being forced to close its doors.


Poll Update:
Alright people. Get over here. Sit down. Let's talk about this. All 5 of you people who voted "Why are you asking this?" what's up? Where's your sense of creativity and imagination? I threw that there as a joke... tsk tsk tsk. We're going to have to get you guys outside the box.

Results:
1. Why are you asking this? (5 votes)
2. King Kong (4 votes)
3. Godzilla (1 votes - really?)
4. Draw (0 votes)

New Poll: Because you all are devoid of random, I got another one for yah! A Stallone packed fight. Rocky vs. Rambo, who you got!?


Random Stuff
- Lately I've been wondering what the world needs more of. I've finally figured it out: tickle fights. There's just not enough of them these days.

- Pretty excited about thanksgiving this year, get to see my grandparents for the first time in over a year! Some things just don't occur often enough in life you know?

- I sometimes wonder if it would be possible to create a giant panda bear army and a giant chicken army, pit the two against each other and see who comes out on top... oh, dreams.


Well, that's all we got for this week! Did you like it? Did you like it like it!? OH GOODY! :)

Double Indemnity (1944)

DOUBLE INDEMNITY

DIRECTED BY: BILLY WILDER
WRITTEN BY: BILLY WILDER & RAYMOND CHANDLER
OVERALL SCORE: 8.50/10

Enamored with the beautiful Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) career insurance salesman, Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) agrees to take out an accident insurance claim on her husband, and help kill him in order to collect the money.

Smooth, cool, and riddled with noir style, Wilder's 1944 dark thriller is a true form of cinematic art. Breathing classic from every scene, Wilder, in typical fashion, never shies away from the cold hearted truth. It's Wilder's commitment to his story that brings home this narrative heavy tale. Wilder doesn't force romance, sexiness, or action, instead he allows each to come out in their own time. Concentrating on the mindset of his characters, especially our narrator Neff, really helps bring about the film's subtle evil nature.

Of course when you got Stanwyck and MacMurray headlining you're never far away from acting perfection. The two develop a strong chemistry immediately with wonderful wordplay and innuendo, that really sets the scene for the rest of the film. Forced to match wits with the claims approval overseer Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), it's a collective of acting chops, and emotion. The trio face off with each scene, each vying for attention, oozing coolness, and grace, it's a writer's dream cast, one that deserves more nominations than it got.

Granted with Wilder behind the camera you know everything's going to be fluid. Never settling for anything less than what he wants, Wilder packs one heck of a punch in each scene. Using great camera angles, classic narrative devices, and a simple story of love, deceit, and con he pulls out a film event. It's surprising given its era that this movie ever made it through to see daylight. Yet it does so quite strongly with no over the top sacrifices in order for some ending different than what was necessary. As such it's a perfect combination of dark and cool that elevates each scene right until its grand finale, one well worth the thrill and wait.

Smart, stylish, and filled with thrills, Wilder's 1944 dark thriller, Double Indemnity is an amazing piece of cinema classic.

Out of the Blue (2006)

OUT OF THE BLUE

DIRECTED BY: ROBERT SARKIES
WRITTEN BY: ROBERT SARKIES AND GRAEME TETLEY
WATCHED FOR: GREAT FILMS NOBODY SAW
RECOMMENDED BY: ThisTimeItWillBeDifferent
OVERALL SCORE: 7.00/10

On November 13, 1990 at roughly 7:30pm David Gray (Matthew Sunderland) shot and killed his neighbor. That night he would go on to indiscriminately kill a total of 13 men, women, and children in Aramoana, New Zealand. Out of Blue tells the story of the Gray, his victims, and the undermanned local police forced tasked with taking him down.

Knowing very little about the Aramoana massacre prior to entering Out of the Blue I must say it's a powerful, painful, and gripping story, with lots of heart and emotion. As a director Sarkies wonderfully captures the characters, both good and bad, involved in this heartbreaking tragedy. Best of all though is Sarkies willingness to bring us in to the life of Gray. Socially anxious, gun fanatic, and his flailing mental state, Sarkies spends much of the first first 40 minutes developing Gray as a character.

The only other characters we spend a lot of time with are Nick Harvey (Karl Urban), a local policeman, and Garry Holden (Simon Ferry), David's first victim. Once the tragedy begins we really spend a lot of time with reaction. The organization of the police, the elderly lady down the street, Helen Dickson (Lois Lawn) who tries to help an injured man. We seldom see the actual violence, almost always the lead up takes narrative precedent, while during the actual shooting we often see the expressions of onlookers. This is where lots of the real drama comes in. We watch parents seeing their children killed, and vice versa, at the hands of this vicious man, and it's hard to not get absorbed in.

Of course it doesn't hurt that Sarkies gets the right cast, filled with inexperienced actors who perfectly embrace their characters, United 93 style. My one complaint about the film is that we don't spend enough time with certain victims. For example officer Stu Guthrie (William Kircher) who posthumously won the George Cross for bravery is merely a 4th/5th lead and maybe takes up 15-20minutes of screen time. Though I understand Sarkies desire to spend most of his time with the survivors, and really get their reaction to the events, I do think it takes down the immediate emotional impact a notch or two. Of course when tasked to tell the story of the most violent day in your nations history, the impact is always a good place to start.

Powerful, gripping, and dark, the tale of the Aramoana massacre is well honored in the hands of director Robert Sarkies.