Archive for September, 2009

  • 03 Sep

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    Bookmarks for September 2nd through September 3rd

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    What we’ve been reading – September 2nd through September 3rd:

    • Where the Wild NY Times Feature Is.
      "Really, though, the quarrel was about something more unusual in Hollywood than darkness versus light, something more central to Jonze’s identity: the question of plot versus attitude." The NYT Magazine has a seven page feature on Where the Wild Things are and a Spike Jones Career retrospective (The visual version of this is at the Museum of Modern Art in the near future)
    • Online Steaming: Movies From Youtube and Google
      "Google Inc.'s YouTube is in discussions with major movie studios about streaming movies on a rental basis, a test of whether the online video giant can persuade its millions of users to pay for premium content."
    • So today is a very good day for dolphins!
      The Cove appears to be a successful piece of activism: "Today is September 1st, the first day of the dolphin slaughter season in Japan. But when I arrived today by bus from Kansai Airport with media representatives from all over the world, the notorious Cove from the movie was empty. There were no dolphin killers in sight."
    • Best ‘Movie Summer’ Ever?
      While the entire Cinematical.com staff go to town on their favourite movie summers, I have to side with Scott Weinberg. 1984. Temple of Doom, Star Trek III, Gremlins and Ghostbusters all within 15 days. O My.

  • 03 Sep

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    After the Credits Episode 69 – September Preview

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    After the Credits Episode 69 - September Preview [ 45:10 | 41.36 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup


    To download show directly, paste this link into your downloader:

    http://www.rowthree.com/audio/AfterTheCredits-Episode69.MP3

    It’s a whole week late but too good to leave on the cutting room floor. Dale (Digital Doodles), Colleen and Marina look ahead to the films opening in September.

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    Show Notes:

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  • 02 Sep

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    “You’re Going To Jail!” So says DEFENDOR

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    Defendor

    From Natural Born Killer to duct-tape and bubblegum superhero in 15 years. The career of Woody Harrelson is indeed a strange one. And here we have a very amusing super-hero dementia film (see also Special), a film which is getting its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, titled after its hero, Defendor.

    Trailer is tucked under the seat.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 02 Sep

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    Ten Years Later: Irish Vigilantes Kill Again

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    boondocksaints2
    Has it really been ten years already since The Boondock Saints came out? It is interesting to examine the journey that this movie has taken the past decade. With a budget of around $7 million, the movie by a first-time director played on only five screens and to poor reviews (as of it, it holds a 17% on Rotten Tomatoes), barely earning over $25,000 during its run. It seemed to be a movie destined for obscurity and DVD-bargain bins – yet soon director Troy Duffy worked out a deal with Blockbuster, where they began pushing it as an exclusive independent title. Soon, word-of-mouth spread like a Los Angeles wildfire amongst young hormone-raging American males, and the movie exploded in popularity, going on to sell over $100 million in DVDs.

    Since then, the movie has split movie-lovers: many of who find it to be the sickest, most super-wicked movie of all-time, those that think it is mindless entertainment but don’t mind it, and then there are those that hate it with their entire being and consider it their personal mission to put down anyone who likes this movie.

    With the following that the original movie has gained over the years, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this is going to be a decently large moneymaker at the box office. Get ready to see plenty more college frat guys flashing their “Aequitas” and “Veritas” tattoos.

  • 02 Sep

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    Trucker Trailer Tries Hard to Be Dramatic; Maybe Too Hard

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    Trucker Movie StillAdmission: As much as I like Michelle Monaghan, the only reason I bothered to check out this trailer is because of Nathan Fillion and really, when a guy I like this much manages to disappear from the limelight for long periods of time, who could blame me?

    I’m going to pull a Brigance on you. On the surface, Trucker doesn’t sound all that appealing: a truck driver tries to turn his life around after he takes in his estranged 11-year-old son. Except the truck driver isn’t a man but a woman. All of a sudden, this is slightly more interesting especially considering the woman in question is brought to life by Monaghan. Is the gender role reversal enough to take this story from mediocre interesting?

    Though on paper the film may sound like shoe-in Oscar contender and I don’t doubt Monaghan has it in her to provide a great performance, looking around the web and the awards buzz, I can’t help but agree with S.T. VanAirsdale at Movie Line who notes that the trailer is melodramatic cheese. It could be good melodramatic cheese but I’ll freely admit that the only reason I’ll shell out money to see this is Fillion. If the same applies to Monaghan fans, then James Mottern’s directorial debut may make a few bucks in theatres but the jury’s still out on how good the film is (though a few reviews I’ve browsed are quite positive).

    Trucker opens on October 9th.

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 02 Sep

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    Cinecast Episode 137 – Wall to Wall Pubic Hair

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    Episode 137:
    Jumping in to give us the female perspective about the latest batch of horror films is short film maker and writer for Killer Film, Miss Serena Whitney. We also get a TIFF-preview with Lars Von Trier’s latest, Antichrist. Strange things are afoot at The Bloor Cinema in Toronto when Udo Kier comes to town. Plus a bitch session about 3D technology, short reviews of Paul Giamatti in Cold Souls and Emille Hirsch in Taking Woodstock.

    Thanks for listening!

    Click the Audio Icon below to listen in:

    Cinecast Episode 137 [ 2:05:00 | 71.53 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup


    show


    show

    To download the show directly, paste the following URL into your favorite downloader:
    http://www.rowthree.com/audio/cinecast_09/episode_137.mp3

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  • 02 Sep

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    Bookmarks for September 1st through September 2nd

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    What we’ve been reading – September 1st through September 2nd:

    • IFC meet Criterion
      Several titles from the IFC Films library will be getting the full bells-and-whistles treatment on Blu-ray and DVD, thanks to a deal between IFC and top-shelf homevid distrib the Criterion Collection. Arnaud Desplechin's A Christmas Tale, Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah, Steven Soderbergh's Che, Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments, Olivier Assayas' Summer Hours, Abdellatif Kechiche's The Secret of the Grain, Steve McQueen's Hunger and Hirokazu Kore-Eda's Still Walking.
    • A Yiddish Glossary for A Serious Man
      In their latest film, A Serious Man, the Coens once again are steeping themselves in language. In this case, that language is Yiddish, as our hapless protagonist Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) looks to Judaism and the world of the synagogue in order to try and make sense of his rapidly unraveling life. To help viewers navigate this universe more easily, below we present a brief glossary of terms and phrases used in the movie, with contextual examples from the script to further help your understanding.
    • USA TODAY on Jason Reitman
      On THE AIR UP THERE, Jason Reitman saw parallels with his own past as a young commercial director, building up his own massive bank of frequent-flier miles as he journeyed to various locales. It can be a lonely life, but also invigorating.

  • 01 Sep

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    Riley, Mirren and Postlethwaite Visit Brighton

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    Sam RileySince his brilliant performance in 2007’s Control, Sam Riley has been keeping himself busy but his film selection has not really panned out. Franklyn sounds like a bit of a mess, and though I’m looking forward to seeing his turn in Géla Babluani’s remake of his own film, 13 could go either way. Thankfully, it sounds like Riley may have picked a winner with his next role.

    Based on Graham Greene’s 1938 novel, Rowan Joffe’s directorial debut Brighton Rock sounds promising. Riley stars as Pinkie Brown, a wannabe gangster whose crimes roll from one to the next as he tries to cover up his tracks. In the long trail of crime, he manages to involve Fred and Ida (a nice couple who catch him in the act) and Rose, a young woman who Pinkie marries out of convenience.

    It was previously announced that Riley would star as Pinkie and Andrea Riseborough would play Rose and as if Riley’s involvement wasn’t already enough, a recent announcement also adds Helen Mirren and Pete Postlethwaite to the cast in the roles of Ida and Fred.

    Brighton Rock starts filing in October and if all goes well, we may have a chance to see it make the festival rounds next year. I sure hope so. I can’t wait to see Riley in action!

  • 01 Sep

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    Bill Murray and Robert Duvall Get Low

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    To the window… to the wall…

    Hey, guess what? If you read the title, you already know. Billy Murray and Robert Duvall are starring in a movie together, a movie that somehow squeaked by my radar and will be premiere at TIFF here very soon. The movie is Get Low and it is being directed by Aaron Schneider, who some may remember for his 40-minute short film that won an Oscar back in 2004 titled Two Soldiers. Now he’s put together a “big-hearted Southern yarn” that is “equal parts folk tale, fable, and real-life legend about the mysterious, 1930s Tennessee hermit who famously threw his own rollicking funeral party.” Sissy Spacek and Lucas Black (best known from Friday Night Lights and Sling Blade) are also co-starring.

    There isn’t even a trailer yet but we now have a short snippet of a scene where Duvall’s character brings up the idea to Murray of having a funeral for himself. Check it out. This should be grand.

    Source: Cinematical

  • 01 Sep

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    Shorts Program: Ultimate Muscle Roller Legend

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    Transformers meets Death Race meets The Dynamically Gay Duo… except better than all of them… combined. This is why the internet was created. For amazing, gay, Japanese computer animation with explosions and high octane, heart-pounding excitement. Prepare to revel in the most rad thing you’re going to see all week…

    .

  • 01 Sep

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    SPARK Announces First Festival Titles

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    SPARK 2009 Banner

    Every year Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH lines up a great set of events kicking off their events calendar with SPARK Festival of Animation which runs from September 16 to 20 with an industry conference that runs concurrently from September 17 to 19.

    The organizers have announced the first round of titles for this year’s film portion of the event and if these first titles are any indication, we’re in for a nice pre-VIFF treat.

    Kicking off this year’s festival is The Secret of Kells, an Irish animated film about the boy behind the famed Book of Kells and starring the voice talents of Brendan Gleeson, Liam Hourican, Mick Lally and Evan McGuire. Closing the festival will be Adam Elliot’s Sundance opener Mary and Max, a claymation story about an unlikely friendship between a lonely eight-year-old girl living in Melbourne and a forty-year-old man living in New York. That closing night is capped off by Tatia Rosenthal’s $9.99.

    But SPARK isn’t simply about new, cutting edge animation but also the staples that made a splash and so far, The Iron Giant is also on the bill. With a number of spots still to fill, this is already shaping up nicely.

    I’ll keep you posted as more films are announced but you may want to head over and start planning your evenings. Last year’s event was a quick sell-out and I expect this year to be the same!

  • 01 Sep

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    Bookmarks for August 31st through September 1st

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    What we’ve been reading – August 31st through September 1st:

    • Paul Solet on Grace
      Serena Whitney has a few words on pregnancy horror film Grace, storytelling in general, and the double-X chromosome in horror films.
    • Stormtrooper vs. Star Trek Redshirt
      A geeky look at the classic conundrum of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
    • BAD LIEUTENANT: AESTHETIC INTERRUPTED
      “…I’m not doing the prequel to Aguirre: the Wrath of God, OK? Let me put it that way!”
      "These were the kindest words Abel Ferrara had to say about Werner Herzog’s upcoming Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans when asked in a 2008 Filmmaker interview about that unapproved reimagining of Ferrara's 1992 cult classic, released in a special edition DVD late last month….The only way we will ever get some closure on the matter is if someone makes a prequel to Aguirre: The Wrath of God. My vote for best helmer goes to Ferrara."

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