Posts Tagged ‘romance’

  • 12 Aug

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    After the Credits Episode 68 – Remembering John Hughes

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    After the Credits Episode 68 - Remembering John Hughes [ 44:59 | 41.18 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup

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

    http://www.rowthree.com/audio/AfterTheCredits-Episode68.MP3

    Dale (Digital Doodles), Colleen and Marina look back and remember the films and career of John Hughes.

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  • 11 Aug

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    Fleck and Boden Adapting Teen Dramedy

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    Ryan Fleck and Anna BodenRyan Fleck and Anna Boden are indie film sweethearts. Half Nelson was a minor triumph and while Sugar (our review) didn’t seem to have quite the same amount of love, it was a film worthy of a little attention. The duo are now ready to take on their next challenge and their pick sounds nothing short of fantastic.

    First Showing has news that Fleck and Boden are adapting Ned Vizzini’s young adult novel “It’s Kind of a Funny Story”. It’s the story of a 15 year old boy named Craig who is having a hard time coping with life. When illegal drugs, his family, his shrink and Zoloft don’t make him feel better, he checks himself into the hospital where the only space available is in the adult psychiatric wing. There he meets a whole lot of people with problems bigger than his own but he also meets Noelle, a girl his own age. I’m going to assume that somewhere in there he manages to get over his depression and maybe even falls in love.

    I’m not familiar with Vizzini’s novel, thought it’s something I’ve now added to my reading list, but if anyone can translate this onto the big screen with limited quirk and lots of heart, Fleck and Boden are certainly two people to do it.

  • 10 Aug

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    DVD Review: 17 Again

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    17 Again One Sheet

    Director: Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down)
    Screenplay: Jason Filardi
    Producers: Jennifer Gibgot, Adam Shankman
    Starring: Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Matthew Perry, Michelle Trachtenberg, Melora Hardin, Hunter Parrish, Jim Gaffigan
    MPAA Rating: PG-13
    Running time: 102 min.

    (3.5/5)

    It’s amazing what an actor can do for a film. He or she can steal small scenes, and elevate entire films from unwatchable trash to mildly entertaining and in the case of 17 Again, Zac Efron manages to do just that.

    17 Again Movie StillMike O’Donnell’s life is falling apart. He’s been looked over for a promotion at a company he’s been with for 17 years, his kids won’t talk to him, his marriage is falling apart and he’s bunking with his wacky high-school friend. Things aren’t looking up until a chance encounter with a janitor turns Mike back into his 17 year old self. With the help of his friend Ned, Mike enrols himself in high school in an attempt to relive his youth and not make the mistakes he made the first time around. As expected, along the way he builds a relationship with his kids, rekindles his love for his wife and comes to see that he did everything right the first time around but that as an adult, he had failed to remember the things that make him happy.

    Truth be told 17 Again is not a disaster. Derivative and familiar yes but director Burr Steers knows what he’s doing and though the story device and message are nothing new, writer Jason Filardi does manage to plunk some tidbits of originality into the script.

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  • 07 Aug

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    New York, I Love You Trailer

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    New York, I Love YouI knew that at some point we’d posted a trailer for the anthology film New York, I Love You what I didn’t realize was that that trailer was posted a year ago.

    The film premiered at TIFF last year and Kurt foresaw the film would open early in 2009 but for some reason, reviews perhaps?, it was shelved and forgotten until today when a sexy discombobulated new trailer appeared. With acting and directing contributions from a long list of talented folk (Park Chan-Wook, The Hughes Brothers, Faith Akin, Mira Nair, Yvan Attal, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Joshua Marston, Andrei Zvyanginstev, Brett Ratner, Shia LeBeouf, Blake Lively, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Anton Yelchin, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Chris Cooper, Kevin Bacon, Robin Wright Penn, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, John Hurt, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Olivia Thirlby) this is bound to have a little something for everyone.

    The trailer is not exactly eye popping but it certainly looks nice and I have love for much of the talent involved so I’m game. I still haven’t seen Paris, je t’aime but I may have to check it out before being sucked into this one.

    New York, I Love You is scheduled for limited release on October 16th.

    Now, who’s working on a Vancouver, I Love You?

    Trailer is tucked under the seat!

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 06 Aug

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    R.I.P. Mr. Hughes

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    It’s a sad day. Especially sad for anyone that grew up in the 80s, and even for those of us who didn’t but have great love for the staple teen films of the era. You see, reports are coming in that John Hughes, master of the teen romantic comedy, has died of a heart attack.

    Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles – all classics of the era before mine but which still manage to ring true. These are the films that I turned to in highschool and though the fashions and music were different, the messages still rang true.

    On this day when a little part of my youth has died, I choose to remember Mr. Hughes for the laughs he brought and continues to bring. Rather than mourn the death of a very funny man, we should celebrate the great and memorable movies he has left behind.

    Hope you’re Twisting and Shouting…where ever you might be.

  • 30 Jul

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    After the Credits Episode 66 – Little Mermaid Crack Whore?

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    After the Credits Episode 66 - Little Mermaid Crack Whore? [ 44:37 | 40.85 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup

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

    http://www.rowthree.com/audio/AfterTheCredits-Episode66.MP3

    Dale (Digital Doodles), Colleen and Marina talk about a few movies we’ve seen over the few weeks we’ve been MIA from recording.

    Row Three:

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    Subscribe to ALL the RowThree Podcasts on one feed
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    Show Notes:

    » Read the rest of the entry..

  • 23 Jul

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    Campion’s Bright Star Trailer

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    Bright Star Movie StillEarlier this week, the Anne Thompson shared the first gorgeous one sheet for Jane Campion’s Bright Star. The film had its debut at Cannes earlier this year where it garnered a fair bit of praise though I was more interested in the fact that Campion seemed to be back on track (she lost me with In the Cut).

    Written by Campion, the film is a drama based on the three-year romance between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, a romance which was cut short by Keats’ death at the young age of 25. Not only does the film look fantastic but the casting of the brilliant Ben Whishaw as Keats and up-and-coming Australian actress Abbie Cornish as Brawne is, in and of itself, a win but the prospect of seeing these two talents on screen together is exciting and the trailer certainly suggests there is a whole lot to be excited about.

    At the moment, Bright Star doesn’t have a release date but it is scheduled to play TIFF and if all goes well, I hope a release will follow shortly thereafter. For now, feast your eyes on the beautiful trailer.


  • 20 Jul

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    Review: (500) Days of Summer

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    500 Days of Summer One Sheet

    Director: Marc Webb
    Screenplay: Scott Neustadter, Michael Weber
    Producers: Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Steven J. Wolfe
    Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clark Gregg, Minka Kelly, Rachel Boston, Matthew Gray Gubler, Chloe Moretz
    MPAA Rating: PG-13
    Running time: 95 min.

    (3.5/5)

    The trailer for Marc Webb’s feature film debut (500) Days of Summer clearly states: “This is not a love story.” Is the disclaimer really necessary? Can’t we simply have a story about two people in a relationship and not immediately assume it’s a love story? It’s not necessary but the line hints at what we can expect from the film and the type of comedy Webb and writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber have in store and in that respect, it fits perfectly because the film is not a love story in the way which we’ve come to expect. It is, however, a relationship story and the two, love and relationships, don’t always go hand in hand.

    500 Days of Summer Movie StillTom is a boy, a closet architect who spends his days writing bad greeting cards, hanging out with friends and recovering from relationships. Summer is the new girl at the office. She’s cute, she’s funny and she loves The Smiths. The two date. Things end badly. Post script. The end. The basics may be run of the mill but the details aren’t. You see, unlike the typical relationship story Hollywood tends to dish out, it’s not the girl who falls madly in love only to be left behind but rather the boy who goes through the suffering. He loved too quickly, she wasn’t interested in a long term relationship and for that, she’s apparently: 1) a dude and 2) a bitch. But what does one do when the story doesn’t fully work but the execution asks, no forces, you to enjoy yourself?

    Walking away, it’s hard not to be enamoured by the film because Webb creates a beautiful, highly endearing and entertaining universe for his equally endearing and quirky characters to inhabit. Musical numbers, huge chalk boards, apartments the size of small houses, bad 80s pop songs, bad 80s pop songs karaoke; I couldn’t help but tap my foot and smile but when the relationship heads south, I couldn’t follow. Not completely at least. I couldn’t feel sorry for Tom for the same reason I have a hard time feeling sorry for all the female characters that have followed the same path: it was never meant to be, I know what you’re thinking: where would we be if we never followed our heart? If we let things go when they don’t easily work? Whatever happened to persistence? Fine. Sure. Fair argument but when is enough moping enough? When do you move on to the next relationship? For Tom the answer seems to be the same as it is for everyone else: in time.

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  • 16 Jul

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    Under the Radar: Director Esmir Filho

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    Esmir FilhoOne short film and a few trailers later, I’m a fan of director Esmir Filho.

    It all started with a click through to an interesting sounding film titled The Famous and the Dead. Adapted from a novel by Ismael Caneppele the film, which is premiering at the Locarno Film Festival in a few week’s time, tells the story of a 17 year old boy who spends his time looking for friendship on-line or wondering the streets with his only friend but when the mysterious Julian arrives, the young man’s life is turned upside down. The teaser doesn’t give too much to go on but it was enough to peak my interest.

    A little digging uncovered that earlier this year Variety named the Brazilian director an up-and-coming talent to watch. A little more clicking also uncovered a few of Filho’s early projects. The first is Tapa Na Pantera which translates into “Slap the Panther” which I assume is slang for smoking pot. The short video was released on YouTube and quickly became a sensation (though this is the first I’ve ever heard of it).

    It stars Mariana Bastos as a pot-smoking older woman. It’s not clear how much of this is improvised but I’d say that maybe most, if not all of it is off the cuff.



    The video itself doesn’t suggest much of anything about Filho’s style or capabilities as a director but it did open up a few doors. His follow up short titled Saliva, seems to suggest that Filho has talent. The film which looks at a young girl on the brink of her first kiss, looks gorgeous and the trailer suggests the same.

    UPDATE: Quiet Earth has a few more stills and a load of new footage from the film!
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  • 07 Jul

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    Zooey & JGL as Sid & Nancy = Awesome

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    (500) Days of Summer Promo Sid & Nancy

    I‘m not crushing on Zooey quite as much as Jandy is but seriously, how can you look at that face (those eyes!) and not feel a little stirring of the heart? And then there’s the JGL factor. Can that man be any more charming? Put the two together and regardless of how cheesy/quirky/sweet it is, I’ll be there in a heartbeat (and 10AM in the morning on a Sunday. Yes people, I love you both enough to get up for a 10AM Sunday screening).

    One of my favourite moments in the (500) Days of Summer trailer is a bit in which Summer and Tom compare their recent relationship troubles to Sid and Nancy. In an awesome promotional twist, the Zooey and JGL played Sid and Nancy for short video which has appeared at MSN’s Cinemash. Sadly, I can’t embed the video but that doesn’t mean you can’t check it out. It’s HERE! Now GO! Awesome eh?

    (500) Days of Summer opens in limited release on July 17th.

  • 06 Jul

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    Trashy, Pseudo Porn With a Message? Thoughts on Boxing Helena

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    Boxing Helena Movie StillBored and a little high from having seen the awesomeness of The Girlfriend Experience (our review), I thought I’d prepare for a screening of Surveillance (our review) by checking out Jennifer Lynch’s debut film Boxing Helena. Oh how quickly my afternoon went from uncommon to downright twisted and though the fact that the Lynch marathon started immediately after seeing Soderbergh’s film is pure coincidence, I can’t help but think that I couldn’t have found a better collection of films to watch together.

    But this is about the younger Lynch. The one that started her career with a film that seems to have stunted her career for 15 years. So is Boxing Helena that bad? I’m not sure it is though it does provide a glimpse into Ms. Lynch’s take on sexuality, something which is also present in her recent films.

    My first run in with Boxing Helena was in the mid 1990s on cable TV. Showcase had a tendency to show “risky” films in the late evening and flipping through the channels one night I caught the last 15 minutes of the film and I was morbidly curious as to how the woman ended up with no arms or legs. Lucky for me the film was re-aired immediately and I caught my first and final glimpse of Lynch’s career.

    It stars Sherilyn Fenn (mostly of “Twin Peaks” fame) as Helena, a gorgeous, firebird of a woman who sleeps with and disposes of men like tissue. At some point, she has an encounter with Nick Cavanaugh, a rich but timid man played by Julian Sands who becomes obsessed with her but after much counselling from his good friend (strangely portrayed by Art Garfunkel or Simon & Garfunkel fame) he appears to move on. But he never fully gets over Helena. One night while on a jog, he peeks the woman of his dreams with another man and the obsession resurfaces. He throws a soirée, invites all the right people and to his pleasure, Helena makes an appearance. It’s here that the film takes an interesting turn. A series of events leads Helena to run away (down an embankment) and onto the road where she’s hit by a car and from here on in, we follow Nick and Helena into a twisted world of sexual repression and release.

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  • 03 Jul

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    Quick Thoughts: Confessions of a Shopaholic

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    Confessions of a ShopaholicAfter a long day at the office, nothing helps me unwind as well as the prospect of an evening on the couch with either a book or a DVD. Tonight I opted for mindless entertainment in the company of Hugh Dancy and Isla Fisher. I’ll admit it: I was looking for an escape – a trip down perfection road complete with prince charming at the other end. How things ended so badly is beyond me.

    A little perspective. Yes, I’ve read Sophie Kinsella’s novels and no, I didn’t take anything from them beyond a few hours of entertainment. If you’re looking for a message about controlling your spending and how debt can ruin your life you’re climbing up the wrong tree – you may want to book those tickets to Dr. Phil though I doubt he’ll be any more helpful. Kinsella created a tragically comedic character which we shake our heads at because we’ll never be as bad off as she is (or so we hope). I guess if you really stretched it, you could dig a message out of the stories but frankly, they’re not worth the bother. I had hoped the same to be true of the movie adaption but somewhere in the middle of Confessions of a Shopaholic‘s 100 minute run time, I went from complacency to anger. Why is it always the apparently harmless stuff that presses my buttons?

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