One of the funniest and best written and completely underrated and largely unknown films of the past decade with an unbelievably talented ensemble cast of A-list actors, as well as one of my Top 10 favorite films of all time:
Wonder Boys.
Directed by Curtis Hansen, of L.A. Confidential fame.
Go rent this already! Or I can lend it to you, if you know me.
Short cinema vérité film by French master filmmaker Eric Rohmer. It is a love letter to wandering, exploring, youth, and of course, Paris. In two parts, total of about 12 minutes.
I haven't seen this yet, but it's on the list. I watched this trailer last summer and it really left an impression on me. Writer/Director Joe Leonard's film has some realistic people dealing with some very realistic changes in their lives, confronting the shortcomings of their ambitions, making the best of it, and trying to figure out what's next. Pretty much what everyone deals with, ha. Anyways, I didn't hear squat about how this movie did, which of course is the case with a lot of great indie movies, but that's okay, because I can then see it with a unfettered point of view. Also refreshing in this film is the unfamiliar faces of new actors (Aaron Stanford and Jacob Fishel), which I always appreciate. And of course the music in this trailer is rad: the little piano ditty, and then Clarence Carter's "Patches". Enjoy!
Here's yet another great movie that I saw just a little while ago for the first time and wondered how it was possible I hadn't seen it yet: Michael Winterbottom's 2002 24-Hour Party People. Brilliant! It's the funny and true story of how bands like The Happy Mondays, A Certain Ratio, and Joy Division (and then later New Order) came to be in the crazy drug- and sex-addled 1980s Manchester, UK.
Taking the lead is the brilliant Steve Coogan as Tony Wilson, a journalist-cum-music-producer who stakes everything to promote, record, and exhibit this revolutionary music he believes in.Coogan's wry style is a pleasure to watch as he interacts both with (musically) historical characters, as well as when he breaks the forth wall and addresses the audience directly. Coogan, and actually a few other people, turn to the camera and speak about what is happening in the film, or what to expect in the future, and it works really well. It can be a risky proposition sometimes because it obviously can take the audience out of the diegesis of the film, but here it enhances the whole experience.
This film is a love-letter to a very flawed time and place, with some very flawed characters, but you can't deny that it must have been a very exciting time for musicians. Wilson's idealistic dedication to the music, to promoting all these bands is truly amazing. If you enjoy music by Joy Division et al, or are a fan of Steve Coogan, this is essential viewing. Even if you aren't, it is definitely a fun romp through the late 70s and into the 80s of a very distinct time in pop culture history and is littered with great moments. It also contains a great blend of real archival footage mixed with stuff filmed for the movie, as well as some of the real people from this time period in cameos and other small roles normally reserved for extras. Highly recommended. For a taste, watch this great little trailer:
WOW. If you haven't already figured out, the movie I am most looking forward to this year is Christopher Nolan's Inception. All the viral marketing, the trailers, posters, interviews, cast list, everything is building the excitement and intrigue for me. I guess what is so cool is how many questions there are to be resolved, the trailer shows a lot of cool imagery, but what does it all mean? Nolan is a terrific filmmaker, from both writing and a directorial standpoints, and his conceptual and technical know-how is entirely on another level. I would rank him up there with Hitchcock and Kubrick for his pure comprehension of the cinematic medium. Anyways, after all that praise, immerse yourself in Inception. July 16th just can't get here fast enough, as far as I am concerned!
My friend Andy and I are working on science fiction short film right now that involves lots of effects including a stop motion car chase sequence. For the past couple months now we've been preparing and finally this weekend, we're gonna start shooting. We wanted to sort out a few kinks, and we made this today as a test! Enjoy!
This movie is often on TV and when it is, there is little I can do to resist watching it! Director Robert Aldrich's 1967 war film features a huge ensemble cast with many familiar faces from the past, including Donald Sutherland, Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Telly Savalas, and actor/writer/director John Cassavetes, who himself was a hugely important figure in American independent film.
The plot revolves around a group of military misfits and criminals who are given a chance to redeem themselves on the battlefield by being trained for a suicide mission into occupied France in the Second World War. If they participate, and survive, then they will either be paroled or their death sentences commuted to life in prison. The mission is to parachute into France and infiltrate a highly secured French chateau where some important Germans with some important documents have fortified themselves. The film mainly centers around the training, the galvanizing, and building of relationships between the men and their commander, Major Reisman, played brilliantly by tough-lovin' cinema legend Lee Marvin. Initially, their main opposition is between each other. Their egos and arrogance means constant friction, often racially motivated, between the men. But they are galvanized as a team when their top secret mission is threatened to be canceled due to a suspicious Colonel who has a bone to pick with Reisman. Overcoming this, and displaying amazing teamwork and craftiness during some rehearsal war games, means the team is allowed to go ahead with their mission overseas.
Now this is one of the great war films, full of everything you could want. Some great training sequences, some amazingly unsavoury characters who become quite endearing, some comedy, some trickery, and some great action sequences. Yes, it's from 1967, but they don't make war films like they used to! The action doesn't feel dated, and it's really nice to see sequences where all the special effects are all done real, on camera, as well as sequences that involve hundreds of extras. Despite this, the strengths of the film lie in the performances of the varied cast. We have rapists, murderers, deserters, thieves, and liars who must overcome their own personal struggles and egos. And we have Major Reisman who has to get them all to get along just long enough to complete their training and the subsequent mission.
If you where hoping that Inglourious Basterds was going to be more about the Basterds, like I did, then take a look at this. There are some priceless sequences, like my favorite, the sequence where the Dirty Dozen shows up at an Allied base commanded by Reisman's rival, Col. Breed. Breed was expecting Reisman to show up with a General to inspect his troops, so Reisman has to quickly come up with someone out of his gang of convicts to promenade as a General. The sarcasm in Donald Sutherland's performance is brilliant, and this scene just makes the whole movie for me.
When I watch this, I can't help but feel that it has more substance than recent war films. There is less sentimentalism, less romanticization, less of a preoccupation with "WAR IS HELL." The Dirty Dozen isn't a film about the war, it's a film about soldiers, set during the war. We know the parameters, we know the context of the war, but we follow a cast of characters more than the actual war. Films today romanticize the 1940s, and are so swept up in educating younger generations by showing us the graphic experience that war can be. They tell us to be horrified by the terror and brutality that war can be, but it is shown in glorious effects laden set-pieces shown in bleak and crisp picture quality and surround sound. It has become a mixed message. As horrifying as it was, the opening sequence to Saving Private Ryan, was regaled as a masterpiece, an amazing achievement in action cinema, and has been emulated time after time in other films as well as numerous video games. War may be hell, but it can look flippin cool! Older films are less preoccupied with the action. Limited resources and technology meant that stories had to be more creative and focus on interesting stories and relationships between soldiers. Films like The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, and The Bridge Over The River Kwai dealt with unique situations and circumstances were men were tested morally, and psychological, as well as physically. They had to focus in on an aspect of the war instead of just focusing on a vast topic like the Europe Theatre, the Pacific Theatre, Pearl Harbour, or the Russian Front. I know I sound like an old man, but I really think that we've lost something with readily available special and visual effects. War movies have moved from a more drama-oriented genre to the action genre, and I feel that their strengths really lie in the personal and interpersonal drama that goes on when one is put in an extraordinary situation.
If for some reason, you have not seen this yet, here it is. This is the teaser/test footage that they showed at Comic-Con last year that sent shivers (good shivers) through the internet. It is amazing and beautiful footage from the upcoming blockbuster sequel Tron: Legacy that will be released later this year and was filmed in Vancouver! Even if this film turns out to be a narrative dud (not saying it will) it most certainly will be enjoyable eye-candy. Director Joseph Kosinski has even said that this footage is nothing compared to what will be in the final film. That's pretty exciting seeing as how cool this looks! Have a look for yourself!
I always really liked this trailer for the Coen Bros neo-noir, The Man Who Wasn't There. Everything in it I like: the music, the dialogue they chose (particularly Tony Shaloub's words), and the dreamy cinematography. Pretty well done noir, and I'd recommend seeing it if you like film noir, neo-noir, or are a fan of the Coens.
