Classic Movie Thursdays: Face/Off

Alright, it's not classic film, but I need to recognize this realy undderated film. In 1997, America was tired of stupid action films arriving in theaters each week. Then legendary director John Woo came to the rescue. Face/Off was acclaimed by critics, and went on to gross 245 Million at the box office. Over time, the popularity of the film has faded, and has my title as underated.

Pre-Hack Nick Cage and John Travolta play rivals to the extreme. One is a terrorist, one is a FBI agent. Which is Which?

The reason why the film is so good is the action sequences. Director John Woo is the best at creating action sequences that are violent but witty. The effect is ver WOW. Woo alludes to his past films, including Hard Boiled and The Killer. Instead of rushing you into action, you get to watch it all. It's not to in your face, but it's not too lazy.

The worst part is that this is the final good action performance by Cage. Though ZI'm looking forward to Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans because of the trailer words DIRECTED BY WERNER HERZOG!

So pick it up at your local best but for $20. It's worth the money!

Review: Amelia

First off, let me tell you that before seeing this movie I read allot about Amelia Earhart. She still is one of the most pivotal women in history. Yet this movie takes all that and turns it into conventional biopic trash.

Mira Nair has directed many great things before, her best being Monsoon Wedding, but her direction in this is weak. Her control over style has been lost, and style overtakes the substance. Maybe this is because she did not produce the film also. Her american films without her producing have this same problem, for example Vanity Fair.

Hilary Swank's performance gives little to be desired, and she portrays Amelia as somewhat cold, which is not the case at all. You don't believe anything shes feeling!

The film also cares way to much about how you feel about Earhart, as if she was perfect. They said nothing bad. I don't have to like Jason to like the Friday The 13th series.

On the flip side, the film is shut stunningly, and Nair's attention to detail must be applauded. Also the films music is really time-piece like, and can evoke the emotion that the film fails to give.

The film was intended to grab some Oscars, but thats not the case. Nair plays it safe, and ignores the raw moments of Mira Nair's life. Save your money and go see The House Of The Devil on Halloween.

1.5/5

Movie Poster Of The Week: The House Of The Devil

I found this poster online, and it's been on my want to see list for weeks. Some of the artwork reminds me of 80's horror flicks. People are comparing it to Rosemary's Baby, calling it a slow burn with a rewarding ending. If I see it, I will post a review!

Theme Thursdays: Traffic Trafic Traffik

I took this on my Ipod internal camera, and I don't have a app to trim off the edges!

Anyway, have you ever seen Traffic, a story about drug transactions and the police's efforts to stop it. If you have any interest, see It! However, it's not for everyone, since it's kinda artsy.

Also, has anybody been bothered by the large amount of ladybugs?

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Classic Movie Thursdays: Freaks (1932)

Welcome to my first recuring blog post-thing:

In honor of the coming Halloween, my first classic film is Tod Browning's 1932 film Freaks, about the events in a sideshow production, mainly centering around the love triangle between Hans, the head of the sideshow (a dwarf), Cleopatra, a trapeze artist, and Hercules, the strong man of the show.

The story starts when Cleopatra marries Hans, in order to achieve fame. There she is disgusted by the people that unfortunately have disorders, and she takes rescue in Hercules. She then plots to try to kill Hans and run away with the money that Hans has built up from running the show. It all ends with one of the most thrilling scenes ever. Truly horrifying!

Technically, the film is not horror, but rather a drama or exploitation. Browning used real people with deformities to portray theme selves, like the conjoined twins Violet and Daisy, and several people missing legs.

When it came out, it was shocking to people! There was an original ending where something VERY bad to Hercules, but that ending was cut after a woman claimed she actually lost her baby because of it (a lie), and the film still shocking to some. The original ending is now lost! It was a failure for MGM, and it ruined Browning's career. Time has been good to it, and it is regarded as a classic film.

It is in public domain, so if you want to see it it's on YouTube and Google Video

5/5

My Favorite Films: #25

Well, almost every film blog has posted a favorite films, and I have decided to make my own list of my top 25. I will post one each day!

Number 25: Walk The Line (2005)

What makes Walk The Line so good? In my opinion it is James Mangold's excellent direction, which keeps the film smooth and well paced without being to flashy. He keeps it from falling into biopic convention, which I feel Johnny Cash deserves. The screenplay is also very tight and well paced, and contains one of the best lines in cinema: "Don't give me no rules. All I got is rules".

The songs stick to you, with a special note going to Joaquin Phoenix's cover of "Ring Of Fire". Reese Witherspoon also shows that she is a wonderful singer.





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Oscar Bait: To The Max!

With Mira Nair's Amelia coming out on Friday, i'm realizing it's time for "Oscar Season". Not that some of the movies released to gain Oscars are bad, but come on! A biopic about Amelia Earhart!

You Be The Judge! Will Amelia suck?

Here are some rules to identify Oscar Bait films:

1) The Film Is A Biopic

2) Characters Are Dealing With Drug Problems / Prostitution

3) It is Directed by Clint Eastwood

My review for Amelia will be posted on Saturday.

Go To This Link For More:

http://current.com/the-rotten-tomatoes-show/?xid=370

Film News Alert

The following story is taken from "Variety" magazine:

"In a mark of how challenging the environment for upscale, adult-oriented drama has become, Universal Pictures has put Working Title's Cate Blanchett starrer "Indian Summer" on ice.

Helmer Joe Wright had been prepping the pic, an adaptation of Alex von Tunzelmann's book about the last days of Britain's colonial rule of India and the symbolic end of Blighty's status as a world superpower.

Blanchett was cast as Edna Mountbatten, wife of Lord Mountbatten, who was the last viceroy of the British Indian Empire and oversaw the country's transition to independence in 1947.

Wright had hoped to begin lensing on location in India early next year.

Universal is thought to have balked at the budget, believed to be $30 million-$40 million. Wright briefly considered making the project for under $30 million -- the budget level at which Working Title has full greenlight power -- before deciding to put it on hold and wait for more favorable market conditions.

Another factor in the decision was the logistical difficulties of filming a major production in India as well as creative differences over how much to emphasize the alleged love affair between Blanchett's character and Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first post-independence prime minister.

"We were in between a rock and a hard place," Wright said. "The Indian government wanted us to make less of the love story while the studio wanted us to make more of the love story."

Both Wright and Blanchett will remain attached to "Indian Summer" for the foreseeable future.

Now Wright must decide what he will direct next. Before signing on to "Indian Summer," the helmer had been circling a project about the influx of Afro-Caribbean immigrants to West London in the late 1940s. While that remains Wright's passion project, it is unlikely to be his next feature.

Blighty's Working Title, which made its name producing boffo romantic comedies including "Notting Hill," is likely to focus increasingly on more mainstream projects instead of edgier fare, such as the recent "State of Play" and "Frost/Nixon."

Working Title last week inked to produce a Ryan Reynolds romantic comedy and it's also developing a third installment to the successful "Bridget Jones" series, starring Renee Zellweger. "

How sad? Although I'm not surprised. Joe Wright's latest feature, "The Soloist" was a failure for the studio.

Where The Wild Things Are: Review

"Where the Wild Things Are" reflects so much of a plucky little kid: the flirting up of anger at a parent, the defiant escape into fantasy, the tough talk in a tight situation, the exuberance and then the fundamental need to return home and be loved and reassured. All of these stages are explored in Maurice Sendak's famous 1963 children's book, which contains only nine sentences. Ah, but what sentences they are when given resonance by his drawings.

The creatures in the film are voiced by actors, and given a great deal more to say, of course, than in the book. The Things are a considerable technical achievement, combining as they do muppetry and CGI. I don't find them particularly lovely, nor should I; they're not fuzzy toys but characters in a dream that slides in and out of nightmares

Max Records, of "The Brothers Bloom," plays the difficult role of Max, the boy who gets into a stubborn argument with his mom (Catherine Keener) and flees to his room and then to his imagination. In the book his room transforms itself into a jungle, but the film has him sailing a stormy sea in a little boat that looks like a bathtub toy. It arrives at an island which the Wild Things inhabit in grouchy discontent, and Max finds himself moved to bring the discord under control. Why these creatures, who tower over him, should even consider accepting his leadership is a no-brainer: This is Max's dream.

The plot is simple stuff, spread fairly thin in terms of events but portentous in terms of meaning. It comes down to: What is right? -- a question that children often seek answers to. One of the film's strengths is the way it doesn't soft-pedal sticky situations. For example, Max's mom has a boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo), who isn't painted as an interloper, and affection between the two of them is calmly regarded by Max (whether deeper issues with his absent father are part of his anger is a good question).

Overall, The film lets everybody escape to a wonderful land of really strange stuff.

4/5