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2009-11-07T23:06:00.001-08:00

Longer Trailer...Awesome.

Ramona Falls - Intuit

2009-11-07T23:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't listened to the band Menomena, do it now. Their lead singer, Brent Knopf, has put out a pretty outstanding album on his own. Here is the first video for the song 'I say fever'.

Ramona Falls "I Say Fever" from Barsuk Records on Vimeo.

Where the Wild Things Are - Review

2009-10-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

I originally felt apprehensive about Spike Jonze' adaptation of the infamous Where the Wild Things Are children's book. With super hip stores like Urban Outfitters merchandising for the film and a soundtrack by Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs lead singer Karen O, this movie just seemed to be working too hard to build its indie cred. Having seen Being John Malkovich and a few of Jonze' music videos, I knew that he was something special, but it wasn't until I read recently about Jonze journey into the industry and his fight with the studio to keep his vision in tact that I felt confident that this could be great.

Now having seen it, I can say two things about this film...it is in fact great, but it shouldn't make any money. I would love nothing more than for WTWTA to become one of the most successful children's films ever, one that people of all ages are drawn to because of how masterfully it mirrors the passion and power of love to bind people together through the mess that is life, family, relationships. This I fear will not be the case, as the masses typically like their films to provide a way to escape their reality, to hide from the mess for two hours...and that goes double for a kids film, which technically this is. Not only that, but we like our films to have a story that builds to a nice tidy simple feel-good ending where someone learns a valuable lesson or falls in love with the right person. This film, while hinting at these things, is much more about the journey rather than the destination. Jonze' vision is dark, scary, full of raw humanity, and I highly recommend it...even if you don't shop at Urban Outfitters.

Frequently Asked Questions about Time Travel - Review

2009-10-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Frequently Asked Questions about Time Travel is a sort of under the radar film about 3 British losers, Ray, Toby and Pete who, while downing a few pints at the pub, get caught up in a dizzying time jumping fiasco. Right about now you are either immediately surfing imdb to find out everything you can about this film, or you are angrily clicking 'back' on your browser wondering how you ended up reading this stupid blog in the first place. If you are in the former group, you are in for a treat.

It's touting itself as 'Dr. Who' meets 'Shaun of the Dead', and thats not far from the truth. It is smart, funny and has some twists you won't see coming. The three main characters, while not nearly in the same league as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, handle their roles well and you find yourself rooting for them against your better judgement. In a weird cameo/love interest is American Anna Faris, from all those Scary Movie films and more recently Observe and Report.

I'm not going to even try to relay the plot to you, because, as in all films that deal in time travel, my brain hurts just thinking about all the what happened, which lead to a thousand what ifs. I will say that all that time travel messiness is done convincingly and not once did things get so unbelievable that I disconnected from the story completely.

I will leave you with the ridiculous first few lines from the film and you can decide for yourself whether this is your cup of tea:

"Time travel. It'll turn your brain into spaghetti if you let it. Best not to think about it. Best just to get on with the job in hand. Which is destroying the enemy before they're even born and have a chance to threaten us. We're expecting any resistance to be light, because the ancestors of our enemies have yet to evolve any thumbs... or indeed spines. But that does not change the fact that they may one day evolve into a species that may pose a threat to us. And for that reason, we are going to rain down a fiery death upon them that will turn the surface of their planet into a radioactive desert! Because we are the planetary peace corps! And that is what we do! Now, are you nappy-wearing motherfuckers ready to lock and load, and *get it on*?"

Recommended

Where the Wild Things Are - everything you didn't think you wanted to know

2009-10-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article in the New York Times magazine about how Spike Jonze got into the business, its an inspiring story about a guy bursting with creativity filming whatever he thinks is interesting and word spread. Previously directing guerilla skate videos, to music videos, to anti-hollywood films like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, he now is doing his first big budget treat in Where the Wild Things Are. Here's a beast of a video (38min.) from the BBC that gives you an idea of what kind of person we are dealing with in Spike Jonze. Well worth it.

Big money means big pressure from the studio to create something that can be easily digested by a mass audience. Jonze was given a longer leash then most, because of his "indie" cred, but when the studio demanded a rough cut of the film they were scared (as were some children in pre-screenings) by what they saw. A fight ensued where Jonze almost left the film, but after conceding to make extremely minor changes (basically adding one scene and taking away another) the film is now complete and set to be released next week. Here Jonze talks about Where the Wild Things Are, his concept for the film, working with Dave Eggers and more.

This is some behind the scenes footage of Maurice Sendak, the illustrator and author of the original children's book, talking about his story vs Jonze vision.

Where the Wild Things Are - Featurette Maurice Sendak
by ohmygore

In case you don't know who Dave Eggers is, he is a writer/publisher who is very similar to Jonze in the book world. He has written work such as his memoir A Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius and a traveling story about frustrating generosity in You Shall Know our Velocity. He has founded his own independent publishing company called McSweeney's. He is also known for his non-profit work, which has resulted in funding tours that included musical artists such as Death Cab for Cutie and Sufjan Stevens. Here, he and Jonze, are faced with the difficult task of interpreting the scarce dialogue and artwork of the WTWTA children's book into a full-length screenplay, which has been released as the novel The Wild Things. Hear his thoughts in this video interview.

Here is an interview with WTWTA production designer K.K. Barrett. Barrett has worked with some of the hottest directors around (including Sophia Coppola, and Michel Gondry) to help bring their films to life. Here he talks about his history and WTWTA's unique vision.

A friend of mine, who has a child of his own, told me he had a feeling this might be the first great children's film since The Neverending Story. He just might be right.

Official HD trailer for the film.

Toy Story 3

2009-10-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Just discovered the new Toy Story 3 Trailer that is circulating. I don't know anybody who wouldn't excited about this one

The Invention of Lying: Review

2009-10-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

I think Ricky Gervais is hilarious. I am a huge sucker for awkward humour and Gervais is the king of this brand of comedy. Let me also go on record as saying that the British Office is much, much smarter than its more brash westernized version...and I still like that one. I'm glad that Hollywood is finally taking notice of his genius and giving him the opportunity to put his talent on the big screen. It's just too bad that his latest just isn't very good. While Ghost Town was a pretty great twist on the romantic comedy genre, Lying just feels like its trying too hard. Don't get me wrong, anything Gervais is involved with will be a cut above your average puff piece, but considering what he is capable of, I couldn't leave the theater anything but slightly disappointed.

The story itself sounds like the perfect premise for Gervais to do his thing. It centers around a world where lying doesn't exist and everyone says what they think all the time. (which honestly gets annoying about half way through the movie...just because people don't know how to lie, doesn't mean they would automatically tell people that they've always hated them etc.) This is the case until Gervais' character discovers the advantages of lying, especially lying to a world that will believe anything you say. This works well as Gervais lies his way to a fortune, and discovers religion by "lying" to his mother about the afterlife, but its when the movie turns its focus to angst laden romance that things get...ordinary. Garner is decent as the innocent, but straight talking love interest, but all this sapp takes the bite out of the original premise.

Still Gervais' style of self depricating humour does elevate this film from bad to decent. I'd really hate to see something like this handled by anyone else, but then again Gervais is capable of much more.

Rent It.

Zombieland Review

2009-09-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

I just had the privilege of catching a sneak preview of Shaun of the Dead 2...I mean, Zombieland. This is the US' answer to the Brit Zomedy, several years later, and answer we did. It is perhaps not as smart, but every bit as ridiculous fun. This is all the crazy splat fest the trailers claimed and more. Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland) plays one of the last known survivors of some sort of apocalypse. He is a frail, phobic geek whose survival has been dependent on how closely he follows his "list" of apocalyptic rules. This list becomes a running joke throughout the film and is used to great comedic effect. While traveling through the wasteland he meets a gun-toting redneck played perfectly by Woody Harrelson. Harrelson loves to kill zombies and, using everything from heavy artillery to lawn tools, he proves to be damn good at it. This unlikely team then adds two con artist sisters along the way to complete their dysfunctional family.

Like Shaun, between each gross out violent set piece is relational core, a humanity that runs throughout, that is just enough to make us care about each character's plight, without bogging down the story. Its loud, bloody, shocking, hysterical, campy and just plain stupid fun. Watch out for the rumored cameo that is pure comedic gold, and sneak a twinkie into the theater, because trust me, you'll want one when its over.

Recommended

The Informant Review

2009-09-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

This movie will not make much money. Its not hilarious, it's uncomfortable, and Matt Damon is fat. But this film will make you think...think twice about lying. While billed as a comedy, this film is more cautionary tale, with a side of quirkiness (Damon's little side notes about polar bears and indoor pools are pretty great). Matt Damon has never been more impressive, transforming himself from a chiseled fighting machine, in the Bourne films, to a chubby naive compulsive liar. The word that comes to mind the most when reflecting on this story is FRUSTRATING! Don't get me wrong it's a great little film all around, but watching this man spiral his life into oblivion is not fun. On the other side of things, The Informant has a lot to say about corporate politics. Its a telling look at what goes on behind closed meeting room doors and the power of the bottom line.

Recommended

Solomon Kane

2009-09-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

The summer movie season is over, but there is still much more cinema to be had! Solomon Kane stars James Purefoy (from The Philanthropist) as the sword wielding hero, whom apparently Van Helsing ripped off. Comes from the 1928 Robert E. Howard novel (Conan author) about a wandering anti-hero trying to make amends for his violent past by living out a life of peace. Now we all know that won't last don't we?

Autolux Show

2009-09-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of traveling to DC to check out one of my favorite bands live at The Black Cat. That band would be the infamous Autolux. As you can tell from previous posts I'm not really into lengthy posts/reviews so here are some quick thoughts from the show followed by some crappy iphone pics.

This was definitely a complete show. All of the groups represented were really great in their own right and the first band, Mini Mansions, was no exception. They played for like 15 people, but rocked out like they were playing for 1500. They have their own brand of pop music that reminds me of a mix between Spoon and Field Music. Pitch perfect vocal harmony's float over piano, bass, sometimes guitar and an interesting stand-up drum setup. Fun music, great opener.

http://www.myspace.com/minimansionsmusic

The second act, Sleepy Sun, came out to chuckles from the crowd due to their obvious 70's era cloning. The lead singer in particular had the large collared, patterned button up shirt, with long curly hair and a burly mustache. He looked like he was straight out of Will Ferril's Anchorman, and I think our expectations for their music hit rock bottom at that point. Boy did this 5 piece prove us wrong! They were 70's, but they rocked! They played some of the tightest hard hitting psychedelic rock I have ever heard. The vocals were split between Mr. 70's and a cute as a button little girl who had big beautiful pipes. They just had an amazing time on stage and their energy, including some of the greatest goofy dance moves by cutie-pie girl, bled into the crowd. Memorable.

http://www.myspace.com/sleepysun

By now it was a full house and it was time to wait for an unbearably long time for Autolux to grace the stage. When they finally did they proved to be everything you expect from these wall of sound-new sonic youth-gazers. They definitely knew that Carla Azar is a draw on her own placing her dead center in full view, with the other two on opposite corners of the stage. While Autolux's LP's are perfect, they don't quite capture the fuzzy, pounding, just pure loudness of their live performance. The guitars were layered into oblivion, and the bass so dirty that your ears want to run and hide. I can say enough good things about Carla's drumming expertise. Some of the most creative back beats I've ever heard, and man does she play hard. They did unveil a few new tunes, and let me say that if those few songs are any indication of what awaits me when their new LP drops, I'm going to crap my pants.

http://www.myspace.com/autolux

Assault Girls

2009-08-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have never seen Ghost in the Shell amazingly enough. I'm not really into anime, but I have seen the director of Ghost in the Shell's film Avalon, which was a unique blend of anime styling set in the physical world. Mamuro Oshii's second venture into live action is Assault girls, which looks to take things up a notch.

Kim Ji-Woon

2009-08-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

You probably don't know that name, but you should. He is not only my favorite asian director, but he is about to break into the international spotlight. Films like The Quiet Family, A Tale of Two Sisters, and A Bittersweet Life have showcased Kim's unique talent. He has done it all, comedy, horror, noir, action, even an Asian western in the form of the recent The Good, The Bad and The Weird. He has basically never put out a film that I did not enjoy immensely and I don't expect that to change for his remake of Claude Sautet’s 1971 heist classic Max et les Ferrailleurs (to be titled Max and the Junkmen). There is talk that Kim has his eye on Clive Owen and Sienna Miller to star. If you've seen his action-noir masterpiece A Bittersweet Life than you should be very excited at the possibilities. Here is a taste:

Inception

2009-08-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Inception is Christopher Nolan's next masterpiece (I hope). After Dark Knight, who could expect less? The trailer for this, Leo Decaprio starring, dark-fi, mind freakout will leave you with more questions than answers, but it looks like a wild ride.

The Wolfman

2009-08-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

Wolfman looks to be a return to the classic monster movies of yesteryear. All the B-movie roots are there, but then we have some fine acting pedigree. Starring Benicio Del Toro as the man fighting the beast within, and Anthony Hopkins this could be the lycanthrope film you've been waiting for.

Gentlemen Broncos

2009-08-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

Count me in as excited about this new film by Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess. Jemaine Clement, of Flight of the Conchords fame, plays Ronald Chevalier, a washed up fantasy novelist who steals a young boy's novel and claims it as his own. Starring too many familiar comedy faces (including Sam Rockwell) in this to list, Gentlemen Broncos looks nothing if not a lot of fun-anuss.

Mew - No more stories Are told today I'm sorry They washed away No more stories The world is grey I'm tired Let's wash away

2009-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

There will always be a soft spot in my heart for these Danish prog rockers. Mew's new album, No more stories Are told today I'm sorry They washed away No more stories The world is grey I'm tired Let's wash away (my fingers are sweating now), takes a more dreamy approach without losing their complex prog pop sensibilities. Being a huge fan of dream-pop and shoe-gaze, I welcome this stylistic growth with open arms. Listen below.

No more stories Are told today...

Avatar Trailer

2009-08-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone has already seen this, but this is the first official trailer of James Cameron's newest epic Avatar. Boasting the newest in CGI and 3D technologies this labor of love certainly look spectacular, but will it have a story to match? James Cameron definitely has a good track record so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt...i guess.

Dear Readers...

2009-08-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well I've debated this since I started this blogging adventure and finally decided to add the "followers" gadget to my blog in an attempt to allow people another way to stay connected. This is not a blog with high aspirations, just an outlet for me to share stuff that I like with other people, and its exciting to think that I could potentially connect with someone across the global who has the same dysfunctional interests that I do. The beauty of this gadget is that you can connect to each other as well. So anyways it's to the right if you want to use it, and thanks for reading. (and you can still use twitter, facebook, digg etc. links if you prefer)

District 9 Review

2009-08-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is not an easy film to review, but here is my disjointed perspective anyways:

You can't write about this film and not infuse your review with the politics involved so here we go. I would have to praise the film for bringing a form of political realism to the table. We live in a world where politics and issues are far from Left or Right, Black and White, or Good or Bad...no matter how hard we try to present them that way. The people presented on both sides of this story are never clearly shown as the good aliens vs the bad military regime. The main character himself shows a certain conflicted, and at times purely selfish, morality, and the director Blomkamp is able to effectively have us be disgusted with him at parts in the film and root for him at others. The aliens obviously have their problems as well, infected with their own dose of degenerate behavior, and a seeming disinterest in integrating themselves in this new culture they find themselves in. Yes they are clearly marginalized by the government and local community, but they also marginalize themselves. I find this realistically muddied take on things to be refreshing, and feel that every time I watch this film it will reveal a new layer.

On the other side of the camera, I was impressed that Blomkamp and crew were able take us from mockumentary to documentary to thrilling action film seamlessly. This was clearly a stylistic decision, not an inability to sustain a single format, which is a common complaint. I was even more AMAZED by the CG work involved. I can't imagine the amount of time and effort it took to insert these creatures into each seen. I never once felt like I wasn't watching an organic living thing on screen. Avatar now has something to live up to. Each of these elements add up to an richly conceived alternate reality that provides an firm foundation for everything else presented in the film.

The bottom line is that this movie single handedly saves this summer for me. There has been far more disappointments (Wolverine, Terminator, Transformers, GI Joe etc...) than rewards (Star Trek, Drag Me to Hell), but this summer will now be remembered as the summer when District 9 showed what (Sci-fi) cinema is capable of.

Here's the Distric 9 panel discussion at Comic Con '09 with Blomkamp, Peter Jackson etc. (Jackson even talks about the Hobbit and HALO a little):

Faunts - Feel.Love.Thinking.Of.

2009-08-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

Great nugaze band flexes their electro-muscles on this new album and beautiful dark-pop ensues.

Feel.Love.Thinking.Of. - Faunt...

Tron Legacy

2009-08-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine there being any way they could match the hype on this one. Especially since the original was so groundbreaking. On the other hand this trailer does look promising...

The Vampire's Assistant

2009-08-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Vampires and John C. Reilly. Not sure what to think about this one, but it could be quirky fun. Fans of the book's ultra-dark and violent story-line are squirming at the trailer's kid-friendly comedic side. Here's hoping their just not showing all their cards in order to lure the general public.

Seth Rogen + Megan Fox = hilarious moment!

2009-07-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

Even big stars like Seth Rogen have embarrassingly awkward High School moments. Seth is on Jimmy Kimmel talking about a little incident he had involving one Megan Fox on the show previously...and Jimmy is happy enough to replay the footage for him!

Engineers - Three Fact Fader

2009-07-29T19:57:00.001-07:00

This new album has been 5 years in the making for these nugazers. Mixed by Ken Thomas of M83 and Sigur Ros fame, this album is highly recommended (by me).

Engineers in the studio finishing the album

Sufjan Stevens - The BQE

2009-07-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Sufjan Stevens latest adventure is a film about the the expressway that connects the Queens and Brooklyn boroughs of New York. The subsequent soundtrack will of course be scored by Stevens himself. There's nothing about Stevens prior output that would make me doubt that this wouldn't be successful, but this teaser is definitely odd. Its out in October and will premier at the Tribeca film fest.

Alice in Wonderland

2009-07-29T13:42:00.001-07:00

It seems Tim Burton is the perfect fit for this adaptation. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter can't hurt either.

Envy - A Dead Sinking Story

2009-07-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

I recently re-discovered this band. They are from Japan and sing/scream in Japanese, but this does nothing to delute this album's power. Has all the emotional building of post-rock, the edge of hardcore, and a little screamo mixed in for good measure. Not much like it these days, maybe ISIS is something comparable. If you like this check out their previous effort 'Insomniac Doze' for more goodness.

A Dead Sinking Story - Envy

Foreign Born - Person to Person

2009-07-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

Great music to pass those summer days.

Person To Person - Foreign Bor...

Book of Eli

2009-07-26T18:43:00.001-07:00

This post-apocalyptic film could be the role Denzel Washington has been waiting for. Something to put him back on the map. Not that he hasn't had his share of decent flix (American Gangster in 07, Inside Man in 06) in the past few years, but he seems to have lost some of his relevancy of late. He's a good actor that could take a fun concept about a sword wielding hero wandering a war-torn america protecting a book that has the key to saving humanity, for example, and turn it into something special. The trailer has atmosphere to spare and Gary Oldman is certainly a welcome face. Check it out in HD below.

District 9

2009-07-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

The new District 9 trailer reveals more action, and more importantly more action involving big robots. This is starting to look like the movie Terminator Salvation should have been.

Carriers

2009-07-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

I'm really syked about this movie. This trailer looks amazing! Very much a survivalist post-apocalyptic film. Starring Chris Pine, the new Star Trek's captain Kirk, this film looks gritty and quite frightening.

Surrogates

2009-07-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Showing shades of The Matrix, Total Recall, Terminator (sadly the same director as T3), I, Robot and countless other films, Surrogates story has been done before, but its robots, and its Bruce Willis with a wig on, so I'll give it a shot!

Daybreakers

2009-07-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ok this movie looks pretty great. Ethan Hawke? Willem Dafoe? Sam Neill? In the future almost everyone on earth is a Vampire and the last humans are harvested for blood...but what happens when the blood runs out? Willem Dafoe and his crossbow carrying crew fight for the human race.

The Antlers

2009-06-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

This album is a breathe of fresh air. Intimate and rockin' at the same time. Beautiful vocals/lyrics, layered over lo-fi indie slowcore, with shoegaze atmospherics. This is one of those that kinda sinks into your subconscious and stays there.

Hospice - The Antlers

Clues

2009-06-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

This experimental indie rock band sports former Arcade Fire and Unicorns members. Great start to what is hopefully a bright future for these guys. Take a listen:

Clues - Clues

2012

2009-06-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well this is some of the most beautiful apocalyptic carnage I have ever seen in a trailer...now bring on a story to match and this could be something special!

Zombieland

2009-06-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

Looks like Woody Harrelson wants to put the fun back in killing zombies...and Bill Murray and the that kid from Adventureland are along for the ride. Oh Yeah!

John Carpenter's The Thing

2009-06-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Continuing on with my Carpenter fix, I recently rewatched one of my favorite Sci-fi/Horror films of all time 'The Thing'. This is Carpenter's second collaboration with Kurt Russell and came out right after 'Escape from New York'. However, while this film has some campy elements to it, it is much more scary than 'Escape'.

The film opens perfectly with a helicopter chasing a lone Husky through the snow filled mountainside. It becomes clear that the men in this helicopter are trying to shoot and kill this defenseless creature. Eventually the dog finds its way to a American research facility and when the men in the helicopter land, start yelling in a different language, and open fire, the locals, not knowing what's going on, shoot them down.

From there our cute dog is taken in by Kurt Russell and the gang only to find out that he is only an alien imitation. When the crew realizes this, it may be too late and it becomes a story of survival and distrust as any of the crew could have been imitated.

This film won awards for its creature effects, and it shows. This is the kind of film that makes you miss the days before CGI, when things looked more organic, real and frightening. Thats why I love directors like Guillermo Del Toro who still mixes tangible effect with computer generated ones.

The cast are all great at conveying the reality of the situation, this feels like it could really happen to everyday people, and that this is what it would be like. This is brilliant psychological horror mixed with its fair share of shock and gore. This is a must see...Highly Recommended!!! Oh yeah and the blood test scene is probably one of the most classic scene's in horror movie history!

John Carpenter's Escape from New York

2009-06-17T08:57:00.001-07:00

I've recently been purging my DVD collection at moviestop and buying myself the kind of guilty pleasures I would watch over and over. Escape from New York is one of those for me. This is one of the original post-apocalyptic masterpieces. The wacky premise is that in the future (1997!!) New York has become a walled off sort of prison for all the crazies and airforce one (piloted by a terrorist) crash lands in the middle of it. The president does eject before the crash, but is soon taken hostage by the locals.

Kurt Russell is pitch perfect as Snake Plissken, the X special forces turned condemned bad-ass whose only hope of release is to go in and get the President out. The catch is that those sneeky government people implant a small explosive that will kill him in 24 hrs if he does not get the president out and in turn get the device deactivated. Sounds awesome right?

This film is just pure campy fun, from its apocalyptic landscape to the ridiculous punk rock inspired outfits and one liners. All this doesn't diminish Carpenter's ability to still bring in a sort of under your skin creepiness as Snake explores New Yorks hazardous alleyways. I won't spoil all the fun, just go rent it for yourself. Check out this trailer to get you amped!

Offline

2009-06-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been really busy lately working on a service project at a homeless shelter, but I am back now and hope to put up a few posts to make up for the down time.

Offline was apparently supposed to be a sort of promo reel for effects guy Matthew Santoro, who previously worked on films like AVP (I know, I know), but this cyberpunk concept seems to be turning into a full length project for him and I for one think it could be great fun! It was shot on a low low budget, but looks immensely creative and super slick. Take a look and let me know what you think.

O F F L I N E from Matthew Santoro on Vimeo.

Up - Review

2009-06-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

Ever since Toy Story Pixar has become the most reliable group of storytellers in the film industry. They often find ways to portray the most human of emotions out of their animated characters, often more so then the majority of actors are able to. Their newest film, while certainly not their best, is no exception. Right from the beginning we are given a shortened, but emotional journey through an old mans life full of love and, ultimately, loss. These images are without a doubt the highlight of the film. While his ultimate journey to find the ultimate adventure in the form of "Paradise Falls", a childhood dream of himself and his former wife, is entertaining, it lacks the substance that other Pixar films were able to squeeze out of every frame.

Don't get me wrong, Pixar's characters are still drawn for us with care, just not great care. Only old Carl is given a full background, while his young traveling partner, Russel, was only given some brief lines of dialogue regarding his deadbeat Dad. Even the villain is merely given a brief newsreel before he shows up a full blown madman later on in the film.

Other than these small details, much of the film felt unbelievable. It may sound ludicrous to talk this way about an animated film in general, but pretty much all of Pixars other films gave us a feeling that we were part of a sort of alternate reality. Either a fantasy world unknown to the real world via Toy Story, and to an extent, The Incredibles, or completely fictional universes like Monsters Inc., Cars etc. This film felt grounded in the real world that Carl faced from the start, and then just out of the blue decided that real world rules don't apply anymore (flying balloon house, crazy undiscovered world in South America, giant undiscovered bird species, talking dog collars and much more) All of this was fun, but felt slightly misplaced against the film's initial backdrop.

Overall, however, this is still a strong entry into the Pixar catalog and only a minimal slip in their otherwise stellar output.

Alien Reboot?

2009-05-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Bloody Disgusting is reporting (rumor/unconfirmed) that Ridley Scott is set to produce an Alien series reboot. His director of choice is apparently commercials director Carl Rinsch. Personally I am all for reboots. Why, you say? Because lets face it, crazy high concept Sci-Fi films like Alien would not be getting made unless they feel like they can bank on the draw the other films bring. When done right its like Christmas, when done wrong, some feel it tarnishes the legacy of the previous films. I don't agree. So I say bring it on, especially with Scott involved in the process this one has a better chance then most. Anyhow, it can't be any worse than AVP. Oh ya and take a look at one of Rinsch' commercials and you can see why Scott hand-picked him.

James Cameron's Avatar

2009-05-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

No its not Shyamalan's 'The Last Airbender', but it's Science Fiction hero James Cameron's labour of love Avatar. I must have been living under a rock to have not heard more about this $200 million film. The movie's premise is being described as, "an emotional journey of redemption and revolution. It is the story of a wounded ex-marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in biodiversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival. The film's star is Sam Worthington who, ironically, was recently cast in the new Terminator: Salvation, the film series that Cameron is responsible for bringing to life.

Born out of an 80 page script that Cameron wrote back in the mid 90's, and it has been said that the films delayed release is due to the lack technology available to properly bring us into that world. Well, Avatar is set to be released this December using technology so advanced that Spielberg, Lucas and Peter Jackson have been involved in testing it. Cameron wanted to be able to create entirely CGI characters are photo realistic using motion capture. Wikipedia reports that: unlike previous performance capture systems, where the digital environment is added after the actors' motions have been captured, Cameron's new virtual camera allows him to directly observe on a monitor how the actors' virtual counterparts interact with the movie's digital world in real time and adjust and direct the scenes just as if shooting live action. This would also included the most advanced methods for capturing facial expressions ever used. If that wasn't enough the film will also be filmed in 3-D using proprietary equipment developed by Cameron.

Other interesting tidbits that only serve to ramp up this films skyrocketing expectations include an intricately conceived world that Stan Winston (who also worked on the Terminator films) will design and music by James Horner (Aliens, Titanic) that will include choral arrangements in which an entirely new alien language will be sung.

Reading this kind of news almost makes me forget how disappointing the new Terminator film was. Here's a video report on the film for more info.

ReelzChannel Movie News James Cameron Today's Features | Movie Trailers

Terminator: Salvation - review

2009-05-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

I love the Terminator movies. They are SF, apocalyptic, have big robots, and Arnie, the question should be, "what is not to like?" Well unfortunately Terminator: Salvation makes that question an easy one: no heart. I looked forward to this film more than any other this summer and while it was at times awe inspiring, at others it was...Waterworld. Waterworld is of course one of the biggest budget flops of all time. It was beautiful to look at, but had no heart (and the acting made me want to tear my heart out). This new Terminator was every bit as frustrating as that film, because of the wasted potential.

The Terminator storyline (and I'm not going to go into its complex history here) is so rich, the only problem would be figuring what to focus on. Director McG apparently decided to cop out by focusing on nothing (well, except big machines). And poor Christian Bale, post-infantile outburst, is getting all the blame. Hey, at least he tried to do something with the word-vomit he was given (Mr. Costner!!!) This film relied far too heavily on the previous films to provide background to these beloved characters and none of them were fleshed out enough for me care if they lived or died, no matter how cool and intense the action was.

Speaking of the action: If there was one thing that McG proved he can do well its staging action, and there was a lot of it. If there was a story to match, I feel that these action sequences could have gone down as some of the most memorable ever. Other positives were the cinematography and the overall post-apocalyptic look of the film. It was for the most part breathtaking, which makes the films failures seem even more tragic.

The bottom line is that if your like me and can't resist a film like this no matter how many negative reviews you read, then go experience it's many explosions on the big screen (preferably wait for the budget theater). I give it a generous 60% out of 100%, just because its beautiful post-apocalyptic world, and some action sequences that try their hardest to make you forget there is no heart.

The Road - Teaser!!!

2009-05-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Finally!!! The first footage from the post-apocalyptic epic 'The Road'. All I can say is WOW.

Gattaca

2009-05-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

This is truly a lost gem of the 90's. I had heard good things here and there, but never took the time to sit down and watch it straight through until I found the special edition DVD for $4 at ROSS of all places, while my wife shopped for an outfit. Gattaca is basically a futuristic noir piece about a world in which your future is decided by your genetic makeup from birth. They know what health problems you will have etc. all the way down to your life expectancy. Because of this, many of who are called God-children (those born naturally) are marginalized from birth because no one will hire them based on their genetic profile. Most parents choose to have their children made in a test tube using a blend of the finest genetics, to ensure for them a good life. Vincent was not one of those children. He was born naturally with a 99% chance of heart problems, which means that his dream of becoming an astronaut will never happen...as long as he is himself. Vincent goes on a inspired journey to prove everyone wrong and assumes the identity of a recently crippled member of high society. He works 10 times harder than anyone else in the space program and has to go through elaborately detailed processes each day in order to hide any trace of his true self. All this work becomes threatened when a higher up in the space program is murdered. How far will Vincent go to achieve his dreams?

Star Trek Review

2009-05-09T15:04:00.001-07:00

I don't do long, bloated reviews on this site, where I talk about motivation and other pretentious stuff, so here is my quick thoughts on this highly anticipated film. Let me say first that while I am a huge science fiction geek, I've never learned to speak Klingon and you won't spot me at a Trekkie convention. If a Trek show comes on TV, I'll watch it, if there's nothing better on, but I don't foam at the mouth for the next installment, book or collectable associated with this franchise. Moving on...

Star Trek in general, while wrapped in an intricately conceived space world, has always had a great cast of characters. The original show and eventually the movies were about how these characters, from many different backgrounds and cultures, come together to protect, well, the universe. The new Star Trek has all the shiny wrapping that the shows had, with an added dosage of adrenaline that the shows lacked, but that doesn't really matter without the characters we all know and love. All classic franchises have to have great characters to keep us wanting more. From Stars Wars to Indiana Jones this always proves to be true. I'm happy to report that this new film brings the Enterprise crew to life, more than any Star Trek film ever has.

The casting is pitch perfect throughout, but it is the angry tensions and eventual bonding of Kirk and Spock that are the driving force. These updated versions are portrayed with enough internal conflict to make any Twilight fan go into convulsions. The bottom line is go see this film. I don't care what your reservation is, because I can't honestly think of how anyone could come away from it disappointed.

For fun here's an interview with JJ Abrams, Chris Pine & Zachary Quinto about the movie:

Star Trek

2009-05-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun link to an article that will help you know who's who in the new Star Trek film. After looking at these pictures, the casting really seems spot on. Judging by preliminary reviews this could be the film that takes Star Trek out of geekland and into the mainstream.

Dead of Night

2009-05-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

A "nightmare detective" played by Superman? Thats right empireonline.com reports that Superman star Brandon Routh has been cast to star in 'Dead of Night'. He will play Dylan Dog, a detective who deals mostly with things that go bump in the night. Seems like an odd casting to me, and this movie could be terrible, but I do wish the best for Routh whom I thought did a much better job bringing Supes to the screen than he's been given credit for. Here's a fresh pick of Routh in the role:

Deadpool

2009-05-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

There's been talk about this for a while now, but it is now being officially reported that writers are currently working on a Deadpool film that will star Ryan Reynolds. I have not seen the poorly reviewed Wolverine film yet (I'm still going to see it), but I can't imagine anyone more perfect for the role of Deadpool than Reynolds. Especially after watching this interview:

Terminator: Salvation

2009-05-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Want free VIP tickets to an advanced screening (no waiting in line!) of Terminator: Salvation? Well if you are one of the lucky 3 people who read this blog send a text with the message SALVATION and your zip code to 43549. Oh and while your at it don't forget to pick up an 'apocalyptic ice' slurpee at 7-11 (ridiculous!!! you'd think I was on their marketing team).

Day One

2009-05-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

About neighbors in an apartment building banning together to figure out how to live after an apocalyptic event, this new tv series is coming to NBC in 2010. Its from the producer of Heroes, and is based on the 1989 TV series of the same name (which I have not seen). Well...if its post-apocalyptic you know I'll give it a shot. Here's some behind the scenes footage from the website.

2012

2009-05-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone has heard about the 2012 doomsday predictions, the end of the Mayan calendar etc. Well this is the movie. Coming out in November this year. Probably too soon for me to be excited about the film, but its too late for me not to be...and besides John Cusack will star so it can't be all that bad. This teaser certainly knows how to wet my appetite, and I like the sort of Hitchcockian music...creepy.

Arizona

2009-05-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

These guys came very highly recommended on the 'i guess i'm floating' music blog and I must agree they are pretty great. Straight up rock that somehow is able to maintain a classic feel without coming across as outdated by any means. Midlake comes to mind when I hear these guys, which is another band I have a great deal of respect for. I found this live performance apparently in a salon and was really amazed as to how great they sounded. These guys are the real deal. Go buy Arizona's album 'Glowing Bird' after you watch.

MGMT

2009-05-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ya so I'm a little late on this, just like everything else, but this duo has put out a pretty amazing album called 'Oracular Spectacular'. Its sort of a weird mix of Brit Pop and Electronic. Of course if I read that descriptor I probably wouldn't even give it a listen so just forget I wrote that and watch this video for 'Time to Pretend'.

Radiohead

2009-05-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

WOW I don't know how I missed this! Radiohead performing 15 Step with the USC marching band at the Grammy's. AMAZING

Radiohead - 15 Step (Grammys 2009)

Summer Movie List

2009-04-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

I honestly can't remember a summer with so many potentially great movies. Here's a list of all the films I can think of off hand that interest me. Some of these I know little about, but they look intriguing. I tried to put these in release order. I'm sure I missed a good one here and there, so I would definitely be open to suggestions.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The Limits of Control

Terminator: Salvation

Star Trek

The Brothers Bloom

Drag Me to Hell

Land of the Lost

Away We Go

Moon

Year One

Public Enemies

500 Days of Summer

G-Force

Funny People

Paper Heart

The Boat That Rocked

Life After People

2009-04-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

The History Channel is airing an interesting series that will explore what would happen to our world if all human life disappeared. Looks like it will have a lot of expert opinions and creepy special effects. Here is the first few minutes of the pilot to give you a taste.

Brian Orakpo - Take 2

2009-04-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

This dude is a beast!!!

NFL Draft

2009-04-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

No I don't do a lot of sports on this blog and you wouldn't think that I even follow sports judging by the nerdy content on this site, but I've been a huge Redskins fan my whole life and following my team doesn't end when the season does. The Redskins have just used the 13th pick in the draft on probably the best DE available in Brian Orakpo. Its a great value pick and the fact that they didn't sell their soul for Mark Sanchez proves that they've come a long way. He's a speed rusher that never gives up on a play. With newly added Haynesworth demanding a lot of attention on that line, he could really do some damage right away. If you don't believe me just watch this:

Knowing

2009-04-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Part Shyamalan, part Spielberg, and my wife hated it. This is an ambitious post apocalyptic, science-fiction story that tackles issues of faith, the purpose and existence of man, and all that philosophical goodness. Reviews for this film are mixed at best, but then again director Proyas is no stranger to this. His film 'Dark City' was also ill received, but is now considered a cult masterpiece by most. I loved the chilling vibe this movie exuded from the beginning, it successfully maintains intimacy while still giving us truly thrilling action. Proyas is definitely self indulgent and many will be turned off by his affinity for taking such wild concepts dead serious and delivering them on an extremely grand scale. Personally I love it. So go ahead and do another 'I. Robot' blockbuster if thats what the studios need in order to back you on projects like this. I'm with ya.

Manchester Orchestra

2009-04-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing things here and there about this band, but never really took the time to listen. They are really quite good. Nothing mind blowing, but just really great rock music with interesting (and occasionally aggressive) vocals. Their newest album 'Mean Everything To Nothing' is as solid as they come.

Mutyumu

2009-04-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

This is Japanese operatic post-rock screamo...I think. Its got severely complex piano arrangements matched by heavy post-rock goodness and smooth as silk female vocals. Trust me the actual music is way better than my lame description. Their album 'Ilya' will definitely be in heavy rotation...EPIC!!

Grammatics

2009-04-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

Been a while...sorry.
Here is a group I just found randomly. VERY creative outside-the-box indie rock with pretty vocals. Not usually a pretty (kinda emo) vocals guy, but here, backed by fantastic musicianship, it works. Check out their S/T.

Blood: The Last Vampire UPDATE

2009-03-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

There is a new trailer on the net for my favorite upcoming vampire-slaying anime adaptation 'Blood: The Last Vampire'. This UK Trailer gives us more of the action we crave. Can't wait for this one.

2009 Preview

2009-03-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

I rarely ever watch the Oscars, I'm not sure why, I have quite a bit of respect for the amount of work that goes into a film, but not in the spectacle surrounding when these people are recognized for their work. The same was true for me this year as I tuned in for probably a total of 10 minutes to see Hugh Jackman sing and dance, and Slumdog Millionaire win a couple of many awards. While surfing the net I ran across a video which, for those of you who stuck it out til the end, gave a glimpse of what to expect from this next year at the movies. BTW 'Terminator Salvation' is at the top of this list for me, next to 'The Road', which tragically is not included here. Here's the vid:

Gentlemen Broncos

2009-03-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

I was watching TV today when a preview for the film 'Nacho Libre' came on, which was director Jared Hess' fitting follow up to 'Napoleon Dynamite'. Out of curiosity I looked up the director to see what he's doing these days and I'm excited to report that his next project entitled 'Gentlemen Broncos' looks hilarious. IMDB describes the plot as "Benjamin, home-schooled by his eccentric mother, is a loner whose passion for writing leads him on an journey as his story first gets ripped off by the legendary fantasy novelist, Ronald Chevalier and then is adapted into a disastrous movie by the small town's most prolific homespun filmmaker." Apparently this fantasy writer is being played by the taller half of 'Flight of the Conchords', Jermaine Clement. Sam Rockwell also stars. The movie has a hilarious website set up for Jermaine's author character Ronald Chevalier. This video will help you understand what kind of genius your dealing with here:

i make music

2009-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

Well, since this is my blog, I guess this is the most appropriate place for me to debut my music. I've been working hard clicking buttons on my Laptop creating music that is sort of a mixmash of all the sorts of things I connect with. So it sort of ended up being an instrumental, post-rock, shoe-gaze, post-apocalyptic, 80's synth, epic. I'm doing it under the name 'Subsist the Apocalypse', which is ridiculous in all the right ways.

I embedded a flash player for the song at the top of the right hand menu, so throw on some headphones, (really, it plays much better that way) give a listen, and if you want you can come back over to this post and let me know what you think. If you really like it, and want a copy for yourself, I put a download link underneath the flash player. Just copy and paste the link in the address bar and your good to go. I'll keep posting music as I create it, so stay tuned.

Blood: The Last Vampire

2009-02-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has seen the original anime that this live action version is based on would be wetting their pants in excitement for this film. This has great potential to be the best anime adaptation yet. It seems void of stupid casting decisions (Korean actress Jeon Ji Hyun looks perfect in the role of Saya), and it is reportedly going to stick very close to the source material. This gorgeous teaser trailer only heightens these expectations. For those of you unfamiliar with the story:

On the surface, Saya is a stunning 16-year old, but that youthful exterior hides the tormented soul of a 400 year-old halfling. Born to a human father and a vampire mother, she has for centuries been a loner obsessed with using her samurai skills to rid the world of vampires, all the while knowing that she herself can survive only on blood like those she hunts.
When she is sent onto an American military base in Tokyo by the clandestine organization she works for, Saya immediately senses that this may be her opportunity to finally destroy Onigen, the evil patriarch of all vampires. Using her superhuman strength and her sword, she begins to rid the base of its evil infestation in a series of spectacular and elaborate showdowns. However, it is not until she forms her first human friendship in centuries with the young daughter of the bases general that Saya learns her greatest power over Onigen may well be her ability for human connection.

Push

2009-02-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

Push is a film about people with special powers, specifically psychic-powers. Some have the ability to move physical objects, others to implant memories, others can see the immediate future based on other people decisions. These people are being watched and gathered up by the government so they can do experiments to enhance these abilities. Treated like lab rats many die in the process, but there are some who will come out of hiding and find the strength to resist. Sound interesting? Well it should be, but its not.
Set in Hong Kong, which in itself provides a colorful and interesting backdrop, Push plays out a little too much like an episode of Heroes and is far to familiar to spark any excitement. The special effect are just ok, and the acting is at times sub-par, even from a post-puberty Dakota Fanning (its just awkward now to watch her act drunk). Everything centers around when the first psychic to survive the governments drug testing, escapes with a vile of the special enhancement drug. A cat and mouse game ensues between the government's own psychics, an interesting asian gang of psychics, and our heroes who are looking all looking to find the drug and use it to get a leg up. As with many of these types of films, the wasted potential outweighs any bright spots in the story. Rent it if you just looking to kill a few hours with some semi-mindless fun.

Babylon A.D.

2009-02-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

Vin Diesel, you may not be the best actor, action hero, and even a little down-syndrome, but you seem to be my only hope recently for the sci-fi genre. You've been been consistently getting roles in films that could have been much better starring someone else, but certainly could have been much worse as well. Basically you neither add or take away, your just there...you and your deep voice and muscles. Babylon A.D is no different...a film with a lot of potential in my favorite genre, but just ok. Not good, not bad, just Vin Diesel.
I'm not sure if this story is pre or post-apocalyptic, but as long as apocalyptic is somewhere in there I'll probably give it a shot. If nothing else the production design was quite interesting, very dark, grim, dystopian...just how I like it. Even the prominent French casting is fun, but in the end this is a Vin Diesel movie. This film slowly goes from mildly interesting, with decent action, too confusing and convoluted.
I won't say much more than that about the film, either you like this stuff or you don't...I do, so on a 10 point scale I would give it a very generous 6. But PLEASE, Vinny boy, I loved Pitch Black, but if your gonna be the guy in all the films I want to see, can you step up your game a little?

Blindness

2009-02-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

WOW. This is one heavy film. Being a fan of the disaster/post-apocalyptic genre, when I found out that Fernando Meirelles the director of the equally heavy 'City of God' and also recently 'The Constant Gardener', I had to check it out. This film is full of star power coming from the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore, Danny Glover, and Gael García Bernal, and for the most part they do what they can with what they are given. But this is not a character driven film, its storyline is one that is meant to probe the darkest parts of the human condition. There is a Lord of Flies quality to this film about a large group of people (eventually the world) who are suddenly struck with a mysterious case of, well, blindness. The government of course immediately quarantines them to a building with different wards and, other then regular food drops, leaves them to fend for themselves.
Julianne Moore is inexplicably the only person who is not struck with the illness, but pretends to be blind in order to go into quarantine with her husband, Mark Ruffalo. Her performance is the most starling, as she has to secretly bear the burden of those within her ward literally can't care for themselves. When they all eventually realize they are on their own, issues of order (democracy) and morality are relentlessly thrown at the viewer. At times it felt as if it might be more than I could handle. Especially when Gael García Bernal's character comes onto the seen proceeds to take charge of food rationing, in exchange for unreasonable demands. Although the film is well done, my recommendation is to only see this film if you have a strong stomach and a firm moral foundation. Otherwise you may find yourself severely depressed and your faith in mankind shaken. While I respect 'Blindness' for its unflinching look at the dark side of human nature, I cannot think of a time when I would ever want to watch it again. Even a hopeful ending just isn't enough.

***WARNING - SO YOUR NOT AS UNPREPARED AS I WAS - THIS FILM CONTAINS LOTS OF NUDITY/RAPE***

Fleeting Joys

2009-02-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I missed this, but probably the best true shoegaze band out there today, Fleeting Joys, released a new album called 'Occult Radiance' on January 22nd. Let me put it to you this way: If you loved My Bloody Valentine then you will love Fleeting Joys. I was really into their last album 'Despondant Transponder', which came out almost 3 years ago, and this album is definitely a more than worthy follow up. Check out this new track entitled 'You are the darkness':

You Are The Darkness - Fleeting Joys

Salute to the Jugger (AKA The Blood of Heroes)

2009-02-09T12:18:00.001-08:00

'Salute to the Jugger' is a little known Mad Max clone that came out in 1989. As far as Mad Max clones go, this one is one of the best. The whole dirty, gritty post-apocalyptic world is quite believable, reminding me at times of Terry Gilliam's glimpses of the future in '12 Monkeys'. This film is one part post-apocalyptic survival tale and one part sports underdog story. These two very different kinds of film come together as we follow star Rutger Hauer (Bladerunner) and his ragtag team of juggers, who play a new brutal sport that involves someone called a 'quick' trying to get a skull on a stick, while Gladiators fight all around to harm or protect him (or her). This sport provides the only means of income for this select group of people who travel from town to town to play the local best. The story unfolds as we find out that Rutger's character named Sallow used to be a part of the official jugger league. To become a part of the league you have to have gathered enough wins (skulls) and make an official challenge. Even if you do challenge your chances of getting the leagues attention are slim to none as most challengers are dispatched within minutes, and many loose their lives or the ability to walk in the process. Sallow seems content to travel and make what money he can until his 'quick' gets his legs broken and local asian women joins the team, and she has higher aspirations. The more I write about this film the more I appreciate its simplicity. Create an an awesome post-apocalyptic atmosphere: CHECK, Create an awesome new sport that combines the best of football and American Gladiators:CHECK, Make us root for the underdog:CHECK. Its a shame this film is so hard to find. I'd love to see a widescreen, directors-cut someday. If you can find it, check it out. (PS-I apparently found the version with the pretty great original ending which was not included in the American release of the film)

The Quiet Earth

2009-02-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Recently I had a movie night with some friends, which always turns out to be ridiculously good and bad in a good way. After much deliberation on the theme of the evening we went with one of my favorite genres in film (or books for that matter) post- apocalyptic or apocalyptic in general. I spend a great deal of time putting together a list of little known or seen mad-max clones and went to the local indie video store only to find out that they didn't have any of them. So in order to save the night I had to forgo the B-movie craziness and pick up a few more serious apocalyptic films...this did not turn out well. Among them was, what many consider on the net, a classic of post-apocalyptic media: 'The Quiet Earth'. While this film had great potential, with the last man on earth scenario, numerous New Zealand film awards, and 1985 special effects, my friend put it best when he said "it was just too ok."
If a post-apocalyptic film is going to take itself seriously it NEEDS to be amazingly executed or else it just becomes mediocre and incredibly boring. While I respect what the film was trying to do, and it does make you think about how long it would take you to crack when your left alone in a world that you helped destroy, its just lacked believability. Everything about it is barely passable from the acting to the story-line to the special effects and so on, and in this genre barely passable comes across as worse than laughably bad. Now there is enough potential there that if a talented director wanted to attempt a remake I would be the first one in line, but as-is like 'Waterworld' your just left with would could have been.

Outlander

2009-01-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

Alien/Predator/13th Warrior---if any of those movies appeal to you, and you know who you are, then you should go to see the movie 'Outlander'. If those movies do not appeal to you, or you have no tolerance for B-movie fun, then you will hate this movie. I obviously have a soft place in my heart for this type of film, which is why I'm writing about it here.
This is the tale of Kainan (played by the always respectable Jim Caviezel) whose spaceship crash lands in Viking territory the year 709. (If you are already thinking to yourself 'how is that possible?' then you do not have the predisposition for this type of movie...again, stay away) It turns out that Kainan has brought with him a formidable creature that he knows all too well, and now has to team up with the locals, using his advanced intellect and their unadvanced weaponry, to defeat it before it takes over. You even get Ron Perlman (Hellboy) showing up for a cameo as one bad-ass viking. Needless to say I enjoyed it for what it was, and what it was, was B-movie awesomeness!!!

Asobi Seksu

2009-01-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

Asobi Seksu has been sort of a group whose music takes me back. There's just something about it that is warm, comfortable and carefree like the summers of my youth. The strange thing is that I was never a My Bloody Valentine fan back in the day, as a matter of fact my musical taste was absolutely horrible. Probably the "coolest" bands I listened to were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Bush and the like and I just listened to them because everyone else did. I was all too eager to escape the "Christian" music black hole of crappiness I was stuck in (for the record there are a few good "Christian" groups out there, they were just so good that I didn't like them if that makes any sense). So I guess there is something to be said about capturing the feeling of yesterday, during which that actual style of music was never physically present.
ANYWAYS, their new album 'Hush' is not entirely different from the band's second album (which was really the first album they had found their sound) called 'Citrus'. The shimmering fuzzy wall of sound is still present, although perhaps slightly more compressed this time around. The beautiful vocals that float over the layers upon layers of sugary dream pop are even sweeter than I remember. Sometimes it really can be a good thing to stay the same and here we have the perfect example.

Goemon

2009-01-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

Ok, I apologize for not posting to the blog for quite a few weeks now as I have been transitioning back into the States, but now that I am settled, I hope to bring you more of the good stuff. I am proud to have my first official post of the new year be some very exciting news. First off, if you have never seen the Japanese movie 'Casshern' go rent it now. It is a visual feast of pure CGI live action anime...it is what movies like 'Sin City' could only hope to look like. Outside of the visuals the storyline falters and it becomes overly long and self-indulgent. So rent it once, soak it in in all its glory and let it leave you wanting more, because it will and I am here to tell you that the more is here now (did that sentence make any sense?) Director Kaz Kiriya is about to unleash his sumptuous next film entitled 'Goemon'. While not based on an existing anime, it is firmly within the same realm. This is a martial arts epic, and it looks to trump 'Casshern' in every way. Here's the trailer:

The Road

2008-12-22T15:52:00.001-08:00

'The Road' is a film based on my favorite book of recent, which shares the same name. Cormac McCarthy is truly one of the greatest living writers and his first book-to-film adaptation was more than adequate I'd say as 'No Country for Old Men' won numerous awards. For those of you who don't know the story, it is as follows: "The Road" is a post-apocalyptic dramatic thriller about a father and his son walking alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food--and each other.
Those of you who know me understand that I love a good post-apocalyptic film and I was equally excited and afraid when I heard about plans for a film adaptation. Now that its confirmed that it will star Viggo Mortenson as the father, and 'The Proposition' director will helm (not to mention appearances by Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron, and Robert Duvall) I am now confident that this film could very well live up to its potential. The one wild-card here is Kodi Smit-McPhee who will play the son, whom I know next to nothing about. That is a role that could seriously make or break this film, but as long as they don't go completely mad and play up the cute factor, we should be ok.....I hope.
The difficulty will be whether a storyline that unfolds as beautifully, deliberately and confidently as the novel format allows will be effectively translated to the screen. Will hollywood get scared and meddle with MTV editing, special effects, adding increased, but dumbed down dialogue? We shall see, it will certainly be a great challenge for all involved, but this film has so much going for it, consider my expectations through the roof.
Here are some fantastic looking production stills:

Sherlock Holmes

2008-12-14T23:39:00.000-08:00

Although in the past Guy Ritchi films, like 'Snatch' and 'Lock, Stock..' were favorites of mine, recently I am starting to think that he may be a one trick pony. Those films are both very similar in style and pacing, and are flashy and fun, like a good roller coaster, but they just don't stick with you and certainly start to bore after repeat viewings. All of this griping aside, this new photo (below) of his new take on Sherlock Holmes has me both intrigued and worried. While a darker less Disney take on this great character is welcome, it seems you could replace Robert Downey with Brad Pitt and your watching 'Snatch' all over again. But, I do believe that if anyone could tackle Mr. Holmes its Robert Downey, who is one of the more versatile actors today, so I'll be following this one closely (Jude Law doesn't hurt either). Decide for yourself:

In Bruges

2008-12-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

In Bruges is one of those films that will completely mind-whip your moral fabric, as it throws you into the lives and whacked out perspectives of two hitmen, one of which (played by Colin Farrell) is on the tale end of a job gone horribly wrong (sorry can't tell you how). Their boss, having found out about this atrocity, sends them to quaint Bruges in Belgium to lie low while things get sorted out. While the elder (Brendan Gleeson) and more experienced of the two enjoys the scenery, Colin Farrell's character is going out of his mind with boredom and dealing with flashbacks of the prior incident of which he is responsible. I can't reveal much more of the plot without ruining things, but let me say that things get very complicated as both men have to deal with reconciling very different moral dilemas and their resulting inward and outward battles. Seriously, there are so many crazy bits in this film that I am dying to write about, but you just gotta see for yourself.

The film has fantastic dialogue that is well matched by every actor, including Ralph Fiennes as their temperamental boss. It adeptly mixed priceless dark comedy with a real sense of human drama. Colin Farrell may have never put together a better performance. Mind you this is NOT the feel good film of the year, but you will laugh, you will cry, and yes there is a midget. Here is the trailer which doesn't do the film justice:

(WARNING--this film is at times very violent, and contains sexual situations (no nudity) and drug usage)

Autolux Cont.

2008-11-30T03:53:00.000-08:00

As most of you know I have been awaiting the new Autolux album entitled "Transit, Transit" like my younger self looked forward to playing duck hunt on a new Nintendo game system while trying to sleep on Christmas Eve. The latest news, as reported on their myspace page, is that they are working out the business end of the deal and that it will potentially come out soon after the new year. While this is probably meaningless and they'll still release the album whenever they want, I'll take any news as good news at this point. They have also put a new instrumental song up (not associated with "Transit, Transit"), you can listen here.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T19:14:00.000-08:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the President of the United States of America and his friends "Pumpkin" and "Pecan".

OldBoy

2008-11-25T06:16:00.001-08:00

There has been much talk recently about the prospect of Will Smith and Steven Spielberg teaming up to do a remake of the Korean classic "OldBoy". While I think no matter who acts and directs this film, there will be die hard "OldBoy" fans out there groaning (including myself), I think there is legitimacy to the fear of this teaming. Personally I think Spielberg could handle this, but with Will Smith involved it will most definitely go from a stylish, yet gritty dark revenge story, to a slick, flashy commercial piece, with Will Smith crackin' the occasional hip joke.

The most recent news is that Will Smith has reportedly said that the film will not be a direct remake of the Korean film, but an interpretation of the manga the Korean film was based on. Apparently the Korean film added a lot of the more unsavory elements that made us squirm through the final third. Personally while the Korean film is still a masterpiece as far as style, acting, pacing, and crawl out of your skin surprise ending, I'm all for doing without the gag inducing reveal (which makes it a hard one to justify repeat viewings). But the reality is that, while this news may calm some angry fans who scoff at someone remaking their beloved film, it still will produce the same result. Seriously Will Smith, I would be delighted if you would prove me wrong. Here's the trailer to the original:

Wilderness

2008-11-24T23:03:00.000-08:00

This Baltimore band has taken me probably longer then any other to process. When I first heard their debut a few years back I immediately connected with their post-rock influenced sort of experimental/art rock sound, but then the vocals came in. James Johnson's sort of howling talk/singing is not pretty, and I hated it at first, but it can be if you let it, quite moving. There is a raw emotional intensity that exudes out of this group that not many can imitate. Their new album entitled "(k)no(w)here" was created as a companion piece to visual artist Charles Long's installation at this year's Whitney Biennial. I don't know who that is or what that means really, but I plan to find out. The album aside from being one long progression, where each song flows into the next, is basically more of the same. But when you already have a sonic styling that is so uniquely yours, consistently stretching the boundaries of music, why change it? They are truly a band you can't really describe, you just have to listen:

Silver Gene - Wilderness
***another blogger pointed me to this video of the Charles Long installation, would have been a great show***

Sicko

2008-11-23T00:08:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying I am not liberal or conservative, and I am just as skeptical as anyone of Michael Moore and his tactics. I'm sure that just like any good documentarian he was able to spin some of the stories that were told in this film to fit his agenda. But I will also say that there are too many facts presented here to ignore, and by the end of his film I felt quite ashamed to be an American. I am the first to admit that in my country, money is definitely King, and power is used to fatten pockets rather than meet the needs of the community. Our healthcare system is so morally bankrupt and it will stay that way as long as conservatives, the working class and the uneducated continue to be manipulated by fear-mongering (Socialism is evil!!!), political heavyweights, who are members of congress one day and paid employees of Healthcare companies the next.

As for the film Moore does a great job making such a despairing subject as watch-able and, dare I say, fun to watch as possible. Taking a bunch of 9/11 rescue workers who had, in America, either been refused health care, or were practically in the poor house because of its costs, to Guantanamo Bay was a stunt that really drove home his point. The soundtrack was also very effective and fitting, hilarious one moment, tear-jerking the next.

One thing that hit me hard was the fact that in Great Britain, where they have free universal healthcare, there are incentives in place where doctors are monetarily rewarded for how well they do their job (all the way down to how many patients they get to stop smoking). In America it is just the opposite, our physicians are rewarded by Healthcare providers for how much money they save them AKA refusing treatment, which often ends in death/murder. Listen everybody, why can we provide socialist services in America like free fire fighting, police, libraries, schools, postal, but not free healthcare? Don't be so close minded that you miss out on this film. Here's the trailer:

The Host

2008-11-21T23:30:00.000-08:00

So there are reports on the net that director Gore Verbinski, of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, is set to direct the remake of Korean monster flick "The Host". Well, he'll get the monster action right, thats for sure, but not much else I fear. One of the things that made the Korean blockbuster so good, was the dis functional family coming together to bring back their daughter from the grips of a giant sea creature. Emotional depth has never been Gore's strong suit, so in my opinion this will be another brilliant Hollywood spectacle that nobody cares about. The last thing we need is another "Godzilla" with Matthew B. on our hands. If you haven't seen "The Host" go rent the DVD now, here's the trailer:

***CORRECTION---I've found out recently that Gore Verbinski will only produce the remake, while Fredrik Bond, who has previously done Nike commercials will direct. Well, the previous article still applies only things are slightly more bleak.***

AROG

2008-11-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

Ummm...a turkish sci-fi comedy with dinosaurs and giant insects!!???...and its a sequel????? Ya well as weird as that sounds "Arog" is a sort of Mel Brooks type comedy, that I don't know a lot about, but the trailer looks like a lot of fun. It seems like it has great production values, and from what I've read the first film, "Gora", was apparently also very good, so I'll have to track it down before this one comes out. Sorry there are no subtitles in the trailer, but you'll get the idea:

Son of Rambow

2008-11-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

I know this movie is out on DVD now, but I just thought I would give it my own personal stamp of approval. If there is anything this movie has an unlimited supply of is heart. It is about a wildly imaginative young boy who lives an extremely sheltered life, as a result of his cultish religious upbringing. Everything changes for him when he meets the misunderstood school bully and is shown a bootleg copy of Rambo. With he new found adrenaline pumping, he and his new friend, embark on a journey to make their own Rambo film, all the while trying to keep it a secret from his family. As word gets around to the coolest kid in school (a french exchange student) it becomes a bigger production and harder to keep under wraps. It is layered film about friendship, love, family and growing up, with enough quirky moments to satisfy any Napoleon Dynamite fan. Here's a trailer:

Chrysalis

2008-11-19T00:25:00.000-08:00

I was able to locate a copy of first time French director Julien Leclerq’s sci-fi actioner Chrysalis recently. While its not the best sci-fi film I have ever seen, its one of the best I've seen recently. There is much to love in its deliberate pacing, cold noir atmosphere, and superbly staged action/fight sequences. And why wouldn't the fight scenes please me when they have Alain Figlarz of "Brotherhood of the Wolf" and the Bourne films behind them? I won't say much, but the film is about a hardcore detective David Hoffman who is obsessed with catching Dimitri Nicolov who killed his wife and partner in front of him, and in a parallel storyline, a teenage girl named Manon, who is recovering from being badly injured in a car wreck. I don't think it ruins anything to say that these two character's lives will intertwine, the interesting thing is how. While the plot suffers a little in place of style, it is clear that Julien Leclerq can direct with the best of them and I look forward to his next project, a real terrorist story called "Air France Flight 8969" (also with Alain Figlarz). Check out the trailer:

Saxon Shore

2008-11-19T00:11:00.000-08:00

"The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore" was the title of the band's last post-rock opus, which definitely caught the attention of many sigur ros, mogwai lovers like myself. A little while back I was told by a friend to check out a new song that they had posted on their myspace page called "This Place". Apparently they are very close to releasing their new album which will be called "It Doesn't Matter" and if "This Place" is any indication its gonna be one to look out for. If for no other reason you should listen to "This Place" because it is first time Saxon Shore has added vocals to the mix, which are beautifully voiced by someone named Caroline (don't know her last name as of now). As far as I know this may be the only song on the album to include a singer, but I for one hope its not the last. Listen here

Frontier(s)

2008-11-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

If you remember the band Elliot, then you remember the wonderfully complex 90's rock rhythms of their record "False Cathedrals", which for me is one of those timeless gems that I have listened to constantly, well after the band called it quits. The vocals, which are both harsh and hauntingly beautiful, were provided by Chris Higdon, the creative centerpiece for the group. Ever since they left the scene in the early 00's I've been secretly hoping they would resurface in one form or another, and I am excited to announce that Chris now has a new band called Frontier(s). The group is only in the beginning stages, but has some very nice demo tracks on the net. While the group seems to be more straight forward hard rock then Elliot, there are hints of the same genius, and that is more than enough for me. I couldn't find any music to embed, but here's their myspace.

Special

2008-11-18T05:39:00.000-08:00

This is another film in the Six Shooter Film Series (same series that is host to "Let the Right One In") that seems to take a genre and rethink it. This time they tackle the super-hero genre. Michael Rappaport, who I've liked ever since Higher Learning (forget that TV series he was in), plays Les a mild mannered comic book geek who begins to acquire special "abilities" after taking an experimental anti-depressant. Soon he is out in the world fighting the bad guys, including the pharmacutical company that created the drug. Looking forward to this quirky little film:

Let the Right One In

2008-11-18T01:07:00.000-08:00

I going to start by saying I have not looked forward to a film this much in a long time. "Let the Right One In" is getting rave reviews on the festival circuit, despite the fact that its a vampire film. Yep...a vampire film, a very different take on the vampire mythos apparently as it is a coming of age story between a bullied 12 year old and his new friend, a female vampire named Eli, who is also 12 years old. It is supposed to be a slow burner that is as moving as it is unsettling. It is a Swedish film, and yes eventually it will probably be horribly remade in English, but do yourself a favor, use that elementary school education to read some subtitles and see the original. Hopefully it will get a wider release stateside soon. See for yourself (you should probably be 13 and up for this):

Hunter Prey

2008-11-18T00:22:00.001-08:00

If you are anything like me and your inner geek starts drooling when you see a beautiful sci-fi shot like the one above then you might want to keep your eye on the upcoming film "Hunter Prey". Other than the juicy images, this film has an interesting name attached to it. Sandy Collera is the man behind the beautifully done fan short "Batman: Dead End" which apparently really made heads turn at the 2003 Comic-Con. I'll let you decide for yourself if this is exciting news or not after you watch this:

Anyways we all know that there are at least 30 bad science fiction films for every good one made, but if you love something enough you never give up on it. Kinda like being a Redskins fan. Here's an Interview with Collera about the film.

Autolux

2008-11-18T00:08:00.000-08:00

This is just a reminder that Autolux is awesome and that they still have a new album that is supposed to come out whenever they feel like releasing it (COME ON!!) In case anyone doesn't know buy now here is a stream their brand new song "Audience No 2", which they have up for free download on their website. Autolux, I just want to say that I am ready to add you to my top 10 favorite bands of all time, but I can't do that until you release at least two consecutively stellar albums. Usually, my minimum is 3 albums, but if you release Transit, Transit sooner rather than later and its at least as fantastic as Future Perfect was, I'm willing to make an exception.

Deerhunter

2008-11-17T23:39:00.001-08:00

Deerhunter is my latest discovery in my love affair with shoegaze influenced rock. Actually I'm not sure if you can call it a discovery if I found out about them on pitchfork, but I'll allow myself to feel the sweet satisfaction of uncovering freshly squeezed semi-new music anyways. Deerhunter is a grower, their ambient rhythms sort sink beneath your consciousness and make you feel safe and warm, then they come in with a decidedly punk aesthetic that will wake you up and have your head bobbing and adrenaline pumping before you realize your cookie's are burning. Basically the more you listen, the more they control your brain and bodily functions. Each song on their new Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. double album opus has a decidedly different feel, while maintaining a cohesiveness that not many bands came claim. The lead singer and Deerhunter brainchild, Bradford Cox, spent much of his life indoors battling Marfan Syndrome, and it was during this time that he cultivated his love for music. He's quoted as saying that the two albums are meant to be experienced as FALL/WINTER pieces. Here's a new video of their song "Microcastle" (be patient it starts out with Bradford's beautifully dreamy vocals and then rocks out):

Deerhunter - Microcastle from Adam Bruneau on Vimeo.

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