01.28.06
Hard Candy Tackles Hard Topics
The title of this post may be a little mis-leading. I have not seen the movie Hard Candy, so I am not 100% sure that this movie does tackle such topics. However, after seeing the trailer (click here) I can only assume that it does so. This was apparently a big hit at Sundance and is about Internet stalking. Alright, so this topic has been covered before, but I never quite bought it. The thing that appeals to me about the trailer for Hard Candy is that it disturbs the hell out of me, and I think any film about Internet whack-jobs needs to be this disturbing in order to open more eyes.
It appears to be the story of a 30-something photographer (Patrick Wilson) that lures a 14-year-old girl (Ellen Page) into meeting up with him and coming back to his place for a little foul play. A few skeletons come out of the closet and madness ensues.
This trailer really holds a lot of appeal and I anticipate its release. Most horror/thrillers are just recycled remakes. It is nice to know that for every When A Stranger Calls that some Sundance wonder with original material of his or her own comes forward with a project like this. Yes, I sat in the theater watching this trailer feeling uncomfortable as I watched an older man creppily lick chocolate icing from a teen girl’s lip. The thing is, pedophilia is a big problem on the Internet so much that Dateline NBC has done God knows how many successful undercover stings. Someone had to make a movie about it instead of sitting in denial, and I am glad director David Slade has done so. I think Hard Candy has the potential to be a great thriller because it focuses on something that is quite sadly happening frequently in real life. So parents….lock up your daughters!
01.24.06
More Brokeback
Even with all of the kudos Bareback Mounting Brokeback Mountain has received, thus far, I still entered the film cautiously. For starters, I’d like to say that I ‘m 100% behind films dealing with gay issues (as Dodd would put it…not a gay joke), however I was concerned that Bareback would receive credit for being a typical Hollywood love story that happened to be about two men.
Boy, was I wrong.
Brokeback Mountain is, in fact, a love story in the great cinematic sense. I’m willing to go out on a limb and compare it to some of the great classic love stories such as Casablanca or Singin’ in the Rain. I also am willing to say that, while what makes this film unique are the same-sex issues and the restrictions they impose on the two main characters, the greatness of this film truly lies in the love story between two people and doesn’t rely on the gay issues to tell the story.
There isn’t a whole lot that can be said about Brokeback Mountain that hasn’t already been said, but allow me to indulge in my own self-importance and imagine for a few moments that my particular take is worthy of your time.
Firstly, there is no aspect of this film which hinders it as a whole. While it is far from a perfect production, all aspects of the film are so expertly handled that I, for one, would have no complaints about it receiving the Best Picture nod at the Oscars.
While not as impressed with his past work as I am with this piece, Ang Lee does a phenomenal job directing. I, generally, tend to favor directors who push the envelope and experiment with the medium, but in this case find Lee’s directing to be the perfect angle for the story at hand. The story alone pushes the envelope with regard to Hollywood-system films and doesn’t need a director to push things any further.
The performances were mind-blowing, not the best this year, but outstanding in the sense that the Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, and Michelle Williams have never performed anywhere near this level, and as well, I find it hard to believe that they will ever reach this point again.
The weakest role lies in that of Anne Hathaway as Gyllenhaal’s wife of 10-20 years. While not a bad performance, Hathaway is unconvincing over the time progression and retains the look of a teenager, while the character should easily have reached her 30’s or 40’s. While not matching with the rest of the film, this was the weakest link on a pretty pristine chain.
Overall, the film is one of the highest quality films Hollywood has tossed out in some time. From the direction and writing to the performances and cinematography, this is one of the most solid films of the year. While it’s questionable how on my top 10 it’ll reach, there’s no doubt it’s a truly promising piece of work.
01.21.06
Back-Breaking Drama at Its Finest
After hearing the hotshot New York/LA critics bragging for months about how astonishing Brokeback Mountain is, I finally had the opportunity to catch a screening in Columbus. Everyone cannot stop raving about this movie, which means my expectations of discovering overrated material have built up. I plopped myself in the theater seat with high expectations and sat through the entire duration of the film. Is it all it is really built up to be? You bet your ass! (Not a gay joke).
Mountain is the story of Jack Twist (Jack Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Delmar and the bond they form while sheep-herding together on….Brokeback Mountain. After a few passionate trysts out in nature, the men return to reality and have to face the pressures of society. Their predicament: the men are emotionally connected. Despite the heterosexual marriages they form in order to abide by societal norms, Jack and Ennis realize that they can only find fulfillment and happiness in one another.
Ang Lee has directed a fine love story. The concensus among critics is that Brokeback is just as legitimate as any well-written romantic drama, and they are absolutely right. Lee does not rely on fast-paced spectacle in telling this story. He takes the time to observe these two men over a long span of time. The strength of their relationship is not strongly expressed through their happy time together, but through the discontent they feel when they are apart.
No other actor stresses this miserable attitude than Heath Ledger as Ennis. Ledger proves his acting skills as an isolated man’s man who can’t find stability in his life. If he goes with Jack, who truly makes him happy, he will live in fear of outlying homophobic forces. While Jack is more willing to leave it all behind to be with the man he loves, Ennis cannot untangle his insecurities. Ledger gets inside this character (once again, not a gay joke) and accurately portrays sadness and heartbreak.
Brokeback Mountain is a critically-accaimed picture that truly is what it is cracked up to be. It took home the trophy for Best Drama at the Golden Globes last week, and I am sure it has a shot at big Oscar. Ledger is a shoe-in for a best Actor nomination, and Michelle Williams (as Ennis’s neglected wife) will surely be acknowledged for her supporting role. For hard-hitting drama, a beautifully-crafted love story, and rich character portrayal, Brokeback Mountain is a wonderful flick and surely makes my Top Ten of 2005.
Grade: A
01.17.06
Golden Globes
I have to admit that the Golden Globes did exceed my expectations this year. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Felicity Huffman taking home the acting awards really impressed me. At least they went indie and acknowledged this year’s truly great performers instead of settling for renowned pretty faces. With Brokeback Mountain taking home the trophy for Best Drama, on top of Huffman and Hoffman as gay-oriented characters this year’s ceremony has been a gay ole time.
I still have to rip on the ceremony for its shameful tastelessness. Two years ago, I remember the show was opened with the song “Hey Yah” from OutKast, with re-written lyrics pertaining to celebrities. Well….two years later it seems the writers have failed to recognize their horrid ideas. This year the same concept was applied to “Don’t You Wish Your Girlfriend Were a Freak Like Me” (this may not be the actual title, but since it doesn’t count as real music, I am not going to stress over it). Somewhere in there, they inserted a line of lyrics referencing Gwyneth’s second pregnancy. Where are the Independent Spirit Awards when you need them?
Anyway, all and all this was a decent ceremony. Despite the awful warm-up, and the desperate nominations (The Producers for Best Picture?), this was not a bad show. If the Globes actually managed to impress, then maybe the Oscars will actually have something nice to offer. I will be there in my tux hanging out with Nicholson in the front row where that sly bastard always sits. See you there!
01.16.06
Golden Brief
I just wanted to drop a brief line congratulating the Golden Globes on a rather respectable year. I normally don’t put much stock in the globes, but this time around I don’t have many complaints. For a complete run-down of the nominees and winners head here.
01.12.06
DVD/Multi-Plex Mania
I really need to thank ‘Mandy’ for this entry idea in her last comment. Entertainment news has really been dwelling on the idea of films being released in theaters and on DVD at the same time. I would like to post Mandy’s comment for those that have not read it:
There was an article in USA Today today that made me think of you guys. The headline is “Movies as you like them, and on the same day!” and discusses Bubble by “Oscar-winning” director Steven Soderbergh. He believes that the current industry cascading model of releasing films, theater–>hotels/airplanes–>home video–>pay cable–>broadcast TV, is outdated. Instead, Soderbergh plans to release his latest movie on DVD (and TV on-demand services) within days of its release in theaters.
Tom Wagner, co-owner of the company financing and releasing Bubble, says, “…consumers…are ready to hear somebody say, ‘The way it is now doesn’t make sense anymore’…The (old) model…certainly doesn’t align with the way peopole want to consume entertainment today.”
How do you feel about “day and date” releases? Will multi-medium releases be maximizing viewers (who, as the media has been reporting lately, are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the movie theatre experience), or do various formats steal from the same audience? Would it kill theatres? Does the current model for releasing need to change?
I could go on for days about this topic, but I won’t. Here is a fraction of what I have to say:
Wow, the simultaneous movie release idea really has me torn. You are right about the demand for entertainment these days. With the Internet, people are becoming more and more accustomed to getting what they want at the snap of a finger. That is partly why pirating is so popular. Convenient services like NetFlix have really made home entertainment a big thing too.
I think if movies are released in theaters and DVD at the same time, it will yield different results. Lately, it seems almost every movie I see in the theater is butchered because people in the theaters really don’t give a rat’s ass about everyone around them. People are going to the movies for the same reason they go to coffee shops: they want to leave the house and do something social. Unfortunately they are oblivious to the whole courtesy thing. People like this will always go to the theater despite availability on home video. They just want a change of setting. As much as I hate to say it, it will be the cinephiles like you and me that will stay home. It would kill me to miss the dark theater experience, but lately I’ve been asking myself what sacrifices I would be willing to make just to hear dialogue and get into the characters.
The upcoming venture should be interesting. I don’t thing Soderbergh’s Bubble will break new grounds. It is anti-mainstream, and the critics seem to hate it. They tried a similar experiment last year with a bad Christmas movie called Noel that was released in theaters and on cable at the same time. I think it will take a big budget monster to truly test the waters on this idea.
01.06.06
Cinematic Parallels
Here is a plot that may sound familiar, especially to cinephiles:
The story begins with a large, notorious family. The patriarch is at the top of the power hierarchy and is successfully running the family business, until he becomes incapacitated by an unfortunate incident. The business is in trouble. One brother is a slightly aggressive hothead incapable of taking responsibility, while another brother is an irresponsible imbecile that assumes the helpless baby position. It is up to the trustworthy brother, Michael, to step forward and save the family business despite originally not wanting to be involved with bailing his family out of their dirty doings.
From where do you recognize this premise? I suppose it depends on if you spend more time watching television or watching film. Is it the Academy Award-winning The Godfather or is it the hit underrated sitcom Arrested Development? I recently heard a film history professor of mine describe the premise of The Godfather. When I heard it, the first thing that popped in my head was Arrested Development. Did anyone else ever dwell on this one?
01.04.06
Bring’n It Like Dunst
Spending time reading over the latest rumors from around the web has got me thinking about the upcoming year. All in all, I found 2005 to be a relatively disappointing year for flicks and I’m about ready to get on with the new shite.
So, what is on everyone’s must-see list for this year? I’ve gotta say Malick’s New World has me almost completely uninterested, something about a legion of foreign actors leading an American folklore flick that doesn’t have me on the edge of my seat. If the buzz is any indication, though, I’m the only person in the country that feels that way.
Once upon a time I had high hopes for All the King’s Men. With the talent of Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, and Mark Ruffalo, I couldn’t imagine how it could go wrong. Apparently something did though as it failed to make the expected end of 2005 deadline. Hopefully, the delays are well-deserved and we’re all served a healthy cinematic platter whenever it gets released.
On the comedy front, I think I’m alone again here but For Your Consideration, the next Eugene Levy/Christopher Guest mockumentary, seems quite promising. I know, I know, we’ve seen it before and we saw it before that too but the addition of The Office (the better one…you know, where they had accents) frontman, Ricky Gervais, is enough to get my ass in the seat.
If there was only one movie I could see this year it would have to be Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain. It’s been six years since Requiem for a Dream convinced filmgoers around the world never to use heroine and I couldn’t be more excited for a follow up. Following Rachel Weisz’s performance in The Constant Gardener and Hugh Jackman’s role in…well. Whatever, Weisz is turning into a phenomenal talent and I hear Jackman can sing pretty well. But did I mention Aronofsky is directing it?!?
Another return this year that excites me in more ways than I can explain is the Wachowskis V for Vendetta. It’s time for the Wachowskis to get back to Bound and their initial Matrix zone and harness the talent and beauty that is Natalie Portman.
So, what’s on your agenda this year? Can’t wait for The Da Vinci Code? Southland Tales? Scary Movie 4? Let us know what we need to see.
RIP Patrick Cranshaw
Source: IMDB
In sad news this week, Patrick Cranshaw died. For those of you that don’t know who Cranshaw is, he made a name for himself in Old School as Blue the old fart college student. I am just seeing tiny little blurbs on sites about his death, but I say this is a bigger deal than 9/11! I mean really! This is the same guy that got initiated by having a rock tied to his nuts, and died a happy death by staring at topless women in a baby pool full of KY Jelly. I declare today National Patrick Cranshaw Day and next year there will be no mail delivered to honor Blue.
01.14.06
DVD/Multi-Plex Mania (cont.)
Posted in DVD, box office, comments, movie news at 8:25 am by Ben
To further the discussion of releasing DVD and in Theaters simultaneously, I think it comes down to two primary aspects: money and the movie going experience.
From a financial point-of-view, releasing a movie in both markets is an experiment worth trying. With the box-office in a steady free fall, the benefits of theater distribution are slowly dissipating. It’s an expensive process…the cost of creating 35mm prints of a film reach in the millions alone and adding in distribution deals with theater chains and promotions easily exceeds the amount many films cost to make in the first place.
Then the film actually reaches theaters and can be made or broken by the audience reaction. Stealth is an excellent example. Sure, it was a bad idea in the first place but this sorry excuse for a film was made on a production budget of $135 million. Once released in theaters it went on to fall out of the box office top 10 within two weeks, earning only $32 million in its entire theatrical run.
When released on video, however, Stealth was a completely different story. In it’s opening weekend on video it debuted at #3 on rental charts, renting over 7million copies in one week alone. Nearly 8 weeks later, it still rents over 1 million copies a week, on average.
Taking into consideration the significantly less expensive process of digitizing film and producing DVD’s, this is a much more financially sound process for studios to undertake.
Now, for the movie going experience. In my opinion, simultaneous release still leaves open the possibility of catching your favorite flick in theaters, which can be both a positive and negative experience. My fear is that if the video release of films proves more financially beneficial for studios than the theatrical release, the studios will release fewer and fewer films in theaters to maximize their gains, after all this is almost strictly a business to them. While I do agree that negative theater experiences are becoming more predominant, a positive theater experience remains one of the most enjoyable escapes available and, all in all, I would hate to be refused the opportunity to see great films in theaters.
Who knows what will actually come of this experiment. We’re all painfully aware of how slow Hollywood is to break out of their conservative and antiquated system, so perhaps this will disappear faster than it ever came about. I guess we’ll have to stick around to find out.
Permalink Leave a Comment