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Film Freaks

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I hear a buzz...

November 19th 2008 05:50

When November rolls around, there are certain things that I look forward to happening; the changing of the leaves to a tapestry of oranges and reds, the warm Indian summer breezes losing the battle to the crisp Autumn air... and Clint Eastwood releasing his newest film smack dab in what is also known as the Oscar hot spot season. This behavior is a given and quite typical, though I cannot be angered by this, for Eastwood's films always leave some sort of impact, and his latest masterpiece Changeling was no exception. Changeling takes place in 1920's Los Angeles, a nostaligia that is immediately emminent due to the close attention to detail that captured the true essence of the time. From the costumes that were worn to the set design, I immediately felt like I was whisked away to that time and place, and that's only technically speaking. This movie provides layers of goodness for all viewers, much like a burrito, providing a plethora of different tastes that will satisfy everyone. Layer #1. Angelina Jolie. Jolie plays a a dedicated and hard working single mother, who goes through a roller coaster of emotion after discovering her son has been kidnapped. The movie is much more than Jolie's cries of, "Give me back my son..." She steals her performance as a mother in agony, chock full of fabulous moments where her range as an actor is fully displayed. It reminded me of just how good an actor she is, a notion that is often overshadowed due to her humantarian efforts and the fact that she always seems to be a "new mommy." There is never a dull moment, her performance is riveting from start to finish, and can quite possibly the best we have seen from her since her last Academy Award win for Girl, Interupted in the late ninties. Layer #2. John Malkovich. The movies hidden star who steals his performance in his own right, playing an advocate to Jolie's character in getting to the bottom of what really happened. I see a supporting actor nod in his future; his performance strong, providing a more than decent portrayal of the good guy. Layer #3. Superb Directing. There is never a dull moment in this film. The story itself provides layers of hidden truths that keep the audience on their toes. In its nearly 150 minutes in length, it is quite a feat to not allow the story to drag on, causing the audience to loose interest. My eyes were glued to the screen and I never once looked at my watch, a tell tale sign that the director is doing their job. All in all, I give the thumbs up to this film, and though its still early, I still feel it does and will continue to carry its weight through the Oscar season, getting nods for Direction, Lead Actress, Supporting Actor, Costume Design, and yes...even Best Film. The only problem I had with this film, if you want to call it that, is that I found Jolie's tiny frame to be somewhat distracting. She could stand to eat a few Krispie Kremes and put on a few. No one wants to see a skeleton in a dress on Oscar night.

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Posted By: Christine 3 - Category: No Category

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Fame for Anyone

November 3rd 2008 17:23

Anytime I feel I am having low self esteem, low self worth, or feel myself spiraling in a dark hole of self loathing, I try my hardest to pull myself out of it and find different ways to feel better as a person. I was watching a movie starring one of the greatest movie stars of our time, and that is Dwayne Johnson, more commonly known to us as "The Rock," (cue sarcasm here). Within moments, I immediately found my bad mood was lifted, and I was completely baffled by his less than stellar performance in a little number cleverly titled "The Game Plan," only because I couldn't find my remote to change the channel immediately. What a waste. Movies like this make me feel like anyone, and I really mean anyone, can be famous in Hollywood today. All you need is the look, and preferably a catchy slogan, much like "Can you smell what the Rock is cookin'?" Within moments of the film, if you want to call it that, I also realized that anyone could write such a piece of recycled crap and it is instantly green lighted to be made for a Christmas release, starring a once hot, now just irritating wrestler turned actor, generating millions of dollars on opening weekend alone. Am I the only one annoyed by this? This particular movie has The Rock's life turned upside down when he is forced to change his carefree playboy lifestyle into a responsible father figure when an illegitimate child enters his life. I've seen this movie before..."Big Daddy." no..."Raising Helen," ...no, wait..."Jersey Girl." There's three examples without me even thinking about it. These movies are fun to watch in their own right, providing nothing but entertainment with minimal thinking required. It's nice to take a break sometimes... getting lost in the mindless chatter dialogue and the blatently obvious outcomes...*spolier alert* playboy becomes domesticated...big surprise. The appeal to these movie clones rests on the shoulders of the leading role. Kate Hudson made "Raising Helen" cutesy, Adam Sandler made "Big Daddy" witty and fun... and as for "Jersey Girl," Ben Affleck just made that movie annoying, especially since it also starred the then other half to "Bennifer," J. Lo, whose performance, thankfully, was cut down to mere moments due to the untimely break up of Bennifer...what a shame. As for "The Game Plan," The Rock just didn't do it for me, probably because it's hard to take him seriously in any role other than when he's raising his eye brow in his underwear on the ropes of a wrestling ring. Dwayne Johnson...Mr. Rock...stick to what you know, and if you want to make any more movies, stick to fun roles like the one you played in "Be Cool." Now that's The Rock I can like.

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Posted By: Christine 3 - Category: No Category

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Recycled Horror

September 5th 2008 17:51

should have known better. I should have just put the movie down, and picked up something else. I was in the mood to be thrilled, to be scared, to hide my face under the blankets in agony and fear over what was playing on the screen. I went on a wimb, and rented Prom Night, the most recent addition to the sea of remake horror films. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, probably no expectations at all, and nothing is exactly what I got. From start to finish, I found little to be thrilled about, the only fear I had was in my poor judgement, but I did find myself hiding my face under the blankets, as I rolled over on my couch and fell asleep. Remakes, especially when it comes to horror movies, are plaguing the box office, taking what was once a decent concept, and exploiting it with modern day antics, compromising any sort of originality in order to make a quick buck at the box office. Why? Hollywood is becoming lazy, in coming up with new ideas, and would rather recycle past successes instead of trying something new. What happened to the original works like the Scream series? Love it or hate it, I still respect it, because it was new, and original, and scary, what a concept. Remakes with a purpose are okay in moderation. The Ring introduced the movie to a whole other audience, especially for those who didn't want to sit through the work of reading subtitles in the original. Justified remake, and it scared the ba-jesus out of me, its impact lingering on long after I left the theater. I didn't even watch t.v. that night, because I constantly thought I saw rings on my television screen. Now that's brilliant. I'm not knocking all remakes. A few slipped through the cracks, providing more than just a cheap thrill. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one that comes to mind that wasn't half bad, though the follow up The Beginning sucked the big one. My advice, put the remakes on the back burner. Come up with something, anything, that's an original, screw with your mind, jump out of your chair, pee your pants scary, perhaps a new serial killer thriller or something. I know its difficult to be completely original, but I honestly respect the ones who try. The Saw series doesn't count. Human torture is not scary, it's just gross.

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Not So Super Heros

September 2nd 2008 20:53

Summertime is a movie buffs wet dream, with each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day jam packed with new releases, all trying to cash in on the summer movie cash cow, and this summer wasn't much different. Every week, a new release, with new buzz and new anticipation, packing theaters with eager movie goers. I have one question though. What is the deal with all the Super Hero movies? It seems like every time I turn my head, I see a new movie trailer promoting the next super hero on the big screen. This summer alone, The Dark Night, Ironman, and an upgrade to the ill fated first attempt of the Hulk were all released this summer, generating huge buzz with sold out showings, ranking in big bucks, and making Burger King and McDonalds duke it out for their take on action hero toys in kids meals. And for what? These movies are all cut from the same cloth. Super human man, with secret super human powers, lives his double life in a big city, explosions, fights crime with one targeted villain, explosions, insert love story, more explosions, villian loses in final showdown, super hero prevails. These stories are all the same, the super hero role is just being substituted, from Batman, to Spiderman, to the Hulk. Now don't get me wrong, the big explosions and special affects these movies provide cannot be beat. They are entertaining to watch, to a certain degree, with each new release bigger and better than the one previous. The one thing all of these films are lacking is, quite simply, originallity. There is at least three super hero movies released every summer. That, paired with the over the top marketing and commericals, makes the super hero brand a bit more like over kill. I guess something may be working, because these movies are still being made, packing theaters and leaving little to no seats available opening weekend. For me, it's not really my cup of tea. All I see is the same story being played out over and over again, causing my mind to wander off during the moments before the final showdown. Aside from the Dark Night. That movie kicked ass.