Archive for May, 2008
May 30th, 2008
It’s been a tough week for movie fans, with both Sydney Pollack and Harvey Korman shuffling off to the great beyond, so here’s a fun, fascinating montage of movie clips to end things on a happier note. It comes courtesy of the Cinema Styles blog, and expertly edits clips from dozens (hundreds?) of movies to “Complex City,” a piece of music composed and conducted by Oliver Nelson. There’s no sound from the movies themselves, but you don’t miss it. “Complex City” both ties all those frames together and carries them along to a thrilling conclusion.
 The variety of movies is pretty amazing, too, with everything from ALIEN to TOUCH OF EVIL to A CHRISTMAS STORY to THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC to JAWS to THE BIG LEBOWSKI included, and believe me, that’s barely scraping the surface. See how many you can spot.
Set aside six and a half minutes, turn up your speakers and enjoy…
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May 30th, 2008
Continuing in the vein of acclaimed directors making music videos, here’s Spike Jonzes’ take on Bjork’s cover of the old hit song, “It’s Oh So Quiet.” He brings a cheery, energetic old musical feel to the clip, and paces it really well — the contrast between the slower, more downbeat choruses and the burst-of-enthusiasm chorus is a lot of fun. Plus, I’m a sucker for moments when dancers run up walls, like Bjork (or a stuntperson?) does at the 2:38 mark.
Enjoy. This one’s a blast.
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May 30th, 2008
Harvey Korman starred on THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW, provided the voice of the Great Gazoo on THE FLINTSTONES and played multiple roles on the legendarily awful STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL. But if you ask me, his greatest role was the deliciously eeeeeevil land snatcher (”Land” — see “snatch”) Hedy Lamarr (That’s Hedley!) in Mel Brooks’ classic comedy BLAZING SADDLES. There’s a ton of funny stuff in that 1974 movie, but Hedley is arguably the funniest part.
Here’s his memorable speech to the troops. Too bad he never got that almost certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He deserved it.
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May 29th, 2008
Here’s a short clip of Sydney Pollack playing an orderly (and former oncologist and convicted murderer) on an episode of THE SOPRANOS. He and Vincent Curatola (as Johnny “Sack” Sacramoni) manage to generate a nice chemisty in their few minutes together. My favorite part is when Pollack is casually describing how he killed his wife, her aunt and the mailman and says, “At that point, I had to fully commit.”
 The language gets a tad salty, but hey, it was THE SOPRANOS. Consider yourself warned.
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May 27th, 2008
Sydney Pollack, who died Monday of cancer, had a long and distinguished career as a director, winning and Oscar for TOOTSIE and helming such memorable films as OUT OF AFRICA, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR and THE WAY WE WERE.
But I’ll always remember him for his onscreen appearances — Dustin Hoffman’s exasperated agent in TOOTSIE, Woody Allen’s divorced buddy in HUSBANDS AND WIVES and numerous performances as rich, calculating, vaguely evil (but believably threatening) guys in movies like MICHAEL CLAYTON, CHANGING LANES and, my personal favorite, EYES WIDE SHUT.
In that movie, the final one directed by Stanley Kubrick, Pollack played Victor Ziegler, Tom Cruise’s rich buddy who knows what’s going on with the secret sex club, multiple dead bodies and escape from doom Cruise has experienced the last couple of days. The movie’s last big scene, where Pollack lays it all out for a stunned, scared Cruise, is the most gripping scene in the movie, thanks mostly to Pollack’s low-key, ominous performance. In real life, he was apparently a nice guy, refreshing free of Hollywood ego and duplicity.
But in this scene, he’s anything but — and that’s what you call acting.
May 23rd, 2008
David Fincher has made some of the most visually striking, thematically imaginative movies of the last 20 years, and his latest looks like a fitting follow-up to 2007’s brilliant ZODIAC — though it’s also completely different.
Based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON focuses on a guy who ages in reverse, following him from his beginnings around World War I to his end in the present. It stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, and here’s the trailer. It’s in Spanish, but don’t worry — the visuals tell the story.
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It’s due just before Christmas, and personally, I can’t wait.
UPDATE: Sorry, folks, but it looks like this video has been removed from You Tube. When a more permanent version (maybe even one in English) surfaces, I’ll link to it.
May 22nd, 2008
Be sure to check Friday’s GO section for my Video Vault column, which makes the move this week from the Sunday Life&Style section. It’s been appearing there for a long time (in fact, in one form or another, I’ve been reviewing videos in the Sunday Register Star since 1994), but starting tomorrow, I jump to Fridays.
 Otherwise, it’s the same short focus on a movie from the past, either recent or distant. This week, for example, I’m discussing the 1939 classic GUNGA DIN, which was an obvious inspiration for the Indiana Jones movies.
The longer Movie Man column remains in its Tuesday home. Next review? The great, almost completely ignored Stephen King adaptation, THE MIST.
And, of course, both columns will be available online at go.rrstar.com
May 22nd, 2008
Before watching IRON MAN, I was forced to sit through the trailer for Mike Myer’s upcoming atrocity, THE LOVE GURU, which looks like it might have the distinction of being the worst movie ever made not starring a Wayans.
But the lack of laughs isn’t the only problem, here. There’s also the nagging issue of (near) eternal damnation.
The Web site Defamer.com reports that besides being blasted by spiritual leaders all over the world, the movie could, literally, send Myers and company to Hell. And not just development hell, either.Â
Defamer quotes Sean Clarke, editor of the Spiritual Science Research Foundation as saying “based on an afterlife demerit point system, those involved with making the movie can anticipate residence in the second region of hell for 1,000 years.”
Don’t think Mike and his co-stars are the only ones in for centuries of fiery torment. You, the ticket buyer, could be in trouble as well. Defamer continues:Â ”Watching it for entertainment would carry its share of consequences, too.”
Of course, after watching THE LOVE GURU, you’ve already spent about two hours in hell. Does that count as time served?
May 21st, 2008
After 19 years, Indiana Jones returns to movie screens at midnight. If you see it, swing by this post and share your thoughts.
 And please, if you’re posting any spoilers, warn us ahead of time, OK? Thanks!
May 19th, 2008
I was on vacation last week, which explains the lack of postings on this blog (I’m lazy, but I’m not that lazy), but while I was away from the office (and, more importantly, while my daughter was away at her grandparents’), my wife and I finally managed to see a real movie in a real theater. And what cinematic masterpiece did we choose?
IRON MAN, of course. That’s clearly one to catch on the big screen.
Like the critics say, it’s a great comic book film. Full of the sort of wise-ass attitude and over-the-top action that makes a movie about a guy in a metal suit worth the eight bucks. What’s unusual — especially for a comic book film which, let’s be honest, are not usually known for their acting — is how crucial Robert Downey Jr. was to the movie’s success. Another actor might’ve made this a movie about Iron Man, but Downey’s performance — funny, edgy and sincere — made it about Tony Stark, the man inside the suit. The effects are solid — CGI has really come a long way in the past couple of years — but what anchors the film is Downey. Thankfully, he’s signed up for the inevitable sequels. Right now, any IRON MAN movie would be unthinkable without him.
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