Archive for May, 2008
May 9th, 2008
Here, to get your weekend started on the right note, is a nifty little compilation of the movies of one of my favorite directors, Wes Anderson.
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In related Wes Anderson news, Criterion (the DVD collector’s best friend) announced it will be releasing Anderson’s debut film, BOTTLE ROCKET, later this year (let’s hope it includes his original student-film version). Â And what’s more, it’s going to be part of Criterion’s first wave of Blu-Ray DVDs. Yowza!Â
May 9th, 2008
Josh Brolin had a heck of a year in 2007, with strong performances in AMERICAN GANGSTER, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, GRINDHOUSE and IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH. But have you seen what he has planned for 2009?
 
Yes, that’s Brolin as none other than our president. Brolin has the title role in Oliver Stone’s new movie, W, which also stars Elizabeth Banks as Laura. I’d say in Brolin’s case, the resemblance is pretty strong, though Banks looks a little young to play Laura. (She’s 27 years younger than the real First Lady.)
What do you think? With Oliver Stone behind the camera — his flag-waving 2006 movie WORLD TRADE CENTER aside – anything is possible. Though his output in recent years has been a bit lackluster, I’m a big fan of both JFK and NIXON. Be interesting to see him apply his talents to another U.S. President.
May 8th, 2008
Want to see the first seven minutes of SPEED RACER? Click here.
 Two observations:
1. It looks amazing. Like no other movie I’ve ever seen. Candy-colored, crystal-clear and the closest a live-action movie has ever come to capturing the visual craziness of a cartoon.
2. I’m not sure I could withstand 2 hours and 9 minutes of this — especially considering this is the (comparatively) quiet part.
May 7th, 2008
If you missed your chance to see FIRST BLOOD on the big screen back in 1982 and have been kicking yourself for the past 26 years, I have good news. The movie that introduced the world to John Rambo will be back in theaters next week. Here’s what the press release says…
“On Thursday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m. local time, Sylvester Stallone explodes back into more than 430 movie theaters nationwide as John Rambo in a one night special event presentation of the original FIRST BLOOD– fully digitally remastered and in high-definition”
But wait — there’s more!
“After the movie, fans will also experience the alternate ending that could have changed Rambo’s theatrical history forever presented for the first time in movie theaters.”
In case you’re busy at 7:30 on May 15, here’s that ending:
Shocking, eh? On the plus side, no RAMBO III. On the negative side, no RAMBO, which is by all accounts a crazy, violent, waaaaaay over-the-top return to form for the franchise. It also hits DVD May 27, and is the reason for this whole promotional FIRST BLOOD-back-in-theaters event.
Even if you know the ending, FIRST BLOOD is a real thriller, tense and tight in the way later Rambo movies were not. Stallone seems to be playing a real character instead of a cartoon, and though the stunts are unbelievable, they’re not too unbelievable. The press release says it will screen at ShowPlace 16, so if you can make it to the theater, it’s probably worth the trip. This is a heck of a movie to see with a crowd.
May 5th, 2008
IRON MAN earned a whopping $104 million domestically in its opening weekend (and it was a real weekend, not one of those artifically stretched out holiday weekends, either). If you count the foreign bucks, the Marvel Comics movie snagged $201 million dollars, Euros, yen and other bits of cash. In other words, it can be considered a success.
The critics seemed to like it too, praising Robert Downey Jr.’s performance (like the character of Iron Man, he’s had a few well-publicized substance-abuse issues, too) and Jon Favreau’s direction (hard to believe he was the shy schmuck from Swingers).
 I didn’t get a chance to see it this weekend, with child and lawn care taking top priority. But I’m sure some of you did. So…what did you think?
May 2nd, 2008
It’s almost the weekend, so here’s a little You Tube clip to kick things off. It’s director Spike Jonze’s Nike ad that ran right around Jan. 1, 2000. Remember? Everyone was worried about a little thing called Y2k?
 The giraffe, by the way, is a brilliant touch.
May 1st, 2008
Right here.
 So what do you think? Strong cast, lots of action, pretty decent computer effects. One thing they don’t show is the reported cameo by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark (aka Iron Man’s alter ego). That short scene hints that Marvel wants to create a shared universe in its movies just like in its comic books. Maybe that’ll pave the way for the long-rumored AVENGERS film one of these years.
It’s a great time to be a comic book geek, isn’t it?
