Archive for November, 2008
November 21st, 2008
I have no idea if anyone reading this blog is in the New York area, but if you are, you might want to stop by Manhattan’s Museum of the Moving Image Saturday night at 7 for this event, where name-dropper extraordinaire Peter Bogdanovich interviews … drumroll please… the legendary Mr. Jerry Lewis.
Tickets are $48 bucks, but I’d pay double that if I were anywhere near Manhattan. I saw Jerry Lewis speak (for free!) three years ago during the Chicago stop of his book tour for DEAN AND ME: A LOVE STORY, and it was one of the most amazing nights of my life. I won’t go into details here except to say that the event was cut short, there were angry protesters in the crowd, and Jerry flew off the handle in a way you almost never see celebrities lose control of their public persona.
I did write an extensive description of the event on my own blog right after it happened (better to capture the craziness of the evening). If you’re interested in the juicy details, you can read all about it here.
November 21st, 2008
NEW YORK TIMES movie critic Manohla Dargis narrates this visual history of vampire movies. I’m glad she mentions Francis Ford Coppola’s BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA. The accents are a tad hinky (Winona? Keanu?) but visually speaking, this movie is a true feast.
 As for TWILIGHT? She says Edward is “a vampire for the girls who love the Jonas Brothers.”
November 19th, 2008
Over at his excellent Some Came Running blog, writer Glenn Kenny discusses the brand new Our Gang boxed set and discovers that the classic comedy shorts — specifically the early ones and, even more specifically, the 1930 short “Pups is Pups” are more than just movies about little kids getting into mischief, they’re surrealist mini-masterpieces fit to sit on the shelf next to the works of David Lynch and Luis Bunuel.
That above shot from “Pups is Pups,” for instance, is the sort of thing Kenny says looks like a landscape from Lynch’s ERASERHEAD — and he’s right. The old Our Gang shorts are full of those sort of moments — plus, they’re darned funny to boot.
Man, I gotta get my hands on that DVD collection. I want my daughter to grow up watching the oddball antics of Depression-era scamps just like her old man did when he was a kid.
Bonus trivia question: Can anyone name the former Little Rascal who actually co-starred in a David Lynch movie?
November 19th, 2008
There’s a strict, studio-imposed embargo on TWILGHT reviews (usually not the best sign), but audience reactions from preview screenings are starting to leak out, thanks to the modern miracle of Twitter. Here, courtesy of Cinematical, is a sample:
“TWILIGHT: cheap looking and often hilarious. DARK SHADOWS at DEGRASSI JR HIGH. With half the budget.”
“Twilight, seen. It wasn’t terrible… Wasn’t great, either. I hate movies that are painfully mediocre. They are worse than bad movies.”
“If you want to hang out with a lot of teenage girls and sexually frustrated middle-aged women, get yourself to a “Twilight” screening!”
The writer of the Cinematical post, Erik Davis, points out that most of these reactions came from men, who are definitely not this movie’s target audience. That means how good — or bad — this movie actually is is anyone’s guess. Two things, however, are certain.
1. It’s going to make a ton of money
2. I’m already sick of it.
November 18th, 2008
Here’s a fun set of Flickr images showing the “THE END” title from a variety of movies, TV shows and cartoons. Can anyone guess which five movies these are from?
 
The last one is probably the toughest, but I’ll just say that the “X” motif in the image plays a part in the film as well (and no, it’s not THE X-MEN). For a bonus point, tell us what the joke is in the Cagney image.
November 18th, 2008
With QUANTUM OF SOLACE setting the record for the biggest Bond opening ever, it seems like a fine time to test one’s knowledge of all things 007. So here’s a quiz from EW.
 And here are a few questions of my own:
 1. Which actor played both a memorable Bond villian and the alien in the classic TWILIGHT ZONE episode, “To Serve Man”?
2. What was the profession of the real James Bond (the one Ian Fleming named the character after)?
3. Who played James Bond’s wife? (Yes, wife.)
4. Which actor played both a Bond villain and had a memorable appearance in THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW?
5. How does Goldfinger’s scheme in the movie differ from his scheme in the book?
November 17th, 2008
The snarkmeisters over at FILM THREAT have released their annual list of “The Frigid 50: The Coldest People in Hollywood,” and lo and behold, there’s a (semi) local name among the usual suspects. Rochelle native Joan Allen clocks in at No. 35 for one movie and one movie only. DEATH RACE.
Here’s what her listing says:
Really, anybody who had anything to do with DEATH RACE deserves to be on the list. Allen on list particularly because – unlike Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson – she’s been nominated for an Oscar three times and SHOULD KNOW BETTER. We understand the economy is not at its best, so she can be forgiven for going for the quick buck, but still… DEATH RACE!?!
I haven’t seen the movie, but I suspect they’re right.
November 17th, 2008
Here’s a simple, striking trailer for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, the upcoming drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Nice use of music, and it definitely has a bit of a (probably unintentional) MAD MEN vibe.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/vOgj2SqMUZo" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Hard to believe it was 11 years ago that those two crazy kids were in TITANIC, isn’t it?
November 14th, 2008
Couple of new trailers for eagerly anticipated 2009 releases have hit the Web. They’re “exclusives,” so I can’t just post ‘em here, but click a link and you’ll be transported to Hogwarts and an alternate Manhattan.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCEÂ – This is the real deal, a full-length trailer that should keep you interested until that countdown clock on the site hits zero.
WATCHMEN — This trailer focuses more on the murder plot of the story, and it looks like it sticks pretty close to the original comic book. (Several shots, lines of dialogue, and scenes are taken directly from the comics.) One big difference is the heroes refering to themselves as ”The Watchmen” — the word itself is never actually uttered in the comic, only glimpsed as half-visible graffiti.
One other interesting note: This comic book movie is getting an R rating, and a hard one at that. The box on the trailer says it contains “strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language.” In other words, I smell box office gold. (That nudity, by the way, is probably going to be a giant blue naked guy, just so you know.)Â
November 14th, 2008
In honor of QUANTUM OF SOLACE opening today, here’s a montage of all the Bond “gunbarrel” openings. Should be just the thing to get you in the mood for 007.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/HpDLRkf2CD0" width="250" height="200" wmode="transparent" /]
And here, keeping with the Bond theme, is this week’s VIDEO VAULT, which is devoted to Roger Moore’s double-O debut, LIVE AND LET DIE.
Previous Posts
