How does it play? One cut per beat, that's how.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
'Green Lantern' Featurette
Not looking that great. Doesn't grab me. Comments have just a hint of concern.
Telluride gets a Poster
That's pretty happy. And it says 'Show' on the hat. It's all about happiness and show.
By Maira Kalman. From ToH!
Tree of Life Review
Richard Brody reviews what is perhaps one of the most difficult movies to write about, 'The Tree of Life'. Here's a clip:
The movie is filled with inequities of all sorts—racial, economic, gender-based, generational—but not with redress or with specific policy proposals. Rather, it seeks the essence of the American ideal, suggests that it is a sort of peculiarly science-based spiritual subjectivity—a kind of inner freedom that is derived from outer freedom—and asks whether the sophisticated modern society that results from it also menaces it. Among other things, “The Tree of Life” depicts the tension between nature and technology and, for that matter, between the more raw and wild aspects of human nature and their cultivation, sublimation, and restraint.
Whew. Brad looks confused. Can't wait to see it.
Meditative Poetic Trailers for 'General Orders No. 9'
This is from a year ago:
The latest cut:
The uncompromising poster:
Apple is running a hi-def version of the new trailer
The latest cut:
The uncompromising poster:
Apple is running a hi-def version of the new trailer
Monday, May 30, 2011
VLT -- Very Large Telescope
Shot at the VLT in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Most of these timelapse videos have a thrown together feel. This one is tightly edited with nice use of music. Technically a cut above.
Words fail. I'll just go with 'beautiful'.
Recommend 720p (control appears on lower right corner of player after you click play)
Words fail. I'll just go with 'beautiful'.
Recommend 720p (control appears on lower right corner of player after you click play)
'The Perfect Host' Featurette
Haven't liked trailers. Posters have been so-so. This featurette is pretty good.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Pixelschatten - OUR LIFE IS ONLINE
Okay. Don't really know what this is or if it's worth watching, but have watched a couple minutes and it's not bad.
Reason I'm posting it? Simply: it's available in its entirety through today, Sunday, May 29th only. So, this would be just about your last chance to see it in this venue. Later, it might cost a lot, or not be available at all. So, you see, posting it now makes sense. Watching it now makes sense too...in the most literal logical way.
Reason I'm posting it? Simply: it's available in its entirety through today, Sunday, May 29th only. So, this would be just about your last chance to see it in this venue. Later, it might cost a lot, or not be available at all. So, you see, posting it now makes sense. Watching it now makes sense too...in the most literal logical way.
Sean Young Looks Back at the Making of Dune. Total Must-See
Wonderful film/featurette. Just fantastic.
Wish things had gone different. Sean Young was the goods. Her YouTube user name is msy: Pariah. Says it all. Too bad.
But, enough of that. Check out this footage. Thank god for stuff like this. I couldn't take it if we didn't have stuff like this. Thank you Ms. Young
Wish things had gone different. Sean Young was the goods. Her YouTube user name is msy: Pariah. Says it all. Too bad.
But, enough of that. Check out this footage. Thank god for stuff like this. I couldn't take it if we didn't have stuff like this. Thank you Ms. Young
Trailer for 'Venus Noire' (Black Venus)
Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, the film is described as brutal, unrelenting.
Here's a bit from the Seattle International Film Festival:
A must for those who love films about the forgotten corners of history, director Abdellatif Kechiche relates the intriguing story of Saartjie Baartman, the Khoikoi tribeswoman (admirably played by newcomer Yahima Torres) from southern Africa who was dragged around Europe in the early 19th century as a freakshow exhibit. Known as the “Hottentot Venus,” for her outsize features, she was a source of widespread fascination, leading to constant humiliation as she was made to perform like a circus dancing bear and poked, prodded, and gaped at by all.
And a clip from the Seattle weekly The Stranger:
The black woman is on all fours. She growls like a wild animal at the white audience in a Paris salon.
...
A white man/master holds the leash on her. She pulls on the leash and threatens a white woman with her teeth, and the white woman screams in fear. A dashing and fearless white man approaches the black beast, assumes control of the leash, straddles her, and repeatedly, powerfully, heroically slaps her big buttocks. He tames the African animal.
Plays at SIFF (Egyptian Theater) tonight, 8:30.
Here's a bit from the Seattle International Film Festival:
A must for those who love films about the forgotten corners of history, director Abdellatif Kechiche relates the intriguing story of Saartjie Baartman, the Khoikoi tribeswoman (admirably played by newcomer Yahima Torres) from southern Africa who was dragged around Europe in the early 19th century as a freakshow exhibit. Known as the “Hottentot Venus,” for her outsize features, she was a source of widespread fascination, leading to constant humiliation as she was made to perform like a circus dancing bear and poked, prodded, and gaped at by all.
And a clip from the Seattle weekly The Stranger:
The black woman is on all fours. She growls like a wild animal at the white audience in a Paris salon.
...
A white man/master holds the leash on her. She pulls on the leash and threatens a white woman with her teeth, and the white woman screams in fear. A dashing and fearless white man approaches the black beast, assumes control of the leash, straddles her, and repeatedly, powerfully, heroically slaps her big buttocks. He tames the African animal.
Plays at SIFF (Egyptian Theater) tonight, 8:30.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
'Jig' Trailer and Poster
You know it's good when you watch a few seconds, think 'this is going nowhere', hover over the kill button, then, next thing you know the trailer has ended, you feel you know the people involved, and wonder what happens next.
Then you watch it again. That's when you know it's good.
Then you watch it again. That's when you know it's good.
Friday, May 27, 2011
'Bait 3D' Trailer and Featurette
We just got the trailer for 'Shark Night 3D'. Looks okay, but for innovation and B-movie camp factor 'Bait 3D' looks better. Even like the title more.
Here's a trailer
Here's a making of featurette
And here's a set visit
Here's a trailer
Here's a making of featurette
And here's a set visit
Trailer for '50/50'
'50/50' with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston.
Apple has the exclusive trailer. Funny intro by Rogen, writer Will Reiser, and producer Evan Goldberg.
Looks good. Should score.
More 3D Discussion by Michael Bay and James Cameron
In the last few days we've gotten video of James Cameron and Michael Bay discussing the pros and cons of working in 3D. Now, we get more from THR which wasn't included. Here's a clip:
Michael Bay: Years ago, Jeffrey Katzenberg called me and he says, "You gotta do 3D; I need directors like you to do 3D so we can get it going in the theaters ..." and I'm like, "Thank you, Jeffrey, no." Then I visited Cameron, whom I met on the set of Titanic when I was young. I was shooting Transformers, and he invited me to the set of Avatar. I walk in, and it's like Mission Control with all the cables and the men and women -- more hard drives than you can even imagine. And I'm like, "Oh, this is so not me." And Jim was very polite. He stopped his shoot for about an hour, and he showed me around. You know, I'm kind of old-school. I like good old-fashioned anamorphic lenses, Panavision cameras, 35-millimeter film, where you can touch it, feel it -- and 3D is not that. It's all ones and zeros. (1) And Jim comes up to me, he goes, "God, WETA has some great algorithms!" And I'm smiling, "What the f-- is he talking about?" Then the studio asks me to do 3D for this one. And after a lot of investigating, the last call I made was to Jim. He said: "You gotta look at it as a toy. It's another fine tool to help get emotion and character and create an experience." And I'm always trying to create a great summer experience for the moviegoer.
Apparently, THR is going to run the entire transcript, and hopefully the full video. In the meantime you can read what's available at Bay's site.
Kathryn Bolkovac Steps Up
Rachel Weisz and Kathryn Bolkovac.
This story is almost too good. It's like some fantasy a screenwriter whipped up. Kathryn Bolkovac, a cop from Nebraska, gets this gig through an outfit called DynCorp to go to Bosnia and train local police officers. Once there she discovers that U.N. personnel are involved in sex trafficking of young girls.
Here's an excerpt from Bolkovac's interview with Diane Rehm (audio):
Kathryn Bolkovac: I took the local police officer who was with me and we started walking the premises and eventually found the staircase on the side of the building, which went to the second floor on the outside with a locked door at the top. And wound up breaking that door in and finding seven young women there who were huddled together on bare mattresses on the floor. Condoms strung over the garbage can, plastic bags of their street clothes and working clothes, just terrified. Beaten and terrified.
Diane Rehm: How old would they have been?
KB: Yeah, they were teenagers. There's no real way of telling their real ages, other than their passports, but they were teenagers, 15 to 20-year-olds. So at that point in time, we transported them out of there. I had additional units come to transport the women and separate them, trying to keep them separate.
When she brought this activity to DynCorp's attention she was threatened and summarily fired.
Bolkovac successfully sued DynCorp for unfair dismissal. Many of the people that were involved in trafficking resigned, but none were prosecuted.
The movie, based on Bolkovac's book 'The Whistleblower' stars Rachel Weisz (as Bolkovac), Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave, and David Strathairn.
Here's a trailer
Must See Trailer for 'Juan'
Based on Mozart's Don Giovanni
Clip from Variety's review:
"Juan" may upset opera purists who prefer their favorites staged with no jarring alterations to the basic material. But this raunchy, modernized "Don Giovanni" -- music intact, but libretto and action profanely updated -- will strike the more open-minded as a bold but satisfying interpretation channeling what Mozart and Da Ponte might have created today, with free access to explicit sexuality and language.
Clip from Variety's review:
"Juan" may upset opera purists who prefer their favorites staged with no jarring alterations to the basic material. But this raunchy, modernized "Don Giovanni" -- music intact, but libretto and action profanely updated -- will strike the more open-minded as a bold but satisfying interpretation channeling what Mozart and Da Ponte might have created today, with free access to explicit sexuality and language.
'One Way Trip 3D'
Don't usually go for this kind of product, but this one has a spine. There's something about it.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Some Background on Bradley Cooper
In the interview on Fresh Air (below) they talk about Cooper's drama studies at The Actors Studio and early auditions. It's pretty good listening.
There's mention of Cooper's emotional reunion with James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio. I got curious so searched for video. If you haven't seen it, yes, it's very emotional, very good.
Found this which is fun. Cooper, when he was a second year drama student, asking Sean Penn about his role in 'Hurlyburly'. (In the first segment above, Lipton mentions that he had told Cooper's parents he would go all the way and be a success in Hollywood. In this clip you can tell -- Cooper had focus, what it takes -- it's just so clear this guy is headed for a successful career).
There's mention of Cooper's emotional reunion with James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio. I got curious so searched for video. If you haven't seen it, yes, it's very emotional, very good.
Found this which is fun. Cooper, when he was a second year drama student, asking Sean Penn about his role in 'Hurlyburly'. (In the first segment above, Lipton mentions that he had told Cooper's parents he would go all the way and be a success in Hollywood. In this clip you can tell -- Cooper had focus, what it takes -- it's just so clear this guy is headed for a successful career).
Mock Up Announcement Poster for 'Solo'
Directed by and starring Antonio Banderas. IMDb lists the project as in pre-production so promo materials are rolling out very early.
Works well. Loaded with potential. Perfect composition. Conveys a sense of deeply conflicted character. This could be good.
Works well. Loaded with potential. Perfect composition. Conveys a sense of deeply conflicted character. This could be good.
JJ Abrams 'Are You Ready?'
A clip from Frank Bruni's 7-page story on JJ Abrams:
During his 20s Abrams churned out and sold script after script, with his credits including “Gone Fishin’,” a throwaway buddy comedy, and “Armageddon,” a formulaic disaster behemoth. He did some rewrites for “Casper,” impressing one of its producers, Spielberg, who remembered his name. There wasn’t a genre in which he didn’t show fluency. But there also wasn’t a project that he simultaneously felt a deep connection to and had real control over.
______________________________________
The Santa Monica building that houses Abrams’s production company, Bad Robot, is a literal, physical reflection of his sensibility. The big sign on the outside doesn’t say Bad Robot but instead National Typewriter Co., and that’s not because the building used to house such an enterprise. It’s because Abrams likes typewriters — and misdirection. Near the doorbell, which is a glowing green light, a smaller sign asks, “Are you ready?”
Abrams’s personal suite of offices is on the second floor, and the befuddlements persist there. A green phone with no dial face or digits to press connects him directly to his wife’s BlackBerry. To get to his bathroom, you have to walk up to a wall of bookshelves beside his desk and tug on a copy of “Louis Tannen’s Catalog of Magic” (named for the same Manhattan magic shop, still around today, where he got his childhood mystery box). Abracadabra: the wall opens. The toilet is revealed.
Pretty nice write up.
(Extended) Michael Bay and James Cameron Discuss 3D Tech
A few days ago a video of Bay and Cameron talking 3D tech went up. Now, an extended cut is available. You can watch here or over at Bay's site.
Michael Bay & James Cameron Talk 3D (Extended) from Michael Bay Dot Com on Vimeo.
Ashton Kutcher on Speculative Investing
NYT profiles Kutcher's approach to investing:
His firm’s latest and largest investment, to be announced Thursday, is in Airbnb, a start-up company in San Francisco that matches budget-conscious travelers with local people who are willing to rent out their spare bedrooms.
Airbnb has more than 60,000 listings, from seaside apartments in Barcelona to houseboats in the Bay Area. It charges a fee for each reservation and says its users have booked more than a million nights through its service.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
'Hangover 2' Hitting All The Same Notes
Seems Todd Phillips is re-applying the winning formula from 'The Hangover'. Well, if it ain't broke...
Here are snippets from reviews.
Ian Buckwalter at NPR:
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That's the approach director Todd Phillips takes in the follow-up to his hit morning-after comedy The Hangover, moving the story halfway around the world to Thailand but otherwise employing the same formula that earned the first film nearly a half-billion dollars. A surprisingly exact replica of that formula, in fact — making The Hangover: Part II feel less a sequel and more like a remake. The result is a cinematic illustration of the law of diminishing returns, in which more money, more exotic locales, more crazy situations and more Mike Tyson all fuel a familiar carnival of abasement. And as at any carnival, the rides just aren't as much fun on the second go-round.
Eric Hynes at Village Voice:
Most sequels are born of good box office rather than good ideas—if you build it and they come, you simply must build another one—but it’s hard to imagine a more calculating, creatively bankrupt piece of real estate than The Hangover Part II. Trade out Las Vegas for Bangkok, a tiger for a monkey, a lactating hooker for a trannie stripper, a missing tooth for a face tattoo, and you’ve got Todd Phillips’s rote, dispiriting replica of his own surprise smash hit.
Matt Goldberg at Collider:
It’s ironic that The Hangover Part II bases so many of its jokes on shock value and yet clings so dearly to the exact same formula of the original, right down to the plot beats and character actions.
Sean P. Means, Salt Lake Tribune:
I’ve got a great idea for "The Hangover, Part III": Show director Todd Phillips counting the audience’s money and laughing for 100 minutes.
That’s perhaps the only way Phillips and his crew could show more contempt for their audience than they do by making "The Hangover, Part II," which repeats the formula of the 2009 predecessor almost exactly.
Randy Myers:
As inspired as an IRS tax form, the disappointing "The Hangover Part II" exists merely to punch in the same comic numbers as its predecessor.
Moira MacDonald:
"It happened again," says one of the guys from the "Hangover" trio — Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) — in funereal tones, at the start of "The Hangover Part II." He's not kidding; basically "The Hangover" just happened again: same cast, same plot, same jokes, same guy accidentally having sex with a prostitute, same random appearance of Mike Tyson. Squint, just to make Bangkok blur into Las Vegas, and it's the same movie, just a worn-out, jet-lagged version.
And, my favorite, Manohla Dargis:
If you superimposed a diagram that mapped out all the narrative beats, characters and jokes in “The Hangover Part II” over one for “The Hangover,” the two would align almost perfectly.
Clips from 'The Ledge'
Love the juxtaposition of standard issue love scene music playing while the husband listens, tormented, outside the door. There's a little creep factor while he walks down the hall, but once he gets there, it's pure love scene background music. Funny:
Natural Raunchiness in 'Bridesmaids'
Just listened to Paul Feig with Elvis Mitchell on The Treatment.
Feig says that, to him, one of the most important things in comedy is that characters come off real, that they're something the audience, real people, can connect with. Looks like he succeeded with 'Bridesmaids'. It has a flow. Like these are everyday people who just happen to be in a movie.
Like this scene:
Rings true. You know these two people are friends.
Even when the setup is conventional the energy works. It's not like a line-reading.
When I first saw this I braced myself for that point when the schtick would get uncomfortable to watch. It didn't happen. It never became schtick. Rose Byrne stays sincere, real, the whole time, and because of that it's funny. You feel for her. She's so determined, and a little sad and lonely. It's touching and comic.
But, the flick isn't a touchy-feely exploration of friendships (between women). It gets pretty raunchy, as gross as anything from the Apatow boy's club. (If anything, more so).
'Bridesmaids' doesn't pull punches like a by-the-numbers girly comedy (I won't offer any titles but there's a non-stop parade. They're sterile, predictable, safe, with fakey cutesy scenes that nobody can get invested in without feeling like an ass, and they fail again and again).
This scene would usually have that vaudeville feel -- as if each joke is followed by an unheard ba-dum ching drum shot:
Plays great. Just rolls. Sick funny, but also real and natural. I can't think of another recent comedy that features women in central roles that goes there, pulls that off.
Audiences have responded. There's good buzz. 'Bridesmaids' may have legs.
I put this up earlier today, but it fits here, so I'll post it again:
Feig says that, to him, one of the most important things in comedy is that characters come off real, that they're something the audience, real people, can connect with. Looks like he succeeded with 'Bridesmaids'. It has a flow. Like these are everyday people who just happen to be in a movie.
Like this scene:
Rings true. You know these two people are friends.
Even when the setup is conventional the energy works. It's not like a line-reading.
When I first saw this I braced myself for that point when the schtick would get uncomfortable to watch. It didn't happen. It never became schtick. Rose Byrne stays sincere, real, the whole time, and because of that it's funny. You feel for her. She's so determined, and a little sad and lonely. It's touching and comic.
But, the flick isn't a touchy-feely exploration of friendships (between women). It gets pretty raunchy, as gross as anything from the Apatow boy's club. (If anything, more so).
'Bridesmaids' doesn't pull punches like a by-the-numbers girly comedy (I won't offer any titles but there's a non-stop parade. They're sterile, predictable, safe, with fakey cutesy scenes that nobody can get invested in without feeling like an ass, and they fail again and again).
This scene would usually have that vaudeville feel -- as if each joke is followed by an unheard ba-dum ching drum shot:
Plays great. Just rolls. Sick funny, but also real and natural. I can't think of another recent comedy that features women in central roles that goes there, pulls that off.
Audiences have responded. There's good buzz. 'Bridesmaids' may have legs.
I put this up earlier today, but it fits here, so I'll post it again:
Bridesmaids Outtakes - watch more funny videos
New Poster for 'Colombiana'
Sorry, I like the first one better. New poster looks like a test. Don't think it works. (Well, more to the point, it's a disaster).
Stay conventional. Movies with female protagonists, especially action movies, have a hard enough time drawing an audience. Don't reinvent the wheel on the marketing for 'Colombiana'. Zoe Saldana deserves better.
Keep the one sheets gritty and tough and forget the floral overlays.
All it Takes is a Good Director
Alexander Payne could direct the phone book and sell tickets. 'The Descendants'. Great trailer. Payne crafts every interaction.
'Bridesmaids' Outtakes
Funniest thing you're likely to see for a week to ten days.
Bridesmaids Outtakes - watch more funny videos
Clip from 'Shadows and Lies'
Trailers have left me cold but this clip is okay (even though it's pretty damn chilly).
With James Franco and Julianne Nicholson. Getting the feeling this won't see a theatrical release.
With James Franco and Julianne Nicholson. Getting the feeling this won't see a theatrical release.
Shadows & Lies - Anne - Metacafe Exclusive. Watch more top selected videos about: Shadows &, Metacafe Exclusive
Redacted Trailer and Poster for '!Women Art Revolution'
Apple is running a trailer for Lynn Hershman Leeson's doc '!Women Art Revolution' about the struggle of female artists, aka "A subculture that was no longer content with remaining a footnote", who seek 'to become an implicit part of the cultural narrative'. That is, the fight against censorship, the battle to have one's voice heard.
It's a good trailer, doc should be worth a look. But, someone at Apple decided to black out certain imagery in the trailer. They did the same in the poster. I know -- there are rules. It's mass media, after all. However, the contradiction is a bit cute. And a bit ridiculous.
I wonder what Leeson thinks of the promotional effort.
Check out the trailer if you haven't seen it. Here's the adjusted poster.
It's a good trailer, doc should be worth a look. But, someone at Apple decided to black out certain imagery in the trailer. They did the same in the poster. I know -- there are rules. It's mass media, after all. However, the contradiction is a bit cute. And a bit ridiculous.
I wonder what Leeson thinks of the promotional effort.
Check out the trailer if you haven't seen it. Here's the adjusted poster.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
'Half'
Good story, good execution, technique to burn, fun to watch. Not often you see it done this well in a short film.
Poster for 'The Descendants'
Like the clip that rolled out a couple weeks ago, poster is disarming and has a flow, a natural feel. Really, this composition should fail but somebody treated it just so -- it works.
Subtext is there -- middle-aged man wearing wedding ring looking at two young girls on the beach, smile on his face. Story should have some weight, good character arc.
With Alexander Payne at the helm expect a subdued but persistent sense of pace. He has a way with quiet character-driven material. Loved the way he handled the fragile narrative in 'Sideways'. His stamp, as producer, is unmistakable in 'King of California'.
George Clooney looks to be maintaining career inertia effortlessly.
'A Little Help' Trailer(s) and Poster
Here's the American indie cut:
Here's the super fun and smart Euro cut:
Here's the super fun and smart Euro cut:
'Take Shelter' Trailer
Have been waiting for this
Great trailer. Reminds me of why I love the movies.
Michael Shannon brings this character to life nicely. Jeff Nichols is a director to watch.
Here's a clip, intro by Nichols from Sundance, and some observations.
Great trailer. Reminds me of why I love the movies.
Michael Shannon brings this character to life nicely. Jeff Nichols is a director to watch.
Here's a clip, intro by Nichols from Sundance, and some observations.
'Hello. How Are You?' (Buna! Ce faci?)
This has that feel. Like something you'd enjoy on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
'Real Steel' Looked Really Bad, Then Good, Then Really Bad Again
This still was the first we saw from 'Real Steel'.
I thought nobody cared.
1) Has that highly photshopped look. Pastel colors, mismatched contrast characteristics -- the robot has deep blacks and Hugh Jackman is in a fog (that implies heavy smoke or distance) even though both are the same distance from the viewer and should be lit the same, have the same contrast values. Visually confusing, takes you out of the moment. Large area of backlit smoke that serves as a backdrop is tacky. It's there to make the main subjects pop, but comes off very cheap.
2) Faces in background have been defocused. You can tell they were in sharp focus in the original image but, as that would draw attention from the main subjects, they were defocused. Looks cheap.
3) Shadow mismatch. The robot and the man cast shadows in different directions. This happens with multiple lights, but then there should be multiple shadows. There aren't. Each subject casts a single, clearly defined shadow. Incorrect, cheap, looks like shit.
At this point I figured RS would be one to skip.
Then came this trailer.
I was surprised by the quality of the CGI and changed my assessment -- the movie might be something worth watching. It did come off a bit sappy and superficially emotional, though. Whatever, it's for kids, I get that. That's what DreamWorks is all about. That's okay, I don't need to see (well, more precisely, hear) this story again. I just want the eye candy -- I'll listen to some classic rock from the 70s and turn the sound off.
Now we get this teaser poster:
It's nigh on impossible to articulate what's wrong with it, but I'll try:
1) The arm of the robot could not bend a steel cable that much. It would have to weigh, oh, as much as three cars (?) to do that. (It would have to weigh a lot).
2) Just overall cheap looking. Again, pastel, not photo-real. Crowd is very amateurish. Star effect in flashes is very sloppy, overdone, and there are too many.
3) Silly. Has something to do with 2 fingers wrapped around the cable. Looks dumb.
I know it's just a teaser but shouldn't it look better than that? Same thing is going on with the cartoony posters for 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'. What's up with that? Spend $100 million plus on production but pay some guy fifty bucks to do the teaser posters in his spare time?
So, now I'm back to 'nobody cares'. And, there's a sequel scheduled for 2014? Not sure about that. Kids are pretty smart. If RS goes up against something better it'll get its ass handed to it -- and an arm, torso, robot head, linkages and wiring.
1) Has that highly photshopped look. Pastel colors, mismatched contrast characteristics -- the robot has deep blacks and Hugh Jackman is in a fog (that implies heavy smoke or distance) even though both are the same distance from the viewer and should be lit the same, have the same contrast values. Visually confusing, takes you out of the moment. Large area of backlit smoke that serves as a backdrop is tacky. It's there to make the main subjects pop, but comes off very cheap.
2) Faces in background have been defocused. You can tell they were in sharp focus in the original image but, as that would draw attention from the main subjects, they were defocused. Looks cheap.
3) Shadow mismatch. The robot and the man cast shadows in different directions. This happens with multiple lights, but then there should be multiple shadows. There aren't. Each subject casts a single, clearly defined shadow. Incorrect, cheap, looks like shit.
At this point I figured RS would be one to skip.
Then came this trailer.
I was surprised by the quality of the CGI and changed my assessment -- the movie might be something worth watching. It did come off a bit sappy and superficially emotional, though. Whatever, it's for kids, I get that. That's what DreamWorks is all about. That's okay, I don't need to see (well, more precisely, hear) this story again. I just want the eye candy -- I'll listen to some classic rock from the 70s and turn the sound off.
Now we get this teaser poster:
It's nigh on impossible to articulate what's wrong with it, but I'll try:
1) The arm of the robot could not bend a steel cable that much. It would have to weigh, oh, as much as three cars (?) to do that. (It would have to weigh a lot).
2) Just overall cheap looking. Again, pastel, not photo-real. Crowd is very amateurish. Star effect in flashes is very sloppy, overdone, and there are too many.
3) Silly. Has something to do with 2 fingers wrapped around the cable. Looks dumb.
I know it's just a teaser but shouldn't it look better than that? Same thing is going on with the cartoony posters for 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'. What's up with that? Spend $100 million plus on production but pay some guy fifty bucks to do the teaser posters in his spare time?
So, now I'm back to 'nobody cares'. And, there's a sequel scheduled for 2014? Not sure about that. Kids are pretty smart. If RS goes up against something better it'll get its ass handed to it -- and an arm, torso, robot head, linkages and wiring.
Clips from 'Hara Kiri: Death of a Samurai'
Takashi Miike's latest
Trailer for the 1962 original 'Harakiri', directed by Masaki Kobayashi, which is a standout in the genre.
Trailer for the 1962 original 'Harakiri', directed by Masaki Kobayashi, which is a standout in the genre.
What Scares Us?
Here's 'L'appel du Monstre' (The Monster's Calling). Starts simply enough, ends on a subtle note. A nice look at what scares us.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Anne Thompson talks with Ryan Gosling
When the clip (below) hit a couple weeks ago I knew 'Drive' had the potential to soar. Tight, lean, strong forward motion, no wasted energy, totally confident camera.
Ryan Gosling's work is minimalist yet projects depth. He flits from one emotional state to another in a natural, non-technical way. It's as if the camera wasn't there and it catches you off guard.
Movie has a very 70s feel, as many have said. If you haven't seen the clip, take a look:
Anne Thompson interviews Gosling at Cannes. Also tight, lean, with good forward motion. Great insight into the genesis of the flick.
That's one of the best interviews I've seen. Thanks.
Gosling picks his projects judiciously and it pays off (from all accounts -- 'Drive' is getting great reviews). Director Nicolas Winding Refn is one to watch.
Can't wait.
Ryan Gosling's work is minimalist yet projects depth. He flits from one emotional state to another in a natural, non-technical way. It's as if the camera wasn't there and it catches you off guard.
Movie has a very 70s feel, as many have said. If you haven't seen the clip, take a look:
Anne Thompson interviews Gosling at Cannes. Also tight, lean, with good forward motion. Great insight into the genesis of the flick.
That's one of the best interviews I've seen. Thanks.
Gosling picks his projects judiciously and it pays off (from all accounts -- 'Drive' is getting great reviews). Director Nicolas Winding Refn is one to watch.
Can't wait.
New Transformers Poster
Friday, May 20, 2011
If You Thought You Were Upset About the von Trier Thing...
This is making the rounds. I saw it on Anne Thompson's blog
'Age of Heroes'
Here's the trailer and interview with Sean Bean.
Movie is about the elite group 30 Assault Unit created by Ian Fleming, who is also reputed to have developed operations Mincemeat and Goldeneye.
He also cooked up James Bond.
Movie is about the elite group 30 Assault Unit created by Ian Fleming, who is also reputed to have developed operations Mincemeat and Goldeneye.
He also cooked up James Bond.
New Transformers Trailer and Featurette
Here's James Cameron and Michael Bay talking 3D. Some new footage.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
New Cut for 'Last Night' Trailer
Far more effective. There's a core to this story that previous trailers failed to convey. Enjoy.
Here's a clip of Keira Knightley with Charlie Rose
Here's a clip of Keira Knightley with Charlie Rose
Clips from 'Good Neighbors'
I ran a trailer and poster yesterday -- mostly out of inertia. If a creepshow looks like it has potential and decent production value I run it. However, trailer left me feeling movie could go either way. Poster didn't help. Thing is, the tone reminds me of 'Shallow Grave' -- a bit self-aware, smarter than you think, and well-crafted, so I gave my doubts the day off and posted the materials.
Over at Quiet Earth I happened upon this assessment of the trailer, which I have to agree with. Really, can't believe they went there. What do I mean? Won't say. Even typing the words is just so anti-story I can't bring myself to do it, but suffice it to say there's a major spoiler. (But, when you think about it the inclusion of this element may be a reflection of just how confident the director, Jacob Tierney, is. That is, it's one of those things a really smart audience will see coming, or think may be a possibility, so when it happens it'll cheapen the experience, so Tierney beats us to the punch by including it in the trailer).
So, like Marina says, check out the trailer if you want but I urge you to skip it. Instead, watch these clips that I lifted from QE. They're knowing, loaded with craft, creepy, and a lot of fun. This is a movie for film buffs.
goodneighbours1 by blankytwo
goodneighbours2 by blankytwo
goodneighbours3 by blankytwo
Love her stroking the cat's tail and the placement of the guy's hand in last seconds. Very, um, suggestive on a level the viewer would probably not realize in the moment. You'd need to watch again to catch that kind of thing. This is work by a capable director.
Over at Quiet Earth I happened upon this assessment of the trailer, which I have to agree with. Really, can't believe they went there. What do I mean? Won't say. Even typing the words is just so anti-story I can't bring myself to do it, but suffice it to say there's a major spoiler. (But, when you think about it the inclusion of this element may be a reflection of just how confident the director, Jacob Tierney, is. That is, it's one of those things a really smart audience will see coming, or think may be a possibility, so when it happens it'll cheapen the experience, so Tierney beats us to the punch by including it in the trailer).
So, like Marina says, check out the trailer if you want but I urge you to skip it. Instead, watch these clips that I lifted from QE. They're knowing, loaded with craft, creepy, and a lot of fun. This is a movie for film buffs.
goodneighbours1 by blankytwo
goodneighbours2 by blankytwo
goodneighbours3 by blankytwo
Love her stroking the cat's tail and the placement of the guy's hand in last seconds. Very, um, suggestive on a level the viewer would probably not realize in the moment. You'd need to watch again to catch that kind of thing. This is work by a capable director.
'The Hangover Part II' Featurette
You know, when a featurette makes you want to see a movie you thought was a dumbass waste of time and wasn't even planning on watching a few minutes at a time -- over the course of, say, a week -- on disc, that's pretty good.
One thing for sure, the DVD extras will be worth the price even if you don't watch the movie.
I've hated the trailers and think the posters have sucked, but this featurette is fucking funny as hell.
One thing for sure, the DVD extras will be worth the price even if you don't watch the movie.
I've hated the trailers and think the posters have sucked, but this featurette is fucking funny as hell.
Clip of Keira Knightley with Charlie Rose
Talking about her new flick 'Last Night'.
Does she look radiant, or what
Does she look radiant, or what
Way Better Mexican Trailer for 'The Adventures of Tintin'
Much nicer than what we got a couple days ago. Better cut. Better sense of story/character. Better footage. Better dialogue. Better...
Tweaked Poster for 'Point Blank'
Distributor must feel they have a hot property with 'Point Blank'. They spent some money to tweak this poster. And it shows -- it's better than previous one sheets, which used the same image but featured a protagonist without a gun running in a way more boring alley, thus:
Ah, the wonders of digital manipulation (double entendre intended).
trailer
hotter trailer (if you haven't seen this one, check it out) [of course, I suppose you can't tell whether you've seen it just from a link called 'hotter trailer'. that doesn't tell you anything. well, click it, watch a few seconds, and if you recognize it, keep watching anyway, you'll be glad you did. if you don't recognize it, that means you haven't seen it and should definitely keep watching].
Did you watch the (hotter) trailer? Good, huh? See? TOLDJA! (potential [pending] copyright infringement intended)
'Point Blank' (À Bout Portant) is looking fantastic. Pure action, infused with story, inhabited by characters with depth. From Fred Cavayé, who gave us 'Pour Elle' (For Her), remade as 'The Next Three Days' with Russell Crowe, directed by Paul Haggis.
Must see.
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