Monday, September 30, 2013

Like An SNL Skit About Something That's Not That Funny That We See All The Time Anyway

'A.C.O.D.' is a pretty bad title. It's a made-up acronym. Yeah, sure, there are (adult) children of divorced parents, however nobody refers to these people as ACODs, and I don't see too many people stepping up to the box office saying, "Two tickets for ACOD, please."

Then, there's the acting. Adam Scott's technique is a throwback, a collection tics and stammering that it's safe to say went out of style some years ago, that really is only seen in SNL skits anymore, if then. He's good at it, well-practiced I believe would be the best assessment, but I don't think anyone will buy into his character or will want to sit through scenes like this for 90 minutes.

Then, there's the situation: This guy decides to marry a girl he's been dating for four months. Who cares? Marry her. Get divorced in five or six years. The situation doesn't come off as 'situational' comedy. It's more like everyday life. I'm sure they mine the situational quirks for all they're worth, but it feels flat.

You know what would make this into a, technically speaking, situational gag? If she didn't speak English, or if she were one of two conjoined twins, or from another planet. Now, that's "Situational".

Okay. I'm not going to be publishing on MoovyBoovy much longer. If you'd like to read the rest of this you can at my new blog

http://101-to-la.blogspot.com/
 

















Thursday, September 19, 2013

My New Blog

If you'd like to keep following me, here's my new blog.

http://101-to-la.blogspot.com/






















Friday, September 13, 2013

Moving To Los Angeles

This is my last post on this blog. I'm moving to 101-to-la, as in highway 101 to LA. (I know, a little corny but...)

I want to write about a variety of stuff and MoovyBoovy has always been strictly about movies. At the new blog I'll cover photography, filmmaking, screenwriting, cooking and wine, short stories and longer form fiction in installments, maybe some gardening, as well as whatever else strikes my fancy.

The change corresponds with a move from Seattle, where I've lived for several years, to Los Angeles. The trip to LA should take a while. I'm in no hurry whatsoever. In fact, I'm prepared to stay on the road for six to eight months. As such, at first, there will be tons of travel related posts and landscape photography. I'll also post video of the trip most days.

Once in LA my movie blogging should take a turn. You'd think living in the center of the motion picture industry would do that. My industry-related write-ups should become more substantial. At least, I hope so.

I see myself doing a lot of travel after settling in so 101tola will remain a travel blog to some extent. I'll be leaving soon. Hope you'll tag along.















New Footage from 'Carrie'

Potentially so good.

















Pretty Much Gotta-Watch Trailer for 'Last Days On Mars'

If Liev Schreiber is in it I'll check it out. Popcorn, lots of butter.



If you liked that, check this out from Space.com posted a couple days ago. Seriously, click play.





















A Little Bit Dumb, A Little Bit Fun

Okay, don't admit it. Just keep telling yourself, "This is too dumb for me. This is too dumb for me."

I love it. They got it right.



















Thursday, September 12, 2013

So, It's A Tie? Or, They Die?





















In Scott Bowles' write up about Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone's new romp 'Grudge Match' director Peter Segal mentions using old footage of both actors training for 'Raging Bull' and 'Rocky'. Cool. That alone would be interesting to see. I'm looking forward.

Segal also mentions shooting multiple endings in order to keep the real ending secret. In one, during the boxing match Stallone's character wins. In another, De Niro's character wins. In a third, they both die.

That's right. Die.

Here's a clip from the link above:







That also appeared in the printed newspaper.

I find it hard to believe either of these actors would agree to have his character die in the end. However, how could one win and the other lose? For comedic value, and seeing how there's not too many other choices, I could see both guys dying in the ring. That would be funny. I can hear them laughing now.

However, at this link it says they tie at the end.








Ties, not dies. Ties. T-ies.

Okay, that's better. How else could you end a movie like this? It has to be a tie, right? De Niro vs. Stallone = tie. Has to be.

But maybe, they both collapse and it looks like they're dead, and the crowd is shocked, then they wake up and realize what's happened and it's really embarrassing and they agree their boxing days are over, shake hands and go have a cup of tea. That would be good. That's what I'd go with. If it were me.

Now that that's settled, on to the really important stuff.

(I'm moving. My new blog is 101-to-la, as in highway 101 to Los Angeles. I'll be double posting here and at the new blog for a while, then retiring MoovyBoovy.)




















The Violence in 'Prisoners'

I agree with Hugh Jackman -- real violence is far more gruesome than the silly operatic fights in action or superhero movies. Still, I don't really believe 'Prisoners' will go there. Maybe, but I doubt it. It's just too ugly.

Jackman mentions a scene with a hammer. Really? This movie will depict someone getting hit with a hammer? There may be intense moments, very focused acting, but when it comes down to it I'm thinking there will be a swing, a scream, then a bloodied face (or hand or whatever).

An angry man of Jackman's size, stressed out, not thinking, filled with repulsion toward Paul Dano's (character), desperate to get information about his missing daughter, could easily destroy someone's face with a single hammer blow.

I do hope they deliver. We see too much prettied-up stagey fights and violence in movies. If a movie is going to go there it should be, in many cases, much more realistic. It's not about gore, it's about taking responsibility. You have to own up to what you depict. Say, "This is real. This is what happens when you hit or shoot someone. They don't just walk away. There are consequences."


















'Star Trek Into Darkness' Title Sequence Making-Of Video

Kinda tech-geeky, but cool.

Star Trek Into Darkness Title Design from Andrew Kramer on Vimeo.

















Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Don't Blink, Don't Breathe, Mesmerizing

Wow. Nice footage. Great edit. Seriously, you don't blink during this.

'Rush' is looking like a classic good time at the movies. People will love this.



























They're Both Likeable. The Counselor and the Other Guy

Yeah, they're bad. They've done bad stuff. I still like them. Good acting/direction -- when you care about the bad guys.

Good writing as well -- Cormac McCarthy wrote the screenplay. But, dialogue comes off busy. Is that just these characters, here, in this scene, nervous and too talky or is the whole script like that? I wonder.

I like the camera here, too. Dariusz Wolski gets that 'you are there' feel without going all jittery. Looks like some on sticks, some on shoulder -- nice mix, doesn't work well much of the time.

This movie is put together.

















Lush Looking 'Rush'

They really did a nice job capturing the look of the 70s. I'm sure cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle shot on film but post was likely done digitally. End result is lush and crisp with colors that are both muted and saturated -- the best you could hope for. I also like the grainy look. Apt for the period.
















German 'The Counselor' Character Poster for Javier Bardem -- More Funny Hair




 The guy plays characters with funny hair. Just saying.




































Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Looking More Like Something Worth Watching

The campaign for 'The Family' got off to a rough start. Early trailers played up the movie as a standard fish-out-of-water caper and it was flat. So flat. I couldn't really watch them. The movie looked dumb.

Thing is, this was a classic case of trying to make an edgy (I'm guessing) comedy with some pretty hardcore violence, or at least graphics acts of violence, look like a fluffy comedy that the average person might like. And it is, except for the violence.

Sure, it's not gritty. This isn't an exposé of gang/mafia life, but it does depict some pretty brutal stuff. It may not replicate all those beatings and acid baths, but it makes like the real thing. So, those first trailers weren't being honest and, as usual, they came off like they had something to hide. I thought it because the movie didn't have teeth. Turns out it was that the movie does, in fact, have teeth, and it looks pretty damn funny.

Liking much better. I want to see this now.

Oh, and, dear Marketing: Don't pull your punches.


I'm moving. My new blog is 101-to-la, as in highway 101 to Los Angeles. I'll be double posting here and at the new blog for a while, then retiring MoovyBoovy. 


















Admit It. It's A Bad Title

Really? 'A.C.O.D.'?

Enjoy this title primer-slash-attempt to salvage this movie.


ARE YOU AN A.C.O.D.? - watch more funny videos     


I'm moving. My new blog is 101-to-la, as in highway 101 to Los Angeles. I'll be double posting here and at the new blog for a while, then retiring MoovyBoovy.
 



















Dramatic, But Real Enough?

Based on the true story of Eric Lomax, who was a British Army officer and prisoner in a Japanese camp in WWII.

Not sure what to make of the trailer. Apparently, the rating for the US version hasn't been decided. That's crucial. With movies like '12 Years A Slave', which seems to look history in the eye, a PG-13 version of 'The Railway Man' may not play well.

This particular trailer lacks a strong hook.




I'm moving. My new blog is 101-to-la, as in highway 101 to Los Angeles. I'll be double posting here and at the new blog for a while, then retiring MoovyBoovy.
















Monday, September 09, 2013

The New 'TV' -- or -- Why Movie Theater Attendance Is Down

Definitions are changing. Not that that's a secret. More often these days, the best movies are found on 'TV' (which now goes in quotes).

The only thing about this new HBO series that's television-esque is the title -- 'True Detective', which may as well be the latest boilerplate cop procedural to roll out on the networks. However, with Matthew McCanaughey and Woody Harrelson, directed by Cary Fukunaga, and written by Nic Pizzolatto, the series has the look of a feature movie.

I used to hate TV. Long story short: I thought it was stupid and couldn't stand to watch. Now, much of the time, I think movies (in theaters) aren't worth my time and, about 45 minutes in, having gotten dressed, driven to the theater at a given time, stood in line and purchased a ticket, etc., I regret going out to see them and wish I was at home watching something I like on DVD or, increasingly, television.

The tables have turned. The future of movies at the theater is looking more bleak all the time. With stuff like 'True Detective' it's little wonder theater attendance is down.



I'm moving. My new blog is 101-to-la, as in highway 101 to Los Angeles. I'll be double posting here and at the new blog for a while, then retiring MoovyBoovy.

















Friday, September 06, 2013

Funny. I Actually Laughed

And, I actually wonder what's going to happen (next). Where does this story go?

Looks good. Wanna see.






















Give A Man A Mask And He Will Tell You The Truth -- aka -- 'The Fifth Estate'

The quote by Oscar Wilde is: "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."

If journalism is The Fourth Estate then, yes, online writing, where bloggers say what they want, publish any information or opinion they see fit, all without being accountable to any regulatory entity or held to a professional standard, is The Fifth Estate.

While much blogging is rambling or ranting or simply irresponsible gibberish, it can be argued that much of what we read in newspapers, on major news websites or television networks, is colored, if not tainted, by some slant or another, by some political association, or by some executive (corporate or otherwise) or editor whose concern is not, strictly speaking, centered on finding and reporting the truth. 

If the conventional journalist is constrained by professional politesse or fear of losing their job (or even being prosecuted and jailed), then can we fully trust him or her? Is it not, in many cases, the non-professional writer, the blogger, who is most honest, least afraid to voice an opinion?

Have we arrived at a time when it's no longer traditional journalism, major newspapers, networks, and websites, which keep puppet masters on their toes? Perhaps that task has been taken up by the lowly blogger, often untrained and perhaps fairly called a hobbyist who doodles in their spare time, anonymous and (yes) masked, who publishes, usually irresponsibly, without concern for repercussions, on the internet, discussion boards, and social sites.

Does it take a hacker, a fearless publisher (whose identity often remains secret), to remind us of what is really happening?

When it comes to informing the public of what the powers that be would rather remain unknown, it may have, in the last decades, become necessary to depend on masked rogues to do the reporting. And, by doing so, is this person a criminal?

I like this featurette. The subject is perhaps too nuanced for normal trailers, which didn't do much for me. A more in depth examination sells the movie better. Really, I can't wait.

























RoboTrailer

Yeah, we may actually see lines for this one. Think of it. Lines of people wanting to see a movie. How often does that happen anymore?





















Thursday, September 05, 2013

Very Rare Quality

'12 Years a Slave' seems uninterested in treating the audience in a normal fashion. That is, the movie doesn't pander, doesn't strive to entertain, doesn't chase box office, and (seemingly) is prepared to faithfully recreate a very ugly chapter in U.S. history. '12 Years a Slave' looks completely removed from the overly polite, too glossy, and overtly commercial portrayals we're used to.

This movie should be as rewarding to the average viewer as it will be to the cinephile or, for that matter, the historian. I don't think a movie about slavery has done that. This is new. If the movie is as compelling as this footage director Steve McQueen is to be applauded.



















Another Hit For 'Gravity'

These trailers rock. Just when you thought you couldn't be more impressed...

James Cameron has said this is the "best space photography ever done, I think it's the best space film ever done..."

I haven't seen the movie but, yes, this is the best footage depicting outer space I've seen.






















Wednesday, September 04, 2013

'Mitty' On The Moon -- This One's For You, Pal

The release of these posters, one or two a day, is about as good, almost as entertaining, as most movies.

We all connect with Walter Mitty, the office schlub who wants out, wants to do something, anything. He sits at his desk performing his drab job year after year, month after month, week after week, Friday after Friday, and the dreaded Mondays.

Who hasn't been there? These posters are for everyone who has -- which is all of us.


























































Great Trailer. Don't Know About The Movie

'Runner Runner' has a great title, great premise, but lousy trailers...until now. This one, largely due to tight editing, looks good.

So, is it a typical popcorn B-flick with predictable twists and situations in which characters play their cards exactly as we've seen before, or is 'Runner Runner' a tight suspense thriller?

If I had only seen this trailer I'd be looking forward to the movie.




















Now, Which Martial Arts Keanu Reeves Movie Is This Again -- 'Man of Tai Chi' Trailer

He's in so many. It's, like, his thing. This isn't '47 Ronin', though. 'Man of Tai Chi'. That title...so doesn't flow. Neither does this trailer. Looks okay, but not too smooth. All things Tai Chi should be smooth, yes?

Movie opened first in China (where it didn't sizzle). That could become the norm the way things are going. For this flick, though, it was probably just a safe play.
























Tuesday, September 03, 2013

'Under the Skin' Trailer

Wow. Freaky, engaging. Here's hoping. From director Jonathan Glazer, who did a nice job with the edgy 'Birth'.























And Another Poster for 'Mitty'

It's a good campaign but, possibly, coming up with posters that illustrate how the average desk job can be stifling and how the average desk-jockey dreams of breaking into a more exciting life is like shooting fish in a barrel. But...yes, good campaign, good posters, looking like a good movie.










































































Spanish Language Poster for 'Mitty'

Just good. Great concept.




















































Blog Archive