Paul exposes all its laughs in the commercials: SXSW Review

I had heard almost nothing about the movie Paul when I headed out to South by Southwest. A friend of mine wanted to see it and so I hooked up my computer and watched the trailer. Yeah..."it's hilarious" I thought and so decided to go to one of the late night screenings. Imagine my surprise when they brought out Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Kristen Wiig, the stars of the film to introduce it and to answer questions afterwards. These guys truly seemed to be having a good time at the screening and an even better time making the movie.

The film itself is about two Fanboys (Pegg and Frost) from England who decide to go on a road trip to Roswell New Mexico after soaking up ComicCon. On the way they meet Paul, an alien who has escaped Area 51 and is trying to get back home with the feds hot on their trail. Along their way they meet up with Wiigs character who happens to be a christian fundamentalist until they 'educate her' and she suddenly becomes cool.

So, theres not much as plot is concerned, it seems to borrow a familiar ET premise but with an updated stoner attitude. In fact, a lot of the movie is homages to Speilberg, geek culture and alien movies from yesteryear. These homages are probably the best part of the movie. The writing was solid but I must admit that the Pegg/Frost pairing is not as good as previos endeavors like Hott Fuzz and Shawn of the Dead. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that this film was not directed by Edgar Wright (who sat across the isle from me at the premiere...hi Edgar). Whatever the reason, the films funniest parts are summed up in the trailer that I saw before the film.

I want to like this movie more, but it wasn't the best I saw at the festival, not even of the wide releases. But there was no denying the energy of the leads who led the audience in raucous cheers and answered all the questions we threw at them with hilarity and abandon I wish I would have seen more of in the film. (left: my blurry picture of the director, Pegg, Frost and Wigg talking with the audience) After the film as I was going to the restroom, Simon Pegg was just exiting with a security guard in tow. "They have a security guard follow you into the bathroom?" I asked. His reply "I need all the help I can get". Lets hope that isn't true for his future movies.

Final Consensus:

See it now!!!!

See it in theaters!!!

Rent it on DVD/BluRay!!

Wait for it on TV!

Don’t Bother

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SXSW: South by Southwest and the ballad of no sleep

So last week I had the opportunity to attend South by Southwest. Now, this festival began as a Music festival in Austin Texas and has since swelled to include an Interactive conference and a Film festival. I was there at the Interactive conference for work wich took up most of my day from about 9:30am through 6pm. Since there was nothing to do at my hotel afterwards, and since I do not enjoy the drunken party scene sprayed all over 6th street, I spent my nights watching movies....and lots of them.

The cool thing about South by Southwest which differed from Sundance is their old theaters and even the Alamo Drafthose that serves dinner while you watch the movie. There is a lot of press hype and every screening features Q&A's afterwards. It was really cool to have the actors and directors answer questions about their films (thanks Brit Marling, Guillermo del Toro, Catherine Hardwicke, Rainn Wilson). It was also really cool to see the stars, however briefly and even get to speak to a few of them (gracias Simon Pegg and Jake Gyllenhaal). In all it was a great experience and I saw a lot of movies. I will be sure to update my reviews as I get around to them, but they will be mixed in with my Sundance reviews I never got around too.

I hope you will get a chance to check some of these movies out as many may never see a large distribution or release. At least you know that somewhere, somehow....good, interesting movies are still being made, wether thats reflected in your local movie theater is another matter. Too bad you won't be able to enjoy all the Texas Barbecue that I had to compliment my experience. Thank you Rudy's and the Ironworks Grille!!

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Oscars - Predictions

It would seem that I would be really into this years oscar race considering I have seen more films in the theater than I have since before I had children, but alas, i seem even more befuddled than usual. It seems there are a lot of worthy contenders which I must admit I have not seen. That being said, I will open up this years oscar prediction contest by saying that the winner will receive a limited edition movie poster. This year I am going with an interactive ballot from the NY Times HERE. You will need a facebook account or sign up through the NY Times to participate. Be sure you are one of my 'friends' so I can see your results. Sorry this is coming so late but let the contest begin!!

http://oscars.nytimes.com/ballot/fb8654d7

The Sundance Film Festival made me volunteer

This past year I had the opportunity to volunteer at, and attend the Sundance Film Festival. I have been wanting to do this for some time and was excited to actually be in Park City for the festivities, but more importantly the screenings. More than I love watching movies, I love watching movies nobody has ever seen. Even though it was a lot of fun it was also a lot of work. I didn't realize how time consuming it would be. I also live an hour away from park city so the commuting miles added up. Here's a picture of my odometer at the beginning of the festival (64010). We'll check back after all my reviews to see how many miles I actually used volunteering and attending Sundance.

When I first volunteered they wanted me full time because of my Warner Bros. background, but I could not quit work, so I opted for part time. The still stuck me in the Press office where I was general information for filmakers and journalists that came through. I was based in the main headquarters located in the Park City Marriott.

Hopefully one day my family will forgive me for being away so much for those two weeks, but I was very grateful they indulged my inner child. The next couple of blogs will be movie reviews and general cultural observances of the Sundance Film Festival. I know that its over, but for true cinefiles, you can never get enough of film

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The Green Hornet was more fun for me than for you

Its not often that I am in the critical and popular minority on a film but in the case of the Green Hornet, it looks like I am bucking my trend for being somewhat reliable to someone. It seems like I am one of the only people who likes this movie. Critics panned it and most audiences just thought that it was OK. By no means do I think this is a great film, but it’s a lot of fun, it made me laugh, it didn’t take itself too seriously and it had enough visual pizzazz and quick pace to keep me interested. Most of the complaints I hear is that the Seth Rogen thing is way overdone, but since I have never really seen any of his earlier films (raunchy comedy’s not my thing) I guess I wasn’t sick of him enough.

The Green Hornet is based off the television show and has roughly the same plot. A rich newspaper tycoon Britt Reed (Rogen) takes on the underworld of crime with his sidekick Kato (Chinese pop star Jay Chou). Just like the TV series, It’s Kato that does all the hard work coming up with all the inventions and being the one who actually fights the crime. In fact, you really have to wonder why the Seth Rogan character is in it at all. But here’s the catch. That’s the charm. He really is completely unnecessary, and half the fun is watching his out of control narcissism and self assured ways that have no basis of merit. It also goes a long way in paving the way for the films central theme of acceptance and reliance, even in a partnership that is wildly uneven and diverse.

There are other small bits here. Cameron Diaz as the hot older secretary has some comedic chops but the scene-stealer is definitely Christoph Waltz (as Chud-nof-sky). As the reigning crime lord, he hams it up in the subtlest of ways that take his character way over the top. His accented imbecile of a mastermind lends neither humanity nor complexity to his role, just plenty of laughs. Michel Gondry is in rare form here. It’s refreshing to see his quirkiness applied to such a different style of film. This is no ‘Eternal sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, and in this case that is a very good thing. We’re looking for stupid fun and that is what we get. There is even a heavy dose of satire as we see a sendup of every final action shootout scene played out at the end that is so over the top you laugh at the absurdity of the violence. Perhaps that’s the films greatest achievement, being so overtly over the top that if you get it, it just seems to work. Well, at least for me.

Final Consensus:
See it now!!!!
See it in theaters!!!
Rent it on DVD/BluRay!!
Wait for it on TV!
Don’t Bother

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True Grit: Not a great Cohen film, but a great Western

One thing people need to be careful of when watching remakes of movies is the nostalgia factor. That’s when a person has seen the original film a considerably long time ago, and over the years has built ups some sort of standard of the movie made from their memories. This standard they take into the theater when they go and see the remake, and because of nostalgia, incorrectly deem the new movie far worse or better than their memories of the original. There are two problems to this approach. The first is that any film should be judged on it’s own merit, let alone someone’s memories of a previous film. Secondly, usually people’s memories of a movie are wildly skewed. They take something they may have a fond memory of and put it on a pedestal. More often than not however, the original wasn’t that good to begin with. Take my experience with the original Clash of the Titans and the original Tron. I always remembered how awesome they were when I watched them as a kid, but seeing them more recently has proven that they do not age well and really weren’t that good to begin with. All that being said, anyone who actually goes down the path of making a ‘Remake’ consciously knows they are stepping into this nostalgia factor situation, and therefore I say all’s fair in the comparison department.

The original True Grit is not the cinematic masterpiece that everyone pretends to remember. It actually was quite an odd movie with John Wayne playing a colorful and unlikable fellow ‘Rooster’ Coburn. It was fraught with a lot of slow moments and wasn’t nearly as creative as some of the westerns of the time. The problem here as far as the nostalgia factor is concerned is that it was JOHN WAYNE! Luckily we have the Cohen brothers who are brave enough to attempt a remake starring the cinematic sacred cow of westerns. Here, the ‘Rooster character is played by Jeff bridges, with all the scraggly voice nonchalant-ness that screams more ‘The Dude’ from the Big Lebowski than a disgruntled US Marshall who is forced into being saddled next to comedic Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) and a little girl. It’s this Trio that carries the movie. Good thing since they are in every shot. No disrespect to Damon or Bridges…but its little Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross who steals every scene she’s in. A little fireball of resolute temper she is proper and cordial in all the wrong ways and beyond stubborn. For a lot of the film we forget she’s even a little girl, except that the filmmakers keep reminding us over and over.

What really surprised me is how much this film felt like a traditional western. “what did you think you were going to watch” you may ask? Well, the Cohen Brothers have never bee traditional anything. Look at any of their films and you will see the quirkiest examinations of characters and frank depiction of unrestrained violence as very signature to a particularly interesting style. After watching Oh Brother, Where art Thou and No Country for Old Men, one should rightfully assume that this would also pack a few surprises. But strait across the board this is a shoot-em-up, ride the trail kind of western with not much by way of surprises, introspection, off kilter characters or even black humor. This I would argue may be their most strait forward movie to date. Perhaps the; lack of style can be attributed to the fact that they try to span a lot of different genres. Comedy, action, drama, western, etc. are all on display here which doesn’t leave much room for experimentation or bucking conventional trends like so many of their other movies do.
The lack of the Cohen style is actually a good thing here. Rarely will you see a movie where you laugh about loud one minute only to be horrified by violence the next. Rarely is there a film where you are so engrossed in the characters that you forget their acting, and most importantly it’s a Cohen brother film that doesn’t draw attention to the fact that it’s a movie. Most of the films by these brethren have so many homages, quirks, tricks and scenes that take you out of the film; they become exercises in self-reflectivity and awareness. Here, the movie doesn’t mind being just a movie. It’s telling a story without all the normal minimalist embellishments which makes for a much more fulfilling experience, despite the fact that nothing feels new or clever like in their other movies.

The special effects could have been much better and I am sad that Josh Brolin only had a very small role. He was fun. Other than that, this is quite a worthy western. Maybe not John Wayne worthy (I’ll take the Searchers any day) but good enough to do the genres proud. Taking into consideration the nostalgia factor, I won’t be surprised that many people leave shaking their heads at how it wasn’t as good as the predecessor. Only time will truly tell, but right off the bat I believe the Cohen’s have done the Wayne classic proud. There’s plenty that the film tips its hat too, but it’s enough of an original on it’s own right to merit its own viewing, despite how much you love John Wayne. It may not have the charm of the original, but it’s a better movie.

Final Consensus:

See it now!!!!

See it in theaters!!!

Rent it on DVD/BluRay!!

Wait for it on TV!

Don’t Bother

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Narnia 3: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: muddled and badly acted, but better than the first two

Some of my favorite books growing up as a child were the Chronicles of Narnia series. They were subversive, irreverent and wickedly silly, yet still had those good old Christian morals that made them ok to read by any parents standards. On the flip side, I have never really been a fan of the movie versions of the books. The first two were badly paced, horribly acted and were really awkward for some reason. The costuming and makeup were pretty lame and I honestly don’t recall what either was about (except what I remember from the books). So on this third go-round, I had high hopes. Not only is Voyage of the Dawn Treader my favorite of the Narnia books, but I had assumed the filmmakers had realized their mistakes and made some needed corrections to make this third installment a lot more enjoyable…well, not really.

Dawn Treader follows Lucy and Edmund (two of the original four world hoppers) on an adventure back to the land of Narnia. In tow is their cousin Eustace, and annoying dweeb who will do anything to try and get you to leave the theater. In returning to Narnia, they reunite with Prince Caspian who is onboard the Dawn Treader, the finest ship in the Narnian fleet. In the film its not quite explained as to why Prince Caspian is sailing around other than he wants to repay the seven Lords who swore allegiance to him. (yeah, read the book for clarification). Whilst abroad, they happen upon an evil green mists that eats people and decide to find out what it is and destroy it. Hijinx ensue, funny creatures are revealed and everyone acts so horribly morose you would think they were returning a ring to Mordor expecting death.

What I really want to do is spend an entire paragraph on the actor who plays Eustace (Will Poulter). There is a common phrase I reserve for actors who are so intolerably unwatchable that I can’t really come to terms with how ridiculously over the top bad they are. In this case it is entirely appropriate. I wanted to kick him in the throat! There, I said it. I know he is supposed to be an insufferable know-it-all from the books, but the thing couldn’t open his mouth without nails on the chalkboard type reaction from the audience. Lets just say I’m glad when he…well, I don’t want to ruin the movie, but all you book readers know what happens to Eustace and I welcomed his silence.

I would also like to comment on the other actors but I’m sure you’ve seen the other movies and therefore know how bad they really are. It seems that the filmmakers have taken some notes and removed the two of the four lead actors. Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmond (Skandar Keynes) have not progressed much and poor price Caspian (Ben Barnes) has maybe 10 lines in the whole film. A shame since he was the best live action actor there. Of course, they are all outdone by the large Mouse Reepicheep (Simon Pegg) and of course Aslan (Liam Neeson). Despite minimal screen time for any one character in this movie, these animated characters do enough scenes salvaging to make the characters somewhat enjoyable.

The film of course is not all bad. I really and honestly enjoyed the special effects. They have certainly stepped it up a notch in terms of detail. I think what bothered me about the first two is that everyone wore such bright neon colors and nobody ever got dirty…even in battle. Luckily, I think due to the source material, the film is distinctly darker than the other two. Perhaps because the themes of pure evil and temptation are the plotlines that actually move the story along. The editing could be spruced up a bit as there were a lot of long awkward pauses as characters reacted to lines or looked at each other after a particularly witty line. The directing seemed adequate to get such a meandering story under control and the cinematographer should have realized that this was going to be a 3D movie…meaning that close up fight scenes are a no-no. The 3D was OK; a little nauseating at times which makes me think that it was post converted to 3D rather than filmed that way.

In all the film was very serviceable. I must admit that I enjoyed it more than the previous two even though I will probably have to rely on the books again if anyone asks me what its about. Of course, that is what the movies are about. Mindless entertainment can be fun, too bad there was little fun in this adaptation. It’s just a shame that all of the subtle relationships, adventures and connections that the book relates so simply, seem so muddled and incoherent here. It is quite enjoyable, but if you want any meaning or connection to the characters, read the book.

Final Consensus:
See it now!!!!
See it in theaters!!!
Rent it on DVD/BluRay!!
Wait for it on TV!
Don’t Bother

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