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The Film of the Week

The WORD of the Week

Matthew 3:7-10

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Stupid Fact of the Week

There was only one civilian casualty during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg

22 December, 2007

Coming in 2008, part 3

The International
Nine years ago (back when I was in Highschool... woof), Tom Tykwer saw some pretty unprecedented (for a German director) critical success with "Run Lola Run." Unfortunately, he's been rather quiet since then, with his only major project, "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," not generating anywhere near the buzz or support of Lola. Even so, he's back with another big project, and this time he's got Clive Owen and Naomi Watts in a crime/espionage story surrounding international arms dealing. Although I'm not a huge Watts fan, she does bring star power, and Clive will definitely be in his element here. This won't be heart pounding, explosive entertainment for two straight hours, but should be a good thriller. I'll see a matinee. B-

Iron Man
I'm a huge fan of Jon Favreau. He's one of my favorite writer/actor/director/producers working today. Does he have the chops to pull of Iron Man? Have you seen the trailer? Of course he does. Plus, Robert Downey Jr. as Stark is just awesome. I'll pay full price. B+

James Bond 22
I don't know what to make of this one. First of all, even though they've been working on this thing since before they shot Casino Royale (and all reports are that this will be a "sequel" to Royale), the last report I got was that they hadn't locked a script before the strike began, which makes me wonder if this thing will find it's way to theaters in Summer 09 rather than Winter 08. Either way, they offered this project to Roger Michell (Notting Hill. Yes, that's right. Notting Hill), but negotiations there broke down or some such, so now Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Stranger than Fiction) is attached. Traditionally, the Bond films have gone (understandably so) to directors with more Action in their background. Too many things seem off in this scenario. But, it's Bond, and the new and improved/everyone's favorite Blonde Bond at that (Craig), so it should still fly pretty high. I'll probably pass this one up in theaters completely, simply because I've never been a huge Bond fan. B

Jumper
Now here's an action director. Doug Liman directed the Bourne Identity as well as Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which probably set a record for highest bullets/explosions to casualty ratio in movies (even when people aren't dying, he'll find a way to blow shit up). He even managed to make "Go," a teen drug comedy/drama, feel like a non-stop action flick. Unfortunately this time around he's working with Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson. That right there is enough to keep me out of the theaters. But it'll do fairly well and I'll have to watch it on video. C+

Kung Fu Panda
I love Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, and Iam McShane. Even so, I'm having a hard time getting into the animated flick. But Dreamworks (as young as their animation company is) has a pretty good track record going, so I can't see this one doing too badly. $2 theatre for me, because I refuse to pay over ten bucks to see an animated movie (outside of, maybe, something like Beowulf) on a big screen. C

The Love Guru
Wow. This thing is all set up for fail. I like Mike Myers, but his work has slowly declined as of late (outside of the Shrek series), and now he's back writing himself another wacky character in a super-kooky plot. After the decline in popularity of Austin Powers, I don't know how much success this'll have. I think the studio agrees with me as evidence by the fact that they've cast Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake to ramp up the young audience. He's even bringing Verne Troyer back. It'll be a miracle if this makes it big. I'll wait for video. D+

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Another Mummy. Seven years later. The first two weren't terribly great, but this one features Jet Li, which should at least make it moderately successful. Video. C

The Other Boleyn Girl
News of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson working together was enough to get many a young man's heart racing. Upon seeing the recently released trailer, I have to admit it may actually be a quality flick. Period drama based on historic records means a good chance at Oscar nominations (costume and makeup if nothing else), and I'm predicting some pretty good numbers (not stellar, but pretty solid) at the box office. I'm split between matinee and full price at this point. B-

Pineapple Express
I just saw a screening of "Dewey Cox," and I must say, even though quite a few of the risks taken didn't pay off, I laughed quite a lot and enjoyed it thoroughly. Even so, I'm not sure how well Apatow's original writing stacks up to his parody material, especially recently with the mixed-reviews of Knocked Up and the trailer for You Don't Mess With the Zohan, which looks nothing short of terrible. But, I suppose if there is anyone today who could redefine the pot comedy, it's probably the guy who redefined the sex comedy with 40-Year-Old Virgin. Hopefully, I can get away with a matinee. B-

Rambo
After the unexpectedly Huge success of the new Rocky, it'd be hard for the majorly anticipated, radically gory new Rambo to fail. I'm not a follower of the series, so I probably won't check this out in theaters unless I can find a $2 theater. C+

Repo! The Genetic Opera!
This is just the type of oddball, box-office-disaster film I would normally be excited about. However, this is from the director of all the Saw sequels (though not the original), and features Paris Hilton, so I refuse to comment (except I will say that Rupert Giles keeps this from getting an F). D-

RocknRolla
Guy Ritchie is awesome. They're starting to push his "Revolver" in US markets and it should be out soon, which should give him a nice boost before he releases RocknRolla which is a return to his bread and butter: London mob flicks. He's got a pretty good cast again (as always), including Jeremy Piven, which should be interesting. I'll definitely be in theaters for this one, though if I could avoid full price, it'd be nice. B-

The Ruins
Just saw the trailer for this on the big screen (before Sweeney Todd) and it looks like an odd combination of "Descent" and "Slither." From the looks of it, it's more creepy and disgusting rather than it is cheap, jump-out-of-the-dark scary, which is somewhat promising. But in the end, it's a horror flick which means I won't be seeing it and it won't do anything too massive at the box office. C-

4th and Final installment coming shortly.

posted by Rockel @ 3:40 PM 0 comments

21 December, 2007

Hello Loooooooooong Weekend

WooHoo! I'm just about to get off work, not to return until Jan. 2!!! Hello Holidays!

Happy Holidays, everyone, in case I don't get a chance to say it in person/voice on the actual day(s).

Just some quick news blips before I head off to grub it up with the roomie:

We'll be checking out Sweeney Todd, so look for my review in the next couple.

Attention Panthers Fans! -- Go to this website before you go to the game this Sunday.

An update on my soul: According to Mike Huckabee's Grasroots [sic] Forum, mine will be burning in hell.

Never fear, I'm still working on parts 3 & 4 of the 2008 Movie list... they shall be up shortly (read: eventually).

Peace, Love, and long weekends.

posted by Rockel @ 2:58 PM 2 comments

20 December, 2007

The Return of Stewart/Colbert

Save the date.

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" will return to air on January 7, 2008.

They will return without their writers. Oh, well. If anybody can do it, they can.

"We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence."
— Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert

posted by Rockel @ 5:35 PM 0 comments

Award News

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) announced their nominations today for the 14th Annual awards show to be held on January 27, 2008.

There were a few surprises, IMO, but we'll get into that later.

As noted in a previous post, the WGA will be picketing the Golden Globes show provided that the strike is still in effect (it will be). The producers of the show have stated that the show will still go on even though much of the speculation is now that *most* actors/directors/other "guild" members will not attend (aka cross a picket line) in solidarity with the writers.

The SAG has pretty much been solidly behind the writers since this whole thing began. As such, the WGA is going to support (the) SAG by penning an interim agreement allowing WGA members to work on the SAG awards show. So the SAGs will proceed as normal. Here are their noms with (as always) my analysis:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
GEORGE CLOONEY / Michael Clayton – “Michael Clayton”
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Daniel Plainview – “There Will Be Blood”
RYAN GOSLING / Lars Lindstrom – “Lars And The Real Girl”
EMILE HIRSCH / Christopher McCandless– “Into The Wild”
VIGGO MORTENSEN / Nikolai – “Eastern Promises”

I'm picking Day-Lewis to win the Oscar. I'm sure this is no terrible surprise to anyone which is why I mention it (gotta keep some cards close to the chest). Outside of that, I like George and Viggo to get some love. Emile I really had to wrestle with (and finally eliminate from my picks) because I just feel he's too young and the character of McCandless (in the film) doesn't have a terribly great arch to it. Gosling, I believed I talked about before, had some great moments that were all but erased by an overall stereotypical, monotone portrayal of a socially inept young man.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
CATE BLANCHETT / Queen Elizabeth I – “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
JULIE CHRISTIE / Fiona – “Away From Her”
MARION COTILLARD / Edith Piaf – “La Vie En Rose”
ANGELINA JOLIE / Mariane Pearl – “A Mighty Heart”
ELLEN PAGE / Juno MacGuff – “Juno”

My only beef in this category is Cate. She's going to win for supporting, she's played this role (Elizabeth) before (and very well), but this movie was such a disappointment, both monetarily and critically, does she really deserve one of the five spaces when there were plenty other great performances this year?

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
CASEY AFFLECK / Robert Ford – “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford”
JAVIER BARDEM / Anton Chigurh – “No Country For Old Men”
HAL HOLBROOK / Ron Franz – “Into The Wild”
TOMMY LEE JONES / Ed Tom Bell – “No Country For Old Men”
TOM WILKINSON / Arthur Edens – “Michael Clayton”

Javier is the out-and-out front runner this year by all accounts. Ever since seeing the Michael Clayton trailer I was sure Tom would score some critical praise and maybe even a golden guy (after nearly scoring it six years ago for In the Bedroom), but most Oscar buzz has him out of the top five. I'm glad to see SAG throwing him a bone. Hal is about the same. Some good critical buzz, but most people thought the role was too small for any awards. Tommy Lee is just out of place here. If the Academy gives him love it will most likely be in the Lead category for In the Valley of Elah.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
CATE BLANCHETT / Jude – “I’m Not There”
RUBY DEE / Mama Lucas – “American Gangster”
CATHERINE KEENER / Jan Burres – “Into The Wild”
AMY RYAN / Helene McCready – “Gone Baby Gone”
TILDA SWINTON / Karen Crowder – “Michael Clayton”

As said before by me and just about everyone on the planet, Cate will win this category at all award shows. Ruby's a bit of a dark horse here. There was definite buzz about her performance, but due to the overall feel of the movie being below par for Scott, and with a strong script and two "lead" actors each worthy (mainly by default) of at least one nomination, most people didn't see a supporting nomination coming this film's way. Obviously she won't win, as she's up against Cate, and I don't think she'll even be considered for the Oscar. I love Catherine Keener and Tilda Swinton and am glad to see them getting some love. Catherine's role, like Hal's, is rather small (as the film revolves around one young man's journey and everyone else sort of just comes and goes) and I wouldn't be surprised if she gets overlooked by the Academy. Amy's a pretty strong candidate, especially now with the support of the SAG nod. What's missing here (as in all categories, though most noticeably here) are the ladies from Atonement. I don't know if SAG has some beef against a producer on Atonement, but that was the one picture that seemed to have the formula down: romance, war, period, epic, adapted novel... Traditionally this formula applies more to the Oscars than SAG, but they don't usually ignore the film altogether. This was the one category I was sure that the three supporting ladies from Atonement (Ronan, Garai, Redgrave) would lock up at least one, possibly two, nominations. I may have to rethink this.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
3:10 TO YUMA
AMERICAN GANGSTER
HAIRSPRAY
INTO THE WILD
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Alright, here's where it just gets ludicrous. Hairspray? Really? I mean, I realize this is basically their "Best Picture" category, but when you label it "Performance by a Cast," what are films like 3:10 and Hairspray, whose leading and supporting performances you didn't find worthy of note, doing in this category? I mean, Michael Clayton got three nominations in the four acting categories, but the featured extras must really suck for it to not end up here. This whole category is just stupid. Wild or Country should win. I do want to see 3:10 now. I've got Hairspray down for two Oscar nods right now (not in the Orig. Song category either, which may come back to bite me) and that's certainly not changing. The roomie's getting a screener of Gangster today or tomorrow, so I'll watch it for free and then maybe feel better about it. Probably not.

Finally, something that's slipping a bit under the radar (as it's the LAST nomination on the SAG page... waaaay at the bottom):

Screen Actors Guild Awards 44th Annual Life Achievement Award
CHARLES DURNING

That's right, baby. Chucky D. Here he is doing a little sidestep. Enjoy.

posted by Rockel @ 10:03 AM 1 comments

19 December, 2007

Coming in 2008, part 2

The Dark Knight
Hellz yeah. Nolan - check. Bale - check. Ledger (after seeing the trailer) - triple check. Freeman, Caine - check, check. Plus, they're bringing back Oldman and have traded Katie for Maggie (good choice). I'm trying to find something wrong with this and utterly failing. It's not the kind of film that's going to get Oscar love next year, but it'll surely rake in the money. I'll be there opening weekend. A

The Day the Earth Stood Still
Two words: Remake; Keanu.
Yes, Keanu plays Kaatu (the alien) and yes, Jennifer Connelly is in it. Is that going to be enough to save it? In my opinion, not completely. But my prediction is it won't matter either way (at least not in 2008). This thing is currently set for a December 12 release (after already being pushed back once) and is already running into some problems. Don't be surprised if this thing gets pushed back to '09... or further. If it does come out in '08, you won't find me in line at the theatres for this one (although, with the low expectations and the success of recent remakes [a la I Am Legend], this could be a sleeper hit). C-

Eagle Eye
Director Caruso and actor LeBeouf are back together after an incredibly successful Disturbia, and this more mature drama/thriller involving a terrorist plot could piggy-back nicely off their last flick. This won't win any awards or break box office records, but it should do quite well. I'll do a matinee. B-

Fanboys
This thing just got bumped (AGAIN) in the last couple weeks from Jan. '08 to Mar. '08... People have already been waiting well over a year for this thing, and if there's one sure way to lose an audience it's keeping them waiting (after you announce and push a trailer). Plus, though not technically a remake, it is an exposition of a 2003 short film. Even so, it has cult classic written all over it (I mean, come on, cameos by Carrie Fisher and Shatner [as himself]) and features Kristen Bell in the Leia bikini. If MGM/Weinstein can manage to roll this one out before the Summer season hits it may see some mild success at the box office. But I don't see this one achieving anything close to "Superbad" at the B.O. or "Clerks" on video, especially after all the delays. I'll try to find a free screening... or a $2 theatre. C+

The Fighter
Before you get too excited about this one let me just say that I don't know where these people got the 2008 release date for this one because Paramount certainly hasn't announced anything to that effect. As of right now the official release of this is TBA 2009. That being said, I don't know if Aronofsky can't go wrong, but he certainly hasn't thus far. As glad as I am that Pitt had to step away from The Fountain, I do like him and think he'll work very well in this role. If nothing else, Brad carries with him a lot of industry clout with which to leverage studio execs, something I'm sure Aronofsky appreciates after the (unfortunate) disappointing B.O. showing of the much-beleaguered Fountain. Since it's Aronofsky, I'll see it in theatres (in '09)... full price, but probably not opening weekend as I don't think this biopic will have the same cinematic punch as the picturesque, sci-fi Fountain or drug-induced Requiem. B+

The Forbidden Kingdom
Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the same movie. Whoa. Fight choreography by Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix trilogy, Kill Bill). Whoa. Directed by Rob Minkoff. Who? The guy who directed The Haunted Mansion and Stuart Little. Yes, that's right. If you're old enough to remember the Jackie Chan movies that were actually good, you're too old for this movie. I'll wait for video. D+

Frost/Nixon
Director Ron Howard teams up with screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland) for a political drama that's sure to be a success. This one should collect quite a few Oscar nominations next year including Director, Adapted Screenplay, possibly Best Picture, and definitely Best Actor in a Leading Role for Frank Langella's portrayal of Richard Nixon. Langella is always brilliant and although I haven't seen so much as a screenshot of him as Nixon I can say with near certainty that when an actor of his calibre gets to step into a real-life character alongside a notable director, terrific supporting cast, and what promises to be a brilliant script involving politics, secrets, and controversy, you can more than pencil in a nomination... maybe even a win. I'll definitely pay full price for the performance(s). A-

Get Smart
This is a film adaptation of a spy-spoofing TV series co-created by Mel Brooks, helmed by Tommy Boy director Pete Segal, and starring Steve Carell in his first comedic lead since the disappointing Evan Almighty. Looking at all the comedic actors currently working, I'd say Carell has a better chance than most at doing Brooks-ian humor the justice it justly deserves. Not to mention the fact that he'll have Anne Hathaway as his leading lady and Alan Arkin as the chief. I'm looking for Carell to get back on his A-Game here... comedies are a good box office draw for me (I do like to laugh), so I may even pay full price for this one. B-

The Happening
M. Night Shyamalan. F

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Not much to say here. I haven't seen any of the movies (nor read any of the books), so I won't be seeing this one. After a bit of a slump (and I use the term loosely) around Azkaban, the series is back on the rise at the B.O., though none of the films have managed to make $1B worldwide. I think this might be the one that does it. B+

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, aka HBII
After the success of Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro may have a broader audience willing to check out his next big project. He may not need it to recoup his budget this time, however, as there is a pretty sizable Hellboy following in the geek community (from what I'm told). It should do fairly well, although I wouldn't be surprised if this were the end of the Hellboy franchise on the big screen. I'll check it out at a matinee. C+

The Incredible Hulk
Why, why, why? I just don't get this. The guy who directed The Transporter series is having a crack at Stan Lee's famous angry, green guy. I can't imagine this being well received. Marvel apparently wants a "fresh start" to the franchise after the disappointing performance of Ang Lee's 2003 version, but a whole new cast/crew only four years later seems hurried. Speaking of the cast, lets talk about what a fustercluck that is: Ed Norton as Bruce Banner (love Ed... not so sure about him as Bruce... I could be convinced, though), Liv Tyler as Betty Ross (Liv is way overrated... plus she's having to follow in Jen Connelly's shoes - not gonna happen), Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky (This might actually work out), William Hurt as Gen. Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (No), and Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake is Awesome. Such says the Rockel)... This one's really throwing me for a loop. A lot of potential - both to do really well and to bomb completely... Unfortunately, my gut is telling me it's too soon and the action movie director is going to "John Woo" this thing to a horrible, fast-paced, CG-induced death. If it's playing at a $2 theatre I'll see it on the big screen. If not, video it is. C

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Boo-yah! There's no stopping this thing from being one of the highest grossing films of the year. Yes, it's almost two decades later. Yes, Harrison is much older, but at least they're incorporating that into the script rather than attempting to ignore it. I mean, how much better could this cast get? Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent? They even brought Karen Allen back (aka Marion Ravenwood, aka the chick with the frying pan). Big thumbs up. Full price. Opening weekend. A

13 more down. That only leaves...... carry the one..... 27 more to go. Two more instalments should get it done. Tune in next time.

posted by Rockel @ 10:47 AM 2 comments

Holy Crap... *Updated*

...They will officially picket.

...I agree with something Bush is doing.

...I could never be a scientist.

...Rudy sees Mike Huckabee's Christmas Ad and raises him... er... lowers him... this ad.

...Vlad beat Al (and Rowlings).

...This passes for news on the Drudge Report.

...Something tells me the "Irrefutable"-ness of this story will be tested.

...D. Kucinich's brother found dead.

posted by Rockel @ 10:24 AM 0 comments

18 December, 2007

Coming in 2008, part 1

In August of last year, Alex Billington over at firstshowing.net published an article entitled “Why 2007 Will Be A Great Year For Movies,” in which he listed 43 films to look forward to in 2007. Now that 2007 is almost at an end, “Why 2008 Will Be A Great Year For Movies” has just made its way onto the interwebs. It’s a good read and even included a couple titles that had slipped me by, but if you’d like the condensed version with honest commentary by yours truly, here are 54 movie to look forward to (or not) in 2008 (part 1)…

21
I love Kevin Spacey, but his work really has suffered the last few years. This flick looks interesting, but not stellar. I’ll wait for it on video. C+

Adventureland
First gig back for Mottola since Superbad looks to be somewhat promising. It’s going to be hard to live up to the juggernaut that was Superbad, but with Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Wiig in your cast you got a damn good shot. I may check out a matinee. B

Australia
Plot seems iffy, Nicole Kidman’s career is souring faster than her plastic surgery, but Hugh Jackman’s still strong, and – oh, yeah – it’s Baz Luhrmann. This won’t be the exciting smash hit Moulin Rouge was, but it has potential to be a nice love story like Strictly Ballroom… I’ll check it out at matinee price and like it; not love it. B-

Babylon A.D.
Cast - Vin Diesel, Gérard Depardieu, Michelle Yeoh. That’s really all you need to know right there. No? You want more? Here’s the plot: “Veteran-turned-mercenary Thoorop (Diesel) takes the high-risk job of escorting a woman from Russia to China….” Ok, doesn’t sound too bad. “…Little does he know that she is host to an organism that a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah.” I’ll watch it at a friend’s house… if there’s nothing else to do… and I’m chained to the sofa. D- (The only thing keeping this from an F is what I can only assume will be insane stunts/action sequences)

Be Kind Rewind
This one is so tough to call. The premise is really odd, but nobody does odd like Michel Gondry (or for that matter Jack Black). I’m really looking forward to this one, purely for the mixture of Gondry, Black, and Mos Def. It won’t blow too many people away, but I’ll pay full price – maybe not opening weekend – and like it. B+

Blindness
Wow. Meirelles’ films are always beautiful and compelling, even if not well received, but I’ve long maintained (and will continue to do so) that Mark Ruffalo is one of the most mediocre actors around. M-Ruf in the lead means I won’t care for this one and given the success of The Constant Gardner, I’m not sure how much love the rest of the country is going to show it. I’ll see a matinee. C+

The Box
Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) writes and directs this modified “Pandora’s Box” of a movie, starring James Marsden and Cameron Diaz as a married couple. After Kelly’s disappointing Southland Tales he’s going to need something big to come back on. I don’t think this is going to be it. The only thing to me that makes less sense than Cameron Diaz in a Kelly picture is the brilliant Frank Langella in the same Kelly picture. I’ll wait for video. C

Burn After Reading
Here we go. Finally something to really get excited about. I don’t think there’s any doubt that after No Country for Old Men, the Coen Bro’s are back on their A-Game. Can they maintain? Let’s take a look at the cast: Pitt, Clooney, Malkovich, Swinton, McDormand. And the plot: “A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.” This has old-school Coen written all over it (they even went back to writing their own original scripts). Pair that with their ever increasing skill in the art of filmmaking, and look out. Part of me would like to see the title change, but all of me is looking for this one to make money, garner praise, and earn awards. Full price… possibly even opening weekend. A-

The Changeling
America and the Academy love Clint Eastwood. I’m just not sure about this one, though. A period mystery written by a guy known for his He-Man, Babylon 5, and Twilight Zone episodic writing. Unfortunately, I think Clint’s best work may be behind him. I’ll wait for video. C+

Choke
The premise of this is so incredibly twisted it could only have come from Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club). A crazy story featuring Sam Rockwell as a sex-addicted con-man, directed by a graduate of the school of Mamet (Clark Gregg), adds up to me really wanting to enjoy this one. I may be setting myself up for disappointment here, but I’ll see a matinee… maybe even pay full price. B-

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Woof. I just don’t know. I really only thought Witch/Wardrobe was so-so (plus I’m still a little bitter that it one the Makeup Oscar), and from the looks of this new trailer I don’t the production team did anything but sit around watching Gladiator and the Lord of the Rings trilogy between films. It’ll be a hit (or, at least as big of a hit as Witch/Wardrobe was), but I won’t like it. If I can find a $2 theatre out here I can avoid paying matinee for it. B

City of Ember
So there’s this city where “people have for generations flourished under magical lights. Until… Ember’s once powerful generator is failing.” A world in crisis flick. What’s that? Yes. Tim Robbins is in it. And I don’t know how I feel about Bill Murray in a fantasy film. Given that one of the best fantasy films of recent memory, written by one of the premiere fantasy authors, starring a bang-up cast did relatively poorly this year (Stardust), I don’t see this one breaking any records. It might be worth a watch though… at matinee pricing. C+

Cloverfield
Alex Billington says of Cloverfield: “The early reviews have been all positive, and a new classic could be in the making.” Yes it could be. It could also be hugely disappointing and anti-climactic like other projects J.J. Abrams has produced. Given that this is the first screenplay produced by “Lost” writer Drew Goddard, and the first big-budget film Matt Reeves (“Felicity”) has directed, I’d say the chances are slanted towards the fail. I won’t like this one, but may watch it on the big screen for the heck (and scope) of it. Anyone who’s not a devout J.J.-ist will be disappointed. C

Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Excellent story (Fitzgerald), excellent screenwriter (Eric Roth), excellent director (Fincher), excellent cast (Pitt, Blanchett, Swinton, Ormond)… This has a lot going for it. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’ll be paying full price to see this one. Maybe not opening weekend, but full price. B+

14 films down, 40 to go. Here endeth part 1. Tune in next time for more.

posted by Rockel @ 5:41 PM 2 comments

News, News, lots of News

Where to start...

As Doyle has pointed out, Peter Jackson has mended his relationship with New Line and is all set to Exec. Produce, alongside longtime collaborator Fran Walsh, two films based on Tolkien's "The Hobbit" with principle photography beginning in 2009 and release dates in 2010 and 2011. No word on cast/crew at this point.

Jay and Conan will be back on the air beginning January 2, 2008. Happy New Year to us all. Unfortunately, they will be sans-writers. This may turn out to be a good thing, however, since there will now be more time, in the absence of monologues, for lengthier interviews and/or musical performances.

No official word on Jimmy, but most guesses are he will follow suit.

Dave and Craig, meanwhile, are all set to return with full writing staff, having come to an agreement on an interim contract with the WGA.

Now the really bad news:

The WGA will not be allowing members to write for the Oscars or Golden Globes. How is this bad news, you ask? Won't this just mean I won't have to sit through a bunch of lame, unrehearsed jokes? Well, yes. I suppose that's the silver lining. Unfortunately, the guild is also attempting to ensure that the producers of the award shows are not able to use clips from any WGA-written films (read: pretty much all films this year). Add to this the fact that there is talk of protesting/picketing both events, which would encourage a healthy number of actors/directors to not attend and/or picket in solidarity, and you got a pretty boring evening. Though it'd be nice to see the Oscars take less than 5 hours. Silver linings everywhere.

Anywho... my Oscar nod predictions are now about 95% complete. I still need to witness how some late-December releases are received and maybe take a stab at some of the short categories... outside of that, I'm all set to beat the roomie.

posted by Rockel @ 1:55 PM 0 comments

16 December, 2007

The NFL Network sucks...

...but they've got the best ad capaign on TV.

more at joes.nfl.com

posted by Rockel @ 3:05 PM 0 comments

First Post in December

And just a shade over two weeks in. My apologies.

Here's all the news from this coast:

First and foremost, I'm heading back to NC for the holidays... A week from tomorrow (Christmas Eve), I'll be flying into Charlotte Douglas to see the fam for the first time since coming out here about six months ago... time flies. Speaking of time flying, the last couple weeks have just blown by, but now that the trip home is only a week away and I'm super excited I'm sure this coming week is just going to absolutely drag on for eternity.

In the last couple weeks I've worked a few days on the next season of The Biggest Loser as well as two days (including one 17-hour day) on an independent feature titled "The Enlightenment of Bob." The 17-hour day consisted of shooting 4 or 5 scenes that all took place in and around a crack house. It was pretty cool since the building we were using for the crack house was a small office unit in an office-park type building. Lots of spray paint, cardboard, and plywood all add up to "movie magic."

I also got really sick for the first time since coming out here. It started while at work last Thursday, as I had to work a little late since I would be out the next day working on The Biggest Loser, with just some sniffles, sneezing, and a headache. I went to bed really early that night and woke up the next morning bright and early fully congested. I took a couple Sudafed and drove off into the sunrise, picking up some Dayquil on the way to the ranch. I was in a haze for most of the day and about midway thru every joint in my body was aching, making for a wonderfully miserable long day of work. So last weekend was mostly dedicated to sleeping and eating Campbell's chicken noodle soup.

The Cathey has done got himself hired by one of the agencies with whom he was previously interning. He is now a paid assistant to several agents at a Beverly Hills talent agency. Good stuff. The roomie has also been shopping around a (rather long) short script I wrote a while back to some moderate success. Apparently there is some interest if the 36 page story can become a 100-page feature. So, that's my focus the next month or two.

The Packers are currently playing the Rams. Green Bay is winning... no shocker there. But the big story is that it is now the end of third quarter and Favre is 1 yard away from tying Marino for most career passing yards. We'll see if he can pick it up here in the fourth. Also, Carolina finally put some points on the board, now up 3-0 in the fourth. If they can hold out against the Sea-birds (and GB hangs on to beat the Rams), the Pack'll have a first round bye in the playoffs.

Alright, I've covered life, sports... weather: It's actually getting pretty cold out here lately. Still not a whole lot of precipitation, but definitely cold. In fact, by the time we finally left the set on the 17-hour day - around 2-3am - it was 38 degrees. So, still not freezing, but cold all the same. I'll be all kinds of ready for all that snow that I'm going to see while in NC over the holidays (right?).

Writer strike update: A week or so ago they went back to the table. Same result, same story. No agreement, each side blames the other. The big news now is interim agreements. Letterman is looking at talks with the WGA that may lead to the Late Show being back up with new episodes and a full writing staff and crew by early-to-mid January. This has, of course, spurred other people to look into the same option, however Dave has a major advantage as his show (as well as the Late Late Show) is owned and produced by Dave's independent production company, Worldwide Pants, and not, like Jay's Tonight Show, the network he's on.

One of the last posts I did before disappearing for two weeks was on the awards season getting underway with the Spirit Award nominations. Since then the Golden Globes have announced their noms - a much bigger help in picking Oscar contenders. As I mentioned before, the roomie is looking to host an Oscar nomination prediction contest on his site and I'm looking to participate (read: beat the roomie). So I found the GG nominations helpful in that they reaffirmed my faith in many of my picks and provided a bit more insight into some of the more obscure categories like Best Song. Overall, at this point, I'm sticking to my gut for the most part, only allowing the GG's to influence about 2-3 of my picks.

I guess that only leaves politics... Huckabee came out of nowhere to lead or fall to a close second (depending on the poll) in the Republican race. I must say, as much as I'm not a fan of all of Huck's positions, it's nice to see Rudy getting some serious competition. And Huckabee seems to be handling it pretty well, picking up Rollins and (lightly) criticizing the foreign policy of the current administration. Mitt is looking to pick up a few points by jumping to Bush's defense, but Huck'll stand by his comments. Meanwhile, on the Dem side, Obama seems to be gaining massive amounts of ground on Clinton, so she no longer has a gargantuan lead... merely humongous or quite large (depending on the poll). This has (Bill) Clinton speaking out about Obama's preparedness for the (oval) office. I'm getting tired of all this in-fighting. Let's have these primaries already so that each side can start beating up on the other, like it's supposed to be.

Finally, in politics, from the NIE report to signing bills into law with more than just a signature, the Bush empire marches on.

Also, I haven't come up with a new poll yet, but the answer to the current poll is Chuck Norris. While I can't see Chuck calling Eric a dumbass, I think we can all agree that Chuck could come up with some pretty creative ways to put his foot up Eric's ass.

posted by Rockel @ 11:42 AM 0 comments

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