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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

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:
  • At 19/12/07 6:53 AM, Blogger Andronicus said…

    Blanchett and Swinton in the same movie???? MUST SEE.

     
  • At 5/1/08 8:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The preview for Be Kind Rewind (when we saw Juno this weekend) looks absolutely hysterical! I can't wait to see it! Love me some Mos Def!

     
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Lyrics of the Week

ON THE NICKEL
by Tom Waits

("I'd like to do a new song here. This is eh, it's about downtown Los Angeles on 5th Street. And eh all the winos affectionately refer to it as The Nickel. So this is kind of a hobo's lullaby.")

sticks and stones will break my bones,
but i always will be true, and when
your mama is dead and gone,
i'll sing this lullabye just for you,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never comb their hair,
well they're lined up all around the block,
on the nickel over there.

so you better bring a bucket,
there is a hole in the pail,
and if you don't get my letter,
then you'll know that i'm in jail,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never say their prayers,
well they're sleepin' like a baby,
on the nickel over there.

and if you chew tobacco, and wish upon a star,
well you'll find out where the scarecrows sit,
just like punchlines between the cars,
and i know a place where a royal flush,
can never beat a pair, and even thomas jefferson,
is on the nickel over there.

so ring around the rosie, you're sleepin' in the rain,
and you're always late for supper,
and man you let me down again,
i thought i heard a mockingbird, roosevelt knows where,
you can skip the light, with grady tuck,
on the nickel over there.

so what becomes of all the little boys,
who run away from home,
well the world just keeps gettin' bigger,
once you get out on your own,
so here's to all the little boys,
the sandman takes you where,
you'll be sleepin' with a pillowman,
on the nickel over there.

so let's climb up through that button hole,
and we'll fall right up the stairs,
and i'll show you where the short dogs grow,
on the nickel over there.

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