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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

02 January, 2009
'09 Top Ten
#10
Title: A Serious Man
Release Date: TBD 2009
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolf
Description: A black comedy set in 1967 and centered on on Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg), a Midwestern professor who watches his life unravel when his wife prepares to leave him because his inept brother (Kind) won't move out of the house.

Someone once asked me if I thought the Coen brothers could do no wrong. Of course they can. It was called "The Lady Killers" (and to a lesser extent "Intolerable Cruelty"). But they're going back to a proven formula: Coens + oringinal script + black comedy + midwest - Hollywood A-list actors = win. (Cinematography, as always, by the magnificent Roger Deacons).


#9
Title: This Side of the Truth
Release Date: March 20, 2009
Director: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Starring: Ricky Gervias, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Jeffrey Tambor, Jonah Hill, John Hodgman, Jason Bateman, Patrick Stewart.
Description: The film is set on an alternate Earth where no one has ever lied, and stars Gervais as a performer who tells the world's first lie, coming to wield its power for personal gain.

Ricky Gervais is easily one of the funniest and most creative men alive... an odd group of truly funny talent and the outlandishly silly premise should make this one of the funniest films this year.


#8
Title: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Release Date: TBD 2009
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell
Description: In the present day, immortal 1,000-year-old Doctor Parnassus (Plummer) leads a traveling theater troupe that offers audience members a chance to go beyond reality through a magical mirror in his possession. Members of the troupe include a sleight of hand expert, Anton (Andrew Garfield), and a dwarf, Percy (Verne Troyer), Parnassus had been able to guide the imagination of others through a deal with the Devil (Waits), who now comes to collect on the arrangement, targeting the doctor's daughter (Lily Cole). The troupe, which is joined by a mysterious outsider named Tony (portrayed by Ledger, Depp, Law, and Farrell), embark through parallel worlds to rescue the girl.

If you've been following this one at all, you're a bit uneasy by the fact that this one still doesn't have a release date. But if Gilliam is somehow able to break his curse and cut this one together, it will no doubt find considerable success. Not only will this exhibit Heath Ledger's final appearance on film, but the three superb actors stepping up to help flesh out Ledger's incomplete role will no doubt draw elevated crowds. Add to this the reports that Gilliam looks to be returning to the style of his earlier works ("Brazil," "Time Bandits") as opposed to his less-appealing more recent works ("Brothers Grimm," "Tideland"), and hopefully the remaining Gilliam faithful will show their support.


#7
Title: The Year One
Release Date: June 19, 2009
Director: Harlod Ramis
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera
Description: This comedy blends the old-school talent of director Harold Ramis with the new millennium hit-making prowess of producer Judd Apatow. YEAR ONE stars Apatow collaborator Michael Cera and funnyman Jack Black as men who are banished from their ancient village, causing them to travel across the world.

This thing has been pretty well shrouded in mystery... what we do know for certain is that Harold Ramis is amazing and will be directing this Biblical-era comedy, as he says, in the style of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.


#6
Title: Sherlock Holmes
Release Date: November 20, 2009
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Description: Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

Sure, it's no secret that quite a few people will be looking forward to this one, but some may question such a high ranking. I'm a huge Ritchie fan, as well as a Downey fan, and something just feels right about this one. I'm fairly confident this isn't going to be the knockout punch that Favreau-Downey landed this past year with "Iron Man," but I think this Ritchie-Downey combo will do far better than many assume.


#5
Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Release Date: October 16, 2009
Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara
Description: An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

I'm more than a little disappointed with all the people who still, to this day, question Jonze's ability to handle this project. Have you seen the screen test? The production stills? Those alone are more than enough to convince me. I'm predicting no letdown whatsoever.


#4
Title: Brothers
Release Date: TBD 2009
Director: Jim Sheridan
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, Sam Shepard
Description: A young man Tommy Cahill (Gyllenhaal) comforts his older brother's wife Grace (Portman) and her children after his older brother Sam (Maguire) goes missing in Afghanistan. Based on Susanne Bier's award-winning film, "Brodre" ("Brothers").

As much as I would never like to see Tobey Maguire on screen again, I can't help but believe in the amazing Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "The Field," "In the Name of the Father"), even though he will be sans-Day-Lewis and the setting/subject won't be Ireland.


#3
Title: Public Enemies
Release Date: July 1, 2009
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Billy Crudup
Description: The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger (Depp), Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Tatum) during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.

Amazing cast; Depp as Dillinger; cinematography by Dante Spinotti ("Heat," "Last of the Mohicans"); costumes by Colleen Atwood ("Chicago," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Sweeney Todd").


#2
Title: The Tempest
Release Date: TBD 2009
Director: Julie Taymor
Starring: Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Djimon Hounsou, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Ben Whishaw, Felicity Jones, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming
Description: In Julie Taymor's version of 'The Tempest,' the gender of Prospero has been switched to Prospera. Going back to the 16th or 17th century, women practicing the magical arts of alchemy were often convicted of witchcraft. In Taymor's version, Prospera is usurped by her brother and sent off with her four-year daughter on a ship. She ends up on an island; it's a tabula rasa: no society, so the mother figure becomes a father figure to Miranda. This leads to the power struggle and balance between Caliban and Prospera; a struggle not about brawn, but about intellect.

Oh, sweet Bard. If "Titus" is an accurate measure of the depth of Taymor's genius (and I believe it is), this, her second venture into putting Shakespeare on the big screen, can only be brilliant. Once again surrounded by incredibly talented artists, including one of the greatest costume designers alive, Sandy Powell, Taymor will once again bring a visually stunning, powerful piece of theatre to the silver screen.


#1
Title: Nine
Release Date: December 11, 2009
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren
Description: Nine is a musical following a film director named Guido Contini (Day-Lewis), who is in his middle age. He is trying to complete his next film. His main problem is that he has too many women in his life. Luisa (Cotillard), his wife, Carla (Cruz) his sexy mistress, and Claudia (Kidman), his muse and protege. Based on the 1982 Tony-award-winning Broadway musical of the same name, which was an adaptation of Federico Fellini's 1963 film, "8 1/2."

There are few things that can best Julie Taymor directing William Shakespeare, but this one is ridiculous. The script was co-adapted by the late, great (Academy Award winner) Anthony Minghella; it will be shot by (Academy Award winning cinematographer) Dion Beebe (who worked with Marshall on "Chicago," in addition to shooting "Memoirs of a Geisha" [for which he won the Oscar] and "Rendition"); also Simon Lamont is attached (the supervising art director from "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight"). Plus, taking on the acting (and singing!) duties are (Academy Award winner) Daniel Day-Lewis, (Academy Award winner) Marion Cotillard, (Academy Award winner) (Dame) Judy Dench, and (Academy Award winner) Nicole Kidman. Did I mention Daniel Day-Lewis is going to sing?
posted by Rockel @ 10:16 PM  
1 Comments:
  • At 7/1/09 3:11 AM, Blogger Doyle said…

    And for "Nine", you didn't even mention Sophia Loren. Incidentally, Christmas present that included her, "El Cid".

     
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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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