Archive Review: Dead Poets Society (1989) - 5/5 Stars

"Dead Poets Society" is a maturing into adulthood drama whose story and messages are as instructional as they are inspiring. The film is like an inspirational teacher, the one in high school that changed the way you thought about life and knowledge. It reflects this in Mr. Keating, the teacher who touched the lives of a group of teenage boys for the better despite the monstrous obstacle of conformity in all their paths.

Directed by Peter Weir ("Gallipoli") and written beautifully by Tom Schulman, "Dead Poets Society" stars Robin Williams in one his first great dramatic performances as Keating, an English teacher at an all-boys boarding school who inspires his students with poetry and by encourages their own free thinking with the simple motto of "carpe diem (seize the day)."

But the film is really about the boys and their various struggles. Todd (Ethan Hawke) is quiet and keeps to himself -- he's scared of personal expression. Neil (Robert Sean Leonard) is living in the iron grip of his father (Kurtwood Smith) who insists he become a doctor when his passion is really acting. Knox (Josh Charles) discovers infatuation/love and the courage it requires and Charlie deals the barriers of free speech. Keating's lessons inspire their actions and bring out new parts of themselves and together they hold Dead Poets Society meetings in a cave in the woods.

The clique of rebellious teenage boys and their unusual teacher are not motifs foreign to film, and neither are themes of fighting conformity and making the most of life. Most adults know all about these ideas -- they're not exactly profound and original -- but Tom Schulman tells "Dead Poets Society" in such a way that allows you to rediscover them and reawaken memories of what that personal experience was like. We see the rigid culture and system of the school and the classroom and then suddenly Keating comes in and makes learning what it should be. Suddenly we remember who our "Keatings" were and what it was like when we finally learned the value of our own perspectives, ideas and most importantly, desires.

The cast of young men is excellent. They make sure no character entirely falls into a teenage stereotype despite their many personalities that make up the group dynamic. We remember our own youthful enthusiasm through their experience and empathize with their troubles.

Weir's direction leads us gracefully into this rediscovery. His use of symbolism and the subtle ways he re-implants elements of the classroom scenes into the students' subplots and other key moments of the film draw us back to the power of the learning experience and how it can leave such a fine imprint on our lives. We see clearly how those scenes with Keating give life to the rest of the story and rekindle our memories and ignite our emotions as we connect to the characters and their experiences.

"Dead Poets Society" is a great execution of a simple inspirational drama/tragedy. Despite having all the elements, it avoids cliché much of the time or at least masks it with the strong connection the story builds with its audience. Many films have been more dramatic or original, but this film really gets the most out of what it is and tells a story about something universally human to which every soul with even the slightest meaningful education experience can relate.

5/5 Stars

"Dead Poets Society" (1989)

Directed By: Peter Weir

Written by: Tom Schulman

Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke

Review: The Informant! - 4/5 Stars

Audiences don't like to be lied to, but that's all part of the fun of "The Informant!," Steven Soderbergh's best recent directorial effort that hasn't been titled with a number between 11 and 13. The film sweeps us into a world of corporate crime and "espionage" and flavors it all with a thorough peppering of amusing anecdotal narration from an excellent Matt Damon as the mustache and four-eyed Mark Whitacre, VP of an agribusiness corporation specializing in corn cultures.

"The Informant!" is white-collar '90s period comedy with a quirky '60s spin on it through the use of flower-power title cards and a fantastic score by old-time esteemed songwriter Marvin Hamlisch. It helps lighten the mood of a film that's a lot of talk, that really ends up being more about its main character than the corporate scandal he creates for himself as he tries to turn informant without considering the consequences.

Whitacre is a nut, but he's smart and gets the job done and Damon recognizes that. In his own strange ways, he makes sense of things and forms beliefs that "Bourne Ultimatum" screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (based on the Kurt Eichenwald book) expounds upon us with the constant narration that breaks into and interrupts scenes. In the film, he gets the FBI investigating into the corporation he works for because he says he's tired of the illegal price fixing they're engaging in with their foreign competitors. Then slowly, one turn of the spool at a time, Whitacre reveals part of the truth that he hadn't mentioned before, further frustrating the FBI agents working with him, his superiors at the company and making things more interesting for the audience.

Damon as Whitacre is really the heart, the nucleus of "The Informant!" It's a dialogue-heavy film and without any big names in the supporting cast, the impetus is on Damon to add the dimension and the unconventionality -- an intrigue factor. The script at its core is a character story of a man who can never embrace the whole truth, so that should be its best part, making "The Informant!" set up to be well-received at the least. 

This isn't the kind of movie you rave about, but you have to applaud at how it uses what it has to be the best film it can be. Casting Damon and showing off his comedic side is something anyone who has seen a good deal of his films can appreciate. Playing Whitacre stretches him talent-wise and proves he's a good fit for just about any kind of role. And you have to hand it to a man who can play a ripped Jason Bourne but then pack on the belly pounds to play a twisted business exec.

"The Informant!" is not a corporate thriller or a true gut-splitting comedy, but it's really a well-made, interesting, unique and entertaining film from a director who has really needed a whole lot of that lately.

4/5 Stars

"The Informant!" (2009)

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Written by: Scott Z. Burns, Kurt Eichenwald (book)

Starring: Matt Damon

Archive Review: Coraline (2009) - 4/5 Stars

It seems like Pixar is the only company producing outside-the-box animated adventures these days, but don't discredit "Coraline," Laika Entertainment's second stop-motion feature after Tim Burton's "The Corpse Bride." Based on the Neil Gaiman book, "Coraline" is one of the more creative stories and executions of family entertainment to have come out in awhile and almost unquestionably one of the best stop-motion films ever made.

Although "Coraline" is certainly not for kids under 7 years old who are easily susceptible to nightmares, that doesn't change the quality of craftsmanship. Director Henry Selick, easily one of the best stop-motion directors next to Nick Park of the "Wallace & Gromit" series and maybe the more creative and daring between the two, brings a creepy surrealism and an abstract design to a story that begs for it.

"Coraline" is about a girl of the same name who moves into a new house with her apathetic parents that don't seem interested in her needs at all. She finds a small door in her new house that leads to an alternate reality with seemingly perfect parents -- only they have button eyes. But things aren't as rosy as they seem and Coraline soon finds herself in trouble.

Immediately, "Coraline" charms you with the creative imagining of its world. I'm unfamiliar with the book, but I believe it's without pictures, making Selick and his creative team's vision a true accomplishment. Not unlike Selick's work in "The Nightmare before Christmas," the figures have abstract shapes and exaggerated bodies whether it's Coraline's dad's slightly long neck or the neighbor Mr. Bobinsky's tiny appendages but ball-shaped midsection. Even the slight tilt in Coraline's head adds something to her character that peaks your curiosity in a way that a more traditional CGI animation might not necessarily do.

The beauty of the story is that Coraline learns a very fine lesson in reality versus idealism, that reality can be deceiving in both good and bad ways and that our parents, even if they're not always the nicest and best and giving us what we like, are the best thing we've got as a child. It's a perfect fit for stop-motion -- the subtle (and not so subtle) distortions between reality and alternate but ultimately fictitious reality -- and Selick really uses that to his and ultimately our advantage.

4/5 Stars

"Coraline" (2009)

Directed by: Henry Selick

Written by: Henry Selick, Neil Gaiman (book)

Starring: (voices) Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher

Weekend at a Glance (9.18.09)

We’re already into weekend No. 3 of the fall season and that means some of the movies that have been hyped up are all summer are finally going to find their way to theaters, most notably the Megan Fox horror comedy Jennifer’s Body.

As it also happens we’re in Week 2 of my weekend previews and box office predictions. Last week, I nailed it with my prediction of Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself taking the No. 1 spot.

But it wasn’t that prediction so much as it was predicting that the three horror films Final Destination, Sorority Row and Whiteout would fight each other and divide the audience. I was dead on. All three films made somewhere between the tiny window of $4.5 – 5.5 million, allowing the still chugging Inglourious Basterds to scootch back up to third place behind 9, which I was thrilled to see take No. 2 with $10 million in fewer than 2,000 theaters, though it can expect a huge drop this weekend.

The choices are much better than last week. Three of the four of these movies appear to be worth the money at first glance, depending on what you’re looking for.

Jennifer's Body - Cloudy with a Chance of Meat Balls - Love Happens - The Informant!

My endorsement: The only one of these movies to make my fall preview top 10 was The Informant!, which looks like the surest bet in terms of quality. Early festival reviews have been positive for both director Steven Soderbergh’s return to comedy and Matt Damon’s performance. The TV spots have really picked up this week and this is the only sure film to attract the older audience as well as adults with taste without kids (or a babysitter). The film has a quirky thriller vibe that makes me feel like it could be this year’s Burn After Reading.

Red Flag: It made my Fall Red Flags list on pure hunch alone, but it also helps that it pales compared to the other films out this weekend. Love Happens doesn’t just look as corny as it sounds, but there hasn’t been much critical acclaim for either Aaron Eckhart or Jennifer Anniston in terms of romantic comedies lately and I’m betting that will hold true when the reviews come out. The TV spots are weak and the promotion overall doesn’t seem very enthused about the product. I promise you The Informant! will work just fine as a date movie.

B.O. Prediction: This week’s choice is pretty clear-cut as well. It’s been awhile since a kids film has been released and kids have been cooped up in school for a few weeks now, so the time is right for children’s book adaptation Cloudy with a Chance of Meat Balls to win out, especially being released in nearly 1,000 more theaters than the competition. The movie looks super family-friendly, the book gives it recognition and food falling from the sky is pretty creative and fun.

As for Jennifer’s Body and The Informant!,  both are R-rated films competing on even distribution numbers but with vastly different audiences. Yet it’s clear the hype and star-power of Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody will suck in a huge number of teenagers who’ve heard plenty of hype and seen many an internet photo of Fox these last few weeks. Theater managers will have their hands full kicking underage kids out from this one, but a Megan Fox horror comedy is going to get most 17 – 21 year olds to the movies, especially without having had much to see the last couple weeks.

As for carryover, I expect I Can Do Bad … will hold up as Perry’s films usually do, taking third or fourth place with The Informant!. Too close to call, though I’d hope the latter could win out. To round out the top five, I’m going to make a gutsy call and pick Inglourious Basterds in its fifth week to beat out Love Happens by the slimmest of margins. A lot of people have taken friend recommendations and gone to see Basterds despite initial hesitance, and the two movies are going to be in the same number of theaters.

I’ll be out of town all next week, so no predictions then, although if the reviews are positive, Meat Balls is my early favorite to repeat with  little serious competition coming out next week and nothing for families for certain.

Waiting on the Weinsteins pt.2 "Youth in Revolt" yanked off fall slate

What exactly is The Weinstein Company doing? First, as I posted a couple weeks back, they pushed The Road to November 25 after messing around with it for a year prior to that. Then there were rumors about Rob Marshall musical Nine being moved to after January 1, which were denied. Now, it turns out we won't get to see the Michael Cera comedy Youth in Revolt in October, according to a press release, we'll have to wait until January 15.

/Film had the best coverage I found of the news, offering some solid insight into the decision. You can read what Russ Fischer wrote here.

The article points to the film that TWC picked up at TIFF this past week, A Single Man, a film created by Gucci fashion designer Tom Ford that's gotten a lot of Oscar buzz. The film stars Colin Firth and Julianne Moore about a gay English professor who suddenly loses his partner and struggles to live his life as usual as a result. Fischer wrote that he thinks the move was spurred by Weinstein's serious hankering for an Oscar. I have to agree.

Earlier this year, Entertainment Weekly did an interview and an eyebrow-raising piece on Harvey Weinstein about his shamelessly aggressive push to nab The Reader an Oscar nomination, angering The Dark Knight nation and possibly causing this coming year's ten-film Best Picture category. To say the least, it was apparent that the gold statuette was a high priority to him and TWC. If Harvey's not sold that Nine is the next Chicago, I could understand him wanting the hot commodity in A Single Man.

Those of us that just wanted a good comedy to make the Fall season more light and entertaining (and certainly fans of the C.D. Payne book) are going to have to deal with it. TWC obviously has some cash concerns despite the better-than-expected success of Inglourious Basterds and appeasing the loyal young adult crowd who likes films with substance is not top priority. 

The Oct. 30 weekend that the film would be released on is also somewhat log-jammed including Michael Jackson tribute film This is It, Boondock Saints II and rival comedy Gentleman Broncos from Fox, not to mention that's Halloween weekend. Youth in Revolt screened to some favorable reviews from sites, namely Cinematical, so perhaps TWC figured not to let it get smothered. Regardless, we'll have to enjoy it as a post-Oscar films snack early next year.

Archive Review: Get Shorty (1995) - 3.5/5 Stars

The mobster flick mixes with show business in "Get Shorty," the mob comedy from "The Addams Family" director Barry Sonnenfeld. The two (mob movies and Hollywood) have always gotten along well together from "The Godfather" to "Goodfellas," so "Get Shorty" taking the humorous business angle is only a natural evolution. Starring John Travolta hot off of "Pulp Fiction," it's an enjoyable film for those who love movies and those who love the mob.

"Get Shorty" is mostly about the former. Chili Palmer (Travolta) is a loan shark/shylock who flies out to Hollywood to collect a debt and partly to avoid his new boss, Ray Bones, the perfect jerk with a foul mouth played by Dennis Farina. In LA, Palmer meets producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman) and becomes fond of the movie business, offering to help Zimm get some lenders who've invested in one of his films off his back.

There's some strong irony between the movie business and mob movies, e.g. Chili pitches the story of why he's out in LA as a movie idea to Zimm who thinks he's got something, but its the rock solid performances of Travolta, Hackman, Farina and Delroy Lindo that sell you on "Get Shorty."

Film-lovers will appreciate many references from "Touch of Evil" to "Three Men and a Baby" as the movie takes plenty of shots at the industry. Those more into the mob angle will enjoy how everyone's out to get everyone -- some for legitimate reasons, others because they want in on the movie business. It displaces the gangster movie from its cozy home in New York, Boston or Miami and drops it into the glitz of Hollywood where it fits well seeing as the industry is not exactly the cleanest.

"Get Shorty" is not overly impressive, maintaining interest through its performances and our wondering just when one of these guys is going to up the stakes and off someone -- such are the thrills of a mob movie. Its lack of a definitive objective and therefore constant evolution into a story about something other than what it started as definitely holds it back, but not beyond of the point getting to enjoy it.

3.5/5 Stars

"Get Shorty" (1995)

Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld

Written by: Scott Frank (screenplay), Elmore Leonard (novel)

Starring: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Dennis Farina, Danny DeVito

Don't feed us more Hancock

As a big fan of the superhero genre, it’s my responsibility to lambast movies that should not be made. “Hancock 2” is one of them. 

“Hancock” director Peter Berg has been in the news a lot lately, mostly for his announcement that the sequel to his horribly mediocre superhero with a PR problem movie is moving along quickly.

The plans looked set in stone last month, but last week it was confirmed that the movie will get stars Will Smith, Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman back for round two, to be written by different writers, which might be the only good news in this post. Berg also confirmed that another big name will be added to the cast.

If you didn’t see “Hancock” and don’t want a spoiler, skip ahead. In the last film, we learned – out of nowhere – that Hancock and Theron’s character are superhuman gods that grow weaker when near each other.  Berg told Sci-Fi Wire that this third character will be some kind of evil god and that some origin stuff will be explored as well as the characters’ home world.

This mythology pretty much stunk up what we thought was a disgruntled superhero comedy. You can read my review about it here. Now that we know this, is there anyone that actually wants more of this “mythology”?

Then again, this is all sort of inevitable. The film grossed over $225 million and it cost $150 million. But whose fault is that really? I don’t think I can be blamed for going to see it when I was outright deceived. When a film pitches itself through trailers as something cool and then ends up something awful, there’s a false sense of success. “Hancock 2” can’t go back. We know what it is now. If I had to predict right now, it will probably pull in significantly less money as an August release in 2011 or 2012. Think along the lines of this year’s “G.I. Joe.”

Even with new writers, I don’t think this concept is salvageable. Hancock reformed his drunkard ways and is now a mighty superhero. That was the hook, now it’s gone – concept exhausted. This is a genre at a point where it’s constantly varying itself and meeting much or little success, with no real in-between space. “Hancock” didn’t work critically despite what the numbers say; this is going to be bad from start to finish.

Unfortunately, you and I will get to see numerous “Hancock 2” trailers and popcorn bag advertisements whenever the film takes off.

 

Archive Review: Hancock (2008) - 2.5/5 Stars

John Hancock is far from your average superhero, but the trailer told you that. What the trailer doesn't tell you, is that after the rogue anti-hero drunkenly parades about as advertised, he has to develop a backstory and make the film go from a clever spin on a hot- ticket genre to an emotional action drama. There are entertaining and unique elements that make "Hancock" standout, but they end up secondary to a hodge-podge and two-faced plot concept.

It's easy to be deceived these days by the shear unruly star-power that is Will Smith, especially when he's attached to a project dealing with superheroes, a genre that has been a cash machine. He's talented no matter what he does, and in that regard, "Hancock" is enjoyable. While I personally felt his character was too much of an a**hole as the script so frequently and unoriginally puts it, that doesn't mean Smith isn't good at it. He's just a great hero no matter the film. 

To quickly summarize, Smith plays "Hancock," a lonely, drunken jerk with Superman powers and a public approval rating of zero. When he saves Ray's (Jason Bateman) life, Ray offers his services as a P.R. consultant and the two work to change his image. Eventually, you get to Hancock's back story and some strange but obvious twists take the film down a different path that to explain would be a major spoiler.

So from the perspective of a producer that has a decent script with a highly marketable concept written by some nobodies and with a director (Peter Berg) attached whose best action credit is 2007's "The Kingdom," I would definitely want to sign someone to play Hancock who is going to guarantee me top spot at the box office. Well, voila. Smith is such a proved commodity with an amazing streak of top first weekend box office spots that he could get any contract he wants and he should do that. 

After Smith, the marks for "Hancock" are pretty much middle of the road. The CGI and Berg's directing style is too sloppy for what should be a clean-cut summer blockbuster. His refusal to use any camera stabilizing device works for a few scenes, but most of the time it's just dizzying and the close-ups become obnoxious. The plot concept, which paints a picture of Hancock as a hero and then fills it in with the origin story later instead of the other way around, makes for an interesting affect, but instead of enlightening what we know about Hancock, it ends up taking the film in another direction entirely. While you might think this movie would leave you with themes about turning one's life around and becoming the best you can be, that gets glossed over and you're left themeless.

If you want summer fun at the movies that is about as clumsy, destructive and amusing as the title character is, you should check out "Hancock."

2.5/5 Stars

"Hancock" (2008)

Directed by: Peter Berg

Written by: Vincent Ngo, Vince Gilligan

Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman

Archive Review: Predator (1987) - 3.5/5 Stars

Never saw the original "Predator" until today. It's worth mentioning that Robert Rodriguez is producing a re-make that's just started filming.

"Predator" boasts a few unique claims, one being that it's the only movie to feature two US governors. The "Jaws" and "Alien"-inspired monster attack film also gave birth to one of the most original creatures we've ever seen instead relying on aliens or dangerous animals. But most of all, it's the ability of "Predator" to deliver entertainment on bare-bones plot structure.

Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in director John McTiernan's breakthrough action thriller about a team of commandos on a hostage rescue mission in a Central American jungle who on their way back find themselves being hunted one-by-one by some extra-terrestrial hunter with stealth armor. 

The beauty of "Predator" is that's all for the plot. No sub-plots, no character development, nothing -- just gunfire and guts. Only occasionally does a mindless film like this one come along, recognize that its mindless, and just execute "entertaining" right down to its very definition.

The cast is completely talentless, but Schwarzenegger appears to have finely honed his ability to be an action star without distracting us with a thick accent. His recognizability at this point in his career is enough to like him in the film. Jesse Venture adds a bit of variety to the cast and makes for a nice fun fact many years later.

It would be one thing if there was no good reason for "Predator" to be devoid of everything but spine, but an alien with hunting gear and dreadlocks killing commandos for good sport needs nothing but some clever action sequences and effective suspense. Like "Alien," we don't see the Predator in full until way into the movie and that's half the excitement necessary to enjoy it.

Other movies try and give us back story, romance and clever twists when they aren't capable of delivering them well. "Predator" says "you want blood and aliens but not the same old presentation? You got it." Good film-making has never been simpler.

3.5/5 Stars

"Predator" (1987)

Directed by: John McTiernan

Written by: Jim and John Thomas

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger

New on DVD: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) - 3/5 Stars

The superhero genre reached a higher echelon in 2008 with "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight," and considering the success of 2/3 of the X-Men franchise so far, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" can certainly be held to those standards, especially a movie whose title alone suggests getting right down to its hero's adamantium core.

But "Wolverine" plays more like a spin-off, defining "origins" as the back story and not the psychological workings of the character. It's weak on themes, but loaded on more new mutants with new powers, explosions and plenty of subplots. Basically, it fails where "X-Men 3" did, trying to do too much at once, rushing the plot along and sacrificing the deeper reason audiences are drawn to Hugh Jackman's character other than he's cool and has a crude, sarcastic sense of humor. However, it succeeds much of the same way X3 did and beyond: more explosive action and creative use of an immense visual effects budget. Although director Gavin Hood doesn't bring more insight into the film with his work, he certainly has as good of an eye for the stylish as anyone.

The first sign that you know this movie isn't going to be top tier for superhero flicks is the number of mutants/villains. For a story about one, singular X-man, there are way too many other characters to follow: Col. Stryker is their ringleader, but Sabretooth (Schriber), Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Reynolds), Bolt (Monaghan), Gambit (Kitsch), Wraith (will.i.am), Agent Zero, the Blob and young Cyclops (not to mention a slough of extras) make the film dizzying. Especially at the beginning, we need to see more Wolverine -- it's his movie.

To the film's credit, its quick movement makes it easy to watch and entertaining and there's some surprisingly good comedic timing on Jackman's part for an action movie. Seriously though, it must have been a blast (no pun intended) on the set during action sequences because they actually destroyed everything they possibly could: CGI, real and both. This film is the beginning of what will surely be mind-blowing visual effects at the movies this summer. Hood gives new visual strength to the franchise and provides a much more epic feel to this film -- it's clearly about this grand journey for Wolverine, even if it's more spectacle than introspective.

Surprisingly, the ending was the most satisfying part of the film. All the subplots converge, it makes sense and the loose ends that fans of the first three films will notice get tied up fittingly at the end. For the whole first hour of the film you're juggling Wolverine and Sabretooth's rivalry, Stryker's team of guys with powers, Wolverine's romance with Kayla out in the wilderness, what's happening to the team of guys with powers ... why the heck kid Cyclops is in the movie ... it's not overwhelming, it's just not as enjoyable when you can't focus on one thing or character as much as you'd like. Still, the ending justifies the strange means, at least in terms of the epic battle that ensues.

"Wolverine" is not a travesty for the genre, but it certainly doesn't meet the expectations for a thorough superhero movie experience. You get amped up action and style over meaning and that makes it entertainment more than catharsis. Expect to be entertained and little else and "Wolverine" will satisfy your itch for the summer movie season.

3/5 Stars

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (2009)

Directed by: Gavin Hood

Written by: David Benioff, Skip Woods

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds

Disney con dishes on Toy Story 3, Pirates 4

It might not be Comic Con, but it's getting close. I know I promised more TIFF coverage today, but I've lost my research, so that's out. Anyway, Disney's D23 convention made some big movie headlines Friday and over the weekend that I figured were worth scooping despite being a few days late. I've bulleted them here. Most everyone had this news covered, but I'm paraphrasing this all from Variety.

- A lot has come out about "Toy Story 3" these last few days. Here's what we know. The premise is that Andy goes to college and his toys get donated to a daycare facility except for Woody, who Andy takes with him. Timothy Dalton will play a thespian hedgehog named Mr. Prickplepants, Michael Keaton will play a Ken doll and Bonnie Hunt, Jeff Garland and Whoopie Goldberg are among other new voices. At some point, we know Buzz malfunctions and speaks Spanish. That's a good deal to be excited about for next June. 

- Yes, Johnny Depp was sailed on stage in costume to announce "Pirates of the Carribbean: On Stranger Tides" would be coming to dominate another July weekend in 2011. The details don't go beyond that, so all the rumors over Pirates 4 are still in play. No director is attached and it appears unlikely Gore Verbinski will return. I'm a big fan of the Russell Brand as some member of the Sparrow family idea to be honest and after Brand worked with Disney on "Bedtime Stories," it seems possible. Disney Chairman Dick Cook also announced Depp is to play Tonto in a "Lone Ranger" update. Apparently Depp has no limits as we suspected.

- The Muppets will be returning to the movies and yes, Jason Segel is involved. Let me say that again: yes, Jason Segel is involved. If you didn't see "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Segel cannot contain his Muppet love. I could care less about a Muppet movie, but Jason Segel's script is partly behind this project and for them to dust off an old property with limited 3D potential to create what Cook says is called "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made," something good must be brewing here.

- Robert Zemeckis, the CGI-happy filmmaker, showed "A Christmas Carol" footage, but then announced his next project: a 3D adaptation of the Beatles' animated film "Yellow Submarine." That announcement met a lot of excitement after the Beatles big video game and album release date last week.

- Guillermo Del Toro, who was rumored to be working on a big project, came out to announce a partnership to create Disney's Double Dare You, which will focus on scarier stuff (kids level scary I'm guessing), but anything Del Toro puts his creative mind into warrants attention.

- Tim Burton, who showed off some more of next spring's "Alice in Wonderland," will apparently have his Disney short film "Frankenweenie" (1984)  turned into a full-length feature. The short was about a boy who revives his dog the Frankenstein way but the dog goes crazy. It's a childrens' Frankenstein story I guess.

Archive Review: Apocalypse Now (1979) - 5/5 Stars

It's hard to argue that "Apocalypse Now" is anything but one of the top three war films if not the best ever made. There's just nothing wrong with it. Sure, there might be parts that don't resonate as well and the film certainly doesn't broadcast its messages in the most direct of ways, but confusion has nothing to say to the film's breathtaking visuals and impeccable post-production craftsmanship.

Francis Ford Coppola's non-"Godfather" masterpiece is a Vietnam update of the classic Joseph Conrad novel "Heart of Darkness." Capt. Willard (Sheen) is ordered on a mission to travel up a river in Vietnam to find a former army Col. Walter Kurtz (Brando), who has gone "rogue" and taken charge of a local tribe. Willard is ordered to terminate Kurtz ... with extreme prejudice. With a band of ordinary soldiers, he travels upriver on a patrol boat on a mission that drastically changes his perspective.

It's funny, because what most people look for in movies -- great story, epiphany, great acting -- are not the strongest points of "Apocalypse Now." The film is a masterpiece of the more technical aspects of film as well as of direction. To start with, the cinematography is the most incredible of any war movie made before "Saving Private Ryan." The lights, the glare spots, the explosions and the jarring but effective changes in color palettes are so impressive that they tell a story in themselves and that's about the highest compliment that element of a film can receive.

Sound-wise, helicopter blades dominate the first significant chunk of this film and they begin to haunt you as a sound of war and danger, not to mention the challenges of mixing sound when that noise is so overpowering. The way it's all strung together is bound to be under- appreciated considering how much is going on and that the plot demands a lot of our attention.

"Apocalypse Now" has a complex view of war that goes way beyond mere protest. In fact, it's not about war, but the good and evil inside of the persons stuck in the middle of it. It's about the choices humans make in dealing with the complicated forces inside them beckoning them to do one or the other and how war puts an incredible and terrible strain on that process.

I watched "Apocalypse Now Redux," the 2001 re-edit of the film including nearly 50 minutes extra footage. Having not seen the original but knowing which scenes were added, I think the extra footage makes a difference. Scenes involving the stranded Playmates and the French woman who takes kindly to Willard add a sensuality to the film that brings a new layer of meaning to the journey of Willard and the young PBR crew. It make it all the more apparent just how out of place these soldiers were in Vietnam and why the US couldn't "win" despite more than adequate numbers.

Although I make a point to emphasize the production elements of the film, the script by John Milius and Coppola along with Michael Herr's narrative additions is worthy of the utmost praise. The way Willard's journey allows him to understand more about the man he's after and pushes him into Kurtz's shoes is one of the clearer points of the film and the turning points are all based around it. Dennis Hopper's photojournalist character spouting off T.S Eliot poetry and Brando's improvisations murky the water a bit, but the impact is fierce as the film concludes and the incredible presence of Brando commands our attention.

"Apocalypse Now" has a lot to say and maybe too little time (despite the film's length) to say it, but few films leave the impression on so many artistic levels that this war epic does. Despite the beauty, Coppolla doesn't glorify war so much as make a bone-chilling and awing spectacle of it.

5/5 Stars

"Apocalypse Now (Redux)" (1979/2001)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Written by: Jim Milius, Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall

Weekend at a Glance (9.11.09)

After an incredibly weak box office performance last Labor Day weekend, there isn't a whole lot of reason to be confident that this weekend's take will be any better. There are a few new films to choose from, but if you're smart, there's only one clear choice of what to do with your money: keep it, or go see "9."

Opening this Week (Wide Release)

"9" - "Sorority Row" - "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" - "Whiteout"

My endorsement: Adult CGI-animated post-apocalyptic action movie "9" opened on Wednesday to mixed but decidedly positive reviews. The visuals in director Shane Acker's expansion of his Oscar-nominated short film received a lot of praise and seemed to overshadow the under-80-minute film's lack of sufficient explanation and character development. In putting this film on my must-see list for the fall, that was the risk I knew I would take, and I'm glad to hear that the innovation of "9" left its lasting impression. I can't say, however, that I'll have a review for you this weekend.

Red flag of the weekend: I'm so glad that the trailer for "Sorority Row" will no longer be appearing before any movies that I go see. If you think this superficial slasher film remake is worth any cent of your money, then you probably already know this blog isn't for you. I'll admit, the first half of the trailer left an impact, but then, as a former Greek college student, I laughed at the line "but, like, the whole Greek system is wearing hooded robes right now" and I was reminded of how poor Hollywood's depiction of Greek Life is. If you want to see a bunch of attractive younger people kill or be killed, including Bruce and Demi's baby Rumer Willis, go ahead, just please, please don't believe anything that movie tells you about college Greeks.

B.O. Winner Prediction: "The Final Destination"  has won two weeks in a row, so that will divide the horror audience up, keeping "Sorority Row" and the new Dominic Sena film "Whiteout" starring Kate Beckinsale from competing. Beckinsale's "Underworld" fans might be loyal, but who wants to see a film about freezing weather in the wake of summer? With all that in mind, I think the door is open for the master of black family comedy/drama, Mr. Tyler Perry -- and his latest Madea film "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" -- to take the box office. "9" doesn't have a big enough demographic to compete, whereas Perry's films have been known to steal away weak box office weekends in the fall and spring. 

Toronto International Film Festival kicks off tonight

As a movie blogger, it wouldn't be fair to keep ignoring the many esteemed film festivals that take place around this time of year, so I've decided to preview this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), a nine-day extravaganza that previews just about everything the fall has to offer in terms of American movies and showcases many films from countries all over the world looking for an American distributor.

Of course I don't know anything besides most American films, so it will be hard for me to give you the scoop on anything from abroad, but a few notable non-American films did catch my eye when browsing the festival's schedule based on the reputation of the people making them.

Since the festival spans a good deal of time, I figured I would start by previewing just this weekend's fare, which is substantial, and then cover the rest on Monday. I've highlighted one interesting film from each night and listed some notable other showings below it.

Thursday, Sept. 10

"Antichrist" - Lars Von Trier

This dramatic horror film from Danish director Lars Von Trier was so controversial when it debuted earlier this year at Cannes, that the jury gave it the festival's first anti-award for its misogynistic views. Interesting considering Von Trier won the Palm D'or in 2000 for his film "Dancer in the Dark." "Antichrist"  stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a couple whose son falls out a window to his death while they're doing it, causing the wife to become depressed. They retreat to a cabin in the woods where things get crazy, to put it lightly. To get an idea for how intriguingly horrific this film is, take a look at these posters. One is a hauntingly brilliant poster and the other gives you a sense of what's been said about this film. If you're curious enough, the film will hit art house movie theaters on October 23.

Other Thursday showings: "Broken Embraces" - Pedro Almodovar (Spain), "Jennifer's Body" - Karyn Kussama

Friday, Sept. 11

"Dorian Gray" - Oliver Parker

The Oscar Wilde story gets a modern flourish thanks to Oliver Parker, who's done many other Wilde adaptations in the past. The film just opened in the UK but has no US release date as of yet. My guess is it won't be long after TIFF before it gets one. The film stars "Prince Caspian" hearthrob Ben Barnes as the eternal youth with an aging portrait of himself and co-stars Colin Firth, "Peter Pan" remake's Rachel Hurd-Wood, Emilia Fox ("Cashback") and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" beauty Rebecca Hall.

Other Friday showings: "The Informant!" - Steven Soderbergh, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" - Grant Heslov and vampire flick "Daybreakers" - Peter and Michael Spierig

Saturday, Sept. 12

"Defendor" - Peter Stebbings

Woody Harrelson stars as a self-made and powerless superhero vigilante named Defendor who is just a loser guy under the delusion of being attacked by the mysterious "Captain Industry." He befriends a druggy prostitute in Kat Dennings ("Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist") and his friends and family try and convince him to give up the act.

With "Kick-Ass!" due out in the spring, another comedy about other self-made superheroes, whoever picks up "Defendor" will have to make a serious decision about what to do with it. TIFF marks the film's world premiere and having seen the trailer, I have to say that it holds promise as a dark comedy. Nobody can play dumb hero like Harrelson, that's for sure. (View Trailer here)

Other Saturday showings: "Up in the Air" - Jason Reitman, "A Serious Man" - Joel and Ethan Coen, "Whip It" - Drew Barrymore

Sunday, Sept. 13

"Capitalism: A Love Story" - Michael Moore

Of all the controversy that constantly swarms Michael Moore, one thing is for sure: Dude loves him those Canadians, so it should come as no shock that the film will make it's second ever showing at TIFF. This film will hit at a time where party politics is at one of its all-time lows, so it might make sense to say the film might be more controversial in a America than "Antichrist" will be.

Other Sunday showings: "Precious: based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire" - Lee Daniels, "The Road" - John Hillcoat

Archive Review: Fanboys (2008) - 3/5 Stars

An easy way to measure how much you will or won't enjoy "Fanboys" is how closely you fit to the titular category. The more of a Star Wars fan you are and the more your gender and maturity is on par with 'boy,' the more you'll like this ode to Star Wars fans.

The premise of this film is excellent: In 1998, six months before the scheduled release of "Star Wars Episode I" a group of fanboy friends in their 20-somethings road trip to Skywalker Ranch to try and steal a rough cut of the movie because one of them has a terminal illness and won't live to see the release. The execution, however, is spotty.

The movie is a Star Wars-themed version of "Road Trip," with the guys heading across America in a van and stopping along the way solely to buy some time before they get to the ranch. My guess would be that Ernest Cline and Dan Pulick are fanboys themselves who came up with the premise of stealing Episode I and then had to find a way to actually make it work. Therefore, the guys stop off in Iowa where the character of Captain Kirk from the Star Trek franchise was born to antagonize some Trekkies, they get caught at a gay biker bar and they have to go to Las Vegas to get security clearance to the ranch from an insider.

The main character and the story are not all that strong, but the small tributes, spoofs and cameos all related to the Star Wars universe is what makes "Fanboys" entertaining. Therefore, the more you know Star Wars -- things like thermal detonators and that Chewbacca is from Kashik -- the more you love "Fanboys."

In addition to appearances from a few notable actors from the Star Wars franchise, director Kyle Newman does some nice homages to Lucas and obviously Star Wars. The infamous side wipes that Lucas uses to transition in those movies appear a couple times and the security at the ranch resemble the ones from THX 1138, one of Lucas' first movies (although that might just be the truth, who knows). The writing also does this too including famous quotes when appropriate and even the movie's funniest scene when the gang ends up in George Lucas' trash compactor. 

Other cameos include Seth Rogen, Billy Dee Williams, and Kevin Smith, to name a few without spoiling one of the film's few excellent aspects. Stars Sam Huntington ("Superman Returns"), the rotund Dan Fogler ("Balls of Fury"), Jay Baruchel ("Knocked Up") and Chris Marquette ("The Girl Next Door") are all average, though mostly because their characters are written sloppy.

Bottom line is "Fanboys" states in title alone exactly who it's intended for. I don't know why Harvey Weinstein would fight to try and make this something that would appeal to the masses only to let it come out without making a peep. If Star Wars is going to be the focus of a movie, there's one segment of the population that will like it, no matter what you do. Fortunately, for those fans, "Fanboys" is good.

3/5 Stars

"Fanboys" (2008)

Directed by: Kyle Newman

Written by: Ernest Cline, Adam L. Goldberg, Dan Pulick

Starring: Sam Huntington, Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Chris Marquette, Kristen Bell

"The Road" moves to Thanksgiving

For those of you that agreed heartily with my choice of putting the film version of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" on my must-see list for the fall, you will certainly be interested to hear that Dimension Films has pushed the movie back to Thanksgiving instead of its original Oct. 16 release, another piece of news today that I caught wind of at /Film.

The move is certainly an interesting one this late in the game. The Weinstein Co. (Dimension Films is part of it) already has Rob Marshall's anticipated movie musical "Nine" scheduled for that weekend, so it must plan on a limited release of "Nine" or moving the Oscar contender closer to Christmas. 

As for what this means for "The Road," which has already seen its fair share of date changes, it could be a positive or a negative. My instinct would say the film's debut at Telluride earned it some solid buzz and now TWC feels a bit cocky, which means this film good be as good as expected. Regardless, the change leaves "Where the Wild Things Are" as the only major contender for Oct. 16. Wanting to see both films, that saves me a decision to say the least. 

Thanksgiving weekend, however, is no easy time slot. "The Road" will be up against the wide release of family flicks the "Fantastic Mr. Fox," Disney's "Old Dogs," and a film with a similar demographic in "Ninja Assassin," not to mention contending with the first full week of "Twilight Saga: New Moon." Then again, of all those films, I would certainly want to see "The Road" the most. What about you?

"Up in the Air" teaser is up online

You might not know director Jason Reitman by name, but you sure know his body of work. Does "Juno" and "Thank You For Smoking" ring a bell? Whether you consider him on the cusp of becoming one of the best comedy directors of our time or not, the teaser for his new movie, "Up in the Air," was just released exclusively on the internet and exclusively through the movie blog /Film. Check it out here.

"Up in the Air" just made its debut at the Telluride Film Festival where it made quite an impression. It stars George Clooney as a corporate downsizing guru trying to rack up 1 million frequent flyer miles whose job and anti-monogamy sentiment are threatened by two different women. 

Coming from Reitman, the expectation is comedy with a dramatic twist, but this teaser takes strictly to the more dramatic side of things. Throughout the teaser, Clooney is delivering a speech and images from throughout the film complement it and sometimes contradict it. It's definitely setting up to be the more wise and meditating on life sort of film; It will be interesting to see if Paramount continues to push the film this way as the release nears on December 4. Co-starring are Vera Farmiga ("The Departed") as Clooney's love interest, "Twilight" star Anna Kendrick and Reitman regulars J.K. Simmons and Jason Bateman also appear. You can also catch a glimpse of Danny McBride in the background and though he's not listed, I swear I saw a bushy-bearded Zach Galifianakis.

Archive Review: Romancing the Stone (1984) - 3/5 Stars

Kathleen Turner stars as a romance adventure novelist who ends up on a romantic adventure of her own in "Romancing the Stone." Naturally, fans of romance adventures will most enjoy this one, but to its credit there's a good balance of action to make this film enjoyable for just about everyone.

"Romancing the Stone" is a writer's fantasy about a writers' fantasy that comes true. Screenwriter Diane Thomas must've been something of a hopeless romantic herself to create Joan Wilder and have her live out a story similar to her books. Wilder is a single woman in her 30s living with her cat who finds out her sister has been kidnapped and that the ransom has been sent to her randomly in the form of a treasure map. Joan flies to Columbia where another man interested in the map sends her off into the jungle instead of straight to her destination where Indiana Jones more or less in the form of Michael Douglas as Jack Colton finds her and helps her begrudgingly.

The film certainly capitalizes on the popularity of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" only targeting itself at women. Joan is a naive and hopeless beauty-in-waiting and Douglas the rebellious adventurer who helps her for initially selfish reasons that turn into romantic ones. Their chemistry is a bit forced, but each fits perfectly into his/her role that we easily approve.

From an action sense, director Robert Zemeckis, in his first major film, keeps the film light but suspenseful enough to keep our interest. Considering the writing calls for cat and mouse the entire time as Joan and Jack run from the corrupt the Colombian police officer Zolo and his men as well as Danny DeVito, a lot hinges on Zemeckis' creativity to keep the constantly recycling scenes of fleeing from gunfire feel more pressing each time until the climax. He also brings a healthy sense of humor that makes the movie easier to enjoy, knowing that even its maker wants this to be nothing but light-hearted entertainment.

"Romancing" is predictable adventure with even more predictable romance, but Zemeckis finds a way to make it inherently more likable than even Turner or Douglas as talents do. In a film where there would be plenty to role our eyes at, Zemeckis graciously spares us the trouble.

3/5 Stars

"Romancing the Stone" (1984)

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Written by: Diane Thomas

Starring: Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas

New on Blu-ray: Requiem for a Dream (2000) - 4/5 Stars

I don't know why in God's name anyone would want to watch "Requiem for a Dream" in Blu-ray high definition, but it's now available in that format for those of you who'd like to see Jared Leto's infected arm in all its 1080p glory. Below is my review of the cult classic that you only watch twice if someone else you're watching with hasn't seen it.

There have been tons of films that depict addictive drug abuse, but no film does it quite like Darren Aronofsky in "Requiem for a Dream," using camera techniques to mess with your mind and visually drive you insane, much like the characters of the film spiral into drug-induced oblivion. The film is not particularly insightful -- it is an independent film -- whose goal is clearly to make a film that shows drug abuse in a way never done before.

"Requiem" follows essentially four characters whose lives go south because of drugs. There is Harry (Leto) and Tyrone (Wayans), two junkies who turn to selling dope to make a living, Marion (Connelly), Harry's girlfriend who will do anything for cocaine, and Sara, Harry's mother, an older, widowed woman who gets selected to be on TV and begins to take pills to suppress her appetite so that she can wear her favorite dress on air. Sara's story is the most jarring and unique to movie plots and therefore feels distanced from the others, but the technique is what matters in "Requiem" more so than the story itself.

This is Aronofsky's film from beginning to end. Numerous camera techniques are employed, particularly rapid sequences of close-ups when the characters are doing their drugs of choice. In addition, Aronofsky uses camera mounts on characters at times and even security cameras to capture some scenes in Sara's storyline. Aronofsky also does various slow downs and speed ups, white fades and more in the editing process that continue to inject director presence into the material. He really experiments with everything with varying degrees of success. 

What makes Aronofsky's work so great, however, is not the techniques themselves, but how they are allegorical for drug addiction. He feeds them to us in steady and unobtrusive doses at first with the rapid close-ups for the first hour of the film, then as things start to go out of control in the plot, we get more and more abrupt changes in our viewing of the film from camera angles to the edits. It's brilliant because you can easily enjoy the beginning of the film, but by the end you feel really disturbed by everything and it all happens so quickly. Aronofsky actually psychologically messes with you, successfully.

Other praise for this film goes mostly to Ellen Burstyn as Sara. She's hauntingly brilliant in showing the gradual turn to insanity. A much deserved Oscar nomination. Leto and Connelly are also good, but this movie is more about how Aronofsky makes them appear rather than how they act.

"Requiem" is really an art film, not a Hollywood-friendly drug movie about the dangers of drugs, but an experiment with the human mind and its ability to be altered by fine director craftsmanship. While there's no true catharsis in the film, it's a movie-watching experience in its own little category by itself and worthy of a try if you're in the mood for something radical.

4/5 Stars

"Requiem for a Dream" (2000)

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Written by: Hubert Selby Jr., Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Ellen Burstyn, Marlon Wayans