Hollywood Adventureland

Just finished piecing together a new live video for Club of the Sons. There were “technical” difficulties with the video for their cd release show so improvisation was required. I scrounged for older clips and youtube snips to create the patchwork below.

Recent viewings of note…

love a good sunset

District 9 ****1/2 One of the best original films I’ve seen all year, and definitely one of the best sci-fi films of the past five years, Distric 9 grabbed me in the first five minutes and tightened it’s fingers throughout the 112 minutes. Filmed on a shoestring budget considering size and scope, and with a relatively unknown cast stateside; this film is a must see for lovers of thought-provoking science fiction.

"aren't you that chick from twilight?"

Adventureland ****1/2 Surprised and shocked to find myself thoroughly enjoying this film that was not even on my radar due to the horrific advertising campaign labeling it another gross-out, goofball comedy. This film is a fantastic coming-of-age tale with real performances and genuine humor. Please do seek out.

"for the last time, there are no zombies here."

A Perfect Getaway *** A favorite genre director of mine, David Twohy, returns with this seemingly by the numbers thriller that starts off clunkily, but offers up a twist midway through the thrills that turns everything on end. Nice performances from some familiar faces including Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, and Timothy Olyphant.

wrestling with claws and splinters in space and time…

Star Trek ****1/2 has been wondrously updated for modern audiences. Director J. J. Abrams has taken the drollness of past trek and injected energy into the proceedings all the while staying true to the heart of Roddenberry’s creation . This is indeed Star Trek, but new and improved with a fantastic cast and seamless effects. I was never a hardcore trekkie or trekker depending on your time frame, but consider me on board for this next wave of space adventure.

Wolverine ** brings the comic book movie (which has been soaring to new heights with Iron Man and Dark Knight) back down to it’s most cliched roots with lightning punctuations and shallow characters doing pointless things in an attempt to thwart villains who – if you saw X-men and X2 – aren’t going away anytime soon.

I didn’t think it was possible, but Gavin Hood succeeded in making a boring movie about the most interesting of X-men. Hugh Jackman is given absolutely nothing to do in this movie but look sad, growl, and yell. Better luck next time bub.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ***1/2 fantastic special effects in what amounts to a beautifully filmed coming-of-age story where age is everything. I found myself strangely disconnected with the first hour or so of this film despite the incredible special F/X. The only thing interesting about this man’s life is the fact that he’s aging in reverse. Without this conceit, it would be a rather dull affair. I watched short slices of his rather average life (the war sequence being the one exception) for nearly three hours and got to the end feeling a bit short-changed.

The film does find it’s footing in the middle, when both leads get to perform without the hindrance of digital manipulation. Ironically this is also when the characters feel the most alive, but then the last half happens and I once again became a bit detached. Don’t misunderstand, the film is definitely worth watching, and the age effects some of the best ever put on film, but don’t go into it expecting a life-changing experience. The characters didn’t grab me as they should have in order for the movie to have lasting resonance. It’s a  good film, but nowhere near great and director Fincher has made better.

The Wrestler ****1/2 succeeds because I am not nor have I ever been even remotely interested in the “spectacle” of professional wrestling, but I wanted to know the fate of Randy the Ram. This film succeeds because of the characters and their lives.  Mickey Rourke does give a fantastic performance as the Ram, a once glorified wrestling star now a has-been relegated to the local scene where jumping off of ladders into plates of glass wrapped in barbed wire is the norm. I disagree with some critics who say this one is for everyone, because I can name several people I know who won’t like it at all, but Darren Aronofsky (one of my favorite directors) has shifted gears with this film and proven he can do more than trippy and sci-fi and trippy sci-fi.

Splinter ***1/2 a B-movie with A tendencies. There isn’t anything new about Splinter, the horror/creature film from director Toby Wilkins, but it does harken back to the old school  (ie: actually make a creature suit and put a man or woman inside and have it scare the actors), and for that I give it props. The actors you’ll recognize from television; they do a decent of job of transfering their fears to the audience, and the creature design is clever. Worth a rent if you’re a fan of this type of film.

Tenn. eleven, twelve…

I and my new Sony HDR-FX1000 had the opportunity to attend the EP release show for one, Crystal Thomas, in Nashville on April 16. A tripod and an extra master shot would’ve helped my footage which alternated between hand-held and resting on a table top, but the performance speaks for itself.

Also in Nashville I caught I Love You Man ***1/2, the starring vehicle for Paul Rudd, who proves that being socially awkward is fun for everyone (except young children of course – this one is rated R).

Finally watched the Peter Sellers’ classic Being There (Netflix probably thought I ran off with the thing) and it was quite an experience. Sellers performance is one for the ages and the final shot is utterly inspiring.

Another little gem I happened upon thanks to Harry Knowles over at AICN was the low-budget time thriller Timecrimes. Using the time travel theory made popular in the Back to the Future films this one tells a simply intricate tale.

One month of school left and then what promises to be a busy summer…

NvilleII

Went to visit my sister who just recently relocated to Nashville and brought my camera along. The following are snippets from our visit to Centennial Park…

Top Movies of 2008 coming soon…

Atypical REVIEW_episode one

Trying something a little different this time…