tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268306782024-03-08T03:34:04.623-08:00DVDs, Books, Games, and moreAndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-46478631440667912332014-01-26T22:14:00.001-08:002014-01-28T19:19:43.372-08:00American Hustle - * * * *<p>Updated on 1/28/14</p> <p>With <em>American Hustle</em>, writer/director David O. Russell cements his stature as one of the best filmmakers working today. Many critics and fans have commented on <em>Hustle</em> being Russell's third perfect film in a row, after <em>Silver Linings Playbook</em> and <em>The Fighter</em> (which I still haven't seen -- I know, shame on me). But it was <em>The Fighter</em> that started this momentum for Russell as a director whose films started winning big awards: </p> <ul> <li><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964517/" target="_blank">The Fighter</a></em> was nominated for seven awards, with Christian Bale winning for Best Actor and Melissa Leo for Best Supporting Actress. </li> <li><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Silver Linings Playbook</a></em> received eight nominations, earning a Best Supporting Actress award for Jennifer Lawrence. (It was also Russell's first movie to break $100 million at the box office.) </li> <li>And now, <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800241/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">American Hustle</a> </em>continues Russell's streak with 10 Academy Award Nominations. I think it will most likely win a few of these awards, and has a good shot at Best Picture. </li> </ul> <p>In many ways, it seems like Russell came out of nowhere, but he's actually been <strike>quietly</strike> directing films for 20 years. In Hollywood, he developed a reputation as a talented director whose methods often created chaos on the set. During production of <em>Three Kings</em>, Russell got into a fist fight with George Clooney. Lily Tomlin got into a expletive filled shouting match during the filming of <em>I Heart Huckabees</em>. And James Caan walked away from production of <em>Nailed</em>. An <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/movies/19WAXM.html?_r=0" target="_blank">article in the New York Times</a><em></em> chronicled some of the craziness during production of <em>I Heart Huckabees</em>. </p> <p>And somehow, Russell emerged from this period of creative chaos. For me, <em>Silver Linings Playbook</em> was the film that showed that Russell was a kind of modern-day Woody Allen, who has an ability to tell serious, sometimes dark stories that also manage to be uplifting. <em>Silver Linings Playbook's</em> exploration of mental illness in its many forms really surprised me, as did the performances by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJn2jxqSD-FvgDjHYISM_hAcEC2EFgRnwNwUw1nWq_2kDdY1sihjd337yBx3gUoTXr42829Q2YBCfmK4Ou7-GuPBSu1ik1ltKXnbRpyTgASYPFBVUyvpaDRy7lsl4FkU8afG5/s1600-h/image%25255B17%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5y1zh5Zz_kSKQRM50LWoTE0JLOuW8ZzU_C-5FtGlbxxn9ckGXyRmmPy_FevMWyQQEGXEBHgIwh4jy5g6wtmAu1WsQL8fUhiRs_VcRQNuFdhTVfweAE1q-NIDEvCahdUUz8a6//?imgmax=800" width="165" height="244" /></a></p> <p><em>American Hustle</em> reunites many of the players from Russell's past three films, including Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Robert De Niro. The newcomer here is Jeremy Renner. Every actor except Renner and De Niro got Oscar nods, and they all deserve the accolades they're getting. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MNfyImfC2N0EKGVbm1qS1v1pmy9PE4tEt0uka1r5X-X-TkZh5yUYYY9XMEPKwAkBAo0LuVMuwrLREO9Q331xn42Fv32gKUh6vqI-PwXswDE0bN0PtmLdmSOZIoZoVc5D0ecf/s1600-h/image%25255B14%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzcx_4iMY3bHREPrwdUfSrSIQTOw4Vy_XzSo4uyn3YLszV330CEJaiWroEtOiP78HypQA85_I-m6ACDQ_J4ZJnrEH6I7PUulRpneczTVUA3b6ZbKQurJm6MErAEKzHhG60vBy//?imgmax=800" width="244" height="197" /></a></p> <p>But even with all the individual accomplishments, the real power of the film is created by the ensemble. Russell creates a kind of Woody Allen meets Martin Scorsese ensemble that gains more and more momentum as the film progresses. Everyone is amazing, but Amy Adams was perhaps the most surprising. Maybe it's because I haven't seen her in a role like this before. My money's on her for the Oscar.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CcptnBmetgBa67Eay1mhnhT0znxYiYUClQJcadZxPMJxdMCir0Zd9kfJNTe3LbxdsbP4b00STshjT0VwbylhaFZG0FIVRCChwbMMeXQOf6xpp2BLDYIWrJGotMdOKTUZlnN5/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dnTdKeRF8npGchiLwDYA8Hts0aLn9G7CNNQU5i1s3ZKIoOc3TXdANGgBvXQs_msQBVHKU6ntb5IVzxwcerUHXExSY8HP-G42SZn8ettbyeMDZ44RyyqBToDcRBg_o3YQl_XA//?imgmax=800" width="244" height="211" /></a></p> <p>From a pure filmmaking perspective, I was enthralled by how effortless Russell shows the conflicts on the screen. As the title suggests, <em>American Hustle</em> is about people who are trying to lie and cheat their way to a better life:</p> <ul> <li>In the very first scene, we see Christian Bale as a bald, overweight man, who spends an inordinate amount of time creating the "look" of his hair. He glues down a wig on the top of his head, and then combs over the rest, finishing with a flourish of hairspray to keep everything in place. He transforms into the man he wants others to see, but it's an illusion. </li> <li>Amy Adams acquires a British accent to become more believable to the people she and Bale are trying to scam. And there's a point where she continues to speak in that accent, even when you think she should have dropped it. </li> <li>Bradley Cooper isn't content to follow the rules at the FBI. The kind of glory he's seeking requires a kind of madness and hubris. (In a nice parallel to Bale's character, Cooper uses rollers to curl his straight hair.) </li> <li>Jennifer Lawrence's character is following a template for her life that others have set -- and it's this template that causes great unhappiness to her and everyone around her. </li> <li>Jeremy Renner (sporting an amazing pompadour)  is a politician who believes corruption is OK if it helps his constituents.  </li> </ul> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMUsW8umDE3OBMCVKqhyphenhyphenidDSPIRx6DVfM__MujgcPOGbmm6Hgu8BZsaD89sq_9X1nPA77O-Njphzqaef9637x0T7rVUbG1SBVTLbP-pOJFRdWWAAEDUQRElUh_hXEJEdyIems/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOVdYobJI2ayMaYePBxWT9Xju6dyG86EMF6D40V6gd-qI-ROylpxv40AIo2lpohopj05f-rRcGQ8IPfGdGHLToJ_5NIuIY2EXgopiSm7Vo8ABreGCkdvMDrgz0CHcntWlqz5D//?imgmax=800" width="231" height="244" /></a></p> <p>This is the kind of film that stays with you, because the characters are all going through heart-wrenching internal and external battles. This is what great drama looks like, and I can't wait to see Russell's next film. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFHDyb8eWGMGnGZI5Jp1WuG6mhSaR9XGVUaKkr1ifEO6Q8z0ALwcGBOVIoD2ipXDXRrBwtcr_3kTVefwPw-FnBDhdJ6FzbaTMFWjpwH8sV_7sfmdx6AnHS3kNx9t7Ude_HUd-/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzuhAxi7m3v5W2PpAODJhyYWI_2jx-vIGIf7j7TT1jSlg3Dtf3cgSkymKjt-kCmE7983IAQlVZFxTNvcrXH_byECmTdeZuJTEYWlAjtrDI8iZnbDb-U8OJRw1fG3_CPYH5Jrd//?imgmax=800" width="232" height="244" /></a></p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-69263952698714435402013-12-29T15:23:00.001-08:002013-12-29T15:40:47.324-08:00Holiday action movie pick: Die Hard (1988)<p><em>Die Hard</em> is one of my favorite action films of all time. As most people know by now, <em>Die Hard</em> involves a group of terrorists who crash an office Christmas party on Christmas Eve. McClane is there to visit his wife (who moved to LA with the kids-- but left him behind). Fortunately for everyone at the party, he's not in the main area when the terrorists attack. He escapes onto another floor before he's discovered. It doesn't take McClane, a smart detective, long to singled-handedly start taking out the terrorists.</p> <h3>The Screenplay</h3> <p>Like <em>Lethal Weapon</em>, <em>Die Hard</em> uses the Shane Black style of action movie writing (<em>Die Hard</em> was written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza). Like their colleague Mr. Black, these writers create a script that is immensely readable. Here's how it begins:</p> <blockquote> <p><font size="2"><font face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre">FADE IN</b></font><font face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre"> 405 FREEWAY - LOS ANGELES - EARLY EVENING </b></font></font></p> <p><font size="2"><font face="Courier New">Christmas tinsel on the light poles. We ARE LOOKING east past Inglewood INTO the orange grid of L.A. at night when suddenly we TILT UP TO CATCH the huge belly of a landing 747 -- the noise is deafening</font><font face="Courier New">.</font></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre">INT. 747 - PASSENGERS - SAME</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Courier New">The usual moment just after landing when you let out that sigh of relief that you've made it in one piece. As the plane TAXIS to its gate, they stir, gather personal belongings.</font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre">ON JOHN MCCLANE </b></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><font style="font-size: 12pt"><font size="2">mid-thirties, good-looking, athletic and tired from his trip. He sits by the window. His relief on landing is subtle, but we NOTICE.</font> </font></font></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W4HIX6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000W4HIX6" target="_blank"><img title="clip_image001[4][2]" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="clip_image001[4][2]" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTGFDfI3mXi1np690nAecnttBny6XnPrTgXOc26dvUp46YlEiKgErjrpoYhjGUDEulnx9146zMF7zCluwynWkZz7mhDprDtACRiR6r-lb1RT9zTesBKZ5B_6HsyhfQrEUPIil//?imgmax=800" width="137" height="164" /></a></p> <h3>Details and characters</h3> <p>I've always thought what makes <em>Die Hard</em> better than the typical action movie are its details and characters. For example, McClane is told by a fellow passenger on the airplane:</p> <blockquote> <p><font face="Courier New"><b>SALESMAN </b>(smiling) Ya wanna know the secret of successful air travel? After you get where you're going, ya take off your shoes and socks. Then ya walk around on the rug barefoot and make fists with your toes.</font> </p> </blockquote> <p>Later, McClane takes his advice:</p> <blockquote> <p><b><font face="Courier New">INT. ELLIS' OFFICE - NIGHT </font></b></p> <p><font face="Courier New">TILT UP FROM McClane's BARE FEET. He is clenching and unclenching his toes. </font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><b>MCCLANE </b>(surprised, actually feeling tension decline) Son-of-a-bitch. It works.</font></p> </blockquote> <p>But this is also the reason he doesn't have his shoes on when the terrorists attack. Later in the film, this becomes his Achilles heel.</p> <p>And then there's Alan Rickman's portrayal of the uber-terrorist Hans Gruber. He's charming, erudite, brilliant, and also just happens to be a psychopath. The scene when he meets McClane face to face for the first time is a classic reversal:</p> <blockquote> <p><font face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre">MCCLANE </b>Lost?</font></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre">NEW ANGLE </b></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New">A moment. And then Hans turns, looks up. The transformation in his expression and bearing are mind-boggling. Hands shaking, eyes filled with fear, he swallows, looks up at McClane and in a perfect American accent says:</font><font face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre"> </b></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre">HANS</b> --ohGodplease -- don't kill me -- don't kill me -- you're one of them, I know it --</font></font><font face="Courier New"><font style="font-size: 12pt"><b style="white-space: pre"> </b></font></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><b style="white-space: pre">MCCLANE</b> (thrown, unsure) Whoa, whoa, easy man. I won't hurt you. Who are you? What are you looking for?</font></p> </blockquote> <p>The supporting characters that inhabit this film seem genuine and three-dimensional, but also become larger than life (like what you see in Tarantino movies now):</p> <p>- Powell - The policeman whom McClane befriends on the radio and helps him out. He also loves Twinkies, as we see in this exchange: </font></p> <blockquote> <blockquote> <p><font face="Courier New"><b>MCCLANE </b>Yeah, just trying to handle some year old twinkies. Yucck. What do they put in these things? </font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><b>POWELL </b>(reciting) 'Sugar, enriched flour, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, polysorbate 60 and yellow dye #5.'  </font></p> </blockquote> </blockquote> <p>- Argyle - The limo driver who gets stuck in the building after the terrorists take over, but also ends up helping McClane. </p> <p>- Ellis - A fast-talking VP of sales who has his eye on McClane's wife and thinks he can negotiate with Hans: </p> <blockquote> <blockquote> <p><font face="Courier New"><b>ELLIS </b>Hey, business is business. You use a gun, I use a fountain pen, what's the difference? To put it in my terms, you're here on a hostile takeover and you grab us for some greenmail but you didn't expect a poison pill was gonna be running around the building. (smiling) Hans, baby...I'm your white knight.</font> </p> </blockquote> </blockquote> <p>- The two FBI agents who arrive to take over the operation from the police. One is black, the other white, and they're both named "Johnson." Here's how they introduce themselves: </p> <blockquote> <blockquote> <p><font face="Courier New"><b>BIG JOHNSON </b>(showing badge) I'm Special Agent Johnson of the FBI. This is Agent Johnson...no relation.</font></p> </blockquote> </blockquote> <p>- Richard Thornburg, the TV journalist in search of his big story (and willing to do anything to get it). </p> <h3>Reflecting on Bruce Willis' career</h3> <p><em>Die Hard</em> is what propelled Bruce Willis into the top level of 80s action stars, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. But what I find interesting is how Willis has been able to continue his career some 25 years after <em>Die Hard</em>. He still falls back on his "action movie" persona (<em>16 Blocks, The Expendables, GI Joe: Retaliation</em>, and even more <em>Die Hard</em> films), but he also takes on films that are unique -- or at least more risky (<em>Pulp Fiction, Red, Looper, Moonrise Kingdom, </em>and <em>The Fifth Element</em>). </p> <p>Many actors -- including his 80s action star colleagues -- haven't been able to escape typecasting (let alone a front-page tabloid marriage and divorce). Whether you like him or not, you have to give him props for carving out a long career and helping to make a lot of great films. </p> <h3>Bonus: AndyO's favorite Bruce Willis films</h3> <p>My list of favorite Bruce Willis films:</p> <ol> <li>Die Hard </li> <li>Pulp Fiction </li> <li>The Sixth Sense </li> <li>Looper </li> <li>Die Hard 2 </li> <li>Surrogates </li> <li>Red </li> <li>Look Who's Talking </li> <li>The Fifth Element </li> <li>Twelve Monkeys </li> <li>The Last Boy Scout </li> <li>Die Hard With a Vengeance </li> <li>Beavis and Butthead Do America (voice, animated) </li> <li>Ocean's Twelve (as himself) </li> <li>Over the Hedge (voice, animated) </li> <li>Live Free or Die Hard </li> <li>The Siege </li> </ol> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-64743865940678879372013-12-22T19:47:00.001-08:002014-01-28T19:46:52.265-08:00Holiday action movie pick: Lethal Weapon (1987)<p>The first time they meet in a police station, Murtaugh (Danny Glover) tries to tackle Riggs (Mel Gibson) after he spots him pulling out his gun. After Riggs takes Murtaugh to the ground with some jujitsu moves, another detective tells Murtaugh he's just met his new partner. And thus begins the first of four <em>Lethal Weapon</em> films.</p> <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HWXEUY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000HWXEUY" target="_blank"><img title="clip_image001" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="clip_image001" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-EA4GFQx7bniYROzzVYsMk1qbUFs5Lnx03xJ76XsMOs_kgCIaujWHB7VCXXXnimpg2D-xmNtceO1KeVhMgtRUWbKA6Oa3QYmtgR0szT70aix2Tcxkvijs-52X-6pE-mcpWaw//?imgmax=800" width="141" height="164" /></a></p> <p>Today <em>Lethal Weapon</em> might seem like a cliche, but when it first came out it was something we hadn't quite seen before. Part of it had to do with Gibson's manic performance, but there was definitely something unique in the screenplay, written by Shane Black. This screenplay would go on to inspire thousands of other screenwriters and wanna-be screenwriters (myself included). While a screenplay isn't the finished film, it does provide a blueprint for everyone who makes the film. And Black made screenplay writing look like fun. Here's how it begins (in one of the drafts, anyway):</p> <blockquote> <p><font face="Courier New"><font style="font-size: 12pt">FADE IN: CITY OF ANGELS </font></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><font style="font-size: 12pt">lies spread out beneath us in all its splendor, like a bargain basement Promised Land. </font></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><font style="font-size: 12pt">CAMERA SOARS, DIPS, WINDS its way SLOWLY DOWN, DOWN, bringing us IN OVER the city as we: </font></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><font style="font-size: 12pt">SUPER MAIN TITLES. </font></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><font style="font-size: 12pt">TITLES END, as we -- </font></font></p> <p><font face="Courier New"><font style="font-size: 12pt">SPIRAL DOWN TOWARD a lush, high-rise apartment complex. The moon reflected in glass.</font></font></p> </blockquote> <p>The magic of <em>Lethal Weapon</em> lies in how these opposite characters relate to each other: Murtaugh is an older, stable family man on the edge of retirement; Riggs is young, alone, and suicidal. Riggs' mental state becomes apparent in a few early scenes, including when he busts some drug dealers who are working at a Christmas tree lot, and later when he tries to talk a man off a ledge, but then ends up jumping with him. It's both funny and sad -- but mostly funny. </p> <iframe height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BU7m894vIhg" frameborder="0" width="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p>Then there's the scene with the two partners on the police firing range. Murtaugh blasts a perfect shot and thinks he's just schooled his younger partner. But then Riggs goes to work, emptying his clip. When he brings the target back, we see that he's shot out a "Smiley Face." Murtaugh is both amazed and frightened.</p> <p>This tension, that Riggs is both suicidal but also a "lethal weapon," drives the movie forward. He can kill people with his bare hands or even shoot at targets miles away. He's like a one-man army. In one scene, after the villain Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey) escapes in a car, Riggs takes off after him <em>on foot</em>. We realize this is the kind of guy we want on <em>our</em> side.</p> <p>The film is directed by Richard Donner, who somehow balances all the elements, including the music (which included performances by Eric Clapton [Riggs' guitar theme] and David Sanborn [Murtaugh's saxophone theme]).  </p> <p>In the end, this isn't really a holiday film. But it's the perfect backdrop to amplify Riggs' depression, bringing him closer to the edge, and making him more dangerous for the bad guys. </p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-32739948560298043462013-12-20T19:27:00.001-08:002013-12-20T19:37:37.377-08:00Holiday movie pick: Fred Claus (2007)<p>I've always been a fan of Vince Vaughn's -- ever since I saw him in <em>Swingers</em>. He seems to have the gift to create empathy for the characters he plays -- even the ones who aren't so nice. In <em>Fred Claus</em>, he plays Fred -- Santa Claus's brother. Early in life -- before his little brother became known as St. Nick -- Fred grew tired of trying to compete with his little brother's kindness and goodness. "Why can't you be more like your little brother?" Fred's parents ask him. Most of us can understand Fred's bitterness after that kind of upbringing. </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E5CH06/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001E5CH06" target="_blank"><img title="clip_image001" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="clip_image001" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdervxvh12Xzcr_CiDv-9TSTEDBlwIQjvmlTbiIdl03xOv7dyqpeFTgNPHbQfy0JFrAuf8pH94JyVqnGmsUApdDxrNU_l3m13bKGcn2XBqh7zn1Rbhfh34bcSjQjdnqih3g85//?imgmax=800" width="142" height="164" /></a></p> <p>So Fred becomes a bad kid, who, as an adult, becomes a fast-talking con-artist, who repos TVs and other items from people who can't pay for them anymore (and then stashes them in his own apartment). When Fred calls Nicholas to bail him out of jail, he's not content with the $5000 his brother is willing to pay; he tells him he actually needs $50,000. This sets up the second act, where Nicholas tells him he has to come to the North Pole to get the money.</p> <iframe height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bD_rWCvgDy8" frameborder="0" width="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p>What I like about this setup is we've never seen it before -- at least in a holiday movie. Paul Giamatti, with his neurotic, almost pained portrayal of Santa, helps us understand how difficult it would be to carry the world on your shoulders. He's also contending with an efficiency expert played by Kevin Spacey (who's name is Clyde Northcutt) who wants to take down the North Pole.</p> <p>But probably my favorite scene takes place at "Siblings Anonymous," where we see brothers of famous people commiserating together, including Roger Clinton (Bill's half-brother) and Stephen Baldwin (Alec's brother). </p> <iframe height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OfsHMuWn95I?list=PLF6E7115A3655373C" frameborder="0" width="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-60374421542036902452013-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:002013-12-19T08:00:03.712-08:00Frozen (2013) - In Theaters<p>Rating - 4 out of 4 stars</p> <p><em>Frozen</em> marries the best of Disney's past musicals with state-of-the-art animation and storytelling. And even though it's aimed squarely at children, I enjoyed it as much as anything I've seen recently.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZHEjw4of7-R7gqjqY0b2QRaGDvVyMXXZMrLCIuZBh8MSkUsX2SKe8m1bEBI_F7zNqwNXbbRKJwitDAqOgnR6IlNNYRdGav-vvE8p44yyjEFu8PVbARhohfYYtC5dx3DFMPoU/s1600-h/image8.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasDOvtHGO5y_hZto32zrDEEW0E6ecyEyghGoKtqGngg3AuKNDaAzaGiztMuTs6_yK81Aqr8jQjDCBW_nlUx7Aw9lOcQdQg5ulPpHiFtZooqKKz1ghA_trJa6XxiwH5yjCl-6i//?imgmax=800" width="244" height="153" /></a></p> <p><em>Frozen</em> was executive produced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lasseter" target="_blank">John Lasseter</a>, the wizard of Pixar Studios. But ever since Disney purchased Pixar in 2006, he's been the chief creative officer of both Pixar and Disney. During this time (and even before Pixar was acquired), Lasseter was the executive producer of these non-Pixar Disney films (the scores in parenthesis are the average Metacritic score):</p> <ul> <li><em>Wreck-It Ralph</em> (2012) (72/100) </li> <li><em>Winnie the Pooh</em> (2011) (74/1000 </li> <li><em>Tangled</em> (2010) (71/100) </li> <li><em>The Princess and the Frog</em> (2009) (73/100) </li> <li><em>Ponyo</em> (English) (2008) (86/100) </li> <li><em>Meet the Robinsons</em> (2007) (61/100) </li> <li><em>Howl's Moving Castle</em> (2004) (80/100) </li> <li><em>Spirited Away</em> (English) (2001) (94/100) </li> </ul> <p>Anyone who thinks getting these kinds of consistent scores is easy should take a look at some other studios' releases. (Check out this <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/feature/pixar-vs-dreamworks-animation-comparison" target="_blank">Metacritic article that compares Pixar and Dreamworks animation studios</a>.) But what's really telling to me are these two things:</p> <ul> <li>Lasseter released several <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki" target="_blank">Hayao Miyazaki</a> films with Disney (<em>Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, and Spirited Away</em>). The Miyazaki films are not typical Disney fare, but they are realized on a level that very few animation films ever achieve. Clearly, Lasseter knows talent when he sees it. </li> <li>Of the original films he helped produce, many of them are musicals, starting with <em>The Princess and the Frog</em>.  </li> </ul> <p>Which brings us to <em>Frozen</em>. The story is about two princess sisters, Elsa (who has magical powers to create ice and snow), and Anna. After almost killing Anna during a late-night snowfest in the castle, Elsa is shuttered away in her room. Years pass. The two sisters never talk and are lonely. But she can't stay hidden forever. When Princess Anna's powers are revealed at her coronation, locking her kingdom in an eternal winter, she leaves to avoid hurting anyone else. But Anna pursues her, helped by many great characters, including a reindeer and snowman.</p> <p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R3k8a6Zj9nab2RfxB78_NZqEzgjpuEBeHDiL0BJLWoPSKCl51FSjnIZQjoOkrLptHHt7bNPgeeLkRFhIj_XIJrGJHHe69NsfnkhnrOPD2WfzFz2KGiyPf213zn03jGhg9U_u/s1600-h/image2.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7BDZr_3toqzFBac5LG7bi8uPSbO9nA4MAWChYrBlLfkNRZcJY1STRnpZtVURFG5SYXFpfSEmJKFU-c3AS29ryAIbYMkLTfgTivWQ_SyklrrNx-Bho9Vu5TfUh5FnPygDtv7a//?imgmax=800" width="244" height="153" /></a></p> <p>Like many of the Disney films from recent past, including The <em>Little Mermaid</em>, <em>Beauty and the Beast</em>, <em>Aladdin</em>,<em> </em>and <em>The Lion King</em>, <em>Frozen</em> is a musical. And like those films, the songs are great (and mostly move the story forward), the characters are memorable, the story engaging. Like 1989's <em>The Little Mermaid</em>, <em>Frozen</em> is based on a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale (this time <em>The Ice Queen</em>). The design and animation are superb and, at times, breathtaking. (I didn't see it in 3D, but something tells me this would be a good one.) And the dialog, like a lot of Pixar films, is smart and witty. It even creeps into the songs in unusual ways -- but never through crude jokes aimed above kids' heads. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKopjZynBhGXF_ocnth-ljLm-ndAiHWfS_C_g8E0lR1arrzgHKeBon9hxShWvAoVSTmvkYqeBALo0C0ay0RAj6YqfBBdnYP82hc42gNPqFt_dbtwux_R8PwF6_Hd3yKxIVfoCa/s1600-h/image5.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgYwj1wwLdJhn5aC3ID79kQkmMEuJuJ5cLaPJVSE-1lyBXlhFM_W5NA_aS0nkL5RrwX9RP7B_SQR9ZU0qdKq5L1rVbVUnAQt-vgn8TQmvMYQKJMw4ei7TbrjSIv2nmjWcbzyP//?imgmax=800" width="244" height="154" /></a></p> <p>I really didn't expect to like this film as much as I did, and I think it's a testament to John Lasseter's leadership with Disney animation. He clearly understands how to bridge the old Disney magic with a modern approach. </p> <p>Here's a <a href="http://www.rotoscopers.com/2013/11/27/review-frozen-is-modern-fun-this-generations-beauty-and-the-beast/" target="_blank">great review from Rotoscopers</a> that has more info about the movie.</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-422270375331354282013-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:002013-12-20T19:40:11.155-08:00Holiday movie pick: A Christmas Story (1983)<p>This film is one that people either love or hate. My wife doesn't really like it. I like it, but it always makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I think this is because the film somehow digs at childhood memories that are often painful to relive -- even in a fictional setting. </p> <p>The main plot centers around Ralphie, who's trying to convince everyone that he needs a Red Ryder B.B. gun for Christmas. But there's so much more going on. For example: Ralphie and his brother have to contend with bullies on their walk home from school (one of the pains of childhood for many kids). </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CW7ZZ8/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001CW7ZZ8"><img title="clip_image001" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="clip_image001" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpKtfxNkNA_bqjXSIdCeIvDyeyyaM8mvwfw8p5VK3aCKn8EtporaxfFuo9w9bLYWHcjZmwtO9MT4RJ3aITIL4H4A-hk-3dfMShm7SbjxBq4gxrY414CUdsIspXMiAn6h9VtHn//?imgmax=800" width="98" height="114" /></a></p> <p>Then there are the comedic scenes -- all seen through the lens of memory in the 1940s. Some of my favorites include Ralphie's parents, played by Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillion. The one about the lamp shaped as a woman's leg is priceless.</p> <iframe height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Yzht2_41caU" frameborder="0" width="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <p>But I also liked McGavin's battles with the pack of roving wild dogs who eventually ruin Thanksgiving dinner.</p> <iframe height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pPRdj1Ce4ao" frameborder="0" width="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-73161576290389623312013-12-17T08:31:00.000-08:002013-12-20T19:38:59.035-08:00Holiday movie pick: Gremlins (1984)<p><em>Gremlins</em> is a Christmas horror comedy film (if there is such a thing). After getting a Mogwai as a Christmas present, Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) breaks all the rules that came delivered with his new pet: No water or food after midnight. Well, it turns out after you break those rules, that cute little Mogwai (named Gizmo) breeds evil green creatures that practically destroy the town of Kingston Falls.  <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AQT0UY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001AQT0UY"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41q5pC49WBL._SL110_.jpg" /></a> <br />Directed by creature feature aficionado Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg, <em>Gremlins</em> is one of the more unique holiday films. And even though it wasn't directed by Spielberg, <em>Gremlins</em> has the stamp of his 80s "innocent" style that hasn't aged well. (Other films directed or produced by Spielberg that also have this style include <em>E.T.</em>, <em>Twilight Zone: The Movie</em>, <em>The Goonies, Young Sherlock Holmes, Back to the Future, and Innerspace.) </em>Still, when do we get to see green monsters in a Christmas movie? <br /></p> <p>One interesting connection (at least from a holiday movie perspective) is <em>Gremlins</em> was written by Chris Columbus, who would go on to direct <em>Home Alone</em>.   <br /></p> <p>Best scene: There are many in this film, but I like when the Gremlins sing Christmas carols and then launch Mrs. Deagle on her elevator chair. <br /><iframe height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KBaCHull47I" frameborder="0" width="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <br /></p> <p>And I've always thought the scene where Phoebe Cates tells the story about probably the worst Christmas of all time, was especially macabre:</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-79538460370159002402013-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:002013-12-16T08:00:05.650-08:00Holiday movie pick: Home Alone (1990)<p>The title says it all: An 8-year-old boy gets accidentally left <em>home alone</em> during the holidays, while his family flies off to France. As if that isn't bad enough, he does battle with two burglars, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern ("The Wet Bandits"). Written by the late John Hughes, <em>Home Alone</em> contains memorable characters and plenty of pratfalls that probably wouldn't work in the hands of a lesser writer. Macaulay Culkin creates a kind of 8-year-old counterpart to Ferris Bueller, with his wise-beyond-his-years asides to the audience, while also seeming to maintain his innocence.  </p> <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004047XWU/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004047XWU"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sjwMAbVEL._SL110_.jpg" /></a></p> <p>Then there are the supporting roles. Catherine O'Hara hits the perfect notes as a mother who will do anything to get home to her son. We watch her go through her own version of (another John Hughes classic) <em>Planes, Trains, and Automobiles</em>, finally hitching a ride with John Candy and his Polka band when she can't catch a flight. </p> <p>But it's Pesci and Stern as "The Wet Bandits" who really deliver, especially as they do battle with Culkin in the third act. Just listening to Pesci issue his nonsense-swearing after being hurt by Culkin is worth the price of admission -- especially if you've seen him in something like <em>Goodfellas</em>. And like Robert De Niro, Pesci seems equally comfortable in comedy and drama. </p> <p><em>Home Alone</em> was directed by Chris Columbus, who would go on to direct (among other films) the first two <em>Harry Potter</em> films. </p> <p>Best moment: When Culkin uses a mobster movie's soundtrack (the fictional <em><a href="http://homealone.wikia.com/wiki/Angels_with_Filthy_Souls" target="_blank">Angels with Filthy Souls</a></em>) to scare off Pesci and Stern. "Keep the change ya filthy animal!"</p> <p><strong>Bonus:</strong></p> <p>Take a tour of the Home Alone house!</p> <iframe height="197" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lgTssWW2Qw4" frameborder="0" width="350" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-86072744413427076862013-12-15T11:05:00.000-08:002013-12-15T11:05:01.205-08:00Holiday movie pick: Christmas Vacation (1989)<p>In the third installment of National Lampoon's <em>Vacation</em> series, Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold is once again on a quest for the "perfect vacation" -- this time at home. Unfortunately, his relatives ruin any chance of achieving this goal.  </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KJT8IG/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000KJT8IG"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2B-E80gkLL._SL110_.jpg" /></a></p> <p>The movie is at its best when Chase is quietly losing his mind. He has to contend with his insane relatives, including Randy Quaid who arrives in a motor home and informs Clark that he's staying a month. Eventually, this happens:</p> <blockquote> <p>Ellen: What are you looking at? </p> <p>Clark: Oh, the silent majesty of a winter's morn... the clean, cool chill of the holiday air... an asshole in his bathrobe, emptying a chemical toilet into my sewer... </p> <p>[Eddie, in the driveway, is draining the RV's toilet] </p> <p>Eddie: Shitter was full. </p> <p>Clark: Ah, yeah. You checked our shitters, honey? </p> <p>Ellen: Clark, please. He doesn't know any better. </p> <p>Clark: He oughta know it's illegal. That's a storm sewer. If it fills with gas, I pity the person who lights a match within ten yards of it. </p> </blockquote> <p>I can't say this is a great movie, but it does contain many great moments that seem to rise above the shortcomings. Even though this was written by John Hughes (based on his National Lampoon story "<a href="http://www.clarkgriswoldcollection.com/index.php/christmas-59/" target="_blank">Christmas '59</a>"), it probably needed a stronger director to elevate it to what it could have been. Still, it does seem to get better with each viewing.</p> <p>My favorite scenes: Clark Griswold's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ian6NyXpszw" target="_blank">failures with lighting up 250 strands of Christmas lights</a> and eventual triumph which takes a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ar-__ub0rc" target="_blank">nuclear reactor</a> for backup power.  </p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-13516041719413098252013-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:002013-12-14T13:55:04.166-08:00Holiday movie pick: Elf (2003)<p><em>Elf</em> has an amazing, tour-de-force performance by Will Farrell. Every time I watch it, I think he should have received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E5CH0G/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001E5CH0G" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51m90NIV4oL._SL110_.jpg" /></a></p> <p>Farrell plays Buddy, an adopted elf who sets off on a journey to discover his biological father (James Caan) in New York City. But he finds that the playful, carefree ways of being an elf don't exactly mesh with people in the real world. </p> <p>There are also great supporting performances by Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage, and Ed Asner . </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfyiRzqiT6ze9cBxh6ZJaopeolyWV9m3CZzhq-EopPUFlX-4avSMqVoyc3MuPApLO6099g10WCJaibWa3XMmS5Apw0I9MKWwdjX_hQVxc6z_ROSr832PruIAaC_8KtXEV2qkN/s1600-h/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png"><img title="image_thumb" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image_thumb" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAfnvmKwh6ZhHfL6BcyAs1en69_rZXWnzrt2IpEJ3ptsXsAminpIiS0IKnbX1RFU8cqFD_dnhNbpKKh4W_p2SR6V1S8NOkNzJAAoZPc2nMDPicoUR_urwJKGuAnushBteku26//?imgmax=800" width="428" height="287" /></a> </p> <p><em>Elf</em> was directed by Jon Favreau, who went on to direct <em>Iron Man </em>1 and 2, and who also has a brief appearance in <em>Elf</em> as a doctor. One thing I like about the film is the way it pays tribute to the Claymation Christmas films of my childhood. </p> <p>This is one of those films that gets better with each viewing. I could definitely see <em>Elf</em> being elevated to "Classic" status in the next 10 years. </p> <p>Best line: "<a href="http://youtu.be/9tIcnydrwFY" target="_blank">You sit on a throne of lies</a>!" </p> <p>Best scene: The snowball fight in Central Park</p> <iframe width="400" height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cbQZ8GK2usU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-58457196187868095982013-12-13T10:45:00.001-08:002013-12-13T10:48:08.765-08:00Holiday movie pick - Arthur Christmas (2011)<p><em>Arthur Christmas</em> sets out to answer the question, "How does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?" (Here's a hint: It's like a military operation.) It's also about a family, in this case the "Christmas" family, including two brothers, Arthur and Steve. When one child is inadvertently missed during the Christmas delivery mission, the two brothers disagree about how to deal with the crisis. </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Y1YJ90/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008Y1YJ90" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61emOfAfS2L._SL110_.jpg" /></a></p> <p>Arthur Christmas was produced by <a href="http://www.aardman.com/" target="_blank">Aardman</a>, the Oscar-winning animation wizards who brought us <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DR2GJQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002DR2GJQ" target="_blank">Wallace & Gromit</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ML8V4E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005ML8V4E" target="_blank">Chicken Run</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034G4P26/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0034G4P26" target="_blank">The Pirates! Band of Misfits</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000M343BC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000M343BC">Flushed Away</a>, and a few others, but it uses 3-D instead of stop motion animation. One of the problems with the film is the name. When I first saw it, I thought it was about the PBS character Arthur. Now that I've seen it, I understand why Arthur is a good name.</p> <p>I think once people see this film, they'll agree it's one of the best Christmas films in recent years. I'll go so far as to predict this movie will go on to be a classic. </p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-26885549335215839392013-11-03T17:09:00.001-08:002013-11-03T17:12:59.167-08:00Fahrenheit 9/11 - ****<p>Originally reviewed 7/22/04 <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JNEI/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005JNEI&linkCode=as2&tag=upcomingrush-20"><img style="float: left; margin: 5px 7px 4px 4px; display: inline" border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51KDRVF1JGL._SL110_.jpg" align="left" /></a>As I watched this documentary, I thought, "What a devastating piece of filmmaking." How right the jury was Cannes to award this film the Palme D'Or. As I left the theater, I was really upset and disturbed. The film had touched a nerve. </p> <p>I'd read Michael Moore's book, <em>Dude, where's my country?</em> which has a lot of the same information as this film. But there's something about seeing a mother crying over the death of her child. There's something about seeing President Bush shaking hands with Saudi friends and making pathetic political comments to his "base." There's something about seeing dead Iraqi babies being thrown into pickup trucks. There's something about seeing American forces break into an Iraqi house in the middle of the night, scaring the hell out of old women. </p> <p>And then there are the revelations: </p> <ul> <li>That Bush's first cousin, John Ellis, a Fox News consultant, called the 2000 Presidential Election for Bush after all the other networks had called it for Gore. </li> <li>That the Saudis have $860 billion invested in the U.S. economy (the GDP of Spain). </li> <li>That American companies like Halliburton and The Carlyle Group profited greatly from the Iraqi war. </li> <li>That Bush authorized flights for the Bin Laden family back to Saudi Arabia when all commercial air transportation was shut down. The list goes on and on.</li> </ul> <p><em>Fahrenheit 9/11 </em>takes a complicated subject and strips away the layers of complexity: All these wars, all these connections with Bin Laden and the Saudis, all this deception, it's really all about money. And as this epiphany washed over me, I was reminded of <em>Network</em>, the most prescient film ever made (it predicted reality TV). There's a scene in the movie where the CEO of the network, Jensen, proselytizes to the Howard Beale character:</p> <blockquote> <p>"There are no nations! There are no peoples! ... There is only one holistic system of systems, one vast and immane, interwoven, interacting, multi-variate, multi-national dominion of dollars... It is the international system of currency that determines the totality of life on this planet! That is the natural order of things today!... There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and ITT and AT and T and Dupont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today." </p> </blockquote> <p>I hope everyone in America goes to see this film. There are a lot of people who are still asleep, who need to wake up to the reality of what this administration has done with its power--to the world and to the people in America.</p> <p>One of my neighbors recently came over and said that <em>Fahrenheit 9/11</em> looked interesting, but that he thought Moore didn't know what he's talking about. I handed over my copy of <em>Dude, where's my country</em>, and showed him the footnotes throughout the first chapter. He asked if he could borrow the book. Now I'm going to recommend that he go see this film. <br />You should see it, too.</p> <p>Note - If you're unsure of the facts of this movie, check out this link: "<a href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/books-films/facts/fahrenheit-911" target="_blank">Fahrenheit 9/11 Facts</a>" </p> <p>Postscript - 11/3/13</p> <p>In 2011, I met Michael Moore at my work. <a href="http://andyoblog.andrewolson.com/2011/10/michael-moore-stops-by-my-work.html" target="_blank">Read my blog about this encounter</a>.</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-38393929494436867922013-11-03T16:51:00.001-08:002013-11-03T16:51:36.921-08:00The Girl Next Door - *<p>Originally reviewed 9/13/04</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029XFN8A/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0029XFN8A&linkCode=as2&tag=upcomingrush-20"><img style="float: left; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline" border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51izKX%2BywRL._SL110_.jpg" align="left" /></a></p> <p>A sad excuse for a teen movie in the tradition of <em>American Pie</em>. The writers and director desperately wanted to remake <em>Risky Business</em> with this film and failed completely. The prostitutes of Risky Business have been replaced by porn stars; Guido "the killer pimp" has been replaced by Kelly "the porn star manager" (actually the best thing about the film is Timothy Olyphant's over-the-top performance). </p> <p>Stay away from this one, kids.</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-16276630752316488362013-11-03T16:47:00.001-08:002013-11-03T16:52:47.830-08:00Ladder 49 - * * * *<p>Originally reviewed 10/13/04</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000L212GS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000L212GS&linkCode=as2&tag=upcomingrush-20"><img style="float: left; margin: 6px 12px 4px 4px; display: inline" border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51j3LaVX6iL._SL110_.jpg" align="left" /></a>My next door neighbor is an ex-fireman, and he said this is the most realistic firefighter movie ever made. But it was the story that really grabbed me -- not just the danger of being a firefighter, although there's plenty of that, but the human story. What's it like to lose close friends? What's it like to have the worry of your wife hanging over you? I'm going to go out on a limb and say this has Oscar possibilities. </p> <p><strong><em>Postscript - 11/3/13</em></strong></p> <p>OK, so no Oscar nominations for Ladder 49 in 2004. But it did get a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349710/awards?ref_=tt_awd" target="_blank">few nominations for other awards</a>!</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-58061177929897520462013-11-03T16:43:00.001-08:002013-11-03T16:53:58.085-08:00The Terminal - * *<p>Originally reviewed 12/7/04</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0003JANCI/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0003JANCI&linkCode=as2&tag=upcomingrush-20"><img style="float: left; margin: 5px 10px 4px 4px; display: inline" border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514RQJPS6DL._SL110_.jpg" align="left" /></a>I was pretty disappointed by this movie. It all seemed so unbelievable. Sure, it was amusing, but I expect a lot more out of Spielberg. It's almost as if he let someone else direct and put his name on it. This movie proves the dictum that you can never make a good movie out of a bad script (even if you have one of the best directors). </p> <p>This might have made a good short film, but the high concept idea of a guy living in an airport because the United States doesn't recognize his country seems a bit ludicrous.</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-38550484163968627422013-11-03T16:42:00.001-08:002013-11-03T16:42:00.930-08:00National Treasure - * * *<p>Originally reviewed 11/26/04</p> <p>I went into <em>National Treasure</em> thinking it would be one of those awful Jerry Bruckheimer-produced films (<em>Con-Air</em> comes to mind). But it was actually a smart, engaging mystery that reminded me of the book <em>The Da Vinci Code</em>. </p> <p>Another thing that helped with the positive vibe was that I saw this film in a full house on the biggest screen at the theater. There's an obvious fascination with a secret history (also one of the main reasons <em>The Da Vinci Code</em> has been so popular). What was really interesting was the audience of this film: I saw kids, teenagers, and people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. I think this film will be one of those unexpected hits. It ain't art; but it is a good story</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-23783898325301020082013-11-03T16:40:00.001-08:002013-11-03T16:40:53.949-08:00The Abyss (Director's Cut) - * * *<p>Originally reviewed 11/23/04</p> <p>James Cameron thinks big. His movie <em>Titanic</em> showed the world how a three-hour movie could not only be engaging, but could also rake in $1.8 billion (worldwide) . But before <em>Titanic</em>, there was <em>The Abyss </em>-- an uneven, imaginative story that came from Cameron's childhood. </p> <p>I've always been a big fan of this movie. The characters are all interesting; the conflicts are great (although the conflicts seem to pile up a little too much with the Russians). The Cameron love theme is here, as it is in every other movie of his. But the ending just doesn't work. Even with all the restored footage. There's something about the NTIs coming to the surface with Deep Core that just seems cheesy. </p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-47409657289146625782013-11-02T19:27:00.001-07:002013-11-02T19:27:46.587-07:00Ocean's Twelve - * * * 1/2<p><b>Originally reviewed 12/16/04</b></p> <p>I'd heard some good things about the new <em>Ocean's</em> movie, and I got a chance to go see it with my work today. I wasn't disappointed. Soderbergh's camera work is always interesting, but never too distracting. The characters are interesting to watch, although some aren't quite as interesting as they were in <em>Ocean's Eleven</em>. And Catherine Zeta-Jones is one of those rare actresses that dominates any scene she's in. </p> <p>Then there's the sequence in the movie that suddenly breaks into the realm of metafiction (e.g. showing the audience they're watching a movie and calling attention to it). The way it's handled is very tricky, but it works. By the time they're done with this sequence, you feel like you've walked into a house of mirrors. I'd never seen a movie do what <em>Ocean's Twelve</em> did with this sequence, and for me it was worth the price of admission. </p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-10669518368618467672013-07-11T22:02:00.001-07:002013-07-11T22:12:58.598-07:00The Aviator - * * * *<p>Originally reviewed: 12/28/04; updated on 7/11/13 <p>This is one of the best, if not <i>the</i> best, movies of the year. Beautifully shot, entertaining, and heartbreaking, <em>The Aviator</em> takes us into the genius and madness of Howard Hughes--pilot, engineer, filmmaker, businessman. Though most of the film takes place before Hughes' decline, the film foreshadows the coming storm of his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Leonardo DiCaprio deserves an Oscar for his unflinching portrayal of Hughes. I also predict Martin Scorsese will finally get his Oscar.</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VZGK3K/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VZGK3K&linkCode=as2&tag=andrewolsonco-20"><img style="margin: 5px 4px 4px" border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LW3hXvUBL._SL160_.jpg"></a></p> <p>Update - 7/11/13 </p> <p>Well, I turned out to be wrong. Both <em>The Aviator</em> and Martin Scorsese lost at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/77th_Academy_Awards" target="_blank">77th Academy Awards</a>. Best picture went to <em>Million Dollar Baby</em> and Best Director went to Clint Eastwood.</p> <p> </p> <p>In May 2012, I was finally able to visit Hughes' Spruce Goose in McMinnville, Oregon. <a href="http://andyoblog.andrewolson.com/2012/05/visiting-spruce-goose-for-my-birthday.html" target="_blank">Read about it here.</a> They also had miniatures from the film on display:</p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-054.jpg"><img title="Portland, Andy's Birthday 054" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Portland, Andy's Birthday 054" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-054_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="184"></a></p> <p>Still from film:</p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/image_3.png"><img title="image" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="image" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/image_thumb_3.png" width="244" height="136"></a></p> <p>Miniature cargo set:</p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-051.jpg"><img title="Portland, Andy's Birthday 051" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Portland, Andy's Birthday 051" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-051_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="184"></a></p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-052.jpg"><img title="Portland, Andy's Birthday 052" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Portland, Andy's Birthday 052" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-052_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="184"></a></p> <p>Miniature Hughes and blueprints</p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-053.jpg"><img title="Portland, Andy's Birthday 053" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Portland, Andy's Birthday 053" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-053_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="184"></a></p> <p>Hughes in the cockpit of another model:</p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-059.jpg"><img title="Portland, Andy's Birthday 059" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Portland, Andy's Birthday 059" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-059_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="184"></a></p> <p>XF-11</p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-060.jpg"><img title="Portland, Andy's Birthday 060" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Portland, Andy's Birthday 060" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/91824f13cc19_12E70/Portland-Andys-Birthday-060_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="184"></a></p> <p>Read more about the <a href="http://www.aerotelemetry.com/THE%20AVIATOR%20MOVIE%20AIRPLANES" target="_blank">Aero Telemetry</a>, who built many of the flying miniatures. </p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-5508275909146530142013-07-09T21:08:00.001-07:002013-07-09T21:08:44.797-07:00Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - * * * 1/2<p>Originally reviewed on 5/20/05 </p> <p><b>* * * 1/2 (out of 4 stars)</b> <p>by Andrew Olson <p>To watch <i><a href="http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/">Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith</a></i> is to return to a magical place. For me, that time and place began in 1977 when I went to Uptown Theater in Richland, Washington, on a warm summer's night. I remember hearing a few good things about Star Wars from other kids, but I wasn't prepared for the out-of-body experience the film would induce. <p>I remember watching that opening shot of star destroyer flying overhead for what seemed like 10 minutes, and I must have stopped eating my popcorn. I went home and dreamed of the battle over the Death Star all night. Little did I know that the effect of Star Wars would only grow stronger as I got older. <p>I bring up that first Star Wars experience, because after seeing <i>Revenge of the Sith</i> I felt the same level of excitement as I did when I was 10 years old?but <i>Revenge of the Sith</i> has five other Star Wars films to build on. It also has the advantage of being the final piece of the puzzle. <a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/SWIII.jpg"><img title="SWIII" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 5px 4px 4px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="SWIII" align="left" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/SWIII_thumb.jpg" width="165" longdesc="file://ANDYO_HP/Documents_C/My Web Sites/AndyoExperience/web/Film/Star Wars III poster" height="244"></a> <p><i>Revenge of the Sith</i> is, as one critic put it, "A flawed masterpiece." George Lucas has succeeded in creating a film where you can't tell the difference between the special effects and reality. While great effects have always been the hallmark of the Star Wars films, they really seem to shine in this one. The screen vibrates with color. <p>The film opens with one of the most spectacular space battles ever seen on the screen. Anakin Skywalker (<a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0159789/">Hayden Christensen</a>) and Obi Wan Kenobi (<a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0000191/">Ewan McGregor</a>) are on a mission to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (<a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0001519/">Ian McDiarmid</a>). There's more action and special effects in the first 10 or 15 minutes of <i>Sith</i> than probably the entire <i>Star Wars Episode IV</i> film. <p>After the opening battle, the film centers on Anakin's turn to the Dark Side of the Force. But that crucial plot point doesn't happen until about the middle of the film, so there's a lot of buildup. Unfortunately, the part that should be the strongest?Anakin's love for Padm� (<a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0000204/">Natalie Portman</a>) and fear of losing her?is the film's weakest element. In short, all of the scenes between Anakin and Padm� are almost unwatchable. You come away thinking Natalie Portman is a terrible actress, and <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0159789/">Hayden Christensen</a> isn't any better. But I wondered if this wasn't how Lucas wanted it. He's heard enough criticism about Episode II, so this must be why he's clearly going through the motions with the love story. This is why the film is a flawed masterpiece. <p>And just when you think the bad acting and writing is limited to the love story, you get <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0000168/">Samuel L. Jackson</a> (Mace Windu) acting like a cardboard box. (And we all know Samuel L. can act.) Obviously the director didn't mind the wooden performances. <p>This wooden, one-dimensional acting also robs the audience of experiencing Anakin's fear and conflict, which eventually leads him down the dark path. Again, I don't know if it's Hayden's acting chops or Lucas's directing. In the end, it doesn't matter. You see what he's going through; you just don't <i>feel</i> it. <p>All these weaknesses aside, as Anakin slips toward the Dark Side, the momentum picks up and emotions run high. There were times I felt myself getting a little choked up (no, I didn't cry). You realize that this young man, who was just a kid in Episode I, is really changing into Darth Vader. And as he becomes Vader, his actions become truly horrific. <p>Two actors really shine in this movie: Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid. Both create complex characters and make you feel the emotions they're feeling. I was particularly impressed with McGregor's Obi-Wan, who displays bristling confidence and shattered pride at the same time. At the end, you feel his pain of knowing he made the wrong choice in training Anakin. <p>There are also two digital characters that come off really well, too: Yoda and R2-D2. Yoda was digital in the last film (with <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0000568/">Frank Oz</a> doing the voice), but in this one you forget you're watching computer animation. I'm pretty sure that much of R2 was animated in <i>Revenge of the Sith</i>, too, but you can't tell. <p>Throughout the entire film, you start to see things that resonate with the other films. It's as simple as seeing the stark white interior of the Tantive IV (the ship that becomes the blockade runner corvette, the first image we see in Episode IV) getting chased by the Star Destroyer. Or seeing the new Jedi Starfighters that look a lot like TIE Fighters. Or seeing the Darth Vader mask for the first time. All these images are mythically loaded, and Lucas uses them to his full advantage. <p>At the end of the film, you realize we've come full circle. Lucas drops us off where the adventure began (for many of us in 1977). It's more than pure nostalgia; it's the sense of seeing all the pieces fit together. And even though Lucas has said he won't do any more Star Wars movies, you can bet there will be more Star Wars stories?on the big or the little screen, in books or games, or maybe on Broadway (hey, it could happen). The Star Wars universe has a life of its own and will continue to entertain us well into the future. <p>Here are a few stills: <p>Teaser Poster <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w11.jpg"><img title="star_w11" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w11" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w11_thumb.jpg" width="163" height="244"></a> <p>General Grevious <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/movie_bg_thumb_thumb.jpg"><img title="movie_bg_thumb_thumb" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="movie_bg_thumb_thumb" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/movie_bg_thumb_thumb_thumb.jpg" width="248" longdesc="file://ANDYO_HP/Documents_C/My Web Sites/AndyoExperience/web/Film/General Grievous" height="110"></a></p> <p>Anakin turns to the dark side </p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w1.jpg"><img title="star_w1" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w1" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w1_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="108"></a> <p>Volcano planet <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w2.jpg"><img title="star_w2" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w2" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w2_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="106"></a> <p>Queen Amidala and Obi-Wan <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w3.jpg"><img title="star_w3" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w3" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w3_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="106"></a> <p>Chewie and friend <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w4.jpg"><img title="star_w4" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w4" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w4_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="107"></a> <p>Darth Vader comes to life <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w5.jpg"><img title="star_w5" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w5" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w5_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="107"></a> <p>Wookie uprising <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w6.jpg"><img title="star_w6" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w6" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w6_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="109"></a> <p>Star Wars fire fighters <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w7.jpg"><img title="star_w7" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w7" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w7_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="106"></a> <p>The Leia hairstyle returns <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w8.jpg"><img title="star_w8" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w8" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w8_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="108"></a> <p>Dual of the Fates II <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w9.jpg"><img title="star_w9" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w9" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w9_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="107"></a> <p>Star cruiser battle <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w10.jpg"><img title="star_w10" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="star_w10" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/8a5779a4ebe4_12812/star_w10_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="109"></a></p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-68813607971655631862011-08-06T20:49:00.001-07:002011-08-06T20:49:19.853-07:00Captain America - * * 1/2 (Theater)<p>I liked <em>Captain America</em>. It looks great, has a compelling actor (Chris Evans) in the lead role, another great actor in a supporting role (Tommy Lee Jones), and takes place during World War II. Unfortunately, it suffers from a lackluster second half. </p> <p>After a present day prologue, we go back to the 1940s and meet Steve Rogers, short, skinny, and unable to join the army due to medical problems. But he has guts and tenacity, and that gets him noticed for a special project being led by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) to choose a new super soldier. </p> <p>Before Steve knows it, he's in the army, getting yelled at by Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones). When Steve gets picked for his human qualities and bravery, he gets to become Captain America -- through a painful procedure where many important people are invited to watch.</p> <p>He's barely out of the procedure when he has to chase down a Nazi in Brooklyn -- a great scene that shows Steve's new superhuman abilities. Unfortunately, the Colonel doesn't want Steve in his army -- even with these new abilities, and Steve becomes Captain America to sell war bonds.</p> <p>This half of the movie was surprisingly fresh, compared to most movies derived from comic books. Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers with pathos and gusto. Even when he's Captain America, he still reminds us of that shorty skinny guy who got beat up in alleys all over Brooklyn. </p> <p>But when Rogers gets to Italy to entertain the troops and, ultimately, to become the kick-ass version of Captain America, the movie becomes less interesting. One of the problems is that Captain America seems invincible (even though he's not). He goes in and single-handedly takes out what looks like hundreds of men. And even though Captain America will eventually dual with the equally strong Red Skull, you're never really worried. The filmmakers try to make up for this problem by showing people around Captain America in peril. </p> <p>After Captain America's first successful mission, we see a montage of his ass-kicking across Europe on his way to the <em>big mission</em>. This was the point where the film lost most of the momentum it had built up. Everything became predictable. The filmmakers could have made this more dramatic by dropping the montage and taking more time with the final showdown. </p> <p>I almost got the feeling that the filmmakers did have more in the second half, but something happened during editing that caused them to cut. Given that the film runs two hours and five minutes, I'm guessing that they were running long and got nervous. And what better way to cut than to create a montage made up of other scenes? </p> <p>On the whole, <em>Captain America's </em>an entertaining film. Unfortunately, like so many good films, it could have been great.</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-30795162320789848402011-04-16T20:42:00.001-07:002011-04-16T20:43:28.895-07:00The Social Network - * * * 1/2<p>AndyO review: 4/4 stars</p> <p><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-social-network" target="_blank">Metacritic: 95/100</a></p> <p>This film -- as a story -- succeeds on almost every level. But the book it's based on, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307740986/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=andrewolsonco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307740986"><em>The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal</em></a><em><img style="border-bottom-style: none !important; margin: 0px; border-left-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0307740986" width="1" height="1"></em>, is full of inaccuracies and is poorly written (I read a sample on my Kindle and I couldn't even get through the first chapter). My worry is that over time this film might be seen as the official story of what happened with the founding of Facebook -- but I guess there are enough whistleblowers out there. If you want to see what I'm talking about with the inaccuracies, take a look at these stories:</p> <p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/is-the-social-network-true-2010-10" target="_blank">The Ten Most Glaring Lies in The Social Network</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2269250/" target="_blank">Slate: Facebook Fakery - The Alternate Reality of Aaron Sorkin's <em>The Social Network</em></a></p> <p>So, I have mixed feelings about a brilliant film that appears to include a lot more fiction than fact. </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/The-Social-Network------_D195/image.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/The-Social-Network------_D195/image_thumb.png" width="163" height="244"></a></p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-6595656777856930602010-07-03T23:40:00.001-07:002010-07-03T23:41:20.066-07:00The Last Airbender - * * *<p>AndyO review: 3 out of 4 stars </p> <p><a href="http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/lastairbender" target="_blank">Metacritic: 20/100</a></p> <p>Being one who's familiar with <em>The Last Airbender</em> animated series that was on Nickelodeon, I think M. Night Shyamalan has directed a fine live-action adaptation. It was a lot of fun to see the world of this cartoon come to life. And, frankly, I'm a little surprised by the critical reaction to this film; it's almost as if the critics are reviewing the film without understanding the source material -- or writing about the film they wanted to see. Or just using it as an excuse to trash M. Night.</p> <p>For example, here's an excerpt from Roger Ebert: </p> <blockquote> <p>As "The Last Airbender" bores and alienates its audiences, consider the opportunities missed here. (1) This material should have become an A-list animated film. (2) It was a blunder jumping aboard the 3D bandwagon with phony 3D retro-fitted to a 2D film. (3) If it had to be live action, better special effects artists should have been found. It's not as if films like "2012" and "Knowing" didn't contain "real life" illusions as spectacular as anything called for in "The Last Airbender."</p></blockquote> <p>Actually, I didn't find issues with the effects. It's also worth noting that Pablo Helman, of Industrial Light and Magic, was the Visual Effects Supervisor for this film, who also worked on films like <em>Star Wars, Episodes I and II</em>, Spielberg's <em>War of the Worlds</em> and <em>Indiana Jones IV, </em>and<em> Apollo 13</em>. This isn't to suggest that Mr. Helman isn't capable of poor work; it is to suggest that he's one of the premier effects people in the industry. <p>Here's another excerpt from Kenneth Turan, who at least qualifies his critique: <blockquote> <p>By specifically critical and broadly adult standards, this film is undoubtedly a disappointment, but it is disappointing in a way that its intended audience may not notice.</p></blockquote> <p>Finally, Rene Rodriguez, of the Orlando Sentinel: <blockquote> <p><em>The Last Airbender</em> may please children, who always enjoy watching heroic kids kicking grown-up butts. But despite the originality and depth of the scenario, this feels like awfully silly, overblown nonsense (``Water teaches us acceptance. Let your emotions flow like water!''), saddled by a fuzzy 3D conversion that distracts more than it adds. The best movie fantasies are light and fast and transporting: If <em>The Last Airbender</em> were an element, it would be slushy, heavy mud.</p></blockquote> <p>The bottom line is my boys (ages 10 and 5) loved it, and my Dad and I both liked it. It was entertaining and evoked the feeling and look of the original show. <p>Clearly, I'm in the minority on this one. <p> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:7b08a82a-97b5-421f-9649-2ca5f2593cf8:482d93e3-1b5d-4996-aa11-546c4337ed3f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div style="width: 155px; padding-left: 5px;"><br /><div id="left" style="float: left;"><br /><img alt="The Last Airbender" src="http://andrewolson.com/blogpics/TheLastAirbenderTheater_11915/TheLastAirbender.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt938283/" target="_blank">Go to IMDb page</a></p><br /><p style="font-size:smaller">Information © <a href="http://www.imdb.com" target="_blank">IMDb.com</a></p><br /></div></div><br /></div> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-75320891060215397102010-04-26T19:06:00.001-07:002010-04-26T19:06:04.809-07:00Yours, Mine, and Ours - * * 1/2<p>I took Cameron to see this film because I knew it would make him laugh. And I was right. </p> <p>This should have been named "Cheaper By the Dozen 2," but that sequel is coming soon. Dennis Quaid plays a Coast Guard Admiral and widower (I never quite bought it for some reason) who is searching for love, and just happens to have a lot of kids. Rene Russo plays a widow and just happens to have even more kids. Back in the day, they were the King and Queen of the Prom. Now they rekindle their lost love, and throw all the kids together. Of course the kids don't like each other and fight every chance they get. </p> <p>The one thing I just could not get over was the house they moved into. It was an old lighthouse right on the water. But every time I saw it in a shot, it looked like it had been digitally altered to death. For example, sunsets become "the-most-gorgeous-sunset-you-have-ever-seen." </p> <p>A good kids' movie, but I wouldn't pay theater prices to go see this film.</p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26830678.post-78787689461878285532010-04-26T19:04:00.001-07:002010-04-26T19:04:55.532-07:00War of the Worlds - * * * 1/2 (DVD)<p>"War of the Worlds" is a scary movie. I saw this one for the first time in the Ruby Theater in Chelan, but for some reason it seemed much more frightening this time around. Part of it has to do with the special effects--everything looks so real. And part of it has to do with the story of a father trying to protect his family in the worst possible situation. </p> <p>Say what you want about Tom Cruise, the guy delivers in this movie. An actor's job is to bring you into the story, to believe the story. I believed what he was going through. I believed that he'd screwed up his marriage and now his kids don't like him. And I felt bad for him after he took another person's life to protect his daughter. </p> <p>As for Spielberg and his crew: They also deliver in a big way. But that's what everyone has come to expect from him. </p> AndyOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641489570081534415noreply@blogger.com0