5.29.2005
5.18.2005
Star Wars
Star Wars Episode III sucks.... just a FYI.
I will explain my problems with it......
1. I really just can't stand Hayden Christensen. There is nothing about that guy that I like. He is just horrible. George Lucas should have just bit the bullet and recast Anakin.
2. George Lucas isn't a writer. No matter hiw hard he tries, he just isn't a writer (I don't think he's a very good director anymore either, but I will stick with writer for now). The dialogue is ridiculous, just like the first two. It actually makes you utter to yourself, "Who writes this?" Then you realize that Lucas thinks its really good writing and it just gets sad from there. Part of what made Empire and Jedi good is that he allowed a co-writer on the screenplay and someone other than Lucas directed it. This allows for other people to tweak things so that they don't look or sound retarded. I know, I know Jonathan Hales co-wrote the screenplay for Episode 2, but who gives a fuck about a guy who also wrote The Scorpion King.
3. This has to do with Lucas' directing, but who does he get to light his movies. The real people look like shit. They all have this saintly glow around them at all times. It is because they are all in front of a green screen all of the time and everything around them on screen is just CGI. There are scenes in the movie where the CGI characters look better than the real people because of the lighting.
I do think it is the best movie of Episodes 1-3 however.
I will explain my problems with it......
1. I really just can't stand Hayden Christensen. There is nothing about that guy that I like. He is just horrible. George Lucas should have just bit the bullet and recast Anakin.
2. George Lucas isn't a writer. No matter hiw hard he tries, he just isn't a writer (I don't think he's a very good director anymore either, but I will stick with writer for now). The dialogue is ridiculous, just like the first two. It actually makes you utter to yourself, "Who writes this?" Then you realize that Lucas thinks its really good writing and it just gets sad from there. Part of what made Empire and Jedi good is that he allowed a co-writer on the screenplay and someone other than Lucas directed it. This allows for other people to tweak things so that they don't look or sound retarded. I know, I know Jonathan Hales co-wrote the screenplay for Episode 2, but who gives a fuck about a guy who also wrote The Scorpion King.
3. This has to do with Lucas' directing, but who does he get to light his movies. The real people look like shit. They all have this saintly glow around them at all times. It is because they are all in front of a green screen all of the time and everything around them on screen is just CGI. There are scenes in the movie where the CGI characters look better than the real people because of the lighting.
I do think it is the best movie of Episodes 1-3 however.
5.16.2005
Recent Movies
Some movies that I have seen in the past couple of weeks are:
Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy was a little funny and a little fun. I have never read the books, but I did still enjoy it. Sam Rockwell was outright hysterical at times.
Unleashed was also a good time. It isn't quite as much fun as Kiss of the Dragon, but it has some really good fight scenes, and Morgan Freeman is refreshingly light and upbeat.
Gloomy Sunday - Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod - was very good. This film was actually released about five years ago in Germany and the rest of Europe, but finally worked its way to the U.S. through a little film company called Menemsha Films. It has had super long runs at theatres in New York, L.A. and Boston. It didn't fare so well here, but that is more than likely the cause of a complete lack of advertising on the part of Marcus. The Jewish Film Festival was able to sell out their shows of it in November? when we had it at North Shore, but the crowds when we had it for a run were just small and steady. Anyway, the movie centers around a woman (Erika Marozsán, the two men she is in love with (Joachim Król, Stefano Dionisi) and a Nazi officer who will do almost anything to be with her (Ben Becker). This movie, like the song it is named after (known in Europe as the Suicide song because of all the people who killed themselves while listening to it) has many tragic and emotionally involving moments throughout. The movie, while being a German film production, has just about everything Hollywood movies have forgotten they need in order to be a well rounded movie experience. I suggest that anyone who has the chance to see this movie should do so as soon as possible. It isn't life altering in any way, but it is a really good film.
The Dreamers. Now, there's not a whole lot I can say about this movie. I liked it, its very weird, somewhat sickening/disturbing and through all of that, just a little redeeming (in a very, very weird and sick way). The story revolves around a college age American male (Michael Pitt) who moves to Paris to study French during the Vietnam War, but ends up spending all of his time in the local Cinema. There he meets a brother and sister (Eva Green, Louis Garrel) who take him into their lives. However, their lives do not end up being as wholesome as they originally seemed to be and the rest of the movie is a constant test of the viewers sense of morality and their ability to distinguish between real life and a fictitious film. One really great thing about this movie is that throughout it, the three 'Friends' imitate old movies, which is very cool and well done (selling Newspapers on the Champs Elysees ala Breathless).
Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy was a little funny and a little fun. I have never read the books, but I did still enjoy it. Sam Rockwell was outright hysterical at times.
Unleashed was also a good time. It isn't quite as much fun as Kiss of the Dragon, but it has some really good fight scenes, and Morgan Freeman is refreshingly light and upbeat.
Gloomy Sunday - Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod - was very good. This film was actually released about five years ago in Germany and the rest of Europe, but finally worked its way to the U.S. through a little film company called Menemsha Films. It has had super long runs at theatres in New York, L.A. and Boston. It didn't fare so well here, but that is more than likely the cause of a complete lack of advertising on the part of Marcus. The Jewish Film Festival was able to sell out their shows of it in November? when we had it at North Shore, but the crowds when we had it for a run were just small and steady. Anyway, the movie centers around a woman (Erika Marozsán, the two men she is in love with (Joachim Król, Stefano Dionisi) and a Nazi officer who will do almost anything to be with her (Ben Becker). This movie, like the song it is named after (known in Europe as the Suicide song because of all the people who killed themselves while listening to it) has many tragic and emotionally involving moments throughout. The movie, while being a German film production, has just about everything Hollywood movies have forgotten they need in order to be a well rounded movie experience. I suggest that anyone who has the chance to see this movie should do so as soon as possible. It isn't life altering in any way, but it is a really good film.
The Dreamers. Now, there's not a whole lot I can say about this movie. I liked it, its very weird, somewhat sickening/disturbing and through all of that, just a little redeeming (in a very, very weird and sick way). The story revolves around a college age American male (Michael Pitt) who moves to Paris to study French during the Vietnam War, but ends up spending all of his time in the local Cinema. There he meets a brother and sister (Eva Green, Louis Garrel) who take him into their lives. However, their lives do not end up being as wholesome as they originally seemed to be and the rest of the movie is a constant test of the viewers sense of morality and their ability to distinguish between real life and a fictitious film. One really great thing about this movie is that throughout it, the three 'Friends' imitate old movies, which is very cool and well done (selling Newspapers on the Champs Elysees ala Breathless).
5.09.2005
The Batman
Bravo for the final Batman Begins trailer. We finally get to see a decent glimpse of the Scarecrow (the horse with the flaming nostrils is pretty slick, I am thinking of getting some surgically implanted in my own nose). That said, I need to complain about something. Production companies these days have forgotten that part of promoting a good movie is actually making decent posters. The poster seen above is the original teaser and remains the best poster yet released in America (the International poster is the best of all). The other three posters are all pretty shitty and can be seen here. That link will allow you to view all 5 posters, the original teaser, the international and the three subsequent teasers. The whole black and brown look doesn't really work for any accept the above poster (at least that looks like he may be readying himself for his nights patrol in front of a dusk sky) and the cheesy bust shot looks like hot crap on the one poster. Apparently they are yet to release their last poster, but after seeing what they have come out with, I'm not very optimistic.
5.05.2005
The Foo!
Foo Fighters new album, In Your Honor, comes out on the Fourteenth of June. I can't wait. The jury is still out on the only released single thus far, The Best of You, but I'm sure the whole album will be pretty clutch. It is going to be a double discer, first disc rocking out style with the latter being acoustic. I have been told that Nora Jones does some of the vocals on the second disc. Should be interesting. No matter what, I'm sure it'll be awesome.
5.04.2005
Millions
Millions is the best movie 2005. I can't say that it'll stay that way, but I can't envision something knocking it out of my top ten for the year when all is said and done (possibly even top 5). Its true the movie is for kids, but there is still a lot in it for adults that the kids probably just won't see or appreciate. For one thing, the kids will have no idea just how good Danny Boyle is as a director and a storyteller in general. This movie is just like the rest of his films, a constant splash of images that light up the minds eye. Another visually stunning film for Boyle in a long line of the same (I suggest seeing these as well, if you haven't already. 28 Days Later, The Beach, Trainspotting, watch out for the male nudity though).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)