50/50 Challenge Movie 2-4: Paradise Lost Trilogy
This past Thursday, the final film in the documentary trilogy “Paradise Lost” premiered on HBO. From director’s Joe Berlinger an Bruce Sinofsky tells the story of the West Memphis Three. Three young men (age 16, 17 and 18) who were tried for the murders of three eight year old boys. They were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, Echols being sentenced to death. But through out the trial more and more evidence or lack there of seemed to point the the boys innocents. And this past August, the three, now men, were released under the Alford Pleas. A plea where you can proclaim your innocents but under the eyes of the law remain guilty. It’s a way that a innocent can not sue the state. The three films follow the trail (the first, released in 96) the after math of the first film and the rise of the “Free the WM3” movement (released in 2000), and the status of the men in the last ten years. The legal hoops of fighting the legal system, seeking truth, and misconception.
Perhaps the most interesting person in the trilogy of films is John Mark Byers. A man in the first film is viewed as perhaps a suspect. Someone you do feel pity for since he lost his child, but shows great anger and a lack of foresight. The 2nd film shows him as the villain, someone not willing to see the evidence or the truth, merely wishing for death or worse of the three, he even has a staged funeral for them where he lights parts of the woods on fire. And the final film, where we meet an older Byers, a man of reflexion, and a man who now supports the freeing of the three men and the search for the truth. To watch all three films as I did today you see an interesting journey in everyone, but especially Byers, who goes from seeming like a person of ignorance, to someone with great reflection and thought on what has lead him to this point. The scene in the 3rd film where Byers is telling the press, that for the three men to still be considered guilty is “bullshit” is moving in a way.
The subject matter is interesting enough that Peter Jackson premiered today, a documentary that he is producing, covering the same subject manner.
Will it be as good or as moving as the three Paradise Lost films? Who can say. I would guess not, just like making one Lord of the Rings film wouldn’t be as moving as having all three. If you have HBO, or are willing to pick up the boxset once it comes out, I’d highly recommend the Paradise Lost films. They’re an interesting and scary look at the American Justice system gone wrong, very wrong. But in some ways, it ends, some what, happily.
These films show the power of documentary. The power that film can bring, to make and insight change or justice in a way that perhaps no other art can.
50/50 challenge. Movie #1: Beauty Day
Beauty Day is a documentary film about Ralph Zavadil, the Canadian T.V. personality known as Cap’ N Video. As the film states, he did stuff “Tom Green” and “Jackass” would later become famous for, but he did it first. We meet Zavadil and we learn about his history, we see the footage of Zavadil breaking his neck attempting to jump from a ladder into a covered pool, working as his friend’s shop, and we meet the people in his life, his friends, his mother, an ex and his child.
This is the feature debut of film podcaster Jay Cheel. Jay is one of the co-host of FilmJunk not just my favorite movie podcast, but I think my favorite podcast period. Jay is one of the few critics I take seriously when it comes to film reviews. When a new movie comes out, I look forward to hearing what FilmJunk has to say, just as much as I look forward to Ebert or any other established critic. That being said, it can be difficult for someone to go from critical to creative and have it work. Would “Beauty Day” be a good movie?
I’m happy to say that I really liked “Beauty Day.” Quite a lot actually. It’s a film with a good amount of laughs, an interesting story and a lot of heart. Also Cheel shoots the film in a very cinematic way. It’s not just talking heads (thought that stuff is great), they’re shots of Zavadil walking to work, or driving his van set to music, the stuff exploding, the shots of the VHS inside the VCR in particular, great stuff. Cheel understands that documentaries are in fact films and should be entertaining in some fashion. And at the core of this film, is a story about a creative man trying to live the life he wishes to live. There’s something to these stories that always hit me. People who buck the trend to go pursue their dreams. To throw caution to the wind, even if everyone is saying you shouldn’t. Even if it’s not the social norm. Even if that dream consist of snorting eggs and lighting your face on fire for the entertainment of others. Seeing people talk about Ralph you get the idea that he uses the Cap N’ as a form of expression, a way to present himself to the world. Outside of the character, you get the feeling Ralph is a pretty good guy. Someone you wouldn’t mind sitting around and shooting the shit with. Often you will see Ralph smoking a cigarette, or drinking a beer. And he doesn’t mind using a swear word or two. He’s just a normal dude who likes to do crazy things.
The highlights of the film come in the 2nd half, where Zavadil starts shooting a 20th anniversary special of Cap N’ Video. The scenes where he and his friend Robert try to work out the logistics of filming some of the Cap N’s stunts. I could have watched scene after scene of these two bickering, laughing and trying to figure stuff out. It’s a strong friendship and that comes through in a big way in this film.
And at 90 minutes, the film is tight, it rolls out the information in wonderfully handled ways. Everything could have been spit out in ten minutes on who Zavadil was and what he did. Then get to the 20th anniversary. Thankfully the film doesn’t do that. It takes its time. You find out more and more about Zavadil as the film goes on, getting you more and more interested in the man.
I truly enjoyed “Beauty Day.” It’s a sort of feel good movie where it ends and you have a smile on your face. You want to jump to the computer and start watching Cap N’ Video clips on youtube. Can’t recommend it enough.
Top Ten Movies of the year
How my Top Ten Works:
My top ten consist of films I saw between Jan 1, 2011 and Dec, 31st 2011. So some films that may have been nominated for last years oscars, didn’t actually come to a theater I could see them at till after Jan 1st. At the moment I still have to pay to see films and my time is limited. So here are the films I was not able to catch in those dates that could have probably made my top ten judging by the subject matter and who made them: Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy. Muppets, The Artist, Young Adult,
Melancholia:
A film that needs to be seen in theaters. “Melancholia” is Von Trier making a film about depression, the affects it has and the family that doesn’t understand it. It also happens to be a movie about the end of the world by one planet crashing into another. If you read that and roll your eyes or question the science of the film, then you’re missing the point. This isn’t a film about the plot, it’s a film about the emotions. Film, at the end of the day, is an art form, a story telling art form no doubt. But the stories don’t always have to be just plot driven, they can be driven by an emotional weight or the characters journey. Some may think that’s b.s. but what makes film like this (and another film I’ll be mentioning later) work, is that they are one thing, genuine. The difference between this and your common art school/film school graduate work, is that often those works are works of “I have images I want to put on screen, that will be cool, how can I connect them.” But with this film Von Trier seems to be going for a feeling, as if he said “I have these emotions, how can I get them across on film.” The acting in the film feels real, even if it isn’t, the actors are laid bare in this film. Kristen Dunst plays a woman suffering from depression, but unlike other films that depict depression in females by showing them having hysterical fits, or crying uncontrollably, the character of Justine has depression in more realistic fashion. It’s done as a quite, simmering problem, one she tries her best to hide and perhaps in her past has. But now it has bubbled to the surface, just before the world is about to end. And then the film flips, pulling a mirror images of itself. In the beginning, Justine, going through her problems. Looks for support that isn’t there. Her sister feels she’s doing what she can, but no one else is truly helping. She’s told to “just smile, just be happy.” But at the 2nd half, which focuses on Claire (and the oncoming planet) Claire begins to feel this dread about the planet, this overwhelming fear that death is approaching. She’s told by her family to “Calm down, don’t freak out.” And no support is there. This all sounds simple, and it is, but it falls on the backdrop of a disaster movie. And having this character go through their personal disasters while the world goes through a natural disaster is something that could easily fall into being silly. But Von Trier makes it work, with the awesome images that play out in slow motion, and the booming score piece from Tristan and Isolde., the film is the closest one can get to an art house event film. Also, the film is funny, genuinely very funny.
X-men: First Class:
It was another year with a ton of Superhero films, but the best one of the bunch, the one that felt like a real movie and not just something to make fanboys nod and go “okay, they got it” was X-men: First Class. Is there a part here or there that doesn’t work? Sure. Some of the stuff involving the young mutants picking code names is a bit brutal and though Kevin Bacon is awesome, his motivations for being the villain are…questionable? But in the end, this is a film about the relationship between Erik (Michael Fassbender) and Charles (James McAvoy). A friendship building and falling apart. But also being an X-men film set in the 60’s gives it a feel of an old school James Bond movie. With McAvoy playing the cool, smart side of Bond. And Fassbender playing the action hero Bond, the man with the license to kill. And when it comes down to it, the film is just fun. A lot of fun. Featuring fun set pieces and having the heroes use their powers as a team, which is a major part of the X-men comics, but hasn’t really been seen till now on film. It’s an adventure film featuring great acting, which seems less and less likely now a days from the adventure genre. And because of that great acting, when these characters give speeches, they have weight as opposed to dragging the film down as you wait for the next action scene. And Vaughn films the scenes in a coherent way, they’re fun. At no point did I feel confused as to what was going on and who was where. This is an action film, with just enough gravitas and poignant moments to make it feel like a real film, but those moments aren’t so hard as to make the film feel overly serious. Hands down the one superhero movie to offer more then what was simply on the written page.
Biutiful
A film that, simply put, is devastating. Javier Bardem plays Uxbal, a man who discovers he is going to die. But he is the only one who can take care of his two young children. He can’t leave them with his estranged wife, who suffers from bi-polar disorder and manic depression. He can’t leave them to his brother, their uncle. Who is also sleeping with his wife. Uxbal himself is no saint, playing an inbetween man in Spain. Delivering on goods and services between crime bosses and the people below. But he is a good father. Uxbal is also a man that is haunted, he can see and talk to dead people, in any other film, that would be your plot. Not in “Biutiful.” Some have said Biutiful is misery porn, watching a descent man going through terrible things. I can’t really argue that point, but for whatever reason, I tend to love stories that trend that way. Perhaps because they hit at certain emotions or truths. Biutiful has many things going on in it, but in the end feels like a rather simple story about a father, a good father, trying to arrange his life for his children when he only has so much time left. Bardem was nominated for Best Actor last year, and he should have been, he’s amazing, and so is the rest of the cast. This, I feel is Inarritu’s best film. It’s his most focused film. Where as “Babel” had many characters thus many stories, “Biutiful” has many parts, many layers, but it deals with one man and the painful journey he goes through.
Rango:
Rango was a love letter to the western genre films of old. The films of John Ford or Sergio Leone, but it does it through the lens of Gore Verbinski, in the guise of an animated movie for kids from Nickelodeon, starting Johnny Depp. This film is a loving homage to the western genre as a whole. Sometimes in very obvious ways and other times in very subtle ways, you may need to have seen a few westerns to appreciate certain parts. The film also features some of the best and more creative action set pieces I’ve seen in sometime. Verbinski is big on set pieces, and even if the films are good or bad, the set pieces are something to respect in how masterfully they are done and how creative they are. Thankfully Rango is a great film, so the set pieces add to the piece rather then being the only good part. It’s also interesting to see a kids film dealing with existential crisis like “Who Am I?” and do it in an interesting way rather then hammering home of the message of “be yourself, because you’re awesome!” Which would be the go to for many kids films. The design of the film is also something to look and marvel at. The character designs alone are a brave choice. Rango and his co-horts are not cute, nor attractive looking creatures. No one is going to want to get their kid a Rango doll for Christmas. Rango is a film asking interesting questions, with interesting character design and great action set pieces. But it does it all by telling the story of a gecko living a western adventure. Will kids like it? I don’t know. Will film fans? Yes, yes you will.
Shame:
Steve McQueen’s 2nd film is a harsh, uncompromising look at sex addiction and self destruction and perhaps even loneliness. Self made or otherwise. The sex isn’t sexy. There’s no romance, there’s no care. It’s just there, and if there’s anything, it’s just sadness. If you’ve seen any film dealing with addiction, what happens here isn’t that surprising. It follows the same story line as those films. We meet the addict, we see the addict in their addiction. An obstacle comes up, they try to quit cold turkey, they go on one last big bender, the something bad happens. End. It’s not about the story line, it’s about watching Brandon (Fassbender) and what he’s doing to himself. The journey is familiar, which I have to believe is done by design. You only have to ever watch one season of “Celebrity Re-Hab” or “Addicted” to see that many addicts stories, whatever their addiction is, are very similar. It’s once Sissy (Carrie Muligan) enters the films that we begin to get some understanding of Brandon. There are no giant dialogue exchanges of exposition, no pictures of the past. We are told simple things in simple strokes. Sissy says “We aren’t bad people, we just come from a bad place.” And that’s all we know, and I think that’s all we need to know. Brandon is a character of isolation. Despite living in New York, one of the more heavily populated cities in the world, we constantly see no one around, Brandon is always alone. Even during a three minute long, one take running sequence, there are very few people. Brandon desires this, no connection, no human touch. Brandon is bare, a naked individual with seemingly no personality. His house, his work, his life is white, clean, untouched. Everything is tidy and planned. He doesn’t talk much, he doesn’t have to, he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t seek connection. The only thing is his life with color, with flair, out of sorts, is his sex addiction. On the opposite side is Sissy. A person who wants connection, who wants love. She’s a performer, so she wants people to know she’s there, to see her, to feel her. She wants to make an impact. It’s two sides of a different coin. The two scenes of full frontal nudity, head to toe, aren’t sex scenes. It’s Brandon waking up, using the restroom and Sissy being frightened in the shower. It’s the time these two are most vulnerable, laid bare. It’s not when they’re having sex. It’s a story of two damaged individuals, who should be helping each other, but they can’t even help themselves. Both getting in each others way, and feeling like they’re helping the other, when they’re only causing more trouble and pain. This isn’t a story or an idea that can be wrapped up in a neat hour and half. We are only viewing a section of these people’s lives. A crossroad, and like life, it’s just there. And it’s fascinating to watch. It’s not always nice, and it’s not always clean. But it’s uncompromising, and in that way, it’s beautiful.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes:
A film that had everything going against it. A late summer release, which can often be questionable. So-so trailers, an unknown director, angry reactions of choosing to go CGI with the apes over the classic costumes, James Franco backlash post Oscars and coming after the last “Apes” film, which was no masterpiece. But in the end, Apes ended up being awesome. Hands down, no joke, awesome. Rupert Wyatt ended up being a very skilled director. Understanding how to build his set pieces from scene to scene, ratcheting up the tension and the thrills. The ending scene on the Golden Gate Bridge is fantastic. The number of things happening on the bridge but still having an understanding of geography is a challenge, and Wyatt pulls it off. And the screenwriters did the smart thing, of making this a film about Ceasar the ape. Some have complained that James Franco takes a back seat once Caesar hits adult hood. I’d say that’s the correct move. To make this movie work, you have to care about Ceasar. This isn’t a film about mankind protecting itself. It’s a film about Apes “Rising.” This film takes on the challenge of having you, the audience, route for the downfall of mankind and the plight of the apes. And it pulls it off, it pulls it off very well. And the performances help. Franco does good work with what he is given. Is the villain one note? Sure. But so many villains are. I’d hardly call Hans Gruber from Die Hard a multifaceted villain, he was just interesting. The kid from Harry Potter? Well, he’s there, but not for long. So we’re good to go. John Lithgow isn’t given much screen time. But with the little bit of time he’s given he’s able to give you a complete character. Someone you care for, laugh with and eventually feel sympathy for. And of course you can’t talk about “Apes” without talking about Andy Serkis. Serkis is this movie, him and the team at WETA bring the character of Ceasar to life. After doing work with Gollum we all knew Serkis could do performance capture. But this was a different character. Ceasar is a mostly silent role. He speaks only through facial expression and eye movement. But with that alone Serkis gives you a stunning performance. The scene near the end where Ceasar final stands up and shouts is perhaps my favorite scene in any film this year. It’s thrilling, and one to go back to again and again.
Attack the Block:
The writing/directing debut of Joe Cornish, the producer who has worked for Edgar Wright for some time, is a hell of a first film. The story of a group of inner city youths living in London fighting off an alien invasion is alot of fun. It feels like an R-Rated version of an 80’s era Amblin film or films of the ilk. It would play great at a triple feature of “The Goonies” and “Monster Squad.” Kids who are rough around the edges and going on an adventures. It also feels like the next generation of those films. Where Super 8 was a great re-creation of those films, setting it in the same time frame and telling a very Spielbergian film with modern esthetics, “Attack the Block” tells a story about today and feels very today while feeling familiar. It’s no wonder Spielberg hired on Cornish along with Wright to work on Tintin. The film is also tight, no scenes are wasted, there’s no extra dialogue. Everything we need to know we know and it’s delivered in a simple way. The movie is a quick 90 minute ride hitting all the beats quickly, and it all takes place in one night. How did these aliens get here? Why are they here? The characters wouldn’t know, so we don’t either. There are no “government” types in this film. It’s simply fun. The comedy is funny, the action is great, and the horror stuff works. This film presses all the right buttons, feeling familiar while also fresh. Also, hands down the best alien design of any movie this year, Beating the “Super 8” and “Cowboys vs. Aliens” design. For two reasons. The aliens were simple and mostly practical. They were tangible, they were on the set, the actors could actually interact with them. And making the design so simple made them more memorable.
Hugo
To many it was weird that Scorsese was making, what many felt was, a kid’s adventure film. The trailers didn’t make the film seem any out of the ordinary. The thought was this would be a very good looking children’s film, but still a children’s film. With wackiness and maybe a hammy wrap up that would make mom’s cry, but no one else. Boy how wrong we all were. What we ended up getting is perhaps Scorsese’s most personal film ever. For those who are unaware. Scorsese grew up a sickly kid in New York, he spent time watching movies since he couldn’t go out and play. The story of “Hugo” is the story of an orphan boy who finds his own escape. His escape eventually leads to film, but it’s through meeting a friend who makes her escapes through books. This all leads to a great reveal, one that I think it’s better to discover once you see the movie. But this film ends up being a love letter to films of old, the films of the silent era. This is also the film that perhaps touched me the most on an emotional level (besides my number 1.) Maybe it’s personal, but that’s what films are, your own personal experience. I could identify with the characters who pass time by escaping into stories and escaping into films. Also the 3D is essential to this film. Scorsese make’s a modern digital 3D movie, talking about old silent movies shot on film. The mixing of the now, the new and the old. Some have complained that this film feels like a history lesson, I couldn’t disagree more. To me, “Hugo” is a film about the wonder of film and story telling in general, about pursuing your dream and the magic of creation. As “movie poster” critic as this might sound, simply put, Hugo is a joy of a film
Drive
Take the films of Michael Mann. Your “Heats” or “Collateral” simple crime stories about Los Angeles, they aren’t complicated, they aren’t bigger then they need to be is scope or length, they’re tight crime thrillers. Then hand that over to an european art house director. You get “Drive.” What makes “Drive” special are the little touches, the artistic flourishes that Winding Refn puts into the film. The elevator scene, the use of “Oh My Love” during the stake out sequence. Drive is an art house film wearing the suit of an action film. That’s not to say the action stuff isn’t great. It’s sparse, but when stuff hits, it hits like a hammer. The first bullet shot in the film is deafeningly loud. You will jump. The film is violent, very violent. But like horror movie europeans directors of the 70’s. The violence, the use of red, is it’s own art. And the acting. Everyone is this film has a real understanding that great acting doesn’t mean showy. A lot can be done with simple glances, a movement of the lips, or cold stare, unblinking. Also the homage to the 80’s in the music, being there, but not being so overt that it would make someone think “Oh yeah, that song!” A great film that I hope more people will see and love as time goes on.
Tree of Life
Tree of life is a conversation with God, that we’re lucky enough to watch.
Tree of life is possibly the best film I’ve seen this year, in fact I’ll say it is the best. I think it’s a masterpiece of visual filmmaking. It’s both beautiful and brilliant, hitting themes of life, death, meaning in the universe, the power of memory, the power of family, the fear and love of parental figures and how can we matter when there’s a giant cosmos of life out there. It’s a film that will leave you with questions, with thoughts and hopefully a reason to go see it again. It will give you some of the answers while leaving you with bigger questions.
The story of “Tree of Life” despite all those giant themes is a simple one. Which is the best way to tell complicated, cerebral stories, within simplicity. Sean Penn plays a man in conflict, perhaps spiritual, but internal in someway, looking back at his life, in particular his childhood when he last felt a spiritual or internal conflict. All this falls on the anniversary of his younger brother’s death, who we are told died at 19. We’re never told why, I don’t believe it matters. That’s the simple story, a man’s internal journey and we see that journey take places on screen.
Within the journey we see Sean Penn go from birth to adolescents. The older of three boys, with Brad Pitt as his father and Jessica Chastain (the discovery of the year in my opinion) as his mother. The father, a stricked, hard edged disciplinarian. The mother, an angel like figure who gives more to affection as love then discipline. And along with Jack’s life, we see life created as whole, in a twenty minute creation of the universe sequence which may be some of the best visual work I’ve seen in years. From the creation of the universe, to earth, to dinosaurs, to the current time of the film. Using micro photography to bring forth the creation, set to the Lacrimosa by Zbigniew Preisner. The scenes are fantastic and set up the tone of the movie. This film is a poem. It’s a poem about conversations with God.
If that be God the creator, God the figure or just the idea of a God, God in the universe, whatever. It’s conversations about meaning, about who we are and why we are here. These are questions we all ask. Maybe we don’t ask it in this way, perhaps he don’t ask it in such a fashion, but we all ask these questions. “Why me?” “What’s it all mean?” “Are you out there?” Even if you feel you made up your mind on these subjects, that doesn’t mean these subjects aren’t universal.
Film is an art form. It’s a visual art form. And what raises “Tree of Life” above someone’s artsy fartsy college essay film. is that “Tree of Life” is genuine. I believe Mallick was trying to say something, to convey something. He didn’t just come up with these images and wrap a story around those because he thought they were cool. He came up with his story, his idea, his theme. And went towards the images that best conveyed those emotions. “Tree of Life” is trying to say something, and I think it says it in a beautiful and powerful way. Even if the film doesn’t work for you on a narrative level, on the level of visual art, nothing was better this year.
Mallick is able to capture something that every artist seeks to capture when they set out to make real films. Mallick captures truth, he captures life, and we’re lucky enough to be able to see it.
New Shows from this past week
Cameron Watches Movies – Host Cameron Rice is joined once again by Paul Montgomery and Coleman Ranahan, they get into some news which includes: Kurt Russell takes over for Kevin Costner on Django Unchained, Mel Gibson to Direct Judah Maccabee movie, Werner Herzog as a villian in Tom Cruise’s “One Shot”, Josh Brolin in Oldboy, Ridley Scott on a Blade Runner sequel, Lone Ranger It’s not happening, now it is, Remakes of Scarface and Carrie and Stephen King writing Shining 2.They then jump into reviews of: Contagion, Moneyball and Drive before wrapping it up with What Else is on: Paul: Deadwood, The wire Coleman: Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, Being there, In the Company of Men, Conan: Can’t Stop Cameron: Breaking Bad, Cooley High, X-men: First Class, Towering Inferno, Gimmie Shelter, The Bridge, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
Invisible Jet Cast – We’re back and so is Wonder Woman. We wrap up the JMS’ run of the books with Wonder Woman 614, then we jump into the new Wonder Woman #1 by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang. Then do a wrap up of “Wonder Woman: Flash Point.” Before jumping into the homework which is Matt Wagner’s “Trinity.” Then questions. Be sure to follow the show on twitter at Invisiblejetpod at twitter.com and email the show at Contact@Invisiblejetcast or Invisiblejetcast@gmail.com. And stay tuned till the end to hear a special announcement from our friend Dave Accampo
Comics Round Table: October – We’re back! (A Dinosaur’s story). That’s right, a new Comics Round Table. Sadly no Jon Stump this episode, the man is busy living, making the bucks. But Angela, Ali and Cameron are able to talk for quite a while. We talk about “Daredevil”, “New Mutants”, “Schisim”, “Pigs”, “Ultimate Spider-man” and more! Also stay tuned till the end for a special message from our friend David Accampo talking about his Kickstarter comic.
Talking To… Ali – On the premier episode of “Talking To…” I sit down with Ali Colluccio. We talk about taking a break from twitter, writing, and then some comic talk. Follow Ali on twitter: @Wonderali.
Weekly Dead Season 2 Episode 1: The Weekly Dead has returned! All new, not that different. Jon and Cameron run solo on this round, explaining the where abouts of the girls, who have gone off on their own, splitting off as all good survivor groups must do. In this episode we discuss the hour and half premier as well as Episode 2. Does the show still hold up? Is one of us growing lukewarm on the show? Did Cameron give away a spoiler from the comic? Did the RV live to see another day?
PaperkegWest Episode 5/6: On this double sized Episode of Paperkeg West: First we have Jon and Cameron solo as Timmy and Ryan get ready for NYCC. On that we talk about: Detective Comics, Uncanny X-force, TMNT, Conan, Venom, Batman: Death in the Family, and more. Then on episode 6: Jon, Timmy and Ryan talk about being at NYCC. Jon didn’t yell at a creator and got a free sketch. Timmy relaxed and Ryan got some burgers. Also parties were had. And Cameron had a Poltergeist moment. Then we get into some books we are reading: Batman/Superman Annual #1, Batman and Robin #2, Mr. Murder is Dead, Xenoholics, Sweet Tooth, JLA: The Age of Wonder, and more…
My Year (or two) of King.
Friends, I am starting on a journey. A journey that will take me some time, but I’m looking forward to it. For years I have said that Stephen King was my favorite author. I still say he is. But when thinking about it, it had dawned on me, that I really haven’t read that much of his work. As a matter of fact, I haven’t been doing that much reading at all. Oh sure I’ve read my fair share of King’s work, put a good amount of my familiarity with his work comes from either his films or interviews I have read with the man. In highschool I used to read all the time, but since I have graduated, which was 7 years ago (e-gad!) I haven’t done that much prose reading, and by God I miss it.
So I decided to start from the beginning and work my way down. Yes, I’m going to be reading every single Stephen King book, from the first “Carrie” to which ever his newest one is by the time I finish. With that I will also look at the films based on these books. On this blog I will discuss what I think of each book and the adaptation of that work. I’m interested to see how some books have held up. The ones I loved when I was 14, would I love them now? And what about the ones that did nothing for me? Would an adult mind bring something new? What are the continuous themes and perhaps character traits. King is often considered the master of horror, or the Norman Rockwell of literature, painting the American landscape and speaking to those ideals. Is that true?
Why will it take a year (or two)? Well let’s face fact. The man has perhaps more 1000 pages novels then any other writer. Also I have a life, on top of work and classes for UCB, I also host a bazillion podcast, so some free time will go towards film or comic book reading. BUT I plan on doing this project now, today, and steaming along. My goal is to at least have a post every other week (Maybe every third week once I get to “It” or “The Stand”). So today, I start “Carrie” a shorter book (I believe his shortest), and one of my favorites. How will it hold up? How does the movie hold up? Does King have his distinct voice or does he find it later? We’re going to find out.
For those wondering I am going by this list: Here. I’m going by date of publication, not date of writing. I know “Carrie” is technically his “fourth” novel. But I want to read the books as they were released, not necessarily as they were conceived.
The only difference I will be making is once I get to non-fiction work. So I will be holding off on Danse Macabre, On Writing and Faithful will be held off till the end. His original films like “Creepshow”, “Storm of the Century” and “Rose Red” will be reviewed in the normal timeline. As for short stories that aren’t in his collections I’ll do what searching I can.
I gotta say, I’m looking forward to this.
The DVDs/Blu Rays to get: September 27th, 2011
A new week, new DVDs/Blu-Rays. Not to much in the way of new to DVD, but a couple of new to Blu-Rays. A couple classic films getting new editions, and some great Criterion films. So let’s jump into it.
-Hung: Season Two
The Second Season of the HBO Thomas Jane series about a baseball/basketball couch who, hard on his luck, decides to become a gigolo. The first season of this show was good, I think the second season was great. Taking the humor and the idea behind a male gigolo in a suburban town and bringing out some of the drama and conflict. Co-staring Anne Heche and the awesome Jane Adams. Hung comes to Blu-Ray with a behind the scenes feature, deleted scenes and commentaries on five of the episodes. Get it here
-Footloose
The 80’s classic comes to Blu-Ray just in time for the remake. If you’re a fan of 80’s, films that are a bit cheesy, or Kevin Bacon/John Lithgow, then this is a must get. Coming to Blu-Ray with two commentaries, one with the producers, the other with Kevin Bacon. A feature with Kevin Bacon looking back on the film, and a look at the late Chris Penn. Get that here
– A Fish Called Wanda
The comedy classic that won Kevin Kline an Academy Award. John Cleese as writer and star delivers one of the best comedy films of the 80’s. And gave Jamie Lee Curtis her sexiest role up till “True Lies.” Wanda comes to Blu Ray with a half hour retrospective documentary, a half hour of deleted scenes, and a commentary by Cleese. Get it here
–Mimic: Director’s Cut
Guillermo Del Toro’s first American film finally comes to Blu-ray in a much anticipated Director’s Cut. Del Toro has been very open about the amount of pressure and say the studio had over the film. So much so, that Del Toro still to this day will not work with the people who financed this film. Finally the director’s cut, Del Toro’s original vision is here. The story of a virus cured by bugs, and the bugs attack. Mimic comes to Blu Ray with a commentary by Del Toro, a feature on restoring the film and an introduction by Del Toro. Get it here
The Criterion release of the week:
-Carlos
The highly acclaimed TV mini-series from 2010, which was nominated for multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and winning countless other awards comes to Blu Ray from the Criterion Collection. The disc comes with many interviews, some with the creators of the film, some with the people who were around during the time of Carlos the Jackyl. This film is worth watching not just due to its scope, but also due to the fact that the people creating it were told not to finish the film under threat. But they finished it, and it’s great. Get it here
-The Phantom Carriage
Considered one of the most important films in Swedish Cinema, Phantom Carriage comes to Blu Ray and it’s a must get for any fan of Bergman, though Bergman did not make the film, he cites it as one of his biggest influences. He’s also featured on the films special features. The influence this film has had on cinema, not just on Bergman, can’t be denied and is a must get for any cinema fan. A staple of film classes, it’s a must watch classic. Get it here
The Must Get of the Week:
-Ben-Hur
Films like “Ben-Hur” are the reason that Blu-Ray exist. If you have a great TV set and a great speaker system, then this is something to get. Not just because of the fact that it’s a cinema classic, but because it’s a giant epic. The chariot scene in the end makes this a must get. The Special Features on this are also great. A commentary track by film historians and Heston. An hour long feature called “Charleton Heston and Ben-Hur” the story of Heston’s work on “Hur” told by his family. An hour long feature on how Ben-Hur changed cinema, another hour long feature on the making of the film. And the original 1925 silent version of Ben-Hur. It’s a must get, and you can get it here
PaperkegWest Episode 2
The new episode of PaperkegWest is out! Get it here
The DVDs/Blu Rays to get: September 20th, 2011
Last week was a pretty big week for DVD/Blu-Rays. This week is a little lighter, but that doesn’t mean it’s not just as good. So let’s get started.
-Bridesmaids
The surprise comedy hit of the summer. “Bridesmaids” comes with two versions. The Rated and Un-Rated versions. Along with all other Apatow films we have Deleted Scene, “Line-O- Rama” and many more. Most of the features being alternate takes since all major cast members are improve comics. The break out being recent Emmy winner Melissa McCarthy. Also featuring commentary from the director Paul Feig and all the women above.
-Modern Family
Recent Emmy Winner for “Best Comedy Series.” Modern Family’s 2nd season comes to Blu Ray with making of feature, bloopers, a table read and more. If you’re a fan of this show. It’s a must get.
Blu-Ray Upgrade of the week
The Others
One of the better creepy house movies of the last few years. The Others finally comes to Blu-Ray. It’s all a port from the recent two disc DVD edition of the film. So if you already own that, there’s nothing new here. But if you don’t then I’d get this Blu-Ray. Great visuals, an overall creepy film, and if you don’t know the ending, it might get to you. A must get.
Classic release of the week
Breakfast At Tiffany’s: Anniversary Edition
A classic in the truest sense of the word. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is perhaps best known for the style images of Heburn as the main character, or Andy Rooney as his… character. But if you haven’t seen this film. Now is the time. Special Features include commentary from the producer of the film. Retrospective features include “Henry Mancini: More then Music.” A 20 minute documentary on Mancini and his career. A making of feature, A look at Hepburn as a style icon. And perhaps the most interesting feature Mr. Yunioshi: An Asian Perspective: An interview with several Asian speakers and their views on the role.
That’s all for this week, a small week. But a good week. See you next week with more films to buy.
New Show: PaperkegWest
New show, PaperkegWest has dropped. It’s the weird cousin to Paperkeg. Get it here
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