Ok, at long last, here is my follow-up. From the men who brought you Mystery Science Theater: 3000, comes this wonderful website: http://www.rifftrax.com/
Learn it, live it, love it. Instead of doing what they used to do, which is take old, horrible B movies to mock, they record riffs of new, popular movies. I've only seen three thus far, but all three were worth the money. They are:
1. Twilight
2. Twilight: New Moon
3. Reign of Fire
I didn't know there were other people out there who could actually hate the Twilight franchise more than my college housemates and me, but these guys do. And it's hilarious. I'm making a goal to watch the 'Avatar' one very, very soon.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Recommendations!
I don't know exactly how to do a 'review' of MST3K riffs, but I have to share the joy. If you love satire, laughing at bad movies, and are SUPER excited about the upcoming Paul Walker/Haydn Christenson collaboration and haven't discovered the world of Mystery Science Theater 300, please. Stop what you're doing (except finish this post), and go find some.
Premise: a man gets kidnapped and taken into space, where he and his two robot friends are subjected to torture and forced to watch incredibly awful B-type movies. So, you watch the movie along with them as they proceed to mock it. Usually very well.
Of the originals, here are my top 5 (if I miss someone's favorite, please chime in):
5. MST3K: The Movie - Maybe not the snappiest MST3K fare, but the fact that I can still remember a few key quotes almost 6 years after watching it brings it onto my list.
4. Manos: The Hands of Fate - It's one of the slower MST3K films, but funny nonetheless.
3. Pod People - "It's called evil, kid." 'Nuff said.
2. Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues - Hot pants and Sasquatch? I think that's a yes!
1. Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell - Highly quotable, utterly hilarious: it's the boys at their satirical best. I've seen it probably 20 times, and it never gets old.
Now, the geniuses that brought us MST3K have started doing new movies. More on that later.
Premise: a man gets kidnapped and taken into space, where he and his two robot friends are subjected to torture and forced to watch incredibly awful B-type movies. So, you watch the movie along with them as they proceed to mock it. Usually very well.
Of the originals, here are my top 5 (if I miss someone's favorite, please chime in):
5. MST3K: The Movie - Maybe not the snappiest MST3K fare, but the fact that I can still remember a few key quotes almost 6 years after watching it brings it onto my list.
4. Manos: The Hands of Fate - It's one of the slower MST3K films, but funny nonetheless.
3. Pod People - "It's called evil, kid." 'Nuff said.
2. Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues - Hot pants and Sasquatch? I think that's a yes!
1. Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell - Highly quotable, utterly hilarious: it's the boys at their satirical best. I've seen it probably 20 times, and it never gets old.
Now, the geniuses that brought us MST3K have started doing new movies. More on that later.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Inception
It seems like most blockbusters don't live up to their own expectations.
Inception does.
Brought to us by the man who wrote and directed "Memento," "The Prestige," and most recently "The Dark Knight," "Inception" is another achievement in originality and story telling.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Cobb, who specializes in a new technology that allows him to enter peoples' dreams to steal valuable information from their manipulated subconscious.
Cobb and Co. botch their latest assignment, but are offered a reprieve of sorts by a powerful business man who wants them to reverse their specialty: instead of stealing from someone's subconscious, they are to plant an idea.
Cobb, though distrustful of the notion, takes the job on the premise that this last job will allow him to return, at last, to his children in the States.
This job requires going deep into the target's subconscious – dreams within dreams within dreams - so they set about finding a team that can hack it.
Like any heist movie, getting to know the team is half the fun. The craziness that follows is the other half.
Like "Memento," the film plays with time and reality, making us question just which we are witnessing.
And like "The Dark Knight," Nolan shows that innovative and thrilling action sequences can indeed go hand-in-hand.
(Were there moments that reminded me of "The Matrix"? Yes. But in a good way.)
It's the kind of film you get all wrapped up in plot and character.
DiCaprio is convincing as the intelligent though haunted Cobb, and Joseph Gordan-Levitt easily switches from his usual rom-com self to a smart action star.
The weakest part of the film is a basic unanswered question: why can't Cobb's kids join him in France, where his father (Michael Caine) also lives and teaches?
No matter. They can't, so Cobb must do what he does.
Want to know more?
One of my friends said it best: "I walked away from the moving understanding what happened, however, I probably couldn't explain it to another person. Go. You'll love it."
Inception does.
Brought to us by the man who wrote and directed "Memento," "The Prestige," and most recently "The Dark Knight," "Inception" is another achievement in originality and story telling.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Cobb, who specializes in a new technology that allows him to enter peoples' dreams to steal valuable information from their manipulated subconscious.
Cobb and Co. botch their latest assignment, but are offered a reprieve of sorts by a powerful business man who wants them to reverse their specialty: instead of stealing from someone's subconscious, they are to plant an idea.
Cobb, though distrustful of the notion, takes the job on the premise that this last job will allow him to return, at last, to his children in the States.
This job requires going deep into the target's subconscious – dreams within dreams within dreams - so they set about finding a team that can hack it.
Like any heist movie, getting to know the team is half the fun. The craziness that follows is the other half.
Like "Memento," the film plays with time and reality, making us question just which we are witnessing.
And like "The Dark Knight," Nolan shows that innovative and thrilling action sequences can indeed go hand-in-hand.
(Were there moments that reminded me of "The Matrix"? Yes. But in a good way.)
It's the kind of film you get all wrapped up in plot and character.
DiCaprio is convincing as the intelligent though haunted Cobb, and Joseph Gordan-Levitt easily switches from his usual rom-com self to a smart action star.
The weakest part of the film is a basic unanswered question: why can't Cobb's kids join him in France, where his father (Michael Caine) also lives and teaches?
No matter. They can't, so Cobb must do what he does.
Want to know more?
One of my friends said it best: "I walked away from the moving understanding what happened, however, I probably couldn't explain it to another person. Go. You'll love it."
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Toy Story 3
"To infinity, and beyond!"
"The Claw, it moves!"
"That's not flying, it's falling with style."
For fans of the franchise, these quotes are easily recognizable — some of the more memorable moments from the one that started it all: Toy Story.
(Proof: I haven't seen the movie in years, and I remembered those easily. Say those lines to anyone in my age bracket, and you'll get an immediate follow-up line.)
I could talk about how ground-breaking it was, how it started one of the most acclaimed and profitable relationships in showbiz (Disney/Pixar), etc.
But I won't.
Instead I'd like to focus on how these films, and the newest one in particular, managed to follow an entire generation through its development.
I remember going to see the original Toy Story as a little girl, not much older than Andy, the boy whose toys get into so much trouble.
The first film worked for me because it brought to life what I (and every other child) was so sure of – toys (and animals, for that matter) are alive. They can talk. They really can, they just won't while humans are around.
The second film, though less memorable, did what every good sequel does by bringing back all the original staple characters and throwing them together with some new fun faces.
Then comes the third film, making Toy Story yet another member of the Trilogy club.
I'm not generally a huge fan of sequels, prequels or tri-quels, especially not when they come 15 years later.
However, that very gap is what made this film's central theme so potent for me and my friends.
It's the same basic concept as before: Toys get separated from Andy, Toys think Andy doesn't love them anymore, Toys encounter danger, destruction and mayhem as they try to get home.
Andy is 18 now, and getting ready to go to college. His mom gives him three choices for the toys: to the attic, to college or in the trash.
The toys Andy intends to send to the attic get mistaken for trash, and sent to a "retirement home" for old, unwanted toys. They realize there's been a mistake, and Woody, ever loyal, leads the way home.
It's probably less original than the first, maybe even the second. And, the villains aren't as creepy (few things can match Sid's House of Horrors from the first film).
But at the center of the film is a chord of a coming-of-age story, of toys who no longer come alive for Andy (though they want to).
Andy has to decide whether or not to hold on to the toys and what they represent, or to let them go.
This film marks the end of a franchise, and in a way, the end of an era.
Whether or not it's a happy ending I guess is up to you.
"The Claw, it moves!"
"That's not flying, it's falling with style."
For fans of the franchise, these quotes are easily recognizable — some of the more memorable moments from the one that started it all: Toy Story.
(Proof: I haven't seen the movie in years, and I remembered those easily. Say those lines to anyone in my age bracket, and you'll get an immediate follow-up line.)
I could talk about how ground-breaking it was, how it started one of the most acclaimed and profitable relationships in showbiz (Disney/Pixar), etc.
But I won't.
Instead I'd like to focus on how these films, and the newest one in particular, managed to follow an entire generation through its development.
I remember going to see the original Toy Story as a little girl, not much older than Andy, the boy whose toys get into so much trouble.
The first film worked for me because it brought to life what I (and every other child) was so sure of – toys (and animals, for that matter) are alive. They can talk. They really can, they just won't while humans are around.
The second film, though less memorable, did what every good sequel does by bringing back all the original staple characters and throwing them together with some new fun faces.
Then comes the third film, making Toy Story yet another member of the Trilogy club.
I'm not generally a huge fan of sequels, prequels or tri-quels, especially not when they come 15 years later.
However, that very gap is what made this film's central theme so potent for me and my friends.
It's the same basic concept as before: Toys get separated from Andy, Toys think Andy doesn't love them anymore, Toys encounter danger, destruction and mayhem as they try to get home.
Andy is 18 now, and getting ready to go to college. His mom gives him three choices for the toys: to the attic, to college or in the trash.
The toys Andy intends to send to the attic get mistaken for trash, and sent to a "retirement home" for old, unwanted toys. They realize there's been a mistake, and Woody, ever loyal, leads the way home.
It's probably less original than the first, maybe even the second. And, the villains aren't as creepy (few things can match Sid's House of Horrors from the first film).
But at the center of the film is a chord of a coming-of-age story, of toys who no longer come alive for Andy (though they want to).
Andy has to decide whether or not to hold on to the toys and what they represent, or to let them go.
This film marks the end of a franchise, and in a way, the end of an era.
Whether or not it's a happy ending I guess is up to you.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
‘Reel’ Life
"Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief"
Way before Batman and Spidey donned their studly suits of spandex, ancient Greece had its own pantheon of comic book characters. Except those characters were gods, and their ‘superpowers’ varied from Zeus’ awesome lightening bolt to Hermes’ messenger duties.
So, the movie starts with the premise that these gods are still alive and well and still ruling the world as ineptly as ever. We’re introduced to Poseidon and Zeus, where we discover that Zeus is all bent out of shape because someone stole his lightening bolt.
You’d think that the most powerful god would keep his most powerful weapon someplace more secure, but hey, even the gods overlook things from time to time.
Zeus thinks Poseidon’s son stole it, and threatens war if it is not returned by the Summer Solstice, which naturally, is only a couple of weeks away.
Enter Percy Jackson. An average teenager, who hates high school because he has ADHD and dyslexia. He’s really only happy when he’s underwater – usually for several minutes at a time.
Come to find out, Percy is actually the demi-god son of Poseidon. Even better, Percy’s best friend is actually a satyr. He soon makes friends with Annabeth, the appropriately fierce daughter of Athena.
Ok, I’m a sucker for Greek mythology (always have been), so the movie didn’t have to work very hard to hold my attention.
The movie does a good job of catering to its target audience – adolescents.
It was serious without being too heavy, humorous without being too ridiculous...usually.
Still, at times it seemed the filmmakers were too distracted with their special effects to pay attention to logistics, and hoped that we would be too.
Well. Sorry. I have questions.
Like, how could three teenagers with no jobs afford to drive all over the United States?
How did they never get chased by the cops, especially once one of them had been declared missing?
How is Percy suddenly able to control all of his powers after one day of training?
Did Percy have any inkling of his powers, other than being able to hold his breath longer than the Navy Seals? Did he ever accidentally make the faucet explode when he was angry? Did he ever turn water into a trident and shoot it at his mother when she tried to make him take his vitamins?
What did Hermes use to fly before trendy basketball shoes started coming with a “wings-on” option?
Why is the entrance to Mt. Olympus, traditionally the highest mountain in Greece, located at the top of the Empire State Building?
And why, oh why, do the Greek gods who are now apparently based out of America speak English with a British accent? It probably isn’t out of the question to assume that gods could easily learn modern English, but then why any accent at all? They studied at Cambridge before relocating to NYC?
Kids watching will not notice, or care about those things, but they distracted me. Which is probably just as well, because there were a few cheesed out moments that I needed to be distracted from.
Still, it was, for the most part, entertaining. Logan Lerman plays the parts of angry teen and heroic youth equally well, and Uma Thurman plays Medusa as only she could.
I was even impressed that for once, instead of romanticizing the world of the gods, the film acknowledges what most Greek stories showcase those deities to be: spoiled children who do little but compete with each other and fulfill their own desires.
Maybe their kids will do better – or maybe not. Watch the film and you can decide.
Director: Chris Columbus
Writers: Rick Riordan (novel)
Craig Titley (screenplay)
Characters:
Percy Jackson – Logan Lermen
Grover – Brandon T. Jackson
Annabeth – Alexandra Daddario
Luke – Jake Abel
Zeus – Sean Bean
Mr. Brunner / Chiron – Pierce Brosnan
Hades – Steve Coogan
Persephone – Rosario Dawson
Athena – Melina Kanakaredes
Sally Jackson – Catherine Keener
Poseidon – Kevin McKidd
Medusa – Uma Thurman
Rating: PG for “action violence and peril, some scary images and suggestive material, and mild language.”
Way before Batman and Spidey donned their studly suits of spandex, ancient Greece had its own pantheon of comic book characters. Except those characters were gods, and their ‘superpowers’ varied from Zeus’ awesome lightening bolt to Hermes’ messenger duties.
So, the movie starts with the premise that these gods are still alive and well and still ruling the world as ineptly as ever. We’re introduced to Poseidon and Zeus, where we discover that Zeus is all bent out of shape because someone stole his lightening bolt.
You’d think that the most powerful god would keep his most powerful weapon someplace more secure, but hey, even the gods overlook things from time to time.
Zeus thinks Poseidon’s son stole it, and threatens war if it is not returned by the Summer Solstice, which naturally, is only a couple of weeks away.
Enter Percy Jackson. An average teenager, who hates high school because he has ADHD and dyslexia. He’s really only happy when he’s underwater – usually for several minutes at a time.
Come to find out, Percy is actually the demi-god son of Poseidon. Even better, Percy’s best friend is actually a satyr. He soon makes friends with Annabeth, the appropriately fierce daughter of Athena.
Ok, I’m a sucker for Greek mythology (always have been), so the movie didn’t have to work very hard to hold my attention.
The movie does a good job of catering to its target audience – adolescents.
It was serious without being too heavy, humorous without being too ridiculous...usually.
Still, at times it seemed the filmmakers were too distracted with their special effects to pay attention to logistics, and hoped that we would be too.
Well. Sorry. I have questions.
Like, how could three teenagers with no jobs afford to drive all over the United States?
How did they never get chased by the cops, especially once one of them had been declared missing?
How is Percy suddenly able to control all of his powers after one day of training?
Did Percy have any inkling of his powers, other than being able to hold his breath longer than the Navy Seals? Did he ever accidentally make the faucet explode when he was angry? Did he ever turn water into a trident and shoot it at his mother when she tried to make him take his vitamins?
What did Hermes use to fly before trendy basketball shoes started coming with a “wings-on” option?
Why is the entrance to Mt. Olympus, traditionally the highest mountain in Greece, located at the top of the Empire State Building?
And why, oh why, do the Greek gods who are now apparently based out of America speak English with a British accent? It probably isn’t out of the question to assume that gods could easily learn modern English, but then why any accent at all? They studied at Cambridge before relocating to NYC?
Kids watching will not notice, or care about those things, but they distracted me. Which is probably just as well, because there were a few cheesed out moments that I needed to be distracted from.
Still, it was, for the most part, entertaining. Logan Lerman plays the parts of angry teen and heroic youth equally well, and Uma Thurman plays Medusa as only she could.
I was even impressed that for once, instead of romanticizing the world of the gods, the film acknowledges what most Greek stories showcase those deities to be: spoiled children who do little but compete with each other and fulfill their own desires.
Maybe their kids will do better – or maybe not. Watch the film and you can decide.
Director: Chris Columbus
Writers: Rick Riordan (novel)
Craig Titley (screenplay)
Characters:
Percy Jackson – Logan Lermen
Grover – Brandon T. Jackson
Annabeth – Alexandra Daddario
Luke – Jake Abel
Zeus – Sean Bean
Mr. Brunner / Chiron – Pierce Brosnan
Hades – Steve Coogan
Persephone – Rosario Dawson
Athena – Melina Kanakaredes
Sally Jackson – Catherine Keener
Poseidon – Kevin McKidd
Medusa – Uma Thurman
Rating: PG for “action violence and peril, some scary images and suggestive material, and mild language.”
Friday, March 5, 2010
2010 Oscar Predictions
I have not seen enough of this year's contenders to make fully accurate or informed predictions, but here's my best guess for the big categories:
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique of 'Precious,' because Oprah endorsed her
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Wantz of 'Inglorious Basterds'
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock of 'The Blindside' because she's one of Hollywood's highest paids and has never even been nominated before
Best Actor: Honestly do not know.
Best Picture: Unfortunately, I think 'Avatar' will take over this and almost every other category
Best Animated: 'Up' - it's the most "grown-up" film Disney/Pixar has made yet, but still has the magic we need from them. I've not seen "The Princess and the Frog," but it doesn't seem quite on par with Disney's past animation masterpieces ("Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, etc.)
*Note: I'd just like to express my appreciation that "I See You" was not nominated for best original song - it's not original, and it's certainly not the best. I'm glad the Academy didn't cave to popularity.
Otherwise, you're on your own - your guess is as good as mine. I haven't seen the majority of this year's contenders, but I don't have to watch a movie to know how popular it is. So I'm curious to see if I'm right. If I am, then it basically means that the Oscars have become nothing more than Homecoming/Prom night for Hollywood - popularity contests.
If I'm wrong, it will be both a relief and a challenge for me to be more informed next year.
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique of 'Precious,' because Oprah endorsed her
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Wantz of 'Inglorious Basterds'
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock of 'The Blindside' because she's one of Hollywood's highest paids and has never even been nominated before
Best Actor: Honestly do not know.
Best Picture: Unfortunately, I think 'Avatar' will take over this and almost every other category
Best Animated: 'Up' - it's the most "grown-up" film Disney/Pixar has made yet, but still has the magic we need from them. I've not seen "The Princess and the Frog," but it doesn't seem quite on par with Disney's past animation masterpieces ("Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, etc.)
*Note: I'd just like to express my appreciation that "I See You" was not nominated for best original song - it's not original, and it's certainly not the best. I'm glad the Academy didn't cave to popularity.
Otherwise, you're on your own - your guess is as good as mine. I haven't seen the majority of this year's contenders, but I don't have to watch a movie to know how popular it is. So I'm curious to see if I'm right. If I am, then it basically means that the Oscars have become nothing more than Homecoming/Prom night for Hollywood - popularity contests.
If I'm wrong, it will be both a relief and a challenge for me to be more informed next year.
2010 Oscar Nominations
BEST PICTURE
"Avatar"
"The Blind Side"
"District 9"
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
"Up in the Air"
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Penelope Cruz, "Nine"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique, "Precious"
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
DIRECTOR
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Lee Daniels, "Precious"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, "District 9"
Nick Hornby, "An Education"
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, "In the Loop"
Geoffrey Fletcher, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker";
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, "The Messenger";
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "A Serious Man"
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Tom McCarthy, "Up"
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"The Secret of Kells"
"Up"
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Ajami," Israel
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Argentina
"The Milk of Sorrow," Peru
"Un Prophete," France
"The White Ribbon," Germany
ART DIRECTION
"Avatar"
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
"Nine"
"Sherlock Holmes"
"The Young Victoria"
CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Avatar"
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"The White Ribbon"
SOUND MIXING
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Star Trek"
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
SOUND EDITING
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Star Trek"
"Up"
ORIGINAL SCORE
"Avatar," James Horner
"Fantastic Mr. Fox," Alexandre Desplat
"The Hurt Locker," Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
"Sherlock Holmes," Hans Zimmer
"Up," Michael Giacchino
ORIGINAL SONG
"Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog," Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36," Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas
"Take It All" from "Nine," Maury Yeston
"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart," Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
COSTUME
"Bright Star"
"Coco Before Chanel"
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
"Nine"
"The Young Victoria"
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Burma VJ"
"The Cove"
"Food, Inc"
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"
"Which Way Home"
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
"China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province"
"The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner"
"The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant"
"Music by Prudence"
"Rabbit a la Berlin"
FILM EDITING
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
MAKE-UP
"Il Divo"
"Star Trek"
"The Young Victoria"
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"French Roast"
"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty"
"The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)"
"Logorama"
"A Matter of Loaf and Death"
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"The Door"
"Instead of Abracadabra"
"Kavi"
"Miracle Fish"
"The New Tenants"
VISUAL EFFECTS
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"Star Trek"
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