Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Best. PSA. EVER.

Okay so this is obviously an important subject but done in such a campy/clever way that even the younger generation will enjoy. Plus it's nice to see Emily Deschanel playing off type.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Afterschool special

I was trailer hopping again today and came across this preview of Antonio Campos' new film Afterschool which follows the death of two young women at a private school through the eyes of their classmates. Chilling and more than a little tense I am intrigued by the trailer and find myself in anticipation of the film.

Check it out and see what you think:

Apple.com - Movie Trailers - Afterschool

Friday, September 18, 2009

Visage: the miss-spent youth of moi

I've been plugging TIFF to anyone who will listen (for those of you "not in the know" TIFF is the short form and this year's re-brand of the Toronto International Film Festival). I love having the opportunity to see little-known but critically acclaimed films in larger venues and with much less effort than it would normally be possible to. I love standing in line with other "cinephiles" and chattering about black and white films that make us all think we're cool. I LOVE that guy who's always behind me on the escalator afterwards, telling the girl he brought what she should think about the film in pretentious intellectual speak he has no business using.

I love it all.

So when Matt asked if I wanted to see a film this week I jumped. We're both trying to curb our spending heading into the pricey months (November through February) and so we settled on one film that we were both looking forward to. Unfortunately that film ended up being the Franco-Thai produced film Visage by filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang.

Upon revisiting the film in my mind there are certainly elements of it that in retrospect were quite good. The film definitely didn't suffer from a lack of talented actors as all gave fairly nuanced performances, but the way the shots were constructed just made it impossible to sit through. Each shot comprised approx. 6 minutes (give or take) and was usually framed from such a strange angle that it was difficult to get any feel for the setting or context. What's more, the film consists of minimal dialogue and even fewer scenes which include an exchange of any kind. I'm fairly sure that the longest of these consists of the almost exclusively Thai speaking lead
Lee Kang-sheng and French actor Jean-Pierre Léaud volleying directors' names in an aping of actual conversation.

All in all I was pretty upset and very disappointed that this was the one film I have the time and money to see. I'm proud that we branched out but I think next year I'm going to see something I can actually find a trailer of. That is two and a half hours of my youth that I'm not getting back...

Inglorious Review (or how I learned milk could be thrilling)

It's been a few weeks and I'm actually quite behind on my reviews so I'm going to do some quick and dirty reviewing. Went to see this with a friend and based on his reaction it occurs to me that there may be an aspect of the movie's premise and ultimate aim that I miss by being me (i.e. a British mutt and not Jewish). More on that later...

The film itself is reasonably entertaining if a little full of itself, but I certainly didn't find myself checking my watch. Rife with Tarantino's effusive dialogue, the film plays out in typical revenge fantasy fashion. those who have been identified as in the wrong and monstrous in their own right are punished and the victims get their moment to exact revenge upon their oppressors. One would expect, then, to be completely satisfied by the outcome of each small victory rather than horrified by the violence being visited upon the violent.

I know, the paragraph is a little convoluted. Let's try this again.

I enjoy Tarantino movies, his films have been some of my favourites and I really do love his style of dialogue and the way he tweaks the violence to catastrophic levels. That said, I think in this case I was too busy being horrified by the carnage that was taking place on screen to have even the slightest regard for what could potentially have been a deliciously satisfying look at what "repaying the nazis" would have looked like. I did mention my friend (who happens to be Jewish) and he loved the film while I had my reservations. Part of me that is keenly aware that while both my grandfathers fought to defend their respective countries from the tyranny of Germany's leadership, they were not in any of the categories that were being directly affected by the atrocities. And it's hard not to wonder if that changes my perspective on the film and revenge in general. But perhaps a longer discussion for another night with friends...

Bottom line: not my favourite Tarantino film but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Included one of the more tense scenes I've seen in a wide-release film in quite some time and of course the effortlessly charming Mélanie Laurent. Definitely worth your time but beware if you're squeamish.

Someone, somewhere...just lost a bet to me

The first teaser trailer for Valentine's Day is has finally arrived and as I theorized they would in July, they provide a cast list at the end of the trailer. Judging by this first look I would say I will probably go see it against my better judgment. I'll probably also vault between loving certain things (Shirley McLaine and Hector Elizondo, Topher Grace and Anne Hathaway) and hating others (Jessica Biel and Jessica Biel).

I have to say though...I am pretty miffed that Shirley, Hector, Queen Latifa and Eric Dane weren't mentioned. Then again, they might be saving it for the full length trailer. Do you think that they're upset about not being featured?

Hmmm...

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Poster Review: All About Steve

I love Sandra Bullock, and although the reviews have been terrible will probably end up seeing All About Steve. But this poster is just terrible. The way she's holding that umbrella makes it look like she's going to try and kill everyone on the other side and Thomas Haden Church is the only person concerned. It's like the movie poster version of this trailer.

Better luck next time folks.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

I love pretentious intellectuals...

...for THIS reason:

Check out the clip after the jump for a video representation of why Twilight really is as creepy and you thought it was. As a special bonus, make sure you read the author's description on the side. It just adds so much texture to the hilarity.

Buffy vs. Edward: Twilight Remixed -- [original version]

Arguably the best part (I know there are too many goodies) is that after the credits roll there are all sorts of links to "serious" Twilight videos.