Review: Bug (2006)

Why didn't I get to the movie theaters to watch this film? I remember watching the trailer for it on several occasions at the theater, but not once did I think it was worth watching. The advertisements built the film up to be a huge horror film in the same style as The Exorcist (1973), after all both films were directed by William Friedkin. While I was strolling through the rental store recently I saw the film lying on the shelf of newly released DVDs and I thought it wouldn't hurt if I gave it a try. Boy, am I glad that I chose to rent this film and not one of the other lame looking titles.

Bug (2006) is a psychological thriller of paranoia and not a horror movie that would gross you out with slew of creepy crawlers. I should emphasize that I did not perceive the story to be fitting for the horror genre in the least way possible. It was suspenseful, and played on the psychological drama of the paranoia that the main characters were experiencing. The film is based upon the successful theater play of the same name that was written by Tracy Letts, who also has adapted the play into the screenplay form. With the exception of a few helicopter shots and a small handful of scenes at a bar, the entire film takes place in a ratted out motel room that has been converted into a permanent living space for Agnes White (played extremely well by Ashley Judd, pictured above with actor Michael Shannon).

There are five characters in the story, two main characters and three supporting roles. The film is unraveled in the same style as a theatrical play, and I'm truly appreciative for it. The entire story rests upon the development of the characters and the moments that are shared with each other. What I truly enjoy about films that have been adapted from a theatrical play is that the viewer delves into the inner workings of the character's mind. The story relies more on realistic characters than upon the special computer effects that have inundated the contemporary action films that flood the movie screens every weekend. At the start of this film the audience is introduced to Agnes White, a poor Oklahoman redneck who's violent ex-husband (played by Harry Connick Jr., pictured below with Ashely Judd) keeps harassing her on the phone, is sitting around her run down motel room of an apartment trying to scrape by with her economically stringent lifestyle.

During one particular busy work night at a lesbian bar she is introduced to a erroneously shy war veteran by a co-worker of hers. At least he appears to be a quietly, shy guy until the moment she allows him to spend the night at her place. The two of them begin to form a trusting and open relationship in which he becomes more open with her. He shares his story about his military past and the time he was placed in a hospital for medical surveillance. As the story progresses the viewer begins to discover his paranoia. He is afraid of what the government is doing to him and possibly to other people just like him. It's a conspiracy, he would insist, a way for the government to control American citizens through the use of genetically enhanced bugs that were implemented in his body. Of course, all the other characters in the film don't entirely believe him, with the exception of Agnes who only appears skeptical at first.

This film is a wonderful look into the character development of paranoia. If I were to sit down for a DVD Double Feature it would be no contest to have this film be paired with Proof (2005), a film adaptation of David Auburn's play about a schizophrenic genius who develops a new mathematical proof that is a revolutionary concept. Since both films are based upon a successful theater play I thought they would offer a unique double feature to watch. I've always enjoyed watching films that focus on upon the development of the main characters, and not so heavily reliant upon a story that is driven by a structured plot. These two films offer enough attention to the characters that I practically forgot there was even an existing plot structure that held the whole story together. My final rating for this films burrows in with a nine point rating out of ten possible review points.

Trailer: Teeth (2007)

The synopsis for this film is rather bizarre in nature. Dawn has a unique physical trait that sets her apart from other high school students. What she doesn't realize is that she is living proof of a long time myth known as Vagina Dentata. The what, you may be asking. It is a myth that defines the physical attribute of set of teeth that reside in the vaginal area. Sounds grossly bizarre to me, and I'm sure you're probably scratching your head right now as you are reading this preview. Here is the trailer for the film that you might want to check out.

It's looking like this film is yet another campy horror story. Doesn't it? I'm sure it's going to rate high on the teenager's list of horror movies to watch. After all, I would think this film would be perfect to watch as part of a double feature with James Gunn's slimy horror film Slither (2006). When Teeth premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival it had won an award of recognition. Strange, huh? The Special Dramatic Jury Prize for Acting award went to Jess Weixler for her job playing the lead role in this film. Since this is her first major lead role I'm sure it will definitely make an impression on the guys who watch the film before meeting her in person. I wonder if her dating life will decrease after the movie hits the theaters next month.

I haven't seen Slither yet, so I'm sure I'll probably wait until Teeth is released on to DVD so that I could have a slimy double feature movie night at home. I'm sure I'll be having nightmares for a week afterwards, but it's all part of the fun of watching the horror flicks.

Review: The Mist (2007)

If you're unfamiliar with the film term "b-movie" then let me offer a quick definition for you. Many decades ago it was common to see a production company (usually a small time production house) produce a large quantity of films that were manufactured on a low budget. It wasn't rare to find the collection of low budget films being distributed as a double feature alongside bigger budgeted productions. The common theme that can be found among the pile of b-movie productions would be to offer cheap thrills and suspense stories for the audience to watch. Ed Wood is one of the most famous b-movie directors who's been titled as the worst director of cinematic history. Of course, his story has become famous after Tim Burton's film Ed Wood was released to the public in 1994.

Presently we are faced with the overabundance of big budgeted films with very little depth of story, but the cheap thrills and high suspense hasn't changed one bit. I'm not claiming that all films that have been produced with grandiose budgets are shallow and brainless with its storyline. The Mist (2007) would be the prime example of a contemporary b-movie that clearly shows off its large production budget with the large amount of special effects that were used. The whole film has been adapted from a novella written by Stephen King, who has earned his title as the modern day horror writer. The novella was originally published in King's volume of short stories which have been collectively titled Dark Forces and then published a second time in the Skeleton Crew collection.

The film stars Thomas Jane as the lead character David Drayton, who's house is thrashed by an overnight storm. The next morning his family as well as his next door neighbor (played by Andre Braugher) must begin repairs to their damaged houses. David, his son Billy, and his neighbor all head over to the local supermarket to find the gear they would need to fix the property repairs. To their surprise they are passed by a fleet of army trucks and emergency vehicles heading in the opposite direction back toward their houses. Without any sign of concern the group proceeds to finish their trip, only to find upon their arrival an odd shift of the weather was slowly starting to creep over their little town.

This film rests upon the notion of the survival of the fittest between humans and horrific bugs. If the novel Lord of the Flies was based in a supermarket that was surrounded by over sized bugs and monsters with octopus tentacles, then you would have this film. Not only are the characters fighting with each other over menial differences, but they must also fight to stay from being killed by the disgustingly huge bugs and monsters that reside in the mist that ominously floats right outside the front door. With the odd combination that includes the huge bugs (and don't forget the monsters with the tentacles) I would definitely consider this film a contemporary b-movie. It's filled with creepy scenes that would make the viewer creep down into his chair with each gore filled moment that flashes on the screen. After all, it is a Stephen King horror story at it's finest!

I was a little disappointed with the development of the characters in the film. They seemed a little too washed out for a script that was adapted by Frank Darabont. He was nominated for his screen adaptation of two other stories by Stephen King, The Green Mile (1999) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Why should this film been any different? I don't think the entire film was a waste of time, because it does have it's redeeming point.

The last ten or fifteen minutes of the film was remarkably heart felt. Once Thomas Jane runs out of the supermarket with his fellow runaways in tow, as seen in the two pictures that I've posted in this review, I was really involved in the emotional tension of the storyline. The last scene involving the group sitting in the vehicle and feeling trapped was quite a clincher of an ending. To me that last few moments of the film had kept me on my toes and I was wanting to let out a stressed out scream just as Thomas did after making the decision that he had made. If I had the opportunity to work on the story for this film I would not have changed the ending one bit. For me it was a completely satisfying conclusion that the whole story was building up to from the very start of the film. It was the lack of full character development among the supporting roles as well as the bizarre involvement of alien bugs that pushed the story into the b-movie category. My rating for the film would have to land somewhere around a six out of ten possible review points.

Review: Juno (2007)

Okay, despite the fact that there are a couple of people out there who did not enjoy this film at all, I actually walked out of theater at the end of the film thinking that it was money well spent. DC Girl would be one particular blogger who started her review (found here) describing the "bad taste" she had from just watching the film's trailer. Well, I should mention right off that I was lucky enough to have received a couple of special premiere passes that my brother had discovered on the promotional website for the film. But I probably would have still spent money on the ticket to go see it at a movie theater anyway.

I'm sitting more upon the middle ground after watching the film. I was all pumped up and excited to watch it, because it is directed by Jason Reitman who was the brains behind another film that I really enjoyed, Thank You For Smoking (2005). When I had seen the video clips and the trailer for the film I had a feeling it was filled out promise and hope that I would fall in love with watching it. The hardest thing to get through the start of the film would be the hurdle of the quick wit and the heavy use of fresh slang. The script was written by newcomer Diablo Cody who's previous experiences included working for a promotions company before taking on a full time job as a professional stripper. It's crazy to think that a film written by an ex-stripper is nominated for three Golden Globe categories including Best Motion Picture and Best Original Screenplay. There's also the common belief that the Golden Globes serve as a prediction to how the Oscars will be handled. If a film receives any nominations or awards from the Golden Globes then it's sure to gain some kind of recognition at the Oscars ceremony.

Juno (2007) is a film with a storyline that we've seen so many times in every made for TV movie that involves teen pregnancy. However, this script for this film has taken a overused plot and made it sparkle with witty humor and a sappy ending that was still entertaining to sit through. Juno MacGuff (played by Ellen Page in a breakthrough performance) is the lead character in this film who gets into an interesting predicament. She becomes pregnant after her first time sexual experience which could be classified as a very brief encounter. My first thought was the question of why she didn't consider the use of a contraceptive, but that's just me wanting to play it safe. If she had been smart and used a contraceptive of some kind then we would be watching an entire feature film about her pregnancy, now would we?

I must say that the witty comments and humor is what makes this film complete. If it was produced to be a serious drama, then I probably would have avoided watching the film at all. I am not interested in watching another made for television drama, because they are filled with stereotypical characters and moral cliches. Boring! I must admit that I walked away from the film sitting on the fence about my opinion of this film. Did I like it? Did I hate it? What threw me off was the excessive use of slang at the start of the film, which most of the terms I couldn't understand. But as the story progressed I was getting involved with the quirky personalities of each one of the characters. I'm sure upon a second viewing I would come to enjoy the film for the unique attributes that it holds. The humor I absolutely loved, even though there are several of the best one-liners appearing in the trailer and the commercials. At the present time I'll have to rate the film with a seven out of ten possible review points. I'm sure my rating would change after a second viewing.

Review: I Am Legend (2007)

I Am Asleep. Pathetic, huh? This film is latest take on the published science fiction book I Am Legend that was written by Richard Matheson back in the early 1950s. At this time there are now three film versions of the story which are The Last Man On Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), and I Am Legend (2007). But don't forget that there is also a graphic novel adaptation of the story that was published a couple of years ago. It's interesting to know that it also influenced George Romero when he was working on his debut hit Night of the Living Dead (1968), which, in turn, spawned the zombie genre of horror films.

I haven't read the book yet, but I have heard word that the that latest film adaptation has nothing in common with the book other than the title. I find that to be interesting since I began to read a synopsis of the book which sounds similar to the basic plot for the film. In both versions the story revolves around a guy who's the last living human being on the planet, but he must combat living creatures. These creatures appear in human form that have been resurrected from the dead. In the book they are vampires, but in the film they are supposedly humans who are diseased from a virus that turns them into cannibalistic zombies (as seen in the picture below).

After watching the film I began talking with someone else who had also seen the movie. Those ugly dudes came up in our conversation, but we couldn't quite agree on what to call them. I referred to them as zombies, while the other person described them as normal human beings who are diseased with a morbid virus. I don't know about you, but I've never seen a person contract a viral disease that turns him (or her) into a mummy and then offers an energy boost so they could run around the city as fast as Jackie Joyner-Kersee in an Olympic race. Oh, and I also figured that diseased human beings in America usually don't turn into cannibals after the moment of infection. But I guess this movie has proven me wrong!

I originally wanted to see this film on the IMAX screen, because I heard that the preview for the IMAX screening of The Dark Knight (2008) was going to play prior to the film. By the time that I arrived at the movie theaters I ended up watching the film on a standard screen since the multiplex that I went to did not have an IMAX screen.

The whole premise of the movie's plot is based upon the notion that Robert Neville (played by Will Smith) is a soldier scientist who is left as the last man on Earth. He's left alone with his dog after the scientific community had released a new concoction that they believed was the cure for cancer. The cure was initially proven successful, but after a length of time all of the cancer patients devolved into walking zombies. They would prey upon any living being they could salvage for food. Lucky for Robert Neville he was able to utilize his military training to outrun the creepy bad guys. Could you imagine a soldier scientist facing an army of walking zombies that were once cancer patients? Upon reviewing this film I would like to point out the amazing production value that it holds with the computer effects, the photography, and the amount of time that must have been spent on producing the final audio mix. It's amazing to watch so much time, money and effort going into the production of a film, but the story seemed to have lacked a little extra substance. I thought the story about a soldier scientist who attempts to find a cure that would return the walking zombies back to their normal human form seemed to be a little flat.

I truly enjoyed the crazy special effects and the intense sound track, which I could only imagine would be an amazing experience to view it on the IMAX screen. However, I would have to give this film a final rating of six out of ten review points. The story is in need of some reworking, but everything else seemed fantastic to watch!

Simon Pegg -- He Pegged American Humor!

For those Americans who may not recognize the name of Simon Pegg (as seen in the photo to the left), I'm sure you may have at least heard of one of his movies. Ever heard or seen Shaun of the Dead (2004) or Hot Fuzz (2007) when they played in the theater? The first time I had ever seen Pegg's zombie ridden movie (that would the first title that I mentioned) it was from a DVD copy that I had borrowed from a co-worker who had recommended it to me. Earlier this year he sat down to write an article for England's newspaper The Guardian as kind of a cross-promotional piece for the scheduled spring release of his 2007 comedy film Hot Fuzz. Within his article Pegg nails down the differences and common ground that Americans and Britons share with their sense of humor. It is believed to be a common belief that Americans just don't understand a single punchline from a British comedy, which may just be an Urban Legend more than a common belief. Did I lose you yet? To simplify things a little bit I've included a snippet from Pegg's article. His approach to describing how the two countries actually share a comedic common ground is aptly worded.

When it comes to humour, however, there is one cultural myth that just won't die. You hear it all the time from self-appointed social commentators sat astride high horses, dressed as knights who say, "Ni". They don't get it. They never had it. They don't know what it is and, ironically, they don't want it anyway. That's right: "Americans don't do irony." This isn't strictly true. Although it is true that we British do use irony a little more often than our special friends in the US. It's like the kettle to us: it's always on, whistling slyly in the corner of our daily interactions. To Americans, however, it's more like a nice teapot, something to be used when the occasion demands it. This is why an ironic comment will sometimes be met with a perplexed smile by an unwary American.

It's not so much about having a different sense of humour as a different approach to life. More demonstrative than we are, Americans are not embarrassed by their emotions. They clap louder, cheer harder and empathise more unconditionally. It's an openness that always leaves me feeling slightly guilty and apologetic when American personalities appear on British chat shows and find their jokes and stories met with titters, not guffaws, or their achievements met with silent appreciation, rather than claps and yelps. We don't like them any less, we just aren't inclined to give that much of ourselves away. Meanwhile, as a Brit on an American chat show, it's difficult to endure prolonged whooping without intense, red-faced smirking.

To review the entire article visit it's online page here: What are you laughing at? I found the article to be an interesting read, and I think Simon Pegg should publish written articles more often. He's an interesting writer with a hilarious outlook on life. Where's his book deal, dang it?

Terminate Yourself (watch out Ahnuld!)

A couple of months ago I published this article about Fox's upcoming television show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The show has been slated to begin with a two night special premiere on January 13th and 14th, but the regular episodes will air on Monday nights beginning January 21st. If you haven't seen any of the previews for it yet then you might want to check out this clip.

Anyway, recently I stumbled across a cool website that lets you turn a picture of yourself into a Terminator. The site is called Get Terminated. Here's a cheesy version of my own termination.

Crazy, huh? I know the video is super cheese, but I thought it was fun to fool around with the site. Have fun checking it out for yourself! I can't wait until the show comes out, because it looks awesome. Plus the curiosity has the best of me and I want to know how the show's writers will attack the storyline from the film franchise.

Review: Sweeney Todd (2007)

You may want to refer back to my original article about the film: Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd is too violent? (September 1, 2007). In response to the question that appears in the article's title I had clearly stated the lack of surprise that I had upon hearing the excessive amount of violence that appears in the film. This morning I ventured out with my movie ticket in hand to watch the bloody horror on the big screen. And by the time the end credits began to roll I was still not surprised by the buckets of blood the had been presented before me in the last two hours. Years ago I had attended a college class that focuses on the art of theater acting, and it was a requirement for the course to watch the taped version of the 1982 Broadway performance starring Angela Lansbury and George Hearn in the lead roles (as pictured to the left). Stephen Sondheim's theatrical musical was a huge hit on Broadway when it hit the stage in 1979 with Angela Lansbury starring as Mrs. Lovett in the original cast.

Isn't it strange to think that it's possible to have the horror genre hit the Broadway stage? It's a thriving theater genre, regardless if it is performed with a song and dance number or not. I do believe that Tim Burton is the ideal director to adapt the Broadway musical to the big screen. He has proven his success as a musical film producer and director. He earned a producer's credit with his first mainstream musical film was The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), which has been playing on the big screen for the last few years during the fall season. Later on he actually sat behind the camera to direct two other popular mainstream films that prominently display musical numbers: Corpse Bride (2005) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

However, for Sweeney Todd it was going to be an interesting task for Burton to handle. The film's title along is a lengthy one: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). As pictured above Burton and Johnny Depp are the two prominent figures in bringing the sadistic performance to the film industry. If the hardcore Broadway fans are not convinced by the film's adaptation and Depp's performance in the title role then the film may not have a successful transition from stage to screen.

The reason I would believe Tim Burton to be the ideal director for the adaptation is because of his sadistic sense of humor. If you haven't seen any of his films, then I'm sure you've probably been sticking to the enchanted world of animated Disney films and haven't really ventured out into the other genres. When his mainstream directorial debut began with Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) I would only presume that he would have to behold a sinister sense of humor just to survive his future career in the film industry. Nearly twenty-five years later and he's still hitting strong numbers with the mainstream box offices.

Johnny Depp appears in the film alongside Helena Bonham Carter (both are pictured above) and Alan Rickman. Helena recently gave birth to her second child, and now she is the proud mother of both of Burton's two children. All three actors portray the character's in the film with such fantastic timing that fits perfectly with the sordid, dark humor that was littered throughout Sondheim's original material. All three actors do not have an extensive singing career, but for some reason they were chosen to perform in a musical film anyway. Carter was an obvious casting choice since she is the mother of Burton's kids as well as his wife, but I think she was able to pull her character off decently well.

Have I mentioned that Sacha Baron Cohen (a.k.a. Borat, Ali G) stars in this film as an "Italian" barber? He's proven his creative ability to fool around with foreign dialects, but is it necessary to hire him to sing with a foreign dialect? I guess it was proven as either helpful to the production value for the film, or just a meaningless way to slap another name to the credits list that would serve as a drawing power for the box office receipts. Cohen, after all, is moving through the highlight era of his acting career and he would draw a large number of film viewers to the multiplexes.

I must warn you that the film is filled with a lot of throat slashing. There was one person sitting in the row behind me that had gasped when the first person's throat was slashed. What concerned me the most was not the gushing blood from the first victim, but the ouch factor from when he was sent down a laundry chute only to land on his head with a heavy bounce that snapped his neck like a twig. Ouch! That caused me to cringe at the thought of the pain that guy must have felt. With the heavy glorification of gore that appears in the film, I will offer my final rating. The film's review rating has been "slashed down" to the horrifically low value of an eight out of ten possible review points. Yes, I actually enjoyed the film with the blood and all.

The police wasn't covering Gibson's back!

Shocking to hear, I know! It can be a very trying matter for the police department to screw up an extremely difficult case such as a homicide investigation the involved a particular college football star who shares a name with the popular breakfast drink. And I type this with a roll of the eyes and an "oh, brother" sigh. But I could only think that it would be insane if the police were stumbling there way through covering up a routine traffic stop to perform a breathalyser test on another celebrity: Mel Gibson. Do you remember when Mel Gibson was pulled over last year for suspicion of drunk driving? It was clearly obvious that he was drunk the moment he stepped out of the car and proceeded with an anti-semitic rant when he began arguing with the cop. Oh, what a world we have come to these days. There are middle aged celebrities who are driving around drunk and people who still have tendencies toward racially biased thinking.

Anyway, I should mention that in a recent article from TMZ.com it was announced in a lengthy report by an independent review panel that the police department did not attempt to cover up Gibson's drunken anti-semitic rampage. The original arrest report from the particular incident runs about four pages in length, and was "prematurely" released to the media. Should I be concerned what the policies are for how the police department handled Gibson's arrest? No, I shouldn't be even thinking about it at all. The only time the public interest should have been summoned for any incident involving the police is when the actions of the officer violates the civil rights of the citizen. Hence we have the Miranda's Rights law.

In addition to the independent review report it has come to my attention by means of an article posted in The Washington Post that three policemen have been disciplined because of their actions surround Gibson's arrest. Two sergeants were given formal reprimands, while a jailer was suspended from work for two days because the incident would appear to the general public that Gibson had received preferential treatment during the whole ordeal. Things that make you go "Hmm?"

Batman: The Dark Knight trailer

Alright folks, here's your chance at seeing the full length movie trailer for the upcoming film The Dark Knight (2008). Have fun!

Now the real question is who holds the better performance: Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger? That's a tough call. By seeing this trailer I'm definitely leaning toward Ledger's performance. If you want to download this trailer in high definition that you should swing by this website to do so.

And here are the official movie posters for the film. Enjoy!

My Top Five Films of 2007

Okay, so it's the time of the year to post my top five films of 2007. I'm hesitant to stick to the list, because I am afraid that I will overlook a film that I forgot to include in the list or that I will see another wonderful film between now and December 31st. With the hesitancy pushed aside here is the countdown list of my top five favorite films from this year.

5. Girl 27
Documentary. Release Date: July 27. Click for review.
Synopsis. This film is a documentary about Patricia Douglas, a woman who was the victim of rape back in 1937. The perpetrator was a salesman for MGM Studios who had met her at the company's sales convention that was held to honor its own financial success.


4. Reign Over Me
Drama. Release Date: March 23. No review available yet.
Synopsis. Charlie Fineman suffers from depression after losing his family to the tragedy of 9/11. An old college roommate of his catches up with him to revisit fond memories of their college years and to help Charlie to cope with his tragic loss.


3. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Western. Release Date: October 10. Click for review.
Synopsis. Ever since he was a young boy Robert Ford had looked up to Jesse James as a legendary icon. Upon growing up to the ripe age of nineteen years old he sets out to join the Missouri outlaw clan headed by the James' brothers. Upon understanding the true nature of the real Jesse James it is with pity that Ford turns to despise his old time hero.


2. Across the Universe
Musical. Release Date: October 9. Click for review.
Synopsis. A group of young people are experiencing their lives in the midst of the Vietnam War during the late 1960s. Some of them have come to the realization that life isn't filled with bowls of sugar coated strawberries (pun intended). With each new high and tremendous low that life throws at them it's not surprising that each character tends to break out into a Beatles song to express their true feelings.


1. Michael Clayton
Drama. Release Date: October 12. Click for review.
Synopsis. A lawyer for a big time law firm is known to his associates as The Fixer. If there is a legal mess that needs to be cleaned up that is when Michael Clayton arrives on the scene to make a few "minor" adjustments. In a recent legal case the law firm is in need of a little public relational help when one of their attorneys has a emotional breakdown during a deposition. It's up to Michael Clayton to uncover the real issue that lies in the dark corners of the law firm.

Okay, so the last movie hits at the top of my favorites list, but it didn't rake in a huge amount of money this year. As of December 2nd Michael Clayton (2007) domestically pulled in $38,444,992. Sad, isn't it? Especially in comparison with the $77.2 million that the film I Am Legend (2007) was able to pull in during its opening weekend at the box office! Regardless of the box office draw this top five films are worthy of any attention they could get. Plus they would make an excellent DVD gift from those of you who plan on buying me a Christmas gift this year. Wink, wink. I could tell already that I'll be bummed for not adding Sweeney Todd (2007) to my list of top favorites. But that is a risk that I am willing to take.

Stolen Music! When movies plagiarize

You know what bothers me? I'm bothered by those high budget films who plagiarize from legitimate sources and then don't bother giving credit where it is due! A good case in point would be stolen music from one movie so that it could be utilized to advertise two other films. Ack! And the average Joe Smoe will get threatened with jail time for dubbing a backup copy of a music CD for archiving purposes.

Here are some examples of my "case in point" problem. Tell me if you can catch the similarity in music from the following two video clips. First you should view the trailer for the high budget film Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002). Make sure you listen to the soundtrack in the last half of the trailer, since that is where they really go crazy with the plagiarism. After listening and watching that trailer you should head on over to view the 30-second TV spot for the family friendly film Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005). The audio quality of the television spot is a little iffy, but I hope you are able to hear the musical score that is playing in the background.

Do you hear any musical resemblance? Now here comes the fun, can you name that tune in four notes or less? I know there are several movie fans out there who could immediately recognize the musical score, but I did find an online forum where there were several posts from those people who were wondering about the origins of the music that appeared in the LOTR trailer. And the answer is... {insert drum roll here} ...Clint Marshall, the composer of the soundtrack for the film Requiem for a Dream (2000). If you've never seen Requiem then you might want to prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster. It is a wonderful film with an extremely unique and powerful musical score. But for me I believe the music from this film is as recognizable as the theme song from Jaws or Indiana Jones. It's crazy for the music to be copied into the advertisements for another film. I don't think it would be effective advertisement if the promotions company slipped in the Jaws theme song to play during the last half of the LOTR trailer. Of course the music wouldn't play out very well, but if it did work out it still wouldn't fly very well with the audience. The shark music is so recognizable that the audience probably would have been talking more about Jaws than about the release of the Two Towers film. Hopefully you see my point. Attention all movie promotions people -- Stop "Stealing" Soundtracks From Other Films! I would think that it sets a bad example for the audience. It's wrong for us to plagiarize, but it's okay for the movie production studios to get away with it as long as they slip a few dollars under the counter to the original artist. Oh, brother!

R2D2 USPS Mailboxes

So, this isn't exactly brand new information or anything, but I had to post a link to the following article. OTIS: R2-D2 Mailboxes is an excellently written article about the R2D2 mailboxes that were released earlier this year.

These mailboxes were released to the public on March 16th of this year in honor of the 30th anniversary of the release of Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977). I thought the idea is a creative approach to marketing. After all it sure blows the idea of rehashing a new design for the postal stamps right out of the water!

Another beautiful birthday for...

Okay, so I have a thing for brunettes. Give me a break! But today is Jennifer Connelly's 37th birthday and all I have to say "Wow, she's still a hottie!" This native New Yorker made her mark in Hollywood when at the young age of fourteen years old she worked alongside David Bowie in her starring role as Sarah in the film Labyrinth (1986). Of course she didn't stop there, because she grew up to attend two years of college at Yale University before transferring to Stanford University. Wow, what a smart woman! Especially when I hear that she's interested in such topics as quantum physics and philosophy!

After college it was apparent that she wouldn't let go of her acting career. She went on to earn artistic recognition for the dramatic roles that she played. After all she did win an Oscar award for her role as Alicia Nash in the bio-pic A Beautiful Mind (2001) which is probably the film that marks the time when she met her current husband Paul Bettany (lucky guy). She did receive several nominations for her downtrodden role as Marion Silver in the depressing (but still entertaining) film Requiem for a Dream (2000). Beyond the core premise that she has proven her talent for acting she's also inadvertently built a huge following of male fans. After all I could say just two words that will catch the memory of many adoring guy fans. Career Opportunities (1991)...

Anyway, today is her 37th birthday and she's looking gorgeous! I wish her the best on her birthday. Now it's time to go watch a couple of her movies on DVD. Some of my favorite films I've already mentioned in this article, but here are a couple of titles that I recommend for you to watch (see below).

• Labyrinth (1986)
• Career Opportunities (1991)
• The Rocketeer (1991)
• Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
• Dark City (1998)
• Requiem for a Dream (2000)
• Dark Water (2005)
  

I probably could add a few more titles to the list, but should I really overwhelm you? It would be pointless, I would think. Anyway, if you haven't seen those films already I would suggest that you check them out. Have fun!

Speechless Without Writers

For those of you who are following the news very closely to keep tabs on the latest information regarding the current WGA strike then I have an interesting website for you to visit! We all know that if wasn't for writers then we won't have any stories to entertain us. There would be no books to read, no films to be produced, no music to be performed. The main issue is that if a person doesn't get the creative ball rolling by sitting down to pen a creative work of art then how are we to be entertained?

Anyway, the website is called Speechless (www.speechlesswithoutwriters.com) and it's filled with several short films the revolve around one theme: Not one word is allowed to be spoken. There are quite a few celebrities who have appeared in these short films including Sean Penn, Woody Allen, Eva Longoria, Andre 3000, and David Schwimmer. The website was created by film director George Hickenlooper, director of such films as Factory Girl (2006) and Dogtown (1997), and writer Alan Sereboff.

The most interesting video that best describes the "nonexistence" of available material in Hollywood right now you might want to check out the following episode that has been titled Just What's On The Page.

For those of you who are in the midst of withdrawal due to the lack of current episodes of comedic late night news shows, then I'm sure you would want to review some of the clips that have already been posted on the website. The site appears to be within a direct support of the writers strike, especially when it prominently displays graphical links to the United Hollywood blog site.

Review: American Gangster (2007)

Oh, what a movie! It's dark and gritty from the first scene all the way through until the end. Based upon the New York Magazine article The Return of Superfly by Mark Jacobson the film is a bio-picture about the criminal career of Harlem gangster Frank Lucas.

The film is helmed by the three recognizable names: director Ridley Scott, Denzel Washington (who plays Frank Lucas) and Russel Crowe (who plays Detective Richie Roberts). It's interesting to see Ridley Scott push into a new realm of movie genres. He's credited with directing such huge films as Blade Runner (1982), Thelma & Louise (1991) and Gladiator (2000). He's done quite a few different genres including science fiction, historical and period films, action, and romance, but this film may be his first huge contemporary biography picture.

With Scott's history of not wanting to hold back on the visual intensity of the story the audience is thrown right in to the tumultuous life of Frank Lucas. The first scene we see on the screen is the stern face of Lucas watching a grown man burn to death. Not a word is spoken during this brief scene, but we could only imagine that the burning body was an associate and Lucas had lit him on fire as a form of punishment for a deal gone wrong. Just when I began to think that Lucas is an utter butthole he steps in to offer a little bit of mercy by shooting the guy several times before he dies from the burns. What an insane way to begin a film!

Frank Lucas is a character that exists in a paradoxical life. He lights a guy on fire, but then attempts to show mercy on his victim by putting him out of the blazing misery with a couple of gun shots. Am I supposed to like Lucas or hate his guts? Then on the complete opposite end of the moral spectrum the audience is introduced to the morally just boy scout. Detective Richie Roberts has established a reputation in his district when he found a million dollars in drug money which he turned in without setting aside a single penny for his own selfish pleasure. It is clear by the reactions of his fellow peers that they would have kept some of the money for their own profits if they had discovered the drug money.

Just like several other American films this one is graphically violent. But I was still enthralled by the storyline that holds the picture together. In his review Roger Ebert mentioned that this film was originally referred to as "The Black Godfather" when it was announced to the public as Ridley Scott's next production. I would waver on the short description for this picture. The film does involve the subject of organized crime as The Godfather trilogy had focused upon, but this film involved primarily upon the subject of drug dealing. In the first film of the series Don Corleone had denied approval for the family to become involved in drug dealing, but the subject matter wasn't the primary focal point for the film. In American Gangster it was the business method of choice for Frank Lucas.

Throughout the film there is a internal war going on for Frank Lucas, he is fighting his own moral conscious. He's a successful business, but he is a criminal who commits heinously violent acts against other people. By the end of the film one of the two sides has completely taken over Lucas mindset. His moral conscious wins the war, and he receives a reduced sentence for his compliance with the law. I think this film does have a wonderful ending. The last thing we see is a bland shot of Lucas standing in front of the entrance to the jail that he was imprisoned in for several years. He had just served his time in jail and he's standing on the street listening to the rap music of the early 1990s. It's apparent that he has to start a new life from scratch since he doesn't recognize the streets that he once called his territory.

Review: Talk To Me (2007)

Don Cheadle has already proven that he could handle the leading role of any film when he starred as Paul Rusesabagina in the bio-pic Hotel Rwanda (2004). Now he's at it again with another bio-pic Talk To Me (2007). In this film Cheadle portrays the classic radio personality Petey Greene. Back in the late 1960s Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene gained notoriety when he landed an on air job at a popular radio station in Washington D.C. despite his criminal record. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for robbing a local grocery store, but he earned an early release from jail for good behavior after serving for five years. During his term in prison Petey had developed his talent as a radio personality for the prison's closed circuit radio station.

These days we have a label for the "Petey Greene personalities" that hit the air waves everyday. Some of them we refer to as shock jocks, while others are extremist talk show hosts in the political realm; such radio contemporaries include Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly. I would like to think that Petey was something special. After all he does have a prison record, and he was one who was not afraid to speak his mind. I do believe that every one of the talk show hosts on the radio today owe a large amount of respect to Petey for his contribution to the medium of radio and even to television. In fact I would clearly point out that Howard Stern did follow Petey's footsteps by starting out in radio before adding television broadcasting to his resume.

Now what really cements this film into an awesome story would the wonderful writing (Rick Famuyiwa, and Michael Genet) and the tremendous acting (Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor & company). The combination of the two, as I often point out in my reviews, can really set the believability factor within the film's story. The pacing of the film may seem very organized and it runs like clockwork on the big screen, but I don't mind it so much. I was wrapped up in seeing Greene's life unravel before my eyes. The movie begins as a rip-roaring good time, but by the time in the story that the main characters hear of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. the pacing has dropped to a walking pace. Greene's character is changing on him. He's learning what it means to be a mortal who has to face the consequences of being a human being like everyone else. Sure, he went through a lot during his years in prison, but he wasn't expecting to the emotional change of seeing the icon of civil rights fall to his death.

The film was fascinating and enjoyable to watch, despite it's clean cut plot structure. My final rating for this film has been "talked" down to a mere nine out of ten possible review points.

Review: No Country for Old Men (2007)

Based upon Cormac McCarthy's book No Country for Old Men this film is the perfect material for the usual repertoire that the Coen's Brothers would usually bring to the big screen. Presented in the same style as Fargo (1996) and Blood Simple (1984) we view a story about a group of people who are involved in a web of killings mastered by serial murderer Anton Chigurh (played wonderfully by Javier Bardem, as seen in the picture on the right).

At the start of the film the viewer is introduced to small time hunter Llewelyn Moss (played by Josh Brolin). While on a hunting trip in the wide open plains of Texas he stumbles across a wagon train of pickup trucks and a litter of dead bodies all shot dead from an obvious gunfight. Llewelyn's curiosity gets the better of him and he wants to know the motive for the morbid scene. One of the pickup trucks have a cargo of neatly stacked and carefully packed collection of drugs; but there's not a cent of money anywhere near the caravan. A good distance away from the wagon train lies another dead body, but this one is holding on to a case full of money. Of course, Llewelyn couldn't pass up the offer of stealing the hefty amount of money. He's poor and in need of the cash. What he doesn't know is Anton would be searching the countryside to place his hands on the very case of money.

Llewelyn's new found fortune prompts him to run for his life when he discovers he is being trailed by a greedy individual who wants the money back. So this leaves the viewer keeping track of three primary characters and a couple of intricate supporting characters that were handed out as cameo roles. It's interesting to watch the three main characters, because I perceived them as three separate points on the gray scale.

The dark side of the spectrum lies Anton Chigurh who carries a tank of compressed air and cattle gun around with him to kill his victims with a sudden shock to the brain. In the graying middle of the spectrum is where we find the economically poor hunter Llewelyn Moss. He is "good" because he is trying to financially support himself and his wife, but he makes the poor decision to steal drug money in order to meet his economic goal. His morally poor decision would definitely slide him down the gray scale toward the dark side. On the bright side of the spectrum there lies the hero of the story (if there is such a thing in a Coen film). Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (played by Tommy Lee Jones) is the ethical boy scout of the story who can track down Anton based upon his extinct and experience alone.

All three characters are well played out, and the supporting roles are just as interesting. Kelly Macdonald plays Carla Jean Moss who is the wife of the poor hunter. I couldn't quite get past the fact that a Scottish actress was hired to play a poor southern wife and actually pull it off successfully. Another supporting character that I found intriguing was the role of the bounty hunter Carson Wells who was brought to life by Woody Harrelson. His character would be the story's evil equivalent to Sheriff Bell. Both men are professional trackers, but their targets are different. As I had previously mentioned Sheriff Bell is out looking for Anton, but Carson is headed straight for the money. Carson was hired by a nameless businessman play by Stephen Root (of Office Space fame) who only appears in two scenes in this film, but does get in quite a messy debacle.

The film had pulled me in immediately, because the characters were so well written and performed. This film relies heavily on the unique characters in the story, and I find a character driven story fascinating if it is mixed down just right with a good plot. My final rating for this film lands upon an eight out of ten possible review points.