CAPTAIN AMERICA SUPER BOWL AD

February 8th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

I know that talking about ads that aired on the Super Bowl three days after the fact is like asking you to study ancient Sanskrit in internet terms, but I’m getting caught up, okay? I’m not going to dig into ever trailer that aired during Sunday’s game. Just the spots that got my attention. And I’d say – out of all of them – the trailer for Captain America is the one to beat.

The spot is cut together pretty fast. It’s almost “you blink and you miss it” fast. But I think it hits all the right notes in terms of flashing iconic images of Cap’s shield and The Red Skull unmasking himself. These image do what a good teaser clip should – they make us want to see more of the movie.

I’m still a little freaked out by Chris Evans’s gigantic head on a tiny body, but the effect is otherwise seamless. I’m also a little disturbed that the Super Solider serum apparently gives you boobs. But that’s neither here nor there.

What was your impression of the Captain America trailer? Leave your comments below!

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CAPTAIN AMERICA TEASER POSTER

February 4th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
Captain America, poster, teaser, Chris Evans

Marvel officially unveiled the teaser poster for Captain America this morning. What’s your take?

Personally, I don’t think they needed to add the word “AVENGE” over the top of it. The image of Captain America is already so iconic, why add another layer to it?

I also kind of think they’re over doing it with the grime and splatter. It’s almost like they’re doing anything they can to tone down the otherwise cartoonishly bright color elements of Cap’s costume. Maybe that’s necessary. But, y’know… strike a balance.

Marvel has already announce trailers for Captain America AND Thor will air during the Super Bowl. Until then, we have this to pick apart. What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below!

[Marvel]

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EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP – REVIEW

February 4th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
Exit Through The Gift Shop, documentary, Banksy, street art

Having heard about Exit Through The Gift Shop for the better part of a year, I finally had a chance to sit down and watch it last night with Cami when she asked “What documentaries do we have in our Netflix queue?”

For the record, she balked on watching Helvetica. So watching famed British street artist Banksy’s documentary was kind of a compromise.

Despite effusive praise of the movie from both friends and reviewers a like, I didn’t have a concept of what the film was actually about. I was pleasantly surprised.

It’s not the definitive documentary of the street art movement, if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s not filled with a bunch of talking heads discussing the sociological imprint of this bastardized version of pop art. The history of street art informs the narrative, but Exit Through The Gift Shop is not explicitly about that subject.

Instead, Banksy takes footage assembled by a French shop owner (by way of Los Angeles) named Theirry Guetta and slowly turns the camera on him.

Guetta is presented as a passionate (if someone guileless) chronicler of the street art movement. He obsessively videotapes everything and after visiting with his cousin – the renown street artist known as “Invader” – does he fall head first into their world.

Despite the threat of prosecution for what is (in the law’s eyes) graffiti and destruction of prosecution, several street artists agree to be captured by Theirry’s lens under the assumption that he will cut together a documentary about their medium. Their art is temporary and often quickly removed. It deserved to be documented.

As the movement grows, Banksy is introduced as Guetta’s white whale. Highly prolific, satirical, political and elusive, Guetta is convinced his “documentary” cannot be completed until he captures Banksy on film. He eventually befriends the artist and gains his trust. But things turn south after Banksy prompts Guetta to make the film he’s long alluded to.

With no film making skills of his own, Guetta produces an unwatchable mess called Life Remote Control. A spastic, channel-surfing montage of footage with no coherent narrative.

It is at this point that Banksy convinces Guetta to leave the raw footage with him and prompts him to become a street artist in his own right.

Just as Guetta was once consumed with chronicling the lives and work of street artists, he takes to the streets of Los Angeles pasting buildings with his work under the pseudonym “Mr. Brainwash.”

What follows is an astonishing turn of events as Guetta creates a studio, hires hundreds of artists to construct pieces of his vision and launches a gallery show and becomes an art celebrity in record time.

The film pulls no punches by portraying Guetta’s work as manufactured and derivative. Nor does it spare any scorn for art scenesters who go along with the fraud so readily.

What ultimately emerges is an incisive critique of the art world and how something as intentionally guerrilla and ideologically subversive as street art can be co-opted, homogenized and turned into a product by enterprising entrepreneurs like Thierry Guetta.

“There’s no one like Thierry,” admits Banksy. “Even though his art looks like everyone else’s.”

Fans of street art movement might not get all of their questions answered by watching Exit Through The Gift Shop. But they’ll get an unflinching look at the role authenticity plays in creating meaning from art.

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DEANZIE’S GUIDE TO BUSINESS CONVENTIONS

February 1st, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

Cedar Rapids starring Ed Helms comes out on February 11 and I’m kind of on the fence about it. As an Iowan, I’m particularly sensitive to media that insists on portraying us as complete rubes and I kind of feel like that’s what the trailer for this movie is trading in.

I also get the vibe that this movie is trying to ride on the coattails of The Hangover a little bit. In this regard, having Ed Helms as your lead doesn’t help.

But here’s the thing… I really like Ed Helms. I think he’s very accessible and emotionally honest as a comedian and that makes him likable. Also, any movie that features John C. Reilly acting thoroughly unhinged gets a pass in my book. I’ve really enjoyed Reilly’s transition from a dramatic to a comedic actor in the last few years. He’s been very deft about it and I can’t think of very many actors who have made the transition as seamlessly as he has.

That’s why this link to Deanzie’s Guide To Business Conventions is kind of a hoot. In the movie, Reilly plays a cock-sure salesman named Dean Ziegler and this web site is written in his voice. I think what makes it funny to me is I can totally envision Reilly delivering those lines.

Embedded in the site are clips from the movie. You might enjoy checking them out. I think it’s warmed me up to the idea of seeing Cedar Rapids a little more. Plus, positive early reviews from the Sundance Film Festival have helped. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it in the next couple of weeks.

Is anyone else anticipating Cedar Rapids?

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IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE! SO WHAT?

January 31st, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
Henry Cavill, Superman, Zach Snyder, The Tudors

Only because I like talking about comic book stuff do I feel compelled to report that British actor Henry Cavill has been cast as The Man of Steel in Zach Snyder’s Superman reboot.

That sound you hear is me loudly shrugging my shoulders in indifference.

Here’s the thing: unless you watch The Tudors, you probably have no idea who Henry Cavill is – and that’s fine! In fact, I think it’s smart to go with an actor that conventional audiences aren’t familiar with. Superman as a character is larger than any actor, so you might as well go with an “unknown” so audiences don’t ascribe any preconceived notions on the performance.

My indifference comes from Zach Snyder directing.

I know that Snyder has his fans. I know that some people think 300 and Watchmen were two of the greatest movies ever. But when I comes to Snyder, I check out. I think he’s the clearest example of “falling upward” in Hollywood and this wunderkind status he’s been afforded really rubs me the wrong way.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – he’s a mimic. A very convincing mimic. And he doesn’t have an original idea in his head. Maybe Sucker Punch will prove me wrong. But I cast a cynical eye on that one, too. Steampunk ninja robots? “I’ll take ‘Things The Internet Likes’ for $1,000, Alex.”

So, anyway… yeah. Henry Cavill is Superman. Whoopiety-do.

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TANGLED ON 3D BLU-RAY, BLUR-RAY AND DVD MARCH 29

January 28th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
Tangled, Disney, Blu-ray, 3D, DVD, announcement

Since I’m in a Disney mood lately, I thought I would pass along a press release I received about Disney’s 50th animated feature Tangled, announcing plans to release the film on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on March 29.

Grossing over 400 million dollars in global theatrical sales to date, TANGLED, The Walt Disney Studios blockbuster animated feature that takes a modern twist on the famous hair-raising fable Rapunzel, debuts as the ultimate 4-Disc Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy in a single package) on March 29, 2011. As the 50th full-length animated feature in The Walt Disney Studios’ celebrated library and the first animated feature film to ever debut day-and-date on Disney Blu-ray 3D, TANGLED’s uniquely packaged home entertainment release ensures that viewers of all ages can enjoy this film on a variety of superior, hi-def media platforms while diving further into the history and quirky details behind the making of this film via amusing and informative bonus features.

BONUS FEATURES

Blu-ray

Untangled: The Making of a Fairy Tale – Exactly how long is Rapunzel’s hair? How many lanterns were used? Where did Pascal’s name come from? Which Disney animated feature first utilized CG animation? These and more will be answered when Mandy Moore and Zach Levi take viewers on a kooky behind-the-scenes tour to learn how the filmmakers styled this film’s ―Golden Tresses.‖

Deleted Scenes – Co-directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno introduce three scenes and illuminate why they were ultimately cut.

  • The Jaunty Moose
  • Chemistry Develops
  • Vigor The Visionary

Extended Songs – The complete versions of two great songs are shared in a unique feature that explains the co-directors decision to scale them down.

  • When Will My Life Begin
  • Mother Knows Best

Two Original Storybook Openings – Two alternate versions of the film’s opening sequence described by co-directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard.

50th Animated Feature Countdown – A video montage celebrating Tangled as the 50th film to join The Walt Disney Studios’ prestigious lineup of classic animated features.

9 Tangled Teasers – A collection of the most unique and quirky commercials made for the theatrical release of ―Tangled.‖ Some are spoofs based off of infomercials and/or breaking news, some are teasers and others are simply just funny filmstrips.

DVD & Movie Download

Two Original Storybook Openings – Versions 1 & 2

50th Animated Feature Countdown

AAAAAND, for your enjoyment, a YouTube clip announcing the release.

Tangled was a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed and, despite its success, didn’t get the recognition it deserved in theaters. Everyone I talked to who saw it loved it. But I think Disney mucked up the marketing a little by making it appear to be a boy-centric action-adventure flick.

Tangled is actually much smarter than that. Lots of humor, a female lead worth looking up to and a painterly style unseen from the House of Mouse since The Lion King or Sleeping Beauty.

If you missed Tangled in theaters, do yourself a favor and pick it up on Blu-ray. It’s a very worthy addition to your collection. If you’re thinking about pre-ordering it, here are a few links on Amazon:

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THE COMPLETE STORY BEHIND THE HOUSE OF MOUSE

January 27th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
The Little Mermaid, Disney, Empire Magazine

Empire Magazine recently published a very thorough and interesting article called “Your Guide To Disney’s 50 Animated Features.” If you’re a Disney-phile or an animation buff like I am, it’s well worth your time to read. The list includes a few behind-the-scenes production details that help flesh out your understanding of the films.

In particular, I was fascinated to revisit the films from the early 2000’s. Specifically films like Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, Brother Bear and Home on the Range. I’ve given those films their fair share of guff, but it’s important recognize that they weren’t the flops that some people made them out to be and – perhaps – aren’t as terrible as you remember.

Compiled as a whole, Disney’s cinematic accomplishments are astounding. It’s easy to heap praise on the standouts like Peter Pan or The Lion King. But I am much more interested in how the so-called “lesser” films have been woven into the tapestry of the venrible studio’s history.

Check out the article and chime in with your thoughts about The House of Mouse in the comments below!

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MOAR OSCAR GOODNESS

January 25th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

So now that we’ve all had a chance to pour over the 2011 Academy Award nominations and digest this new information, it’s time to download your official Oscar ballot and start making your picks!

Will you choose wisely or will you choose poorly? We’ll have to wait until the award telecast on February 27 to find out!

Also for your entertainment, I’ve embedded the Oscar Nominations Announcement from earlier this morning. Enjoy!

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2011 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEES

January 25th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
2011 Academy Award Nominations

As promised, here are the nominees for the 2011 Academy Awards.

Scroll down for knee-jerk, armchair analysis below.

BEST PICTURE
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

BEST ACTOR
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David O. Russell, The Fighter

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Another Year, written by Mike Leigh
The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Inception, written by Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech, Screenplay by David Seidler

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
127 Hours, Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
The Social Network, Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3, Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
True Grit, written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Winter’s Bone, adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

BEST SCORE
127 Hours, A.R. Rahman
How to Train Your Dragon, John Powell
Inception, Hans Zimmer
The King’s Speech, Alexandre Desplat
The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

BEST SONG
“Coming Home,” Country Strong, Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light,” Tangled, Alan Menken, Glenn Slater
“If I Rise,” 127 Hours, A.R. Rahman, Dido, Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together,” Toy Story 3, Randy Newman

BEST ANIMATED FILM
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alice in Wonderland, Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1, Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
Hereafter, Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
Inception, Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Iron Man 2, Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

 BEST ART DIRECTION
Alice in Wonderland, Robert Stromberg, Karen O’Hara
Happy Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1, Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
Inception, Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat
The King’s Speech, Eve Stewart, Judy Farr
True Grit, Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
Inception, Wally Pfister
The King’s Speech, Danny Cohen
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Alice in Wonderland, Colleen Atwood
I Am Love, Antonella Cannarozzi
The King’s Speech, Jenny Beaven
The Tempest, Sandy Powell
True Grit, Mary Zophres

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop, Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
Gasland, Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
Inside Job, Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
Restrepo, Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
Waste Land, Lucy Walker and Angus Aynley

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More, Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
Sun Come Up, Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
The Warriors of Qiugang, Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon

BEST EDITING
127 Hours, Jon Harris
Black Swan, Andrew Weisblum
The Fighter, Pamela Martin
The King’s Speech, Tariq Anwar
The Social Network, Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Hors la Loi (Outside the Law) (Algeria)
Incendies (Canada)
In a Better World (Denmark)
Dogtooth (Greece)
Biutiful (Mexico)

BEST MAKEUP
Barney’s Version, Adrien Morot
The Way Back, Eduoard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk, Yolanda Toussieng
The Wolfman, Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Day & Night, Teddy Newton
The Gruffalo, Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
Let’s Pollute, Geefwee Boedoe
The Lost Thing, Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary), Bastien Dubois

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
The Confession, Tanel Toom
The Crush, Michael Creagh
God of Love, Luke Matheny
Na Wewe, Ivan Goldschmidt
Wish 143, Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

BEST SOUND EDITING
Inception, Richard King
Toy Story 3, Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
TRON: Legacy, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
True Grit, Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
Unstoppable, Mark P. Stoeckinger

BEST SOUND MIXING
Inception, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
The King’s Speech, Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
Salt, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan, and William Sarokin
The Social Network, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick, and Mark Weingarten
True Grit, Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, and Peter F. Kurland

Okay… so looking at these nominations, what am I most struck by?

Well, I was certainly pleased to see Toy Story 3 among the Best Picture nominees. Are they trying to round out the category to meet the 10-nominee criteria the Academy set forth last year? Maybe, but I don’t care.

Up was similarly nominated last yet, but it wasn’t coming into the category from a position of strength like Toy Story 3 is.

Toy Story 3 was the best reviewed, highest grossing film last year. It’ll be interesting to me to see if that colors the opinion of Academy voters.

Also, I think this is the only “threequel” to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar since The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King. Will the Academy give Pixar a “gold watch” Oscar for their achievement in animation for the last 15 years? Hear’s hoping!

The King’s Speech leads the pack this year with 12 nominations, which kind of surprised me after The Social Network scooped up so many awards at the Golden Globes last week. I’m not upset about it because I happen to think The King’s Speech is the better film – stronger performances and more entertaining. I think The Social Network is very much a film of the moment and notable for that reason. But The King’s Speech is more old-school Hollywood entertainment and is much more satisfying.

I’m kicking myself now that I didn’t write a review of the film after seeing it. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do yourself a favor and get caught up!

Aside from that, my strongest reaction is reserved for the Best Director nominations. It is absolutely CRIMINAL that Christopher Nolan wasn’t nominated for Inception. A richly layered, technically complex and nuanced narrative WRITTEN BY Nolan… and he isn’t recognized. That’s a sin, man. The worst Oscar snub in years.

Apparently the Academy has some kind of axe to grind with Nolan because they locked Nolan out of Best Director a few years ago for The Dark Knight.

Both Inception and The Dark Knight have been nominated in several technical categories. But apparently the Academy thinks of Nolan like some kind of James Cameron figure – an effects hog that dresses up his direction with technology.

I can think of nothing further from the truth.

Here’s my reasoning behind why this was such an egregious snub: Among the directors nominated, David Fincher and MAYBE Darren Aronofsky have the chops to direct a film as complicated as Inception. But Nolan would have no problem directing films like Black Swan, True Grit, The Social Network, The King’s Speech or The Fighter – all films nominated for direction. Nolan could direct those films with one hand tied behind his back.

Nolan was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. If the Academy doesn’t give him AT LEAST that, it would be a damn shame.

The Academy is setting themselves up for another Scorsese-level bout of public humiliation for not recognizing Nolan’s talent sooner. It’s disgusting.

Alright, now that I got that out of my system, what’s your take on these nominations? Was there anything I left out that you wanted to discuss? Leave your comments below!

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BASHING MR. SMITH

January 24th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

This blog post has been adapted somewhat from a Twitter rant I had last night after a screening of Kevin Smith’s Red State had let out at the Sundance Film Festival.

Director Kevin Smith

I follow a lot of movie bloggers on Twitter. Several of them are at Sundance. Nearly all of them were taking the piss out of Smith after the screening of Red State.

It wasn’t necessarily the film alone that ruffled their feathers. But, rather, Smith’s “auctioning” of the film’s distribution rights that snapped up for $20 which was promptly announced as “SOLD!” by the movie’s producer, Jonathan Gordon. Smith intends to forgo traditional major studio distribution and will market the film himself on a multi-city tour.

Was it a publicity stunt? Sure. But I’m not sure I understand why movie bloggers are up in arms about this.

I remember the days when Smith was the hottest thing since sliced bread. Journalists were more than eager to prop him up when he was the guy who maxed out his credit cards to make a movie no one had heard about.

Not that I expect journalists to be in his corner at all times. Certainly the quality of his movies has declined a little bit and he’s taken a very vocal anti-media stance. No wonder he’s unpopular in blogging circles. After being burned one too many times, he doesn’t give media the same access as before.

But watching a series of tweets from movie bloggers roll in last night, you could see how the frustration with Smith has turned into outright animosity for (what I think are) largely arbitrary reasons.

Smith has taken the distribution of Red State into his own hands. He brought it to Sundance not to sell it to a studio, but to kick off his own marketing campaign. Folks, this is as indie as indie gets. Yet, there is no praise for this decision?

I’m reminded of music acts like Radiohead or Nine Inch Nails – musicians who have walked away from major record labels and who are producing albums for fans that they release online. These guys are celebrated as marketing mavericks. Meanwhile, Smith is still a pariah.

I can’t help but think this is somewhat deliberate on the part of the movie blogging community. They’re looking for a way to punish Smith for making the decision to communicate only with his fans. Either that, or they’re participating in that time-honored media tradition of championing the unknown artist, validating his work to the masses and then tearing him down in order to look ahead of the curve.

What’s your take on the Kevin Smith hate? Is it warranted? Did Smith bring this on himself? What about his decision to distribute Red State on his own? A bold move or career suicide? Leave your comments below.

In the meantime, if you’d like to watch Smiths’ Q&A from Red State at Sundance, I’ve included that below. I’m eager to read your feedback!

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