Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Typical Hugh Grant fare, nothing special (at all). But it's Hugh Grant! That's really all I need to know to watch the movie. Ugh I hate that I'm a typical demographic, haha. But I noticed in this movie that he is getting old. What kind of movies will he do next if he can't play the adorable, caddish, witty, self-deprecating British-accented love interest anymore? I mean, he must be one of the most type-cast actors I've ever seen, but it's because we (the captive audience) love it. Have you ever even seen him in a movie where he doesn't have a British accent? Maybe he'll go the way of Pierce Brosnan, if he's lucky. We'll see. Meanwhile I hope he acts in more dumb movies like this while he's still being cast in his go-to role.

Adventureland

Ooh, this movie was surprisingly good. I didn't have such high expectations but it was... pretty great, actually. The actors each made me fall in love with their characters. Simple premise, but it made a great movie... romantic, angsty, wistful. And it made me remember summer romances and makes me feel young(er) again, since the characters are just a little bit older then I am. I like that it's a 'period piece' set in the 80s -- it adds more to the movie -- but it also still feels modern-day in every other aspect. The music is good too. Two thumbs up. 

oscar

this is a preliminary post, but oh my goodness am i in love with robert downey jr. or what.
i want his glasses. and his bowtie. and his lanvin suit.

his wife looks okay, i mean, i guess...if i were his lady, i'd go CRAYZY and wear whatever i wanted. but then i would steal the spotlight...which would be inappro...ughhh

James Cameron Writing Avatar Prequel Novel

“I told myself, if it made money, I’d write a book.” 
- James Cameron

Ooh, I'm intrigued. Is it going to be turned into a movie after??

Full article

The Young Victoria

The last shot of the movie, the pair in all their glory.

I loved this movie. It was surprisingly romantic, in the most basic definition of romanticism. In choosing a husband, Victoria had to choose not only a life partner and practical co-ruler of her universe, but the practical co-ruler of millions of other people she reigned over. I thought The Young Victoria well-casted, and the acting phenonomal -- both subtle and alive.

I really like Paul Bettany, who plays Queen Victoria's trusted advisor Lord Melbourne.

For a bit of celebrity gossip, he's married to actress Jennifer Connolly. They look so striking together!

A.O. Scott on Smoking in the Movies

Read it here.

Interesting thoughts--I agree with him that it is a beautiful thing to see on screen--who doesn't get a kick out of Humphrey Bogart taking a drag? It's an interesting idea to think that smoking is equivalent to other film impossibilities; "Make it something akin to time travel, or slapstick, or a mad drive to the airport to stop the one you love from getting on that plane — something that only happens in the movies," Scott writes.

Anyway, read the piece.

The Wild Bunch

Went to see "The Wild Bunch" tonight in Scope. It's a western film made in 1969 that conveys not only the trend of explicit violence and sex due to the change in MPAA laws, but it also subverts any western ideology and fantasy that makes up "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." With deceptive and dispassionate thieves serving as the protagonists, the film is inherently grim. Drinking constantly, sleeping with prostitutes whenever and having the ability to suspend their morality exacerbates their destitution. In addition, the difference between the "good guy" and "bad guy" is hard to tell--you really have no choice but to side with the Wild Bunch.

What also struck me was how the aesthetics worked for the women, especially. Prostitutes didn't look really like they were from the beginning of the 21st century (the film takes place right at the beginning of WWI); in fact, their straight hair and dark eyebrows were exactly in style for the 1960's/70's. But with that aside, the rest of the characters are extremely gritty and brutal.

There were some great shoot-out scenes, especially because the film takes place a bit later on in history than you typical western (technology plays a key role). In addition, seeing it on the big screen was marvelous because these sweeping shots of Mexican villages and desert juxtaposed isolation and suffocation. I would recommend this film to anybody interested in seeing an engrossing western--it was long, but it was fascinating to become immersed in the film world, especially one so heinously anarchist.

Sherlock Holmes: The Aftermath

I love those sunglasses. I went to Fabulous Fanny's in NYC, a store that sells vintage and antique eyewear, and saw several pairs of antique ones just like those. I've now identified that sunglasses are my weakness.

As for Sherlock Holmes, the aesthetics were fun and fanciful, as RDJ's costume was certainly edgier than the classic Sherlock attire. But it worked for this film because it was "cool" and "hip"; it balanced the intellectual and quirky habits of the classic Holmes with a 21st century thirst for action and, well, being edgy on purpose.

It was a commercial film, and as A.O. Scott said, it was a feature-length trailer for the sequel that includes Holmes' archnemesis, Dr. Moriarty. I basically agree with everything Scott wrote, which definitely isn't always the case.

This assessment is copied from an email.

Sherlock Holmes

I was entertained and my favorite part was the score. It wasn't amazing, but it was a good way to spend a couple of hours. I'm a stickler for CGI details, so there were a few points (and by a few I mean a lot) that I thought were shaky (the bridge scene with Rachel McAdams, who I thought was kind of blah, was certainly technically complicated, but wasn't up to par in my mind with other digitally created spaces). The camera use + score definitely made a big contribution to the success of the film.

It not only catered to the National Treasure people (speaking of which, did you see both of those trailers for the new Nick Cage movies? Ahhhhh) but it also got a bit of that Guy Ritchie gruffness that dudes like.

The coincidence (or is it) is that The Hound of the Baskervilles is on TCM. Basil is a bit different from RDJ, to say the least.

I'm glad I had low expectations for the film because I was pleasantly surprised--it had more of the Holmesian logic and judgment than I thought it would, and RDJ is always good at playing a crazy, self-obsessed ass, which is the only kind of RDJ I like.

Costumes of Edith Head

Edith Head

Since I'm going back to the boonies in a week-ish, I want to appreciate civilization and society a bit. Perhaps if I cram enough class in my mind, I'll be able to survive a winter of colossal cold without turning into a down jacket derelict (I think we all know that would never happen).

Grace Kelly and Cary Grant in "To Catch a Thief"

My plan of action? Going to see these movies:

http://www.mfa.org/calendar/sub.asp?key=12&subkey=9538

The Costumes of Edith Head, 1941-1958 Edith Head (1897-1981), one of Hollywood's most influential costume designers, worked on more than 400 films, but her work with Paramount Studios was the most illustrious. This series celebrates the storyboards and sketches she brought to life to create some of Hollywood's most memorable moments. Saturday, December 26, 2009, 10:30 am Film The Heiress As soon as Catherine’s receives her father’s entire estate, her former fiance suddenly reappears, but she refuses to fall in love with him... Saturday, December 26, 2009, 1 pm Film Sunset Boulevard Norma Desmond, a forgotten silent picture star, hires Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter to help her back into the spotlight.... Saturday, December 26, 2009, 3:20 pm Film The Lady Eve The rich but naive Charlie Pike meets con artist Jean Harrington on a ship. They fall in love, but a misunderstanding causes them to end on bad terms.... Sunday, December 27, 2009, 11 am Film A Place in the Sun George works obsessively to get ahead, and when he starts dating Angela, a beautiful socialite, he notices his professional status rise. But the press... Sunday, December 27, 2009, 1:30 pm Film Vertigo In this Hitchcock classic, Jimmy Stewart plays a detective who becomes dangerously obsessed with his latest case.... Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 2 pm Film To Catch a Thief A former cat burglar is wanted in a recent string of robberies along the French Riviera, so he decides to go after the real culprit to prove his innoc... Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 4:30 pm Film Rear Window Jeff passes time by watching the actions of the residents in an apartment across the street, but his hobby takes a dangerous turn when he claims to ha... Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 7 pm Film Vertigo In this Hitchcock classic, Jimmy Stewart plays a detective who becomes dangerously obsessed with his latest case.... Saturday, January 2, 2010, 10:30 am Film A Place in the Sun George works obsessively to get ahead, and when he starts dating Angela, a beautiful socialite, he notices his professional status rise. But the press... Saturday, January 2, 2010, 1 pm Film Sunset Boulevard Norma Desmond, a forgotten silent picture star, hires Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter to help her back into the spotlight.... Saturday, January 2, 2010, 3:20 pm Film The Lady Eve The rich but naive Charlie Pike meets con artist Jean Harrington on a ship. They fall in love, but a misunderstanding causes them to end on bad terms.... Sunday, January 3, 2010, 10:30 am Film Rear Window Jeff passes time by watching the actions of the residents in an apartment across the street, but his hobby takes a dangerous turn when he claims to ha... Sunday, January 3, 2010, 12:50 pm Film To Catch a Thief A former cat burglar is wanted in a recent string of robberies along the French Riviera, so he decides to go after the real culprit to prove his innoc... Sunday, January 3, 2010, 3:10 pm Film This Gun for Hire Veronica Lake befriends a killer in order to form an alliance against a corrupt nightclub owner....

Which ones should I make priorities?

Some Say To Survive It, You Need To Be As Mad As A Hatter

Is anyone else fascinated yet absolutely terrified to watch this movie? It's in 3-D, too, of which director Tim Burton says, "It puts you in the world a little bit more." I'm sure makes it all the more terrifically horrific. Or do I mean horrifically terrific? Likely a bit of both.

Higher Education

"I feel older, but not wiser."

-- The protagonist in An Education

Continuing Education

Conclusion: Fay and I both agreed that it was beautifully shot and an absolute pleasure to watch... but the story wrapped up too conveniently and quickly at the end such that it undermined much of the movie as a whole. A rather shallow ending. Overall though, it was definitely worth watching for some believable and relate-able escapism.

Brothers/ An Education

I've been wondering how long it would be until Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal would be in a movie together. It's out today, and it's called Brothers. And Natalie Portman is in it as well! What a powerful headliner. They are all preternaturally good looking, and excellent actors as well. Interesting plotline, I've watched a few different trailers and I'm excited to watch it soon.

But first, I'm watching An Education tonight at The Nugget theatre and it looks like it will be amazing. Beautifully shot, and it seems like it will be relate-able (for me, at least). Can't wait. Will hopefully report back on it. I love, love, love a good movie. It transports you somewhere else and you feel all sorts of ways.

Sherlock Holmes: CGI Looks Really Bad

The CGI looks really bad in Sherlock Holmes. Especially that shot of the fight on a bridge. What is that?

Oh, and I remember I used to be excited about this movie because I like Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, and I liked that still of a shirtless RDJ in an underground fist-fight, but it looks like there's way too much sex and violence. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQbmFAE5WI

PS: Love the whole Victorian revival going on in menswear.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/fashion/12CODES.html?scp=1&sq=victoian%20menswear&st=cse

Machinima by Fay

Made these for my Machinima class this summer at Dartmouth. Used Snapz Pro X, Final Cut Pro, Mini-DV and Second Life to make this one. Had a lot of fun just experimenting with the medium, so unlike a lot of Machinima, my shorts play a lot with going between live action and animation (captured in Second Life). Enjoy the films! They were fun to make.





http://www.tiltfactor.org/?p=1237
MACHINIMA

FLANAGAN FS 49 DARTMOUTH 10A 301 N.FAIRBANKS

In this workshop, we conduct research in developing, understanding and advancing a real-time rendering and video production technique based on video games. This special topics course will allow a group of students to study the techniques of Machinima. Throughout the term students will examine film techniques and story creation techniques that apply to the traditional film form, examine Machinima on a technical and aesthetic basis, and critique current examples of Machinima films. Outside of class, students will collaborate, putting forth a large amount of effort to write and produce their own Machinima. Our course aims to investigate the underlying concepts of this new form of media, examining the relationship to animation, traditional cinema, and forms of popular culture. During the course, we will create Machinima projects while developing the theoretical framework around this approach as it relates to film and video, games, play, and participatory media.

Becoming Jane

I just watched the movie Becoming Jane this week (on DVD), and I thought it was a very good film. The premise of the movie (spoiler? ...) is that the main character Jane Austen basically lives the life of Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice, and then later pens and publishes Pride and Prejudice based on her own great romance (because she is Jane Austen, author of Pride and Prejudice, haha). The main difference between the 'fact' of the movie and the 'fiction' of the book is that unlike her literary counterpart, there is no happy ending for Jane in the movie -- she never marries her real-life Darcy (love interest and penniless young lawyer Tom Lefroy, portrayed beautifully by James McAvoy) and is single for the rest of her life, living by the wit of her pen.

Earlier in the movie, in an attempt to convince her to marry the wealthy-but-boring character who has proposed to Jane, her mother admonishes, "Affection is desirable. Money is absolutely indispensable." The irony of the movie is that Jane takes this advice to heart and chooses not to elope with Tom Lefroy because she realizes the extent that his family depends on his income (and accordingly, his non-tarnished, non-eloped reputation) as a provider.

I liked the movie because it made me think -- and I realize this is starting to read like a fourth grade book report -- and realize the limitations women faced in the past in determining their own destinies, even in relatively high society. Of course, even today not all women have a choice.

Hold that thought. Live blogging, this is unfinished...

OK, I'm back.

Luckily, today in Western society a woman is no longer considered 'unmarriageable' if she is a writer... banker... production director... or whatever profession. Either way, I would not want to be alone for the rest of my life like Jane and have a great unresolved love who I discover many years later has named his first child after me (which Tom does for Jane). That was the very tragic conclusion of the movie.

I also liked the film because it recalls all that olde English shit we girls love: romance, restraint in interactions with the opposite sex, propriety, pride... prejudice... But seriously, I did enjoy the stolen glances and slight hand grazes between the main characters, and it reminded me that courtship used to be drawn out and slow-growing (is it still today, outside of college?). I was even willing to overlook Jane and Tom's seemingly sudden realization of their passionate love (in the woods, no less) because it was so... passionate.

Four stars to Becoming Jane for a strong lead character and being much better than I anticipated. I love being pleasantly surprised by movies. :)

Slang in the 50's

Went through a phase when all I wanted to write research papers on was Marlon Brando and his high/low points. Well, I was watching Down Home with the Neely's on Food Network and started hearing all this jive, reminding me of a less-popular Brando flick called "The Wild One" about the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC) and its takeover of a tiny no-wheresville town (one of its famous lines is "What are you rebelling against?" to which MB replies, "Waddya got?"). One of the best aspects of the movie is the jive/slang that's spoken. Luckily, a YouTube video has already been made of all the slang moments. Enjoy!

Oscars Old News

The number of Best Pic noms will be 10, not 5, this year, in an effort to include a more diverse selection of films.

WTF.

It's sad that films like "Wall-E" didn't make the cut last year, but if they're going to increase the number of slots at most they should add 2. Or cap it at 10, and not necessarily have that many. This is definitely a move linked with the bad economy: more nominated movies=more likely people will go see them? Makes no difference to me. It's just going to exacerbate the rivalry between film buffs and mainstreamers. Imagine: Transformers 2 vs. token Holocaust movie. I think not.

PS I'm so pumped for "Up!"

Alice in Wonderland

oh my word. I'm scurred.

Helena Bonham Carter looks freaking AMAZING though.









http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=56475

HJNTIY

I watched He's Just Not That Into You on demand last night with a friend and I do have to say that I am largely disappointed. And I was kind of excited to watch it too!

Aside from a weak plot line, the "stars" in the movie really didn't do anything for me - Jennifer Connolly, perpetually dressed in the most unflattering clothes possible, was a waste of a strong actress, Scarlett Johansson was the exact same character that she is in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (beguiling, youthful, sensual, naive, seductress in search of her life path), I couldn't get past the shadow of the "Rachel" persona when watching Jennifer Aniston (and I hate that they cast her as the "beautiful, smart, hot older woman who can't secure a man" -- is that on purpose? Why does she keep taking these roles?), Ben Affleck looked strangely gaunt and was dry as crisps, and Ginnifer Goodwin was so achingly, overly but at the same time accurately and relatably en pointe in her portrayal of the sweet, desperate, pathetic single girl that it may have detracted from the enjoyment of the movie. I couldn't help yelling at the screen ("No! Don't call him! What are you doing?"). The characters and plot development were bad enough that I honestly cannot recall any of their names now and I don't think I even bothered to learn them during the movie. BUT Justin Long was a positive as a fresh face and perhaps the highlight of the movie, along with Bradley Cooper -- but that one may be because I'm still hung up on his character in The Hangover.

Additionally, the dressing for the movie was terrible. Boring bordering on ugly. Overall, I thought the movie would be better. I guess, considering the lineup of stars, I had high expectations?

On the plus side though, my [male] friend said it was better than he expected. Go figure.

P.S. Oh yeah and I completely forgot to mention Drew Barrymore -- I'd say that's pretty indicative of her performance and character in the movie. It seems like the writers/producers (she is one of the co-producers, ironically) threw her character in to make useless, pithy comments about the evolution of dating etiquette due to technology -- presumably for some humor value.

P.P.S. Also, the movie was completely hypocritical in its message, alternately showing how men were just not that into the women but then also providing nearly each woman with her own neat happy ending. The whole Ginnifer Goodwin plotline ended with her being the "exception" to the rule of HJNTIY, which is: if he doesn't initiate contact or pursue you, forget it. He's just not that into you and will never call. But what does that mean for everyone else? Should one abide by HJNTIY rules or do as Ginnifer Goodwin does and hope to be the exception? Ridiculous and confusing.