07.31.08
Weekend Attractions (1 – 3 August ‘08)
Films opening in South Africa this weekend:
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Can you get a life and discover love, all in one day? Two women are about to find out. In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is a middle-aged governess who finds herself, once again, unfairly dismissed from her job. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realises that she must, for the first time in two decades, seize the day. This, she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level – as ‘Social Secretary.’ Arriving at a penthouse apartment for the interview, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). I missed every single press screening of this despite my initial enthusiasm about wanting to see it. I’m sure its sweet and all, so I will check it out.
07.30.08
Universal links “Inglorious Bastards”
Quentin Tarantino’s insanely pre-buzzed “Inglorious Bastards” is said to be heading for a deal with Universal Pictures, the deal being that Universal will co-finance the so far castless pic, due to begin shooting in Germany in October, and handle distribution as well. Weinstein Co. is supervising the production by producer Lawrence Bender. [Hollywood Reporter]
Numerous sources, and loads of different info, Harvey Weinstein and Tarantino met with numerous studios to figure out which would suit them best, and ultimately settled on Universal, over Paramount, despite the pair’s “hatred for Harvey.” That’s all fine and well, but will Tarantino have the film ready for Cannes, that being a non-rushed film with the usual Tarantino quality? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
Tarantino is currently in Germany scouting for his ideal cast, and although everyone seems to have suggested their thoughts on who should be cast, the ever unpredictable “Pulp Fiction” helmer could be set to surprise us all. Would we want anything less anyway?
“Another Way to Die,” 007 Duet
Jack White (of “The White Stripes” and “The Raconteurs”) and Alicia Keys (of like a million record breaking albums) are set to record the first duet theme song in 007’s 22-year history, titled “Another Way to Die,” written and produced by White as well. Bond theme songs are infamous, and apparently, producers usually round up a bunch of hot talent and ask them to write a theme song with the hopes of being picked. Amy Winehouse was meant to record the theme song, but pulled out due to [drug-fuelled] friction between her and producer Mark Ronson due to different ideas as to what the direction of the song should be. Nonetheless, Keys and White are an anomalous [but pretty genius] combination, one that I am looking forward to immensely, when the soundtrack is released on the 28th of October, through Keys’ “J Records,” we’ll see how it measures to other Bond themes from previous films. “Quantum of Solace,” directed by Marc Forster, starring Daniel Craig yet again is set for release on the 7th of November, and I have a feeling it will be either one of the best Bond films to date, or the most misunderstood. It’ll be interesting to see how Forster copes with his most mainstream pic to date, but the theme song will no doubt prove to be interesting regardless of how it is used in the film. [DHD]
07.29.08
Trailer: “Ashes of Time Redux,” When Wong acts like Wong, Nothing can go Wrong
Need I say more? Didn’t think so, enjoy.
Film Festival: Venice Lineup ‘08
Venice 2008: 27 August – 6 September
The lineup for the Venice film festival has been announced today, and the film fest boasts 19 world premieres. I would love to say that I think the line-up is fantastic, but to be honest I only know of 5 of the films in competition, and obviously “Burn After Reading” which is set as the opener for the 65th Venice Film Festival. Either way, Venice is all about glam and has a longish track record of producing at least one film that will eventually end up in my top ten come the end of the year. Just look at last year, “Atonement,” “Assassination of Jesse James” and “The Darjeeling Limited” all took a bow at the Venice Lido last year all found themselves in my top ten. Also, the South African “Festival of Festivals” always picks a few of the top performers at Venice/Cannes/Toronto to unspool in SA around the end of October and beginning of November, so I will be following the shenanigans at Venice without fail as we are introduced to the first critical opinions on some films I have been eyeing for a while, and follow the journey to The Golden Lion…
07.28.08
Teaser Trailer: “W”
As if we didn’t already have enough reason to doubt the films prospects, judging mainly from pre-determined opinions from unreliable sources and unwarranted negativity from people who are obviously offended by unconventionality, the tone in the teaser trailer for Oliver Stone’s “W” certainly ironic, but comically so. Could a film about “The Man with a Plan,” played by Josh Brolin, be anything but a hysterical satire? What was supposed to be kept under wraps until “Access Hollywood” tonight was leaked late last night, and some are suggesting it was an inside job…when isn’t it? A fabulous cast who all more or less resemble those they are sending up/portraying with a deft sense of natural irony all set to “What A Wonderful World.” Man, oh man, am I looking forward to this now. Watch it while you can, if you haven’t already.
07.27.08
Week in Review (27/07/08)
Consider my faith in slashers restored. Hope I’m not over hyping “Mandy Lane,” because its not flat out amazing or anything but you could do far worse in terms of the modern slasher (and probably have).
To “Howl,” or not to “Howl”?
Soon to be seen as a stoner in “Pineapple Express” and something else in ”Milk,” James Franco is set to try his luck playing “the young Allen Ginsberg, the days before he went bald and gained weight. The early Howl days.” Interesting. What’s even more interesting is the fact that it is a documentary, so his “performance” will probably be more of a re-enactment in the doc by Rob Epstein aptly titled “Howl.” Will he be up to the challenge, if one can call it that. He seems to think so. “I’ve certainly read ‘Howl.’ I was very into the beatniks when I was in high school, and I still am. So I certainly have read Howl many times.” Re-enactments work so much better if the actor/actress looks the part, and Mr Franco most certainly does. [MTV]
UPDATE, 7.28: It seems Franco shall be starring in Mark Ruffalo’s directorial debut called “Sympathy for Delicious,” news courtesy of MTV as well. Who is Delicious? “DJ Delicious. He’s a DJ,” Franco clarified. “This DJ character was written for [Mark's] friend who’s actually paraplegic in real life, Chris Thornton, and he’s this DJ that has kind of a gift. He joins up with my band and then starts getting more attention than me, the lead singer. So I start getting upset about that.”
More Franco!!! Woot.
Not Just Yet, “Nottingham” Delayed
I had a feeling this would happen, it’s weird. Scott’s “Nottingham,” which sounds like an interesting take on the ancient [and stale] tale of Robin Hood, has hit some rough waters and has had to postpone production until further notice. “Script concerns, location logistics and the current labor unrest all played a role in the decision,” are some reasons noted which Universal wishes to revise before making any promises. Crowe, who plays a Sheriff in the film, as well as all parties involved are said to remain fully committed to the project which was schedules to be released in the US on the 6th of November ’09. Unlucky. [Hollywood Reporter]
What is it with Ridley Scott’s fascination with Russell Crowe? Sure he’s a great actor, but maybe there’s something more to it…but let me not start any rumours here (as if I could anyway).
07.26.08
12 Movies Meme
12 Movie Meme
I don’t know why I never thought of this, maybe it’s because my blog has been going in a different direction from its humble, self-indulgent beginnings or maybe it’s because I’m not smart enough, but I was nonetheless linked by the fabulous Marcy of Because I Saw the Film, after she was linked by the equally fabulous JD, and here I am. The idea behind this stemmed from Piper’s, of Lazy Eye Theatre, genius. If you could pick 12 movies that you would play in your own mini-film festival (mine would probably be best suited as a home theatre marathon but there are some flicks mentioned below that I would kill to see on the big screen), like Ms. Diablo Cody, what would you pick? Naturally, there are so many that narrowing down the options is almost impossible. Apparently its not. I also went a little overboard, but I was a little overs when I typed this, got over that, and then was just bored and finished it off when I woke up.
Read the rest of this entry »
Review: “Caramel”
The age-old story of a group of women finding solace and comfort in each other’s company, typically in a colourful beauty salon, is sensitively transferred to the surprisingly sensuous Lebanese capitol Beirut in writer/director/actress Nadine Labaki’s charming directorial debut, “Caramel.” The title in itself is a delicious play on words that fits in perfectly with the film’s thematic objectives. The syrupy indulgence is at once a sweet treat but also a means of cosmetically removing unwanted bodily hair, which translates into the thematic idea carried throughout the film that where there is pleasure, there is pain, and soon after hardship comes a rebirth or a moment of poignant cleansing, of body, mind and soul.
07.25.08
Trailer B: “RocknRolla”
Let’s leave it up to Mr. Ritchie himself to describe the films apparent social commentary.
“The social commentary is everything that I’ve been talking about. The social commentary is how the face of England, and I suppose in turn England no longer has the identity that we previously understood it had. It’s become international like New York has become international. So the commentary is how, I suppose, identities shifted, cultural identities have shifted. I mean, if you take New York and London now they’re so much more similar than they used to be. It’s a commentary on that. It’s a commentary on how crime has shifted. It’s a commentary on how business is conducted. Previously people could offer, lets take the example of, a million pounds for a house and then an oligarch would come along and would say, ‘Look, just to take it off the market and save any haggling I’ll offer you twenty million.’ That wasn’t necessarily uncommon. It suddenly became, ‘It’s going for a million.’ ‘Well, I’ll offer two million, three million –’ and then you go, ‘Ah, fuck it. Look, here’s twenty million.’ Now they did that with football teams. They did that with football players. They did it with every sort of cultural manifestation that we had. It’s that these exponential bids would suddenly come into the occasion. That had a tremendous cultural effect on the way that everything was manifest. So we’ve tried to reflect some of that within the movie too.”
Is it wrong that I find that very, very funny?
And that I find the trailer really funny too? I think it has been too long since Ritchie actually made us remember why the hell we ever gave a damn about his work in the first place (“Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”) but as predictable and familiar as the trailer is, could it mark the return of Ritchie as we once knew him? Will “RocknRolla” be a return to his former, vintage glory or just another failed attempt? Can this man ever come up with something unique and non-familiar? Is his marriage to Madonna really over? Is he a robot? Does my head hurt after watching that trailer? I can only answer that last question. And even that’s only a maybe. Dang.
Review: “The X-Files: I Want to Believe”
Avoiding the dark places by going nowhere slowly.
After nine phenomenally popular seasons and a “made-for-TV-but-let’s-just-put-it-on-the-big screen-anyway” film, the moment “X-Philes” the world over have been waiting for has arrived. Unfortunately, for them, the latest big screen incarnation is nothing more than a standalone episode, which isn’t even half as energetic or interesting as some of the actual episodes are. It should only appeal to the most diehard fans, but I even doubt it will please fans in the way “Sex and the City” did.
“The X-Files: I Want to Believe” stumbles as it tries to balance fear, doubt, faith and belief while struggling even more to sustain a suspenseful momentum with its lethargic pacing and criss-crossing through various unrelated subplots at the most inappropriate of times. For anyone who believed the film could recapture something other than the palpable chemistry between [Fox] Mulder and [Dana] Scully and the constantly eerie atmosphere present in the TV show, get ready to have your belief system shaken to its core. It’s no wonder the details surrounding the film were kept under such tight wraps.
Competition: “Wanted”
I dig “Wanted,” far more than I have most summer blockbusters, a thrill ride of the most anarchic, adrenalin filled, logic defying kind that made tons of cash in the US and SA, and now we have a mini-competition going on. As usual, this is only for South Africans, and by that, I mean South Africans enter the damn competition, it’s free! 5 lucky peeps stand the chance to win one of five hampers consisting of 5 Wanted T-Shirts with the title treatment on the front, 5 Wanted Biometric USB memory sticks and 5 Wanted Computer Sleeves…click those links to see the prizes in their full glory.
All you have to do is answer one simple question.
Name that other flick where Ms. Angelina Jolie played an equally hot assassin…email your answer, your name and your mailing address to nikplowman@yahoo.com by the 31st of July.
Soundtrack: “American Teen”
Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to see the much-hyped doc by Nanette “The Kid Stay in the Picture” Burstein, “American Teen.” Just like I always do, I just know I will connect with it in a big way. Ever since hearing that /Film thought it was great, and then fellow bloggers Craig Kennedy and Daniel Getahun got me even more interested in it as time went by and I waited for it to appear on the SA release schedule. Well, it hasn’t. Nevertheless, I have been listening to the soundtrack like a crazy person, and now you can too if you like.
Go here for the full soundtrack download, just don’t mention anything to the feds. Thanks certain someone for the soundtrack, you rock.
