Ploafmaster General

Boy oh boy does this look like a cool and sweet movie:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmVQLmaA0fQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=580&h=470]
(via a cup of jo)

You'd think it would be difficult to make a story intriguing when the outcome is a certainty. You'd think that way until you watched All the President's Men. The visuals were decent (though not groundbreaking), but the pacing, acting, and writing easily kept me riveted through nearly 2.5 hours.

4/5

This does NOT look promising:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXklTRsLui4&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=580&h=470]

Why is it that a movie partially concerning one of the most important figures in America's food landscape is coming from the same abysmal writer who struck out with a trifecta of crap in her last three movies (Bewitched, Hanging Up, and You've Got Mail)?
(via kottke)

Valerie and I went on a little date night last night and, at her request, watched earth at the movie theater. This G-rated US release of the 2007 BBC documentary was geared toward children, but I'd wager 75% of those in attendance were adults.

I fell asleep about two-thirds in.

It's not that I hate nature or children's films, but if you're familiar with the brilliant Planet Earth series, you'll experience deja vu. That's because much of the footage in the feature is re-cut from the television program. It's gorgeous footage, of course, but I've seen most of it before. My guess is that that show is probably a bit too gritty for little kids, so a sanitized, 90-minute version was produced for the big screen. Wrap it all up in some soothing narration from James Earl Jones (or Patrick Stewart in the UK) and you're all set...if you're a child. For me, well, I'm only glad I wasn't snoring when I dozed off in the theater.

2/5

Oh yeah, side note - I wonder whether James Earl Jones could've gotten away with narrating a kid's movie after the Star Wars movies. I could just picture some little tykes freaking out in their seats as soon as Darth Vader starts talking about cute, fuzzy animals.

Feast your ears on this tasty new Deepspace5 track, and your eyes on this cool video:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2921479&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1
"Raps" from the Stuff on Vimeo.

(via Patrick, who really oughtta put this on tasty hip hip treats)

This weekend I finally got around to seeing 2008's Best Picture winner, Slumdog Millionaire. This was Valerie's Netflix selection, and while I wasn't against watching it, I wasn't exactly giddy with anticipation either. I think I was wary of the movie's near-universal plaudits, but I was none-the-less willing to give it a chance.

My conclusion? I thought it was entertaining but far undeserving of the Academy's accolades. Many of the shots were effective at eliciting feelings of wonder, revulsion, or sympathy. I also found the main story-telling device - revealing character background and life history through each game show question - to be both clever and engaging. But all of ultimately served to deliver a predictable and far-fetched love story. I think the unbelievable nature of Slumdog amplifies the warm fuzzies I find inherent in rags-to-riches stories, but it doesn't make for good cinema.

3/5

One of my favorite bands, Sigur Rós, performing "Við spilum endalaust" off of their latest studio album, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (put together by the always excellent La Blogotheque):

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3814849&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1
Sigur Ros - Við spilum endalaust - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Tonight I watched the film adaptation of Alan Moore's Watchmen. Having read the graphic novel twice I have to say that the film sticks fairly close to the source material. Where it deviates I don't feel that the intent and main plot points were sacrificed. I was quite happy with the acting for the most part, and the visuals captured graphic novel's imagery well. Some musical transitions and editing were clumsy, but not so much to foul the entire experience.

I'm still digesting the whole thing, but I think I can comfortably give this 4/5.

So Val and I never made it to the grand opening (circumstances as they were), but this evening we watched our first film at Movieland. We saw Frost/Nixon (4 out of 5, by the way), and were generally impressed by the design and operation of the theater. So impressed, in fact, that we will return tomorrow to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as originally intended.

A few notes:
1. The projection was gorgeous. Crystal clear, vivid, and all the benefits of brand-new screens and projectors.
2. I look forward to the velour-like seats getting a bit worn in. Even in jeans, I felt as if I was stuck to the seat.
3. I hope they get some automated kiosks for purchasing tickets - not simply for picking up pre-purchased ones. Or they should at least keep five registers open for ticket sales like they did this evening.
4. Dyson Airblades in the bathrooms. Sweeeeeeeeeet.

Tonight's the night that Bow-Tie Cinemas' Movieland at Boulevard Square opens. Valerie and I are still debating which movie to see and when, but I'm currently lobbying for tonight's 7:20 showing of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

I think (when the weather is nicer) I'll see if I can make it there on my bike in 15 minutes - then I'll never have to worry about parking :-)

Dig this sweet Space Invaders-in-real-life style video from Röyksopp for their latest single:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3281558&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1
Happy Up Here from Röyksopp on Vimeo.
(via kottke, from whom I rarely re-post because he's so widely read, but I couldn't help myself with this one)

As parodies go, David Friedman's The Breakfast Cereal Club has the taste you can see.

I just finished skimming through the first 50 minutes of Martin Scorsese's Shine a Light and had to turn it off. Netflix delivered this DVD to my place nearly three months ago and I'm finally sending it back tomorrow morning, incompletely viewed.

Don't get me wrong - the direction was great, the camera work was what I expected, and the interstitial footage was fantastic. But this film is about 80% concert documentary, and I underestimated just how much I'd have to be a Stones fan to actually enjoy footage of the performances. I've never really been a Stones fan, and I remain thus after my partial viewing.

There was one serious problem I had with the concert footage though, too. As a musician and an appreciator of music I was put off by the boosted audio level of any instrument/musician on whom the camera focused. If the Charlie Watts was the main subject of a shot, for example, his drum levels were pumped up in the mix. For my taste this would have ruined the balance of music I love, let alone music I was merely tolerating for the sake of its filming.

Sorry Marty, but this one gets a 2/5 from me.

The A.V. Club is one of very few movie review sites which I read, so while I'm sure it's contentious, I'm pleased to see their list of the best films of 2008. There are movies on this list of which I've never heard but, with their (as usual) solid commentary, I may just have to investigate a few of these further.

Continuing my unintentional string of movie-related posts, I have some more details by way of Richmond BizSense about the eventually-to-open Movieland theater on Boulevard...

What I'm most interested/concerned about is the notion that they're looking to create an "upscale" movie experience with beer, wine, and no pre-movie ads. That lack of ads spell higher ticket prices in my mind (we'll see), and should help determine whether movie-goers prefer low prices over ad-free cinema.

Holycrapontoast...

Guy Ritchie, film maker behind Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch (two of my faves!), is filming Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Watson!

It should release sometime vaguely in 2009, so I have another flick to toss on what's becoming a long list of theater trips.

The following is a list, in order of release date, of films which I'd like to see in a theater this month:

The Day the Earth Stood Still
This remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic looks intense and stars Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, and Jon Hamm. It's out on Friday, December 12th.

The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky, the director of Requiem For a Dream and The Fountain, has managed to make me interested in a story about a washed-up professional wrestler. I get a Raging Bull vibe from this, but with more redemption. December 17th.

The Spirit
Frank Miller's latest hyper-stylized graphic-novel-on-screen doesn't look as visually fresh as Sin City, but I'm a sucker for that spilled-bottle-of-India-ink asthetic. This almost certainly gory flick opens on Christmas Day.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
This also opens on Christmas Day. Two words: David Fincher.

Revolutionary Road
I think this film appeals to my struggle between cynicism toward and desire for the American dream. It hits the big screen on Boxing Day.

Valkyrie
Does this movie have a chance of saving Tom Cruise's career? I dunno, but a WWII-era suspense flick involving high-explosives and slightly desaturated cinematography sounds right up my alley. December 26th.

Monty Python have* their own YouTube channel, and they intend to add loads of high quality video as time wears on.

HOLY SHLAMEEL THIS RULES.

Here's a fine example:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZlBUglE6Hc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&ap=%2526fmt%3D18%20&w=580&h=470]

*I felt the British pluralization was appropriate given the subject matter.

My friend Stephanie has made a habit of posting an 80s/New Wave music video every Thursday for a while now, and yesterday she posted New Order's "World" (I've embedded the MTV Music version because it's a little clearer):

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtvmusic.com:47153

I'm not terribly fond of the song, but the video is fantastic short-form film making. The whole thing is only five shots over nearly 4.5 minutes, and the second shot is almost 1.5 minutes alone! That's some serious coordination and rehearsal. It was directed by Baillie Walsh who's since directed videos for Kylie Minogue and Oasis.

Behold the birthday clown, sad and terrible (with a touch of potty humor - strictly PG, though) :

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2143224&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1
Scenes From An Unmade Movie : Job from Jason Zada on Vimeo.

There are pop culture critics, and there's The Hater. Today Amelie Gillette tears down what sounded like a good idea on paper...

Sweet mother of sweet mothers! BEHOLD!!!



This Mystery Science Theater 3000 box set is something new for the ol' Christmas list :-)

I don't know how long it'll be until it's little more than crappy reality TV shows, but MTV has returned to music...online.

MTV Music is a joy to my music-loving heart. The interface is - so far - fairly uncluttered. The search engine is quick to dig through the 22,000+ videos. In addition to a simple but fast-loading player you have sparse but useful information such as the director (linking to other videos by the same person!). As a fitting test, here's the video to one of my favorite songs by the sadly-no-more Big Wreck:

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtvmusic.com:46306

And as a bonus here's Stars by Hum:

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtvmusic.com:55357

The A.V. Club's Nathan Rabin interviews British actor Simon Pegg. I'm already a huge fan of Pegg's work in Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but this interview sheds some light on his wit and intelligence as well.

I'd forgotten the sheer beauty of Phillip Bloom's film making:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1466234&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1
Portrait of Siberia from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.