Control Room

Tonight in my Mass Media and Society class, I was hit over the head. For the second part of the class, we watched Control Room, a documentary of Al-Jazeera in the early days of the present Iraq War. It is one of those films that I believe every American should be required to see. It's a documentary, so naturally, there is a bias involved. I can't name a documentary where there isn't. But it does a great job of showing both sides of the spectrum while asking the question, "Does objectivity even exist?"

As J. Hoberman of the Village Voice puts it:

This absorbing, significant, and shamelessly entertaining movie not only goes through the looking glass but, no less significantly, turns the mirror back on us.

Personally, after seeing the film my heart is once again quite broken over the state of our world and the state of humanity. I am both revolted and devastated. Please do yourself a favor and, maybe for just a moment, lift the veil of Americanism up from over your eyes. Watch the documentary. See what some people's world is really like. See the suffering, see the various perspectives, see the people trying to find the white and black in a gray world. It will be worth it. Check out the documentary below:

Wes Anderson's Newest

The Darjeeling Limited:



Oh man.... September 29th can't come soon enough...

In addition to Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrien Brody, Bill Murray and Natalie Portman will also grace the cast list.

And a little trivia information for you as well: Wes Anderson, the director, and Owen Wilson were actually roommates together at the University of Austin, TX. This will be their 4th movie together. Small world, eh?

Once

I finally saw it. Once. And it fulfilled most of my expectations. It's quite a paradoxical movie. Heartbreaking yet soothing. Simple but not simplified. All the magic of a musical with all the elements of realism cinematography. Rough around the edges yet incredibly innocent. Complex characters yet we don't even know their names. The best of Irish culture yet transcending nationalistic boundaries. The perception that the movie could be made by any amateur with a camera yet the subtle knowledge that such a perception is only a testament to the complex detail and tactfulness the director must have employed. The fact that this low budget film shines in its brilliance as the big bucks flicks of Evan, Pirates, and Spidey leave much to be hoped for. The ability to connect with the characters yet have no idea where the next turn will be or how it will end.

And through the paradoxes, about three quarters through the movie, I decided that I liked it. It took me that long, but I can say now that it will not soon fade away from my list favorites. You should see it.

Spinal Tap Together Again

Legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner has just brought a little more of heaven to earth... again. The director of This Is Spinal Tap has just released a new 15 minute short simply entitled Spinal Tap. And best of all, you can view the comedic genius here for free.

All this in preparation for an event that has even more monumental implications: the reunification of Spinal Tap for a live performance at Live Earth. They even are releasing a new song -- Warmer Than Hell -- specifically for the occasion.



Live Earth a great cause to bring attention to the problem of global climate change, and it will feature 24 straight hours of music from over 100 artists in concerts on all 7 continents. It's all happening on 7/7/07. 1 million people are expected to be in attendance at the concerts, with another 2 billion people having access on TV, radio, or internet. It should be good.

I may just have to turn my TV volume to 11.

Forget Spidey and Sparrow

The one movie you need to see this summer is not Spiderman, Shrek, or Priates. It comes out this Thursday, and I can't wait to see it. It's Once.



It's featuring the lead from the Irish band The Frames, Glen Hansard, and his music is incredible. Check it:

Falling Slowly (live)-- Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Date Night

So earlier this week I had my first date in a while. It was a pretty special outing, starting with a nice dinner for two and ending with a fun movie. I may be too forward, but I think she's a keeper. That's right, Friday night my mom and I went out together, and it was a whole lot of fun. I'm really fortunate to have such awesome parents. The movie was Wild Hogs, which I wasn't too exctied about to be honest. We were a part of a sold out crowd on opening night, though, so I decided to give it a go. In all actuality, it wasn't all that bad. It really exceeded my expectations and definately gave me some laughs. Now, I'm not saying it is Oscar worthy or is something to immediately going to the theater to see, but I was not disappointed with it. But anyway, I had a great night with my mom, something I don't get to do enough of. LOVE YA MOM!!!

Post Oscars

Eh..Pretty good year! At least I got the top four right -- Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Film. I was impressed overall with the Academy, though I am a little dissapointed Pan's didn't get foreign film and Children of Men got shut out completely. Oh well. I'm glad Forest Whitaker took best actor...his speech made me smile. He deserved it. Anywho, off to bed :o).

Oscar Predictions

Performance by Actor in Leading Role -- Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland"

Performance by Actor in Supporting Role -- Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed"

Performance by Actress in Leading Role -- Helen Mirren, "The Queen"

Performance by Actress in Supporting Role -- Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine" (*Going out on a limb, the academy loves to set records...)

Best Animated Film -- "Cars"

Achievement in Art Direction -- "Pan's Labyrinth"

Directing -- Martin, Scorsese, "The Departed (Though it should be Alfonso Cuaron, "Children of Men")

Documentary -- "An Inconvenient Truth," (Though should be "Jesus Camp")

Film Editing -- "Children of Men"

Foreign Film -- "Pan's Labyrinth"

Makeup -- Tough call, but I say "Pan's," cuz the academy hates Gibson

Best Picture -- "The Departed"

Visual Effects -- "Pirates of the Caribbean"

Adapted Screenplay -- "The Departed" (though it should be "Children of Men," and better not be "Borat")

Original Screenplay -- "Pan's Labyrinth"

Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno)

I was super excited to be able to go see Pan's Labyrinth at the Belcourt Theater yesterday due to all the great anticipation it got and because of the high probability that it will be stealing all of the academy awards this year. I was furthermore interested in the movie after seeing Children of Men last week, which was directed by one-third of the trio of Mexican directors that have been hailed as the new artistic masterminds of film. Pan's Labyrinth features one of the other two directers, Guillermo Del Toro, as well as Alfonso Cuaron (directer of Children of Men), who this time takes the role of producer.

To my utter dissapointment, Pan's just didn't do it for me. Nor for the guy sitting next to me, apparently, who left the movie half way in. Part of me wishes I would have followed him. Don't get me wrong, there were some who liked it, but I was really just uncomfortable during the entire stretch of the film. The fantasy element was indeed visionary in its elaborate artistic measures, but lacked a sufficient story to sustain the film and hold audience interest, especially given the fact that the story's "real" plot (during the fascist rule of Spain) only offered darkness, blood, torture, and despair. Even the fantasy was a far stretch from the happy dreamings of a young girl's mind and instead were full of dark, disturbing images.

Not that I just didn't like the movie because it wasn't all happy and fuzzy, I just did not think it was a very compelling story. The connections and "aha!" moments that were supposed to enrich the tale were predictable and overly obvious. I'm a firm believer in "less is more" as far as violence and blood go, but it's evident that Del Toro isn't. The amount of not only violence, but obscure, overly grotesque violence did nothing to add to the story for me. In fact, the only thing it did was have me looking for the exit signs. Though, I guess you can't expect anything else from a director who turned down "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" because he reportedly had "no interest in bringing Aslan back to life."

In the end, it was a great artistic masterpeice filled with talented cinematography and CG effects, but it lacked a cohesive story that the audience could fully buy into and very little light at the end of a deep, dark, cinematic tunnel.

Children of Men

"This smoldering picture may be the bleakest movie you'll ever want to see twice." -- Stephanie Zacharek, Salon

I completely agree with the quote above. I saw Children of Men last night and couldn't be more impressed. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azcaban), this Mexican director has some skill!! It was dark, dire, intense, heavy, and soul-wrenching, but breathtakingly beautiful at the same time. Shot in a similar style to Saving Private Ryan, with long, uncut, hand motion camera work, you feel like you are really part of the action. The scenes are too engaging to focus exclusively on the camera work while it is happening, but looking back on it, the views and sequences that you remember seem impossible. In one particular car ambush scene, it seems like one continuous shot was used to make you feel as if you were in the backseat experiencing it all, while at the same time fully cognitiant of all that was happening outside.

The movie is set as a dystopia, somewhat similar to V for Vendetta, but with a much more dark and grave (and all too realistic) future that not only addresses the fictional problem of infertility but also the ever present reality of terrorism (except on a massive scale). The bleak futuristic setting is easily sold to the audience, and the characters created are just as believeable. Clive Owen is probably one of my new favorite actors.

Children of Men does, however, have its flaws. Some parts are excessively unbelievable, and undoubtedly the ending will upset certain people. Some pretty rough language and extremely violent images may not sit well with everyone.

While the film would not be considered a pick-me-up, it does offer the inspiration of choosing to live a life of meaning and purpose and promotes the great worth of human life. Please, go see this movie. It may not be a date movie, and you may wish for a pause button to be able to process what is happening, but you won't regret seeing it. At least I didnt.

Check here for a trailer, but be warned, it doesn't nearly do it justice.

Well, here's to an oscar nod, perhaps?

Blades of Glory??

Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, and Figure Skating?

That's right, it's Blades of Glory, DreamWork's new comedy. Click the link above to view the trailer. Unfortunately, I think Ferrell's streak might be running dry. He was hilarious in Anchorman, Talledega Nights, and especially superb in the recent Stranger Than Fiction, but from the looks of this, I sense a flop coming. I don't want to be the first to cast a stone, but really...

Oh well, it will still top the box office charts nonetheless...