"You'll come home for the holidays... in a body bag."
Yesterday, one of three faux trailers for the double feature exploitation film Grindhouse was released on the web. The combination of the trailers and the film simulate, well, the experience of going to the Grindhouse. The circulating trailer is for the fake film Thanksgiving, directed by Eli Roth (Hostel), a homage to old holiday slasher films from the 70s.
The trailer contains some of the most gruesome and graphic images in American cinema. It's ridiculous, over the top, and criticized as too sensationalistic. All these characteristics make it fit right in with Grindhouse.
It's dark and twisted, very very twisted. The movie trailer narrator talks in a low muffled voice; it's so dramatically eerie that it's humorous. The music sounds like its from the old horror films that you laugh at because the effects are so cheesy.
About every thirty seconds, the screen goes back to the shot of a turkey being stabbed by a knife, causing it to ooze with blood, complimented with the narrator muttering "Thanksgiving." It's cut fast and completely flippant.
At the bottom is a link for the trailer (I didn't want to post it, that's how bad it is), so proceed with caution. Once you see the trailer, there is no going back. It's definitely not for everyone. I actually cannot even describe some of the things seen in the trailer, at the risk of being too profane. Consider yourself warned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RApHZ-snSGc
Monday, March 26, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
"This is Africa"
'Blood Diamond'
Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes
Rating: R
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Somehow Blood Diamond was lost in all the dirt scuffed up by the shuffling of all the other action thrillers last year, but its surprisingly one of the better films of 2006.
Set in 1999, the backdrop for the film is the civil war that engulfed Sierra Leone during the 1990's. It's the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an African diamond smuggler trying to get his piece of the pie, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman who is separated from his family amidst the power struggle between the government and the rebels. Both men's fate are tied and are led down the same path to find a rare pink diamond.
At first glance, Blood Diamond seems to be mediocre political film with boomsticks, but if given a chance, it can be so much more than that. While the action sequences can be mind numbing and repetitive for the first hour, the film builds on its story to make a powerful statement. By the end of the film, air will taste sweeter and bleach will smell better.
Closely paralleling the violence in Darfur today, the film explores the motives of war and carnage. It treats both sides as complex humans, not subject to the simple labels of good and evil.
Not surprisingly Leonardo DiCaprio proves yet again that there is no role he cannot play. He gives the his most mature performance, showing his wide range. His fleshed out character, Danny Archer, is the backbone of the film, as the most interesting and confusing character that glues your eyes to the screen in disgust and sympathy.
To back up DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly give solid performances. Also, to round out the acting, the film has a decent screenplay combined with beautiful cinematography.
Blood Diamond attempts to get your adrenaline rushing as fast as Niagara Falls but misfires and
hits you in the heart. Once the action takes the passenger seat and the story starts driving, this film can give a unique and moving experience.
Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes
Rating: R
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Somehow Blood Diamond was lost in all the dirt scuffed up by the shuffling of all the other action thrillers last year, but its surprisingly one of the better films of 2006.Set in 1999, the backdrop for the film is the civil war that engulfed Sierra Leone during the 1990's. It's the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an African diamond smuggler trying to get his piece of the pie, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman who is separated from his family amidst the power struggle between the government and the rebels. Both men's fate are tied and are led down the same path to find a rare pink diamond.
At first glance, Blood Diamond seems to be mediocre political film with boomsticks, but if given a chance, it can be so much more than that. While the action sequences can be mind numbing and repetitive for the first hour, the film builds on its story to make a powerful statement. By the end of the film, air will taste sweeter and bleach will smell better.
Closely paralleling the violence in Darfur today, the film explores the motives of war and carnage. It treats both sides as complex humans, not subject to the simple labels of good and evil.
Not surprisingly Leonardo DiCaprio proves yet again that there is no role he cannot play. He gives the his most mature performance, showing his wide range. His fleshed out character, Danny Archer, is the backbone of the film, as the most interesting and confusing character that glues your eyes to the screen in disgust and sympathy.
To back up DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly give solid performances. Also, to round out the acting, the film has a decent screenplay combined with beautiful cinematography.
Blood Diamond attempts to get your adrenaline rushing as fast as Niagara Falls but misfires and
hits you in the heart. Once the action takes the passenger seat and the story starts driving, this film can give a unique and moving experience.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Bye, Bye, Tobey
The Spiderman films are coming to an end.Tobey Maguire has hinted at leaving the Spiderman franchise and not renewing his 3-film contract. After three films, he's probably done with playing the same character and wants to move on to new and different things.
With Tobey bailing, and the possibility of Kirsten Dunst of opting not to return to the series, the Spiderman films will most likely be a trilogy, or as close to a trilogy comic book films become.
With Tobey bailing, and the possibility of Kirsten Dunst of opting not to return to the series, the Spiderman films will most likely be a trilogy, or as close to a trilogy comic book films become.
I also doubt Sam Raimi will continue the films; he's been quoted as saying it's a big possibility that he will stop if Tobey Maguire doesn't return.
The third film, Spiderman 3, which is released on May 4th, will supposedly bring most things to a conclusion. People will have to be content with it, that is until a new director and new cast pick up where these films leave off as a spin off years down the road.
Spiderman is such a huge cash box for Sony, Spiderman 3 won't be the last. It'll just be the last for Tobey and Sam and the last for a little while.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Not 'The Most Dangerous "Movie"'
'Zodiac'
Rating: R
Directed by: David Fincher
Running Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Close your eyes and imagine what it's like chasing a ghost. Now figure in low raspy crackling voices, knives, and no witnesses (at least until they are shot that is) and you've got a pretty good idea of just who the Zodiac is.
The film documents the murders and the following investigation in the 1970's based on the real-life California serial killer who claimed to have killed 37 people, but can only be linked to five. Even with all the suspects, no one has been caught to this day.
Set in the San Francisco Bay Area, Zodiac is about the obsession and frustration of finding a clever murderer. Three men become consumed with the case, especially after the Zodiac starts mailing cyphers and puzzles to various newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle.
Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), the cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle, takes on the case a personal hobby. Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), a writer for the newspaper, becomes directly involved with the serial killer as a result of the stories he writes. And Inspector David Toschi's (Mark Ruffalo) job is to find the Zodiac, as leader of the police investigation. All these men build their lives on the Zodiac, but are ultimately dragged down by it.
By the end of the film, David Fincher will have taken you on a wild goose chase. It actually fits the investigation perfectly - talk to too many people and you may lose your footing.
Fincher shows us that the Zodiac is just a man who can get lost in the crowd. Because the murders took place in different areas of California, local police became a liability to the federal investigation. He began exploiting the weakness of bureaucracy. By going to reporters with information, he pitted the press against the government.
Its within all this confusion that the Zodiac was allowed to avoid being convicted. With all the different stories being told, people started to only see what it is that they wanted to see. Everything simplifies down to blind faith. In this sense, the Zodiac became a ghost.
Overall, Zodiac is a good film, just not a great one. The film could have made a much stronger impact if it was shortened down to about two hours. I would have liked to have seen some more risks. However, it does have excellent acting, specifically from Robert Downey Jr. as a flamboyant cynic, and really captures the what its like tracking down the "most dangerous animal." The brilliance of the film lies in the irony of the hunter becoming the hunted and the hunted becoming the hunter.
Rating: R
Directed by: David Fincher
Running Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Close your eyes and imagine what it's like chasing a ghost. Now figure in low raspy crackling voices, knives, and no witnesses (at least until they are shot that is) and you've got a pretty good idea of just who the Zodiac is.The film documents the murders and the following investigation in the 1970's based on the real-life California serial killer who claimed to have killed 37 people, but can only be linked to five. Even with all the suspects, no one has been caught to this day.
Set in the San Francisco Bay Area, Zodiac is about the obsession and frustration of finding a clever murderer. Three men become consumed with the case, especially after the Zodiac starts mailing cyphers and puzzles to various newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle.
Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), the cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle, takes on the case a personal hobby. Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), a writer for the newspaper, becomes directly involved with the serial killer as a result of the stories he writes. And Inspector David Toschi's (Mark Ruffalo) job is to find the Zodiac, as leader of the police investigation. All these men build their lives on the Zodiac, but are ultimately dragged down by it.
By the end of the film, David Fincher will have taken you on a wild goose chase. It actually fits the investigation perfectly - talk to too many people and you may lose your footing.
Fincher shows us that the Zodiac is just a man who can get lost in the crowd. Because the murders took place in different areas of California, local police became a liability to the federal investigation. He began exploiting the weakness of bureaucracy. By going to reporters with information, he pitted the press against the government.
Its within all this confusion that the Zodiac was allowed to avoid being convicted. With all the different stories being told, people started to only see what it is that they wanted to see. Everything simplifies down to blind faith. In this sense, the Zodiac became a ghost.
Overall, Zodiac is a good film, just not a great one. The film could have made a much stronger impact if it was shortened down to about two hours. I would have liked to have seen some more risks. However, it does have excellent acting, specifically from Robert Downey Jr. as a flamboyant cynic, and really captures the what its like tracking down the "most dangerous animal." The brilliance of the film lies in the irony of the hunter becoming the hunted and the hunted becoming the hunter.
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