SLC Film Blog

Came across this, it's interesting :)

2010-06-30T15:33:00.001-04:00

A brief history of the Los Angeles Film Festival (1971-present)

2010-06-23T21:04:00.002-04:00

delete this it was an accident!

FILM SCHOOL’S TORCHLIGHT PROGRAM TO PRESENT SNEAK PEAK OF Jane Campion's ‘BRIGHT STAR’ at Student Life Center

2009-09-21T21:25:00.003-04:00

Dear colleagues, friends & students,

As the director of The Florida State University Film School's Torchlight Program I am thrilled to have been asked to present a Sneak Preview of Jane Campion's "Bright Star" at Florida State University through this program and my relationship with the distributor. On Thursday, September 24th at 7 P.M. The Torchlight Program will proudly present an Apparition Release of a Jane Campion (Academy Award winning screenplay for "The Piano") film, "Bright Star". Seating will be first come first serve as we are expecting record attendance at the Askew Student Live Center (SLC), 942 Learning Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4172. Special thanks to the SLC, Apparition and especially to Jane Campion!.

Based on the true story, Bright Star chronicles the passionate love affair between the 24-year-old British poet, John Keats, and his 18-year-old enchanting muse, Fanny Brawne. Academy Award winner Jane Campion's (The Piano) return to the big screen features outstanding performances from Abbie Cornish (Stop-Loss) as Brawne, Ben Whishaw (I'm Not There) as Keats and Paul Schneider (NBCs Parks & Recreation) as Keats's friend, Charles Armitage Brown. Rated PG. In theaters including the Tallahassee AMC 20 on October 2. www.brightstar-movie.com

See you at the movies,
Paul Cohen
Director
The Torchlight Program
FSU The Film School

The next few weeks at the SLC!

2009-09-17T17:03:00.015-04:00

HEY ALL!

Hope you've been keeping an eye on the schedule, it's got a baby on the cover! We're hard at work on the next schedule [Public Enemies, The Jerk, The Godfather, Evil Dead 2, etc] but for the next few weeks we have several things going on.

1) First off, THIS Saturday is Mario Kart Wii!!!

September 19 (Sat) 2:00PM - 6:00PM

We've got the theater all to ourselves to race Mario, Wario, Yoshi, Peach, Bowser, and all the rest on the BIG SCREEN. Winners will receive awesome prizes.

2) Next up: BRIGHT STAR

The FSU Film School's TORCHLIGHT Program

brings us a special screening of the new Jane Campion (The Piano) film, Bright Star.

This drama is based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats' untimely death at age 25.

TORCHLIGHT brings us this film as a SPECIAL screening. This is the Tallahassee PREMIERE and is FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC (including students).

September 24th (Thur) 7:00PM

3) ZOMBIELAND!!!!

Here's a FREE ADVANCED SCREENING for YOU!

Two men have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus is a big wuss -- but fear can keep you alive. Tallahassee is an AK-totin', zombie-slayin' badass whose single determination is to get the last Twinkie on earth. As they join forces with Wichita and Little Rock, who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem, they will have to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies.

October 1st (Thur) 7:30PM

You must pick up an Advanced Screening Pass at the ASLC Info Desk, passes are available starting one week before the screening (so come to BRIGHT STAR) and only FSU students are eligible.

4) Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're combining events!

Not only are we playing the first movie, the ORIGINAL, as a

Midnight Movie

October 16th,

but earlier that night, most likely from around 6PM, we're playing the new game for Wii.

Come on out and have a KOWABUNGA time!

5) Last, but not least, we're showing our ANNUAL FAVORITE. It's naughty. It's crazy. It's got audience participation AND a Live Cast. It's the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The Party starts at 11:30PM on October 23rd.

This is the same day as the Union's Halloween events, and we're planning some as well, but start preparing your Rocky Horror outfit NOW!

SXSW Film Festival!

2009-03-26T22:35:00.005-04:00

Just about two weeks ago, a few of us Film Commers journeyed to Austin, Texas for South By Southwest Film Fesival! We networked with filmmakers, saw tons of movies, learned about filmmaking, ate a lot of good food, and had a ridiculous amount of fun. A few of the groups favorite films were:

Best Worst Movie, which follows up with the castmembers and film makers of the cult favorite so-bad-it's-good movie, Troll 2.
Trailer

Humpday, a film by Lynn Shelton, tells the story of two old friends who's attempts to prove wrong each's opinion of the others' lifestyle ultimately leads them to decide to make an amateur porn together.
Trailer

Make Out With Violence, a film about grief, dealing with death, and secretly keeping a zombie girl in your house!
Trailer

Pulling John, a documentary about professional armwrestling!
Trailer

The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle. This fast paced ride through the world of cookie addict janitors, their curious health problems, and the corporation that's to blame for it all was probably the weirdest film at south by southwest. Beloved by all who were lucky enough to catch it, this was my personal favorite of the fest!
Trailer

SPOILER!

2009-02-21T02:08:00.002-05:00

It could be real, it could be fake, I take no responsibility for it, but hey, it could make you a couple extra bucks in that office pool...

JCVD ~ Jean-Claude Van Damme

2009-02-05T19:55:00.008-05:00

Holy crap! It's better than seeing Liam Neeson do a Steven Seagal movie (cough, Taken, cough). This one is actually a real movie. With Jean-Claude. And acting.

Now, I'm not going to start quoting those nice praising reviews like "Must be seen to be believed", or that odd one like "Forces you to consider the star in a whole new light", or even "Maybe the year's most surprising movie." I just really enjoyed this movie.

Basically, Jean-Claude is himself, a lower than B-movie actor who runs into debt, child custody hearings, and a lack of love from his own agent. After heading home to Brussels (making this movie basically in French with English subtitles - but they don't talk fast), he finds out he really is broke as Steven Seagal steals his last role. Things get interesting when he's caught in a bank robbery while withdrawing cash and the whole city thinks he is the criminal.

This movie delivered all that I wanted. It had action, humor, clever writing, a soft touch, and interesting supporting characters. My one complaint is that after Jean-Claude does this movie, proves that he can act and show emotion, he goes and signs up for Universal Soldier 4.

As a side note, I didn't have to go to a Film Festival to see this either. The new FSU Film School Torchlight Program brought this movie, others, and more to come for FREE to Student Life Cinema on campus and played it back on January 13th.

Now, if you missed it a month ago, JCVD is coming back to Tallahassee. It will be at the Regal Miracle 5 on Friday, February 13.

I might actually go and pay for my second showing, so I expect to see you there. Don't forget, for more of these FREE movies in Tallahassee, keep an eye on Student Life Cinema at FSU, especially on Facebook at the fan page: Student Life Cinema

Old School Mortal Kombat Tournament

2009-02-05T17:04:00.005-05:00

Oh yes, it is right around the corner. This Saturday, at 2PM, gallons of blood will be spilled in the theater. Contrary to earlier advertisements, we are playing the original arcade version of Mortal Kombat (Rev04 for the ROM nerds out there). This is the game that started it all, the worried mothers, the concerned government, and all other pseudo-science that blames video games for the world problems. Awarded most controversial game of 1993, it still stands as a testament to violence and gore. I spent four hours playing this game last night, learning all the special moves, and trying out all the fatalities, and it was absolutely glorious, both the blood and the childhood nostalgia.

Here's guide for the rest of you, to help level the playing field.
http://www.mksecrets.net/mk1/eng/mk-specialmoves.php

Specific rules for the tournament will be available on game day, but no worries, it's nothing to complicated (16bit, come on). It's a standard double elimination tournament, so start practicing now.

Florida State Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

2009-01-25T19:54:00.003-05:00

Start getting excited for the first Florida State Gay & Lesbian Film Festival February 23-25 in the Student Life Cinema!

Pride Student Union and the Student Life Cinema are teaming together to bring the FSU campus fresh and fun films with an LGBTQ twist.

The festival spans three days and has five films. Topics range anywhere from the Bible and homosexuality to fun and happy musicals.

Check out the movies and the trailers below and also check out the website for the film festival: FSGLFF.ORG

We Hope To See You At All The Movies!

For The Bible Tells Me So: February 23rd 7:30

Love Songs: February 23rd 10:00

The Secrets-Co-Sponsored by the Jewish Student Union and Hillel with an introduction by Dr. Kavka of FSU and a panel immediately following the film: February 24th 7:00

Bi The Way: February 24th 10:15

Were The World Mine: February 25th 10:15

who else is surprised the dark knight isn't on here?

2008-12-09T01:21:00.003-05:00

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/top10/article/0,30583,1855948_1863826_1863827,00.html#

Time's Top 10 movies of 2008...we've shown quite a few of them at the SLC (and are planning to show others)

The THC is in the House!

2008-11-23T22:03:00.003-05:00

THC: Tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive substance found in the cannabis plant, aka pot, aka weed, aka marijuana, aka wacky-tobacky.

As you all are enjoying your Thanksgiving breaks either in Tallahassee or far from it, I'd like you all to start preparing yourselves for what awaits you back at the SLC when you return. Namely The Wackness and Pineapple Express. Both of these movies contain lots of a little drug that contains THC. Now besides the probability that the SLC will sell a lot more concessions than usual, we can use these two movies as a barometer for the current acceptance level for marijuana use in the U.S. Drugs have always appeared in movies, but mostly they show the destructive properties of drugs. With regards to marijuana specifically most movies portray people who smoke pot as a "stoner" who provides stupid comic relief. Of course there have been a few exceptions like Reefer Madness which is a parody of the 1936 anti-marijuana propaganda film. But now movies like The Wackness and Pineapple Express are viewing pot use as a normal everyday thing that many different types of people use recreationally.

So after you're sick of your parents nagging you and you're back at FSU, we'd like to encourage you to sit back, relax, laugh, and most importantly buy lots of concessions with the Student Life Cinema as we bring you two movies filled to the brim with plenty of THC.

Audience Pick Midnight! Kiss Kiss Bang Bang!

2008-11-23T02:19:00.003-05:00

Quite honestly, I was thrilled with the choices for Audience Pick Midnight this semester. While The Game, The Thing, and Mystery Men would have all been fun choices, I was so happy that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was selected. What good taste our audience has!

For those of you who have not been fortunate enough to see the film, the story follows Harry Lockhart, a thief who inadvertently becomes an actor. Lockhart stumbles into an audition while running from the cops and finds himself swept away to Hollywood. There, he must prepare for a role as a Private Investigator with the real deal, a character referred to as "Gay Perry." Throw into the mix his childhood sweetheart, murder, sex, and lots of humor, and there you have Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

If the premise doesn't sell you on the movie, (and with my description skills, that is entirely likely) I present to you 5 other reasons you should see this movie.

1) Robert Downey, Jr!!!!!!

Everyone loves him. Seriously. He has a tendency to make every movie better. Case in point: Tropic Thunder, Iron Man, Heart and Souls, and Soapdish, just to name a few. (By the way, if you haven't seen some of those, you should see them too.) As the main character and narrator of this movie, it's impossible not to like him.

2) Val Kilmer!!!!!!

Love him or hate him for past roles, he has always maintained a place in my heart. Not to mention, he steals every scene and makes the audience laugh nonstop throughout the film.

3) Amazingly witty dialogue!!!!!!

The script to this movie is fantastic! You will walk out quoting it and find yourself looking up more lines on imdb for weeks following. If you have a good sense of humor, I have no doubt you will love the dialogue.

4) It's an audience pick!!!!!!

I've been on Film Committee for about three semesters now, and I though I believe we have always selected great films for our fellow FSU students, I also believe that there is no better indicator of what the people want then letting them select the movie themselves! So, have a little faith in your fellow classmates and trust their resounding majority vote!

5) Finals are coming up!!!!!

Everyone tends to get stressed out right before the semester ends and we hit finals week. Since we will not have any entertainment for that final week of testing, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is your very last opportunity to watch a movie at the SLC before 2009! Who wouldn't want to wind down with their friends and enjoy a hilarious film with a great cast?!

So, end your semester with a bang!

A Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, that is.....*

*I apologize for using that atrociously lame joke, but seriously. Come see it.

Coraline

2008-11-20T20:54:00.003-05:00

http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/?p=6346

The trailer speaks for itself. Stop motion animated film. Nightmare Before Christmas director. I couldn't imagine how awesome it's going to be in 3D. Take a gander...

Vuole lo, qui lo è! Felice Jarrod?

2008-11-17T22:34:00.001-05:00

Questa settimana ho guardato il film Tropic Thunder dal cinema studenti con il mio ragazzo e la mia amica. Era il tempo secondo ho guardato. Il film è una commedia e una satira di film gruerra. Penso che il film sia molto divertente, ma delle barzellette sono inappropriato. Il regista per il film era anche un attore famoso, Ben Stiller. Per una scena il suo personaggio non aveva i mani perche di una esplosione. Nella intervista ho guardato Stiller ha detto che era stato difficile dirigere con non mani; oggi voglio guardare Ben Stiller prova di dirigere con non mani. Quello sono anche altre attori nel film. Jack Black è un attore chi dava dei film commedie. Mi preferisco attore nel film è Robert Downey Jr. Era un molto divertente attore e uomo. Penso che sia divenrtente che lui sia un uomo nero sebbene lui sia un uomo bianco. Nel film è tutti stereotipi del soldato nero.
Il film è la tema di delle gente chi volgiano fare un film di dei soldati in Vietnam. Ma il problema è che i attori vadanno a dove i genti sono attuale violenta e i attori non sapiano. I canzioni nel film sono i canzioni classico per i film guerre. Delle canzioni include “Stop, hey what’s that sound” di Buffolo Springfield.
Io preferito parte è quando Robert Downey Jr finge essere un agricoltore cinese quandi possano entrare il campeggio degli spacciatori. Amo il suo costume e la sua citazione, “Io sono un agricoltore piombo, motherfucker!” Amo questo film. Voglio comprarlo quando vado a negozio, particolarmente perche davanti del DVD ha la stemma di Tropic Thunder.

Guess the event

2008-11-13T18:05:00.001-05:00

DSC02692
Originally uploaded by Student Life Cinema

Our Flickr and Blog are now linked!

Modern Midnight Movies: Tropic Thunder

2008-11-13T09:00:00.005-05:00

Upon my first viewing I was thinking about tagging this as a midnight movie, but for some reason I had doubts. After viewing it a second time, I've definitely made up my mind. To what honor is it a midnight movie?, I'm still not sure. Midnight movies often feature bizarre sexuality, pathetic attempts at horror, or quintessential bad acting that is so bad its hilarious. Wait a minute! This movie is about bad actors. Actors so bad, they go full retard, don't know who they are, or are so hopped up on heroin the only thing they can do is fart. I'll even take it further, if you keep fueling the Rambo franchise with money, you'll only realize that the studio keeps making sequels because they're actually waiting for Stallone to die on the set as opposed to the belief they'll actually be any good.

It's Stiller's take on the Hollywood landscape that is just mind blowing. Obviously, Tropic Thunder was written with so much anger and disdain for Hollywood that I must think Stiller is trying to get himself blacklisted. Or is he a genius for pointing out Hollywood's shortcomings? In the movie the actors are portrayed as pathetic idiots, who are simply tools used by executives to rake in a profit, only to be slapped around or fed to the lions at the chance for a higher profit margin.

I'm going to continue to praise Stiller's genius, a midnight gesture in itself, for bringing up land mine politics in a most creative way. At the very moment Tropic Thunder's director within the movie is suddenly erased, we get a movie moment that should be remembered for a long time. Not only was the exit hilarious, but the silence and action from the actors following the disappearance is so well played out, that the audience itself gets loudly confused for a moment. Another credit to Stiller's genius is that every joke is not only is setup well, but also carried out to the fullest extent possible. It's likely this point that gives Stiller credibility, where he hasn't had any before. Believe me, I've noticed him playing the exact same retard role in too many films. I have heard there are some good ones, but I haven't seen them. I take that back, I loved him in Zero Effect. I will take further recommendations. But, for this film, Stiller shows he can excell at both acting and writing, ... and directing. Though, with so many A-list actors (real actors), it couldn't have been difficult.

One last note, Tom Cruise has a bit part in this film, which is a midnight performance in itself. Normally when I think of Tom Cruise, I think of a guy with an egotistical swagger in his voice, without any real hint of acting capability. Can you honestly name a film where Cruise isn't playing himself? Here we find him playing Les Grossman, a Hollywood exectutive, who is obsessed with diet coke, has fists that can be felt around the world, and has some fancy dance moves. It's nice that Cruise can push Scientology aside for a minute, and actually do what he gets paid to do.

Let's review now. Tropic Thunder makes fun of Hollywood, has well thought out and carried out jokes, is actually a cinematographic masterpiece, has an unforgettable Tom Cruise cameo, and just rocks in general. There's more I could cover, of course, but that's why movies are supposed to be watched and not just read about. There's two more showings at the SLC tonight (7 + 9:45). Now about those stars, originally when I saw it I gave it 4 because I just felt it was lacking a bit in the comedy department, but upon a second viewing I caught the stuff I missed before. So, I give this movie 5/5 stars, plus I give it my apporval as a midnight film.

Hungry for more?

2008-11-09T19:58:00.003-05:00

Cheech and Chong was not an accident. From the first red eyed toke they took everyone was enamored watching their stumble into the clouds. They warmed the hearts of many Americans and set the stage for many more classic stoner movies.
Everyone was stoked for this summers "Pineapple Express." Stoners young and old became giddy and full of joy. Even Bill Clinton was reminiscing the awkward teenage days when some of us might of actually "inhaled."
Which leads us to the question of the day:
Do you have to "inhale" to truly comprehend stoner movies
and how did Bill Clinton like it?
Think about it.

Here Goes...

2008-11-05T17:51:00.002-05:00

This is my first blog post. I am too tired to be creative right now. But I will say that I am really stoked to see Quantum of Solace. The trailers keep blowing my mind.

Sex

2008-10-10T09:39:00.006-04:00

Where would the human race be without it? I'll show you where:

That's right. Now ponder this weary viewers: porn is a robot. Think about it, the systems that are currently in place, like the internet, and every kid ever having private access to the internet because of laptops and negligent parents, provide imitations of human behavior. PORN!

Enter James Gunn, the genius behind "Slither," which, by the way, is showing tonight at midnight at the Student Life Cinema.

“How many times have you been watching a great porn film - you’re really enjoying the story, the acting, the cinematography - when, all of the sudden, they ruin everything with PEOPLE HAVING SEX?” Gunn said on pgporn.tv.

That's right, James and his brothers Brian and Sean have created porn without the porn. It gets better, for the ladies and the gentlemen.

Episode 1 stars Nathon Fillion. And starring next to the male talent in these webisodes are the leading ladies of real porn (why bother mentioning names, you wouldn't recognize anything but their tits anyway).

Five episodes have been made to date and the first one is already up. Seriously, go check it out now. Oh, you're gonna do it later? You're so lazy, that's why I'm hooking you up with the video right here on the blog. Check out pgporn.tv for more.

Nailing Your Wife

Jesus Christ...is this necessary?

2008-10-05T20:59:00.005-04:00

The Childcare Action Project (known on the streets as CAP...as in "I'll bust a CAP in yo' ass") has taken it upon themselves to tell the movie industry how much they suck at morality. This website is run by a "non-profit" Christian ministry that runs solely on funding by those who are morally insecure enough to assume they owe it to God and the children to keep this website up. The basic idea of it consists of some guy, Thomas A. Carder, watching movies and rating them based on a point scale made up of 6 criterion: Wanton violence/crime, Impudence/Hate, Sexual Immorality, Drugs/Alcohol, Offense to God, Murder/Suicide, which happen to spell out WISDOM. Each film is scored out of 100 and points are removed for each WISDOM offense. Here's an example:

The most intriguing part about this website, however, is their audacity to actually refrain from fully viewing a movie due to it's abhorrent themes. For example, The Birdcage: "I could not justify spending the time and effort necessary to do a complete analysis of The Birdcage. After 25 minutes of the show I had one and a half recording logs of homosexual suggestions and activities. There were other examples of unacceptable material, but none so thick as homosexuality. I apologize if you were expecting to see a complete review of The Birdcage, but there are some things I can stand, and some things I cannot stand -- this movie was "cannot." It was glorification of homosexualtiy, pure and simple. Great scott!! Robin Williams, the voice of Genie in Aladdin who said "I love you too, Al" and acting with children in Jumanji was right there on the screen kissing on other men! I am aware of Williams' use of foul language and sexual material in some movies, but whodda thought? It may be illegal in Canada and other countries to speak out against homosexuality, but not in America. Not yet, at least. No...I am not a homophobe. I do not fear or hate the homosexual, I just hate homosexuality. My suggestion is...don't watch this movie."

And thus, instead of simply not mentioning The Birdcage, the author of this glorious website informed us that he himself didn't even watch the movie in full and yet he is capable of giving us an analysis of its moral adequacy. I think anyone who uses the phrase "Great Scott!!" in any context outside of personal internal dialogue is morally inept in one way or another.

The hands down best part about this website, though is the "Baby Miracle" series (volumes 1-3) and how somehow, one portrayal of a biblical story is morally superior to another. For instance, volume 1: The Story of Creation scored a whopping perfect score of 100 complete with a side note from the author, "By the way, that adorable little girl on the cover of the boxart looks exactly like one of our adopted daugthers." The misspelling of the word daughters and the italic "exactly" help me to imagine Thomas squealing for joy as he marks a red A+ on this cinematic masterpiece if only because the boxart reminds him of his adopted child who serves as his own personal conscience cleanser. Ok, now here's the best part...volume 3: Jonah and the Whale, received a 97 which is 3 points less than volume 1. Here's what Thomas had to say:

Wanton Violence/Crime (W)

cartoon character being swallowed by a whale

Impudence/Hate (I)

Jonah disobeying God

Really? The cartoon character was swallowed by a whale? And Jonah disobeyed God? Holy shit! We can't show this to our children!! What if they learn from the mistakes of others?! The nerve of the Baby Miracle Learning Company for quoting the bible directly and telling a biblical story exactly the way it should be told! How immoral! 3 demerits!

This website is literally a joke. I mean, I will be the first person in line to defend this guy's right to free speech but I've got to vent about how ridiculous this is. You simply can not just stamp a film moral or immoral (especially if you don't even watch the whole thing). Besides, wasn't it Jesus who said "turn the other cheek"? If you don't like it, don't watch it. There is absolutely no need to make an entire website about it.

Here's the link in case you're interested in checking it out...or making a donation...

Childcare Action Project (CAP)

My Winnipeg: Fact or fiction?

2008-10-02T23:30:00.002-04:00

My Winnipeg is a one of a kind film, a rarity, even among those that we classify as art films. Like most of the director's works - My Winnipeg was shot in a style that resembles silent era filmmaking. The black and white cinematography and the graininess of 35 mm celluloid gives the film a sort of eerie feel, a nightmarish quality that perfectly fits the theme of the Guy Maddin's work. My Winnipeg is the perfect title for a film about the director's own reflections on his hometown. This is not the audience's Winnipeg, this is Guy Maddin's Winnipeg -

a town that is covered by snow and where people constantly sleepwalk.
My Winnipeg is a "Chris Marker like" essay film, a dream sequence, a documentary and most importantly an experiment, in which the director tries to reenact chapters of his own childhood while super imposing them with surreal episodes of Winnipeg's bizarre history - whether they are true or not. The parts of the film that I found to be the most fascinating are his childhood reenactments, in which the director used "his own mother" (Anne Savage) and a group of bad amateur actors to play out his mother's manipulative ways. The film might be hard for those who don't have much of an attention span, but it still a pretty entertaining fare. Guy Maddin's film, though a bit selfish, is a must see, not only because it is good, but because something of this sort only comes out once in a long while.

Money at the Student Life Building

2008-09-27T23:51:00.002-04:00

I just had to make a few quick notes. One, the Cafe and Concessions are CASH ONLY. Seriously, everyone has to be sick of me complaining about it, but people still don't get it. First-timers, I'll allow. Well, only with Cafe. Cafe only has it written once or twice, and then you only really see when you reach the register. With Concessions, we have a sign when you enter the line, a notice on the price board, a sign on the pillar between concession ordering and paying windows, and a last notice on the register itself. So no sympathy, especially when it says in BOLD "Cash Only" and yet people still ask if we take FSU card or any kind of card at all. There are even those special few who, having walked past and seen the signs, ask if we are STILL cash only, as if we would have changed to accepting cards and yet have left the signs up.

Two, we only accept the currency of the United States of America, and no bill larger than a $20 one. Yes, I have to be that specific. We accept your dollar coin, your Susan B. Anthony coin, and your JFK half-dollar. We even accept the $2 bill. Just no $50s or $100s. Who really walks into a bank and asks for that large of a bill anyway? Anyway, why do people try to pay in foreign currency? I haven't had the euro, I'm waiting for it (don't do it after reading this or I'll "spill" your soda on ya) but I have had CANADIAN currency. If you are the girl I just talked to today, don't feel bad for trying to use a Canadian quarter (it is similar to the U.S. quarter after all) but you should feel bad for trying to get me to accept it afterwards. Canadian currency is not equal to U.S. currency (ever wonder why your book has two prices on the cover? The larger one is Canadian). I can feel the weight difference (Canadian is lighter) and even though state quarters help camouflage it, our money doesn't have a queen on it! The first time someone used a Canadian quarter, I didn't catch it till afterwards, so we lost money, but I HAVE caught four more and told their owners to pony up U.S. money fast or be denied their food. Also, your friend telling me she passes off pesos at other places just puts me on guard to catch those as well.

So please, bring cash. We are cheaper than a commercial theater, and the profit from concessions pays for staff and helps pay for movies. New blockbusters are EXPENSIVE and we try not to use up your SGA fees on just movies. It's not that hard to carry the $9 you would spend on a movie ticket and use it to buy a large popcorn and two large drinks. If you come to the movies with friends who talk about getting popcorn, please remind them we are cash only, so I don't give them a dirty look when they order or stand in line for 10 minutes without realizing we are cash only.

Quick, third note. $0.50 popcorn is GONE. It's over, we have a new special. It's on the front of the schedule. Every Tuesday and Saturday is 50% Small Popcorn and Small Soda special. Normally, a Small Popcorn is $2.75 and a Small Soda is $2.25. That is $5 total. At 50%, that is $2.50. This, for those not current in economics or math, is a $0.25 popcorn special. We made it CHEAPER! Stop complaining.

Thank you, and come to the Middle East Film Festival.

Getting ourselves out there!

2008-09-24T01:13:00.002-04:00

So I'm working in fits and starts, but it's happening. As Vice Chair of PR (Marketing) I'm the one doing the facebook, youtube, and blog happenings. Your updates? Most likely me. Wanna know what some movie is on our schedule? If it's not a Monday movie, I posted a trailer to our youtube page. Look, I'm blogging right now.

New features on the facebook fan page: discussion board topics for all fans to request movies for Classics and Midnights. In no way does this beat actually coming to Film Committee meetings (details when you ask the next time you come to a movie), but it makes more people feel involved and takes some strain off of us. Also, this blog is now an RSS feed into the Fan Pages Notes. Easy access. Upcoming, more photos and some video of SLC and its events.

I'm also working on getting us on IMDB.com as well as other movie websites, so our $5 ticket price for non-students gets more action. Anyone who wants to spread the word is also more than welcome, First Friday at Railroad is a great place to start.

How many people like or don't like the new names for popcorn and soda sizes at our concessions stand? It seemed to fall in place easy enough, though I expected more people to be using the new names.

One last note, people who show up to a movie and are upset that they can't get in. Do you know why they can't get in? It's a packed house. Or they cut in line. If you show up to a movie right at start time, you better hope no one else wanted to see the movie. We open the doors for seating 30 minutes before start time, and by that time we usually have a line. Also, the late showings of movies always are the most filled. If you want to try and guarantee a seat for yourself, show up to the early show and make sure it's a half hour before the movie starts. Don't complain to us that you ran over from somewhere to just get there 5-10 minutes AFTER the movie started. If there are seats, we'll let you in. If not, too bad. We try to show movies at multiple times, on multiple days, just so the highest number of people can see it. We aren't keeping you out on purpose.
Concessions closes 30 minutes after the last show of the night begins...and is CASH ONLY.

This week, 3:10 to Yuma was badass, The Fall was beautiful imagery, Open Mic night needs performances (I know there have to be more people on campus who wanna get on stage), Get Smart looks extremely funny, the ADVANCED SCREENING of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is expected to have enough people show up to fill the theater to capacity at least twice over (so get there as close to 3pm as possible, for it's 5pm start time), and we know everyone is coming out for Donnie Darko. Is this an awesomely scheduled week or what?

HD - BS Buzzword

2008-09-10T22:11:00.005-04:00

It's been on my mind since I can remember, what is High Definition? The generic answer that the guys at Best Buy will tell you, is that it's about the pixels, specifically, the height of the video. DVD is at 480 lines, most downloadable content runs 720 (whether it's VOD, streaming, or a good old fashioned download), and Blu-Ray boasts 1080 lines of resolution.

But here's the funny thing, I can rip a DVD to my computer and then re-encode it to a 720 or even 1080 size picture. Guess what happens then? I could legitimately sell that movie (assuming I had the distro rights to do so) and call it "High Def." Is that a load of crap? Absolutely.

So where's the real kicker for High Def? It's in the bitrate, to some degree. I'm not saying size doesn't matter, it does (no matter what your mother told you), but the human eye can't even tell the difference between 720 and 1080 if the screen is smaller than 38 inches (and I doubt you've got 38 inches).

So what is bitrate? Bitrate is the amount information the video actually holds. You're probably familiar with this term from the copious amounts of CD ripping you did in middle school (or gradeschool, god I'm old). The higher the bitrate, the better the sound, the bigger the file. This is especially so for video, most people can recognize quality differences in video than in audio, and video has a lot more info.

So why is HD BS? Because the companies telling you that it is the latest and greatest aren't talking about High Def, they're talking about a buzzword they can use for marketing. This buzzword makes you buy tons of new techie toys and allows them to charge more for a product. Don't believe me? Here are some numbers from George Ou.

As you can see, HD is nothing more than a marketing trick to fool the innocent and weak. Trust in the companies providing HD content? I won't, not for now, except perhaps for Sony (developers of Blu-Ray). But Blu-Ray has less fan 5 years of life left in it, replacements have already been developed. See Ultra High Definition Video.

The bigger problem is America's infrastructure. At the dawn of the internet, we were kings. Now, we have some of the slowest bandwidths, up and down. The beautiful thing is that the providers are investing nothing to fix that, in fact they are doing quite the opposite by instituting bandwidth caps. This means when physical media dies, and believe me it will in the next 10 years, and all we're left with are downloads, they're either going to look like crap or eat up all your bandwidth.

So the next time your cable company tells you it's added more HD programming, it's because they've actually lowered all the bitrates to be able to fit said programing through their shamefully unimpressive bandwidth. The next time you pay more for an HD stream or download, remember that the quality isn't even as good as DVD (which is more than a decade old). Well, America seems to be failing at a lot of things lately, why not fail at the internet and video as well.

In a world where...

2008-09-05T14:51:00.002-04:00

In a world where movie trailers can make or break a film, one man stood out: Don LaFontaine. His long and prolific career (over 5,000 movies) earned him the nickname "The Voice of God."

according to the BBC:

"LaFontaine died in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday from complications caused by an ongoing lung-related illness, his agent said."

He was 68.

LaFontaine's voice can be heard on such memorable trailers as The Godfather Part 2, Batman Returns, Shrek, and Independence Day among many many others.

He is survived by a wife and three children.

In memory here are some fun links, the first is his version of the pledge of allegiance, which puts all my forced recitations in grade school to shame:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfjZj4NY7EM&feature=related

the second is his Geico Ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJMGS7l0wT8&feature=related

The third is 5 Guys in a Limo, where Don LaFontaine, John Leader, Al Chalk, Mark Elliot, and Nick Tate (all voice-over stars) display their unique talents to comedic effect

The New York times has a rather touching obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/arts/television/03lafontaine.html?_r=1&ref=movies&oref=slogin

And the BBC's obituary has more information on some aspects of his life and death:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7595352.stm

Future Midnight Nostalgia: The Dark Knight

2008-07-20T18:35:00.004-04:00

If Batman Begins was a stereotypical superhero film, then The Dark Knight is the opposite of that. This is in part due to Christopher Nolan's genius, but also due to his desire to instill a touch of realness to the Batman franchise. What we get is a film that is on some level, light, yet mixed with darker ingredients that just don't mix the way we want them to.

Heath Ledger's Joker character is of course the cause of much hype around the film. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, but he will no doubt be immortalized by this role. It's Ledger who made the Joker the character he is, even Nolan could not say no to many of Ledger's improvisations. Ledger sets the mood and tone of the film overall, and like the Joker, the film does not follow any set rules that may exist in our minds.

To my personal disdain, I found myself laughing at many of the Jokers' lines, because on some level many of them were funny. As the film went on, I started realizing that while the lines were funny, there was an inherent evil in the character that I just wasn't accepting. There's perhaps a turning point where the Joker is no longer just a menace, but perhaps a character that is simply to be feared, and his humor nothing but sadistic remarks.

There's of course the excellent plot of the film, again looking at the Gotham crime scene, and how the mob responds to the existence of Batman, and newcomer Harvey Dent. At its roots, beyond the superheroes and supervillains, is a city in chaos from crime and corruption, which still relies on a traditional judicial system. Batman can of course fight crime, but can never really provide justice. This is the question posed throughout the film: where does Batman belong, what's his role?

The Dark Knight is now one of my favorites, if not my favorite linear film of all time. Nolan said he based a lot of the film on Heat, but what he's created far surpasses even the great performance between Pacino and DeNiro, as the dynamics between a cop and bank robber are nothing compared to the dynamics between a logical superhero and an irrational supervillain. While my head and my stomach were tied in knots from the amazement and surprise in the film, I'm far from confused on it's rating. There's no doubt it's getting 5.5 out of 5 stars, and trust me, that isn't a typo.

Modern Midnight Movies: The Happening

2008-06-20T10:31:00.002-04:00

In my first article I wasn't expecting a midnight movie, whereas here I was. As the saying goes, typically when you're looking for something you don't find it.

After talking with some people, this seems to be Shyamalan's first actual horror film, even going to all the trouble to have it released on the only Friday the 13th of the year. Knowing that may be the best part of this article for some of you.

Rule #1 of a horror film: The cast should be made up of B-list actors, so as not to distract the audience.

Even before seeing the movie, we are already thinking about Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg excels at two things: looks, and using weapons. As you'd expect, neither of these qualities are utilized in this film. Neither of these are usual qualities of a Shyamalan film either, so already there is a bad mismatch even before seeing the film.

Rule #2 of a horror film: The monster or evil is only a secondary evil. The primary evil is usually not a monster, but another human being, or human beings that lack moral convictions. The primary evil is usually killed off by the secondary evil, finally revealing that the secondary evil isn't as evil as once thought, and may actually not be evil.

This is where the movie fails. Everyone in the movie is vulnerable. Whether they're a good person or a "bad" person. The primary evil in this movie is humanity itself. While at times Shyamalan points out little things about our society, primarily how our concern for money doesn't disappear in times of crisis or how people are selfish even when they need not be (or overly unselfish * 10), he fails to recognize any good in humanity. In the end we are led to believe that those who survived were merely lucky.

As for how the movie plays out, it simply drags on. No one is sure what's going on, and what it is they are running from. Only towards the end are we introduced to a truly horrific person, which again has no real bearing on the movie, either. Throughout the movie are disturbing visuals, though I found them ridiculous, in most cases. If you can't tell from the previews, then let me just spell it out better: The movie is about people just spontaneously killing themselves. One minute they act very confused, then the next thing you see is them taking a conveniently placed sharp object and cutting themselves. Sometimes this was too far fetched, for instance there is a scene where a cop kills himself with his gun, then the gun falls to ground. It is then expectedly picked up by another, and another, etc. Some of these people seem to go needlessly out of their way, for being so confused. While this makes for great visuals, it fails in any sense of reality, which unlike Doomsday, seemed to be a goal of the film.

I give the film 2.5/5 stars for stunning visuals alone. As for acting, and story, and all those other things so important to a movie, don't come to theater expecting those.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-06-11T17:02:00.003-04:00

I was pleasantly suprised when I went to see Indiana Jones and the Kindom of the Crystal Skull. The trailers didn't impress me much, the name sounded retarded and my dad found a reveiw mere hours before it came out saying "It's the Indiana Jones you were afraid of." Overall however, I liked it. I left the theater feeling joyful and hopeful, which is a feeling I haven't had coming out of a theater in a long time. The story was over the top, there were tons of special effects and it was two hours long but George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg managed to weave all the parts of the story together and make it all work.

The following may contain spoilers

The plot weaves together ancient Mayan culture and aliens with astonishing flair. It's believable enough to have a good time and I think that's what the movie was going for. Indiana Jones has a tendency to follow old Hollywood rules and guidelines. There's a good guy, a bad guy and the plucky determined hero will always save the day and his own hide (even if it's at the expense of reality).
This film follows that formula, as do all the others except in this film the bad guys aren't a hoard of savages or nazis, they're ...COMMIES! (though it should be noted that there is a sub plot wherein federal agents are giving Indiana Jones a hard time). The head of the communist agents is agent Irina Spalko, played masterfully by Cate Blanchett (including a superb accent that's different from stereotypical Russian accents in Hollywood). The Good guys are comprised of Indy, his old flame from the first film, Marion Ravenwood (though her last name is now Williams as she has married and been widowed since the first film), and "Mutt" Williams (Marion's son, played by Shia LaBeouf). They fight together as a family using their unique talents to take on the dastardly commies.
The first and third movies were based on Judeo-Christian beliefs, and the second was based around a purely fantastical "tribal" theme (the political correctness of this film has been disputed, not to mention the accuracy). The fourth film seems to take after the second film, but bases it on a real tribal culture and in a respectful fashion, such as gleaning information about the aliens from tribal paintings and the ingenious and technical traps that thwart our heros. It's still a moralizing tale though, as the alien's veiw of treasure is sharply different from that of some of the humans, and there are some severe lessons on greed.
The movie has all the action and wit of the first three films (including gruesome deaths yet bloodless bullet wounds), making the two hours fly by. Not to mention, there are several inside jokes and allusions to the previous films, so there's plenty there for old Indiana Jones fans. There's also plenty of new things for Indiana Jones fans, such as the improved special effects, a solid and original plot, and just the right amount of exposition to introduce newbies to the franchise. All in all I thought it was an enjoyable movie, and left the theater in higher spirits than when I entered. Sometimes there's nothing better than an old-school style movie where good always overcomes evil and imagination and adventure are unlimited.

The Worst Movie Ever

2008-04-07T09:55:00.002-04:00

And yet we must show it as a midnight. Seriously, how can anyone resist this atrocity? It looks so delicious.
Zombie Strippers

Let's Babble About the "Best!"

2008-03-31T21:03:00.001-04:00

Film Discussion Club encourages you come out to the Cyber Café to share your opinions on what makes a movie a “classic” on Thursday night. Yes, There Will Be Blood will be playing at the SLC that night, but there’s always Friday and Saturday. :P

To get my toes wet in the topic now, I’ll confess my desire to go back in time and watch La haine for the first time. I re-watched it in my French class last week, but the occasion didn’t compare to the cinematic wallop it felt like when I experienced it last summer after prioritizing it on my Netflix queue once Criterion released it on DVD. How a movie endures repeat viewings is a popular barometer for measuring how “classic” or “great” one is, but is there any merit in those unforgettable first acquaintances? In his introduction to his “Great Movies” column, Roger Ebert says he “envies the experience” awaiting people when they mention they’re seeing a particular movie he loves for the first time. I feel the same way about my own batch of “great” movies.

Anyway, try to come out on Thursday night at 7 to share your thoughts.

My Perception of Persepolis

2008-03-23T23:49:00.002-04:00

Black and white animation...in a world of Ratatouille's and Shrek's, it's a daunting task to hold one's own in an industry where innovation in animation bears more influence than the storylines themselves. Granted, Ratatouille delivers both visually and as a narrative, but with a budget of $150,000,000 and the power of Pixar, I'd hope so. (Shrek the Third, on the other hand, is open to interpretation.) But as I watched Pixar's newest installment win an he Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, for which it deserved, I took notice of its runner-up, Persepolis.

With a budget of just over $7 million, Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi collaborate to create Persepolis, a film adaption of Satrapi's earlier autobiographical graphic novels of the same name. Their combined artistry (Paronnaud previously worked with comics) serves to illustrate a complex story of a young girl living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. A rebellious and curious youth with an interest in everything from ABBA to Iron Maiden, Marjane comes to terms with her Iranian past, her future in France, and the family that supported her along the way. The choice of black and white brilliantly turns the viewer's attention away from any show of spectacle and toward the simplistic, straightforwardness of Marjane's story, not unlike her inspiring graphic novels.

Why call it Persepolis? According to its official website, it refers to a 6th century BC Persian capital, later destroyed by Alexander the Great. It is meant to represent a complex Iranian culture lying hidden beneath the modern-day simplistic view of fundamentalism and fanaticism. And maybe that's why the use of black and white works so well. It's a simple medium employed to combat a simplistic interpretation of Iranian society. Ratatouille? No, but added depth should count for something.

http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/

SXSW

2008-03-19T13:10:00.005-04:00

Guh, guh, guh. I've been avoiding doing SXSW review posts not because it wasn't a freaking blast but because I'm freaking lazy. In the next few posts from me you can expect reviews on:

21
Mister Lonely
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
Some Assembly Required
Run Fat Boy Run
Dance of the Dead
Older Than America
New Orleans Mon Amour
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Southern Gothic
Frontrunners
Yeast
Humboldt County

If there are any that you'd like to see a review on before the others, leave a comment to let me know.

Oh yeah, and I recently saw Funny Games -- a movie I had previously said I would never see -- so I may do a review on that as well.

Peace!
-Bonster

p.s. I'm really stoked about the posts on here lately and I'd like to share it with the inter-world. I'm going to link this blog to my Technorati Profile and maybe we'll start seeing other folks popping up around here too!

GWH

2008-03-19T02:56:00.000-04:00

This is great.

Modern Midnight Movies: Doomsday

2008-03-16T19:26:00.003-04:00

If there's any genre I prefer, for no particular reason, it's sci-fi/horror. This goes all the way back to Event Horizon, which I saw 5 times in the theater, tying with my best friend. I know about two-thirds of them are crap anyway, and I really wasn't expecting much from Doomsday, but alas I was compelled as usual.

It started off with a lot of narration and visuals to help explain everything, which was helpful. These two things go away after 15 minutes and I can only wonder if the budget was short. Anyway, the narrator starts off by explaining that this movie is like all the other movies you've seen already: a virus breaks out yadda yadda... survivors... you get the point. The difference is that there aren't a bunch of dead, half dead, or angry people running around mindlessly killing people. This movie only deals with the living. Hence after cordoning off half of the UK, leaving a wall separating the infected from the non-infected, life returns to normal. You know, unemployment, riots, etc. Well, naturally the virus springs up again. Luckily, satellite photographs show survivors on the other side of the wall, meaning perhaps there is a cure.

This is where the movie veered slightly to show a bunny get blasted, which I couldn't help but break into laughter. Little did I know I'd be laughing myself to tears in another hour. For awhile I thought the film was going overboard as the survivors are all punks, complete with tattoos, body art, and baseball bats. The gimp seemed to be quite excessive, as well. Then at some point you just go with it.

Like most midnight movies, there is the debate about good and evil, yet this movie went a bit further. Sooner or later it becomes clear the good and evil don't matter, only existing matters, and the rights there of. Essentially what started off like any other sci-fi movie turned into a brawl with reckless abandon. I figure that the writer simply threw in any ideas he thought of and didn't stop to think about throwing any out. One thing is certain, I haven't laughed this much at the movies for quite some time. I give it 5 out of 5 stars, because as bad a sci-fi movie as it was, it didn't disappoint in terms of pure entertainment. If anyone else is going to see this, let me know, I'd love to see IT 5 times.

I am Legend - Original Ending

2008-03-16T13:07:00.001-04:00

Check this out. Spoilers beyond this link.

German Expresionist Influences on Contemporary Cinema

2008-03-08T17:55:00.009-05:00

German Expressionism, it's kind of a hard pill to swallow, much less define. Wikipedia has a good definition of it, but there's concerns as to it's accuracy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_expressionism). Artmovements.co.uk has an extremely vague definition but seems more accurate because it has better vocabulary (http://www.artmovements.co.uk/expressionism.htm). For the intent of this article, I will (without any qualification) define it as a movement in early German cinema spanning from about 1910-1930 wherein innovative set design and special effects were used, and often using sets or costumes that were works of art in their own right. This is the only thing I can say that includes all the films in this category that I've seen (Nosferatu, Metropolis, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari). It's one of those things you know when you see and can't explain well to others.

In any case, I'd like to go over a few movies that draw from these films. The First up is Alexander Proyas' Dark City. The film's Wiki page compares it to Metropolis with the sets and use of large clocks, but I personally think it has more to do with Nosferatu. I can't help but notice the uncanny resemblance between The Other's [aliens] costume design and that of the vampire's costume design in the 1929 silent film Nosferatu (see the image to the left, The Others are on the far left and Nosferatu on the right). I'd like to point out the pale bald heads, rounded shoulders accentuated by a long coat, and round bulging eyes.

Next up is basically everything Tim Burton has ever done, but for the sake of brevity we will look at Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton draws heavily from one expressionist film repeatedly, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It is a horror film from around 1919-1920. It's a bit lacking in the plot department, but it more than makes up for it with the visuals in my opinion. In Bob Howard's words (which I'm trying to recall from a meeting about a year ago when we voted in The Seventh Seal) "there's not a straight line in the whole picture." This is the most perfect description of the sets that I've heard. The sets play with geometric shapes, angles and diagonals (which are frequently used in art to create a tense or dramatic mood) to create unique , beautiful and atmospheric sets. Burton uses this method in The Nightmare before Christmas (as seen below, one of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari's sets is on the right). One should note the almost identical street lamps in both images provided.

The characters in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari all have white faces with dark circles painted under their eyes, creating an eerie effect. This is repeated in Edward Scissorhand's character design (as seen below, Cesar from The Cabinet on the left and Edward Scissorhands on the right), in addition to both characters being tall lanky men with unruly black hair in black bodysuits.

For additional info about Dark City, here it is on imdb:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118929/

and here's a youtube comparison of Dark City to The Matrix by a rather cranky spanish speaking person, which is cool because it shows the sets The Matrix reused:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NcBUelP1bI&feature=related

For additional information on Nosferatu, here's imdb's profile:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013442/
And here's the movie in it's entirety, because it's in the public domain, it's free and legal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEOsb6CRvNU

For more info on the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010323/

For good articles on The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Check out the following:
http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/classic-movies/55-the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari-1920-robert-wiene.php
http://www.filmmonthly.com/Silents/Articles/Caligari/Caligari.html

and to check out The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which is also in the public domain, go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrNJBbXhvOs

by the way, I have a copy of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (much better quality than Youtube), Nightmare Before Christmas, and Dark City if anyone would like to borrow them.

2008-03-03T19:34:00.003-05:00

"If I'd grown up on a farm and was retarded, Bruges might impress me, but I didn't, so it doesn't." Ray's crass and otherwise politically incorrect commentary carries the audience through Martin McDonagh's dark comedy In Bruges (2008). The city itself, with its preserved medieval architecture and "fairy-tale" atmosphere (as Ralph Fiennes' Harry would put it), serves as more than just a setting for the two hiding hit men. Forced to spend their days seeing the sights and sounds of Bruges, McDonagh subtly works the concept of tourism into the narrative as more than just a shameless plug to an otherwise unknown city.*
He comments on America's current popularity (or general lack thereof) in Europe through Ray's off-hand remarks toward many of the visiting Americans (and one unfortunate Canadian, as you'll see) while still holding true to the main narrative structure of the film itself. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes offer compelling performances as does Clemence Poesy, although I found it particularly distracting to see 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Voldemort and Fleur Delacour in Bruges and not in Hogwarts. If that distracts you during your viewing of the film, I apologize. But hey, it bothered me, too. Otherwise, McDonagh's feature-length directorial debut is worth a look, if only to see a smart (albeit far from perfect) script convey both humanizing remorse and unforgiving humor as two Irish hit men hide away in this quiet Belgian city. In Bruges.

*not to say Bruges doesn't have its fans, or to say that its inhabitants are any less for living there.

Barton Fink

2008-02-28T23:30:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time since I've reacted so much to a movie (verbally and physically). If anyone was sitting with me during this movie, they know. From "What the hell?" to "Oh my god, he's gonna hit her. Oh my god, he's gonna hit her!" to "What's in the box!?!?!" I'm still digesting it. I know what's in the box, now, I'm not that dense. And tomorrow, No Country for Old Men....the Coen brothers do it again.

The Ebb and Flow of Movies

2008-02-26T13:57:00.001-05:00

Check this out, box office returns from '86 to '07 in the coolest looking graph this side of nylon rope.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/02/23/movies/20080223_REVENUE_GRAPHIC.html?unomas

Boogie Nights

2008-02-23T01:57:00.003-05:00

So almost full, which isn't bad for having no midnight last week, the stormy weather, and a power outage the last time we had a midnight.

Gus says "We had 863 people attend tonight, several of which stayed after Enchanted to see Boogie Nights. My porn name is Midnight Sycamore. Good night and good luck."

Also, need votes for our last midnight movie of the semester!
The four choices are:
Almost Famous
Being John Malkovich
Snatch
Spaceballs

Right now the choices are really close. Exit polls show Almost Famous and Spaceballs in the lead, so if make sure to tell people to ask about voting.

Sleebies on Sunday! Now we find out who is considered the best in each category, such as "Best Theater Staffer," "Most Absent Film Committee Member," and "Slowest Employee," among others.

Side note: Mary Beth has survived her two days with me, on Saturday she moves on to work with someone else.

Make Monsters, Not War!

2008-02-22T22:16:00.007-05:00

Godzilla in recent history has been the symbol for many things, usually bad dubbing and actors in poorly constructed monster suits, but when Ishiro Honda's 1954 classic was originally released, it was meant to represent much more and serve as a powerful antiwar statement.
The original Godzilla, i.e. the Japanese version was heavily edited when it came to the states so as not to piss off veterans of WWII (and Raymond Burr was added to the US version as well). The Japanese version wasn't released in the states until Sept. 5th 2006. Because the origional and the Raymond Burr version are so different, they left the film with it's Japanese name, Gojira (but because I'm used to Godzilla, we'll stick to that to describe the monster in this post). It should be noted that as much of an antiwar statement as the origional film was, it only touches on weapons of mass destruction (i.e. nothing Japan did during the war).
Godzilla the monster is a metaphor for many things including nuclear weapons and the weapons race between America and The Soviet Union. One reason the reaction was so delayed was because American occupation of Japan after the war didn't end till April 28, 1952. Even after the occupation ended, Japan remained pretty quiet on the horrors of nuclear warfare until The Lucky Dragon Incident, wherein a Japanese fishing boat got too close to a then secret hydrogen bomb test (by the U.S.) on an atoll in the pacific. Everyone on board got radiation poisoning (one crew member died). This created a mass panic in Japan and people were afraid to eat fish. In the commentary on the dvd, one of the experts points out a quote on the train that directly alludes to this:
"It's terrible, huh? Contaminated tuna and radioactive fallout, and now this Godzilla to top it all off."

~SPOILERS AHEAD IN REST OF POST, READ AT OWN RISK~

There's another scene that one of the commentators on the dvd points out that's related to this, and that's the very first scene where a freighter is attacked and sunk. The crew all eventually die, as do the crews of two other boats that try to rescue them.
Another way Honda shows the horrors of war is by showing the human aspect. One of the survivors of the rescue boat from Odo island washes on shore only to die in his brothers arms. There are frequently shots of people oblivious to their fates right before the audience sees their inevitable doom. These are usually just small shots, such as people on a train acting normally just before Godzilla stomps on it, smashing a car and derailing the train. But there are a few other shots that are longer. One such shot is of a young man named Shinkichi who is asleep in a house he shares with his brother and a woman I assume is his brother's wife. There's a storm and an earthquake accompanied by Godzilla's trademark stomping sounds. Shinkichi runs out to see what's going on, sees the monster, and screams to his brother to get out of the house (I guess he doesn't like his sister in law?), but by the time his brother reaches the door it's too late. He runs to take cover with his wife and we see the house collapse on top of them. There are also victims who are very keen of their fate, such as a mother cradling her children in the burning streets of Tokyo during one of Godzilla's rampages telling them everything will be ok and they'll be with their father soon.
The after effects are also illustrated in a way that would lead one to believe they're based at least in part on the events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We run into the mother and her children from the streets in a hospital overrun with victims. The mother is now dead and her body is being taken away as one of her children screams and cries for her. There are also scenes of fallout shelters. One of the passengers on the train even remarks before Godzilla strikes Tokyo that he doesn't want to go into the shelters again (obviously referring to events in WWII).
These are only the examples directly related to the monster. These are by no means the only allusions (another being The Oxygen Destroyer), but I can't possibly fit them all into a post, so I'm sticking to mostly the physical monster. I'd also like to say that very few, if any, of the thoughts in this article are my own origional thoughts and speculations. I've pieced together what little I know from the DVD (which has wonderful special features in addition to the commentaries) and various articles on the internet. I didn't cite because this is long and nerdy enough. However, if you'd like to read up on anything, here are some helpful links:
CNN article on The Lucky Dragon Incident:
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/08/spotlight/
The official site of the DVD in question:
http://www.godzillaondvd.com/
and a very nice reveiw on that DVD:

Enchanted

2008-02-22T16:18:00.002-05:00

Um, big props to us for playing this movie! It's fantastic! I wish I could see it all three nights!!! Also, very excited about the Oscar party.
Ugh! Enchanted!! SO GOOD!

80th Annual Academy Awards!

2008-02-20T12:33:00.003-05:00

Come Sunday, February 24th, every cinema-loving, movie-quoting, film-craving lad and lass in the greater United States (and beyond!) should tune in to see the best of the best get the highest of recognitions in the form of Academy Awards! Okay, enough frivolous verbiage, let's get down to the nominations (and this list isn't the complete set of nominations, just some of the major categories. For the full list go to the official website at Oscar Nominations.)

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
--George Clooney ("Michael Clayton")
--Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood")
--Johnny Depp ("Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street")
--Tommy Lee Jones ("In The Valley of Elah")
--Viggo Mortenson ("Eastern Promises")

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
--Casey Affleck ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford")
--Javier Bardem ("No Country For Old Men")
--Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Charlie Wilson's War")
--Hal Halbrook ("Into the Wild")
--Tom Wilkinson ("Michael Clayton")

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
--Cate Blanchett ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age")
--Julie Christie ("Away From Her")
--Marion Cotillard ("La Vie En Rose")
--Laura Linney ("The Savages")
--Ellen Page ("Juno")

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
--Cate Blanchett ("I'm Not There")
--Ruby Dee ("American Gangster")
--Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement")
--Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby Gone")
--Tilda Swanton ("Michael Clayton")

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
--"Persepolis"
--"Ratatouille"
--"Surf's Up"

DIRECTING
--"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
--"Juno"
--"Michael Clayton"
--"No Country For Old Men"
--"There Will Be Blood"

FILM EDITING
--"The Bourne Ultimatum"
--"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
--"Into the Wild"
--"No Country For Old Men"
--"There Will Be Blood"

BEST PICTURE
--"Atonement"
--"Juno"
--"Michael Clayton"
--"No Country For Old Men"
--"There Will Be Blood"

Bear in mind this is a partial list of the categories. Follow the link at the top of the page to find the full official list of categories and nominations.

The Oscars begin on Sunday (Feb. 24th) at 8pm with pre-shows beginning at 6pm.

Late Spring Schedule Descriptions

2008-02-19T17:26:00.007-05:00

Help us out! We worked on this a bit in the meeting, but we've got to have it done by Thursday morning. We'll probably lock ourselves in the program office again, work through the night fueling up on pizza and caffeine, only to be trumped by the editorial process and weeks late anyway... So write stuff now! You've all read the schedule descriptions of the past, now you can write the descriptions of the future.
Here's the list:

    Cafes:
       -I'm Not There
       -Atonement
       -The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
       -There Will Be Blood
       -Paprika
   Midnights:
       -The Royal Tenenbaums
       -Mystery Science Theater 3000
       -Scarface
       -Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
   Blockbusters:
       -Sweeney Todd
       -Juno
       -I am Legend
       -Charlie Wilson's War
       -Cloverfield
       -Walk Hard (Cloverfield Backup)
   Audience Pick Ballot:
       -Almost Famous
       -Snatch
       -Spaceballs
       -Being John Malkovich

If you missed anything

2008-02-19T17:20:00.002-05:00

Here's your awesome list of everything you should know.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/awards/
If you missed anything for the Oscars all of it is here. All the awards, all the movies nominated, and trailers for every one. So if you don't know what something his, click, bam, knowledge.

Exiled...to concessions stand?

2008-02-19T13:26:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow, Wednesday, someone new at concessions: Mary Beth.

For some of the time I've been working in concessions, I occasionally get someone who walks up, smiles, and says I'm slow at my job. Guess who started this joke. Mary Beth, right. Now for my revenge. (insert evil laughter)

Don't let this stop you from coming to see Exiled though, that movie looks awesome.

Hey, it has to be better than Jumper!

(Gus, don't worry, everything will be fine)

Edit: This is the girl who volunteers at the base of the stairs all the time. You know, loud voice?

Jumper

2008-02-18T19:32:00.005-05:00

Great tag line for a movie. Really. A+ for effort.
Unfortunately, D- for execution.

As if Valentine's Day wasn't painful enough, my date and I went to see the new Doug Liman film "Jumper".

The movie was underwhelmingly mediocre at best. Beautiful backdrops (who doesn't like Rome?) and a superpower I think we all wish we had. But then there's also a story and that's where the movie takes a turn of the worst.

The "protaganist" David, played by Hayden Christensen (or as I like to remember him, Scott Barringer from the short-lived Fox Family show "Higher Ground") has the ability to jump from one place to another, most times...around the WORLD! He finds out he can do this at a young age, falls for a hometown chick (Millie played by OC alumna Rachel Bilson), leaves home and becomes a "banker" located in some big city...

YADA YADA YADA!

The one thing that I will give him is that he doesn't try to be a hero. David uses his power for himself which is exactly what the rest of us would do but instead we all have to "drive" places.

But, as is the tendency of all action/sci-fi/boring plot device, he is not the only one who can do this and wouldn't you know? People are pissed off that David can do what he does and thus he's on the run from Samuel, who once again plays himself, but now with a ridiculous pelage of white that resembles the best of any Brillo pad collection.

It's amazing to think that the casting director thought that Hayden and Rachel would actually make a good match. I mean, in a way they do, but that's because they both have the combined acting talents of a piece of plywood. I spent the majority of scenes where David and Millie were together covering my eyes and praying to God that they wouldn't touch. That much wood rubbing together was sure to start a fire.

And it did.

And a part of me died.

In fact, the only shiny point of the film was the Griffin character played by Jamie Bell or, as it has been pointed out, Billy Elliot (thanks Gus!). His character managed to bring a much needed lighter note to the whole atmosphere of a movie that overwhelmingly reeked of "trying too hard".

Overall, I give it a 2 out of 5 Billy Elliots -- only for Jamie Bell's appearance. DANCE BILLY! DANCE! Far away from this movie!

Indiana Jones 4 and the Crystal Suck

2008-02-14T17:47:00.001-05:00

Yes, it sucks. It looks horrible. The teaser itself is a horrible cut. Get over it. Freak out all you want, it's gonna suck. Hard.

Trying this out

2008-02-13T01:15:00.001-05:00

Why not? Figure, if I ever get bored between movies, wanna rant about whoever spilled popcorn that day, why not do it here?

As long as it's interesting.

2008-02-12T23:50:00.001-05:00

yes, movies are cool.

Trial Dos

2008-02-08T13:33:00.001-05:00

Hooray! Uploading pictures is easy! Boy do I love classics. Narf.

Test

2008-02-08T13:26:00.001-05:00

This is a test. Movies are awesome. All hail Gus.