June22012

Lately, I’ve been trying to check off movies on the AFI Top 100 List, which lead me to watch The Grapes of Wrath (1940) earlier (since it’s been on my computer for ages). 

I’ve been told by a lot of people that it’s hopelessly boring, but I thought it was rather decent. John Ford makes great use of the black and white photography, and the sound too. The wind is constantly howling in the background, which highlights the loneliness and desolation of the Okies. The acting by Henry Fonda and the rest was superb as well.

But, I also understand why people wouldn’t like it. The characters themselves are hokey and stereotypical, and the story isn’t very energetic. It’s just not one of those movies you can just pop in (hence me putting off watching it for so long). Ford has also done many better movies, like Stagecoach (1939), which has much more distinctive cinematography.

All in all, a good movie, but not terribly fun to watch.

The Grapes of Wrath John Ford Henry Fonda film film review 

May242012

Despite the lack of chemistry between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), the bonky editing and direction, and all of the grunting, Thor (2011) is a masterpiece of cheese. In fact, the grunting almost made the movie.

What actually made though the movie was the relationship between Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston). I found myself rooting for their relationship more than the romance with Jane. Natalie Portman is always good, but she didn’t have much of a script or character to work with. I mean, they knew each other for two days—two days! I think Romeo and Juliet had a more established relationship than Jane and Thor did. If the screenwriters had focused on the epic brotherhood of Loki and Thor, the movie would have been so much more interesting overall.

Loki himself is probably the best character. If he was from our world, he would be the annoying little brother to Thor’s high school jock. He causes so much serious trouble, and yet you can’t stay mad at him. It would be odd that Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Thor aren’t more angry at Loki for his mischief, except that’s the way one would expect gods to act. As if nearly killing a bunch of innocent people on Earth, and almost permanently banning Thor was just child’s play. Hiddleston takes charming villain to a whole new level. I also loved the excess of Asgard and everyone in it. Jolly feasts, winged helmets, and rainbow bridges? Yes please! It’s all so flamboyant and wonderful that you can’t help being charmed by it. 

I think that’s how I feel about the entire movie. Though it has its shortcomings, it accepts how cheesy it is, and thrives on it—but it still provides depth through Loki and Thor’s dynamic. Definitely watch it for the lolz.

Thor Loki Odin Chris Hemsworth Natalie Portman Tom Hiddleston Anthony Hopkins Kenneth Branagh film film review 

March272012
We watched The Quiet American (2002) today in one of my film classes, which was fantastic. I’d actually seen the beginning of it a year or two back, but I’d been bored by it and stopped watching. Now I’m kicking myself mentally because upon seeing it again, I’m better able to see it brilliance.  I think what made the difference was seeing it on the big screen, rather than on my tiny computer. What I loved about the cinematography was the close-ups. They let the actors (especially Michael Caine) showcase their subtlety. Surprisingly enough, Brendan Fraser’s doofiness was appropriate for this movie. Good for him! I was also struck by its commentary on objectification. As we discussed in class, there seemed to be a parallel between the effects of colonialism in Vietnam, and Caine and Fraser’s relationship with a young Vietnamese woman. Like the country itself, the woman is passed from man to man, hoping for a better life, but never quite succeeding because she is at the whims of others. A great meditational and political film.

We watched The Quiet American (2002) today in one of my film classes, which was fantastic. I’d actually seen the beginning of it a year or two back, but I’d been bored by it and stopped watching. Now I’m kicking myself mentally because upon seeing it again, I’m better able to see it brilliance. 

I think what made the difference was seeing it on the big screen, rather than on my tiny computer. What I loved about the cinematography was the close-ups. They let the actors (especially Michael Caine) showcase their subtlety. Surprisingly enough, Brendan Fraser’s doofiness was appropriate for this movie. Good for him!

I was also struck by its commentary on objectification. As we discussed in class, there seemed to be a parallel between the effects of colonialism in Vietnam, and Caine and Fraser’s relationship with a young Vietnamese woman. Like the country itself, the woman is passed from man to man, hoping for a better life, but never quite succeeding because she is at the whims of others.

A great meditational and political film.

Brendan Fraser Michael Caine Philip Noyce The Quiet American film film review 

February202012

Guess how many films are about WWII?

… a lot.

An incomplete list of films in which World War II is a part of the narrative.

Considering the list might not contain all of them kind of boggles my mind.

(This is how I spend my time instead of doing homework.)

WWII film my mind it is boggled 

12PM

Piracy’s Real Influence on the U.S.

Film piracy has a very little impact on box office results in the U.S. but likely cuts into studio profits overseas depending on the time lag between a film’s American debut and rollout overseas.

This is really interesting. Studios are freaking out about piracy, and yet it doesn’t have nearly the impact that they’re claiming it does (at least domestically). So why is it that tickets sales haven’t been doing well if people still prefer to go to the theater?

Is it the quality, perhaps?

piracy film studios 

January302012

X-Men: First Class Sequel In The Works

“Concurrent with today’s announcement that Emma Watts renewed her contract as 20th Century Fox production president until 2015, it was revealed that Fox has closed deals forMatthew Vaughn and the cast of X-Men: First Class to return for the forthcoming sequel.”

X-Men will never die in the movies, especially with the continuing comic book trend. Not that I mind in the slightest.

x-men: first class sequel film film news matthew vaughn 20th Century Fox 

January262012

Spike Lee’s Co-Writer Discusses Continued Privilege in Hollywood

 ”Nothing in this world happens unless white folks says it happens.”

“And therein lies the problem of being a professional black storyteller, writer, musician, filmmaker. Being black is like serving as Hoke, the driver in ‘Driving Miss Daisy,’ except it’s a kind of TV series lasts the rest of your life: You get to drive the well-meaning boss to and fro, you love that boss, your lives are stitched together, but only when the boss decides your story intersects with his or her life is your story valid. Because you’re a kind of cultural maid.”

“When George Lucas complained publicly about the fact that he had to finance his own film because Hollywood executives told him they didn’t know how to market a black film, no one called him a fanatic. But when Spike Lee says it, he’s a racist militant and a malcontent. Spike’s been saying the same thing for 25 years.”

(Source: Los Angeles Times)

Spike Lee James McBride white privilege film hollywood 

January222012

J. Hoberman on The Changing Film Scene

“I can feel as if I’m whispering into the wind, drowned out by the whirring of the mainstream cinema hype machine, which of course is kept nicely oiled by the entertainment media.”

That quote was actually by Manohla Dargis, one of the interviewers, but Hoberman has a few interesting (and depressing) thoughts about how film reviewing has changed, especially since the 1980s. Personally, I find this fascinating because I’m still so new to film at this point. From what I gather in this article, I really should’ve been born at least 10 or 20 years earlier.

(Source: The New York Times)

film film review J. Hoberman 

January212012

‘Last Exorcism’ Sequel To Start Filming

Studiocanal EVP of international distribution, Harold Van Lier, adds, “We are horrified to bring to the marketplace the eagerly awaited sequel to our 2010 worldwide hit. This much bigger scale movie will unravel a profoundly scarier chapter to Nell’s battle between good and evil. God have mercy.”

Okay, super cheesy press statement, but I’m still interested in how they’ll spin this sequel, considering the ending of the original.

The Last Exorcism sequel film 

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