"...and it SUCKED!"

Image via Wikipedia

OogieRah and I had been talking about making a movie together for years. Many a late night phone call would involve scenes with the intent of shocking/pissing off an audience, and how fun it would be to get away with it. Around mid September, word started to spread on Facebook and Twitter of a Super 8 film contest in New Orleans; one 3 minute reel of film, in camera edits, see the film for the 1st time with everybody else - very dangerous, very cool. Opportunity given, we signed up.

Now, the original idea for our short was a bit more our liking; a guy makes a sandwich, walks upstairs, opens a bedroom door to reveal a female's foot tied to the bed. The End. No explanation, no resolution. Not being able to cast a foot model in time, we went with a more lighthearted idea; me, setting up a movie screening at a college campus, alone. Not bad, as I had done this very task several times before. And so, without permission to shoot on SLU campus property, we went ahead with production on "Screen This!". It only took a few hours to shoot. Next door to a heavily occupied student government meeting, we risked getting kicked out, but it's not like we were doing anything REALLY wrong.

About a week or so later, we made our way to New Orleans. The film had already been dropped off, and supposedly developed without incident. Along with his girlfriend, we arrived on time, for what was called The Yeah Brah & Woah Dee Festival, The NOLA Underground Super 8 Film Festival, and The One Reel Super 8 Contest. Without a clear name, I turned to my friend and said, "I hate this already".

After a short assemblage of local shorts, we were treated to an obnoxiously long parade of DJ music, rap, and the stylings of MC Chris Lane. Not to say that the musicians were horrible - far from it. But excuse me for expecting FILMS at a FILM FESTIVAL (to be fair, the musical performances were announced in advance, but who knew they would last so long?). The three of us sat on our bench, uncomfortably, for several hours, waiting...

Finally, it was time for the screening we were waiting for. The super 8 shorts were shown on what I'm guessing was a DVD, and for the most part, were pretty clever. But one short in particular caught our attention; announced as Lori Tipton's. It was black. 3 minutes of black. A rough image here and there, but nothing distinguishable. Pure blackness. Part of what made the contest interesting was that if the filmmakers messed up, there was no going back; it would be shown, no matter what. Clearly, something didn't go right for this person. "Sorry, but that last film was not by Lori Tipton, but by Bill Arceneaux and Patrick Simmons. And IT SUCKED! IT SUCKED!"

We were shocked. Was that really our film? Sure we only spent a few hours making it, but it was ours. Nah. Maybe they made a mistake. We stayed until the last short of the screening to make sure - but it was, indeed, our film. Our mistake. We tried to figure out what happened; Did we load it in wrong? Did we remove the film incorrectly? Was it improperly developed? One of the festival promoters was just as surprised as we were. We left One Eyed Jacks not as entertained film enthusiasts or as trophy holders, but as self disappointed amateurs. I picked up a Mountain Dew Voltage, and they got some McDonalds afterwards. "We could always say we intended it to be all black. You know, to mess with people". That made us smile.

Note - please don't take this as a diss to the festival promoters TimeCode:NOLA. The comments made about the festival were just to describe how out of place we felt. When films were being shown, we had a blast (except for when ours was shown), and may show up again if another festival is planned for next year. Just leave Chris Lane at home.

MovieBoozer Redux: "In Time"

Sometimes, after completing a writing assignment, my thoughts on the subject continue. I recently posted a review for "In Time" on MovieBoozer , and while I'm happy with it, I feel like commenting a little more. Below is the original review, with some additions/changes:

Several weeks in, Occupy Wall Street is only getting stronger. The populist movement has taken hold of a country that has seen too much corruption, and not enough justice. Hollywood, always there to capitalize, has provided some escapist relief for the disenchanted. But does it matter if the relief provided has the subtlety of a hammer over the head?

“In Time” is set in either an alternate universe or a distant future, where science has found a way to shut off the aging gene once a person reaches 25. After that, a permanent clock on your arm is set, giving you one year left to live. If you want to live longer you must add more time - now the global currency - to your clock. Of course, with a free market in a world like that, not everyone can be immortal.

Our story follows Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), who, after an encounter with a suicidal man, is given over a century of time. This, coupled with the death of his mother, the hooking up with an attractive heiress (Amanda Seyfried), and a pursuit by a relentless TimeKeeper (a cop, Cillian Murphy), starts Will off on a mission to upset a corrupt system that favors the few and exploits the many.

A Toast

The creative allegory of a society where time is literally money, where the rich are immortal and the poor live literally day to day, is not only strong, but fairly easy to grasp. Any American living paycheck to paycheck can immediately relate to this, and will definitely root for the Will Salas' forced wealth redistribution. And any help in getting the message out about income inequality and a corrupt financial system is only a good thing. 

Beer Two

I was ecstatic when I read that Andrew Niccol was going to write and direct this. His previous films Gattaca (Special Edition) and Lord of War both dealt with major issues without being too on the nose about it. For example, in the beginning of "Lord of War", we see Nicolas Cage, in a suit, standing amongst millions of bullets, wondering how He can sell more guns. On the nose, yes. But the rest of the movie deals more with his character than with the issue of international gun running.

With “In Time”, however, Andrew Niccol seems to have lost his touch. In almost every scene, characters talk about how it sucks that too many are left without while too few have all the power. No internal character study/conflict in the midst of the corruption, just Bonnie & Clyde/robin Hood style action against said corruption. And puns. There are LOTS of time puns.

Beer Three

Will and his girlfriend are on the run from a TimeKeeper, whose mission is to arrest them and restore order to this unfair system. In a few scenes, He makes reference to knowing Will's father. An interesting development could come from this; is there a secret about Will's father that might give more insight into his own character/struggle? Something that might give the movie more substance? Nope. Will's father is only briefly mentioned, and never brought up again.

Beer Four

At one point, Will breaks into a time bank by crashing a truck into it. Afterwards, during an investigation of the event, a TimeKeeper quips “They must’ve thought it was a drive thru”. Hardy har har.

Verdict

The accuracy of the films message doesn’t make up for the poor way it's expressed. This is unfortunate, especially coming from Andrew Niccol. Maybe the studio wanted a dumbed down action flick and were hoping the public wouldn't care? In the end, we at least get to see a regular Joe take down fat cats with force. Maybe that's all the public needs right now? That and major political reform, of course.  

Bonus Drinking Game

Take a Drink: For every pun about time (recommended).

Take a Drink: Whenever you wish for more subtlety.  

Take a Swig: If you were as disappointed as I was.

Review: "The Last Lullaby"

The following entry is cross posted from InvadeNola:

Ever find yourself digging through the discount DVD bin at Wal Mart in the middle of the night? You’re not really looking to buy something, and you’re really not looking for anything in particular – you’re just trying to fill the time. For some, a wide eyed walk around the local store is all that’s needed to burn that last bit of energy. For others…

The Last Lullaby is a story lead by two such people; two restless souls, troubled by sleepless nights and haunted pasts. When their paths inevitably cross, they will have to work together, not only to resolve their more immediate problem, but to ultimately get a good night’s sleep.

We are first introduced to our male lead, a nameless ex hitman who goes by whatever alias He can think of. Played by Tom Sizemore, Jack (his primary alias) lives a fairly comfortable life, but does so uncomfortably. Weathered and restless, Jack visits a convenience store where, by chance, He overhears a kidnapping plot. Out of sheer boredom, He rescues a woman, only to demand a ransom for her safe return. While He handles this situation with the expertise you’d expect, He seems to be going through the motions; punching a thug in the face is just like going to the store or watching Nick at Nite for this guy.

Months later, He is contacted by the woman’s father to perform a job; to eliminate a witness. He hesitantly accepts, and proceeds to go about his former routine. This is where He meets (well, observes) his target Sarah, played by Sasha Alexander. Probably breaking a golden rule, Jack makes his presence known to her, only to end up striking an immediate relationship.

Just as restless as Jack, Sarah also has an equally troubled past. Having witnessed the murder of her mother at a young age (the incident that has now made her a target), Sarah has been unable to sleep, or live, easy for years. Travelling from town to town, and picking up calm nerving habits like swimming or gun shooting, She has been unable to forget, and unable to, well, move on. In this way, she is Jack’s kindred spirit. Both need to drop their past, but have been unable to do so alone. Together, they will try again. Jack will protect Sarah from and eliminate for her the men who seek her silence, and Sarah will try to fill the void Jack has lived with for so long.

I first saw this movie a few years ago at the Prytania Theatre during the New Orleans Film Festival. It impressed me then, and impresses me now. For starters, the film has a very nice mood to it. Despite the loud gunshots and occasional blood, I found things to be relatively calm (exactly what Jack and Sarah are wanting). From the musical score, to the lighting/color scheme, to the use of quiet environments like small towns, swimming pools and empty roads, the film just has an all around soothing tone.

The casting/acting of Tom Sizemore is equally noteworthy. Seen mostly in direct to dvd titles in the last decade (including a short stint in self made porn), as well as being in and out of trouble with the law, Tom’s performance is a sort of reflection of his real life. Similar to Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” and “Kill Shot”, the role of Jack – a weathered, lonely, tired yet sleepless assassin – was meant for an actor that not only looks like He’s lived a rough life, but has the experiences/memories to back it up. The way He walks, the way He talks, and the way He stares at you all tell a story on their own. Letting Tom play Jack is like giving a baseball to Nolan Ryan – Tom nailed it.

Filmed in Shreveport by hometown filmmaker Jeffrey Goodman, “The Last Lullaby” ought to be added to your Netflix queue as soon as possible. With a movie as surprisingly good as this, you have every reason to stay in bed. No need making that 2AM trip to Walgreens, as you can always buy an extra gallon of milk later. 

4/5 *'s

I Think It Would Be Fun To...Watch A Blu-Ray

A few months ago, my friend and fellow blogger OogieRah got in on the whole Blu-Ray thing. With his new HDTV, He can now view such classics as "2001: A Space Odyssey" and, yes, even "Salo or The 120 Days of Sodom". The other day, He told me that He was considering purchasing the new Blu Ray edition of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane". Being the Wellesian I try to be, I gave him a warning - not that He asked or cared.

Image via WikipediaThere's a bit of controversy over this home video release, specifically over the special features. The best discussion I've been able to find has come from WellesNet.com. According to them, to put movies like "RKO 281" and "The Battle Over 'Citizen Kane'" on this release is to say that you don't know/didn't bother to learn anything about Orson. These features, using old rumors as facts, paint a poor picture of one of the greatest directors of all time.

When the announcement over the features was made, a pretty heated conversation occurred on the WellesNet Facebook page. What bonus features could possibly make the 70th Anniversary release of "Citizen Kane" worse? Well, let's come up with a list (which I may add to at my leisure):

1. Newly recorded commentary track by dedicated Welles fan Steven Spielberg
2. Alternate ending, where it's all revealed to be a fever dream had by Charles as a child. He gets out of bed on Christmas morning, hugs his mom and dad, and plays with his sled.
3. Alternate cut guest directed by George Lucas - Joseph Cotten has now been replaced by Hayden Christensen.
4. Digitally restored outtakes of Orson's wine commercials.
5. DVD supervised by Jess Franco.
6. Extended musical sequence with Charles and the dancers, featuring new music by Ke$ha.
7. Free tickets to "Anonymous" with every purchase!
8. Deleted scene - the car crash that killed Charles' wife and son, orchestrated by Gettys.
9. Alternate cut guest directed by George Lucas - Charles screams "Noooooo!" when He destroys his bedroom.
10. The Ted Turner cut - In Color, presented in 3D.

At the end of the day, I couldn't completely recommend this edition to my friend. I probably won't be buying it, but He can go ahead; at least it'll look pretty.

A Movie For The #Hashtag Revolution

Moving closer towards the singularity, people have begun using the internet for things beyond shopping and porn. Social networking and blogging have not only given us a way to learn about global issues in real time, but also a means to protest in real time. The leaderless hacktivist collective Anonymous, as well as whistle blower site WikiLeaks, have inspired a new generation of protesters and organizers to not only take to the streets, but to their desktops and laptops. Is a company/government practicing unfair/illegal policies? Take them offline and tweet sensitive data. Want to be kept up to date on a protest that's not being covered by news outlets? Follow a hashtag and/or "like" a group. And, above all else, spread the word!
Image via Wikipedia
While I wholeheartedly agree with these organizations, I have to admit that I feel I haven't done enough to support them. I retweet, I share links (probably at the annoyance of friends and family), I use hashtags - but it doesn't feel like "enough". So, I'm about to use this blog entry to help out a bit more. To express an idea. An idea for a movie.

Hollywood, through V for Vendetta, can be partially thanked for providing modern protesters with the idea of wearing Guy Fawkes masks. I doubt, however, that most protesters would want their story told by a major studio. Sure, it would help bring attention to various issues, but it would not only be a conflict of interest (an anti-establishment film made by the establishment), but would probably become a mess. For this story to be properly told, we need a filmmaker who is young and independent of the system. More importantly, we need a filmmaker who understands the language that has helped coordinate and spread protests all over the world and is almost universal in understanding (except for the elderly). The language I'm talking about is that of the computer/internet. And the filmmaker that could pull off this movie is Eugene Kotlyarenko:

"The predominant screen of our time is the one you're looking at right now. We spend 1...2...4...10 hours a day on the computer; moving around windows, listening to music, processing hundreds of opinions, looking at others' adventures, discovering unknown worlds, making faraway friends, doing vanity searches, buying stuff, writing messages and entries and documents. This is our behavior. For better or worse, this is our life. All of it is now natural. No one gets confused as they sit in front of the computer and see and click and process everything, all at once. It becomes intuitive. It becomes a common language. Why not acknowledge that we are speaking this new language? Why not use this new language to tell a story? Why not tell the story on that other screen? That 20th century screen, the big silvery one, the one people go to and get their stories in one epic serving."

This director's statement, for his film "0s & 1s", is all you need to know that Eugene is the man for the job. He understands this generation and how we now process/deliver information. While I haven't yet viewed this film, I have seen his internet exclusive project "Skydiver". You would think that a movie, released in serial format, comprised of webcam chats via screen capture software, would be a tad boring. But, at no point did I feel like turning away and doing something else. Combining both the intimate photography provided by a computer monitor, as well as a clever move in tricking facebook users that this was a "real" diary series, "Skydiver" stands as one of the most memorable experiences I've had in streaming online content. No doubt, this is the kind of style needed for a film about modern online activism.

I imagine a film released for free (torrent, youtube, etc). This film could re-purpose news footage, political speeches and protest videos, and show them within an internet browser. It could feature a scene, with music, where a group of characters (visible only by their avatars), dialogue/emoticon with one another via tweet. Perhaps a sequence of computer hacking, followed by a news report regarding said hack. Webcam chats, featuring people with blurred out faces or donning Guy Fawkes masks (not all of them). And, of course, live streaming protest footage, shot using cell phones and tablets. 

This is what I can currently offer my generation of protesters and activists, besides my retweeting and sharing - an idea. An idea for a movie that captures this new movement. Until it gets made, I'll help spread the word - #OccupyWallStreet

 

Almost on MovieBoozer: "Hesher"

MovieBoozer.com is a fun movie review site. I've already contributed two reviews, and have plans to continue. The other day, I finally got to watch "Hesher". After I finished writing a review up, I realized that one already existed on the site. Oops, but no big deal. Here is my almost MovieBoozer review of "Hesher":

Typically, when you think of an angel, you think of someone with wings, a halo and loose fitting white clothing. This angel is also extremely caring and comforting, making sure everything is alright. A nice image, sure, but what if it’s slightly incorrect? What if your angel chose jet black hair and tattoos instead of a halo, and ditched Angelic 101 to wreck a neighbor’s backyard and make homemade explosives? Say hello to “Hesher”.

We are introduced to our film’s title character through the trials and tribulations of T.J. Forney, who recently lost his mother in a car accident. Living with his depressed father (Rainn Wilson) and sweet grandmother (Piper Laurie) his days are filled with longing and anger, as well as torment from a bully. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, Hesher (Joseph Gordon Levitt), a headbanging squatter, moves into T.J.’s home uninvited, and proceeds to break the family down even further – though maybe it’ll be good for them.

A Toast

I have to give applause to Hesher himself. He is an aggressively vulgar free spirit, entering and exiting places and lives with an almost supernatural ability. As I described above, He is essentially T.J.’s angel / counselor, helping the family get through their grief mostly by forcing confrontations, blowing shit up and making vulgar – yet spot on – metaphors. Maybe I like the character’s flamethrower style attitude because I kinda know a real life version – less vulgar and violent, but with a similar “cause a problem, walk out like a hero” personality. He is definitely one of the more memorable characters in recent cinema history.

 A character like this must be handled just right, as some actors would be tempted to go over the top. Joseph Gordon Levitt knows exactly how to play this characters energy as naturally as possible. I’m reminded a bit of his performance in “Killshot”, playing a comedic criminal buffoon. While that particular character required some scenery chewing, it also needed the same amount of natural energy. Pretty impressive for an actor to pull that out (though I wonder how/why He even has energy to do Hesher).

Beer Two

This film’s main selling point is also it’s only real detraction. The film may follow T.J.’s family, but it feels more like an all out exhibition for Hesher. At every turn, Hesher is there, to outshine almost everybody. Not that Rainn Wilson or Natalie Portman (as a grocery store clerk / possible motherly surrogate for T.J.) go unnoticed, but…Hesher is just such a dominate character. We do care about the family and all, but we’re more interested in what Hesher has in store than anything else. Maybe this isn’t worthy of a second beer, and maybe I’m nitpicking a tad – maybe the second beer should just be given to Hesher. You know, in case He shows up.

Verdict

I think GG Allin said it best: “With [me], you don’t get what you expect – you get what you deserve.” Exactly.

Image via Wikipedia

Bonus Drinking Game

Take a drink: Everytime Hesher blows something up or lights something on fire.

Take a drink: Whenever it seems like T.J.’s life couldn’t get any worse.

Take a drink: In Hesher’s honor

Contributions Part 1

Along with this blog, I've also been contributing articles for Invade Nola. Below are previews of those articles:

3 Underrated Movies You Could Be Watching On Netflix

If the recent announcement of increased fees for Netflix users wanting both DVD and streaming services hasn’t pushed you into a boycott, chances are you’re a major movie nerd. As a fellow movie nerd, I enjoy giving people viewing recommendations, and appreciate some being given to me (as long as the words Michael Bay aren’t involved, of course). Recently, I watched three films that, in one way or another, could be considered “underrated”, and I would consider “entertaining”. So, if you are looking for something to watch that may be outside of your comfort zone, I have a few recommendations that you may want to add to your queue (if you still have one) Continue Reading

N.O. Dollar Theatres

I was recently reminded of an old local tv commercial I once saw. In this commercial, a man rummages his home for loose change; under and in the couch, behind the fridge, in the laundry, etc. By the end of his search, holding a few bucks in change, He announces, “We’re goin’ to the movies tonight”. After reminiscing on this, I wondered; when was the last time anybody in the New Orleans area was able to go to the movies with a handful of pocket change? Continue Reading

Why Did Roger Ebert Spoil "Super"?

SPOILER ALERT: I reveal a spoiler originally spoiled elsewhere.

For film buffs, the decision to read a spoiler can be a difficult temptation to overcome. With high ticket prices for movies, and even higher anticipation for popular movies, spoilers can provide certain audience members with the insight they need to decide whether or not they'll be catching a flick. But for most moviegoers, having a film's ending revealed unsolicited can ruin their theatre experience. Knowing this, reviewers do their best to avoid making any startling revelations.
Image by rexb via Flickr

In his review of "Super", Roger Ebert let slip the fate of the character played by Ellen Page. In the first two paragraphs. Filmmaker James Gunn immediately took to twitter, and started hashtag jokes at Ebert's expense. While a spoiler notice has since been attached to the review, I wonder - why did Ebert write the spoiler in the first place?

Personally, I disagree with his take on the movie. At the end of the review, He writes "'Super is a film ending in narrative anarchy, exercising a destructive impulse to no greater purpose than to mess with us." To me, this is a positive and is what makes the film great - it being emotionally intense and challenging (a nice way of saying that it "fucks" with you). Ebert is no stranger to emotionally challenging films, but maybe this one scene went too far in his mind. 

Image via Wikipedia

Ellen Page, as an actress, is easy to fall in love with. I can't say that I've disliked any of her performances, whether they're in low budgets like "Hard Candy" or big budgets like "Inception". And, judging from his reviews, I'd say that Ebert feels the same way. I think that when He witnessed what happened to Libby (Ellen Page) in "Super", He felt offended - how could they do such a thing to such an actress? He practically expresses this with SPOILER "when Ellen Page of 'Juno' stars in a movie, we don't much expect to see her brains dripping." END SPOILER This reminds me of the dust up He had with "Kick Ass" (another "real world" super hero flick) - how could they put that little girl in such extreme action scenes?

I don't want to suggest that He always disregards an entire movie because of one scene, but I have seen this happen before. I once showed "Storytelling" to two young women, and I'm convinced that if they hadn't witnessed a large black man having forceful sex with a little white woman, they would've liked the film more. I wonder if Ebert's thoughts on "Super" might change a little if that scene were excised or re-written. Seriously, that one scene could make all the difference (kind of a compliment to the film, that one scene could make such an impression).  

Of course, Ebert's revelation didn't completely ruin the movie, nor did it ruin my opinion of him. Personally, I usually agree with him maybe 80% of the time (though I'm not sure how to accurately determine that). In this one case of disagreement, I find something to agree with - Ellen Page is wonderful, and seeing her in such a sequence is a shock.

Should critic's be so chivalrous in their reviews? Spoiling a movie in an effort to warn others? I dunno. That's a topic for a blogger more articulate and better disciplined that myself. Certainly, some audiences don't mind knowing a little extra about what they're gonna spend their money on. Just be sure to attach a notice BEFORE posting the review. Might save yourself from a nasty hashtag or two. 

Help Kickstart The Alamo Underground

Not too long ago, a friend and I drove from the northshore to catch a free movie screening at this run down, danky, humid garage - the kind that might host a kidnapping. And it was fun. 

The Alamo Underground, named for it's architectural similarity to The Alamo, was an ambitious, community driven venue for artists of all kinds. I only ever attended one event (a "Battle Royale" screening), but from what I observed, the people behind the operation were pretty serious about becoming an alternative space for creativity. I hadn't heard from the group for months, until the other day:

The Alamo Underground got it's start in 2006 (post Katrina) as an underground theater operated inside an old horse stable. It had to shut its doors in 2008. In 2010, I found the treasure and resurrected the space [with great help] for movie nights, live music, local events, and fundraisers. Movie nights were free and bands worked for tips. It was a lot of hard work, turning a swamp infested roach eaten space into an underground community, but it was done.
From August 2010 until April 2011, the Alamo greeted great New Orleans talent such as Aurora Nealand, Debauche, Tuba Skinny, Never Ever, Tom Worell, as well as visiting acts such as David Bazan and Zeina Mokaiesh.
Then the roof collapsed.

The people behind The Alamo Underground have just started a kickstarter page, and hope to re-open in November:

Now, I have the opportunity to re-open the Alamo on the up and coming Freret Street. The space is connected to La Nuit Theater- which got its start as a speakeasy theater for local comics.
New Orleans has a surge of amazing talent operating underground, in speakeasies and abandoned building. The idea is to have a collective venue for these like minded people. A bagel bar will be constructed courtesy of Sugerman's Bagel Speakeasy, and local artists will display their art for reasonable prices. Freret Street currently has little-to no live local music acts, even though the street is permitted for such use.

I haven't seen the new property, but I'm really excited about this. Aside from being a new performance space for bands like Tuba Skinny, Egg Yolk Jubilee and Arajay, we might also see unique film events, like a performance of "Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then" or Crispin Glover screening either of his "It" films. Along with Nola DriveIn, it looks like New Orleans might be seeing a slight surge in community/guerrilla film screenings.

As of this posting, $870 have been raised. Help them reach their $4,000 goal. Every little bit counts.

Appropriately Underrated: Quick "Skyline" Thoughts

When the word underrated is tossed around, it implies that something has had its quality overlooked. Sometimes, however, that somethings' quality has been underrated on purpose.

“Skyline” follows a group of characters that could've been extras in any of the “Fast and Furious” films, who wake up after a penthouse party and are forced to pretend that the city is being harvested by aliens. The rest of the movie features highlights such as Donald Faison producing a gun from nowhere, and Eric Balfour DEMANDING that the survivors go to the roof, despite the fact that the idea has been nixed several times.

When I first saw Balfour's character screaming at the sky in the trailer, I laughed myself to the conclusion that this would suck. I only ended up watching this on Netflix after I took a writing assignment for InvadeNola. And from what I understand, I am not alone in my thoughts regarding the movie.

The only two positives that I can think of are also negatives. One - Paul Walker was not in it. This is a positive for the obvious reason, and a negative because this is exactly the kind of movie that I'd expect him to be cast in(especially the first 15 minutes). Two - The special effects. The alien ships and the disaster they cause are quite impressive visually. Unfortunately, they are not used to serve the story. The whole movie comes off, to me, as an advertisement to get business for a visual effects company("look at what our computers can do!").

Indeed, this is underrated, and for good reason. But, I would still recommend this be viewed - Eric Balfour's tearful screaming will induce such wonderful laughter.

Salo-Thon on Storify

Recently, Oogie Rah and I held a live tweetathon of one of the most controversial films of all time. Mostly observations and riffing, it has all been compiled using Storify. Enjoy:

The Joy Is Coming Back! Please Show Movies...

Almost 9 years after having to board up its' doors, The Joy Theatre will finally re-open! I for one never had the pleasure of catching a screening at The Joy, but after driving past its' sign several times, and having viewed the documentary "No More Joy", I've yearned for that experience. Conflicting news articles, however, suggest that the theatre may become a multi-entertainment venue, specializing mostly in live performances. Of course, wanting to see a movie at The Joy(at least once), I would like to offer a scenario or two, in an effort to advocate on the side of film exhibition.

If it is restored as a full fledged movie theatre:

My favorite scenario, this would be an incredible addition to the New Orleans area movie theatres. As I listed in my MoviePass entry, there are only a handful of theatres within the city itself(I listed 9, but most were in metro areas), and only one on Canal St., which not only was home to booku theatres, but also hosted the first permanent movie house in the country. 

If fully restored, The Joy could become a place where old and new meet - Imagine buying a ticket from your smart phone minutes before showtime(I would recommend arriving earlier), then being greeted by an actual usher in a lobby as carefully decorated and structured as a Cathedral. You go to the concession stand, and order a bucket of popcorn and a medium daiquiri(yes, alcohol), before heading upstairs to the balcony. You take your seat, and enjoy a digital projection of "Fast Five 2" in a fantastic palatial setting - This would become my favorite place, by far.

If it becomes a multi-entertainment venue:

Probably the more likely scenario, this would open  New Orleans to being able to host even more live acts than it does now. However, movies can still have a seat at this table - "Rocky Horror Picture Show", anyone? Maybe a gala movie premiere for the latest Hollywood South blockbuster? Or perhaps a charity screening? - Multi-entertainment CAN include movies, too.

No matter what becomes of The Joy, it will finally be tearing down its' boards, and opening up for audiences once more. I just hope that audience includes a moviegoer or two.

Adrien Brody Can Get Away With It

Starting this past weekend, I began to contribute film musings/reviews to the new website JadeHive. They cross posted my previous MoviePass entry, and I have now cross posted my latest entry FROM JadeHive to here:

Fair warning – This is not an average review.

I just finished watching Vincenzo Natali’s “Splice”, and while I do have some overall thoughts on the film itself, I would much rather discuss one specific scene from the film. A scene that has not only been stuck in my mind, but also fully summarizes the movie as a whole: Adrien Brody thrusting into a genetically engineered being.

Try and bear with me.

It should be well known to anybody with eyesight that Adrien Brody is sex. Not sexy, mind you. He IS sex. Everytime He appears on a screen, whether it’s as a confused mercenary in “Predators” or as a lounge singer in a Super Bowl commercial, the man develops a rather steamy relationship with the camera. With one look of sensual forlorn (which is inevitable), He can make women (and probably men) melt in their seats. His ‘male partner in a TV-MA shower commercial’ attitude works so well for him, He was able to not only makeout with Halle Berry on live television, but also get away with it! Good acting skills + Eye sex with camera = Adrien Brody.

So, how does the weird laboratory creature factor in?

In “Splice”, Adrien Brody stars as Clive, one half of a scientist couple who create new lifeforms in an attempt to harvest proteins for medical purposes. After their research is shutdown, Elsa(the other half of the couple, played by Sarah Polley) makes the decision to go ahead and experiment with a new lifeform, this time made with human DNA. The result is a female they name Dren, and Elsa immediately begins a maternal relationship with it, using the scientific research as an excuse. Clive is weary to continue, but soon warms up to Dren – comforting her and teaching her how to dance.


Of course, things have to take an odd turn: Elsa begins to act controlling and overbearing, pushing Dren to act more aggressive. It also becomes obvious that Dren is attracted to Clive, with her drawing pictures of his face, and seductively swimming in front of a camera. All of this leads to the sequence in question.

Now, I’m focused on this scene for two reasons. For one thing, the scene completely summarizes what the movie is about: bad parenting. The film is more about people who shouldn’t have kids than it is about science. It’s explained that Elsa had a very bad childhood. She’s apprehensive to the idea of becoming pregnant, but is all for creating a surrogate daughter inside a makeshift womb (adoption, in a way). She tries to be the mother she never had, but eventually becomes exactly what she hated. Clive is all for having a REAL child – not a human/animal hybrid. He is pretty cold to the creature at first(the unresponsive step dad), but begins to see bits of Elsa in Dren(“you look like your mother”), and eventually, after comforting Dren a few times, succumbs to her when she throws her nude self at him(rivalry with mother for affections of step dad/father issues?). Basically, the scene demonstrates that the scientists have crossed the line, both in science and in parenting (obviously).

And second is the casting of Adrien Brody. As I explained before, the man IS sex. When I first witnessed the scene, the only appropriate response for me was shocking laughter: the man who madeout with Halle Berry has seduced/has been seduced by a hybrid lab creature. When we watch a Hollywood sex scene, we expect to be titillated, not to be made uncomfortable. But because Adrien(who IS sex) performs this unusual scene in such a straight forward way(possibly imagining Penelope Cruz), we are left feeling a discomforting arousal. I have a feeling that the casting agent and even Director had a good chuckle, thinking about Adrien doing this scene. The only other actors I can think of possibly doing this would be Mickey Rourke and Matt Dillon, but I’m not sure if it would be the same.

I recommend this movie be screened to the very gullible, as the shock will cause great joy for the exhibitors. In conclusion, I leave you with a quote from the Director Vincenzo Natali:

“That scene was the reason I wanted to make the film and that’s why it’s such a miracle this film exists.”

Give MoviePass A Chance

It's not an overstatement to say that movie theaters have taken a big hit from video on demand(VOD) services. With wireless internet becoming more accessible, VOD(online and cable) services more affordable and ticket prices more expensive, film exhibitors have reason to worry. Suing and preventing movie pirates, along with attaching 3D surcharges to assembly line schlock, hasn't been enough to open the wallets of or endear themselves to the frustrated and disillusioned moviegoers that NATO(National Association Of Theatre Owners) wants back. So, how can the movie industry as a whole get people to come and come again to the theater? Chris Dorr has a proposal, a company has a plan and I have a city to test it on.
Image via Wikipedia

Former film producer Chris Dorr recently wrote up an exciting article about how instead of fighting Netflix and other VOD, theaters should embrace the technology. What Mr. Dorr proposes is a more social network friendly variation to what UGC and CineWorld have done in Europe - an unlimited movie pass to any movie at any subscribed theater for a monthly fee.

The idea is truly exciting(much like the idea for Solar Roadways), and the details more so. It's a lot like being a member of a local film society; getting special screening preferences, discount prices, free passes, etc. And when a startup project called MoviePass announced a test run in San Francisco, I was ecstatic. The idea was looking to become reality; $50 a month for unlimited viewings(one movie a day), $30 limited, all from a mobile phone. Positive support for this was all over facebook and twitter, clearly showing an enthusiasm from the demographic this kind of program is aimed at.

But, faster than Marlon Brando asks for the butter(Last Tango in Paris (Uncut Version) [Blu-ray]), chain theaters like AMC refused to participate. It's been suggested that this happened due to the chains being unaware, or that the program might affect their own membership programs. I'm not sure if notification would've been all that necessary(maybe as a formality), since they were already affiliated with movietickets.com, and it's certainly possible for a program like MoviePass to sync up with a theater chain's membership program(much like twitter/facebook, or bank accounts/direct deposit), so I'm not really sure why the theaters in San Francisco were so apprehensive. In fact, filmmaker and Camera 7 exhibitor Alejandro Adams expressed his interest on Twitter:

"To those of you who asked me privately about MoviePass: first of all, congratulations on being smart enough to ask an exhibitor about it. And thanks for your patience. My marketing/promotions director has done all necessary research. It turns out the service operates through movietickets.com, so any theater affiliated with movietickets.com is automatically affiliated with MoviePass. The exhibitor is not directly offering a discount of any kind or endorsing the service in any way. MoviePass is creating a fund via which they broker ticket purchases on a member's behalf. The only way this impacts exhibitor revenue is if more people for to the movies. Let's hope so. #MoviePass"

Whatever the reason, MoviePass was denied an opportunity to prove itself, and moviegoers were denied a chance to help. The project is said to be on hiatus, until they get their bearings together and find a new place to beta test. Maybe a city with some independent cinemas. Maybe a city with a large group of bohemians and film majors. Maybe a city that has attracted many Hollywood productions in recent years. Maybe a city...like New Orleans.

 Image by Infrogmation via Flickr

Why New Orleans? Why not? New Orleans and it's metro area has about 9 theaters, 5 of which are partnered with movietickets.com(though 3 of those are AMC's). The independent theaters include The Prytania, Chalmette Movies, The Zeitgeist, and special events hosted by NOLA Drive-In and New Orleans Film Society. And, while not necessarily independently owned, Canal Place is an equally popular venue. I can't speak for any of these theaters/organizations personally, but if MoviePass were to, at least temporarily, partner with them for a trial run, I guarantee you that film buffs, UNO film majors, film crews from Hollywood South, and even families hungry for an outing will come, armed with their smart phones, from all over the area.

No doubt, innovation is sorely needed at the ticket window. But with short mindedness running rampant, how can a program like MoviePass thrive? New Orleans, a city that has helped produce some amazing films recently through it's tax breaks, could become the example that an unlimited movie pass program would need. If Netflix, Gamefly and Hulu can do it...

For Your Consideration

In the midst of preparing this blog, I came across an old essay I wrote a few years ago, but for some reason left it unpublished. So, in lieu of a first "official" entry, I give to you what I consider to be a prologue of sorts for this blog:

Phone calls. Handshakes. Gift Baskets. Screener copies. "Good" reviews.

Almost like clockwork, awards season brings with it a wave of wanting. "For Your Consideration" notices plague websites, blogs, insider magazines, newspapers and so on. But, out of all the people fighting for a chance to at least be rumored to be getting an Oscar nomination, only a select few will actually go all the way.

I, for one, am not well known or important enough to be bribed with decorative soaps and expensive chocolate(or straight up cash, which I prefer), but I DO have a keyboard. And with that alone, I would like to formally ask for the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences to consider, for the Best Supporting Actor category...Joe Fleishaker.
 

Image via Wikipedia

 Call it a longshot, call it a darkhorse, I call it deserving. Though, it might be more deserving for Troma Studios than anyone, but since there is no Best Casting award...Not to say that Joe's performance in Troma's Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (3-Disc Collector's Edition) doesn't warrant recognition - it is one of the single funniest performances I've ever seen on film.

And Director Lloyd Kaufman knows funny. "I like fat people more than I like thin people, things are always a lot more funnier when they happen to fat people" He has said, and if there is ONE thing that Joe Fleishaker IS, it's a funny fat man.

Look at the brief scene under consideration: Jared(Joe Fleishaker) has pain in his stomach(hunger and intestinal problem). Refusing to let his food wait, He takes his tray with him to the toilet. While eating, He shits out(what we assume is) a baby chicken zombie, which promptly flies back up into his ass, causing poor Jared to not only shit like an Rhinoceros, but to stop eating.

When I first watched this, I felt myself almost tear up in excitement and laughter at this mass exodus of excrement, as I had once as a kid tried to set up a similar special effect for a video. The scene is believable enough in it's disgusting propulsion of poop, but what sends it over the top is Joe Fleishaker's screams of confusion, fear, pain and then joy - it is revealed that the shitting was so powerful, He shit himself skinny!

Ok, so maybe this is, indeed, a longshot for an Oscar nomination, or even to be rumored in the running for a nomination. But to all the voters out there, keep this in mind; is there ANY movie in the past year that has featured a scene as funny as or one that so exemplifies Americans image issues and relationship with fast food(and Americans in general) than an obese man literally shitting himself inside out, then running away in joy, leaving a poor fast food worker to clean it all up? For Your Consideration...

A short entry, yes. I hope it serves well as a preview. 
Image via Wikipedia

Intro

Took me long enough...

My name is Bill Arceneaux, and this is my new blog. Previously, my experiences in blogging/online writing(Myspace, Aol, LOP) have varied in quality. While I'm sure I was descriptive and articulate enough, I look at those blogs as being very rough to read and amateur.

Poor opinion aside, the one positive I feel my previous writings had were the topics I chose(diary/musings, politics/current events and pro wrestling respectively), and how passionate I felt and still feel about them. For this blog, I will be musing on another topic I feel passionate about - Movies, movie going and movie leaving.

And if my thoughts and feelings can be expressed in at least a passably mediocre way, then I will have succeeded.