Hi again, folks! Sorry for the delay in posting, but I couldn't sign in to this blog for about three weeks and thought it had disappeared. But on this day the Gods of Google have smiled down on me, so without any further adieu, here we go!
* Hollywood YAY! to director Sam Raimi, who had the courage to stand up to The Big Hollywood Machine and say that he couldn't deliver a quality Spider Man 4 in time for next summer, causing Columbia to pull the plug and initiate a franchise reboot focussing on Peter Parker's teenage years. I guess memories of Spider Man 3 haunt Raimi as much as they do me, with its multiple muddled plotlines. In fact, I am so proud of Sam that it pains me to have to cite him for a
* Hollywood NAY! for his plans to remake The Shadow. Personally I loved the 1994 film directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Alec Baldwin, Ian McKellen, and Penelope Ann Miller. I thought Baldwin made the perfect Lamont Cranston, and found the film a perfect mix of "mind-clouding" mysticism and 30's-era action-adventure, but unfortunately it came out on July 1, five days before a little film called Forrest Gump. Consequently, it only made $48 million worldwide and was thus considered a failure, but it's an absolute gem. I see Raimi trying to peek behind the mysticism, "explaining" Cranston's sometimes strange behavior by saying that his daddy ran a bar and his mommy put dishwater in his baby bottle. And if Sam's version is even a fair hit, its studio will be screaming franchise and he'll be back in sequel hell. Do yourself a favor and stick with your indie roots, Mr. Raimi.
* Hollywood YAY! to the news that Terry Gilliam's Don Quixote film is finally going before the cameras again a decade after it was shut down due to wind, weather, an aling Jean Rochefort as Quixote, and unsigned contracts. All the heartbreaking details are in the documentary Lost in La Mancha. Robert Duvall's playing Quixote this time out, and Johnny Depp's trying to squeeze back into his modern Everyman role in between stints in The Tourist and Pirates of the Caribbean : On Stranger Tides. And he has Rango and The Rum Diary in post-production! Whew! But I have a feeling he'll find a way.
Next time: In praise of George and Matt
Thanks for stopping by!
MTMG
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
George Lucas: Because He Can!
Moviegoers owe George Lucas and his pal and collaborator Steven Spielberg a debt of thanks for the first Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. Without them, we would likely be watching Silent Running 8: A New Beginning and The Colonization of New Solaris. Mr. Lucas also deserves credit for founding Industrial Light and Magic, top dog in visual effects until James Cameron's Digital Domain and Peter Jackson's WETA gradually took over.
Lucas also deserves credit for developing a very basic, elemental story to go with all the Star Wars technology. Here it is:
1) Jedi master Obi-Wan had a student.
2) His name was Anakin Skywalker, and he was the best
3) Anakin gave in to the Dark Side.
4) He became Darth Vader.
Simplicity itself, folks, along with subsequent revelations in the first trilogy that Vader was father to one Luke Skywalker, and that they had a chance to patch it up before Papa shuffled off this mortal coil.
There was, therefore, no need to learn "The Rest of The Story", except that sometime around 1997, Lucas updated his computers and thought we all might enjoy a galactic version of C-SPAN in 1999 with The Phantom Menace
Really, what was there to truly enjoy?
A lifeless podrace that looked like a video game trailer?
Anakin, played by that little twerp from Jingle All The Way, managing to blow up the enemy planet even though he was shooting like a drunken sailor?
Jar Jar Binks?
The death of Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn, which robbing the other newer films of any gravitas whatsoever?
Jar Jar Binks?
Just because you can create an interactive CGI character does not mean that you should create one unless he is integral to the plot, which he most certainly is not. But George created him simply because he can. But hey, we can end on a positive note: Jar Jar is a direct descendant of Avatar.
And if the 3D rerelease of the first trilogy goes as planned, I will be there with bells on!
Next time: Hollywood Yay and Nay
Later,
MTMG
Lucas also deserves credit for developing a very basic, elemental story to go with all the Star Wars technology. Here it is:
1) Jedi master Obi-Wan had a student.
2) His name was Anakin Skywalker, and he was the best
3) Anakin gave in to the Dark Side.
4) He became Darth Vader.
Simplicity itself, folks, along with subsequent revelations in the first trilogy that Vader was father to one Luke Skywalker, and that they had a chance to patch it up before Papa shuffled off this mortal coil.
There was, therefore, no need to learn "The Rest of The Story", except that sometime around 1997, Lucas updated his computers and thought we all might enjoy a galactic version of C-SPAN in 1999 with The Phantom Menace
Really, what was there to truly enjoy?
A lifeless podrace that looked like a video game trailer?
Anakin, played by that little twerp from Jingle All The Way, managing to blow up the enemy planet even though he was shooting like a drunken sailor?
Jar Jar Binks?
The death of Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn, which robbing the other newer films of any gravitas whatsoever?
Jar Jar Binks?
Just because you can create an interactive CGI character does not mean that you should create one unless he is integral to the plot, which he most certainly is not. But George created him simply because he can. But hey, we can end on a positive note: Jar Jar is a direct descendant of Avatar.
And if the 3D rerelease of the first trilogy goes as planned, I will be there with bells on!
Next time: Hollywood Yay and Nay
Later,
MTMG
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wanna be a Movie Buff? Some Helpful Tips...
If one of your New Years resolutions is to dive into the wonderful world of movies and share that love with fellow movie buffs, here are some helpful tips, as well as some pitfalls to avoid:
1. If you sign up for a night class on the films on Alfred Hitchcock and haven't seen Psycho prior to the first class, DO NOT admit this to anyone. Two things will happen:
a) Everyone will look at you as if you've just arrived from Mars.
b) The first class will likely include a screening of Time film critic Richard Schickel's excellent 1973 documentary on Hitchcock, which includes the Janet Leigh murder scene in its entirety, as well as detailed analysis of that scene. There is only one way to feel its pulse-pounding power for the first time, and that is with the rest of the film. I know this because it happened to me in 1997.
2. When discussing spy movies, there is more to life than Bond, Flint, and Matt Helm. Really, there is. Honest.
3. When saying something pseudo-erudite like "The Purple Rose of Cairo is the thinking man's Last Action Hero" or "Wow, Barry Lyndon looks like it was shot by God!", be prepared to back it up. Your film afficionado friends will respect you in the morning. Or don't say it at all. It's your call.
4. Watch Ingmar Bergman movies in the morning and Ingrid Bergman movies in the evening, not the other way around. You'll thank me later. What to do at supper time? Reflect on the fact that Morgan Freeman is the very definition of cool.
Next time: George Lucas: Because He Can!
See you later!
MTMG
1. If you sign up for a night class on the films on Alfred Hitchcock and haven't seen Psycho prior to the first class, DO NOT admit this to anyone. Two things will happen:
a) Everyone will look at you as if you've just arrived from Mars.
b) The first class will likely include a screening of Time film critic Richard Schickel's excellent 1973 documentary on Hitchcock, which includes the Janet Leigh murder scene in its entirety, as well as detailed analysis of that scene. There is only one way to feel its pulse-pounding power for the first time, and that is with the rest of the film. I know this because it happened to me in 1997.
2. When discussing spy movies, there is more to life than Bond, Flint, and Matt Helm. Really, there is. Honest.
3. When saying something pseudo-erudite like "The Purple Rose of Cairo is the thinking man's Last Action Hero" or "Wow, Barry Lyndon looks like it was shot by God!", be prepared to back it up. Your film afficionado friends will respect you in the morning. Or don't say it at all. It's your call.
4. Watch Ingmar Bergman movies in the morning and Ingrid Bergman movies in the evening, not the other way around. You'll thank me later. What to do at supper time? Reflect on the fact that Morgan Freeman is the very definition of cool.
Next time: George Lucas: Because He Can!
See you later!
MTMG
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Avatar: The Future Is Here
I have seen the future of movies, and it is Avatar.
Writer-director and self-proclaimed "King Of The World" James Cameron has been away from movie screens since 1997's Titanic (except for the 2003 IMAX Titanic documentary Ghosts of The Abyss and the 2005 documentary Aliens of The Deep). Usually when a star or director is away from the limelight for 12 years, our responses usually are either "What ever happened to that person?" or "They must really need the money".
In Cameron's case neither is true. It's just that, as with Titanic, he needed to invent the technology needed to fulfill his vision. I'm still wading through articles and documentaries in order to better understand it all, and will be able to blog about it more fully in about a month.
For now though, I will say that Avatar is best seen in IMAX 3D. You will not be frustrated or disappointed like I was when watching A Christmas Carol, in which things fly out at you at breakneck speeds, for no reason other than that they can. And don't get me started on Monsters Vs. Aliens in its 2D-as-3D incarnation.
You will be drawn into the world of Avatar's peace-loving blue people living on an idyllic planet named Pandora, chiefly represented by the lovely Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, the new Star Trek's Uhura). If a planet's idyllic, then the government must be able to get something out of it, right? Colonel Miles Quatrich (Stephen Lang), and Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), the scientist behind the Avatar program, sure think so. They send in gung-ho quadraplegic marine Jake Sully (Terminator:Salvation's Sam Worthington) to walk among the Pandorians as one of them, to get them to move before the bulldozers arrive. Then he meets Neytiri, and...
There, I've given you about as much plot as JC has chosen to bless us with. Original? Nope. Are there character shadings? No way Jose. But ask yourself: did you go see Titanic five times for the story? Didn't think so. It's all about the experience, which is like a gentle cinematic massage. If you are closer to the middle or back than the front, that is optimal. You will softly murmur your exclamation of choice roughly once every six minutes or so. You will remember where you were, who you were with, and what time it was when you saw Avatar. Personally, I saw it on Wednesday, December 23, at 11:45 AM at the West Edmonton Mall IMAX theatre. I was with my uncle, who gifted me with this experience, my game-player-extroardinare cousin, and his girlfriend. When it was over I asked my cuz, "Do you think anybody's ever going to beat these effects?". He replied, "You kidding me Mikey?"
If James Cameron was going for godlike DeMillean status with Titanic, he has achieved it with Avatar. Come to think of it, nobody went to Cecil B's extravaganzas for plot, did they? But The Ten Commandments and The Greatest Show on Earth sure were epic, eye popping fun.
And my JC reference was no accident. If heaven looks half as good as Pandora, I'll be a very good boy from now on!
See you later, and thanks for stopping by! I really do appreciate it!
MTMG
Writer-director and self-proclaimed "King Of The World" James Cameron has been away from movie screens since 1997's Titanic (except for the 2003 IMAX Titanic documentary Ghosts of The Abyss and the 2005 documentary Aliens of The Deep). Usually when a star or director is away from the limelight for 12 years, our responses usually are either "What ever happened to that person?" or "They must really need the money".
In Cameron's case neither is true. It's just that, as with Titanic, he needed to invent the technology needed to fulfill his vision. I'm still wading through articles and documentaries in order to better understand it all, and will be able to blog about it more fully in about a month.
For now though, I will say that Avatar is best seen in IMAX 3D. You will not be frustrated or disappointed like I was when watching A Christmas Carol, in which things fly out at you at breakneck speeds, for no reason other than that they can. And don't get me started on Monsters Vs. Aliens in its 2D-as-3D incarnation.
You will be drawn into the world of Avatar's peace-loving blue people living on an idyllic planet named Pandora, chiefly represented by the lovely Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, the new Star Trek's Uhura). If a planet's idyllic, then the government must be able to get something out of it, right? Colonel Miles Quatrich (Stephen Lang), and Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), the scientist behind the Avatar program, sure think so. They send in gung-ho quadraplegic marine Jake Sully (Terminator:Salvation's Sam Worthington) to walk among the Pandorians as one of them, to get them to move before the bulldozers arrive. Then he meets Neytiri, and...
There, I've given you about as much plot as JC has chosen to bless us with. Original? Nope. Are there character shadings? No way Jose. But ask yourself: did you go see Titanic five times for the story? Didn't think so. It's all about the experience, which is like a gentle cinematic massage. If you are closer to the middle or back than the front, that is optimal. You will softly murmur your exclamation of choice roughly once every six minutes or so. You will remember where you were, who you were with, and what time it was when you saw Avatar. Personally, I saw it on Wednesday, December 23, at 11:45 AM at the West Edmonton Mall IMAX theatre. I was with my uncle, who gifted me with this experience, my game-player-extroardinare cousin, and his girlfriend. When it was over I asked my cuz, "Do you think anybody's ever going to beat these effects?". He replied, "You kidding me Mikey?"
If James Cameron was going for godlike DeMillean status with Titanic, he has achieved it with Avatar. Come to think of it, nobody went to Cecil B's extravaganzas for plot, did they? But The Ten Commandments and The Greatest Show on Earth sure were epic, eye popping fun.
And my JC reference was no accident. If heaven looks half as good as Pandora, I'll be a very good boy from now on!
See you later, and thanks for stopping by! I really do appreciate it!
MTMG
Friday, December 25, 2009
Hello and Merry Christmas!
Hello there. I'm Mikey the Movie Guy. I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year first of all. And Happy Belated Hanukkah as well (Adam Sandler's ode to the Jewish holiday is absolute genius!)
I'm a freelance movie critic who's done a little radio (thanks Ron, Jay and Diesel),and a little print (thanks Kevin, Murray, Trent, and Jackie). I've even shown up on local TV praising Batman and Robin's stunning set design. But of course they cut out the part where I said that was about all it had going for it.
I have to go off to a family party in an hour, so I'd like to close with some more kudos if I may. Thanks to Mom for laying out the entertainment section every day for a decade. Thanks to Dad for being the wonderful guy he is, letting me stay up past my bedtime on a Sunday at the age of eight so I could watch the original Superman on TV. What an experience.
Lastly, thanks to my sister Jacquie and brother-in-law Jason for introducing me to blogging when the radio and print gigs dried up. I love you both so much. And my wonderful wife Shawna, who - although not a movie gal herself - loves and supports me anyway. Thanks hon, love ya!
See you all later! Happy Holidays! We'll talk Avatar next time!
MTMG
I'm a freelance movie critic who's done a little radio (thanks Ron, Jay and Diesel),and a little print (thanks Kevin, Murray, Trent, and Jackie). I've even shown up on local TV praising Batman and Robin's stunning set design. But of course they cut out the part where I said that was about all it had going for it.
I have to go off to a family party in an hour, so I'd like to close with some more kudos if I may. Thanks to Mom for laying out the entertainment section every day for a decade. Thanks to Dad for being the wonderful guy he is, letting me stay up past my bedtime on a Sunday at the age of eight so I could watch the original Superman on TV. What an experience.
Lastly, thanks to my sister Jacquie and brother-in-law Jason for introducing me to blogging when the radio and print gigs dried up. I love you both so much. And my wonderful wife Shawna, who - although not a movie gal herself - loves and supports me anyway. Thanks hon, love ya!
See you all later! Happy Holidays! We'll talk Avatar next time!
MTMG
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