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      <title>Film:All the Real Girls</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/All_the_Real_Girls/219115/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
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<strong>Title:</strong> All the Real Girls<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 2003<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> David Gordon Green<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> <a href="/players/P___281321/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Gordon Green</a>, who in 2000 made a splash on the festival circuit with his independent debut feature, <a href=/films/151656/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>George Washington</a>, directed this drama about two people entering into a mature romantic relationship -- the sort that neither has been accustomed to. Paul (Paul Schneider) is a guy in his mid-'20s who lives in a small Southern town, where he earn a living fixing cars for his uncle. A man with little in the way of ambition, Paul still lives with his mother, Elvira (<a href="/players/P____13504/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Patricia Clarkson</a>), and still hangs out with his best friend from high school, rowdy Tip (<a href="/players/P___279162/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Shea Whigham</a>), and their buddies Bo (Maurice Compte) and Bust-Ass (Danny McBride). Among his friends, Paul has a reputation as a ladies' man, but he's not at all good with long-term relationships; most of Paul's romances last only a few weeks, and he's slept with nearly every girl in town who's worth having. Deep down inside, Paul senses that he would like to lead a different life, and that feeling becomes all the more clear when he meets Noel (<a href="/players/P___271412/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Zooey Deschanel</a>), Tip's teenage sister who has come back home after attending a boarding school. Noel is smarter and deeper than the girls Paul is used to, while Noel is taken with his charm, wit, and down-to-earth nature. Paul and Noel soon fall in love, but for Paul this is a different sort of relationship than he's accustomed to -- Noel is still a virgin, and her contemplative nature gives him a desire to be a better, stronger person. However, Tip doesn't approve of Paul dating his younger sister, which leads to a rift between these longtime friends. All the Real Girls was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival; <a href="/players/P____13504/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Patricia Clarkson</a>'s performance was also cited by the jury. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 79<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 29<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 12<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 1<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2009 21:41:07 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>All the Real Girls</spout:Title><spout:Year>2003</spout:Year><spout:Director>David Gordon Green</spout:Director><spout:Plot>&lt;a href="/players/P___281321/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;David Gordon Green&lt;/a&gt;, who in 2000 made a splash on the festival circuit with his independent debut feature, &lt;a href=/films/151656/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;George Washington&lt;/a&gt;, directed this drama about two people entering into a mature romantic relationship -- the sort that neither has been accustomed to. Paul (Paul Schneider) is a guy in his mid-'20s who lives in a small Southern town, where he earn a living fixing cars for his uncle. A man with little in the way of ambition, Paul still lives with his mother, Elvira (&lt;a href="/players/P____13504/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Patricia Clarkson&lt;/a&gt;), and still hangs out with his best friend from high school, rowdy Tip (&lt;a href="/players/P___279162/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Shea Whigham&lt;/a&gt;), and their buddies Bo (Maurice Compte) and Bust-Ass (Danny McBride). Among his friends, Paul has a reputation as a ladies' man, but he's not at all good with long-term relationships; most of Paul's romances last only a few weeks, and he's slept with nearly every girl in town who's worth having. Deep down inside, Paul senses that he would like to lead a different life, and that feeling becomes all the more clear when he meets Noel (&lt;a href="/players/P___271412/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Zooey Deschanel&lt;/a&gt;), Tip's teenage sister who has come back home after attending a boarding school. Noel is smarter and deeper than the girls Paul is used to, while Noel is taken with his charm, wit, and down-to-earth nature. Paul and Noel soon fall in love, but for Paul this is a different sort of relationship than he's accustomed to -- Noel is still a virgin, and her contemplative nature gives him a desire to be a better, stronger person. However, Tip doesn't approve of Paul dating his younger sister, which leads to a rift between these longtime friends. All the Real Girls was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival; &lt;a href="/players/P____13504/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Patricia Clarkson&lt;/a&gt;'s performance was also cited by the jury. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>79</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Tag Target (&gt;10)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>29</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>12</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>1</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/All_the_Real_Girls/219115/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: All the Real Girls on Reel 13</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/jjgittes/archive/2009/5/12/42253.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/3984/default.aspx'>jjgittes</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/jjgittes/default.aspx'>jjgittes Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 5/12/2009 5:41:07 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 
ALL THE REAL GIRLS is the third and latest David Gordon Green film to air on Reel 13 Indies this year. As good as GEORGE WASHINGTON is, it is also probably the best. ALL THE REAL GIRLS is the most heartfelt of all this films and as a result, the most effective. The plot itself is nothing new &ndash; boy meets girl, they fall in love, but can&rsquo;t be together for various reasons and their struggle to deal with that. However, the application of David Gordon Green&rsquo;s lyrical style to the redundant narrative elevates it to something special. 
The style I speak of is a strong, stark sense of verisimilitude without the device and convention of handheld camera. Characters and situations within the film feel very real even in carefully composed frames, though I would argue that perhaps Green holds on some of the frames a little long, almost defiantly so. Green also does a great job of finding the beauty in every day life around us, both in nature and manmade architecture/design. He features this in a plethora of cutaways and wide shots that help keep the film cinematic without detracting from the naturalism of the performance or the story. 
Speaking of performance, one can&rsquo;t achieve this high a level of verisimilitude on screen without terrific acting and DGG gets just that from most his ensemble. I admit that lead and co-writer Paul Schneider has a few false moments when he is forced to be emotional, but manages to coast on his natural charm for most of the film. Also, a few of the scenes involving Bust-Ass, the Danny McBride character, are highly out of place in the movie. He is fine in the scenes with all guys, but his interactions with the Noel character are forced and the primary drawback of the film. It seems like a failed effort to add levity and comic relief to the film, but it simply doesn&rsquo;t belong. In spite of those deviations, the rest of the cast is tremendous with Patricia Clarkson doing her usual fine work in a supporting role as well as a surprisingly unheralded Shea Whigham as the best friend caught in the middle. Of course, Zooey Deschanel is the heart of the soul of the film as Noel, the young, sweet object of desire so in love, but also quite troubled. I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s a far reach to say that this is the finest performance of her young career. She does a magnificent job presenting a character confused by the strength of her emotions and how to deal with sharing her insecurities and neuroses with another person. Rarely has first love been presented with such heartbreaking truth. I expect the day will come when another filmmaker will challenge Deschanel to tap into the talent so fiercely on display here. 
David Gordon Green is a bit of a divisive filmmaker. Critics love him, but most audiences are lukewarm (I discount PINEAPPLE EXPRESS from this discussion, in the determination that it is more of an Apatow film than DGG). Admittedly, the trade off of the poetic qualities of his films is a slower pace. Moments can definitely drag, which is very harmful to films like SNOW ANGELS or UNDERTOW. However, I think ALL THE REAL GIRLS transcends those potential drawbacks due to it&rsquo;s the universality of its themes and its honest emotions. Also, one has to appreciate the great cinematic qualities of the film &ndash; the confident framing, the lush cinematography, the terrific use of sound and dialogue bridges. Perhaps for the only time in Green&rsquo;s career, he manages to make us fall in love right along with the characters.
 
(For more information on this or any other Reel 13 film, check out their website at www.reel13.org.)
<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2009 21:41:07 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>jjgittes</spout:postby><spout:postto>jjgittes Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>5/12/2009 5:41:07 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>
ALL THE REAL GIRLS is the third and latest David Gordon Green film to air on Reel 13 Indies this year. As good as GEORGE WASHINGTON is, it is also probably the best. ALL THE REAL GIRLS is the most heartfelt of all this films and as a result, the most effective. The plot itself is nothing new &amp;ndash; boy meets girl, they fall in love, but can&amp;rsquo;t be together for various reasons and their struggle to deal with that. However, the application of David Gordon Green&amp;rsquo;s lyrical style to the redundant narrative elevates it to something special. 
The style I speak of is a strong, stark sense of verisimilitude without the device and convention of handheld camera. Characters and situations within the film feel very real even in carefully composed frames, though I would argue that perhaps Green holds on some of the frames a little long, almost defiantly so. Green also does a great job of finding the beauty in every day life around us, both in nature and manmade architecture/design. He features this in a plethora of cutaways and wide shots that help keep the film cinematic without detracting from the naturalism of the performance or the story. 
Speaking of performance, one can&amp;rsquo;t achieve this high a level of verisimilitude on screen without terrific acting and DGG gets just that from most his ensemble. I admit that lead and co-writer Paul Schneider has a few false moments when he is forced to be emotional, but manages to coast on his natural charm for most of the film. Also, a few of the scenes involving Bust-Ass, the Danny McBride character, are highly out of place in the movie. He is fine in the scenes with all guys, but his interactions with the Noel character are forced and the primary drawback of the film. It seems like a failed effort to add levity and comic relief to the film, but it simply doesn&amp;rsquo;t belong. In spite of those deviations, the rest of the cast is tremendous with Patricia Clarkson doing her usual fine work in a supporting role as well as a surprisingly unheralded Shea Whigham as the best friend caught in the middle. Of course, Zooey Deschanel is the heart of the soul of the film as Noel, the young, sweet object of desire so in love, but also quite troubled. I don&amp;rsquo;t think it&amp;rsquo;s a far reach to say that this is the finest performance of her young career. She does a magnificent job presenting a character confused by the strength of her emotions and how to deal with sharing her insecurities and neuroses with another person. Rarely has first love been presented with such heartbreaking truth. I expect the day will come when another filmmaker will challenge Deschanel to tap into the talent so fiercely on display here. 
David Gordon Green is a bit of a divisive filmmaker. Critics love him, but most audiences are lukewarm (I discount PINEAPPLE EXPRESS from this discussion, in the determination that it is more of an Apatow film than DGG). Admittedly, the trade off of the poetic qualities of his films is a slower pace. Moments can definitely drag, which is very harmful to films like SNOW ANGELS or UNDERTOW. However, I think ALL THE REAL GIRLS transcends those potential drawbacks due to it&amp;rsquo;s the universality of its themes and its honest emotions. Also, one has to appreciate the great cinematic qualities of the film &amp;ndash; the confident framing, the lush cinematography, the terrific use of sound and dialogue bridges. Perhaps for the only time in Green&amp;rsquo;s career, he manages to make us fall in love right along with the characters.
 
(For more information on this or any other Reel 13 film, check out their website at www.reel13.org.)
</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 10 Supporting Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spin Off</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40720.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 2/27/2009 6:02:11 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> If Tyler Perry gets an Oscar nomination for his acting in Madea Goes to Jail, can a washed-up actress scold him for taking away female roles? Actually, could it just be Cuba Gooding Jr. in drag, a la Boat Trip?
Seriously, though, Madea won’t be up for any Academy Awards next year, but damn is Perry’s character popular. Enough that the sassy matriarch has now evolved from a supporting character into the star of her own vehicle (which gave the filmmaker his biggest opening yet this past weekend). Yes, it’s true that Madea is a central figure in most of Perry’s films and has previously been the main protagonist in his plays (including the one Madea Goes to Jail is based on), but in the movie world she was introduced as a secondary role in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. So, now she belongs in that small club of supporting characters who’ve earned their own film(s); other members of which include Jay and Silent Bob, Bruce and Lloyd, Cousin Eddie, Marshal Samuel Gerard, the Scorpion King and Wolverine.
And Madea is one of the very few female characters to belong to the club, which is another good reason for an actress to scold Perry. But the problem also lies with the people who write woman characters, apparently, since in coming up with ten other supporting characters who deserve their own spin off, we managed to only include two females on our list. Perhaps if we’d permitted classic film characters there’d be more to choose from — though even then we might be more likely to include a Peter Lorre or a William Demarest role than a Thelma Ritter or Eve Arden.


Rev. Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), from Changeling
Angelina Jolie got the entire spotlight for this film, earning an undeserved Oscar nomination among other things, but the only person truly worth watching in Clint Eastwood’s period piece is John Malkovich. He’s not exactly good in the role, but he looks amazing (and more creepy than ever) with his Marcel Wave hairdo and little mustache. The radio reverend could continue in a series of films in which he helps out other characters with their problems while constantly going up against the corrupt LAPD.

Bust-Ass (Danny McBride), from All the Real Girls
Danny McBride is starting to become a household name thanks to scene-stealing roles in last year’s Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder and his new HBO series Eastbound & Down, which he co-created with his Foot Fist Way collaborators Jody Hill and Ben Best. Yet his funniest performance is still arguably as Bust-Ass in All the Real Girls. So, even though that films’ director, David Gordon Green, has helmed episodes of Eastbound, we’d actually prefer the filmmaker go back and make a spin off to All the Real Girls starring the parka-wearing putz.

Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), from No Country for Old Men 
We could probably select just about any supporting character from a Coen brothers film (here’s a related list, to get some ideas); most would be good for a spin off of their own. But the character that won Javier Bardem an Oscar seems the most easily appropriated to any number of new situations. While Hollywood might prefer to be consistent by ruining the character’s mystique with a prequel explaining Anton Chigurh’s background, we think it’d be more fun to see any one (or number) of the following unconnected tales: Anton Goes to Jail; Anton Saves Christmas; Anton Takes Manhattan.

John Givings (Michael Shannon), from Revolutionary Road
John Givings functions perfectly as a minor plot device for the Wheeler’s story in Revolutionary Road, and he probably wouldn’t work as well at feature-length capacity in a film all of his own. But he could at least serve the same purpose in other stories, the way that Silent Bob functioned similarly throughout a number of Kevin Smith’s films. Then, maybe after a few more titles in which he’s still merely a supporting character he can finally get his own co-spin off, which will costar an also-deserving Kathy Bates. Currently, we like the title John Givings and His Mom Strike Back.

Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), from 12 Monkeys
Like Danny McBride, Brad Pitt needs to go back to his greatest performance, which was undoubtedly as the loony Jeffrey Goines, from Terry Gilliam’s underrated sci-fi masterpiece. A spin off (or franchise) would have to do away with the original film’s time travel angle, but it would still be interesting following Goines on other crazed adventures in animal activism. Plus, for Pitt it would mean another chance at winning an Oscar for his most deserved role, yet this time it could be for Best Actor (actually a number of actors on this list could do the Al Pacino-as-Michael Corleone Oscar promotion). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:02:11 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>2/27/2009 6:02:11 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>If Tyler Perry gets an Oscar nomination for his acting in Madea Goes to Jail, can a washed-up actress scold him for taking away female roles? Actually, could it just be Cuba Gooding Jr. in drag, a la Boat Trip?
Seriously, though, Madea won’t be up for any Academy Awards next year, but damn is Perry’s character popular. Enough that the sassy matriarch has now evolved from a supporting character into the star of her own vehicle (which gave the filmmaker his biggest opening yet this past weekend). Yes, it’s true that Madea is a central figure in most of Perry’s films and has previously been the main protagonist in his plays (including the one Madea Goes to Jail is based on), but in the movie world she was introduced as a secondary role in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. So, now she belongs in that small club of supporting characters who’ve earned their own film(s); other members of which include Jay and Silent Bob, Bruce and Lloyd, Cousin Eddie, Marshal Samuel Gerard, the Scorpion King and Wolverine.
And Madea is one of the very few female characters to belong to the club, which is another good reason for an actress to scold Perry. But the problem also lies with the people who write woman characters, apparently, since in coming up with ten other supporting characters who deserve their own spin off, we managed to only include two females on our list. Perhaps if we’d permitted classic film characters there’d be more to choose from — though even then we might be more likely to include a Peter Lorre or a William Demarest role than a Thelma Ritter or Eve Arden.


Rev. Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), from Changeling
Angelina Jolie got the entire spotlight for this film, earning an undeserved Oscar nomination among other things, but the only person truly worth watching in Clint Eastwood’s period piece is John Malkovich. He’s not exactly good in the role, but he looks amazing (and more creepy than ever) with his Marcel Wave hairdo and little mustache. The radio reverend could continue in a series of films in which he helps out other characters with their problems while constantly going up against the corrupt LAPD.

Bust-Ass (Danny McBride), from All the Real Girls
Danny McBride is starting to become a household name thanks to scene-stealing roles in last year’s Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder and his new HBO series Eastbound &amp; Down, which he co-created with his Foot Fist Way collaborators Jody Hill and Ben Best. Yet his funniest performance is still arguably as Bust-Ass in All the Real Girls. So, even though that films’ director, David Gordon Green, has helmed episodes of Eastbound, we’d actually prefer the filmmaker go back and make a spin off to All the Real Girls starring the parka-wearing putz.

Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), from No Country for Old Men 
We could probably select just about any supporting character from a Coen brothers film (here’s a related list, to get some ideas); most would be good for a spin off of their own. But the character that won Javier Bardem an Oscar seems the most easily appropriated to any number of new situations. While Hollywood might prefer to be consistent by ruining the character’s mystique with a prequel explaining Anton Chigurh’s background, we think it’d be more fun to see any one (or number) of the following unconnected tales: Anton Goes to Jail; Anton Saves Christmas; Anton Takes Manhattan.

John Givings (Michael Shannon), from Revolutionary Road
John Givings functions perfectly as a minor plot device for the Wheeler’s story in Revolutionary Road, and he probably wouldn’t work as well at feature-length capacity in a film all of his own. But he could at least serve the same purpose in other stories, the way that Silent Bob functioned similarly throughout a number of Kevin Smith’s films. Then, maybe after a few more titles in which he’s still merely a supporting character he can finally get his own co-spin off, which will costar an also-deserving Kathy Bates. Currently, we like the title John Givings and His Mom Strike Back.

Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), from 12 Monkeys
Like Danny McBride, Brad Pitt needs to go back to his greatest performance, which was undoubtedly as the loony Jeffrey Goines, from Terry Gilliam’s underrated sci-fi masterpiece. A spin off (or franchise) would have to do away with the original film’s time travel angle, but it would still be interesting following Goines on other crazed adventures in animal activism. Plus, for Pitt it would mean another chance at winning an Oscar for his most deserved role, yet this time it could be for Best Actor (actually a number of actors on this list could do the Al Pacino-as-Michael Corleone Oscar promotion). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 10 Most Romantic American Films of the Past 10 Years</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/9/38154.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 12/9/2008 7:02:15 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Is romance dead? David Carr seems to think so, at least in American cinema (both Hollywood and “Indiewood,” as he inclusively clarifies). While celebrating the subway station meet-cute from the beginning of Milk, a scene he claims to be of an increasingly rare sort, Carr states that American filmmakers “can do romantic pathology and entropy, but the kind of love for the ages, a big-movie kind of love? Not so much.”
If you agree with him, blame the back-to-back Best Picture winners Titanic and Shakespeare in Love for feeding us the kind of romance that’s so cheesy it clogs our arteries and gives us a coronary. Left with a burst heart and a lack of quality Nora Ephron movies, most of us have been cynics when it comes to love stories these past ten years. Yet cynics can still be swept off their feet, and American filmmakers have adequately supplied them with new kinds of love for the ages.
Just take a look at these ten films from the past decade. They may be full of cynicism, but they’re also filled with big-movie love, in their own way. If you can’t see the romance, then the problem is with you, not the movies.



Love & Basketball (2000)
This underrated film has something for everyone: sports for the boys and romance for the girls; and sports for the girls and romance for the boys. See, it’s a love story that avoids clichés and speaks to both sexes equally. And as far as meet-cutes go, it’s hard to top Quincy’s first encounter with Monica: she beats him at basketball, he knocks her to the ground, and they instantly fall in love, at the age of 13. Plenty of recent films have done the whole love-since-childhood thing, including the contrived Love Me if You Dare and this year’s less-sexually-balanced Slumdog Millionaire. But while others treat this kind of story as fairy tale, Love & Basketball is more real, and true love is definitely more romantic than fantastical love.

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Who knew that Adam Sandler, as a modern-day Popeye, could be so romantic? Apparently Paul Thomas Anderson did, and he was able to transform the typical Sandler man-boy persona into an old-fashioned man-as-protector sort of romantic hero. A bit sexist and a little creepy, sure, but Sandler’s Barry Egan manages to fall on the right side of the fine line between stalker and sentimentally drastic admirer (kind of like a male “Amelie”).

All the Real Girls (2003)
The direction this film may seem too ironic and cynical to be considered truly romantic, but then think of how cynical our favorite romantic classics are. Gone With the Wind and Casablanca? Neither is as positive and hopeful as we pretend Hollywood romance to be. And while those films’ dialogue may be memorable after all these years, none of their lines are as simply and sweetly romantic as the stuff said by Paul (Paul Schneider) and Noel (Zooey Deschanel) to each other when they’re still falling in love.

Cold Mountain (2003)
Nicole Kidman and Jude Law may be the worst actors to play romantic leads, considering how stiff and plastic they are. But forgetting the performances and concentrating on the epic love story, this relatively modernized take on The Odyssey (set during the Civil War) is as classically romantic as it gets, right down to the tragic denouement. Surprisingly, it was not well received by either critics or audiences. The problem may have been the fault of Kidman and Law, whose characters were hardly believable as in love, although their compatibility is beside the point. The romantic quest made by Inman (Law) to get back to his barely-familiar sweetheart is powered by the concept of love more than the certainty of love.

50 First Dates (2004)
Another Adam Sandler movie? That’s right, and this one is even sweeter and more thoughtfully romantic than Punch-Drunk Love. The plot, which is like a reciprocal Groundhog Day, is a tad too gimmicky to grab your heartstrings right away, but the final scene (ironically in the Arctic) could warm the center of even the most pragmatic, unemotional viewer.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Two of the best films of 2004 were deconstructions of love. But while Jonathan Glazer’s Birth shattered romance to pieces, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind showed us what it’s made of. The film also somewhat argues that love and romance aren’t necessarily about “happily ever after,” even if the two main characters do seem destined to be together at the end, nor are these concepts limited to good times.


The Notebook (2004)
It doesn’t get more traditionally romantic than this: forbidden love; correspondence; longing; a World War. But how is this more beloved than either Pearl Harbor or Australia? And why is Nicholas Sparks more respected and read than most romance novelists? Well, if it were that easy to determine, Hollywood wouldn’t keep failing in its attempts to make more films like this. Or, maybe it’s just that The Notebook doesn’t seem to be trying too hard –– it just tells a genuine love story without tugging or overreaching for your presumed romantic buttons.

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
If Amelie is the most romantic non-American film of the last ten years, and if Punch-Drunk’s Barry Egan is the male Amelie, then Miranda July’s character is simply the American Amelie. She’s a little weird, a little too forthcoming, but she’s so sweet and creative in her pursuits that she’s not just forgivable; she’s completely lovable. Of course, lovable doesn’t exactly equal romantic, but then there are plenty of oddly romantic scenes in the film, too, such as the metaphoric first walk shared by July and John Hawkes’ characters. It’s frank, it’s harsh, but it’s also the best flirtation seen in American cinema in a long time.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)
It’s upsetting to think of any story involving adultery as being romantic (though Unfaithful almost made this list for other, spoilerific reasons), but the two lovers in Brokeback Mountain are given an exception because of the society they live in. The unapproved affair also makes for one of the most heartbreaking romances ever put on screen. And of all the films selected, this is easily the one that’s liable to make you lose your cynical perspective, at least for a couple of hours.

WALL-E (2008)
In a way, this animated film is not romantic at all for humans, who are viewed as plump slugs with no real interaction with other people (seriously, a time when we all just use video chat, even when we’re in the vicinity of one another, is not too far off). But for robots, it’s the most romantic thing to come along since the implied relationship between C-3PO and R2-D2. And it’s gender-equal (or, if you believe the characters are gender-neutral, the film is partner-equal) as far as the pursuing, the rescuing and the responsibility go regarding WALL-E and EVE’s relationship. Hopefully, this most recent film on the list will inspire future romantic films to be so progressive and so lacking in cynicism (such optimism: even two humans seem to fall in love at the end). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:02:15 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>12/9/2008 7:02:15 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Is romance dead? David Carr seems to think so, at least in American cinema (both Hollywood and “Indiewood,” as he inclusively clarifies). While celebrating the subway station meet-cute from the beginning of Milk, a scene he claims to be of an increasingly rare sort, Carr states that American filmmakers “can do romantic pathology and entropy, but the kind of love for the ages, a big-movie kind of love? Not so much.”
If you agree with him, blame the back-to-back Best Picture winners Titanic and Shakespeare in Love for feeding us the kind of romance that’s so cheesy it clogs our arteries and gives us a coronary. Left with a burst heart and a lack of quality Nora Ephron movies, most of us have been cynics when it comes to love stories these past ten years. Yet cynics can still be swept off their feet, and American filmmakers have adequately supplied them with new kinds of love for the ages.
Just take a look at these ten films from the past decade. They may be full of cynicism, but they’re also filled with big-movie love, in their own way. If you can’t see the romance, then the problem is with you, not the movies.



Love &amp; Basketball (2000)
This underrated film has something for everyone: sports for the boys and romance for the girls; and sports for the girls and romance for the boys. See, it’s a love story that avoids clichés and speaks to both sexes equally. And as far as meet-cutes go, it’s hard to top Quincy’s first encounter with Monica: she beats him at basketball, he knocks her to the ground, and they instantly fall in love, at the age of 13. Plenty of recent films have done the whole love-since-childhood thing, including the contrived Love Me if You Dare and this year’s less-sexually-balanced Slumdog Millionaire. But while others treat this kind of story as fairy tale, Love &amp; Basketball is more real, and true love is definitely more romantic than fantastical love.

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Who knew that Adam Sandler, as a modern-day Popeye, could be so romantic? Apparently Paul Thomas Anderson did, and he was able to transform the typical Sandler man-boy persona into an old-fashioned man-as-protector sort of romantic hero. A bit sexist and a little creepy, sure, but Sandler’s Barry Egan manages to fall on the right side of the fine line between stalker and sentimentally drastic admirer (kind of like a male “Amelie”).

All the Real Girls (2003)
The direction this film may seem too ironic and cynical to be considered truly romantic, but then think of how cynical our favorite romantic classics are. Gone With the Wind and Casablanca? Neither is as positive and hopeful as we pretend Hollywood romance to be. And while those films’ dialogue may be memorable after all these years, none of their lines are as simply and sweetly romantic as the stuff said by Paul (Paul Schneider) and Noel (Zooey Deschanel) to each other when they’re still falling in love.

Cold Mountain (2003)
Nicole Kidman and Jude Law may be the worst actors to play romantic leads, considering how stiff and plastic they are. But forgetting the performances and concentrating on the epic love story, this relatively modernized take on The Odyssey (set during the Civil War) is as classically romantic as it gets, right down to the tragic denouement. Surprisingly, it was not well received by either critics or audiences. The problem may have been the fault of Kidman and Law, whose characters were hardly believable as in love, although their compatibility is beside the point. The romantic quest made by Inman (Law) to get back to his barely-familiar sweetheart is powered by the concept of love more than the certainty of love.

50 First Dates (2004)
Another Adam Sandler movie? That’s right, and this one is even sweeter and more thoughtfully romantic than Punch-Drunk Love. The plot, which is like a reciprocal Groundhog Day, is a tad too gimmicky to grab your heartstrings right away, but the final scene (ironically in the Arctic) could warm the center of even the most pragmatic, unemotional viewer.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Two of the best films of 2004 were deconstructions of love. But while Jonathan Glazer’s Birth shattered romance to pieces, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind showed us what it’s made of. The film also somewhat argues that love and romance aren’t necessarily about “happily ever after,” even if the two main characters do seem destined to be together at the end, nor are these concepts limited to good times.


The Notebook (2004)
It doesn’t get more traditionally romantic than this: forbidden love; correspondence; longing; a World War. But how is this more beloved than either Pearl Harbor or Australia? And why is Nicholas Sparks more respected and read than most romance novelists? Well, if it were that easy to determine, Hollywood wouldn’t keep failing in its attempts to make more films like this. Or, maybe it’s just that The Notebook doesn’t seem to be trying too hard –– it just tells a genuine love story without tugging or overreaching for your presumed romantic buttons.

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
If Amelie is the most romantic non-American film of the last ten years, and if Punch-Drunk’s Barry Egan is the male Amelie, then Miranda July’s character is simply the American Amelie. She’s a little weird, a little too forthcoming, but she’s so sweet and creative in her pursuits that she’s not just forgivable; she’s completely lovable. Of course, lovable doesn’t exactly equal romantic, but then there are plenty of oddly romantic scenes in the film, too, such as the metaphoric first walk shared by July and John Hawkes’ characters. It’s frank, it’s harsh, but it’s also the best flirtation seen in American cinema in a long time.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)
It’s upsetting to think of any story involving adultery as being romantic (though Unfaithful almost made this list for other, spoilerific reasons), but the two lovers in Brokeback Mountain are given an exception because of the society they live in. The unapproved affair also makes for one of the most heartbreaking romances ever put on screen. And of all the films selected, this is easily the one that’s liable to make you lose your cynical perspective, at least for a couple of hours.

WALL-E (2008)
In a way, this animated film is not romantic at all for humans, who are viewed as plump slugs with no real interaction with other people (seriously, a time when we all just use video chat, even when we’re in the vicinity of one another, is not too far off). But for robots, it’s the most romantic thing to come along since the implied relationship between C-3PO and R2-D2. And it’s gender-equal (or, if you believe the characters are gender-neutral, the film is partner-equal) as far as the pursuing, the rescuing and the responsibility go regarding WALL-E and EVE’s relationship. Hopefully, this most recent film on the list will inspire future romantic films to be so progressive and so lacking in cynicism (such optimism: even two humans seem to fall in love at the end). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
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      <title>Spout Post: All the Real Girls</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/captainryannn/archive/2008/12/4/37954.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/136653/default.aspx'>CaptainRyannn</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/captainryannn/default.aspx'>CaptainRyannn Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 12/4/2008 4:34:05 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> The more and more I watch the films of David Gordon Green, the more I realize that he&rsquo;s one of the best directors of his generation right now. He manages to portray character in the most genuine and sincere way. His plots aren&rsquo;t filled much except human emotions. All the Real Girls is no different. Paul Schneider plays Paul, the &lsquo;Don Juan&rsquo; who has seemed to get into every girl&rsquo;s pants who lives in the small, sleepy town. The fact that Schneider&rsquo;s physique and face is nothing extraordinary tells us something about the setting itself. The fact that such an average-looking man is &lsquo;sex-icon&rsquo; of the town is a way of showing how much the town, and the people in it, have going for them. Paul&rsquo;s best friend is Tip. Tip&rsquo;s little sister is Noel (the always pretty, Zooey Deschanel), who has just recently returned to town. Frustration amongst Tip erupts when he sees his best friend flirting with his little sister. We meet these two characters within the first scene of the film as they share awkward romantic dialogue with each other. As the time-frame rewinds a couple of weeks back, with the introduction in mind, we can&rsquo;t help but wonder if Paul was being genuine with Noel or not. This is the core of the film. It is the story of a man who needs desperately to prove that he&rsquo;s overcome his reputation for the sake of true love. However, just as true love exists, so does heartbreak and there&rsquo;s plenty of that within these frames. The continuous, soft, trance-like music throughout the film as well as the honest and real-life characters place us in the same town as them. Whether we are in Glidden, Iowa or New York, New York, we are there with the people of All the Real Girls and are able to experience each and every emotion as if they were our own.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:34:05 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>CaptainRyannn</spout:postby><spout:postto>CaptainRyannn Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>12/4/2008 4:34:05 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>The more and more I watch the films of David Gordon Green, the more I realize that he&amp;rsquo;s one of the best directors of his generation right now. He manages to portray character in the most genuine and sincere way. His plots aren&amp;rsquo;t filled much except human emotions. All the Real Girls is no different. Paul Schneider plays Paul, the &amp;lsquo;Don Juan&amp;rsquo; who has seemed to get into every girl&amp;rsquo;s pants who lives in the small, sleepy town. The fact that Schneider&amp;rsquo;s physique and face is nothing extraordinary tells us something about the setting itself. The fact that such an average-looking man is &amp;lsquo;sex-icon&amp;rsquo; of the town is a way of showing how much the town, and the people in it, have going for them. Paul&amp;rsquo;s best friend is Tip. Tip&amp;rsquo;s little sister is Noel (the always pretty, Zooey Deschanel), who has just recently returned to town. Frustration amongst Tip erupts when he sees his best friend flirting with his little sister. We meet these two characters within the first scene of the film as they share awkward romantic dialogue with each other. As the time-frame rewinds a couple of weeks back, with the introduction in mind, we can&amp;rsquo;t help but wonder if Paul was being genuine with Noel or not. This is the core of the film. It is the story of a man who needs desperately to prove that he&amp;rsquo;s overcome his reputation for the sake of true love. However, just as true love exists, so does heartbreak and there&amp;rsquo;s plenty of that within these frames. The continuous, soft, trance-like music throughout the film as well as the honest and real-life characters place us in the same town as them. Whether we are in Glidden, Iowa or New York, New York, we are there with the people of All the Real Girls and are able to experience each and every emotion as if they were our own.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Pineapple Express Breaks Records</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/8/7/33702.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/19702/default.aspx'>Karina</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/default.aspx'>Karina on SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 8/7/2008 3:01:32 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Pineapple Express‘ Wednesday night opening broke two records: with its gross of $12.5 million, it had the best August Wednesday opening day ever. It has also now grossed more than every other film directed by David Gordon Green combined. His previous high grosser was All the Real Girls, which made about half a million dollars back in 2003. That’s right: in a single day, he beat his personal high score by a factor of 25. Of course, Pineapple also opened in 125 times as many theaters as Real Girls played in its widest release.
There’s really no way to calculate how much of that $12.5 million is due to the efforts of Green, and how much can be credited to the Judd Apatow brand name, to the combination of leads Seth Rogen and James Franco, or to the immortal Huey Lewis. So…cheers all around! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:01:32 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Karina</spout:postby><spout:postto>Karina on SpoutBlog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>8/7/2008 3:01:32 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Pineapple Express‘ Wednesday night opening broke two records: with its gross of $12.5 million, it had the best August Wednesday opening day ever. It has also now grossed more than every other film directed by David Gordon Green combined. His previous high grosser was All the Real Girls, which made about half a million dollars back in 2003. That’s right: in a single day, he beat his personal high score by a factor of 25. Of course, Pineapple also opened in 125 times as many theaters as Real Girls played in its widest release.
There’s really no way to calculate how much of that $12.5 million is due to the efforts of Green, and how much can be credited to the Judd Apatow brand name, to the combination of leads Seth Rogen and James Franco, or to the immortal Huey Lewis. So…cheers all around! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Pineapple Express Breaks Records</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/7/33700.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 8/7/2008 3:01:22 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Pineapple Express‘ Wednesday night opening broke two records: with its gross of $12.5 million, it had the best August Wednesday opening day ever. It has also now grossed more than every other film directed by David Gordon Green combined. His previous high grosser was All the Real Girls, which made about half a million dollars back in 2003. That’s right: in a single day, he beat his personal high score by a factor of 25. Of course, Pineapple also opened in 125 times as many theaters as Real Girls played in its widest release.
There’s really no way to calculate how much of that $12.5 million is due to the efforts of Green, and how much can be credited to the Judd Apatow brand name, to the combination of leads Seth Rogen and James Franco, or to the immortal Huey Lewis. So…cheers all around! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:01:22 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>8/7/2008 3:01:22 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Pineapple Express‘ Wednesday night opening broke two records: with its gross of $12.5 million, it had the best August Wednesday opening day ever. It has also now grossed more than every other film directed by David Gordon Green combined. His previous high grosser was All the Real Girls, which made about half a million dollars back in 2003. That’s right: in a single day, he beat his personal high score by a factor of 25. Of course, Pineapple also opened in 125 times as many theaters as Real Girls played in its widest release.
There’s really no way to calculate how much of that $12.5 million is due to the efforts of Green, and how much can be credited to the Judd Apatow brand name, to the combination of leads Seth Rogen and James Franco, or to the immortal Huey Lewis. So…cheers all around! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: "Snow Angels" Director David Gordon Green Tonight at Apple Store Soho</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/thefilmpanelnotetaker/archive/2008/3/5/25903.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/11648/default.aspx'>thefilmpanelnotetaker</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/thefilmpanelnotetaker/default.aspx'>thefilmpanelnotetaker Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 3/5/2008 4:01:11 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Here's something I will be unable to attend, but definitely wanted to let you all know about. Tonight, indieWIRE presents a discussion with filmmaker David Gordon Green (George Washington, All the Real Girls, Undertow and the upcoming Pineapple Express) whose latest feature film Snow Angels opens in limited theatrical release on Friday. Along with Green, one of the film’s young stars, Olivia Thirlby (Juno) will also participate in the Q&A moderated by indieWIRE Editor-in-chief Eugene Hernandez.Last year, I saw Snow Angels at BAM, where Green and Thirlby were also accompanied by another of the film’s principal performers, Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind).Tonight's discussion at the Apple Store begins at 7pm. This is a free event and no RSVP is required, but I suggest an early arrival as seating is limited and first come, first serve. More details here. Originally posted on:The Film Panel Notetaker - Miss a panel discussion? Don't worry! We took notes for you.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:01:11 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>thefilmpanelnotetaker</spout:postby><spout:postto>thefilmpanelnotetaker Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>3/5/2008 4:01:11 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Here's something I will be unable to attend, but definitely wanted to let you all know about. Tonight, indieWIRE presents a discussion with filmmaker David Gordon Green (George Washington, All the Real Girls, Undertow and the upcoming Pineapple Express) whose latest feature film Snow Angels opens in limited theatrical release on Friday. Along with Green, one of the film’s young stars, Olivia Thirlby (Juno) will also participate in the Q&amp;A moderated by indieWIRE Editor-in-chief Eugene Hernandez.Last year, I saw Snow Angels at BAM, where Green and Thirlby were also accompanied by another of the film’s principal performers, Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind).Tonight's discussion at the Apple Store begins at 7pm. This is a free event and no RSVP is required, but I suggest an early arrival as seating is limited and first come, first serve. More details here. Originally posted on:The Film Panel Notetaker - Miss a panel discussion? Don't worry! We took notes for you.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: The Foot Fist Way Trailer</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/3/5/25891.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 3/5/2008 1:01:13 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 


I don’t know what I’m happier about, the fact that “Bust-Ass” from All the Real Girls has been getting a lot of supporting roles in big comedies (Hot Rod, The Heartbreak Kid, Pineapple Express, Drillbit Taylor, Tropic Thunder) or that he’s got the starring role in this little comedy, which ought to receive a decent theatrical run courtesy of Paramount Vantage. I’ll tell the truth, though; I hadn’t heard of The Foot Fist Way until I was directed [via ComingSoon.net] to the movie’s new “restricted” trailer. Apparently it was quite popular when it screened at Sundance in 2007, and it so far has a rating of 9.7 stars out of 10 on its IMDb page (though only 29 people have rated it so far).
This trailer does something interesting that isn’t seen much in the world of movie marketing. It employs a sort of peer-recommendation that we’re used to seeing on book jackets. The trailer mentions the fact that it has been watched by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay at least 20 times, that it has been quoted by them and that they obsess over it. The only thing it’s missing is an actual appearance from the pair, or at least a direct statement from them. I feel like something less second-hand would be more effective.
The Foot Fist Way is scheduled to open April 11. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:01:13 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>3/5/2008 1:01:13 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>


I don’t know what I’m happier about, the fact that “Bust-Ass” from All the Real Girls has been getting a lot of supporting roles in big comedies (Hot Rod, The Heartbreak Kid, Pineapple Express, Drillbit Taylor, Tropic Thunder) or that he’s got the starring role in this little comedy, which ought to receive a decent theatrical run courtesy of Paramount Vantage. I’ll tell the truth, though; I hadn’t heard of The Foot Fist Way until I was directed [via ComingSoon.net] to the movie’s new “restricted” trailer. Apparently it was quite popular when it screened at Sundance in 2007, and it so far has a rating of 9.7 stars out of 10 on its IMDb page (though only 29 people have rated it so far).
This trailer does something interesting that isn’t seen much in the world of movie marketing. It employs a sort of peer-recommendation that we’re used to seeing on book jackets. The trailer mentions the fact that it has been watched by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay at least 20 times, that it has been quoted by them and that they obsess over it. The only thing it’s missing is an actual appearance from the pair, or at least a direct statement from them. I feel like something less second-hand would be more effective.
The Foot Fist Way is scheduled to open April 11. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: SXSW Preview: Natural Causes</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/2/27/25646.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/19702/default.aspx'>Karina</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/default.aspx'>Karina on SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 2/27/2008 2:00:53 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 

In the interest of full disclosure: I play a very small role in the subject of today’s SXSW preview, Natural Causes. As such, I’m going to have to pass the SXSW reviewing duties along to another member of the Spout team??????and in fact, as of this writing, I haven’t even seen the film, even though parts of it were made in my apartment??????but we passed along our standard 4 Questions to co-directors Alex Cannon, Paul Cannon and Michael Lerman nonetheless. Check out the Emerging Visions selection’s trailer above, and answers from the boys below.Tell us about your movie. Who did you work with, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, “It’s like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!” pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out.
25 words or less? Natural Causes is like the greatest hits of a relationship.
That said, we wrote it in 1 month and shot it in 11 days, some of them 23 hours long. This was our attempt to make an extraordinarily personal film about the nature of a young relationship. The three of us have gone through similar experiences and we know so many people who have as well. Natural Causes is our way of taking a look back at that and examining what it???s like to be with someone at this age and all the shit that goes along with it. We???re not blind to the fact that there are movies that resonate with us in an emotionally similar way, like David Gordon Green???s All the Real Girls or Atom Egoyan???s Calendar.
The best part of the whole experience might be the collaboration. Who better to make a movie with than two of your best friends? Combine that with a really great crew and you have the most fun the three of us have had, pretty much ever. Michael Tully is a jack-of-all-trades, Asif Siddiky is a genius and the whole cast is incomparable. We worked with some of the most dedicated and inexhaustible people around and the fact that nobody ended up screaming or in prison is a miracle, although we managed to get some stitches along the way. Literally.
 (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » karina<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:00:53 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Karina</spout:postby><spout:postto>Karina on SpoutBlog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>2/27/2008 2:00:53 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>

In the interest of full disclosure: I play a very small role in the subject of today’s SXSW preview, Natural Causes. As such, I’m going to have to pass the SXSW reviewing duties along to another member of the Spout team??????and in fact, as of this writing, I haven’t even seen the film, even though parts of it were made in my apartment??????but we passed along our standard 4 Questions to co-directors Alex Cannon, Paul Cannon and Michael Lerman nonetheless. Check out the Emerging Visions selection’s trailer above, and answers from the boys below.Tell us about your movie. Who did you work with, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, “It’s like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!” pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out.
25 words or less? Natural Causes is like the greatest hits of a relationship.
That said, we wrote it in 1 month and shot it in 11 days, some of them 23 hours long. This was our attempt to make an extraordinarily personal film about the nature of a young relationship. The three of us have gone through similar experiences and we know so many people who have as well. Natural Causes is our way of taking a look back at that and examining what it???s like to be with someone at this age and all the shit that goes along with it. We???re not blind to the fact that there are movies that resonate with us in an emotionally similar way, like David Gordon Green???s All the Real Girls or Atom Egoyan???s Calendar.
The best part of the whole experience might be the collaboration. Who better to make a movie with than two of your best friends? Combine that with a really great crew and you have the most fun the three of us have had, pretty much ever. Michael Tully is a jack-of-all-trades, Asif Siddiky is a genius and the whole cast is incomparable. We worked with some of the most dedicated and inexhaustible people around and the fact that nobody ended up screaming or in prison is a miracle, although we managed to get some stitches along the way. Literally.
 (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » karina</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: SXSW Preview: Natural Causes</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/2/27/25645.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t32362u09ds.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 2/27/2008 2:00:43 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 

In the interest of full disclosure: I play a very small role in the subject of today’s SXSW preview, Natural Causes. As such, I’m going to have to pass the SXSW reviewing duties along to another member of the Spout team??????and in fact, as of this writing, I haven’t even seen the film, even though parts of it were made in my apartment??????but we passed along our standard 4 Questions to co-directors Alex Cannon, Paul Cannon and Michael Lerman nonetheless. Check out the Emerging Visions selection’s trailer above, and answers from the boys below.Tell us about your movie. Who did you work with, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, “It’s like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!” pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out.
25 words or less? Natural Causes is like the greatest hits of a relationship.
That said, we wrote it in 1 month and shot it in 11 days, some of them 23 hours long. This was our attempt to make an extraordinarily personal film about the nature of a young relationship. The three of us have gone through similar experiences and we know so many people who have as well. Natural Causes is our way of taking a look back at that and examining what it???s like to be with someone at this age and all the shit that goes along with it. We???re not blind to the fact that there are movies that resonate with us in an emotionally similar way, like David Gordon Green???s All the Real Girls or Atom Egoyan???s Calendar.
The best part of the whole experience might be the collaboration. Who better to make a movie with than two of your best friends? Combine that with a really great crew and you have the most fun the three of us have had, pretty much ever. Michael Tully is a jack-of-all-trades, Asif Siddiky is a genius and the whole cast is incomparable. We worked with some of the most dedicated and inexhaustible people around and the fact that nobody ended up screaming or in prison is a miracle, although we managed to get some stitches along the way. Literally.
 (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:00:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>2/27/2008 2:00:43 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>

In the interest of full disclosure: I play a very small role in the subject of today’s SXSW preview, Natural Causes. As such, I’m going to have to pass the SXSW reviewing duties along to another member of the Spout team??????and in fact, as of this writing, I haven’t even seen the film, even though parts of it were made in my apartment??????but we passed along our standard 4 Questions to co-directors Alex Cannon, Paul Cannon and Michael Lerman nonetheless. Check out the Emerging Visions selection’s trailer above, and answers from the boys below.Tell us about your movie. Who did you work with, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, “It’s like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!” pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out.
25 words or less? Natural Causes is like the greatest hits of a relationship.
That said, we wrote it in 1 month and shot it in 11 days, some of them 23 hours long. This was our attempt to make an extraordinarily personal film about the nature of a young relationship. The three of us have gone through similar experiences and we know so many people who have as well. Natural Causes is our way of taking a look back at that and examining what it???s like to be with someone at this age and all the shit that goes along with it. We???re not blind to the fact that there are movies that resonate with us in an emotionally similar way, like David Gordon Green???s All the Real Girls or Atom Egoyan???s Calendar.
The best part of the whole experience might be the collaboration. Who better to make a movie with than two of your best friends? Combine that with a really great crew and you have the most fun the three of us have had, pretty much ever. Michael Tully is a jack-of-all-trades, Asif Siddiky is a genius and the whole cast is incomparable. We worked with some of the most dedicated and inexhaustible people around and the fact that nobody ended up screaming or in prison is a miracle, although we managed to get some stitches along the way. Literally.
 (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:love</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>love</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 12479</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 338</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1481</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:51:34 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>12479</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>338</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1481</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:Loved-It</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>Loved-It</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 509</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 179</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 921</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>509</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>179</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>921</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:awesome</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/awesome/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/awesome/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>awesome</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 187</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 158</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 291</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:23:33 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>187</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>158</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>291</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:friendship</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>friendship</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 6791</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 154</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 980</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:42:20 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>6791</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>154</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>980</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:beautiful</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/beautiful/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/beautiful/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>beautiful</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 260</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 150</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 417</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:43:48 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>260</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>150</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>417</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:of</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/of/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/of/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>of</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 96</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 87</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 105</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:13:39 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>96</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>87</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>105</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:art</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/art/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/art/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>art</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 674</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 66</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 116</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:09:48 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>674</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>66</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>116</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:personal-classic</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/personal-classic/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/personal-classic/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>personal-classic</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 180</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 64</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 274</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:21:00 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>180</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>64</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>274</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:relationship</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/relationship/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/relationship/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>relationship</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1090</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 50</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 189</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:18:01 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1090</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>50</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>189</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:adolescence</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/adolescence/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/adolescence/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>adolescence</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 398</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 38</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 120</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>398</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>38</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>120</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:real</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/real/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/real/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>real</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 35</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 38</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 41</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:28:21 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>35</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>38</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>41</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:smalltown</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/smalltown/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/smalltown/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>smalltown</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 913</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 37</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 86</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:20:15 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>913</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>37</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>86</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:small-town</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/small-town/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/small-town/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>small-town</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 53</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 28</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 62</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:39 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>53</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>28</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>62</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:Changed-My-Life</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Changed-My-Life/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/Changed-My-Life/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>Changed-My-Life</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 46</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 27</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 60</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:22:35 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>46</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>27</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>60</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:sister</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sister/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/sister/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>sister</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1459</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 24</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 57</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:51:56 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1459</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>24</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>57</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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