list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Monster House on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Monster_House/257263/default.aspx Title: Monster House
Year: 2006
Director: Gil Kenan
Plot: A suburban home has become physically animated by a vengeful human soul looking to stir up trouble from beyond the grave, and it's up to three adventurous kids from the neighborhood to do battle with the structural golem in this comically frightful tale, directed by Gil Kenan and featuring the voices of Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Kevin James. DJ Harvard (voice of Mitchel Musso) lives directly across the street from a most unusual house. A malevolent entity that longs to feed on the energy of the living, the once peaceful house that looms ominously outside of DJ's bedroom window would like nothing more than the chance to feast on the children of the neighborhood. As Halloween begins to draw near and the children of the neighborhood prepare for another long night of trick-or-treating, it appears as if it may be the house that is in for the biggest treat of all. Now, with the adults turning a deaf ear to DJ's strange findings, it's up to the brave young boy and his faithful friends Chowder (voice of Sam Lerner) and Jenny (Spencer Locke) to break through the barrier of the supernatural and defeat the powers of darkness before the house grows too powerful to fight. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 22
Number of Lists: 18
Number of blog posts: 11
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:06:16 GMTMonster House2006Gil KenanA suburban home has become physically animated by a vengeful human soul looking to stir up trouble from beyond the grave, and it's up to three adventurous kids from the neighborhood to do battle with the structural golem in this comically frightful tale, directed by Gil Kenan and featuring the voices of <a href="/players/P_____9838/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Steve Buscemi</a>, <a href="/players/P___346033/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nick Cannon</a>, <a href="/players/P____29409/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Maggie Gyllenhaal</a>, and <a href="/players/P____35101/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kevin James</a>. DJ Harvard (voice of <a href="/players/P___467782/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mitchel Musso</a>) lives directly across the street from a most unusual house. A malevolent entity that longs to feed on the energy of the living, the once peaceful house that looms ominously outside of DJ's bedroom window would like nothing more than the chance to feast on the children of the neighborhood. As Halloween begins to draw near and the children of the neighborhood prepare for another long night of trick-or-treating, it appears as if it may be the house that is in for the biggest treat of all. Now, with the adults turning a deaf ear to DJ's strange findings, it's up to the brave young boy and his faithful friends Chowder (voice of Sam Lerner) and Jenny (<a href="/players/P___467784/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Spencer Locke</a>) to break through the barrier of the supernatural and defeat the powers of darkness before the house grows too powerful to fight. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide22Tag Target (>10)181113http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t87009x46pw.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Monster_House/257263/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/archive/2009/7/17/43128.aspx Post By: The_MOW
Post To: The_MOW Blog
Post Date: 7/17/2009 2:06:16 PM
Body: "DJ" (voiced by Mitchell Musso) has been noticing some strange goings-on at the house across the street owned by the mean, old "Nebbercracker" (Steve Buscemi). He has been spying on the house and "Nebbercracker", even though he has been told by his parents (voiced by Fred Willard and Cathrine O'Hara in cameo roles) not to. "Nebbercracker" is known to take anything from children which lands on his property, including the basketball of "DJ's" friend "Chowder" (voiced by Sam Lemer). "DJ" tries to tell adults that there is something up, but they won't listen. So he, "Chowder" and a neighborhood girl named "Jenny" (voiced by Spencer Locke) investigate the house after "Nebbercracker" has an apparent heart attack while yelling at "DJ" amd "Chowder" and rushed to the hospital. What they find is a house that seems to be alive, and try to kill it themselves based on the advice of a video game junkie (voiced by Jon Heder). But, they eventually find out the truth the the house and gain an unexpected ally in their battle with the house. The first thing you will notice is that the animation is spectacular. It has an almost realistic 3-D look with the depth of the scenery. It actually looks more like a 3-D model than a 2-D computer animated movie since it really looks as if you are looking into the distance in some scenes. And the detail is amazing in this animation. In one scene you are looking at the house, with "DJ" blocking most of the camera shot. If you look closely at his shirt in this particular scene, you actually see the stitching of the sweater. Even the inanimate things seen in this film (buildings, trees, fences) look like they are not computer animated. Heck, you could even see the individual blades of grass. There are some great performances in this film. At times I had to remind myself that these are animated characters. The delivery of lines were very believable and helped bring the characters to life. I'd go as far as saying that the chemistry between the performers was excellent. Not one person who lent their voice to this film appeared to be reading from a script, which is common practice when doing the voiceovers for animation. This is a very gentle horror movie. You will not see any blood in this film at all. Very young kids might scream, but older kids and adults will take the scary moments as comical more than scary. I do not believe this movie will cause nightmares. For me, the comedy was more chuckle-worthy more than anything else. I didn't chuckle or laugh at many jokes, but I did at a small chunk of the comedic moments. Kids will definitely laugh at these moments if you ask me. There is even some jokes targeted to adults. The music in this movie is OK, but nothing really stands out. You mostly have instrumentals in the entire movie. This movie is not perfect. But it is pretty fun. I would check it out if you catch it on HBO or another movie network. It might even be a pretty good rental for your kids.
]]>Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:06:16 GMTThe_MOWThe_MOW Blog7/17/2009 2:06:16 PM"DJ" (voiced by Mitchell Musso) has been noticing some strange goings-on at the house across the street owned by the mean, old "Nebbercracker" (Steve Buscemi). He has been spying on the house and "Nebbercracker", even though he has been told by his parents (voiced by Fred Willard and Cathrine O'Hara in cameo roles) not to. "Nebbercracker" is known to take anything from children which lands on his property, including the basketball of "DJ's" friend "Chowder" (voiced by Sam Lemer). "DJ" tries to tell adults that there is something up, but they won't listen. So he, "Chowder" and a neighborhood girl named "Jenny" (voiced by Spencer Locke) investigate the house after "Nebbercracker" has an apparent heart attack while yelling at "DJ" amd "Chowder" and rushed to the hospital. What they find is a house that seems to be alive, and try to kill it themselves based on the advice of a video game junkie (voiced by Jon Heder). But, they eventually find out the truth the the house and gain an unexpected ally in their battle with the house. The first thing you will notice is that the animation is spectacular. It has an almost realistic 3-D look with the depth of the scenery. It actually looks more like a 3-D model than a 2-D computer animated movie since it really looks as if you are looking into the distance in some scenes. And the detail is amazing in this animation. In one scene you are looking at the house, with "DJ" blocking most of the camera shot. If you look closely at his shirt in this particular scene, you actually see the stitching of the sweater. Even the inanimate things seen in this film (buildings, trees, fences) look like they are not computer animated. Heck, you could even see the individual blades of grass. There are some great performances in this film. At times I had to remind myself that these are animated characters. The delivery of lines were very believable and helped bring the characters to life. I'd go as far as saying that the chemistry between the performers was excellent. Not one person who lent their voice to this film appeared to be reading from a script, which is common practice when doing the voiceovers for animation. This is a very gentle horror movie. You will not see any blood in this film at all. Very young kids might scream, but older kids and adults will take the scary moments as comical more than scary. I do not believe this movie will cause nightmares. For me, the comedy was more chuckle-worthy more than anything else. I didn't chuckle or laugh at many jokes, but I did at a small chunk of the comedic moments. Kids will definitely laugh at these moments if you ask me. There is even some jokes targeted to adults. The music in this movie is OK, but nothing really stands out. You mostly have instrumentals in the entire movie. This movie is not perfect. But it is pretty fun. I would check it out if you catch it on HBO or another movie network. It might even be a pretty good rental for your kids. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/10/36138.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/10/2008 12:01:38 PM
Body: I’ve been a fan of Jeanne DuPrau’s Ember book series for several years now, having found them to be a great blend of post-apocalyptic dreariness and steampunk tomfoolery, and all in a young adult book. Tom Hanks’ Playtone production company must have thought so too, since they optioned The City of Ember and gave it to Gil Kenan (Monster House) to direct. I was able to see City of Ember at Fantastic Fest, and it’s sadly not the Ember adaptation I’d been hoping for. The basic plot of Ember is set up in the opening moments of the film, which show how the City of Ember was created in an effort to keep the human race going after the surface of the Earth has been ravaged by … something, maybe a virus, war, an infestation of zombies, or who knows what. Ember is sealed with a time capsule that is given to the mayor, and it is set to open in 200 years. Over generations the box is handed from mayor to mayor, but it accidentally becomes lost and forgotten about. Lina, played by Saoirse Ronan, receives her job on Assignment Day, along with the rest of her class. You choose a position by drawing a slip of paper out of a musty bag (it makes the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter look like your best friend in comparison), and this is the job you’ll have for the rest of your life. Lina draws up the dreaded Pipeworks job, which will keep her deep in the bowels of Ember. However, her classmate Doon (Harry Treadaway), who longs to do something useful and wants to try to get close to the Generator to see if he can fix it, has picked Messenger, and he eagerly wants to trade with Lina, which she is more than happy to do. In their respective jobs, Doon soon finds out that the city is barely running as it is, and that no one really has an idea what to do about the future. The generator, which powers the entire city of keeps the lights on, has been prone to blackouts that keep getting longer and longer, citizens have begun venturing out into the dark and encountering strange beasts, and Lina is passing strange messages from the Mayor (Bill Murray) to a storeroom worker named Looper (Mackenzie Crook, better known as Gareth from the British The Office). That’s where our protagonist Poppy comes in. It’s readily apparent that Ember is doomed, but luckily Lina finds her younger sister Poppy eating shreds of paper out of a mysterious box…the very same box that was passed down from generation to generation, and had become lost. Lina pieces the scraps back together and finds instructions for leaving Ember. However, Lina has been causing problems for the mayor, who has also learned that she has the mysterious box. Cue the chase scene, with Doon, Lina, and Poppy barely making it out of Ember alive. As they ascend to the surface, they spy Ember barely visible far down below through a crack in the Earth, and drop a rock down with instructions tied to it. Thankfully, it doesn’t bash someone’s brains in. The real disappointment of the film is that you never get a real feeling of what life is like in Ember, which is more fully explored in the books. For instance, the Library of Ember isn’t even mentioned in the film, and it plays a large part in the novel. The little details from the book that flesh out the world don’t exist, like the delight Poppy feels when she finds a new color of crayon that she’s never seen before. This was a temporary world that was meant to be lived in for only 200 years, and it’s nearly 50 years past that date when the events of the movie/book occur. There are moments created for the film that try and capture this: an answering machine is run by Lina on a combination sewing machine/treadmill to lull Poppy to sleep, the Pipeworks is a mess of patches and half-rigged bypass valves. Tim Robbins plays Doon’s father, and he is constantly tinkering with machinery, and Martin Landau plays a narcoleptic pipeworker alongside Doon. Throughout the climax, I was constantly reminded of The Goonies, when they were being chased by the Fratellis through the waterslide sequence. That felt real and terrifying as a kid, but the CGI water effects in Ember feel fake and transparent. There’s no real terror on the faces of the actors, despite the fact that a virtual tidal wave is hurtling them at breakneck speed past razor sharp rocks and stalagtites. There’s no imminent sense of danger for these kids, and that goes for the entire film, not just the ending. The world of Ember is certainly realistic, and they’ve done a good job combining some of the digital effects with the massive set they created in Belfast. It’s just a pity that we don’t spend much time at all with the Generator, which is practically a living, breathing entity in the novel. It’s the lifeblood of the city, huge and mysterious, yet no one knows much about it, although no one is willing to admit that. The film would have benefited from having an antagonist aside from the comical antics of Murray as the mayor. His part, and Looper’s, seem like they were cast for comic effect, and as a result Lina is left without a real nemesis––or, at least, one that seems threatening. At the Q&A for Ember at Fantastic Fest, Bill Murray was asked why he decided to work on the project, and he said he’d heard the words “Young Spielberg” thrown around when people were referring to director Gil Kenan. Let’s hope that Ember is his Duel or his Sugarland Express, and that his Jaws is still forthcoming. Young audience members will probably enjoy Ember for the visuals, but adults will find it lacking. For the true experience, give the first book (in what is now a series of four) a whirl. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:01:38 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/10/2008 12:01:38 PM I’ve been a fan of Jeanne DuPrau’s Ember book series for several years now, having found them to be a great blend of post-apocalyptic dreariness and steampunk tomfoolery, and all in a young adult book. Tom Hanks’ Playtone production company must have thought so too, since they optioned The City of Ember and gave it to Gil Kenan (Monster House) to direct. I was able to see City of Ember at Fantastic Fest, and it’s sadly not the Ember adaptation I’d been hoping for. The basic plot of Ember is set up in the opening moments of the film, which show how the City of Ember was created in an effort to keep the human race going after the surface of the Earth has been ravaged by … something, maybe a virus, war, an infestation of zombies, or who knows what. Ember is sealed with a time capsule that is given to the mayor, and it is set to open in 200 years. Over generations the box is handed from mayor to mayor, but it accidentally becomes lost and forgotten about. Lina, played by Saoirse Ronan, receives her job on Assignment Day, along with the rest of her class. You choose a position by drawing a slip of paper out of a musty bag (it makes the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter look like your best friend in comparison), and this is the job you’ll have for the rest of your life. Lina draws up the dreaded Pipeworks job, which will keep her deep in the bowels of Ember. However, her classmate Doon (Harry Treadaway), who longs to do something useful and wants to try to get close to the Generator to see if he can fix it, has picked Messenger, and he eagerly wants to trade with Lina, which she is more than happy to do. In their respective jobs, Doon soon finds out that the city is barely running as it is, and that no one really has an idea what to do about the future. The generator, which powers the entire city of keeps the lights on, has been prone to blackouts that keep getting longer and longer, citizens have begun venturing out into the dark and encountering strange beasts, and Lina is passing strange messages from the Mayor (Bill Murray) to a storeroom worker named Looper (Mackenzie Crook, better known as Gareth from the British The Office). That’s where our protagonist Poppy comes in. It’s readily apparent that Ember is doomed, but luckily Lina finds her younger sister Poppy eating shreds of paper out of a mysterious box…the very same box that was passed down from generation to generation, and had become lost. Lina pieces the scraps back together and finds instructions for leaving Ember. However, Lina has been causing problems for the mayor, who has also learned that she has the mysterious box. Cue the chase scene, with Doon, Lina, and Poppy barely making it out of Ember alive. As they ascend to the surface, they spy Ember barely visible far down below through a crack in the Earth, and drop a rock down with instructions tied to it. Thankfully, it doesn’t bash someone’s brains in. The real disappointment of the film is that you never get a real feeling of what life is like in Ember, which is more fully explored in the books. For instance, the Library of Ember isn’t even mentioned in the film, and it plays a large part in the novel. The little details from the book that flesh out the world don’t exist, like the delight Poppy feels when she finds a new color of crayon that she’s never seen before. This was a temporary world that was meant to be lived in for only 200 years, and it’s nearly 50 years past that date when the events of the movie/book occur. There are moments created for the film that try and capture this: an answering machine is run by Lina on a combination sewing machine/treadmill to lull Poppy to sleep, the Pipeworks is a mess of patches and half-rigged bypass valves. Tim Robbins plays Doon’s father, and he is constantly tinkering with machinery, and Martin Landau plays a narcoleptic pipeworker alongside Doon. Throughout the climax, I was constantly reminded of The Goonies, when they were being chased by the Fratellis through the waterslide sequence. That felt real and terrifying as a kid, but the CGI water effects in Ember feel fake and transparent. There’s no real terror on the faces of the actors, despite the fact that a virtual tidal wave is hurtling them at breakneck speed past razor sharp rocks and stalagtites. There’s no imminent sense of danger for these kids, and that goes for the entire film, not just the ending. The world of Ember is certainly realistic, and they’ve done a good job combining some of the digital effects with the massive set they created in Belfast. It’s just a pity that we don’t spend much time at all with the Generator, which is practically a living, breathing entity in the novel. It’s the lifeblood of the city, huge and mysterious, yet no one knows much about it, although no one is willing to admit that. The film would have benefited from having an antagonist aside from the comical antics of Murray as the mayor. His part, and Looper’s, seem like they were cast for comic effect, and as a result Lina is left without a real nemesis––or, at least, one that seems threatening. At the Q&A for Ember at Fantastic Fest, Bill Murray was asked why he decided to work on the project, and he said he’d heard the words “Young Spielberg” thrown around when people were referring to director Gil Kenan. Let’s hope that Ember is his Duel or his Sugarland Express, and that his Jaws is still forthcoming. Young audience members will probably enjoy Ember for the visuals, but adults will find it lacking. For the true experience, give the first book (in what is now a series of four) a whirl. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/29/35675.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/29/2008 11:00:40 AM
Body: Although a really good short film can catapult a director into feature filmmaking, much like Gil Kenan’s short film The Lark led to the chance to direct the CGI film Monster House for Robert Zemeckis and the just-completed live action The City of Ember , film festivals often show short films that most audiences won’t have a chance to see anywhere else. Fantastic Fest had a shorts playing in front of many of the features, and they also had two separate shorts screenings: Short Fuse for live action shorts, and Animated Shorts for, well… animated shorts. On first glance, the long-titled The Facts In The Case Of Mister Hollow doesn’t appear to be animation, but slowly you come to realize that it’s a series of still photographs that tell a very chilling story. It was my favorite amongst the animated shorts, and hopefully it’ll be seen by more audiences soon. Director Rodrigo Gudino has directed two previous short films, The Demonology of Desire and The Eyes of Edward James, but The Facts clocks in as his shortest at only five minutes and 58 seconds. The extremely creepy music is provided by Johnny Hollow, a band which has been personified in Gudino’s film as an investigator of the macabre. In the opening shots, we see Johnny Hollow’s desk, spread with the accessories of a detective, possibly in the 1930s or 1940s, with a note imploring us to “Look closely…” at a single photograph. As the camera zooms in and out of the image, you begin to see things hidden in it. The angle will shift slightly, allowing you to see what’s behind something, or reveal a reflection in a mirror. What originally looks like a happy couple holding a baby, standing next to a car while a man off to the side prepares to light a fire eventually turns into a disturbing scene that might depict a human sacrifice. Each time we zoom in, we see that the action has advanced by just a few frames, and it’s amazing what a difference those can make. Besides being a director, Gudino also founded Rue Morgue, which serves as a magazine, blog, radio show, and producer of films for the horror crowd. The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow will be taking him all over the world, having just left Austin, he’s now heading to Spain, Switzerland, London, and other points all over the map. Check out the full tour here to see if you can catch this film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:00:40 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/29/2008 11:00:40 AM Although a really good short film can catapult a director into feature filmmaking, much like Gil Kenan’s short film The Lark led to the chance to direct the CGI film Monster House for Robert Zemeckis and the just-completed live action The City of Ember , film festivals often show short films that most audiences won’t have a chance to see anywhere else. Fantastic Fest had a shorts playing in front of many of the features, and they also had two separate shorts screenings: Short Fuse for live action shorts, and Animated Shorts for, well… animated shorts. On first glance, the long-titled The Facts In The Case Of Mister Hollow doesn’t appear to be animation, but slowly you come to realize that it’s a series of still photographs that tell a very chilling story. It was my favorite amongst the animated shorts, and hopefully it’ll be seen by more audiences soon. Director Rodrigo Gudino has directed two previous short films, The Demonology of Desire and The Eyes of Edward James, but The Facts clocks in as his shortest at only five minutes and 58 seconds. The extremely creepy music is provided by Johnny Hollow, a band which has been personified in Gudino’s film as an investigator of the macabre. In the opening shots, we see Johnny Hollow’s desk, spread with the accessories of a detective, possibly in the 1930s or 1940s, with a note imploring us to “Look closely…” at a single photograph. As the camera zooms in and out of the image, you begin to see things hidden in it. The angle will shift slightly, allowing you to see what’s behind something, or reveal a reflection in a mirror. What originally looks like a happy couple holding a baby, standing next to a car while a man off to the side prepares to light a fire eventually turns into a disturbing scene that might depict a human sacrifice. Each time we zoom in, we see that the action has advanced by just a few frames, and it’s amazing what a difference those can make. Besides being a director, Gudino also founded Rue Morgue, which serves as a magazine, blog, radio show, and producer of films for the horror crowd. The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow will be taking him all over the world, having just left Austin, he’s now heading to Spain, Switzerland, London, and other points all over the map. Check out the full tour here to see if you can catch this film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/22/35408.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/22/2008 9:01:18 PM
Body: Happy autumn! Today marked the fall equinox for the Northern hemisphere, and while the season can be a depressing one for mainstream moviegoers (at least until Thanksgiving ushers in the holiday blockbusters and Oscar-bait releases), it is otherwise a wonderful time of the year. Having grown up in New England, I’ve always had a great appreciation for the changing leaves, the brisk weather, the pumpkin and apple picking and the foodie holidays (as a rather chunky kid, I really only liked Halloween for the candy and Thanksgiving for the stuffing of my face). I even looked forward to going back to school every September. But autumn can be a great season for cinephiles, too, despite the significant lack of worthwhile theatrical releases. For one thing, the colder weather, particularly the colder nights, keeps us indoors more often for DVD watching. For another thing, the season has lent itself nominally and spirtually to some great films by the likes of Ozu, Bergman and Rohmer, among others. Personally, I think movies set in the fall tend to look the most beautiful, although I recognize that part of my aesthetic appreciation comes with my general love for autumnal landscapes and activities. To get myself in the mood, and share the spirit with fellow fans of the fall, I’ve found ten scenes that will help us to welcome the season: 1. Opening sequence  - from Monster House (2006) I shouldn’t have to explain why this is on here, but I guess there are a ton of you who unfortunately skipped this animated film when it was out in theaters (when you could have seen it properly in 3-D). Hopefully, the beginning will entice you to watch the rest, although I admit the rest of the film isn’t quite as good as its opening. The falling leaf may remind you of the beginning of Forrest Gump, which could have been intentional since Robert Zemeckis was a producer on this film, but I much prefer this sequence, mostly because director Gil Kenan manages to make me believe it was shot by an actual camera and not just set up to look that way with a computer. 2. Cathy and Raymond walk in the woods - from Far From Heaven (2002) The opening shot from Monster House initially reminded me of the opening shot from this Todd Haynes film (yes, I have since become aware that it goes back to Douglas Sirk’s All That Heaven Allows opening). But I can’t find that sequence online, plus it would possibly be redundant to include it, so here’s another scene displaying the gorgeous fall colors as shot by cinematographer Edward Lachman. Perfectly evoking Sirk’s films, there isn’t another modern film that better recreates the Connecticut autumn foliage as well as I know it. 3. Opening sequence - from Written on the Wind (1956) More blowing leaves. With much less grace than the one from Monster House, of course. But as much as I love the falling leaves that come with this time of year, I do get frustrated with all the dry, brown ones that slip through your door later on in the season. In any event, I had to include something from Sirk, despite an apparent lack of clips from his films available on YouTube. 4. Moon vs. Flying Snow - from Hero (2002) If you want evidence that YouTube isn’t the proper format with which to watch film clips, check out the above sequence from Zhang Yimou’s historical spectacle. Still, you should be able to tell that those colorful blurs are leaves. If there’s anything I’d like to do more than jumping into a pile of leaves right now, it’s flying through a flurry of blowing leaves, with or without a blade. 5. Paul Rudd scares a little kid - from Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) Enough blowing leaves. Let’s move on to the first big holiday of the season: Halloween. But to make things interesting, I’m not including any favorite scenes from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown or even from the original Halloween. Save those for another month or so. Instead, take a look some scenes from one of the Halloween movies you probably haven’t seen, or at least don’t like as much. Why? Because Paul Rudd is in it. I don’t know about you, but I find no better way to celebrate the beginning of autumn than to ritually put my copy of Wet Hot American Summer back on the shelf and then rent Halloween 6 and let Rudd link the seasons together. He’s not as funny here as in WHAS, but he still unintentionally has me laughing in the scene where he explains the origin of Michael Myers’ powers and in an earlier bit where he inadvertently makes a kid drop his pumpkin (fast forward the above clip to 8:01). 6. Cary Grant gets horny in a graveyard - from Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Here’s another great Halloween movie that isn’t too Halloweeny, so it’ll hopefully get you more in the mood for the fall than for trick or treating. Though it’s clearly a set, I’ll always love the autumnal outdoor scenes from this adaptation of the high school drama staple. In particular, I like the bit above (fast forward to 6:00), where Cary Grant lecherously chases his new bride around a tree. I so wish autumn in Brooklyn still looked so quaint. And I so wish I could have married Priscilla Lane. 7. Jim Morrison ruins another Thanksgiving - from The Doors (1991) And now we move on to the other big holiday with a look at my favorite Thanksgiving scene in all of cinema. Maybe it’s because I’ve had many a dysfunctional turkey day myself, and watching Pam throw the sweet potatoes and Jim stomp on the duck, let alone the other awkward moments involving sex partners and murder attempts, always makes me realize that I could have experienced worse. By the way, The Doors are also a good band to think of in terms of the transition from summer to autumn because of their songs “Summer’s Almost Gone” and “Indian Summer.” 8. Sam Raimi evokes Buster Keaton - from Indian Summer (1993) Speaking of Indian Summer, that wonderfully warm spell that comes later in the season following the first frost and before it really starts to get cold, here is one of its many cinematic namesakes. It may not even be the best of the films with this title, but some of the visuals are good for celebrating the seasonal cusp. Also, Sam Raimi is hilariously memorable as the camp maintenance man. In one great scene in the above montage, he reminds me of Buster Keaton as he attempts to pull fallen luggage out of the lake. 9. India-shaped harvest - from Mother India (1957) No list of autumn-themed movies would be complete without something related to a harvest, though I’m certain that I’m veering off season a bit by using Mother India as my choice of such a film. I’m pretty sure the harvesting of wheat in India occurs in the Spring. Regardless, it’s the film that first pops into mind when I think of harvest, likely because of the incredible India-shaped crop set piece seen above. (Click on the image to get the un-embeddable clip). 10. “Skunk” invades Oktoberfest - from Strange Brew (1983) Another great thing that happens in autumn, specifically the beginning of autumn, is Oktoberfest. And sure, I probably could have included a clip from Broken Lizard’s Beerfest, which actually takes place in Munich. However, nobody can deny that Strange Brew is a funnier film, and there’s no better Oktoberfest-set scene than the one in which Hosehead the dog flies into a Canadian celebration, is mistaken for a skunk and successfully saves hundreds of people from drinking contaminated beer. Hosehead is a true hero. Yet for some reason nobody has honored the beer-loving canine by putting a clip of the scene up on YouTube. So, we’ll have to make due with a montage from the film set to a song about beer, which has a few minimal flashes of the Oktoberfest part. Enjoy, eh? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:01:18 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/22/2008 9:01:18 PMHappy autumn! Today marked the fall equinox for the Northern hemisphere, and while the season can be a depressing one for mainstream moviegoers (at least until Thanksgiving ushers in the holiday blockbusters and Oscar-bait releases), it is otherwise a wonderful time of the year. Having grown up in New England, I’ve always had a great appreciation for the changing leaves, the brisk weather, the pumpkin and apple picking and the foodie holidays (as a rather chunky kid, I really only liked Halloween for the candy and Thanksgiving for the stuffing of my face). I even looked forward to going back to school every September. But autumn can be a great season for cinephiles, too, despite the significant lack of worthwhile theatrical releases. For one thing, the colder weather, particularly the colder nights, keeps us indoors more often for DVD watching. For another thing, the season has lent itself nominally and spirtually to some great films by the likes of Ozu, Bergman and Rohmer, among others. Personally, I think movies set in the fall tend to look the most beautiful, although I recognize that part of my aesthetic appreciation comes with my general love for autumnal landscapes and activities. To get myself in the mood, and share the spirit with fellow fans of the fall, I’ve found ten scenes that will help us to welcome the season: 1. Opening sequence  - from Monster House (2006) I shouldn’t have to explain why this is on here, but I guess there are a ton of you who unfortunately skipped this animated film when it was out in theaters (when you could have seen it properly in 3-D). Hopefully, the beginning will entice you to watch the rest, although I admit the rest of the film isn’t quite as good as its opening. The falling leaf may remind you of the beginning of Forrest Gump, which could have been intentional since Robert Zemeckis was a producer on this film, but I much prefer this sequence, mostly because director Gil Kenan manages to make me believe it was shot by an actual camera and not just set up to look that way with a computer. 2. Cathy and Raymond walk in the woods - from Far From Heaven (2002) The opening shot from Monster House initially reminded me of the opening shot from this Todd Haynes film (yes, I have since become aware that it goes back to Douglas Sirk’s All That Heaven Allows opening). But I can’t find that sequence online, plus it would possibly be redundant to include it, so here’s another scene displaying the gorgeous fall colors as shot by cinematographer Edward Lachman. Perfectly evoking Sirk’s films, there isn’t another modern film that better recreates the Connecticut autumn foliage as well as I know it. 3. Opening sequence - from Written on the Wind (1956) More blowing leaves. With much less grace than the one from Monster House, of course. But as much as I love the falling leaves that come with this time of year, I do get frustrated with all the dry, brown ones that slip through your door later on in the season. In any event, I had to include something from Sirk, despite an apparent lack of clips from his films available on YouTube. 4. Moon vs. Flying Snow - from Hero (2002) If you want evidence that YouTube isn’t the proper format with which to watch film clips, check out the above sequence from Zhang Yimou’s historical spectacle. Still, you should be able to tell that those colorful blurs are leaves. If there’s anything I’d like to do more than jumping into a pile of leaves right now, it’s flying through a flurry of blowing leaves, with or without a blade. 5. Paul Rudd scares a little kid - from Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) Enough blowing leaves. Let’s move on to the first big holiday of the season: Halloween. But to make things interesting, I’m not including any favorite scenes from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown or even from the original Halloween. Save those for another month or so. Instead, take a look some scenes from one of the Halloween movies you probably haven’t seen, or at least don’t like as much. Why? Because Paul Rudd is in it. I don’t know about you, but I find no better way to celebrate the beginning of autumn than to ritually put my copy of Wet Hot American Summer back on the shelf and then rent Halloween 6 and let Rudd link the seasons together. He’s not as funny here as in WHAS, but he still unintentionally has me laughing in the scene where he explains the origin of Michael Myers’ powers and in an earlier bit where he inadvertently makes a kid drop his pumpkin (fast forward the above clip to 8:01). 6. Cary Grant gets horny in a graveyard - from Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Here’s another great Halloween movie that isn’t too Halloweeny, so it’ll hopefully get you more in the mood for the fall than for trick or treating. Though it’s clearly a set, I’ll always love the autumnal outdoor scenes from this adaptation of the high school drama staple. In particular, I like the bit above (fast forward to 6:00), where Cary Grant lecherously chases his new bride around a tree. I so wish autumn in Brooklyn still looked so quaint. And I so wish I could have married Priscilla Lane. 7. Jim Morrison ruins another Thanksgiving - from The Doors (1991) And now we move on to the other big holiday with a look at my favorite Thanksgiving scene in all of cinema. Maybe it’s because I’ve had many a dysfunctional turkey day myself, and watching Pam throw the sweet potatoes and Jim stomp on the duck, let alone the other awkward moments involving sex partners and murder attempts, always makes me realize that I could have experienced worse. By the way, The Doors are also a good band to think of in terms of the transition from summer to autumn because of their songs “Summer’s Almost Gone” and “Indian Summer.” 8. Sam Raimi evokes Buster Keaton - from Indian Summer (1993) Speaking of Indian Summer, that wonderfully warm spell that comes later in the season following the first frost and before it really starts to get cold, here is one of its many cinematic namesakes. It may not even be the best of the films with this title, but some of the visuals are good for celebrating the seasonal cusp. Also, Sam Raimi is hilariously memorable as the camp maintenance man. In one great scene in the above montage, he reminds me of Buster Keaton as he attempts to pull fallen luggage out of the lake. 9. India-shaped harvest - from Mother India (1957) No list of autumn-themed movies would be complete without something related to a harvest, though I’m certain that I’m veering off season a bit by using Mother India as my choice of such a film. I’m pretty sure the harvesting of wheat in India occurs in the Spring. Regardless, it’s the film that first pops into mind when I think of harvest, likely because of the incredible India-shaped crop set piece seen above. (Click on the image to get the un-embeddable clip). 10. “Skunk” invades Oktoberfest - from Strange Brew (1983) Another great thing that happens in autumn, specifically the beginning of autumn, is Oktoberfest. And sure, I probably could have included a clip from Broken Lizard’s Beerfest, which actually takes place in Munich. However, nobody can deny that Strange Brew is a funnier film, and there’s no better Oktoberfest-set scene than the one in which Hosehead the dog flies into a Canadian celebration, is mistaken for a skunk and successfully saves hundreds of people from drinking contaminated beer. Hosehead is a true hero. Yet for some reason nobody has honored the beer-loving canine by putting a clip of the scene up on YouTube. So, we’ll have to make due with a montage from the film set to a song about beer, which has a few minimal flashes of the Oktoberfest part. Enjoy, eh? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/jj79/archive/2008/6/6/30732.aspx Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 6/6/2008 3:57:25 PM
Body: Director: Gil KenanReleased: July 21, 2006*****When you think of animated movies, it's natural to think Disney-kid and family friend morality tales with cute animal sidekicks for the princess in distress. Or something along those lines. The definition of "animation" has changed with the advent of computer animation...and the stories told in the medium have also changed. Look no further than the Shrek films with their kid and adult humor. Those films, no matter what else they are, aim the adult jokes so far over the heads of the kids, they'll never get them. In Monster House, the entire concept of a child-eating house seems to fly in the face of the type of family friendly story we expect.Mr. Nebbercraker lives in an old dilapidated house, complete with BEWARE signs. If someone so much as steps foot on the property, he confiscates their toys and scares the daylights out of them. So when DJ and Chowder, neighborhood kids, meet Zee-a prep school know it all-the three venture across the street. With a hallway carpet as a tongue and windows lighting up like eyes, what is the mystery of this house. And do the kids even want to know?Monster House isn't a bad film. The animation and voice work are top notch. And a lot of the little details are spot on (everything from the odd beefy-skinny kid pairing to the way the parents act). It's the story-and the scares-which let it down. And by the story, I mean the ending. Everything after the time the three kids find themselves in the house. There is an attempt to make the climax funny and tragic at the same time which never works, nor could it in any sane and rational world. Although the eventual explanation doesn't necessarily come out of left field-it is mentioned at least once beforehand-it's a bit convenient, feeding into some sort of reality where the house is possessed and not a soul realizes it. Even as the structure attacks the children.Maybe I'm being too hard on Monster House, holding it to a Shrek or Ratatouille level. Frankly, it can't achieve either of those. On its own merits, the movie is serviceable enough. There are genuinely scary moments as DJ, Chowder and Zee fight to escape the house, scarier than I would ever expect for a "children's" movie. The typical moral is present-don't judge a book by its cover, have faith in human beings, friends come in all shapes and sizes...take your pick. I just can't help but feel that a run-tongue threatening to swallow a child goes a bit too far in a movie parents undoubtedly brought their kids to because it was a cartoon. Otherwise, it's serviceable enough and will always be known not for the story, but for the visuals. I guess that's better than not being known for anything.
]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:57:25 GMTJJ79JJ79 Blog6/6/2008 3:57:25 PMDirector: Gil KenanReleased: July 21, 2006*****When you think of animated movies, it's natural to think Disney-kid and family friend morality tales with cute animal sidekicks for the princess in distress. Or something along those lines. The definition of "animation" has changed with the advent of computer animation...and the stories told in the medium have also changed. Look no further than the Shrek films with their kid and adult humor. Those films, no matter what else they are, aim the adult jokes so far over the heads of the kids, they'll never get them. In Monster House, the entire concept of a child-eating house seems to fly in the face of the type of family friendly story we expect.Mr. Nebbercraker lives in an old dilapidated house, complete with BEWARE signs. If someone so much as steps foot on the property, he confiscates their toys and scares the daylights out of them. So when DJ and Chowder, neighborhood kids, meet Zee-a prep school know it all-the three venture across the street. With a hallway carpet as a tongue and windows lighting up like eyes, what is the mystery of this house. And do the kids even want to know?Monster House isn't a bad film. The animation and voice work are top notch. And a lot of the little details are spot on (everything from the odd beefy-skinny kid pairing to the way the parents act). It's the story-and the scares-which let it down. And by the story, I mean the ending. Everything after the time the three kids find themselves in the house. There is an attempt to make the climax funny and tragic at the same time which never works, nor could it in any sane and rational world. Although the eventual explanation doesn't necessarily come out of left field-it is mentioned at least once beforehand-it's a bit convenient, feeding into some sort of reality where the house is possessed and not a soul realizes it. Even as the structure attacks the children.Maybe I'm being too hard on Monster House, holding it to a Shrek or Ratatouille level. Frankly, it can't achieve either of those. On its own merits, the movie is serviceable enough. There are genuinely scary moments as DJ, Chowder and Zee fight to escape the house, scarier than I would ever expect for a "children's" movie. The typical moral is present-don't judge a book by its cover, have faith in human beings, friends come in all shapes and sizes...take your pick. I just can't help but feel that a run-tongue threatening to swallow a child goes a bit too far in a movie parents undoubtedly brought their kids to because it was a cartoon. Otherwise, it's serviceable enough and will always be known not for the story, but for the visuals. I guess that's better than not being known for anything. http://www.spout.com/groups/suspense_thriller_mystery_horror/Re_almost_G_rated_but_not_suspense_thriller_my/407/17315/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lukasblu
Post To: suspense-thriller-mystery-horror
Post Date: 8/5/2007 1:14:35 AM
Body: "Hmmm, that definately rules out I Spit on your Grave...lol. I was just looking over my Rental History and it looks like I'm a lot more disturbed than I thought I was - hee hee, I don't think I hardly have anything on there with minimal anything...sigh. " disturbing is ok LOL .i like alot of disturbing flicks too and maybe me being disturbing ehhh,sometimes maybe?? My queue is also abit out of the ordinary with some disturbing flicks with graphic visuals or not;some are disturbing documentaries or just flicks that question what is supposedly the norm.Just thought of something that might be clean fun;Monster house? was not a bad flick ;i like the extras on the dvd that showed a new technology for making the cg;they used the real people behind the voices and put this stick on things all around their body and all the actors/actress body movements are recorded cg and put in the actual movie;Kind of like that thing they stick on you on a lie detector test but for this movie they,stick it all around your whole body;Really interestingi believe i would probably have to search the disney website to put some horror/clean fun movie to suggest.what about those goosebumps tv show or are you afraid of the dark series from back then or other teen/children based tv show
]]>Sun, 05 Aug 2007 05:14:35 GMTlukasblususpense-thriller-mystery-horror8/5/2007 1:14:35 AM"Hmmm, that definately rules out I Spit on your Grave...lol. I was just looking over my Rental History and it looks like I&#39;m a lot more disturbed than I thought I was - hee hee, I don&#39;t think I hardly have anything on there with minimal anything...sigh. " disturbing is ok LOL .i like alot of disturbing flicks too and maybe me being disturbing ehhh,sometimes maybe?? My queue is also abit out of the ordinary with some disturbing flicks with graphic visuals or not;some are disturbing documentaries or just flicks that question what is supposedly the norm.Just thought of something that might be clean fun;Monster house? was not a bad flick ;i like the extras on the dvd that showed a new technology for making the cg;they used the real people behind the voices and put this stick on things all around their body and all the actors/actress body movements are recorded cg and put in the actual movie;Kind of like that thing they stick on you on a lie detector test but for this movie they,stick it all around your whole body;Really interestingi believe i would probably have to search the disney website to put some horror/clean fun movie to suggest.what about those goosebumps tv show or are you afraid of the dark series from back then or other teen/children based tv show http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/7/13/13888.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/13/2007 4:00:39 PM
Body: I've been tagged by FilmSnob to participate in the Eight Things meme that's been going around. All the cool kids are doing it, and it's Friday, so why the hell not? But in the interest of keeping things around here *somewhat* on topic, I will try to keep this semi-film related. First, the rules: Rules: 1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts. 2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules. 4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and that they should read your blog. Now, the things: 1) I have never seen the following films: Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Goonies or Gremlins. 2)When I first moved to New York, I was broke, working full time and going to school at night. I came up with a crack-pot scheme to track down Peter Bogdanovich and convince him to let me be his personal secretary. I was totally ready to put it into action, until a roommate talked me out of it. 3) I've walked out of far too many films in tears--films that could not in any way be construed as tearjerkers--films like Dodgeball, and Independence Day. I think there's actually something wrong with my eyes; they tend to tear up when I stare at any kind of screen for a long stretch of time. This is just one of many reasons why, like FilmSnob... 4) I prefer to see films alone. Another reason: I get extremely claustrophobic in movie theaters unless there is at least one empty seat next to me. 5) I have dressed up as the following fictional characters for Halloween: Holly Golightly, Sally Bowles, Marla Singer. 6) Speaking of Sally Bowles: I'm such an unrepentant Judy Garland fanatic that I give a pass to pretty much everything Liza Minnelli does. With the possible exception of Arthur 2: On the Rocks. 7) I have a ton of VHS tapes that I rescued from bargain bins with the intention of burning them to DVD, but that, due to my own stunning laziness, are just sitting on my shelves collecting dust. Some of these include: Where the Green Ants Dream, Two For the Road and Zabriskie Point. I hate myself for being this lazy, but the self-loathing just breeds more laziness. 8) When I was in ninth grade, I went to see Pulp Fiction with a guy named Gil, who went on to direct Monster House. Now that that's over, I beg for attention from tag the following bloggers to participate in the meme: Aaron Dobbs, Michael Tully, Ariel Waldman, Tom Hall, Wiley Wiggins, Gabe Rivera, Randall Bennett , Jason Calacanis, and Virginia Heffernan. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:00:39 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/13/2007 4:00:39 PMI've been tagged by FilmSnob to participate in the Eight Things meme that's been going around. All the cool kids are doing it, and it's Friday, so why the hell not? But in the interest of keeping things around here *somewhat* on topic, I will try to keep this semi-film related. First, the rules: Rules: 1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts. 2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules. 4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and that they should read your blog. Now, the things: 1) I have never seen the following films: Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Goonies or Gremlins. 2)When I first moved to New York, I was broke, working full time and going to school at night. I came up with a crack-pot scheme to track down Peter Bogdanovich and convince him to let me be his personal secretary. I was totally ready to put it into action, until a roommate talked me out of it. 3) I've walked out of far too many films in tears--films that could not in any way be construed as tearjerkers--films like Dodgeball, and Independence Day. I think there's actually something wrong with my eyes; they tend to tear up when I stare at any kind of screen for a long stretch of time. This is just one of many reasons why, like FilmSnob... 4) I prefer to see films alone. Another reason: I get extremely claustrophobic in movie theaters unless there is at least one empty seat next to me. 5) I have dressed up as the following fictional characters for Halloween: Holly Golightly, Sally Bowles, Marla Singer. 6) Speaking of Sally Bowles: I'm such an unrepentant Judy Garland fanatic that I give a pass to pretty much everything Liza Minnelli does. With the possible exception of Arthur 2: On the Rocks. 7) I have a ton of VHS tapes that I rescued from bargain bins with the intention of burning them to DVD, but that, due to my own stunning laziness, are just sitting on my shelves collecting dust. Some of these include: Where the Green Ants Dream, Two For the Road and Zabriskie Point. I hate myself for being this lazy, but the self-loathing just breeds more laziness. 8) When I was in ninth grade, I went to see Pulp Fiction with a guy named Gil, who went on to direct Monster House. Now that that's over, I beg for attention from tag the following bloggers to participate in the meme: Aaron Dobbs, Michael Tully, Ariel Waldman, Tom Hall, Wiley Wiggins, Gabe Rivera, Randall Bennett , Jason Calacanis, and Virginia Heffernan. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/qflw/archive/2007/4/4/6710.aspx Post By: QFLW
Post To: QFLW Blog
Post Date: 4/4/2007 4:44:06 AM
Body: Am trying to understand what people saw in this mess. I grant the animation and some of the characters are good, the initial premise intriguing, but the secret behind the house's monstrosity was so bizarre, ugly and unreasonable as to ruin what could have been a really good film. My niece had asked to see this for her birthday; the best thing about it was getting to collectively trash it over ice cream afterwards.
]]>Wed, 04 Apr 2007 08:44:06 GMTQFLWQFLW Blog4/4/2007 4:44:06 AMAm trying to understand what people saw in this mess. I grant the animation and some of the characters are good, the initial premise intriguing, but the secret behind the house&#39;s monstrosity was so bizarre, ugly and unreasonable as to ruin what could have been a really good film. My niece had asked to see this for her birthday; the best thing about it was getting to collectively trash it over ice cream afterwards. http://www.spout.com/blogs/ilovegarages/archive/2007/1/22/5080.aspx Post By: ilovegarages
Post To: ilovegarages Blog
Post Date: 1/22/2007 11:13:00 PM
Body: Leave it to Zemekis and Spielburg to finally find us a guy who can direct a CG movie about something other than animals. I read that Monsterhouse was deemed the first true horror movie for kids, and I really truly believe that. There are scary elements for a movie rated PG; ones that are delightfully twisted, and ones that are simply unnerving... and it manages to not look like a Tim Burton movie. Genuine humor and great voice acting make this one a seriously good watch. As for all that kiddy lame-i-tude that kills most of the CG movies nowadays, this movie has pretty much none, and that's the kicker.Visually, it's really stunning. I was able to see this in 3-D, and it was immensly cool to see already great CG come to life. The entire movie was motion captured (even the house!), and unlike the Polar Express, which tried to look too real for it's own good, Monsterhouse went the more cartoony route and met with awesome success because the characters had their own life without looking soullessly unappealing; they looked like cartoons, which is exactly what they are supposed to be.
]]>Tue, 23 Jan 2007 04:13:00 GMTilovegaragesilovegarages Blog1/22/2007 11:13:00 PMLeave it to Zemekis and Spielburg to finally find us a guy who can direct a CG movie about something other than animals. I read that Monsterhouse was deemed the first true horror movie for kids, and I really truly believe that. There are scary elements for a movie rated PG; ones that are delightfully twisted, and ones that are simply unnerving... and it manages to not look like a Tim Burton movie. Genuine humor and great voice acting make this one a seriously good watch. As for all that kiddy lame-i-tude that kills most of the CG movies nowadays, this movie has pretty much none, and that's the kicker.Visually, it's really stunning. I was able to see this in 3-D, and it was immensly cool to see already great CG come to life. The entire movie was motion captured (even the house!), and unlike the Polar Express, which tried to look too real for it's own good, Monsterhouse went the more cartoony route and met with awesome success because the characters had their own life without looking soullessly unappealing; they looked like cartoons, which is exactly what they are supposed to be. http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2007/1/21/5063.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Reel Thoughts
Post Date: 1/21/2007 3:11:00 PM
Body: I borrowed this one, again from my co-worker. She is the fount of all movies I see practically and buys them frequently. I'd heard good things about this movie, so I asked to watch it. I know quite a few people found this one to be good. I expect it to get nominated for an Oscar for animated feature. From my standpoint, the animation was top notch, and the concept somewhat original in the sense that the house comes alive in a most frightening way. I was entertained for at least some of the movie. Yet, this movie was ultimately a harmless fright fest for children with lots of explosions and interesting things to look at that really did not hold my attention. And, as animated features go, Cars is sure to win, as it already has two awards. The plot is simple: a scary house in the neighborhood that young DJ has been watching is actually inhabited by a spirit and comes alive, particularly at Halloween, to feed off the energy of the living. DJ and his friends Chowder and Jenny get involved in the stopping of said house. I was most impressed by the level of animation employed in this movie. It really has come along, and it was interesting to watch all the details. Facial features, movements, the details of the house when it took on its alive persona: all were simply amazing. Yet, there wasn't much to the plot or to the character development, and it catered mostly to its target audience: children. Not young kids, mind you, because I think they would be scared by the house. The movie was perfectly contained within an exactly 90 minute running time, and there was lots of slapstick and silly humor that kids would find funny but not much in the way of intelligent humor to keep adults' attention, at least not mine. The funniest part was Nick Cannon, who played a rookie cop who was just a little too rookie. Mostly, I find that my head aches after watching this movie. Cars was superior on every level because it had something for everyone, the plot was more well developed, the message clear, the humor spanning all levels and types, and the animation is still superb. Pixar is a juggernaut to be reckoned with in the CGI field, but the story development is so much more advanced. All in all, I think I would rate this movie a 6 (cute). The plot is not necessarily a recycled one, but it was thin, and the theme I believe it was trying to convey was a bit too subtle, especially since the target audience is children. This movie, further, does not pass the test. I couldn't buy it to watch it again. I was somewhat entertained, though, and if I had kids, I would probably buy it for them to watch particuarly around Halloween. Otherwise, it wasn't as good as I thought it would be.
]]>Sun, 21 Jan 2007 20:11:00 GMTpippin06Reel Thoughts1/21/2007 3:11:00 PMI borrowed this one, again from my co-worker. She is the fount of all movies I see practically and buys them frequently. I'd heard good things about this movie, so I asked to watch it. I know quite a few people found this one to be good. I expect it to get nominated for an Oscar for animated feature. From my standpoint, the animation was top notch, and the concept somewhat original in the sense that the house comes alive in a most frightening way. I was entertained for at least some of the movie. Yet, this movie was ultimately a harmless fright fest for children with lots of explosions and interesting things to look at that really did not hold my attention. And, as animated features go, Cars is sure to win, as it already has two awards. The plot is simple: a scary house in the neighborhood that young DJ has been watching is actually inhabited by a spirit and comes alive, particularly at Halloween, to feed off the energy of the living. DJ and his friends Chowder and Jenny get involved in the stopping of said house. I was most impressed by the level of animation employed in this movie. It really has come along, and it was interesting to watch all the details. Facial features, movements, the details of the house when it took on its alive persona: all were simply amazing. Yet, there wasn't much to the plot or to the character development, and it catered mostly to its target audience: children. Not young kids, mind you, because I think they would be scared by the house. The movie was perfectly contained within an exactly 90 minute running time, and there was lots of slapstick and silly humor that kids would find funny but not much in the way of intelligent humor to keep adults' attention, at least not mine. The funniest part was Nick Cannon, who played a rookie cop who was just a little too rookie. Mostly, I find that my head aches after watching this movie. Cars was superior on every level because it had something for everyone, the plot was more well developed, the message clear, the humor spanning all levels and types, and the animation is still superb. Pixar is a juggernaut to be reckoned with in the CGI field, but the story development is so much more advanced. All in all, I think I would rate this movie a 6 (cute). The plot is not necessarily a recycled one, but it was thin, and the theme I believe it was trying to convey was a bit too subtle, especially since the target audience is children. This movie, further, does not pass the test. I couldn't buy it to watch it again. I was somewhat entertained, though, and if I had kids, I would probably buy it for them to watch particuarly around Halloween. Otherwise, it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
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Number of people who tagged: 26

Number of times used: 50

]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:30:19 GMT6802650Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/halloween/MemberTagFilms.aspxhalloween
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]]>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:59:54 GMT1262333Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/spooky/MemberTagFilms.aspxspooky
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Number of people who tagged: 18

Number of times used: 27

]]>Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:37:30 GMT241827Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/delightful/MemberTagFilms.aspxdelightful
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Number of people who tagged: 14

Number of times used: 23

]]>Mon, 25 May 2009 16:47:03 GMT171423Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/chilling/MemberTagFilms.aspxchilling
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Number of people who tagged: 11

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]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:30:46 GMT101112Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/corpse/MemberTagFilms.aspxcorpse
Number of films tagged: 487

Number of people who tagged: 10

Number of times used: 11

]]>Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:03:11 GMT4871011Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hauntedhouse/MemberTagFilms.aspxhauntedhouse
Number of films tagged: 293

Number of people who tagged: 9

Number of times used: 9

]]>Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:59:52 GMT29399Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/childrens/MemberTagFilms.aspxchildrens
Number of films tagged: 15

Number of people who tagged: 7

Number of times used: 16

]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:47:17 GMT15716Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/neighborhood/MemberTagFilms.aspxneighborhood
Number of films tagged: 189

Number of people who tagged: 7

Number of times used: 8

]]>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:07:07 GMT18978Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/3d/MemberTagFilms.aspx3d
Number of films tagged: 7

Number of people who tagged: 6

Number of times used: 7

]]>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:13:41 GMT767Tag