Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story's Recent Activity

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Title: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Year: 2007
Director: Jake Kasdan
Plot: Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan team up to take the swagger out of the traditional music biopic with this look at the troubled life of fictional music legend Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly). Apatow and Kasdan both write and produce, while Freaks and Geeks and Orange County director Kasdan steps into the director's chair. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 14
Number of Lists: 13
Number of blog posts: 8
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Thu, 07 May 2009 22:32:50 GMTWalk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story2007Jake Kasdan<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___188203/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Judd Apatow</a> and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___236022/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jake Kasdan</a> team up to take the swagger out of the traditional music biopic with this look at the troubled life of fictional music legend Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly). Apatow and Kasdan both write and produce, while <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/240558/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Freaks and Geeks</a> and <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/203304/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Orange County</a> director Kasdan steps into the director's chair. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide14Tag Target (>10)1383http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s289740.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Walk_Hard_The_Dewey_Cox_Story/289740/default.aspxFilm Spout Post: Movie Journal: Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story http://www.spout.com/blogs/christhilk/archive/2009/1/21/39763.aspx

Post By: ChrisThilk
Post To: ChrisThilk Blog
Post Date: 1/21/2009 6:01:07 PM
Body: There have been a number of successful, at least as measured by box-office and critical standards, biopics of legendary musicians in the last few years. Ray, Walk the Line and a handful of others have all followed a pretty standard formula. Talented young adult, tragic story, drug and alcohol abuse, redemption. It’s all very sentimental. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is just what was needed to have more than a little fun with that formula. John C. Reilly stars as Dewey Cox. After slicing his brother in half at a young age, Cox turns to music to express himself and the pain he feels. That leads him on a career path that will see him have a number of hit records, a wife and several dozen children, heavy drug use, groupie-filled orgies, an encounter in India with The Beatles, a divorce, another marriage, a TV show and ultimately a shot at reclaiming his legacy. If it doesn’t sound all that funny in the telling let me assure you that is is very funny in execution. Reilly is fantastic as Cox, a character that brings in a little Johnny Cash, a little Brian Wilson, a little Jim Morrison and a little of a handful of other musical icons whose stories have been told. It’s not quite on the level of something like Talladega Nights or Anchorman, mostly because without someone like Will Ferrell to play off of Reilly to often figuratively winks at the audience about how funny all this is. Still, it’s well worth checking out as it’s a much needed lampooning of the musical biopic genre and all the emotional manipulation those movies bring with them. Originally posted on:Chris Thilk
]]>Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:01:07 GMTChrisThilkChrisThilk Blog1/21/2009 6:01:07 PMThere have been a number of successful, at least as measured by box-office and critical standards, biopics of legendary musicians in the last few years. Ray, Walk the Line and a handful of others have all followed a pretty standard formula. Talented young adult, tragic story, drug and alcohol abuse, redemption. It’s all very sentimental. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is just what was needed to have more than a little fun with that formula. John C. Reilly stars as Dewey Cox. After slicing his brother in half at a young age, Cox turns to music to express himself and the pain he feels. That leads him on a career path that will see him have a number of hit records, a wife and several dozen children, heavy drug use, groupie-filled orgies, an encounter in India with The Beatles, a divorce, another marriage, a TV show and ultimately a shot at reclaiming his legacy. If it doesn’t sound all that funny in the telling let me assure you that is is very funny in execution. Reilly is fantastic as Cox, a character that brings in a little Johnny Cash, a little Brian Wilson, a little Jim Morrison and a little of a handful of other musical icons whose stories have been told. It’s not quite on the level of something like Talladega Nights or Anchorman, mostly because without someone like Will Ferrell to play off of Reilly to often figuratively winks at the audience about how funny all this is. Still, it’s well worth checking out as it’s a much needed lampooning of the musical biopic genre and all the emotional manipulation those movies bring with them. Originally posted on:Chris Thilk Spout Post: Is parody on life support? http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/3/27/26656.aspx

Post By: usesoap
Post To: usesoap Blog
Post Date: 3/27/2008 2:30:32 PM
Body: Cinematic parody as it once was is dead. And after much searching and researching, I have found the murderer of this under-appreciated sub-genre of filmmaking. It’s Waldo. Oh sure, the bespectacled, striped-ski-cap-sporting little geek likes to appear anonymous, but I am positive he is to blame for the current slate of “Movie” movies: “Epic Movie,” ”Date Movie” and, most recently, “Superhero Movie.” If he’s not guilty, ask yourself this, why is he always hiding? You see, it is my assertion that the latest generation of filmgoers was weaned on Waldo in their youths. At an early age, they were trained to snoop and search page after page for the skinny little dweeb, and they approach these films much the same way. “Hey, there’s Borat!” “Oh, that’s a reference to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’” They do not concern themselves with narrative, character development, plot, rationality, common sense or any other law, be it cinematic or logic. Just throw in a quick bodily function gag or a hip-hop reference and they are pacified.This sad state rests solely on the scrawny shoulders of that elusive little nerd who populates the books of their youth. “Oh, there’s Waldo in Paris!” “Hey, isn’t that Waldo in Tiananmen Square?” The page is simply turned and the search begins anew. The declineIt’s easy to vilify Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer (the comedically bankrupt parents of such lowest-common-denominator fare as “Date Movie,” “Epic Movie” and “Meet the Spartans”) , or one of the 8,000 writers of the original “Scary Movie” (7, 629 of which were Wayans siblings).. But they are merely feeding the audience what it apparently wants. How else can you explain the fact that an intelligent (if flawed) stab at actual parody, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” which actually harkened back to the days of “Airplane!” and “Naked Gun,” blinked in and out of theaters while the bottom-feeding “Spartans” landed atop the box office, making in its opening weekend almost what “Cox” earned in its entire theatrical run? “Cox” took the route traveled by the founding fathers of parody (that would be both Mel Brooks and the creative team of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abraham and David Zucker – collectively known as ZAZ), which meant building an original character based on a cinematic archetype and structuring a cohesive plot that had purpose. Conversely, “Spartans” merely planted actors who not only resembled their previous on-screen doppelgangers, but sometimes merely kept their original names in case it was too difficult for the audience to get it. Then plopped them in nearly identical settings and allowed someone to break wind, vomit, belch or breakdance (or any combination thereof). Now, apparently, mere imitation is the new parody. Storylines are cobbled with the only motive of tying the countless references crammed inside (“Spartans” mocks not only films like “300,” “Rambo,” and “Transformers,” but also makes room for television shows such as “American Idol,” “Heroes” and “Ugly Betty,” video games, commercials and even the MTV Music Video Awards). It’s the cinematic equivalent to sitting on the couch with someone who cannot stop flipping channels with the remote. The legacyDone properly, the parody film can enrich a generation with its writing. “Surely you can’t be serious?” you say. And any movie-lover worth his or her salt should be able to adequately answer that question.Take a look at some of these iconic statements made in parody films throughout the ages:· “Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!” (Blazing Saddles, 1974)· “Wait, Master. It may be dangerous. You go first!” (Young Frankenstein. 1974)· “Go away or I shall taunt you a second time. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!” (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975)· “ “ (Silent Movie, 1976)· “Joey, have you ever been to a Turkish prison?” (Airplane! 1980)· “I know a little German… He's sitting over there.” (Top Secret!, 1984)· “Jane, since I've met you I've noticed things that I never knew were there before: birds singing, dew glistening on a newly formed leaf, stoplights” (Naked Gun, 1988)· “My eyes are ceramic. Caught a bazooka round at Little Big Horn. Or was it Okinawa? The one without the Indians.” (Hot Shots, 1991) The future?Has the eulogy been written for the parody, an archaic artifact left best to the memory, or is there a phoenix-like future for the genre? “Superhero Movie” does not inspire much hope. While it does boast a production credit from “Airplane’s” David Zucker, it was written and directed by Craig Mazin, who, aside from penning the latest two “Scary Movie” installments, has a handful of other minor credits to his name. Really, it does not matter who is behind the lens or the script of such films, as realized by “Dewey Cox,” which was backed by current comic “it-boy” Judd Apatow. No, I think any future hope for the parody film to make a comeback will rest in the homes of those raised on the exploits of Lt. Frank Drebin, Ted Striker, Hedly Lamarr, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (“that’s Franken-steen!”) and others who not only made us laugh, but made indelible marks in our cinematic psyche. For they now have children of their own who may one day demand a bit more sophistication with their humor and need to no longer help their children find that globe-trotting geek so innocently named Waldo and stop him in his tracks before he kills again.The future of comedy as you once knew may just depend on it.
]]>Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:30:32 GMTusesoapusesoap Blog3/27/2008 2:30:32 PMCinematic parody as it once was is dead. And after much searching and researching, I have found the murderer of this under-appreciated sub-genre of filmmaking. It’s Waldo. Oh sure, the bespectacled, striped-ski-cap-sporting little geek likes to appear anonymous, but I am positive he is to blame for the current slate of “Movie” movies: “Epic Movie,” ”Date Movie” and, most recently, “Superhero Movie.” If he’s not guilty, ask yourself this, why is he always hiding? You see, it is my assertion that the latest generation of filmgoers was weaned on Waldo in their youths. At an early age, they were trained to snoop and search page after page for the skinny little dweeb, and they approach these films much the same way. “Hey, there’s Borat!” “Oh, that’s a reference to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’” They do not concern themselves with narrative, character development, plot, rationality, common sense or any other law, be it cinematic or logic. Just throw in a quick bodily function gag or a hip-hop reference and they are pacified.This sad state rests solely on the scrawny shoulders of that elusive little nerd who populates the books of their youth. “Oh, there’s Waldo in Paris!” “Hey, isn’t that Waldo in Tiananmen Square?” The page is simply turned and the search begins anew. The declineIt’s easy to vilify Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer (the comedically bankrupt parents of such lowest-common-denominator fare as “Date Movie,” “Epic Movie” and “Meet the Spartans”) , or one of the 8,000 writers of the original “Scary Movie” (7, 629 of which were Wayans siblings).. But they are merely feeding the audience what it apparently wants. How else can you explain the fact that an intelligent (if flawed) stab at actual parody, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” which actually harkened back to the days of “Airplane!” and “Naked Gun,” blinked in and out of theaters while the bottom-feeding “Spartans” landed atop the box office, making in its opening weekend almost what “Cox” earned in its entire theatrical run? “Cox” took the route traveled by the founding fathers of parody (that would be both Mel Brooks and the creative team of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abraham and David Zucker – collectively known as ZAZ), which meant building an original character based on a cinematic archetype and structuring a cohesive plot that had purpose. Conversely, “Spartans” merely planted actors who not only resembled their previous on-screen doppelgangers, but sometimes merely kept their original names in case it was too difficult for the audience to get it. Then plopped them in nearly identical settings and allowed someone to break wind, vomit, belch or breakdance (or any combination thereof). Now, apparently, mere imitation is the new parody. Storylines are cobbled with the only motive of tying the countless references crammed inside (“Spartans” mocks not only films like “300,” “Rambo,” and “Transformers,” but also makes room for television shows such as “American Idol,” “Heroes” and “Ugly Betty,” video games, commercials and even the MTV Music Video Awards). It’s the cinematic equivalent to sitting on the couch with someone who cannot stop flipping channels with the remote. The legacyDone properly, the parody film can enrich a generation with its writing. “Surely you can’t be serious?” you say. And any movie-lover worth his or her salt should be able to adequately answer that question.Take a look at some of these iconic statements made in parody films throughout the ages:· “Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!” (Blazing Saddles, 1974)· “Wait, Master. It may be dangerous. You go first!” (Young Frankenstein. 1974)· “Go away or I shall taunt you a second time. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!” (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975)· “ “ (Silent Movie, 1976)· “Joey, have you ever been to a Turkish prison?” (Airplane! 1980)· “I know a little German… He's sitting over there.” (Top Secret!, 1984)· “Jane, since I've met you I've noticed things that I never knew were there before: birds singing, dew glistening on a newly formed leaf, stoplights” (Naked Gun, 1988)· “My eyes are ceramic. Caught a bazooka round at Little Big Horn. Or was it Okinawa? The one without the Indians.” (Hot Shots, 1991) The future?Has the eulogy been written for the parody, an archaic artifact left best to the memory, or is there a phoenix-like future for the genre? “Superhero Movie” does not inspire much hope. While it does boast a production credit from “Airplane’s” David Zucker, it was written and directed by Craig Mazin, who, aside from penning the latest two “Scary Movie” installments, has a handful of other minor credits to his name. Really, it does not matter who is behind the lens or the script of such films, as realized by “Dewey Cox,” which was backed by current comic “it-boy” Judd Apatow. No, I think any future hope for the parody film to make a comeback will rest in the homes of those raised on the exploits of Lt. Frank Drebin, Ted Striker, Hedly Lamarr, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (“that’s Franken-steen!”) and others who not only made us laugh, but made indelible marks in our cinematic psyche. For they now have children of their own who may one day demand a bit more sophistication with their humor and need to no longer help their children find that globe-trotting geek so innocently named Waldo and stop him in his tracks before he kills again.The future of comedy as you once knew may just depend on it. Spout Post: Best Films of 2007: Disappointments http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/archive/2008/1/2/23434.aspx

Post By: Tenenbaums
Post To: Tenenbaums Blog
Post Date: 1/2/2008 1:15:32 PM
Body: OnceThe music is often incredibly moving (see “Falling Slowly”), but the film as a whole is not at all what critics are making it out to be. The supposed love between the two leads is not believable. Sure, the guy wants the girl and the girl is in a situation that would be ideal for the guy to fit into, but no great romantic move happens. Ironically, the music prevents the audience from learning enough about the characters to care about them, a flaw that rest solely on the script. Just a little more time spent on the leads and this could have been a great film. Instead, we get a lot of good visual music, but a great music video does not a great film make (see Idlewild). If wonderful music warrants a largely one-dimensional film, then the day of the independent filmmaker has truly dawned and not in a good way. It’s the Irish acoustic Hustle and Flow without convincing character development. Proceed with caution, but proceed nonetheless.Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox StoryI went in, along with most of the world, expecting another solid Judd Apatow flick. I entered thinking that it was going to be the next great comedy but came out disappointed. John C. Reilly does all he can with the lead character and the songs are spot-on parodies [especially “Let Me Hold You (Little Man)”, “Let’s Duet,” “Royal Jelly,” and the title track] but most of the film feels more like Not Another Teen Movie than Spinal Tap. Apatow and director/co-writer Jake Kasdan select the right genre-defining elements to target, but they often fall flat, hinting that they might not have brought their “A” game to the writers’ table. I now wonder if the film's topic is not worth being spoofed or if the Apatow brand of comedy does not translate to parody. Perhaps the subject can only be tackled in mockumentary form and not as a mock biopic. Or maybe the filmmakers just should have looked beyond Walk The Line and Ray. My confidence in Apatow hasn't necessarily wavered, but after an exceptionally busy year, he definitely needs to slow down.
]]>Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:15:32 GMTTenenbaumsTenenbaums Blog1/2/2008 1:15:32 PMOnceThe music is often incredibly moving (see “Falling Slowly”), but the film as a whole is not at all what critics are making it out to be. The supposed love between the two leads is not believable. Sure, the guy wants the girl and the girl is in a situation that would be ideal for the guy to fit into, but no great romantic move happens. Ironically, the music prevents the audience from learning enough about the characters to care about them, a flaw that rest solely on the script. Just a little more time spent on the leads and this could have been a great film. Instead, we get a lot of good visual music, but a great music video does not a great film make (see Idlewild). If wonderful music warrants a largely one-dimensional film, then the day of the independent filmmaker has truly dawned and not in a good way. It’s the Irish acoustic Hustle and Flow without convincing character development. Proceed with caution, but proceed nonetheless.Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox StoryI went in, along with most of the world, expecting another solid Judd Apatow flick. I entered thinking that it was going to be the next great comedy but came out disappointed. John C. Reilly does all he can with the lead character and the songs are spot-on parodies [especially “Let Me Hold You (Little Man)”, “Let’s Duet,” “Royal Jelly,” and the title track] but most of the film feels more like Not Another Teen Movie than Spinal Tap. Apatow and director/co-writer Jake Kasdan select the right genre-defining elements to target, but they often fall flat, hinting that they might not have brought their “A” game to the writers’ table. I now wonder if the film's topic is not worth being spoofed or if the Apatow brand of comedy does not translate to parody. Perhaps the subject can only be tackled in mockumentary form and not as a mock biopic. Or maybe the filmmakers just should have looked beyond Walk The Line and Ray. My confidence in Apatow hasn't necessarily wavered, but after an exceptionally busy year, he definitely needs to slow down. Spout Post: The Best Mainstream Movies of 2007 http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/2/23433.aspx

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/2/2008 1:00:46 PM
Body: Here is my follow-up to last month’s question of what mainstream movie will feature on the most top ten movie lists. And the winner is … Ratatouille. Oh wait, didn’t I disqualify that one for being too obvious? No? Well, I should have. Yes, according to Movie City News’ Big Ass Chart (aka Scorecard) of critics’ top tens, the Pixar movie made it on to 51 best-of lists, making it the best-grossing best movie of the year. But maybe it wasn’t the most mainstream, if you define mainstream as studio-produced fare. Under that qualification Zodiac was the best mainstream movie of 2007, having been made jointly by Warner Bros. and Paramount and showing up on 70 best-of lists. Other Warner successes include Michael Clayton, which featured on 54 lists, Sweeney Todd, which received 44 mentions, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which showed up on one list, and Letters From Iwo Jima, which showed up a little late on one list. As far as those mainstream movies I predicted would feature heavily, Knocked Up (34 lists) ended up defeating Superbad (25 lists) — meanwhile, the third Judd Apatow movie of the year, Walk Hard, managed to get on one critic’s list — though both were actually behind The Bourne Ultimatum (28 lists), when it came to “average vote” (average numerical placement on the list). If we’re going by mainstream appeal (and if Karina is correct in her view of the film), then Juno was the best mainstream comedy of the year with 63 lists. Hairspray (13 lists) beat out its crappy musical siblings Across the Universe (7 lists) and Enchanted (8 lists). In addition to showing up on Richard Corliss’ list, Beowulf managed 3 other mentions. And Transformers not only showed up on a top ten list, it featured on 3! Of course, it’s more surprising that Spider-Man 3 made it on 4 lists. The greatest thing to happen, of course, was Manohla Dargis listing The Kingdom as one of her favorites. Joining her is Don Payne. If I had made a top ten list (instead of this thing), the film could very well have beaten Transformers. Oh well, at least nobody put the shocking blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks on their list … yet. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:00:46 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/2/2008 1:00:46 PMHere is my follow-up to last month’s question of what mainstream movie will feature on the most top ten movie lists. And the winner is … Ratatouille. Oh wait, didn’t I disqualify that one for being too obvious? No? Well, I should have. Yes, according to Movie City News’ Big Ass Chart (aka Scorecard) of critics’ top tens, the Pixar movie made it on to 51 best-of lists, making it the best-grossing best movie of the year. But maybe it wasn’t the most mainstream, if you define mainstream as studio-produced fare. Under that qualification Zodiac was the best mainstream movie of 2007, having been made jointly by Warner Bros. and Paramount and showing up on 70 best-of lists. Other Warner successes include Michael Clayton, which featured on 54 lists, Sweeney Todd, which received 44 mentions, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which showed up on one list, and Letters From Iwo Jima, which showed up a little late on one list. As far as those mainstream movies I predicted would feature heavily, Knocked Up (34 lists) ended up defeating Superbad (25 lists) — meanwhile, the third Judd Apatow movie of the year, Walk Hard, managed to get on one critic’s list — though both were actually behind The Bourne Ultimatum (28 lists), when it came to “average vote” (average numerical placement on the list). If we’re going by mainstream appeal (and if Karina is correct in her view of the film), then Juno was the best mainstream comedy of the year with 63 lists. Hairspray (13 lists) beat out its crappy musical siblings Across the Universe (7 lists) and Enchanted (8 lists). In addition to showing up on Richard Corliss’ list, Beowulf managed 3 other mentions. And Transformers not only showed up on a top ten list, it featured on 3! Of course, it’s more surprising that Spider-Man 3 made it on 4 lists. The greatest thing to happen, of course, was Manohla Dargis listing The Kingdom as one of her favorites. Joining her is Don Payne. If I had made a top ten list (instead of this thing), the film could very well have beaten Transformers. Oh well, at least nobody put the shocking blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks on their list … yet. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog Spout Post: Spinning The Fall of WALK HARD http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2007/12/27/23246.aspx

Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 12/27/2007 10:00:49 AM
Body: The biggest box office news of Christmas weekend was the utter failure of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Sony launched a wide and varied marketing campaign, the film was fairly well-reviewed (earned a 78 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and yet, it only managed to gross $4.1 million over three days. That’s $1,547 per screen, so assuming tickets sold at an average $10, and each theater hosted roughly five screenings a day, that adds up to about 10 ticket buyers per show per screen. This would be a crap opening under any circumstances, but it’s expecially crap considering that it ends a long winning streak for producer Judd Apatow. So what went wrong? Let’s go to the blogs: Nikki Finke quotes a rival studio exec with the snipe, “This shows Judd Apatow is not god. Sometimes you can be too clever for your own good.” Her own diagnosis? “The problem was the movie skewed overwhelmingly male, but that guy audience went for action-adventure and sawe National Treasure and I Am Legend instead.” Leonard Klady at The Hot Blog offers six possible reasons for Walk Hard’s failure. Perhaps most damning is #6: “A running series of ???Cox??? jokes that were barely funny the first time, much less the 3000th time??? unless third graders are suddenly in the market for mock biopics.” Pajiba offers the Apatow fan perspective: “Walk Hard is that movie everyone thought would do really well, but that no one actually wanted to see. Indeed, my Apatow credentials are pretty well known, but I just had no interest. None. I guess the Apatow backlash now begins.” Jeff Wells is one of many who blames John C. Reilly’s lack of star power. It didn’t seem to be a problem for Seth Rogen or Michael Cera, but in any case: “It’s funny, clever, sharp, absurdist..what happened? My theory in a nutshell: (a) people figured that a spoof of Walk The Line and Ray wasn’t vital enough to see in theatres, and (b) John C. Reilly isn’t a star, doesn’t put butts in seats.” Finally, for Defamer, it all comes down to anatomical detail. “Judd Apatow gets his first taste of box office disappointment–something that surely could have been avoided had the marketing better highlighted the film’s frequent close-ups on a flaccid penis.” Meanwhile, sister site Idolator seems personally offended to have been embroiled in said penis-less marketing, branding Walk Hard the “Snakes On A Plane of parody biopics, the ‘hey let’s make a movie comprised of references to old bands and then aggressively market it to music bloggers because surely they will BRING THE NEWS TO THE PEOPLE’ flick.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » karina
]]>Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:00:49 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog12/27/2007 10:00:49 AMThe biggest box office news of Christmas weekend was the utter failure of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Sony launched a wide and varied marketing campaign, the film was fairly well-reviewed (earned a 78 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and yet, it only managed to gross $4.1 million over three days. That’s $1,547 per screen, so assuming tickets sold at an average $10, and each theater hosted roughly five screenings a day, that adds up to about 10 ticket buyers per show per screen. This would be a crap opening under any circumstances, but it’s expecially crap considering that it ends a long winning streak for producer Judd Apatow. So what went wrong? Let’s go to the blogs: Nikki Finke quotes a rival studio exec with the snipe, “This shows Judd Apatow is not god. Sometimes you can be too clever for your own good.” Her own diagnosis? “The problem was the movie skewed overwhelmingly male, but that guy audience went for action-adventure and sawe National Treasure and I Am Legend instead.” Leonard Klady at The Hot Blog offers six possible reasons for Walk Hard’s failure. Perhaps most damning is #6: “A running series of ???Cox??? jokes that were barely funny the first time, much less the 3000th time??? unless third graders are suddenly in the market for mock biopics.” Pajiba offers the Apatow fan perspective: “Walk Hard is that movie everyone thought would do really well, but that no one actually wanted to see. Indeed, my Apatow credentials are pretty well known, but I just had no interest. None. I guess the Apatow backlash now begins.” Jeff Wells is one of many who blames John C. Reilly’s lack of star power. It didn’t seem to be a problem for Seth Rogen or Michael Cera, but in any case: “It’s funny, clever, sharp, absurdist..what happened? My theory in a nutshell: (a) people figured that a spoof of Walk The Line and Ray wasn’t vital enough to see in theatres, and (b) John C. Reilly isn’t a star, doesn’t put butts in seats.” Finally, for Defamer, it all comes down to anatomical detail. “Judd Apatow gets his first taste of box office disappointment–something that surely could have been avoided had the marketing better highlighted the film’s frequent close-ups on a flaccid penis.” Meanwhile, sister site Idolator seems personally offended to have been embroiled in said penis-less marketing, branding Walk Hard the “Snakes On A Plane of parody biopics, the ‘hey let’s make a movie comprised of references to old bands and then aggressively market it to music bloggers because surely they will BRING THE NEWS TO THE PEOPLE’ flick.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » karina Spout Post: Spinning The Fall of WALK HARD http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/12/27/23245.aspx

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/27/2007 10:00:42 AM
Body: The biggest box office news of Christmas weekend was the utter failure of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Sony launched a wide and varied marketing campaign, the film was fairly well-reviewed (earned a 78 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and yet, it only managed to gross $4.1 million over three days. That’s $1,547 per screen, so assuming tickets sold at an average $10, and each theater hosted roughly five screenings a day, that adds up to about 10 ticket buyers per show per screen. This would be a crap opening under any circumstances, but it’s expecially crap considering that it ends a long winning streak for producer Judd Apatow. So what went wrong? Let’s go to the blogs: Nikki Finke quotes a rival studio exec with the snipe, “This shows Judd Apatow is not god. Sometimes you can be too clever for your own good.” Her own diagnosis? “The problem was the movie skewed overwhelmingly male, but that guy audience went for action-adventure and sawe National Treasure and I Am Legend instead.” Leonard Klady at The Hot Blog offers six possible reasons for Walk Hard’s failure. Perhaps most damning is #6: “A running series of ???Cox??? jokes that were barely funny the first time, much less the 3000th time??? unless third graders are suddenly in the market for mock biopics.” Pajiba offers the Apatow fan perspective: “Walk Hard is that movie everyone thought would do really well, but that no one actually wanted to see. Indeed, my Apatow credentials are pretty well known, but I just had no interest. None. I guess the Apatow backlash now begins.” Jeff Wells is one of many who blames John C. Reilly’s lack of star power. It didn’t seem to be a problem for Seth Rogen or Michael Cera, but in any case: “It’s funny, clever, sharp, absurdist..what happened? My theory in a nutshell: (a) people figured that a spoof of Walk The Line and Ray wasn’t vital enough to see in theatres, and (b) John C. Reilly isn’t a star, doesn’t put butts in seats.” Finally, for Defamer, it all comes down to anatomical detail. “Judd Apatow gets his first taste of box office disappointment–something that surely could have been avoided had the marketing better highlighted the film’s frequent close-ups on a flaccid penis.” Meanwhile, sister site Idolator seems personally offended to have been embroiled in said penis-less marketing, branding Walk Hard the “Snakes On A Plane of parody biopics, the ‘hey let’s make a movie comprised of references to old bands and then aggressively market it to music bloggers because surely they will BRING THE NEWS TO THE PEOPLE’ flick.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:00:42 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/27/2007 10:00:42 AMThe biggest box office news of Christmas weekend was the utter failure of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Sony launched a wide and varied marketing campaign, the film was fairly well-reviewed (earned a 78 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and yet, it only managed to gross $4.1 million over three days. That’s $1,547 per screen, so assuming tickets sold at an average $10, and each theater hosted roughly five screenings a day, that adds up to about 10 ticket buyers per show per screen. This would be a crap opening under any circumstances, but it’s expecially crap considering that it ends a long winning streak for producer Judd Apatow. So what went wrong? Let’s go to the blogs: Nikki Finke quotes a rival studio exec with the snipe, “This shows Judd Apatow is not god. Sometimes you can be too clever for your own good.” Her own diagnosis? “The problem was the movie skewed overwhelmingly male, but that guy audience went for action-adventure and sawe National Treasure and I Am Legend instead.” Leonard Klady at The Hot Blog offers six possible reasons for Walk Hard’s failure. Perhaps most damning is #6: “A running series of ???Cox??? jokes that were barely funny the first time, much less the 3000th time??? unless third graders are suddenly in the market for mock biopics.” Pajiba offers the Apatow fan perspective: “Walk Hard is that movie everyone thought would do really well, but that no one actually wanted to see. Indeed, my Apatow credentials are pretty well known, but I just had no interest. None. I guess the Apatow backlash now begins.” Jeff Wells is one of many who blames John C. Reilly’s lack of star power. It didn’t seem to be a problem for Seth Rogen or Michael Cera, but in any case: “It’s funny, clever, sharp, absurdist..what happened? My theory in a nutshell: (a) people figured that a spoof of Walk The Line and Ray wasn’t vital enough to see in theatres, and (b) John C. Reilly isn’t a star, doesn’t put butts in seats.” Finally, for Defamer, it all comes down to anatomical detail. “Judd Apatow gets his first taste of box office disappointment–something that surely could have been avoided had the marketing better highlighted the film’s frequent close-ups on a flaccid penis.” Meanwhile, sister site Idolator seems personally offended to have been embroiled in said penis-less marketing, branding Walk Hard the “Snakes On A Plane of parody biopics, the ‘hey let’s make a movie comprised of references to old bands and then aggressively market it to music bloggers because surely they will BRING THE NEWS TO THE PEOPLE’ flick.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog Spout Post: Viral Marketing in the Meta Stage Still Funny http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/12/19/22957.aspx

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/19/2007 1:00:47 PM
Body: Eventually Judd Apatow’s schtick will no longer be fresh. But it may continue to be funny, even after the viral marketing backlash. Case in point: this new sketch/advertisement for Walk Hard, which takes Apatow’s viral brand to a mega-meta level. As much as the idea of fake fights involving Apatow and his actors is now a tired concept, the video is hilarious. And as much as Apatow’s self-referential jokes about being self-referential about being self-referential are as obvious as they are mind-wrapping, the video is still hilarious.It helps that this time around, there’s more funny guys involved and more going on at once. It’s not simply funny to watch Craig Robinson chasing after Judd Apatow because he’s pissed about being in another one of his “fucking commercials”, but it’s comedic gold to inter-cut it with Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill and Justin Long realizing they no longer have to talk about Apatow’s movies and can freely discuss their desire to see Michael Clayton. Funny is funny, regardless of the situation or the motive. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:00:47 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/19/2007 1:00:47 PM Eventually Judd Apatow’s schtick will no longer be fresh. But it may continue to be funny, even after the viral marketing backlash. Case in point: this new sketch/advertisement for Walk Hard, which takes Apatow’s viral brand to a mega-meta level. As much as the idea of fake fights involving Apatow and his actors is now a tired concept, the video is hilarious. And as much as Apatow’s self-referential jokes about being self-referential about being self-referential are as obvious as they are mind-wrapping, the video is still hilarious.It helps that this time around, there’s more funny guys involved and more going on at once. It’s not simply funny to watch Craig Robinson chasing after Judd Apatow because he’s pissed about being in another one of his “fucking commercials”, but it’s comedic gold to inter-cut it with Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill and Justin Long realizing they no longer have to talk about Apatow’s movies and can freely discuss their desire to see Michael Clayton. Funny is funny, regardless of the situation or the motive. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog Spout Post: Top 15 Fall Films I'm Looking Forward To http://www.spout.com/blogs/achance42/archive/2007/10/9/20528.aspx

Post By: achance42
Post To: Weasel Words on Film
Post Date: 10/9/2007 12:16:27 PM
Body: Fall is my favorite time of year. Not just because it's the time of year when New York City is at its most beautiful, thus reminding us all why we continue in this abusive relationship with it, but because the movies start to get good again after the onslaught of big-budget blockbusters that are only occasionally watchable. People seem to think that, with each passing year, the movies get worse and worse. Well, if you're looking at crap like Transformers (the new nadir of megahit blockbuster quality), then yeah. But there's a whole crop of ambitious, interesting films that come out every fall and - even if they end up being bad - you have to give them credit for trying. Unlike Transformers. So here's my list of 15 films that I am dying to see this fall. Some are already out (and I'm negotiating with my wife to be able to find the time to see them) and some I still wait in painful anticipation for: 15. American Gangster - Ridley Scott might have actually done something he hasn't done in a long LONG time... make a great movie. I'm not talking about just a good movie, okay? I got news. Gladiator? Not "great." Just "good." Alien is "great." The director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven? Very good. Not great. And I'm not even bothering to mention Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, and Matchstick Men (could that movie have been any more obvious?). The trailer for American Gangster caught me instantly, if for no other reason than the re-pairing of Virtuosity stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and it looks like it could be Ridley Scott's first great movie in... 25 years? Can it really be 25 years now since... 14. Blade Runner: The Final Cut - OK, despite my rabid love for this film, it's low on my list for two reasons. First, I've seen a different version of this film before. Four different versions, actually, counting the TV edit. THIS is not only A great Ridley Scott film, it's his masterpiece. Every science fiction film or TV show in the last 25 years that has had call to borrow from Blade Runner HAS borrowed from Blade Runner. It's visually stunning even now and as perfect an example of genre mixing (in this case, sci-fi and film noir) as anyone can ask for. But do we really need six versions of the film, counting the TV edit? Let's hope so because I'll call bullshit if this "final cut," which Scott shot new footage for as recently as last year (my second reason for putting it so low on the list), doesn't deliver the goods. But I'll be first in line at the Ziegfeld. [EDIT: I was first in line at the Ziegfeld last week and my GOD, it was amazing! More on that in a later post.] 13. (tie) Juno/Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Judd Apatow, for the umpteenth time, is comedic gold. Everything he's been responsible for in the last few years has been successful critically or financially, usually both. This year alone, he's responsible for two of the year's funniest movies (Knocked Up and Superbad) and is writing and producing what looks to be a third. Walk Hard, a spoof of singer biopics such as Walk the Line and Ray, looks like a rare thing in the parody genre: genuinely funny. Honestly, any comedy with John C. Reilly in a starring role has my money. And whether it was intended or not (likely not), Apatow's sensibilities are being tapped into in a film like Jason Reitman's Juno, which will likely be described as "Knocked Up meets Superbad." Whether or not that is an accurate description, I don't know, but considering it's about a girl who gets pregnant by her best friend and considering that the best friend in question is Michael Cera - the Mozart of comedic timing who also stars in Superbad - this is almost certainly how the movie will be sold to you. 12. Cassandra's Dream - I'm hoping that Woody Allen is going to doing a "bad/good/good" alternation with his films. Anything Else was bad. Melinda and Melinda and Match Point were good. Scoop was bad. If the pattern continues, then this crime drama starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell should be a good one. I'm hoping so. On one hand it's got Ewan McGregor; on the other hand, it's got Colin Farrell (but he was good in The New World). Pretty much the entirety of Woody's output this decade has been called into question by even his most ardent fans but I have faith. He's 71 and working as hard as he ever did; you have to admire that. 11. John Rambo - I know, I know. But screw you for judging me. The trailer that popped up on youtube was the single greatest thing I have EVER seen Stallone take part in, and yes, I am counting Rocky IV. In a post-9/11 world, if you're gonna do a Rambo 4, it's got to be the most balls-out movie you've ever seen or no one's gonna care. The people want blood and lots of it. It looks like Stallone heard the people and is giving them what they want. Though I'm not sure why he's still fighting the Vietcong. [EDIT: It looks like this is being pushed back to January. I wept upon hearing the news.] 10. Southland Tales - Richard Kelly has become, with only one film released to date, the most hyperbolized director of the decade. Most people either think he's a genius or think he's a hack. I really like Donnie Darko a lot but it's too soon to tell. With Southland Tales' less-than-enthusiastic premiere at Cannes last year, the Kelly-haters felt vindicated and wasted no time in denouncing a film that they hadn't seen and knew almost nothing about. A year and a half later, and with a 15 minute trim, the movie is finally coming out. The trailer is interesting but I can't help but wonder if Kelly is going to be to apocalypse-minded sci-fi what M. Night Shyamalan is to the twist ending. I'm not trying to fool myself but still, an interesting misfire will always be better than a piece of shit that hits the mark. 9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Or the slow, thoughtful movie that everyone but the geekiest film geeks will hate with a passion right out of the Bible. Previous winners of this award include Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line and The New World, as well as Steven Soderbergh's remake of Solaris (which gets none of the respect it deserves). 2 hours and 40 minutes of slow-moving Western starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck? I am SO IN! 8. The Golden Compass - Not much to say here except I can't wait for the Christian protests of this over its atheist overtones, and Eva Green... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. 7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Basquiat is one of my favorite films of the 1990s. It captured a time and place, not so much of when the film was set as when it was made. If you want a great example of American independent filmmaking in its golden age, Basquiat is one of the first ones I would recommend. It made me a lifelong fan of director Julian Schnabel and I eagerly await every film he makes. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is his latest film - only his third, after Basquiat and 2000's Before Night Falls - and it seems like Schnabel has a thing for biopics of people no one else would ever make biopics about. This time, the subject is Jean-Dominique Bauby, a magazine editor who suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, with the exception of his left eye. This performance might be a little bit harder of an Oscar sell than Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (at least he could move his body some) but if anyone can make this into a compelling film without submitting to sap, Schnabel can. 6. I'm Not There - The last time Todd Haynes made a movie about rock & roll, it was Velvet Goldmine. And he turned it into a glam rock take on Citizen Kane. I have no idea what he's going to do with Bob Dylan's life story besides casting several actors, including Richard Gere and Cate Blanchett, but whatever crazy shit it sounds like Haynes has planned, I have no doubt it will be effective. After all, this is the guy who started his career by making a Karen Carpenter biography exclusively with Barbie dolls. 5. The Darjeeling Limited - I think Wes Anderson is the Woody Allen of my generation. Think about it. He makes talky, quirky films; is an acquired taste; has been accused of making the same movie over and over; and no one can quite copy the formula that makes him so distinct. Darjeeling is Wes' fifth film and unfortunately, the bulk of the reviews refer to co-star Owen Wilson's recent suicide attempt. 4. No Country For Old Men - I actually liked The Ladykillers. There. I said it. I liked it a lot actually. It's not one of the Coen Brothers' best movies but if you're going to make a bad movie in comparison to the rest of your work, then that's the way to do it. This new one was considered a dark horse for the Palme D'Or this year (it didn't win though) and is already one of the best reviewed films of the year. If the Coens have truly returned to form with No Country, it's going to be one of the best films of the decade. 3. Lust, Caution - If you really think that Brokeback Mountain won all those awards because of political correctness and a push from the "gay mafia," then I don't want to know you. Seriously. If your homophobia keeps you from being affected by that movie, then you're just beyond help, plain and simple. Ang Lee, just like his Taiwanese brethren Hou Hsiao-hsien and the late great Edward Yang, is a master of putting real human emotion on film without exploiting his characters or manipulating his audience, unlike a certain unworthy film about racism that stole the Oscar from Brokeback. 2. There Will Be Blood - It's been five years since Punch-Drunk Love. Five years. Paul Thomas Anderson may be setting himself up to be the new Kubrick and, as long as the product justifies the wait, I'm okay with that. In the two-and-a-half minute trailer that has been posted on the internet, it's obvious that everything we knew about PTA is out the window, with the exception of quality filmmaking. It just screened a couple of days ago and already it's being hailed as a masterpiece. So I can't read anything more about it until its release for fear of it being overhyped for me. 1. Youth Without Youth - So how can a movie I've waited five years for be topped? By a movie I've waited TEN years for. Francis Ford Coppola is back! Sadly, it's not with Megalopolis, his ambitious project that A) would likely have been deemed a colossal failure had he actually made it; B) would, in actuality, have been the most important science fiction film since Blade Runner; C) that is, if it didn't kill him first, so; D) he decided to shelve it in favor of his winery. But now, ten years after The Rainmaker (which was much better than people realize), he's returned to the business of directing. From the sound of it, he has made the sort of personal project that he hasn't had an opportunity to do in over 20 years. Word is it's not an easy film to watch but I remain firmly committed to the idea that, when someone like Coppola makes a film that is "difficult," it's up to the audience to find the film, not the film to find the audience. And it's Coppola's first foray into HD (well, the last time he made a movie, George Lucas was still shooting on film, so...) and it will be interesting to see how that visually affects his work.
]]>Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:16:27 GMTachance42Weasel Words on Film10/9/2007 12:16:27 PMFall is my favorite time of year. Not just because it's the time of year when New York City is at its most beautiful, thus reminding us all why we continue in this abusive relationship with it, but because the movies start to get good again after the onslaught of big-budget blockbusters that are only occasionally watchable. People seem to think that, with each passing year, the movies get worse and worse. Well, if you're looking at crap like Transformers (the new nadir of megahit blockbuster quality), then yeah. But there's a whole crop of ambitious, interesting films that come out every fall and - even if they end up being bad - you have to give them credit for trying. Unlike Transformers. So here's my list of 15 films that I am dying to see this fall. Some are already out (and I'm negotiating with my wife to be able to find the time to see them) and some I still wait in painful anticipation for: 15. American Gangster - Ridley Scott might have actually done something he hasn't done in a long LONG time... make a great movie. I'm not talking about just a good movie, okay? I got news. Gladiator? Not "great." Just "good." Alien is "great." The director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven? Very good. Not great. And I'm not even bothering to mention Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, and Matchstick Men (could that movie have been any more obvious?). The trailer for American Gangster caught me instantly, if for no other reason than the re-pairing of Virtuosity stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and it looks like it could be Ridley Scott's first great movie in... 25 years? Can it really be 25 years now since... 14. Blade Runner: The Final Cut - OK, despite my rabid love for this film, it's low on my list for two reasons. First, I've seen a different version of this film before. Four different versions, actually, counting the TV edit. THIS is not only A great Ridley Scott film, it's his masterpiece. Every science fiction film or TV show in the last 25 years that has had call to borrow from Blade Runner HAS borrowed from Blade Runner. It's visually stunning even now and as perfect an example of genre mixing (in this case, sci-fi and film noir) as anyone can ask for. But do we really need six versions of the film, counting the TV edit? Let's hope so because I'll call bullshit if this "final cut," which Scott shot new footage for as recently as last year (my second reason for putting it so low on the list), doesn't deliver the goods. But I'll be first in line at the Ziegfeld. [EDIT: I was first in line at the Ziegfeld last week and my GOD, it was amazing! More on that in a later post.] 13. (tie) Juno/Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Judd Apatow, for the umpteenth time, is comedic gold. Everything he's been responsible for in the last few years has been successful critically or financially, usually both. This year alone, he's responsible for two of the year's funniest movies (Knocked Up and Superbad) and is writing and producing what looks to be a third. Walk Hard, a spoof of singer biopics such as Walk the Line and Ray, looks like a rare thing in the parody genre: genuinely funny. Honestly, any comedy with John C. Reilly in a starring role has my money. And whether it was intended or not (likely not), Apatow's sensibilities are being tapped into in a film like Jason Reitman's Juno, which will likely be described as "Knocked Up meets Superbad." Whether or not that is an accurate description, I don't know, but considering it's about a girl who gets pregnant by her best friend and considering that the best friend in question is Michael Cera - the Mozart of comedic timing who also stars in Superbad - this is almost certainly how the movie will be sold to you. 12. Cassandra's Dream - I'm hoping that Woody Allen is going to doing a "bad/good/good" alternation with his films. Anything Else was bad. Melinda and Melinda and Match Point were good. Scoop was bad. If the pattern continues, then this crime drama starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell should be a good one. I'm hoping so. On one hand it's got Ewan McGregor; on the other hand, it's got Colin Farrell (but he was good in The New World). Pretty much the entirety of Woody's output this decade has been called into question by even his most ardent fans but I have faith. He's 71 and working as hard as he ever did; you have to admire that. 11. John Rambo - I know, I know. But screw you for judging me. The trailer that popped up on youtube was the single greatest thing I have EVER seen Stallone take part in, and yes, I am counting Rocky IV. In a post-9/11 world, if you're gonna do a Rambo 4, it's got to be the most balls-out movie you've ever seen or no one's gonna care. The people want blood and lots of it. It looks like Stallone heard the people and is giving them what they want. Though I'm not sure why he's still fighting the Vietcong. [EDIT: It looks like this is being pushed back to January. I wept upon hearing the news.] 10. Southland Tales - Richard Kelly has become, with only one film released to date, the most hyperbolized director of the decade. Most people either think he's a genius or think he's a hack. I really like Donnie Darko a lot but it's too soon to tell. With Southland Tales' less-than-enthusiastic premiere at Cannes last year, the Kelly-haters felt vindicated and wasted no time in denouncing a film that they hadn't seen and knew almost nothing about. A year and a half later, and with a 15 minute trim, the movie is finally coming out. The trailer is interesting but I can't help but wonder if Kelly is going to be to apocalypse-minded sci-fi what M. Night Shyamalan is to the twist ending. I'm not trying to fool myself but still, an interesting misfire will always be better than a piece of shit that hits the mark. 9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Or the slow, thoughtful movie that everyone but the geekiest film geeks will hate with a passion right out of the Bible. Previous winners of this award include Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line and The New World, as well as Steven Soderbergh's remake of Solaris (which gets none of the respect it deserves). 2 hours and 40 minutes of slow-moving Western starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck? I am SO IN! 8. The Golden Compass - Not much to say here except I can't wait for the Christian protests of this over its atheist overtones, and Eva Green... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. 7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Basquiat is one of my favorite films of the 1990s. It captured a time and place, not so much of when the film was set as when it was made. If you want a great example of American independent filmmaking in its golden age, Basquiat is one of the first ones I would recommend. It made me a lifelong fan of director Julian Schnabel and I eagerly await every film he makes. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is his latest film - only his third, after Basquiat and 2000's Before Night Falls - and it seems like Schnabel has a thing for biopics of people no one else would ever make biopics about. This time, the subject is Jean-Dominique Bauby, a magazine editor who suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, with the exception of his left eye. This performance might be a little bit harder of an Oscar sell than Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (at least he could move his body some) but if anyone can make this into a compelling film without submitting to sap, Schnabel can. 6. I'm Not There - The last time Todd Haynes made a movie about rock & roll, it was Velvet Goldmine. And he turned it into a glam rock take on Citizen Kane. I have no idea what he's going to do with Bob Dylan's life story besides casting several actors, including Richard Gere and Cate Blanchett, but whatever crazy shit it sounds like Haynes has planned, I have no doubt it will be effective. After all, this is the guy who started his career by making a Karen Carpenter biography exclusively with Barbie dolls. 5. The Darjeeling Limited - I think Wes Anderson is the Woody Allen of my generation. Think about it. He makes talky, quirky films; is an acquired taste; has been accused of making the same movie over and over; and no one can quite copy the formula that makes him so distinct. Darjeeling is Wes' fifth film and unfortunately, the bulk of the reviews refer to co-star Owen Wilson's recent suicide attempt. 4. No Country For Old Men - I actually liked The Ladykillers. There. I said it. I liked it a lot actually. It's not one of the Coen Brothers' best movies but if you're going to make a bad movie in comparison to the rest of your work, then that's the way to do it. This new one was considered a dark horse for the Palme D'Or this year (it didn't win though) and is already one of the best reviewed films of the year. If the Coens have truly returned to form with No Country, it's going to be one of the best films of the decade. 3. Lust, Caution - If you really think that Brokeback Mountain won all those awards because of political correctness and a push from the "gay mafia," then I don't want to know you. Seriously. If your homophobia keeps you from being affected by that movie, then you're just beyond help, plain and simple. Ang Lee, just like his Taiwanese brethren Hou Hsiao-hsien and the late great Edward Yang, is a master of putting real human emotion on film without exploiting his characters or manipulating his audience, unlike a certain unworthy film about racism that stole the Oscar from Brokeback. 2. There Will Be Blood - It's been five years since Punch-Drunk Love. Five years. Paul Thomas Anderson may be setting himself up to be the new Kubrick and, as long as the product justifies the wait, I'm okay with that. In the two-and-a-half minute trailer that has been posted on the internet, it's obvious that everything we knew about PTA is out the window, with the exception of quality filmmaking. It just screened a couple of days ago and already it's being hailed as a masterpiece. So I can't read anything more about it until its release for fear of it being overhyped for me. 1. Youth Without Youth - So how can a movie I've waited five years for be topped? By a movie I've waited TEN years for. Francis Ford Coppola is back! Sadly, it's not with Megalopolis, his ambitious project that A) would likely have been deemed a colossal failure had he actually made it; B) would, in actuality, have been the most important science fiction film since Blade Runner; C) that is, if it didn't kill him first, so; D) he decided to shelve it in favor of his winery. But now, ten years after The Rainmaker (which was much better than people realize), he's returned to the business of directing. From the sound of it, he has made the sort of personal project that he hasn't had an opportunity to do in over 20 years. Word is it's not an easy film to watch but I remain firmly committed to the idea that, when someone like Coppola makes a film that is "difficult," it's up to the audience to find the film, not the film to find the audience. And it's Coppola's first foray into HD (well, the last time he made a movie, George Lucas was still shooting on film, so...) and it will be interesting to see how that visually affects his work. Spout Tag:the http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/the/MemberTagFilms.aspxthe
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]]>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:01:38 GMT124131150Tag Spout Tag:drugs http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/drugs/MemberTagFilms.aspxdrugs
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]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:42:19 GMT1643130489Tag Spout Tag:parody http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/parody/MemberTagFilms.aspxparody
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]]>Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:23:17 GMT1203149Tag Spout Tag:countrymusic http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/countrymusic/MemberTagFilms.aspxcountrymusic
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]]>Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:05:14 GMT7681010Tag Spout Tag:SNL http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/SNL/MemberTagFilms.aspxSNL
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]]>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:59:28 GMT191022Tag Spout Tag:rockmusic http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rockmusic/MemberTagFilms.aspxrockmusic
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]]>Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:02:52 GMT268879Tag Spout Tag:rockstar http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rockstar/MemberTagFilms.aspxrockstar
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]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:13:22 GMT26167Tag Spout Tag:octopus http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/octopus/MemberTagFilms.aspxoctopus
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Number of people who tagged: 3

Number of times used: 3

]]>Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:32:06 GMT333Tag Spout Tag:ringo http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/ringo/MemberTagFilms.aspxringo
Number of films tagged: 3

Number of people who tagged: 3

Number of times used: 3

]]>Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:54:33 GMT333Tag Spout Tag:rockumentary http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rockumentary/MemberTagFilms.aspxrockumentary
Number of films tagged: 3

Number of people who tagged: 3

Number of times used: 3

]]>Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:41:04 GMT333Tag Spout Tag:cameos-galore http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cameos-galore/MemberTagFilms.aspxcameos-galore
Number of films tagged: 1

Number of people who tagged: 1

Number of times used: 1

]]>Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:44:24 GMT111Tag Spout Tag:ed-pills http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/ed-pills/MemberTagFilms.aspxed-pills
Number of films tagged: 1

Number of people who tagged: 1

Number of times used: 1

]]>Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:55:09 GMT111Tag Spout Tag:risetofame http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/risetofame/MemberTagFilms.aspxrisetofame
Number of films tagged: 281

Number of people who tagged: 1

Number of times used: 1

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:13:22 GMT28111Tag