list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Hancock 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/Hancock/295253/default.aspx Title: Hancock
Year: 2008
Director: Peter Berg
Plot: A hard-drinking superhero with a notorious reputation as a womanizer enters into an unlikely affair with a small-town housewife in director Peter Berg's unconventional look at the private life of a superhuman crime-fighter. Will Smith stars as the embittered do-gooder whose lifestyle is more akin to a rock star than a role model, and who has grown as disillusioned with his once-admiring public as they have of him. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 32
Number of Lists: 25
Number of blog posts: 35
Number of discussion threads: 5
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:49:45 GMTHancock2008Peter BergA hard-drinking superhero with a notorious reputation as a womanizer enters into an unlikely affair with a small-town housewife in director <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P_____5586/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Peter Berg</a>'s unconventional look at the private life of a superhuman crime-fighter. <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____66596/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Will Smith</a> stars as the embittered do-gooder whose lifestyle is more akin to a rock star than a role model, and who has grown as disillusioned with his once-admiring public as they have of him. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide32Tag Target (>10)253553http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s295253.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Hancock/295253/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/mbsgirl/archive/2009/11/17/44383.aspx Post By: mbsgirl
Post To: mbsgirl Blog
Post Date: 11/17/2009 5:30:28 PM
Body: Hancock was an interesting movie. Although the climax was stupid, I still thought it was a good movie.
]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:30:28 GMTmbsgirlmbsgirl Blog11/17/2009 5:30:28 PMHancock was an interesting movie. Although the climax was stupid, I still thought it was a good movie. http://www.spout.com/blogs/windbreaker/archive/2009/4/3/41440.aspx Post By: Windbreaker
Post To: Windbreaker!
Post Date: 4/3/2009 10:49:45 PM
Body: Who just wasted 90 minutes of his life watching Hancock? This guy. I should have listened to the wife and just stuck with enjoying the trailer (which included all the best comedic moments). I will give Peter Berg credit for not dragging this into a 2 hour movie. But in 90 minutes, choose your poison: comedy, arch-nemesis, reformation, origin.... you could drill down on any one of these. Hancock turns out to be an action comedy that decides 45 minutes in that it wants to explore some new facets and there just isn't time for that. The big showdown in the hospital at the end was just painful. You know how it's going to end between Hancock and Bateman's wife... why complicate things with guys who also have powers? Unexplained powers. Powers that didn't seem to exist earlier... and yet they've known Hancock for centuries. See? Now I'm getting angry. Skip this movie.
]]>Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:49:45 GMTWindbreakerWindbreaker!4/3/2009 10:49:45 PMWho just wasted 90 minutes of his life watching Hancock? This guy. I should have listened to the wife and just stuck with enjoying the trailer (which included all the best comedic moments). I will give Peter Berg credit for not dragging this into a 2 hour movie. But in 90 minutes, choose your poison: comedy, arch-nemesis, reformation, origin.... you could drill down on any one of these. Hancock turns out to be an action comedy that decides 45 minutes in that it wants to explore some new facets and there just isn't time for that. The big showdown in the hospital at the end was just painful. You know how it's going to end between Hancock and Bateman's wife... why complicate things with guys who also have powers? Unexplained powers. Powers that didn't seem to exist earlier... and yet they've known Hancock for centuries. See? Now I'm getting angry. Skip this movie. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/5/40839.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/5/2009 10:00:20 AM
Body: Many smart cinephiles and comic book geeks will avoid watching Watchmen this weekend. Not to avoid the crowds of opening weekend, and not to patiently await word of mouth from friends and reactions from critics. No, these bright few will ignore the out-of-season blockbuster event because there is absolutely no reason to see this movie. They recognize that any Watchmen adaptation (particularly this one that’s been made) is completely unnecessary. Well, for anyone not out to profit from it, anyway. Of course, even Warner Bros. might have been better off not producing the thing, since the studio won’t be making as much money as it had initially envisioned thanks to that profit-participation settlement with Fox. The point of this post is not to call Watchmen watchers stupid. Rather, our list of five reasons the film is unnecessary is to help moviegoers get smart. After reading this, though, if any of you are still determined to waste your time sitting through almost 3 hours of redundant, rehashed, irrelevant, ridiculous and inescapably disappointing superhero cinema, we’ll be left with no choice but to consider you mindless sheep, the kind that deserve to be duped. And if Dr. Manhattan chooses to vaporize us (or fans choose to curse us out in the comments section) for exposing the truth about this enterprise of excess, then so be it. We believe we’ve served justice here. 1. Faithful adaptations of graphic novels are redundant Comic books and movies, though both visual and (for the most part) processive forms of storytelling, are certainly different mediums. Yet there is good reason for people to believe film adaptations of graphic novels are easy, particularly when they’re meant to be faithful reproductions. Recreating a comic panel exactly and then giving it motion isn’t necessarily a simple process, but it is a pointless one. In the past, such redundancy has been fully evident in the sinfully unnecessary movie Sin City, and now Watchmen is furthermore putting the super in superfluous with its attempt to mostly please fans of the classic comic by meticulously replicating Alan Moore’s script and Dave Gibbons and John Higgins’ artwork for the big screen. But in addition to indulging the narrowly satisfied fanatics, a movie as resembling of its source material as Watchmen is may be accepted as substitute and partly render the graphic novel obsolete to newcomers. This is of course a problem with adaptations in general, regardless of the type of medium being adapted. Yet it’s all the more potentially displacing when the film is both based on a visual work and intended to be as precise an imitation as possible. Recently, writing for ThePlaylist, Christopher R. Adams pointed out that, “the best comic book films (”The Dark Knight”, “X-Men 2″ and Iron Man) were not adapted word-for-word and panel-for-panel to the screen. They weren’t even culled from one single story!” So why would anyone think it a good idea to make an exact copy of a graphic novel? Well, defenders of both Sin City and Watchmen will undoubtedly argue that it’s “neat” to see the two-dimensional and relatively static images from the book given the added depth and movement, but then so is it similarly curious to see what happens when you drive a car into a wall. So, devout Watchmen readers, why not simply honor the graphic novel by letting it stand alone and experiencing it in its intended medium? 2. So many movies satirizing and subverting superheroes already exist Watchmen may or may not have been the first subversive twist on superhero comics, but the movie is hardly the first of its kind. From the really lame (Superhero Movie) to the really great (The Incredibles), films making fun of or merely playing on the concept of superheroes have been around for about as long as the Watchmen graphic novel has been in print. And so, like our list of movies that made the recent Get Smart obsolete, it would be quite easy to name examples of movies and TV shows that, whether or not they were directly influenced by the Watchmen comics in the first place, have seemingly superseded the Watchmen story and therefore made its film adaptation a stale, or at least surplus, endeavor. Why should anyone unfamiliar with the graphic novel need to see Watchmen after experiencing Hancock, Mystery Men, The Tick, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Hellboy, Unbreakable, The Specials, Sky High, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, The Meteor Man, Blankman, et al.? Well, there may be those superhero movie completists who will see any example of the genre, but such people are likely to be the most unimpressed with a story as seemingly dated and done before as Watchmen’s. Really, in a way, The Incredibles was the best possible movie to come out of the graphic novel’s wake, and The Dark Knight was the darkest and most realistic. Comparatively, even a decently made Watchmen adaptation should seem a pale wannabe. That’s why it’s easy to side with IMDb user Richard Brunton’s concern from years ago: “There is so much similarity to The Watchmen that those who haven’t read the graphic novel will be saying ‘That’s the Incredibles movie’ when Watchmen finally comes to fruition.” And already someone made the mashup trailer to encourage such a concern. 3. Watchmen has no contemporary relevance A movie of Watchmen in 2009 has a problem of relevance in two regards. One relates to the previous point about how plenty of subversive superhero movies have already been made prior to this adaptation. Yet even without the preexistence of all those titles the Watchmen movie, as it’s been made, would fail on other levels of innovation and relevance. Paul DeBenedetto of the comics blog Wednesday’s Child, writing us in defense of his decision not to bother with the movie, says, “The greatness of Watchmen (the book) lies not so much in the story as it does the storytelling. Thus a great adaptation of the book would not be a straight retelling of the story, no matter how accurate.” Indeed, when Watchmen was published it was groundbreaking in its medium, totally revolutionizing the art of superhero comics. But not just because of how it played with superhero character conventions, because it also deconstructed the superhero comic’s narrative style. True Watchmen fans, and likewise comics experts, should therefore see no purpose in a Watchmen movie that isn’t analogously cinematically groundbreaking. This Watchmen movie will unfortunately have no notable affect on the film medium, despite being helmed by an alleged “visionary director” (as the film’s marketing has labeled Zach Snyder). The other way in which a current and faithful adaptation of Watchmen is problematically irrelevant is due to its retention of the book’s setting. The book’s themes might not translate completely were the story updated, but the movie could be better off for developing its own themes, whether to modernize certain elements (Vietnam becomes Iraq; Bush is substituted for Nixon) and comment on contemporary abuses of power or to hypothesize how real-life superheroes might deflect the desire for a super-president like Barack Obama. Such a movie would barely be recognizable to fans of the book, but again, adaptation is best when not directly lifted. As the movie was in fact directly lifted, it only functions as a curiosity, like a “What If…” comic or an alternate history novel, both of which are slightly interesting though mainly dispensable works. 4. What was once intended for realism now comes off as ridiculous Considering how the Watchmen comics aimed to take superhero conventions and adapt them to see how they’d function in the real world, it’s a great shame that the Watchmen movie looks and is being criticized for being quite silly (one indirectly reported response compared the adaptation to the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, while The Hollywood Reporter’s Kirk Honeycutt labeled it campy soap opera). But it shouldn’t be surprising that directly lifting from the pages of a dark, serious and relatively realistic comic would result in camp. Because realism on the page is hardly the same as realism on the screen. And because many literary techniques, even those working with visual cues, don’t translate well to audio and visual media. A Watchmen movie shouldn’t look as cartoonish as this one does, but due to the artificial feel of the sets, the stylish cinematographic style and the garishness of the costumes, it seems to have more in common with Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies than with Christopher Nolan’s. 5. There was only ever room for disappointment As with anything as highly anticipated as the Watchmen movie, there isn’t much room for satisfaction. Even if the Star Wars prequels weren’t as bad as they are, for instance, they’d still have been unavoidably disappointing to a majority of fans. Maybe not to the biased diehard fanatics, who will forever defend The Phantom Menace, the Matrix sequels, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Godfather Part III or Watchmen, but certainly to those whose expectations were so high they could only focus on whatever flaws the respective films have. Last month, Graeme McMillan wrote at io9 that only the fans will be disappointed due to how much they’ve been building the film up in their minds, and that Warner Bros. should have therefore concentrated the marketing at mainstream audiences. Yet really, for those familiar with the Watchmen comic, the movie might not be as faithful (i.e. as redundant) as hoped or it might be too faithful (i.e. irrelevant and silly looking), but they will enjoy it for the most part. However, those unfamiliar with the comic are likely to be the most disappointed, because they’re the ones going into this in response to the immense hype and recommendation that’s come with the book for more than 20 years. It’s the same reason that some of us who read the graphic novel late had a “that’s it?” response. Those bypassing the book, however, won’t get at least the benefit of reading a quality work that merely seems overrated (due to the unfortunate perspective of high expectations). And their “that’s it?” will be, to them, even more of a “that’s all it will ever be.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:00:20 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/5/2009 10:00:20 AMMany smart cinephiles and comic book geeks will avoid watching Watchmen this weekend. Not to avoid the crowds of opening weekend, and not to patiently await word of mouth from friends and reactions from critics. No, these bright few will ignore the out-of-season blockbuster event because there is absolutely no reason to see this movie. They recognize that any Watchmen adaptation (particularly this one that’s been made) is completely unnecessary. Well, for anyone not out to profit from it, anyway. Of course, even Warner Bros. might have been better off not producing the thing, since the studio won’t be making as much money as it had initially envisioned thanks to that profit-participation settlement with Fox. The point of this post is not to call Watchmen watchers stupid. Rather, our list of five reasons the film is unnecessary is to help moviegoers get smart. After reading this, though, if any of you are still determined to waste your time sitting through almost 3 hours of redundant, rehashed, irrelevant, ridiculous and inescapably disappointing superhero cinema, we’ll be left with no choice but to consider you mindless sheep, the kind that deserve to be duped. And if Dr. Manhattan chooses to vaporize us (or fans choose to curse us out in the comments section) for exposing the truth about this enterprise of excess, then so be it. We believe we’ve served justice here. 1. Faithful adaptations of graphic novels are redundant Comic books and movies, though both visual and (for the most part) processive forms of storytelling, are certainly different mediums. Yet there is good reason for people to believe film adaptations of graphic novels are easy, particularly when they’re meant to be faithful reproductions. Recreating a comic panel exactly and then giving it motion isn’t necessarily a simple process, but it is a pointless one. In the past, such redundancy has been fully evident in the sinfully unnecessary movie Sin City, and now Watchmen is furthermore putting the super in superfluous with its attempt to mostly please fans of the classic comic by meticulously replicating Alan Moore’s script and Dave Gibbons and John Higgins’ artwork for the big screen. But in addition to indulging the narrowly satisfied fanatics, a movie as resembling of its source material as Watchmen is may be accepted as substitute and partly render the graphic novel obsolete to newcomers. This is of course a problem with adaptations in general, regardless of the type of medium being adapted. Yet it’s all the more potentially displacing when the film is both based on a visual work and intended to be as precise an imitation as possible. Recently, writing for ThePlaylist, Christopher R. Adams pointed out that, “the best comic book films (”The Dark Knight”, “X-Men 2″ and Iron Man) were not adapted word-for-word and panel-for-panel to the screen. They weren’t even culled from one single story!” So why would anyone think it a good idea to make an exact copy of a graphic novel? Well, defenders of both Sin City and Watchmen will undoubtedly argue that it’s “neat” to see the two-dimensional and relatively static images from the book given the added depth and movement, but then so is it similarly curious to see what happens when you drive a car into a wall. So, devout Watchmen readers, why not simply honor the graphic novel by letting it stand alone and experiencing it in its intended medium? 2. So many movies satirizing and subverting superheroes already exist Watchmen may or may not have been the first subversive twist on superhero comics, but the movie is hardly the first of its kind. From the really lame (Superhero Movie) to the really great (The Incredibles), films making fun of or merely playing on the concept of superheroes have been around for about as long as the Watchmen graphic novel has been in print. And so, like our list of movies that made the recent Get Smart obsolete, it would be quite easy to name examples of movies and TV shows that, whether or not they were directly influenced by the Watchmen comics in the first place, have seemingly superseded the Watchmen story and therefore made its film adaptation a stale, or at least surplus, endeavor. Why should anyone unfamiliar with the graphic novel need to see Watchmen after experiencing Hancock, Mystery Men, The Tick, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Hellboy, Unbreakable, The Specials, Sky High, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, The Meteor Man, Blankman, et al.? Well, there may be those superhero movie completists who will see any example of the genre, but such people are likely to be the most unimpressed with a story as seemingly dated and done before as Watchmen’s. Really, in a way, The Incredibles was the best possible movie to come out of the graphic novel’s wake, and The Dark Knight was the darkest and most realistic. Comparatively, even a decently made Watchmen adaptation should seem a pale wannabe. That’s why it’s easy to side with IMDb user Richard Brunton’s concern from years ago: “There is so much similarity to The Watchmen that those who haven’t read the graphic novel will be saying ‘That’s the Incredibles movie’ when Watchmen finally comes to fruition.” And already someone made the mashup trailer to encourage such a concern. 3. Watchmen has no contemporary relevance A movie of Watchmen in 2009 has a problem of relevance in two regards. One relates to the previous point about how plenty of subversive superhero movies have already been made prior to this adaptation. Yet even without the preexistence of all those titles the Watchmen movie, as it’s been made, would fail on other levels of innovation and relevance. Paul DeBenedetto of the comics blog Wednesday’s Child, writing us in defense of his decision not to bother with the movie, says, “The greatness of Watchmen (the book) lies not so much in the story as it does the storytelling. Thus a great adaptation of the book would not be a straight retelling of the story, no matter how accurate.” Indeed, when Watchmen was published it was groundbreaking in its medium, totally revolutionizing the art of superhero comics. But not just because of how it played with superhero character conventions, because it also deconstructed the superhero comic’s narrative style. True Watchmen fans, and likewise comics experts, should therefore see no purpose in a Watchmen movie that isn’t analogously cinematically groundbreaking. This Watchmen movie will unfortunately have no notable affect on the film medium, despite being helmed by an alleged “visionary director” (as the film’s marketing has labeled Zach Snyder). The other way in which a current and faithful adaptation of Watchmen is problematically irrelevant is due to its retention of the book’s setting. The book’s themes might not translate completely were the story updated, but the movie could be better off for developing its own themes, whether to modernize certain elements (Vietnam becomes Iraq; Bush is substituted for Nixon) and comment on contemporary abuses of power or to hypothesize how real-life superheroes might deflect the desire for a super-president like Barack Obama. Such a movie would barely be recognizable to fans of the book, but again, adaptation is best when not directly lifted. As the movie was in fact directly lifted, it only functions as a curiosity, like a “What If…” comic or an alternate history novel, both of which are slightly interesting though mainly dispensable works. 4. What was once intended for realism now comes off as ridiculous Considering how the Watchmen comics aimed to take superhero conventions and adapt them to see how they’d function in the real world, it’s a great shame that the Watchmen movie looks and is being criticized for being quite silly (one indirectly reported response compared the adaptation to the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, while The Hollywood Reporter’s Kirk Honeycutt labeled it campy soap opera). But it shouldn’t be surprising that directly lifting from the pages of a dark, serious and relatively realistic comic would result in camp. Because realism on the page is hardly the same as realism on the screen. And because many literary techniques, even those working with visual cues, don’t translate well to audio and visual media. A Watchmen movie shouldn’t look as cartoonish as this one does, but due to the artificial feel of the sets, the stylish cinematographic style and the garishness of the costumes, it seems to have more in common with Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies than with Christopher Nolan’s. 5. There was only ever room for disappointment As with anything as highly anticipated as the Watchmen movie, there isn’t much room for satisfaction. Even if the Star Wars prequels weren’t as bad as they are, for instance, they’d still have been unavoidably disappointing to a majority of fans. Maybe not to the biased diehard fanatics, who will forever defend The Phantom Menace, the Matrix sequels, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Godfather Part III or Watchmen, but certainly to those whose expectations were so high they could only focus on whatever flaws the respective films have. Last month, Graeme McMillan wrote at io9 that only the fans will be disappointed due to how much they’ve been building the film up in their minds, and that Warner Bros. should have therefore concentrated the marketing at mainstream audiences. Yet really, for those familiar with the Watchmen comic, the movie might not be as faithful (i.e. as redundant) as hoped or it might be too faithful (i.e. irrelevant and silly looking), but they will enjoy it for the most part. However, those unfamiliar with the comic are likely to be the most disappointed, because they’re the ones going into this in response to the immense hype and recommendation that’s come with the book for more than 20 years. It’s the same reason that some of us who read the graphic novel late had a “that’s it?” response. Those bypassing the book, however, won’t get at least the benefit of reading a quality work that merely seems overrated (due to the unfortunate perspective of high expectations). And their “that’s it?” will be, to them, even more of a “that’s all it will ever be.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Worst_Movie_Ever/Re_The_Worst_of_2008/104/40646/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: dickbuist
Post To: Worst Movie Ever
Post Date: 2/25/2009 11:14:15 PM
Body: Where do you find the time to waste on so many bad films? I'm not sure which category to assign to these, but they all are contenders for Worst Picture: Bangkok Dangerous Bedtime Stories Yes Man Jumper Australia? Swing Vote The Midnight Meat Train Hancock Journey to the center of the Earth Mamma Mia X-Files: I want to believe You Don't mess with the Zohan The Happening The Love Guru Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Wanted Speed Racer Fool's Gold What Happens In Vegas Wow, there were a lot of bad movies in 2008. [/quote]
]]>Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:14:15 GMTdickbuistWorst Movie Ever2/25/2009 11:14:15 PMWhere do you find the time to waste on so many bad films? I'm not sure which category to assign to these, but they all are contenders for Worst Picture: Bangkok Dangerous Bedtime Stories Yes Man Jumper Australia? Swing Vote The Midnight Meat Train Hancock Journey to the center of the Earth Mamma Mia X-Files: I want to believe You Don't mess with the Zohan The Happening The Love Guru Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Wanted Speed Racer Fool's Gold What Happens In Vegas Wow, there were a lot of bad movies in 2008. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Worst_Movie_Ever/Re_The_Worst_of_2008/104/39247/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: csprague
Post To: Worst Movie Ever
Post Date: 1/8/2009 11:23:32 AM
Body: I'm not sure which category to assign to these, but they all are contenders for Worst Picture: Bangkok Dangerous Bedtime Stories Yes Man Jumper Australia? Swing Vote The Midnight Meat Train Hancock Journey to the center of the Earth Mamma Mia X-Files: I want to believe You Don't mess with the Zohan The Happening The Love Guru Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Wanted Speed Racer Fool's Gold What Happens In Vegas Wow, there were a lot of bad movies in 2008.
]]>Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:23:32 GMTcspragueWorst Movie Ever1/8/2009 11:23:32 AMI'm not sure which category to assign to these, but they all are contenders for Worst Picture: Bangkok Dangerous Bedtime Stories Yes Man Jumper Australia? Swing Vote The Midnight Meat Train Hancock Journey to the center of the Earth Mamma Mia X-Files: I want to believe You Don't mess with the Zohan The Happening The Love Guru Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Wanted Speed Racer Fool's Gold What Happens In Vegas Wow, there were a lot of bad movies in 2008. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/19/38614.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/19/2008 2:00:53 PM
Body: Because there’s nothing like waiting until the last minute to do some holiday shopping, we’ve compiled this handy-dandy shopping guide to the best DVDs of 2008 that you can use now, or wait until the dust settles and clean up with any cash that Santa or Hanukkah Harry happened to leave you. It’s broken down by the person you’ll be shopping for to make things easier, even if that person happens to be yourself. When noted, we’ve picked the Blu-ray version over the standard definition, because we try to be all about 1080p and other technical terms whenever possible. But, the regular versions are just fine as well. Still, it’s true what they say: once you go HD you’ll never go back. The Superhero Fan Iron Man: In my opinion, this was a much better movie than The Dark Knight. Why? Because it nailed the whole comic book formula so well. This literally made me feel like I was back on my grandma’s summer porch reading a huge stack of comic books. Hancock: It was darker than the commercials let on, and Will Smith didn’t make his “concerned face” nearly as much as he does in Seven Pounds. That’s a plus that’s definitely not listed on the back of the DVD box. The Blu-ray version includes both the unrated and normal cuts of the flick, and also has producer Michael Mann popping up from time to time in the commentary. The Dark Knight: Even though I didn’t go bananas for it, this recently became the first Blu-ray DVD to sell a million copies. The best thing about the movie is Heath Ledger’s lip-smacking performance, and although the DVD lacks commentary from Christopher Nolan, it’s packed with enough extras to make you forget that. The Dreamer The Fall: This goes down as the most under-appreciated movie of the year. It’s part Princess Bride and part The Wizard of Oz, and is just incredibly gorgeous. Catinca Untaru, the little girl in the film, will charm your socks off, and the cinematography is stunning. It even features underwater shots of swimming elephants. Son of Rambow: This appeals to the filmmaker inside of all of us. It’s about a boy who has never seen movies before trying to make his own home video version of First Blood. It’s also a good way to jumpstart your own under-utilized imagination. Wall-E: Disney/Pixar’s robot-in-love story won’t just please any kids who happen to be within viewing range, adults will love it too. Plus you’ll be humming “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from Hello, Dolly the rest of the day. The Drama Queen (or King) Juno: While I wouldn’t have thought that a movie about teenage pregnancy would end up being one of my favorite dramatic films from 2008, here it is. It retains all its charm on DVD, and adds a ton of special features like blog posts, screen tests, and the “Diablo Cody is Totally Boss” featurette. There Will Be Blood: I just watched this again last night, and I’m still amazed by what Paul Thomas Anderson can do with so little. There are scant few extra features on the DVD unfortunately, but there’s a great extended scene in the restaurant with Daniel and H.W. where Daniel Day Lewis cracks up at the end. That’s pure gold. How The West Was Won: Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart and John Wayne star in this sweeping Western epic. The first disc contains the movie formatted for regular television screens, but the second disc features the full three-camera Cinerama process, and they’ve digitally erased the lines between each image. While this really needs to be seen on a giant screen to be appreciated, it will look pretty darn good in your living room too. The Space and Fantasy Crowd CJ7: Stephen Chow’s slapstick comedy version of E.T. didn’t really connect with audiences over here, but it’s a really fun movie that deserves a second chance. Spielberg meets Wile E. Coyote is about the best way to describe this, with the touching story of a little boy (who is played by a girl) and her down on his luck father. Southland Tales: Yes, this movie is still a trainwreck, but what I can’t figure out is why it’s such a watchable trainwreck. With the new edition of the DVD out, writer/director Richard Kelly actually offers up a commentary track that leaves you even more perplexed. But for some reason, it’s impossible to turn this off and walk away. MirrorMask: Full disclosure: I actually did notes on the early drafts of scripts for this when I worked at Henson. It’s truly spectacular that Dave McKean was able to pull this off on a shoestring budget, and it’s a fantasy written by Neil Gaiman. Pure escapism and gorgeous visuals. The Election Buff JFK: New to Blu-ray this year was a special edition of Oliver Stone’s JFK in Warner’s “digibook” format that features the disc along with a slim book in one package. This director’s cut added 17 minutes of unused footage, a lot of special features, and it’s the perfect movie to herald the dawn of new hope with our new President-elect. While the film focuses on the assassination of Kennedy, it also shows the impact his presidency meant to people, and what drove one man to pursue justice to the brink. Nixon: Also new to Blu-ray in the hopes of capitalizing on an election year was Oliver Stone’s Nixon. Even the case for it shouts Election Year Edition on the front cover. But it adds more than a half hour of footage to the movie and includes great extras, like the documentary made by Stone’s son Sean called Beyond Nixon. I missed this in the theaters, and saw it this year for the first time and it did not disappoint. Recount: It’s hard to watch this HBO Films movie and not get angry while doing so. Yes, it’s been eight years since the election, but seeing this is like tearing the band-aid off a wound that’s almost closed. Kevin Spacey is really great in this, but it’s Laura Dern, as former Secretary of State for Florida Katherine Harris, who you’ll find yourself loving to hate . The Documentary Addict The Unforseen: This documentary screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and it’s an extremely impressive (and scary) look at the effects of land development on the watershed in an area of Austin, Texas. It’s both tragic and hopeful, and it’s coming out on DVD during the start of the U.S. recession, which can be blamed on poor real estate planning and development. Eerily timely. John Adams: This HBO miniseries is based on the David McCullough book of the same name and produced by HBO Films. While it might take a few liberties with creating historical dialogue, it’s a great way to learn about our nation’s history. Paul Giamatti really hits all the notes as Adams, and Tom Wilkinson is surprisingly perfect as Benjamin Franklin. Also includes a nice documentary about the author called Painting With Words. This American Life: This Showtime series based on the long-running radio show falls between entertainment and documentary. All of the stories are real, and they’re some of the most hilarious and moving things you’ll ever see. Episode four’s animated Chris Ware piece is worth the cost of the whole set alone. The Gamer WarGames: Yes, it’s an oldie. But the 25th (god, I’m old!) anniversary edition of this came out this year, and it’s bargain priced. It’s also been beautifully restore, and has never looked better. Toss in the fact that both Ally Sheedy and Matthew Broderick came back to do new interviews for this version, and it’s a perfect stocking stuffer. Tilt: The Battle To Save Pinball: I’ve written about this movie previously, but I can’t say enough good things about it. If you or someone you know loves pinball machines, you really can’t go wrong with this one. Just don’t complain when they ask for a full-sized machine of their very own next year. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters: Despite the controversy that swirls around it, this movie is so entertaining that I’ll usually end up watching the whole thing when I flip past it on cable, even though it’s sitting on a shelf a few feet away. It also cements Steve Wiebe in place as probably the nicest guy in the entire known universe. The Boxed Set Obsessetarian Casablanca: The Ultimate Collector’s Edition: Casablanca is probably one of my favorite films, and this edition is the ultimate for any movie geek. Not because the transfer is excellent and the sound pristine: it’s because it comes with a replica of the Letters of Transit! Now you too can pretend to be Peter Lorre and wheeze “Hide me, Reek!” to people. Okay, the movie is also gorgeous, too, and it’s been given the Blu-ray treatment. There’s also a great documentary here called Jack Warner: The Last Mogul. This is some good stuff. The Godfather Trilogy: The Coppola Restoration: The Godfather films have been released before on DVD, but this new set runs rings around it. Coppola called up Steven Spielberg when Viacom acquired Dreamworks, and asked him to let them release money for a Godfather restoration project. This is the end result, and it has been digitally restored and packed with amazing extras. A real gem. Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition: This boxed set features four of the best MST3K episodes, along with a 3-part documentary about the history of the show, as well as video coverage of the MST3K reunion panel from this year’s Comic-Con. Plus if you can find the limited edition version of this set in a collectible tin, it comes with a little Crow figurine. Rad. The Non-Tivo Owning TV Watcher Mad Men: If you think it’s impossible to like this show, then you need to head out and pick up the first season on DVD. It will definitely change your mind. You’ll either want to be Don Draper, or have sex with him. Just stay away from my Joan Holloway. The first season DVD includes commentary on all 13 episodes, and a nifty “Advertising and the American Dream” documentary. Dexter: Michael C. Hall made the near-impossible jump from one highly successful series to another, only now he’s playing a lovable serial killer instead of a gay undertaker. This is one of those shows I hate to miss, and the new Blu-ray of the first season looks great and is packed with nifty features, including the first two episodes of the Steven Spielberg / Diablo Cody tv show The United States of Tara. I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series: Earlier this year Sony released a boxed set of I Dream of Jeannie, and it comes in a big purple bottle carrying case. That’s almost reason alone to pick this up. It’s the complete series, and features commentary from Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, and Bill Daily. This is one of my true guilty pleasures, and this is the first time I’m publically admitting it. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:00:53 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/19/2008 2:00:53 PMBecause there’s nothing like waiting until the last minute to do some holiday shopping, we’ve compiled this handy-dandy shopping guide to the best DVDs of 2008 that you can use now, or wait until the dust settles and clean up with any cash that Santa or Hanukkah Harry happened to leave you. It’s broken down by the person you’ll be shopping for to make things easier, even if that person happens to be yourself. When noted, we’ve picked the Blu-ray version over the standard definition, because we try to be all about 1080p and other technical terms whenever possible. But, the regular versions are just fine as well. Still, it’s true what they say: once you go HD you’ll never go back. The Superhero Fan Iron Man: In my opinion, this was a much better movie than The Dark Knight. Why? Because it nailed the whole comic book formula so well. This literally made me feel like I was back on my grandma’s summer porch reading a huge stack of comic books. Hancock: It was darker than the commercials let on, and Will Smith didn’t make his “concerned face” nearly as much as he does in Seven Pounds. That’s a plus that’s definitely not listed on the back of the DVD box. The Blu-ray version includes both the unrated and normal cuts of the flick, and also has producer Michael Mann popping up from time to time in the commentary. The Dark Knight: Even though I didn’t go bananas for it, this recently became the first Blu-ray DVD to sell a million copies. The best thing about the movie is Heath Ledger’s lip-smacking performance, and although the DVD lacks commentary from Christopher Nolan, it’s packed with enough extras to make you forget that. The Dreamer The Fall: This goes down as the most under-appreciated movie of the year. It’s part Princess Bride and part The Wizard of Oz, and is just incredibly gorgeous. Catinca Untaru, the little girl in the film, will charm your socks off, and the cinematography is stunning. It even features underwater shots of swimming elephants. Son of Rambow: This appeals to the filmmaker inside of all of us. It’s about a boy who has never seen movies before trying to make his own home video version of First Blood. It’s also a good way to jumpstart your own under-utilized imagination. Wall-E: Disney/Pixar’s robot-in-love story won’t just please any kids who happen to be within viewing range, adults will love it too. Plus you’ll be humming “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from Hello, Dolly the rest of the day. The Drama Queen (or King) Juno: While I wouldn’t have thought that a movie about teenage pregnancy would end up being one of my favorite dramatic films from 2008, here it is. It retains all its charm on DVD, and adds a ton of special features like blog posts, screen tests, and the “Diablo Cody is Totally Boss” featurette. There Will Be Blood: I just watched this again last night, and I’m still amazed by what Paul Thomas Anderson can do with so little. There are scant few extra features on the DVD unfortunately, but there’s a great extended scene in the restaurant with Daniel and H.W. where Daniel Day Lewis cracks up at the end. That’s pure gold. How The West Was Won: Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart and John Wayne star in this sweeping Western epic. The first disc contains the movie formatted for regular television screens, but the second disc features the full three-camera Cinerama process, and they’ve digitally erased the lines between each image. While this really needs to be seen on a giant screen to be appreciated, it will look pretty darn good in your living room too. The Space and Fantasy Crowd CJ7: Stephen Chow’s slapstick comedy version of E.T. didn’t really connect with audiences over here, but it’s a really fun movie that deserves a second chance. Spielberg meets Wile E. Coyote is about the best way to describe this, with the touching story of a little boy (who is played by a girl) and her down on his luck father. Southland Tales: Yes, this movie is still a trainwreck, but what I can’t figure out is why it’s such a watchable trainwreck. With the new edition of the DVD out, writer/director Richard Kelly actually offers up a commentary track that leaves you even more perplexed. But for some reason, it’s impossible to turn this off and walk away. MirrorMask: Full disclosure: I actually did notes on the early drafts of scripts for this when I worked at Henson. It’s truly spectacular that Dave McKean was able to pull this off on a shoestring budget, and it’s a fantasy written by Neil Gaiman. Pure escapism and gorgeous visuals. The Election Buff JFK: New to Blu-ray this year was a special edition of Oliver Stone’s JFK in Warner’s “digibook” format that features the disc along with a slim book in one package. This director’s cut added 17 minutes of unused footage, a lot of special features, and it’s the perfect movie to herald the dawn of new hope with our new President-elect. While the film focuses on the assassination of Kennedy, it also shows the impact his presidency meant to people, and what drove one man to pursue justice to the brink. Nixon: Also new to Blu-ray in the hopes of capitalizing on an election year was Oliver Stone’s Nixon. Even the case for it shouts Election Year Edition on the front cover. But it adds more than a half hour of footage to the movie and includes great extras, like the documentary made by Stone’s son Sean called Beyond Nixon. I missed this in the theaters, and saw it this year for the first time and it did not disappoint. Recount: It’s hard to watch this HBO Films movie and not get angry while doing so. Yes, it’s been eight years since the election, but seeing this is like tearing the band-aid off a wound that’s almost closed. Kevin Spacey is really great in this, but it’s Laura Dern, as former Secretary of State for Florida Katherine Harris, who you’ll find yourself loving to hate . The Documentary Addict The Unforseen: This documentary screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and it’s an extremely impressive (and scary) look at the effects of land development on the watershed in an area of Austin, Texas. It’s both tragic and hopeful, and it’s coming out on DVD during the start of the U.S. recession, which can be blamed on poor real estate planning and development. Eerily timely. John Adams: This HBO miniseries is based on the David McCullough book of the same name and produced by HBO Films. While it might take a few liberties with creating historical dialogue, it’s a great way to learn about our nation’s history. Paul Giamatti really hits all the notes as Adams, and Tom Wilkinson is surprisingly perfect as Benjamin Franklin. Also includes a nice documentary about the author called Painting With Words. This American Life: This Showtime series based on the long-running radio show falls between entertainment and documentary. All of the stories are real, and they’re some of the most hilarious and moving things you’ll ever see. Episode four’s animated Chris Ware piece is worth the cost of the whole set alone. The Gamer WarGames: Yes, it’s an oldie. But the 25th (god, I’m old!) anniversary edition of this came out this year, and it’s bargain priced. It’s also been beautifully restore, and has never looked better. Toss in the fact that both Ally Sheedy and Matthew Broderick came back to do new interviews for this version, and it’s a perfect stocking stuffer. Tilt: The Battle To Save Pinball: I’ve written about this movie previously, but I can’t say enough good things about it. If you or someone you know loves pinball machines, you really can’t go wrong with this one. Just don’t complain when they ask for a full-sized machine of their very own next year. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters: Despite the controversy that swirls around it, this movie is so entertaining that I’ll usually end up watching the whole thing when I flip past it on cable, even though it’s sitting on a shelf a few feet away. It also cements Steve Wiebe in place as probably the nicest guy in the entire known universe. The Boxed Set Obsessetarian Casablanca: The Ultimate Collector’s Edition: Casablanca is probably one of my favorite films, and this edition is the ultimate for any movie geek. Not because the transfer is excellent and the sound pristine: it’s because it comes with a replica of the Letters of Transit! Now you too can pretend to be Peter Lorre and wheeze “Hide me, Reek!” to people. Okay, the movie is also gorgeous, too, and it’s been given the Blu-ray treatment. There’s also a great documentary here called Jack Warner: The Last Mogul. This is some good stuff. The Godfather Trilogy: The Coppola Restoration: The Godfather films have been released before on DVD, but this new set runs rings around it. Coppola called up Steven Spielberg when Viacom acquired Dreamworks, and asked him to let them release money for a Godfather restoration project. This is the end result, and it has been digitally restored and packed with amazing extras. A real gem. Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition: This boxed set features four of the best MST3K episodes, along with a 3-part documentary about the history of the show, as well as video coverage of the MST3K reunion panel from this year’s Comic-Con. Plus if you can find the limited edition version of this set in a collectible tin, it comes with a little Crow figurine. Rad. The Non-Tivo Owning TV Watcher Mad Men: If you think it’s impossible to like this show, then you need to head out and pick up the first season on DVD. It will definitely change your mind. You’ll either want to be Don Draper, or have sex with him. Just stay away from my Joan Holloway. The first season DVD includes commentary on all 13 episodes, and a nifty “Advertising and the American Dream” documentary. Dexter: Michael C. Hall made the near-impossible jump from one highly successful series to another, only now he’s playing a lovable serial killer instead of a gay undertaker. This is one of those shows I hate to miss, and the new Blu-ray of the first season looks great and is packed with nifty features, including the first two episodes of the Steven Spielberg / Diablo Cody tv show The United States of Tara. I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series: Earlier this year Sony released a boxed set of I Dream of Jeannie, and it comes in a big purple bottle carrying case. That’s almost reason alone to pick this up. It’s the complete series, and features commentary from Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, and Bill Daily. This is one of my true guilty pleasures, and this is the first time I’m publically admitting it. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Re_Holiday_movies_Cartoon_mice_Jim_Carrey_s_face/216/38443/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 12/16/2008 11:36:20 AM
Body: Whoa, where did this come from? Was this kept hush-hush after the flaming peice of sub-mediocrity we know as Hancock? Usually Will Smith releases are a pretty big deal with lots of promotion and hoopla, but the first I ever heard of Seven Pounds was this week--granted I haven't been to a recent theatrical release in awhile, however. My girlfriend and I were trying to find information on it but were barely able to find a complete synopsis for the film. Curious to see how it does... [quote user="spout"] Seven Pounds -- Watch the trailer. Will Smith is an IRS agent who mysteriously assumes the identity of his younger brother and tries to change the lives of seven strangers. Also starring Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson, and from the director of Pursuit of Happyness. [/quote]
]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:36:20 GMTseelyComing Soon12/16/2008 11:36:20 AMWhoa, where did this come from? Was this kept hush-hush after the flaming peice of sub-mediocrity we know as Hancock? Usually Will Smith releases are a pretty big deal with lots of promotion and hoopla, but the first I ever heard of Seven Pounds was this week--granted I haven't been to a recent theatrical release in awhile, however. My girlfriend and I were trying to find information on it but were barely able to find a complete synopsis for the film. Curious to see how it does... [quote user="spout"] Seven Pounds -- Watch the trailer. Will Smith is an IRS agent who mysteriously assumes the identity of his younger brother and tries to change the lives of seven strangers. Also starring Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson, and from the director of Pursuit of Happyness. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Thanksgiving_movies_the_good_and_the_sucky_in_th/216/37542/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 11/21/2008 2:57:23 PM
Body: The new movies I mention are coming out on Thanksgiving, which is Thursday the 26th. Getting Bigger All the Time: The Vince Vaughn Chronicles Let's trace his growth in reverse order. 5. Four Christmases (NEW) -- Vaughn is now over 12 feet tall. Needless to say, Vince was filmed separately, in front of a green screen. He only held a real prop once: Inside the box is a 52" flatscreen TV. 4. Wedding Crashers (2005) -- Watch the trailer. Vince is nearly 9 feet tall. To make him appear only slightly larger than Owen Wilson, Director Peter Jackson is hired to pull out all the perspective tricks he used with the Hobbits in LOTR. 3. Dodgeball (2004) -- Watch the trailer. Vince is seven and a half feet tall. It becomes clear that Vince can't throw a dodgeball without giving his target a concussion. Their solution: preceding all action scenes, the studio weakens him by shooting him with a moose tranquilizer. 2. Made (2001) -- Watch the trailer. My favorite Vince Vaughn movie! Vince and actor/director Jon Favreau (of Iron Man) are entry-level mobsters trying not to blow their new career in crime. Peter Falk is great as the mob boss. With Vince measuring 6'11", it's clear why Falk would want him as a thug. 1. Swingers (1996) -- Would anyone who used Vince's catchphrase, "That's money!", in 1996 please confess in this discussion? I was too young to see this movie when it came out, and when I finally saw it about two years ago, I couldn't get why it became a craze. Can someone please help me understand? Swingers is the last time Vince was nearly normal-sized, at 6'5". New Movies That Sound Like Musicals When You Add An Exclamation Point 1. Australia! -- Watch the trailer. Starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, set in Pre-WWII Australia. The director Baz Luhrmann has made films like Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, so I think this will be good. 2. Milk! -- Watch the trailer. Based on the true story of gay activist Harvey Milk. With Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch. When Jason Statham is More Badass Than Usual 1. Transporter 3 (NEW) -- Watch the trailer. The trailer's exciting. I didn't see the first two movies because I heard they weren't very good. Are there any fans of them out there? 2. Crank (2006) -- Watch the trailer. Statham wakes up to find that his arch-enemy has poisoned him. He only has about an hour to find an antidote and/or avenge his murder. It's filmed in real time, and it makes Run, Lola Run feel like a walk in the park. Orthodox Jewish Film: I Don't Have a Clever Title for This List 1. The Secrets (NEW) -- Drama about students in an all-female seminary in Safed, Israel. 2. Ushpizin (2005) -- Watch the trailer. This was really fantastic. Moshe and Mali are delighted to let Moshe's old friends stay with them for a time, but their stay turns sour when the friends' presence seems to awaken some old bad habits in Moshe, like binge drinking and barroom brawling. A gorgeous film about patience, change, and hope. New to DVD Highlights 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. I haven't seen this one yet, but I'd like to. Did you like it more than the first one? 2. Tropic Thunder (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. Good but not great (in my opinion). Ben Stiller was my favorite character. 3. Hancock (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. Seeing it once was too much. 4. Mamma Mia! (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. That musical with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. 5. X-Files: I want to Believe (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. I want to believe this is good, but I can't. Does anyone remember that old episode where the guy elongates his body and slithers through heating ducts? He uses his power to enter peoples' homes and eat their livers? Remember? 6. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. I'm not sure, but I think this movie is about Johnny Appleseed's groupies. They followed him on foot all over America, even in winter! That showed a lot of determination, especially considering that they were so poor, they only had one pair of pants to share among them. In this second installment, several of the girls get frostbite, all of them get snakebites, and one of them bites a woodchuck and gets rabies.
]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:57:23 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon11/21/2008 2:57:23 PMThe new movies I mention are coming out on Thanksgiving, which is Thursday the 26th. Getting Bigger All the Time: The Vince Vaughn Chronicles Let's trace his growth in reverse order. 5. Four Christmases (NEW) -- Vaughn is now over 12 feet tall. Needless to say, Vince was filmed separately, in front of a green screen. He only held a real prop once: Inside the box is a 52" flatscreen TV. 4. Wedding Crashers (2005) -- Watch the trailer. Vince is nearly 9 feet tall. To make him appear only slightly larger than Owen Wilson, Director Peter Jackson is hired to pull out all the perspective tricks he used with the Hobbits in LOTR. 3. Dodgeball (2004) -- Watch the trailer. Vince is seven and a half feet tall. It becomes clear that Vince can't throw a dodgeball without giving his target a concussion. Their solution: preceding all action scenes, the studio weakens him by shooting him with a moose tranquilizer. 2. Made (2001) -- Watch the trailer. My favorite Vince Vaughn movie! Vince and actor/director Jon Favreau (of Iron Man) are entry-level mobsters trying not to blow their new career in crime. Peter Falk is great as the mob boss. With Vince measuring 6'11", it's clear why Falk would want him as a thug. 1. Swingers (1996) -- Would anyone who used Vince's catchphrase, "That's money!", in 1996 please confess in this discussion? I was too young to see this movie when it came out, and when I finally saw it about two years ago, I couldn't get why it became a craze. Can someone please help me understand? Swingers is the last time Vince was nearly normal-sized, at 6'5". New Movies That Sound Like Musicals When You Add An Exclamation Point 1. Australia! -- Watch the trailer. Starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, set in Pre-WWII Australia. The director Baz Luhrmann has made films like Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, so I think this will be good. 2. Milk! -- Watch the trailer. Based on the true story of gay activist Harvey Milk. With Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch. When Jason Statham is More Badass Than Usual 1. Transporter 3 (NEW) -- Watch the trailer. The trailer's exciting. I didn't see the first two movies because I heard they weren't very good. Are there any fans of them out there? 2. Crank (2006) -- Watch the trailer. Statham wakes up to find that his arch-enemy has poisoned him. He only has about an hour to find an antidote and/or avenge his murder. It's filmed in real time, and it makes Run, Lola Run feel like a walk in the park. Orthodox Jewish Film: I Don't Have a Clever Title for This List 1. The Secrets (NEW) -- Drama about students in an all-female seminary in Safed, Israel. 2. Ushpizin (2005) -- Watch the trailer. This was really fantastic. Moshe and Mali are delighted to let Moshe's old friends stay with them for a time, but their stay turns sour when the friends' presence seems to awaken some old bad habits in Moshe, like binge drinking and barroom brawling. A gorgeous film about patience, change, and hope. New to DVD Highlights 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. I haven't seen this one yet, but I'd like to. Did you like it more than the first one? 2. Tropic Thunder (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. Good but not great (in my opinion). Ben Stiller was my favorite character. 3. Hancock (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. Seeing it once was too much. 4. Mamma Mia! (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. That musical with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. 5. X-Files: I want to Believe (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. I want to believe this is good, but I can't. Does anyone remember that old episode where the guy elongates his body and slithers through heating ducts? He uses his power to enter peoples' homes and eat their livers? Remember? 6. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. I'm not sure, but I think this movie is about Johnny Appleseed's groupies. They followed him on foot all over America, even in winter! That showed a lot of determination, especially considering that they were so poor, they only had one pair of pants to share among them. In this second installment, several of the girls get frostbite, all of them get snakebites, and one of them bites a woodchuck and gets rabies. http://www.spout.com/blogs/docpotato/archive/2008/10/8/36059.aspx Post By: docpotato
Post To: One Movie a Week
Post Date: 10/8/2008 8:01:40 PM
Body: Hancock is a surprising film. For one thing, I was surprised that Jason Bateman, usually a master of smarm and weaselly tics, was able to portray a kind-hearted, genuine good guy with such conviction. Here, he uses his formidable skill at comedic deadpan to deepen Ray, a sweet, gentle boy scout of a Public Relations man. The strength of the film’s action scenes was also quite disarming. Though director Peter Berg’s fidgety, shaky camera often confused the action or diluted the drama, the images in the film had a real weight to them, particularly when contrasted with the murky fuzz of other computer generated spectacles. During a pivotal bank robbery sequence, I felt like I was a child watching a Superman movie for the first time, such was the wonder and excitement wrought by the filmmaking. Mostly, though, I was surprised by the fact that, in a film like this, I actually found myself in uncharted territory. Something of a twist occurs late in the film, and I realized that I had no idea where the movie was headed. Because Hancock is so narrow in scope—it’s really a three-character drama masquerading as a superhero film—the consequences for this reveal felt important, meaningful. It’s quite a wondrous thing in this day and age of cookie-cutter fairy tales to feel a genuine sense of curiosity during a mainstream action vehicle. So, while it fizzles out quite a bit in its final sequences, Hancock is a taut, cheeky superhero film that manages to be both a solid comic book story and a funny lampoon on the whole genre.The title character, a dissolute superman named John Hancock, belongs to a long line of insufferable, cranky, and lonely men in American movies. Usually, these men reform once they find the love of a good woman, like Bogart in The African Queen. Here, though, it’s Bateman as the naïve, optimistic Ray who provides the unconditional love and support for the aching, angry Hancock. Ray is impossibly sweet; his job involves asking corporations to give away life-saving drugs and food free of charge to those who need help. He’s laughed out of the boardrooms, but maintains his plucky spirit--you almost expect him to exclaim, "Gee Whiz!" at some point. One day, Hancock saves Ray from getting crushed by a train, but causes a massive derailment in the process. Angry onlookers, furious at the superman for destroying everything in his path, unleash a tirade of vitriol at the bumbling Hancock, but Ray, grateful and needing a ride, invites him to dinner. From there, the two develop a shaky relationship, as Ray, over the objections of his skeptical wife (Charlize Theron) begins using his PR skills to help Hancock become a proper superhero.Along with Iron Man, this is the second movie of the year about a superheroic lout who eventually finds redemption, but Hancock’s approach to its character is much more satisfying. Will Smith’s John Hancock is an abusive, self-absorbed drunk of the highest order. He's indifferent to the suffering of mere mortals and fights crime, it would seem, out of a mixture of boredom and obligation more than concern for the public welfare. His disregard for the law, property values, or the safety of the general public as he swoops in to save the day is fun to watch, particularly in Smith’s able hands. Going all the way back to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith has often played the part of a charismatic outsider, struggling to keep up with the arbitrary rules of a strange, foreign world, and the same is true in Hancock. When he’s coached by Ray to make a landing without destroying the city streets or to tell the police at a crime scene that they’re doing a good job, Smith’s confusion is funny and understandable. His powers render him immortal and above the rule of law, so why should he care?Funny too is the way the film takes seriously the swath of destruction that follows superheroes. Usually it's a throwaway joke at best--an action scene concludes with a car's hubcaps falling off, for instance, or a family of four looking around at the remnants of their formally happy and intact home. In Hancock, the consequences of this destruction are the very point of the film, and have a bit of political bite to them, similar to something from Team America. The movie's character is a heroic power that's above the law, that stumbles into a situation trying to do good but makes a mess out of things, that arrogantly insists people love it despite this tendency. It should sound familiar. Oh, also, his symbol is an eagle. Got it now? While Hancock is a smart, assured film, it's also a fidgety experience. The director, Peter Berg, also directed last year's The Kingdom, and this movie suffers greatly from some of the unearned sentiment that plagued that film. Berg's got a fine command of staging action scenes and gets great performances out of his actors, but, too often, he tries to orchestrate sympathy using overlong montages scored with mournful music. It's a cheap trick, but where one of these montages may have worked, there's a few in the film. They all begin to stack up and feel redundant. More problematic is the last act of the film. After the fun, nearly incomprehensible twist, Hancock is bogged down with too many explanations, too much dramatic stillness. The pace sputters to a halt as everyone--the audience and the characters onscreen--have to be told this or that or the other thing about things that happened long ago and far away. A key relationship between two characters is the basis for the entire climax of the film, but it isn't developed near enough to work, so the film (almost literally) limps to its conclusion. Still. In a world choking with a glut of formulaic superhero films, Hancock is refreshing. It fizzles out after a 3rd act twist, but, for most of its running time, it’s a breeze of a film. It’s mercifully short at 90 minutes and manages to do much more with its running time than most movies of this sort do with almost twice as much. But, really, it's all about that bank robbery scene. When the reformed Hancock flies in to the rescue, it's a powerful moment that revitalizes the whole genre. He's not just saving the hostages in the bank, he's also saving himself from a lifetime of arrogance and unintended consequences. Speaking as an American myself, it's somewhat inspiring.Would Make a Good Double Feature with: Mystery Men Originally posted on:One Movie a Day/Week
]]>Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:01:40 GMTdocpotatoOne Movie a Week10/8/2008 8:01:40 PMHancock is a surprising film. For one thing, I was surprised that Jason Bateman, usually a master of smarm and weaselly tics, was able to portray a kind-hearted, genuine good guy with such conviction. Here, he uses his formidable skill at comedic deadpan to deepen Ray, a sweet, gentle boy scout of a Public Relations man. The strength of the film’s action scenes was also quite disarming. Though director Peter Berg’s fidgety, shaky camera often confused the action or diluted the drama, the images in the film had a real weight to them, particularly when contrasted with the murky fuzz of other computer generated spectacles. During a pivotal bank robbery sequence, I felt like I was a child watching a Superman movie for the first time, such was the wonder and excitement wrought by the filmmaking. Mostly, though, I was surprised by the fact that, in a film like this, I actually found myself in uncharted territory. Something of a twist occurs late in the film, and I realized that I had no idea where the movie was headed. Because Hancock is so narrow in scope—it’s really a three-character drama masquerading as a superhero film—the consequences for this reveal felt important, meaningful. It’s quite a wondrous thing in this day and age of cookie-cutter fairy tales to feel a genuine sense of curiosity during a mainstream action vehicle. So, while it fizzles out quite a bit in its final sequences, Hancock is a taut, cheeky superhero film that manages to be both a solid comic book story and a funny lampoon on the whole genre.The title character, a dissolute superman named John Hancock, belongs to a long line of insufferable, cranky, and lonely men in American movies. Usually, these men reform once they find the love of a good woman, like Bogart in The African Queen. Here, though, it’s Bateman as the naïve, optimistic Ray who provides the unconditional love and support for the aching, angry Hancock. Ray is impossibly sweet; his job involves asking corporations to give away life-saving drugs and food free of charge to those who need help. He’s laughed out of the boardrooms, but maintains his plucky spirit--you almost expect him to exclaim, "Gee Whiz!" at some point. One day, Hancock saves Ray from getting crushed by a train, but causes a massive derailment in the process. Angry onlookers, furious at the superman for destroying everything in his path, unleash a tirade of vitriol at the bumbling Hancock, but Ray, grateful and needing a ride, invites him to dinner. From there, the two develop a shaky relationship, as Ray, over the objections of his skeptical wife (Charlize Theron) begins using his PR skills to help Hancock become a proper superhero.Along with Iron Man, this is the second movie of the year about a superheroic lout who eventually finds redemption, but Hancock’s approach to its character is much more satisfying. Will Smith’s John Hancock is an abusive, self-absorbed drunk of the highest order. He's indifferent to the suffering of mere mortals and fights crime, it would seem, out of a mixture of boredom and obligation more than concern for the public welfare. His disregard for the law, property values, or the safety of the general public as he swoops in to save the day is fun to watch, particularly in Smith’s able hands. Going all the way back to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith has often played the part of a charismatic outsider, struggling to keep up with the arbitrary rules of a strange, foreign world, and the same is true in Hancock. When he’s coached by Ray to make a landing without destroying the city streets or to tell the police at a crime scene that they’re doing a good job, Smith’s confusion is funny and understandable. His powers render him immortal and above the rule of law, so why should he care?Funny too is the way the film takes seriously the swath of destruction that follows superheroes. Usually it's a throwaway joke at best--an action scene concludes with a car's hubcaps falling off, for instance, or a family of four looking around at the remnants of their formally happy and intact home. In Hancock, the consequences of this destruction are the very point of the film, and have a bit of political bite to them, similar to something from Team America. The movie's character is a heroic power that's above the law, that stumbles into a situation trying to do good but makes a mess out of things, that arrogantly insists people love it despite this tendency. It should sound familiar. Oh, also, his symbol is an eagle. Got it now? While Hancock is a smart, assured film, it's also a fidgety experience. The director, Peter Berg, also directed last year's The Kingdom, and this movie suffers greatly from some of the unearned sentiment that plagued that film. Berg's got a fine command of staging action scenes and gets great performances out of his actors, but, too often, he tries to orchestrate sympathy using overlong montages scored with mournful music. It's a cheap trick, but where one of these montages may have worked, there's a few in the film. They all begin to stack up and feel redundant. More problematic is the last act of the film. After the fun, nearly incomprehensible twist, Hancock is bogged down with too many explanations, too much dramatic stillness. The pace sputters to a halt as everyone--the audience and the characters onscreen--have to be told this or that or the other thing about things that happened long ago and far away. A key relationship between two characters is the basis for the entire climax of the film, but it isn't developed near enough to work, so the film (almost literally) limps to its conclusion. Still. In a world choking with a glut of formulaic superhero films, Hancock is refreshing. It fizzles out after a 3rd act twist, but, for most of its running time, it’s a breeze of a film. It’s mercifully short at 90 minutes and manages to do much more with its running time than most movies of this sort do with almost twice as much. But, really, it's all about that bank robbery scene. When the reformed Hancock flies in to the rescue, it's a powerful moment that revitalizes the whole genre. He's not just saving the hostages in the bank, he's also saving himself from a lifetime of arrogance and unintended consequences. Speaking as an American myself, it's somewhat inspiring.Would Make a Good Double Feature with: Mystery Men Originally posted on:One Movie a Day/Week http://www.spout.com/blogs/lawrencemendi/archive/2008/10/4/35897.aspx Post By: lawrencemendi
Post To: lawrencemendi Blog
Post Date: 10/4/2008 11:54:07 PM
Body: would not play
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