list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters 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/The_King_of_Kong_A_Fistful_of_Quarters/316243/default.aspx Title: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Year: 2007
Director: Seth Gordon, Seth Lewis Gordon
Plot: Seth Gordon's documentary King of Kong follows the exploits of the two best Donkey Kong players in America. Billy Mitchell has held the world record for the popular video game for over twenty years. The film covers his rise to prominence, and the circle of associates he keeps at the Twin Galaxies arcade, a place where he is revered for his prowess at a number of games. Eventually Steve Wiebe, with time on his ends now that he finds himself without a job, decides to seriously hunker down and challenge Mitchell's record. Gordon gets close to both men, and shows how the passionate subculture surrounding these two have very powerful feelings toward both men. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 91
Number of Lists: 18
Number of blog posts: 32
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:51:29 GMTThe King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters2007Seth Gordon, Seth Lewis GordonSeth Gordon's documentary <a href=/films/316243/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>King of Kong</a> follows the exploits of the two best Donkey Kong players in America. Billy Mitchell has held the world record for the popular video game for over twenty years. The film covers his rise to prominence, and the circle of associates he keeps at the Twin Galaxies arcade, a place where he is revered for his prowess at a number of games. Eventually Steve Wiebe, with time on his ends now that he finds himself without a job, decides to seriously hunker down and challenge Mitchell's record. Gordon gets close to both men, and shows how the passionate subculture surrounding these two have very powerful feelings toward both men. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide91Tag Target (>10)183224http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u50476po9m0.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_King_of_Kong_A_Fistful_of_Quarters/316243/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_September_21_Video_Games/625/43981/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 9/22/2009 7:55:55 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] I KNOW there is a new movie coming out soon where prisoner's bodies can be controlled by gamers in a death match in a kind of real life video game. WHAT IS THIS MOVIE CALLED!?!? I swear I saw a trailer for it or heard about it or something. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? [/quote] It's called Game and it's actually done by the same guys that did the Crank movies. [quote user="Risselada"] Also, The King of Kong is one my very favorite movies to come out in years. But I heard a lot of people respond that Chasing Ghosts about the same scene of people is even better. Anyone seen that one? Oh yeah, and I heard Grandma's Boy is pretty funny too. [/quote] Pretty funny is pretty generous for Grandma's boy.
]]>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:55:55 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme9/22/2009 7:55:55 PM[quote user="Risselada"] I KNOW there is a new movie coming out soon where prisoner's bodies can be controlled by gamers in a death match in a kind of real life video game. WHAT IS THIS MOVIE CALLED!?!? I swear I saw a trailer for it or heard about it or something. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? [/quote] It's called Game and it's actually done by the same guys that did the Crank movies. [quote user="Risselada"] Also, The King of Kong is one my very favorite movies to come out in years. But I heard a lot of people respond that Chasing Ghosts about the same scene of people is even better. Anyone seen that one? Oh yeah, and I heard Grandma's Boy is pretty funny too. [/quote] Pretty funny is pretty generous for Grandma's boy. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_September_21_Video_Games/625/43973/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 9/22/2009 12:18:23 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] Well this seems like a fun enough topic. Let's talk about video game films. I'm not really talking about movies that are based on video games like Lara Croft or Resident Evil. I'm talking more about movies that are about video games. I got the idea this weekend while I was watching the really bad but still pretty enjoyable horror flick from good old 1994 called Brainscan with Eddie Furlong and Frank Langella. It was about this kid that gets some sort of virtual reality CD-ROM, goes into a trance when he's playing it and starts killing people.... Sounds great right?? Okay maybe not, but it did make me start thinking about this as a topic. I remember watching Tron countless times when I was younger and loving it. I haven't watched it in many years and I'm pretty sure the experience would be ruined if I tried to sit through it now. I've also been wanting to re-watch eXisntenZ lately. I thought it was pretty brilliant in a very Cronenberg sort of way the first time I saw it and I am actually hoping to get a bit more out of it the next time. I also wonder if that film will be really dated in another 10 or 20 years. And I don't think I could mention video game movies without talking about The King Of Kong. I think this is the greatest doc I've ever seen. It was excatly what a documentary should be, in that it's about something that is very small to most of us but a huge deal to all the people that are being profiled. Well, that's all I got for now.. Peace, Love and watch more effing movies. [/quote] I actually never saw TRON until just a few years ago! I didn't find it THAT fascinating, but I can imagine if I saw it as a kid when it came out I might have felt differently. David Warner is always a fantastic villian though! What do you think about the new TRON movie coming out? Have you seen the trailer? The video game movie from my youth is The Wizard for sure. It was definitely a product of it's time. Something about the characters and the settings. Actually it was pretty depressing if you really look at it! But the video game stuff was of course cool for a kid. The kid with the Power Glove was so hilarious! "I love the Power Glove. It's so bad!" And then of course there was the AMAZING moment when the unveiled SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 3! One of the most exciting video game moments ever. But then it was shattered by the absurdity that even though no one had ever seen the game before, the girl in the audience was yelling up all kinds of tips and clues about how the game works and secret passages and such. I've never seen eXisntenZ but that whole trapped in a video game alternate reality thing is a pretty popular premise for movies. Acutally a lot more for animation. The other huge Nintendo love of my youth was the TV show Captain N: The Game Master. A guy gets sucked into his Nintendo and lives in a big Nintendo world where all of the different popular Nintendo games come together in one big universe. These characters and storylines that have nothing to do with each other come together while this guy's video game controller and zapper still work. Really pretty silly, but pretty sweet to see which video game characters they might encounter each week. There are a lot of Animes where people get sucked into video games too I belive. I haven't seen any, so I can only remember two off the top of my head. Avalon by the director of The Ghost in the Shell films (actually now I'm reading about it, I'm not sure if this anime...). An anime series called .hack//SIGN. I KNOW there is a new movie coming out soon where prisoner's bodies can be controlled by gamers in a death match in a kind of real life video game. WHAT IS THIS MOVIE CALLED!?!? I swear I saw a trailer for it or heard about it or something. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Also, The King of Kong is one my very favorite movies to come out in years. But I heard a lot of people respond that Chasing Ghosts about the same scene of people is even better. Anyone seen that one? Oh yeah, and I heard Grandma's Boy is pretty funny too.
]]>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:18:23 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme9/22/2009 12:18:23 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] Well this seems like a fun enough topic. Let's talk about video game films. I'm not really talking about movies that are based on video games like Lara Croft or Resident Evil. I'm talking more about movies that are about video games. I got the idea this weekend while I was watching the really bad but still pretty enjoyable horror flick from good old 1994 called Brainscan with Eddie Furlong and Frank Langella. It was about this kid that gets some sort of virtual reality CD-ROM, goes into a trance when he's playing it and starts killing people.... Sounds great right?? Okay maybe not, but it did make me start thinking about this as a topic. I remember watching Tron countless times when I was younger and loving it. I haven't watched it in many years and I'm pretty sure the experience would be ruined if I tried to sit through it now. I've also been wanting to re-watch eXisntenZ lately. I thought it was pretty brilliant in a very Cronenberg sort of way the first time I saw it and I am actually hoping to get a bit more out of it the next time. I also wonder if that film will be really dated in another 10 or 20 years. And I don't think I could mention video game movies without talking about The King Of Kong. I think this is the greatest doc I've ever seen. It was excatly what a documentary should be, in that it's about something that is very small to most of us but a huge deal to all the people that are being profiled. Well, that's all I got for now.. Peace, Love and watch more effing movies. [/quote] I actually never saw TRON until just a few years ago! I didn't find it THAT fascinating, but I can imagine if I saw it as a kid when it came out I might have felt differently. David Warner is always a fantastic villian though! What do you think about the new TRON movie coming out? Have you seen the trailer? The video game movie from my youth is The Wizard for sure. It was definitely a product of it's time. Something about the characters and the settings. Actually it was pretty depressing if you really look at it! But the video game stuff was of course cool for a kid. The kid with the Power Glove was so hilarious! "I love the Power Glove. It's so bad!" And then of course there was the AMAZING moment when the unveiled SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 3! One of the most exciting video game moments ever. But then it was shattered by the absurdity that even though no one had ever seen the game before, the girl in the audience was yelling up all kinds of tips and clues about how the game works and secret passages and such. I've never seen eXisntenZ but that whole trapped in a video game alternate reality thing is a pretty popular premise for movies. Acutally a lot more for animation. The other huge Nintendo love of my youth was the TV show Captain N: The Game Master. A guy gets sucked into his Nintendo and lives in a big Nintendo world where all of the different popular Nintendo games come together in one big universe. These characters and storylines that have nothing to do with each other come together while this guy's video game controller and zapper still work. Really pretty silly, but pretty sweet to see which video game characters they might encounter each week. There are a lot of Animes where people get sucked into video games too I belive. I haven't seen any, so I can only remember two off the top of my head. Avalon by the director of The Ghost in the Shell films (actually now I'm reading about it, I'm not sure if this anime...). An anime series called .hack//SIGN. I KNOW there is a new movie coming out soon where prisoner's bodies can be controlled by gamers in a death match in a kind of real life video game. WHAT IS THIS MOVIE CALLED!?!? I swear I saw a trailer for it or heard about it or something. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Also, The King of Kong is one my very favorite movies to come out in years. But I heard a lot of people respond that Chasing Ghosts about the same scene of people is even better. Anyone seen that one? Oh yeah, and I heard Grandma's Boy is pretty funny too. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_September_21_Video_Games/625/43968/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 9/21/2009 7:03:23 PM
Body: Well this seems like a fun enough topic. Let's talk about video game films. I'm not really talking about movies that are based on video games like Lara Croft or Resident Evil. I'm talking more about movies that are about video games. I got the idea this weekend while I was watching the really bad but still pretty enjoyable horror flick from good old 1994 called Brainscan with Eddie Furlong and Frank Langella. It was about this kid that gets some sort of virtual reality CD-ROM, goes into a trance when he's playing it and starts killing people.... Sounds great right?? Okay maybe not, but it did make me start thinking about this as a topic. I remember watching Tron countless times when I was younger and loving it. I haven't watched it in many years and I'm pretty sure the experience would be ruined if I tried to sit through it now. I've also been wanting to re-watch eXisntenZ lately. I thought it was pretty brilliant in a very Cronenberg sort of way the first time I saw it and I am actually hoping to get a bit more out of it the next time. I also wonder if that film will be really dated in another 10 or 20 years. And I don't think I could mention video game movies without talking about The King Of Kong. I think this is the greatest doc I've ever seen. It was excatly what a documentary should be, in that it's about something that is very small to most of us but a huge deal to all the people that are being profiled. Well, that's all I got for now.. Peace, Love and watch more effing movies.
]]>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:03:23 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme9/21/2009 7:03:23 PMWell this seems like a fun enough topic. Let's talk about video game films. I'm not really talking about movies that are based on video games like Lara Croft or Resident Evil. I'm talking more about movies that are about video games. I got the idea this weekend while I was watching the really bad but still pretty enjoyable horror flick from good old 1994 called Brainscan with Eddie Furlong and Frank Langella. It was about this kid that gets some sort of virtual reality CD-ROM, goes into a trance when he's playing it and starts killing people.... Sounds great right?? Okay maybe not, but it did make me start thinking about this as a topic. I remember watching Tron countless times when I was younger and loving it. I haven't watched it in many years and I'm pretty sure the experience would be ruined if I tried to sit through it now. I've also been wanting to re-watch eXisntenZ lately. I thought it was pretty brilliant in a very Cronenberg sort of way the first time I saw it and I am actually hoping to get a bit more out of it the next time. I also wonder if that film will be really dated in another 10 or 20 years. And I don't think I could mention video game movies without talking about The King Of Kong. I think this is the greatest doc I've ever seen. It was excatly what a documentary should be, in that it's about something that is very small to most of us but a huge deal to all the people that are being profiled. Well, that's all I got for now.. Peace, Love and watch more effing movies. http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/2/13/40441.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 2/13/2009 12:46:26 PM
Body: The King of Kong I had high hopes for this film and it did not disappoint! Although I don't see relatively too many new releases, I think it's still a lot to say that I consider this one of the most enjoyable movies to come out in the last couple years. And I think it's my favorite documentary to come out since Grizzly Man in 2005 and I've seen a couple others that are also really great. Supposedly the filmmaker is now going to be making a dramatized version of this story in a new film. I've very skeptical about how that will play out, at least I wonder how well it will play with anyone who has already seen the actual documentary. How can you find someone to play Billy better than the real Billy? The filmmakers claim they have a lot worse footage of Billy they didn't show because it wasn’t really relevant and they didn't want to make him seem any worse. Are they going to dramatize that kind of thing in the movie? Why not show the real footage! I don't know. The best thing about this movie is that it's real. OK, of course we know with any documentary (especially one with such a traditional little guy vs. the big guy story line like this one) that there is a lot of selective editing to fit the real story into a narrative the filmmakers think will work to pull at your emotions. But knowing this is pretty much real is what really gets you involved! And there are so many interesting secondary characters that come in and out of the movie besides Billy and Steve who are compelling enough on their own to make several movies. Walter Day, Robert Mruczek, Steve Sanders, Brian Kuh, Mark Alpiger, Doris Self, Mike Thompson, and of course Roy "Mr. Awsome" Shildt who should have his own movie! The special features have lots of additional footage of these fascinating people. As well as some people who had only a very little amount of time in the film or none at all. Check out Bryan Wagner discussing Burger Time strategy in a hilarious scene with his little crony sitting next to him repeating what he says. It's so geeky it's great. And then on the special features you will also discover one of the most interesting people who never made it into the film. Joel Hedge, the Xybots champion must have his own movie! Is it out there already! Someone must make it. Basically there are infinite interesting aspects of this film. The filmmakers were actually filming several different potential story lines in the world of this classic video game competitions and you can see a few of them creep in as their stories come into contact with this one. I took so much joy in watching all of the special features on this DVD. And there are plenty of them! But I just can't get enough. Now that I think about it, I would totally eat up a dramatization of this movie just to see more of it, in any way I could! Bring it on! Rating: 10/10
]]>Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:46:26 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog2/13/2009 12:46:26 PMThe King of Kong I had high hopes for this film and it did not disappoint! Although I don't see relatively too many new releases, I think it's still a lot to say that I consider this one of the most enjoyable movies to come out in the last couple years. And I think it's my favorite documentary to come out since Grizzly Man in 2005 and I've seen a couple others that are also really great. Supposedly the filmmaker is now going to be making a dramatized version of this story in a new film. I've very skeptical about how that will play out, at least I wonder how well it will play with anyone who has already seen the actual documentary. How can you find someone to play Billy better than the real Billy? The filmmakers claim they have a lot worse footage of Billy they didn't show because it wasn&rsquo;t really relevant and they didn't want to make him seem any worse. Are they going to dramatize that kind of thing in the movie? Why not show the real footage! I don't know. The best thing about this movie is that it's real. OK, of course we know with any documentary (especially one with such a traditional little guy vs. the big guy story line like this one) that there is a lot of selective editing to fit the real story into a narrative the filmmakers think will work to pull at your emotions. But knowing this is pretty much real is what really gets you involved! And there are so many interesting secondary characters that come in and out of the movie besides Billy and Steve who are compelling enough on their own to make several movies. Walter Day, Robert Mruczek, Steve Sanders, Brian Kuh, Mark Alpiger, Doris Self, Mike Thompson, and of course Roy "Mr. Awsome" Shildt who should have his own movie! The special features have lots of additional footage of these fascinating people. As well as some people who had only a very little amount of time in the film or none at all. Check out Bryan Wagner discussing Burger Time strategy in a hilarious scene with his little crony sitting next to him repeating what he says. It's so geeky it's great. And then on the special features you will also discover one of the most interesting people who never made it into the film. Joel Hedge, the Xybots champion must have his own movie! Is it out there already! Someone must make it. Basically there are infinite interesting aspects of this film. The filmmakers were actually filming several different potential story lines in the world of this classic video game competitions and you can see a few of them creep in as their stories come into contact with this one. I took so much joy in watching all of the special features on this DVD. And there are plenty of them! But I just can't get enough. Now that I think about it, I would totally eat up a dramatization of this movie just to see more of it, in any way I could! Bring it on! Rating: 10/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/30/40091.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/30/2009 1:00:46 PM
Body: It was shut out of the Oscar race for Best Documentary Feature, but Blessed is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh, now playing in New York City, could easily inspire a Hollywood film about the life of its heroic subject. And that dramatic version could potentially garner multiple Academy Award nominations. It wouldn’t be the first time a figure documented in a nonfiction film was later portrayed in an Oscar-nominated movie. In fact, one of this year’s Best Picture contenders, Milk, is almost like a remake of the 1984 Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk. Actual dramatic remakes of documentaries include Werner Herzogs’ Rescue Dawn, which revisits the subject of his earlier nonfiction film Little Dieter Needs to Fly, Michael Caton-Jones’ Memphis Belle, which fictionalizes the story of William Wyler’s doc The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and Martin Bell’s American Heart, which is loosely based on one of the subjects of his Oscar-nominated doc Streetwise. Also, the upcoming HBO dramatic film Grey Gardens was inspired by the Maysles brothers’ doc of the same name, and Hollywood has toyed with or announced remakes of the films The King of Kong, Murderball, Bra Boys and Sherman’s March. To carry on the tradition, we’ve selected nine nonfiction films in addition to Blessed is the Match that would make great dramatic features. Beyond the Call (2006) This little-seen documentary has played at a number of film festivals (I reviewed it at Tribeca) and seems to have been quite popular at each, yet it isn’t likely that it’ll ever come to a theater near you. It may never even be available for your Netflix queue. But you’ve just got to see the work of the three old men who call themselves Knightsbridge, even if it has to be in a fictionalized form. So pray that someone in Hollywood grabs onto their story, which is filled with dangerous humanitarian aid missions and lots of humor. According to the doc’s official synopsis, the film is “an Indiana Jones meets Mother Theresa adventure,” and that’s just the kind of tagline that would suit a summer blockbuster based on this true story. Blessed is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh (2008) One of the few Holocaust-related docs to not garner an Academy Award nomination, Roberta Grossman’s film is about Hannah Senesh, a Jewish poet who became part of a dangerous rescue mission to save Hungarian Jews and was eventually caught, tortured and executed by the Nazis. A dramatic film, which would be far more Hollywoodized than the doc’s re-enactment scenes, might be like a cross between Oscar-nominated films Defiance and Sophie Scholl – The Final Days. Brother’s Keeper (1992) Fratricide has made for great stories, from The Bible onward, but mainstream audiences may not run out to see a movie based on Brother’s Keeper, even if it does hold onto the Biblically influenced title. However, while homosexual incest and illiterate old country folk are difficult subjects to sell to moviegoers, murder mysteries will always fascinate people, and anyway the story of the Ward brothers could be more like a male Grey Gardens meets Capote than a dark, depressing drama that would only appeal to Sundance crowds. Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker (1992) Now that the life of Harvey Milk has been turned into an Oscar-nominated dramatic feature, Hollywood should take on a biopic about Dr. Evelyn Hooker, whose life and work are depicted in this Oscar-nominated documentary from Richard Schmiechen (who also won an Oscar for producing The Times of Harvey Milk). Hooker’s research in the 1950s led to the discovery that homosexuality is not a disease. And subsequent study and activism resulted in the eventual removal, in 1974, of homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental disorders. A remake of Changing Our Minds would be like a cross between Milk and Kinsey. (note: the video above is not from Changing Our Minds, but is the best available alternative I have to present a clip of Hooker). Crazy Love (2007) In the typical Hollywood romance, female audiences see the same old reinforced fantasy about finding a man: while most guys lie, cheat, etc., there are Prince Charmings out there. Well, a dramatized version of Crazy Love might be the perfect romantic comedy for men to drag their girlfriends to. No, not to show them that they’d better not leave or they’ll get acid in the face. Rather, to say, “Look, no matter what I do, at least I’m not the kinda guy who blinds and disfigures the love of his life.” (Or, in other words, a lie to your face is not as bad as lye in your face.) Besides the appeal to boys who will be boys, however, a romantic comedy in which the couple meet, fall in love, are separated when the guy goes to prison for having the girl crippled, are reunited many years later, and eventually marry, is just crazy enough to hit a chord with moviegoers tired of the usual Renee Zellweger/Reese Witherspoon/Drew Barrymore crap. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) In her review of this documentary, Karina writes that it “sets up a foundation which it knows it’s going to pull out from under us, and that makes it every bit as emotionally manipulative as a studio film.” Perfect, the film already offers Hollywood a structure for the dramatic version. Other than that, though, the remake would potentially focus on Shirley Turner, who murdered her boyfriend and then gave birth to his child, rather than on the character of Kurt Kuenne, who documents the story in the original. Then again, it could stick with Kuenne, and, though not be as personal as the nonfiction film, might be along the lines of an investigative drama, such as Zodiac. Either way, due to his name appearing in Karina’s review, M. Night Shyamalan has to direct it. Deliver Us from Evil (2006) With Doubt a big success as far as Oscar nominations go (if not as far as box office is concerned), it might be an okay time for Hollywood to make a film that’s more directly focused on the subject of pedophilic priests. It could hardly make less money than Doubt, and if a great actor were to portray Father O’Grady, it could be as popular with the Academy, which already nominated the original film for Best Documentary Feature. Golden Venture (2006) Another little-seen documentary that played Tribeca a few years ago (I reviewed the film then), Golden Venture depicts a failed attempt at an illegal alien smuggling operation and its aftermath. In its first ten minutes, the film offers enough action involving a sea voyage from China to New York City, during which there was mutiny, gang violence and ultimately a Coast Guard rescue, that a dramatic version might not even have time to get to the aftermath part. But as much as turning the doc into an action movie could work, the more interesting stuff relating to immigration and population control should be integrated, too. Like the original film, the dramatized version could separately follow the paths of four characters, each of whom has a different outcome. Tim Robbins, who narrated the doc, could direct it. Street Fight (2005) Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s name has been tossed about on news channels over the past few months due to his similarities with newly elected President Barack Obama. So, considering entertainment magazines predict the new administration will have an effect on pop culture, why not honor that idea by making a dramatic film about Booker’s battle with incumbent Sharpe James for City Hall. It would be a little like Milk, only without the gay rights angle or the tragic ending. And to make it more crowd-pleasing than Marshall Curry’s doc, the new movie wouldn’t end with Booker’s loss in 2002 but would see him all the way to the Mayor’s office in 2006. Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004) Hollywood has never tired of boxing movies and it always loves a good civil rights struggle, so it’s amazing that no studio has tackled an official biopic about Jack Johnson, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World. Sure, there’s The Great White Hope, which is somewhat based on Johnson’s life. And sure, if people want the truth they can check out this doc from Ken Burns (or, if it’s ever released on video, the earlier Oscar-nominated film Jack Johnson). But again, Hollywood never tires of boxing movies, and it always loves a good civil rights struggle, so perhaps it’s just a matter of time before we see this story dramatized for real. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:00:46 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/30/2009 1:00:46 PMIt was shut out of the Oscar race for Best Documentary Feature, but Blessed is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh, now playing in New York City, could easily inspire a Hollywood film about the life of its heroic subject. And that dramatic version could potentially garner multiple Academy Award nominations. It wouldn’t be the first time a figure documented in a nonfiction film was later portrayed in an Oscar-nominated movie. In fact, one of this year’s Best Picture contenders, Milk, is almost like a remake of the 1984 Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk. Actual dramatic remakes of documentaries include Werner Herzogs’ Rescue Dawn, which revisits the subject of his earlier nonfiction film Little Dieter Needs to Fly, Michael Caton-Jones’ Memphis Belle, which fictionalizes the story of William Wyler’s doc The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and Martin Bell’s American Heart, which is loosely based on one of the subjects of his Oscar-nominated doc Streetwise. Also, the upcoming HBO dramatic film Grey Gardens was inspired by the Maysles brothers’ doc of the same name, and Hollywood has toyed with or announced remakes of the films The King of Kong, Murderball, Bra Boys and Sherman’s March. To carry on the tradition, we’ve selected nine nonfiction films in addition to Blessed is the Match that would make great dramatic features. Beyond the Call (2006) This little-seen documentary has played at a number of film festivals (I reviewed it at Tribeca) and seems to have been quite popular at each, yet it isn’t likely that it’ll ever come to a theater near you. It may never even be available for your Netflix queue. But you’ve just got to see the work of the three old men who call themselves Knightsbridge, even if it has to be in a fictionalized form. So pray that someone in Hollywood grabs onto their story, which is filled with dangerous humanitarian aid missions and lots of humor. According to the doc’s official synopsis, the film is “an Indiana Jones meets Mother Theresa adventure,” and that’s just the kind of tagline that would suit a summer blockbuster based on this true story. Blessed is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh (2008) One of the few Holocaust-related docs to not garner an Academy Award nomination, Roberta Grossman’s film is about Hannah Senesh, a Jewish poet who became part of a dangerous rescue mission to save Hungarian Jews and was eventually caught, tortured and executed by the Nazis. A dramatic film, which would be far more Hollywoodized than the doc’s re-enactment scenes, might be like a cross between Oscar-nominated films Defiance and Sophie Scholl – The Final Days. Brother’s Keeper (1992) Fratricide has made for great stories, from The Bible onward, but mainstream audiences may not run out to see a movie based on Brother’s Keeper, even if it does hold onto the Biblically influenced title. However, while homosexual incest and illiterate old country folk are difficult subjects to sell to moviegoers, murder mysteries will always fascinate people, and anyway the story of the Ward brothers could be more like a male Grey Gardens meets Capote than a dark, depressing drama that would only appeal to Sundance crowds. Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker (1992) Now that the life of Harvey Milk has been turned into an Oscar-nominated dramatic feature, Hollywood should take on a biopic about Dr. Evelyn Hooker, whose life and work are depicted in this Oscar-nominated documentary from Richard Schmiechen (who also won an Oscar for producing The Times of Harvey Milk). Hooker’s research in the 1950s led to the discovery that homosexuality is not a disease. And subsequent study and activism resulted in the eventual removal, in 1974, of homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental disorders. A remake of Changing Our Minds would be like a cross between Milk and Kinsey. (note: the video above is not from Changing Our Minds, but is the best available alternative I have to present a clip of Hooker). Crazy Love (2007) In the typical Hollywood romance, female audiences see the same old reinforced fantasy about finding a man: while most guys lie, cheat, etc., there are Prince Charmings out there. Well, a dramatized version of Crazy Love might be the perfect romantic comedy for men to drag their girlfriends to. No, not to show them that they’d better not leave or they’ll get acid in the face. Rather, to say, “Look, no matter what I do, at least I’m not the kinda guy who blinds and disfigures the love of his life.” (Or, in other words, a lie to your face is not as bad as lye in your face.) Besides the appeal to boys who will be boys, however, a romantic comedy in which the couple meet, fall in love, are separated when the guy goes to prison for having the girl crippled, are reunited many years later, and eventually marry, is just crazy enough to hit a chord with moviegoers tired of the usual Renee Zellweger/Reese Witherspoon/Drew Barrymore crap. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) In her review of this documentary, Karina writes that it “sets up a foundation which it knows it’s going to pull out from under us, and that makes it every bit as emotionally manipulative as a studio film.” Perfect, the film already offers Hollywood a structure for the dramatic version. Other than that, though, the remake would potentially focus on Shirley Turner, who murdered her boyfriend and then gave birth to his child, rather than on the character of Kurt Kuenne, who documents the story in the original. Then again, it could stick with Kuenne, and, though not be as personal as the nonfiction film, might be along the lines of an investigative drama, such as Zodiac. Either way, due to his name appearing in Karina’s review, M. Night Shyamalan has to direct it. Deliver Us from Evil (2006) With Doubt a big success as far as Oscar nominations go (if not as far as box office is concerned), it might be an okay time for Hollywood to make a film that’s more directly focused on the subject of pedophilic priests. It could hardly make less money than Doubt, and if a great actor were to portray Father O’Grady, it could be as popular with the Academy, which already nominated the original film for Best Documentary Feature. Golden Venture (2006) Another little-seen documentary that played Tribeca a few years ago (I reviewed the film then), Golden Venture depicts a failed attempt at an illegal alien smuggling operation and its aftermath. In its first ten minutes, the film offers enough action involving a sea voyage from China to New York City, during which there was mutiny, gang violence and ultimately a Coast Guard rescue, that a dramatic version might not even have time to get to the aftermath part. But as much as turning the doc into an action movie could work, the more interesting stuff relating to immigration and population control should be integrated, too. Like the original film, the dramatized version could separately follow the paths of four characters, each of whom has a different outcome. Tim Robbins, who narrated the doc, could direct it. Street Fight (2005) Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s name has been tossed about on news channels over the past few months due to his similarities with newly elected President Barack Obama. So, considering entertainment magazines predict the new administration will have an effect on pop culture, why not honor that idea by making a dramatic film about Booker’s battle with incumbent Sharpe James for City Hall. It would be a little like Milk, only without the gay rights angle or the tragic ending. And to make it more crowd-pleasing than Marshall Curry’s doc, the new movie wouldn’t end with Booker’s loss in 2002 but would see him all the way to the Mayor’s office in 2006. Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004) Hollywood has never tired of boxing movies and it always loves a good civil rights struggle, so it’s amazing that no studio has tackled an official biopic about Jack Johnson, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World. Sure, there’s The Great White Hope, which is somewhat based on Johnson’s life. And sure, if people want the truth they can check out this doc from Ken Burns (or, if it’s ever released on video, the earlier Oscar-nominated film Jack Johnson). But again, Hollywood never tires of boxing movies, and it always loves a good civil rights struggle, so perhaps it’s just a matter of time before we see this story dramatized for real. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog 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/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/18/38565.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/18/2008 4:00:40 PM
Body: Time once again to feature some of the Spout community’s core members. Along with that comes the opportunity to send each of these people a copy of Yule-A-Go-Go on DVD for all their “burlesque dancers shaking what was given to them in front of a fireplace” home video needs. –Chris Thilk, Director of Marketing. Username: mciocco Real First Name: Mark Location: West Chester, PA Last 5 movies I’ve seen that I’ve enjoyed a lot (loved is a strong word!): Black Christmas - Kind of amazed that this film was made by the same man who made A Christmas Story.  It’s also one of about 4 or 5 great precursors to the Slasher subgenre, and much of the trademarks of the Slasher pic were popularized here (i.e. POV shots, the telephone thing, etc…)  Brilliant stuff. The Man From Earth - I’d be surprised if anyone else has seen this low budget SF flick, and it certainly doesn’t sound like an exciting movie.  It’s basically a bunch of college professors in a cabin talking about stuff.  One of the things I like most about SF is the tendency to ask “What if…” and then explore a concept into the ground, and this movie does just that.  It’s not perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot. Bridge to Terabithia - I’d never read the book, so when the twist happens, I was absolutely devestated.  I don’t have much else to say about it, except that despite the fact that I was blindsided by the twist, I did end up enjoying it… Let the Right One In - An interesting take on the vampire story.  A bit somber for my tastes, but probably one of my favorites of this year anyway… Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade - Just saw this last night because I had read about it on the Spout Blog (don’t remember who posted about it, but thanks!)  It’s funny because it plays like a sequel or maybe a prequel to The King of Kong, which was one of my favorite movies of last year, but I really enjoyed this one too… My favorite groups on Spout: I’m a total genre hound, so I’d probably go with Horror 101 or Sci Fi.  I also really enjoy the Weekly Theme group, depending on the theme… The most unusual place you’ve ever watched a movie: That’s a tough one, as the grand majority of my movie watching happens in the comfort of my living room or the semi-comfort of the local multi-plex.  However, when I was in college I was the coordinator for the film program, which involved many things, including the occasional stint in the projectors booth.  Watching a movie from that perspective was somewhat unusual, but it’s not the most fun of jobs (especially when the projector breaks down and you’re forced to hand out IOUs to a hundred angry students!) So there you go.  Not sure if you were expecting mini-reviews of my 5 recent movies but I did it anyway:P ——————————— Username: Mercurial Real Name: Chris Current Location: Fresno, CA Last 5 Movies I’ve Loved: 1.) Milk 2.) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 3.) The Machine Girl 4.) Spring Fever 5.) Night of the Creeps My Favorite Group on Spout: Weekly Theme The Most Unusual Place I’ve Seen a Movie: Floating on an inner tube on a lake at night watching Jaws on a small makeshift blanket screen with a shoddy projector. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:00:40 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/18/2008 4:00:40 PMTime once again to feature some of the Spout community’s core members. Along with that comes the opportunity to send each of these people a copy of Yule-A-Go-Go on DVD for all their “burlesque dancers shaking what was given to them in front of a fireplace” home video needs. –Chris Thilk, Director of Marketing. Username: mciocco Real First Name: Mark Location: West Chester, PA Last 5 movies I’ve seen that I’ve enjoyed a lot (loved is a strong word!): Black Christmas - Kind of amazed that this film was made by the same man who made A Christmas Story.  It’s also one of about 4 or 5 great precursors to the Slasher subgenre, and much of the trademarks of the Slasher pic were popularized here (i.e. POV shots, the telephone thing, etc…)  Brilliant stuff. The Man From Earth - I’d be surprised if anyone else has seen this low budget SF flick, and it certainly doesn’t sound like an exciting movie.  It’s basically a bunch of college professors in a cabin talking about stuff.  One of the things I like most about SF is the tendency to ask “What if…” and then explore a concept into the ground, and this movie does just that.  It’s not perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot. Bridge to Terabithia - I’d never read the book, so when the twist happens, I was absolutely devestated.  I don’t have much else to say about it, except that despite the fact that I was blindsided by the twist, I did end up enjoying it… Let the Right One In - An interesting take on the vampire story.  A bit somber for my tastes, but probably one of my favorites of this year anyway… Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade - Just saw this last night because I had read about it on the Spout Blog (don’t remember who posted about it, but thanks!)  It’s funny because it plays like a sequel or maybe a prequel to The King of Kong, which was one of my favorite movies of last year, but I really enjoyed this one too… My favorite groups on Spout: I’m a total genre hound, so I’d probably go with Horror 101 or Sci Fi.  I also really enjoy the Weekly Theme group, depending on the theme… The most unusual place you’ve ever watched a movie: That’s a tough one, as the grand majority of my movie watching happens in the comfort of my living room or the semi-comfort of the local multi-plex.  However, when I was in college I was the coordinator for the film program, which involved many things, including the occasional stint in the projectors booth.  Watching a movie from that perspective was somewhat unusual, but it’s not the most fun of jobs (especially when the projector breaks down and you’re forced to hand out IOUs to a hundred angry students!) So there you go.  Not sure if you were expecting mini-reviews of my 5 recent movies but I did it anyway:P ——————————— Username: Mercurial Real Name: Chris Current Location: Fresno, CA Last 5 Movies I’ve Loved: 1.) Milk 2.) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 3.) The Machine Girl 4.) Spring Fever 5.) Night of the Creeps My Favorite Group on Spout: Weekly Theme The Most Unusual Place I’ve Seen a Movie: Floating on an inner tube on a lake at night watching Jaws on a small makeshift blanket screen with a shoddy projector. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/18/38563.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/18/2008 4:00:38 PM
Body: There are still quite a few people in the Spout community we’re looking forward to highlighting, including the two folks below. To reiterate why we’re doing this: Spout is only as powerful as it’s members and these are just a few of those members that are leading and participating in discussion, creating groups and otherwise being true to Spout’s mission to provide a place for those who are talking movies. Copies of the two-disc edition of Yule-A-Go-Go, featuring burlesque dancers doing their thing in front of a fireplace, will be making their way down these people’s chimneys as they will be for all those we’re featuring this week. You can learn more about Yule-A-Go-Go here. –Chris Thilk, Director of Marketing Username: mciocco Real First Name: Mark Location: West Chester, PA Last 5 movies I’ve seen that I’ve enjoyed a lot (loved is a strong word!): Black Christmas - Kind of amazed that this film was made by the same man who made A Christmas Story.  It’s also one of about 4 or 5 great precursors to the Slasher subgenre, and much of the trademarks of the Slasher pic were popularized here (i.e. POV shots, the telephone thing, etc…)  Brilliant stuff. The Man From Earth - I’d be surprised if anyone else has seen this low budget SF flick, and it certainly doesn’t sound like an exciting movie.  It’s basically a bunch of college professors in a cabin talking about stuff.  One of the things I like most about SF is the tendency to ask “What if…” and then explore a concept into the ground, and this movie does just that.  It’s not perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot. Bridge to Terabithia - I’d never read the book, so when the twist happens, I was absolutely devestated.  I don’t have much else to say about it, except that despite the fact that I was blindsided by the twist, I did end up enjoying it… Let the Right One In - An interesting take on the vampire story.  A bit somber for my tastes, but probably one of my favorites of this year anyway… Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade - Just saw this last night because I had read about it on the Spout Blog (don’t remember who posted about it, but thanks!)  It’s funny because it plays like a sequel or maybe a prequel to The King of Kong, which was one of my favorite movies of last year, but I really enjoyed this one too… My favorite groups on Spout: I’m a total genre hound, so I’d probably go with Horror 101 or Sci Fi.  I also really enjoy the Weekly Theme group, depending on the theme… The most unusual place you’ve ever watched a movie: That’s a tough one, as the grand majority of my movie watching happens in the comfort of my living room or the semi-comfort of the local multi-plex.  However, when I was in college I was the coordinator for the film program, which involved many things, including the occasional stint in the projectors booth.  Watching a movie from that perspective was somewhat unusual, but it’s not the most fun of jobs (especially when the projector breaks down and you’re forced to hand out IOUs to a hundred angry students!) So there you go.  Not sure if you were expecting mini-reviews of my 5 recent movies but I did it anyway:P —————- Username: Mercurial Real Name: Chris Current Location: Fresno, CA Last 5 Movies I’ve Loved: 1.) Milk 2.) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 3.) The Machine Girl 4.) Spring Fever 5.) Night of the Creeps My Favorite Group on Spout: Weekly Theme The Most Unusual Place I’ve Seen a Movie: Floating on an inner tube on a lake at night watching Jaws on a small makeshift blanket screen with a shoddy projector. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:00:38 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/18/2008 4:00:38 PMThere are still quite a few people in the Spout community we’re looking forward to highlighting, including the two folks below. To reiterate why we’re doing this: Spout is only as powerful as it’s members and these are just a few of those members that are leading and participating in discussion, creating groups and otherwise being true to Spout’s mission to provide a place for those who are talking movies. Copies of the two-disc edition of Yule-A-Go-Go, featuring burlesque dancers doing their thing in front of a fireplace, will be making their way down these people’s chimneys as they will be for all those we’re featuring this week. You can learn more about Yule-A-Go-Go here. –Chris Thilk, Director of Marketing Username: mciocco Real First Name: Mark Location: West Chester, PA Last 5 movies I’ve seen that I’ve enjoyed a lot (loved is a strong word!): Black Christmas - Kind of amazed that this film was made by the same man who made A Christmas Story.  It’s also one of about 4 or 5 great precursors to the Slasher subgenre, and much of the trademarks of the Slasher pic were popularized here (i.e. POV shots, the telephone thing, etc…)  Brilliant stuff. The Man From Earth - I’d be surprised if anyone else has seen this low budget SF flick, and it certainly doesn’t sound like an exciting movie.  It’s basically a bunch of college professors in a cabin talking about stuff.  One of the things I like most about SF is the tendency to ask “What if…” and then explore a concept into the ground, and this movie does just that.  It’s not perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot. Bridge to Terabithia - I’d never read the book, so when the twist happens, I was absolutely devestated.  I don’t have much else to say about it, except that despite the fact that I was blindsided by the twist, I did end up enjoying it… Let the Right One In - An interesting take on the vampire story.  A bit somber for my tastes, but probably one of my favorites of this year anyway… Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade - Just saw this last night because I had read about it on the Spout Blog (don’t remember who posted about it, but thanks!)  It’s funny because it plays like a sequel or maybe a prequel to The King of Kong, which was one of my favorite movies of last year, but I really enjoyed this one too… My favorite groups on Spout: I’m a total genre hound, so I’d probably go with Horror 101 or Sci Fi.  I also really enjoy the Weekly Theme group, depending on the theme… The most unusual place you’ve ever watched a movie: That’s a tough one, as the grand majority of my movie watching happens in the comfort of my living room or the semi-comfort of the local multi-plex.  However, when I was in college I was the coordinator for the film program, which involved many things, including the occasional stint in the projectors booth.  Watching a movie from that perspective was somewhat unusual, but it’s not the most fun of jobs (especially when the projector breaks down and you’re forced to hand out IOUs to a hundred angry students!) So there you go.  Not sure if you were expecting mini-reviews of my 5 recent movies but I did it anyway:P —————- Username: Mercurial Real Name: Chris Current Location: Fresno, CA Last 5 Movies I’ve Loved: 1.) Milk 2.) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 3.) The Machine Girl 4.) Spring Fever 5.) Night of the Creeps My Favorite Group on Spout: Weekly Theme The Most Unusual Place I’ve Seen a Movie: Floating on an inner tube on a lake at night watching Jaws on a small makeshift blanket screen with a shoddy projector. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/15/38410.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/15/2008 5:00:38 PM
Body: As promised earlier today, here are the first two member profiles as we highlight some of those who have made Spout the great place it is over the course of 2008 (and even before that). As promised, each one of these members will receive a copy of Yule-A-Go-Go on DVD for them to snuggle up to in ways we don’t need to hear about. –Chris Thilk, Director of Marketing Username:  Risselada Real name: Brian Risselada but some people here call me Rizzo From: Jenison, MI. But have been in Chicago, IL for over 4 years now Fav Group on Spout: Movie Polls Last five movies I saw for the first time that have become my favorites: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters Burn After Reading 21 Up Born To Kill Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx Most Unusual Place You’ve Ever Watched a Movie: I’m not sure the most unusual place I’ve watched a movie, but one of the most unusual experiences I had watching a movie was when a couple of my friends and I went to see Happy, Texas when it first came out.  I personally wanted to see Bringing Out the Dead, but that movie was chosen and our fates were sealed.  Without going into too much detail I will say that when we first walked into the theater we were the only ones there.  And by the middle of the movie one of my friends was writhing around on the ground in just his underwear, covered in Mountain Dew, while angry old biker in leather was cussing him out. I’m excessively honored to be chosen as a featured profile!  I LOVE SPOUT!!! ———- Username: leeroy711 Real name: Emery From: Phoenix , AZ Last 5 movies I’ve loved: Missing (1982),  Touch of Evil (1958), Sukiyaki Western Django (2007), Volver (2006) and  The Princess and the Warrior (2000). My favorite group on spout is The Weekly Theme. Most Unusual Place You’ve Ever Watched a Movie: The strangest place I’ve ever watched a movie has to be at the Glendale Drive-in. A friend and I used to know where the hole in the fence was. We would sneak in and find a family that was watching something we wanted to see and sit on the parking block next to thier car so we could just pretend that we were with them. Also, I watch about one movie a week on my laptop in a hotel room in Nogales, AZ (border town) which is just a strange place to find yourself in. Merry Christmas! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:00:38 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/15/2008 5:00:38 PMAs promised earlier today, here are the first two member profiles as we highlight some of those who have made Spout the great place it is over the course of 2008 (and even before that). As promised, each one of these members will receive a copy of Yule-A-Go-Go on DVD for them to snuggle up to in ways we don’t need to hear about. –Chris Thilk, Director of Marketing Username:  Risselada Real name: Brian Risselada but some people here call me Rizzo From: Jenison, MI. But have been in Chicago, IL for over 4 years now Fav Group on Spout: Movie Polls Last five movies I saw for the first time that have become my favorites: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters Burn After Reading 21 Up Born To Kill Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx Most Unusual Place You’ve Ever Watched a Movie: I’m not sure the most unusual place I’ve watched a movie, but one of the most unusual experiences I had watching a movie was when a couple of my friends and I went to see Happy, Texas when it first came out.  I personally wanted to see Bringing Out the Dead, but that movie was chosen and our fates were sealed.  Without going into too much detail I will say that when we first walked into the theater we were the only ones there.  And by the middle of the movie one of my friends was writhing around on the ground in just his underwear, covered in Mountain Dew, while angry old biker in leather was cussing him out. I’m excessively honored to be chosen as a featured profile!  I LOVE SPOUT!!! ———- Username: leeroy711 Real name: Emery From: Phoenix , AZ Last 5 movies I’ve loved: Missing (1982),  Touch of Evil (1958), Sukiyaki Western Django (2007), Volver (2006) and  The Princess and the Warrior (2000). My favorite group on spout is The Weekly Theme. Most Unusual Place You’ve Ever Watched a Movie: The strangest place I’ve ever watched a movie has to be at the Glendale Drive-in. A friend and I used to know where the hole in the fence was. We would sneak in and find a family that was watching something we wanted to see and sit on the parking block next to thier car so we could just pretend that we were with them. Also, I watch about one movie a week on my laptop in a hotel room in Nogales, AZ (border town) which is just a strange place to find yourself in. Merry Christmas! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Collaboration_Best_Films_of_2007/643/38246/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 12/11/2008 12:09:19 PM
Body: So here are my favorites, with my most favorites at the top: No Country for Old Men The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters For the Bible Tells Me So - pretty great documentary. Surprised I've never heard anyone mention it on any of the discussions here. Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters - almost as long of a title as The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Grindhouse Paris, je t'aime - this one made the film festival rounds in 2006 but didn't really get a wider theatrical release in the US until 2007 Rescue Dawn - same case as Paris, je t'aime Fay Grim - also the same case Honerable mention - Election Day - a lot of you probably haven't seen this but my girlfriend knows one of the producers and I saw a screening of it at the Gene Siskel center. Worth checking out. BTW, I have yet to see There Will Be Blood, but I can't doubt it will make my list.
]]>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:09:19 GMTRisseladaCommunity Recommendations12/11/2008 12:09:19 PMSo here are my favorites, with my most favorites at the top: No Country for Old Men The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters For the Bible Tells Me So - pretty great documentary. Surprised I've never heard anyone mention it on any of the discussions here. Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters - almost as long of a title as The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Grindhouse Paris, je t'aime - this one made the film festival rounds in 2006 but didn't really get a wider theatrical release in the US until 2007 Rescue Dawn - same case as Paris, je t'aime Fay Grim - also the same case Honerable mention - Election Day - a lot of you probably haven't seen this but my girlfriend knows one of the producers and I saw a screening of it at the Gene Siskel center. Worth checking out. BTW, I have yet to see There Will Be Blood, but I can't doubt it will make my list. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
Number of films tagged: 608

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]]>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:09:21 GMT62882261138Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hilarious/MemberTagFilms.aspxhilarious
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]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:39:04 GMT222165331Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/music/MemberTagFilms.aspxmusic
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]]>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:51:44 GMT4341144481Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/documentary/MemberTagFilms.aspxdocumentary
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]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:11:06 GMT402127496Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sad/MemberTagFilms.aspxsad
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]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:35:46 GMT17096226Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/school/MemberTagFilms.aspxschool
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]]>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:49:18 GMT123156130Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/baseball/MemberTagFilms.aspxbaseball
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]]>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:28:02 GMT9144284Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/competition/MemberTagFilms.aspxcompetition
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]]>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:49:19 GMT12824295Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/teacher/MemberTagFilms.aspxteacher
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]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:24:37 GMT12254084Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/lawyer/MemberTagFilms.aspxlawyer
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]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:55:09 GMT17643582Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/piano/MemberTagFilms.aspxpiano
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]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:56:22 GMT4893252Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rescue/MemberTagFilms.aspxrescue
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]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:39:36 GMT408031142Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/nerd/MemberTagFilms.aspxnerd
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]]>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:05:37 GMT1692545Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/guitar/MemberTagFilms.aspxguitar
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