list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Ghost Town 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/Ghost_Town/326631/default.aspx Title: Ghost Town
Year: 2008
Director: David Koepp
Plot: Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear star in director David Koepp's fantasy comedy concerning a dentist who gains the ability to communicate with the dead after momentarily dying during a routine dental surgery. When the dearly departed begin requesting that the dentist act as a point person between the living world and the spirit realm, he does his best to ensure that the messages of the dead reach their intended recipients. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 4
Number of Lists: 6
Number of blog posts: 5
Number of discussion threads: 5
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:15:36 GMTGhost Town2008David Koepp<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___373404/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ricky Gervais</a> and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___200274/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Greg Kinnear</a> star in director <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____97774/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Koepp</a>'s fantasy comedy concerning a dentist who gains the ability to communicate with the dead after momentarily dying during a routine dental surgery. When the dearly departed begin requesting that the dentist act as a point person between the living world and the spirit realm, he does his best to ensure that the messages of the dead reach their intended recipients. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide4Slightly Tagged (1-5)6553http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s326631.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Ghost_Town/326631/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/new_movies_WATCHMEN_and_a_Russian_take_on_12_ANGR/216/40772/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 3/2/2009 1:12:54 PM
Body: HITTING THEATERS 3/6 Only one movie goes wide this Friday, but it's a doozy: Watchmen -- Watch trailer. Read the review on SpoutBlog. What do you think, will you watch the Watchmen? Will Mr. Snyder (300) blow it? I hope not; I love that frickin' book. Kevin Buist's review will show up on blog.spout.com Wednesday afternoon-ish. Who's your favorite character? I'd have to say Rorshach, although in real life I'm more like Nite Owl. :) And of course the Comedian's a creep, but he's almost as fun to read about as the Joker. Waiting eagerly for the Watchmen? Might as well have fun in the meantime; check out my new favorite short film, starring Will Ferrell and Craig Robinson: Bat Fight -- Watch it LIMITED RELEASE: 12 -- Watch trailer. Russian thriller about twelve jurors who must decide the fate of a Chechan teenager who murdered his father. From the Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun). This sounds like a badass, Russian version of 12 Angry Men, and that sounds fine to me. I'm interested. Tokyo! -- Watch trailer. Three directors: Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind), Joon-ho Bong (The Host), and Leos Carax (The Lovers on the Bridge), offer tribute to the Japanese megacity. I'm not hearing very positive things about it, but these directors make undoubtedly interesting work. Phoebe in Wonderland -- Watch clip. This Sundance alum stars Elle Fanning (yes, of the Fanning dynasty) along with Patricia Clarkson and Felicity Huffman. Photo: Dennis Quaid at the bait shop. The Horsemen -- Watch trailer. Dennis Quaid, widowed detective, finds chilling connections between himself and the victims of a serial killer who's obsessed with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I wouldn't blame you if you think it sounds like Se7en, Part Two. I don't know if the director Jonas Akerland is any good; anyone seen his movie Spun? ____________________________________________________________ NEW DVD's 3/3 The Warlords (Tau Ming Chong) -- Watch trailer. A Chinese/Hong Kong war epic. Set in 1870, a revolutionary army of religious fanatics rises to overthrow the corrupt Qing dynasty. Starring Jet Li, who is a good man fighting for the Qing, torn between his conscience and his honor. Sounds good to me! Australia -- Watch trailer. This film had its moments, but in my opinion, it was far too long to only have good moments. Ghost Town -- Watch trailer. Ricky Gervais can see dead people like Greg Kinnear. I heard it's alright. Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- Watch trailer. I am speechless. In the Electric Mist -- Watch trailer. A dark-looking detective film starring Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ned Beatty, and Tom Sizemore; and it's adapted from a book by James Lee Burke, a masterful mystery writer. So what could go wrong? I don't know, but I don't remember this hitting theaters at all. And Stargate fans: The movies Ark of Truth and Continuum come out on a 2-disc set. Me, I'd only watch them if they star Kurt Russell.
]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:12:54 GMTspoutComing Soon3/2/2009 1:12:54 PMHITTING THEATERS 3/6 Only one movie goes wide this Friday, but it's a doozy: Watchmen -- Watch trailer. Read the review on SpoutBlog. What do you think, will you watch the Watchmen? Will Mr. Snyder (300) blow it? I hope not; I love that frickin' book. Kevin Buist's review will show up on blog.spout.com Wednesday afternoon-ish. Who's your favorite character? I'd have to say Rorshach, although in real life I'm more like Nite Owl. :) And of course the Comedian's a creep, but he's almost as fun to read about as the Joker. Waiting eagerly for the Watchmen? Might as well have fun in the meantime; check out my new favorite short film, starring Will Ferrell and Craig Robinson: Bat Fight -- Watch it LIMITED RELEASE: 12 -- Watch trailer. Russian thriller about twelve jurors who must decide the fate of a Chechan teenager who murdered his father. From the Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun). This sounds like a badass, Russian version of 12 Angry Men, and that sounds fine to me. I'm interested. Tokyo! -- Watch trailer. Three directors: Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind), Joon-ho Bong (The Host), and Leos Carax (The Lovers on the Bridge), offer tribute to the Japanese megacity. I'm not hearing very positive things about it, but these directors make undoubtedly interesting work. Phoebe in Wonderland -- Watch clip. This Sundance alum stars Elle Fanning (yes, of the Fanning dynasty) along with Patricia Clarkson and Felicity Huffman. Photo: Dennis Quaid at the bait shop. The Horsemen -- Watch trailer. Dennis Quaid, widowed detective, finds chilling connections between himself and the victims of a serial killer who's obsessed with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I wouldn't blame you if you think it sounds like Se7en, Part Two. I don't know if the director Jonas Akerland is any good; anyone seen his movie Spun? ____________________________________________________________ NEW DVD's 3/3 The Warlords (Tau Ming Chong) -- Watch trailer. A Chinese/Hong Kong war epic. Set in 1870, a revolutionary army of religious fanatics rises to overthrow the corrupt Qing dynasty. Starring Jet Li, who is a good man fighting for the Qing, torn between his conscience and his honor. Sounds good to me! Australia -- Watch trailer. This film had its moments, but in my opinion, it was far too long to only have good moments. Ghost Town -- Watch trailer. Ricky Gervais can see dead people like Greg Kinnear. I heard it's alright. Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- Watch trailer. I am speechless. In the Electric Mist -- Watch trailer. A dark-looking detective film starring Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ned Beatty, and Tom Sizemore; and it's adapted from a book by James Lee Burke, a masterful mystery writer. So what could go wrong? I don't know, but I don't remember this hitting theaters at all. And Stargate fans: The movies Ark of Truth and Continuum come out on a 2-disc set. Me, I'd only watch them if they star Kurt Russell. http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Holiday_DVDs_12_23_12_30_Wes_Anderson_Johnny/216/38864/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 12/26/2008 4:58:29 PM
Body: Did you get gift cards for Christmas? Here's how to spend them over the next two weeks. SkyPIlot's Top 3 December DVD Picks 1. Bottle Rocket is in the Criterion Collection! Watch the trailer. For those who haven't seen Bottle Rocket, it's a quirky slacker comedy/heist flick, like...Reality Bites meets Ocean's 13. No wait, is there really anything like early Wes Anderson (except later Wes Anderson)? This edition has loads of special features including eleven deleted scenes and the original 13-minute, b&w Bottle Rocket short from 1992. 2. Burn After Reading -- Watch the trailer. It won't convert any unbelievers into the Coen cult, but a lot of it's worth watching over and over again (especially the parts with Brad Pitt). 3. And it goes without saying that everyone should pick up one copy of The Dark Knight, a second copy to keep in your glove box, and a third to keep in your hope chest. Watch the trailer. Check out Kevin Kelly's DVD gift guide for documentary and box set recommendations. Dec. 23 DVD releases 1. The Johnny Depp Triple Feature -- It's just one of those cheapie 3-sets, like the ones you find at Target, but get a load of this playlist: Edward Scissorhands -- Watch the trailer. Wow, I was not ready for this when I was 9 years old. Benny & Joon -- Watch the trailer. Looks funny, sweet, and sad. From Hell -- Watch the trailer. In this gritty, hallucinatory murder mystery, Depp is an opium-addicted detective on the trail of Jack the Ripper. Dark stuff, but worth a look. 2. The Jake Gyllenhaal Triple Feature is definitely worth some consideration as well. Donnie Darko -- Watch the trailer. The movie that made befuddled teens everywhere watch a film commentary for the first time, Donnie Darko is charming, touching, and strange. Very good, but in my opinion the real gem of this set is the The Good Girl. The Good Girl -- Watch the trailer. In this very under-appreciated dark comedy, Gyllenhall is a sensitive teen obsessed with J.D. Salinger (what sensitive teen isn't?) and has a short-lived affair with Jennifer Aniston. Aniston is unhappily married to a pot-smoking John C. Reilly. Great minor role from Tim Blake Nelson. The Day After Tomorrow -- Watch the trailer. Bombastic and boring, but hey--two good films out of three ain't bad! Other new triple features: Gene Hackman (The French Connection, Hoosiers, Mississippi Burning), Tom Hanks (Bachelor Party, The Man With One Red Shoe, That Thing You Do!), Kevin Costner (Bull Durham, Dances With Wolves, No Way Out). 3. Hamlet 2 -- Watch the trailer. Steve Coogan is really talented, but the trailer doesn't quite sell me on it. Does anyone recommend it? 4. Death Race -- Watch the trailer. Jason Statham, as usual, is threatening and very watchable, but this fair car action thriller doesn't come close to matching the crazed, exhilarating original -- Death Race 2000. Watch the trailer to Death Race 2000. Dec 30 releases 1. Towelhead -- Watch the trailer. In this coming-of-age story, 13 year old Jasira has to deal with American racism and the romantic attentions of Aaron Eckhart (yikes!). It's written by the author of American Beauty, and it looks really good. 2. Strangers With Candy -- Watch the trailer. This is a big-screen prequel to the mind-bending comedy series that starred Amy Sedaris and a pre-fame Stephen Colbert. (He played the science teacher Mr. Noblet, remember?) 3. Ghost Town -- Watch the trailer. Ricky Gervais (of The Office and Extras) can see ghosts, and one of them is Greg Kinnear. I've heard some good things about this film. 4. Bangkok Dangerous -- Watch the trailer. This is the one where Nic Cage uses a boat propellor to cut off a guy's hand. 5. An American Carol -- Watch the trailer. Kelsey Grammar plays the Scrooge character in this spoof of the classic Christmas tale. 6. Babylon A.D. -- Watch the trailer. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Michelle Yeoh would kick Vin Diesel's butt. 7. The Love Guru -- Watch the trailer. Paul Moore saw this Mike Meyers vehicle, and Paul said that although it's not bad per se, we've seen all these jokes before in the Austin Powers series. Re-releases 1. Lost in Translation (limited edition) -- Watch the trailer. Includes deleted scenes, a conversation with Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola, plus the "City Girl" music video from Kevin Shields. 2. Atonement (limited edition) -- Watch the trailer. Includes some making-of featurettes and commentary from director Joe Wright. I haven't seen this one yet. 3. A Beautiful Mind (limited edition) -- Watch the trailer. I still haven't seen this one yet either! Includes deleted scenes with commentary from director Ron Howard, plus feature commentaries from Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldman. 4. History of Ninja, Volume 1 -- Ten ninja movies on three discs means over 15 hours of "entertainment." Contents: Ninjitsu, Ninja, Ninja Hunt, Purple Hood Ninja, Purple Hood Ninja 2, The Hero of Swallow, Ninja Power Force, Ninja Kids Phantom Force, Golden Ninja Invasion, and last but not least, Cyber Ninja. I like how you can just switch around the words in the titles to get ideas for new ninja movies: Phantom Cyber Force, Golden Hood Hunt, Ninja Kids Invasion, Golden Hunt of the Purple Cyber Swallow. If we're lucky, those will appear in History of Ninja, Volume 2. By the way, Cyber Ninja reminds me of Dr. Ronald Chevalier, author of all ten Cyborg Harpy trilogies. Watch Dr. Chevalier's tips on inspiration.
]]>Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:58:29 GMTspoutComing Soon12/26/2008 4:58:29 PM Did you get gift cards for Christmas? Here's how to spend them over the next two weeks. SkyPIlot's Top 3 December DVD Picks 1. Bottle Rocket is in the Criterion Collection! Watch the trailer. For those who haven't seen Bottle Rocket, it's a quirky slacker comedy/heist flick, like...Reality Bites meets Ocean's 13. No wait, is there really anything like early Wes Anderson (except later Wes Anderson)? This edition has loads of special features including eleven deleted scenes and the original 13-minute, b&amp;w Bottle Rocket short from 1992. 2. Burn After Reading -- Watch the trailer. It won't convert any unbelievers into the Coen cult, but a lot of it's worth watching over and over again (especially the parts with Brad Pitt). 3. And it goes without saying that everyone should pick up one copy of The Dark Knight, a second copy to keep in your glove box, and a third to keep in your hope chest. Watch the trailer. Check out Kevin Kelly's DVD gift guide for documentary and box set recommendations. Dec. 23 DVD releases 1. The Johnny Depp Triple Feature -- It's just one of those cheapie 3-sets, like the ones you find at Target, but get a load of this playlist: Edward Scissorhands -- Watch the trailer. Wow, I was not ready for this when I was 9 years old. Benny &amp; Joon -- Watch the trailer. Looks funny, sweet, and sad. From Hell -- Watch the trailer. In this gritty, hallucinatory murder mystery, Depp is an opium-addicted detective on the trail of Jack the Ripper. Dark stuff, but worth a look. 2. The Jake Gyllenhaal Triple Feature is definitely worth some consideration as well. Donnie Darko -- Watch the trailer. The movie that made befuddled teens everywhere watch a film commentary for the first time, Donnie Darko is charming, touching, and strange. Very good, but in my opinion the real gem of this set is the The Good Girl. The Good Girl -- Watch the trailer. In this very under-appreciated dark comedy, Gyllenhall is a sensitive teen obsessed with J.D. Salinger (what sensitive teen isn't?) and has a short-lived affair with Jennifer Aniston. Aniston is unhappily married to a pot-smoking John C. Reilly. Great minor role from Tim Blake Nelson. The Day After Tomorrow -- Watch the trailer. Bombastic and boring, but hey--two good films out of three ain't bad! Other new triple features: Gene Hackman (The French Connection, Hoosiers, Mississippi Burning), Tom Hanks (Bachelor Party, The Man With One Red Shoe, That Thing You Do!), Kevin Costner (Bull Durham, Dances With Wolves, No Way Out). 3. Hamlet 2 -- Watch the trailer. Steve Coogan is really talented, but the trailer doesn't quite sell me on it. Does anyone recommend it? 4. Death Race -- Watch the trailer. Jason Statham, as usual, is threatening and very watchable, but this fair car action thriller doesn't come close to matching the crazed, exhilarating original -- Death Race 2000. Watch the trailer to Death Race 2000. Dec 30 releases 1. Towelhead -- Watch the trailer. In this coming-of-age story, 13 year old Jasira has to deal with American racism and the romantic attentions of Aaron Eckhart (yikes!). It's written by the author of American Beauty, and it looks really good. 2. Strangers With Candy -- Watch the trailer. This is a big-screen prequel to the mind-bending comedy series that starred Amy Sedaris and a pre-fame Stephen Colbert. (He played the science teacher Mr. Noblet, remember?) 3. Ghost Town -- Watch the trailer. Ricky Gervais (of The Office and Extras) can see ghosts, and one of them is Greg Kinnear. I've heard some good things about this film. 4. Bangkok Dangerous -- Watch the trailer. This is the one where Nic Cage uses a boat propellor to cut off a guy's hand. 5. An American Carol -- Watch the trailer. Kelsey Grammar plays the Scrooge character in this spoof of the classic Christmas tale. 6. Babylon A.D. -- Watch the trailer. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Michelle Yeoh would kick Vin Diesel's butt. 7. The Love Guru -- Watch the trailer. Paul Moore saw this Mike Meyers vehicle, and Paul said that although it's not bad per se, we've seen all these jokes before in the Austin Powers series. Re-releases 1. Lost in Translation (limited edition) -- Watch the trailer. Includes deleted scenes, a conversation with Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola, plus the "City Girl" music video from Kevin Shields. 2. Atonement (limited edition) -- Watch the trailer. Includes some making-of featurettes and commentary from director Joe Wright. I haven't seen this one yet. 3. A Beautiful Mind (limited edition) -- Watch the trailer. I still haven't seen this one yet either! Includes deleted scenes with commentary from director Ron Howard, plus feature commentaries from Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldman. 4. History of Ninja, Volume 1 -- Ten ninja movies on three discs means over 15 hours of "entertainment." Contents: Ninjitsu, Ninja, Ninja Hunt, Purple Hood Ninja, Purple Hood Ninja 2, The Hero of Swallow, Ninja Power Force, Ninja Kids Phantom Force, Golden Ninja Invasion, and last but not least, Cyber Ninja. I like how you can just switch around the words in the titles to get ideas for new ninja movies: Phantom Cyber Force, Golden Hood Hunt, Ninja Kids Invasion, Golden Hunt of the Purple Cyber Swallow. If we're lucky, those will appear in History of Ninja, Volume 2. By the way, Cyber Ninja reminds me of Dr. Ronald Chevalier, author of all ten Cyborg Harpy trilogies. Watch Dr. Chevalier's tips on inspiration. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_DVD_Box_Set_Giveaway/563/38656/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: QFLW
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 12/19/2008 9:22:28 PM
Body: [quote user="SkyPilot"] Win a DVD box set worth up to $75. You choose the box set! That's right, winners pick any DVD box set for $75 or less, then we buy it and ship it for free. Here's how you play: 1) Reply with a list of your 5 Favorite Movies of 2008. 2) Tell us what your mother would say about each movie. We're not looking for whole reviews, just one or two sentences. EXAMPLE: 1) The Dark Knight -- "You know, I wouldn't have minded if Batman killed the Joker. That guy was just...blech!" Check back here on 12/31 to see if you've won! Good luck, and happy holidays! [/quote] Iron Man (couldn't get the link to work right) -- "Now why do women run around in those silly, geeky shoes? And that dress was all but falling off her. (sigh) No one wears pretty, elegant dresses anymore. Or underwear." Religulous -- (to the screen, with a shrug) "That's fine, Bill, but the people who should hear this just won't." Body of Lies -- "Well, I agree with Russell. How could anyone like the Middle East? No trees. And those people are just crazy. Probably because they live there." Zack & Miri Make a Porno -- "Those two were really cute. But that tall naked one--what a mess! And does the f-word have to be every other word? You don't have to resort to that kind of language to be funny." Ghost Town -- "See? That's clever. You can really insult people without cursing. Who was that dentist? I've never heard of him."
]]>Sat, 20 Dec 2008 02:22:28 GMTQFLWFilmgaming12/19/2008 9:22:28 PM[quote user="SkyPilot"] Win a DVD box set worth up to $75. You choose the box set! That's right, winners pick any DVD box set for $75 or less, then we buy it and ship it for free. Here's how you play: 1) Reply with a list of your 5 Favorite Movies of 2008. 2) Tell us what your mother would say about each movie. We're not looking for whole reviews, just one or two sentences. EXAMPLE: 1) The Dark Knight -- "You know, I wouldn't have minded if Batman killed the Joker. That guy was just...blech!" Check back here on 12/31 to see if you've won! Good luck, and happy holidays! [/quote] Iron Man (couldn't get the link to work right) -- "Now why do women run around in those silly, geeky shoes? And that dress was all but falling off her. (sigh) No one wears pretty, elegant dresses anymore. Or underwear." Religulous -- (to the screen, with a shrug) "That's fine, Bill, but the people who should hear this just won't." Body of Lies -- "Well, I agree with Russell. How could anyone like the Middle East? No trees. And those people are just crazy. Probably because they live there." Zack &amp; Miri Make a Porno -- "Those two were really cute. But that tall naked one--what a mess! And does the f-word have to be every other word? You don't have to resort to that kind of language to be funny." Ghost Town -- "See? That's clever. You can really insult people without cursing. Who was that dentist? I've never heard of him." http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Collaboration_Best_Films_of_2008/643/38427/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: QFLW
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 12/15/2008 8:44:12 PM
Body: "... I'm usually the first to declare my distaste for Hayden Christensen and everything he's done he's ruined, but somehow in this I was able to ignore that loathing and enjoy the movie." This is how I feel about Kiera Knightley, hahaha. The film I found her tolerable in was Domino...I've heard other people say Jumper might not be the best movie but it's entertaining. Am curious to see it now. Wasn't able to see all the films I wanted to this year. Am looking forward very much to Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire and The Brothers Bloom. And Doubt. So from the new films I did see this year, my nominations for best: Henry Poole Is Here - Low-key, sort of off the wall (er, pun not intended); a slightly predictable ending, but not quite in the way you'd think. Some food for thought on faith. Iron Man - Excellent fun; Robert Downey Jr. is The Man. Ghost Town - Stupid title that doesn't represent the film well; perhaps your standard formula romantic comedy, except that the lead is Ricky Gervais. Very funny. Religulous - Bill Maher asking people questions about what they believe and warning that religion is dangerous when used to run the world in place of common sense. Funny, not as obnoxious as he might have been. I wanted to join in the conversations! Body of Lies - Interesting Middle East thriller; handsomely filmed as is Ridley Scott's wont. Zack & Miri Make a Porno - Tacky, yes, but funny and touching. Perhaps I'm just a Kevin Smith junkie, but I enjoyed this a lot. I saw The Dark Knight and Burn After Reading as well but came away more dissatisfied than pleased with both. The action in TDK was too hard to follow; after awhile all the chasing and exploding got tiresome. Alfred is more interesting a character than Batman/Bruce Wayne; Heath Ledger stole the show. BAR started out brilliantly, has much in it that's funny, but the way the plot crashed and burned was too strange and not so funny, left me shaking my head. But the closing conversation was good.
]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:44:12 GMTQFLWCommunity Recommendations12/15/2008 8:44:12 PM"... I'm usually the first to declare my distaste for Hayden Christensen and everything he's done he's ruined, but somehow in this I was able to ignore that loathing and enjoy the movie." This is how I feel about Kiera Knightley, hahaha. The film I found her tolerable in was Domino...I've heard other people say Jumper might not be the best movie but it's entertaining. Am curious to see it now. Wasn't able to see all the films I wanted to this year. Am looking forward very much to Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire and The Brothers Bloom. And Doubt. So from the new films I did see this year, my nominations for best: Henry Poole Is Here - Low-key, sort of off the wall (er, pun not intended); a slightly predictable ending, but not quite in the way you'd think. Some food for thought on faith. Iron Man - Excellent fun; Robert Downey Jr. is The Man. Ghost Town - Stupid title that doesn't represent the film well; perhaps your standard formula romantic comedy, except that the lead is Ricky Gervais. Very funny. Religulous - Bill Maher asking people questions about what they believe and warning that religion is dangerous when used to run the world in place of common sense. Funny, not as obnoxious as he might have been. I wanted to join in the conversations! Body of Lies - Interesting Middle East thriller; handsomely filmed as is Ridley Scott's wont. Zack &amp; Miri Make a Porno - Tacky, yes, but funny and touching. Perhaps I'm just a Kevin Smith junkie, but I enjoyed this a lot. I saw The Dark Knight and Burn After Reading as well but came away more dissatisfied than pleased with both. The action in TDK was too hard to follow; after awhile all the chasing and exploding got tiresome. Alfred is more interesting a character than Batman/Bruce Wayne; Heath Ledger stole the show. BAR started out brilliantly, has much in it that's funny, but the way the plot crashed and burned was too strange and not so funny, left me shaking my head. But the closing conversation was good. http://www.spout.com/blogs/qflw/archive/2008/9/27/35650.aspx Post By: QFLW
Post To: QFLW Blog
Post Date: 9/27/2008 11:25:15 PM
Body: and I was the only one audibly laughing. Puzzling me no end. How could anyone not find Ricky Gervais dead funny? He makes this movie click, lifting it above the annoying silliness which usually emerges from such plots. OK, the writing helped. I enjoyed Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni. The one vague disappointment was not getting to know a little more of the other ghosts' stories, particularly the nurse and the naked guy. But never mind. I'll probably see this a few more times and get the DVD. Just to watch and listen to Gervais in action.
]]>Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:25:15 GMTQFLWQFLW Blog9/27/2008 11:25:15 PMand I was the only one audibly laughing. Puzzling me no end. How could anyone not find Ricky Gervais dead funny? He makes this movie click, lifting it above the annoying silliness which usually emerges from such plots. OK, the writing helped. I enjoyed Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni. The one vague disappointment was not getting to know a little more of the other ghosts' stories, particularly the nurse and the naked guy. But never mind. I'll probably see this a few more times and get the DVD. Just to watch and listen to Gervais in action. http://www.spout.com/blogs/docpotato/archive/2008/9/22/35360.aspx Post By: docpotato
Post To: One Movie a Week
Post Date: 9/22/2008 2:01:09 AM
Body: Forget that the story of Ghost Town is an overly-familiar Scrooge tale about a grumpy man who learns to love again with the help of a few ghosts or that the film itself often feels like a mawkish, mid-nineties romantic comedy following in the (then) successful wake of Nora Ephron films. Focus, instead, on what elevates the film from a standard but well-executed programmer to a howlingly funny film: Ricky Gervais. Viewers of the British version of The Office or Extras know that Gervais is a master at spinning comedic gold by playing sad little men, and his work in Ghost Town only further confirms this. He imbues the curmudegonly stuff with an unrelenting sweetness that belies the bruised, aching heart at the core of the character, but he also plays the lovey-dovey stuff with a cynical, aware edge. This, by itself is valuable, but doesn't even get into how delightfully, devillishly funny he is. His use of the phrase "fait accompli" when discussing the results of a laxative would, by itself, justify the cost of admission.Gervais plays a dentist who abhors the company of others, preferring the tidiness and quiet of a secluded life. He goes in for a colonoscopy and dies for seven minutes during the procedure. After being brought back to life, he finds that he's able to see and hear the ghosts of others who have passed on, and these apparations begin to pester him to help take care of their unfinished business. He's disgusted, of course, that he has a new cadre of souls to be annoyed by, and finds that he can't isolate himself from these desperate, needy creatures as easily as he can with the living. The most persistent of these spirits is a smooth-talking, tuxedoed ghost played by Greg Kinnear. Kinnear's distrustful and jealous of his widow's new fiancee (the fiancee is a humorless bore, played admirably by Billy Campbell), and wants Gervais to break up the relationship before she is hurt again.Things complicate when Gervais lays eyes on the woman, played by Tea Leoni. He's immediately smitten and decides the best way to break up her new relationship is to romance her himself. This would smack of convenient or even lazy plotting, but for the performances of Leoni and Gervais. Leoni, for instance, plays her character as a bit of a misfit, a morbid, goofy, and even nerdy woman. She's delivering a lecture on mummies, and the unbridled passion and obsession she evinces makes her seem like an immediate good match for the cloistered, fussy Gervais. This holds true throughout--the two have a remarkable amount of chemistry and this renders Gervais's awkward, uncomfortable attempts to woo her cute rather than spooky and her return on his affections relatable rather than perplexing.The film was directed by David Koepp who's a Hollywood screenwriter of some note (he's credited on such little films as Spiderman, Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), and his past directorial efforts have been competent, if not exactly inspiring (Stir of Echoes and The Trigger Effect being the best of the lot). Here he's working in the same realm--a hundred little choices in this film add up to it feeling smart and sturdy for what it is, even if the film winds up feeling a little insignificant. The most inspired choice Koepp makes, though, is in giving Gervais plenty of space to do his schtick. Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis found great success by giving Bill Murray this kind of room to play in films like Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and even lesser vehicles like Meatballs or Stripes. Koepp's generosity with Gervais's performance is the correct approach--Gervias should be (and hopefully will be) as universally celebrated for his comedic gifts as Murray is.While the film is too cutesy and too sentimental at times, I, and the audience I saw it with, were roaring with laughter for very long stretches. The woman next to me was doubled over and gasping for air and huge swaths of dialogue went unheard due to the revelry. This is not necessarily a film for the ages, but the comedy is sweet and inviting, hilarious and honest. Mainstream comedic films have become increasingly brash and pointed over the past few years, and even something as funny as Tropic Thunder can be quite an assault on the senses. It's a nice feeling to watch something like Ghost Town, which has something of the air of a classic comedy from the 30s. It's far from squeaky clean, but it's nevertheless decent at its core. By laughing you feel a little bit better about yourself and the world around you.Would be a good double feature with: Groundhog Day Originally posted on:One Movie a Day/Week
]]>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:01:09 GMTdocpotatoOne Movie a Week9/22/2008 2:01:09 AMForget that the story of Ghost Town is an overly-familiar Scrooge tale about a grumpy man who learns to love again with the help of a few ghosts or that the film itself often feels like a mawkish, mid-nineties romantic comedy following in the (then) successful wake of Nora Ephron films. Focus, instead, on what elevates the film from a standard but well-executed programmer to a howlingly funny film: Ricky Gervais. Viewers of the British version of The Office or Extras know that Gervais is a master at spinning comedic gold by playing sad little men, and his work in Ghost Town only further confirms this. He imbues the curmudegonly stuff with an unrelenting sweetness that belies the bruised, aching heart at the core of the character, but he also plays the lovey-dovey stuff with a cynical, aware edge. This, by itself is valuable, but doesn't even get into how delightfully, devillishly funny he is. His use of the phrase "fait accompli" when discussing the results of a laxative would, by itself, justify the cost of admission.Gervais plays a dentist who abhors the company of others, preferring the tidiness and quiet of a secluded life. He goes in for a colonoscopy and dies for seven minutes during the procedure. After being brought back to life, he finds that he's able to see and hear the ghosts of others who have passed on, and these apparations begin to pester him to help take care of their unfinished business. He's disgusted, of course, that he has a new cadre of souls to be annoyed by, and finds that he can't isolate himself from these desperate, needy creatures as easily as he can with the living. The most persistent of these spirits is a smooth-talking, tuxedoed ghost played by Greg Kinnear. Kinnear's distrustful and jealous of his widow's new fiancee (the fiancee is a humorless bore, played admirably by Billy Campbell), and wants Gervais to break up the relationship before she is hurt again.Things complicate when Gervais lays eyes on the woman, played by Tea Leoni. He's immediately smitten and decides the best way to break up her new relationship is to romance her himself. This would smack of convenient or even lazy plotting, but for the performances of Leoni and Gervais. Leoni, for instance, plays her character as a bit of a misfit, a morbid, goofy, and even nerdy woman. She's delivering a lecture on mummies, and the unbridled passion and obsession she evinces makes her seem like an immediate good match for the cloistered, fussy Gervais. This holds true throughout--the two have a remarkable amount of chemistry and this renders Gervais's awkward, uncomfortable attempts to woo her cute rather than spooky and her return on his affections relatable rather than perplexing.The film was directed by David Koepp who's a Hollywood screenwriter of some note (he's credited on such little films as Spiderman, Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), and his past directorial efforts have been competent, if not exactly inspiring (Stir of Echoes and The Trigger Effect being the best of the lot). Here he's working in the same realm--a hundred little choices in this film add up to it feeling smart and sturdy for what it is, even if the film winds up feeling a little insignificant. The most inspired choice Koepp makes, though, is in giving Gervais plenty of space to do his schtick. Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis found great success by giving Bill Murray this kind of room to play in films like Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and even lesser vehicles like Meatballs or Stripes. Koepp's generosity with Gervais's performance is the correct approach--Gervias should be (and hopefully will be) as universally celebrated for his comedic gifts as Murray is.While the film is too cutesy and too sentimental at times, I, and the audience I saw it with, were roaring with laughter for very long stretches. The woman next to me was doubled over and gasping for air and huge swaths of dialogue went unheard due to the revelry. This is not necessarily a film for the ages, but the comedy is sweet and inviting, hilarious and honest. Mainstream comedic films have become increasingly brash and pointed over the past few years, and even something as funny as Tropic Thunder can be quite an assault on the senses. It's a nice feeling to watch something like Ghost Town, which has something of the air of a classic comedy from the 30s. It's far from squeaky clean, but it's nevertheless decent at its core. By laughing you feel a little bit better about yourself and the world around you.Would be a good double feature with: Groundhog Day Originally posted on:One Movie a Day/Week http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/19/35323.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/19/2008 5:01:43 PM
Body: Sometimes I really wish David Bordwell’s blog permitted comments. Mostly it’s better that it doesn’t, but the man’s last post has made me want to discuss the art of movie titles for a whole week now. And it didn’t help that coinciding in time with Bordwell’s post was another one of those sidebars in Entertainment Weekly pointing out some new movies with misleading titles. Yes, Lakeview Terrace does sound like a period romance, as do many other badly titled films (Elizabethtown and Wicker Park come to mind). This weekend also sees two new movies employing the method of borrowing song titles, which are typically not appropriate (Ghost Town seems more like a horror western hybrid, while My Best Friend’s Girl actually fits its plot). Well, fortunately for me (and hopefully you), I can bring the discussion over to SpoutBlog, though not quite as in depth as Bordwell. I’ll be more than happy to have a conversation in the comments section regarding the more general topic of movie titling, but for now I’ll kick things off with a list of what I find to be the most interesting movie titles of the past decade. It’s been a time when studios and filmmakers have been very loose with ill-fitting and overlong titles, as well as some that are too plainly literal (Snakes on a Plane), but the following selections have the benefit of featuring clever, well-chosen and more meaningful monikers. All About My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre) (1999) This Pedro Almodóvar film has a very telling title, one that goes along with Bordwell’s acknowledgment of titles that speak for the character. Yet the character spoken for here is Esteban, the kid who dies in the beginning. Or does he? The title actually refers to a story Esteban has written for school and is inspired by the film All About Eve, which he has just watched. Esteban doesn’t so much die in the film as he does in his own story, which is depicted within the film. Also, the word “Mother” in the title doesn’t so much refer to his actual mother, Manuela, as it does his (made-up) transvestite “father”, Lola, who we learn all about. Amores Perros (2000) Although improperly translated as “Love’s a Bitch,” that phrase does at least apply on some level to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film. As does the more acceptable translation of “Love is Dogs,” which references the film’s canine companions, each of which parallels its owner. But there is also another translation that’s more like “Goodness Wretchedness,” referring to a phrase on the film’s website that basically translates as “If your story turned out well, put it down to ‘amores.’ If bad, put it to ‘perros.’” The fact that you can interpret the meaning of the title multiple ways, and therefore you can interpret its meaning to the film multiple ways, is the reason that it was so important to release the film in the U.S. with its original Mexican title. The Perfect Storm (2000) Although the title comes from Sebastian Junger’s book, the name took on a whole new meaning for the film, which is, in my opinion, completely about the attempt to perfectly create a storm on a computer. Sure, there’s a plot within the film, too, but nothing more attended to than the perfectly rendered storm. In fact, the film’s storm may have been too perfect-looking, as the film lost the Visual Effects Oscar to Gladiator. While the title was clearly not intended for such purpose, and I had planned to ignore titles that inadvertently become more ironically meaningful upon release (Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed; Disaster Movie), I think the filmmakers at least meant to produce a spectacular storm more than a good story, so I believe it more qualifiable for the list at hand. Shanghai Noon (2000) This title doesn’t necessarily add anything to the meaning of the film nor does it really have multiple layers of meaning by itself. But it features the most cleverly punned title of the last ten years, in my opinion. The sequel’s title, Shanghai Knights, isn’t too bad, either. But just as the movie isn’t nearly as good as the original, neither is the title. Adaptation (2002) This title may actually be my favorite of all time due to its consisting of only a single word, which can be lent to the film in a multitude of ways. The title refers to the adaptation of a book to a film, the adaptation of a plant to its environment, the adaptation of a screenwriter character to his assignment, the adaptation of the same character to the events of his environment and, finally, the adaptation of the film itself to fit the mold of a certain kind of film that fares well in the present environment of the movie biz (ironically it’s this adaptation in the end from a smart film to a silly action movie that fails in execution, even though the joke more fittingly works perfectly on paper). Bad Company (2002) Even awful movies can have titles with multiple meanings, and this lame Joel Schumacher effort is a good example of such. Because “Company” means the CIA in addition to companionship, the title may refer to any of the following: an incapable member of the CIA (Chris Rock’s character); an incapable CIA in general (this was a time when the organization was called into question); a defective spy or untrustworthy spy; or simply the bad buddy team-up of Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock (diegetically and extradiegetically). The same title had been used previously for a bad 1995 movie dealing with the CIA, so its multilayered usage here was not that inspired, but it is nevertheless a good title, in my opinion, and perhaps it will one day be put to better use. National Treasure (2004) The same goes for this movie, which should have and could have been a lot better. The title, which is a well-played mix of figurative and literal meaning and seems more thoughtful than most blockbuster Hollywood titles, would have you believe there was once some smarter writing to be found within the film itself. Shaun of the Dead (2004) For a short while, I thought the title of this comedy didn’t really appropriately fit the film’s story. Shaun isn’t of the dead, I reasoned, because he never “dies.” I accepted the title, though, because it was a nice play on the title Dawn of the Dead. Eventually I decided that it does indeed fit, because the general theme of the movie is that Shaun has been living his life as if he were a zombie. Before the real zombies show up, the “dead” of the title refers to all the people living in this spiritless way, Shaun included. Yet while the rest of these “dead” become undead creatures, Shaun proves that he is capable of living more fully and is able to survive the (allegorical) outbreak. 2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai loves to play with the idea of Hong Kong’s transition from British territory to Chinese (which occurred in 1997), and the title partly refers to the final year in which Hong Kong is allowed self-regulation before becoming fully integrated into mainland China in 2047. In the film, the numerical title literally references both a hotel room and the future year, which is employed in a science fiction story being written by the main character. Some people also like to interpret the title as reading “two-oh-four-six” meaning “to owe for sex.” Though there are prostitute characters in the film, this meaning is less likely the intention of Wong. But the additional interpretation makes for a richer title anyway. There Will Be Blood (2007) Why not retain the title of Upton Sinclair’s source novel, “Oil!”? Well, besides all the changes made to the story, it could be because Paul Thomas Anderson’s new title has more possible meanings. The word “Blood” in the title may refer to the actual oil, or the blood shed for the oil (as in drilling accidents then and wars now), or family, especially actual blood relatives (of which there aren’t actually many in the film). Mostly, though, the title allows for and acknowledges a connection between the film’s setting and the current events it appears to be commenting on. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:01:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/19/2008 5:01:43 PMSometimes I really wish David Bordwell’s blog permitted comments. Mostly it’s better that it doesn’t, but the man’s last post has made me want to discuss the art of movie titles for a whole week now. And it didn’t help that coinciding in time with Bordwell’s post was another one of those sidebars in Entertainment Weekly pointing out some new movies with misleading titles. Yes, Lakeview Terrace does sound like a period romance, as do many other badly titled films (Elizabethtown and Wicker Park come to mind). This weekend also sees two new movies employing the method of borrowing song titles, which are typically not appropriate (Ghost Town seems more like a horror western hybrid, while My Best Friend’s Girl actually fits its plot). Well, fortunately for me (and hopefully you), I can bring the discussion over to SpoutBlog, though not quite as in depth as Bordwell. I’ll be more than happy to have a conversation in the comments section regarding the more general topic of movie titling, but for now I’ll kick things off with a list of what I find to be the most interesting movie titles of the past decade. It’s been a time when studios and filmmakers have been very loose with ill-fitting and overlong titles, as well as some that are too plainly literal (Snakes on a Plane), but the following selections have the benefit of featuring clever, well-chosen and more meaningful monikers. All About My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre) (1999) This Pedro Almodóvar film has a very telling title, one that goes along with Bordwell’s acknowledgment of titles that speak for the character. Yet the character spoken for here is Esteban, the kid who dies in the beginning. Or does he? The title actually refers to a story Esteban has written for school and is inspired by the film All About Eve, which he has just watched. Esteban doesn’t so much die in the film as he does in his own story, which is depicted within the film. Also, the word “Mother” in the title doesn’t so much refer to his actual mother, Manuela, as it does his (made-up) transvestite “father”, Lola, who we learn all about. Amores Perros (2000) Although improperly translated as “Love’s a Bitch,” that phrase does at least apply on some level to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film. As does the more acceptable translation of “Love is Dogs,” which references the film’s canine companions, each of which parallels its owner. But there is also another translation that’s more like “Goodness Wretchedness,” referring to a phrase on the film’s website that basically translates as “If your story turned out well, put it down to ‘amores.’ If bad, put it to ‘perros.’” The fact that you can interpret the meaning of the title multiple ways, and therefore you can interpret its meaning to the film multiple ways, is the reason that it was so important to release the film in the U.S. with its original Mexican title. The Perfect Storm (2000) Although the title comes from Sebastian Junger’s book, the name took on a whole new meaning for the film, which is, in my opinion, completely about the attempt to perfectly create a storm on a computer. Sure, there’s a plot within the film, too, but nothing more attended to than the perfectly rendered storm. In fact, the film’s storm may have been too perfect-looking, as the film lost the Visual Effects Oscar to Gladiator. While the title was clearly not intended for such purpose, and I had planned to ignore titles that inadvertently become more ironically meaningful upon release (Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed; Disaster Movie), I think the filmmakers at least meant to produce a spectacular storm more than a good story, so I believe it more qualifiable for the list at hand. Shanghai Noon (2000) This title doesn’t necessarily add anything to the meaning of the film nor does it really have multiple layers of meaning by itself. But it features the most cleverly punned title of the last ten years, in my opinion. The sequel’s title, Shanghai Knights, isn’t too bad, either. But just as the movie isn’t nearly as good as the original, neither is the title. Adaptation (2002) This title may actually be my favorite of all time due to its consisting of only a single word, which can be lent to the film in a multitude of ways. The title refers to the adaptation of a book to a film, the adaptation of a plant to its environment, the adaptation of a screenwriter character to his assignment, the adaptation of the same character to the events of his environment and, finally, the adaptation of the film itself to fit the mold of a certain kind of film that fares well in the present environment of the movie biz (ironically it’s this adaptation in the end from a smart film to a silly action movie that fails in execution, even though the joke more fittingly works perfectly on paper). Bad Company (2002) Even awful movies can have titles with multiple meanings, and this lame Joel Schumacher effort is a good example of such. Because “Company” means the CIA in addition to companionship, the title may refer to any of the following: an incapable member of the CIA (Chris Rock’s character); an incapable CIA in general (this was a time when the organization was called into question); a defective spy or untrustworthy spy; or simply the bad buddy team-up of Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock (diegetically and extradiegetically). The same title had been used previously for a bad 1995 movie dealing with the CIA, so its multilayered usage here was not that inspired, but it is nevertheless a good title, in my opinion, and perhaps it will one day be put to better use. National Treasure (2004) The same goes for this movie, which should have and could have been a lot better. The title, which is a well-played mix of figurative and literal meaning and seems more thoughtful than most blockbuster Hollywood titles, would have you believe there was once some smarter writing to be found within the film itself. Shaun of the Dead (2004) For a short while, I thought the title of this comedy didn’t really appropriately fit the film’s story. Shaun isn’t of the dead, I reasoned, because he never “dies.” I accepted the title, though, because it was a nice play on the title Dawn of the Dead. Eventually I decided that it does indeed fit, because the general theme of the movie is that Shaun has been living his life as if he were a zombie. Before the real zombies show up, the “dead” of the title refers to all the people living in this spiritless way, Shaun included. Yet while the rest of these “dead” become undead creatures, Shaun proves that he is capable of living more fully and is able to survive the (allegorical) outbreak. 2046 (2004) Wong Kar-Wai loves to play with the idea of Hong Kong’s transition from British territory to Chinese (which occurred in 1997), and the title partly refers to the final year in which Hong Kong is allowed self-regulation before becoming fully integrated into mainland China in 2047. In the film, the numerical title literally references both a hotel room and the future year, which is employed in a science fiction story being written by the main character. Some people also like to interpret the title as reading “two-oh-four-six” meaning “to owe for sex.” Though there are prostitute characters in the film, this meaning is less likely the intention of Wong. But the additional interpretation makes for a richer title anyway. There Will Be Blood (2007) Why not retain the title of Upton Sinclair’s source novel, “Oil!”? Well, besides all the changes made to the story, it could be because Paul Thomas Anderson’s new title has more possible meanings. The word “Blood” in the title may refer to the actual oil, or the blood shed for the oil (as in drilling accidents then and wars now), or family, especially actual blood relatives (of which there aren’t actually many in the film). Mostly, though, the title allows for and acknowledges a connection between the film’s setting and the current events it appears to be commenting on. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/jj79/archive/2008/9/19/35301.aspx Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 9/19/2008 8:59:50 AM
Body: There is heart in "Ghost Town." It might not be terribly deep or revolutionary or explored as thoroughly as it could have been, but its there. Co-writer and director David Koepp saves it for the final scene, a sequence between Tea Leoni and Ricky Gervais which allows the film to go out on a positive note. See, Frank (Greg Kinear) was cheating on Gwen (Leoni) and, through a twist of fate, is killed by happenstance. He has unfinished business on Earth, so he asks Bertrum Pincus (Gervais), a man who was technically dead for a couple minutes and can see dead people with similar unfinished business, to stop Gwen from marrying a seemingly good guy. The problem with Pincus, though, is that he's not a people person. To put it mildly. Much will inevitably be written about the first Hollywood starring vehicle for Ricky Gervais. And all that press should be positive, based on his performance here. Gervais is eerily at ease playing a recluse, someone who says all the wrong things at the worst possible times. There is never the sense the actor is trying to be funny or something he's not. There is a natural emotion within him for the part. When he walks in on a fellow dentist (Aasif Mandvi) and a patient looking for torture techniques, Pincus begins by asking if he's from one of those scary places. We get the innuendo (Mandvi the actor was born in India); any normal person would have caught themselves before uttering such a line. It just slips out of Pincus' mouth, his brain catching up afterwards. There is an attempt at explaining why Pincus is the way he is. A girl he was in love with left him for another man, leading to a life of anti-social behavior. He steals cabs, purposely closes elevator doors, has no compassion for his patients or fellow man...that sort of thing. To him, talking to someone is to risk his emotions again. Of course, that much is never said, so the script wants us to fill in the blanks. That would be a problem in other films, but not here. "Ghost Town" is a comedy which doesn't reach too far for the humor. You won't find an Adam Sandler gag here; rather, it's more restrained, slightly more sophisticated and sublime than most entries in the genre. Even "Burn After Reading," I think, has more potty humor laughs than "Ghost Town." When Kinear and Gervais share the screen, a palpable dichotomy emerges. Here is Pincus, a man who doesn't want anything to do with people, and Frank, a man who is most at home being the center of attention, the ringleader if you will. Whether on purpose or by accident, the script presents these two men (to illustrate the difference perhaps?) as two parts of the same coin. The actors play off one wonderfully in either the comedic moments or in the serious ones. A banter crosses between them, engaging the audience and allowing us to feel comfortable with a ghost and man who can talk to ghosts. In other words, comfortable with the characters. "Ghost Town" finds itself rushed, though, when Leoni's Gwen is given screen time. The theory is she can begin to take a liking to Pincus, "forcing" her to break off the engagement with Billy Campbell's Richard. Previous in the film, we see the dentist be downright mean to Gwen (this is obvious just by seeing the trailer). So why would it ever strike him as a possibility she'd dump the civil rights attorney and shack up with a stodgy dentist? I don't know and I suspect it's one of the questions Koepp and writing partner John Kamps don't want us to think about too much. Why? Simple, really. The boy chases girl part of the story flashes by entirely too fast. What aspect of Pincus does Gwen find remotely amusing? And how does she forgot about being stuck in the rain with a package when he takes her cab? How about that elevator door he purposely closes? Um, yeah. Who cares. One moment she rips him to shreds; the (seemingly) next, they're talking about his ex Sarah. It's the quickest "frenemy" conversion in movie history. To be sure, it's a minor problem in the grand scheme of the entire production. By the time it rears its ugly head and we realize what's going on, the story has us in hand. At only 102 minutes-it feels shorter-"Ghost Town" could easily have added a subplot or two based around all the ghosts looking for help. At least in regards to those stories, I'm divided. Is "Ghost Town" better for keeping its eye on the proverbail ball or should it have edited a scene or two earlier in order to allow potential comedic moments where Pincus introduces himself to strangers? (This isn't a spoiler because, let's face it: movies of this nature usually end with the protagonist making an abrupt about face and becoming a Really Good Guy.) I'd have to commend the script for not meandering, no matter how ripe with potential side stories might have been. It is a shame, though, that Alan Ruck (Cameron of "Ferris Bueller" fame) is relegated to a bit player. I´d still have to recommend "Ghost Town" even with the issues I´m bringing up. There´s a charm to the production, an offensive inoffensiveness if you will, entertainment most of the family can enjoy together. A script problem here or there really isn´t that big of a problem as long as the audience is laughing, now is it? The film rates a 7 out of 10.
]]>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:59:50 GMTJJ79JJ79 Blog9/19/2008 8:59:50 AMThere is heart in "Ghost Town." It might not be terribly deep or revolutionary or explored as thoroughly as it could have been, but its there. Co-writer and director David Koepp saves it for the final scene, a sequence between Tea Leoni and Ricky Gervais which allows the film to go out on a positive note. See, Frank (Greg Kinear) was cheating on Gwen (Leoni) and, through a twist of fate, is killed by happenstance. He has unfinished business on Earth, so he asks Bertrum Pincus (Gervais), a man who was technically dead for a couple minutes and can see dead people with similar unfinished business, to stop Gwen from marrying a seemingly good guy. The problem with Pincus, though, is that he's not a people person. To put it mildly. Much will inevitably be written about the first Hollywood starring vehicle for Ricky Gervais. And all that press should be positive, based on his performance here. Gervais is eerily at ease playing a recluse, someone who says all the wrong things at the worst possible times. There is never the sense the actor is trying to be funny or something he's not. There is a natural emotion within him for the part. When he walks in on a fellow dentist (Aasif Mandvi) and a patient looking for torture techniques, Pincus begins by asking if he's from one of those scary places. We get the innuendo (Mandvi the actor was born in India); any normal person would have caught themselves before uttering such a line. It just slips out of Pincus' mouth, his brain catching up afterwards. There is an attempt at explaining why Pincus is the way he is. A girl he was in love with left him for another man, leading to a life of anti-social behavior. He steals cabs, purposely closes elevator doors, has no compassion for his patients or fellow man...that sort of thing. To him, talking to someone is to risk his emotions again. Of course, that much is never said, so the script wants us to fill in the blanks. That would be a problem in other films, but not here. "Ghost Town" is a comedy which doesn't reach too far for the humor. You won't find an Adam Sandler gag here; rather, it's more restrained, slightly more sophisticated and sublime than most entries in the genre. Even "Burn After Reading," I think, has more potty humor laughs than "Ghost Town." When Kinear and Gervais share the screen, a palpable dichotomy emerges. Here is Pincus, a man who doesn't want anything to do with people, and Frank, a man who is most at home being the center of attention, the ringleader if you will. Whether on purpose or by accident, the script presents these two men (to illustrate the difference perhaps?) as two parts of the same coin. The actors play off one wonderfully in either the comedic moments or in the serious ones. A banter crosses between them, engaging the audience and allowing us to feel comfortable with a ghost and man who can talk to ghosts. In other words, comfortable with the characters. "Ghost Town" finds itself rushed, though, when Leoni's Gwen is given screen time. The theory is she can begin to take a liking to Pincus, "forcing" her to break off the engagement with Billy Campbell's Richard. Previous in the film, we see the dentist be downright mean to Gwen (this is obvious just by seeing the trailer). So why would it ever strike him as a possibility she'd dump the civil rights attorney and shack up with a stodgy dentist? I don't know and I suspect it's one of the questions Koepp and writing partner John Kamps don't want us to think about too much. Why? Simple, really. The boy chases girl part of the story flashes by entirely too fast. What aspect of Pincus does Gwen find remotely amusing? And how does she forgot about being stuck in the rain with a package when he takes her cab? How about that elevator door he purposely closes? Um, yeah. Who cares. One moment she rips him to shreds; the (seemingly) next, they're talking about his ex Sarah. It's the quickest "frenemy" conversion in movie history. To be sure, it's a minor problem in the grand scheme of the entire production. By the time it rears its ugly head and we realize what's going on, the story has us in hand. At only 102 minutes-it feels shorter-"Ghost Town" could easily have added a subplot or two based around all the ghosts looking for help. At least in regards to those stories, I'm divided. Is "Ghost Town" better for keeping its eye on the proverbail ball or should it have edited a scene or two earlier in order to allow potential comedic moments where Pincus introduces himself to strangers? (This isn't a spoiler because, let's face it: movies of this nature usually end with the protagonist making an abrupt about face and becoming a Really Good Guy.) I'd have to commend the script for not meandering, no matter how ripe with potential side stories might have been. It is a shame, though, that Alan Ruck (Cameron of "Ferris Bueller" fame) is relegated to a bit player. I&acute;d still have to recommend "Ghost Town" even with the issues I&acute;m bringing up. There&acute;s a charm to the production, an offensive inoffensiveness if you will, entertainment most of the family can enjoy together. A script problem here or there really isn&acute;t that big of a problem as long as the audience is laughing, now is it? The film rates a 7 out of 10. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/17/35256.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/17/2008 4:01:25 PM
Body: If you took one look at the existence of the new movie Ghost Town and dismissed it on account of its familiarity, you’re ignoring the potential of one of the most valuable plot devices available to fiction. Sure, the employment of ghosts in a narrative may also be evidence of laziness, as the device is just as much a convenience as it is a useful tool for storytellers. Not everyone can be Shakespeare, and of course there is a lot of redundancy and (excuse the pun) lifelessness in the majority of movies involving ghosts. However, ghosts can also be highly representative and/or serve a film on a deeper level than the surface story. To use another pun, ghost movies are not always so transparent. Like zombies, their plot-device sibling, ghosts have a way of signifying greater ideas, subjects and themes, and aren’t always merely about scares and talking-to-thin-air gags. In a conversation with Cinematical’s Erik Davis, Ghost Town director/co-writer David Koepp had this to say about the significance of ghost stories: Part of the reason they’re so enduring is because, well, first off all they give hope — because if they are ghosts, then it means we don’t die when we die. But also because they work really well in a number of genres. Ya know, in a drama like Ghost, or a horror movie, suspense or comedy in our case — I just think they offer so many dramatic possibilities; to have someone that’s dead, but still around to talk about it really suggests a lot of great situations. Okay, so that bit of promotional fluff is actually more about the literal dramatic qualities of the ghost device than the figurative and subtextual, but the quote at least jumpstarted my thinking. Initially I had thought about simply outlining how ghosts have been applied to different film genres, but then I fortunately switched my goal to seek out ten specific ghost films (from the seemingly thousands out there) that utilize the device for more meaningful purpose. Poltergeist (1982) and Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) Ghosts = Threat to Middle-Class In his book Media Culture: Cutural Studies, Identity and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern, critical theorist Douglas Kellner points to a multitude of ideas represented by the ghosts haunting the Freeling family in Poltergeist. In fact, these ideas are discussed over 11 pages (viewable on Google Book Search), also concern the first sequel, Poltergeist II: The Other Side, and include everything from threats of TV’s hold on children to the disintegration of the 1960s counterculture. Generally, though, Kellner sees the first two Poltergeist movies as being about threats to the middle-class and nuclear family in an era of economic insecurity. The ghosts in Poltergeist, Kellner argues, stand in for working-class and racial “others,” and they signify in their actions the break-up of the family unit and fears of losing one’s home and job. With these representations in mind, it’s not so unnecessary, perhaps, that a remake of Poltergeist is currently in the works. The Amityville Horror (1979)  Ghosts = Financial Insecurity This is merely a companion to the Poltergeist films in terms of its ghosts’ representation, but seeing as it was released prior to the first Poltergeist film and it received its allegorical reading from none other than Stephen King (in an article titled “Why We Crave Horror Movies” published in Playboy, quoted in Kellner’s book), I had to include it. Here is what King had to say about the film: “The movie might as well have been subtitled ‘The Horror of the Shrinking Bank Account’…. The Amityville Horror, beneath its ghost-story exterior, is really a financial demolition derby.” Ghostbusters (1984)  Ghosts = Obesity or Scum of Old New York Although it was meant as a joke, the Volkswagon ad in which a projectionist argues his idea that Ghostbusters is a serious warning about the obesity epidemic facing America isn’t completely ridiculous. The points about blobby figures, Dana’s fridge and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man are fair evidence for such an argument. But I’m slightly more interested in the “libertarian” reading of the ghosts as representations of old New York, particularly the filthy, near-bankrupt old New York of the decade preceding the film’s release, which was recently proposed by Karina on this very blog. The Ghostbusters as gentrifying force and pre-Giuliani city-sweepers is interesting, though it might have been more clearly conveyed if some ghosts were in Warriors-like gangs and/or peddling porn in Times Square and/or getting kids hooked on “slime” that can be smoked through a pipe. But I do love the idea that the ghosts are a threat to primarily wealthy New Yorkers just as in real-life it was the homeless and other scum clashing with the new money Manhattanites. Karina also sees the ghosts in the film as a sort of reminder of the New York history that goes back further than the financial and criminal problems of the ‘60s and ‘70s: “Ghostbusters plays on an entire city’s anxieties that, as renters, our spaces don’t belong to us, that there’s a history to our homes that we’ll never know, and probably shouldn’t know.” The Sixth Sense (1999)  Ghosts = Insignificance I love facetious readings of movies, both because I think film scholarship is sometimes too serious and because I think such readings can often be taken more seriously than intended. I’ve already pointed to one example with the VW Ghostbusters ad (there’s a whole series of these ads, of which I find the Toy Story one to be the most hilarious and cogent). Now, I present a humorous address of the major plot hole in The Sixth Sense, part of a Cracked.com list, which asks, regarding the unlikelihood of Bruce Willis’ complete obliviousness to his ghostly existence, “What kind of lifestyle was he living before his death that would make him fail to notice that no one could see or hear him?” Implausible, sure, but it’s also representative of insecurities many of us have about our significance in the world. The Sixth Sense is therefore kind of like the antithesis to It’s a Wonderful Life by showcasing the possibility that your life is so meaningless that were you invisible or dead you would experience no difference. Ghost (1990)  Ghosts = Love’s Bond The fact that, in The Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis doesn’t notice his nonexistence even when in the presence of his wife says something about his character’s perception of and role in that marriage. On the other side of the coin, perhaps, is Demi Moore’s character in Ghost. A precursor and inferior film to Jonathan Glazer’s Birth, it deals more slightly with the same themes of faith and knowability as they pertain to love. This earlier film is far less cynical, though, evident in the employment of a literal ghost rather than simply an outlet for the dead (Ghost would be more similar to Birth if we, like Demi Moore’s character, only saw, heard and had to trust Whoopi Goldberg’s psychic character). There’s still a bit of initial skepticism that love’s bond is nothing more than shared secrets and memories (as if the first convincing evidence that Sam is there, the response “ditto,” couldn’t have been overheard by someone outside the relationship), but continued proof of the ghost’s existence turns the device into an allegory for the spiritual bond between lovers. And it’s apparently a strong enough bond to give Molly (Moore) the faith that she’s kissing her dead husband, even if it may look like she’s kissing a con woman (Goldberg). Over Her Dead Body (2008) Ghosts = Memories of Ex-Lovers Now, imagine if in Ghost, Goldberg’s character actually wanted to pursue a relationship with Molly and was unfortunately haunted by Molly’s previous lover. That’s kind of the premise behind this movie, which proves that even lame ghost movies can at least be allegorical. Here, a psychic character (Lake Bell) falls for a veterinarian (Paul Rudd) and must win his love while being literally haunted by his jealous former fiancée (Eva Longoria). Here the ghost represents that memory of an ex-lover (whether a dumper, dumped or deceased) that can torment the mind of either party in a new relationship, making it difficult to move on to or trust a new lover. Of course, Over Her Dead Body wasn’t the first movie to deal with such a theme, and you’d be better off watching something older and better, like Blithe Spirit, but I wanted to reference some bad films on this list, too. Just be glad I didn’t go ahead and include Ghost Dad as an allegory about inheritance. visit videodetective.com for more info The Univited (1944) Ghosts = Lesbians Continuing a link to the Demi Moore-Whoopi Goldberg kiss (in which Patrick Swazye’s ghost is superimposed over Goldberg to play it safe for the audience), here is a film in which a ghost actually allegorically represents the “spectral presence of lesbianism,” to borrow a phrase from film scholar Patricia White, who writes of this film and others in her look at the correlation between Hollywood ghost movies and lesbian movies in the book Uninvited: Classical Hollywood Cinema and Lesbian Representability. In addition to implying an actual lesbian relationship, which ended with the death of one of the women, the film’s ghost also seems to represent threats of maternal identification and the female Oedipus complex. Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) Ghosts = Cross-Gendered Spectatorship The ghostly theater audience members in this Tsai Ming-liang film may represent the death of the moviegoer or of cinema itself, but I also see the transvestite ghost as being representative of cross-gendered identification experienced through film spectatorship. 13 Ghosts (1960) Ghosts = Communists Okay, this one is a total stretch, but it works for me because (1) thanks to Joe Dante’s Matinee, I’ve always looked at William Castle films as having a Cold War context and (2) I’m shocked that there aren’t actually any Cold War-era films that more clearly employ ghosts as representatives of a Communist threat. I guess monsters, pod people, witches and aliens were sufficient allegories, but I also think it a missed opportunity to relate ghosts to Karl Marx’s phrase “spectre of Communism.” Anyway, in forcing this film into my wanting of such a Communist allegory, I have only this argument: the goggles used both in the film and (as one of Castle’s many gimmicks) outside the film to detect ghosts could be taken as a sort of fantasy for Americans wishing they had special goggles that could detect any Reds living among them. It’s almost like a counterpart to the goggles that detect capitalistic aliens in They Live, right? No? Well, I tried, and hopefully someone can make a modern ghost story that at least employs ghosts as terrorist allegory. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:01:25 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/17/2008 4:01:25 PMIf you took one look at the existence of the new movie Ghost Town and dismissed it on account of its familiarity, you’re ignoring the potential of one of the most valuable plot devices available to fiction. Sure, the employment of ghosts in a narrative may also be evidence of laziness, as the device is just as much a convenience as it is a useful tool for storytellers. Not everyone can be Shakespeare, and of course there is a lot of redundancy and (excuse the pun) lifelessness in the majority of movies involving ghosts. However, ghosts can also be highly representative and/or serve a film on a deeper level than the surface story. To use another pun, ghost movies are not always so transparent. Like zombies, their plot-device sibling, ghosts have a way of signifying greater ideas, subjects and themes, and aren’t always merely about scares and talking-to-thin-air gags. In a conversation with Cinematical’s Erik Davis, Ghost Town director/co-writer David Koepp had this to say about the significance of ghost stories: Part of the reason they’re so enduring is because, well, first off all they give hope — because if they are ghosts, then it means we don’t die when we die. But also because they work really well in a number of genres. Ya know, in a drama like Ghost, or a horror movie, suspense or comedy in our case — I just think they offer so many dramatic possibilities; to have someone that’s dead, but still around to talk about it really suggests a lot of great situations. Okay, so that bit of promotional fluff is actually more about the literal dramatic qualities of the ghost device than the figurative and subtextual, but the quote at least jumpstarted my thinking. Initially I had thought about simply outlining how ghosts have been applied to different film genres, but then I fortunately switched my goal to seek out ten specific ghost films (from the seemingly thousands out there) that utilize the device for more meaningful purpose. Poltergeist (1982) and Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) Ghosts = Threat to Middle-Class In his book Media Culture: Cutural Studies, Identity and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern, critical theorist Douglas Kellner points to a multitude of ideas represented by the ghosts haunting the Freeling family in Poltergeist. In fact, these ideas are discussed over 11 pages (viewable on Google Book Search), also concern the first sequel, Poltergeist II: The Other Side, and include everything from threats of TV’s hold on children to the disintegration of the 1960s counterculture. Generally, though, Kellner sees the first two Poltergeist movies as being about threats to the middle-class and nuclear family in an era of economic insecurity. The ghosts in Poltergeist, Kellner argues, stand in for working-class and racial “others,” and they signify in their actions the break-up of the family unit and fears of losing one’s home and job. With these representations in mind, it’s not so unnecessary, perhaps, that a remake of Poltergeist is currently in the works. The Amityville Horror (1979)  Ghosts = Financial Insecurity This is merely a companion to the Poltergeist films in terms of its ghosts’ representation, but seeing as it was released prior to the first Poltergeist film and it received its allegorical reading from none other than Stephen King (in an article titled “Why We Crave Horror Movies” published in Playboy, quoted in Kellner’s book), I had to include it. Here is what King had to say about the film: “The movie might as well have been subtitled ‘The Horror of the Shrinking Bank Account’…. The Amityville Horror, beneath its ghost-story exterior, is really a financial demolition derby.” Ghostbusters (1984)  Ghosts = Obesity or Scum of Old New York Although it was meant as a joke, the Volkswagon ad in which a projectionist argues his idea that Ghostbusters is a serious warning about the obesity epidemic facing America isn’t completely ridiculous. The points about blobby figures, Dana’s fridge and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man are fair evidence for such an argument. But I’m slightly more interested in the “libertarian” reading of the ghosts as representations of old New York, particularly the filthy, near-bankrupt old New York of the decade preceding the film’s release, which was recently proposed by Karina on this very blog. The Ghostbusters as gentrifying force and pre-Giuliani city-sweepers is interesting, though it might have been more clearly conveyed if some ghosts were in Warriors-like gangs and/or peddling porn in Times Square and/or getting kids hooked on “slime” that can be smoked through a pipe. But I do love the idea that the ghosts are a threat to primarily wealthy New Yorkers just as in real-life it was the homeless and other scum clashing with the new money Manhattanites. Karina also sees the ghosts in the film as a sort of reminder of the New York history that goes back further than the financial and criminal problems of the ‘60s and ‘70s: “Ghostbusters plays on an entire city’s anxieties that, as renters, our spaces don’t belong to us, that there’s a history to our homes that we’ll never know, and probably shouldn’t know.” The Sixth Sense (1999)  Ghosts = Insignificance I love facetious readings of movies, both because I think film scholarship is sometimes too serious and because I think such readings can often be taken more seriously than intended. I’ve already pointed to one example with the VW Ghostbusters ad (there’s a whole series of these ads, of which I find the Toy Story one to be the most hilarious and cogent). Now, I present a humorous address of the major plot hole in The Sixth Sense, part of a Cracked.com list, which asks, regarding the unlikelihood of Bruce Willis’ complete obliviousness to his ghostly existence, “What kind of lifestyle was he living before his death that would make him fail to notice that no one could see or hear him?” Implausible, sure, but it’s also representative of insecurities many of us have about our significance in the world. The Sixth Sense is therefore kind of like the antithesis to It’s a Wonderful Life by showcasing the possibility that your life is so meaningless that were you invisible or dead you would experience no difference. Ghost (1990)  Ghosts = Love’s Bond The fact that, in The Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis doesn’t notice his nonexistence even when in the presence of his wife says something about his character’s perception of and role in that marriage. On the other side of the coin, perhaps, is Demi Moore’s character in Ghost. A precursor and inferior film to Jonathan Glazer’s Birth, it deals more slightly with the same themes of faith and knowability as they pertain to love. This earlier film is far less cynical, though, evident in the employment of a literal ghost rather than simply an outlet for the dead (Ghost would be more similar to Birth if we, like Demi Moore’s character, only saw, heard and had to trust Whoopi Goldberg’s psychic character). There’s still a bit of initial skepticism that love’s bond is nothing more than shared secrets and memories (as if the first convincing evidence that Sam is there, the response “ditto,” couldn’t have been overheard by someone outside the relationship), but continued proof of the ghost’s existence turns the device into an allegory for the spiritual bond between lovers. And it’s apparently a strong enough bond to give Molly (Moore) the faith that she’s kissing her dead husband, even if it may look like she’s kissing a con woman (Goldberg). Over Her Dead Body (2008) Ghosts = Memories of Ex-Lovers Now, imagine if in Ghost, Goldberg’s character actually wanted to pursue a relationship with Molly and was unfortunately haunted by Molly’s previous lover. That’s kind of the premise behind this movie, which proves that even lame ghost movies can at least be allegorical. Here, a psychic character (Lake Bell) falls for a veterinarian (Paul Rudd) and must win his love while being literally haunted by his jealous former fiancée (Eva Longoria). Here the ghost represents that memory of an ex-lover (whether a dumper, dumped or deceased) that can torment the mind of either party in a new relationship, making it difficult to move on to or trust a new lover. Of course, Over Her Dead Body wasn’t the first movie to deal with such a theme, and you’d be better off watching something older and better, like Blithe Spirit, but I wanted to reference some bad films on this list, too. Just be glad I didn’t go ahead and include Ghost Dad as an allegory about inheritance. visit videodetective.com for more info The Univited (1944) Ghosts = Lesbians Continuing a link to the Demi Moore-Whoopi Goldberg kiss (in which Patrick Swazye’s ghost is superimposed over Goldberg to play it safe for the audience), here is a film in which a ghost actually allegorically represents the “spectral presence of lesbianism,” to borrow a phrase from film scholar Patricia White, who writes of this film and others in her look at the correlation between Hollywood ghost movies and lesbian movies in the book Uninvited: Classical Hollywood Cinema and Lesbian Representability. In addition to implying an actual lesbian relationship, which ended with the death of one of the women, the film’s ghost also seems to represent threats of maternal identification and the female Oedipus complex. Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) Ghosts = Cross-Gendered Spectatorship The ghostly theater audience members in this Tsai Ming-liang film may represent the death of the moviegoer or of cinema itself, but I also see the transvestite ghost as being representative of cross-gendered identification experienced through film spectatorship. 13 Ghosts (1960) Ghosts = Communists Okay, this one is a total stretch, but it works for me because (1) thanks to Joe Dante’s Matinee, I’ve always looked at William Castle films as having a Cold War context and (2) I’m shocked that there aren’t actually any Cold War-era films that more clearly employ ghosts as representatives of a Communist threat. I guess monsters, pod people, witches and aliens were sufficient allegories, but I also think it a missed opportunity to relate ghosts to Karl Marx’s phrase “spectre of Communism.” Anyway, in forcing this film into my wanting of such a Communist allegory, I have only this argument: the goggles used both in the film and (as one of Castle’s many gimmicks) outside the film to detect ghosts could be taken as a sort of fantasy for Americans wishing they had special goggles that could detect any Reds living among them. It’s almost like a counterpart to the goggles that detect capitalistic aliens in They Live, right? No? Well, I tried, and hopefully someone can make a modern ghost story that at least employs ghosts as terrorist allegory. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/New_Movies_Week_of_9_19/216/35149/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 9/15/2008 12:26:39 PM
Body: We are rolling now, look at all of these new movies! Some of the more interesting stuff will only be in limited release this Friday, but some of the films seem worth the wait. WIDE RELEASE 1. Ghost Town -- I think Ricky Gervais is hilarious, but this movie seems like something his character in Extras would be forced to do for money. The poster feels like a parody of ghost movies: The story is that Gervais' character dies for seven minutes, ennabling him to see and communicate with dead souls. What is the best ghost-talk movie out there? I haven't seen Ghost. 2. Igor -- John Cusack provides the voice of Igor in this animated feature (from MGM, not Dreamworks or Pixar). Igor's a lowly lab assistant to a mad scientist, but he apires to win first place at the annual Evil Science Fair. It's supposed to spoof a lot of monster flick cliches, which could be interesting. 3. Lakeview Terrace -- I've never seen Samuel L. Jackson so creepy or anal retentive. To me the trailer makes the movie look very intense and unfulfilling, which would make it the second intense/unfulfilling movie starring Patrick Wilson. Anyone see Hard Candy? Holy crap! So draining I burned about 1000 calories just sitting there watching it, but that's not necessarily a recommendation. However, Lakeview Terrace is directed by Neil LaBute, who despite a recent stinker (the Wicker Man remake) is an interesting filmmaker. What do you guys think, are Nurse Betty and In the Company of Men also unfulfilling? 4. My Best Friend's Girl -- When Dane Cook takes out your ex, he shows her such a horrible time that she comes running back to you. With this movie and Good Luck Chuck, it looks like Cook is carving out his own niche -- romantic comedies in which he's a lucky charm. I'll pass. LIMITED RELEASE 5. Towelhead -- Written by the screenwriter of American Beauty, Towelhead is a coming-of-age story about 13 yr. old Jasira, Arab-American, as she struggles with racism, hypocrisy, and her own raging hormones. Also with Aaron Eckhart and Maria Bello. This looks like a winner to me. 6. The Duchess -- Keira Knightley plays the Duchess of Devonshire, the original "It Girl." 7. Appaloosa -- I'd see any western starring Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris, but even more enticing is that Harris directs. Anyone see his first film, Pollock? It was very sad, but now I don't see how a movie about Jackson Pollock could be happy. That got me thinking...has anyone seen an artist biopic that's more happy than sad? Seems like artists in movies are usually doomed. 8. Hounddog -- I never would have guessed that I'd be interested in a movie starring Dakota Fanning. She plays a southern girl dealing with poverty and an abusive father, but finds inspiration in music, particularly Elvis Presley. 9. Battle in Seattle -- Feature about the 1999 protest against the World Trade Organization. I didn't even know this event happened, so I'm going to look into it. One thing going for the movie is Woody Harrelson, who's very worth watching in his recent rolls. (No Country for Old Men, A Scanner Darkly, Prairie Home Companion Even more in limited release. Anyone excited about these films? A Thousand Years of Good Prayers Whiteout Quilombo Country Talento de Barrio Keith Smother
]]>Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:26:39 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon9/15/2008 12:26:39 PMWe are rolling now, look at all of these new movies! Some of the more interesting stuff will only be in limited release this Friday, but some of the films seem worth the wait. WIDE RELEASE 1. Ghost Town -- I think Ricky Gervais is hilarious, but this movie seems like something his character in Extras would be forced to do for money. The poster feels like a parody of ghost movies: The story is that Gervais' character dies for seven minutes, ennabling him to see and communicate with dead souls. What is the best ghost-talk movie out there? I haven't seen Ghost. 2. Igor -- John Cusack provides the voice of Igor in this animated feature (from MGM, not Dreamworks or Pixar). Igor's a lowly lab assistant to a mad scientist, but he apires to win first place at the annual Evil Science Fair. It's supposed to spoof a lot of monster flick cliches, which could be interesting. 3. Lakeview Terrace -- I've never seen Samuel L. Jackson so creepy or anal retentive. To me the trailer makes the movie look very intense and unfulfilling, which would make it the second intense/unfulfilling movie starring Patrick Wilson. Anyone see Hard Candy? Holy crap! So draining I burned about 1000 calories just sitting there watching it, but that's not necessarily a recommendation. However, Lakeview Terrace is directed by Neil LaBute, who despite a recent stinker (the Wicker Man remake) is an interesting filmmaker. What do you guys think, are Nurse Betty and In the Company of Men also unfulfilling? 4. My Best Friend's Girl -- When Dane Cook takes out your ex, he shows her such a horrible time that she comes running back to you. With this movie and Good Luck Chuck, it looks like Cook is carving out his own niche -- romantic comedies in which he's a lucky charm. I'll pass. LIMITED RELEASE 5. Towelhead -- Written by the screenwriter of American Beauty, Towelhead is a coming-of-age story about 13 yr. old Jasira, Arab-American, as she struggles with racism, hypocrisy, and her own raging hormones. Also with Aaron Eckhart and Maria Bello. This looks like a winner to me. 6. The Duchess -- Keira Knightley plays the Duchess of Devonshire, the original "It Girl." 7. Appaloosa -- I'd see any western starring Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris, but even more enticing is that Harris directs. Anyone see his first film, Pollock? It was very sad, but now I don't see how a movie about Jackson Pollock could be happy. That got me thinking...has anyone seen an artist biopic that's more happy than sad? Seems like artists in movies are usually doomed. 8. Hounddog -- I never would have guessed that I'd be interested in a movie starring Dakota Fanning. She plays a southern girl dealing with poverty and an abusive father, but finds inspiration in music, particularly Elvis Presley. 9. Battle in Seattle -- Feature about the 1999 protest against the World Trade Organization. I didn't even know this event happened, so I'm going to look into it. One thing going for the movie is Woody Harrelson, who's very worth watching in his recent rolls. (No Country for Old Men, A Scanner Darkly, Prairie Home Companion Even more in limited release. Anyone excited about these films? A Thousand Years of Good Prayers Whiteout Quilombo Country Talento de Barrio Keith Smother http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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]]>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:48:32 GMT2522252Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Toronto-Film-Fest-2008/MemberTagFilms.aspxToronto-Film-Fest-2008
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]]>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:48:40 GMT2522252Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/verynewyork/MemberTagFilms.aspxverynewyork
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