list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Towelhead 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/Towelhead/347654/default.aspx Title: Towelhead
Year: 2008
Director: Alan Ball
Plot: Six Feet Under creator and American Beauty screenwriter Alan Ball makes his feature directorial debut with this screen adaptation of author Alicia Erian's controversial novel Towelhead. Jasira (Summer Bishil) is a 13-year-old Arab-American who leaves behind her self-centered mother (Maria Bello) and raptorial boyfriend in favor of living with her stern Lebanese father Rifat (Peter MacDissi). Rifat lives in a modest, suburban Texas home next to a racist reservist (Aaron Eckhart) and a hormone-driven African-American teen (Eugene Jones) -- the latter of whom quickly becomes Jasira's boyfriend. As America launches their initial invasion of Iraq, Jasira finds herself caught up in a potentially explosive situation that is only compounded by the growing, post-9/11 hysteria about Arabs and the snooping of her pregnant, busybody neighbor (Toni Collette). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 50
Number of Lists: 3
Number of blog posts: 4
Number of discussion threads: 5
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:22:33 GMTTowelhead2008Alan Ball<a href="http://www.spout.com/films/202386/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Six Feet Under</a> creator and <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/134793/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>American Beauty</a> screenwriter <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___271194/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Alan Ball</a> makes his feature directorial debut with this screen adaptation of author Alicia Erian's controversial novel Towelhead. Jasira (Summer Bishil) is a 13-year-old Arab-American who leaves behind her self-centered mother (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___263285/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Maria Bello</a>) and raptorial boyfriend in favor of living with her stern Lebanese father Rifat (Peter MacDissi). Rifat lives in a modest, suburban Texas home next to a racist reservist (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___223098/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Aaron Eckhart</a>) and a hormone-driven African-American teen (Eugene Jones) -- the latter of whom quickly becomes Jasira's boyfriend. As America launches their initial invasion of Iraq, Jasira finds herself caught up in a potentially explosive situation that is only compounded by the growing, post-9/11 hysteria about Arabs and the snooping of her pregnant, busybody neighbor (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____14165/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Toni Collette</a>). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide50Tag Target (>10)3453http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s347654.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Towelhead/347654/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/mconrad3/archive/2009/2/3/40224.aspx Post By: mconrad3
Post To: mconrad3 Blog
Post Date: 2/3/2009 10:22:33 PM
Body: I accidentally my entire review for this film so I'll keep it brief. Some parts are interesting. All of the characters save the lead are cardboard cutouts. It's more uncomfortable to watch than a film I saw some years ago called Ken Park. There seems to be some semblence of a narrative towards the second half. The issue with this is the first hour is spent sending Jasira (Bishil) jump in an out of every possible life crisis a teenager could ever possible have to deal with save teen pregnancy. I haven't led a sheltered life, and I've experience some of these crisis through friends, family, and personally. My issue is that it's hard to believe one person can go through it all in a matter of months.
]]>Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:22:33 GMTmconrad3mconrad3 Blog2/3/2009 10:22:33 PMI accidentally my entire review for this film so I'll keep it brief. Some parts are interesting. All of the characters save the lead are cardboard cutouts. It's more uncomfortable to watch than a film I saw some years ago called Ken Park. There seems to be some semblence of a narrative towards the second half. The issue with this is the first hour is spent sending Jasira (Bishil) jump in an out of every possible life crisis a teenager could ever possible have to deal with save teen pregnancy. I haven't led a sheltered life, and I've experience some of these crisis through friends, family, and personally. My issue is that it's hard to believe one person can go through it all in a matter of months. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_January_19_Neighborhood_Watch/625/39683/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 1/19/2009 8:49:09 PM
Body: The 'Burbs - Tom Hanks as his goofy best. And Corey Feldman! Towelhead - Just saw it and really got into all the drama. Great sexual discovery flick set in the early 1990's. Edward Scissorhands - No explanation needed.
]]>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:49:09 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme1/19/2009 8:49:09 PMThe 'Burbs - Tom Hanks as his goofy best. And Corey Feldman! Towelhead - Just saw it and really got into all the drama. Great sexual discovery flick set in the early 1990's. Edward Scissorhands - No explanation needed. http://www.spout.com/blogs/mercurial/archive/2009/1/7/39225.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: a filmblog
Post Date: 1/7/2009 9:54:40 PM
Body: Despite the rather abrupt title that immediately thrusts the themes of racism and prejudice examined throughout the film into the forefront, Towelhead is more intimately tied to a young girl's painful journey from the ignorance of childhood to the harsh realities of adolescence. After complications arise with her mother's new beau, Jasira (Summer Bishil) is forcibly shipped to her father's (Peter Macdissi) suburban home deep in the heart of Texas. Unaccustomed to his strict cultural notions of propriety that are tied to his Lebanese heritage, Jasira's sexual awakening after the onset of menstruation marks the first of many excruciating hardships brought on by puberty and the lack of a figure in her life to properly explain and guide her through it. Sufficiently confused but exceedingly more curious, Jasira's encounters with an amorous neighbor (Aaron Eckhart), a new boyfriend (Eugene Jones), and a concerned neighbor (Toni Collette) culminate into an unnerving and emotionally charged viewing experience.
]]>Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:54:40 GMTmercuriala filmblog1/7/2009 9:54:40 PMDespite the rather abrupt title that immediately thrusts the themes of racism and prejudice examined throughout the film into the forefront, Towelhead is more intimately tied to a young girl's painful journey from the ignorance of childhood to the harsh realities of adolescence. After complications arise with her mother's new beau, Jasira (Summer Bishil) is forcibly shipped to her father's (Peter Macdissi) suburban home deep in the heart of Texas. Unaccustomed to his strict cultural notions of propriety that are tied to his Lebanese heritage, Jasira's sexual awakening after the onset of menstruation marks the first of many excruciating hardships brought on by puberty and the lack of a figure in her life to properly explain and guide her through it. Sufficiently confused but exceedingly more curious, Jasira's encounters with an amorous neighbor (Aaron Eckhart), a new boyfriend (Eugene Jones), and a concerned neighbor (Toni Collette) culminate into an unnerving and emotionally charged viewing experience. 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/Community_Recommendations/Re_Collaboration_Best_Films_of_2008/643/38152/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 12/9/2008 6:30:49 PM
Body: Liked these (in no particular order): Cloverfield Incredible theatrical experience. Might be hampered watching at home. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Cutesy teen flick. Had a great 80's feel to it. Hamlet 2 Perverse and just plain hilarious throughout. Great original music. House Bunny I'm a sucker for Anna Faris and she plays a ditzy Playmate perfectly. The Dark Knight A comic geek's wet dream. My Winnipeg Immensely creative, original film. A flurry of emotions in a bizarre little package. WALL-E Heartbreakingly sentimental love story; action packed galactic adventure. Iron Man Another comic geek's wet dream. And Robert Downey Jr. Nuff said. The Fall Just insanely wondrous film. Deserves the comparisons to The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Speed Racer Seizure inducing fanboy fun. Savage Grace Frightening 'Based on a True Story' film. Amazing performances. The Strangers Nothing new, but executed perfectly. Dark, abysmal terror. My Blueberry Nights Subtle, nuanced performances and beautiful direction. Packed with emotion. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day Carefree, fanciful period flick. Amy Adams and Frances McDormand are a perfect slapstick duo on screen. Jumper Big budget Sci-Fi blockbuster without all the annoying garnishes. Watching the Detectives Made for cinephiles about cinephiles. Hokey fun. Movies that might be on my list that I haven't seen yet: Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Spirit Doubt The Wrestler The Brothers Bloom Revolutionary Road Repo! The Genetic Opera Humboldt County Just Buried Milk Australia Rachel Getting Married W. Fear(s) of the Dark Synecdoche, New York Zack and Miri Make a Porno Towelhead Vicky Cristina Barcelona The Wackness Brideshead Revisited Glass: A Portrait in Twelve Parts
]]>Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:30:49 GMTmercurialCommunity Recommendations12/9/2008 6:30:49 PMLiked these (in no particular order): Cloverfield Incredible theatrical experience. Might be hampered watching at home. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Cutesy teen flick. Had a great 80's feel to it. Hamlet 2 Perverse and just plain hilarious throughout. Great original music. House Bunny I'm a sucker for Anna Faris and she plays a ditzy Playmate perfectly. The Dark Knight A comic geek's wet dream. My Winnipeg Immensely creative, original film. A flurry of emotions in a bizarre little package. WALL-E Heartbreakingly sentimental love story; action packed galactic adventure. Iron Man Another comic geek's wet dream. And Robert Downey Jr. Nuff said. The Fall Just insanely wondrous film. Deserves the comparisons to The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Speed Racer Seizure inducing fanboy fun. Savage Grace Frightening 'Based on a True Story' film. Amazing performances. The Strangers Nothing new, but executed perfectly. Dark, abysmal terror. My Blueberry Nights Subtle, nuanced performances and beautiful direction. Packed with emotion. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day Carefree, fanciful period flick. Amy Adams and Frances McDormand are a perfect slapstick duo on screen. Jumper Big budget Sci-Fi blockbuster without all the annoying garnishes. Watching the Detectives Made for cinephiles about cinephiles. Hokey fun. Movies that might be on my list that I haven't seen yet: Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Spirit Doubt The Wrestler The Brothers Bloom Revolutionary Road Repo! The Genetic Opera Humboldt County Just Buried Milk Australia Rachel Getting Married W. Fear(s) of the Dark Synecdoche, New York Zack and Miri Make a Porno Towelhead Vicky Cristina Barcelona The Wackness Brideshead Revisited Glass: A Portrait in Twelve Parts http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/New_Movies_Week_of_9_26_Shia_LaBeouf_censorship/216/35395/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 9/22/2008 4:40:11 PM
Body: New Movies Week of 9/26 Eagle Eye Spout's giving away five Eagle Eye swag packages this week. Each package includes an Eagle Eye zip-up hoodie, t-shirt, and flash drive pen (which is total spy gear: a pen and a flash drive). Find out how to win. Eagle Eye makes the second Hitchcock-inspired flick from Shia LaBeouf and director D.J. Caruso. Eagle Eye sounds a lot like The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Disturbia (was this good?) is a teen update of Rear Window. Would you like to see LaBeouf in another Hitchcock update? Would he make a good Norman Bates? I'll say this for the young man--he's starting to pull off being a sex sybol, with or without a crushed hand. (Sorry to hear about that Shia; it'll just make you more impressive, though.) Did anyone out there think he was the best part of Indiana Jones 4? "What is that? Oh, that's just a thing." Michelle Monaghan was good in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang but the chemistry between Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer stole that show. Miracle at St. Anna It's a shame that Spike Lee's new movie isn't impressing anyone, because I think it looks really interesting. It made me realize I've never seen a WWII movie about an all-black "Buffalo Soldier" unit. Maybe that's because America prefers to think of themselves as the unambiguous good guys during WWII? Thoughts on this?Also, I haven't seen many Spike Lee movies but I really liked Inside Man. Nights in Rodanthe Diane Lane and Richard Gere in an adaptation from a Nicholas Sparks (Message in a Bottle, The Notebook). I like Diane Lane, she was great in that TV miniseries Lonesome Dove. It also stars Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall, and the moral universe of it feels kind of like No Country for Old Men. Richard Gere on the other hand--sure he's good-looking, but otherwise I can't figure out the appeal. The only thing I've liked him in is the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There. Towelhead is in wide release now. Anyone seen this yet? I'm pretty interested. LIMITED RELEASE Blindness Wow, this sounds interesting to me: when a sudden plague of blindness strikes a city, the afflicted must band together to survive the cruel conditions of their quarantine. Starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, and Gael Garcia Bernal. This reminds me of that Stephen King TV miniseries The Stand, which I'm hoping and praying will come to DVD. Anyone remember it? I loved the crap out of it when I was 13, haven't seen it since. Choke I like Sam Rockwell, who stars in this adaptation of a Chuck Palahniuk novel. (Palahniuk also wrote Fight Club, which led to the rare case of a movie that surpasses the book.) Rockwell's charcter cruises at sex addict meetings and asks for handouts after pretending to choke in restaurants. Kevin Buist from FilmCouch saw this flick at Toronto and he didn't like it very much. He and Paul will discuss it in FilmCouch #89 (which comes out 9/26.) Forever Strong When professional rugby player Rick Penning (Sean Faris, who's also in the Fight Club-in-high-school Never Back Down) is put behind bars, the warden (Sean Astin) gives Rick a choice: stay behind bars, or play for his long-time rival, Highland Rugby. Rick chooses the latter, and bonds with his new teammates. When Rick's released from prison and returns to his old team, he's given a difficult choice to make when his team faces Highland in the National Championship. Okay, it sounds kind of formulaic but I would totally see that. Fireproof Kirk Cameron plays a firefighter who can risk his life on the job, but can't save his marriage. This one's receiving heavy promotion from Christian radio station KLOV. Question for you guys: any good movies about people trying to salvage their marriage, and the marriage works out? The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela The tag line "Not your everyday fairy tale" seems pretty accurate: Queen Raquela is a Filipina transsexual prostitute searching for her prince on the internet. Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story Atwater was many things, and different things depending on who you talk to: rogue, political assassin, godfather of American politics (he mentored Karl Rove and George W. Bush). This documentary from Stefan Forbes tries to look at all the angles of a complicated, influential guy. Lucky Ones Three troubled Iraqi veterans take a road trip across the US. The vets are Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams (I love you, dream woman!) and Michael Pena. Whaledreamers Julian Lennon produced this documentary on the relationship between whales and a tribe of aborigines. Both the whales and people group are slowly disappearing. Lennon, Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush make appearances. Obscene Documentary on Barney Rosset, the influential publisher who battled censorship (he successfully published Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer after a long legal battle) and introduced American readers to the literature of Samuel Beckett, Tom Stoppard, Harold Pinter, and Eugene Ionesco, among others. He also owned a porno theater. Humboldt County An uptight med student bonds with his pot-loving new girlfriend. Interesting cast (including Fairuza Balk and Peter Bogdanovich), so it might be more interesting than it sounds.
]]>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:40:11 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon9/22/2008 4:40:11 PMNew Movies Week of 9/26 Eagle Eye Spout's giving away five Eagle Eye swag packages this week. Each package includes an Eagle Eye zip-up hoodie, t-shirt, and flash drive pen (which is total spy gear: a pen and a flash drive). Find out how to win. Eagle Eye makes the second Hitchcock-inspired flick from Shia LaBeouf and director D.J. Caruso. Eagle Eye sounds a lot like The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Disturbia (was this good?) is a teen update of Rear Window. Would you like to see LaBeouf in another Hitchcock update? Would he make a good Norman Bates? I'll say this for the young man--he's starting to pull off being a sex sybol, with or without a crushed hand. (Sorry to hear about that Shia; it'll just make you more impressive, though.) Did anyone out there think he was the best part of Indiana Jones 4? "What is that? Oh, that's just a thing." Michelle Monaghan was good in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang but the chemistry between Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer stole that show. Miracle at St. Anna It's a shame that Spike Lee's new movie isn't impressing anyone, because I think it looks really interesting. It made me realize I've never seen a WWII movie about an all-black "Buffalo Soldier" unit. Maybe that's because America prefers to think of themselves as the unambiguous good guys during WWII? Thoughts on this?Also, I haven't seen many Spike Lee movies but I really liked Inside Man. Nights in Rodanthe Diane Lane and Richard Gere in an adaptation from a Nicholas Sparks (Message in a Bottle, The Notebook). I like Diane Lane, she was great in that TV miniseries Lonesome Dove. It also stars Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall, and the moral universe of it feels kind of like No Country for Old Men. Richard Gere on the other hand--sure he's good-looking, but otherwise I can't figure out the appeal. The only thing I've liked him in is the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There. Towelhead is in wide release now. Anyone seen this yet? I'm pretty interested. LIMITED RELEASE Blindness Wow, this sounds interesting to me: when a sudden plague of blindness strikes a city, the afflicted must band together to survive the cruel conditions of their quarantine. Starring Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, and Gael Garcia Bernal. This reminds me of that Stephen King TV miniseries The Stand, which I'm hoping and praying will come to DVD. Anyone remember it? I loved the crap out of it when I was 13, haven't seen it since. Choke I like Sam Rockwell, who stars in this adaptation of a Chuck Palahniuk novel. (Palahniuk also wrote Fight Club, which led to the rare case of a movie that surpasses the book.) Rockwell's charcter cruises at sex addict meetings and asks for handouts after pretending to choke in restaurants. Kevin Buist from FilmCouch saw this flick at Toronto and he didn't like it very much. He and Paul will discuss it in FilmCouch #89 (which comes out 9/26.) Forever Strong When professional rugby player Rick Penning (Sean Faris, who's also in the Fight Club-in-high-school Never Back Down) is put behind bars, the warden (Sean Astin) gives Rick a choice: stay behind bars, or play for his long-time rival, Highland Rugby. Rick chooses the latter, and bonds with his new teammates. When Rick's released from prison and returns to his old team, he's given a difficult choice to make when his team faces Highland in the National Championship. Okay, it sounds kind of formulaic but I would totally see that. Fireproof Kirk Cameron plays a firefighter who can risk his life on the job, but can't save his marriage. This one's receiving heavy promotion from Christian radio station KLOV. Question for you guys: any good movies about people trying to salvage their marriage, and the marriage works out? The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela The tag line "Not your everyday fairy tale" seems pretty accurate: Queen Raquela is a Filipina transsexual prostitute searching for her prince on the internet. Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story Atwater was many things, and different things depending on who you talk to: rogue, political assassin, godfather of American politics (he mentored Karl Rove and George W. Bush). This documentary from Stefan Forbes tries to look at all the angles of a complicated, influential guy. Lucky Ones Three troubled Iraqi veterans take a road trip across the US. The vets are Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams (I love you, dream woman!) and Michael Pena. Whaledreamers Julian Lennon produced this documentary on the relationship between whales and a tribe of aborigines. Both the whales and people group are slowly disappearing. Lennon, Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush make appearances. Obscene Documentary on Barney Rosset, the influential publisher who battled censorship (he successfully published Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer after a long legal battle) and introduced American readers to the literature of Samuel Beckett, Tom Stoppard, Harold Pinter, and Eugene Ionesco, among others. He also owned a porno theater. Humboldt County An uptight med student bonds with his pot-loving new girlfriend. Interesting cast (including Fairuza Balk and Peter Bogdanovich), so it might be more interesting than it sounds. 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/blogs/karina/archive/2008/8/26/34393.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 8/26/2008 12:01:15 PM
Body: Today in Possibly Fake Protests: “An Islamic civil rights and advocacy group” wants Warner Brothers to change the title of Alan Ball’s Towelhead, because they find it offensive. When Towelhead, based on a novel called Towelhead, premiered at Toronto last year, it was called Nothing is Private; they changed it to Towelhead in the hopes of drawing more attention, That was eight months ago, and no one cared. Until now! Two weeks before the movie’s release! MGM released a statement denying reports that the studio is for sale. Earlier this month, rumors spread that Kirk Kerkorian had made an offer to buy the studio for the 17th time, and everyone kind of assumes that Paula Wagner’s recent exit from United Artists suggests that that wing of MGM is in trouble. Reservoir Dogs, The Bank Job, Gods and Monsters, Girl With a Pearl Earring and Requiem for a Dream are among the Lionsgate titles now available for online download via a deal between the studio and Jaman.com. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:01:15 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog8/26/2008 12:01:15 PM Today in Possibly Fake Protests: “An Islamic civil rights and advocacy group” wants Warner Brothers to change the title of Alan Ball’s Towelhead, because they find it offensive. When Towelhead, based on a novel called Towelhead, premiered at Toronto last year, it was called Nothing is Private; they changed it to Towelhead in the hopes of drawing more attention, That was eight months ago, and no one cared. Until now! Two weeks before the movie’s release! MGM released a statement denying reports that the studio is for sale. Earlier this month, rumors spread that Kirk Kerkorian had made an offer to buy the studio for the 17th time, and everyone kind of assumes that Paula Wagner’s recent exit from United Artists suggests that that wing of MGM is in trouble. Reservoir Dogs, The Bank Job, Gods and Monsters, Girl With a Pearl Earring and Requiem for a Dream are among the Lionsgate titles now available for online download via a deal between the studio and Jaman.com. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/26/34392.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/26/2008 12:00:55 PM
Body: Today in Possibly Fake Protests: “An Islamic civil rights and advocacy group” wants Warner Brothers to change the title of Alan Ball’s Towelhead, because they find it offensive. When Towelhead, based on a novel called Towelhead, premiered at Toronto last year, it was called Nothing is Private; they changed it to Towelhead in the hopes of drawing more attention, That was eight months ago, and no one cared. Until now! Two weeks before the movie’s release! MGM released a statement denying reports that the studio is for sale. Earlier this month, rumors spread that Kirk Kerkorian had made an offer to buy the studio for the 17th time, and everyone kind of assumes that Paula Wagner’s recent exit from United Artists suggests that that wing of MGM is in trouble. Reservoir Dogs, The Bank Job, Gods and Monsters, Girl With a Pearl Earring and Requiem for a Dream are among the Lionsgate titles now available for online download via a deal between the studio and Jaman.com. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:00:55 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/26/2008 12:00:55 PM Today in Possibly Fake Protests: “An Islamic civil rights and advocacy group” wants Warner Brothers to change the title of Alan Ball’s Towelhead, because they find it offensive. When Towelhead, based on a novel called Towelhead, premiered at Toronto last year, it was called Nothing is Private; they changed it to Towelhead in the hopes of drawing more attention, That was eight months ago, and no one cared. Until now! Two weeks before the movie’s release! MGM released a statement denying reports that the studio is for sale. Earlier this month, rumors spread that Kirk Kerkorian had made an offer to buy the studio for the 17th time, and everyone kind of assumes that Paula Wagner’s recent exit from United Artists suggests that that wing of MGM is in trouble. Reservoir Dogs, The Bank Job, Gods and Monsters, Girl With a Pearl Earring and Requiem for a Dream are among the Lionsgate titles now available for online download via a deal between the studio and Jaman.com. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/war/MemberTagFilms.aspxwar
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