Archive for September, 2009

TIFF

For those of us unable to join in the festivities at Toronto for their international film festival we are unfortunately relegated to following blogs and twitter updates to get the latest scoop on the movies we’re anxious to see.

Of the many blogs documenting the event, one  has so far stood out as being particularly entertaining. James Berardinelli of ReelViews.net provides an unabashedly subjective viewpoint on the “hottest” films at the festival, along with a couple no-names. To say that he’s not afraid to share his voice is laying it on thin, but nevertheless he’s a competent writer and has a high movie IQ.

For those who wish to find one, or another way of following the goings-on at TIFF the ReelViews.net blog is a recommended place to do so. Click here to start reading from his first post at TIFF on September 10th.

9 - Produced by Tim Burton

Director: Shane Acker (9 (2005; short))

Screenplay: Pamela Pettler

Story: Shane Acker

Cast: Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, Crispin Glover

Length: 1h 20m

Synopsis: Thanks to mankind’s technological ambitions the world is now ruled by the machines it created. Man himself has long been extinct, and all that is left of actual life can be found in a small group of mechanical dolls that are the creations of the very scientist who helped spawn the race of machines that led to man’s demise. The goal of the living dolls becomes clear: survive at any cost and keep life alive. Read the rest of this entry »

District 9

I came across a particularly interesting review of District 9, written by a reverend named Robert Barron. Published for WordOnFire.org, Fr. Barron brings up an interesting interpretation of the film’s main conflict between the aliens and humans, referencing such philosophers as Hegel and Levinas. Without giving anything away, the philosophical relationship that is introduced is one of the most valid that has been mentioned in any review about the film I have yet read. It is worth a good, contemplative look, and instantly makes Fr. Barron a reviewer to keep an eye on.

Also, if you haven’t already, check out our review of District 9 here.

TIFF

ComingSoon.net has released a thorough preview of the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), listing a number of films that are supposed to have some of the most anticipated premieres of the year.

The festival’s status ranks among Cannes and Sundance, which means all the debuting films, and their filmmakers, will be vying for top distribution liberties from big and small studios alike. And bigger films, such as Soderburgh’s Informant! starring Matt Damon, will be seeking early Oscar buzz from critics.

Attending the festival is surely not a option for most of us, but stay tuned for what the word will be about these much anticipated movies.

Stanley Anne Dunham with young Barack Obama

Aloe Entertainment and other studios are currently in works to produce a documentary on President Barack Obama’s mother, Stanley Anne Dunham.

The film is expected to be a biography of her life as a woman who raised young Barack in Indonesia and Hawaii, as well as her work in Third World microfinance which was particularly aimed at helping women.

“She gave a lot of the backbone to our current president and his compassion to the people,” said Mary Aloe, who is executive producing. “With these small-scale economies, she took a concept that was emerging just as women were getting their rights and got them to think outside the box. She is a fascinating woman, and she was ahead of her time.” – Hollywood Reporter

The documentary will be titled Stanley Ann Dunham: A Most Generous Spirit and will be directed by Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep). It is scheduled to begin shooting early next year.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

The starlets of yesteryear

While perusing Turner Classic Movies’ blog, named MovieMorlocks.com, I came across an interesting post. Author “Suzidoll”, who has a PhD in film studies, has taken it upon herself to check the factual accuracy of the book “Armchair Reader: Hollywood” (author unknown), which documents various historical anecdotes and biographies of Hollywood’s oldest stars.

Suzidoll’s post meanders considerably from topic to topic, but nevertheless is rife with interesting tidbits about Joan Crawford, Francis Farmer, Lionel Barrymore, Rin Tin Tin, and others. For anyone interested in learning more about Hollywood’s past, this post should serve to further wet your appetite.

The Fantastic 4

IGN.com came out with their own dream cast for the Fantastic 4 franchise reboot that Twentieth Century Fox announced this past week was green-lighted.

The choices they picked seemed primarily based on which actors looked the most like the specific characters, each character being from seemingly no particular era in the Fantastic 4 saga, but some selections seem very intriguing.

Check out the article and see what you think, then come back and write your comments to us. We want to know what your thoughts are!

Writer/Director Mike Judge

Comingsoon.net posted an interview with Extract director Mike Judge where he talks about how he wrote the film, where his influences for it came from, as well as some other tiny bits about Office Space and Idiocracy.

The interview is over 18 minutes long, and seems really telling about how Mike Judge is as a person. His humble personality appears entirely genuine (though nothing has come about to ever challenge that impression), as he talks briefly about how having people work under him is no incentive to continue his profession as a director. Overall it is a revealing and informative interview that, if you’re a fan of Judge’s work, is worth a look.

Also be sure to read our review of Judge’s newest movie Extract, which opened this past Friday.

The Ugly Truth

Marisa –

The Ugly Truth starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler debuted on July 24, 2009.  Like any other film, the usual slew of reviews appeared; according to RottenTomatoes.com only 15% of critics recommended the film.  While reading many of the reviews yields the impression that the film is a sign of the death of the romantic comedy, there is an even more interesting trend that becomes clear regarding the course language used in the film.  Quite a number of critics complained of the film’s vulgarity not because it was more offensive than the average film, but because it was so unexpected in a romantic comedy aimed mainly at women.
Read the rest of this entry »

According to CEO of Disney Bob Iger the company’s buying of Marvel Entertainment was the latest step in their plans to reformulate the quality of their products, aiming to appeal to wider audiences and earn better returns.

In an article from Variety.com, Disney’s plans are candidly explained regarding how the entertainment powerhouse plans on dealing with the recession, as well as a recent string of unsuccessful films (Race to Witch Mountain, Bedtime Stories, Confessions of a Shopaholic).

The article goes into great detail, at length, providing enough information about Disney’s upcoming plans that a comprehensive calender could be constructed if one was so inclined to record one. All in all it is very informative and illustrates a relatively clear picture of what audiences and fans can expect from the “Mouse House” in the immediate and intermediate future.