New Year New Start

Happy Holidays to all of my dedicated readers!  As we close out 2008 and ring in 2009, just wanted to give you all an idea of what's to come from the Cinescapist. 

First, to start the year, I'm gonna actually try out doing some real "blogging," rather than sporadic posting.  What the emphasis will be on, is the awards season, especially the Oscars.  Since we're getting into the meat of the season, no better time to get up to date on what's going on with the year end awards.

After that, I'm gonna go back to trying a few things, but mostly regular posting.  The biggest change is that I'm gonna try to get a regular column going.  Like once a week have a column that might cover a variety of different topics, and might be broad or specific, not too sure.  Basically, I want to give you all something a bit more regular, rather than just sporadic posts.  Plus, it'll keep me more disciplined.

Also, I haven't forgotten a standard top 10 list for 2008.  Even though it wasn't as strong a year as last year, and the second half was a bit more disappointing than expected, I think it's still important to do one to illuminate some really great films that you all should check out.

So, that's where 2009 will be headed.  Please spread the word, hopefully I'll have some great stuff that'll reward my faithful readers.

As always, comments are welcome and appreciated!  Happy New Year!

Changing of the Guard

Hey Cinescapists!
I meant to get this post up a month ago, since it's timely after the election and all, so sorry for the delay.
But anyway, a new era has dawned, a changing of the guard. In a few short weeks, Barack Obama will officially be the 44th President of the United States. While this will actually have quite the affect on the national and international culture as a whole, it'll probably have just as profound affect on Popular Culture as well. As the nation's attitude about the future changes from discouragement to hope, it's very possible that we'll see a change in the type of movies that audiences champion. In the past few years, we've seen a clear pattern of types of films that are both popular with critics and audiences, and they tend to be films that either deal with darker themes and anti-heroic characters, or wildly unrealistic fantasies featuring flawed superheroes. To find examples, we only need to look back to the past few years, when movies like THE DEPARTED and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN won Best Picture, and SPIDERMAN 3 and IRON MAN ruled the box office. In a time of political disillusionment, audiences were responding to either high forms of escape (superheroes) or characters that broke away from the norm (anti-heroes and villains). Most often, these themes combined, with more and more superhero films featuring protagonists that deal with darker issues. It was only this past summer when the culmination of superheroes and dark themes collided for massive success when THE DARK KNIGHT became a phenomenon for the ages.

What I believe we're going to see in this new era of hope is a turning away from darker films and people responding to lighter and more accessible films. There has certainly been historic precedence for this. Back in the 1970s, amidst a corrupt and failing government and disillusionment over the Vietnam War, the films that were produced and successful were ones that (like today) had darker themes. Movies like THE GODFATHER and THE EXORCIST were both the box office champs and award winners of the day. Truly not light fare. When 1976 came along, and with the Nixon administration gone and the war over, people were ready for change at the movies as well as in Washington. That was when ROCKY came out, and it was not only a huge box office hit, but also won Best Picture for that year. ROCKY changed everything for the movies that year and the years since, with more commercial movies from filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas becoming the big hits of the era.

While we're only at the beginning of this new phase, I think what we'll see is more of a change towards that positive attitude reflected in the movies that are made and become successful. Already there is a wave of films that are on the way that reflect this new change. Movies like MILK and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE are ROCKY-like stories with themes of hope centered around protagonists who are underdogs and have to overcome adversity to succeed. While I think both of these films will do extremely well critically (I'm predicting right now that SLUMDOG will win best picture), it will be interesting to see how well they do when exposed to a wide audience. Much like JUNO and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, these movies could easily find a groove in the national zeitgeist, and become champions of a broad audience. Even though both films deal with somewhat uncomfortable subject matter (violence in India, gay rights), at the core, the hopeful themes and underdog characters are elements that any audience can respond to and root for. And while I always believe the movie will always speak for itself, it certainly does help that the national sentiments of change and hope (two themes of the coming administration) will be prevalent ideals throughout the country and in our popular culture. It would have been interesting to see how both MILK and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE would have been received had they been released a year or two ago.

So while we'll have to really wait and see if change really does come to this country with the arrival of a new President, it's already clear to see that change is coming to the movies. Audiences are ready to be inspired again. They want people to root for, and causes to champion. We're becoming a glass-half full nation again, meaning we'd rather see the hero succeed rather than just the villain fail.

As always, comments are welcome and encouraged!

Get the word out!

Hello Readers!!!!

Well I'm back!  Really no excuse for the delay, but since it has been a slow fall season, there really hasn't been too much to report.  But hopefully with the Holiday movie season coming up, that'll all change.

So, being in the middle of the fall season we're really in the middle of an interesting time time of year for the movies.  Not only do we have the upcoming Holiday movie season that will bring the end of the year blockbusters but also we will get a flood of Award season hopefuls.  What this usually causes is a flood of movies, both good and bad.  While many studios are advertising and positioning their "prestige" films, a lot of times, these films usually underperform, are underwhelming, or just don't get enough attention to merit award consideration.  Are all of these films deserving of this lack of attention? Some yes, some no.  Are there a lot of movies out there that don't get ENOUGH deserving attention? Absolutely.  What's important to remember, however, is that films are made for audiences, not for critics or academy members.  We, as the audience, are the ones that determine the value of a movie.  What most movie "classics" or award winners have in common is a deep love from an audience.  "Forrest Gump," "Titanic," "The Departed," and even last year's Oscar winner "No Country For Old Men," are examples where they have won over the audience, despite critics or award campaigns.

Why I bring this up, is because at this time of year when there is a flood of movies in theaters, and a lot of mixed messages coming from critics or the news calling movies not even released yet the "Awards contender to beat," it's important that the first and last word remain with the audience.  How can anyone predict that upcoming films such as "Frost/Nixon," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," or "Revolutionary Road" are likely candidates for Best Picture?  Until these movies are seen or embraced by audiences, it's really hard to predict anything.  Therefore, what I'm urging my readers is to get out and see anything and everything.  What turns movies into classics are people discovering something new and exciting.  No one wants to be told what's good or bad, or told what's GOING to be good or bad.  There are so many movies out there that might be great, but since they don't have the major press or ads running, they may be undiscovered.  So, see something new, tell your friends what you loved recently, weather it's a dumb and fun comedy, or a moving drama, or a revelatory documentary.  There are so many great movies waiting to be discovered, and new classics just waiting for audiences to put on their shoulders.

What are some great movies out there that you've seen that people might not know about?  As always, comments are greatly welcome and encouraged!

Double Feature Fun!

Hey Cinescapists,

Just an FYI for anyone in the LA area, Thurs. Aug. 21 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood there will be a double feature screening of two of the all time classics: Ridley Scott's ALIEN and James Cameron's ALIENS.  One a sci-fi/horror masterpiece, the other an action masterpiece.  Both are absolutely amazing films, and although they belong to the same franchise and mythology, are completely distinct and artistically different films.  I'm insanely excited for this since I've never watched both back-to-back, and have never seen ALIENS on the big screen.  Check it out if you are in the area.

As always, comments are welcome and encouraged.  What is your ideal double feature?

New Posts Coming Soon

Sorry for the posting delay.  Working on a couple of new posts which should be up soon!

Let the Games Begin!

In honor of the start of the Beijing Olympics, it's only appropriate to talk about some of the great movies about the Olympic games. Actually, there's really not a whole lot of movies featuring the Olympics, but it certainly provides a compelling backdrop, weather it's a sports movie or not. Every four years, for a few weeks the world is attracted by the human drama created by obscure sports that no one watches the other 204 weeks. I think that's what makes the following movies memorable is because it exposes more of the emotion and human drama of sports rather than just the excitement of competition. Catch a couple of these before the games, you won't be disappointed and might even take more of an interest in some of the events.
CHARIOTS OF FIRE- The Olympic "prestige" film that won Best Picture in 1981, CHARIOTS OF FIRE is the story of two sprinters chasing Olympic gold in the 1924 games. It's a really compelling drama that shows the passion, dedication and sacrifice of Olympic athletes. As a runner myself, I think it does a great job in expressing the devotion runners have to their sport that many people don't get to see first hand, or really understand. It also has that really memorable Vangelis score.



COOL RUNNINGS- While most Olympic movies are already feel good movies, COOL RUNNINGS will also make you laugh. It's fun and silly at times, but has a lot of heart, and the story (based on fact) itself is pretty amazing. It's hard now not to watch the winter Olympics and not cheer on the Jamaican bobsled team.



THE CUTTING EDGE- This movie is purely a guilty pleasure, but it's still very entertaining and works well as an Olympics movie. And, it actually makes pairs figure skating seem exciting! Some of it is a bit cheesy and far fetched, and the love story doesn't work, but I think it's worthy of a spot on this list.



MIRACLE- If you're a true American, you already know the story of the US hockey team beating the Soviets in the 1980 Winter Olympics in NY. I wasn't even born yet, so it's not an event that I can truly appreciate the magnitude of. All that comes to mind when I hear of it is the famous clip with Al Michael's screaming at the end of the game. MIRACLE isn't an amazing movie, but I think it does a pretty good job at dramatizing a huge moment in United States sports history. And Kurt Russell is great in it, too.



WITHOUT LIMITS- My favorite of the bunch, and one of my faves of all time, WITHOUT LIMITS is a severely under-appreciated and underrated movie. It's the story of Steve Prefontaine, a legend to all distance runners and would have been an Olympic legend had he not died in a car accident at a young age. In the running world, his death is seen much like John Lennon's was to the music world- a hero taken too soon. The movie also contains the best running scene ever dramatized on film (the Munich Olympics race). WITHOUT LIMITS is a really well made (written and directed by Robert Towne and even produced by Tom Cruise), but unfortunately little-seen movie. Check this one out for sure.



Hopefully you'll enjoy one of two of these movies and get excited about the Olympics starting in a couple of days. As you can see, there are a lot of diverse movies about the Olympics, but all are very enjoyable and rewarding viewing experiences.

As always, comments are welcome and encouraged. What are your favorite movies that feature the Olympics? Which of the above movies do you like best?

Dailies- 8/4/08

In an effort to expand the diversity of my blog, I'm gonna try a few new kinds of columns to have, especially ones that I can post on a more regular basis. The first kind is what I'm gonna call DAILIES- meaning just random thoughts on the day's entertainment news, and also interesting links relating to the film biz. I'll try to do it with some frequency, but who knows how long that will last. Let me know what you think...

DAILIES for Monday 8/4/08

-Box office recap: THE DARK KNIGHT continues to be an unstoppable force. One note I have to say about this: I hope the repeat biz on this movie continues. One thing that's been depressing in the past few years is how quickly these megahits make their money, then disappear from movie theaters until they're on DVD in 3 months. I hope THE DARK KNIGHT breaks that trend and plays in theaters for a few more months.

- Still President Bush: The teaser trailer released last week for Oliver Stone's W was just okay, but the advertising is really intriguing. This could be an interesting movie in the fall. I'm curious to know a) if the movie will be any good and b) if audiences will respond to it.

-Rebirth of a genre?: Interesting article about PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, which after seeing I'm surprised is getting as much press as it is. While I'm sure the movie will make a bunch of money, I have a feeling audiences will be a bit disappointed. The movie is good, but not great, and certainly not as laugh out loud funny as the trailers have you believe.

-The Govenator Responds: Some interesting thoughts from the original Terminator himself. He's right about a lot of points about James Cameron's vision for the first two TERMINATOR films, but TERMINATOR: SALVATION, to me, looks pretty badass and could bring the Terminator mythology in a really cool direction.

-Hope he's okay

-Don't really care he's okay, but a crushed hand sounds pretty crappy

That's all I got for today. As always, comments are welcome and encouraged.

KNIGHTwatch continues!

While I've been floating around new ideas for posts, I feel like it's only appropriate to continue some more discussion on what is now officially a phenomenon- THE DARK KNIGHT. I don't really need to recap all of the records that are currently being smashed to pieces with each passing day, but what's exciting to observe is how truly phenomenal this movie has become. I don't feel as if I can provide an accurate in-depth review of the film until I see it again, but all I can say is after the first viewing, the film itself is truly amazing in its complexity and boldness to be more fearless than any other "comic book movie" has ever been before it. It's so well crafted that I really think that it has the feel of an instant classic. And what I mean by instant classic is that it will be a film that you'll watch in a few years for the 20th time and discover something new you never noticed the first 19 times. It's a film that people will turn on, watch and say "I forgot how good this movie is."
I think right now since most of the focus on how its doing at the box office, it's important to really appreciate what we're currently witnessing.  Not since TITANIC has a movie become this phenomenal and really gone above and beyond what anyone could ever have predicted.  As such, here's a number of reasons why THE DARK KNIGHT's record breaking run is something that is truly amazing:

1) It's a sequel- The predecessor to THE DARK KNIGHT, BATMAN BEGINS, "only" grossed $205 million at the box office back in 2005.  While the fan response to that film was very enthusiastic, it's darker and more realistic approach to the Batman mythology made it a tougher sell to audiences other than the comic fanboys.  It wasn't nearly the accessible hit that IRON MAN or SPIDERMAN was, a hit that was truly four quadrant.  This makes THE DARK KNIGHT's success phenomenal because for a sequel to a film that didn't have as broad an audience as you might think to do as well as it's doing is quite unexpected.  While THE DARK KNIGHT surpasses BATMAN BEGINS in almost every aspect, sequels rarely outgross their predecessors, especially to this high degree.

2) It's a comic book movie, but it's kinda not- When you think of the most successful comic book movies, the films that come to mind are the ones that make the comic pages come to life in a truly cinematic way.  Comic book movies are supposed to be the ultimate escapist cinema with larger than life villains, grand heroes, and action set pieces and scenarios that you wouldn't normally see in real life.  While THE DARK KNIGHT certainly has touches of all of those elements, most of them to a degree seem a bit more grounded, rather than comic panels come to life.  The internal and external conflicts the characters face in the film deal more with real human conflict rather than the conflict that a superhero or tortured supervillain must confront.  The basic point is that when you look back on the film, it's more of a crime drama than a comic book film, and the fact that audiences are responding to the film in that regard is unexpected.

3) It's a dark (no pun intended) film- If you've seen the film, you know there are moments in THE DARK KNIGHT where you just think "I would never take a kid to see this movie."  TITANIC was a movie that had something for everyone: it was a romance, and action movie, historical drama.  Everyone went to see that movie multiple times (mostly teenage girls) because it had enormous broad appeal.  THE DARK KNIGHT deals with murder, terrorism, corruption.  It's not a light movie, and many of the themes and storylines are complex and dark.  People die, the villains do truly horrible things, and the heroes aren't always the good guys.  This is a new kind of epic, and there must be something in this film that's driving people to see it two, three or four times.  Since it's so dark and tough to watch at moments, it would be very interesting to know what is drawing people to see the film multiple times.

It will be extremely fascinating to see where THE DARK KNIGHT ends up at the end of the day.  I think it will be hard to judge if it can challenge TITANIC as the box office champ, but the picture will certainly be more clear in a week or two.  This is a movie that, in a way, is rewriting the rules, and that's always a good thing.  I, for one, know that one time was certainly not enough to enjoy this "new classic."  This is a movie you don't want to miss on the big screen, and really want to enjoy as many times as you can.  This is a movie to get anyone excited about the movies.

As always comments are welcome and encouraged.  What did you think of THE DARK KNIGHT?  Where does it rank on your list of classics?

KNIGHTwatch!

Well, it's finally here. The most anticipated movie of the summer, NAY, the year, NAY, the decade!!!! Can you feel DARK KNIGHT mania????? Apparently this is a movie that's going to change superhero, crime drama, action movies, romantic comedies, and korean horror films forever!!!!In all seriousness, I really hope this movie delivers. For me, personally, the Batman franchise is one that I hold more dear to my heart than any other. The original 1989 BATMAN is the reason why I wanted to get in the movie biz in the first place. It was the first time I remember a movie being a true event surrounded by intense anticipation. That summer, my brother took me to see BATMAN five times that summer, and I can still remember how enthralled I was each time I saw it. Plus, this was back in the day before movies came out on video 3 months later, so it played throughout the entire summer. People saw it again and again the way it was meant to be seen: in a movie theater, rather than see it once in the theater and watch it again at home on video.  It was the first time I realized how truly culturally important a movie could be.
Now, THE DARK KNIGHT is about to be unleashed onto the masses, and this is the first movie in a while that has had the kind intense anticipation that a movie like the first BATMAN had. From the incredible web viral campaign, to the amazing advertising (starting with that frustratingly awesome teaser trailer last year), to the unfortunate death of Heath Ledger, to the glowing reviews, this movie has given people countless reasons to be excited. Frankly, I've loved every minute of it.
Ever since DVD, multiplexes, the internet and the importance of opening weekends, etc. movies have ceased to become true "events." With online ticketing, and an insane amount of multiplexes and screens, it's pretty easy to walk into a movie theater and get a ticket to the hottest movie playing that weekend. In fact, most high grossing movies are playing to half-empty theaters their opening nights! What's so exciting about DARK KNIGHT, is that the anticipation is so high, it's now even hard to get tickets for the opening weekend! I'm loving this because there is nothing like watching a film communally in a packed theater with people who want to have an experience at the movie theater, not just waste a couple of hours.
I really feel that this movie is going to be something special. Not only because of it already being hailed as a potential classic, but also because from a historical standpoint it's a phenomenon: something everyone is talking about, something in the news, something that will be remembered forever, regardless of how good or bad the movie really is. THE DARK KNIGHT is what a true "Event Movie" should be all about.  Like BATMAN and other event movies such as JURASSIC PARK, FORREST GUMP, and TITANIC, THE DARK KNIGHT is a film that feels like its already on its way to being a culturally important phenomenon.
So, I hope everyone enjoys the film itself, but also enjoy the hype, enjoy the experience of excitement in the movie theater that the other 200 or so people watching with you are enjoying. It's a rare thing these days, and it's why I love these kinds of movies.

As always, comments are welcome and encouraged. What did you think of the movie?? What movie do you remember that was a true "event" for you?

2008 Mid-Year Review (Part 2)

While 2008 has had its fair share of successes, it's also had its share of disappointments. With each passing year, a few films come along and give hope that maybe Hollywood has finally found the formula to making big, studio movies mean something more than just cheap laughs or explosions. However, with the nature of the biz (meaning money), it's pretty inevitable that there will always be a few disappointments. Not to say that the following movies didn't have something to offer, they just didn't deliver the fulfilling experience that you always hope you're gonna have when you leave the theater.

Disappointments

THE LOVE GURU: A couple of years ago I was fortunate to be one of the few to read this script, and I thought it was hilarious. It seemed like a return to form for Mike Myers and had that AUSTIN POWERS feel to it. Unfortunately, that's what DIDN'T work in the film. It seemed very dated, and a lot of the jokes just fall flat. While Myers is funny in the film, all the other elements are just disappointing.

YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN: A movie written by Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel and Judd Apatow? You would think it wouldn't miss the mark, but ZOHAN is just a bit too overblown and silly to make it feel truly fresh. The concept is great, the Zohan character has its moments, but too many raunchy sex jokes and tiredness of the Adam Sandler-branded comedy make this one a disappointment.

INDY 4: I was really torn about putting this on my disappointment list, but the more I think about it, its a disappointment for what it COULD have been. The first half was great, a nice return to form for Spielberg, but I have to agree with the masses and say that the CGI bugged me a bit and did take me out of the movie. Not a terrible movie, just not what I was hoping for a movie I waited 19 years to see.

WORST

SEMI-PRO: Yet another comedy I had really high hopes for. I read this script for this as well and laughed my ass off. Yet, as I watched this movie, SO much of it played horribly. It was the first time I got sick of seeing Will Ferrell do his over the top acting, and by the middle of the movie, no one in the theater was laughing any more.

SPEED RACER: Wow, I really didn't like this one at all. I know it has its fans, but it was just too bizarre and the story just didn't get me at all (Corporate revenge combined with a family drama????). Even the racing scenes didn't thrill me like they did for others. In my eyes, the Wachowskis haven't really proven themselves since the original MATRIX.

HANCOCK: A schizophrenic mess. First half was really interesting, but in the second half it becomes a TOTALLY different story, which isn't a good story to begin with. I may have to write a whole column about this, but I have to say, I get angry when movies like this make money because it just excuses lazy filmmaking, as exhibited in HANCOCK.

So that concludes the year (so far) in review. What about you? Which movies were you disappointed by? Which ones did you hate? As always, comments are welcome and encouraged!

2008 Mid-Year Review (Part 1)

So for my first substantial post, I figured the timing was appropriate for a Year (so far) in review.  The early part of the year felt a bit weak to me in terms of quality releases, and also just sheer volume of anything worth getting excited about.  However, I feel like the summer season has been proving itself noteworthy so far.  This year has already seen its fair share of potential classics, sleepers, disappointments and complete failures, so what follows are a few movies for each of those categories.  Part 1 is my Favorites of the year so far and Sleepers, Part 2 will be the Disappointments and Worst of the year, as well as my most anticipated movies for the 2nd half of 2008.  

Favorites

IRON MAN: This one really kicked off the summer season with a satisfying bang.  Like BATMAN BEGINS, it was a well-crafted movie that placed the story and characters first, and it made for a more rewarding film.  I also think, like BATMAN BEGINS and SPIDERMAN 1, this one is just a set up for what could be a really amazing sequel.

WALL-E: I think WALL-E is gonna be one of those movies that gets better and more appreciated over time, more so than some of the previous Pixar films.  Besides TOY STORY, WALL-E is probably my favorite Pixar film so far.  It just got everything right and is exhilarating, emotional and most of all a lot of fun.

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL: Definitely the comedy to beat this year.  Smart writing, great cast, and a story that anyone can relate to.  It also has amazing comedic moments that are pretty memorable.  Along with SUPERBAD and 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, it's one of the best Apatow-produced comedies. 

SLEEPERS (movies that took me by surprise)

KUNG-FU PANDA: I have to say, I was VERY surprised by this one.  If you're a fan of SHREK, or any of those animated comedies that has a lot of humor that appeals to adults, than you'll love KUNG FU PANDA.  The animation was pretty amazing during some scenes, and there were times I laughed aloud while watching.  Smart humor, great animation, a simple story well told.

WANTED: WANTED isn't an amazing film, or a groundbreaking one, but it's just a lot of fun.  I'm a big big fan of the director, Timur Bekmambetov, and there were a lot of elements that were similar to his past films.  The story is really rediculous, but the action is totally kick ass.  I wish there were more R-rated action movies like this being made.

CLOVERFIELD: Although this one had a lot of hype upon its release, I'm putting it as one of my surprises because I really admired the filmmakers for having the balls to put out a movie like this.  It was a pretty intense experience watching this in the theater, partly because of the gimick of it being "real" and also because of the smart advertising campaign that didn't give any of the best secrets away. 

So there's Part 1 of the 2008 review.  Let me know what you think about movies you've seen that you've loved, which ones took you by surprise, etc.  See ya for Part 2!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Cinescapist blog! Inspired by some of my blogging friends I decided to join the blogosphere in hopes of contributing a (hopefully) interesting point of view on the film industry. Growing up, I was always interested in reading any and everything on not just movies themselves, but also about the movie business. This included magazines including Premiere, Entertainment Weekly, Cinescape, Movieline, etc. where film was usually discussed in a more meaningful way, rather than as just mindless, Access Hollywood-type gossip.
What I hope to achieve is to provide some insight to the casual moviegoer that might make films, weather they be blockbusters, indies, award contenders, etc, as meaningful as they are to me. Also, I hope that any reader can gain some more interest in the actual workings of the movie-biz, and again, see a point of view that you can't get from everyday media.
What I'm going to attempt is to provide some variety in various posts. I'll certainly include the obvious reviews of new and up coming movies, but since everyone seems to have an opinion on the movies they see, I don't want that to be the main focus. It also won't be too much straight news reporting, since you can already find many sites that do this already (all listed in my links section) In addition, my posting will include some enlightenment on up and coming movies, comments on current issues involving the biz, and other perspectives on the industry that will make movies a bit more interesting to the average film goer.
As always, comments and suggestions are welcome and greatly encouraged. Enjoy!