The explanation of Brian's joining In Contention will be in tomorrow's column, but I wanted to offer a note in this space as well, as Brian will be our latest Blog contributor in addition to his weekly "Page to Screen" columns. So keep an eye on who's posting what!
My favorite line from the script of what could be one of the film awards season's heavy-hitting contenders.
...which is premiering tonight at the Academy is, simply, a snooze. Nothing takes, nothing riles the spirit. As a documentary it is muddied and as a "Michael Moore documentary," it is impotent.
I've been meaning to make these comments for weeks now, but somehow thought I could expand them into something a little more meaty. Alas, there is not much to say other than the above. The health care nightmare still deserves a valiant documentary. "Sicko" is not it.
If critics didn't read the same handbook before reviewing a film? If I come across one more anti-"Hostel" comment in "1408" reviews I'm gonna puke. I haven't seen "Hostel 2" and will probably hate it, but jesus. The critical community can be so LAZY.
Been meaning to write something about David Milch's latest show but wanted to let the first two episodes sink in. I can't contain my glee. Jesus Fucking Christ.
"Deadwood" was the best show on television until it was cancelled. "Friday Night Lights" was probably the best thing on the tub last season, amongst a boatload of good not great programming. But "John From Cincinnati" is the first show since Milch's previous effort to reach that genius status in my mind.
Of course, we're only two episodes deep and the whole thing could sink like a rock, but something is in the air indeed. Getting into the parallels and parables represented in this thing can keep a guy up hours. An really, anything that turns an audience on to the great Kem Nunn is a beautiful thing indeed.
And did I mention JFC leads into my second favorite show? JOY!
IndianaJones.com has the pic:
Personally I wish this franchise would have stayed in the 80s. I'm terrified of this project. Terrified.
Ben Foster, for creepy-as-hell portrayals in "Alpha Dog" and "3:10 to Yuma."
I had an interesting experience viewing this film tonight. I utterly hated it for probably 60, 65 minutes. Serious rage at what I was watching. Then I fought through the bitter exterior to the warm gooey center and forgave it immensely. It's still a bad film, but...sometimes there are other things worth taking into account.
Not sure what's happening to me lately as I lighten up and find pleasure in films like "Night at the Museum." But there are some good messages flying at you and hitting you in the head in "Evan Almighty" that - call me crazy - most families in this country, devout or otherwise, could benefit from taking in for a brief 85 minutes out of their day.
So this pretty much solidifies the James Mangold remake as genre fun rather than likely for awards recognition. At the end of the day "3:10 to Yuma" should bolster the peripheral performance opportunities from Russell Crowe ("American Gangster") and Christian Bale ("Rescue Dawn").
Personally, I'm excited as hell at the mini-resurgence of the western, what with "Deadwood" and "Open Range" having come and gone and films like this and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" inching their way to the screen. It's a hell of a genre and one Hollywood should roll the dice on more often than "they" do.
"Virtuosity 2: Roles Reversed."
...looks pretty damn sweet as far as I'm concerned. And I say this not being that big a fan of any of the principal actors or filmmakers.
Comparisons to the "The Departed" will certainly arise. But I just want to see the film.
But this has been a VERY underwhelming summer to date as far as I'm concerned. The big three of May did something extraordinary at the box office, though you think with those budgets they could have put some more work into the quality department.
I should be catching up on some of the smaller titles soon. Hopefully they'll make up for it.
