Film-Snobbery

Cody's Film Review: Drive

2011-09-28T17:04:00.002-04:00

Drive is a fun and stylish film, but I didn't love it like many of my friends and critics have. This is my fault because I would have liked it more with no expectations, but when I hear "Oscar worthy" or" Best film of the year" I better see something really original and powerful. It reminded me a bit of 80's Michael Mann, but that was mainly because of the films font, music, and Ryan Gosling's character. Gosling is a quintessential Michael Mann antagonist quiet, tough, and quick to action if pushed. I was more reminded of early Tarantino and Indie action films of the mid 90's that always encompassed a great cast, style, and sharp dialogue. I wouldn't put Drive in the same category of greatness as Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, but more like True Romance and better than Tarantino rip offs like 2 Days In the Valley. The cast was good, but besides Gosling the only stand out was Albert Brooks. Every scene with Brooks is captivating and I wanted more scenes like the one between him and Gosling at the restaurant. I really enjoyed the look and pace of the film, but I was also just relieved to see an action film without 100 cuts per minute or shaky cam.I will look forward to Nicolas Refn's future projects because he has great sense of pacing and knows how to shoot an action film correctly. I feel a stronger script would help him immensely and he could add substance to his already established style. Overall I enjoyed Drive, but I felt the film was a little too simple and really lacked originality. I think the film comes off as fresh and unconventional because of all the shit Hollywood has been throwing at us the last 15 years, and basically we all long for films of the 80's. 3.5 out of 5 Stars

You know, for kids.

2011-08-05T09:02:00.014-04:00

A recent twitter debate has led me to revisit one of my favorite films as a child and defend it. I have always considered Stand By Me one of the greatest kid's movies of all time. Yes, a kid's movie. I just happened to be that age when it was released, and to me I always appreciated the fact that a movie about 12-year-olds could be written with depth and character and not just fart jokes and fall-downs. It's a coming-of-age film not only for the characters, but for the audience as well.
Our pre-teen years are usually when we start learning those hard life lessons and how to deal with them and move forward: loved ones can die prematurely, parents can be abusive, you will get bullied by older kids...and sometimes the only people that truly understand you are your friends. Each of the four boys in the film carries a heavy issue which ultimately, is their bonding point and the motivation for the story. OK, yes, Vern is mainly there for comic relief, but I'm relying on the fact that he's a fat kid and was probably beat up daily by other kids and was the motivation for Gordies story about “Lard Ass.”
As a viewer and lover of film, even at that age, it's the first adult drama I can remember seeing that was actually aimed at my demographic. I'm not saying you had to be there to appreciate it, but it did help and is a movie I would encourage other kids of that age to see. It's hard to say that I would like it as much if I had never seen it as a kid but I really think I would. It has every element that comprises a quality film and I wish filmmakers would take a mature approach to younger audiences more often.

Read The Movie Anarchist's review here

The Tree of Life (Podcast)

2011-07-28T14:46:00.008-04:00

The most anticipated film of not only this year, but the last two as well, is Terrence Malick's Tree of Life. Filmed in 2008 and held out of theaters with distribution problems, we have waited at the opportunity for a mere glimpse of it. Finally, after adverse festival reactions and mainly positive reviews we can now see it for ourselves. One thing is for sure, love it or hate it, it will have a place for discussion amongst this round table for years to come.

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2011 NBA CHAMPS! (Podcast)

2011-07-18T19:48:00.010-04:00

Before the 2010-11 NBA season, one would be hard pressed to find a more bitter sports fan than that of the Dallas Mavericks. For over thirty years we have been teased (in every sense of the word) on every level of it's meaning. A good stretch in the mid 80s only led to one conference final and then the humiliating downward spiral of the 90s. The 2000s brought us new ownership and the rise of a legitimate superstar, but the basketball gods saw fit to toy with us for yet another decade leaving the ever-growing bitter taste of defeat we were all getting used to. If you were to bring up the '06 finals to any true fan and you would have still seen the pain of loss in their eyes....yes it still did hurt, and our window was closing. The beginning of the 10-11 season did feel different. For the first time since the early 90s we had a legitimate center and the rest of the machine was working flawlessly. However, big injuries seemed to derail the defensive mentality and by the end of the regular season, it looked like this would be another one and done postseason. Instead, our beloved Mavericks nutted up and played the greatest NBA postseason a fan could imagine. Tonight we take a break from our regular movie based banter and continue to celebrate the greatest basketball season we have ever seen.

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R.I.P. Sidney Lumet (podcast)

2011-04-14T22:17:00.003-04:00

Sidney Lumet passed away Saturday Apr. 9 and on this day we pay tribute to one of the great American Filmmakers. Below is Cody's must see list of Lumet films:

Q&A (1990)
Running on Empty (1988)
The Verdict (1982)
Deathtrap (1982)
Prince of the City (1981)
Network (1976)*
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)*
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Serpico (1973)
The Offence (1972)
The Anderson Tapes (1971)
The Hill (1965)*
Fail-Safe (1964)
The Pawnbroker (1964)
Long Day's Journey into night (1962)
12 Angry Men (1957)*

*personal favorite

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Have you seen 'Tetro?' (podcast)

2011-03-31T11:25:00.003-04:00

Back in 2009, young Matt Fickel walked into a theater showing the latest film by Francis Ford Coppola, "Tetro," and walked out a changed man. Maybe that's over dramatic but hey, so is "Tetro." In all fairness, Matt has been trying to get us to see the film for months and we all finally got around to it and the following podcast is what occurred. Enjoy. (Major Spoilers)

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R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor

2011-03-25T16:54:00.007-04:00

One of the last true heavies from the Hollywood Star System has died. Although Elizabeth Taylor began at the tail end of the failing system she always had a Golden Age star quality about her. She was a bridge between the Golden Age and the Method Age, and she blended in with both. Taylor held her own with William Powell and Spencer Tracy as she did with Montgomery Clift and James Dean. Her career fell off by the late sixties, but she stayed relevant for the rest of her life. Taylor was famous first as a movie star,then her personal life(marriage, health/weight problems, and Richard Burton) and finally as an activist. She was one of the first and easily the most famous person to bring the A.I.D.S. problem into America's households. Elizabeth Taylor was more than a pretty face, she was a great actress with a lot of range. My three favorite performances from her are Giant (1956), Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?(1966),solid films that she helps carry. These are other highlights of her film career that are must sees. National Velvet (1944), Life With Father (1947), Father Of The Bride (1950), A Place In The Sun (1951) one of her best films,but this movie belongs to Monty, Raintree County (1957)another great Liz performance, and Butterfield 8 (1960) not a great film, but she was good enough to win her first of two Oscars for it. Elizabeth Taylor left behind two great legacies, iconic star and trailblazing activist,she was 79.

The Oscars post-game show 2011

2011-03-04T21:06:00.006-05:00

What the hell happened this year? Bad writing, horrible skits, and a host that looked as interested as a gay man in the playboy mansion. Hal and Cody take time out of their busy schedules to discuss the worst televised Oscar presentation....ever.

......

Below is the rejected "Grease" parody opening number...........thank God.

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Cody's 2010 Oscar Predictions

2011-02-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

My 3rd Annual Oscar predictions is here!!!! This year is a better quality of film, but it seems to be a bit tricky this year, just like every year. This is what I think will win, not what I want to win, here we go.

Best Picture- The King's Speech. I would have said The Social Network is a shoe in a month ago, but the Weinstein Machine is working overtime and it feels like Shakespeare In Love and The English Patient all over again. I liked The King's Speech, but I think it's the 6th best film nominated. Ignored: I can't really think of anything that was left out. There are still some films I haven't seen, but with 10 nomination the Academy did pretty good this year.

Best Actor-Colin Firth. I smell make up Oscar all over this one. Firth was very good in this film, but between having a speech impediment and his performance in A Single Man last year the award is his. I was glad that Jeff Bridges and Jesse Eisenberg got nominated and I really hope Bridges wins, but he won't. Ignored: Again can't really think of anyone, pretty weak category this year.

Best Actress-Natalie Portman. The strongest this category has been in years too bad it's a year too late and Sandra Bullock has the same amount of Oscars as Stanley Kubrick! I think Portman gives one her best performances ever, and now that she is pregnant the statue is hers. Ignored: I don't know.

Best Supporting Actor- Christian Bale. Every year this is the best category with the most talent, maybe this should go up to ten nominations. Bale was great and lets all hope for a freak out on stage. Ignored: Andrew Garfield and (gulp) Justin Timberlake for The Social Network. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin for True Grit. The biggest snub and second best supporting performance is Vincent Cassel in Black Swan. Portman and Cassel made that boat float.

Beat Supporting Actress-Melissa Leo. Even though she has been self sabotaging lately I think she squeaks this one out. I think her only real competition is Hailee Steinfeld and if Mrs.Tim Burton wins I will be pissed. Ignored: All of the sisters from The Fighter and Barbara Hershey and Mila Kunis from Black Swan.

Best Director-David Fincher. Fincher finally gets his Oscar and it's about time!! It's a shame his film won't get Best Picture and again the Weinsteins get a statue while their directors are left out in the cold. Ignored: Banksy!

Original Screenplay-The King's Speech. Not a strong category this year, probably because nobody seems to be writing and Hollywood isn't buying original screenplays nowadays. The Fighter is a good film, but just a newer version of Rocky. I think Inception would have a chance if it wasn't against the Oscar favorite and if didn't seem like a sequel to Flatliners. Ignored: Black Swan, it's nominated for every other category why not screen play?

Adapted Screenplay- The Social Network. Better than Original Screenplay nominations this year, and Aaron Sorkin really deserves this one. I think it is very hard to write a good contemporary history screenplay that works, and every once in awhile you get a All The President's Men or The Insider. I don't think any screenplay this year touches The Social Network, and it's the best thing about the movie. Ignored: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1. Every year a Harry Potter film comes out they ignore it. It can't be easy turning a 600 page book into a 2 hour film that keeps everyone happy.

Cinematography-The Social Network. This is very hard because The Academy is never consistent on this one. The King's Speech could win and it shouldn't have been nominated, every other film belongs. The King's Speech may win because they link this to Best Picture and not to photography, but sometimes they do. I don't know, I'm rooting for the Roger Deakins western flick.

Editing-The Kings Speech. If this film wins editing then it wins Best Picture. I think it's a toss up between this and The Social Network.Ignored: Inception and True Grit.

Foreign Film-Biutiful. I haven't seen any of the nominated films and I picked this because it has a nomination in another category.

Best Animated-Toy Story 3. What a waste of time, shouldn't this be given during the Science Awards at the local Arby's?

Art Direction,Costume Design,and Make Up-The King's Speech and The Wolfman. The Kings Speech is a period piece(instant win) and The Wolfmans got nards,ehh I mean make up monster effects. Ignored: Black Swan

Sound Editing,Mixing, and Visual Effects-Inception. Duhhhh!!!!! Ignored: Black Swan and The Social Network! Unstoppable and Iron Man 2 shouldn't exist in this world.

Score-The Social Network. I want Trent Reznor to have as many Oscars as Sandra Bullock! I wouldn't mind Inception winning.

Song-Toy Story 3.Some years this is a nice category, but this year it's just dreadful. Now that the Academy likes Randy Newman he will win 12 Oscars. Ignored: Any song from Get Him To The Greek is better than this crap.

Documentary-Restrepo. The happiest I will get on Oscar night is if Exit Through The Gift Shop wins. I think it will lose for one reason, the Academy is frightened of what Banksy will do if he wins. Too bad, because it's one of the best films of the year.

Doc Short-Killing In The Name. It's about terrorism,weddings, and religion. Nuff said.

Short Film-Wish 143. Terminally ill patient wants to lose his virginity. Nuff Nuff said. Ignored: A Man Of His Word,or will this count towards next year Timmy?

Animated Short Film-The Gruffalo. It has star power and that's my only reason.

Okay that's it, please give me feed back, I love it!!!

2010 - The Best of the Rest

2011-02-23T17:29:00.003-05:00

In the previous episode we covered the academy's favorites of 2010. Continuing that discussion brings us to our personal favorites and other notables of last year.

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2010 Best Picture Nominations (podcast)

2011-02-18T10:06:00.006-05:00

Today we begin our "Best of 2010" talk. For most of the year there was little to discuss as "Inception" and "The Social Network" dominated the war room banter, but the fall and winter seasons delivered an ultimately solid year for us. Having ten movies to debate over the title of "best picture" leaves plenty to discuss. The Doomsday Machine takes each of the nominees and debates their worthiness of the title.

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Cody's Mega Film Review

2011-02-04T14:03:00.002-05:00

The Kings Speech

This film is your typical Oscar bait that comes out this time every year, but I did enjoy this one more than most. I liked that it was a piece of history that I didn't know much about and it really kept my interest. I did know a lot about King Edwards abdication, but had no idea about George VI's speech problems, and I was intrigued on both fronts. Director Tom Hooper has shown in the past his attention to be historically accurate with HBO's Elizabeth I and John Adams, and this film is no exception. I enjoyed the the chemistry between Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush(Rush is very funny), but overall I liked the scenes with the royal family more. Guy Pearce is great as the spoiled and irresponsible King Edward and Michael Gambon is powerful as a sad and domineering King George V.*SPOILERS* My only dislike for the film is the end. I wish the King's speech would have been a recording of the real speech, it would have been more memorable and fascinating to hear the real result. The end of the film drags on for about 5-10 minutes too long. The principals are slowly walking around after the speech, head nodding, and basking in their success. This is fine, but it doesn't stop and it's been done to death. Overall it's a good film that's better than you typical English Oscar bait film. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

True Grit
It always takes several viewings for me to appreciate a Coen Brothers film, but this one was just a delight the first time. Great cast, well written, and Roger Deakins photography is astounding ( I love when he does westerns)! I was wondering if Jeff Bridges voice would get on my nerves when I first watched the trailer, but he character is so real and charismatic that he deserves the Oscar nod. Hailee Steinfeld was amazing and holds her own against the Hollywood heavies and really carries this film. Matt Damon's Dandy Ranger and Josh Brolin's Mongo-Like criminal are just hilarious and both have proven whatever film they do they don't disappoint. The viewer, like Mattie Ross, is introduced to all these colorful individuals, and with the exception of Rooster Cogburn, no one lives up to their reputation. It's a great character study and all of the side characters,especially Barry Pepper, were fascinating. The film is realistic and has a wonderful pace and I thought the epilogue was well done and accurately portrayed how Mattie would end up in later life. 4 out of 5 Stars

The Fighter
David O. Russell may be bat shit crazy, but who cares, the guy hasn't made a bad film yet. Russell earned years ago the right that no matter what he directs I will see it. I had the same reaction to The Fighter trailer I had with the Three Kings trailer, horrible. I see Russell's name at the end of the trailer and that makes me see the film, and like Three Kings, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the film. The Fighter is nothing ground breaking, if fact it's a typical boxing film that really doesn't have a lot of originality. It didn't matter, I really got into the characters, the story kept my interest, and in the end I enjoyed myself. Russell's craziness always seems to get the best out of his actors(I think Wahlbergs best performance to date is I Heart Huckabees).Wahlberg and Amy Adams are good, but this film belongs to Melissa Leo, Christian Bale and the Eklund sisters. Leo and Bale are shoe-ins for the Oscar this year and they both deserve it, your eyes focus on them in every scene. Even though the story is typical I thought it was original that Micky needs Dicky to ultimately succeed. Overall Dicky and the family are not only anchors to Micky's career, but if used right give him the confidence and coaching he needs to win. I am a sucker for boxing films, but it occurred to me after watching this film that 80% of all boxing films are about white boxers. Besides Ali I couldn't think of a great film about black boxers. Very entertaing film and I hope one day a film shows up of O.Russell and Bale having a shouting match while making this movie. 4 out of 5 Stars.

Black Swan
I was really torn after I saw this film, and it took me some time to decide if I liked it or not. I knew I enjoyed it, but wasn't sure how much, and I weighed the pros and cons over the next few days. I came to the conclusion that any film that creeps in my head several days after a viewing is a good thing, so overtime it grew on me. I am not a huge Darren Aronofsky fan, I do respect him as a director, but his style can be his Achilles heel at times. His stamp is what makes him a fan boy favorite, but I think it's a little immature. Like Brian De Palma, he is all style with little substance and a little too much film school mentality. Aronofsky's style is the only thing I didn't like about Black Swan. At times the film making is too chaotic and subtly is thrown out the window. Too much shaky cam, too many cheap jump out and scare you horror tricks, and too many tattoos of black wings on Mila Kunis's back. Aronofsky is great with actors and storytelling, but a tripod and letting the audience use their imagination a little more could have made this a great film. What really won me over was how great the performances were. Natalie Portman is amazing as a up and coming ballerina toppling under the pressures of stardom. The other standout is Vincent Cassel as a ballet impresario who will do anything to get a top performance from his dancers. Cassel and Portman have a great dynamic, and it was my favorite part of the movie. Their relationship reminded me of a exotic version of The Red Shoes (1948), and I was captivated when they were on screen together. Kunis was convincing as the rival dancer and Barbara Hershey was great as her creepy looking domineering mother. Overall I enjoyed a film about a girl who must get off so she can be successful, but I wish Aronofsky would have held back and be more conservative like he was with The Wrestler. 3.5 out of 5 stars

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen/ Irvin Kershner (podcast)

2010-12-10T21:36:00.005-05:00

The weekend of Nov. 27-28 2010, brought about a massive one-two punch to our childhood memories with the passing of two men who forever affected our movie-watching careers. Tonight we remember Leslie Nielsen and Irvin Kershner.

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The Social Network (Podcast)

2010-11-29T02:38:00.006-05:00

We finally found the time to gather together and discuss another one of the most important films of 2010. Fight through the shitty audio with us and join in the discussion. Enjoy.

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Cody's Film Review: The Social Network

2010-11-09T15:25:00.010-05:00

One of the best films of the year and defiantly some of the best acting. I was really looking forward to this film because Fincher does a personal pic then a studio pic, and after Benjamin Button (2008) it was time for him to really care about a project. I also have a weakness for films based on true stories in contemporary times, like Shattered Glass (2003). I know this film is a dressed up version of the real thing, but it was realistic and enjoyable. The film represents how business is done today in the fast paced .com industry. Companies are based on fads and software, and are in and out of fashion so fast that Napster seems like a company that existed 30 years ago. The savvy businessman is out the window and young anti social misfits like Zuckerberg are in charge and they come across as cold and deceptive. Are they really bad or just inexperienced nerds thrown into the forefront of a multimillion dollar companies who can't interact with other people? I think David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin bring all of these points to the table and this film will be a time capsule of business in the 2000's, just like Wall Street (1987) was to the 80's. Fincher is also king of how to properly use CGI. He has fun with it wants to fool the audience of it's existence, which is what SFX are supposed to be used for. Great music, smart Sorkin script, and fine directing and acting all around. 4 out 5 stars.

Overlooked and Underrated: Let it Ride (1989)

2010-10-09T12:19:00.024-04:00

I got excited last weekend about the time Disney released Secretariat. Not for the film itself, but upon seeing the TV ads that had run the previous weeks, I ordered a copy of an overlooked comedy about horse racing from the late 80's that I happened to catch on HBO one summer in my teenage years....and my DVD finally arrived. Let it Ride stars Richard Dreyfuss as Jay Trotter, a man trying to break his gambling habits in order to save his marriage only to then have a sure bet fall in his lap. The quick-witted screenplay and brilliant casting makes for a very funny, quirky and enjoyable film. Screenwriter Nancy Dowd and first-time feature director Joe Pytka do a great job of capturing the setting of the racetrack as well as the mindset of the everyday bettor. Dreyfuss once again delivers a comedic performance on the money, but the real jewels of this movie are the side characters. David Johansen is hilarious as Trotter's best friend and biggest loser of the group of riff-raff they hang around the track with. Teri Garr was a great choice to play his wife who is used to having her heart broken time after time. Jennifer Tilly plays her trademark dim-witted character, this time with more sex-appeal, and many other recognizable faces pop up as well, like Allen Garfield, Robbie Coltrain, Cynthia Nixon, Tony Longo, and Richard Dimitri (Roman Maroni from Johnny Dangerously) just to name a few. Richard Edson, the garage attendant from Ferris Bueller has all of eight lines and is one of the funniest people in the movie. These days, a story with this many characters would have the director trying to shoehorn in equal screen time for a bunch of egos, but this one gets it right and gives the viewer no more than they need. A collaborative effort between writing, performance and editing generates a comedy with a good pace, and it all wraps up in a tidy 90-minute package. There aren't many copies out there but getting hold of one is well worth the effort.

Podcast: Best Films of the Decade (pt. 3 of 3)

2010-09-14T01:24:00.018-04:00

We conclude our “Best of the Decade” talk with the top 10 lists of Matt Fickel, Cody Franklin, and Jeff Ayala. Will Fickel put “Tetro” on his list? Will there be a ‘Shotgun Stories’ in Jerf’s future? How many more times does ‘There Will Be Blood’ Appear? Tim Sigur makes an appearance by email and our own beloved Reverend Renke delivers a spiritual message to us after the discussion, so besure and stay tuned all the way through. Enjoy.

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Podcast: Best Films of the Decade (pt. 2 of 3)

2010-08-30T23:37:00.007-04:00

The roundtable discussion continues with the "best of" lists offered by Hal Duncan, Eric Meisner and Scott Griffin. Rounding out the table are Cody Franklin, Matt Fickel, and Jeff Ayala. Even though Phillip is not here in this episode, he does manage to make an appearance. Enjoy.

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Podcast: Best Films of the Decade (pt. 1 of 3)

2010-08-22T00:52:00.007-04:00

And so it comes to this. After weeks of studying, viewing and ranking, the members of "The Doomsday Machine" have put together their own top ten films of the decade lists and have gathered once again to educate the rest of the world on what they should be watching. Up first is our good friend Phillip Renke, who gets an entire hour devoted to him because he found time in his busy schedule to drive up from Austin just to hang out with us for one night. Enjoy.

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John Hughes remembered (podcast)

2010-08-12T23:56:00.018-04:00

Last week marked the one year anniversary of the passing of John Hughes. This podcast was recorded shortly after his death in August 2009. At first I was doubtful that it would see the light of day due to the unforseen technical frustrations of having sixpeople online simultaniously, but after many hours in the editing room, we we're able to piece something together and pay tribute to a man who has carved out a
special place in all of our hearts.

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R.I.P. Patricia Neal

2010-08-09T10:33:00.004-04:00

Patricia Neal was never a huge Hollywood Starlet, just one of the better actresses of her generation. Neal had a commanding voice with a no nonsense face that lead to her playing strong women who were in control. She had a long career (1949-2009) with some serious health issues that hindered her from having a great second half of a career. Neal also had a successful TV career, but I want to concentrate on a couple of classic films that everyone should see. The Fountainhead(1949) with Gary Cooper was her first film, and she holds her own with Coop. Based on the famous Ayn Rand book, it is a enjoyable film that lead to a torrid affair between her and Cooper. In The Day The Earth Stood Still(1951) Neal plays a mother who finds out her house guest is a alien. One of the greatest Sci Fi films of all time, Neal is easily the best actor in the film. A Face In The Crowd(1957) she gives a flawless performance as a radio reporter who discovers drunk Lonesome Rhodes(Andy Griffith's best role) and turns him into a Superstar. This film is a must see and works better today then it did in '57. This is Andy Griffith's film, but Neal is the most human element in the movie and she is who you connect with. Patricia Neal's best performance and one of my favorite films of all time is Hud(1963). In a film where legends like Melvyn Douglas and Paul Newman give one of their best performances, she still stands out. Neal was so prominent in this film she won a Best Actress Oscar for a supporting role. As a viewer you fall in love with her, and eventually these affections cause you to turn on Hud, then forgive him as she does. A couple of years after Hud she had three strokes at the age of forty,and had to learn how to walk and talk again. This set back forced her to turn down roles that could have made her more well known today. The most noteable was the role as Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate (1967). Patricia Neal died of lung cancer at the age of 84.

The Inception debate (podcast)

2010-08-03T19:58:00.014-04:00

It looks like Inception is receiving more controversy than it deserves, not so much over the content of the movie, but of its seemingly overrated status by the fanboys. Some of us feel like the audiences of today have forgotten what good cinema used to be like, while others feel that Christopher Nolan has broken the mold and reinvented the motion picture. There is absolutely no one in this argument that thinks the film or the filmmaker is lacking in quality or skill. Inception is a perfect balance between every technical and aesthetic element that makes a good movie, and Nolan is without a doubt one of the best directors working today. However, the topic at hand has summoned an emergency meeting of war room officials and now we invite you to join the debate.

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The Chick Flick Invasion (Podcast)

2010-07-30T11:44:00.017-04:00

As early as the 1960's, the major television networks were airing “made for TV” movies on a regular basis. Filmmakers and audiences together created a market for that bridge between the movie theater and your living room. Ever since then that market has grown and even splintered into (sort of) sub-genres of low production value films. Over the years, the Lifetime television network realized the potential for consistent viewership simply by airing these movies and eventually producing them. In a way the network has almost created it's own niche in the made for TV world as we often refer to these films as “Lifetime movies.”

In the same way we enjoy disastrous charms such as “Kickboxing Academy” and “Samurai Cop,” we've all been subject to, and highly enjoyed, the highly dramatized, poorly acted works that have found a home on the Lifetime network. Sisters for Lifetime is a blog that celebrates these treasures we have grown up with over the years. Recently, one of the founders of SFL stopped by the Doomsday studio to talk about her new site and it sparked a conversation about not just Lifetime movies, but chick-flicks and guilty pleasures of all types. Enjoy.

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Read my review of the Lifetime move Cradle of Lies on Sisters for Lifetime (under my female pseudonym).

Sleep on it

2010-07-26T23:36:00.016-04:00

Within the last decade, there has been a tectonic shift in the quality of filmed storytelling. The film business has always been just that, a business, I get it, but there have always been writers/directors/producers who have had passion for the medium and always wanted to create a true art form. Now, for the most part these people have found a larger home in the one place we (the film snobs of the world) have always considered a second-rate medium, television. This shift has left much more to be desired when we go to the theater, because most of the films released today are aimed at thirteen-year-olds. It seems that literally, once in a blue moon we are treated to a carefully crafted story, rather than the usual carefully marketed product.

That elusive moon has risen with the release of Inception. Christopher Nolan and company have, once again, produced nothing short of a quality film. Nolan is one of the coveted few whose attention to detail yeilds not only great stories, but brilliant looking images, especially in the special effects department. We, as an audience, have grown accustomed to watching entire scenes built in a computer and it's a breath of fresh air to see a filmmaker use gimbals and wires rather than a team of CG artists for once. I can only hope the success of his last two films can only inspire the studio system to bring a few more technically savvy and thought-provoking stories to the table more frequently.

I do get a little concerned sometimes when a movie of this caliber is released. Not for the film itself, but for the audience. I feel like sometimes our cinematic blue balls are aching so much for quality, that when we finally see it, our pants explode. I've heard a little too much talk over the past couple of years about certain films being amongst “the best of all time.” Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're bad, I'm just suggesting you give it some time before making that decision and let it digest for a few months. Even if you saw it nine times on opening weekend, good for you, you're a winner, but come see me next year when you've had time to examine it for yourself and not see it just for the sake of bragging rights. Inception is a very good film, but not a perfect, 10 out of 10. Best of the year? Sure.....so far. Amongst the best of all time? Ask me next summer.

Pardon my french, but you're an asshole! (Podcast)

2010-06-29T16:13:00.019-04:00

Johnny Lawrence, Chaz Ozborne and Greg Tolin....Three 80s-era villains all brilliantly portrayed by a man whose face should be on the "mount rushmore" of 1980s antagonists. When asked who their favorite bad guys are of that decade most people will undoubtedly picture William Zabka. Proven to be a successful style of character in comedy as well as drama, the preppy blond asshole became a staple duringa time in which comedies thrived. Eventually morphing into other physical characteristics, one character trait remained consisted throughout the 80s and our favorite nemeses became popular amongst us at "The Doomsday Machine" for one reason....They were all dicks.

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Kings of the World (podcast)

2010-06-12T12:04:00.007-04:00

After a four month spring break, we find ourselves in preparation for the “Best of the Decade podcast” and in doing so we need to finish putting out shows from the 2009 sessions. Hal and Matt are honored once again by the personal appearance of Scott Griffin all the way from Brooklyn, while Cody has to sit in a room all by himself and talk to us over Skype.

I think it’s very rare for most of us on the show to go out to see a movie just because a certain actor/actress is in starring in it. Personally, I get annoyed when someone asks if I’m going to see a movie like “Valentine’s Day” and when I stop laughing their response is something like, “But I thought you liked Bradley Cooper?” And that usually leads to some argument in which I wind up being called a snob. We do get excited however, in that rare instance that an actor has a streak in which he/she can do no wrong when it comes to picking their work. In this episode we discuss a handful of those actors that may peak our interests a little more when we hear their names these days.

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The Springfield Zephyrs Are No More.

2010-06-04T00:10:00.005-04:00

I know this is predominantly a film Blog, but from 1990 to 1997 The Simpson's was one of the best shows in TV history. The first episode I remember loving was Homer Goes To Bat which aired February 20th 1992. In the episode Monty Burns decides to bring in some MLB ringers to help the Springfield Power Plant softball team beat the hated Shelbyville team. He brought in Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey, Jr., Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, José Canseco, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry and Mike Scioscia, which were some of the best players of the time. Yesterday the last active player on the Springfield Zephyrs, Ken Griffey Jr, retired from professional Baseball after 22 years. This saddened me because it made me remember a simpler time for The Simpson's and Baseball. The Simpson's was starting to roll into one of my all-time favorite shows and Baseball wasn't marred by strikes and steroid abuse. Now 18 years later The Simpson's have more bad than good episodes and is a shadow of the genius it used to be. Baseball has gotten better the last few years, but I don't have the same passion I had for it when I was a senior in High School. Goodbye Zephyrs you will be missed.

The Players and why they couldn't play in the championship game.

Roger Clemens-(1984-2007) Thinks he's a chicken, but it's not the Hypnotist fault, he did a good job.
Wade Boggs-(1982-1999) Barney beats him up because of their disagreement on the best British Prime Ministers. Kip the Elder?
Steve Sax-(1981-1994) Arrested for every unsolved murder in NYC.
Ken Griffey Jr.-(1989-2010) Loved drinking Nerve Tonic so much he got Giganticism.
Ozzie Smith-(1978-1996) Fell into the Springfield Mystery Spot, and is still there.
Jose Canseco- (1985-2001) Too busy saving a woman's possessions from a fire. I call bullshit on this one, he was really doing blow in a ally way.
Don Mattingly-(1982-1995) Kicked off the team because of his sideburn problems.
Mike Scioscia- (1980-1992) Loved working at the power plant so much he caught the radiation bug.
Darryl Strawberry- (1983-1999) The only one who played, but was distraught because of Bart and Lisa's heckling. Darryl,Darryl,Darryl.

R.I.P. Dennis Hopper

2010-06-01T18:04:00.006-04:00

Sad to see one of the great Hollywood Bad Boys die, but he did live longer than most would have thought. Breaking into the business in the mid '50's with television and bit parts in great films like Rebel Without A Cause (1955) and Giant(1956) Hopper showed a lot of potential. He looked like the boy next door with a streak of rebellion and recklessness. Along with Brando, Newman, and James Dean, Hopper helped feed the fear of all WWII vets that the youth was going to ruin America. Dennis Hopper was one of the few that actually tried to change the way things were, and he proved it with his and Peter Fonda's ground breaking directorial debut Easy Rider(1969).
Like so many others Hopper spent the 70's drugged out of his mind and getting in trouble with the law and Hollywood executives. In 1986 The Dennis Hopper Resurgence occurred with two amazing performances, Blue Velvet ( My favorite) and Hoosiers, and from this he was allowed to direct and get choice roles again. In the 90's the elderly Hopper became one of the great crazy bad guys and shined in movies like Speed (1994). I thought his last good performance in a quality film was in Basquiat (1996) and I am saddened that he never had one more great role before he died. Everyone should drink a Pabst Blue Ribbon this week in his honor.

Other Notable Films
Gunfight At The OK Corral (57) His hometown
Cool Hand Luke (67)
True Grit (69)
The American Friend (77)
Apocalypse Now (79) Maybe my 2nd favorite performance
Rumble Fish (83)
My Science Project (85) That's Right! and I'm gonna skip Flashback because of this.
The Indian Runner (91)
Red Rock West (93)
True Romance (93) He's in the best scene in the entire picture.
Waterworld (95)
As a Director
The Last Movie (71)
Colors (88)
The Hot Spot (90)

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

2010-05-27T10:19:00.003-04:00

The older that I get, I find it harder and harder to get myself to the theater. Out of fear that I will become one of those people that waits to see films largely through my Netflix que, I find myself looking for different films that might strike enough interest to actually see it outside of the realm of streaming. The problem lately is that rarely do I see a trailer that strikes up this kind of interest.

That being said, I fully realize that this time of year is not geared towards my personal taste. I went to Catholic school for eighteen years, and the Jesus story that has been adapted into every super hero movie over the past twenty years is old hat. Sure, I enjoyed Iron Man, but that doesn't mean I want to race out and see Robert Downey, Jr mugging it up in between fight scenes for Iron Man 2. Let me guess, he's going to have to make some sort of sacrifice towards the end, right? The summer tent pole movie is not made for me and that fact has become evidently clear.

When I did drag myself from the couch and the on-going NBA Playoffs (Go Celtics!), I chose to go another route and saw (gasp!) a foreign film. I chose said foreign film for a couple of reasons. I figured while the rest of the texting tweeners and obnoxious theater goers who have started this unnerving trend of convincing themselves that they are the only people in the theater to the point of having full blown conversations during the film were watching Iron Man 2, I could slip past them all and huddle into the smallest screening room possible and avoid potential conflicts. Let's face it, the same guy who is still amazed that Iron Man can fly is the same guy who won't watch foreign films because he, "don't like reading movies." (I would worry about offending said guy, but, seeing as he doesn't like to read, I'm sure the computer is more of a porn box and/or e-mail transporter than anything.) Second, I chose what was supposedly a violent and nerve-wracking film, and, kind of get a kick watching people walking out of movie theaters after witnessing something violent and/or nerve-wracking. (One of my greatest experiences being the two rows of people I watched leave during a screening of Pulp Fiction in Monroe, Louisiana. I think you can guess the scene.) Point being, the older I get, I am getting more and more disturbed by the modern day movie-goer.

So what could possibly drag me out of my house and be worthwhile? The film is called A Prophet and is one of the best gangster films that I have seen since Goodfellas. French filmmaker Jacques Audiard paints one of most realistic and gripping portraits of the modern day criminal, yet adding moments of the surreal to give a genre a much needed shot of adrenaline. Tahar Rahim (in an absolutely brilliant performance on the level of DeNiro's Johnny Boy in Mean Streets) plays a young Arab prisoner who over the course of the film is introduced to the various levels of the criminal underworld that run a Parisian prison. (These various levels strangely resembling how most major industries run.) Audiard is able to tell an almost Shakespearean level tragedy with a modern edge that keeps the viewer riveted throughout.

It seems that today's European filmmakers have gone the opposite route of the modern American cinema. While studio after studio invests in the fad of 3-D, most prominent European filmmakers have made a point to go more bare-bones. Embracing cinema verite techniques such as long tracking shots and use (sometimes overuse) of hand held to interject realism into every frame, enveloping the viewer into the world of the film. It was refreshing, in the sense of A Prophet, to see this realism brought to the crime drama genre that at it's best is classic filmmaking (The Godfather, Casino) and at it's worst overdone to the point of nausea (Suicide Kings, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead). No matter how many times you have seen the rise of a criminal to the peak of his powers, A Prophet is as engaging as the best of it's kind.

The most surprising part of my experience was the actual viewing experience. At first, watching retirees (the last of people who actually read the newspapers, therefore reading reviews, and therefore not minding when they have to read subtitles) and hipster film students (they are the ones who haven't showered or peeled off their skinny jeans in months who sit in the back to the chagrin of no one but themselves) slowly come in, I was entranced by a seemingly normal family of a father, mother, and daughter enter in last. I waited for them to sit by me and then prepared myself for a soon-to-infamous-razor-blade-scene I had read about before, pondering what expletive the father would yell out as they left the theater, aghast that such things could happen in a prison of all places. But as the scene played out, I was able to peek out of the corner of my own cringing to see that the seemingly normal family was still there after the scene had ended. Not only were they there, but they were just as enthralled with the movie as everyone else in the theater. The retirees, the film school cynic in the ripped Ramones shirt, even my wife (her movie suggestion that day was Letters to Juliet) were so wrapped up in the story (imagine that and we didn't even need glasses) that the entire audience was pinned to their seat. Putting kidneys and bladders in harm's way for the sake of seeing where this character and, more importantly, this movie was going to take us next. The experience alone might have been enough to get me off the couch and back to the theater one or two more times this summer. Even if one of those times is for McGruber.

See It! Hunger

2010-04-07T17:10:00.004-04:00

I was really surprised at how good this film was and shocked that it didn't receive any Oscar buzz. I loved the first half of the film a lot more than the second half. I am not saying that the second half is bad, but I saw original storytelling and throwback film making leading up to the beginning of the Hunger Strike. Once the Hunger Strike begins the film becomes more of a document, but still very good. Every actor is suburb and Michael Fassbender is just flawless, especially with the scene of him and the priest. I loved the way you didn't know who you were following in the beginning and then BOOM it's Fassbender's film. Kudos to director (still hard to say it) Steve McQueen for making a powerful and somewhat objective movie. The film looks beautiful and disgusting at the same time and guess what people, he used a tripod. I love that he went away from the documentary look and just shot a straight forward and very powerful film. One of the best and most important films last year. Watch it on Criterion Blu-Ray, but not while you eat.

R.I.P. Corey Haim

2010-03-15T16:16:00.005-04:00

If you grew up in the 80's then you have been kicked in the head the last year with 80's Iconic deaths. Corey Haim is a big one, not much of a surprise, but still big. The pretty one of the legendary "Two Corey's" probably should have died in 1991 when his career did. He would not have been regarded the same way River Phoenix, but still he gave us enough good times that I think he would have been known as a great "could have been" instead of the joke that he became. Five years when you are a kid seems like twenty years, and we got a good five out of Haim from 1984 to 1989. Here are my favorites from the non bitter Corey. 6) Secret Admirer- to be fair this a C. Thomas Howell movie, but Haim is great as his theiveing kid brother. 5) License To Drive- At the peak of their "Corey" Powers, this was my most anticipated Corey movie ever. It's not as easy to watch now, but still a lot of fun. The movie is a time capsule and it proved that Billy Ocean had no ceiling when it came to movie soundtracks. 4) Silver Bullet- Really underrated horror film from the 80's. Great cast, good story, and Haim as a wheelchair bound firework weilding Werewolf hunter. It's got Busey in it so you know it's good. 3) Lucas- "Throw it to Lucas!" Great coming of age drama about a nerd who rightfully gets made fun of for being different. This is easily Haim's best acting role of his career. Great before they were stars cast with Charlie Sheen, Winona Ryder, and Jeremy Piven. Sheen is so cool in this that he doesn't even fall for the slow clap at the end, he just bangs a locker. 2) The Lost Boys- Good Vampire film that could have been great if Richard Donner would have directed instead of Schumacher. It still really holds up today and is probaley Haim's best all around film. I still can't forgive the Rob Lowe poster and this film says "Michael" about as much as Lebowski says "Fuck". Besides that a solid film. 1) Dream A Little Dream- talk about guilty pleasure, this movie works on me the same way Saved By The Bell does. It's not Haim's best film, but if you throw all these DVD's in front of me and I can only pick one, it's definatly the Dream. Great cast, stupid dancing, Salenger's twins, Adler, McNamera, Robards, Body Switching!!!! I'm gonna bust! This film is so good it killed the Corey's forever. In later years Feldman became a bitter former child actor, while Haim became just a sad Casio playing has-been. I really felt sorry for the guy and what a sad, but expected, ending.
R.I.P. Peter Graves
Another big part of my childhood gone with the death of the great Captain Oveur from the groundbreaking Airplane movie's. Yes I also love the Sequel, Graves is also great as Price in Billy Wilder's classic Stalag 17.

Cody's 2009 Oscar Predictions

2010-03-05T16:18:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my 2nd annual Oscar Predictions. 2009 was a little better than 2008, but not by much. This what I think will win, not what I want to win.

Best Picture- Avatar. This is a shame, but Avatar will win just for the effort and the industry needs this. I think Inglourious Basterds is by far the best film of the year and will come in second place which means nothing. Up and The Hurt Locker are the only really good films nominated this year. Ignored: It's already ridiculous the Academy went to 10 nominations this year and they still couldn't get it right. Moon, The Road, and Fantastic Mr. Fox are better than 8 of the nominations and I rather read stereo instructions for 2 hours than ever watch The Blind Side.

Best Actor- Jeff Bridges. This seems like a slam dunk win for Bridges, but I was happy to see Jeremy Renner nominated. Ignored: Rockwell for Moon and Viggo for The Road! Robbed, Robbed, Robbed! I tell ya! I also liked Matt Damon in The Informant!

Best Actress-Sandra Bullock. I think I just puked in my mouth a little. Looks like Erin Brockovich wins again, what a weak catagory. Ignored: Can't think of anything.

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz. Nothing touches this performance, nothing! Best performance of the year by far! Ignored: Anthony Mackie and Ralph Fiennes in The Hurt Locker. Michael Fassbender and about 4 others in Basterds.

Best Supporting Actress- Monique. Haven't seen this film, but she will win. I also thought Vera Farmiga was really good in Up In The Air. Ignored: Diane Kruger and Melanie Laurent for Basterds.

Best Director- Quentin Tarantino. I hope the Acadamy relizes this catagory is for directing actors and not spectacles. Everyone is good in Basterds and no one is good in Avatar. I wouldn't be super pissed if Bigelow wins, but QT is the best director of the year. Ignored: Duncan Jones for Moon and John Hillcoat for The Road. I am still in shock that these films were shut out this year.

Original Screenplay-Inglourious Basterds. The one category that there is always justice, I think this is a sure thing. I was happy with Up being nominated. Ignored: MOON!

Adapted Screenplay-Precious. This should be a strong catagory this year, but nominating the wrong films made it weak. Ignored: Harry Potter, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Road. All of these films are better than the nominated ones.

Cinematography- The White Ribbon. You ever play roulette? Always bet on Black and White! This is yet another weak catagory because the wrong films were nominated. Christian Berger's photography is breath taking and easily the best looking film of the year, but if Lord Of The Rings can win then anything can win. Ignored: A Serious Man, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Where The Wild Things Are, shall I go on? 80% of the films relesed this year look better than Harry Potter and Avatar.

Editing-Avatar. If you win editing then it's a 90% chance you win Best Picture, but Basterds and Hurt Locker deserve it more. Ignored:Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up, and The Road.

Foreign Film- White Ribbon. If you are nominated for another catagory you win.

Best Animated- Up. Same as above. Up and Mr. Fox were two of the best films this year.

Art Direction, Make Up and Costume Design-The Young Victoria. The title says it all. Ignored: Where The Wild Thigs Are.

Sound Editing,Mixing, and Visual Effects-Avatar. SLAM Freaking Dunk!

Score-Avatar. Ignored: Where The Wild Things Are, Moon, and Black Dynamite.

Song- The Weary Kind-Crazy Heart. T-Bone!

Documentary- Burma VJ. Food Inc was ok and I did enjoy The Most Dangerous Man, but Burma is what the Acadamy looks for in a Doc.

Doc.Short-Rabbit a la Berlin- It's about The Berlin Wall, That's Oscar gold next to Nazi films.

Short Film-Kavi. It takes place in India and after Slumdog these films are right behind Nazi's and The Berlin Wall.

Short Animated- A Matter Of Loaf and Death. Two Words, Wallace & Gromit!

Well thats it! Please send some feed back and let's hope I did better than last year.

2009 Oscar nominations: or "How I learned to stop talking about 'Avatar'"

2010-02-17T17:15:00.008-05:00

Now that we’ve all seen ‘Avatar,’ I feel the need to get some ammount of closure on the collective doomsday opinion. So after much anticipation and a power outage prolonging this discussion, we start off with more “all tech and no story” discussions having finally taken it in. Then we move on to discuss the oscar nominations as they were announced a couple of weeks ago. What are we happy with? Surprised about? And what films got snubbed this year? Once the awards are given, we will continue this path of bringing justice to the world of cinema. We want to hear what you have to say about it so listen to the show and email us at doom sdaypodcast@gmail.com.

Click the player below to stream or if you want to download the episode you can do it on Podbean, at the iTunes store or on the Zune Marketplace. Don’t forget to leave feeback on these sites as well. Thanks.

Cody's Film Review: The White Ribbon

2010-02-08T19:23:00.007-05:00

Palm D' or winner and most likely Best Foreign Film Oscar winner is a haunting and beautiful film. It's the story of strange events in a small german village on the brink of WWI. The occurrences take a background to the town folk, which is what makes this film work. All of the characters are fascinating, and it's interesting to know that their way of life is about to be shattered and nothing will be the same with the coming war. This is a 2.5 hour movie and it held my interest throughout, but the viewer is robbed by the absence of an ending. *SPOILER* The strange occurrences are caused by the children of the town, which is no surprise while watching the film. As soon as the school teacher solves the mystery the movie wraps up and is over within minutes. As a viewer everything leads up to this and there is no payoff and you leave the theater without any real closure. I think this really hurts the film and it's what keeps it from being a great film. This is the first Michael Haneke film I have seen, and have heard that open endings and pessimism is his style, which usually annoy me. The White Ribbon is supposed to be his most positive film, and the naturalistic style of his actors makes this film creepy and realistic. Christian Berger's cinematography is beautiful, and has the look of a 60's Bergman film. I was surprised that it was shot in color then digitally altered to B/W. This film has a lot of brutality and tenderness and the characters are what make this film worth seeing. White Ribbon is a mystery that lacks a mystery, and it hurts the film as a whole. 3.5 stars out of 5

When Cameron was in 3-D Land...

2010-01-29T17:13:00.005-05:00

Okay, so it’s the biggest movie in the history of movies, and yet the only constant thing I continue to hear from everyone (aside from how visually stunning it is) is that “you have to see it in 3D.” Fine, since it’s not going to be in an IMAX theater forever I might as well give in. But on the same note only 10% of the people that I’ve talked to tell me that it’s simply a good movie…probably because, simply it is not. What disturbs me about a movie like “Avatar” (without having seen it) is the obvious attempt by the filmmakers to assemble several popular socio-political themes and wrap it up in the biggest, shiniest technologically advanced package that money can buy thereby taking every calculated “lowest common denominator” elements of such films that do nothing more than draw a crowd. Now, I’m not saying everyone who likes this movie is an idiot. And yes, I understand that this is a business and I don’t have a problem with that either. I’m simply saying that when the world takes off it’s 3D glasses, they might not like what they see after all.

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Jeff's Top 10 List of 2009

2010-01-13T16:04:00.013-05:00

10. FUNNY PEOPLE

It's long, it's sort of a mess, but, I found it hilarious and poignant. I know a couple of stand up comedians, and from getting to know them, I can honestly say this film encompasses how much pain, anger and sadness that one must go through to be funny.

9. MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY

It's a "walking around the city" drama about the 24 hours following a one night stand. A very engaging, very funny, very thoughtful film.

8. MOON

An old school intelligent science fiction film that's not about action and gadgets, but rather about character and emotion. Also, my film wet dream: Sam Rockwall is in every single scene.

7. BIG FAN

A bleak and funny character study with fucking Patton Oswald giving one of the best performances of the year. It accomplishes a rare feat in it's final moments: completely unpredictable.

6. TWO LOVERS

This film reminds me of the great dramas from the 1970s (The Panic in Needle Park, Fat City). Small, simple, great acting. Hopefully Joaquin will snap out of it, he puts on a clinic in this film.

5. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

My guilty pleasure of the year. At times, it rings as true as any film about love and heart break. At other times, it's a cliche ridden as your typical studio film. But by any measure, it's the best romantic comedy of the decade.

4. GOODBYE SOLO

Ramin Bahrani is slowly becoming one of my favorite contemporary film directors. After MAN PUSH CART and CHOP SHOP, he once again tops himself, giving us two original characters you'll most likely never see in any other film.

3. THE HURT LOCKER

I wish I could reedit the final 5 minutes. Having said that, this is the best war movie I've seen in quite sometime. Actually, it's less about war and more about the men doing work. There really isn't a story here, there's no antagonist, just these three characters doing their job.

2. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

First things first: this is probably the most polarizing film of the year. I realize that a lot of people didn't like it, and that's fine, it's their loss. But, me, I was literally moved to tears. Hands down one of the most honest portrayals of childhood emotion I've seen on screen maybe ever.

1. A SERIOUS MAN

It's a work of comic genius. The most existential film from the Coens since BARTON FINK. It's about trying to make sense of life, as futile as that may be. Bottom line: the best ending to a film this year. Also, it's something I thought I'd never see from the Coens: a deeply personal film.

Honorable Mentions: Food, Inc., The Brothers Bloom, Up, The Girlfriend Experience, Up In The Air, The Hangover, Humpday, The Road, the first half of Antichrist.

Overrated: Inglorious Basterds, Precious, Drag Me To Hell, An Education, District 9

Worst films I saw this year: Away We Go, Gigantic, The Goods, Terminator Salvation

Haven't Seen Yet: Broken Embraces, A Single Man, Anvil!, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Brothers, Crazy Heart

Merry New Year!

2009-12-31T17:07:00.004-05:00

Today we wrap up the year in movies with our ‘Best of ‘09′ Show, Once again I find myself not having seen as much as I would like, but I still would not count 2009 as a particularly strong year for film. Of the best movies I’ve seen, I can really only think of one or two that I would classify as best of the year material. Anyway if you have any suggestions for us, please let us know at doomsdaypodcast@gmail.com, or leave a comment below. Also, if you have the time please leave us positive feedback at iTunes like Jerf and Cody have done. If the player below doesn't work you can go here to find it as well. Thanks, and we’ll see you next year.

a late Christmas gift for our listeners

2009-12-28T00:28:00.007-05:00

Yes, I know Christmas is over but here at ‘’The Doomsday Machine” we like to take our time and get things right. So in the spirit of the holidays, and in keeping our subject matter a little more timely, we present you with some of our favorite Christmas movies. We recorded this 5 days ago when Cody was in town. Joining him are myself, Matt, Tim and AJ. Tell us what you think at doomsdaypodcast@gmail.com or leave feedback here. If you can't get the player below to work you can find it on iTunes as well as http://joker5k.podbean.com. Thanks for listening.

Cody's Film Review: Up In The Air

2009-12-27T14:18:00.005-05:00

I really enjoyed this film but it was nothing groundbreaking or too original. Of course George Clooney can make anything watchable, but his character is nothing he hasn’t done in the past. The story is a good one and really does strike a cord with anyone who has been affected with the present state of the economy. All of the acting is good, but the relationship between Clooney and Vera Farmiga was what I enjoyed the most. They play off each other very well and I was geniuinly interested in them ending up together in the end. The weakness of the film was the Backpack motivation speech Clooney’s character was pushing, I thought it was a weak idea and it never convinced me in any way that it was a real idea that would sale. I thought Clooney’s character was solid and the viewer doesn’t need the backpack theory to support his ideals. I liked Anna Kendrick, but her idea of termination via the internet instead of in person is not very revolutionary, and thought it was a idea that would have been toyed with 8 years earlier. Luckily these two plot points don’t drive the entire film, but there was enough to bother me. Up In The Air did follow a few clichés, especially at the end that made it a little predictable, but I did like how the movie ended. I enjoyed how Clooney’s character had some strong belief’s and goals and happy with his life and set in his ways. As soon as he begins to question his lifestyle he gets everything he ever wanted, and it's not enough. He now must continue with the way things were and it ends up tragic. I thought it took some guts to end the film the way it did and do recommend it. It’s a good movie, but think it getting too much attention as a great film, which it isn’t. Clooney floats this boat with a strong supporting cast and Jason Reitman is proving he is a good director with a bright future. If a great script drops in his lap he has the potential to make a great film. 3.5 out of 5 stars

See It! The Room

2009-12-13T22:27:00.006-05:00

In the tradition of Kickboxing Academy, Superfuzz, and Dreaming Of Society comes another great horrible movie. The Room is so bad that it's good. The characters are inconsistent, the acting is bush league, and the creator of this mess, Tommy Wiseau, is a untalented genius. This type of film only works if the writer/star/director is sincere, because if done on purpose it becomes one of those douche bag spoof films. This film has it all, huge plot holes, story lines that go nowhere, and every character has a bipolar disorder. Every scene with Wiseau is comedy gold. His creepy look,dubbed accent, and acting will have you laughing out loud. Wiseau is so inept as a filmmaker that this piece of crap somehow cost 6 million dollars, and believe me it doesn't show in any way. This film has had a huge cult following with Rocky Horror results. If The Room shows at a midnight showing near you, then do yourself a favor and see it. The DVD has a lot of funny extras and be sure to see it with a friend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T14:32:00.003-05:00

There are only a handful of good Thanksgiving films, because Christmas has a monopoly on the holidays. The Ice Storm, The House Of Yes, and Avalon are some of the top tier films about the food filled celebration. Those films are about dysfunctional families, generational differences, and changing traditions. Only one film really represents that Thanksgiving feeling and that is Planes,Trains, and Automobiles. John Hughes 1987 classic is the one film that if you ask what is a Thanksgiving Movie, 90% of people think of this film. Instead of the barrage of Christmas features on Thanksgiving weekend, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles should be showing somewhere on a constant loop. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cody's Film Review: Fantastic Mr.Fox

2009-11-19T00:42:00.009-05:00

I did not share the same excitement for Fantastic Mr. Fox that I did for Where The Wild Things Are. I loved the idea of Spike Jones doing a live action children's story, and passive about Wes Anderson doing a stop motion animation film. I am a fan of Wes Anderson and I thought he was wasting his time with a medium that he does not have much control over as a director. I was wrong, Fantastic Mr. Fox has Anderson's fingerprints all over it and is one of the years most enjoyable films. It joins Pixar's Up as a one of those rare films that is enjoyable to children and adults alike. There are stories that Anderson was absent during production and running the show from his flat in Paris,well that didn't seem to matter. Anderson and Noah Baumbach's script is clever and funny, and it seems he stayed out of the art departments way and let them make this beautiful film. This film's animation isn't as smooth as Henry Selick's (Coriline/ A Nightmare Before Christmas) stop motion animation, but Mark Gustafson's work has throwback quality that seems more artistic and real.(Thanks Scott) It has what was missing from Where The Wild Things Are, great likable characters and fun. For some reason the celebrity voices didn't bother me like they do in other animation films. I was so caught up in the story and enjoyed the characters so much that I just didn't care,but also the casting fit the characters. Clooney's voice screams of class and leadership, Streep's of elegance, and Schwartzman is perfect as the highly imaginative son who doesn't have his father's charisma. Great score by Alexandre Desplat's that mixes beautifully with songs by Burl Ives, Jarvis Cocker, and The Beach Boys. Fantastic Mr. Fox isn't groundbreaking, it's just a delight to watch and makes you feel like a kid again. 4 out of 5 stars.

Cody's Film Review: Where The Wild Things Are

2009-10-25T01:27:00.010-04:00

Where The Wild Things Are has been one of my most anticipated films since I heard Spike Jonze was attached way back in 2005. Jonze is a director of many talents and I have been a fan of his since his early music video days. I also loved Maurice Sendak's book since I was a little kid, and this book and this director were a perfect fit. I was very disturbed when Universal Studios was unhappy with Jonze version in 2007 and it looked like they were going to shelve it. Luckily Warner Brothers saved it, but after some "disturbing to children" previews it was held for another year until they could "fix" it. When the first trailer was released all of my dreams came true, and this film promised to be everything I wanted. Maybe I built this film up too much, but I was disappointed in the finished product. I am not saying I didn't like it, I just didn't love it like I thought I would. Technically this film is perfect in every way. Lance Acord's cinematography is beautiful and along with the Art Department, this is one of the best looking and imaginative films I have seen in a long time. Karen O and Carter Burwell's music is haunting and fit's perfectly with the subject matter. The most impressive part of the film is the amazing talents of the Jim Henson Creature Shop. In this day and age where ILM and other CGI companies (with the exception of Pixar) have gotten lazy and unimaginative with their special effects it is nice to see that the name Jim Henson is still producing quality work. Henson's Creature Shop have outdone themselves, and along with The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy(2005) they are responsible for two of the best looking SFX films of the decade. They add realism and character to their puppets and you never get the feeling you are watching a cartoon. It's amazing this film cost 100 million dollars less than the last Indiana Jones crapfest, because the quality doesn't even compare. The marriage of old and new technology is the direction Hollywood should go,but unfortunately we seem to be stuck with high cost and low quality gems like Wolverine.For the first time in a long time I had that Jim Henson feeling I felt growing up and, finally twenty year old hipsters have a taste too. The problem I had with WTWTA was mainly the characters and the story. I didn't find anything desirable about the Wild Things land or it's inhabitants. When I was a kid most fantasy films showed a place I wanted to escape to and people/creatures I wanted to be friends with. The Wild Things are negative, surly, and depressing creatures that would cause anyone to want off the island after a hour. Max himself is a daring and selfish person, but he is a kid and that was understandable and exactly like his character from the book. When it was time for Max to leave I felt no sadness that he was leaving friends or a magical world behind. I was relieved when he was leaving, because I feared for his life the moment he set foot on the island. The other problem I had was the voices chosen for the Wild Things. James Gandolfini has a great voice that sadly will always be linked to Tony Soprano, a iconic character that I personally couldn't see past. Lauren Ambrose's voice just didn't seem to fit the character KW and Catherine O'Hara's Judith was also out of place. Chris Cooper,Paul Dano, and Forrest Whitaker at least tried to disguise their voices a little, and attempted to do a character voice. The story was simple and a nice extension of the book. I wouldn't mind a story about Max and the Wild Things hanging out and building forts if I had a invested interest in the characters, but I didn't. Worth seeing, but not the classic it could have been. 3 out of 5 stars

Happy Birthday Keith!

2009-10-12T12:54:00.006-04:00

One of the contributers to this blog, Keith Munley, turns 30 today October 12th. Keith shares his birthday with some interesting people and events that are movie related. Born on this day singer Luciano Pavarotti who was in the terrible Yes Giorgio. 80's icon Deborah Forman of Valley Girl, My Chauffeur, and Real Genius fame. Bull Rider Lane Frost, who 8 Seconds was based on. The all-singing and all mutant Hugh Jackman. And I'm not a bad kid I just play one on TV Jesus freak Kirk Cameron. Dying on this day is silent films first major cowboy star Tom Mix. Oh God actor and singer John Denver. Events on this day are the 1953 opening on Broadway, and later great Bogie film, of The Caine Mutiny. In 1979 the release of Douglas Adams The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy is published. And finally today Sid Vicious stabbed and killed his crazy girlfriend Nancy Spungen in the Chelsea Hotel in NYC, and now you know the ending to Sid and Nancy. Congrats Keith you lived 6 years longer than James Dean and have 15 more to catch up with Monty.

Cody's Film Review: A Serious Man

2009-09-30T16:31:00.005-04:00

It has always taken me a few viewings to appreciate Coen Brother films and A Serious Man will be no exception. Films like Barton Fink and Millers Crossing I enjoy at first then after watching it a few times I begin to love them and they become some of my favorite films. Other times I watch The Ladykillers and O Brother, Where Art Thou? and multiple viewings do not help me appreciate them more. A Serious Man may fall into the latter category. I am being a little hard on it because I expect the world from the Coen brothers and I know what they are capable of. Technically the film is flawless, it looks great and the acting is right on. Roger Deakins photography is excellent and you feel you are in 1967. The main problem I had was the story, it's simple and nothing really happens. Michael Stuhlbarg is great as a man who's life is suddenly falling apart and his religion is doing nothing to help him, that is pretty much the entire story. I am sure it has a few hidden agenda's like women are the root of all evil, corruption leads to death, and don't sweat the small stuff because more serious problems are on the horizon,but I'm not sure and thats what multiple viewings are for. The only problem I had with Stuhlbarg's character is he is such a victim that after awhile you lose sympathy for him simply because he never stands up for himself. Some of his problems are so simple to get out of that all he has to do is say "no" or just talk to someone and his problems are over. There are too many dream sequences and too many characters that are their just to be quirky. I wanted a standout performance or a deeply enriched character, and instead we get good acting with nothing too memorable.The story can be confusing at times if you know nothing of the Jewish religion, but they repeat themselves a few times and the uneducated viewer,like myself, gets the jist of it. I was lucky enough to go to the New York Premiere where the cast and crew were present, and I really wanted a Q&A afterwards to possibly get some deeper meanings, if any, on the film as a whole. I think the audience felt forced to laugh at the quirkiness and maybe a little inferior because of a feeling that their should be something more to the film. If you are a Coen Brothers fan then I recommend this film, you will get something from it, but not their top work. Don't let the greatness of the ending fool you into thinking this is a great movie. 3 out of 5 stars.

R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

2009-09-14T22:03:00.010-04:00

It has been a tough summer for those of us who grew up watching films in the 80's. First we lose John Hughes back in August(Podcast on that subject is coming soon,that is why no tribute on the blog), now we have lost one of my childhood heroes with Patrick Swayze. Like Hughes,Swayze has been around, but his best work died when the 90's began. Patrick Swayze was very good in Donnie Darko(2001), but that is the only memorable performance since Point Break(1991). The first thing I saw him in was in The Outsiders(1983), and I must have watched that film a hundred times. Over the next 8 years(which seems like a lifetime when you are a kid) I watched everything he was in including Tiger Warsaw(1988). Swayze had a great commanding voice and a terrific screen presence. There was a reason he was in charge in every movie he was in, he chewed up screen time and always gave that older brother vibe. I loved every film he did from 1983-1991, but these are my favorites.

The Outsiders(1983) The first time I saw Swayze was as leader of the Greasers and Ponyboy's older brother Darrel Curtis. He was a real prick at the beginning, but then Ponyboy and Johnny killed Leif Garrett and he stopped being a hard ass. With the crew of talented actors in this film Sawyze takes control and leads them to victory over the well dressed Socs.

Dirty Dancing(1987) Yes it's a girlie film, but if all girlie films were this good then I would be a happy man. Johnny Castle is perhaps the role that will always be associated with Swayze. Good story and good cast,but I always felt that Johnny and Baby didn't have great chemistry. That is mainly because Baby had nothing to offer to the older and cooler Johnny but youth and sex, and he didn't need any help in that department. Swayze reeks of coolness, confidence and really carries this film. Only Swayze is allowed to put Baby in the corner.

Youngblood(1986) This is Rob Lowe's film,but Swayze's Derek Sutton makes this ship float. This isn't a great film,but I watched it so much as a kid it still holds a place in my heart. Swayze is the veteran player that must teach young Lowe how to stop being a pussy and fight the hated and hairy Racki. Again Swayze plays the older brother/mentor role that he shined at. I watched it again recently and it still holds up for me.

Red Dawn(1984) Out of all of his films this one had the most impact. As a child I had a great fear of Nuclear War and Red Dawn fed that fear more than any film. It was a mixture of fear of a Russian attack and the fun of playing guns in the woods that made this film so appealing. Again Swayze is the leader(Jed) of a bunch of kids hiding from a bunch of evil Reds. He takes charge and decides to fight back, and he does it his way on his turf. Swayze is so in charge that a older Powers Boothe and crazy C.Thomas Howell don't even try to take control. Jed doesn't take prisoners, allow crying, or put up with snitches. Red Dawn is a film of it's time and it is a shame they are remaking it. The producers have big shoes to fill and they won't come close to filling Swayze's.

Point Break(1991) The last great performance. A action film is only as good as it's villain, and Swayze's surfer Bodhi plays it to the tee. He is so good in this that you care more about him than Special Agent Utah. I watched this the other night and even when you find out Swazye is the bad guy you don't stop liking him, in fact you root for him. It's a shame Swayze didn't go out riding the treacherous waves from the 100 year storm.

Road House(1989) The name is Dalton! Was their any doubt that this would be on my list? This movie is like a fine wine and improves with age. I think Swayze's role as Dalton has become his second most beloved character behind Johnny Castle, but it is easily my favorite. Anyone who whips comebacks like "Pain don't Hurt.", "Your too stupid to have a good time!", and "Opinions Vary." is all right in my book. I noticed none of the online obituaries mention this film because Road House is all balls and adrenaline and it caps my most beloved decade in film. I was lucky enough to see this film at the theater and had the same reaction as a 9th grader as I do now...Fun Filled Greatness! In fact The Outsiders and Youngblood were cable movies for me , the rest I saw at the theater. Other films that almost made the list were Ghost(1990),Next Of Kin(1989), and Grandview,U.S.A(1984) all good films,but I like these a bit better. Lets not forget the funny side of Swayze, his S.N.L. performance with Chris Farley as competing Chip and Dale dancers is gold. He will be missed and sadly another part of my childhood is gone.

Top Ten reasons Inglourious Basterds isn't the masterpiece Tarantino thinks it is

2009-09-05T21:22:00.009-04:00

(spoilers)

1. THE PLOTHOLES: Almost as many as District 9: 1) Landa falling into that trap at the end—letting himself get cuffed then carved up—when in every other scene he’s the smartest character in the movie 2) Landa killing the German actress for plotting to blow up the theater, even though he’s doing the exact same thing 3) Shosanna’s story being included in the first place—if she hadn’t plotted to blow up the theater, then Landa and the Basterds would’ve done it for her.
2. THE TITLE: It’s like calling Pee Wee’s Big Adventure instead Amazing Larry. The Basterds are secondary characters, a subplot to Shosanna’s story when it should be the other way around. (Not to mention, they’re introduced first as a band of lawless killers, but the potential of that concept isn’t explored at all. It’s completely dropped when they’re brought back to be recruits for a special mission. It makes their introduction as lawless killers a waste of time).
3. THE STYLE: You can’t take Leone’s framing, pacing, and music wholesale and then put your name all over it like you reinvented cinema.
4. THE THEME: Tell me what this movie is about. His other movies bothered to have a theme, even if it was as simple as exploring middle age or the paradoxes of vengeance. I swear Babel had more of a defined theme than this movie.
5. THE SUBTEXT: Using nitrate film as a weapon is kind of an awesome idea, and since the movie suggests that "film" itself is in a very legitimate way owned by the Jews (by bringing up the Jewish producers & studio heads in the British officer’s orientation scene) then Tarantino's choice to slaughter the Nazis with film is maybe the most clever thing in the movie, it’s like having them be slaughtered by bagels or I don’t know, diamonds. It’s kind of amazing that it works, but he does nothing else with it and it’s not developed any further (like say how propagandaistic film can do more to end a war than actual firepower, a variation on the pen is mightier than the sword, etc). It just seems like this whole movie’s construction was some scribbled notes about what would make “The Ultimate WWII movie , OKAAY?”, without any sort of sense of how it would logically come together.
6. THE TENSION: What makes the opening of Once Upon a Time in The West so great is that Leone doesn’t spend the next 2 1/2 hours repeating himself. Some scenes are shorter, some are funny, some aren’t fraught with tension. So when a scene comes along that is overwhelmingly intense, then it’s that much more powerful because there's a variety of tone. But almost every scene in Basterds builds the same exact way with the same prolonged tension, and pretty much makes the movie monotonous by definition.
7. THE BEAR JEW: Kevin Costner in 13 Days does a better Boston accent than Eli Roth’s faux-Affleck squawk. Not to mention the character doesn’t make any sense—why all the ominous buildup spent on him? Getting taken out by a baseball bat blow to the head is kind of mercy killing, at least compared to getting scalped.
8. THE EDITING: The scene with Landa and Shosanna in the restaurant is a tension build for nothing, it’s a cheat. That and the first half of the basement bar scene could be completely lost and it would be the same movie.
9. THE FONT: When did he get so font happy. It's distracting and just underscores how inconsistent this movie is.
10. THE LAST LINE: Tarantino’s lack of humility would be tolerable if he were still making something purely his own like Pulp Fiction, but I can’t think of an instance where a director was so megalomaniacal so to have his character practically be a stand-in for him, and address the audience, so to tell us that we just watched what he “thinks is a masterpiece,” only to be followed by the “written & directed by” signature. What this guy needs is a movie with a story credit by Roger Avery again. Actually, anyone even. Tarantino is probably surrounded by more Yes Men than George Lucas at this point.

Then again, Christoph Waltz is amazing in this, and the 1st scene is a perfect example of what Tarantino can do best, and I admit that I wasn’t clawing at the seats like I was during that Jungle Julia bullshit. I just wish he had figured out how to make the movie about badass Nazi killers that I bought my ticket to see.

Cody's Film Review: District 9

2009-08-31T01:07:00.007-04:00

District 9 is Alien Nation(1988) meets The Fly(1986), except not as good as those films. An interesting story with very good SFX,but has too many holes. The movie has a lot of gore and as a viewer I felt very dirty,which I applaud the filmmakers for my uncomfortableness. The problem I had was the lead actor,although he did a good job I never cared about him. I found myself more invested in the aliens and wanted more of them.The entire film is shot in two styles, documentary and a CNN type broadcast.I would have preferred the documentary style through the whole film. I wanted the story to be told through facts instead of through helicopter cameras.The first half was thoughtful and had my attention, by the second half the cliches set in and so did the plot holes.**SPOILERS** It never explains why alien fuel turns humans into aliens. The viewer was also left in the dark at why some aliens were smart and some were animalistic,or were they,I don't know it never says.I was perplexed at why the aliens didn't use their weaponry to stop the humans from pushing them around. They are a militaristic race,why do they allow people to enslave them and push them around. They still have their weapons,and two aliens alone take out a building and a whole platoon of humans.The main human character (Copley) is a spineless company man and his character is unlikable and all over the place. One minute he double crosses the one thing in the world trying to help him and the next he sacrifices everything to save him and his son. The villains are one dimensional and cartoonish and by the end I really didn't care and was just waiting for them to get theirs. By the end I was just thinking how Alien Nation was a better film and that the term "Slag" was replaced by "Prawns" and rotten milk was replaced by cat food. It's not a bad film it just falls apart at the end and could have been something special. 3 out 5 stars

Funny People

2009-08-07T11:33:00.012-04:00

Fuckin A. Not sure what the haters are all about with this. This could be Apatow’s Reds. Ambitious, confessional, messy as fuck, sincere and direct in a way that no $60 million Adam Sandler flick has any right to be--not to mention paced with the digressive, unhurried rhythm of a motherfucking Eric Rohmer movie--and with a ballsy 2nd gear shift that rivals both Roller Boogie & L’Avventura, this is the kind of movie James L. Brooks has been trying to nail his whole career.

and the nominations go to....everyone

2009-08-01T12:01:00.007-04:00

I know I teased a Martin Scorcese show, but we felt it best to put the top 5 lists on hold and talk about something else.

Last year, 'Slumdog Millionaire' won best picture, but people will remember it more for winning eight oscars. It isn't enough for the academy to award a film for its merits in their respectful categories, but more than ever it seems that quantity defines the films relevance. Earlier this summer, the academy announced they would be expanding the number of best picture nominees from 5 to 10. To me, this move speaks in the same concieted voice as was racking up the awards for the academy's obvious favorite a year ago.

Phillip Renke joins us from Austin. Cody and Scott are in NYC as we have the first all-Skype episode. Yeah, Cody and Scott are in the same room but you get the point.

As always, you can email the show at doomsdaypodcast@gmail.com.

If you have trouble streaming it from the player below you can also find the episode for downoad here as well as iTunes.

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Cody's Film Review: The Hurt Locker

2009-07-27T21:15:00.005-04:00

I did not go into this film with high hopes,because I have no interest in films about the war in Iraq. The subject of the Middle East is about as interesting to me as Hurricane Katrina. It's a tired subject and I get enough about it on television. The modern day War Film is in a recession now because there hasn't been a war of interest since Vietnam. Bad asses like Rambo, Riggs, and Kurtz can't exist in a war that consist of suicide bombers and playing watchdog in a occupied territory. Three Kings(1999),Standard Operating Procedure(2008), and Generation Kill(2008) are the films about Iraq that I've enjoyed the most. Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker isn't as good as these films,but it does come close. The story of bomb defusing during a war is a subject I have never seen on screen, and Bigelow makes it interesting and tense. The acting is top notch all around, and Jeremy Renner is outstanding as the lead. Renner and Anthony Mackie have a great repoir and play off each other beautifully. The Hurt Locker has some of the best cameo's that I have seen in a long time. Guy Pierce is so great at the beginning that I wanted more of him, and it just adds to Renner's performance that you don't miss him after awhile. David Morse is extremely intense as Colonel Reed. He straight out frightens you and his scene with Renner is one of the most uncomfortable moments I have seen in a long time.It was great to see the re-pairing of Bigelow and Lenny Nero AKA Ralph Fiennes. Fiennes plays a bounty hunter and is so good I think Bigelow could make a prequel on his character alone,and probably make a better film. The main problem I had with The Hurt Locker was the length.The movie runs about 15-20 minutes too long.I am not sure where to cut,because all the scenes were necessary or too enjoyable to cut. Towards the end you just start to get fatigued and start looking at your watch. All the acting was superb except for the third person of their team Brian Geraghty. I thought he was the weakest link and he had too much screen time without much to contribute. I also (again) had a problem with using hand held camera with the action. Shaky cam is a TV trick for shows that have no budget, and I'm sick of everything trying to look like the Bourne films. It's a fad I wish they would start ending now. I want to see the action and along with crappy CGI films of the last few years is going to look like rear projection of the 40's and 50's. It's just a sign of laziness and I hoped Bigelow would stick with her old school action ways. Overall it's a good film with great acting, but I am not sure how much re-watching value it has. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Cody's Film Review:(500) Days Of Summer

2009-07-26T23:01:00.001-04:00

500 Days Of Summer is at times really original and at other times formulaic. It's a great debut for Marc Webb and the writers of Pink Panther 2. What really makes this film work is the impressive performances of Joseph Gorden-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. They have great chemistry and the relationship seems real. Levitt's character acts like a normal person and doesn't follow the usual romantic comedy conventions. He is very likable, has realistic reactions and doesn't fall every five minutes or act like a buffoon. Zooey is great because her character is not a bitch and you never fault her for her decisions. She is cute as a button and has a great personality,so you understand why he falls for her. This movie falters when Zooey and Levitt are not on screen. The entire supporting cast brings nothing to the table. They don't provide comic relief, forward the story, or even apply descent acting.Here is a run down of the supporting cast and why they don't work.Geoffrey Arend plays a drunk and lonely friend who is not funny,and his only contribution is he tells Zooey that Levitt likes her. Arend is the best of the supporting cast, but fails to turn in what could have been the best character.Think of Alec Baldwin in She's Having A Baby or Jim Belushi in The Man With One Red Shoe,and you will know what I'm talking about. Matt Gubler is a married friend who provides no advice of any kind,and seems to struggle with the art of acting.Clark Gregg is Levitt's boss who tries to provide comic relief,but every joke he delivers you see a mile away. The worse is 12 year old actress Chloe Moretz who is the most annoying cliche in film. She is the typical younger sister giving relationship advice, and is the poor child surrounded by moronic adults. Kids ten times smarter than adults does nothing but make me mad.It has been done a million times and is insulting. If you want to find out a Jonas Brothers hit or what Hannah Montana thinks the best soda is, ask a 12 year old. I was shocked how at times the story and acting was flawless followed by conventional and tired cliches. I recommend this film for the two leads who get absolutely no help from the supporting cast, but you do walk away with some nice moments. 3 out of 5 stars

The Underrated Work of Mel Gibson

2009-07-21T15:58:00.003-04:00

I have a soft heart for action films.

There, I said it, but can you blame me? I grew up on the works of Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. The first movie I honestly remember seeing was Lethal Weapon 2.

And one can only surmise that's when it started. But upon talking with my brother this past weekend, it dawned on me once more—Mel Gibson isn't that bad. And three of his late-career films have proved that he is, in fact, pretty damn amazing.

Especially at the whole crazy bit.

1. Conspiracy Theory (1997)

This mystery/suspense film was a bridge for Richard Donner and Gibson. They had hooked up, of course, on all of the Lethal Weapon movies. And if one were to judge a movie by it's poster, this one seemed to be a bridge of sorts for all involved. A bridge for Donner waiting for the guys at Warner to finish the script for Lethal Weapon 4 (aka, the one with Jet Li). A bridge for Roberts waiting for the next Garry Marshall production.

But Gibson chews up the screen as the pop-eyed taxicab driver who "pointlessly" and neurotically thinks of government schemes and buys copies of The Catcher in the Rye.

Conspiracy Theory is probably the darkest film Gibson or Donner were a part of back in 1997. The lighting crew on this one used two settings—crimson and black. And Patrick Stewart does his best evil grimace.

It isn't hard to notice that this film is way out of Donner's league. That guy is best when he's making buddy movies. Hell, even 16 Blocks wasn't bad. But this one, it's pretty damn passable. If only for the fact that Gibson does the OCD bit almost better than Jack Nicholson in As Good As it Gets.

2. Payback (1999)

Before Tarantino killed Bill, Gibson and the writer of L.A. Confidential, Brian Helgeland, were fighting each other over which version of this pre-millennium gem audiences would see.

Payback is a revenge flick. It's title says exactly what Gibson's Porter will do—he will payback all those people that tried to kill him. But Porter does this in the most gruesome ways.

This is Eli Roth-type stuff, before Eli Roth ever thought of writing it down.

But this isn't Hostel. No, this is badass. Gibson uses this movie to mutter and mope around like an estranged cousin of Clint Eastwood. And he fights none other than Kris Kristofferson and James Coburn. Gibson doesn't take no damned prisoners. He just wants his slim share of money.

If anyone were to write a film essay on the thesis "violence begets violence," this movie would hold its rightful place in that novel. But I have a feeling naming the flick, Killing Spree, wouldn't have got many Lethal Weapon fans in the theatre.

3. Ransom (1996)

I was roughly nine years old when this movie was released. In this movie, Gibson was on the last leg of his popularity, re-teaming with Rene Russo to create a drama about a kidnapping gone wrong.

This movie was a solidified hit when the trailer ran. Ron Howard was running off the fumes of the magical Apollo 13. Gary Sinese was earning his title as one of the best supporting actors in the business with turns in Apollo 13 and Forrest Gump.

Ransom earned Gibson a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of millionaire Tom Mullen. The film is worth watching just for his stellar TV-spot he does with a pile of money, asking the kidnappers to give him his child back.

In conclusion

In no way does this mean Mel Gibson should be categorized as a saint. He's not the best actor in the world. He's pulled some ludicrous stunts as well.

And these movies, they aren't perfect. Some might call them merely guilty pleasures. To me, they hint at something more.

Here's to hoping Gibson quits the detective schtick and comes back with something along these lines.

top ten

2009-07-20T11:51:00.004-04:00

Check these top tens, gave me a little more respect for Diablo Cody

http://www.criterion.com/explore/top10

and put yours in the comments (criterion or otherwise)

The Doomsday Machine: Episode 6

2009-07-08T12:24:00.006-04:00

Bullet time, Shaky-Cam, the double-reverse twist ending…what other movie trends are you sick of? How about the creepy little kid that has appeared in every horror movie since ‘The Shining?’ Or the whacky/funny/off-the-wall best friend that is fabricated into every romantic comedy? What techniques need to be retired? Well, Scott Griffin has come all the way from NYC to discuss this very issue. After seeing ‘Watchmen,’ I think he’s had enough action scenes with intermittent slow motion speed ramping. The technique made popular ten years ago by ‘The Matrix’ is now a staple in action films and it has overstayed its welcome. Join us on this mind blowing adventure as we Skype in Cody from New York. Enjoy.

R.I.P. Karl Malden

2009-07-02T00:54:00.010-04:00

Karl Malden one of Hollywood's greatest character actors died on July 1st at the age of 97. The way he carried himself and also the way he looked always brought realism to his characters, and the films he was in. Malden was born in Chicago in 1912 and in High School was a big Basketball star. He broke his nose several times playing the great game, and thats how he got his signature nose. He started acting in the late '30's on Broadway, but WWII broke that up for awhile. He returned to acting in the late forties and had small roles in some great Noir films like Boomerang and Kiss of Death. Malden, Marlon Brando, and Elia Kazan became good friends on Broadway and in 1947 they stared and directed in A Streetcar Named Desire. Streetcar was a huge success and Kazan reunited them for a 1951 film version,which Malden won the Oscar for best supporting actor. In 1954 Kazan,Brando, and Malden collaborated for On The Waterfront,which Malden's portrayal of Father Barry was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Other highlights of Malden's career are Kazan's Baby Doll(56). A abusive father in Fear Strikes Out(57) with Anthony Perkins. The Warden in Birdman Of Alcatraz(62) with Burt Lancaster. A has-been gambler in The Cincinnati Kid(65) with Steve McQueen. And General Omar Bradley in Patton(70) with George C. Scott,which was his last great film role. In the 70's to 2000 he did television movies and series, with The Streets Of San Francisco(72-77) being his most successful.

ALSO R.I.P. Harve Presnell

He started off as a song and dance man in the early 60's and had some big roles in The Unsinkable Molly Brown(64) and Paint Your Wagon(69). He released a few albums with his singing and has done many TV and film supporting roles throughout the years. The reason I mentioned him here was because of his flawless performance in the movie Fargo(96). Presnell's portrayal of the cheap, angry, and basic hard ass Wade Gustafson is one of many highlights in a great film. Every time he was on screen their was a smile on my face. He was 75.

Top 5 ways the summer of 2009 already shit the bed

2009-06-30T10:24:00.010-04:00

THE LIMITS OF CONTROL - One of the only movies I’ve ever seen where I wanted to reevaluate the director’s entire career afterwards as potentially total fucking shit. As they say in the standup world, he really ate his balls on this one. Pretty much everything that was kind of appealing about his stuff – notably the deadpan tone hinting at something enigmatic and profound – is stretched so thin here that you realize there was actually never anything underneath, except stupid high school poetry platitudes and hip as fuck casting.

The 2nd half of THE HANGOVER– The Pineapple Express of 2009. On paper this thing looked so fucking unbeatable. Basically Old School + a mystery plot to deepen things beyond just a rehash of frat dudes in mid-life crisis + Galifinakis. And it’s good, like hysterical for about about 40 minutes. And then you realize the mystery plot is kind of lazy and halfassed. And it just runs out of steam and keeps hitting the same beats, just less funny or at least less funny in unexpected ways as it goes along. And then just to underscore how lazy they got with it, Bradley Cooper makes nice with his wife for no reason and they throw in the wedding singer from Old School.

WHATEVER WORKS – Or Whatever ho Woody was banging that gave him the inspiration to make Vicky Cristina—his only full fledged beginning-to-end great movie since he hooked up with Soon Yi—he aint be bangin no more.

TERMINATOR SALVATION/WOLVERINE – just a sad, pitiful end to franchises that should have stopped short at part 2. The fact that the overedited incoherent clusterfuck that shat out of McG can be called ‘action’ while playing across the street is The Hurt Locker—the best American suspense/action film maybe since Cameron dumped Bigelow for Sarah Conner in the first place—is fucking retarded. If there was any justice in this world McG and Gavin Hood would be subjected to the Hitler Rape Machine while watching Bigelow in the editing room.

TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 – I don’t know why I held out hope for this one. Maybe I thought it would be written by the guy who wrote L.A. Confidential and directed by the guy who made Top Gun & True Romance. But, no instead it’s from the writer of The Postman & 976-Evil and the director of Domino. Also maybe I thought the source material would give them an edge, since it’s, I don’t know, one of the best examples of suspense and comedy in the 70’s, not to mention a near perfect snapshot of how fucking dyspeptic and mean New York was at the time. Like everything that made the original great—Shaw’s quiet menace, Matthau’s snarky comebacks, the jazzy score, and how all the hostages transcend their stereotype character names (even ‘The Homosexual’!)—all of that is just totally flipped to make it suck—Travolta screaming every line, Washington way too serious & emo, the soundtrack’s 10 years too late jungle beats, and the hostages who are so forgettable and disposable they’re not even allowed to develop into stereotypes. The fucked up thing is if they did this to Jaws they would never be allowed to work again.

The Doomsday Machine: Episode 5

2009-06-26T19:44:00.004-04:00

I apologize for the hiatus, but I let this show get away from me for a while. Following the theme of our last episode we stick with the “greatest directors” topic as we discuss some of our favorite Stanley Kubrick films. I'm sure this will be the first of many episodes on Kubrick as many people, including myself, consider him to be the greatest filmmaker that ever lived. Growing up with a heavy movie-watching background once in a while you catch a film that really sticks with you. You may not know why you like it, but maybe you feel compelled to see it over and over again. Well, over the years I came across a few that, to this day, I consider them to be some of the best films in existence. It was early in my high school days after seeing Full Metal Jacket for the first time that I realized most of my favorite movies were directed by the same person. At that point, the planets were aligned and everything made sense. Virtually all of his films had the same, profound effect. I've never been as consumed with every moment on the screen as I am when watching Kubrick. If the man were still alive, he could film a 2 ½ hour movie about two guys in a staring contest and it would be enthralling.
I think one of the reasons this episode is shorter than expected is the fact that there aren't any bad ways to rank our favorite Kubrick films and we end up, for the most part, in agreement with each other.

The Doomsday Machine now has an email address, so any comments, questions or future show ideas should be sent to doomsdaypodcast@gmail.com

Cody's Film Review: UP

2009-06-24T00:17:00.005-04:00

I thought Wall-E was one of the best films of last year, and The Incredibles was one of my favorites of 2006. With Up Pixar hits one out of the park again. This film shows why they are leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Not only do all of their films look better, but the writing and music is far superior than the other studios. When I saw the previews for this film I thought the story seemed dull, but it was anything but. I figured most of the film would be about a old man living in a floating house, but that is actually only 15 minutes of a 90 minute movie. The story is very original and the characters are deep with great dialog. Up starts out as a love story and then turns into a great adventure with many memorable characters. I got to see it in 3-D which was a added bonus,but it wasn't gimmicky. Pixar doesn't mix in too much pop culture to date their films and time will be very kind to them. I also like the fact that Pixar doesn't get big named stars to do the voices on their films. When you hear Ed Asner's voice you think of a regular old man. When you hear Travolta doing Bolt you hear the actor, not the character. Up is funny, heartfelt, and one of the best films of the year. 4 out of 5 stars

Top 5 reasons 2009 is already better than 2008

2009-06-18T16:44:00.019-04:00

JULIA - Best criminally underrated movie no one will ever hear about again. Like Cassavettes’ Gloria w/o all those shapeless actors workshop shouting matches & instead devoted to the story’s trashy pulp. Best Tilda Swinton maybe ever, a kind of balance of the sweaty armpitted neurotic corporate killer and the batshit warrior queen rocking the lion mane.

DRAG ME TO HELL – Best comeback from someone I didn’t realize I had fallen off so hard until now. Some directors do better with modulation (see The Straight Story), but Raimi isn’t one of them. All he has in his grab bag are dutch angles, clamorous sound effects and a joyous devotion to cranked up absurdity, so when you dial it down you have nothing but safe, serviceable Hollywood movies nowhere near as inspiredly kinetic as something like this. Most balls-out PG-13 movie since Rusty saw tits in European Vacation.

UP – Just one scene short of a masterpiece. One beat really. There's nothing wrong with talking dogs. It’s just with all the time spent humanizing the characters in the first 30 minutes, there needs to be maybe one or two more Mr. Frederickson double-takes to bridge the gap between the two worlds of heart-breakingly real and goofball. Like, “Really? Talking dogs? Really? Okay then.” That’s it. Outside of that, flat out top 5 animated all time, right behind Fievel and Bravestarr: The Legend.

HUNGER – Just as OCD in its over-calculated airtight masterly tableaus as Kubrick or Wes Anderson, but oozing with the corporeal in a way those filmmakers were never interested in going near. A tie for best sound design with Drag Me to Hell -- I will never think of ointment being applied to a festering wound the same way again.

TYSON – Best boxing movie since Fat City, better than Diggstown & Teen Wolf Too combined. Way funnier than the entirety of The Hangover, Tyson in all his batshit glory gives Toback the inspiration to make something for the first time since Fingers that isn’t just a cheap stunt.

Cody's Film Review: Away We Go

2009-06-16T21:12:00.003-04:00

I have always been a big fan of Sam Mendes and have enjoyed all of his films. I didn't care for the trailer for Away We Go,but went to see it because he directed it.This is Mendes first misstep,and I don't know if it's his or writer Dave Eggers fault. The movie does not have a Mendes feel,and it seems like a project from a first time director more than a seasoned veteran. This film is a copy of Flirting With Disaster except it's not a comedy and doesn't have the wit or characterization of that great film. The film is about a young couple, who are expecting their first child, trying to find a place spend the rest of their lives together. Everyone they encounter are Indie Film quirky cartoon characters,who are unrealistic and annoying. With the exception of their old college friends(Chris Messina and Melanie Lynskey) and Maya's sister(Carmen Ejogo) every other character (especially Maggie Gyllenhaal) is ridiculous. In fact the movie only worked when those characters were present and I wanted more of them. I did think John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph had great chemistry and were really good in this film. This movie only works in the last half hour, and thats because all of the quirkiness is gone. The rest of the film you have seen before because it follows the Indie formula. It probably deserves 2.5 stars, but I expect more from Mendes and I thought he took a step back. 2 out of 5 stars.

15 years ago today Officer Nordberg dissappeared from films.

2009-06-12T12:59:00.004-04:00

15 years ago today O.J. killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. I was a O.J. fan growing up with The Towering Inferno, Capricorn One, and the HBO series 1st and Ten. It was his character Officer Nordberg in the Naked Gun Trilogy that made me love him. I was shocked, like everyone else, when the murders happened and then convinced of his guilt with his getaway in the Ford Bronco. I even skipped class to see the results of his trial. It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years and although I still enjoy Nordberg in the Naked Gun films today,there is always a hint of sadness and anger when you see O.J. on screen.

The Girlfriend Experience

2009-05-27T11:46:00.011-04:00

Not the final nail in the coffin but getting there. The only thing that got me excited about this purported button pushing art-porn is when I realized that if I walked out it would all be over.

Maybe in 20 years, Soderbergh’s post-Oscar non-Oceans work will be seen as trail blazing. He’ll be regarded for his stubborn insistence on sticking to a big idea, his formal stunts where something overly arty is pushed to a dispassionate and fragmented extreme only to see if it can come out in the end as human, genial and poignant. He’ll be lauded for his subverting genres, from sci-fi to the bio-pic to espionage thrillers. So "The Good German" won’t be seen as an ill-advised fuck you to Casablanca, "Solaris" won’t be seen as an hour & 1/2 arid one-note mope-montage of a wistful, emo Clooney, and "Che" won’t seem like Soderbergh’s trying to prove that in order to evoke someone’s life faithfully you have to leave in all the boring parts.

But until then it just seems like he’s playing games, stalling, trying to recover that artistic fire he used to have when he wasn’t shacked up with a hot piece of ass way out of his league.

Though this is the sad end of nearly all artists who get with fine ass bitches. Case in point: Tarantino hooks up with Mighty Fucking Aphrodite-era Mira Sorvino and precedes to make Four Rooms, Jackie Brown and then nothing, whereas Scorsese made Last Temptation and Goodfellas when he was trying to resist the urge to bite Illeana Douglas’s face off.

This goes on and on. Just look at how Burton hasn’t made anything worth Beetlejuice since hooking up with Lisa Marie and Helena Bonham. (The one exception of course is Woody Allen, who’s the total inverse, wherein his talent directly correlates to the hotness of chicks he’s banging.)

Mickey said it best -- “Women weaken legs!”

Mostly Not Illogical

2009-05-20T10:34:00.005-04:00

Agreed with Coco, maybe not as much with the other dude, if only because I could give a shit which season Chekov was introduced.

Still I had a good time, probably about as good a time I had at Iron Man and Casino Royale, which is strange because all three movies have really weak villains and half-assed endings.

I guess with all 3 movies, you forgive most the dumb loopholes and coincidences (though Jim happening to run into future Spock on the abandoned planet has to be one of the worst coincidences since McClane ran into Sam Jackson as he’s being shot out of the sewer in Die Hard 3), cause the actors are well cast and the movies have a pulse (as opposed to the mopey emo tone of TDK).

If I were to give Trek any sort of star grade, half a star would have to be taken off for how every tussle climaxes with someone hanging on the brink of some shit by their fingertips. The only time that should ever happen is when Michael Ironside gets his arms ripped off.

As Benjamin Braddock would say....

2009-05-18T14:37:00.002-04:00

Oh-Jesus-God-no!!!!

Ok, I'm okay with Thor, but they are going to remake Red Dawn?!?!?

WTF!!! Gun.To.Head. Avenge me!!!!

http://us.imdb.com/news/ni0788917/

"Playing Captain Kirk's father in the new Star Trek movie has landed Aussie movie hunk Chris Hemsworth two huge new action roles - as Thor and Red Dawn's Jed Eckhert.

Hemsworth, 25, will play the lead in Kenneth Branagh's big-screen adaptation of Marvel comic book Thor, and he'll reportedly take on the role Patrick Swayze played back in 1984 in a remake of Red Dawn.

Branagh's blockbuster, about the Viking god of thunder, is set for a June 2011 release."

Cody Film Review: Star Trek

2009-05-11T11:59:00.002-04:00

I'm gonna try not to step on Hal's toes here, but their will be some repeating. First of all I did enjoy this movie, it's a good summer movie. Star Trek is full of action, has a great cast, and is a lot of fun. The problem is I am a greedy person who always wants more. The main problem I had with the film was what is the bloody hurry? This movie didn't have to have the whole gang in their positions by the end of the movie so we are all comfortable. I didn't need to see Sulu and Chekov sitting where they always sit performing the duties they will do for the next 30 years. Obviously it hard to get a promotion on the Enterprise. Uhura(Zoe Saldana) was the only original series secondary character I felt was good in this film. Her moments with Spock were some of the best scenes in the movie. I have always felt that Star Trek is about Kirk, Spock and McCoy and the rest of the cast is just window dressings. J.J. Abrams cast three good leads(Pine,Quinto,and Urban) with great chemistry. I wanted more interaction at the Academy with friendship development than wall to wall battle scenes. It would have been great to see more Captain Pike(Bruce Greenwood) as a mentor to Kirk. He was used more as a stepping stone for Kirk to get to the Captain's seat. I really liked the story and I thought it was a clever way to reboot the series by throwing away the past we are all used to. That being said I did think the movie was predictable and followed a formula. Unlike Hal I did enjoy future Spock. The scenes between Nimoy and Kirk and young Spock are great scenes. I knew there would be a few tongue and cheek jokes,but I was hoping Abrams would take this reboot a little more serious. I thought it was a mistake to start McCoy off so strong then have him do nothing but stupid quotes from movies past for the second half of the film. I like Simon Pegg, but he annoyed the hell out of me as Scotty. Every scene he is in he's cracking jokes and providing comic relief. Star Trek is a Sci-Fi action film and I really didn't go see this film to laugh or bond with nerds. Overall it's a great summer blockbuster, but just a good movie that could have been so much more. 3.5 out of 5 stars

Reinvention and Revival

2009-05-10T22:38:00.020-04:00

(Spoilers ahead) I've been a 'Star Trek' fan for many years now, and have been cautiously optimistic about this weekend's release. After my first viewing, I would have to classify it somewhere between “OK” and “Good”, but let's begin with the bad. Scott, you were right about one thing, and somewhere in the back of my mind I knew everyone would to use their catch phrases at least once in the film, but I was hoping they wouldn't overdo it. Yes, it did happen, but it wasn't obscene. Now hearing McCoy ask Spock if he was “out of his Vulcan mind” annoyed me because we have already heard this line uttered in 'Star Trek II' (One of many parallels I feel the filmmakers tried to force in this movie). So that aside, I guess I can live with the other obligatory phrases, even though they did make me twitch with frustration.

Another element that irritates me happens with about 90% of major films released these days, and that is the lack of development. No one takes their time anymore in developing characters and scenes. This could have been the perfect movie to introduce and develop every character in their respective elements. This is a story of origins and should have been allowed to take it's time. They could have concentrated more on the Starfleet days and had them all wind up serving on the ship in the end and guess what...It would have been great....but no, we've got to get to the action as fast as we can, plus we've got some CG to show off. But, as my experience watching movies has taught me, this was also to be expected, so I fight through it and take out what's left for me.

Perhaps the biggest offender of this movie, though, and the one I will not accept as having had to be there, was the casting of Leonard Nimoy as “future Spock”. This in no way gave any credibility to the story, nor did it make any sense. It's so forced that they couldn't even give a better reason for present day Kirk bumping into him on a remote planet by accident. Guest appearances are something that should be reserved for the series only. Hell, 'The Next Generation' featured almost all the original cast at one point or another. But for the movies, I think we should be able to rise above the mere charm of having an original cast member in it. If you have to put Nimoy in the movie, why not cast him as Sarek?

OK, so what was good about it? First of all, I think the entire cast was stellar. I was really pleased by everyones performances, especially since we weren't subjected to two hours of straight character impressions. Karl Urban came close with his Dr. McCoy, but I actually found him to be a pleasant surprise in this movie and thought he did a great job. I thought Chris Pine was excellent and delivered a young Kirk as well as anyone could. As far as the actual characters, I felt Sulu and Checkov were the weakest. They were just kind of there for the sake of introducing us to the rest of the regular cast. Sorry, we're focusing on the positive now so I won't get into Checkov not even being in the first season.

Overall, I have to say the story was pretty damn good. The “future Spock” element aside, I never found myself shaking my head in disappointment, which has become habit for me after virtually all of the “Next Generation” movies. In fact, there was a point for me after the destruction of Vulcan and the death of Spock's mother that I almost was in disbelief. Why were they re-writing our beloved Star Trek history? And then it made sense, the story itself was re-writing history and doing it effectively. It was a brilliant way to weave a new story into old fabric and therefore reinvent the saga. It worked. Although, I could have done without the “Back to the Future” explanation of timelines to the audience. I sometimes cringe at using a word like “fun” to describe a movie, but I did have a lot of fun with this one and would like to see it again. Could it have been better? Absolutely. But since the bar for Star Trek movies has been lowered so much over the years, it was nice to see one that delivered a story worthy of being a full length movie and not just a glorified, two-hour episode.

A Film Snob's Anit-Blockbuster Summer Movie Preview

2009-05-08T11:43:00.012-04:00

Summer movies are products, plain and simple. Studios nowadays are owned by corporations. Corporations that make a wide array of products, cereal for example. When an executive green-lights a film, he needs to know exactly what audience is going to see it and how it can be packaged into an aggressive marketing campaign (i.e. High School Musical). He cares as much about a film as he does about a box of cereal. He'll never see the film, he'll never eat the cereal. Every once in a while we get a Spiderman 2 or Ironman or Dark Knight. But more often than not we're stuck with Wanted or Hancock or Pirates of Who Gives a Shit About A Movie Based On A Fucking Roller-Coaster (Fuck You, Disney). So, I give to you (all 5 of you), my answer to those assholes with my picks for Summer Flicks Not To Be Missed!

THE BROTHERS BLOOM

Rian Johnson's follow up to Brick is a fun, stylish con man movie that I was lucky enough to catch at AFI last month. Although it sort of falls apart in the last act, it consistently kept a smile on my face throughout. Rachel Weisz is adorable, as is Rinko Kikuchi (the naked Japanese girl from Babel). Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody are perfectly cast as brothers, demonstrating great chemistry.

THE LIMITS OF CONTROL, A.K.A. NO LIMITS, NO CONTROL

This is the first frilm from Jim Jarmusch since 2005's underrated Broken Flowers. Jarmusch has been one of the most solid independent filmmakers of the last twenty years, always making interesting, genre defying films. Isaach De Bankole stars as a mysterious loner in Spain, intent on finishing a job. This marks his first starring role for Jarmusch after supporting roles in three of his previous (Night on Earth, Ghost Dog, and Coffee and Cigarettes). Rounding out the cast are John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Paz De La Huerta, Alex Descas, and Gael Garcia Bernal.

WHATEVER WORKS

I love Woody Allen. I still see all of his films in the theatre. I know he's not the filmmaker he once was, but I'd be willing to put Vicky Christina Barcelona, Match Point, Hollywood Ending, Sweet and Lowdown, or any of his films up against any piece of shit studio film any day. This film stars Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood as two people who begin a odd relationship after a chance meeting. And, it's his first film shot in NYC in five years. Oh, by the way, this is his 42nd film. Fuck you, haters.

500 DAYS OF SUMMER

The best/most original/honest film about relationships I've seen in a long time. Caught it at AFI and it blew me away. Go see it.

TAKING WOOKSTOCK

Here's the deal with Ang Lee: dude has one of the most eclectic filmographies of any modern filmmaker. The Wedding Banquet, Eat Drink Man Woman, Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, Hulk, Brokeback Mountain, Lust, Caution, and now this. Taking Woodstock stars Demetri Martin (I know, right) in the true story about how Woodstock became Woodstock. Great supporting cast includes: Tim Sigur look alike Liev Schreiber (in drag!), Emile Hircsh, Paul Dano, Eugene Levy, Kelli Garner, and Imelda Staunton.

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE

Steven Soderberg is one of my favorite filmmakers working today. He makes big successful studio films just so he can make intriguing experimental films like Full Frontal and Bubble. TGE marks his second film in collaboration with Mark Cuban owned 2929 Productions. Back in 2004, he signed a three picture deal to create ultra low budget experimental films that would be released theatrically, on DVD and Pay-Per-View all at the same time. Bubble was a experiment in location, only using the resources (actors, props, etc.) of a very small town. The second film in the series is about a high class call girl who is more than a hooker, she becomes your girlfriend. The experiment is in casting: the lead actress is a real life porn star, Sasha Grey (just google her name, see what pops up). I was able to see this film earlier this week, and I loved it. It's not for everyone, but if you love beautifully photographed films with a bunch of subtext, see this film.

R.I.P. Dom DeLuise

2009-05-05T13:16:00.005-04:00

Dom DeLuise was a big part of my childhood, and it always sad when someone who gave you so much joy passes. I loved Burt Reynolds and Mel Brooks films and Dom DeLuise appeared in many of their movies. He also had a great voice and did very well later doing voice over work. Here are my favorite Dom DeLuise films that I grew up with.
Blazing Saddles(1974)
The End(1978)
Hot Stuff(1979)Which he also directed. Whoever thought Dom would outlive Jerry Reed and Suzanne Pleshette?
Smokey and The Bandit II(1980) Yea it's bad, but I've seen it a hundred times.
History Of The World Part I(1981) Greatest Roman Emperor ever!
The Cannonball Run I and II(1981,84) Gotta love Captain Chaos, arguably his best role.
Johnny Dangerously(1984)
Favorite Voice Over Work
The Secret of NIMH(1982)-His Jeremy character is good comic relief in a very dark film.
Spaceballs(1987)-Pizza The Hut needed his own movie.

These aren't the best films in the world,but I've seen all of them many times and they all in one way or the other did influence me. He was 75.

The Doomsday Machine: Episode 4

2009-04-27T15:52:00.011-04:00

Two of the greatest filmmakers of our generation are Joel and Ethan Coen. I don't think there is anyone who has studied film that would disagree with that. Their work has always stood out amongst the crowd of the formulated Hollywood drivel we are treated to 90 percent of the time. I've always found their films to have a unique voice, as well as perfect technical execution. Growing up in the early 90's, they were, perhaps, the equivalent of what Paul Thomas Anderson has achieved today. That is, they had four films under their belt that were all perfect.

After that, it seems that budgets may have gotten bigger and perhaps we, as viewers, lost a little something in the intimate settings that we were used to. I think the thing I've always enjoyed about their movies is their ability to set a scene with perfect visuals as well as perfect sound, with little to work with. Their attention to detail gives their lower budget movies a true sense of being there. However, their next five films still were nothing short of brilliant. It wasn't until 2003 when 'Intolerable Cruelty' came out that we all started to look around and wonder if they mailed it in. Though after what they've given us over the years, I won't hold one or two sub-par movies against them. The fact is, even those movies are better than the previously mentioned Hollywood tripe.

In this episode we get into our favorites. For the most part I think we can all agree on the choices but it's interesting to see what some of us hold above others, but then again, trying to rank Coen Brothers films is like answering the question, “Which would you rather have...A winning lottery ticket, eternal youth, or superpowers?” There really is no bad choice.

If you can't get the player above to work you can find the show at http://joker5k.podbean.com or on iTunes. If you get the chance, please go to iTunes and leave some feedback on the show. Enjoy.

The Comeback Kids

2009-04-25T10:24:00.028-04:00

The best of recent cinema has been inundated with comeback stories. The Wrestler proved what we all knew—Mickey Rourke is one hell of an actor. JCVD was even more surprising in that Jean Claude Van Damme proved he could actually act.

Rourke and Van Damme were '80s superstars who came on the scene as a hot commodity then fizzled, taking genre roles in stale films. But their latest flicks got me thinking: If they can do it, what other B-list '80s stars could also show off their unknown chops?

1. Steven Seagal

The aikido master was known for his roles in such nighttime fodder as Hard to Kill, Out for Justice and Under Siege. He was never much of an actor, and that's putting it so, so lightly. He was always more of a catchphrase type actor, ending films with that glorious one-liner.

Now, he's overweight, starring in direct-to-DVD films that can't even garner a 2 a.m. slot on USA.

But the dude's got fans. Vern from "Ain't it Cool News" wrote an over-300 page dissertation on the genius of his flicks. Sure, it's outlandish, but anyone who has a childish love for Seagal's trademark bone-breaking moves would be in line to see a dramatic turn from the silent martial artist.

How about life after Under Siege? What does the cook Casey Ryback do post-battle? Perhaps he makes a badass chicken parm.

2. Dolph Lundgren

The Russian. The one actor forever known as telling Stallone, "I will crush you." Afterwards, he was The Punisher, the villain in Universal Soldier, then he was demoted to lord-knows-what.

While he doesn't exude personality in these flicks, he was one of the funnier commentators on VH1's "I Love the '80s." Let's give him a stab at a comedic role as a supporting actor. Something tells me he could be the affable tough/gay guy partner ala Val Kilmer in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or The Rock in Be Cool.

Lundgren's an icon for being the one man who could bring down Rocky. I'm sure he can take time off from the gym to do an action comedy with Chris Tucker.

3. Mr. T

I pity the fool who doesn't make a documentary on this perplexing A-Team member.

4. Christian Slater

Many will balk at this entry. The guy's known for Pump Up the Volume and doing his best Jack Nicholson impression all the time. But his best flicks flirted with the action genre. Remember True Romance? Hell, even I'll admit Kuffs was a guilty pleasure, and it was ridiculously violent for a PG-13 flick.

Nowadays, everything he does has action in it. The guy wants to be an action star. Sure, he's tried drama, but no one has cared. He will be forever known as the smart-ass.

No more. Slater needs to go bald and play the worried dad who constantly reads a book and always chews his magnifying-lens-style glasses. Instead of Nicholson, he needs to start ripping off Richard Jenkins.

Don't act like you're not intrigued.

5. The Cast of Young Guns

With Rambo 5, Rocky 6 and Die Hard 4 all seeing the light of day, let's bring back the most ridiculous of the sagas—Young Guns. Bring the entire cast back and let Christopher Nolan direct it.

Make it like The Dark Knight but with '80s teen idols Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen leading a group of newcomers through the Midwest.

You're right, Nolan would never do that. But if it ever happened, you know damn right I would be there in the front row with a large popcorn.

R.I.P. Jack Cardiff

2009-04-22T12:42:00.007-04:00

One of the best cinematographers in film history died today. Jack Cardiff was arguably the best color cinematographer of the 40's and 50's. His groundbreaking work in the days of early color photography is still breathtaking and unmatched. Cardiff started out as a actor during the Silent Era and then worked his way from Clapper Boy to Cinematographer. He was a Camera Operator on Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Life and Death Of Colonel Blimp(1943). They were so impressed by him that they hired him to photograph their next three films and his best work. Powell, Pressburger, and Cardiff all collaborated on Stairway To Heaven:A Matter Of Life And Death(1946), Black Narcissus(1947), and The Red Shoes(1948). These films are masterpieces all around and probably the best looking films of the decade. The Red Shoes is one of my favorite films of all time. Cardiff left England and went to America after The Red Shoes and worked on beautiful films like The African Queen(1951), The Magic Box(1952), The Barefoot Contessa(1954) and War and Peace(1956). In the late 50's he turned to directing with Sons and Lovers(1960) being his biggest success. He returned to Cinematography in the mid 70's and worked until 2007. Jack Cardiff won a Academy Award for Best Cinematographer in 1948 for Black Narcissus and was nominated 3 other times including one for Best Director. In 2001 Cardiff received a Honorary Oscar for his achievements, he was 94. Below is a film still from Black Narcissus.

The Best Basketball Films

2009-04-20T13:31:00.019-04:00

The NBA playoffs are upon us and I thought this would be a good time to express the Best and Worst of Basketball in film.

Best High School Basketball Film: Hoosiers

No shock here, Hoosiers has been a
Basketball film staple since it's release
in 1986. This film had such a impact on the sports world that in 9th grade my Junior High School Basketball coach watched Hoosiers a dozen times and tried to coach just like Norman Dale.(Gene Hackman) We won 2 games that year, and he was gone the next year.

Best College Basketball Film: Blue Chips

Nick Nolte pulls off the best Bobby Knight impersonation ever! This film even has Bobby Knight in it and you want more Pete Bell. It's a very entertaing film about the corruption of College Basketball and has great performances all around, with the exception of Penny Hardaway and Rickey Roe. William Freidkin directs a great Ron Shelton script. I have been waiting since 1994 for Nolte and Shaq's next film collaboration, come on guys!

Best Street Ball Film: White Men Can't Jump

Ron Shelton hits again with this gem from 1992.
Wesley and Woody shine on and off the court as the best screen duo since Riggs and Murtaugh. Ron Shelton is a sports director and every film he requires that his stars know how to play the sport the film is about. According to IMDB the basketball instructors on the film said that Wesley and Woody reached the skill level to play Division 3 college ball, and it shows. No other film has got the trash talking or the race division in basketball down as good as this film did.

Best Basketball Player in Film History: WOLF!

This is a tricky one. Michael J. Fox's Scott Howard in human form is the best player on a team with a horrible coach and a player called Chubby. Scott Howard sucks, but when he wolfs out he becomes Lebron James and single handily murders the competition while Chubs eats on the court. Nobody in the history of basketball, not even Jimmy Chitwood, could beat Scott Howard's WOLF!

Worst Player: Hoops McCann
Hi Hoops! This guy can't even throw paper in a wastebasket.

Best Performance by a Pro Basketball Player In A Film:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem is pure gold in one of the best comedies ever made. Look at Dan Marino in Ace Ventura:Pet Detective and then watch Kareem in Airplane! The guy should have won a Oscar in comparison. The pissed off look on his face along with the "The hell I don't!" speech with Joey gets me every time.

Shaquille O'Neil's Neon Bedaux in Blue Chips is a distant second to Kareem. Penny Hardaway's Butch McCrae from the same film is the WORSE performance by a Pro Basketball player in film history.

The Best Basketball Film: Hoop Dreams

In 1994 Steve James made one of the best documentaries ever made. The Film is about Basketball prodigies Arthur Agee and William Gates growing up with the pros and cons of having a talent for the game. It also focuses on the inner city, drugs, family, and everyone trying to sink their teeth into these boys who may make millions one day in the NBA. Great film and a must see, even if you don't like sports.

The Worst Basketball Film: Game Day

Oh this one is a doozy from 1999. It's Richard Lewis doing his best Rick Pitino impression while being a womanizing drunk. Movies like Coach Carter and Glory Road are bad films that follow a formula and are a dime a dozen. This movie is over the top with the acting, writing, and the scenario. The film takes place on the day of the championship game of the NCAA tournament, and Richard Lewis is the coach of the underdog team. What makes this film is the end, it is so mind boggling that you have to watch it 20 more times just to make sure it is real.

Quit Your Job: Punisher Movies over at Diggings

2009-04-12T13:26:00.003-04:00

After watching Punisher: War Zone, I wrote about why there will never be a good Punisher movie.

Check it out over at Diggings!

AFI Dallas is not like SXSW

2009-04-10T22:38:00.002-04:00

We don't have gay Target sponsored parties. People don't try to be cool here, they just are.

AFI DALLAS Wrap Up

2009-04-07T10:59:00.012-04:00

The 3rd Annual AFI International Film Festival wrapped up this past week. For those who don't know, AFI DALLAS came to be when a local film dude with deep pocket wanted to open up a Dallas branch of the famed AFI Film Institute. What we got instead was a pretty decent film festival. It now ranks as one of the top 20 film festivals in the country and has grown pretty steadily in each of it's first three years. We pretty much get the same lineup more or less as SXSW and some of the top films from Sundance. Luckily, I work for a company that is a creative sponsor; we do a shit load of post work for the festival. That means that every year, I get my hands on a shiny Silver Star All Access pass. Here are my highlights (don't worry, NO SPOILERS):

1. BIG FAN is the directorial debut for THE WRESTLER screenwriter Robert D. Siegel and stars Patton Oswalt (yes that Patton Oswalt) in an amazing dramatic performance. This film reminds me of those fantastic, intimate character dramas from the early 1970s. Oswalt stars as a hardcore New York Giants fan, who's obsession with his favorite team and player completely defines him as a person, especially when faced with huge moral dilemma. 5 out of 5 stars.

2. 500 DAYS OF SUMMER takes the old cliched story of boy meets girl romantic dramedy and breathes new life in it. For anyone who's fallen head over heals for someone, only to find blank stares in return, this film is for you. Director Marc Webb does a superb job of blending together many genres and actually making it work. The film includes a great surreal musical number, as well as incorporating animation and an unconventional story structure. Also, the film wouldn't have been as convincing as it was without the performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Gordon-Levitt is as close to gold as it comes nowadays, and Deschanel actally does more than stare at the camera for 90 minutes. 4.5 out of 5.

4-7. Great Documentaries: PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI (4 out of 5 stars) chronicles the first ever integrated prom in a small town in Mississippi (in FUCKING 2008!!!) thanks to Morgan Freeman. Racism lives on in the south! FOOD, INC. (4 out of 5 stars) shows us just where our food supply comes from (90% of it from 4 corporations, yummy!). ROCK PROPHECIES (4 out of 5 stars) showcases one of the most successful rock photographers of the past forty years. And ART & COPY (3.5 out of 5 stars) pulls back the curtain on big advertising and shows us the titans of the industry.

8. GIGANTIC was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize, and I'm not sure why. This film taps into almost every indie film cliche: quiet, loner, quirky lead; quiet, loner, quirky love interest; quirky, funny co-workers; loud mouth, over-bearing father of love interest; really cool parents who understand and accept said quirkiness; oh, and a hip indie music soundtrack. Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel are wasted. John Goodman is funny at times. New York is beautifully photographed. Oh, and Zooey shows us her Deschanels for the fist time (half a point for that). 2.5 out of 5.

9. THE MISSING PERSON on the surface has a lot of promise. You take one of the great actors working today (Oscar nominated Michael Shannon), cast him as an old school private detective with a shady past who drinks too much and smokes like a chimney. Then you throw in some intrigue about a 9/11 survivor on the lam and PRESTO, you have yourself a great noir mystery. Eh, not so much. This film is so clunky, so misguided, so weighted down it takes forever to find it's direction (atmosphere can only carry a film for so long). Just a mess. 2 out of 5 stars.