Archive for the ‘movies’ Category
posted by Thomas on Sep 24
“Thomas. You heard about the new Liam Neeson movie?”
“I saw the one sheet in the tube.”
“It looks good.”
“What’s it about?”
“You know I don’t read reviews.”
“You don’t have to read reviews to find out what it’s about.”
“That’s what one sheets are for.”
“So you just go see a movie if the one sheet is cool.”
“Yes. They say that it’s the best film since The Bourne Ultimatum.”
“Who says?”
“The poster. . .Why are you laughing?”
posted by Thomas on Jul 28
…I wanted some music while I read a friends play that I had promised to finish this weekend. Some music to fill the quiet. I go to soundtracks when I feel this way usually. Our modern equivalent to classical music. Elmer Bernstein’s score for To Kill A Mockingbird is especially gorgeous.
But I didn’t put that in.
I put in the soundtrack for Il Postino.Il Postino is a fictional story about a fisherman who meets the poet Pablo Nerudo and how the friendship changed his life.
In 1995 my ex gave me the CD that I popped into my computer this evening. I had just moved to Seattle and we weren’t together and never would be, but it would take us another five-six years to fully realise that.
The first 15 tracks are Neruda poems read with varying success by celebrities. My favorite has always been ‘Tonight I Can Write The Saddest Lines’. Click here to hear it read by Andy Garcia.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, ‘The night is starry
and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.’
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is starry and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that’s certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tries to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another’s. She will be another’s. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that’s certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.
posted by Thomas on Jul 20
I’ve mentioned before that I would like to be Dame Helen Mirren when I grow up.
Damn Helen. Zowie. Not only is she clever, talented and beautiful. . . check out those abs of steel.
The woman is 25 years older than me and if I may quote Heather of Go Fug Yourself fame:
Never mind that it’s deeply unfair that Helen, who is twice my age at least, looks better in a bikini than I have done, currently do, or ever will. Because I can’t hate her for it. I can only gape. My girl-crush is now full-fledged love. While we all knew she had a great figure and a timeless rack that she’d whip out during awards season, I don’t think any of us were aware just HOW much her bod is — as the kids these days call it — bangin’. AND her bathing suit is cute. How do you DO it, Helen? With whose blood are you flavoring your morning tea? How much did Satan pay you for your soul, and may I have his number? Or does he read Craigslist?
Seriously, this makes me feel infinitely better about aging. I might even go do a sit-up.
I’m with Heather. My girl crush is also full-fledged love.
posted by Thomas on Jun 29
Those that know me, know I don’t often use superlatives seriously. I don’t have a favourite restaurant. I have a list of restaurants I like. I don’t have a favourite movie. I have a list of movies I like. So it is no small thing that I am making the following statements.
Wall-e is the best Pixar film that they have made. This is no small thing. The reason why Pixar is so amazing is not because their films look amazing- which they do. . . but because those images are connected to stellar stories and fully drawn characters.
Wall-e is the best film of the year. Ok. I know we’re only six months in, but I haven’t seen anything yet that has knocked my socks off. Have you? And whatever comes along in the next six months will have to do some serious tap dancing to be in the same league.
So yeah. I loved Wall-e. There are many, many reasons.
1. I love a good spork joke.
2. The statements it is saying about our over consumption and our lives being run by the bigger is better Wal-Martishy Corporations.
3. I’m a sucker for a love story.
4. Hello Dolly.
5. Proof that a story is not about clever, snappy dialogue.
6. Proof that a funny and sad sci-fi cartoon about humans destructive (and creative) urge and a love story between robots can work.
7. Hello Dolly.
8. Curious characters.
9. Good old fashioned Buster Keaton comedy.
10. Proof that cockroaches and Twinkies are indeed able to survive anything.
A.O. Scott’s NY Times review is fantastic and there are no spoilers.
posted by Thomas on Jun 28
Stole this from Noble Savage. . . The films I’ve seen from Entertainment Weekly’s list of 100 modern classics are bolded.
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998 )
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988 )
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler’s List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998 )
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988 )
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988 )
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988 )
53. The Truman Show (1998 )
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988)
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)
Of the 100 I haven’t seen 15. Of the 15, there are 8 that I want to see. I ought to put an asterisk by Napoleon Dynamite as I paid to see it, went to see it and walked out on it after 20 minutes because I thought it was complete rubbish.
This list is definitive proof that I am a complete nerd.
posted by Thomas on Jun 24
I was supposed to be in Seattle by now, but there were problems with the plane that was supposed to take me there. Something about a fuel leak. They wanted to fix it before we left, and that seemed like a good idea to me. So it would be a bit later before I had my jet lag killer of Mexican food and a few margaritas.
After 45 minutes of there trying to fix the fuel leak they turned on the in entertainment system which was a bad sign. I had been upgraded to business class so at least I was comfortable.
I watched My Boys, a sitcom that one of my friends is in. The only time I get to watch it is when I am on a plane. I need to buy the DVDs. Then I watched The Other Boleyn Girl, which is so trashily terrible, I found it engaging. I must admit that I enjoyed the book in one of those “I must read this at home as fast as possible so no one sees me with it in public” kind of ways but the movie doesn’t even have that to commend it. If you didn’t understand what a big deal it was for Henry to break with Rome, you certainly wouldn’t gain any insight here. It’s pure soap opera costume bodice ripping drivel.
At least it was free.
We kept getting updates that they didn’t have any updates.
Four hours in, the Captain came back to talk to us. Never a good sign. They were going to take us off the plane as the folks in cattle class were really uncomfortable.
I could see my planned dinner at Mama’s Mexican Kitchen slipping away.
While we were waiting to de-plane, they told us the flight was cancelled and would now be leaving at 11am the next day.
Sigh.
A long day of travel without going anywhere. I found it amusing that I had to go through passport control without actually leaving the country.
I must say however, that British Airways was fantastic in how they handled everything. They let us know what was going on, kept us as comfortable as they could and were very professional.
So here I am waiting to board again. I’m on my third coffee trying to estimate when it would be not too unseemly to have a cheeky airport cocktail.
It must be 5PM somewhere. . .
posted by Thomas on Jun 21
A.O. Scott has been one of my favourite film critics for a while. His style is clear, he doesn’t get all uppity and snobby and sometimes he makes me laugh. His review for The Love Guru has a couple of inspired paragraphs.
Which might sum up “The Love Guru” in its entirety but only at the risk of grievously understating the movie’s awfulness. A whole new vocabulary seems to be required. To say that the movie is not funny is merely to affirm the obvious. The word “unfunny” surely applies to Mr. Myers’s obnoxious attempts to find mirth in physical and cultural differences but does not quite capture the strenuous unpleasantness of his performance. No, “The Love Guru” is downright antifunny, an experience that makes you wonder if you will ever laugh again.
And this is, come to think of it, something of an achievement. What is the opposite of a belly laugh? An interesting question, in a way, and to hear lines like “I think I just made a happy wee-wee” or “I’m making diarrhea noises in my cup” or to watch apprentice gurus attack one another with urine-soaked mops is to grasp the answer. Please don’t misunderstand: I’m not opposed to infantile, regressive, scatological humor. Indeed, I consider myself something of a connoisseur. Or maybe a glutton. So it’s not that I object to the idea of, say, witnessing elephants copulate on the ice in the middle of a Stanley Cup hockey match, or seeing a dwarf sent flying over the same ice by the shock of defibrillator paddles. But it will never be enough simply to do such things. They must be done well.
I have a feeling they won’t be using his quotes for the poster. . .
posted by Thomas on Apr 2
“Because you want to know where the triggers are, you know?. . .If you’re at all interested in what I do, then check out Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, check out Louis Armstrong—they are the essentials. I’m only a mish-mash of what I’ve heard, you know? And I’ve taken it my own way, but listening doesn’t hurt.” –Keith Richards
I’ve always loved The Stones. I think it may be because of the blues. I dig the blues more than any other kind of music and The Stones at their heart and soul are all about the blues.
Back in 1993 I was driving with the guy I was seeing at the time (Kevin, if you’re reading this, hope you don’t mind my telling this story.) and I had a copy of Hot Rocks in my car. He picked it up and looked it over.
“I like The Stones.” I said.
He tossed the cassette aside. “They’re not the Beatles.”
I didn’t say anything, but I thought, Well. No. That’s because They’re The Rolling Stones.
When we saw the preview for Shine a Light, the documentary concert flick about The Stones directed by Scorsese, I thought, I wanna see that.
Stuart got us tickets for tonight. They had 100 theatres across the UK that screened it in tandem with the Leicester Square premier. Before they film they showed the band arriving on the red carpet and were each quickly interviewed by some bird. Was moderately entertaining, but the best bit was when she was talking to Keith Richards, he was rather flirty, kept touching her arm and before he walked away said, “Take a card.” He had given her his card. Was fantastic. I don’t think he realised he was on camera. I hope his wife wasn’t watching.
There was a part of me that was worried about the film because I really don’t dig watching filmed concerts. They lack the gravitas and energy of an actual live show. While Shine a Light isn’t as good as seeing a live show, it’s pretty damn good.
There’s a ton of energy and the old clips are hysterical. There is also something sweet and almost shocking in seeing their baby-faces against the miles of life on their face now.
The best part of the concert is the song with Buddy Guy. That alone is worth the price of admission.
Mick Jagger’s unrelenting energy is nothing short of amazing.
It looks fantastic which is no big surprise not only because of Scorsese, but it was shot by Robert Richardson (The Aviator). A quick bit of research online also shows the camera operators aren’t slouches either. They include John Toll (”Legends of the Fall”), Robert Elswit (”There Will Be Blood”), Andrew Lesnie (”The Lord of the Rings”), Emmanuel Lubezki (”Children of Men”), Stuart Dryburgh (”The Piano”) and Declan Quinn (”Leaving Las Vegas”). The coverage that they get is kick ass. They’re able to tell a story. You see Richard’s eyes flick and connect — the give and take and listening as they work together.
The sound is also nothing short of remarkable.
So, go. If you like The Stones, check it out. You’ll have a good time.