Here's the Scoop

Scoop (Woody Allen, 2006)

I recently watched Woody Allen's 2006 release Scoop. I had heard horrendous things about this film, and I must begin my quick review by saying it's not as bad as I had heard. Mind you, this is coming from a huge Woody Allen fan, who appreciates even his lesser films. 

The story is a cooky tale about a recently deceased journalist, played sparingly by Ian McShane (a favorite of mine, and I'm sure anyone who has ever witnessed the poetic verbal assaults of McShane's Al Swearenger in HBO's Deadwood). Shortly after his death, McShane's Joe Strombel stumbles across the scoop of his afterlife while en route to the other side. Is Peter Lyman the Tarot Card Killer? That's the question. Strombel brings his lead to journalism student Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson), as she is being "demolecularized" by Woody Allen's Sid Waterman as part of his magic act. The two (Sondra and Sid) set out to perform the investigation and write the article that Strombel can't. 

What ensues is a Allen-esk series of awkward situations, a clashing of social classes, and the egotism that always accompanies the filmmaker's self-assigned roles. The biggest weak link in this film is undoubtedly Johansson. It is unclear whether she is playing her character as a cliche--and thus uninspiring--nerd or if she is debuting her Woody Allen impersonation. Regardless, what comes out is a rather flat performance, with any entertainment wholy dependent on either Allen's dialog or Johansson's natural beauty, not her acting. There was none of the charm of Cristina in Vicki, Cristina, Barcelona or the wit of Rebecca in Ghost World. Suffices to say, Johansson's Sondra Pransky is deader than her macabre mentor. The film on the other hand, is better than that, and is well worth a viewing--especially for any of you Allen-addicts out there. 

Image Sources

Scoop

A Week In Film: 5/24/2009-5/30/2009

Hello everyone. Some exciting news. Cinema Insight has landed Florida. That's right. My first visitor from the Sunshine State. Glad to have you. Hope you keep with it. Please feel free to comment. It's great motivation, and there has been a bit of a comment drought lately (hint, hint everyone else). This is still a burgeoning blog, so pass along the word if you like what you read. In other news, I'm reinstating the "Week in Film" series. I hope to keep it up more regularly now that I'm just working and not attending classes.

For the last full week of May I'm chronicling three films: one new, one new to me, and my favorite film of all time. I will save you the anticipation: all three were real gems. The first was Frank Capra's 1934 screwball comedy It Happened One Night.

It Happened One Night

(Frank Capra, 1934)

I'm not an avid Capra follower. Up to this point I've only seen two of his most popular films: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life. And although I enjoyed these films, I found myself reading a certain level of stuffiness in them, a traditionalism that felt all too foreign from my contemporary standpoint. This was not at all the case with It Happened One Night. Clark Gable's Peter Warne was cool in a way that Jimmie Stewart's Jefferson Smith or George Bailey simply weren't. The slang, although undeniably sutured in the 1930s, screamed hip. The sleazy Oscar Shapely, spitting his smooth as butter "Yesss sir!"s and "Believe you me"s makes for one of the greatest slimeballs ever captured on film, and gave me my favorite string of lines in the picture: "You got class kid. Yes sir! With a capital K."

The story is about Ellen Andrews (Claudette Colbert), daughter to an exceedingly wealthy banker played by Walter Connolly. In the opening of the film we find that Ellen has eloped with the aristocratic King Westley (Jameson Thomas). The film follows Ellen as she escapes from her objecting father in Florida and travels north toward New York and her husband. Along the way she meets Gable's Peter, a know-it-all newspaper reporter who cuts a deal with Ellen. He will escort her to New York in exchange for an exclusive interview. By this point Ellen's escapades are front page news, thanks to her father's desperate attempts to track her down, and the scoop is something that Peter just can't pass up. Not to spoil anything, but obviously Ellen and Peter fall in love. However, as formula would have it, the standard obnoxious male/spoiled female relationship must play-out first. This is done brilliantly with some surprisingly saucy banter between the two. (Take note contemporary chick flick directors, this is how it's done.) The relationship builds, the two fall in love, and eventually the issue of her marriage must be confronted. This is where I'll end. I don't want to spoil anything else. Just watch the film. It's definitely worth it.

The second film is hands-down my favorite film of all time, The Godfather.

The Godfather

(Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)

I don't think I have to say much about the narrative here. I'm sure many, if not most of you have seen this film. It's cinematic brilliance is undeniable. In my opinion, there are no flaws here, no weak points whatsoever. The acting, cinematography, editing, score: great, great, great. Obviously, I did label it my favorite movie of all time. And not just that, I truly believe that it is the greatest film ever made. Not just a movie that I happen to love. I mean, I LOVE Back to the Future and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but I would never award this kind of praise to those films, although I do believe they are at the top of their genres. Anyway, this viewing was part of a what was intended to be a double-feature Godfather Feast. We started a few hours late, as everybody arrived, and as last-minute supplies were gathered and the dishes prepared. In the end, we only had time for the first installment. But a great time was had by all. I made meatballs, my girlfriend Cara made the sauce and some delicious bruschetta. Our close friend Teddy prepared the garlic bread and brought along some homemade banana chocolate chip cookies. I picked up some cannoli from Cannoli Joe's down the street and some really great espresso beans from local Austin roaster Katz which we enjoyed with biscotti. The wine was flowing (unfortunately not Coppola brand). It was truly a great time.

Drag Me To Hell

(Sam Raimi, 2009)

All is again well in the world. The anxiety about Drag Me To Hell's PG-13 rating turned out to be some very loose assessing on the part of the MPAA. Easily an R-film, Raimi's return to the horror genre was the perfect topper to a great week of filmgoing. I think of the three films I watched this week, this experience will be with me the longest. I have enjoyed screwball comedies. And, the Godfather Feast was a tradition I resurrected from my undergraduate days when my buddy Nick and I would prepare elaborate Italian spreads while watching either The Godfather 1 or 2 or Scorsese's Goodfellas. But never have I enjoyed the pleasure of a fight breaking out while watching a film in the theater. Yes, I've heard the occasional bickering and shooshing, and have even been privy to one or two moments when an usher or manager has had to ask someone to leave. Bu, this was none these. This was a full-on fight. I don't know what initially started the altercation. Perhaps it had something to do with the three baby's one of the sides brought to the film. (Yes, literally babies.) Perhaps it was something else. Regardless, just as the old gypsy hag in the film begins an assault on our female lead, I notice the audience is really getting into it. This was exciting. The film had set a great tone, and the pacing was progressing nicely. Obviously the first real action sequence was paying off. As the scene continued, the crowd was getting more and more into it. Eventually people started standing up. Yeah! Film lovers unite, right? Wrong. The first clue that the excitement wasn't about the film: everybody was facing the other way, looking toward the top of the theater rather than the screen. The second: the growing brouhaha culminating at the top of the stairs. The yells of "F*#0 You B^*%#@!" could just have well been from the soundtrack, but I'm guessing they haven't perfected 3-d quite to this level. Eventually the theater had to stop the film and the police came in to pull people off each other and escort the involved parties out. Everyone sat back down and finished what was an equally enjoyable film. In my last posting I wrote that any horror film that can get a jolt out of me is a winner in my book. My two word review of Raimi's Hell: two jolts.

And that's that. I hope some of you out there will grace me with some feedback. I look forward to hearing from all of you. And, I'm out.

Image Sources

It Happened One Night

The Godfather

Drag Me To Hell

Cinemanticipation 2009 (Part 1)

Hi everybody. I'm finally back. The semester is over, and I have given myself a long enough break that I can now look at my computer again without breaking out in hives. For my return posting I thought I would do something fun. I've been building a Word doc of anticipated films for the coming months, and I thought why not share it with you. This is not a particularly extensive list of upcoming film by any means, just a few flicks that I--for one reason or another--am interested in checking out this year. I'm sure there are a number of gems that have slipped my mind, and that's where all of you come in to play. Fill me in. I have to know what I'm missing, whether it's something I just forgot to include, or even better something I'm not yet familiar with. Please, share. So here it is, a nice list of anticipated films of 2009: Part 1 (listed in order of release date).

MAY

My first two films are both due out today, promising fun-filled-filmic weekend for me, along with a Godfather Double Feature Feast I have planned for Saturday. 

UP 

(Peter Docter & Bob Peterson): May 29

Up. Who isn't excited about this film. Pixar's latest installment, come on. They've been on a roll since their inception with few bumps along the way (I'm lookin' at you Cars and A Bugs Life). Without a doubt, the most consistent production company to ever grace the silver screen. And a story about a grumpy, yet adventurous old coot, with sidekick boy scout and talking dog (both of which have already made me laugh in the trailer, mind you), looks to be a promising picture, and no doubt will be a box office hit. 

The next film I am not as confident in, but am none the less interested in checking out. 

Drag Me To Hell 

(Sam Raimi): May 29

Sam Raimi's (Evil Dead trilogy, Spiderman trilogy) return to horror, is just something I can't pass up. Although the PG-13 rating is giving me something to fear beyond the narrative. Still, the trailer about a girl who trying to carve out a career for herself in the banking world who is cursed by a demon that she unwittingly denies a bank loan looks pretty good. It appears a bit more inclined toward scary than Raimi's Evil Dead series, something that as a horror fan I can really get into. I don't remember the last time I saw a truly scary film, and although I don't think this film will put much of a chink in my tough horror fan armor, anything that can get a single jolt out of me is a winner in my book.  

JUNE

Away We Go 

(Sam Mendes): June 5

Film number three on my list is Sam Mendes' (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) new film Away We Go. It looks to be a cute film about a hard-up couple with a little one on the way. I haven't checked out much specifics, but I do like that John Krasinski (Jim from The Office) and for some reason the trailer speaks to me. It looks like a film that will be more honest than hokie. And, at the very least it's a new Mendes picture, something of a rare treat seeing as he only directs a film about once every three years--that is until just recently. 

(Check out the trailer here.)

JULY

Public Enemies 

(Michael Mann): July 1

Michael Mann's Public Enemies kicks off my July selections. I'm not a huge Mann fan, but I am a huge Johnny Depp and to a lesser extent Christian Bale fan. In my opinion Mann's films tend to feel a bit detached. So, I don't know how he will fare with a classic gangster film, a film style that relies greatly on nostalgia and alluring characters. Nonetheless, the trailer looks great, and I love the gangsters. 

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince 

(David Yates): July 15

The last film in my selection is the new Harry Potter installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I'm sure like many Harry Potter nerds I will be counting down the days with a Harry Potter marathon, introducing my girlfriend to the magic that is Harry Potter for the first time. Yes, she is the last person in the world holding out on this franchise, but I finally broke her down, and she agreed to sit down for the first five films in preparation for HP6. 

(Check out the trailer and website here.)

That's all everybody. Remember to write and fill me in on the films I have not listed here, cursing me for omitting your most anticipated films of 2009 from my extremely sparse selection list. 

Image Sources

Up

Drag Me To Hell

Away We Go

Public Enemies

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Flash Back Film Review

I have to apologize for my absence. I am in crunch time right now, trying to crank out three big papers for the end of my semester. I realize that the blog is taking an unjust sacrifice because of this, and although I don't really have time to write any new material (other than that which I am turning in to my professors) I thought I would post some old reviews I have backlogged on my hard drive. So here it is: installment numero uno of my Flash Back Film Review series. Enjoy. 

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Lars finally has a girlfriend, a plastic love doll named Bianca. Outrageous? Yes. It is the kind of premise that just should not work. Yet, somehow it does. Beautifully crafted by fledgling director Craig Gillespie, Lars and the Real Girl is a subtle yet heartfelt film that teeters between sadness and adoration. Ryan Gosling delivers a delicate performance as Lars Lindstrom. Proving once again that he is more than just a pretty face, Gosling draws us into what could have been a disaster. Playing opposite a lifeless doll is no easy task, but with support from a magnificent ensemble, Gosling delicately pulls it off. As viewers, we fall in love with the sweet-natured Lars, accepting his odd relationship with Bianca. The film has its awkwardness, but Gosling keeps us mesmerized with his quirky mannerisms and soft-spoken way. We come to find this less a film about a man in love with a doll, and more a film about a man grappling with his past. Bianca is simply a means to an end, a way for Lars to cope with his loneliness and confront his past. Emily Mortime is equally adorable as Lars' sister-in-law Karin, making the shared screen times between the two the film's best moments. Lars and the Real Girl is strung together by David Torn's soothing original score, which simultaneously captures and creates the film's mood. Subtle, sweet, sad, and captivating. These are the words that appropriately describe the latest addition to a new breed of independently produced love story in the vein of Garden State and Me and You and Everyone We Know.

Image Sources:

Lars and Bianca

A Week In Film: 3/22/2009-3/28/2009

Paris Is Burning 

(1990, Jennie Livingston)

If you are a documentary fan and/or are interested in gender studies, and you haven't seen Paris is Burning, go check it out. It is an interesting journey into the drag queen pageant circuit in New York in the 1980s. Director Jennie Livingston does a good job of bringing a generally unfamiliar audience into a rarely seen world. I won't say anything else about this film, but if what I've written so far sounds intriguing, then I say again check it out. What's the worst that can happen?

The Fountainhead 

(1949, King Vidor)

The Fountainhead was possibly the worst film I saw this week. The acting was almost as horrendous as the dialogue. Stiff, awkward, just plain bad. And the Red Scare sentiment was laid on like molasses--thick. Some great architecture, though, and an interesting use of backgrounds. 

I Love You, Man 

(2009, John Hamburg)

I Love You, Man is my pick of the week. I really enjoyed this film. It was surprisingly funny. Not that I didn't expect laughs from this film, but the consistency of the comedy was...well, surprising. I was laughing the entire way through, and not just chuckles, full-on laughing--laughing on the street when a moment pops into your head kind of laughing. ("Slappin' da bass." You know what I'm talking about.) And, to top it all off, it featured the absolutely gorgeous Rashinda Jones (remember: Karen Filippelli from The Office). Really a pleasure to watch and a lock for my 2009 Top Ten List. (I'm referring to the film, not Rashinda...although...)

Monsters vs Aliens 

(2009, Rob Letterman 

& Conrad Vernon)

I have to say, there was nothing special about this film. Monsters vs Aliens was pretty much what I expected: a lot of reference jokes, and some really old, really played-out ones at that. Easily forgettable overall. The 3-D, however, was spectacular. And the fact that I saw it on the Alamo Drafhouse, The Village's new Sony 4K digital projector was the treat of the night. Really, if you live in or near Austin, and you fancy yourself a film guy or gal, make your way out to The Village and check out their new projector. It is quite the treat. And the 3-D format was the perfect platform to showcase the crisp, new look. No, I swear this is not an advertisement. It's just a really nice projector.

And, I'm done.

Image Sources:
Paris Is Burning
Fountainhead
I Love You, Man
Monsters vs Aliens

It's a Weird Weird Weird Weird World

(Joker Pony)

I'm pretty busy right now, so my "Week in Film" postings are going to be delayed. Hopefully I'll be able to put something up later this week, but until then, enjoy the ponies. I found these guys at Cinematical. They are the creations of sick-twisted-genius film fan/sculptor/artist/all-around bad-ass Mari Kasurienen. (My favorite is the Alien one.) Check out the full line-up here. You can find more ponies at her website and some of her other works as well. Enjoy. 

(Edward Scissorhooves)

Okay. After further exploration of Mari's page, Stormtrooper Pony and Pony trapped in Carbonite are now vying for top spots. Watch out Alien. One more pic to top you off. 

(Stormtrooper Pony)

A Week In Film: 3/15/2009-3/21/2009

Okay, folks. This is going to be an easy one. For whatever reason--I'm blaming SXSW--I only watched one film for this posting. That film: Hellboy II The Golden Army. I've been pretty busy this week, and it continues still. So, I won't write much. 

My quick review: the mediocrity of the 3/8-3/14 week spilled over an extra day onto my Sunday viewing of HBII. Not a terrible movie, but not a great one either. At the very least it looks fantastic. The special effects makeup is phenomenal. And to be fair, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this film to begin with. I liked the first film, but that viewing was undeniably enhanced by low expectations. I was never a reader of the comic books, so I had no connection to the story prior to the first film. And because I did enjoy the first installment,--surprisingly so, in fact--my expectations were a little higher (but not much) for the sequel. In the end I got what I was expecting: a film with great style (something director Guillermo del Toro always brings to the table), a story I didn't have to actively construct, but was presented for me in a mindless, yet relaxing way (not always a desirable trait, but what I was looking for at the time), and plenty of Ron Perlman. 

Image Source:

Hellboy II