New Indiana Jones teaser trailer
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer at Yahoo.
I have just returned home from (co-incidentally) watching Raiders of the Lost Ark on a friend's projector. Great film and almost timeless thanks to the 40's styling, and lack of dependence on available CG effects except for the odd dodgy key and some Ghostbusters-esque rotoscoped energy beams.
After one watch of the new teaser it looks like they've gone with some improbable, big impact CG (that ridiculous looking car chase on the edge of a mountain?) which saddens me. Somehow, the old stunts of Raiders are all the more exciting and believable as someone actually performed all the jumps, falls, and sliding-along-under-the-truck shenanigans. I still have time for Harrison, although has anyone noticed these days that when speaking his face stays strangely immobile, or there is at least a noticeable sluggishness to his expressions? Is this merely age? Would Han Solo botox? I like to think not.
Labels: films
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Ahhh, Harrison Ford looks good! What a relief. Here's a slide show from IMDB of production stills. His co-star Marion (Karen Allen), the hard drinking bar owner from Raiders of The Lost Ark looks almost unchanged. Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in 1981, making her 27 years older. I want her skincare regime/surgeon/diet of stemcells.
Remember handsome Jan-Michael Vincent from Airwolf? The same can't be said about him. At 64, 2 years younger than Harrison, he's not quite so fit and well. This youtube video from last year of JMV makes me not want to drink alcohol ever again. It's so sad I won't even embed it on this page.
Other links of mention are the new HBO show In Treatmeat with Gabriel Byrne as a psychotherapist, bound to be another storming success.
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Gone in 60 Seconds or I made a BAFTA one minute film
It's been raining for so long. However, it's sunny today and shortly I shall avail myself of this computer and take a stroll to the beach, kicking pebbles, perhaps sighing deeply, looking for all intents and purposes like a wistful dreamer, thinking big thoughts. Or that's the image I wouldn't mind projecting. So quickly on to an announcement. This New Year I made a one minute movie with a friend. It's nominally for a competition between Bafta and Orange (who love to promote themselves as film sponsors) and asked amateur film makers to submit a one minute piece on the theme "Unite". Yes, an unpleasant brief, but one we tackled with agnosticism. With about 2 weeks to write something, cast, shoot and edit it, especially over the Christmas and New Year period, we really surprised ourselves. A few story ideas came and went - mostly due to logistics and cost, and we fixed on a simple if slightly contrived story that we thought we could fit into a minute. Shot in a day, and captured and edited in a day, we managed to get it onto the website with mere hours to spare. A great learning experience, there are a few things I would have done differently - but all in all for getting a story across in a minute, I'm pleased. The film will be on the website until the end of January, please feel free to have a look and of course, give it 5 stars. No registration is necessary, and if you're reading this I'm hoping you are utterly biased and happy to cast aside your honest critical judgment to make me look good. It's called Simply Delicious, watch it here. The movies will be judged by the local film councils at the end of the month and a number of finalists (depending on quality and number of entrants) for each region will be put forward to a public vote. In the unlikely case our film survives the selection you can bet you'll hear from me again. (Note 28th of January is the day the public voting officially opens, votes before that are purely for show). Thanks to all the people we roped into helping us, "It was amazing to work with you guys. Such vision, dedication... " Apologies, we've slipped into my Bafta speech. Oh and very very quickly (the sun sets at about 4 o'clock) some TV/DVD tips. The Wire Season 1: Fantastic HBO series about Narcotics agents on a case in the Projects of Baltimore. I have been slow to chase this up, but it's got some brilliant writing and characterisation and also great insights into drug culture, and police procedure in the US. More on this when I have finished the series. Pushing Daisies Season 1: By Bryan Fuller of "Dead like me" a light comedy, drama about a man who can bring things back to life. Pure eye candy if you like the kitsch, re-invented 50's styling, however not terribly funny or deep. Think Tim Burton (mostly Chocolate Factory/Edward Scissor Hands) in a Desperate Housewives, voiced over style. Doesn't work quite, but a good effort. 5 Easy Pieces Loving my 70's movies at the moment. Awesome performance by Jack Nicholson, and although it's a long (2 hour) film, some scenes make it worth the effort. The angry woman who hitches a ride in particular, bedraggled dark hair, on her way to Alaska because it "looks so clean". She complains incessantly of how "filthy" man is, followed repeatedly by "It makes me so angry, I just don't want to talk about it". Great stuff. Also Jack Nicholson's character mocking the peculiar walk of his relative Carl (incidentally played by Ralph Waite who will forever be John Walton Sr of The Waltons) during a game of table tennis. It rings so true I wouldn't be surprised if it was improvised. A word of advice, I enjoyed this as I hadn't read a synopsis of any sort, and the film is one I believe is best enjoyed in ignorance. 0 comments
Benicassim and the lives of wire tappers
Back from FIB (still no idea what that stands for) a music festival on the coast of Spain, not far from Valencia. Had a hot and sunny four days with a motley crew of festival go-ers, around 70,000 in total. The ever lovely Herman Dune were perhaps my favourite, and contrary to the rather short stage slots at the Latitude the weekend before, this time they played for around an hour. Here's my favourite video of theirs, if I hadn't posted it before.
Some film comment. Not long ago I was recommended a film called The Conversation by some eager sound engineers I worked with. Their comments were based around the funny, fictional and (to them) clearly implausible apparatus the wire tapper employed in this 70's film, but also of it's merits as a suspenseful psychological thriller. Starring Gene Hackman as a withdrawn and isolated professional surveillance operator, when a wire tapping job of a young couple appears to lead to a murder plot, he has a crisis of confidence and becomes involved. Tailed by his employer's stooge, a very surly and sinister Harrison Ford, he risks his considerable professional career, and moral objectivity to try and prevent a crime. Gripping viewing, and has a couple of incredibly memorable scenes including the hilarious surveillance specialist convention, where new wild and wonderful gadgets are demonstrated., and the final scene which I won't spoil, but was the most visually powerful depiction of Gene Hackman's characters' shredded psyche. Fantastic.
So, another recommendation from a camp site buddy at Benicassim lead me to The Lives of Others, a film about a playwright in 1984's paranoid socialist DDR, and the Stasi agent who is assigned to monitor him. With similar themes, this is a brilliantly executed, and fully captures the atmosphere of East Germany during the DDR, including the ever present Trabants belching smoke into grey empty streets. Despite a slow start, the acting and storytelling are superb , direction is thoughtful, unhurried and free of cliche.
Most impressive is the wire tapper, Stasi officer Wiesler, played by Ulrich Mühe. As with Gene Hackman's character, Wiesler appears cold and commited but finds sympathy with the struggling playwright and cannot maintain his professional distance. The struggle between his humanity and requirements of his post, espcially in those times, were palpable. I discovered the actor had begun his career in the DDR, in theatre, and when asked how he prepared for his role, Mühe responded, "I remembered.".
The Lives of Others won an Oscar in 2006 for best foreign language film, and Mühe won an Oscar for his performance. Sadly, as I found out from researching the film today, Ulrich Mühe died last weekend from cancer aged only 54.
The Lives of Others may still be playing in some cinemas in the UK. Highly recommended.
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twenty four hours and rising...
It might just be that I am flying to the city that is furthest away from London. The city. Furthest possible away from London. Charming Dunedin. 4 planes. Is that a record? Anyone more foolish than me? 'Though saying that, all you have to deal with is the irritation, cramped conditions and the possibility of DVT (which I avoid with a serious of comical exercises that I perform at the back of the plane, including squat thrusts and some thigh stretches that are vaguely similar to badly done yoga or, and I might be crossing a line, inelegant readers' wives' poses? Yup. Crossing a line). So yeah, It's not like I'm Scott of the.Antartic, but it's the longest journey by plane I have done in one fell swoop. Anyway, here is the lowdown on my inflight entertainment.
Movies
Notes on a Scandal
Judi Dench and Cate Blanchette are two teachers in a secondary school. Both women are lonely in different ways, and events spiral out of control when Cate's character becomes involved with a fifteen year old pupil. Liked this a lot. I used to only like genre movies, and somehow I have ended up with a more discerning taste, that might even be a bit adult. Heh. Yup, the narration of the diary from Judi's bitter but sharp-as-a-knife, self confessed "battleaxe" teacher, and the fae, lefty silliness of Cate's art teacher are a perfect combination. Cate's family became a bit too fictional when they danced like bohemians, a tradition in their family after a good lunch(?). But Judi Dench's awkwardness at the scene made it all ok again. I think it won a bunch of awards. Reminded me of a much more subtle and smart, English "Misery". That kind of tone.
The Dead Girl
As is endlessly popular at the moment, this film is four stories connected by a person or theme. The Dead Girl herself is our thread, Brittany Murphy, wild eyed and screaming like a younger Courtney Love. It's no ground breaker, but the stories are pleasently varied, and well acted. It's all grim in the end, but so it should be. Worth checking out.
For your consideration
American parody of low budget Hollywood filmmaking. I know that I would have seen all the in-jokes about actors, publicists, DP's and so on, had I spent any real time in this industry, but really I haven't. It looked promising with some really funny dialog, but couldn't hold my attention past the first half hour. Good effort. A bit too specific and LA centric 'though.
French Film - L'euipment ?? something about a lighthouse?
Aborted after half an hour. I am sure it was touching though, like the guide said.
Louis Theroux and the brothel
Love this man.. this was an excellent one hour BBC documentary where Louis spends nearly a month with a brand new, legal and luxuary brothel in Nevada. Not only does he capture fantastic impressions of some of the characters working at and running the brothel but also a couple of clients. Louis can be critisised for sometimes making cheap shots at his subjects, but despite playing up his stoic British awkwardness, I believe he had real fondness for the inhabitants of the brothel. Their stories were funny, sometimes shocking but also warm, and touching. Brilliant TV, and fascinating.
Moving Pictures update and the Muppet Show curse
I really, really want to meet Simon Pegg. What he finds funny is what I find funny.. Spaced, Shaun of the Dead and now Hot Fuzz, we need more talent like this in the UK.
Although Hot Fuzz has the feeling of being "loads of the cool ideas that didn't fit in Shaun of the dead" it's still a cracking laugh, poking fun at the English in the way only an affectionate native could. It's a slow starter but picks up pace after the first half an hour. Perhaps it's 10 minutes overlong at just over 2 hours, but it doesn't necessarily drag. My favourite bits include the way in the small village of Sandford, they constantly mispronounce "London", the somerset PC whose mumblings have to be interpreted, and the mention of "brain freeze" over a Cornetto. Brilliant cast that we've seen in all the other Wright/Pegg outings, and it really looked like a load of fun to make. I was surprised at the inclusion of some hilarious death scenes too (now we know why villages always want to Save the Church roof). I also enjoyed the pacey editing style of Chris Dickens (same editor on SOTD and some Spaced) who IMDB tells me has just completed editing Ringam Ledwidge's first feature Gone. Ringan incidentally was a half decent commercials director so that film is on my to see list.
Manly
Also watched the first 3 episodes of The Dresden Files showing on the Sci-Fi channel, from the books by Jim Butcher. Took all my will power to stomach the cheesy lines and the too-handsome-to-be-straight stubbled features of Harry Dresden himself, Paul Blackthorn who apparently is both English and was the grim reaper in a Virgin commercial. Bizarre. However - this genre bender is standard fare at the moment. It's old fashioned Mike Hammer private investigations, including the required VO ("Sushi, that's what my ex-wife called me. Raw fish") mixed with the ever popular fantasy, magic, good versus evil world used in Buffy, Harry Potter or Charmed (lets hope less of the Charmed influence!). First couple of episodes were a bit awkward, but by the third you could see there would be some longer arcs that might get interesting, and Dresden had a heady encounter with an attractive lycanthrope, which managed to reel me in. It's not as smart as Buffy, or as prettily vacuous as Charmed, but somewhere inbetween. I'm holding out on a judgement untill I've seen more.
Before I forget, and it was some time ago, I made a special effort to catch Children of Men, the pet project of director Alfonso Cuaron. SFX / Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB like this movie. My friends like this movie. This according to all I have heard should have been my film of last year, but it really didn't work for me.. Clive Owen doesn't do that much really.. struggles a bit, apologises to some fighting rebels, delivers some flat lines in his mystery accent.. the supporting cast fail to do just that, and I found no-one in the whole film that I related to or cared about. So, the somewhat bleak end was actually a huge relief for me. Oh, some kudos is due for the excellent scene with almost no cuts where Owen in a small car in a wooded lane gets ambushed. That was cool, and exciting. But that was it.
Last words: Someone stop Michael Caine (born Maurice Micklewhite, trivia fans) from overacting, please. He's was bearable in The Prestige, and he always done a fine job of doing Michael Caine style characters, but in Children of Men, we are supposed to believe he's some kind of eccentric aging hippie. No he isn't - and he can't do accents other than his own. After people have guested on the Muppet show, it's hard to see them as anything other than caricatures of themselves. Mark Hamil, Dudley Moore, and Steve Martin are also victims of the Muppet Show curse.
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