8 dollars to see "Super 8" at 8 o'clock...

I have known about "Super 8" for a while now, thanks to my extensive facebook friends list, consisting of too many film nerds. The problem was that I knew about this film a long time ago because it was marketed so well, and then the craze seemed to drop off. I didn't even know it was out until my uncle mentioned in a phone call, my uncle that doesn't even watch movies. Then my roommate was going to go see it with some family, and I decided it sounded like a good way to spend a Saturday night. All of this information is completely useless to you, but I feel compelled to share it for my own sake. I also feel it necessary to let you know there is rather loud party growing in my living room, so I may be a little distracted in writing this post.

"Super 8" was a good, solid movie, as I expected it to be. There weren't any huge flaws, or experiments gone awry (which I say in regards to technique, not plot). It delivered an array of emotions including love, grief, jealousy, anger, and ambition, all mostly through the eyes of children, which was very cool. It was a safe movie though. Even in a group of kids, there was the leader, the hero, the explosives technician, and the comic relief. The story was pretty by the book. It was suspensful in the fact that it waited almost too long to reveal the actual monster, and there was backstory among characters that, while not needed for the plot, was hinted at but not completely revealed until the end to create more suspense for the audience. All of this I am glad for. I went to the movie wanting to see a well made movie with a solid story, and that's exactly what I got. It was funny, it was sad, it was like the Sandlot with a much more dangerous monster. Hollywood needs to stop playing with 3D, stop trying to create something more and more complicated than what they already have, and go back to the basics, the things that make movies great.

One thing that I have to point out is the Abrams loves his lens flare, almost to the point that it makes me hate his films. It was worse in "Super 8" than in Star Trek, and at times took away from the film. I can appreciate a good flare here and there, but to overuse it is to bored and insult your audience. We see it, whether you use it once or five hundred times, and as long as we acknowledge it, we accept your creative vision. That being said, I really enjoy the style of this film. I like the simplicity of the film. It wasn't an overstated period piece, but it was obvious it was not set in modern times. The cinematography was classic but beautiful (you have no idea how happy I was when I knew it wouldn't be shaky camera work), and the sound design had depth. It did occasionally seem like the monster sounds were recycled from Transformers, but I'm not willing to make that accusation. I also wish that I had seen this film at the drive-in because that would be the perfect venue, it would have provided the perfect echo to the sound and a nostalgia that would have completed the throw-back simplicity of the film. If anyone out there has the opportunity to see it in a drive-in, please do it and let me know how it is.

This is completely unrelated to the film for the most part, but it was one of the most magical moments I have experienced in cinema. There was a point during the film when I happened to tilt my head down slightly and shift my eyes to where I could see the audience in front of the screen. It is important now to share with you the fact that this was one of the largest movie theaters I have ever seen, and despite the fact that I was sitting approximately in the center of the theater, I could still see an entire theater worth of seats in front of me. Anyways, I look at the audience, and even looking at the back of their heads it was obvious they were enthralled. They're heads were tilted back, and I could sense the unblinking stares accompanied by drool as the movie hit it's climax. That my friends is the magic of the movies. It is possible to get that reaction.

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth

Tonight I got to see "The Pruitt-Igoe Myth" at the L.A. Film Festival, which was pretty freaking cool. Since it was directed by the one and only Chad Freidrichs, one of the most influential people in my educational career, I was able to get free tickets to see it for the second time. This time, since I was more awake and not distracted with moving, I was able to really enjoy the film and decided to blog about it. I'm not going to go into too much detail because this film has received several reviews from accredited sources, and they have said it much better than I can. Warning, I have a different take on the film because I know the director so well.

"The Pruitt-Igoe Myth" is an archival documentary, which immediately seems to turn some people away...those people should not be allowed to watch films. While Pruitt-Igoe does follow some of the standards that have been set-forth by archival predecessors, this films also challenges many of the stereotypes, and lets the audience know that this filmmaker plans to challenge the status quo in archival filmmaking. The way in which the archival footage is woven together, working brilliantly with the voice-over, interviews, and score is not only thought-provoking, but also upbeat. This is not a PBS documentary you turn on one Saturday afternoon to take a nap to, it keeps you engaged with a quick pace and makes you think. The story is universal, the people real, and images haunting. The story of Pruitt-Igoe is so extreme that at times you have to remind yourself that this is real, people lived through this, and then you ask why?

The film is also smart. It's so important that a documentary inform, but analyze, draw conclusions, and make you think about things. It is important that the film do this, while still keeping you engaged. "The Pruitt-Igoe Myth" presents complex information in a way that allows the audience to follow it without long explanations. Many of the ideas presented in the film come from normal, everyday people who have spent their lives remembering the housing project. Holes are filled in with poetic, to the point voiceover that calms the mind while arousing thoughts of injustice. Freidrichs and his co-producer/wife Jaime Freidrichs produced such a wonderful script for narration, they were recently nominated for an award for "Best Documentary Script".

It is important to note that Chad Freidrichs, or "The Chad" as some of us refer to him, will be a powerful voice in years to come. He has caught what he calls "the archival bug" and his future projects will challenge the ways in which filmmakers use archival footage. He has big goals, and I know he will achieve them, because his passion cannot be stifled and his talent will not go unused. When you see "The Pruitt-Igoe Myth", you will understand why Chad has been over the past four years, and will continue to be, one of my biggest inspirations. If I can maintain half the passion he has for filmmaking, and find a quarter of his talent, then I will make the films I want to make and they will be worth watching.

Elephant White

I found "Elephant White" in my instant play suggestions on Netflix, and while it looked good, it didn't look like something I was in the mood for. Since my mom is here, and the description of the film revealed it was her type of movie, we decided to watch it, and I'm very glad we did (I seem to be saying that a lot lately).

Despite the fact that "Elephant White" stars Djimon Hounsou and Kevin Bacon, I had never heard of it, which leads me to assume that you have not heard of it either. If I'm wrong, please let me know in the comments, we should definitely be friends.

The film is about a hit-man for hire, who gets mixed up in the underground sex traffic world of Thailand. During his mission he uncovers several shady business connections, some of which even violate his own relationships. He also forms a friendship with a young girl who becomes his guide through the twisted maze of trafficking, using her own experiences to both guide and create friction for the hit-man.

What I liked most about this film was that the men buying and kidnapping the girls to sell them, and the war between different groups did not become the focus of the film. It could have been a little more prevalent because at times it was confusing exactly what was going on, but it was nice to see an unconventional but touching relationship become the focus of the film. Director Prachya Pinkaew took the typical hit-man action thriller and turned it into a piece about humanity and our basic instinct to help others.

The cinematography of "Elephant White" should not go unnoticed either. It was absolutely gorgeous. It reminded me, at times, of "Traffic", using vivid color tinting (which is much more in the editing than the cinematography, I know, but the way it is shot is important as well) to enhance the choice of lights and darks in the frame. The camera movement and angles, however, were something all their own. The flow of the cinematography would push the adrenaline in intense scenes, build the characters in the shot, and establish the entire mood of the scenes, even changing as the mood changed. The camera work became a character all it's own in the film.

Not to be outdone, the sound design in this film was also very noteworthy. While there were a few points that I thought I was watching a glorified commercial for guns, most of the film maintained a moderately realistic soundtrack when necessary, and magnified certain sounds to build an unrealistic but motivated world at other times. It added a whole new level of polish to the film by the end.

Finally, it is important to note the editing of this film. In thrillers there should be a focus on quick editing to keep things lively and moving, and this film accomplished that, no questions asked. It also developed a style of quick editing all it's own. It seemed to mimic the calm collected mind of the hit-man, while maintaining the fast-paced style that modern audience crave.

Overall I think the fact that this film seemed to go unnoticed was an injustice to film audiences. It had everything necessary to be a blockbuster movie released in February or March (wasn't quiet good enough to compete with the big boys in May or July), and it could have done well had it been marketed. There were excellent performances from both Hounsou and Bacon, and the director seemed to be able to stand toe to toe with hollywoods admired. My question to you is, why was this film so invisible until reaching Netflix instant play?

I'm also going to add to the end of this blog that I started watching "Stone" and I was beyond disappointed. I love Robert De Niro, if that wasn't already obvious, and Edward Norton is one of the more talented actors in the business right now, so I don't understand how this movie was so slow and hard to watch, but for the first time I did not finish a De Niro film and that is saying something.

A Little Inspiration

After years of wanting to watch "The F-Word", I finally found myself with enough free time to actually do it, and I'm glad I did. The film is a documentary about the last day that KPOL is on the air. They are being shut down due to overwhelming fines from the FCC that they cannot pay, so Joe Pace takes to the streets to see what people have to say. The stars aligned, however, and Pace took to the streets as people gathered in the thousands to protest the republican national convention, giving him plenty of subjects to interview, and more than enough points of view. The multitude of subjects and mindsets made for a very intelligent, and occasionally humorous, film that forced the viewers to think about their world, not just the generic and under visualized "world" that we are always blabbering about. Real people were on the screen, standing in streets of New York City, speaking up for what they believe in. There were war veterans, moms, people on bicycles, republicans, hippies, and free speech advocates. No one (save for Pace's doppelganger that he discovered at then end of the night) was even remotely similar to anyone else, because they were all brave enough to be individuals, which is something we often times lack in our apathetic world.

Now I'm going to get a bit philosophical, so if you are not interested, stop reading, you have been warned.

The film made me think about a lot of different things. It made me question whether or

not I was brave enough to be an individual, or whether or not I would have participated in the protests had I a) had the funds to go and b) supported the issues being advocated for by protesters. The fact that I blame funds as my reason for not going right off the bat, made me realize that I am good at coming up with logical excuses, and perhaps my logic is one of the things holding me back. I have always been uptight and played by the rules, but if I continue to do this, will I ever make the changes in the world that I want to see? Something has to

change.

The film also made me realize that people don't always live up to their appearance or reputation. If you look at me (try looking at my profile picture, I think it's of me), you probably don't think I am a republican, some people still say that I'm not actually, but from what I can tell I am very much a republican and I'm proud of that. I know that I'm not the stereotypical republican, because that republican (who most likely doesn't actually exist) is an idiot. I am my own form of republican, using my personal experiences and moral compass to guide my voting decision and political identification. The same goes for other people, and we all owe it to each other to allow people to define themselves in their own time.

I also have to ask, can we really change anything? Does blogging about films make you want to see a film any more or less? Does walking in the street, holding a sign, shouting something that rhymes change your mind? And if your mind is changed, for how long can it be changed? While watching the film, I realized that people on both sides of the election in

2004 made good points, and despite my stubbornness, I was able to agre

e with both sides at times, but as soon as the next person began contradicting them, my opinion began to change. Perhaps I'm just a little too easily motivated by words, but surely I'm not the only one.

With politics everywhere in 2004 and our present day, I also want to kno

w if it is possible to be completely neutral? As Joe Pace interviewed people, I noticed that at times it was easy to pick up on his anti-conservative feelings, but at other times he seemed genuinely in

terested in hearing people's perspective from a non-biased stand point. Is it only possible to be unbiased when someone is cute or well-spoken? Can we as humans truly be unbiased?

Film is inspiring people, but only if you allow it to be that way.

3 Movies, 1 Day...

The Palace Theater in Springfield, Missouri has started a tradition known as "Time-Warp Tuesday", in which they charge $1 per movie, instead of their standard $2.50. Being the ultimate film nerd and sadist all in one, I took this as a challenge to see just how far I could push myself in one day, so as soon as I could get to Springfield, I began watching movies. Between 4:40 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. I saw "Scream 4", "Limitless" (again), and "Hanna"...these are my reviews.

"Scream 4" was surprisingly good. I have always enjoyed the Scream films, because as I explained to my friend who has yet to see them, they are classics of our generation. The first scream film came out when I was 8 years old, and had my parents been responsible (as defined by the MPAA and supposedly backed by society as a whole), my life would have probably been a lot less terrifying, but it would have also been very empty. The scream films have always caused me to be cautious of who I trust, check the caller ID before answering my phone, and check the bathroom stall next to the one you enter before going in. They also defined for me what it means to be surprised by the ending of a film, which is something so many films today lack. "Scream 4", however, did not disappointed. I had no idea who the killer(s) were going into the last murder sequence, and when I found it, I can honestly say I did not see that one coming. The more important fact, however, is that Wes Craven was also able to make so many bold statements with the film. "Scream 4" is surprisingly funny in a meta-filmic sort of way. The characters essentially make fun of themselves throughout the entire movie, while still mirroring the sad patterns in our own realities. The film was bold, it was suspenseful, it was fantastic.

"Limitless"...just as a good the second time around. To me, if you watch a movie a second time and find details that you missed the first time because you were so involved in the plot, it's a good film. Once a film stops revealing secrets to the viewer, it has lived its life, and a surprisingly small number of films are even good for a second round with me.

I should point out that the main appeal in seeing "Hanna" came from a dear friend of mine who loved the film more than she loves most. When I came back from spring break singing praises for "Limitless", she came back shouting that "Hannah" was one of the best films ever made. Since this girl rarely likes a movie enough to suggest it once, lead alone a dozen times, I figured it was worth a watch, unfortunately I was not as impressed as my dear friend. Although I can understand why she liked the film on a personal level, the story was not what I hoped it would be. The plot was recycle from previous stories, and while told in a very independent way, it was not original. Throughout the entire film I kept hoping that something would surprise me, instead it gave me food for thought, but then quickly dropped recipe to move onto something else. I often found myself deep in thought about something briefly touched on in the film, instead of paying full attention to the story. It should be noted that this is still an impressive accomplishment, and to me makes the film worthy of a viewing by all, but it does not make up for the poor story and aged plot twists, which essentially makes it unworthy, in my mind, of the praise it was given by my dear friend.

One things that I can say about this experience is that it was not as painful as I anticipated, especially not when it is compared to the day that I watched "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", "The Aviator", and "The Departed" all in one day. After the three films at the Palace, I was a little edgy and hosting delirious thoughts of being a spy while I drove home, but I was not left incapable of full sentences for the next couple of days like I was after the Scorsese marathon. I will say that watching the films reminded me how much I truly love cinema, and the fact that on a bad day, watching a movie can make me (or anyone) smile and forget their worries, which to me was worth the three dollars and couple of pounds I surely put on from popcorn and soda intake.

DRAGONSLAYER

Every once in a while a documentary comes around that is so raw and honest; it seems almost like a work a fiction. DRAGONSLAYER is definitely one of those films. With unprecedented access to the films subject, Josh Sandoval, it paints a portrait of a kid who has lived his dreams and is now growing up. It is what I can only describe as fast paced New York style meets California cool, making it one of the most originally shot and composed films, documentary or narrative, I have ever seen.

Director Tristan Patterson was able to inject himself and his small crew so far into the life of Josh Sandoval that they were able to get footage of real life usually reserved only for fiction films. Somehow the team shot footage of Josh and his girlfriend during the early stages of their relationship, and continued capturing all of the ups and downs that lead to the solidification of their relationship. The fact that they were able to capture moments when the couple was drinking, smoking pot, laughing, fighting, and sipping soda at the movies would not be impressive if the film were a scripted narrative, but those are often the scenes that go overlooked in documentaries, either because the subjects weren't comfortable being filmed in those situations, or the director's just decided they were unimportant. In this film, however, Patterson made sure to show the small moments that make a person who they are, and it made the film so much better.

Something else that should not go unnoticed is the amazing cinematography throughout the film. I have been a skateboarding fan since childhood, and never have I ever seen it filmed with such brilliance. The focal adjustments and fluid motions, combined with vibrant colors and perfect editing made the film simultaneously poetic and raw. Shot on a 5D, there is no comparison in style, this film was the definition of unique and perfect in its imperfections.

In the Q&A with director Tristan Patterson, he described Josh's outlook on life as oddly optimistic, which is a perfect description of the overall feel of the film. There is just something about the way Josh never lets himself get down for the count that makes the audience smile, even when he seems to be the most self-destructive character ever put on film. It's not a feel good movie, but it isn't a depressing one either. It's a film about a boy who skates, a boy who meets a girl, and a boy who is beginning to grow up. It is raw, delightful, and beautiful. I would recommend this film to anyone, which is an idea to be spreading. DRAGONSLAYER won the award for best documentary at SXSW Film Festival, and has that seems to be have been making its way along the festival circuit. To follow their journey, you can fan them on facebook.

Limitless

When I first saw that Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro were starring in a movie together, I was beyond ecstatic. I remember seeing it on the television at my mother's house and saying "I don't care what it's about, I'm in". That film, my friends, became the highlight of my spring break. Sure I enjoyed spending time with my family and visiting all the things I'll miss when I move to Los Angeles after graduation, but that film surpassed any other experience I have had since seeing the one and only Fight Club.

This film actually reminded me a lot of Fight Club. I'm not sure if it was the sarcastic, witty voice over from a man with nothing to lose, or the attention to detail poured into the sound design. It could have also been the snappy editing, or the techno soundtrack often laid under scenes. It could have also been the nail biting moments that kept getting more and more intense until I found myself curled in a ball with my arms wrapped so tight around my torso that my muscles began to ache, a scream waiting for the moment I was so caught up in the intensity that I forgot to sensor myself for the benefit of the other audience members. A scream which, by the way, escaped briefly at the "all is lost" point in the film, despite my best efforts. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that the film gripped me to the point that I almost had to leave the theater because I was so wrapped up in the plot and unsure of how Cooper could escape the mess that had begun to constrict his life before he even knew it. I'm glad a stayed though.

Bradley Cooper, who I have been following since seeing him in Older Than America, delivered one of the best performances of his career. He just keeps getting better and better as time goes on. The best part of the entire film was when he had a faceoff with De Niro, who in my book and many others is one of the highest powers in the acting world, and Cooper held his own with remarkable grace. He didn't flinch as he stood there, smugly looking down at the two time Oscar winner in the final scene of the movie, exuding what could only be described as the essence of hard-earned cockiness. He was absolutely brilliant.

One thing I have not yet decided my opinion on is the severe underplaying of De Niro. On the one hand there wasn't as much of him as I would have liked in the film, but on the other it made the film that much more elegant. It's like a fine scotch, you don't drink it all in one sitting by yourself, you space it out and share with friends (I'm hoping this is how you refer to expensive scotch and how you enjoy it because I'm not too familiar with the terms and traditions of alcohol, but you get my point).

All in all, this is a film I would highly recommend seeing in a theater. It is brilliantly intense, and let's be honest, who doesn't enjoy Cooper and De Niro?