14 posts tagged “film”
i forgot to mention that this week's trailer park tuesday was at the new blog.
Another weekly post that will actually end up semi-weekly at best. I think it sort of speaks for itself, so I'll forgo the explanation.
Quantum of Solace:
"This man and I have some unfinished business."
What is it?: Daniel Craig is back for another kick-ass installment of the re-invigorated Bond franchise.
Why I'm Interested: Daniel Craig's first turn as Bond, with the franchise's new vision of 007 was one of my favorite movies that year, it delivered a heaping spoonful of well-executed action, along with story and character development that gave the character real life. I'd never been a Bond fan, but now I wait for the next installment with bated breath, and if the first two trailers are any indication Quantum of Solace is going to deliver the goods.
New(er) Theatrical Trailer: It can be seen in HD format but click the appropriate links here.
The Soloist:
"Are you flying that plane?"
"Nah, I'm right here."
What is it?:
Jamie Foxx plays a mentally ill homeless man with an extraordinary musical gift. Robert Downey Jr. plays a journalist who encounters Foxx's character and decides to write a story about him. The film seems to be the story of how these two lives intersect.Why I'm Interested: There is always a risk with films like this because the ground has been covered before, and there is a fine line between inspirational films about the human spirit, the remarkable power of love, and the redemptive nature of community on one side and mindless, cliche slush on the other. But, Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx are both especially talented actors who, along with a promising trailer, make this one worth the risk for me.
Trailer can be seen in HD format here.
Doubt:
"Doubt can be a bond as powerful as certainty."
What is it?: Conflict arises at a Catholic school when two nuns (Meryl Streep, Amy Adams) come to suspect a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of molesting a young boy.
Why I'm Interested: When I first heard about this one, I was intrigued by the cast, but the main premise seemed to be a bit too easy. A diatribe against the Catholic church that was basically the indie film equivalent of shooting fish in a barrell. However, after seeing this trailer... you had me at "I was not inviting a guessing game, Sister Raymond." It seems far more complex and interesting than I'd originally anticipated, and the performances look pretty fantastic. I'm definitely looking forward to this one... in a sullen, I know I'll leave the theater heavier sort of way.
Trailer can be seen in HD format here.
I miss blogging consistently here on the VOX. Where does my time go?
I figured a good way to blog without considerable effort would be to share some things I'm currently enjoying/being inspired by/appreciating/etc. at the moment.
Literally, right now, I am listening to this CD, and I'm loving it.
Finally, while taking stuff that can be heavy like the film and book listed above, it is nice to have an outlet that is simply pure fun. That's where this comes in:
All this, in addition to the lovely weather all of us are enjoying in Seattle makes for good times. =)
This week's clip, after I missed last week completely, is a brand new trailer for Pixar's Wall-E, coming in June.
I don't know what your philosophy is on movies. Perhaps you are as pretentious as they come, or perhaps you enjoy the lowest possible forms of entertainment. What I do know is, this trailer makes me happy.
So, I'm still catching up with life after having some sort of flu that swept through MHGS like wildfire. Though since I missed Clip of the Week yesterday I'll just go with that. Not to mention, there's an obvious choice today. Enjoy:
As I mentioned before the fact, I went to see There Will Be Blood on Sunday with my friends Eric and Carl. Some of you may be familiar with sayings along the lines of "Well, it wasn't Citizen Kane or anything, but it was good." The phrase stems from the reality that many feel that Citizen Kane is the finest movie ever made, or at the very least should be involved in any conversation pertaining to such. So, usually when someone says something like the quote above, they are often referring to a lack of artistic brilliance. I could never imagine saying anything like this about There Will Be Blood, it was a truly beautiful, brilliant film, that hearkens to Citizen Kane in more ways than one.
Now, I'm not one who aspires to be a movie snob. I'm usually just hoping that a movie tells a story well, and that it achieves what it set out to achieve in a way that feels satisfying. I think there is plenty of value in movies that are funny for the sake of nothing else than to make people laugh, like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby for example (although folks like Judd Apatow and Diablo Cody have proven recently that a movie can be hilarious and yet teach us something at the same time). I also enjoy a good time like Ocean's Eleven or The Bourne Ultimatum quite a bit. Yet that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate those films that come along from time to time that somehow seem to hit on all levels. There are several other films that have been mentioned in similar ways from last year that I haven't seen yet, such as No Country For Old Men, which is more proof that it's pure bullshit when people whine about how films haven't been any good since the 70's. Sure, there is tons of garbage out there these days, but every decade has garbage, there are just the select few brilliant films that stand the test of time and are remembered beyond their time. If you watch There Will Be Blood and still feel they don't make brilliant movies anymore, then I am afraid you and I just don't speak the same language when it comes to these things.
P.T. Anderson, the Director of the film and the man who adapted the story for the screen from the novel Oil, by Upton Sinclair, continues to show that he is a brilliant filmmaker, as has been evidenced earlier with examples including Punch Drunk Love and Magnolia.
Yet for all the brilliance associated with this film in my mind, the real electricity rests in the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis. If there has ever been a performance in a film better than that of Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, I haven't seen it, and I've seen my fair share of movies (including all 100 of the American Film Institute's '100 Years, 100 Movies' List, and so far 21 movies since January 1st, There Will Be Blood clocked in as #20).
If you prefer to stick with the romantic comedy genre, or the melodrama, or the generic action movie and have trouble watching films referred to as "art house" then you very well may not enjoy this movie. Also, while the movie is able to tell its story without gore, it still has moments of brutal violence. And it isn't a movie to watch when you're in the mood for a 'feel good experience,' if that's what you're in the mood for go see Juno and enjoy that lovely film instead. Yet, with that said, I highly recommend this film, it gets the full Scott Small seal of approval.
This coming week marks the start of the full schedule at school. Which means adding some more busyness in the way of school work that until now I have enjoyed doing without. Tomorrow we're going to enjoy a busy day with me doing absolutely no school work at all just in case that won't be possible for some time to come.
I look forward to my various activities tomorrow which include:
Going to see There Will Be Blood with my friend Eric
I need two posts in the next hour. This could be a problem being that I'm feeling fairly motion sick at the moment. The reason for this motion sickness is that I just went to see Cloverfield. I'll save most of my thoughts for, perhaps, another time. At the moment I'll just say that if you are the least bit prone to nausea in cars, planes, boats, etc., you may just want to bring along the Dramamine should you decide to take in a showing of said film. I indirectly received this same warning and ignored it, to my peril. Well, maybe not peril, but to my discomfort. I really need to see the film again after taking the proper precautions, since what it lacked in courtesy to my equilibrium it made up for in originality. Not the story mind you, but the method of storytelling. I know there can be some Blair Witch debate there, but I'll have to save that for a day when the dizziness has ceased.
A brief light note: After the film, which as anyone who's seen the trailer knows includes massive destruction to the New York City borough of Manhattan, a guy next to us was shouting to his buddies about how exciting it is that this means the destruction of Yankee Stadium. Had I been a bit less green, or had Emily been a bit more vocal, we could have informed him that he in fact had the wrong borough, thus the reason the Yankees are referred to as the 'Bronx Bombers' as opposed to, perhaps, the 'Manhattan Mashers.' Thus the action of the film took place about 100 blocks from Yankee Stadium, plus the Harlem River as a bonus. So, while I am sure his buddies thought he was terribly clever and witty, Emily and I rolled our eyes at his lack of understanding of just about anything he was talking about.
I'm going to go have a seat and enjoy a nice cold can of Coke until the world stops spinning.
School has officially begun. It's actually really nice to be back. The added bonus is the reality that the start to this trimester is staggered. I have two classes for the first two weeks before the other classes begin. Even better is that the two classes I am most looking forward to happen to be the ones that start earlier.
Tomorrow I get started on the Kingdom of God and the New Sciences class I've already mentioned in an earlier post. Yesterday I started a class called Reading Practices: Engaging the Biblical Text. As a small sample of what this class has in store for me, one of my assignments is to watch the film Magnolia, and then write a paper about a particular character who is 'poor in spirit.' You know a class looks promising when they assign you to watch one of your favorite movies.
I suppose that's enough of a boring life update for now. I hope everyone's 2008 is going well so far!
