But Will The Kids Like It…?
The debate has been ongoing for over 2 years whether Spike Jonze’s pending Where The Wild Things Are film will be too dark and scary for kids. Although the subject matter revolves around young Max, there have always been dark undertones throughout.
Here are case studies that can prove two things — Kids will love it and kids will be piss in their pants scared.
Link: Spike Jonze Doing Costume Research on His Son
Link: Baby Watching Trailer Reaction
We think we’ll have a bit of both reactions.
10 Nominees? Why not make it 20?!
As you’ve probably heard by now, the Academy is going to change their nomination format for Best Picture. Instead of a tight group of 5 nominees, they are extending it to 10. This is obviously a way for them to a) Improve their ratings as more mainstream movies would be nominated and b) generate more revenue to Hollywood films as nominated films always get a boost.
The problem is simple. Hollywood does not produce 10 Best Picture worthy films in one year. There are so many over hyped flops and underwhelming Oscar bait films, we are now going to see disappointing films as nominees. When they come out on DVD, you will get influenced by the “Best Picture Nominee” glaring at you from the shelf. This move is watering down the gleam of the nomination.
On the flip side, some over shadowed films might get their day in the sun. Last year many thought that The Dark Knight, The Wrestler, and Wall-E should have been at least recognized in the Best Picture category. With 10 nominees, they would have been there. We here at Film Savior are obsessively hoping (see “Obsessions” category) that Where The Wild Things Are and The Road are worthy enough to crack the Top 10.
R.I.P. Captain EO
I was lucky enough to attend the Michael Jackson Neverland exhibit a few months ago. The commisioned “MJ with Chimp” oil paintings, the creepy statues of children, the front gates…all of that was there. People will remember the hit singles. They will remember where they were when they first watched the Thriller video. They won’t forget the accusations. But please, let’s not forget Captain EO…the most dramatic, the most uplifting, the most inspiring film you will ever watch in 3-D at Disneyland. In this clip, it will be proven — You really can change the world and stop evil through song and dance.
Note to President Obama: Let’s send our American Idol Top 12 and So You Think You Can Dance Finalists to North Korean and the Middle East. THEY can change the world.
R.I.P. Captain EO.
A Poetic Review: Transformers 2
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
Release Date: June 24th, 2009
FS Verdict: If you have the ability to remove your brain for 2 1/2 hrs (yes, 2.5 hrs!) or are a 5-12 year old boy – enjoy! Otherwise, consider yourself saved.
So we watched the film “Giant F’ing Robots Fighting Giant F’ing Robots” in all of its IMAX glory. Upon leaving the theater, we realized that there is no way you can review a movie with an ass-brained plot, nonsensical character decisions, and jive talking/illiterate/gold-toothed robots (unreal: see article and picture of them HERE) Continue reading “A Poetic Review: Transformers 2” »
First Look: James Cameron’s “Avatar”
What has James Cameron been doing all this time since Titanic (the last feature film he directed)? He’s been developing a new 3-D technology that will be unveiled in his new film Avatar. The film releases this December 18th with Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver starring. To say we are extremely excited for this would be an understatement.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron showed 24 minutes of the film to exhibitors in Amsterdam yesterday. “The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades!” the always humble King of the World exclaimed.
Cameron encouraged theater owners to add 3-D capability as quickly as possible. But acknowledging Avatar will have to play in a mix of conventional and extra-dimensional venues due to insufficient number of 3-D auditoriums, he added, “I just want to say that I think ‘Avatar’ is going to play great in 3-D, 2-D, any ‘D.’ ” Humble indeed.
Sources at Comingsoon.net were there and have a description of the jaw dropping experience HERE
Spoiler Free Review: Away We Go
Away We Go
Directed by Sam Mendes
Written by Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida 
Release date (wide): June 19, 2009
FS Verdict: Highly recommend!
It always seems to come when you least expect it.
Weeks pass by. Birthdays are celebrated. The family visits; friends stop by. Commute back and forth to work. Months pass by. Marriage is celebrated. Babies are born. Parents have date night. Years pass by.
Life happens.
Suddenly there is a halt in the never ending treadmill of our daily being and a moment of question—a moment of clarity happens. Why do I live in this city? What happened to my dreams? Have I been left behind in the game of life?
Away We Go is a quest into the hearts and minds of this generations 30-somethings and successfully reaches at the truth.
British director Sam Mendes has a fascination with the so-called “American Dream” which is evident within his films American Beauty and Revolutionary Road. This time instead of a cynical view of suburia and relationships, his film focuses on the quirkiness of everyday life and all that we choose (or not) choose to surround us. Famed novelist Dave Eggers has brilliantly crafted his first film script (his next is Where The Wild Things Are) and caught the essence of finding ones way in life.
Our two main characters are something we rarely see in film: a couple seemingly truly in love with each other. Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) finally come into their own as actors with performances so touching it would be difficult envisioning anyone else playing these characters. The journey begins when the 6 month pregnant couple learns that their only tie to the city they live in will be cut. Burt’s parents are moving to Antwerp for 2 years — 1 month before the baby is born. Verona’s parents have both passed away. Where do they want to raise their baby? What friends/family do they want to raise the baby near? Away they go…
Reviews are starting to trickle in for this film and many of them are obviously written by critics who simply do not understand the generation presented to them. They mistake the couple in love as being “smug” instead of sweet. They also mistake the character observations as “judgemental”. You as the viewer can judge this for yourself. But we adamently disagree with that stance.
There’s a great quote in the film that really sums up the generation as a whole. In a haunting scene in Montreal, Chris Messina’s character Tom says to Burt, “I wonder if we’re selfish. I wonder if we wait and wait to have kids, and then we’re surprised when babies aren’t so easy to make anymore. In the meantime, there are a minimum of a million 14-year-olds who just got pregnant without even trying.” Thirtysomethings have so many possibilities and options today, that many are statistically starting families later than any other generation before them. They can travel freely. They can become the next American Idol. They can control their own destiny…seemingly. All of those fears and hesitation are summed up beautifully and comically in this film.
Burt and Verona visit the whole spectrum of families, young and old. In reuniting with these families across the country, they slowly are able to gather what they want (and don’t want) in their own pending family. Sam Mendes subtly shoots the American landscape in all of its beauty. From the Desert to the Beach, we get an insider look at the vast territory we can live in…if we so choose. Away We Go will stay with you long after you leave the theater.
We highly recommend it.
Corey @ FS
The First and LAST Time You’ll Read “M. Night Shyamalan” Here
We here at Film Savior have standards to uphold. Our credibility will go out the door if we start recommending films that are terrible, unsatisfying, and a waste of your time.
That being said, our most despised Director in Hollywood has put out a new trailer for a Summer 2010 film (The Last Airbender). Lots of hype around it. It’s going to premiere before Transformers 2 this weekend. We are refusing to post it. Go find it somewhere else if you really need to watch it.
We loved The Sixth Sense (who didn’t). I didn’t even see the twist coming.
His next string of movies are so alarmingly bad, we can’t believe he still gets to write/direct all of his films. Spoilers ahead: m night sucks
Brand Spankin’ New Inglorious Basterds Trailer
Plot reveal! Explosions! More characters! More bad Brad Pitt accent.
We were down on the last trailer for this film and started getting worried that it wouldn’t live up to the brilliant Tarantino script. Now a brand new trailer was dropped into the Savior’s lap. This one actually gives a small bit of plot, some new character reveals, and a whole lotta action. I’m really hoping that Brad Pitt’s accent works in the context of the film. These snippets aren’t winning him any awards.
And yes, that’s Mike Myers.
Enjoy more Ingloriousness.
First Look: Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland
The first images from the new 3-D Alice in Wonderland film surfaced, and boy are they creepy (as expected). According to USA Today, this film is a sequel of sorts:
“Alice, 17, attends a party at a Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet doesn’t remember.”
Other details revealed in the article include: The Red Queen has “a moat filled with bobbing noggins”, The White Queen is beautiful but eccentric, and floats around instead of walking, and that Depp employs an accent for the Hatter that producer Richard Zanuck can only describe as “indescribable”.
Continue reading “First Look: Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland” »
It’s Official: The Terrorists Are Winning
We strongly believe that this G.I. Joe movie was secretly created by the terrorists to make all Americans dumber (and poorer) one by one. If anything about this trailer seems compelling to you, I’m sorry. We hope you take your overstuffed butt off the couch, shell out $12, and regret every moment of it. This is going to be THAT BAD.
Transformers 2: Dumb Fun
G.I. Joe: Dumb and infuriating
