DVD Review: Notorious
To say I’m a 90′s hip-hop fanatic would be an understatement. From 1989-1999, I was a bona fide hip-hop addict. Everyday after school in Junior High, I would run home, pop in my VHS tape and record my favorite videos from YO! MTV Raps. D-Nice, Ice Cube, M.C. Breed, De La Soul…I was into it all. My version of a DeLorean is by bringing back some of these classic jams. Especially the ones below. They all were captured at a particular moment in my life that holds a special place in my memory. It was a time when rap music had an innocence without being cheesy. Backpackers, militants, and the gangstas — they all had my suburban ear.
Then came the Suge Knight era of Death Row Records and Puff Daddy with the Notorious B.I.G. They took the innocence of the rap music message and made it too real.
Because of my love for this era of hip hop, I’ve been really reluctant to watch the Notorious B.I.G. biopic, Notorious. After watching Anthony Mackie’s brilliant performance in The Hurt Locker, I felt the urge to see how he portrayed Tupac Shakur.
Aim High Willis
January is supposed to be the most depressing month of the year. The powers that be even labeled the 3rd Monday of the month “Blue Monday”. This is the time you start to realize the holiday season is in the past, summer is far away, and reality creeps in. You’ll also receive your credit card statement showing you just how good of a holiday you really had.
If you have a case of Blue Monday on this Thursday, watch this hilarious clip from The 40-Year-Old Virgin. It never gets old…I laugh EVERY TIME.
“I’m gonna need that extended warranty for the price of….on the house.”
“First of all you’re throwing too many big words at me…because I don’t understand them, I’m gonna take em as disrespect.”
Spike Jonze “I’m Here”
It’s no secret. I love all things Spike Jonze. As a director, he has yet to have a hiccup in his work and only seems to become more creative and cerebral.
His three feature films are perfect: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Where the Wild Things Are. And his music videos were cutting edge and impossible to forget.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Notorious B.I.G. “Sky’s the Limit”
Right now, the Sundance Film Festival is in full swing.
Right now, an audience is watching Spike Jonze’s latest creation, a 31 minute short entitled I’m Here. And it’s getting rave reviews. Reading the premise of the short film is puzzling.
I’m Here is a robot love story celebrating a life enriched by creativity. The movie is set in contemporary L.A., where life moves at a seemingly regular pace with the exception of a certain amount of robot residents who love among the population. A male robot librarian lives a solitary and methodical life — devoid of creativity, joy and passion – until he meets an adventurous and free spirited female robot.
So it’s a robot love story. Kind of.
After further research, I found that it feels like a modern-day retelling of Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree”. If you never read this book, you were never a child. Jonze has admitted to the Silverstein influence, naming the main character of this film “Sheldon” in honor of the poet and storyteller.
Check out the trailer for his short film. IFC is rumored to be close to striking a deal with Jonze to distribute the film on their channel. That can’t come soon enough.
What to Expect When You Are Expecting: The Movie
The hilarity of Hollywood originality continues. If you live in Los Angeles with an original script in hand, you might as well wear a dunce cap and get pelted in the face with paint balls. In-N-Out: The Movie has a better chance of hitting the big screen than your stupid original (ha!) idea.
Just when you thought every book, TV Show, movie, and news story has been adapted, I stumbled upon this gem.
What To Expect When You’re Expecting: The Movie
If you’ve had children or are expecting to have a child, you’ve likely read through part of this non-fiction series. There are a three steps to having a child. One involves a bird. The second has something to do with bees. And the third is the inevitable gift of “What To Expect When You’re Expecting”.
If this movie holds true to the book, it will strike fear into pregnant and soon to be pregnant couples everywhere. You think you have anxiety now? Wait til you read/watch the 857 ways pregnancy can go wrong…in month 3 alone. Are you a pregnant woman that has a runny nose? Alert! Alert! There are 42 reasons why this could be catastrophic.
“The big-screen adaptation of ‘Expecting’ will follow the relationships of seven couples as they experience the thrills, terrors, surprises, aches and pains of preparing to embark on life’s biggest journey, parenthood.” says The Hollywood Reporter. Continue reading “What to Expect When You Are Expecting: The Movie” »
Trailer: MacGruber
April 23rd, 2010
That’s the date your mind will be blown. First there were the Jason Bourne Films. Then we got the excellent James Bond reboot. Now…it’s MacGruber.
1 minute sketches turned into a feature film.
I’m surprised to say that I actually liked this trailer. But I also love Ace Ventura movies.
Enjoy it in all it’s Redband greatness!
DVD Review: Paper Heart
I had high hopes for Paper Heart.
Maybe because Charlyne Yi is part of the Judd Apatow crew. Maybe because of Michael Cera’s involvement. I just know I was intrigued by the idea this hybrid documentary.
After watching this film, my 8 year old nephew actually summed it up best:
“Paper Heart? More like Paper Fart!” [ed. note - This conversation never actually happened.]
The film follows Charlyne Yi as she embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one and only subject she doesn’t fully understand: love. As she and her good friend (and director) Nick search for answers and advice about love, Charlyne talks with friends, strangers, scientists, bikers, romance novelists, and children. They each offer diverse views on modern romance, as well as various answers to the age-old question: does true love really exist?
And then the scripted hybrid part:
Shortly after filming begins, Charlyne meets a boy after her own heart: Michael Cera. As their relationship develops on camera, her pursuit to discover the nature of love takes on a fresh new urgency. Charlyne doesn’t want to risk losing the person she finds closest to her heart.
Quite simply, this film is too aware of its cuteness and quirkiness. You’re supposed to be enthralled by the awkward, tomboy act from Yi. It grew tiresome 10 minutes into the film. It’s a self-conscious semi-documentary about a self-conscious girl. And without sincerity in a documentary, why should you care?
The director in the film is actually an actor playing a director. Michael Cera is playing Michael Cera (doesn’t he always). Cera and Yi were supposedly really dating in real life and start dating in the scripted part of the film. Confusing? Not really. Just more hurdles that get in the way of your inevitable thought: What’s the point?
There was lots of buzz around this film during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. It was met with mixed reviews. Some reviewers fell into the Yi “charm”, while others (like this reviewer) were turned off by too much screen time by her.
The actual documentary portion of the film had some interesting stories from couples in various forms of love, but the sincerity of the story was mocked by paper puppet shows created by Yi.
There’s not much more to say here. You might fall into the trap of “Hey, I like Michael Cera, I’ll check it out.” But BEWARE.
Consider yourself saved.
The Romantic Conundrum
We’ve all been there.
It’s Saturday night, you and your girlfriend really don’t want to hang out with your Debbie Downer couple friends tonight–you just want to stay at home and watch a movie. A trip to Blockbuster is discussed and you’re on your way.
Oh, Blockbuster. Any of their good movies are usually buried on the shelves with only one copy. You can find a whole library of bright and shiny Vin Diesel films, but can’t find a damn thing by Fellini. I curse you, Blockbuster! But I digress…
You know that your girlfriend hates the typical guy flicks that you love — explosions, dismemberment, kicks to the face — all films worth the price of a rental. Somehow, you are going to have to find a middle ground (e.g. whatever she wants to see). You walk into the menacing fluorescent lighting of the store, barely able to open your eyes past a painful squint. Looking to the right, your girlfriend is already sold on a movie. On the northeast wall sit 150 copies of The Ugly Truth. The heart across Gerard Butler’s crotch has her in a trance.
“This is supposed to be funny. What about this?”
FREEZE.
This is why Film Savior is here for you.
Continue reading “The Romantic Conundrum” »
A Final Look at the 80′s: Hot Tub Time Machine Trailer
This entire blog could be dedicated to the Hollywood rape and pillaging of the 80′s. Last week we gave a few examples of remakes coming out this year (The Karate Kid, Red Dawn, The A-Team). But let’s not confuse remakes with reboots. Remakes are basically the same thing (storyline, characters, etc) with a modern twist. They are a cop out. Reboots take the essence of the original and try to create something new and fresh for modern audiences. Although some reboots are misguided, others (the latest Star Trek comes to mind) are worthwhile and necessary to bring a strong franchise back into the fold.
Here are a few more remakes of 80′s classics potentially soiled for life by modern filmmakers:
Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Clash of the Titans (2010)
Short Circuit (2011) – From the acclaimed director of Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
Robocop (2011) – Possibly directed by Darren Aronofsky
Footloose (2011)
Mannequin (2011) – No joke!
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (2011)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2012) – Impossible to replace Steve Martin and Michael Caine
I have not yet heard of any John Hughes films being remade with Miley Cyrus taking the Molly Ringwald roles, but don’t underestimate the depths studios will go to make a buck.
The following movie trailer is very relevant in this conversation. It takes everything fun and cheesy from the 80′s raunchy comedies with a touch of 2010.
Continue reading “A Final Look at the 80′s: Hot Tub Time Machine Trailer” »
The Stolen 80′s: The A-Team Movie
(Hi-Res Trailer is Here!)
As a boy in the mid-1980′s, my family would often visit Universal Studios during summertime. It had the famous tram tour, random shows, and various rides. But my heart was set on one thing and one thing only…The A-Team exhibit! Not only would I be able to check out props from one of my favorite TV shows, I also got to take mock pictures of myself lifting up the van. I pitied the fool that rushed me away from that van. It was a dream come true.
Want to know another dream come true? A-Team: The Movie. And I’m not a bit ashamed about it. Thank you Hollywood for your 80′s obsessions…you done good this time.
Continue reading “The Stolen 80′s: The A-Team Movie” »
The Stolen 80′s: Red Dawn Remake
Red Dawn (1984) is a teen patriot film that seemed to belong only in the 80′s. The “enemy” Russians sneak attacks our country (Colorado in the original), so it’s every man for himself fighting around town. The film had a cast of future stars: Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C.Thomas Howell (not in black face), and Jennifer Grey. The movie takes place in an alternate timeline where the Russians actually attack the United States. It was released during the Cold War. It also happened to come out one year after Ronald Reagan was elected to his 2nd term as U.S. President where he announced his Star Wars missile defense system as a military necessity to give America an advantage against nuclear attack. It was a time of paranoia, tension, and bad feelings between the Russians and the U.S. Red Dawn was a snapshot into the psyche of the times.
Which is why a remake involving the Chinese makes no sense.
Continue reading “The Stolen 80′s: Red Dawn Remake” »
The Stolen 80′s: The Karate Kid Remake Trailer
Warning.
This video contains disturbing images that will potentially harm any future viewings of the original Karate Kid. Yes, that Karate Kid. The 1984 classic starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. The one which proved to us that standing on one leg, waving your arms like a bird, and suddenly thrusting with your other leg will knock out any opponent regardless of skill or strength.
“Cobra Kai…never die”
“Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy Sir”
“Sweep the leg”
“Wax on, Wax off”
Karate Kid is a modern day classic. There is no denying it. You have John Kreese, sensei of Cobra Kai, who orders Johnny to illegally “sweep the leg.” Mr. Miyagi catching flies with chopsticks. Then there’s the infamous shower Halloween costume. These classic characters and moments are EXACTLY why the studios are trying to milk the premise for all it’s worth. An original, creative idea takes risk — something studios cannot afford in today’s floundering market. This is why most films in 2010 and beyond will stem from established brands. Less risk. Less creativity. Bad for all of us. Continue reading “The Stolen 80′s: The Karate Kid Remake Trailer” »