One of the greatest movies of all-time finally gets a DVD treatment worthy of its legendary status. I have held out on getting Seven Samurai on DVD since I first got my DVD player, sometime in 2000. The original barebones DVD was felt by many to be worthy of purchase for the film alone, no matter what its quality was, as long as it was watchable, afterall, it was Seven Samurai. However, I held off because I heard of rumours of a re-release with new features, new subtitle translation, and improved audio and video quality. Fast forward to September 2006 and our prayers were finally answered as the best DVD production company in the world, the Criterion Collection, finally releases a new 3-disc DVD of Seven Samurai, with upgraded video quality, and a smattering of quality extras.
About the movie (the simple version): Set in 16th century Japan, a small village hires a group of samurai to help protect themselves from bandits who have stolen and ransacked their village, killing some villagers in the process. The movie is long (almost 3.5 hours), but it's never boring, and I found myself sucked into this deeply engrossing movie. Like all great movies, it just gets better everytime you watch it. And everytime you watch, you find something new to like about it that you didn't catch before.
Criterion's DVD features a brand new restoration that simply looks incredible compared to previous releases. It's not perfect, but for a film made in 1954, it has never looked any better. But don't take my word for it, here's some comparisons of screen captures from various DVDs of the film at DVD Beaver. The audio is presented in original Japanese mono or Dolby Surround. The score is conveyed well but voices can seem harsh and tinny at certain times. Again, technological limits at the time of its making limit the quality it could've been. That being said, it's not a big deal and remains very listenable and watchable.
Extras include two informative full-length commentaries, one by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck, and another featuring a roundtable of several film scholars. Also included is a lengthy documentary on the making of Seven Samurai filled with much insight by surviving cast and crew. It does not include any comments from Kurosawa himself as it was made after his passing in 1998, however that slight is belayed by the inclusion of a two hour interview with Akira Kurosawa where he recounts nearly his entire career in filmmaking. Finally there is also an hour long documentary called "Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences" which looks at the film's influences from other cinema, as well as the Samurai tradition and lifestyle.
You ever see those DVDs that scream at you "HOURS AND HOURS OF EXTRA FEATURES" and when you finally see them, it's either grossly inflated, or complete dreck? With this release, you not only get quantity, but you also get quality. Criterion's releases tend to be more pricey than the average DVD release, but they're worth it. It's obvious that this company is made up of people who love movies. Each movie they release is done with the utmost care and respect, with quality being their primary goal.
For people who owned previous versions of this movie, this is well-worth the upgrade, and for those who've never owned this movie, a true movie lover's collection is not complete without it.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Hit List: Video Games Galore
I like to consider myself a Jack of All Trades, a world traveler of sorts who enjoys the many various forms of entertainment, so with some movie, comic, and music reviews already done, I figured it was time to review some video games.
Lego Star Wars II (On All Major Systems) - the original Lego Star Wars was one of those fantastic games that not only thrived on concept, but in execution. The game not only appealed due to its idea, Legos + Star Wars, but it was also a pretty damn fun game! The second is even better, if only for the fact that it's based on the Star Wars movies that didn't suck. This is also one of the funniest games I've played in a while, as I was playing through the levels not only to progress further, but to see the great cutscenes the gamemakers made that reproduced memorable Star Wars scene but with lego and no dialogue.
Dead Rising (XBox 360) - why has it taken so long to make this game? A zombie survival game no doubt inspired by (IMO and many others) the best zombie movie of all-time, Dawn of the Dead. So much so in fact, that there's a disclaimer on the game cover that says that the makers of the game were not affiliated with George A. Romero or the producers of Dawn of the Dead in any way. Ok, so you're this photojournalist stuck in a mall full of zombies for 72 hours. This game is oh, so great, but could've been so much better (sequel anyone?). There is so much you can do in the game, but what really kills is what you CAN'T do in the game. That combined with some really moronic A.I. (you've gotta rescue other survivors), and a really ass-backwards save system stop this game from being a classic. And don't get me started on Survival mode. In said mode, you must survive for as long as you possibly can while your health slowly diminishes and food items DO NOT respawn. Now when I first unlocked this mode, I salivated at playing this because it seemed like the real meat and bones, something I could really sink my teeth into. But sadly, there is one major showstopper to this mode: You CAN'T save. You've gotta keep playing for 12+ hours straight with no breaks. I would've played this mode to death, but I'm not prepared to sit on a couch for an entire day to do it. Besides, if I kept my 360 on that long, it would probably melt. That being said, it's still a very good game, and a sequel that fixed said problems would be unbelievably welcome.
Kingdom Hearts II (PlayStation 2) - let's get this out of the way up front, the first Kingdom Hearts, a perfect marriage of Square's Final Fantasy and Disney's animated characters and worlds, is one of my favorite games of all-time. So it is to my dismay that this sequel is so fantastic in some ways, but drops the ball in one of the biggest departments. First, the good, the art and recreations of the many classic disney worlds is fantastic. The 3d-ifications of the 2d animated worlds is spot-on and looks incredible. Particularly, the Mulan, Tron (TRON!!!!), The Nightmare Before Christmas (I would love a standalone game made in the art style of these levels) and black and white Steamboat Willie inspired worlds standout. Now the bad, the gameplay, the battles are just too simple and easy. Now, while it may seem that you are given many options and types of attacks to perform during battles, you could literally button mash your way through this game. That being said, this is still a worthy game, especially for those who love the classic animated disney films.
Clubhouse Games (Nintendo DS) - this is one of those DS games that you will want to keep and play forever. It's made up of a large (40+) collection of various simple board, card and other games such as billiards and bowling. One of the best pick up and play games, you can play it for 5 minutes, or you can play it for hours. Some of the games, especially the non-board and card games have quirky stylus-based controls that aren't very effective and sometimes very annoying. Despite that, this game is still a winner. Not only can you play these games by yourself, but also with others, both online and offline. One of my favorite features of the Nintendo DS is the ability for people to play multiplayer games off a single cartridge, and this game is no exception, as 8 players with DS systems can play off a single game card. In addition, you can also play online over Nintendo's free Wifi service. In addition +1, this game's new in-game pictochat is really fantastic and makes me wish it was the standard pictochat on every DS. Overall, a very robust package, one I'll keep for a good while.
Lego Star Wars II (On All Major Systems) - the original Lego Star Wars was one of those fantastic games that not only thrived on concept, but in execution. The game not only appealed due to its idea, Legos + Star Wars, but it was also a pretty damn fun game! The second is even better, if only for the fact that it's based on the Star Wars movies that didn't suck. This is also one of the funniest games I've played in a while, as I was playing through the levels not only to progress further, but to see the great cutscenes the gamemakers made that reproduced memorable Star Wars scene but with lego and no dialogue.
Dead Rising (XBox 360) - why has it taken so long to make this game? A zombie survival game no doubt inspired by (IMO and many others) the best zombie movie of all-time, Dawn of the Dead. So much so in fact, that there's a disclaimer on the game cover that says that the makers of the game were not affiliated with George A. Romero or the producers of Dawn of the Dead in any way. Ok, so you're this photojournalist stuck in a mall full of zombies for 72 hours. This game is oh, so great, but could've been so much better (sequel anyone?). There is so much you can do in the game, but what really kills is what you CAN'T do in the game. That combined with some really moronic A.I. (you've gotta rescue other survivors), and a really ass-backwards save system stop this game from being a classic. And don't get me started on Survival mode. In said mode, you must survive for as long as you possibly can while your health slowly diminishes and food items DO NOT respawn. Now when I first unlocked this mode, I salivated at playing this because it seemed like the real meat and bones, something I could really sink my teeth into. But sadly, there is one major showstopper to this mode: You CAN'T save. You've gotta keep playing for 12+ hours straight with no breaks. I would've played this mode to death, but I'm not prepared to sit on a couch for an entire day to do it. Besides, if I kept my 360 on that long, it would probably melt. That being said, it's still a very good game, and a sequel that fixed said problems would be unbelievably welcome.
Kingdom Hearts II (PlayStation 2) - let's get this out of the way up front, the first Kingdom Hearts, a perfect marriage of Square's Final Fantasy and Disney's animated characters and worlds, is one of my favorite games of all-time. So it is to my dismay that this sequel is so fantastic in some ways, but drops the ball in one of the biggest departments. First, the good, the art and recreations of the many classic disney worlds is fantastic. The 3d-ifications of the 2d animated worlds is spot-on and looks incredible. Particularly, the Mulan, Tron (TRON!!!!), The Nightmare Before Christmas (I would love a standalone game made in the art style of these levels) and black and white Steamboat Willie inspired worlds standout. Now the bad, the gameplay, the battles are just too simple and easy. Now, while it may seem that you are given many options and types of attacks to perform during battles, you could literally button mash your way through this game. That being said, this is still a worthy game, especially for those who love the classic animated disney films.
Clubhouse Games (Nintendo DS) - this is one of those DS games that you will want to keep and play forever. It's made up of a large (40+) collection of various simple board, card and other games such as billiards and bowling. One of the best pick up and play games, you can play it for 5 minutes, or you can play it for hours. Some of the games, especially the non-board and card games have quirky stylus-based controls that aren't very effective and sometimes very annoying. Despite that, this game is still a winner. Not only can you play these games by yourself, but also with others, both online and offline. One of my favorite features of the Nintendo DS is the ability for people to play multiplayer games off a single cartridge, and this game is no exception, as 8 players with DS systems can play off a single game card. In addition, you can also play online over Nintendo's free Wifi service. In addition +1, this game's new in-game pictochat is really fantastic and makes me wish it was the standard pictochat on every DS. Overall, a very robust package, one I'll keep for a good while.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Graphic Novel Review: Pride of Baghdad
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Art by Niko Henrichon.
Suggested For Mature Readers.
Brian K. Vaughan is no doubt one of the most prolific and best comic book writers out there. With the apoalyptic Y: The Last Man, politically-savvy Ex Machina, an extended run on Ultimate X-Men, and my personal favorite about a ragtag group of teenage superheroes, Runaways, he is no doubt one of my favorite writers in the biz, one who can almost write any kind of comic book and in any style. So when it was announced that he had an original graphic novel to be published recently, I jumped in not knowing anything about what the book was about, but knew it would be great because Vaughan wrote it.
And I was not disappointed. Pride of Baghdad is based on the true story of a small group (or pride in lion terms) who escape from the Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 U.S. led bombings. What we get is a multi-layered, textured story following 4 lions as they "escape" their Zoo surroundings and make it out into the "free" world. I don't want to talk about the story too much, so as not to give away the major points, but that is the gist of it in a nutshell.
It is at many times, endearing, playful, thoughtful and heartbreaking, sometimes all at once. The final page will leave you angry, or sad, or probably both depending on your interpretation of it. My view of the war has always been against it, and the reaction and fallout from this book, while being mainly positive, has created much heated debate over its message or messages, as has the real war that this book recreates.
I'm not quite sure what Vaughan really set out to say, most likely he wanted to leave it open to interpretation for the viewer. This, to me just added to the thoughtfulness of the story. It will make you think, and it will make you argue, and that is one thing comic books very rarely make you do.
All of this is brought to life by the incredible artwork of Niko Henrichon. You are hooked onto every page of this book, as it alternates showing us the highest of highs in life, and the lowest of lows. Writing is one thing, but in comics, the art can make or break a story, and this one makes it.
This graphic novel has been put out by DC Comics Vertigo imprint, and contains violence and profanity and is definitely NOT recommended for kids. The Lion King it is not, but well worth your time and money it certainly is.
Suggested For Mature Readers.
Brian K. Vaughan is no doubt one of the most prolific and best comic book writers out there. With the apoalyptic Y: The Last Man, politically-savvy Ex Machina, an extended run on Ultimate X-Men, and my personal favorite about a ragtag group of teenage superheroes, Runaways, he is no doubt one of my favorite writers in the biz, one who can almost write any kind of comic book and in any style. So when it was announced that he had an original graphic novel to be published recently, I jumped in not knowing anything about what the book was about, but knew it would be great because Vaughan wrote it.
And I was not disappointed. Pride of Baghdad is based on the true story of a small group (or pride in lion terms) who escape from the Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 U.S. led bombings. What we get is a multi-layered, textured story following 4 lions as they "escape" their Zoo surroundings and make it out into the "free" world. I don't want to talk about the story too much, so as not to give away the major points, but that is the gist of it in a nutshell.
It is at many times, endearing, playful, thoughtful and heartbreaking, sometimes all at once. The final page will leave you angry, or sad, or probably both depending on your interpretation of it. My view of the war has always been against it, and the reaction and fallout from this book, while being mainly positive, has created much heated debate over its message or messages, as has the real war that this book recreates.
I'm not quite sure what Vaughan really set out to say, most likely he wanted to leave it open to interpretation for the viewer. This, to me just added to the thoughtfulness of the story. It will make you think, and it will make you argue, and that is one thing comic books very rarely make you do.
All of this is brought to life by the incredible artwork of Niko Henrichon. You are hooked onto every page of this book, as it alternates showing us the highest of highs in life, and the lowest of lows. Writing is one thing, but in comics, the art can make or break a story, and this one makes it.
This graphic novel has been put out by DC Comics Vertigo imprint, and contains violence and profanity and is definitely NOT recommended for kids. The Lion King it is not, but well worth your time and money it certainly is.
Monday, September 25, 2006
It's Raining Free Stuff
Check out what I won this week.
This begs the question: What Will I Win Next?
Stay tuned and ye shall find out.
This begs the question: What Will I Win Next?
Stay tuned and ye shall find out.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Your Reason for Getting a Hi-Def Setup
After seeing the new trailer for Nine Inch Nails' new live DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, Early 2007 can't come soon enough. The quality looks amazing, and I for one, cannot wait to see NIN is high-definition!
This also begs the question, where is that Closure DVD??!! Originally scheduled for Fall 2004, it is already 2 years later....
Now all we need a a similar dvd for NIN's Summer 2006 tour.
This also begs the question, where is that Closure DVD??!! Originally scheduled for Fall 2004, it is already 2 years later....
Now all we need a a similar dvd for NIN's Summer 2006 tour.
Monday, September 18, 2006
The Dark Knight: A Wishlist
2005 saw the return of the Dark Knight in the definitive film version of Batman. Fans rejoiced, and critics heaped it with well-deserved praise. Having not been a fan of the previous 4 Batman films, Batman Begins was a revelation, finally, they got it right. Due to the critical and commercial success of Begins, Warner Brothers has gone forward with a sequel tentatively due for release in the summer of 2008. Here is a little personal wishlist I put together that I think are keys to keeping this franchise strong.
1. Christian Bale - Perhaps second only to Christopher Reeve in terms of perfect comic book movie casting. He IS Bruce Wayne, he IS Batman. He not only looks the part, he's got the acting chops to match those looks. Apparently he is signed for 3, but if he decides not to don the cowl beyond that, I would recommend not making any Batman films (at least for a little while).
2. Christopher Nolan - he's on board for this, but lock him in for more. His hiring was a bit of an eyebrow raiser, but upon reflection was genius and almost as crucial as Bale's casting. Note to big studios: Further reflection also notes that the best superhero movies have been directed by non-bignames who began their careers with small independent character-based movies. See: Superman (Richard Donner), X-Men (Bryan Singer), Spider-Man (Sam Raimi). Also note, the loss of the director can be catastrophic. See: X-Men 3, Superman 3 & 4. Like Bale, if Nolan doesn't wanna do another Batman, you might as well not make another one at all.
3. _NO_ Sidekicks - Do NOT introduce Robin, Batgirl, or anyone else that could take the focus away from Batman. The movie is called The Dark Knight, not The Dark Knight & Friends.
4. Gary Oldman / James Gordon - Another of the crucial support beams of the first movie. I envision the new Batman series following Gordon and Batman's friendship and Gordon's ascendency throughout the police ranks culminating with him becoming the Commissioner somewhere down the line in maybe the 3rd or 4th movie.
5. 1 Big Villain and 1 Supporting Villain - one of the pitfalls of the first four Batman films were too many villains, and too much focus on the villains. Batman Begins struck a perfect chord with 1 major villain and 1 supporting villain.
6. Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard - they teamed to do the magnificent score for the first film. Will they come back? Let's hope so. Their score succeeds greatly in the area of emotional depth, it underlined the tone of the movie without overpowering it. Also, they are masters of their craft and knew how to build the tension by building the beats of the music. It's hard to explain, but if you give the score a listen to on its own, its very apparent. Personal favorite tracks from the score: Eptesicus, Molossus, Lasiurus.
7. A Strong Script - perhaps the biggest strength of the first film was its script. They took note of everything that didn't work in the previous Batman films, and took notice of what made Batman work. They did the definitive film origin of Batman and set the seeds for future films.
8. Lose Katie Holmes - you know what they say, everyone can be good in the right role. Rachel Dawes was not the right role for her. She was clearly miscast, she had no chemistry with Bale, but thankfully her role was small enough and competently done enough that she did not ruin the first film.
9. Great Supporting Characters - the casting of Morgan Freeman & Michael Caine lent an air of nobility and credibility to a "comic book movie." Comic books aren't just people with super powers flying around and beating the crap out of each other, and the casting of these well-known and well-respected actors may have gotten some people to see and enjoy the film who probably would normally not have seen such a film in the first place.
10. Not so choppy action scenes - As exciting and well done as the Begins' climax was, the action was just too shaky and choppily-edited. Honestly, Spider-Man 2's train action sequence made Batman Begins train sequence look amateurish by comparison. Of course, the action in Batman is more grounded in reality and could never be as high-flying as a Superman or Spider-Man film, but it would be nice to pull the camera back a little and tone down the shakiness.
I have a similar wishlist for the Fantastic Four sequel, but because it's so small, it doesn't warrant another post, so here it is in full: Don't Make One.
1. Christian Bale - Perhaps second only to Christopher Reeve in terms of perfect comic book movie casting. He IS Bruce Wayne, he IS Batman. He not only looks the part, he's got the acting chops to match those looks. Apparently he is signed for 3, but if he decides not to don the cowl beyond that, I would recommend not making any Batman films (at least for a little while).
2. Christopher Nolan - he's on board for this, but lock him in for more. His hiring was a bit of an eyebrow raiser, but upon reflection was genius and almost as crucial as Bale's casting. Note to big studios: Further reflection also notes that the best superhero movies have been directed by non-bignames who began their careers with small independent character-based movies. See: Superman (Richard Donner), X-Men (Bryan Singer), Spider-Man (Sam Raimi). Also note, the loss of the director can be catastrophic. See: X-Men 3, Superman 3 & 4. Like Bale, if Nolan doesn't wanna do another Batman, you might as well not make another one at all.
3. _NO_ Sidekicks - Do NOT introduce Robin, Batgirl, or anyone else that could take the focus away from Batman. The movie is called The Dark Knight, not The Dark Knight & Friends.
4. Gary Oldman / James Gordon - Another of the crucial support beams of the first movie. I envision the new Batman series following Gordon and Batman's friendship and Gordon's ascendency throughout the police ranks culminating with him becoming the Commissioner somewhere down the line in maybe the 3rd or 4th movie.
5. 1 Big Villain and 1 Supporting Villain - one of the pitfalls of the first four Batman films were too many villains, and too much focus on the villains. Batman Begins struck a perfect chord with 1 major villain and 1 supporting villain.
6. Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard - they teamed to do the magnificent score for the first film. Will they come back? Let's hope so. Their score succeeds greatly in the area of emotional depth, it underlined the tone of the movie without overpowering it. Also, they are masters of their craft and knew how to build the tension by building the beats of the music. It's hard to explain, but if you give the score a listen to on its own, its very apparent. Personal favorite tracks from the score: Eptesicus, Molossus, Lasiurus.
7. A Strong Script - perhaps the biggest strength of the first film was its script. They took note of everything that didn't work in the previous Batman films, and took notice of what made Batman work. They did the definitive film origin of Batman and set the seeds for future films.
8. Lose Katie Holmes - you know what they say, everyone can be good in the right role. Rachel Dawes was not the right role for her. She was clearly miscast, she had no chemistry with Bale, but thankfully her role was small enough and competently done enough that she did not ruin the first film.
9. Great Supporting Characters - the casting of Morgan Freeman & Michael Caine lent an air of nobility and credibility to a "comic book movie." Comic books aren't just people with super powers flying around and beating the crap out of each other, and the casting of these well-known and well-respected actors may have gotten some people to see and enjoy the film who probably would normally not have seen such a film in the first place.
10. Not so choppy action scenes - As exciting and well done as the Begins' climax was, the action was just too shaky and choppily-edited. Honestly, Spider-Man 2's train action sequence made Batman Begins train sequence look amateurish by comparison. Of course, the action in Batman is more grounded in reality and could never be as high-flying as a Superman or Spider-Man film, but it would be nice to pull the camera back a little and tone down the shakiness.
I have a similar wishlist for the Fantastic Four sequel, but because it's so small, it doesn't warrant another post, so here it is in full: Don't Make One.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
The Hit List
Rather than write a long review of a single movie, I'll give a short paragraph on a number of recent TV shows, DVDs and movies I've enjoyed recently.
Veronica Mars: Season Two - my favorite show on TV right now. Superbly acted and written, this show follows the title character as she endeavors through high school. She's smart, sassy and one hell of a detective. The first season was a tightly woven collection of 22 episodes with an overlaying arc that carried the whole season. The second season was even tighter with each episode essential to the season's big arc. Hearts break and surprises abound. Buffy fans, this should be your new devotion. It's always on the cusp of cancellation, so buy the DVDs and watch it when it airs on the CW in October, and spread the word!
Murderball - a really, really great documentary about the sport of wheelchair rugby, wherein the athletes can smash into each with bonecrushing results, hence the name Murderball. There's some real drama here, the kind you can't make up where a former American player, formerly considered the best in the world is cut from the team as he became older, and consequently slower. Feeling betrayed, he becomes head coach of Canada and helps them defeat the American juggernaut. "How does it feel to betray your country" he is rhetorically asked. A very insightful movie that will open your mind and smash your expectations of "lesser-abled" individuals. As one of the subjects says himself "I've done more in my chair than I've ever been able to do walking." Very compelling stuff.
Wonderfalls: The Complete Series - A great show with a great cast with a lead actress I defy you not to fall in love with or at least develop a small crush on. Of course it was on the Fox network and cancelled after 4 episodes. 13 were made and they're all in this set with a heaping of extras. It's a very quirky comedy that requires you to suspend your disbelief on a certain
Short Cuts: Criterion Collection - this 2 disc set is loaded with quality extras. You know movies like Crash that have large casts that interweave several stories together? Robert Altman is the king of them, and this is one of his masterpieces. 3+ hours long, but never boring, and always engaging.
We Were Soldiers - I remember the first time I saw this I didn't like it that much, but I didn't hate it either. I think it was because around the time the film was made, we were just overloaded with war movies. But the second time around was much much better. The movie is almost one big action scene where the audience is dropped into the middle of a particularly difficult battle. A very, very good movie. If you overlooked this the first time, give it another shot.
A Very Long Engagement - bought this recently because I saw it for cheap, but I would've gladly paid 10 times for this gem. From the director and star of Amelie, but don't think this is Amelie 2. A romantic epic set in WW1 follows Mathilde (Audrey Tautou) as she searches for her lover, despite being told of his death. Audrey Tautou has quickly become one of my favorite actresses and I've only seen her in a few movies. This is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, and the cinematography on display in this movie will leave you breathless.
Superman: The Animated Series - Vol. 3 - The last and best set of this animated show, while not the definitive Superman, is still extremely enjoyable. Kudos to the producers for ending the show on a note that isn't typically "Superman" but fits with where the show was headed, a very gutsy move especially for a character not known for being dark.
Justice League - Season 1 - more enjoyable animated goodness from the guys that brought us the Batman, Superman and Batman Beyond Animated series. While this is probably the worst set of anything from the whole Paul Dini/Bruce Timm DC animated universe, it does have a few gems (Justice Guild!) and it also introduces us to my new favorite JLAer, Hawkgirl.
Justice League - Season 2 - the producers sat down and took all the bad parts of the first season of Justice League and fixed them. They kick things up a notch right from the very beginning and carry that momentum all the way to the slambang 3-part finale Starcrossed that really sets the tone for the future, and IMO, the best of anything they've done, Justice League Unlimited. October 24th can't come soon enough (Justice League Unlimited Season 1 releases then).
Born On The Fourth On July - got this in the Ultimate Oliver Stone collection, and this was the first flick I watched from it, because it is one of my all-time favorites. Forget all that Scientology and Katie Holmes bullshit, anyone who doesn't think Tom Cruise is a great actor hasn't seen this film. IMO, the best anti-war movie ever made. One of those movies that has a timeless message that's just as relevant now and maybe even moreso now than at the time it was made, and the time it portrayed.
Various Buster Keaton Short Films: Convict 13, Daydreams, Cops, The Playhouse, Hard Luck, The Blacksmith, The Electric House, The Goat, My Wife's Relations, and the list goes on and on - Let's get this straight upfront. Buster Keaton is a genius, he is one of the innovators of visual humour in the 20th century. He's been copied, studied and idolized so much by modern day actors from Jackie Chan to Johnny Depp. Many people see his gags used in modern day movies and think to themselves how original they are. Well, he did that back into the 1920s. Now that is really something for someone to still be original almost a century later. I could talk on and on about Buster Keaton because he's one of the few people I've truly idolized, so I'll just leave it at that. Go find his movies! They are frequently available for free from your local library! You can't beat that.
Wedding Crashers - Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughan are pretty much given free reign to really show off their comedic abilities to the fullest here. This is one of those movies where I would think about a joke that happened earlier and just laugh out loud even when something unfunny was going on. Rachel McAdams is great (wouldn't she be great as Susan Storm - Invisible Girl in Fantastic Four?). She has 2 very rare assets among actresses today, beauty AND acting ability.
Land of the Dead - Forget every other zombie movie. When it comes to zombies, no one does it better than George A. Romero. He's the real master, he created the genre, and no one else has even come close to what he's done. This movie wasn't just good, it was awesome and it just plain rocked. Please, please let there be more Romero zombie goodness. This is almost like a Romero best of mix tape; it's got action, drama, adventure, great ideas, and explores both the human and zombie aspects of living in the new world. Overall, an extremely satisfying movie.
Day of the Dead - Having seen Land of the Dead and enjoying the heck out of it, I decided to go back and give a second chance to Romero's only film which I disliked. With an open mind, I enjoyed and respected this film so much more. I think my original fault the first time was that I expected a film more akin to Night or Dawn. But what Day tries to do is so much different than those films. In this film, Romero really tries to deconstruct zombies and deconstructing the whole human-zombie differentiation. It's more of a talky-thinky movie unlike the more action and drama oriented Night and Dawn. I still place Day as the weakest of Romero's zombie films, but now I like it and respect it much more than I use to.
Once a Thief - A lot of people see Chow Yun Fat as this slick and cool character from films like The Killer and Hard Boiled. As great as he is at playing the slick and cool character, CYF may be even better at the comedic roles, and in this movie he gets to show off his more comedic side. Not to be confused with the far inferior english language remake, also made by Woo.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - A smartly written dark comedy starring two great character actors, Robert Downey, Jr. & Val Kilmer. I'm really beginning to like these guys more and more as they move away from standard Hollywood fair and towards sharply written, dialogue driven independent movies. Oh, and Michelle Monaghan sizzles, she could be the typical Hollywood big star if she wanted to be, but I hope she sticks with these little treasures.
Veronica Mars: Season Two - my favorite show on TV right now. Superbly acted and written, this show follows the title character as she endeavors through high school. She's smart, sassy and one hell of a detective. The first season was a tightly woven collection of 22 episodes with an overlaying arc that carried the whole season. The second season was even tighter with each episode essential to the season's big arc. Hearts break and surprises abound. Buffy fans, this should be your new devotion. It's always on the cusp of cancellation, so buy the DVDs and watch it when it airs on the CW in October, and spread the word!
Murderball - a really, really great documentary about the sport of wheelchair rugby, wherein the athletes can smash into each with bonecrushing results, hence the name Murderball. There's some real drama here, the kind you can't make up where a former American player, formerly considered the best in the world is cut from the team as he became older, and consequently slower. Feeling betrayed, he becomes head coach of Canada and helps them defeat the American juggernaut. "How does it feel to betray your country" he is rhetorically asked. A very insightful movie that will open your mind and smash your expectations of "lesser-abled" individuals. As one of the subjects says himself "I've done more in my chair than I've ever been able to do walking." Very compelling stuff.
Wonderfalls: The Complete Series - A great show with a great cast with a lead actress I defy you not to fall in love with or at least develop a small crush on. Of course it was on the Fox network and cancelled after 4 episodes. 13 were made and they're all in this set with a heaping of extras. It's a very quirky comedy that requires you to suspend your disbelief on a certain
Short Cuts: Criterion Collection - this 2 disc set is loaded with quality extras. You know movies like Crash that have large casts that interweave several stories together? Robert Altman is the king of them, and this is one of his masterpieces. 3+ hours long, but never boring, and always engaging.
We Were Soldiers - I remember the first time I saw this I didn't like it that much, but I didn't hate it either. I think it was because around the time the film was made, we were just overloaded with war movies. But the second time around was much much better. The movie is almost one big action scene where the audience is dropped into the middle of a particularly difficult battle. A very, very good movie. If you overlooked this the first time, give it another shot.
A Very Long Engagement - bought this recently because I saw it for cheap, but I would've gladly paid 10 times for this gem. From the director and star of Amelie, but don't think this is Amelie 2. A romantic epic set in WW1 follows Mathilde (Audrey Tautou) as she searches for her lover, despite being told of his death. Audrey Tautou has quickly become one of my favorite actresses and I've only seen her in a few movies. This is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, and the cinematography on display in this movie will leave you breathless.
Superman: The Animated Series - Vol. 3 - The last and best set of this animated show, while not the definitive Superman, is still extremely enjoyable. Kudos to the producers for ending the show on a note that isn't typically "Superman" but fits with where the show was headed, a very gutsy move especially for a character not known for being dark.
Justice League - Season 1 - more enjoyable animated goodness from the guys that brought us the Batman, Superman and Batman Beyond Animated series. While this is probably the worst set of anything from the whole Paul Dini/Bruce Timm DC animated universe, it does have a few gems (Justice Guild!) and it also introduces us to my new favorite JLAer, Hawkgirl.
Justice League - Season 2 - the producers sat down and took all the bad parts of the first season of Justice League and fixed them. They kick things up a notch right from the very beginning and carry that momentum all the way to the slambang 3-part finale Starcrossed that really sets the tone for the future, and IMO, the best of anything they've done, Justice League Unlimited. October 24th can't come soon enough (Justice League Unlimited Season 1 releases then).
Born On The Fourth On July - got this in the Ultimate Oliver Stone collection, and this was the first flick I watched from it, because it is one of my all-time favorites. Forget all that Scientology and Katie Holmes bullshit, anyone who doesn't think Tom Cruise is a great actor hasn't seen this film. IMO, the best anti-war movie ever made. One of those movies that has a timeless message that's just as relevant now and maybe even moreso now than at the time it was made, and the time it portrayed.
Various Buster Keaton Short Films: Convict 13, Daydreams, Cops, The Playhouse, Hard Luck, The Blacksmith, The Electric House, The Goat, My Wife's Relations, and the list goes on and on - Let's get this straight upfront. Buster Keaton is a genius, he is one of the innovators of visual humour in the 20th century. He's been copied, studied and idolized so much by modern day actors from Jackie Chan to Johnny Depp. Many people see his gags used in modern day movies and think to themselves how original they are. Well, he did that back into the 1920s. Now that is really something for someone to still be original almost a century later. I could talk on and on about Buster Keaton because he's one of the few people I've truly idolized, so I'll just leave it at that. Go find his movies! They are frequently available for free from your local library! You can't beat that.
Wedding Crashers - Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughan are pretty much given free reign to really show off their comedic abilities to the fullest here. This is one of those movies where I would think about a joke that happened earlier and just laugh out loud even when something unfunny was going on. Rachel McAdams is great (wouldn't she be great as Susan Storm - Invisible Girl in Fantastic Four?). She has 2 very rare assets among actresses today, beauty AND acting ability.
Land of the Dead - Forget every other zombie movie. When it comes to zombies, no one does it better than George A. Romero. He's the real master, he created the genre, and no one else has even come close to what he's done. This movie wasn't just good, it was awesome and it just plain rocked. Please, please let there be more Romero zombie goodness. This is almost like a Romero best of mix tape; it's got action, drama, adventure, great ideas, and explores both the human and zombie aspects of living in the new world. Overall, an extremely satisfying movie.
Day of the Dead - Having seen Land of the Dead and enjoying the heck out of it, I decided to go back and give a second chance to Romero's only film which I disliked. With an open mind, I enjoyed and respected this film so much more. I think my original fault the first time was that I expected a film more akin to Night or Dawn. But what Day tries to do is so much different than those films. In this film, Romero really tries to deconstruct zombies and deconstructing the whole human-zombie differentiation. It's more of a talky-thinky movie unlike the more action and drama oriented Night and Dawn. I still place Day as the weakest of Romero's zombie films, but now I like it and respect it much more than I use to.
Once a Thief - A lot of people see Chow Yun Fat as this slick and cool character from films like The Killer and Hard Boiled. As great as he is at playing the slick and cool character, CYF may be even better at the comedic roles, and in this movie he gets to show off his more comedic side. Not to be confused with the far inferior english language remake, also made by Woo.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - A smartly written dark comedy starring two great character actors, Robert Downey, Jr. & Val Kilmer. I'm really beginning to like these guys more and more as they move away from standard Hollywood fair and towards sharply written, dialogue driven independent movies. Oh, and Michelle Monaghan sizzles, she could be the typical Hollywood big star if she wanted to be, but I hope she sticks with these little treasures.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
New Photos on Flickr
Hey, updated with some pictures from the all-singing, all-dancing, all-guitar hero playing unveiling of my latest masterpiece: the aptly named Steve's Guitaraoke Palace. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., I had a dream, and it was to play Guitar Hero, with Karaoke Revolution _and_ a dance pad all at the same time. Requirements: 2 PS2s, Karaoke Revolution Party with microphone, Guitar Hero with Guitar, dance pad and 2 televisions (I had a TV which allows to accept 2 signals and split the TV in half, displaying both signals). Sadly, Karaoke Revolution Party's sing and dance mode makes you sing and dance to a truncated version of the songs it features.
So sadly, my dream came to a crashing halt. We would have to settle with the combination of guitar and singing, which I have cleverly named "Guitaraoke." Sadly, only 1 song is featured in both games: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock and Roll." The plan was to have me playing guitar, with Ron on vocals. The key to getting Guitaraoke was syncing the two games, which is quite hard, and which we were never quite able to do exactly. After several abortive attempts were thwarted by Gordon's poor timing, we were finally able to sync it up somewhat, but alas we were thwarted yet again by Ron's inexperience with "I Love Rock and Roll" and he failed the vocal parts. We were never able to sync it as closely as the time when Ron failed in singing, so curse you Ron! We were finally able to do the song with Jess on vocals, but it was odd as the 2 songs were ever so slightly out of sync. In the end, we did what we set out to do, somewhat.
Note to music/rhythm game makers. Combine drummania, Guitar Hero and several guitars, karaoke revolution and you've got you're very own Garage Band. The possible results make me salivate.
Update: For those who want higher quality photographic evidence as well as incriminating video footage, email or message me.
So sadly, my dream came to a crashing halt. We would have to settle with the combination of guitar and singing, which I have cleverly named "Guitaraoke." Sadly, only 1 song is featured in both games: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock and Roll." The plan was to have me playing guitar, with Ron on vocals. The key to getting Guitaraoke was syncing the two games, which is quite hard, and which we were never quite able to do exactly. After several abortive attempts were thwarted by Gordon's poor timing, we were finally able to sync it up somewhat, but alas we were thwarted yet again by Ron's inexperience with "I Love Rock and Roll" and he failed the vocal parts. We were never able to sync it as closely as the time when Ron failed in singing, so curse you Ron! We were finally able to do the song with Jess on vocals, but it was odd as the 2 songs were ever so slightly out of sync. In the end, we did what we set out to do, somewhat.
Note to music/rhythm game makers. Combine drummania, Guitar Hero and several guitars, karaoke revolution and you've got you're very own Garage Band. The possible results make me salivate.
Update: For those who want higher quality photographic evidence as well as incriminating video footage, email or message me.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Music Review: Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
Having recently seen and enjoyed the movie Friday Night Lights, one of the aspects of the movie I enjoyed the most was the movie's soundtrack composed primarily by post-rock group Explosions In The Sky. As such, I went in search of more material by this band. Enter their 2003 album, The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place. Simply put; lush, epic soundscapes. No vocal clutter. Just guitar, bass and drums. Rock at its simplest, its core, and its best.
Ever listen to a song which has great music but then you feel like the vocals are a distraction? Not so here. Part of the "post-rock" movement is the abolition of vocals. This is my favorite kind of music, the kind of music you can listen to, lean back, close your eyes and be transported into a different world.
Rather than have a large collection of short songs, here we get 5 grandiose, epic songs. I like the idea here, rather than a bunch of songs with maybe 1 or 2 "good" ones and the rest filler, they concentrated on making 5 great songs, each approximately 8-10 minutes in length. There is no filler here, each track is big, beefy, grand and beautiful.
Their sound is amazing, especially the guitars, and each member of the 4 person band compliments each other perfectly. Fans of guitar will not go wrong here. I am very much looking forward to future work from this group.
Personal favorite tracks: Your Hand In Mine, followed by First Breath After Coma and The Only Moment We Were Alone
Tracklist:
1. First Breath After Coma
2. The Only Moment We Were Alone
3. Six Days At The Bottom Of The Ocean
4. Memorial
5. Your Hand In Mine
Ever listen to a song which has great music but then you feel like the vocals are a distraction? Not so here. Part of the "post-rock" movement is the abolition of vocals. This is my favorite kind of music, the kind of music you can listen to, lean back, close your eyes and be transported into a different world.
Rather than have a large collection of short songs, here we get 5 grandiose, epic songs. I like the idea here, rather than a bunch of songs with maybe 1 or 2 "good" ones and the rest filler, they concentrated on making 5 great songs, each approximately 8-10 minutes in length. There is no filler here, each track is big, beefy, grand and beautiful.
Their sound is amazing, especially the guitars, and each member of the 4 person band compliments each other perfectly. Fans of guitar will not go wrong here. I am very much looking forward to future work from this group.
Personal favorite tracks: Your Hand In Mine, followed by First Breath After Coma and The Only Moment We Were Alone
Tracklist:
1. First Breath After Coma
2. The Only Moment We Were Alone
3. Six Days At The Bottom Of The Ocean
4. Memorial
5. Your Hand In Mine
Monday, July 3, 2006
Movie Review: Singin' In The Rain
So I saw this again recently, and I hadn't seen it in so long that it was almost like watching it for the first time, again. Well, it's even better than I remember. Great musical numbers, a great look that is reproduced fantastically on Warner's 2 Disc Special Edition DVD, heck, I can't imagine it looking better when it was first released in theatres. The colours jump off the screen and the amount is detail is staggering for such an old film, I've seen many recent releases that look worse than this movie. Every single member of the cast is pitch-perfect, hitting all the high notes, both musically and comedically. The cast looks like they were having fun making the movie, and this makes the film even more fun to watch, it's a real joy to watch this. Warner's Special Edition DVD has the aforementioned fantastic transfer, sound is provided in a fancy new Dolby Digital 5.1 track that sounds great, but is never too flashy for its own good. Purists will appreciate that the original mono track is included. Extras are high in quantity and quality. This is the best kind of DVD, a great movie, looks great, sounds great, tons of great extras. The great looking transfer would be enough for any fan, but the well rounded package puts it over the top. I know it's cliche, but they really don't make 'em like this anymore. Maybe the best movie musical ever, and certainly one of the best DVDs ever.
Saturday, July 1, 2006
Movie Review: Cars
Pixar Movie - Definition: Greatness. Awesome. _Insert positive attribute here_.
Bad Pixar Movie - Definition: one that only makes the top ten best films list of any given year rather than the top five.
As of the weekend of June 25, of the current Top Ten Grossing Movies in North America, Cars is the only movie with a fresh rating (a movie which has more than 60% positive reviews from major movie critics) at Rotten Tomatoes.
Yeah, so the reviews have been middling (for a Pixar film, that is). Other filmmakers would kill to get the positive reviews that Pixar garners. They've set the bar so high that anything else in just pales in comparison. No other 3D animation studio comes close, their movies sound the best, look the best, make you laugh the most, make you cry the most, they are simple the best period.
Bad Pixar Movie - Definition: one that only makes the top ten best films list of any given year rather than the top five.
As of the weekend of June 25, of the current Top Ten Grossing Movies in North America, Cars is the only movie with a fresh rating (a movie which has more than 60% positive reviews from major movie critics) at Rotten Tomatoes.
Yeah, so the reviews have been middling (for a Pixar film, that is). Other filmmakers would kill to get the positive reviews that Pixar garners. They've set the bar so high that anything else in just pales in comparison. No other 3D animation studio comes close, their movies sound the best, look the best, make you laugh the most, make you cry the most, they are simple the best period.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Movie Review: Superman Returns
Yep, he's back, but should we care? After a grandiose opening, the Superman series of movie just kept losing steam, each one getting gradually worse. The Superman movie series also has the distinction of being one of the few movie series where the special effects get progressively worse.
First off, Superman/Clark Kent himself. Brandon Routh does a serviceable job but never really looks comfortable in the costume, and overplays Clark's geekiness. He just doesn't look comfortable when he's flying, especially when he takes off and lands, and doesn't look natural like Christopher Reeve did. Now he really made me believe a man could fly.
We needed more of Clark's mom and Jor-El. Such integral characters in the life of Superman, but nearly forgotten in this movie. The way they promoted it, it was as if Marlon Brando was going to be such an integral part of the movie. While it is amazing how they added him into the movie, it left me underwhelmed.
Too much homage to Superman. As in Smallville, this movie pays homage to the Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve's original interpretation of Superman to a fault. There are so many echoes of the first film that they tried to play as homage, but to me played as repetitious. Like when Superman heralds the safety of flying ("Statistically speaking..."), Lois's spelling inquiry ("How many Fs in catastrophe?") and when Clark throws the baseball several miles, Clark dropping his glasses and wanting to tell Lois his secret. And while I love the opening theme and title credits of the first movie, this movie copies it almost exactly and it just felt "been there, done that, 28 years ago".
The music in this movie evokes my general feeling about this film "very good, but not great." Many of the themes by John Williams from the original are back "re-imagined" (somebody please kill this word) by new composer John Ottman, in addition to some new themes. Most of it was very well done, but just doesn't match up to the original. That being said, John Williams score for Superman The Movie is just about as perfect as you can get, and it is my favorite film score of all-time, so I'm biased.
On to the things I liked about this movie: The Clark-Lois story was so well done that I hated when it would cut to Lex's story. My favorite scene: when Clark uses his see-through vision to watch Lois as she leaves on the elevator.
Kate Bosworth is really great in this movie. Her Lois is very different than what we've seen in previous incarnations, but still evokes the general feeling of who Lois should be in relation to Superman. She really pulls off the intelligent, go-getting reporter type, and it's easy to see why Clark would be in love with her. She has some of the more emotional scenes in this movie and really helps give some emotional impact to a movie that lacks it.
Many have complained about the age of the leads, but it didn't matter to me, yes they are young, but I think with younger leads, it would connect better with today's younger audience. That being said, all the controversy does make you think, and one of the thoughts in my mind was 5 years previous, would Clark Kent even look like he's been through puberty yet?
I saw the movie in IMAX 3D, which is definitely the way to go if you don't mind paying a little extra and it's available near you. However, only 20 minutes of the movie are in 3D, usually the most exciting. Many may be put off thinking it's accomplished using the crappy red-blue glasses, but it's not. It's done using new special technology and slightly tinted glasses. It is extremely well done and way better than the headache inducing red-blue glasses method. I only wish that the entire film was done in 3D, but I understand that it couldn't be done and still be released day and date with the normal theatrical feature.
There's a lot a nitpicking by me, but that's because I love the original Superman so much. Christopher Reeve was literally born to play Superman, and to see someone else in the role is almost wrong. Christopher Reeve will always be Superman in my eyes. This film is really really good! In fact, those not familiar with the previous Superman movies will be able to enter this movie with a blank slate and enjoy the hell out of it. On my superhero movie scale, it doesn't quite crack my top five, but its close and is easily better than Superman 3 and 4, and way better than most of the other superhero dreck (I'm looking at you X3 and Fantastic Four). I really shouldn't complain too much since it really is a competently made Superman film. It really could've been worse, we could've had Superman fighting giant spiders, polar bears and gay robots for all we know. Here's to Superman Forever and Superman & Robin (that's a joke about how the Superman movies have stolen the Batman movie names - Batman should steal Superman's naming...imagine the marquee: BATMAN BEGINS 4: THE QUEST FOR PEACE).
First off, Superman/Clark Kent himself. Brandon Routh does a serviceable job but never really looks comfortable in the costume, and overplays Clark's geekiness. He just doesn't look comfortable when he's flying, especially when he takes off and lands, and doesn't look natural like Christopher Reeve did. Now he really made me believe a man could fly.
We needed more of Clark's mom and Jor-El. Such integral characters in the life of Superman, but nearly forgotten in this movie. The way they promoted it, it was as if Marlon Brando was going to be such an integral part of the movie. While it is amazing how they added him into the movie, it left me underwhelmed.
Too much homage to Superman. As in Smallville, this movie pays homage to the Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve's original interpretation of Superman to a fault. There are so many echoes of the first film that they tried to play as homage, but to me played as repetitious. Like when Superman heralds the safety of flying ("Statistically speaking..."), Lois's spelling inquiry ("How many Fs in catastrophe?") and when Clark throws the baseball several miles, Clark dropping his glasses and wanting to tell Lois his secret. And while I love the opening theme and title credits of the first movie, this movie copies it almost exactly and it just felt "been there, done that, 28 years ago".
The music in this movie evokes my general feeling about this film "very good, but not great." Many of the themes by John Williams from the original are back "re-imagined" (somebody please kill this word) by new composer John Ottman, in addition to some new themes. Most of it was very well done, but just doesn't match up to the original. That being said, John Williams score for Superman The Movie is just about as perfect as you can get, and it is my favorite film score of all-time, so I'm biased.
On to the things I liked about this movie: The Clark-Lois story was so well done that I hated when it would cut to Lex's story. My favorite scene: when Clark uses his see-through vision to watch Lois as she leaves on the elevator.
Kate Bosworth is really great in this movie. Her Lois is very different than what we've seen in previous incarnations, but still evokes the general feeling of who Lois should be in relation to Superman. She really pulls off the intelligent, go-getting reporter type, and it's easy to see why Clark would be in love with her. She has some of the more emotional scenes in this movie and really helps give some emotional impact to a movie that lacks it.
Many have complained about the age of the leads, but it didn't matter to me, yes they are young, but I think with younger leads, it would connect better with today's younger audience. That being said, all the controversy does make you think, and one of the thoughts in my mind was 5 years previous, would Clark Kent even look like he's been through puberty yet?
I saw the movie in IMAX 3D, which is definitely the way to go if you don't mind paying a little extra and it's available near you. However, only 20 minutes of the movie are in 3D, usually the most exciting. Many may be put off thinking it's accomplished using the crappy red-blue glasses, but it's not. It's done using new special technology and slightly tinted glasses. It is extremely well done and way better than the headache inducing red-blue glasses method. I only wish that the entire film was done in 3D, but I understand that it couldn't be done and still be released day and date with the normal theatrical feature.
There's a lot a nitpicking by me, but that's because I love the original Superman so much. Christopher Reeve was literally born to play Superman, and to see someone else in the role is almost wrong. Christopher Reeve will always be Superman in my eyes. This film is really really good! In fact, those not familiar with the previous Superman movies will be able to enter this movie with a blank slate and enjoy the hell out of it. On my superhero movie scale, it doesn't quite crack my top five, but its close and is easily better than Superman 3 and 4, and way better than most of the other superhero dreck (I'm looking at you X3 and Fantastic Four). I really shouldn't complain too much since it really is a competently made Superman film. It really could've been worse, we could've had Superman fighting giant spiders, polar bears and gay robots for all we know. Here's to Superman Forever and Superman & Robin (that's a joke about how the Superman movies have stolen the Batman movie names - Batman should steal Superman's naming...imagine the marquee: BATMAN BEGINS 4: THE QUEST FOR PEACE).
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