Drive In '77

Film Log: May 2012

May Day!  May Day!! May Day!!!

May was destined to be a slim month.  With almost two weeks scheduled out to travel, I knew my movie watching would suffer.  However, it started with a bang as I attended the AMC theaters Marvel marathon leading up to the premiere of The Avengers.  Six movies, roughly 15 hours plus travel time to and from the theater, three large popcorns, two theater hotdogs, Fuddruckers chicken fingers, botomless soda, and a broken air conditioner.  It was magic.  Stinky, sweaty, slightly uncomfortable magic.  (Read about it here.)

I did manage to see some interesting stuff like the new Audrey Tautou and finally getting to screen The People Vs. George Lucas, which was a very well made doc.  I was worried it would be a bunch of whiny fanboys, but it is a fair examination of the reaction to the prequels.  Even Country Strong surprised me!  I'm not in a hurry to watch it again, but it was not what I expected and I enjoyed my post lunch viewing.  I also got to the actual theater three times.  I'm an economy booster!!

May is only three letters, and this list is seemingly as short.  List me!!!

5-3: Marvel Marathon: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America and.....

5-4: The Avengers (it was midnight!), Horrible Bosses

5-5: Arsenic and Old Lace

5-6: Topaz

5-7: Delicacy (La Delicatesse)

5-25: Hall Pass, JFK, Star Wars

5-28: The Avengers

5-29: Country Strong, The People Vs. George Lucas

5-31: Colors

Total Films: 17

Year to Date: 144

Film of the Month:  The Avengers

I actually wrote that down on Cinco de Mayo afer Free Comic Book Day 'cause I just knew there was nothing in May that would equal the experience of my all day Marvel marathon followd by a very rare (for me) midnight screening of The Avengers.  Not only was the whole event special, not only is the accomplishment of Marvel Studios impressive, but the film kicked serious hardcore buttocks!!  The Hulk in the final act is everything you could ever want from a comics character on film.  In fact, more so than any other comic book movie to date, this actually felt like a comic come to life!  The kinetic energy of the fight sequences, the flow between characters and action is world class filmmaking.  Looking at you, Mr. Joss Whedon.  And *SPOILER ALERT*, when Banner says "I'm always angry" and then Hulks out and punches that space whale.... holy shit balls!!  That is my favorite super hero on film moment ever.

Favorite Poster:  The Avengers

I'm not always a big fan of the Mondo line of reimagined poster art.  Some of them are a little too trite; monochromatic rehased versions of 60s themes, but this one by Tyler Stout caught my eye.  Maybe it's the idea of a drawn style to contrast the live action comic book movie, maybe it's the use of the Avenger "A," but whatever it is, I like it more than the theatrical posters.  I mean, if you gave me the Scarlett Johanson character one I might be able to find a spot for it.....  I'd like to have a smaller version of this one to hang by the computer.

Favorite Poster Runner-Up: Delicacy

In case the first cannot perform it's duties, then Audrey Tautou will glady step in and take the crown!  I had to put this in here because it so wonderfully French and Audrey is just so cute.  Plus, I love how Damiens is kind of blurred in the background.  The poster really is a wonderful representation of the story. so for May, I have two one sheets.  Err.. two sheets?  Nooooo!!

Bring on June!!  Nothing like some cool theater houses on hot summer days!

My Avenger Initiative

It is 8 am.  Normally, not a remarkable time of morning to be up and on the computer, but considering I got home at 4 am after a 15 hour marathon of movies in a theater.... I'm practically my own super hero. 

It all started about a month ago when my buddy and fab artist Spencer Brinkerhoff linked to the AMC event page on Facebook announcing "The Ultimate Marvel Marathon."  My first reaction was cool, it's on my best friend Russ' birthday, maybe I can con him into going!!  Alas, with a baby on the way, Russ couldn't commit.  My wife however, took one look and said, I quote, "We have to that."  I was mildly floored by her assertation and warned her that this was going to be like 14 plus hours.  It was going to be like sitting in Hall H at San Diego Comic Con all day, which I subjected her to once and she hated.  But no, she didn't waver and I bought two tickets that night.  A friend of hers is housesitting for us soon, so I bought another ticket for her and our little trio of super nerds was go.  May 3rd; six movies and major, major popcorn breath.

7 am wake up call and the day started out with me burning my finger from a faulty match head, but got much hotter.  Much, much hotter.....

Our trio assembled for the hour or so drive over to Emmeryville to the AMC Bay Street 16.   I chose this one because parking in San Francisco would be outrageous since it's the same lot I park in for WonderCon.  But it was also an entirely new theater for me and I'd heard it was not unlike the AMC in Burbank which I've been to more than a few times.  Anyhoo... the drive over was relatively easy and parking was a breeze but of course, the nervous Irishman in me kept thinking what if there was a huge line of nerds who got there at like 2 am and we'd get stuck with horrible seats!!!  Nooooo!!!

A few flights of stairs later, we were in.  No lines, no craziness and no questions about our overstuffed bags of spare clothes and hidden food;)  The staff was super nice from the get go.  We got a nice lanyard for the event which let us go in and out of the theater, a limited edition pair of 3D glasses for the last three movies, a horrible Avengers comic book that was an ad for some hotel and a schedule.

Notice the little Iron Man on the lanyard?  That did not come from AMC!  It is a Tokidoki Marvel Frenzie, a blind box mini figure.  I picked up a few at the comic book store (Comics FTW yo!) as what I dubbed "Car Door Prizes."  I let the ladies pick first and then we opened them up and I got Iron Man!  Pretty sweet.  My wife pulled Red Skull and our friend Karah nabbed The Punisher... grrr.  The lanyard was a great idea and I was super happy AMC did that for us.  It hangs proudly with all my Con lanyards now!

There were quite a few people there by the time we strolled in, roughly 10:45, but plenty of good options on seating.  We opted for a small row of five in the back.  You know the ones designed for wheelchairs next to them?  Directly to our left was a little exit that lead to a mysterious relaxation area, but more on the later.

Reva, Karah, and Mini Thor (clearly eyeing the popcorn) before the first movie (Iron Man):

Food was a major concern, but we brought a few snacks and opted for the refillable giant popcorn and soda.  Why anyone in the theater didn't do that is beyond me!!  I think it was $12 bucks and we filled the popcorn twice and the soda like 4 or 5 times.  A necissity with all the heat....

Okay, I keep referencing the heat because the absolute worst part of the whole event was our theater's air conditioning seemed to be broken.  "The Mighty Trio" prepared with sweatshirts and even a blanket to combat the normally frigid confines of a movie theater only to be greeted with the "hovering horde" of musty, warm, sweat filled air.  My jab at this being just like Hall H had become a self fulfilling prophecy!!  It made for a long haul later in the marathon.  You know, liek around hour 12;)

That little scrap of Photoshop photocopying by some theater employee came in real handy as we sat our way through the day!

Iron Man was and is a great way to start this marathon.  The film still holds up, outside of a stray MySpace reference, and I knew from the start that this was gonna be a fun day.  Why?  Because there was no casual fan in the house.  These were comic book geeks, willing to drop $40 on a ticket to sit in a theater for 15 hours to watch superhero movies.  Everyone there was part of the same tribe, so when Tony Stark emerges from the cave in the Mark I and spews fire, the place erupted in cheers and the enthusiasm never stopped.

Of course, I should've known given all the awesome costuming that was going on.  Lots of Thors including some bad ass helmets, a fully horned out Loki, a black Thor, multiple Captain Americas, at lest one Hulk, a Black Widow that could use some gym time if you know what I mean, and plenty of Nerf Mjolnir.

I've been saying for awhile that this is a minor miracle of focus and vision on the part of Marvel Studios, and seeing it unfold before me was even more impressive.  Especially by the time we got Iron Man 2 because, while they are all gearing towards are midnight premiere of The Avengers, it was really in IM2 that you saw the boulder top the hill and start speeding towards the bottom.  The universe tightened up and I felt more engrossed in the world it presented. 

With Thor came three dimensions!  You had the option of Thor, Captain America, Hulk, or Iron Man themed glasses when you entered.  My co-horts both went for Thor for what is an obviously Hemsworth shirtless informed decision!  I went with Iron Man because they A) looked cool, and B) seemed to cover the sides more, hence blocking out the world around me.  None of them were particularily comfortable for 7 plus hours!!  My buddy Jeero shows off my Iron Man's....

I know some poeple who think Thor is a kind of hokey film, but I love it.  I think it's super funny and obviously a very important piece of the puzzle for The Avengers.  The best part was we had a 45 minute break before Thor so the girls went to Fuddruckers and I took a mini nap!  Lunch was hot dogs, but dinner was smuggled chicken strips from said Fuddruckers;)

By this time, the A/C situation was becoming dire.  I could feel sweat on my back.  The in and out priveledge of the lanyard was now a life saver!  But we also failed to discover until after Thor was the aforementioned "break area" to our left.  I saw people going out the hallway exit, but thought it was just some outside air or something.  Instead, once we finally looked, we found what was essentially the hallway where the employees gain access to all the projection rooms.  Our theater and the IMAX theater has doors to it and there was a single "family" bathroom out there and a big hallway where you could kind of decompress and stretch the legs.  Damn, why didn't I look earlier!!  Still, it was nice to escape from the movie sauna we were suffering inside.  It would've been even better if AMC staffed a little cart of snacks up there, but I digress.

Outside of the heat problem, I do think AMC understaffed a little for the day.  And when the other people came in for the 5 or so midnight screenings outside of the marathon.... it was a madhouse.  Overall they did a good job and there were some giveaways between films and it was a good experience.

When midnight rolled around, everyone went apeshit.  The natives were restless for the premiere and more than one could not handle the quantity of previews tanding between them and Assembledness. 

As for The Avengers itself, marvelous.  And no, that is not a play on Marvel, although that would've been very Shallet of me.  Whedon nails it.  There are so many fun moments, they're hard to count.  I don't want to give anything away with for those who didn't make it the biggest opening weekend ever, but Hulk, for me, steals the show.  He was awesome.  It's a long one, but what strikes me most is how it never pandered to the lowest common denominator.  They rely on the stories being universal enough to appeal to the casual fan, but so much of it is absolutely dedicated to the hardcore fan.  I love that.  I always thought, why keep telling us Batman orgin stories, just tell a good Batman story, people will get it.  The knew they essentially had five origin stories for The Avengers already, so they just started the roller coaster and boy was it a ride!

When it was done, I kept thinking how I wanted more.  Like, really wanted more.  Iron Man 3 (with Hulk please!!), Captain 2, Thor 2, Avengers 2, Black Widow... all of it!  I left feeling upbeat and positive about the future of these movies.

By the way, if you see a midnight movie at the AMC Bay Street, be aware they basically lift the gates on the parking garage and maybe you shouldn't pay the parking machine before noticing.  There goes that $12! 

Proof of (no)life for May 3rd:

Notice the times on the parking stub.  16 hours and 16 minutes parked at that theater!!!  And with drive time, a good 20 hour day.  Phew!!  And to think, they could offer this again some day?  My butt says nooooo!!!!

And if you ask, my favorite part of the whole marathon..... Clark Gregg!! 

Film Log: April 2012

WTF April?  Oh yeah, let's see.... NHL playoffs started, got a new computer that is no where near the big TV, and like three trips to Disneyland.  Yep, that would explain the appalling lack of movies screened in April 2012!!

19 is the final tally and I am quite embarrassed.  Even the selections are odd, but I can proudly say I enjoyed everything I watched which is not the usual outcome.  Morgan Spurlock's Comic Con doc stands out and as you'll see, with a 48 hour On Demand rental, I watched it twice.  As a 15 plus year veteran of the Con, it was fun to see his take on the 2010 edition.  The Iron Lady was the let down, but I'm still glad I watched it, just not blown away by the narrative choices or editing.  Finally, rounded April out with a real live trip to the movies to see Emily Blunt and Jason Segal in Five Year Engagement.  I agree with the masses, needed some editing, but totally liked it and the Elmo/Cookie Monster argument between Blunt and Alison Brie is amazeballs.  Anyhoo, on to the list!

4-4: Easy A, Eurotrip, Good Burger

4-5: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

4-10: Comic Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope

4-11:  Comic Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope

4-18: The Breakfast Club, Green Lantern

4-19: Super

4-21: The Groomsmen, Great Expectations (2012) (ms)

4-22: Killing Bono

4-23: The Iron Lady, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Birds

4-24: Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2

4-25: Topaz

4-30: Five Year Engagement

Total Films: 19

Year to Date:  127

Film of the Month:  Killing Bono 

Why?  Because this movie got me to sit there and be interested in something that is essentially about U2, one of the most overratted, overplayed, "grates on my brain" rock bands in history.  I cannot stand U2, and yet, I am a total sucker for the history of music and this take on what could've been for one guitarist who unknowingly ends up struggling with his halfwit brother in club bands instead of living it up on the international stage with U2 is utterly enthralling.  Hell, I even liked the guy playing Bono more than the real life version!!  Can we replace Bonos?

Favorite Poster: Five Year Engagement

If you know me, you know why.  I wanna be Jason Segal!  But no, really it is Emily Blunt.  Okay, it's the cake!  Actually, I just found out I even know the guy who made the cake for this poster, so that's even better!!  I will add it to my collection of posters featuring cake. 

Okay, I pinky swear I will up the movie count come May.  Already I know I'll be six deep come the weekend because I have my Avengers movie marathon at the AMC this Thursday!!  Holy crap is that going to be an epic day of heartburn and bottomless popcorn.  I predict sicky in the bathroom!  But more on that experience later.  Wish me luck!

Star Wars Disney Vinylmation Adventure!

I'm a member of a "Disney" household.  Disneyland and trips to Anaheim have been a part of my routine since I was very young and got lost in the shadow of the Matterhorn.  (Note: my family denies this happened, but I know better!)  While I would love to purchase an Annual Pass every year, we tend to pick one up every two or three years and then overload on DL excitement and plenty of Bengal BBQ.  Banyan Beef yo!!

Of course, this means the lure of fun Disney merchandise is not lost on my wallet.  I started pin collecting on my honeymoon in Disney World in 2001 but when the House of Mouse entered into the custom vinyl action figure craze, I was intrigued.  I love the idea of combining what is arguably the most famous and recognizable profile in the world (Mickey Mouse) with other famous imagery such as rides and holidays.  The Mickey template is a great launching point for creativity.  So, we bought a few over trips to Downtown Disney etc., but now we have a pass again.... and a discount!!

Rewind a bit to a conversation with my buddy Kris who owns Comics FTW in Santa Rosa.  He carries a number of vinyl, "blind packed" figures and I offered to pick him up the Star Wars line of Vinylmation next time I was in Anaheim.  They don't distribute to stores, so he's never brought them into the shop, but hey, with my AP discount, why not try!

Before I left, I searched YouTube for some videos of case breaks.  People really do film everything these days and turns out, there were a number of guys who videotaped the entire process of opening their case and the arrangement of the figures inside.  With a blind pack, you're not supposed to know what you get, but all these videos showed one thing: the exact same placement in every box!!

Basically, from back to front, you got:

Darth Vader / Darth Vader / Lando / Lando / R2-D2 / R2-D2

Boba Fett / Boba Fett / Leia / Leia / Chewbacca / Chewbacca

Stormtrooper / Stormtrooper / Stormtrooper / "Chase" / Yoda / Yoda

Han Solo / Han Solo / C-3PO / C-3PO / Luke / Luke

Okay, now I was getting excited.  I bought one SW figure a few weeks back and got Han Solo.  Han rules, but I really wanted R2-D2.  When you enter the store, people have moved boxes around, so this info is only really helpful if you're buying an unopened case.  Guess what?  I was about to!

I'd never have the money or the excuse to do this myself, but on the Comics FTW dime I got to buy a full case.  I must admit, it was a lot of fun plucking it off the shelf and plopping it down on the counter.  Especially when the discount rolled the final price back;)  Even then, to sign off on over $200 worth of toys was just what my inner child desired.  The cast member wished me luck in finding the variant chaser and I was off back to the comic shop for the next day's experiment.

After double checking the videos and writing the placements down, Kris and I pulled off the plastic wrap and reached straight for what I hoped was an R2 unit.  Bingo!!  I was gonna pick three more (even though I wanted to just get them all I was a mostly good boy) and I went for Boba Fett.  Pay dirt!!  The videos were paying off!!  What next?  Stormtrooper?  Yoda?  No, Vader!  He has a lightsaber and was sitting there in his box right where the chart showed he would be.  I mean, I know this takes some of the fun out of the mystery, but damn it all I was not gonna get stuck with the lame Luke!!  For my last one, the curiosity of whether or not the chaser (old Ben Kenobi) was the even more rare Ghost Kenobi got the better of my Stormtrooper desire.  It was not, but at only one chase per case, it is still a good pull.

Added to my Han Solo, my Star Wars Vinylmation collection now looks like this:

The only problem now is I have enough to risk doubling up if I grab one at the park.  Secretly, I hope we do this again soon and there are still cases to be had so I can grab that Stormtrooper and probably Yoda.  If not, I am over the moon that this worked and I got the ones I have.  Many thanks to my fellow nerds who thought to video tape their case breaks for the knowledge!!

 

 

Film Log: March 2012

Well, March was a slow down in my movie watching.  I shifted gears and spent a lot of my viewing time on ABC's Lost, a show I didn't partake in upon initial broadcast.  I got through about 64 episodes, which if you wanted to think about, is roughly 32 films!!  And, a big shout out to BYU TV for being the only station to show Darby O'Gill and the Little People on St. Patrick's Day!  Seriously networks, have we forgotten what my homeland's beloved holiday is all about?!  Thanks to a bad back, I did manage to squeeze in some last minute titles at the end of the month to bring up the total, so here be the graveyard of my movie watching, March 2012 edition;)

3-1: Cyrus, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Fargo

3-4: Flakes, Love's Kitchen, Greenfingers, Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior, Chocolate

3-6: Love Don't Cost a Thing, Sucker Punch, Cedar Rapids, Good Hair

3-9: Footloose (2011)

3-11: Tilly Trotter (ms), Being Elmo

3-16: Game Change, Darby O'Gill and the Little People, Chasing Leprechauns

3-18: Step Brothers, Game Change

3-23: The Hunger Games

3-25: The Hunger Games

3-29: The Muppets, True Grit

3-30: Special When Lit: A Pinball Documentary, Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade

3-31: The Hollywood Complex, Strictly Background, The Golden Gong

Total Films: 29

Year to Date: 108

Film of the Month: Being Elmo  

I know, I know, how can I not choose the juggernaut of The Hunger Games?  I think expectations won (or lost) out there where as Being Elmo surpassed any idea I had about a documentary on a Muppet.  Don't get me worng, I love The Muppets!!  Jim Henson is a hero to me and I firmly believe you can trace the downward spiral of society to his passing, but I'm more of a Muppet Show guy than a Sesame Street guy, so Elmo is not in my wheel house.  Being Elmo turned out to be a remarkable documentary filled with footage that lead me to believe this doc was in the works for 30 years!!  An amazing story about a man who found his destiny early and worked hard to achieve his goals.  It's rare to see someone doing what the universe meant them to be and Being Elmo is such a glimpse into cosmic kismet.  

Favorite Poster:  To hop bandwagons, for this one I will go The Hunger Games!

I actually really do like this "coming soon" one sheet.  It nicely arranges familiar imagery from the books to depict both the first film and hint at what is to come (mainly the idea of the Districts looking up to the "Mockingjay" for inspiration and guidance.)  It was also part of a fun and innovative "puzzle hunt" release in which 100 different websites were each given a small piece of the poster and fans had to collect them and arrange them to see the finished image.  Of course, the lazier among us (myself) just waited till some co-ed with time on their hands posted it.

Such was March my friends!  I see more (the end?) Lost in April as we chug along towards, believe it or not, the Summer movie season!!  I already have my tickets for the all day, six movie, Avenger marathon on May 3rd!!  My butt hurts already. 

The Hunger Games

As I walked out of the theater, and during most of my screening to be honest, the thing that struck me most about The Hunger Games was how difficult it is to adapt a book, even one as lean as Suzanne Collins' tale of Katniss Everdeen.  To call it a quick and addictive read is an understatement.  Even the slowest readers I've heard from finished it in three days.  The prose is concise and to the point.  The pacing is frantic at times and if anything, as a reader you're left wanting more.  It's brilliant technique really, but how does that translate to the screen?

Well, they certainly gave it time.  At 2 hours 22 minutes, I could probably read the novel in two viewings, but even at such a length, I was just amazed at how much they had to leave out, how much they had to tweak and massage it for the visual medium of film.  Voiceover in this kind of world would be too clunky to work, so gone is Katniss' inner monologue that fuels much of the written narrative.  Gone is much of the detailed prep between the reaping and the arena, gone is much of Haymitch and Cinna, and gone is the puzzle that Katniss plays in her mind as she fights for survival. 

However, added are moments behind the games.  As I read the book (written entirely and blindingly from Katniss' point of view), I kept thinking how much I'd like to know more about the machine behind the scenes as sponsors are procurred and fires are lit in the forest.  So, I was very pleased to have moments with the game master in the control room or Haymitch at a party schmoozing.  It's a give and take.

To make up for the loss of Katniss' thoughts, Director Gary Ross uses a combination of flashbacks, commentary from Stanley Tucci's Ceaser Flickerman, and in the case of the sponsor gifts, little messages from Haymitch.  The style works for me even if it omits certain things like say, the entire structure of the love triangle in the series.  Through simply the eyes of the film, you're left with no idea of how Katniss feels about either Peeta nor Gale and would probably think everything is chugging along in Peeta's corner.  As a reader, you know different.

My other major problem was the quick cut, hand held style of a sizable portion of the movie.  I know for younger generations it is just part of their vocabulary, but for me, it diminshed moments, especially in the arena.  I understand it though.  It's a budget thing.  Staying close and tight and "raw" keeps costs down.  Big action set pieces are reduced and so are bottom lines.  However, the style was also in the hands of Tom Stern, know primarily for a more "quiet" style in his many collaborations with Clint Eastwood.  His stamp was all over the movie, but he might not be the guy to exectue the "shakey-cam."

 I think what a lot of people will forget when they see a film based on such a popular property like Hunger Games, is that this is Lionsgate.  They don't have a ton of money to throw at this film.  Maybe if it makes enough they'll up the ante for "Catching Fire", but even then they need to temper their excitement with some fiscal responsibility.  They cannot afford to absorb the kind of loss Disney will with their recent John Carter stumble.  These financial conerns will probably haunt Hunger Games from beginning to end.  It's not a crippling blow, but there were a number of artistic and script decisions that, to me, were obviously influenced by the bottom line, like the camera.

The other way to think about it is this; it's a marathon, not a sprint.  They plan four films, so maybe some of those moments I felt were missing will come back around in the future.

What I did like was the art direction and set design.  A lot of what I pictured in my head as a reader was challeneged in the film and pleansently so.  The Captiol set extensions were great and the overall costume design was rich if not a little safe.  But again, we may see the crazier side of The Captiol come later installments.  I also enjoyed the use of silence in District 12.

I thought the cast was just right.  The first scene of Woody Harrelson as Haymitch (my favorite character and one I always suspected of having a much deeper back story than we were ever given) is not great, but then he settles in nicely.  Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are wonderful as Katniss and Peeta and even Lenny Kravitz brought me around to the idea of him as Cinna.  Tucci is of course, Stanly f'in Tucci!  I had some casting doubts, but in the end I think it all went really well.

I guess the important note for Hunger Games fans is how does it hold up to the book?  Well, I've heard discussion both ways, but I will stop short of the cliche "the book is better."  I actually think they are quite complimentary.  I wouldn't advise you to be mutually exclusive towards one or the other, but rather to accept them both as important tools in the telling of the story.  In fact, as I drove home I kept thinking about picking up the Kindle and re-reading the first book again.  They are two pieces of media that will ultimately be tied together, much like the Lord of the Rings saga.  If you're first exposure is the book, then you carry an insight into the story as you watch.  If the movie is your first time, then you can look forward to revelations when you read the novel.  Either way, they go hand in hand.

While I toss out a lot of concerns in this review, overall I enjoyed it.  I think they hit the key points and 90% of the changes make a lot of sense from a cinematic standpoint.  Did it grab me and shake me like the book?  No, but that's probably an unfair comparrison to begin with, so I'm satisfied with liking it instead of being "blown away."  I think the real test will be in the final product after the entire series is released.  If they can travel the plot with similar success, it should be a very memorable and enjoyable ride.

Grade: a solid B

Film Log: February 2012

Got off to a slow start in February until I got a bee in my birthday month bonnet and decided to concentrate on watching some of my favorite films instead of the new and unfamiliar.  Sometimes you just need the comfort food.  Hence, the first film of February, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World!!  I watched it this time with the French subtitles on to practice my foreign language skills;)  So congrats Bryan Lee O'Malley, France has virtually no words to properly translate your verve!!

Last month I watched 39 films.  This month I watched 40 films.  I'm sensing a pattern.  That puts me on pace for over 450 movies in 2012.  Pathetic!  I've got to step up my game;)  Probably would've cracked 45 this month if it wasn't silly old short month February... wah wah.  

On to the log, and of course, some random awards await after the list.  Enjoy your accolades people who made these movies whom I will never speak to nor will ever read this blog!!!

2-4: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, National Lampoons European Vacation, State and Main

2-6: War and Peace

2-7: Almost Famous, Mystery Alaska

2-8: High Fidelity, Yes Man, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Get Him to the Greek

2-9: LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition

2-10: Knocked Up, Win A Date with Tad Hamilton, LOTR: The Two Towers Ext. Ed.

2-11: Coming To America, LOTR: The Return of the King Ext. Ed., Something Borrowed

2-13: Dick, Galaxy Quest

2-14: My Best Friend's Wedding, Batman Begins, Prom, Chasing Amy

2-15: Nollywood, American Pie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding

2-16: Trekkies, Trekkies 2

2-19: Ghost World, Punch Drunk Love, Radio Rebel

2-21: Battle Royal

2-23: Darkon

2-24: Oklahoma!

2-27: Goon

2-28: Youngblood, The Contender, The Last King of Scotland

2-29: Drive, What's Your Number?

Total Films: 40

Year to Date: 79

Film of the Month: Drive

Until the last day of the month I was going with Almost Famous because I'd forgotten how much I love that film and watching it again after a few years was pure joy.  It was great to revisit a lot of movies in February, but ultimately, Drive blew me away.  I'd been getting so many recommends from trusted cinema friends and boy were they right.  It's terrific, a wonderful slice of genre pie that steps up the game on heist films.  Plus, it was shot in Los Angeles.  Take that runaway production!  Very well cast, I love Brooks as a gangster, and beautifully shot, it's a buy for me.  

Favorite One Sheet:  Yes Man (German)

I threw in the Mondo Drive poster up top because I love the nod to 80s esthetics throughout the film and while I'm not a huge Mondo fan, they do come up with something once in awhile I really enjoy.  However, not an official release one sheet, so it doesn't win this month.  

Instead, I was intrigued by this German release for one of my favorite comfort films, Yes Man.  I'm always fascinated by the little changes films have to make for international markets.  In this case, if you compare it to the U.S. version, the scooter's headlight is on, Carrey has a different pose which makes me curious about shying away from the big "victory pose" and it's relation to Nazis, and Zooey Deschanel has a black jacket on and is turned towards Carrey.  Which is also turned away from the "viewer."  Did they think Zooey wasn't part of their marketing in Germany?  Are Germans not down with my girl?  Blasphemy!  Those are the kinds of international publicity decisions that fascinate me and made this my favorite poster for the month.  

Favorite Dialog: "Why are you crying?  Did you just watch Rudy?!" - Doug from Goon

Alrighty then.... good month.  Lots of familiar faces and a few new shows, I enjoyed my February quite a bit.  Let's hope I can get out to the actual cinema in March.  I know tickets are secured for one screening already, The Hunger Games on the 23rd!!  I hope it's as fun as the books.  Keep screening my friends!!

Goon

A few weeks back I got an email from Gongshow Gear, a clothing company dedicated to funny hockey inspired shirts and hats etc.  It announced the coming of apparel for a new movie called Goon.  I liked the hats and sought out the film's website.  It took all of 10 seconds of the trailer to know I couldn't wait to see it.  A) I'm a hockey nut, and B) it looked funny as hell.  Both things remain true.

Seann William Scott plays Doug "The Thug" Glatt, a simpleton bouncer struggling with his place amongst a successful family of doctors.  His life is definitely stalled out until his best friend Ryan (Jay Baruchel) takes him to a local minor league hockey game where he beats the living crap out of a player that jumps the boards to come after Ryan.  The local coach takes note and even though Doug literally cannot skate, he makes the team for one reason and one reason only, to fight.

For those not into hockey, the roll on a team of a "goon," more commonly known as an "enforcer," has been a part of the sport for as long as most can remember.  Players would police themselves so to speak.  If one team targeted a star player or there were some cheap shots going around, you'd see the respective enforcers take the ice and drop the gloves.  Despite the brutality at its core, this type of fighting was agreed upon and approached by the combatants with a sense of nobility.

That is one of the things Goon got right.  Scott's performance is so great because he displays that pride while, as the poster says, he is the nicest guy you'll ever fight.  He thanks his opponents, takes care of his teammates and his courtship of Eva (Alison Pill) is too adorable for her to resist.  I called him a simpleton, but he's more than that, he's just a good guy lost.  You can recognize, and maybe empathise with Doug as a human being looking for his place in the world.  He might not be proud of his calling, but he's proud to be useful.  He's proud to be part of a team.  It's a message that rings loud in today's economy and shifts Goon from a simple hockey/sports film into the story of a working class hero.

Of course, all that is the film school version of my review.  The reality for most will be to sit down and watch a very funny movie from the guy behind Superbad.  Doug's journey starts in the minor league's minor league and sees him rise up to eventually square off with one of the greatest fighters of all time.  He finds romance and becomes the emotional leader of his team and yes, scores a goal with his butt.  

Now, I'm not so blinded by my undying affection for hockey that I fail to recognize the flaws.  Firstly, writer/actor Baruchel is hard to watch.  I get it, he's a scrawny, super minor league hockey fan with a potty mouth, but he cusses so much you just want him to shut up.  He plays it way over the top, too much so, ignoring basic rules of decorum in every situation and while Doug might admit he's dumb, Ryan is clearly the biggest idiot of the bunch.  His character has no arc, and really, after the first reel no purpose in the film.  Even his "let's cheer my buddy up" speech ends in a swear word tirade and "let's get drunk!"  He's a caricature, I get that, but I found him too annoying and eating up too much screen time.

My super nitpick comes from me as a goalie and representing the brotherhood of goaltenders.  How in the hell do you have a locker room full of hockey players, hockey fans and Canadians of all things, and yet the guy playing the back up goalie sitting next to Doug and prominently in the frame is putting his goalie pads on the wrong legs!!  Seriously?  You should all have your maple leaf tattoos removed.

My biggest complaint though comes as a devoted ambassador of the game.  As a coach, a player and a fan, I've been battling the bloated public perception that our game is nothing more than a series of fights punctuated with some goals.  I've seen the "give blood, play hockey" bumper stickers and the images of guys with missing teeth while slouched shit faced in a pile of beer cans.  They are stereotypes and while there are segments of our game that even to this day embrace that image, the reality is entirely different.  I hope that people understand the hyperbole of Goon and enjoy it for that silliness and not as a historical record of minor league hockey.

The movie also faces quite a battle in that, considering the wave of anti-fighting and concussion awareness that has swept over the NHL recently, as well as most major sport, a movie that glorifies the goon stereotype will get no play with the big league.  This isn't Miracle or Mystery, Alaska.  too much of the feel good of Goon is squeezed out by the pure brutality of the fight sequences.  This is an adult hockey player film, not a youth hockey player film.

With all that said, I really like the movie.  Flawed, yes, but highly enjoyable.  Scott is very funny and likable, as are his teammates.  You wanna cheer for these guys and when the final fight arrives, they've established there will be no real loser.  Both men honor their trade and both men achieve success in what they set out to accomplish.  It's a win win!  Goon won't dethrone Slap Shot as the funniest hockey movie ever, but it is a worthy assistant captain.  

Grade: B+

Fav. Quote:  "Why are you crying?  Did you just watch Rudy?"

2011: My Favorite Movies

Over the years that I've done this, I've never really set myself to a specific number for my "Top" list.  Sometimes it's 10, others 12, it's even been up to 25.  Sometimes I list a favorite documentary or animated movie, it basically comes down to me trying to arrange the movies that I feel strongly enough about to make them "list worthy."  For example, this year I'd say Bridesmaids came in at #16, but I didn't think the movie was strong enough to be on my year end list, so I stopped the list at 15.

Honorable Mention: Rare Exports.  Although a 2010 film, it was very limited in the U.S. and really wasn't accessible till the DVD release in 2011.  If it was a pure '10, I would have to put it in my Top 5 as Rare Exports has also become one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time.  It is twisted and unique and bursting with the ambience and sensibilities of Scandinavian film that I've grown to love.  Come December, you owe it to yourself to add it to your holiday film list. 

Okay, on with the show!!

15. The Devil's Double

14. Paul

13. One Day

12. Win Win

11. Captain America/Thor

10. Crazy Stupid Love

9. The Trip

8. The Guard

7. Our Idiot Brother

6. Midnight In Paris

5. Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

4. Cedar Rapids

3. Moneyball

2. The Muppets

1. Super 8

 

Alright, who wants to throw the first flame ball?  I think more so than any other year, my list is quite different from what I've been reading.  Although, 2011 seems to be a year of varying opinions.  that could be a good thing, or it could be the sign of a weak year.  Either way, what you see is what I enjoyed and there was quite a lot to enjoy in '11.  

For me, The Muppets is a very personal pick.  If I had to ditch all other properties and fandoms and concentrate on only one, 9 times out of 10 I'd pick Muppets.  But it was trumped by one thing, and that was the magic of Super 8.  A movie I knew would be at the top n opening day.  I guess I shouldn't be shocked it didn't pop up on any of the major lists since it is so easy for the blogosphere to dismiss something so grounded in the purity of entertaining filmmaking, but you know what?  I am shocked.  Super 8 is a fantastic film and one that made the 8 year old me, the 12 year old me, the 16 year old me, the 22 year old film school me, the 30 year old dude, and of course, the current 36 year old me fall in love.  If you think I'm an idiot, then I'm glad we're not friends, but Super 8 is far and away my favorite movie of 2011.  

And with that, here's to 2012!!!

 

 

Film Log: January 2012

Last year, about the middle of February, I started making a list of all the movies I would watch daily.  I left out TV and mini series or else it would've been more depressing than informative!!  Somewhere around August, I stumbled and lost some days and had these enormous gaps in the list and just gave up.  I knew I wanted to come back to it however, and so here, in 2012, I will attempt once again to catalog my movie watching experience, only this time, I'll post once a month instead of a big long list that makes one's eyes glaze over.  The only bad part is I watched some awesome movies in the final days of 2011 that I can't list!!  

So here is my first Film Log for 2012.  Some call it January.  There's a couple of "awards" at the end.

Note: If I managed to watch an entire mini series in one day, I've decided to include it here.  Therefore, any title with (MS) after it denotes a mini series marathon and no doubt, a sore bottom;)

1st:  Straw Dogs, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

2nd: Midnight in Paris

3rd: Hangover Part 2, Cowboys & Aliens

4th: The Debt

5th: Waking Sleeping Beauty, No Strings Attached

6th: Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Story of A Tribe Called Quest, Hesher, The Guard, 30 Minutes Or Less

7th: Hanna, The Devils' Double

10th: Win Win, Rise of The Planet of the Apes, Moneyball

12th: Take Me Home Tonight, American Mystic

17th: Beginners

18th: The A-Team, The Ides of March 

19th: Lombardi

20th: The Dilemma, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, Battle for Endor

23rd: The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo (Sweden), Land Girls (MS)

24th: The Incredible Shrinking Woman, Fog City Mavericks, Last Night

25th: 50/50, Young Adult

27th: A Summer in Genoa, Those Redheads from Seattle

31st: Catfish, Black Swan, Namath, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

January Totals: 39

Film of the Month: Midnight In Paris 

It's a tough call this month.  Moneyball was great, so was the Tribe doc and I enjoyed the hell out of The Guard and Young Adult, but Paris was just a special brand of filmmaking.  I'm not one to bow to Woody Allen, not so much because I don't think he's any good, but mainly because I have a hard time connecting to his characters.  This film was different, both entertaining and stimulating.  It surprised me more than any other film this month, so it wins.

Favorite One Sheet:  Young Adult

This pre-release one sheet for Young Adult makes me smile.  I love the blending of the literary and the cinematic and the pose of our protagonist pretty much sums up the film!  I also love loved Dominic Cooper and the gold craziness of The Devil's Double poster, but it was mostly a nice bit of photoshop so my nod goes to Reitman and Cody's latest. 

Only 39 movies?  I'm gonna have to crack 40 next month!!