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May 22, 2007

Star Wars Holiday

This Friday marks the 30th anniversary of the ground-breaking (if overrated) science-fiction blockbuster "Star Wars." May 25th is 30 years exactly since the first theatrical release of George Lucas's series of movies playing out the epic saga of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vadar, Yoda, and several generations Jedi knights in their war pitting "the force" and "the dark side." From Thursday through the weekend, a massive convention for "Star Wars" fans will be held in Los Angeles to celebrate the landmark film. May the force be with them.

Posted by Supercore at 07:45 AM

May 14, 2007

Shilpa Shetty Film Premieres in London

From low-brow to high-brow, from Celebrity Big Brother to independent cinema, from launching a curry house chain to launching a perfume, 31-year-old Bollywood movie star Shilpa Shetty has transformed her new global fame swiftly and shrewdly. This weeked witnessed the premiere of new Indian film, "Life in a Metro," in which Shetty plays a neglected homemaker in contemporary India. The movie is a chance for Shetty to showcase her legitimate acting talents to a wider audience. Depending on the film's success and Shetty's performance, Shilpa will either have a long, acclaimed cinematic acting career ahead of her in the West, or she will be best know for running a chain of curry houses.

Photo by Bahl Sonu / SantaBanta.com. Used under Creative Commons license.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:37 PM

Putting the "Lo" in Lohan ... More Juicy Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

Lindsay Lohan in Tongue Fest with Calum Best in Bahamas ...
Critics Dump Hate on New Lindsay Lohan Film "Georgia Rule" ...
Lindsay Lohan to Play Stripper in Next Film Role ...
Paris Hilton Gets No Time From Gov. Arnold Scharzenegger ...
Indian Actress Shilpa Shetty Appeals to India's Supreme Court ...
Jessica Simpson Dishes About Her Sex Life ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:20 PM

May 08, 2007

Video: Paris Hilton Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail ...

The serious and sober Reuters filed this television news report on Paris Hilton receiving a jail sentence of 45 days.

Posted by Supercore at 10:40 PM

May 07, 2007

Paris Hilton Responds to 45-Day Jail Sentence

Ah, poor, poor Paris Hilton. The 26-year-old hotel heiress ad celebutante has commented publicly about the 45-day jail sentence she received for violating the terms of her probation from DUI arrest in 2006. Paris reportedly is calling her punishment "cruel" and "unwarranted," and is quoted as saying "I don't deserve this." Hilton also took action and fired her publicist Elliot Mitz after her sentencing, in effect, blaming him for her predicament. Whatever. We actualy think Paris is being honest on this one -- this is a matter of mistaken information. But it may be a deserved comeuppance in the public eye. And, frankly, seeing Paris in an orange prison jumpsuit is something the public wants as much as the details of her utlra-jet-set party lifestyle.

Posted by icorsa at 11:16 PM

May 03, 2007

Shilpa Shetty Plans a Chain of Curry Houses

"Controversial" Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is taking advantage of her sudden global fame to start a restaurant chain. Since she garnered worldwide attention as a result of winning "Big Brother" UK (and the racial-abuse scandal that preceded it) and her public kiss of American film star Richard Gere in India, Shetty is under a bigger media glare than ever. She's tasty fodder for the tabloids, taking a lesson from the Paris Hilton playbook on va-jay-jay exposure. And she's the subject of a criminal inquiry in India for her snog with Gere. So what does a transglobal Indian movie star do? Open a chain of curry houses, naturally. The flagship "Shilpa Shetty Dining Hall" restraurant will open in central London, we presume, later this year. Curry, like Shilpa Shetty herself at the moment, is hot!

Photo by Bahl Sonu / SantaBanta.com. Used under Creative Commons license.

Posted by Supercore at 11:19 PM

May 02, 2007

An Interview with Bjork

The Icelandic songstress Bjork gives an interview to the New York Times about her new album. Bjork is a fascinating artist, but her recent output, including the new album "Volta" haven't been received by her fans or public as positively as her body fo work from the 1990's. We've seen a Bjork a few times, once playing a live a set on stage at the Fuji Rock Festival in Tokyo way back in 1998 -- her performance was stellar. (We also ran into her in a cafe in NYC a couple of years ago, but that's another story.) Can a musician who's CDs leave listeners scratching their heads redeem themselves as live performers? Yes, it's possible.

Posted by Supercore at 12:23 AM

April 30, 2007

Juicy Celebrity Gossip Links ...

Courtney Love to Sell Late Nirvana Singer Kurt Cobain's Pajamas ...
Lindsay Lohan Addicted to "Shopping and Sex" ...
Prince Allegedly Humiliates Paris Hilton at Las Vegas Concert ...
Britney Spears Wears See-Through Outfit ...
K-Fed Allegedly Drove Britney Spears to Brink of Suicide ...
Former "Posh Spice" Victoria Beckham and Her Nipples Hit LA with See-Through Top ...
Alec Baldwin Rumored to Write Book Bashing Ex-Wife Kim Basinger ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:21 PM

April 26, 2007

Video: The Trailer for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie "Colon" ...

We freaking love this television show. And now there's a movie! Woo-hoo!

Posted by Supercore at 01:55 AM

April 25, 2007

Spiderman 3 May Be the Most Expensive Movie Ever Made

The latest installment of diretcor Sam Raimi's Spidey movie franchise, Spiderman 3, is set to open the summer season and it's already being called the most expensive movie production ever. This is in part thanks to Amy Pascal, the fiscally-loose studio head at Sony Pictures who also is a genuine, passionate film buff. According to Kim Masters' article in Radar Magazine, it may also be due to Pascal's incredible track record of greenlighting one box office mega-success after another in her time at Sony. But when one considers that the success of a movie like Spiderman 3 is as close to a sure thing as film can be in the extremely risky business that is Hollywood, $300 million (or even half a billion, as Spidey 3 is rumored to have cost) seems like a shrewd investment given the recent global box-office take of similar films and Spidey's predecessors, Spiderman 1 and 2.

Posted by Supercore at 12:30 AM

April 18, 2007

Celebrity Gossip Linkage to Get Ya' Through the Week, Kidzzz ...

Lindsay Lohan Talks About Rehab ... Says She's Not "An Addict" ...
Paris Hilton Violates Her Probation ...
Britney Spears Fires Her Manager, Faces Possible Lawsuit ...
Britney Spears Blames Paris Hilton for Recent Downward Spiral ...
Sanjaya Malakar Gets Voted Off American Idol ... There is a God After All ...
Baby Phat Queen Kimora Lee Simmons to Get Her Own Reality TV Show ...

Posted by Supercore at 11:45 PM

April 12, 2007

Kurt Vonnegut, RIP

Sad to hear that novelist Kurt Vonnegut has died. Vonnegut's dark, satirical stories are among our favorite works of modern fiction. His stories were comic and at time absurdist and employed uconventional storytelling that was fresh, original and -- most of all -- a riveting pleasure. After we read our first Vonnegut book, a dog-eared paperback edition of "Breakfast of Champions," we devoured several more of his works in quick succession and became hooked on Kurt. Literature aside, Vonnegut was a pleasure to see and hear speak, as well. Learning about the artist behind the art often adds another dimension to our experience with their work. Vonnegut's humanism in the face of a crazy world, will be missed. Kurt Vonnegut, 1922 - 2007. RIP.

Posted by Supercore at 11:46 PM

April 11, 2007

DNA Proves Larry Birkhead is Father of Late Anna Nicole Smith's Baby

Eventually, science was going to resolve the media-genic high-drama of figuring out who the freaking hell was the biological father of the recently deceased Anna Nicole Smith's daughter. The DA tests show photographer Larry Birkhead to be the father. That it even had to come to this makes Anna Nicole Smoth's life seem even lamer and more tragic. But with so much money at stake, it was inevitable that lawsuits would be involved and ultimately the courts would lead to testing. The episode suggests that Anna Nicole was havig a hell of a lot of unprotected sex with a lot of fellas at some point in the last couple of years of her pathetic life. It also suggest that Anna icole herself may never have known or was never quite sure of who the real biological father of her daughter was.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:15 PM

April 06, 2007

Video: Real-Life Spoof of Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

This is a bit rough around the edges, but it's a pretty damn good spoof of the new Grand Theft Auto IV trailer. The creator used live-action footage culled and edited from various existing video clips posted to YouTube in order to make the spoof. Full marks, dude!

Posted by Supercore at 11:10 PM

April 02, 2007

Celebrity Gossip Linkage to Kick Off the Week ...

Anna Nicole Smith's Partner Howard Stern Gives Up Effort to Stop DNA Paternity Test ...
Creator of Life-Size , Naked Choclate Jesus Looks for New Home for His Confection ...
Usher to Get Married to Long-Time Girlfriend ...
Black Eye Peas Singer Fergie Reveals Lesbian Past ...
Sanjaya Markala and the American Idol Scandal in the Making ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:16 PM

March 28, 2007

Giant Madonna in H&M Mural in New York

From the Global Graphica file ... there's a bunch recent photos of a new, massive mural being painted in Soho, New York City, that features Madonna in an ad for the H&M clothing store chain.

Posted by Supercore at 12:40 PM

March 25, 2007

Mouth-Watering Celebrity Gossip News Linkage ...

Autopsy Results for Annna Nicole Smith to be Released ...
Report of Prince Harry Drunkenly Assaulting Photographer Outside London Club ...
Snoop Dogg and P. Diddy's European Tour Losing Money Due to Costs of Rappers' Massive Entourages ...
Mel Gibson Blasts Expletive at University Professor Regarding Film "Apocalypto" ...
Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan Have Another Bitch-Slappy Face-Off ...
Amy Winehouse Champions Fellow Rehabbber Lindsay Lohan ...
Is Paris Hilton's Boyfriend Stavros Niarchos Cheating on the Hotel Heiress?
Britney Spears Out of Rehab ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 09:01 PM

March 18, 2007

Celebrity Gossip Round-Up ...

Black Eyed Peas Singer Fergie Kicked Off U.K. Plane for Being Too Drunk ...
Anna Nicole Smith's List of Prescribed Drigs Revealed ...
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are Freinds Again ... Ahh ...
Britney Spears on Coca-Cola-Guzzling Binge in Rehab ...
Lindsay Lohan Out of Rehab and Back on NYC Party Circuit ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 05:50 AM

March 14, 2007

Appetizing Celebrity Gossip Linkage for the Mid-Week ...

Angelina Jolie Adopts Another Kid, This Time From Orphanage in Vietnam
Paris Hilton Puts her Nipples in Public View Yet Again
Britney Spears in Rehab Romance Fling
Photographer Larry Birkhead Demands DNA Test to Determine Father of Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter ...
Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell Ward Words Heats Up Again ...
Jessica Simpson and John Mayer Have Romantic Italian Vacation

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:32 PM

March 13, 2007

Quentin Tarantino Reflects on How He Became a Success in Hollywood

That gabby, energetic and most animated of filmmakers Quentin Tarantino has written an article for the Timnes of London newspaper about his experience in the movie business. The piece is part of the Times's "Iconoclast" series, wherein celebrities guest write a column for the paper. Tarantino talks about what it means to him to be a film director working inside and out of the Hollywood studio system and how to deal with careerist studio heads when fighting to make your movie your way. Tarantino also talks about which movies he was most passionate about and what they mean to him. Interestingly enough, QT calls himself an "amateur." This is a must read for aspiring filmmakers or anyboody who loves the director's work.

Posted by Supercore at 12:28 AM

March 12, 2007

Sweet 'n Savory Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

The "300" Rakes in $70 Million at Opening Weekend Box office -- That's a helluva lot of souvlaki ...
Did Paris Hilton Get a Boob job?
Hilary Duff Dumps More Hate on Paris Hilton ...
Joes Simpson Says Daughters Jessica and Ashlee Will Never "End up in Rehab" ... Oh, Really?
Madonna to Appear on Nip/Tuck
The Rehab Diary of Britney Spears

Posted by Thurston Ali at 07:44 AM

March 06, 2007

Naomi Campbell Punished for Cell Phone-Throwin' Rage

Notoriously tempermental super model (or should we say "ex-super model"?) Naomi Campbell has been punished for throwing a cell phone at her maid. To pay for her crime, Campbell will be doing a stint of community service, mopping up floors at a New York City Sanitation Department warehouse on the Lower East Side. (Welcome to hood, Naomi!) One piece of advice, Ms. Campbell: Leave your cell phone at home.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 07:05 AM

February 18, 2007

Delectable Celebrity Gossip Linkage for Your Utlra Awesome President's Day Weekend ...

Actor Hugh Grant Splits with Girlfriend Jemima Khan
Anna Nicole Smith is Embalmed
Qantas Hostess Admits to Sex with Actor Ralph Fiennes in Airplane Toilet
Hip-Hop Raptress Foxy Brown Arrested for Assault in Florida
Paris Hilton Bored at Vienna Opera
Nicky Hilton Sued Over Her Hotel Project Fiasco
Recap of the Recent Developments in the Britney Spears Train Wreck

Posted by Thurston Ali at 12:24 PM

February 17, 2007

Video: Britney Spears with Shaved Head

Oh, yeah, people, this is television "news." Oy vay!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 04:05 PM

February 12, 2007

Sweet 'n Sour Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

Anna Nicole Smith Was Planning a Wedding
John Mayer Replies in Japanese When Asked About Jessica Simpson
Ex-Britney Spears Boyfriend Iassac Cohen Kisses and Tells
Paris Hilton's Gal Pal Kim Kardashian to Sue Over Her Sex Tape
Paris Hilton Demands $500K to Appear on British Talk Show
Lindsay Lohan "Loves" Life in Rehab
Mandy Moore Self-Conscious Doing Partial-Nude Scenes
David Beckham's Bodyguards Denied Visas for USA
Kate Moss and Babyshambles Singer Pete Doherty Have Split Up Again, Maybe

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:38 PM

Going to the Archive: Our Top 6 Favorite Late Night Movie Reruns on IFC...

1. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Bloody hell! The British underworld doesn't mess around when it comes to illegal poker games and a half-million pounds worth of illicit herb. Did we mention the copious gunplay? Well, this flick's got that, too. It's bloody, violent AND funny, like Pulp Fiction, but with bad teeth, cockney rhyming slang and a cameo by Sting.
2. The Limey - So, your a 50-something British ex-con just released from prison and you're angry as hell. What are ya' gonna do? You're getting on a plane to L.A. where you will unleash a shitstorm of violence and psychological terror on the dude that double-crossed you years ago.
3. The Anniversary Party - A suprisingly accurate portrayal of Los Angeles' flaky thirty-something entertainment- media- arts-cognoscenti types as they wrestle with dropping ecstasy, barking dogs and hillside home ownership.
4. La Femme Nikita - A sexy, slightly unstable woman works as an assasin for the French government. Sweet!
5. Barton Fink - Dude, this is what happens to New York writers in L.A. when they don't get enough sex.
6. Hedwig and the Angry Inch - This movie ROCKS! Hell hath no fury like a partially trans-gendered woman scorned.

Posted by Supercore at 11:26 PM

Our Top 4 All-Time Favorite Japanese Anime Movies on DVD/Video ...

1. "Spirited Away" - Hayao Miyazaki is the boss of anime!
2. "Akira" - The standard by which all sci-fi / futurism anime is measured.
3. "Memories" - Seriously, folks, what the ___? Thought-provoking, mesmerizing and stunning trifecta of short anime films.
3. "Ghost in the Shell" - Okay, so here's the deal: In the future we're all going to become machines. How will you know that you are a machine? You won't have to go to the bathroom anymore. For reals yo! (Kevin Karn, where are you?)

Posted by Supercore at 11:23 PM

February 10, 2007

Crazy Delicious Celebrity Gossip for Your Crazy Delicious Weekend ...

Anna Nicole Smith Paternity Suite Gets Even More Complicated - 3 Men Claim to Be Father of Her Daughter
Sacha Baron Cohen Will Make Borat Movie Sequel?
Gus Van Sant Sentenced for DUI
American Idol Contestant Akron Watson Kicked Off Show
Paris Hilton Buys Edible Bikini for Valentine's Day
Kim Kardashian Sex Tape Revealed
Nicole Richie "Afraid of Prison"
Lindsay Lohan Buys Marilyn Monroe's Apartment

Posted by Thurston Ali at 10:31 AM

February 09, 2007

The Shocking, Mysterious Death of Anna Nicole Smith

This is a shocker. We're no fans of Anna Nicole Smith and deplore much of what she represents, but her sudden death in a Florida hotel room is tragic and sad. The latest reports suggest drug use on Smith's part may have been the cause of death. Like or loathe here, Anna Nicole was an icon.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 08:45 AM

February 05, 2007

Monday Gossip Linkage ... Yum Yum!

Paris Hilton Shuts Down Website Selling Her Personal Info and Junk
Actor Ryan O'Neal Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting Son, Shooting Gun
Newsweek Contemplates the Influence of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears on Girls
Beyonce Knowles Voted Most-Desirable Fantasy Girlfriend in Ask.com Poll
Chinese Actress Gong Li Rated More Desirable Than Zhang Ziyi in Ask.com Poll
Kevin "K-Fed" Federline Says He's Sorry About Ad to Food Workers

Compiled by Thurston Ali

Posted by Supercore at 08:30 AM

February 02, 2007

Fresh Super Awesomely Delicious Celebrity Gossip Linkage for Your Friday Reading Pleasure ...

"Girls Gone Wild" Impressario Joe Francis Claims Paris Hilton is Better in the Sack Than Linday Lohan, Tara Reid and Kimberly Stewart!
Lindsay Lohan Text Messages Pal from Rehab to Say She WANTS burgers and sex.
Miss USA Confesses to Cocaine Use ... Uh, yeah, no kidding!
Jessica Simpson Botches Lyrics to Boyfriend John Mayer's Song at Concert
Nicole Richie May Go to Jail
Mandy Moore Afraid of Dating
Rosie O' Donnell Rants Get Reviewed

Posted by Thurston Ali at 08:29 AM

January 18, 2007

Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay!!!

Wow! Like this is a shocker. Everybody could see this coming from a million light years away. Yup, kidzzz, Actress, singer, celebutante Lindsay Lohan has official checked into rehab for alcoholism in West hollywood. Looks like Paris Hilton has lost one of her best frenemies of all time. Now, if only there was a rehab program available for pop singers who like to party pantyless and flash their va-jay-jay all about town (yes, we mean you, Britney Spears!).

Posted by Thurston Ali at 09:44 AM

January 17, 2007

In Japan: Flipping Through Recent Issue of "Studio Voice" ...

Studio Voice is a Japanese magazine devoted to design and style. The monthly mag is a must-read for Japanese designers and has something of a cult readership among global design creatives working in advertising, interactive media, the graphic arts and fashion. Though we can't read all the Japanese articles, flipping through the pages and absorbing the gorgeous graphics and layouts is enough to tell us Studio Voice is quality.

Posted by Supercore at 03:55 AM

December 19, 2006

MissBehave Magazine Rocks It!

Though we're probably not as a group part of the target demographic, MissBehave magazine has seriously left an impression on us. The new Brooklyn-based "girls" lifestyle mag reads and looks like an editorial DNA-mashup of Mass Appeal, Nylon, and Tokion, but with more of the streetyness and flava' of Mass Appeal. The magazine design is gorgeous, vibrant, fresh and sick. The second issue features the delicious British poptress Lily Allen on the cover and it's a prize. Check it. Rock it. Love it. Be it.

Posted by Supercore at 11:42 PM

December 13, 2006

The Year in Ideas

In our opinion, it's the most interesting and stimulating annual issue of any magazine in the English-publishing world. It's the New York Times Magazine "The Year in Ideas." Some of the many ideas explored in this issue that got our attention include "Trash-talk Exegesis," "Jujitsu Advertising," "Digital Maoism," and "For-Profit Philanthropy." Kudos, NYTM, for another great issue.

Posted by Supercore at 01:33 AM

December 12, 2006

The 20 Most Overrated Movies of All Time?

Premiere magazine has the breakdown on the 20 films that they believe have had an overdose of praise and critical acclaim (in some case from Premiere mag itself). It seems like the idea for the list stemmed from an editorial staff quarrel over some of the so-called "greats" of cinema.

Posted by Robsam at 01:32 AM

December 08, 2006

Deluxe Dose of Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn Split Up! Vaughniston is Over! Vaughnifer Kaput!
Britney Spears Explains Her Panties-Less Party Streak
Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z Say They're NOT Getting Married This Weekend
Heather Mills "Humiliated" at U.K. Airport
Lindsay Lohan and Her Bizarre Crackberry Email Missive
Paris Hilton Denies Rumors of Sexcapade with Britney Spears
Jessica Simpson Blows Kennnedy Center Song Performance

Posted by Thurston Ali at 01:16 AM

December 05, 2006

More Yummy Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

Rumor of Lindsay Lohan Attending AA Confirmed
No Jail for Babyshambles Frontman / Kate Moss Boy-Toy Pete Doherty, But Singer Fined for Drugs ... Again!!!
George Clooney's Pet Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig Dies ... Sniff, Sniff ...
Paris Hilton Bails on Billboard Music Awards Appearance

Tori Spelling to Write Memoir ... Yaaaaawn!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:38 AM

Sequel to"Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle" Set to Start Filming in 2007

We're so happy to hear that the sequel to the movie "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" is going to be a reality. There had been rumors and speculation of such a follow-up movie for a while. Many had thought the sequel would be called "Harold and Kumar Go to Amsterdam," but part two in the budding movie series is as yet untitled and is set to start filming on location in Lousiana. In toher words, the plot won't center around the New Jersey suburban duo traveling to Holland. Can't wait to see this when it comes out.

Posted by Robsam at 02:09 AM

December 01, 2006

Lipsmack Ya'! Spicy Celebrity Gossip to Round Out the Week ... Oh, It's Been Too Long ...

Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson File for Divorce ...
... And Borat is To Blame for Kid Rock and Pamela's Split
... But Actually Kid Rock Was Fed Up with Pamela's Party-Girl Ways
... and Yet Borat's Cultural Icon Status Even Greater After Kid Rock-Pamela Divorce
Britney Spears on Panties-less Party Spree in L.A. and NYC ...
Paris Hilton and Britney Spears are New Best Party Pals ...
Lindsay Lohan Reportedly in Alcoholic Rehab ...
Jessica Simpson's Chewing Gum on Sale on eBay ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:29 AM

November 22, 2006

If William Shakespeare Were Alive Today He'd Be A Hollywood Screenwriter ...

Imagine if William Shakespeare were alive today. Some observers think that the Bard would be working in Hollywood as a hot screenwriter and/or as a successful Broadway playwright earning a bundle on the royalties from his many plays. He'd also be making a bundle on the real estate market. His career would be on a level of either a Woody Allen or a Stephen King, either a favorite of high-brow and but small audiences in other cases or a mass-culture phenomenon, or maybe a mix of both. Though one "Hollywood insider" suggests that in today's Hollywood, Shakespeare would be "too talented to be successful."

Posted by Supercore at 12:19 AM

November 20, 2006

Yummilicious Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

TomKat Ceremoniously Get Married in Italian Castle ...
The Fashion Breakdown on Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' Wedding ...
Rapper The Game Arrested for Impersonation of Cop ...
Former SNL Cast Member Tina Fey Dishes on Paris Hilton ...
Paris Hilton Allegedly Called Jessica Simpson "Fat"
Lindsay Lohan "Snubs" Actress Keira Knightly at London Bash ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 01:41 AM

November 16, 2006

The Men Who Are James Bond

With the release of the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale, this week, BBC has an overview of all the actors who have portrayed the world's most glamorous spy on film, from Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan and the newest British thespian to take the role, Daniel Craig. It's got lots of factoids, bio details and famous lines of dialog (Shaken, not stirred, of course).

Posted by Robsam at 12:31 AM

November 15, 2006

Tasty Celeb Gossip Linkage for the Mid-Week ...

Supermodel Naomi Campbell Tries to Plea-Bargain Her Way Out of Jail Sentence ...
Porn Producer Offered Alleged Sex Tape of Britney Spears and K-Fed ...
Tom Cruise Reportedly Too Fat to Fit INto His Wedding Suite ...
Nicole Richie Denies Talk of gastric-Bypass Surgery ...
Paris Hilton Goes Out on Date in London ...
The What Made Lindsay Lohan Call Paris Hilton the C-Word ...
The OC's Mischa Barton "Tired" of Being Skinny ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:59 PM

November 12, 2006

Delectable Celebrity Gossip Linkage to Kick-Off the Week ...

BRITNEY SPEARS FOUND K-FED WITH OTHER WOMAN WEEKEND BEFORE DIVORCE
Charlie Sheen-ex Denise Richards Throws Laptop at 91-Year Old Lady ...
Oh, It's On Again: Lindsay Lohan Spits C-word About Paris Hilton ...
Madonna Disses Her Fellow Celebs ...
Snoop Dogg in Trouble with the Law Again ...
Nicole vs Nicole: Nicole Appleton Disses Nicole Richie for Being Too Skinny ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 03:34 PM

How "Snakes on a Plane" Ended Up Promoting It's Hype More Than the Movie

Last summer's most talked-about and anticipated movie was argubly "Snakes on a Plane," the campy action thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson and, er, lots and lots of slithering serpents and on a passenger jet. After all the buzz and hype about the movie, the film was widely released theatrically with a sense of cocksure inevitability in its own financial box office glory. But the film, while not a flop, was only moderately successful and failed to match its expectations. In the end, the marketing behind "Snakes on Plane" created too much buzz for its own good. "SOAP" was a case of movie hype "helping" the promoting the buzz machine (the blogosphere, media, etc.) more than the film itself.

Posted by Robsam at 02:41 PM

Will Ferrell is Just an Average Guy Who Just Happens to Be a Comedy Genius

The New Times Magazine has a long profile of Will Ferrell, detailing his career arc from his relatively normal youth in suburban Orange County, California through improv theater to Saturday Night Live and movie stardom. The verdict is that Ferrell is an average, normal guy without the cliche hang-ups and angst of your stereotypical funnyman.

Posted by Robsam at 02:27 PM

November 08, 2006

It's the End of Britney Spears and K-Fed As We Know It -- Britney Files For Divorce!

That's right, kids. Britney Spears and her husband of roughly two years, Kevin Federline (or "K-Fed") are getting a divorce. You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind and holed up in a remote Himalayan mountain village not to have known this was coming. My, oh my, how times have changed -- and so very quickly, too -- since the day Spears and Federline announced their love to the world on their Web site. We remember thinking then about Federline what we still think now -- Eeeeewwww!!! His whole background reeked, but nothing more so than the fact that he left his then pregnant girlfriend (preggers with their second child) to be with Spears. He was a back-up dancer who could claim to have appeared in a Target television commercial in addition to have danced in Spears' performance troupe. As for Spears, well, in spite of whatever talents, real or otherwise, that she may possess, there's no denying that she is a pop star. But maybe we should re-phrase that -- she was a pop star. Since K-Fed entered her life, her singing career has mostly been non-existent, while her public image has imploded. She has become a celebrity joke. As a brand, she went the way of tabloid trash. But now she's making a comeback. After the recent birth of her second child with Federline, she's reportedly slimmed down, fit and ready to re-enter the spotlight with a new album. However much we can't stand her music, her persona or pretty much anything she stands for, we have to wish the girl luck. Britney, you go girl!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 03:42 AM

November 07, 2006

Borat is Number One at the Box Office

Given the hype, the many funny, much talked-about television appearances and all the YouTube publicity is it really a surprise that the Borat movie came in with the biggest box office receipts of the past weekend? Well, actually, yes, it is a surprise. It's a surpise that this kind of film did this well of an opening weekend. That is to say, we expected the movie to have some degree of financial and critical success, but just not on this scale. On Sunday, we popped by our local movie theater in downtown New York City and saw that Borat had sold out at least a half-dozen screenings, while outside the cinema the lines trailed down the block. The film was produced for only $11 million, so the execs at Fox must be laughing all the way to the bank on this one because, like the Jackass movies, profit margins on low-production (non-"high-concept") movies productions like these are huge. Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) most certainly will not "be execute" (sic) back in his country when Borat's theatrical run ends.

Posted by Robsam at 09:52 AM

November 03, 2006

Yum Yum ... Juicy Gossip Linkage for the End O' the Work Week ...

Scarlett Johansson's Cleavage in Full Effect
Topher Grace and Ivanka Trump Allegedly Involved with Each Other
Hong Kong Concert Promoter Calls Mariah Carey a "Diva Bitch"
Sharon Stone's See-Through Cocktail Dress
TomKat Update: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to have "Wacky" Traditional Scientology Wedding

Posted by Thurston Ali at 03:39 AM

Video: Kenny Powers' Quest to Jump Car Over the St. Lawrence River

In the early 1970's Kenny Powers, a Canadian daredevil, attempted one of the most idiotic stunts known to humankind. Powers tried to drive a rocket-powered and winged Lincoln Continental off a massive ramp and over the mile-wide St. Lawrence River and the border between Canada and New York state. The stunt cost an estimated $1 million and resulted in ... well, you've just got to watch the video. Note: watching this we were reminded of the incidental music used in an South Park episode about the founding and beliefs of the Mormon religion ... dumb dumb dumb dumb duuuummb dumb!

Posted by Robsam at 02:34 AM

November 02, 2006

Video: Borat Meets David Letterman

The Borat publicity juggernaut goes full throttle with yet another television appearance by Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen), this time on the Late Show with David Letterman. Good stuff.

Posted by Robsam at 02:13 AM

October 29, 2006

The Changing Styles of Bollywood Films

India's massive film industry, Bollywood, has been witnessing a shift in audiences and tastes in recent years. The changing economics and demographics of India's 1 billion population, both in the country and in the overseas diaspora, has led to a "splintering" of the Mumbai-based film business and its creative output. The South Asian giant's economic prosperity and increasingly bigger gaps between urban people and rural, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, has spurred the emergence of sub-genres and labels for movies more precisely targeted to specific audiences than ever before. It has also meant that producing a mass hit popular with all audiences is increasingly difficult if not improbable. Fascinating read.

Posted by Robsam at 05:31 AM

Tasty Weekend Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

Nicole Richie Enters a "Clinic"
Actress Jessica Alba Getting Hot with Boy Toy in the Sea
Kate Moss Chugs Champagne in Her Underwear
Actress Tara Reid Talks About Her Breasts Issues
Ashlee Simpson Has a Bad Hair Day

Posted by Thurston Ali at 03:08 AM

October 25, 2006

Video: Borat Interviewed by Chuck the Movie Guy

The Borat publicity juggernaut continues with this interview of Borat (as played by Sacha Baron Cohen) by Chuck the movie guy. Borat is a riot, as usual.

Posted by Robsam at 01:39 AM

October 24, 2006

Borat Invited to Visit Kazahkastan

In an ongoing campaign to diffuse what it sees the as the tainting of their nation's image at the hands of British actor-comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, the government of Kazakhstanhas now officially invited Cohen/Borat to visit the country. Borat, the fictional TV journalist from Kazakhstan as portrayed by Cohen, is an anti-semitic, sexist rube who the Kazakhstan government fears is making their country seem like a backward place full of similarly anti-semitic and sexist people. Whether Cohen/Borat will take up the invitation is yet to be seen.

Posted by Robsam at 09:59 PM

Paris Hilton Backlash Vol. 18: Nick Carter Calls Paris Drunken Prude with A Secret Teddy-Bear Stash

Former Backstreet Boy and idle, irrelevent celeb Nick Carter has spoken of that which happens in the grotto, so to speak. Or rather, he's kissing and telling, spilling the beans and dirty dishing on ex-girlfriend Paris Hilton. According to Carter, the Hilton Hotel heiress and celebutante was a herb-burning drunk whose prudish nature in the sack was only overcome with lots of pot and alcohol. Carter has reportedly said that Paris was so addicted to the wacky tobacky that in order to always have it available when traveling overseas, she would stash some in her teddy bear plush toy. And who said she as a total idiot? She may not have class, but she isn't completey stupid.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 09:04 PM

October 23, 2006

The Borat Movie Website Rocks

By now many of us know of Borat, the fictional TV journalist from Kazakhstan portayed by British actor-comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, and we are eagerly awaiting the soon to be theatrically released movie "Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." The website for movie is a clever little dig at the government of Kazakhstan, which has publicly criticized Cohen for his character and the way it supposedly casts the Central Asian nation in a negative light. The movie's site is designed as the official Kazakhstan government's Ministry of Information website. This should really piss off Kazakhstan even more. Like the character Borat himself, the website is a phony. Upon casual inspection it's an obvious joke. As Borat would say, "Very nice! I like!"

Posted by Robsam at 07:43 PM

October 20, 2006

The Thinking Behind a New Computerized Way to Predict Hit Movies and Hit Pop Music

There's an exhaustive and fascinating article in the New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell (he of The Tipping Point fame) about efforts to predict which movies will be hits with audiences and which will be flops. A similar endeavor has been underway with predicting pop music hits using computer software programs developed by a couple of companies, one of them a New York City startup called Platinum Blue, which successfully predicted that Gnarls Barkley's hit single "Crazy" would be a major success. Can the same be done with movies.

Posted by Robsam at 01:48 AM

October 19, 2006

Actor Wesley Snipes is Wanted by the Feds

Yes, children, Wesley Snipes, the actor of "Blade" and "White Man Can't Jump" and "U.S. Marshall's" fame, is wanted by the long arm of the law. There's a Federal warrant out for Snipes arrest on charges of tax fraud and failing to pay his taxes. Ben Franklin once said something about the only things certain in life being death and taxes. Funny that in the "Blade" film series, Snipes played a character who -- presumably -- didn't have to worry about taxes and had appeared to have cheated death. Not so in real life.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:18 AM

October 04, 2006

Computer-Animated Movies are Starting to Lose Their Box Office Mojo

It seems like every major Hollywood studio has produced a computer-animated film in the past few years or has one in the works. These movies, inspired by the mega-successes of similar flicks produced by Pixar and Disney in the late 1990's and early 2000's, seemed like guaranteed box office gold for the studios. But many of such movies of the past year have failed to capture the interests of moviegoers. Some have turned into fantastic and very expensive flops. The novelty of computer animation has worn off and the stories, characters and humor of these films seem the same.

Posted by Robsam at 10:10 PM

September 28, 2006

Paris Hilton Backlash Vol. 17: Paris Charged with Drunk Driving

It's now official. Heiress Paris Hilton has been charged for driving under the influence of alcohol and is now a defendent it what will be a formal court process starting with her arraignment in Los Angeles. According to reports, Hilton was charged Tuesday with two misdemeanor counts stemming from her DUI arrest earlier this month. The latest news is that her actual arraignment will be in December after a formal postponement was made by the court.

Hilton could be sentenced to up to six months in prison if found guilty, though we think the chances of that happening are the same as the chances of Ashlee Simpson suddenly not sucking. We speculate that Hilton will get a slap on the wrist, do some community service and -- before you can say "It's Hot" -- she'll be tearing up the streets of West Hollywood again, high on Red Bull and vodka and hunting for the nearest In-and-Out Burger.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 12:14 AM

September 19, 2006

"Borat" Movie Debuts at Toronto Film Fest

Borat is back. Chenkui! He stars in a new movie that debuted this past week at the Toronto Film Festival. Borat, for those who don't know, is a naive, heavy-accented, anti-semitic and sexist fictional journalist from Kazakhstan portayed by British actor Sacha Baron Cohen (of Ali G. fame).

The film is titled "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" but many people are referring to it simply as "The Borat Movie." The film reportedly brings big laughs to the big screen and not a little controversy.

Borat is one of several characters played by Cohen on "The Ali G. Show." As the film's torturous title suggests, part of what makes Borat so funny is his poor English. It's not that Cohen's character is unable to communicate in English when he interviews unsuspecting Brits and Americans for his "reports," but rather it is his awkward transliteral way of expressing his thoughts. Borat's conversations reveal a load of reprehensible cultural baggage -- racism, sexism, moral taboos -- that are part of his Kazak worldview.

His English is spoken with an innocent, child-like bluntness and dorky enthusiasm, even when his comments are jaw-droppingly offensive. This makes his chats with duped interviewees side-splitting, tear-inducing, rolling-on-the-floor-laughing funny. Borat's unworldy ways, his lack of sophistication, are a source of laughter, as well. Part of the joke, however, is that Borat is a worldy sophisticate in his native Kazakhstan.

For fans and viewers familiar with the character already, the film promises more of the hilarity of the Borat segments in "Da Ali G. Show." The word from the Toronto Film Festival was that the fans and critics have raved about the Borat movie (though many in Kazakhstan are upset about the way the character makes their country look to the rest of the world). As Borat himself would say in a loud gleeful voice, "Wow-wow-wee-ah! I like!!! It's nice!!!"

Posted by Robsam at 04:25 AM

August 29, 2006

Tom Cruise is Back in the Movie Game, Movie-Going Public's Suffering to Continue

Less than a week after effectively being fired by Paramount Studios' parent company Viacom,Tom Cruise has found investors to back his future film-production ventures. Or as Time puts it, "A Star is Reborn." Ah, shucks -- and we had thought this was the last we'd ever see of that iditotic, toothy grin on the big screen. But no. More of Tom and his pearly-whites smile will be coming to a theater near you for many more years.

The release of Cruise from his 14-year deal with Paramount was a major shock, considering how big a star the actor is. Then again, Cruise's bizarre behavior during the past year was pretty shocking for a star of his caliber as well. However, even after his notorious sofa-jumping incident on Oprah and his subsequent outburst with Matt Lauer on the Today Show, "War of the Worlds" managed big success in 2005. The same can't be said for "Mission Impossible III," which, while not a flop, certainly failed to meet expectations at the sumer box office.

It was the poor performance of "MI:III" that was cited by Viacom boss Sumner Redstone when he lashed out at Cruise and announced that he was terminating Paramount's relationship with the star.

Whether Cruise's film career continues to find success or not, rest assured, he is not disappearing from the mediasphere anytme soon, not with TomKat and all the tabloid-frenzied media junk that comes with it.

Posted by Robsam at 03:04 AM

August 22, 2006

"Snakes on a Plane" is No. 1 at the Box Office

In spite of the over-hype and the backlash-hype about the over-hype, and in spite of some low opening box-office numbers, "Snakes on a Plane," starring Samuel L. Jackson and a ton of serpents, slithered into the top spot at theaters this past weekend, ahead of the Will Farrell comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." "Snakes" earned about $15 million. The film cost $30 million to produce, so it appears on track to make a profit after its domestic and international theatrical runs, as well as on its subequent DVD release later this year.

Posted by Robsam at 02:47 AM

August 19, 2006

NY Times Likes "Snakes on a Plane"

The much-hyped, much-buzzed-about and much-anticipated film "Snakes on a Plane," which opened nationwide this past weekend, was suspiciously not available for press screenings ahead of the theatrical release. This led many to speculate that the film was really, really bad after all. The title and trailer didn't exactly suggest "Oscar-winner" to begin with, but it was reasonable to expect a competent, original and entertaining film worthy of at least few good or generous reviews.

Now that the film is out and critics have viewed it, the reviews will start flying (or slithering) in. The New York Times review of "Snakes on a Plane is already in, and the verdict is, well, "positive." That it's the New York Times is a very good sign. To quote the Old Gray Lady:

As it happens, "Snakes on a Plane" isn't just about rubber reptiles and Mr. Jackson spewing pearls of profanity; it's also a solid, B-movie-style entertainment crammed with "Boos!" and lightly scented with a whiff of social metaphor.

Nothing, however, quite beats the aggregated verdicts and the at-a-glance collective wisdom of film critics on MetaCritic. So far "Snakes on a Plane" has earned a MetaCritic score -- or "metascore" -- of 60 out of 100, which means "mixed or average reviews." This tally was based on 28 reviews at the time of this posting. The movie also earned an "8.4" average out of 10 from 224 MetaCritic user votes.

The highest score of 100 came from Film Threat magazine. The L.A. Weekly review was scored at 90. The lowest scores, 25 and 38, were given to reviews from The Onion A.V. Club and Rolling Stone magazine respectively.

What can we say ... snakes on a plane, mutha'fuckaaaa!

Posted by Robsam at 08:47 PM

August 16, 2006

The "Snakes on a Plane" Trailer

Gotta see it to believe it. Check out the trailer above for the much-anticipated, much-hyped movie "Snakes on a Plane." It looks so ... bad ... and so chessy ... and yet so good -- we can't help but be intrigued. JUst watching the clip makes us want to see it on the big screen, popcorn in one hand, soda in the other. Dude, seriously, it's astounding isn't it how a well-edited trailer can make you want to shell out $10.50 and spend two hours of your time watching what your otherwise logical brain tells you is clearly crappy cinematic bubblegum.

Posted by Robsam at 03:31 AM

Yo, It's "Muthafuckin' Snakes on a Muthafuckin' Plane ... Muthafucka!

Yo, that's right, muthafuckaaaa! You've got hand it to screen actor Samuel L. Jackson for picking a winner when he sees one. Jackson signed on to star in the movie "Snakes on a Plane," the much-hyped action-thriller that opens this weekend in the U.S., based only on the title, the basic premise, and the name and credibility of the director originally attached to the film project. (That director was Ronny Yu, the Hong Kong and Hollywood horror filmmaker.) Jackson didn't even read the script -- he probably just said "Sign me up, muthafucka'!"

More importantly, you have to hand it to Jackson for knowing how to promote the hell out of a movie, generate a ton of buzz, interest and free publicity for an admittedly cheesy-titled movie six months before its release. There should an Academy Awards category for Best Actor Who Promoted His Film. Jackson would win it.

The film got a lot of attention on the Internet, especially in the blogosphere, and even in the mainstream media (MSM) during the past year while it was in production. That was because New Line Cinema, the studio behind the project, attempted to change the movie into a more sanitized film titled "Pacific Air Flight 121."

But the internet buzz and media attention generated when the film's screenwriter leaked details of the proposed changes on the Internet, and Jackson's public activism, led New Line Cinema to revert back to the original concept and title. In fact, the films has spawned a groundswell of creative activity on the Web, becoming an Internet phenomenon long before the movie or even its trailer were scheduled for released. Yup, there was even a "Snakes on a Plane" blog.

And so now we've finally got "Snakes on a Plane," in which Jackson gets to utter what will doubtless become a classic piece of film dialog: "I've had it with with these muthfuckin' snakes and this muthafuckin' plane!"

Even if the film is total crap, it could generate a ton of cash at the box office and find a massive DVD afterlife as a cult classic. There are indications that the movie is crappy. The studio has not scheduled the usual pre-premiere press screenings, which suggests that New Line Cinema knows the flick is bad and don't want to allow the press the chance to publish any negative criticism ahead of the all-important opening weekend.

Posted by Robsam at 02:52 AM

July 12, 2006

DVD Movie Night: "Capote"

"Capote" is worth renting if only to see actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of the effete and blazingly intelligent author Truman Capote. It's an amazing performance. Hoffman truly earned his Oscar. The movie is superbly crafted and beautiful to look at. Dare we say, it is as close to perfection as a film can be. And yet, there was something missing from it, something we had hungered deeply for perhaps, and that something is more about Capote the man, the writer, the celebrity and his formative experiences beyond what the film affords us. Admittedly, "Capote" is not a biopic, it's not meant to be one. The movie is about a specific period of time in the writer's career and a specific experience -- the writing of his ground-breaking non-fiction crime book about the convicted murderers of a Kansas family in the 1950's.

Posted by Robsam at 01:08 AM

June 20, 2006

DVD Movie Night: "Rumor Has It"

A really snarky headline for a review of this movie, say, in an alternative weekly newspaper might be "Rumor has shit" to convery to the reader that the film was awful. We won't do that here because "Rumor Has It" isn't "shit" and isn't awful. In fact, the premise of the movie is pretty compelling and original -- a story built on the untold story of the people upon whom the film "The Graduate" was based.

And, actually, "Rumor Has It" is a well-made and entertaining movie in the way that lot of mainstream and mediocre broad comedies are. The star, Jennifer Aniston, is likable, attractive and funny. She acts well and is perfectly cast. Kevin Costner is Kevin Costner. It's basically a good flick that also happens to be a piece of moviemaking that is forgettable the instant the credits roll.

How is it that such a good idea, one that is competently made into a film --remember, this is not a "bad" movie -- be so damn bland and lacking cinematic and comedic juice? It's as if the director was intentionally trying not to make a great, memorable film. That is not to say that he was trying to make a bad film. Far from it. Rather, it was as if the creative foces behind "Rumor Has It" settled on just making as ordinary a comedy as possible.

And that's why "Rumor Has It" gets an Air Massive Rating of 2.75 stars out of 5

Posted by Robsam at 11:59 PM

June 04, 2006

"Clerks II" Got an 8-Minute Standing Ovation Following Its Screening Debut at Cannes!

According to director Kevin Smith's blog, Silent Bob Speaks (a.k.a., My Boring-Ass Life), the sequel to his groundbreaking indie film "Clerks" received an eight-minute standing ovation when it screened at the annual Cannes film festival last week. Dude, that is amazing. We loved "Clerks" and recognize Smith as a filmmaking talent, but we're scratching our heads a bit on this one. Smith and his friends captured the ovation on video, yet we still can't help but wonder if this was some sort of publicity stunt to generate some buzz. We've seen the trailer for "Clerks II" and it looks funny as hell. We imagine it is probably even much better that the original, but eight-minute-standing-ovation better? That we want to see. The movie hits U.S. screens July 21. We're there.

Posted by Robsam at 10:49 PM

May 11, 2006

Movie Review: "Brick"

We went to see "Brick," the much-talked about new film from director Rian Johnson. The movie received much acclaim at this year's Sundance Film Festival, but when we first saw the trailer about a month ago, we were a little put off. After learning about the premise for the film, however, we went in to theater with high expectations. The idea behind "Brick" is a Dashiell Hammet-style murder mystery with all the pulpy film noir attributes of a Sam Spade detective drama, a la "The Big Sleep" or "Maltese Falcon." Except that rather than the glamour-hoods of foggy-night 1940's West Los Angeles or San Francisco, the setting is a sequence of sleepy, suburban track homes, strip smalls and a high school in San Clemente California. And rather than cynical middle-aged adults on the make or mark, the main characters are high school kids. Johnson has taken the smart, rapid-fire hip-slang patter of those film noir classics and injected it into his script big time. "Brick" is a remarkable film. At its weakest, it makes you gape at the absurdity of a bunch of high school kids playing it so beyond cool when their lives have barely begun. At its best the movie awes you with its mystery and sharp storytelling. "Brick" works in no small part because it has pulled off the trick of turning a mundane world into one filled with drama, style, intrigue and danger and doing so in a compelling way.

Rating: Air Massive rating is 4 stars out 5

Posted by Robsam at 02:07 AM

May 02, 2006

DVD Movie Night: "The Interpreter"

We had high hopes for "The Interpreter." We had briefly even considered plopping down $10.50 at the local cineplex to see the flick when it came out in theaters last year. We're glad we waited for the DVD instead. "The Interpreter" is a political suspense-mystery about an interpreter at the United Nations who overhears a conversation regarding a plot to assassinate an African dictator during his upcoming speech to the General Assembly. The movie is a well-intentioned and well-made, but it is also a way too self-important and ultimately flawed film. Its stars -- Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn -- are actors we usually love to watch on screen. But in spite of strong, solid performances in "The Interpreter," both Penn and Kidman's acting seems to fall short at times due to weaknesses either in the script, story, direction or editing. Kidman, as usual, is a beauty on the screen even when she's wearing reading glasses and has blood splattered on her delicate features, as is the case following a scene in which a bus is bombed seconds after she's alighted from the vehicle. The audience is supposed to sympathize with her, but her character is so maddening and takes herself so seriously in an annoying, self-absorbed way that it's difficult to care about her character or her politcal cause. Then there are the plot holes, the melodramatic tropes and the familiar absurdities in the way New York-living is depicted. (In the movie, Kidman lives on East 10th Street in the East Village and drives around town on a moped, which she keeps parked and chained on the sidewalk in front of her brownstone apartment. Uh, that moped would have been stolen, vandalized or stripped within days on the street. And who needs to ride around the Village on a Vespa when almost everything you could need is a few blocks away, including the subway?)

Air Massive rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Posted by Robsam at 11:59 PM

April 30, 2006

DVD Movie Night: "Fitzcarraldo"

We finally watched the Werner Herzog film "Fitzcarraldo" in its entirety last night. While channel-surfing television over the years, we've caught snippets of the film, as well as part of a documentary about its director and the making of the movie. We had also heard about the movie from other cinéastes and stumbled across references to the film several times in articles and reviews. We even remember seeing newspaper ads for the movie when it was originally released theatrically back in the 1980's, when we were really young. Now we've seen Herzog's film. "Fitzcarraldo" is a stunning and amazing piece of work, though it is one with some technical flaws that undermine it. Far from perfect, it is a great film and one that we'd have to put on our must-see movies list. Herzog's flim is about a crazy, opera-obsessed German-Irish icemaker named Fitzcarraldo, who has made a life for himself in a boomtown along the Amazon River during the rubber boom of the early 20th Century. His real love is opera, and he concocts a quixotic scheme to raise money to build an opera house in the middle of the Amazon rain forest. The plan involves him trying to sail a steamship upstream to a rubber plantation in an unsettled part of the jungle, where the river is unnavigable and the area inhabited by a fierce indigenous tribe. For the scheme to work, Fitcarraldo must move this ship over a mountain from one river to another. For the authenticity of his film, Herzog arranged for a real local tribe of Amazon natives to help carry an actual steamship over an actual mountain separating two rivers. It's all captured on celluloid in the telling of this incredible story.

Air Massive rating: 4 stars out of 5

Posted by Robsam at 02:30 AM

April 20, 2006

Top 50 Film Adaptations of All Time

Here they go again. Our favorite U.K. newspaper, the Guardian, has compiled another one of those culture-related Top insert-number-here lists. This time they've polled and put together a list of the all-time Top 50 film adaptations, you know, movies based on a novel or short story.

Posted by Robsam at 01:59 AM

April 19, 2006

"Scary Movie 4" Tops Box Office Easter Weekend

The "Scary Movie" franchise has been a massive cash cow for Miramax, which is better known for its critically acclaimed and popular independent films rather than broad comedy. So after three successful movies in the horror-film-spoof comedy series, it's really no surpise to see "Scary Movie 4" on the marquees of cinemaplexes across the land. And it's really no surprise that the movie had a huge opening, netting out as the No. 1 movie in terms of gross box-office receipts this past Easter weekend. But the film also distinguished itself by being the highest-grossing Easter weekend movie ever, breaking the record set by "Panic Room" a few years ago. We're talkin' $41 million for "Scary Movie 4." That's right, say it with us, kids ... Ka-chinggggg!!!

Posted by Robsam at 01:46 AM

April 14, 2006

Roger Ebert's Glossary of Movie Tropes

The Chicago Sun-Times film critic and At the Movies co-host Roger Ebert has an excellent and highly amusing glossary of movie clichés on his Web site that's a must-read for film buffs. The aptly named "Ebert's Little Movie Glossary" contains gems of familiar tropes from cinema past, present, and -- without doubt -- future. The terms are supplied by readers from around the country. Take this example of the "Human-Absorption Bus Rule," which states "Whenever one character is looking at another from across the street, if a bus or truck passes between them, it will invariably make the other one disappear, possibly into another dimension." So true in cinema. So not true in real life.

Posted by Supercore at 11:48 PM

April 10, 2006

The Violent Films of Korean Director Park Chanwook

As the leading light in the current "Korean wave" of Asian cinema, Park Chanwook has made a reputation for writing and directing some of the most violent and taboo-filled films anywhere in recent years. A long profile by Ian Buruma in Sunday's New York Times Magazine reveals that Chanwook, who lives in Seoul, is a gentle, 42-year old family man, whose wife vets his scripts and whose daughter has seen all but one of his films. Chanwook's best-known movie in the West is the award-winning, ultra-violent and shocking "Old Boy" (2003). Later this month, his newest film "Lady Vengeance" arrives on U.S. screens.

Posted by Robsam at 07:14 AM

April 04, 2006

New Music: Tapes 'n Tapes "Loon"

We've been listening to tunes from "Loon," the new CD from the band Tapes 'n Tapes. We've been listening to it on recommendation from a friend. We've been listening to the song "Omaha" in particular, over and over again. We've been listening and enjoying it a lot. We've been bathing in its quiet, fragile indie pop urgency. Tapes 'n Tapes is a Minneapolis quartet and even before we knew that fact, we had been thinking that their sound is that of an artfully crafted but casually executed music made by young men stuck indoors for long periods due to bitter cold, snowy and wet weather conditions, nourished on coffee, Canadian beer, cigarette smoke, bad flourescent light, and thrift store clothing. Tapes 'n Tapes reminds us of the band Pavement, a comparison that the group probably have heard often and will continue to hear. Tapes 'n Tapes' low-fi sound is like a finely worked-out molecular-level mash-up of instrumental flourishes from the 1990's indie canon, potent in their beauty and aged, but unidentifiable in their reconfiguration and appropriation in 2006.

Posted by Supercore at 02:37 AM

Beastie Boys' Meaningless-But-Effective Interview in Metro NY

The Beastie Boys can be really funny sometimes when they do interviews with the press, especially, as in most instances, when they don't take the questions seriously and just turn every response into an opportunity to make a joke, riff on a gag or dispense patent fictions. This works best in on-camera interviews. While it can make for funny reading too, sometimes the humor, sarcasm and attitude get lost in the printed word, making what might be an otherwise interesting and informative interview almost completely devoid of meaning beyond the most basic facts -- i.e., that the hip-hop trio's innovative new concert film, "Awesome! I Fuckin' Shot That!" has just been theatrically released; that the film was shot from many different angles by 50 audiences members and edited together like a video mash-up. This briefest of interviews with the Beasties Mike D, MCA and King Adrock that appeared in last Friday's Metro New York is a case in point of the meaningless-but-effective Q and A.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 12:29 AM

Movie Night: "L'Enfant"

The Dardennes brothers, a Belgian pair of filmmakers, are known for their raw, taught stories of life at the margins of Belgium's bleak, working-class industrial towns. Their latest film, "L'Enfant" ("The Child"), is no exception. The movie is one of the most powerful and compelling films we've seen this year, or for that matter, in the past one. The Dardennes were documentary filmmakers for many years before they set out to make dramatic features. That documentary sensibility has informed the way they frame, direct and record the movements and dialogue of characters in their cinematic fiction. In "L'Enfant" the story centers around a petty thief named Bruno and his girfriend, who has just borne their first child. The couple live a hand-to-mouth existence, stealing and selling to make cash, only to impulsively spend it on small, fleeting and -- given their circumstances -- foolish extravagances. To score a big payday, Bruno suddenly and shockingly decides to sell their newborn child, Jimmy, to an underground baby-adoption ring. He does so without telling his girlfriend. And that's when the real trouble begins.

Air Massive rating: 4 stars out of 5

Posted by Robsam at 12:17 AM

March 28, 2006

Movie Night: "Lawrence of Arabia"

We caught a late-night screening last weekend of the David Lean epic "Lawrence of Arabia." The movie classic is based on the life of British war hero T.E. Lawrence. It was a very long film -- nearly four hours. The "Lawrence of Arabia" we watched is the version restored in 1989 by a group of Hollywood filmmakers, which included such luminaries as Martin Scorcese and Steven Spielberg. The restored film had additional footage left out of the original movie that was theatrically released back in the early 1960's. The film's stunning exterior scenery and cinematography are reasons enough to see the movie. The story of the complex and controversial man who eventually earned the nickname "Lawrence of Arabia" is another. This was our second viewing of the film. The first time we saw it was a long time ago, in our youth in the 1980's. "Lawrence" still holds up nearly 20 years later and over 40 years after it was made. But our impression of Lawrence's character (as portrayed by the perfectly cast Peter O'Toole) is less sympathetic, less heroic, less idealized. This time around, he seems more infuriating, almost annoying, and, to put it bluntly, a bit of an asshole, in spite of his extraordinary integrity, bravery and intelligence. Nevertheless, "Lawrence of Arabia" is one of the greatest films ever made.

Posted by Robsam at 11:29 PM

March 21, 2006

Samurai Movie: "Zatoichi and the Doomed Man"

Couldn't resist an IFC screening of another one of those Japanese "Zatoichi" movies. This time it was "Zatoichi and The Doomed Man," the eleventh in the "Blind Swordsman" series of 26 films. The plots of these movies revolve around the adventures of a sightless masseuse who, despite his blindness, is the deadliest person with a sword in Japan. As he wanders the hinterlands, passing from village to village in search of work, Zatoichi always manages to become entangled in a local feud or challenge. The rescuing of a woman is often involved in these plots, as well as many attempts by thieves and thugs to take advantage of Zatoichi. Swordplay ensues. Eventually, there's a big showdown and things get bloody. In the "Doomed Man," Zatoichi is on a mission to save an innocent man who is scheduled to be executed as part of a frame up by a local warlord. Directed by Kazuo Mori and released in 1965, the "Doomed Man" is one of the color films in a series that began in the black-and-white film era. The movie is as bloody and full of swordplay as any of them. Technically, Zatoichi is not a samurai, but in every other respect, the "Doomed Man" qualifies as a first-rate samurai genre movie. In 2003, a new take on Zatoichi was produced in a stunning remake starring Takeshi "Beat" Kitano ("Sonatine," "Hanabi").

Air Massive rating: 7 stars out of 10

Posted by Robsam at 01:38 AM

March 11, 2006

Photographer, Writer, and Film Director of "Shaft," Gordon Parks, R.I.P.

Sad to hear of the passing of photographer and writer Gordon Parks. Alhtough he was one of America's great photojournalists, having spent 20 years shooting for Life magazine and showing his work in museums and galleries worldwide, Parks will probably best be remembered by the wider general public for his film work, notably as the director of the influential 1970's blaxploitation movie "Shaft." The Washington Post has an excellent obit article and photo slide show on Gordon Parks and his photography. Gordon Parks Sr., R.I.P.

Posted by Supercore at 10:00 PM

DVD Movie Night: "Junebug"

When the critically acclaimed "Junebug" hit theaters in 2005, we kept putting off seeing it, either because there were too many other movies competing for our eyeballs and dollars at the time or because we didn't have the time. And then, suddenly, it vanished from the few theaters where it had been screening. We'd have to wait for the DVD. So for movie night this week we rented it. Now that we've seen "Junebug," we wish we hadn't waited -- it's such a great, powerfully undertstated film. The basic story follows a young, British art gallery owner in Chicago and her American husband of six months. He's originally from North Carolina, so when the young married couple embark on a trip to rural North Carolina to visit an outsider artist the wife's gallery is interested in repping, they use the trip as an opportunity to visit the husband's family for the first time. The movie observes a quietly dysfunctional family and exposes the differences between "big city folk" versus "country folk," secular versus religious, educated versus the uneducated, the wordly versus the parochial and minute red-blue state culture-war differences that can divide a contemporary American family in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. The acting performances are superb. "Junebug" is a first-rate film.

Air Massive rating: 4 stars out of 5

Posted by Robsam at 08:28 PM

March 07, 2006

Oscar Shock: "That Gay Cowboy Movie" Loses Best Picture Award to "Crash"

The 2006 Academy Awards are over. The Kodak Theater in Hollywood is empty. Celebs and agents are nursing hangovers, and director Ang Lee is mystified. The Awards, which garnered the second lowest TV ratings of the broadcast ever, seemed to favor Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," a.k.a., "that gay cowboy movie." And as the evening awards show wore on and the film picked up key awards, including the Best Director award for Lee, the Best Picture prize seemed a fait accompli. But critics and audiences were shocked when Jack Nicholson opened the envelope and announced that "Crash" had won as Best Picture. Aside from the end-of-night drama and the slew of indie films that dominated the nominations, this year's awards show will also be remembered for host John Stewart and his Daily Show-ification of the Oscars production. It was also an Academy Awards where a hip-hop song (from the film "Hustle & Flow") won the Best Song award. As Ali G. would say, "respek!"

Posted by Robsam at 12:33 AM

February 28, 2006

Dave Chappelle is Back with "Block Party"

Dave Chappelle is back. Yes, that Dave Chappelle, the one who walked away from the $50 million deal and his third season of "Chappelle's Show" at Comedy Central last year, the one who walked out at the peak of his success in a controversial and sudden escape to South Africa amid rumors of a breakdown. His new movie "Block Party" opens this week and we really want to see it. From the looks of it and from what we've read so far, it's the kind of film that we'd usually just wait to see on DVD or when it airs on TV a year or so after theatrical release. But we're really curious about this on. Why? Well, for one thing, because one of our favorite film directors, Frenchman Michel Gondry (he directed "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), helmed this project. For another, 'cause it's Chappelle and he's funny as hell. "Block Party" is not a comedy film, but rather a comedic documentary about a massive block party in Brooklyn put together by Chappelle in 2005. It's also part concert flick featuring Chappelle's stand-up comedy riffs onstage at the block party, as well as musical performances by some of the brightest names in hip-hop and new soul over the past decade -- Mos Def, Kanye West, the Roots, Jill Scott, Erykah Badhu and -- get this -- a reunion performance by the Fugees! We love Chappelle and his comedy. We love Hip-hop (we're especially big fans of Mos Def and the Roots). And we love the documentary format and Gondry's work. So ... we've just gotta see this film when it opens.

Posted by Robsam at 01:18 AM

February 26, 2006

Hong Kong Movie Night: "Fulltime Killer"

We caught a screening of Hong Kong action-drama "Fulltime Killer" on the Independent Film Channel Saturday night. Released under the title "Chuen jik sat sau" in Hong Kong in 2001, "Fulltime Killer" is one of those Milky Way productions, this one co-directed by Johnnie To Kei-Fung and Wai Ka-Fai. First off, let's just say this about the movie: it is a "guilty pleasure." This film is not "bad" in the usual sense, but it's certainly not "good" either. It's a weak movie salvaged only by enough action and energy to keep your mind off the fact it's weak, at least until the movie reaches the credits. The plot is one of those classic hitman-versus-hitman stories. One hitman is considered "number 1," and a lesser hitman is jealous and aims to become the top assassin by taking out his rival. The top hitman is a Japanese sniper based in Hong Kong, so the narrative is checkered with scenes in Japanese. "Fulltime Killer" is a schlocky, at times preposterous and silly, genre film filled to the brim with gun-toting action-drama cliches and plot holes big enough to fly a 747 through. The movie is fascinating insofar as you can peg the many genre cliches and the movies you've seen them in and insofar as those cliches are executed with a new twist. It's like a boilerplate of a boilerplate of a boilerplate of Hong Kong action movies from time immemorial. To Kei-Fung and Wai Ka-Fai's movie is just asking to be made with a bigger budget by a major Hollywood studio. (We'd actually like to see that.) In the end, "Fulltime Killer" is full of unexplored potential and is handicapped by its rushed production, thin and shallow dialogue, anemic scripting, and low-budget values. But, hey, those gun battles are awesome!

Posted by Robsam at 12:57 PM

February 23, 2006

"A Scanner Darkly" Movie Trailer Teases

Apple has just posted "A Scanner Darkly" movie trailers on it's Web site. "A Scanner Darkly" is the forthcoming Richard Linklater film based on the Philip K. Dick novel of the same name. The movie stars Keanu Reeves, Wynona Ryder and Robert Downey Jr. Like Linklater's 2001 film "Waking Life," this movie appears as animation, but it's actually a digital film that has been processed using sophisticated animation-editing, rotoscoping and special effects software to give it the look of animation. It is a stunning and beautiful work from what we can tell by viewing the preview and the official "A Scanner Darkly" movie site. This is one of our most-anticipated film releases of 2006 -- we will be in the movie theater on premiere night!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 12:26 AM

February 21, 2006

Movie Night - Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story

We went uptown last night to the massive Loews on the Upper West Side to see the new Michael Winterbottom film, "Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story," which stars Steve Coogan of "24 Hour Party People" fame. When we saw the trailer for the movie about a month ago, we were intrigued, but thought the film looked pretentious and, worse, like a great idea gone sour. The preview made it just seem like a regretable, bad Brit-indie experiment that was trying too hard to be "original." But we still wanted to see it, afterall, it was directed by Winterbottom, whose work we like, and it had Coogan and a familiar, eclectic cast of British and American stars. And it was about and based upon -- in a meta-meta way -- the infamously difficult-to-adapt novel The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. Anyway, we're very happy we went to see it. The movie is funny, fascinating and clever, maybe almost too clever for its own good. People will either get it or not get it, either like it or be confused by it and end up wondering what the hell it is. But we found it funny, witty, sophisticated and entertaining. Most of all, we want to see it again right away, which too few movies make us want to do. We'll definitely get the DVD when it comes out.Tristram Shandy gets a Massive Rating of 3.75 stars out of 5.

Posted by Robsam at 12:46 AM

February 15, 2006

Bollywood Vamp Legend, Nadira, R.I.P.

Sad to hear that Bollywood actress Nadira passed away last week. She was, according to various reports, either 73 or 75 years old. Nadira's best-known films are "Aan" and "Shri 420." It was the latter film that stamped her with the vamp character-type that she cemented in subsequent films throughout the 1950's and 60's. Nadira's acting and iconic style (she was famed her arched eyebrows) set a standard for the modern, Westernized Indian woman. Though one of India's most famous film stars, Nadira was actually an Israeli named Florence Ezekiel who had migrated to Mumbai to pursue a movie-acting career. Nadira, R.I.P.

Essential Linkage
Bollywood veteran, Nadira, dies [BBC News]
Nadira, Who Played the Vamp in Bollywood, Is Dead [New York Times]

Posted by Supercore at 12:36 AM

February 04, 2006

The Oscar Nominations Week That Was

The 2006 Academy Awards nominations were announced this past week. While we usually discount the artistic and aesthetic selection of the Oscars every year as sentimental, mainstream Hollywood tosh, we have to admit that the Best Picture nominations for 2005's crop of films has impressed us

This year's Best Picture noms include several serious, politically-minded films ("Good Night and Good Luck," "Munich") as well as "that gay cowboy movie," "Brokeback Mountain," and a movie that explores racism in America, "Crash." The nominations in general reflect the presence of many small "indie-major" films that cost relatively little to produce and that were backed by big studios.

A look at the other categories undercores these themes, for example, George Clooney getting the nod for "Syriana" and a Best Foreign Film nom for "Paradise Now," two more politically-charged films focused on current events, and Felicity Huffman for "Transamerica," a movie about a pre-op transgendered man.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences system of categorization, nominations and winner selection is seriously flawed and fails on many levels to account for the broad spectrum of film releases in a given year. It tends to reward the "serious" much more often than the "comedic." And don't get us started about its convoluted, unfair and anachronistic approach to vetting foreign film entries.

The awards show and the awards themselves may seem increasingly irrelevant to television viewing audiences given the plunging ratings figure for recent broadcasts of the annual program. Sometimes we think that the television broadcast is really less about films these days and more about celebrity gawking -- albeit at a distant remove -- and passing judgment on the fashion parade of starlets and their designer gowns that file down the red carpet of the Kodak Theater. (And really, hasn't that always been a part of why people watch the show?)

But mighty Oscar and its noms and wins carry much weight for movie marketers. A win is an awesomely powerful tool for advertising a movie and prolonging its theatrical run. We've had little faith in Oscar as a reflection of true filmmaking merit in the past.

This year may change that.

Essential Links

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Website

Posted by typhoon at 01:01 PM

January 20, 2006

Movie Night: "Syriana"

We caught "Syriana" this past week. It's one of those rare films that immediately after you've seen it for the first time you want to see it again. It's not because "Syriana" is full of things that audiences might miss the first time. Nor is it because the movie is a cinematic thrill ride. The film is neither of those by a stretch. Rather it's because "Syriana" is gorgeous to look at from purely a cinematographic point of view.

But "Syriana" is also an excellent film, albeit highly unusual in the way it manages to be ultra spare in back-story and storytelling while simultaneously weaving multiple narrative threads. The threads are connected, but the key characters in each thread rarely, if ever, cross paths, hence the apt tagline "Everything is connected" that is being used in the film's advertising. In short stories of "Syriana" follow a half-dozen players from all sides of a major oil business deal between American companies and a major middle-eastern petroleum-rich nation, a la Saudi Arabia. There's the story of a laid-off immigrant Pakistani worker who joins an Islamic madrassa and becomes suicide bomber. There's the story of a C.I.A. field operative in Iran (played by George Clooney in the closest to what amounts to a starring role in the film) sent to covertly assassinate the heir-apparent prince of the middle-eastern nation. Then there's a Washington lawyer "investigating" the American oil companies involved in the deal. And so on and on.

"Syriana" is a fascinating look depiction of how the each of the players in the this global economic and political game thinks and views the world -- from the elites who call the shots to the downtrodden wage slaves that keep it running. The movie manages to come across as agnostic on political rights and wrongs. That's a pretty amazing feat, especially considering that the film's subject matter is so directly relevant to current geo-politics. Air Massive rating: 8 out 10.

Essential Links
Syriana Movie Web Site

Posted by Robsam at 11:52 PM

January 10, 2006

French Movie Night: "Cache (Hidden)"

We caught a screening last week of "Cache," the latest movie from French director Michael Haneke, who directed "The Piano Teacher." "Cache" is an excellent piece of contemporary French cinema. The story is about a TV personality and his family and the turmoil that unfolds as they are harassed by a stranger who sends them secretly taped videos of their private life. The narrative is riveting, to say the least, and the shocking conclusion left us and the audience we were with audibly bewildered. Still, the filmmaking and storytelling are first-rate.

Air Massive rating: 4 stars out 5.

Essential Linkage
"Cache" Movie Website

Posted by Robsam at 02:20 AM

January 03, 2006

Spielberg Does Spy Thriller and It's All Good: "Munich" on Our Minds

We caught a couple of movies over the holiday period, including one that we had been looking forward to for a long time, the new Steven Spielberg film "Munich." The movie is an embellished docu-drama based on the alleged covert assassination and espionage campaign conducted by a secret Israeli Mossad unit in the 1970's.

The campaign was a response to the -- at the time -- shocking terrorist acts that unfolded at the summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Eleven Israeli athletes were taken hostage by an Arab terrorist group at the Olympic Village compound. Two of those Israelis were murdered in their dormitory. The remaining nine were killed in an explosive showdown between the German authorities and the terrorists at a local airport as they attempted to flee the country with the hostages.

The entire terrorist episode was reported live to a worldwide audience and arguably spawned the terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" as we use them today (and established the benchmark for the methods and extreme violence employed by the former in the act of the latter).

"Munich" the film is a riveting, engaging thriller that methodically follows the gang of Jewish assassins assembled by the Israeli Mossad to seek eye-for-an-eye retribution by hunting down and killing 11 senior terrorist masterminds responsible for planning the Munich hostage-taking and murders. The film is practically flawless and probably one of director Steven Spielberg's best ever.

In some ways, "Munich" is also one of the most un-Spielberg-like films the director has ever made. For Spielberg, the usual manipulative pulling of heartstrings that the he is so good at employing in his cinematic narratives has been (relatively) restrained in "Munich." Though the movie does at times veer into that most loathed of territories: a film that makes a point of its self-importance.

Eric Bana as Avner, the leader of the Israeli assassination unit, pulls off such a remarkable acting job in "Munich" that it makes his performance in "Hulk" look like a paint-by-numbers act. Avner is a deep, conflicted three-dimensional character who wrestles with the meaning and consequences of his actions, killing in the name of revenge.

"Munich," despite its inherent seriousness and sense of importance, plays out as a suspenseful and intriguing spy thriller. The mechanics of the planning, research and execution of the "black bag" assassination campaign is fascinating and full of surprises. But ultimately, "Munich" is a meditation on the destructive, tragic and senseless cycle of violence perpetrated by all sides in the struggle over the land claimed by Israel and Palestine.

Air Massive rating is 4.5 out of 5.

Essential Linkage

Munich Movie Website
Munich (2005) Info [IMDb]

Posted by Robsam at 04:24 AM

December 15, 2005

Top "Revolutionary" Special FX Movies Ever!

Top "Revolutionary" special effects movies ever ... according to who? Well, according to ABC News, and though they claim "Top Ten," they actually list 11 films, with that being the original "King Kong" film of 1933 -- the special effects employed in making the first Kong movie were pretty amazing, given where the state of filmmaking was at that time. This is an interesting list because there are a few films that we're surprised are not on the list. Where's "2001: A Space Odyssey"? Stanley Kubrick's "2001" used some impressive visual effects to set the standard for a new sci-fi space realism, one that would be copied by Star Wars and countless other films since then. The problem might be that "special effects" may be defined slightly differently from person to person. Is animation a "special effect"? The entry of the CG film "Toy Story" is understandable; the entire film is one giant special effect -- but it's an animated feature and one can argue that animation is a special effect in and of itself. It's been around for a long, long time. What makes a film"revolutionary" in its use of effects, we presume, is that the movie broke new ground in the original use and introduction of a technique or technology to create visual sequences that would be difficult or impossible to realize with normal live-action or animated filmmaking. Hence "Toy Story" was the first major feature animated film to be wholly computer generated. The technology allowed for a new visual aesthetic and video-realism for animation. By the way, the Number 1 film? "The Matrix." Can't really argue with that?

Essential Linkage
The Top Ten Revolutionary Effects Movies of All Times
King Kong (1933) [Filmsite.org]
The Matrix Trilogy - Official Warner Bros. Movie Website
King Kong 92005) Official Movie Website

Posted by icorsa at 12:05 AM

December 05, 2005

Movie Review: Aeon Flux

We wanted to like Aeon Flux. No, actually ... We wanted to love it. Long before the credits rolled, in fact, long before the movie reached its action-packed machine-gunning climax, we were far from loving Aeon Flux and still quite short of liking it.

Aeon Flux is not that bad -- to be fair, there's a lot to like when you take the flick apart and look at its parts. But on balance the film is a lame, flawed piece of cinema that fails to fully explore the treasure chest of ideas touched upon in the 1990's MTV animation series on which Aeon Flux is based. The flaws are many. Add enough of them up and they seriously undermine a film, which is by almost every technical measure a polished, well-crafted exercise in narrative and filmmaking.

Or, to put it another way, it's the same ol' slick, big-budgeted, major Hollywood studio mediocrity. It's poisoned by the same process that brings total crap like The Dukes of Hazard to theaters every summer. Except this is winter, and unlike the Dukes of Hazard, Aeon Flux was a groundbreaking, and original independently produced animated TV series. It was smart and funny.

Aeon Flux could be classified as sci-fi, but it's really more like cyberpunk. Set in the 25th century, the story follows the spy-versus-spy adventures of Aeon (Charlize Theron), a rebel assassin on a mission to take out Chairman Goodchild (Marton Csokas), the head of futuristic walled city-state called Brendag.

The MTV show (and a short-form version of Aeon Flux that preceded it) were created by Peter Chung, who shares a story credit on the film, but otherwise had nothing substantial to do with the making of the live-action movie.

Aeon Flux -- the movie -- feels like the life force was sucked out of the it in the attempt to make something that studio execs, teenage boys, and licensed product merchandisers would all like or feel stood a chance of turning a profit.

Even when there is actual passion on the screen -- i.e., a certain sexual tension and minor love scene between Aeon and Goodchild -- we're left feeling passionless. And we never really get know the characters or care enough about them to like them, we never we really feel like we should truly give a shit about them or see past their two-dimensional presences.

What's more, the film never stops for those moments of black humor that were a trademark of the cartoon series. Aeon's sense of humor was one of her endearing and humanizing qualities, and it defined her character.

The obvious technical competence with which the film has been made only makes our disappointment greater. The