November 2006

Comic Book Shelf

/ / Comics

Hey there true believers!  Today the lucky thirteenth issue of our Comic Book Shelf edition hits our newsstand.  Want to know what’s getting released today at the old comic shop but too busy, or lazy (not that there’s anything wrong with that), to bother?  Well no sweat Bat-fans as we’ve got the scoop of what comics and graphic novels are hitting the shelves today.

This week’s releases include Batman, Bullet Points, The Escapists, Green Arrow, New X-Men, Stormwatch: PHD, Martian Manhunter, Punisher, Gen13, Tales of the Unexpected, Wolverine: Origins, and more!

If you’re looking for graphic novels you don’t want to miss Captain Atom: Armageddon, Punisher: Very Special Holiday, Nightwing: Renegade, Heroes Reborn: Iron Man, Secret War, Rex Mundi Vol.1: The Guardian of the Temple, Shanna, the She-Devil, and more.

For the full list check inside…

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New On DVD

/ / Home Video News 

Friend, come with us on an exciting journey as we glance at seven releases onto Digital Video Disc being made available today.  If you don’t, you aren’t my friend anymore.

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Does anyone really need to own every Bond film (minus the upcoming Casino Royal) on DVD twice?  No, I don’t think so either, but apparently someone in Hollywood does.

Film:

Cars – Ah, Cars, the first Pixar film to let me down.  If you read this column regularly, you know by now that I prefer Over the Hedge or Monster House over this CG flick, but that’s not to say Cars was a bad film.  The visuals were another landmark in animation, perfecting the gleams of polished race cars and the desert landscape lining most of the shots in the film.  But the story wasn’t anything new, and the idea of talking cars was too strange to make them believable.  Alan, on the other hand, loved the film, which you can read in his five-star review of the film.

Wordplay – In line with Spellbound, Wordplay is a documentary of the people who dedicate themselves to applications of the English language, with this film’s application being Crossword puzzles.  It follows several of the nation’s most elite in the game, while also introducing the New York Times’ Crossword Editor, Will Shortz and interviewing famous followers of the Times’ crossword, like Jon Stewart and Bill Clinton.  The film’s a charmer that will have you cheering on the good guys at the annual showdown of the best of the best Crosswords junkies, while booing the annoying assholes.  A cute film that would be hard to regret renting.  Alan agreed in his review of the film.

Special Edition:

James Bond Ultimate Collection Vol. 1 & 2 – So when Die Another Day was released in 2002, they released every Bond film on DVD.  But it’s been almost four years since then, and I guess that’s enough time to let pass before re-releasing them in a new, expensive set.  Volume 1 has The Man With the Golden Gun, Goldfinger, The World is Not Enough, Diamonds Are Forever and The Living Daylights; while you can find A View to Kill, Thunderball, Die Another Day,The Spy Who Loved Me and License to Kill on Volume 2.  You can complete the 20 film collection when Volumes 3 and 4 are released on December 12th.

Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection Box Set Collection – Those wild and crazy guys are back from the grave, in newly DVD packaged form.  This set contains six classics: The King and I, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Carousel and State Fair.  Each film even has a bonus disc, making this a 12 disc set.

The Transformers – The Movie (20th Anniversary Special Edition) – I was born about ten years too late to catch on to the Transformers craze, but it’s undeniable that this movie deserves a spot on a website written up by culture geeks.  And hey, with stars like Eric Idle, Leonard Nimoy and some guy named Orson Welles, it can’t be that bad.  This double-disc edition boasts a good amount more special features than the lesser edition released previously on DVD, including a look at that Masterful Filmmaker, Michael Bay‘s live action Transformers film out in July next year.  Worth looking into for the fans out there.

Television:

The Sopranos – Season 6, Part 1 – I’ll be honest, as much as I would like to be a fan of this show, I’ve yet to see a single episode of The Sopranos.  It’s not out of disinterest, it’s out of the fact that I don’t get HBO.  So I’ll just have to take everyone in the world’s word for it when they say the show is amazing and suggest you, the reader, check it out.  If you’ve got the $60 for one half of a season of television, anyway.

The West Wing – The Complete Seventh Season – I never got in the habit of watching The West Wing on a regular basis, but whenever I did check it out I was blown away.  The show felt cinematic but not too dramatic; engaging but never too episodic.  After Aaron Sorkin was dropped from the show after season four, many believed the show to have built itself back up to an intimidating stance by this final season, which finished airing just last May.  Die-hard fans have the option of checking out the Complete Series Collection instead, with which for just a shade under 200 clams, you get the entire series on 45 discs and script for the Pilot, all inside of a pretty blue box.

New On DVD Read More »

This Week

/ / Film News & Trailers

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released which include Will Farrell being controlled by a narator who wants him dead, Sarah Michelle Gellar taking on monsters, Russell Crowe re-teaming with director Ridley Scott, Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. in an “imaginary” biopic and another with Ed Harris and Diane Kruger, a documentary about a naughty word, and Joey Lauren Adams writes and directs her first film.

All that and more, so c’mon in and let us get you ready for the week!

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more?  Just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look?  Just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Opening Friday:

Stranger Than Fiction

Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is the character in the latest novel from author Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson), but he’s a real person who must stop this unseen narrator before she sets in motion events that will lead to his death.  Should be one of the more interesting and original films of the year.  The film was directed by Marc Forester who gave us Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland but also is responsible for last year’s atrocity Stay (check out that review, if you dare).  The strong supporting cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah, and Arrested Development‘s Tony Hale.  Come back Friday for our review.

Harsh Times

Christain Bale, in his second film of the fall, plays a Gulf War vet, unable to find employment and fighting delusions, who reunites with a childhood friend (Freddy Rodriguez) for a joyride of booze, drugs, babes, and danger around the streets of L.A.  Writer David Ayer (Training Day, The Fast and the Furious, S.W.A.T.) pens the script and takes his first stint behind the camera as director, so expect fast cars and fast women – Eva Longoria, Tamy Trull, Adriana Millan, Samantha Esteban and Tania Verafield.  Paul Renteria, Emilio Rivera, Noel Gugliemi, Terry Crews, Randy Tobin, and J.K. Simmons also star.

A Good Year

Russell Crowe plays an Englishman who inherits a vineyard from a dying uncle (Albert Finney), but the arrival of the dead man’s sexy and spunky daughter (Abbie Cornish) from California, who claims the land his hers, complicates matters.  Seriously, is that the lamest poster ever?  Anyway…  Ridley Scott reconnects with his Gladiator star, but odds are less dead bodies here (unless audiences start to commit suicide).  It seems an odd project for both and an obvious ploy to help Crowe’s poor public image.  Archie Panjabi, Ali Rhodes, Tom Hollander, Richard Coyle, Rafe Spall, Patrick Kennedy, and Daniel Mays also star.

The Return

Sarah Michelle Gellar seems to be entrenched as the horror industry’s new scream queen.  The brunette Gellar plays a young businesswoman dealing with her nightmares about a murder of a woman she’s never met which cause her to investigate the crimes only to discover she’s a vampire slayer, um, something scary?  The deep voice on the trailers promises a “psychological thriller,” but why do the ads all look like your average ghost and gore flick?  Well, at least it’s original and not adapted from a Japanese film this time.  Adam Scott, Kate Beahan, Erinn Allison, and Peter O’Brien also star.

Currently in Limited Release, Opening Wide on Friday:

Babel

Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi, and others star in this wide-ranging, and long-winded, tale of children and parents spanning four families, three countries, and two continents.  I wanted to like Babel, but when I wasn’t bored out of my skull I found myself bewildered by the odd make-up of the film and bizarre choices of its characters.  It wants so badly to be important, but lacks the detail necessary, instead providing us with a glut of stories and characters, that neither explored nor developed, which never come together.  The film is currently in limited release.  You can read the rest of my review here.

Opening Friday in Limited Release:

Fuck

Director Steve Anderson (The Big Empty) gives us a documentary on everyone’s favorite curse word.  The film looks at the orgin of the word, the reasons behind it’s offensive meaning, and what can be gained from its use.  The film has had some trouble being marketed, since you can’t use the name of the film on a movie poster, but word of mouth and a cast of comedians (and porn stars?), including Billy Connolly, Bill Maher, Jeneane Garofalo, Kevin Smith, Tera Patrick, and Ron Jeremy, discussing it all (think last year’s dirty but delicious The Aristocrats).  It opens exclusively in New York and L.A. on Friday.

Come Early Morning

Unable to find any good roles, actress Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy, A Cool, Dry Place, Big Daddy) decided to take a page from former boyfriend Kevin Smith and write and direct her own film.  The story follows a hard-drinkin’, hard-workin’, hard playin’ southern gal (Ashley Judd) who begins to confront her lifestyle and turn her life around when she meets the new guy in town (Jeffrey Donovan).  Fans of That 70’s Show can tune in for Laura Prepon playing Judd’s daughter.  Early reaction has been positive, especially for Judd’s perfromance and for Adams who won a nomination at Cannes for her direction.

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus

The latest from director Steven Shainberg (Secretary) follows wealthy aristocrat Diane Arbus (Nicole Kidman) who turns her back on her family in favor of her mentor (Robert Downey Jr.) who opens up a world to her allowing her to become one of the most revered photographers of the twentieth century.  The film also stars Ty Burrell, Jane Alexander, Emmy Clarke, Genevieve McCarthy, Emily Bergl, Gwendolyn Bucci, and Krista Coyle.  Should be an art house hit if the early buzz for Kidman’s performance is true, but will in connect with mainstream viewers?  It opens in select cities in limited release on Friday.

Copying Beethoven

Ed Harris as Ludwig van Beethoven?  Yep.  Harris plays the famous composer in his late years struggling with the Ninth Symphony with the help of the lovely Diane Kruger (National Treasure, Troy).  The film won the CEC Award for Best Film at the San Bebastian International Film Festival.  The cast also includes Matthew Goode, Joe Anderson, Nicholas Jones, Viktoria Dihen, and Phylida Law.  Well, it can’t be worse than Harris’ last project (though mine wasn’t the only opinion), and the lovely Ms Kruger can make anything more enjoyable.  It opens in select cities in limited release on Friday.

This Week Read More »

Taking on the MPAA

/ / Movie Reviews

The MPAA is a body of unparalleled power in Hollywood.  With a word it can destroy any chance of a film getting a marketing deal and being seen by the public.  You would think with that much power the group would be carefully controlled and rely on strict rules and regulations, would take the time to view films and compare them to other films containing similar content, and be respectful in measuring the content and meaning of a scene (whether gratuitous or integral to the plot).  You would think that would be true, but Kirby Dick’s new documentary provides a much different view of the MPAA that may shock you.

This Film is Not Yet Rated
4 Stars

In 1968 a former White House lobbyist and advisor to Lyndon B. Johnson, Jack Valenti, set-up the MPAA “voluntary” rating system.  Now almost forty-years later this group of individuals, whose identities are kept more secret than undercover C.I.A. operatives, exerts tremendous power and influence on the film industry that is neither truly govened or balanced.  Who are these people?  How does the rating system work?  Is the MPAA protecting the majority of Americans or bowing to the extremist conservative mobilized minority?  Why is it so confusing?  This is the subject of This Film is Not Yet Rated.

Kirby Dick‘s documentary asks many questions about the nature of the MPAA.  The film includes interviews from directors and actors, former members of the movie ratings board, and a private investigator’s attempts to hunt down the secret members who wield unchallenged power over the film industry.

At its best the film is insightful and instructive especially when it examines the short-comings of the rating and appeal process every film that wishes to be distributed in the United States must “voluntarily” go through.  Though the MPAA rating is voluntary any film without a rating will not be shown by the large theater chains or be allowed in large video stores such as Blockbuster.

The film has many points which to discuss but I’ll limit a few that I found particularly interesting.  Here are five of the most troubling tidbits Dick and his investigator were unable to uncover in the course of their investigation.  The film isn’t limited to these points, but it will give you a basic idea of its focus.

1. The Ratings Board – The board is made of of “ordinary” U.S. citizens with no training in child behavior or psychology.  The members undergo no training and are never given a crash course or standards or practices to follow.  Each earns $30,000 a year for his or her service for the board and must sign non-disclosure agreements against speaking about films or the board itself.  The chairperson, Joan Graves, was appointed by Valenti himself and personally hires all members of the board.  She lives in a multi-million dollar home, I guess it pays to be the chief.  It’s the only ratings board of its type that the members identities are kept secret, even from the filmmakers themselves.  The members have a limited time to serve on the board and must have at least one child between the ages of 5 and 17.  However the investigation showed that at least one member had served well past the mandatory period and several members had children who were fully grown and out of the house.

2. Violence is Moe Acceptable than Sex – Films with strong sexual themes, graphic or not, nudity or not, are four times as likely to be given a NC-17 rating over films with graphic violence (which at worse will get an R, and can often skate by with an PG-13).

3. What do They Have Against Homosexuals? – The film provides one of it’s clearest arguments here in presenting footage from straight sex scenes side-by-side with gay sex scenes that are shot in the same style and camera position.  Even if the gay scene is less explicit it earned a harsher rating.  So why does a masturbation scene from But I’m a Cheerleader get an NC-17 while a similar scene from American Beauty passes with an R?  Why does the sex scene from Boys Don’t Cry demand a cut to make an R-rating, but the same scene is permissable in Single White Female?  Henry & June vs. Sideways?  Mysterious Skin vs. Unfaithful?  The MPAA denies any such discrimination but the list goes on and on, and the facts do seem to tell the tale.

4. The Appeal Process is a Joke – If a director wants to fight a rating he feels is ill-deserved he can confront an appeal committee, again of nameless faces, which it turns out include priests and theater executives.  A director however cannot ask questions to the appeal board, cannot quote precedents, cannot compare other similar scenes from films given a different rating, and no tape or written record is allowed.  You are allowed to show up and beg for mercy.

5. Filmmakers Don’t Understand the Process – The film contains interviews from several directors including John Waters, Kevin Smith, Kimberly Peirce, Wayne Kramer, Matt Stone, Allison Anders, Mary Harron, Darren Aronofsky, and others.  Without an exception each individual was stunned and saddened by how the MPAA works and how their films were treated without context or precedent ever being considered.

Given that the standards for membership aren’t upheld, the members themselves aren’t trained or held to standards themselves, the group discriminates against same-sex relationships, the process confuses studios and filmmakers and favors big studio projects over independent films, and prefers men to shoot multiple holes in another guy than kiss the girl (let alone another guy), hides its members in secrecy, and has an appeal process that can only be considered a joke, it’s running just fine.  Good thing they don’t have any real power….oops.

The film covers quite a bit of ground.  There are small faults – the film gets a little too wrapped up in the private-eye and the investigation for its own good, but overall it’s a very educational and entertaining look at a big problem that lies at the heart of American filmmaking.  Will the film do any good, cause any changes to occur?  Who knows, but for 97 minutes it raises the issue and presents a compelling case.  That’s more, much more, than most films do these days.

Taking on the MPAA Read More »

Comic Book Shelf

/ / Comics

Hey there true believers!  Today the twelfth issue of our Comic Book Shelf edition hits our newsstand.  Want to know what’s getting released today at the old comic shop but too busy, or lazy (not that there’s anything wrong with that), to bother?  Well no sweat Bat-fans as we’ve got the scoop of what comics and graphic novels are hitting the shelves today.

This week’s releases include Detective Comics, Incredible Hulk, Hellgate: London, Justice League of America, Fantastic Four: The End, Midnighter, Superman Confidential, What If? Avengers Disassembled, The Other Side, Nightwing, and more!

If you’re looking for graphic novels you don’t want to miss X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic Book 4, Gotham Central: The Quick and the Dead, Fantastic Four: First Family, Adam Strange Archives Vol. 2, Go Girl! Robots Gone Wild!, Spider-Girl: Betrayed, and more.

For the full list check inside…

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Comic Book ShelfRead More »

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