From the Vault: Lost in Translation

This week from the vault comes an indie film classic, Lost in Translation. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, the film stars the hilarious Bill Murray and the very talented Scarlett Johansson.

Murray stars as Bob Harris, a movie actor who has gone to Tokyo, Japan, to shoot a series of commercials for a whiskey. While staying in his hotel, he meets Charlotte (played by Johansson) who is the wife of an up and coming photographer also working in Tokyo. While Bob reassessing his life, Charlotte is trying to find purpose for hers. Together they form a friendship that could only be possible halfway around the world where in a place they feel completely alienated and alone, they find comfort in each other.

Lost in Translation established Sofia Coppola as the queen of the indie film scene, and remains her highest rated film to date.

Lost in Translation is currently available on dvd and is rated R for some sexual content.

America Counts Down to Spider-Man 3

After the success of the first two films of the franchise, audiences are eagerly awaiting the opening of Spider-Man 3. Opening nationwide on May 4, Spider-Man 3 promises to live up to its hype.

The film stars Tobey Maguire as the infamous Peter Parker/ Spider-Man and Kirsten Dunst as his love interest, Mary Jane. Everything seems to be going well for Parker until one day he runs into a man named Flint Marko (played by Thomas Haden Church) who was actually responsible for Parker's uncle's death. Flint Marko however becomes mutated into the villain Sandman who proves to be Spider-Man's most challenging competitor yet.

Meanwhile, a woman by the name of Gwen Stacy (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), steals the affections of Peter Parker and causing a strain on the relationship between him and Mary Jane. Spider-Man must then confront the demons not only around him, but within himself as well.

So far critics have given the new Spidey film decent reviews, but it is guaranteed that everyone will be at the movie theaters this weekend to make the judgment for themselves.

Spider-Man 3 opens nationwide on May 4, 2007 and is rated PG-13 for sequences of intence action violence.

"Hot Fuzz" Sets Bar High for Comedies of 2007

From the creators of Shaun of the Dead, comes the action packed, downright hilarious film, Hot Fuzz. With a tagline for the film stating "From the guys who saw every action film ever made", you can't go wrong with this one.

Hot Fuzz tells the story of Sergeant Nicholas Angel (played by Simon Pegg), a cop who was so good at his job in London, they reassigned him since he was making everyone else look bad. Angel is sent to the small, quaint town of Sanford and given a new partner, played by the hilarious Nick Frost. All seems well in Sanford, until one two many "accidents" seem to be occurring. The cop duo intend to get to the bottom of the mystery and save the town from the devious Simon Skinner (played by Timothy Dalton).

Hot Fuzz is a hilarious, action-packed good time that should have came in first this weekend at the box office, however it lost out to its weaker, over-hyped competition, Disturbia. If you are looking for a good time, see this film and ignore the box office numbers for all the others.

"Disturbia" Has its Moments

The new hip thriller, Disturbia, has had everyone talking recently. After coming in first place at the box office two weeks in a row, it appears that audiences are completely fascinated by it. Although Disturbia does have its moments of intense suspicion, we have seen all of this before.

Disturbia tells the story of Kale (played by up-and-coming Shia LeBouf) and how he has been put on house arrest. After becoming completely restless from staying indoors all day, Kale decides to spy on his neighbors, one of which may be a cold blooded serial killer (played by David Morse).

The beginning of this film puts you immediately on the edge of your seat, however for the next hour you are basically following Kale around the house as he causes problems for his poor mother (played by Carrie Ann Moss), hangs out with his best friend, and tries to swoon the girl next door. Right before you are about to leave the theater out of boredom, the last fifteen minutes of the film makes up for all of the time (and money) you once believed you had wasted. Disturbia was o.k., but why pay $10 to see it in theaters, when you can wait for it on dvd for only $3? At least you can do laundry or pay your bills during the boring hour.

What Went Wrong with GRINDHOUSE Opening Weekend?

Ebert and Roeper gave it two thumbs way up, most critics hail it as "bloody good fun", and audiences say its the most fun movie experience they have had in a long time... well, audiences who actually went to see it. The new double feature Grindhouse by directors/writers, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriquez was expected to make atleast $20 million dollars its opening weekend, however it made a little over half of that with only $10 million.

This was a big upset for The Weinstein Company, the producers of the film, considering Grindhouse needs to make $50 million in theaters in order for it to not be a flop.

Many people speculate that the film did not gross so well because of its length, which runs just over three hours. This three hours includes the two feature films, Planet Terror and Death Proof, as well as fake movie trailers directed by friends of Rodriguez and Tarantino.

There have been talks about separating the two films in hopes that people will be more enticed to go, however it is in the opinion of this blogger that the film did not gross so well due to bad marketing strategies.

This is a bloody, gory, fun mess, perfect for summer audiences when kids are out of school and people have time to spend 3 hours at a movie theater. Not in the middle of April. Also, the film opened Easter weekend, which is a big family holiday. Being that it is a family holiday, people will be more interested in seeing family friendly films like Blades of Glory, Meet the Robinsons, and Are We Done Yet.

Hopefully word will spread on the brilliance and fun of Grindhouse and more audiences will go see it this weekend, because it is certainly better than all of the other films who gained the people's money.

From the Vault: The Prestige

One of the best films of 2006 that went overlooked at the Oscars was The Prestige. Directed by Christopher Nolan, who gained fame for his indie sensation Memento and Batman Begins, The Prestige tells the story of two rival magicians who are both searching for the ultimate magic trick.

Christian Bale stars as Alfred Borden and Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier. Scarlett Johansson plays the role of Olivia, who ties both Borden and Angier together in a love triangle.

The film did receive Oscar nominations for Best Achievement in Art Direction and Cinematography, however is was a major upset that Jackman was not nominated for Best Actor. This was the best role of his career and it is a shame the Academy failed to recognize that.

The Prestige also stars Michael Caine and David Bowie and was rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing images.

Grindhouse is a Sinful Good Time

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are back together on a type of project that hasn't been seen since the late 1970s. Grindhouse is the new film, which is actually two films back to back of eachother. The first is Planet Terror, directed by Rodriguez and the second is Death Proof, directed by Tarantino.

The first feature, Planet Terror, there is a zombie-like outbreak in a small town. All seems hopless until a gun-legged stripper named Cherry (played by Rose McGowan) and her martial arts partner (played by Freddy Rodriguez) take on the zombies and attempt to save the world.

In Death Proof, Kurt Russell stars as Mike, a stuntman who stalks beautiful women and then kills them. However the catch is, he kills them will his car. This feature also stars Rosario Dawson.

Grindhouse is full of violence, gore, language, sex and everything in between, but all in the good name of 1970s exploitation fun. If you can handle Rodriguez and Tarantino's other films, this should be a good 3 hours for you.

"Meet the Robinsons" is Good Family Fun

The new Disney animated feature, Meet the Robinsons, is not exactly one of Disney's "classic films", however it is good, wholesome, family fun.

Lewis is a young orphan boy with a very active imagination. When he attempts to create a machine that could possibly tell him who his mother his, plans are foiled by a skinny man in a bowler hat from the future (aptly named "Bowler Hat Guy). The man steals Lewis' device and with the help of another kid from the future named Wilbur Robinson, Wilbur and Lewis set out to save the future and along the way meet Wilbur's eccentric but loving family.

This movie has a few big laughs scattered throughout and although it may not hold adults' attentions for very long, the kids will very much enjoy it.

Meet the Robinsons is currently playing in all major theaters nationwide.

From the Vault: "Harold and Maude"

It seems that in this day an age, there are very few movies that can be classified as "One of the best films of all time." Granted, there have been a few recently that certainly rank high up on the charts such as American Beauty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Prestige, and The Departed, nevertheless it seems that audiences have been presented more with eye candy feature and blow-em up action films, rather than good, moving stories. One film in particular, that although had a small budget, it has a major cult following, is Harold and Maude.

Directed by Hal Ashby, the film tells the story about a young man named Harold. Harold is in his early twenties, wealthy, however has an odd sensation with death. He constantly stages suicide attempts in order to gain his mother's attention and attends funerals for fun.

One day at a funeral, Harold meets a woman named Maude. Maude is 79 years old and has a wonderful appreciation for life. She's an artist, a musician, lives in a renovated train caboose, and borrows random people's cars for fun. Harold becomes instantly drawn to Maude and her sensation for life, as they form a lasting friendship.

The film is a quirky comedy with terrific writing and excellent performances by Bud Court (Harold) and Ruth Gordon (Maude).

This film is a must see for everyone who is looking to see something more original after all of the sequels and remakes Hollywood only seems to produce any more.

"Blades of Glory" Goes for the Gold

If you go up to anyone and ask them what could possibly be funnier than men's figure skating, they will most likely respond Will Ferrell and Jon Heder in a men's figure skating movie. Such is the case with the new film, Blades of Glory.

The film stars Will Ferrell and Jon Heder as two rival Figure Skaters who both get banned from Men's Singles Figure Skating after a startling fight on national television. However, both of the men still want to compete in the Olympics, so they find a loophole: They both are still eligible to be a pairs team.

The film also stars Craig T. Nelson as the coach who trains Ferrell and Heder to be a team. Also starring is Will Arnett as Stranz van Waldenberg and Amy Poehler as his wife.

Blades of Glory is good laugh-out loud mindless fun and Heder and Ferrell shine in their roles.

Blades of Glory is currently playing in all major theaters.

"Reign Over Me" is an Emotional Triumph

Writer/Director, Mike Binder, has given audiences a beautiful and moving story in the new film, Reign Over Me. The film stars Don Cheadle, Adam Sandler, Jada Pinkette Smith, Liv Tyler, and Donald Sutherland.

Cheadle plays the role of Alan Johnson. A middle age man with a great job, a loving wife (played by Smith), and wonderful kids. One day the most unexpected thing happens when Alan runs into his old college roommate, Charlie Finemen, played by Sandler. Charlie has no job, no family, and does what he pleases, however the big surprise is he has no memory of Alan at all.

As time goes on, Alan discovers that Charlie is suffering severe grief after losing his family in one of the plane crashes that took place on Sept. 11, 2001. Alan attempts to discuss this with Charlie, but Charlie won't respond to any of Alan's inquiries.

The film chronicles the friendship of these two men and how they both help each other work out problems with life and discovering happiness. Definitely a must see and be sure to bring a friend.

Reign Over Me is currently playing in theaters nationwide.

"Dead Silence" Has Little to No Life

Writer/Director, James Wan, gained a cult following with his SAW horror film series. His recent attempt to distance himself from the SAW serial killer, Jigsaw, is in the new film, Dead Silence.


Newcomer, Ryan Kwanten, plays the lead role of Jamie Ashen. After a ventriloquist dummy mysteriously appears on his doorstep, his wife is killed and her tongue ripped out. Ashen then remembers a childhood poem from his home town about a woman named Mary Shaw:

Beware the stare of Mary Shaw.
She had no children, only dolls.
And if you see her, do not scream...
Or she'll rip your tongue out at the seam.

This poem then entices Jamie to head back to his old town of Raven's Fair, to discover the ghost killer of his wife. Donnie Walhberg plays Detective Jim Lipton, who has followed Jamie to make sure he doesn't try and skip town.

The film does have its creepy moments. After all it is a known fact that everyone in this world has some fear of walking, talking, murdering dummies. However, the few brief scenes of eeriness is unable to make up for the fact the film falls short of anything memorable. Also the film constantly keeps building and building up for a dramatic climax that never comes, and the ending happens too quickly and leaves the audience scratching their heads.

Wahlberg provides some comic relief throughout the film with his constant need to shave with his electric razor in every scene, and Kwanten does average as the endearing protagonist. However in this day in age, not even scary dummies, creepy ghosts, and interesting camera angles can save this film from being another disappointing, wanna-be horror flick. Sorry Mr. Wan... maybe we'll go see Saw 4 instead.

"Premonition" Lacks Insight

The new film Premonition starring Sandra Bullock has attempted to tap into the sci-fi drama market that has recently become a new fad in Hollywood, however this movie falls short of anything worth being remembered.

Sandra Bullock is Linda Hanson, a wife and stay-at-home mom, who has a vision of her husband dying in a car crash while on a business trip. To make matters worse, each time she wakes up another day has gone by in which her husband is either dead or still alive. Sound confusing? Don't worry... it is.

Bullock's performance is not the problem in this film. In fact, considering what she was given to work with, she did quite well. However with poor writing and confusing direction by Mennan Yapo, the film ends up in the air while leaving the audience with a bad taste in their mouths.

This film showed promise, however we are only left with regret. Mrs. Bullock, please stick to cutesy, over-the-top, romantic comedies. At least those films make more sense than this one.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!!!... (Again?)

Yes, they're back... You're favorite mean, green, fighting machines. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Only this time they are computer animated.

The hit originally started out as one of the most infamous children's shows of all time back in the late 80s and early 90s. And after a hit t.v. series, comic books, three movies, and a failed remake of the t.v. series, Warner Bros. think that they have a hit on their hands.

However, it is in the opinion of this blogger and many others that the studio is simply exploiting my generation's constant need for nostalgia. TMNT was a huge part of my generation, however do we really need to see it being updated for the new generation as well?

All the original characters are here: Leonardo, the goody-two-shoes leader of the bunch, Donatello, the smart one, Raphael, the rebel, and Michaelangelo, the party boy.

Hopefully the studio did not go too far out of its way to make this film "hip" or modern", and although I cringed when I saw the trailer for this film, I know I am going to go see it opening weekend. I owe it to the 6 year old girl that still lives inside of me wishing she was a martial arts, pizza-eating turtle.

TMNT opens nation wide on March 30, 2007.

"300" is Bloody Good Fun!

The new action packed film, 300, has had people talking ever since the trailer came out. Thankfully, the movie gives audiences everything it was hoping for: Action, blood, and fun!

From the graphic novel by Frank Miller and director Zack Snyder comes the story of the 300 Spartans who faced off against over thousands of Persian troops.

The downside to this film is its simplistic dialog, however it is completely made up for by its visually stunning art direction, costumes, cinematography, and soundtrack.

The film stars Gerard Butler as King Leonidas, Lena Headey as his strong wife, Queen Gorgo, and Dominic West as the deceiving Theron.

The film is rated R for graphic violence, some sexuality, and nudity.

300 is currently playing in many major theaters, as well as some IMAX theaters throughout the country.

NewsVine is on the Frontier

After all of the guest speakers who have come to class over the previous weeks discussing the direction in which journalism is heading, I thought I would share with you all a website that is on the frontier.

NewsVine is a website that incorporates both mainstream media and the average blogger. This site is one of the first on the web to receive up to date news breaks from news sources such as AP, Reuters, and UPI. The front page displays the top most active news stories, the most commented news stories, and those deemed most important.

Also, news stories are broken up into sections such as World News, U.S. News, Politics, Sports and many more. The layout is similar to that of an RSS Feed.

The most amazing thing about this page is if one registers (which is for free) to use the site, you will be given a profile page and then be able to write news stories on your own. Whether it be about something the whole world will be affected by or just your home town. Other users are then able to read your stories, comment, and vote. If your story receives enough comments or votes, it will then appear as one of the top stories on the front page of NewsVine.

I have recently become a member of this site and am looking forward to write articles for it. I believe this site will actually be most helpful not only to improve my knowledge of the media, but to allow other aspiring journalist to read over my work, check my facts, and possibly give some suggestions. Check it out!

www.newsvine.com

Black Snake Moan Strikes A Cord

If you're curious as to what could possibly be one of the first great films of 2007, Black Snake Moan viciously and triumphantly takes that spot. Writer/director, Craig Brewer, who first gained much notoriety with his previous film, Hustle & Flow, is the creator of this unusual platonic love story.

A dark tale set in the deep south, Samuel L. Jackson stars as Lazarus, a former blues musician whose wife recently left him for his younger brother. Christina Ricci plays the role of Rae, a young and troubled girl with a nymphomaniac tendencies due to her troubled past. When Rae ends up half dead and half naked on the side of the road after a rough night, Lazarus finds her and takes it upon himself to "cure her of her wicked ways". The answer to this? Chain her up to the radiator... Something most would consider unorthodox, but Lazarus is convinced he can save Rae from all the men who continuously abuse her, as well as save her from herself. All without laying a hand on her.

This film is not very everyone. There is much foul language and disturbing sexual situations, however the film itself is quite raw, clever, funny, and touching. Samuel L. Jackson gives us his best performance since he was in Pulp Fiction, and this has been Christina Ricci's best role hands down.

The soundtrack to the film is also quite amazing with its rough blues songs. Also, a majority of the songs are done by Jackson himself. You can listen to the whole soundtrack on the Official Black Snake Moan Webpage.

Justin Timberlake and S. Epatha Merkerson of "Law and Order" also star.

Black Snake Moan is currently in theaters.

New Hampshire Liberty Forum

This weekend I attended the New Hampshire Liberty Forum, which was an event hosted by the Free State Project. The purpose of this event was to have individuals come to Concord, NH from Feb. 22-25 to discuss issues for "attaining personal and economic freedom" for the individual.

The Free State Project is made up predominately of a group of political activists known as libertarians and held this event in order to promote the initiatives of the project, but to also bring together a large group of people with the same political interests.

There were many speakers the forum including:
*John Stossel, co-anchor of ABC's 20/20 news
*Michael Badnarik, former Libertarian Presidential Candidate of 2004
*Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the CATO Institute
*Jack Cole, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

There were also many other speakers addressing the issues of taxes, personal freedoms, problems with drug prohibition, and conflicts of the two major political parties.

On the last day, Congressman Ron Paul (a registered Republican, however has many libertarian views) gave a the closing speech for the forum and entertained the idea of running for the Republican presidential ticket in 2008.

The forum was very insightful, entertaining, and provided a lot of information and discussion on issues relevant to the direction of American politics today.

A Date with Oscar

This year the 79th Annual Academy Awards has everyone in a bustle over who deserves the coveted, golden Oscar. 2006 proved to be a very diverse year with the number of films came out from the mafia dramas, to musicals, to indie surprises.

There are six categories that many people sit around their television to anxiously see who the winner is and they are Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture. All of which have nominees that equally deserve their spots.
The following are the predictions for the winners in each category.

*Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy for Dream Girls; Murphy proved to be a pleasant surprise as the jazzy James "Thunder" Early, and has given the best performance of his career in this film.

*Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson for Dream Girls; Hudson stole the spotlight from her costar Beyonce Knowles with her beautiful voice and touching performance.

*Best Actor: Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland; Whitaker has always been regarded as one of the great actors of this generation, and he only reaffirms those beliefs in this film playing the tyrannical dictator, Idi Amin. Hands down the best acting performance in any film of 2006. Period.

*Best Actress: Helen Mirren for The Queen; Mirren gives a riveting performance as Queen Elizabeth in the days following the death of Princess Diana. Mirren as been a true gem in the cinematic world and will be given admiration at this year's Oscars.

*Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed; Having already been nominated for best director five times for terrific films such as Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, and Goodfellas, Scorsese as yet to win an Oscar for best director. He is long over due and The Departed his is ticket.

*Best Picture: The Departed; A gripping film of cops and mobsters, with a stellar cast, this film has been hailed by dozens of renowned film critics as the best film of 2006 and is the leading contender for the best picture category this year.

The 79th Academy Awards will air live February 25, 2007 at 8pm et on ABC.

Al Gore's Concert Against Global Warming

Former Vice President Al Gore is taking his initiative to save the earth from global warming one step further with the help of actress, Cameron Diaz, and music producer Pharrell Williams. The initiative will be called "Save Our Selves: The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis".

As part of the initiative, on July 7, 2007, a 24 hour world wide concert called Live Earth which will be held to bring attention to the serious issues involving global warming. The concert will include over 100 musicians and span over seven continents.

Musicians expected to participate are Pharrell, the Black Eyed Peas, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Green Day, Snoop Dog, Faith Hill, Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and many others.

Al Gore first gained notoriety for his involvement to raise awareness about global warming with his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" which was released in 2006.

The Departed: New on DVD

Martin Scorsese's film "The Departed" was released on Tuesday, February 13. Hailed as one of the best films of 2006 by critics, "The Departed" is up for five Academy Award nominations including Best Director and Best Picture.

Set in the rough neighborhoods in Boston, the film centers around the lives of Billy Costigan, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Colin Sullivan, played by Matt Damon. Costigan is a Massachusetts' state trooper who goes undercover as a member of the mafia to infiltrate the workings of Frank Costello (played by the infamous Jack Nicholson). However, Costello sends in one of his closest men, Sullivan, to pose as a cop.

Tangled webs are weaved here, but the audience is able to stay captivated by the intricate plot and ingenious performances by all of the actors including Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and new-comer Vera Farmiga.

It's going to be a close race at the Oscars between "The Departed" and the ensemble drama "Babel", directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, nevertheless, "The Departed" has proven that Martin Scorsese can still create a terrific mobster movie for the new generation.

The 79th Annual Academy Awards air live on Sunday, February 25th at 8pm on ABC.

The Good, The Bad, & The Queen

Damon Albarn's newest project The Good, The Bad, & The Queen has been one of the most anticipated bands over the past year. Needless to say, the band delievers on every expectation. Albarn, who was the frontman for the Blur as well as the creator and lead singer for the musical sensation of the Gorillaz, continues to show has talents and musical range with this new band.

The Good, the Bad, & The Queen's debut, self titled album provides a more mellow tone the underground indie crowd can certainly appreciate. Their first single "Heculean" combines electronic club beats with eerie background vocals and is the perfect song to get anyone hooked on this album. The song "80's Life" has Albarn displays his full range while hooking you with it's nostalgic lyrics. Other songs include "Nothern Whale", "Three Changes", and "Kingdom of Doom" which the band has released the first music video for.

Although this album certainly has a different tone than Albarn's previous dance beats found in the Gorillaz, it is certainly a nice change and we can only hope for more albums to come.

http://www.thegoodthebadandthequeen.com/