So it's that time of year again. Time for family, holidays, good food and presents. However, it's also time for some interesting movies. Now everyone's been clamoring about the new Star Wars, but personally, I have my eyes set on a different movie. The Hateful Eight is the, coincidently or not, eighth movie from famous director Quentin Tarantino. He's made some of the most commercially and critically successful movies ever, such as Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, and most recently, Django Unchained. He has been known for his sharp writing, over the top violence and meticulous attention to detail that's garnered him such a loving following over the years.
The movie, set to star actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Walter Goggins, Tim Roth among others. Many faces in the cast will look familiar to people who have seen a Tarantino film before. Anyway, the movie is about eight different people who, against their will, get trapped in a building and have to spend a few nights with each other, and this isn't any happy sleepover. No one trusts anyone and tensions are bound to be high.
One choice Tarantino made for the film which is really interesting is he made the decision to shoot using 70mm film, which isn't seen too often these days, and is certainly worth checking out one of the 70mm versions, because it will contain 6 addition minutes of film as well as usage of different takes. The total run time for the 70mm version is 3 hours and 2 minutes, and it's likely jam packed with everything that makes his movies so enjoyable. The movie releases on Christmas day, and I recommend making plans to go see, not necessarily on Christmas. And don't forget to go with someone you trust.
Why being fired was one of the best things to happen to me.
This past Monday I was fired, plain and simple. During a workshop by DP Chris Scarafile, camera operator on "Boardwalk Empire" and "Blacklist" I was one of three who volunteered to help set up and demonstrate what a professional production might look like. My job...Grip.
Here's what I didn't know.
1) How to use a C-Stand properly.
2) How to put on a tool belt.
3) What the different flags did what. 4) How to put two apple boxes together to make a firm base.
5) How to use tape.
6) How to push a dolly
7) To get out of the way of the lights.
8) How to not fuck up in a general and very specific sense.
I was obviously fired in the first thirty seconds. I had no experience or right to be a grip for someone such as Chris Scarafile (or a grip at all). But I knew that I was going to put my foot forward and at least try, and by the grace of god I was allowed to stay and help for the remaining. I am not someone who likes to sit on the sidelines, and as Chris said if someone asks you to do a job you don't know how to do it SAY YES and you can learn in the time between when you're asked and when you're on the job. Unfortunately for me that time was 0 seconds so that really didn't apply to me in this situation...
Here's what I did know and did learned.
1) How to use a C-Stand properly
2) How to put on a tool belt and use the tools on them
3) What different flags did what and what they are used for
4) How to use tape and apple boxes
5) How to use a Dolly
6) How to not get in the way of lights
7) Don't fuck up
8) Always say yes and put your foot forward no matter what
9) How to perform under pressure and do your job
10) Ask questions
11) Give no excuses
12) Change my name and grow a mustache. TRY AGAIN.
13) Never give up
14) Keep a positive attitude
This was an insanely eye opening and helpful experience. For me, it was invaluable in seeing what the actual industry of what I want to do is like and how I can get in and be a part of it. It showed me the holes in my education at IC and what I need to work on and learn how to do. Most importantly it showed me that your attitude is an extremely important factor in how you learn, how you move up, and how you succeed in this business.
Though I got my ass kicked, I got out of there with even more excitement and passion than I had before and am extremely thankful for all those who made it possible.
The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, Enter the Void. All of these movies have one thing in common, the are all shot from a first person, of point of view, perspective. It's not used excessively in very many movies and it isn't usually the main selling point, but some have still attempted it, and sometimes with good results. Hardcore is looking to join the relatively short list as a movie completely shown in first person. It is a Russian action movie, which from the looks of the trailers, just seems to be the kind of movie where you tune out for some mindless fun. It's interesting to note that it started out as an IndieGoGo project that raised it's goal of $250,000 in one month. Sporting a minuscule cast with Sharlto Copley (District 9 and Chappie), the movie seems to aim for one goal, and one goal only: to have the most off the wall action that Russia has ever devised.
It will be interesting to see exactly how the movie comes out and whether or not the perspective adds to or detracts from the experience. A lot of times the issue with a first person perspective is that humans can naturally be shaky in their movements, and when sitting in a dark room staring at a bright screen for sometime, it could get very disorienting and even nauseating. Regardless, it should be an intersting watch, if only to see what a first person action movie would look like. Plus, every once in awhile you need something that you can just tune out for.
Rush, directed by Ron Howard, is every boy's dream. It's got action, it's got sex, and its got cars. It's got a LOT of cars. If you're anything like me, the concept of a "biographical sports drama film" based on race car drivers wouldn't exactly send you racing (hah) to the theaters. And yet, when I saw my friend down on his knees crying and begging me to see it with him, I obliged.
I wanted to hate it. I really did. And yet, although the main plot revolved around a race track, the characters, as well as the biographical aspect of the film, drew me in.
Here's the trailer:
Rush documents the racing rivalry between English playboy James Hunt, (played by Chris Hemsworth) and the cool, calculating German, Niki Lauda (played by Daniel Bruhl.) I think the main reason I find the movie so interesting is that the two main characters are complete opposites.
As one can imagine, the dynamic created between these two characters is fantastic. An intense rivalry sprinkled with hints of mutual respect, a little bit of fear, and even a shared eye twinkle here and there. The fact that the characters in Rush are based on real people only add to the of the magnificence whole thing.
Still, the character interaction in Rush wasn't the only reason my eyes stayed glued to the screen. Apparently, race car driving is really, really dangerous. Shot after shot of cars spinning out of control had me biting my nails anxiously, praying that neither of the main characters would be hurt. I won't give anything anyway because I seriously recommend watching the movie for yourself. Or, if the movie isn't going to do it for you, you can read the real story about the rivalry here.
Part of me was really happy that I didn't know anything about the Lauda/Hunt rivalry before seeing Rush. It definitely kept me on my toes the whole time, because unlike most of the audience, I had no idea what was to come. The other thing I found interesting was that throughout the entire movie I wasn't quite sure who I was supposed to root for. Both Lauda and Hunt were covered so equally that although I stood behind Lauda most of the time, my friend turned out to be rooting for Hunt. In the end, the protagonists were each their own antagonists.
In conclusion I strongly recommend the film. I liked it, and I'm a girl.
Recently I watched a short film titled Voice Over, directed by Martin Rosete and written by Luiso Berdejo. The main reason why I was so interested in this film is because it contains so many different settings all within 10 minutes, and balances between them perfectly. The film contains no dialogue, only voice over from what appears to be the "voice of God." In each setting (a man who crash landed on a distant planet, an amputee in combat in a war, and a sailor trapped underwater) the individual has three minutes to save themselves, whether it be getting oxygen, blowing up a bridge, or untying a knot which drags them down.
Since our videos have to be around 10 minutes, this video gave me a lot of inspiration for the amount of scope you can include in a movie that is rather short. I was blown away at how tense the film made me feel simply from a voice over reminding the viewer how much time they have left until they die. One thing I noticed is that for each individual, the stakes got higher toward the end of the film, seriously drawing me to the edge of my seat, only to be taken aback by the twist at the end, which I won't reveal. It's funny how you can watch a full length movie which has hours to build up character development, and it still will not captivate you as much as a short length film such as Voice Over.
Fans of the Marvel movies or simply Avenger fans have much in stored! From Josh Whedon, and the Director of Marvels The Avengers, the newly much anticipated series Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D premieres on ABC September 24 at 8/7c. Before the last battle of New York we see agent Coulson die, a tragedy to all fans who loved and supported his character. Well good new he's back from the dead to star in this up coming American television series. From the limited information that has been leaked this show it is not a spin off that is unrelated to the movies! Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D works in current time with the movies. It's in direct continuity with the movies. This show is about a hand selected, "non-super", group of people that are called upon to see about old and new opposing threats to the Earth. Humans are now aware that people from other planets exists while others with supernatural powers live and breath among them. It shows how, the "extras" from the Marvel superhero movies, are coping and living day to day with this new found realization. It's an exciting new show that doesn't seem to compare to any other show on television so far.
James Bond is more than a character, he is a film institution in his own right. "Skyfall," the 23rd movie of the franchise, third of the new reboot series," is approaching us. To prepare, my roommate and I watched "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace," starring all around bad ass Daniel Craig, to prepare for this new film. During the movie, we talked about why we liked Bond, and we appreciate the serious talk and that, even though we love the hokey gadgets of years past, the world needs the realist tools and fight scenes.
We both loved "Casino Royale" and we both were bored with "Quantum of Solace." We talked about what makes one good and one bad.
"Quantum" is all action. There is a story and it would be a good one if the movie just gave us time to breath and take it in. It's about oil, water, corrupt governments, money, CIA coups, a secret organization and revenge, always a good motivator for movie character. By the time the movie was over, I felt only a little bit less empty than why I saw it in 2008 in theaters.
"Casino Royale" was more of a thriller than an action movie, and hopefully the new one will stick with that. It gave us a torture scene that made every male in the audience cringe in pain, attack Bond's favorite gadget.
The movies get rid of the crazy plans for world domination with the silly lairs and names and create a world where men want money more than anything else. Bond doesn't say all of his catch phrases and we haven't gotten Miss Moneypenny and Q, who both will be in "Skyfall." I think what Quantum was missing was a villain who actually was a character and not a generic action film villain. Javier Barden, who played "Anton Chigurh," one of the best movie villains, and he got the oscar for that performance in "No Country for Old Men" might be able to bring some personality to the next Bond film. Hopefully, I will feel shaken (with excitement) and not stirred (with anger) at "Skyfall."
Once in a generation we come upon an action movie that
defines the genre, for our parents it was James Bond or Indiana Jones. For us
it was 2008’s Taken, starring Liam Neeson. I bring this up now not only cause I
am a HUGE fan of the actors, but also because the film is a nonstop
entertaining action romp. The film was what the Bourne movies, or even the
Mission Impossible movies tried to be, and that is the next standard in action
movies. Ever since Taken came out there have been movies that have tried to
dethrone the king (Even Neeson’s own The Grey) but have come up short. On
October 5th we might see the next action movie to take the genre to
new heights, the movie that I am talking about is Taken 2. Yes, yes at first it
may seem ridicules that there could be a sequel that involves Mr. Neeson’s
daughter and wife getting caught in some fashion. But as you can see from the
trailer below that this next chapter in this families unlucky vacation outings it
looks like it has a chance to live up to and maybe even surpass the original.
Hidey ho everybody, ever since class on Wednesday I've been thinking about our One-Shot Story Assignment. My group was bouncing back and forth some great ideas but I was having a lot of trouble getting my creative juices flowing. By the time we left class I knew that I wanted to do something that built suspense but I had no idea of how I could achieve this.
I finally got a short story idea and wrote up a rough draft but before I reveal too much here is the script. I'd love to hear what you guys thinks and any constructive criticism would be appreciated.
Mark Wahlberg is, in my opinion, one of the great actors in modern cinema today. The Departed, The Fighter, Ted, The Italian Job, Four Brothers. All fantastic movies and fantastic acting jobs (at least, in my opinion. Maybe others would disagree). And I don't think its always easy to stand out as a great actor in the world of action movies, where flashy special effects and explosions make up for what's lacking in the story and talent of the actors. Marky Mark still manages to shine.
"Shooter" is the story of Bob Lee Swagger (yes, 'Swagger'), a marksman living secluded in exile after a failed mission left one of his partners and best friends dead. He is recruited by the US Government via Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) to help stop an assassination attempt of the president. However, Swagger doesn't realize that he is soon to be double-crossed by the very country he risked his life for, and framed as the would-be killer. After surviving the double-cross, Swagger goes on the run from the police. Using his special training and skills with a firearm (or in this case many, many, many firearms), he hunts down the real shooter and tries to find out who exactly set him up and why.
Sounds pretty cool, eh? Yeah I thought so too. "Shooter" was one of those movies that looks great on paper but just fails to deliver what I hoped for with the story. I found it to be pretty damn predictable and cheesy. Not to mention, Danny Glover and the majority of the supporting cast just stinks up something awful with their performances. The portrayal of the corrupt head-honchos of US intelligence was way too cliche. I just wasn't convinced that the actors were really consuming themselves in their roles. They seemed to just play their roles to the most basic characteristics. Not enough feeling, not enough emotion.
And seriously....Mark Wahlberg's characters name is Swagger? Where the hell did they come up with that one?
I wouldn't call it one of Marky Mark's best performances either. But this is one of those movies that really does a GREAT job of making up for the places it lacks in, ... with ACTIONACTION ACTION ACTIONACTION.
Any scene where Swagger was wielding a gun was pure excitement. He pops headshots on guys from thousands of yards away, takes out like 20 dudes without getting a single scratch on him. This may be typical of any action movie. But they did it damn well. "Shooter" receives praise from me for its kick ass action sequences.
My first official blog EVER! And it involves Gerard Butler, I guess that makes me somewhat cool. This past weekend I purchased Gamer from the Walmart $5 bin. It was either this or Scooby Doo goes to Mexico and I get jealous when I see a dog going to more places thn I have been so I went with Gamer. Even though I've seen this movie before, I didn't watch it through a film aesthetic eye. This time I decided to do so and a bunch of questions rushed through my head. The effects, the budget, the hours that went into making one scene. At the start of the movie, Butler is seen running through what seems to be an abandoned warehouse and as he runs up the stairs there are at least 7 camera angels that catches him going up the stairs. 7! I guess when you do action packed films you have to capture all of those angles to make it seem like the action is going in a lot faster motion then it really is. Everything was also being blown up. EVERYTHING! The budget for the movie must be quite large to be able to blow up as many cars as they did, which is crazy because i'm still paying off my car! Throughout the movie I had trouble distinguishing what was effects and what was real, I think I have that with every film though. In todays technological age, anything can be an effect. Overall I enjoyed the movie even though I was watching it from a different perspective. Im sure Scooby Doo didn't have much fun in Mexico anyway.
