The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)

primul film in full al lui Peter Weir, are o reputatie cult. Stiam ca ar fi luat un premiu la festivalul de film fantastic de la Avoriaz.Desi imdb nu da aproape nici oreferire interesanta la film, linkurile externe au. Un sit frantuzesc are o analiza cam boring, pedanta si pretentioasa, dar din care afli despre receptia in epoca, nula. Filmul a fost cumparat de Roger Corman, care l-a scurtat cu 15 minute (la 74 min in cinema), l-a dublat pe presonajul principal Arthur, si i-a adaugat un voice over din care sa reiasa ca e un american in calatorie in Australia si i-a schimbat titlul in The Cars That Ate People. Oricum (eroul ?) principal e superlame si are o voce penibila, el e mai mult un martor traumatizat si actorul, Terry Camilleri, e faimos pt ca l-a jucat pe Napoleon in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure !!!



Corman a mai preluat ideea masinilor ucigase si a realizat Death Race 2000. Apoi George Miller a realizat masini asematoare in Mad Max, de aici sursa cultului pentru filmul lui Weir care e destul de intimist si cam ciudatel.



In esenta o satira, situata intr-un mediu inchis rural, despre un oras, Paris, care provoaca accidente si prada masinile, si una din victime, Arthur, care ramine in Paris si e martorul acestei tzacaneli.



Am auzit de film dintr-o revista cinema pe cind eram pusti dar nu l-am putut gasi niciodata. Nu am stiut insa ca a a aparut pe dvd in Romania, scos de Proptiki sub titlul MASINI MORTALE. Copia a fost restaurata in 2001.

DVD-ul romanesc de ocolit, pentru ca dupa genericul 2.35.1 filmul devine 1.85. si ramine asa pe toata durata lui, desi scrie pe el ca e 2.35.1 format widescreen 16x9. Am inteles ca asa e si cel englezesc. Formatul e insa ok pe dvdul american.
In plus, acesta contine un interviu cu Weir (care cica merita mai mult ca intreg filmul) si un alt filmulet satiric vindut ca thriller, facut de Weir pt TV in 1979, The Plumber ! Un cofret frantuzesc, scos de Gaumont in 2004 contine ambele filme, plus Picnic at Hanging Rock si The Last Wave, acestea insa au parut in SUA scoase de Criterion.

5 din 10, 2 1/2 din 5

The Shining-cartea lui Jack Torrance

cineva a avut un shining, sa scoata chiar cartea pe care a apucat s-o scrie Jack Torrance in Shining, adica paginile typed psycho. Intitulata "All Work and No play makes Jack a Dull Boy", se poate gasi aici. Din seria, "prea multi pe planeta si cu prea mult timp". Lui Kubrick i-ar fi placut ideea, insa.

EXILED (Fong juk, 2006)

mi s-a zis ca e cel mai bun film al lui Johnnie To !
eu nu am vazut decit Fulltime Killer si Election de el !
Fong Juk are ceva frantuzesc si melvillian, nu degeaba a fost el ales de John Woo si Terence Chang pentru remakeul la Cercul rosu !
Anthony Wong conduce un grup de killeri care protejeaza un fost gangster, sotia si fiul sau nou nascut pe care un clan riival, condus de Simon Yam vor sa-l omoare !


plus elemente de western spaghetti



filmul a fost in selectia oficiala la Venetia 63 si a fost intrarea oficial a Hong Kong pentru cel ami bun film starin la Oscar !
baletele coregrafice sunt si mai virtuoase decit la Woo ! Si lipsec cu desavirsire porumbeii ! Antologica caderea unui red bull in relanti, exact cit dureaza shootoutul final !

se intimpla in Macao dar zici ca sunt strazi din Franta !


muzica, multa si atmosferica, Guy Zerafa, editor David Richardson (de la Ringo Lam la Uwe Boll!)
DVD chinezesc, cu making of netradus (12'), trailer in original si behind the scenes (6min)
3 1/2 din 5 , 7 din 10

Huo AMPAS !

Is AMPAS Out Of Touch?
imdb 23 January 2009 1:38 AM,


Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences may have shot themselves in the foot with their selection of top Oscar nominees on Thursday, the Chicago Tribune suggested today (Friday). The newspaper observed that by selecting so many relatively obscure movies, the Academy seems to have guaranteed another low-rated Oscars ceremony. Entertainment writer Marc Caro noted that The Dark Knight, which took in $531 million at the domestic box office last year also garnered 94 positive reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes website, compared with 60 percent for The Reader, which has grossed only $7.9 million. "Yet The Reader is a best picture (and director) nominee, and The Dark Knight is not," Caro observed. Mediaweek analyst Marc Berman added: "The problem with the films this year is none of them are huge, mass-appeal hits." Caro concluded that by denying recognition to films like Knight and Wall-e, the movie academy "risks confirming the suspicions of those who think it has grown out of touch with mainstream tastes."


I AGREE, ALSO, The Wresler nu e la best film si regie ! si Clint !

Cameo Enzo Castellari in Inglorious B...

daca nu era Castellari, cum facea Tara.. his "guys on a mission" flick ? Questo Maledeto treno Blindato, despre care am scris la filme-cult in 2007, unul din filmele preferate ale copilariei mele (si nu numai, QT had one too...)

Franz Ferdinand-TONIGHT

albumul nr 2 interesant pe 2009 (primul fiind "Working on a Dream "al lui The Boss, care oficial apare pe 27 ian. si are pe el THE WRESTLER (huo AMPAS again) l-am descoperit azi pe myspace music,
scotienii de la Franz Ferdinand continua linia de pe anteriorul "You Could Have It So Much Better" (2005), cu acest TONIGHT,

energetic, happy-go-lucky dar si tasteful. Nu stiu de ce, imi aduc aminte de fISCHER Z, cu care de altfel nu au nici o legatura.
12 piese din care numai ultima e linistita si mai elegiaca (Katherine Kiss Me)
highlights: Ulysses, Bite Hard

free listening aici
apare pe 26 ian. oficial !!!

Bastarzii lui Tarantino in Cannes !!!!

aici

sau info original din variety

ceea ce era anuntat de anul trecut si ceea ce ma face sa trebuiasca sa merg la Cannes ! really ! fanboys will be boyz!


Last year Quentin Tarantino said he wanted to have Inglourious Basterds finished in time to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, which is where he debuted Pulp Fiction in 1994 and according to Anne Thompson at Variety Basterds is going to be ready in time for Cannes in May.

The production began in October, shooting in Germany, and will soon get into the editing room to prep for a Cannes premiere. The article also says the film will be presented in a five chapter format as:

Chapter One: Once Upon a Time in Nazi Occupied France (care era dat ca titlu alternativ)
Chapter Two: Inglourious Basterds
Chapter Three: German Night in Paris (filmed in “French New Wave Black and White”)
Chapter Four: Operation Kino
Chapter Five: Revenge of the Giant Face



prmiera americana: 21 August 21, 2009.

subiect:

Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema.

Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own…

Nominalizari Oscar 81

absolut vodka ? nah, Absolut Bullshit !
no Clint ? Nu Wrestler la picture si regie ? Nu Dark Knight ? Frozen River ?
si slumdog shite sa aibe sansa sa fie oscarul de best picture in epoca Obama, asa de feel gud ! Consolarea e Mickey Rourke, din pacate Marisei n-o sa-i dea ca are pt capodopera cu varul Vinny ! Si ultima insulta, the Boss e one-trick poney (la globuri), pt ca aici nu apare ! Rusine totala ! Huo AMPAS ! Vome indiene de cintece si Petre Gabriel down to Earth, lame crappy song !

Film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Regizor
David Fincher / The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard / Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant / Milk
Stephen Daldry / The Reader
Danny Boyle / Slumdog Millionaire



Scenariu original:
Frozen River: Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
WALL•E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Scenariu adaptat:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt: John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon: Peter Morgan
The Reader: David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire: Simon Beaufoy

Actor
Richard Jenkins / The Visitor
Frank Langella / Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn / Milk
Brad Pitt /The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke / The Wrestler


actrita
Anne Hathaway /Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie /Changeling
Melissa Leo /Frozen River
Meryl Streep /Doubt
Kate Winslet /The Reader (la globuri a fost la secundar !!!)




actor rol secundar

Milk Josh Brolin
Tropic Thunder: Robert Downey Jr.
Doubt: Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Dark Knight: Heath Ledger
Revolutionary Road: Michael Shannon

actrita rol secundar
Doubt: Amy Adams
Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Penélope Cruz
Doubt: Viola Davis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Taraji P. Henson
The Wrestler: Marisa Tomei

imagine
Changeling: Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Claudio Miranda
The Dark KnightWally Pfister
The Reader : Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire: Anthony Dod Mantle


muzica
Alexandre Desplat / The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
James Newton Howard / Defiance
Danny Elfman / Milk
A.R. Rahman / Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E / Thomas Newman

cintec
WALL-E "Down to Earth"
Slumdog Millionaire "Jai Ho"
Slumdog Millionaire "O Saya"


Film strain
The Baader Meinhof Complex / Germany
The Class / France
Departures / Japan
Revanche / Austria
Waltz with Bashir / Israel

documentar
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World / Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden / Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire / James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Trouble the Water / Tia Lessin, Carl Deal

Machiaj:
Greg Cannom / The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Caglione, Jr., Conor O'Sullivan / The Dark Knight
Mike Elizalde, Thom Floutz / Hellboy II: The Golden Army

etc, ca am obosit, iata pe imdb lista completa

22 februarie, Oscar 81 , no biggie except Mickey !

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 The Movie

info from Cosmin, thx:

MAIDEN: FLIGHT 666 - THE MOVIE
Published: January 20, 2009

British heavy rock legends, Iron Maiden, in association with Banger Productions, EMI Records, Universal (USA) and Arts Alliance Media, announce that they will be releasing a feature length documentary film into cinemas worldwide on April 21st 2009.

As you may know from Rod's tour diaries, Iron Maiden have been working on a feature length documentary. Entitled 'IRON MAIDEN: FLIGHT 666', the movie follows the band on the first leg of their Somewhere Back In Time World Tour in February and March of 2008 as they experienced the most ambitious and adventurous tour in rock history, and will be released in April 2009 in association with EMI Records and Universal in the USA.

The Maiden tour plan was something that had never been attempted before on such a grand scale. Circumnavigating the globe, the band flew in a specially customised Boeing 757 airliner with their crew and 12 tons of music and stage equipment on board, playing 23 sold out stadium and arena shows in 13 countries in just 45 days, travelling 70,000km and performing to almost half a million fans.



The band were accompanied everywhere by award-winning documentary makers Banger Productions from Toronto in Canada, who have received international critical acclaim for their previous movies "Metal, A Headbangers Journey" and recently "Global Metal". Filmmakers Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn and their team bring an intimate behind the scenes view of this remarkable journey, with a close look at the logistics involved and following Team Maiden in the cockpit, on the plane and on and offstage, getting to the heart of this global adventure of a band that has very rarely even let cameras backstage before.



Shot in High Definition and with superb 5.1 surround sound, mixed by the bands producer Kevin 'Caveman' Shirley, FLIGHT 666 brings to the screen all the drama, excitement and hysteria that followed the band around the world every time 'Ed Force One' touched down in a new country. The film documents the intensity of the punishing show schedules, the struggle with the time zones, the pressures of ensuring that every performance matched the energy of the many thousands of ecstatic and expectant fans from many cultural backgrounds, unusual angles from the spectacular shows... and of course the fun had on the way!.

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 is an honest and revealing portrait of one of the worlds most successful rock bands and a must-see for all Maiden fans.

A special international 'Iron Maiden' day is being planned for 21st April with simultaneous showings of IRON MAIDEN:FLIGHT 666 in selected Digital cinemas around the world - we will of course bring you more information on this nearer the time.

trailer aici,



si amazingly (or not) cineva care a filmat speechul lui Bruce D. pe Bruce air flight 666 !

up the irons indeed, aces high !!!!

cine poate, go Belgrad 10 februarie ! i wished but Berlin was already set !

Green Planet Blues

Sinaia ianuarie, iata textul pe care l-am scris pt Sapte Seri:

“Progresul înseamnă distrugere”, spune un pescar amerindian, în documentarul lui Olivier Weber, La fievre d’or, despre noua ferbă a aurului de pe Amazon, care distruge pădurea şi otraveşte băştinaşii, cel mai ambiţios film pe care l-am văzut la Green Planet Blues, primul festival (şi singurul !) cinematografic din Estul Europei dedicat mediului.
Am stat trei zile la Sinaia, deşi iniţial plecasem pentru una singură, pentru a vedea o suită din cele mai triste filme posibile, nici unul cu happy end. M-au impresionat cei veniţi aici pentru a dezbate cel mai important lucru pe care toată lumea îl ignoră, mediul în care trăim, pe care îl distrugem temeinic şi impasibil, pas cu pas, zilnic. Aristoteles Workshop, organizatorul, a invitat mulţi din realizatori, care şi-au explicat proiectele, care prezintă un spectacol coşmaresc, o planetă bolnavă, ecosisteme ameninţate, specii pe cale de dispariţie, vechi civilizaţii distruse, corporaţii lacome şi guverne inconştiente. De la hollywoodianul A 11-a oră, produs şi narat de Leonardo DiCaprio, o didactică, repetitivă dar şi efectivă pledoarie pentru salvarea planetei în cea ce noi numim, ceasul al doisprezecelea (!), la Cimitirul digital, un film grecesc despre deşeurile electronice, Ultimul Yoik din pădurea Saami (în Finlanda defrişarea vechilor păduri ameninţă dispariţia renilor, care sunt crescuţi şi protejaţi de tradiţionalii saami), până la Strawberry Fields, un documentar despre un cîmp pe fîşia Gaza, unde oamenii cultivă căpşuni printre obuze, astăzi cu atât mai emoţionant în lumina evenimentelor recente din zonă, deşi nu a cîntat nimeni blues, am simţit tristeţea lăsată după fiecare film, dar şi o emoţie pozitivă, pentru că cineva trage semnalul de alarmă sau pune un semn de întrebare. Pot aceste filme influenţa salvarea planetei? Absolut, şi mă alătur total acestei iniţiative admirabile !

silent snow, de fapt un promo de 14 min la filmul lui Jan Van Der Berg care-l va face anul acesta, despre innuitul care-i cauta pe cei ce-i otravesc mediul !

quote on Slumdog Millionaire

"Slumdog Millionaire is poverty porn"
Alice Miles in The Times.

The bitter truth is, Slumdog Millionaire could only have been made by westerners. The talent exists in India for such movies: much of it, like the brilliant actor Irrfan Khan, contributed to this film. But Bollywood producers, fixated with making flimsy films about the lives of the middle class, will never throw their weight behind such projects. Like Bachchan, they are too blind to what India really is to deal with it. Poor Indians, like those in Slumdog, do not constitute India's "murky underbelly" as Bachchan moronically describes them. They, in fact, are the nation. Over 80% of Indians live on less than $2.50 (£1.70) a day; 40% on less than $1.25. A third of the world's poorest people are Indian, as are 40% of all malnourished children. In Mumbai alone, 2.6 million children live on the street or in slums, and 400,000 work in prostitution. But these people are absent from mainstream Bollywood cinema.
more here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/jan/15/danny-boyle-shows

RIP Ricardo Montalban

din Fanatsy Island, sau Naked Gun, sau Spy Kids.
88 de ani, unul din primii actori hispanici (mexican) who made it in Hollywood
bad guy in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=24003

competitia la Berlin 59 finalizata !

Cheri UK
By Stephen Frears (The Queen, Dangerous Liaisons)
With Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones
World premiere

Darbareye Elly (About Elly) Iran
By Asghar Farhadi (Fireworks Wednesday)
With Golshifteh Farahani, Taraneh Alidousti, Mani Haghighi
World premiere

Deutschland 09 Germany - Out of Competition
Compilation film by Fatih Akin, Tom Tykwer, Wolfgang Becker, Sylke Enders, Dominik Graf, Romuald Karmakar, Nicolette Krebitz, Isabelle Stever, Hans Steinbichler, Hans Weingartner, Christoph Hochhäusler, Dani Levy and Angela Schanelec
World premiere

Eden à l'ouest (Eden is West) France/Greece/Italy - Out of Competition
By Costa-Gavras (Missing, Amen)
With Riccardo Scamarcio, Juliane Köhler, Ulrich Tukur
International premiere

Gigante Uruguay/Germany/Argentina
By Adrián Biniez (Total Disponibilidad)
With Horacio Camandulle, Leonor Svarcas
World premiere

Happy Tears USA
By Mitchell Lichtenstein (Teeth)
With Demi Moore, Parker Posey, Rip Torn, Ellen Barkin
World premiere

In the Electric Mist France/USA
By Bertrand Tavernier (Laissez-Passer, La Guerre Sans Nom)
With Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard
World premiere

Katalin Varga Romania/UK/Hungary - debut film
By Peter Strickland
With Hilda Péter, Norbert Tankó, Tibor Pálfy, Sebastian Marina
World premiere

La Teta Asustada (The Milk of Sorrow) Spain/Peru
By Claudia Llosa (Madeinusa)
With Magaly Solier, Susi Sánchez, Efraín Solis
World premiere

Lille Soldat (Little Soldier) Denmark
By Annette K. Olesen (Minor Mishaps)
With Trine Dyrholm, Finn Nielsen, Lorna Brown
International premiere

Notorious USA - Out of Competition
By George Tillman Jr. (Men of Honor)
With Angela Bassett, Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie
International premiere

Ricky France/Italy
By François Ozon (8 Femmes, Swimming Pool)
With Alexandra Lamy, Sergi Lopez, Mélusine Mayance, Arthur Peyret
World premiere

Storm (Sturm) Germany/Denmark
By Hans-Christian Schmid (Requiem, Distant Lights)
With Kerry Fox, Anamaria Marinca, Stephen Dillane, Rolf Lassgård
World premiere

Tatarak (Sweet Rush) Poland
By Andrzej Wajda (Popiól i diament, Katyn)
With Krystyna Janda, Pawel Szajda, Jan Englert
World premiere

Nominalizari BAFTA

awards season continua:
BAFTA suna ca o repetitie la Oscar (premiile se dau pe 8 februarie la Covent garden si la noi pe HBO, am pus cu BOLD filmul cistigator)
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=24009

BEST FILM
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
HUNGER
IN BRUGES
MAMMA MIA!
MAN ON WIRE why ???
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

LEADING ACTOR
FRANK LANGELLA Frost/Nixon
DEV PATEL Slumdog Millionaire
SEAN PENN Milk
BRAD PITT The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
MICKEY ROURKE The Wrestler yes !


speechul cu F*

LEADING ACTRESS
ANGELINA JOLIE Changeling
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS I’ve Loved You So Long
MERYL STREEP Doubt
KATE WINSLET The Reader verlehser
KATE WINSLET Revolutionary Road

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Tropic Thunder
BRENDAN GLEESON In Bruges
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN Doubt
HEATH LEDGER The Dark Knight obviously
BRAD PITT Burn After Reading

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS Doubt
PENÉLOPE CRUZ Vicky Cristina Barcelona si !
FREIDA PINTO Slumdog Millionaire
TILDA SWINTON Burn After Reading
MARISA TOMEI The Wrestler

THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film
SIMON CHINN Producer – Man On Wire
JUDY CRAYMER Producer – Mamma Mia!
ARTH JENNINGS Writer – Son of Rambow
STEVE McQUEEN Director/Writer – Hunger hungry
SOLON PAPADOPOULOS / ROY BOULTER Producers – Of Time And The City

Regie:
CHANGELING Clint Eastwood
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON David Fincher
FROST/NIXON Ron Howard
THE READER Stephen Daldry
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Danny Boyle boyled

Scenariu original:
BURN AFTER READING Joel Coen / Ethan Coen
CHANGELING J. Michael Straczynski
I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG Philippe Claudel
IN BRUGES Martin McDonagh Ja !
MILK Dustin Lance Black

Scenariu adaptat:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Eric Roth
FROST/NIXON Peter Morgan
THE READER David Hare
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD Justin Haythe
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Simon Beaufoy


Film strain:

THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX
GOMORRAH
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG adica Il y a longtemps que je t'aime pour quoi ?
PERSEPOLIS
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

FILM ANIMAT:
PERSEPOLIS
WALL•E
WALTZ WITH BASHIR


MUZICA:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Alexandre Desplat THE DARK KNIGHT Hans Zimmer / James Newton Howard
MAMMA MIA! Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE A. R. Rahman
WALL•E Thomas Newman

IMAGINE:
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Anthony Dod Mantle)

MONTAJ:
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
IN BRUGES
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Scenografie:
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


COSTUME DESIGN
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

SOUND
CHANGELING
THE DARK KNIGHT
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
SLUMDOG MILLIONARE
WALL•E

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
IRON MAN
QUANTUM OF SOLACE

MAKE UP & HAIR
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
FROST/NIXON
MILK

SHORT ANIMATION
CODSWALLOP
VARMINTS
WALLACE AND GROMIT: A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH

SHORT FILM
KINGSLAND #1 THE DREAMER
LOVE YOU MORE
RALPH
SEPTEMBER
VOYAGES D’AFFAIRES (THE BUSINESS TRIP)

Orange RISING STAR Award
Noel Clarke
Michael Cera
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall
Toby Kebbell


deci Clint is back where he belongs, meaning in the race ! Ca regizor cu Changeling! "Get out of my lawn !" Slumdog 11 nominalizari, la fel ca BB (nu Bardot si nici Benjamin Bragg si Button Pitt), The Dark Knight cu 9,Changeling, 8, Frost/Nixon sase, The Reader cinci, si Milk, In Bruges, Revolutionary Road cu 4. The Wrestler doar doua (bu-hu-hu !)

RIP Number Six (6): Patrick McGoohan

No Man Is Just A Number.

acum chiar ca m-am suparat, saptamina asta am vrut sa iau Silver Streak (aka Transamerica Expres), film vazut de mine cind aveam 7 ani (si loved surely) de pe cinematik dar zica AC ca-l are asa ca am luat altceva... Patrick McGoohan e badguy-ul, pe nume Roger Devereau (sunt sigur ca mai e un personaj iconic cu numele asta)...



pe 13 ianuarie (accordingly) McGoohan a murit la 80 de ani la Los Angeles. era implicat in remakeul la serialul sau cult THE PRISONER (despre care am bloggat in 2007). Actor destul de retras, el l-a jucat pe regele Edward al 2-lea in Braveheart, si tatal Fantomei din Phantom ! Doctor in Scanners si Hysteria si gardianul sef (!) in Escape from Alcatraz ! Eu l-am (re)vazut anul trecut in Ice Station Zebra (1968), unde are un rol asemanator cu cel din serialul care l-a facut celebru, Danger Man (1960, 1964-1965), agentul John Drake (in SUA cunoscut ca Secret Agent). McGoohan a refuzat de doua ori sa devina agentul 007, apoi si-a transformat personajul in number 6, cel mai tzacanit, psihedelic si unic serial de pina la Twin Peaks. Dupa parerea mea si cel mai bun din epoca ! A regizat si TV (de la Prisoner), mai ales Columbo (a si jucat)!


ultima oara m-am intilnit cu Number Six in Brasov in Music Pub sau club, rasfoind zile si nopti, dupa Craciun, unde era un interviu cu Bruce Dickinson, cel mai mare fan al sau (The Prisoner de pe Number of the beast si Back to the Village de pe Powerslave sunt despre personajul lui McGoohan), si Bruce avea T-shirt cu Prisoner (i will not be stamped, pushed...) i-am facut poza so here it is...




i feel all the time like the Prisoner...




iconica secventa-titlu


interviu fascinant cu McGoohan din documentarul Channel 4 despre Prisoner, personaj et all (in doua parti)


ITV a facut un remake care va iesi anul asta, cu Jim Cavizel in rolul lui Number 6 (ca a mai fost el prizonier si pe Chateau d'If..)si Ian McKellen as nr. 2, updatat pt aceste vremuri paranoiace...si filmul, mult planuit pt cinema, acum anuntat pt 2012, parca Chris Nolan si frate-su erau involved...

Be seeing you, Pat !

The Rourke Supremacy (vs. Peta)

reclama lui Mickster pentru PETA

Lista scurta de filme straine pt Oscar

s-a votat lista scurta ! din cele 65 de filme au ramas 9 !
nu, nu e si Restul e tacere ! yep, we missed again !
Surpriza insa e ca nu e Gomorra ci Entre les murs !
Si Waltz with bashir, care daca nu ia e shitty!
The Baader Meinhof Complex,
si "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann, Austria
"The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon, Canada,
"Departures," Yojiro Takita, Japan,
"Tear This Heart Out," Roberto Sneider, Mexic
"Everlasting Moments," Jan Troell, Sudia
"3 Monkeys," Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turcia

and there will be FIVE, sigur Baader, Bashir, Les murs si poate 3 maimute (eu votez tot cu alea 12 vechi sau a 5-a a lui sir Ben!)
wtf happened to Gommorra ? Sodoma ?

Kate Winslet, altfel decit in Revolutionary Rd. !

look-ul Deneuve din Belle de Jour in vanity Fair

Mickey Rourke ia Globul !

one of the best moments in television !!!!!!

"

Because when a man's alone,sometimes all you got is your dog, and they meant the world to me..."

si conferinta de presa de dupa

Globurile de aur

BEST MOMENTS
Salma Hayek's Oh-No-He-Didn't Face
The most priceless cut-away of the night had to be Salma Hayek's look of stunned disapproval after Sacha Baron Cohen's off-color joke about the recession hitting celebrities: ''Even Madonna has had to get rid of one of her personal assistants. Our thoughts go out to you, Guy Ritchie.'' Why they cut to Salma, we'll never know. Careful viewers may also have spotted Drew Barrymore laughing her head off in the background.
din Entertainmentv Weekly


am scris despre ele in Sapte Seri,
m-am bucurat imens pentru Mickster & the Boss, si ma asteptam la Heath Ledger si la Slumdog M, tv-urile nu ma intereseaza, ok pt Colin in In Bruges dar actor bun tot nu e,
lumea zice ca nu era racit ci coke-uit

Happygolucky n-are decit, io nu vad, am vazut juma de Revolutionary Road si m-a scos din sarite (acum am vazut tot si e ok), The Wresler e good dar nu so good incit isteria hypeului sa-l aduca pe locul 59 (for now) imdb, e un rocky whitetrash si ok directed by Aronofsky !
Spielberg=Cecil B. De Mille, sure, I'm waiting for my close-up !

tribut si intro de Marty Scorsese

speech

RIP Claude Berri

legendar producator, scenarist si regizor francez, 74 de ani.

Screen Daily:
Legendary French filmmaker Claude Berri passed away in Paris on Monday morning at the age of 74.

Berri, who was admitted to the hospital Saturday night, suffered from complications from a stroke, according to reports.

Berri acted and directed throughout his career but perhaps made his biggest mark as a producer.

He began his career in 1962 with the short, Le Poulet, which won an Oscar that year. In 1981 he was again Oscar nominated for producing Roman Polanski's Tess.

Other producer credits include titles as Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Bear, Patrice Chereau's La Reine Margot and Dany Boon's 2008 record breaking French comedy Welcome to the Sticks.

Berri's last major award was as a producer of Abdellatif Kechiche's award-winning Couscous, which took the French Cesar for best picture last year.

As a director, Berri's classic films included 1970's Le Cinema De Papa and 1986's Jean De Florette and Manon Des Sources. His last film as director was 2007's Ensemble C'est Tout.



New York Times

nominalizarile WGA

Woody Allen, a 19-a nominalizare,
Coenii la a patra, Bashir surpriza la documentar !!!

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Burn After Reading – Joel & Ethan Coen
Milk – Dustin Lance Black
Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Woody Allen
The Visitor – Tom McCarthy
The Wrestler – Robert Siegel

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button – Eric Roth
The Dark Knight – Jonathan & Justin Nolan
Doubt – John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon – Peter Morgan
Slumdog Millionaire – Simon Beaufoy

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story – Stefan Forbes and Noland Walker
Chicago 10 – Brett Morgen
Fuel – Johnny O’Hara
Gonzo: The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson – Alex Gibney
Waltz With Bashir – Ari Folman

More Rourke

The Wrestler To Take On Iron Man
7 January 2009 11:16 PM, PST


Mickey Rourke is in negotiations to play the villain in the Iron Man sequel.

The Angel Heart star and Sam Rockwell are both up for bad guy roles in Jon Favreau's follow-up to his 2008 hit, which will begin shooting this spring.

Rourke is the favourite to land the role of Russian arms dealer the Crimson Dynamo, according to Daily Variety.

The action film, starring Robert Downey Jr., is scheduled to hit cinemas in summer 2010.

si in empire, aici
dar daca ar lua Oscarul, my favorite choice of course, as The Wrestler, ce oportunitati
s-ar mai deschide ?

Rourke, intervievat de Rotten Tomatoes, spune care sunt filmele sale preferate (top 5):
/five_favorite_films_with_mickey_rourke
1. The Deer Hunter
2. The Godfather
3. Lonely Are The Brave
4. On the Waterfront
5. (surpriza) Gilda
ce s-ar fi intimplat daca facea Aronovsky filmul cu Nicolas Cage asa cum era anuntat initial ??

Adevaratul Inglorious Basterds

cind a a anuntat Tarant-ula ca face his "guys on a mission" film zicea ca vrea un cast strong, anume, Sly Stallone, Arnie, Bruce Willis, Michael Madsen, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy si alti action figures (stiu Adam e big deaddy bedtime strories, but QT l-ar fi facut macho/tough-btw, rolul lui e acum jucat de Eli Roth !, iar Eddie M, he could 've been the black guy, standing in 4 Fred Williamson)
Acum, cu Brad Pitt, acest Benjamin Button al duzinei murdarae, Daniel Buhl si Til Schweiger, mi se pare sold out distributie si faptul ca Rod Taylor il joaca pe Churchill (pret de cit apare el si la Maiden pe Live after Death) nu am super-entuziasmeaza. Dar iata, proiectul de guys on a mission al lui Stallone, THE EXPENDABLES, care suna la fel de interesant ca distribuita saizecista a unor filme ca Dirty Dozen, Marea evadare, sau optzecista a unui Predator. In ultimele luni s-a tot anuntat distributia. Scenariul lui Sly e despre un grup de mercenari, old school, has been, burned out si nu numai, care sunt reciclati pentru o ultima misiune, de adetrona un dictator intr-o tara fictiva din America de sud. Sly joaca si regizeaza, i-a cooptat imediat pe Jet Li si Jason Statham (both Rogue), spoi pe Dolph Lundgren, apoi Randy Couture, campion UFC(netul zice ca rolul era tailored pentru Wesley Snipes). Apoi s-a anuntat Forest Whitaker pentru legatura lor, ofiterul coordonator (now you have your black), dar azi, Empire mi-a dat cea mai buna veste, Mickey Rourke, the mickster ta da dun daun, va face parte din echipa !!!! Rourke joaca alaturi de noul action hero, Chel Chelios samd, in remakeul la 13, filmul lui Gela Babluani, pe care si-l reface el insusi in SUA (13 Tzameti that is...)



Empire zice ca Sly i-a dat prima sansa de comeback intr-un film cit de cit, Get Carter, in 2000 (din 1993 Rourke n-a jucat decit in chestii obscure sau penibile sau indie sau low key). Si zvonuri pentru Sir Ben (Kingsley), probabil as the evil dictator. probabil ca Sly a avazut doar Sexy Beast si nu Bloodrayne si Luck N. Slevin, pt ca sir Ben poate fi ubercool dar si uberpenibil. Pina la urma, sorry QT, dar filmul lui Stallone pare a avea cei mai multi Inglorious Basterds de la PREDATOR incoace, tu l-ai ales pe Benjamin Button ! That's quite a sell-out, mate !Mothrfuckin Charlie Bronson will never forgive ya !

RIP Ron Asheton (The Stooges)

chitaristul de la The Stooges, cu care a format Iggy trupa in 1967, 60 de ani, mort de citeva zile la el in casa, cauze necunoscute deocamdata...

the Stooges, cu Asheton trebuiau sa cinte in iulie la Bucuresti.
Nu stiu cu cine il va inlocui Iggy sau ce se va mai intimpla cu The Stooges !!!

Asheton este pe locul 29 pe lista Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Fratele sau, Scott Asheton este bateristul de la Stooges, celalat membru supravietuitor al trupei alaturi de Iggy. Basistul Dave Alexander a murit in 1975.
"Death Trip" from Raw Power !

recuperari: Just a Gigolo (1978)

"Everybody who was involved in that film – when they meet each other now, they look away (covers face with hands, laughs)... Listen, you were disappointed, and you weren't even in it. Imagine how we felt... It was my 32 Elvis Presley movies rolled into one."
David Bowie, 1980, NME



Un curio, la ora respectiva cel mai mare buget in Germania post-war, regizat de David Hemmings (care a murit in Romania, btw), o tzacaneala, cu reputatie indoielnica, hard to get, dar definetly cult movie. Titlul german original, Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo !



filme similare:
Cabaret
Ochiul de sarpe
Mefisto
Toba de tinichea
Steppnwolf
si chiar Max

faimos in primul rind pentru ca e ultimul rol al Marlenei Dietrich (al carei rol, famously, platit imens pentru vremea aceea, namely regal, 250.000 $, a fost filmat separat, in Paris, deci ea nu a fost alaturi de distributie nici o secunda ! Ea cinta si piesa titlu, din 1931, compusa de italianul Leonello Casucci, pe care eu o stiu de la David Lee Roth !!!




si cautat pentru ca e cu David Bowie din perioada berlineza (care a si compus Revolutionary Song pt film),,,,si inregista albumul Heroes








Kim Novak arata excelent la 45 de ani (aprox, same as Ann Margaret in Tommy), Maria Schell, Curt Jurgens, Sydne Rome (looking hot and singing with the nipples out!) si Hemmings intr-un rol psihotic. Un articol excelent despre film si receptia dezastruaosa pe wikipedia,


daca l-ar fi facut muzical ar fi fost mai succesful !
6/10

recuperari: Verboten ! (1959)

Tagline: A MAD GENERATION... Spawned In Lust... Consumed By Hate!



film de razboi,sau de dupa razboi, despre nemtii si soldatii ramasi sa pacifice Germania. Verboten insemna interzis, asa cum e relatia de dragoste dintre sergentul american David Brent (James Best) si nemtoaica Helga Schiller(Susan Cummings).
reminsicente ale filmului se gasesc in Europa al lui Lars Von Trier, legate si de organizatia werewolf, si in The Good German al lui Soderbergh.
cintecul titlu de pe generic e interpreat de Paul Anka. Apoi filmul incepe cu un tracking shot excelent in ruinele Berlinului, pe Simfonia destinului de Beethoven.
Sam Fuller, care a avut putini bani de la RKO, obisnuit sa faca B-uri, a inclus imagini documentare care se inlantuiesc foarte bine si coerent in montajul final. Toatodata arata filmul atrocitatilor din lagarele naziste, prezentat la procesul de la Nurenberg, care duc la concluzia seaca si brusca a dramei, atunci fresh, astazi destul de desueta.

6/10 (vazut in decembrie 2008 pe dvd, sursa; Franta, sub titlul 'Ordres Secrets aux Espions Nazis')

Babylon AD

"I'm very unhappy with the film, I never had a chance to do one scene the way it was written or the way I wanted it to be. The script wasn't respected. Bad producers, bad partners, it was a terrible experience." - Matthieu Kaasovitz on his unfortunate partnership with 20TH Century Fox making Babylon A.D. (2008).

am vrut sa vad filmul pe marele ecran, am intrat intr-o sala de multiplex in Kazahstan (culmea, chiar unul din locurile actiunii) si mi-a placut cum arata. Dar era dublat in ruseste, si am mers sa vad un Kim Ki Duk sau ceva cazace de la care am iesit. Trebuia sa fi ramas in sala, pentru ca mai atroce a fost copia divx pe care am vazut-o acasa,


teaser-poster

Baby(u read ?)lon AD e un sf action destul de negru, cu Vin Diesel pe post de Snake Plissken, cu un plot similar cu Children of Men, rezultata intr-un flop de proportii si o mutilare de catre studiouri (cut-ul Fox pe care la-m vazut avea 80 de min-durata dubioasa, de la notatul 90 in cinema, dar gebricul era taiat, deci 85, durata USA).
Director's cut-ul lui Kassovitz avea 161 de minute deci pina nu vad versiunea aceasta mi-e greu sa ma pronunt daca filmul e o chiftea, o voma sau bad movie extraordinaire, de tipul Judge Dredd, Battleship Earth, Southland Tales (extind la Highlander 2, The Shadow, Phantom) ! Orcum as vrea sa mentionez doar ca e mai cool decit dragalaseniile lui Luc Besson, adica bessonismele din Al 5-lea element, cu tot cu mangalorii, plavalaguna si Leloo-ul lui (a trebuit sa vinea PWA ca sa faca o dura din Milla vs. zombi, Besson the best he could do a fost ca a ars-o pe rug). Vin Diesel cu tot look-ul lui de bad guy cu creierii arsi, mi se pare ca seamana cu Adam Sandler, si cum vorbeste, slow ca-n Punch Drunk Love. Dra putea fi linistit si o aventura de-a lui Riddick, oricum Vin joaca otova ! Depardieu arata apocalipstic dar in cut-ul pe care l-am vazut apare pret de 2 minute maxim (si dublat atroce !!!), la fel si ceilalti actori (Charlotte Rampling, Lambert Wilson) iar Mark Strong e irosit complet. Am auzit ca muzica e de Hans Zimmer, nu si ce am vazut eu, dupa un annoynig tilte credits song de RZA, niste oribilitati techno de Atli Örvarsson (latest addition to Zimmer's Media Ventures, de unde probabil confuzia). O scena pe banchiza cu un submarin atomic ar fi putut fi excelenta dar devine doar penibila,



Kassovitz et le sub !!!


montajul e de cro-magnoni si computerul lui Lars VT putea sa-l injghebe mai bine...film de 70 de milioane de dolari, look de down the drain ! pisici in cratita, clone de tigrii siberieni, wrestlers in custi (Mad Max type), aere de Johnny Mnemonic, cel mai apropiat exemplu ! Cred fara sa mai trenbuiasc sa vad un cut mai coerent ca filmul va deveni cult, for all the wrong reasons si cariera lui mr. diesel se duce spre zona Wesley, Seagal, JCVD, meaning straight to...blu-ray !!!


platou pt. Vladivostok


reviews:

A.O. Scott in the New York Times writes, "The only explicable thing about Babylon A.D. is that it was not screened in advance for critics. Our judgments, in any case, may be superfluous, since the director, Mathieu Kassovitz, has already publicly described it as 'pure violence and stupidity.'" Adds Michael Ordoña in the Los Angeles Times: "Kassovitz and the studio are apparently feuding over the finished product. There may be an interesting director's cut DVD down the line, but this theatrical version is less than riveting." Surprisingly, David Hiltbrand in the Philadelphia Inquirer gives the film a rave review, saying that it far exceeded his expectations and compliments the director for doing "a remarkable job with this material.". It is, he says, "a disturbing, wonderfully executed vision of the future. ... Seamless in its execution, the movie plays out like a grittier version of The Fifth Element."

dvd-ul care iese pe 6 ianuarie in America e numit Unrated si are 101 min(durata de cinema a versiunii Canal plus lansata in cinema in Franta si Germania), deci nu e cu mult mai lung dar are un final diferit at least si se pare ca e oricum mai bun si mai comprehensibil...

RIP Pat Hingle

character actor, corpolent, jovial sau morocanos !

Pat Hingle. 84 de ani, cancer.
Comissioner James Gordon in primele 4 Batman-uri, inainte de relansarea lui Nolan ! deci de la Tim Burton la Joel"nipple" Schumacher..


eu il stiu din Elvis (1979, John Carpenter!!!), vazut la cinema in copilarie, unde era colonelul Tom Parker. In Citizen Cohn e J. Edgar Hoover.

imdb:
The veteran actor kicked off his career in 1948, and was ready to hit the Hollywood big time after landing the title role in 1960 movie Elmer Gantry.

But Hingle's acting dreams were sidelined after he fell down an elevator shaft and was forced to give up the part in order to recover from his horrific injuries. Actor Burt Lancaster was subsequently given the role.

He restarted his career playing Warren Beatty's father in 1961 film Splendor in the Grass.

The Visitors

penultimul film al lui Kazan (ultimul fiind The Last Tycoon, despre care am scris pe blogul vechi), si primul film care trateaza problema Vietnamului, sau mai bine zis post-trauma acestuia (la fel ca in scena antologica din Mean Streets un an mai tirziu in care capitanul, beat, vrea sa violeze in bar o clienta si baietii ii spun, "stai locului, nu suntem in Vietnam, aici sunetm acasa ".
Debutul lui James Woods si Steve Railsback, scris de Chris Kazan, baiatul lui Elia.

Cel mai intereant e ca filmul poate functiona ca un sequel la Casualities of War al lui Brian De Palma, film facut in 1989. The Visitors a fost facut in 1972 pe un mini-buget, si e considerat un thriller, atmosfera apasatoare seamana cu cea din Straw Dogs dar si cu cea din Funny Games al lui Haneke. Soldatul lasat la vatra Bill (Woods), alaturi de nevasta (Patricia Joyce), copilul nou nascut, in casa tatalui, scriitor de romane western, veteran din al doilea razboi mondial (Patrick McVey, excelent), in mijlocul iernii, e viziatat de doi fosti camarzi, portoricanul Tony (Chico Martínez) si sergentul tacut si nelinistitor Mike (Steve Railsback).



Bill i-a denuntat pe cei doi si alti membri ai unei patrule care au luat o fata vitenameza dintr-un sat, au violat-o si apoi au impuscat-o (exact ca in cazul real din presa pe cre l-a prezentat BDP in filmul sau, reluat in Redacted, acelasi lucru petrecut in Vietnam). De Palma a auzit de caz datorita filmului german OK (1970), care a provocat sacnadal al festivalul de la Berlin. Vinovatia fiecaruia e aici analizata de Kazan altfel, si tensiunea reminiscenta de filmul lui Haneke. Faptul ca soldatul si-a tradat prietenii aminteste de tradarea lui Kazan in fata comisiei lui Mc Carthy (HUAC) si e face filmul cu atit mai personal. Rolul fiului sau, care a introdus si personajul tatalui, si critica anti-Vietnam si razboi, e decisiv.




Extrem de prost primit la iesire, filmuol e destul de neplacut si azi dar extrem de curajos pentru acea vreme. Produs de Kazani, filmat pe super-16 mm si montat de Nicholas T. Proferes (Wanda), in casele lui Kazan din Conncticut, nu are decit muzica incidentala si e si mai meritoriu pentru descoperirea a doi actori care vor face istorie.

DVD spaniol, transfer ok, 1.85.1



8/10 sau 4 din cinci

Va lua Dark Knight Oscarul sau doar Jokerul ?

un articol extrem de interesant in Wired care arat partile bune si rele ale problemei, dupa cum se stie, deocamdata la Globuri doar Ledger a fost nominalizat si pe multe liste Slumdog Millionaire si Wall-E, doua filme inferioare dar si mai feelgood-crowd pleasing i-au luat locul...petitia pentru Ledger am semnat-o prin iulie/august si presiunea publica pentru ceea ce a fost numit creepy evenimentul anului (moartea lui Ledger) au ajutat la crearea buzz-ului, Oscarul lui Ledger e sigur pentru mine, din pacate lui nu-i va ajuta, si planurile de readucere a Jokerului intr-un al treilea sau ulterior film par far-fetched...

Topuri 2008 (AFI, criticii americani, s.a)

cursa premiilor anuale se apropie de finish (la Oscaruri)

AFI-American Film Institute’s Top 10 Movies Of 2008!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gran Torino
Iron Man
Milk
WALL-E
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler


Local critics' top picks:
New York Film Critics: Milk
Los Angeles Film Critics: WALL-E
D.C. Area Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Boston Film Critics: (tie) Slumdog Millionaire & WALL-E
San Francisco Film Critics: Milk
Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Austin Film Critics: The Dark Knight

International Press Academy:
DRAMA: Slumdog Millionaire
COMEDY: Happy-Go-Lucky

Critics Choice Awards nominees:
The Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millioniare
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Roger Ebert’s top 20, as published in The Chicago Sun-Times:
Ebert e smecher, lista cu 20 si alfabetic...
Ballast
The Band’s Visit
Che
Chop Shop
The Dark Knight
Doubt
The Fall
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
Iron Man
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Shotgun Stories
Slumdog Millionaire
Synecdoche, New York
W
WALL-E

Richard Corliss’ top 10, as published in Time Magazine:
(Speed Racer ?????!!!!)
1. WALL-E
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. My Winnipeg
4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
5. Milk
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Slumdog Millionaire
8. Iron Man
9. Speed Racer
10. Encounters At The End of the World

Stephen King's top 10, as published in Entertainment Weekly:
si ce amai cinstiat lista, care nu inlocuieste faptul ca e debila, dar King explica la Stataham choice claitattea de guilty pleasure...

1. The Dark Knight
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. Tropic Thunder
5. Funny Games
6. The Bank Job
7. Lakeview Terrace
8. The Ruins
9. Redbelt
10. Death Race

Payback: Straight Up -- the Director's Cut

"You don't make pictures for the elite,"
Mel Gibson



Dupa cum ziceam, Donald Westalke (v.RIP pe 2 ian), a scris romane sub pesudonimul Richard Stark. Unul din ele, The Hunter, a fost filmat in 1967 cu Lee Marvin, de catre John Boorman, sub titlul Point Blank. Brian Helgeland, scenarist golden boy, debuta in regie cu un remake, dar a fost dat afara de catre starul lui, Mel Gibson, care a cerut reshoots, si astfel a fost inclus un cu totul alt subplot si mult mai funny. Mel a plecat sa filmeze Arma mortala IV si filmul a fost intirziat un an.
Se pare ca regizor a fost pe linga Mel scenograful John Myhre. Rescrierile au fost facute de Terry Hayes (prieten cu MG de la Mad Max 2, care a scris si scena de tortura tipica pentru Mel, scena reluata de MG in Patimile sale...) Tin minte cit am asteptat filmul si , cind a iesit am fost extrem de dezamagit de ceea ce numeam remakeul la Point Blank, acum nu mai sunt, bravo, Helgeland !). Payback: Straight Up -- the Director's Cut
a iesit in 2007 pe video/dvd/Hd/blueray si acum am vazut o copie cristal, si e cu totul altceva ! Intre timp Helgeland a mai scris un revenge movie, Man on Fire pentru Tony Scott, dar you know what, Payback Straight Up e mai bun ! Referintele de neo-noir sunt azi si mai clare, de la numele de Carter (Get Carter?) si Bronson (Motherfuckin Charlie, who else) la barul Varick's (de la Charley Varick al lui Don Siegel) si The Outfit (noul nume al "sindicatului", ca in filmul lui John Flynn dupa alt roman de Westlake /Stark)


"Root 4 the bad guy" schimbat in australia din cauza lui "root" si in germania si ro parca, "no more mr. nice guy"

Apropos de Director’s cut, asta chiar e un director cut, Cu 10 minute mai scurt, cu personaje noi si cu un cu totul alt final, mult mai downbeat, si un showdown in statia de tren. Fara voice over-ul de kk (v. cazul Blade Runner), filtrul de albastru pus peste tot filmul, personajul lui Bronson (aici vocea, initial a lui Angie Dickinson, v. Point Blank, acum a lui Sally Kellerman pt. ca elementele originale s-au pierdut, in theatrical Bronson era Kris Kristofferson !!!)



1999

2006

cu mentiunea ca modificarea asta nu apare:
In Helgeland's version, Porter does not merely appear in Resnick's hotel room in the mob hotel. He sets fire to a garbage truck to distract the hoods out of the hotel lobby, then has a nasty encounter with another hood in the hotel elevator, eventually leaving the hood unconscious with the elevator doors banging open and closed on his head. Gibson describes this scene in an interview in Premiere Magazine: "I get on an elevator with some guy," Gibson says with relish, "the guy notices I'm not supposed to be on the elevator and the next time the doors open you see that I've ripped the guy's eye out. Then I see him later as he's going into some office, and I say, 'Oh, it's you again, Cyclops' and I poke the guy's other eye out." Filmat in Chicago desi nu e localizat (si toate sunt Metropolitan) si acum, dupa Dark Knight am recunoscut din locatii.

Diferenta finala:
When Val breaks in and beats up Rosie, Porter the dog gets shots in the head and remains dead. In Mel's cut, the dog lives.
Imdb:

The restoration of the Director's Cut took place in 2005. Most of the original elements of the film were not preserved, so Editor Kevin Stitt and Director Brian Helgeland had to make do with what was preserved from the original film stock and had to reassemble the film that way without the use of Avid film editing. At the same time, the blue tint in which the theatrical version looked visually was removed for more vivid color tones and contrast, but still preserving some of the grittiness of the theatrical cut.

Muzica, Scott Stambler, in loc de score-ul lui Chris Boardman, jazzy, de parca e din Pelham 1,2,3 (o fi coincidenta ca Helgeland a scris si reamkeul la 1,2,3 pt. Tony Scott ?).
Si cu un singur cintec pe soundtrack. "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" cu Dean Martin
(in theatrical 1999 , erau trei plus alte cintece, BB King, Jimmi Hendrix, cit sa vinda un soundtrack, si toate montate pe actiune)
Imdb:
Music editor Scott Stambler was involved in the theatrical cut, and was brought in to try and reedit Chris Boardman's music from that version of the film into the Director's cut. When it was decided by director Brian Helgeland that music simply didn't match the tone of his film, he asked Stambler to write a new original score for his film which was recorded in late Feburary 2006


Si acum DVD-ul, include 2 documentare, unul de 50 de minute si altul de 29 de minute, si un interviu cu Westlake…



Amazon com zice cel mai bine:

There were reasons writer-director Brian Helgeland's cut of Payback was dismissed by distributors Paramount and Warner Bros., then heavily re-shot and re-tooled by Mel Gibson's production company, Icon Entertainment. Those reasons are explained in detail by Gibson, Helgeland, and others in the special features of Payback: The Director's Cut (Special Collector's Edition). Among them: Helgeland's version was too dark. America wasn't ready in 1999 to see Gibson play an unapologetic, 1970s-style antihero who might not get exactly what he wants. Audiences didn't have the patience to wait for answers to their story questions. A dog dies. (A big no-no.) All of these comments make sound, practical sense. But here's the bottom line: Helgeland's cut, perhaps even a bit more disciplined and taut (according to Payback’s editor, Kevin Stitt) than it was in 1999, is a serious movie with an organic tone and logic that makes the film look the way it was meant to look: as a neo-noir film for adults. The theatrical release of Payback, by contrast, was and is silly and vulgar, self-sabotaging, pointlessly vicious, and perversely jaunty. It is very much like--deliberately like--the Lethal Weapon series. The Director’s Cut makes clear that’s not at all what Helgeland had in mind. --Tom Keogh

DVD VERDICT:

Fans of the original will want to make sure they get a hold of this alternate version. Film buffs often complain about not getting the chance to see the films that could have been: Fincher's cut of Alien 3, Michael Crichton's cut of The 13th Warrior…this is one of the rare instances that we get a chance to see a true director's cut.

DVD Talk

Payback: Straight Up is quite the fitting name for this work. Imagine the blue filter stripped away, the score completely revamped, and the entire third act scrapped for the originally filmed conclusion. The tracks are then laid for this alternate cut. With some dialogue tweaking and additional scenes, Helgeland's version of the film starts to flesh out. As mentioned before, the "straight-up" connotation is completely accurate: picture this film like a solid shot of tequila, while the theatrical cut is a stiff, colorful margarita.

Payback 1999: 5/10
Payback director’s cut 2006 9/10

Top "real" 2008

iata topul, ca o nota personala, cu filme vazute intre 1 ian si 31 dec 2008, care apartin anului de productie 2008 ! Unele n-au rulat la noi, pentu ca sa ele pot pune in topul "oficial", altele (cum ar fi # 2 si #9) vor rula in 2009 ! Linkurile duc la ce am scris despre ele pe blog !


1. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)

2. Walz with Bashir (Ari Forlman)

3. The Changeling (Clint Eastwood)
4. Quantum of Solace (Marc Forster)
5. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)
6. Martyrs (Pascal Laugier)
7. Cloverfield (Matt Reeves)
8. Låt den rätte komma in / Let the right one in (Tomas Alfredson)
9. The Strange case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher)
10. Body of Lies (Ridley Scott)
Tropic Thunder comedia anului (daca nu s-ar fi transformat la final intr-un full action movie)
Pt ca JCVD, e action movie of the year & existential too

Am scos Obsluhoval jsem anglickeho krale/În slujba regelui Angliei, chit ca l-am vazut in ianuarie 2008 pt ca e din 2007. Am scos Wall-E si am pus Valsul cu Bashir, no doubt about it…

RIP Donald E. Westlake

Anul 2008 a fost necrutator cu scriitorii (de la Soljenitzin la Michael Crichton si acum la final, Harold Pinter, Haralamb Zinca si Dale Wasserman). Acum Si Richard Stark, aka Don Westlake.
Donald E. Westlake a avut multe pseudonime, dar cel mai celebru este Richard Stark (care l-a inspirat pe Stephen King sa-si dea numele personajului sau din The Dark Half -George Stark- si sa-si ia pesudonimul asemanator Richard Bachman sub care a scris Rage, The Running Man si The Long Walk). 

Westake as Stark a scris romanul The Hunter care a devenit filmul seminal noir Point Blank (1967, John Boorman, cu Lee Marvin) si remakeul Payback (1999, cu Mel Gibson, care si-a dat afara regizorul, pe Brain Helgeland, ###Director's cut-ul lui a iesit in 2006, acum sap dupa el ). later edit: found).

Sub numele sau real Westlake a creat personajul spargatorului ghinionist John Dortmunder (Robert Redford in The Hot Rock) iar ca Stark, anti-eroul Parker ! Godard a adaptat (deconstruit mai degraba) un roman al sau ca Stark (The Juggler) in Made in USA in 1966 iar Costa Gavras a ales latura satirica in Le Couperet (dupa The Ax, in 2005).



Westlake avea 75 de ani si se indrepta spre o cina de anul nou cind a facut infarct. Cartile sale, peste 50 semnate sub numele lui, multe spre comedie-parodie (Too Much, Why me ?, The Hot Rock, The bank Job, What's the Worst That Could Happen? ) au fost ecranizate la greu, el a scris si scenarii, adaptind alti scriitori de genc, Jim Thompson (Grifters, 1990, nominalizare la Oscar pt scenariu adaptat) si Patricia Highsmith (Ripley Under Ground, filmul cu probleme a iesit hush hush in 2007, Westlake a scris la el prin 1993). A creat personajul din Stepfather (horror/thriller cu 2 sequeluri, si acum pe cale de reamake) si a scris spumoasa comedie Hot Stuff (1979), care a rulat la noi sub titlul Marfa furata.
Mai interesant era proiectul Warhead AD cu Kevin Mc Clory, acum defunctul productor la Thunderball, care s-a razboit cu Casa Eon (Broccoli & co) pentru drepturile asupra cartii lui Fleming si a refacut filmul cu Sean Connery sub titlul Never Say Never Again. IMDB spune ca Eon l-a angajat pe Westlake sa scrie la Tomorrow Never Dies. Imi amintesc de un articol in Premiere-ul frantuzesc prin 1997 care mentiona ceav de un plot al sau de a inunda Hong Kongul in timpul retrocedarii. Anyway, un alt roman de-al sau, The Outfit, scris ca Richard Strak, e un alt clasic noir, regizat de John Flynn in 1973, cu Rober Duvall. In 1993, the Mystery Writers of America l-au numit pe Westlake a Grand Master, titlul lor suprem.

un interviu cool cu el din 2006 la AV club

Slumdog Millionaire

Am zis sa incep anul cu un winner, care deocamdata nu e anuntat in distributia de sali la noi.
Slumdog Millionaire e bine facut, chiar spectaculos, dar nu mai mult decit o melodrama stil Bollywood, in culori vii, un film de public perfect.
Pentru mine nici un film de Danny Boyle nu a fost satisfacator (de la Trainspotting, that is, doar 28 Days Later ), acesta e un soi de revizitare la propriul Millions imbinat cu Cidade de Deus. Filmat in India, real Bollywood, in Mumbai, povestea “celor 3 muschetari”, bazat pe un roman intitulat Q & A. Dar e genul de film de iubit si iata locul 68 in topul 250 imdb (sa vedem cum va rezista). Prea voit irezistibil, de fapt un film de dragoste redefinit de numarul muzical de pe genericul final, “about people, for the people”
Scenele difera de la extrem de cheesy (desi cuvintul nu e potrivit), cind micul Jamal sare in cacat pentru a lua un autograf de la Amitabh Bachchan, star local si primul host al jocului TV Cine vrea sa fie milionar ?, la dramatic, in episodul exploatarii micutilor in cersetorie de catre banditi ticalosi.
Imaginea, perfectionista, de Anthony Dod Mantle, DOP pentru Winterberg si Lars Von Trier, adoptat de Boyle la 28 Days Later, dar finalmente un videoclip de durata epica (si se ia lumea de Ridley Scott, Boyle suferea de mult de clipism)



Deja o tona de premii, numit de multi din criticii americani cel mai bun film al anului, 4 nominalizari la Globul de aur si sigur nominalizat la Oscar !

mi-a placut cronica din cinema de merde:

So of my two friends I attended with, one hated it, and one loved it. The one who hated it asked me why I thought it was so popular amongst the general public, and I said I think that people can come in—possibly after a long day of holiday shopping—and see India, so they feel like they’ve seen something exotic, and see slums and torture, so they feel like they’ve seen something serious and realistic, and then it ends up with a giant big soppy love story, so they can walk out saying that not only did they see this serious, realistic movie, with like torture and stuff, that takes place in India—but they LOVED it! And that makes them all feel like generally better people. And yeah, I think that’s what this movie has got to sell.

3 din 5,
6/10