As the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington spends his entire year planning for the next Halloween.  As a matter of fact, his entire town of Halloweentown does the same thing.  His latest stint as king has Jack questioning his place in life and after the events of Halloween are over, a somber Jack heads out for a walk and comes across a gathering of trees, each marked with a different door representing a holiday.  Jack enters the door of a decorated tree and finds himself in Christmastown.

What he finds is a town full of colors, cheer and happiness, which is a polar opposite from Halloweentown.  With an idea in his head and excitement in his belly, he heads back to Halloweentown with a plan.  That plan consists of kidnapping Santa Claus and appointing himself as the bearer of joy and gifts in an attempt to recapture his zest for life.  The combination of the two holidays however, end with disastrous but hilarious consequences.

There is no doubt that The Nightmare Before Christmas came from Tim Burton’s brain.  It was however, not directed by Burton, but by Henry Selick.  Having two strong, creative minds behind the world of Jack Skellington only made this film better.  Burton’s films always have a unique look to them.  From the sets, to the landscape, to the characters, you just know when you’re watching one of his movies.  One of the things I loved most about Nightmare is that its world is unlike anything I had seen previously.

Aside from the typical things associated with Halloween and Christmas, the landscape of the film was totally unique.  I loved the townsfolk and the dark and dreary element to Halloweentown.  Dried leaves, and bare branches. Tumbleweeds and wind.  It’s all so perfectly Halloween (depending on which part of the world you live in of course) but it also managed to be rather charming.  It goes without saying that the world of Christmastown was just as great.  Instead of dried leaves and barren hills, we’re treated to a snowy, bright, joyful realm with elves making toys and children riding sleds.  The worlds are polar opposites but fit in this film perfectly.  At least until Jack starts making and handing out his own presents.  Things get a little weird there.

Chris Sarandon (along with Danny Elfman in the singing portions) brings Jack to life through his voice.  Jack is a typical Burton character, but by no means is he forgettable.  He’s just a guy who goes about his life, and begins to question that life.  He’s quirky and even though he’s the Pumpkin King, he’s a bit of a misfit and a bit misunderstood.  I love these qualities about him.  Even though he’s revered in his town, he wants to be better.  That’s something that everyone feels at one point in their life.

The one aspect that this film truly grasps (for me at least) was that feeling of wonder that only comes with innocence.  I remember feeling awestruck at Christmas when we’d go look at the houses that were decorated, or once the tree was finished.  That sense of wonder only comes when you’re a child and slowly fades to something else as an adult.  Jack looks upon Christmastown with that same look of wonder and wants to be a part of it so bad.  I think that’s something that all of us can relate to.

When Pixar released WALL-E, the biggest thing I heard was how they were able to convey so much emotion without using any dialogue.  With Nightmare, I was amazed to see how much emotion could be conveyed when the character didn’t have any eyes.  Actually he didn’t even have a face per se.  Just a skull, devoid of flesh.  His facial expressions speak volumes and you know what he’s feeling just by his brow line.  A furrowed brow goes a long way in getting his point across.

As if this film wasn’t lively enough, adding the other characters enriched to the point of being a classic.  Sally (voiced by Catherine O’Hara), Lock, Shock, Barrell, the Mayor, Dr. Finklestein, Oogie Boogie all added to the tapestry of the film, but my favorite secondary character, was that of Jack’s ghost dog Zero. Don’t ask me why, I just love him.  Maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for dogs.

This is a film that holds up to time and even now, 17 years later (yes it’s been that long) it still holds its appeal.  Doesn’t matter what I’m doing at the time, if it’s on, I have to sit and watch it.  The soundtrack is catchy, thanks to Danny Elfman, and there isn’t a Halloween/Christmas season that goes by without a viewing.

Once I get through the annual 24 hour A Christmas Story marathon that airs every year here in the States, I’m moving on to The Nightmare Before Christmas once again.  If you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend watching it.  If you have seen it, watch it again.  You won’t regret it.

Our Video Vault column is normally devoted to those films that we love and that we’ve seen dozens and dozens of times.  I personally haven’t written one on what is considered to be a classic that I’ve only just watched for the first time recently.  Until now that is.

Recently it occurred to me that I needed to take two hours and visit the 1968 Steve McQueen classic, Bullitt.  Going into this film, my only knowledge of it, aside from it starring McQueen, was that it features one of the best car chase scene ever captured on film.  Well considering I’m all for a great car chase, that’s all the information I needed.  I had no prior knowledge of the plot, or the rest of the cast for that matter so when I sat down to finally watch it, it was all a surprise.

In what can be considered one of his most famous roles, McQueen stars as all-business San Francisco police detective Frank Bullitt.  Bullitt and his partner Delgetti are tasked with protecting a star witness for 48 hours and deliver him safely to the courthouse to testify against an underground crime lord.  However, while under their protection, the witness and Delgetti are gunned down.  Bullitt decides to investigate the case himself, much to the chagrin of Senator Chalmers (Robert Vaughn), who tries to shut down Bullitt’s investigation.

Directed by Peter Yates and released in 1968, this film does show its age, while still also remaining timeless.  This quality makes this film incredibly easy to watch without cringing at how different San Francisco was back then.  In an age where our films are visually busy with effects, lens-flares, explosions and the like, this film calls back to an age where none of those things were necessary.  Yates created a film where certain key scenes had no music, and little movement, yet those scenes were some of the most striking of the film.  His use of angles and the way he used lighting and framing all lend to the undercurrent of intensity that runs throughout its entirety.

That intensity also applies to McQueen.  He’s not so much playing a character as he is a presence.  I’m not well versed in the world of McQueen but it seems to me that this role might have been close to what he was like when he wasn’t in front of the camera.  On the surface he’s calm, cool and collected, but you can see a storm brewing just under the surface.

While there are some big names in this film, there is no doubt that this is McQueen’s film.  Robert Vaughn, as mentioned above, plays the Senator that original tasked Bullitt, then tried to shut him down.  We also get to see a young Norman Fell and Robert Duvall as well.  The one role that I could have done without however was that of Bullitt’s love interest, Cathy, played by Jacqueline Bisset.  It seems to me that this role was thrown in for that romantic aspect that wasn’t even necessary.  Perhaps it was an attempt to bring some warmth to the character of Bullitt, but I found her to be more of a distraction.

Shot on location in San Francisco, this film does a great job of shining a spot light on the iconic city.  With shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, the steep hilly streets and its personality at the time, San Francisco can also be considered a co-star of the film.  The one other thing the city ads with those hilly streets, is the formula for a classic car chase.

I spent a good portion of the film trying to figure out just where that car chases was going to pop up.  Finally about two-thirds of the way through, the wait paid off.  What I saw was nothing short of amazing.  To think that Yates was able to capture such an incredible chase scene like that in 1968 just boggled my mind.  Most chase scenes these days involve the foreign racing cars that you see in the Fast and Furious films.  Back in 1968, they used the hot rods of the time, a 1968 Dodge Charger and a 1968 Ford Mustang GT, both of which are good old-fashioned American muscle.  This was a time where CGI wasn’t an option.  This scene was filmed on a camera with the cars reaching speeds of up to 110 mph.  That’s unheard of on the streets of San Francisco.

McQueen originally planned on doing his own driving, however after one part where he overshot a turn and burned rubber while in reverse, a stunt driver took over.  That mistake however, remains in the film and lends itself to the fact that even though Bullitt’s a cop, he’s not an expert race car driver.  He’s just a guy trying to do his job.

The entire scene runs almost 10 minutes and is done without the use of any type of musical score.  There’s nothing more that engines revving, tires squealing and metal grinding as far as the soundtrack goes.  There isn’t even any dialogue between the two bad guys in the Charger.  To have a scene that contains so much, yet so little, be that entrancing is really something to behold.

Bullitt went on to win the Oscar for Best Film Editing, while also being nominated for Best Sound.  It captured the performance that went on to define Steve McQueen and also set the bar for action packed car chase scenes.  Looking at this film through fresh eyes made me appreciate the talent that went into making it.  While I’m ashamed to admit that this was the first viewing for me, I’m also happy about that fact.  Had I seen this film when I was younger, I may not have appreciated it as much as I do now that I’m an adult.

If you haven’t seen this film, do yourself a favor and rent it tonight.  If this sounds like your cup of tea, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.  Any and all film fans should take the two hours and watch it.  I’m glad I can finally say “Why yes, I have seen Bullitt” and I foresee this film making its way into my collection very soon.

Be sure to visit me at ReelGoddess.com for my take on all things film and television! You can also  follow me in the social media sphere!

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Back on April 21st, HeyUGuys was able to attend opening night of the 54th annual San Francisco Film Festival.  We also got a chance to see the film that kicked off the two week event, Mike Mills’ Beginners.

Written and directed by Mills, the film follows Oliver (Ewan McGregor) as he navigates life right after his widowed father Hal (Christopher Plummer) passed away.  Before Hal died, he shared a secret with his son.  After 44 years of marriage to Oliver’s mother, Hal opens up to Oliver and informs his that he’s gay.  Hal then, at 75 years old, lives the rest of his days as openly gay man.  This revelation brings father and son closer then they have ever been. Once Hal died, Oliver is left with nothing but a house full of his father’s belongings, memories of seeing his father happy in his final days and a string of his own broken relationships. Oliver then meets Anna (Melanie Laurent) and tries to encompass the lessons his father taught him about loving and living life.

The story is told through three different interwoven time-lines.  Time line A deals with Oliver in the present while dealing with the aftermath of his father’s death, meeting Anna and just generally trying to make it through each day.  His blooming relationship with Anna and his coming out of the blackness of mourning prompts flashbacks to time-lines B and C.

Time-line B deals with Oliver as he cares for his father.  This time-line basically starts when Hal tells Oliver that he’s gay, and continues through to Hal’s death.

Time-line C goes back even further to Oliver’s childhood where his parents relationship is practically non-existent.  His mother (played by Mary Page Keller) seems to work at the marriage but his father is never there.

Weaving three different time-lines can be a risky move, but here it really lends itself to the finished product.  There are pieces of the puzzle to be picked up though out the film and as it progresses you’re able to see the big picture.  This film certainly doesn’t follow your typical point A to point B storytelling formula, but if it did, it wouldn’t work.  This is a film that takes you on a journey.  Journeys can be messy and jumbled and make you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing but the end of the journey is beautiful and worth the trip.  This film is exactly like that.

Ewan McGregor was able to capture this character so well.  This film is a semi-autobiographical account of Director Mike Mills’ experiences so in essence, Oliver is Mills, or a loose interpretation there of.  Having seen McGregor and Mills interact after the showing of this film, the chemistry between the two was clear as day.  Of course McGregor was able to pull this off because they seemed like the best of friends.

Christopher Plummer is gold.  He always is.  Seeing him play a freewheeling, bursting-with-life gay man seemed normal.  He brings such magnetism to the screen that you can’t help but be ensnared in his web.  Melanie Laurent’s Anna was the fresh breeze to Oliver’s stale life.  She is a natural beauty and that’s exactly what she played in this film.  I don’t recall seeing her plastered in make-up at all and that, in itself, is refreshing.  She has a complex easiness about her.  She’s the type where on the surface what you see is what you get, but underneath is something else entirely.  The standout star of the film however was Arthur, the Jack Russell terrier.  The dog actually ended up with an integral part in the film and you’ll see why when you watch it.  Arthur helps Oliver through the turmoil of loss and the uncertainty of beginning a new relationship all with the understanding and love only man’s best friend can offer.

The subject matter may seem quite heavy, but don’t let the synopsis fool you.  Beginners is a rich tapestry of emotion.  Humor and sadness were layered with a humanity that gives the audience something to hold on to.  You feel involved in this film, you don’t just watch.  The camera work used puts the viewer right in the room with the characters so they can experience what the characters are experiencing.  The film also uses certain devices that in other movies may not work so well in other films, namely, McGregor’s narration.  Throughout the film the narration is cut with imagery that works as transitional pieces.  This could become downright gaudy and irritating in other films but here it works because it’s not overused and actually plays a part in the overall story.

Beginners is a beautifully told story about love, loss and acceptance and the messy road everyone has to travel on their respective destination.

****~ (4/5)

As a follow up to our post regarding opening night of the San Francisco Film Festival we’ve been given a couple of videos from the even to share with you.

The first is taken from the red carpet and speaks with SFFS Executive Director Graham Leggat and Programming Director Rachel Rosen as well as Mike Mills, the director of the opening night film Beginners.

The second video was taken at the after party and speaks with the film’s star, Ewan McGregor as well as Mike Mills.

We’ll also have some details on the Q & A session that took place after the screening as well as a review of the film so keep your eyes here.

*Videos provided by Grolsch Film Works

April 21, 2011 was a special date for two reasons.  Firstly, that date marked the opening night of the 54th annual San Francisco International Film Festival.  Secondly, it marked the first appearance for HeyUGuys at this particular festival.  We were lucky enough to be invited to this prestigious event and jumped at the chance to experience it firsthand.

Grolsch Film Works is a division of the Grolsch lager and beer company and were the sponsors of the opening night festivities.  Grolsch Film Works’ mission is to celebrate the world of independent film making by hosting screenings around the world, giving film makers the opportunity to give their pitch for the potential of funding and helping the future film makers of the world realize their creative visions.  Grolsch were very generous hosts, setting up a bevy of events for the attendees to experience and partake in.

The evening started out at San Francisco’s historic Castro Theater where the festival kicked off with the opening film, Beginners.  Press and onlookers alike braved the chilly winds of San Francisco in order to catch a glimpse and chance to speak with San Francisco Film Society members as well as the film’s director and stars.  As the guests started to arrive, the anticipation for the film grew and the events of the night as well as the festival itself, officially started.

Upon entering the theater, the attendees were treated to a beautiful historic building.  The beauty of the theater itself if difficult to describe and I could only wonder why I had never come to this place before.  I looked upon the vaulted ceiling with astonishment and admired the detailed wood work that was gilded in gold.  The large screen was covered in curtains and the seats were plush red velvet bringing back a sense of what theaters were like before the days of stadium seating.  As we entered the actual theater we were treated to a rather talented gentleman who was playing an organ that looked to be a permanent resident in front of the stage.  Soon after the music died down, it was time to make the introductions.

First to take the stage was San Francisco Film Society President of the Board, Pat McBaine.  McBaine talked a bit about the festival and the achievements made by the Film Society’s Executive Director, Graham Leggat. Under the five years that Leggat has been Executive Director, the society has experienced an increase in staff, in membership and in budget, which has also been balanced.  Leggat then took the stage and quite proudly talked a bit regarding the festival itself and how it is the oldest film festival in the Americas, hosting 191 films this year.  Leggat was also proud to announce  that this year’s Peter J. Owens Acting Award will be awarded to none other than Terence Stamp.

Once introductions were over and thanks given to those who made and continue to make the festival possible, Leggat then introduced the director, Mike Mills.  Mills took to the stage to preface the film with a little bit of history regarding the film’s autobiographical content.  As a Bay Area child himself, having his film open this particular festival resonated with Mills and he showed his appreciation for his audience by telling us “a film is nothing without an audience and you make it come alive.”  With that, Mills took his leave and the lights dimmed, signaling that it was time to start the film.  Having never taken part in an event such as this, I felt quite honored to be able to be a part of this experience.

Watching a film among an audience that included that film’s writer/director, various members of the press, budding film makers and those who just enjoy a good movie was an amazing feeling and one I’ll not soon forget.

Once the film ended, those who stayed in their seats were treated to a lively Q & A session with Mills that was moderated by the Film Society’s Director of Programming, Rachel Rosen.  The film’s star, Ewan McGregor was supposed to be in attendance for the film, as he hadn’t even seen it yet, but was delayed due to a cancelled flight. Starting his journey in France, he made it to Los Angeles as the film started and frantically made it to the theater in time to partake in the second half of the Q & A session.

The rapport between star and director was something to behold in that you could see how close these two men had become during the course of filming.  The Q & A may have been for the masses at the theater, but it felt more like witnessing an intimate conversation between two close friends.  Once the exchange of silly stories from filming finished, it was time to see what else Grolsch had in mind for the evening.

Making our way to the other side of San Francisco, we arrived at the after party which was already in full swing.  Held at the Terra Gallery, the outside hosted a green carpet which would seem to honor the green bottles of Grolsch.  Once inside, we navigated through the throngs of people and headed upstairs to the VIP area.  As we made our way up the stairs, the sounds of music from a live band and the smells of delicious food permeated our senses.  As we emerged from the stairwell, we witnessed a barrage of party goers mingling and enjoying all that the party had to offer.  Around the incredibly large room, various food stations were set up so the party goers could sample the international culinary delights from premier San Francisco eateries.  The room also hosted different stations serving up various types of drinks, while servers wandered the floor carrying trays of Grolsch beer.

As the party waged on, the honored guests of the night, quite stealthily arrived.  Both Mike Mills and Ewan McGregor made their way through the crowd talking with people as they approached, graciously accepting congratulations and handshakes. As the night wound down, it was time to take our leave.  We headed back to our hotel buzzing with the events of the evening.  I couldn’t help but think that if a night like this was just the start of the festival, what must the duration be like?  Thankfully this is an annual event that will hopefully continue on for another 54 years and beyond.

HeyUGuys would like to personally thank Grolsh Film Works for making this evening possible.  We would also like to thank Rami and Lucy with Frank PR for all of the hospitality that was shown to us.  It was an unforgettable evening and HeyUGuys was honored to have been involved with it.

*All photos courtesy of Brandi Anderson

I was thinking recently about how long it’s been since we lost John Hughes.  It’s been roughly a year and half, but at times it feels like a lot longer than that, and at others it doesn’t.  Strange thing, time.  The film industry lost a real legend that day and even though he had stepped away from the spotlight years prior, his films live on.  I recently caught a bit of Weird Science, which happens to be one of my favorites, and it just never gets old.

I think one of the greatest things about John Hughes as a film maker and story teller was that he was fluent in teenager.  His films would bring all of those teenager issues that we all dealt with to screen and tell a story that was heart warming, funny, at times sad and ridiculous all within a about an hour and half.  The Breakfast Club served as a voice of a generation.  Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles spoke to the awkward teenage girls out there.  Ferris Bueller served as a way of giving the finger to The Man.  John Hughes never alienated anyone and that was his true gift.

What brought this on you ask?  Well I was piddling around on YouTube and came across this really great montage of his films and thought I would share.  It’s pretty saturated with clips from The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller, but that’s not really a bad thing.  If anything, this clip shows what great casts he used and how great his movies were.  Take a peek and relive the magic.

You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ReelGoddess or check out my blog at ReelGoddess.com

Dear Moviegoers,

After going to the movies not once, not twice, but three times last weekend, I felt it was time that we had a chat.  I had a few experiences last weekend that I thought I would bring to your attention so maybe we could come to some sort of understanding on what to do and what not to do at the movies.

First, let me explain what happened.  Last Saturday I went to the movies to see Sanctum.  This movie has been out for a while and I went to the first showing so naturally, the theater was not full at all.  My Aunt and I chose our seats so we wouldn’t be sitting directly in front, or behind the few others in the theater.  It’s the proper thing to do.  I set my bag in the empty seat next to me because I knew there was no way this theater was going to be full.  The lights dimmed and the commercials started.  This couple comes in and the guy decides he needs to sit RIGHT NEXT to me.  There were so many empty seats available I thought no way is this guy going to sit there.  Wrong.  As he’s lowering his mass of flesh into the seat, I had to scramble to get my bag out of the way before it met a most untimely, horrible fate.  I said “EXCUSE ME!” a bit loud, but he just sat down anyway.  My first thought was “DUDE! REALLY?!”.  I got up and moved to the other side of my Aunt where the rest of the row was empty and then the couple, actually got up and moved too!  My point here Moviegoer, is that if you go see a movie and the theater isn’t full, do what you can to not impede the seating of those around you.  You know that you would appreciate someone’s common courtesy right?  Let’s be respectful people.

My next experience had to do with snacks.  Mmmmmm snacks!  On Sunday I went with Aunt and Dad to see Unknown.  Now I love theater snacks as much as the next person.  And I’ve been known to bring in my own from time to time.  But again, it’s all about courtesy.  I come to expect a certain noise level during a movie because of popcorn, the popcorn bags, various wrapper etc.  But Pop Rocks are not something I expect.  Especially being eaten by the guy next to me.  With his mouth open.  All I could hear was the sound of Pop Rocks.  As I said, I used to cater in at the theater, but the stuff I brought was always quiet.  Key word…..quiet.  Moviegoer, if you must eat your beloved Pop Rocks, I just ask that you eat them with your mouth closed.

While I’m talking about snacks, I’d also like to ask that if you decide to provide your own snacks at the movies, bring something that does not have noisy packaging.  This is a simple thing.  Just put whatever the item is in zip lock back or something.  When I went to see I Am Number Four on Monday, the lady behind me had something that was packaged in super industrial strength cellophane.  It sounded like she was opening one of those huge gift baskets you win at a silent auction.  It took her just as long to open it too.  The opening of the film was met with the crinkle crinkle crinkle amplified to 80.  If changing out the package before you get to the theater isn’t an option, how about opening it before the lights go out?

That’s really all I have for now Moviegoer.  I really hope you and I can come to some sort of understanding.  I’ll be back at the theater this weekend and will hope that I’ve made a difference.  We really all want the same thing don’t we?  Let’s keep the noise level down and please for the love of God, choose your seats wisely.  Mmmm-kay pumpkin?

Sincerely,

Tracy

This post is original content of ReelGoddess.com and is posted here with permission.  ReelGoddess.com focuses on American television, film and sometimes, cake.

Last night was, once again, the biggest night in the movie industry.  It was Oscar’s 83rd year and it was once again a bit of a snooze-fest.  Every year I sit down to watch this thing hoping and praying it’ll be better than the previous year.  Every year I’m left with the same feeling.  Maybe it’ll be better next year. 

I don’t know what the solution is because it’s impossible to please everyone.  This year they obviously tried to appeal to the younger generations by having Anne Hathaway and James Franco host.  I’ll give them points for trying, but in the end it all fell a bit flat.  It’s a shame really.  But c’est la vie, there’s always next year.

The highlights for me consisted of:

Christian Bale’s beard.  And seeming to forget his wife’s name.  Say what you want about the guy being an ass or whatever.  The man grows a FANTASTIC beard.  Not a lot of guys can say that.  I still do a double take when I hear him use his natural accent too.  I always forget about it.  I sat there in stunned silence when he was trying to thank his wife too.  Then I imagined what he felt.  How horrifying.  At least he didn’t forget to thank her completely.

Aaron Sorkin’s acceptance speech.  Sure it was long, but he thanked loads of people and didn’t give a damn that the orchestra was trying to play him off.  I always find it funny when people do that.  I imagine it’s their way of giving the producers the finger and I say good on ‘em.

Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law.  Maybe those two should host next year.  They play off of each other so well, have chemistry and are loads of fun to watch.  It’s what made Sherlock Holmes so good.  Listen up Academy….they’re gold.  RDJ is incredibly easy on the eyes, and a lot of women (not me so much) think the same thing about Jude Law so you get the female audience.  RDJ also exudes “cool” so the guy factor will watch just because of that.  It’s a win-win.

Kirk Douglas.  This is equal parts of happy and sad.  It breaks my heart to see Kirk Douglas these days.  Much like seeing Dick Clarke.  But I’ll give it to Kirk….he was great.  He was funny and charming and a sight to behold.  He was hard to understand at times, but he still commands respect.  Melissa Leo is a lucky woman to have gotten her award from such a legend.

I know acceptance speeches are a necessary evil and each winner deserves the right to get up there and thank everyone on the planet, but I have such a hard time sitting through them.  I did however like the speech given by David Seidler for his Best Original Screenplay win.

I also kind of like that the guy behind Nine Inch Nails won an Oscar.  That’s pretty cool.  I was rooting for Hans Zimmer because I adore the Inception soundtrack, but I’m happy for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.  The score to The Social Network was great and their award was well deserved.  I was hoping he’d bust out in a medley of NIN stuff during his speech though.  Sadly, he didn’t.

The rest of the show however was stilted and seemed somewhat forced.  Roomie said that to her, it seemed like Anne Hathaway did a big huge bag of blow, and James Franco smoked a big joint.  She was hyper and he wasn’t.  Hell, he was even non-existent though the second hour.  He was probably back stage  mackin’ on cupcakes.

The annual In Memoriam piece was better than last year.  Although I prefer last year’s performance by Queen Latifah.  They screwed up last year however by focusing more on the performer with shots of the dearly departed going on in the background.  This year we got Celine Dion.  But they actually focused on the dead and not on the living dead.

There was also no mention of Corey Haim in this years montage either.  Last year we went through the same scandal with Farrah Fawcett.  I’m sure the Academy will say the same thing they said last year, “we didn’t have enough time to include everyone.”  It’s really a shame too because they all deserve some recognition.  But on the flip side, the telecast was already too long so I can see their point.  It wouldn’t have been a big deal to throw in a picture of him and give him two seconds though.

The Best Song performances are always hard for me to watch.  I just get bored.  Thankfully they’ve done away with the awful dance numbers, but can these be the next to go?

The auto-tune section was dreadful as well.  Turning non-musicals into musicals by doing this was just as irritating as turning a non-3D movie into a 3D movie and it wasn’t necessary.  Stop going for the quick laugh and for the love of God, stop using footage from the Twilight movies.

I think that about covers my feelings on this year’s show.  Like I said, I don’t know what the solution is but they need to do something to at least make the show entertaining.  Either that or cut out all the peripheral stuff, do a marathon award presenting session and get the show done in about an hour and half, two max.   Maybe they need to include the countdown clock from 24.  That way people know how much longer they have to wait.  I’m just sayin’…..it’s just an idea.

This post was original content of  www.ReelGoddess.com and is posted here with permission.  C’mon over and see me some time!

You can also follow me on Twitter at @baddladd.

This one is for the hardcore serious collector.  Marvel announced yesterday that they are putting the military uniform worn by Chris Evans up for auction.  I guess they don’t need it anymore, or they have loads of them.  Whatever the reason this little nugget of what is sure to be cinematic history can be yours.

The set comes complete with a certificate of authenticity and is also signed and dates by none other than the President of Marvel Studios and Producer of the film, Kevin Feige.  Wouldn’t it be great to own this?  Well it can be yours!  The starting bid is only $999.95 (US).  Pocket change right?

Click the link above to check out the the Marvel announcement or click here to be taken directly to the EBay page.

It seems that all those Team Jacob fans are going to get their fill of young Taylor Lautner over the course of the next couple of years. Deadline reported yesterday that Lautner has teamed up with Michael Bay on a script that just went out to the studios.

The werewolf and the King of Explosions should make quite a combo as far as box office draw. I wonder if we’ll get any exploding werewolves. It’s doubtful, but that would be cool. According to insider info, the script is a Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets Wanted. Sounds interesting no?

Lautner made the list of top paid teenage actors, but also made the top paid adult list as well.  2011 is already a full year for him with completing the Twilight series, but he’s also got Abduction, Incarceron, and untitled spy project and Stretch Armstrong.   With a couple of spots open for 2012 Michael Bay jumped on the opportunity to work with this bankable young star. Both decided to not hand deliver the script to the studios to try to sell it but with both names attached, it wasn’t necessary.  Lautner is currently on a breather from shooting The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn pt. 2 while Bay has his hands full with Transformers 3 and his latest producing effort, I Am Number 4.   We’ll keep an eye on this and update and we get more info.

When the fan made short of the Mortal Kombat reboot hit the web last summer, it spread like wildfire.  The question everyone wanted to know was “Is this for real?”  Well good news MK fans, the short is being turned into a 10 part web series.  BloodyDisgusting got word that Jeri Ryan, who played Sonya Blade in the short, is back to reprise her role.  Joining her are Michael Jai White as Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs and Darren Shahlavi as Kano.

This is great news.  The short that was directed by Kevin Tancharoen was amazing and luckily he’s back to direct the web series.  You can also keep an eye on Jeri Ryan’s twitter feed as she has been tweeting about it.

The series is set to be released sometime in the spring but a definite date hasn’t been announced yet.  Keep your eyes here for more info as we get it.  Check out the Mortal Kombat Rebirth short below.

If I’m being honest here, I’ll start this by saying that I went into True Grit with absolutely no bias to the original film.  Full Disclosure: I’ve never read the book, I’ve never seen the original film, and really, I’m not a fan of the Coen Bros. films.  I know, that last part can be seen as cinematic sacrilege but there you have it.  I watched the trailers and thought it looked good, so I went.  I like Westerns, although I’m not well versed in them but I like Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.  Those three names combined with that particular genre is what drew me in.

The story of True Grit is simple enough.  It’s a tale that can pretty much be plugged into any genre, but sits comfortably in the embrace of the Western drama.  Young Mattie Ross, charged with the task of tending to her recently murdered father’s affairs takes it upon herself to catch his killer, Tom Chaney and avenge her father’s death.  With the assistance of curmudgeonly U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, the trio set out in search of the Ned Pepper Gang to find Chaney and bring him to justice.

Sounds pretty straightforward here in terms of basic plot right?  It is.  What sets this film apart are the characters.  I really would like to wax poetic about Hailee Steinfeld.  I could use every age old cliche in the book talking about this girl but I’m not going to.  I will simply say that Hailee Steinfeld is a revelation.  After having to endure the performances of one note actresses (I’m looking at you Jennifer Aniston) Steinfeld, even with her limited CV shows that she can not only handle but also out shine her A list co-stars.

Mattie is a plucky yet fiercely determined 14 year old.  She doesn’t suffer fools lightly and she won’t stand to be taken advantage of.  She proves this when she negotiates with a seasoned businessman and brings him, quite effectively, to his proverbial knees.  Steinfeld has a gift for dialog and has the ability to deliver the long stretches of Old West language without so much as a pause.  The set of her jaw and furrow of her brow also add to her character’s age, but also makes her seem a bit beyond her years.  She’s a little spit fire and will gladly put anyone in their place that tries to get in her way.

When Mattie meets up with Cogburn and talks him into helping her, he’s left a bit bewildered and isn’t quite sure what to make of her. Cogburn is a crotchety old man with a salty disposition, a love of whiskey and an itchy trigger finger.  He doesn’t think that Indian Territory is any place for a young girl but soon realizes that’s not a war he can win.  Jeff Bridges is, with out a doubt, one of the finest actors Hollywood has.  He brings 110% to every role and it’s really no different here.  His laid back demeanor is still present, even though Cogburn’s edge is razor sharp.  The term “cranky old man” is what comes to mind.  When I watched the trailer for this I was a bit concerned about the gruffness of Bridges voice.  It seemed a bit forced and I was concerned that would take me out of his performance.  I’m quite happy to report that once the film started I didn’t even really notice it.  This, once again, proves what a truly great actor he is.

LaBoeuf makes up the final third of the trio.  He’s a Texas Ranger who is also on the trail of Tom Chaney for shooting a Senator.  It’s an uneasy relationship LaBoeuf has with both Mattie and Cogburn.  He argues with Mattie about where Chaney will eventually be brought to justice and argues with Cogburn about pretty much everything else.  I do love Matt Damon and his performance as LaBoeuf was good.  I won’t say grand because I don’t think anyone can outshine Steinfeld here.  He played LaBoeuf just like the character needed him to.  He’s a bit of a square and very by the book, almost to the point of being accused of having a stick shoved up him bum.  I didn’t really have the warm and fuzzies for him until later in the film, but he showed his grit and came through in the end.

The one role that surprised me was that of Tom Chaney.  Josh Brolin is a great actor and I like him a lot.  However, I would have thought his screen time would have been a bit more extensive than it was.  Especially considering the whole movie is centered around the capture of this elusive man.  You get the impression by the description of Chaney that he’s either cunning and skillful, or lacking in the intelligence department.  It’s not until you finally meet the character that you know for sure but I’m not going to spoil it for you here.  I will just say I would have liked to have seen more of him.

This is a film that would best be viewed on the big screen simply because there are some amazingly beautiful shots that will be lost on a home theater system.  One scene involving Cogburn and LaBoeuf having a shooting contest is the one that really stands out.  I can really only think of one part that disappointed me and it was so blaring that it took me out of the film for a minute.  Had it happened earlier in the film, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but it happened at a critical time toward the end.

Loving this film as much as I did, I feel like I should go back through the Coen Brothers catalog to see if perhaps I have had a change of heart.  Maybe it’s their original material I don’t much care for and because this is based on established material, that’s why I like it.  That’s an article for another time however.

As an introduction to the story of True Grit I’ll say that I loved what Coen’s and company did.  It’s a great film and one I highly recommend.

****½ (4.5/5)

As I was walking into the theater to see The Fighter, I was under the impression that it was going to be your basic sports film.  I had heard all of the praise and talk about how this film is a sure fire award winner, but in the end, thought to myself, it’s still a sports film.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love sports films.  Even though I’m not a big sports fan.  It’s a contradiction I know, but that’s just how it is.  I’ll watch a football themed film, but I won’t watch football.  I never watch boxing, but I love the Rocky films.  Go figure.

The Fighter may look like a sports film, but that’s only a facade. Once you start to watch it, the film slowly reveals itself to not only be a film where boxing is part of the story, but it’s also a borderline dark comedy character study in sports film clothing.  It was definitely refreshing to see that David O. Russell didn’t take this story and turn it into what very easily could have been a by-the-numbers take on an inspiring true story.  Instead, the story just unfolds before you.

This particular yarn is based on the true story of welterweight boxing champion “Irish” Mickey Ward in his years before turning pro.  Set in the early 90′s the film starts out like a documentary as a film crew follows Mickey and his older brother Dicky around the streets of their Massachusetts neighborhood.  Micky gets through his days doing blue collar work while he tries to become more than just a stepping stone for boxers to use as they move up through the ranks.  The film crew that you see is actually filming a story on Dicky who was once the pride of the town.   Dicky is a former boxer who had a single moment of glory in the ring with Sugar Ray Leonard.  Dicky is a mess pure and simple but to Mickey he’s an idol.  There’s almost a hero worship there, much to the detriment of Mickey.

Mickey tries to work his way up the ranks of the boxing world with Dicky serving as his trainer and their mother Alice serving as his manager.  Mickey’s career is a family business but family loyalty can only get you so far.  Once Mickey meets Charlene, he realizes that in order to get a real shot at a true boxing career, he’s going to have to man up and make the necessary changes and actually believe in himself enough to know that he can make it.

The subtle filming style used in The Fighter was a nice change of pace.  The viewer isn’t force fed a moral tale or made to endure just how hard the main characters lives were.  Instead the film lets the viewer decide if you liked them, hated them, or even liked to hate them.  Mark Wahlberg gives a strong performance here as Mickey.  Now, 9 roles out of 10, there isn’t a big stretch with him.  That being said, I love Mark Wahlberg.  Except for The Happening but that’s another story altogether.  I think he has skills as an actor but I haven’t seen proof of him really flexing those muscles in terms of becoming a chameleon to his characters.  Here, I feel he stretches more than he normally does and is able to convey the overall disenchantment Mickey feels towards where his career as a boxer is headed.  You genuinely feel for the guy.  While he was able to breathe life into this character on the screen, he was unfortunately overshadowed.  Mickey was the main character, but the spotlight really shone on the characters of Dicky and Alice.

Christian Bale has proven, at least to mem time and again that he can pretty much take on any role.  Love him or hate him, you have to agree that the man has talent.  He once again transformed his body to take on the appearance of a drug addicted former favorite son.  He looks absolutely wretched and that’s a compliment of the highest order here. His portrayal of Dicky was nothing short of mesmerizing.  The gaunt face, bony frame and sketchy mannerisms of a drug addict were all present and accounted for.  Even though he looked terrible, he was just as stellar as he usually is and it was a nice change of pace to see him downplay a role rather than overplay one with the gravelly voices of Batman and John Connor.  This character shows us once again how committed to his craft Bale really is and that his talent is not just skin deep.

Melissa Leo tackles the role of the matriarch of the family, Alice.  Alice is THE mother from hell in every aspect.  She domineering and clearly defines her role as the commander in chief of the family, but also has the ability to, in an instant, play the victim and wrap you up in a nice thick warm blanket of motherly guilt.  It’s a fine line to walk and she pulls it off so effortlessly it seems like those qualities are par for the course with her. Alice is not someone to mess with.  Even her sons know this.  At one point in the film Dicky jumps out of the back window of a house because she came knocking at the door.  Melissa Leo’s transformation into Alice has her with the big hair and chain smoking through the whole movie.  She may not be big in stature but what she lacks in size she makes up for in presence.

Amy Adams has won her fair share of different awards and has been nominated for an Oscar twice, so her skills as an actor aren’t really in question here. I was more interested to see how she would fair up against the other headliners. Charlene, in all of her flawed glory is the one who really rights Mickey’s ship and sets him on a proper course.  None of the other characters in this film are perfect and Charlene is no exception.  Working as a bar maid at one of the local haunts, she admits to throwing away her chance at a college education.  You can see the regret she has for her bad decisions but also the acceptance she has for her actions and at no time does she come across as the woe-is-me type.  She’s a strong female lead here, but plays it with an understated grace.

Most sports themed movies rely on the big game or event that normally caps off the film.  This film didn’t focus so much on the boxing matches as it did the characters and their journey to those moments.  Some of the best parts of the film didn’t even have anything to do with an actual boxing match.  One of my favorite parts actually dealt with the female cast.  Alice, Charlene and Mickey’s horde of sisters gave me a hearty chuckle and made me thankful that my family is by no means dysfunctional like that.  Actually, this family wasn’t dysfunctional, they were no holds barred toxic.  I remember sitting there in disbelief wondering just how close to the mark the film got to the actual family dynamic.  If it was right on, then I’m amazed any of them made it out alive.

I mentioned before about the documentary style camera work that was used.  This style wasn’t prevalent through out the entire movie.  Parts were shot as a documentary that was being filmed, and other parts were standard.  The boxing matches were made to look like a match you would actually see on TV back in that time period of the early 90′s.  Shots of the fighters in the ring, in their corners while cutting back to shots of the family in the seats with the standard commentary from the sports broadcasters.  This gave the fight scenes a sense of realism as if you were actually watching a fight.

The Fighter may be deemed a sports film, but really it covers more ground and deserves more that being pigeonholed as a one genre film.  It crosses the borders to drama, with a portion leaning in the dark comedy area peppered with some suspense but not in the traditional sense.  The beauty of the film comes from the realism that carries it.  This is not a beautiful film, with beautiful sets and glamorous people.  It’s set in a blue collar town where people are just trying to get by and every character is shown warts and all. And that my friends, is realism in all of it’s tainted glory.

This is a real gem of a film and one that I can’t recommend enough.  The Fighter open in the UK on February 2nd.

****½ (4.5/5)

With the Blu-ray release of the Alien Anthology on the 25th of October HeyUGuys are taking a look at the entire Alien and Predator series. From Facehuggers to trophy hunting Predators, from the iconic and classic to the dubious crossovers – this is your ultimate retrospective.

So remember, even if you ain’t got time to bleed, in the Video Vault no-one can hear you scream…

Tracy Ladd looks back to see if it really is Game over man, game over.

Nine years after Ridley Scott directed the incredible Alien, James Cameron took the reigns and decided to make it’s sequel, Aliens.  Taking the characters originally written by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, Cameron, along with David Giler and Walter Hill crafted a whole new story centered around Ripley, the lone survivor of the first film.

When Aliens was released, the tag line read “This time, it’s war.”  Those four words gave the audience a promise that this was not going to be your typical sequel.  The “In space no one can hear you scream” tag line of the first film gives the impression that it’s more along the lines of a horror film.  Which it was in a slow burn sort of way.  Cameron’s story combined the best of what he is known for.  Action set in a science fiction setting.  He was able to marry both genres perfectly and create what I consider a masterpiece.

Aliens picks up 57 years after the events of Alien when a deep space salvage crew finds Ripley still in hyper sleep after her ordeal in the first film.  Once she’s rescued she finds, to her horror, that the planet where her nightmares began is now inhabited by colonists.  After she finds out that communication with the colony has been lost, Ripley reluctantly accompanies a squad of Marines to the planet in an attempt to hopefully exorcise her demons and put her chest bursting nightmares to rest.  Of course things go south quickly and she finds herself fighting for not only her life, but the lives of the Marines as well as a young girl who is the only remaining colony survivor.  Things go from bad to worse as Ripley comes face to face with an enemy that is worse than she imagined.

Reprising her role as Ripley, Sigourney Weaver showed that women are just as capable of carrying an action movie as men.  Ripley is a strong female character that doesn’t take any lip and tells it like she sees it.  With Ripley came a new breed of action hero.  She tested her mettle in the first film, but really showed what a force she was in this film.  She set the bar for future female action stars and to this day that bar still remains pretty high.

This was only Cameron’s third feature at the time, but looking back on the film and the cast, you can see several actors who would become staples in the Cameron canon.  Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein are all on hand here and each makes their presence known.  Aside from Ripley, I have to say that my favorite character has to be Bill Paxton’s Pvt. Hudson.  Hudson serves as the films cheesy machismo factor as well as it’s comic relief.  His dialogue provides so many quotable lines, I can’t even keep track of the ones I’ve used in every day conversation.

Michael Biehn plays the role he’s so good at.  His Cpl. Hicks is the good guy trying to save everyone while finding a way off the planet.  Biehn and Weaver had great chemistry together but only a fraction of it came across in the theatrical cut which is unfortunate.  However, the spark is still visible thankfully because without it, their roles would have suffered.

I remember when Aliens first premiered on network TV.  There was a write up in the TV Guide stating that it would be aired with 18 additional minutes of footage.  I was outraged.  I couldn’t believe they were going to show all this new footage, but the whole film would be hacked up with commercials and edited for prime time television.  For several years that was the only way to see this version.  Finally Cameron released the directors cut that had all 18 minutes restored and edited back into the film.  As with any Cameron cut, the new version expands the story and answers questions.  You find out why Ripley is so driven to protect the little girl, Newt.  It shows even more of the relationship that builds between Ripley and Hicks.  To top it all off you get to see some pretty cool new weapons as well.  This is the version I recommend watching.

For me, Aliens was, is and will always be a favorite.  As I said before, it’s a perfect marriage of science fiction and action.  Two things which Cameron is known for and does successfully each time.  Once Aliens hit the movie channels after it’s theatrical run, I watched it over and over again.  Each time I found myself white knuckling my way through it and getting stressed out even though I knew what was coming next.  That’s a sign of a good film.

This is a film that builds a slow crescendo from the get go as we see Ripley get rescued and try to resume something resembling a normal life.  Through her nightmares and acceptance of the fact that she has to go to the planet to hopefully put her demons to rest. The tension and action picks up a beat as the Marines meet the aliens and from there it takes on the rhythm of a heartbeat.  The action spikes, then there’s a bit of calm, then it spikes again.  All of this leads up to the Ripley’s tension filled power loader scene and one the greatest quotes ever. One my Dad has even quoted.

If you love science fiction and action, Aliens is the movie for you.  The Blu Ray release is fast approaching and I can’t wait.  I’ve seen some stills comparing the regular DVD to the Blu and it’s going to look like a whole new movie.  It’s definitely worth the money and time.  If there is any movie I pray and wish for a theatrical re-release (aside from Jaws) it’s Aliens.  But until then, I’ll happily watch the Blu Ray version with white knuckles.

The current losses that the film industry has had to endure, it got me thinking about those actors, lost so long ago, whose spirit and influence can still be felt.  Most notably for me is James Dean.  Today marks the 55th anniversary of his sudden and tragic death in a horrific car accident along a California highway.

James Dean only made three movies in his short lived career but what he lacked in quantity he more than made up for in quality.  He was the rebel, the loner, the awkward fellow who seemed uncomfortable in his own skin and who seemed to want to just shrink into himself, but his presence was bigger than the screen his movies appeared on.

Dean’s first movie to be release was Elia Kazan’s 1955 film East of Eden. The film is based on the John Steinbeck novel and focuses on the story of a father and his two sons who compete for their father’s love and attention.  Dean’s character, Cal Trask is the black sheep of the family.  Always trying to measure up against his brother Aron’s accomplishments.  He struggles socially but finds he’s got a good head for business and innovation.  Secrets are exposed which results in family strife as the tensions between the brothers and father escalate and finally reach a boiling point in the films climax.

East of Eden is my favorite of Dean’s movies.  Even though he was relatively unknown at the time of filming, his portrayal of Cal and the angst he suffered were done with the precision of an old pro.  You felt his pain and cheered him in his triumphs and hoped that things would just work out for this lost soul.  East of Eden was released shortly before Dean’s death, but the role earned him a posthumous Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

The second and perhaps most iconic film in the Dean canon was Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause.  Rebel was released in October 1955, shortly after his death.  Dean’s role of Jim Stark was that of a troublemaker, forcing his family to relocate where he has to start fresh at a new school.  His acting out is a veiled attempt to find the love from his parents that he’s craving.  Finding solace in a girl from school and also getting a bit of hero worship from another boy with a tortured soul, Jim finds himself in trouble once again.

Dean co-starred in Rebel with Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and a very young Dennis Hopper.  This film gave us several of the iconic shots of Dean that have been immortalized as well as the perfect representation of teen angst.  Dean gave his character dimension as he played the tough guy, but also played it down with vulnerability that lurked right beneath the surface.  You can see the different levels of emotion from anger to sadness in one scene as he screams “I have the bullets”. If you’ve seen the film, you know what I’m talking about.  If you haven’t, I suggest getting it and watching it.

Giant would be Dean’s third and final film.  Directed by George Stevens and released in 1956, Giant was an epic film with two suitably epic co-stars.  Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor played along side of Dean and even though they were well known veterans, Dean held his own on screen with them both.

Giant tells the story of Texas ranch-man Jordan ‘Bick’ Benedict Jr. who, while on a horse buying trip to Maryland, meets, falls in love and marries Leslie.  They travel back to Bick’s Texas ranch to start their life.  Dean plays Jett Rink, a cowboy and Bick’s rival who becomes an oil tycoon after his well hits big.  The film’s main focus are the trials and tribulations of family life with the Bicks.  The movie is told over two generations, and it may feel that long as well at times.  Even though the film focuses on the Bicks, it’s Jett Rink that is the most memorable.  Giant dealt with themes of racism, materialism, and conflict but amongst all of that Dean’s star shines bright.  Giant also earned Dean his second posthumous Academy Award nomination.

Even though James Dean made just three films in a span of a couple of years, his image is legendary.  Even 55 years after his death, his legacy lives on and most people know who is by name and by face.  While comparisons have been made, there was only one true James Dean.  It would have been very interesting to see where his career may have gone.  He may have only made three films, but he definitely left his  mark on the film industry.

Editors Intro: Back to the Future returns to the big screen this coming Friday, 1st October. Since this opportunity won’t be coming around again any time soon, we want to make the most of of it. Many of the writers on HeyUGuys.co.uk love Back to the Future and we wanted to bring you some of the reasons why, along with the experiences that we’ve had with the movie, and talk about how it affected us and what is it about this film that makes us all warm inside when we think about it.

Keep you eyes peeled on HeyUGuys for loads more Back to the Future stuff coming up in the next few days.

You can keep track of all the stories and coverage including the new HD re-release trailer here.

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When Back to the Future was released in the summer of 1985, I was 13 years old.  I saw it in the theater and was immediately smitten with it.  Since then I can’t even begin to estimate the amount of times I’ve seen this film.  I’ll plop down on the sofa and watch it whenever it’s on.  I’ve done the same with part two as well, but the sequels didn’t strike a chord like the first film did.

For me, aside of the thrilling story of course, the thing that stood out the most was the music.  The film starts out based on music as a matter of fact.  You see someone turning on an amp, the glitter of light off of a guitar pick, then we see Marty standing in front of that ridiculously big speaker.  After strumming one chord, the force of the sound sends him flying backwards into a bookshelf.  Shortly after that we see Marty’s band auditioning to perform at the school dance but are rejected by the teachers, one of which is none other than Huey Lewis himself, acting as a judge.

I remember having the soundtrack to the film and listening to it over and over and over again.  Not only did I own the soundtrack, but I had it on LP.  That’s right, it was an actual vinyl album.  Ahhh the good ole days.  I loved the soundtrack because A)the music was great, and B) it had a perfect blend of what was then, present day rock, and the oldies.

At the time of release, Huey Lewis and the News were on the top of the charts and in pretty much every home.  The band itself and their two contributions to the soundtrack, The Power of Love and Back in Time, fit the musical personality of film perfectly.  Fun, exciting and something you could get in to.  It was a perfect marriage of sight and sound.  I actually saw Huey Lewis and the News in concert about a year later and was treated to a live performance of The Power of Love.  That is something I will never forget.

As the movie progressed and did indeed, go back in time, the music obviously changed as well.  We were transported from the 80′s sound, the innocent sounds of the 50′s.  The songs on the soundtrack were perfect representations of this time.  As a child of multi-generational music, I have a love for the oldies.  The Motown sound especially, which is what this soundtrack provided.  Any soundtrack with Etta James is a good soundtrack in my opinion.  Not to mention the tracks by The Starlighters.  Those songs performed at the school dance were a perfect throwback to a long forgotten era.  Earth Angel, Night Train and the film’s musical climax, Johnny B. Goode, fronted by none other than Marty himself, provided the soul to the soundtrack as well as a rollicking great performance by Michael J. Fox.

As if these two different types of music aren’t enough, the soundtrack is rounded out by two instrumental tracks from the original score.  Both tracks, Back to the Future and Back To The Future Overture are those sweeping musical scores that you no doubt know the minute you hear them.  Both are performed by the wittingly named The Outatime Orchestra and are what I consider to be in the upper echelon of instrumental film score classics.

For me, film soundtracks are a reminder.  When I listen to the soundtrack of a film, be it the music from the film or the original score, it’s just music.  I see the film and hear the music, but when I hear the music, I rarely see the film.  This soundtrack was the first one I remember listening to that actually made me envision the scenes from the movie.  I’d listen to the LP, and see it all play out in my brain again.

There really is nothing like a great soundtrack.  Soundtracks can give you goosebumps and move you because the music is so grand and stirring.  These emotions are normally related to scores.  The Back to the Future soundtrack was a perfect blend of old, new and instrumental.  While the movie certainly deserves it’s place in the realm of classics, the soundtrack does as well.

I dare say, it’s been quite a blood fest at the cinema lately.  The Expendables and Piranha 3D had quite enough, but if you go and throw Machete in there too, it’s an all out blood fest extravaganza!

The newest film by Robert Rodriguez opened this past weekend here in the States.  Originally filmed as a faux-trailer for the Grindhouse films, Rodriguez gathered together an unlikely band of well known actors, to film the full length version the fans cried out for.

While working in Mexico as a Federale, Machete is betrayed by his boss as he’s trying to take down a well known drug lord whose reach extends to the organization that Machete is working for.  After his wife and child are murdered, Machete is left for dead.  Turning up in Texas a few years later, Machete is working as a day laborer.  A man comes to hire him but instead of hiring him for day labor, Machete soon learns that he’s been hired to assassinate Senator McLaughlin.  He accepts the job and soon finds himself at the center of another betrayal.  Machete then goes on a mission of his own to clear his name and find out the source and reason for the betrayal.

Machete’s story also deals with immigration, illegal border crossings, an immigrant underground, as well as civilian led border patrol.  The timing of Machete’s release could be a positive thing or a negative thing considering the illegal immigration issue that is taking place in the States at the moment.  Some may focus on a parallel of the films political statement to what’s happening in States, I’m just going to focus on Machete as a film.

The cast of Machete is an interesting mix of new and old.  You’d be hard pressed to find a cast list that reads like this one.  Tarantino has a knack for reigniting the fire of long forgotten actors so it’s not surprising to see that happen with Rodriguez cast choices as well.  Machete stars, in no particular order, Danny Trejo (who is a Rodriguez staple), Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Steven Seagal, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin, Robert DeNiro oh yeah….and Lindsay Lohan.  Having a deep bench cast wise, it’s not unusual for certain roles to suffer.  While I would have liked more Cheech Marin and Don Johnson (a scene together would have been great for those Nash Bridges fans) I was happily surprised at the amount of Jeff Fahey it had.  He played his role as the dead pan businessman type to the hilt.  Each actor fit in nicely with their roles with the exception of Seagal.  I had a hard time with him portraying a drug lord that threw in the occasional Spanish word when he talked.  However on the flip side of that, the type of film this is calls for outrageous casting and the said cast is all in on the joke.  So I’ll give kudos to Seagal for that.  He’s a shell of the Seagal that we all know, but it seems he knows it too.  I felt that Lindsay Lohan was a complete waste of time even if she did pretty much play herself.  I’m still not convinced that she can act and her presence just detracted from everything else that was happening in the film.  Basically she irritated me beyond belief whenever she was on screen.  Danny Trejo however, was a perfect fit.  He just looks like someone you don’t want to meet in a dark alley.  The eyes of steel, the set jaw, the tattoos…all of it screams “Danger!”  I like Danny Trejo a lot and it was nice to see him front and center for once and not in a supporting role.  He carries the film on those broad shoulders and does so very well.

I loved how Rodriguez used the exploitation film style with Machete.  Everything from the scratchy, color saturated film style, to the editing and the angles makes this film feel like it should have been released in the 1970′s.  Decapitations, ridiculous guns and a new use for intestines all lend themselves to this style as well.  And then there is the amount of blood.  The blood spray is gratuitous but expected in a film like this.  If you don’t like blood, don’t see Machete.

One of the other downfalls the film had, aside from Lohan was it’s running time. Clocking in at 105 minutes, it felt a bit more like 120.  There seemed to be big gaps of time between any type of action and during those few dispersed action scenes the film goes a bit stagnant.  A film that’s about a guy named Machete shouldn’t have big gaps of non action.  It would have served the film much better if they tightened things up and cut about 15 minutes.

In the end, even with the political messages that some will agree with, others won’t, Machete is a film that is at times entertaining, other times not.  The style of filming and the action scenes are worth the time, money and effort to see it in the theater but unfortunately the lag time it suffers between those action scenes make it a bit hard to sit still and not notice how long the film seems.

Machete opens in the UK on November 26th.

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine recently about actors and how some of them have the greatest voices ever.  Certain actors could probably stop traffic with their booming baritones or instantly silence crying babies with their soothing speech.  It’s a true superhero power.

This then led to discussion on how I wish I could have certain actors read to me.  Yes, you read that right.  Like when you were a kid and your parents would read you a story before bed.  I have certain actors that I could just sit there and listen all day as they read me various stories.  So there we were comparing notes and this is what I came up with.

James Earl Jones

Qualities:
JEJ would definitely fall into the booming baritone category.  I have visions of my Dad storming down the hallway scolding me.  His voice, JEJ, not my dad, is distinctive and one is able to pick up on it the minute you hear it.  He will go down in history as having one of the most recognized voices ever.

Reading Material:
I would have JEJ read me the entire Harry Potter series.  His voice can be soft or commanding but mainly I would just want to hear him exclaim “Avada Kedavra!” in his deepest voice.  I would be spellbound to hear him say any of those spells as a matter of fact.

Hugo Weaving

Qualities:
Hugo has a knack for speech.  His cadence of speech as Agent Smith in the Matrix, Elrond in The Lord of the Rings trilogy or as V in V for Vendetta are similar yet…not.  It’s almost hypnotic.  His monologue in V for Vendetta is pure brilliance.  It would only make sense then to have him read…

Reading Material:
Dr. Suess.  His pattern of speech would lend itself quite nicely to There’s a Wocket in my Pocket or Fox in Sox or even Oh, The Places You’ll Go.  Doesn’t matter really.  Hugo Weaving + Dr. Suess = WIN

Sean Connery

Qualities:
Musht include Shir Sean Connery here.  The Scot who played a Brit…and a Russian…with that Shcottish accent.  His voice is another you just can’t miss. Sean Connery is one actor that never tried to alter his accent.  At least not that I know of.  It was never an issue either.  I would have special duties for Sean Connery.

Reading Material:
Owner’s manuals or assembly instructions.  This duty actually belonged to my friend Amy.  The one who I was having this very conversation with.  Any time I got a new piece of electronic equipment I’d crack open the box, toss her the book and she would read it then tell me all the bells and whistles as I was hooking it up.  Sir Sean would have that duty.  The only instructions he would not be helpful with would be anything from Ikea.  In which case he could help assemble.

Willem Dafoe

Qualities:
Willem Dafoe is a bit of a smooth criminal.  He’s got that quiet before the storm type of voice.  If you listen to long he might put you in a trance so you best watch out.  It’s smooth, yet with a hint of danger.  It’s like a bottle of top shelf booze.  Smooth and seemingly innocuous until you find the bottle is gone and you’re in trouble the next morning.  His voice sneaks up on you.

Reading Material:
My fellow HeyUGuys writer Emily and I had a discussion about Willem one day after she showed me a series of commercials where he voices a stuffed animal.  I think it’s a teddy bear.  I made the comment that it was a bit creepy yet, not.  Very strange.  Emily said that she would like him to read the Grimm fairy tales and I would have to agree.  He’s got that menacing tone, but it’s understated.  I think he would do the Brothers Grimm justice.

Ian McKellan

Qualities:
I love Ian McKellan.  His voice is like his eyes.  Sharp one minute, soothing and gentle the next.  Depending on his tone, he sounds like he could cut you down one minute, then wrap you in a warm wordy blanket the next.

Reading Material:
Actually Ian would be more of a narrator.  I would like him to narrate my life.  Just follow me around and comments on what I’m doing.  “As she sped down the street she gave the incompetent driver who cut her off a generous helping of the finger.” Yes….I could go for that.

My friend Amy was the one I was having this discussion with and she actually emailed me her choices.  She pretty much nailed those on the head because all of them I can hear in my head.

I’d like Morgan Freeman to read me fairy tales (Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Amy …), Pierce Bronson and Ewan McGregor to read me romance novels (they can take turns), Stanley Tucci can read me cookbooks and food blogs (I like the way he says things like “delectable” and “savory”), and Kevin Kline has a great voice for witty stories and sly humor.  I’m listing only men, but there are women who have great voices too.  Diane Lane and Julianne Moore come to mind.  I think either would do a great job with strong female-lead stories, smart sexy detectives or vampire huntresses.

If I could find someone who could do really excellent impressions I would have made some audio clips, but alas, I can’t do them and I don’t know anyone personally who can.

So there you have it folks.  Do you have a certain actor whose voice you could stand to hear read a story to you or narrate your life?  Let us know!

At the time of writing this review it’s been almost 24 hours since I watched The Last Exorcism.  I’ve spent that time thinking about the film and trying to figure out what exactly my thoughts are on it, and how I really feel about it.  For a film to have that affect, you could say that in itself is a success.

The Last Exorcism follows Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) as he documents his experience as he conducts one final exorcism.  You see, Rev. Marcus has been a preacher his whole life.  He performed his first exorcism at the ripe old age of 10 and had been doing them thoughout his life ever since.  He has his reservations about his chosen profession and questions his faith and religious practices.  You get the sense that the good Reverend is disenchanted with his profession.  He proves his point that his flock will praise anything he says by throwing in a banana bread recipe into his sermon.

As Rev. Marcus discusses his work with exorcisms he cites a newspaper article that reports on an exorcism gone wrong that resulted in the death of a child.  Wanting to expose exorcisms to be the fraud that he believes they are, Rev. Marcus agrees to do one final exorcism and enlists the services of a documentary film crew to capture the entire process.  Responding to a letter written by a concerned father, the team heads out to a farm in the backwoods of a small Louisiana town.  There they meet the father, Louis Sweetzer (Louis Herthum), his 16 year old daughter Nell (Ashley Bell) and his son Caleb (Caleb Landry Jone).  Louis tells Rev. Marcus that he believes his daughter to be possessed by demons and requests an exorcism be done.  His belief is fueled by the deaths of his livestock and the animal blood that covers Nell’s clothing.  Nell, of course, remembers nothing of these events.

After listening to the family’s story, Rev. Marcus decides to do the exorcism and as he prepares, the film crew records the entire process.  This part of the film shows us that Rev. Marcus truly doesn’t believe in what he’s about to do.  He’s set out to prove that exorcisms are nothing but smoke and mirrors.  The exorcism goes according to his plan, but he’s not prepared for the events that happen after he and his crew leave the farm.

I can’t say much else without spoiling the film, so I’ll stop there.  If this film proves anything it’s that it is possible to tell a creepy horror story effectively even with a PG-13 (15 rating in the UK) rating.  A film doesn’t need to be full of blood and gore in order to be scary.  While there is some disturbing imagery in this film, it doesn’t cross the line into gratuitous gore, which is nice.  Subtlety is key in horror movies.  It’s the suspense that is scary. In that respect this film delivers for the most part.  What really brings it home are the performances by Patrick Fabian and Ashley Bell.

Ashley Bell plays Nell and her performance is so organic you wonder where the actor ends and the character begins.  Nell has a naive innocence about her and the fear of what’s happening to her is tangible.  You feel sympathy for her but you’re scared of her at the same time because you don’t exactly know what’s going on with her.

Patrick Fabian bring a smarmy charm to Reverend Marcus.  He’s intriguing and charming, but when you see the discontent and how he proves his point, he shows some unpleasant qualities and you can really see how he thinks his entire profession is just a farce.  As the film progresses however, you can see him transform back into a man of faith that is driven by the need to help this young girl.  I found myself liking him and disliking him at the same time.  Fabian is a craftsman in his acting and it’s evident here.

The film is shot entirely from the hand held camera that is following Rev. Marcus.  I’ve had both good and bad experiences with this.  Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project both gave me headaches but I didn’t have any trouble with Cloverfield.  I didn’t have an issue with this film either which I was thankful for.  The shaky camera work was held to a minimum but there were a few bits that were a tad jarring.  I have to give real credit here to the director Daniel Stamm.  The film making was very fluid and it didn’t feel like a movie, it felt more like you were there with the crew experiencing the events as they were unfolding.

Clocking in at 87 minutes the film moves pretty quickly once the crew gets out to the Sweetzer farm.  It’s not all doom and gloom as there are bits of humor thrown in through out.  From the banana bread recipe sermon, to the seldom heard and never seen camera man, you will get a few chuckles.  Even with those chuckles, you still get the creepy factor.

I’ve been trying to decide on if I liked this film or not.  The result I’ve come to is that I’m more indifferent to it than anything else.  I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either.  But I have thought an awful lot about it and like I said, that in itself is a success.  I haven’t been able to discuss it with anyone else who has seen it so if you have, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.  I’d love to get someone else’s take on it.

After waxing poetic about my love for The Expendables, and quite frankly, all things action yesterday I got to thinking about all of the different conventions that take place.  After searching the Internet I found loads of different cons.  Anime, Sci-Fi, Comic, Horror and more specifically, Star Trek and Twilight related conventions.  I’ve been to two of the former and none of the latter…thank goodness.  I can’t leave out mentioning the big daddy of cons, Comic Con.  Sadly I haven’t had the opportunity to attend, but next year is going to be the year.

I Goggle’d, Yahoo’d and Bing’d my way through researching all of these different cons,  and I couldn’t find a single con devoted strictly to action movies.   Our writer Craig brought to my attention that there is something in North Carolina called ActionFest and that looks pretty darn cool.  However that looks more like a festival and less like an actual con.   Regardless, anything that Chuck Norris shows up to has to be awesome.

Think about it how great would it be to attend Action Con!  My Action Con would include screenings of some of the films I mentioned in my previous post, panels with upcoming action movie cast and crew complete with Q & A, and of course, the showroom with vendors galore all tied somehow to all things action.

I understand that a lot of movies are now being featured at Comic Con.  I followed the endless tweets about what was happening as it was happening.  Comic Con shines a spotlight on all different genres.  Comics (obviously), Film, Television etc.  I want Action Con to be nothing but action, and action movie related.  Show me the cars, weapons, stunts, behind the scene footage, props, and most importantly, the people who show up dressed to the hilt as their favorite characters.  I’m action-geeking out over the thought of something so grand.

Just think of all the actors that might turn up at such an event.  Of course since The Expendables got me started on this whole thing, that whole cast would need to be there.  Of course the new legion of action stars would show up.  Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Sam Worthington etc. But what if Steven Seagal and Jean Claude Van Damme showed up? Don’t forget about Chuck Norris, Michael Dudikoff, Jeff Speakman, and Thomas Ian Griffith.  There are also the female action stars.  Linda Hamilton, Sigourney Weaver, Angelina Jolie,  maybe even Uma Thurman.  See??  You’re thinking about how full of awesome it would be aren’t you?  Why isn’t this a reality?

So does anyone know how to get one of these things started? I just might have to look into it because this needs to become a bona fide event!  You can bet you’d see me pulling up in my Ripley cosplay complete with functioning power loader.

If you know of any such event, let me know.  I’d be interested in finding out where and when they are.