Escape to The Movies: "Life of Pi"

It's different.

"Intermission" does "Advice From a Fanboy" again.

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : Life of Pi

85th Academy Awards Live Action Shorts Shortlist

From a total of one hundred twenty-five films that qualified in the category, eleven (11) will advance in the voting process to select three to five nominees.

The following are the short films announced today by the Academy.

9 meter, Anders Walter, Denmark,
Daniel is 16-years-old and a long jump athlete that constantly sets new records. Her mother is dying and he believes that setting new records keeps her alive. In a desperate attempt to set new records, he starts to jump between rooftops of the concrete ghetto he lives in.

A Fábrica (The Factory), Aly Muritiba, Brazil, 15'
Visiting day. Lindalva prepares food to take it to her son who is in jail. Metruti, Lindalva's son, shaves and wears the best clothes to welcome his mother. Today is a very special day and he really needs to make a phone call. His mother is taking a risk, she's willing to smuggle a cell phone for him into the penitentiary.

Asad, Bryan Buckley, South Africa and USA, 18'
A coming of age fable of a Somali boy as he struggles to survive in his war-torn land.

Buzkashi Boys, Sam French, Afghanistan and USA, 28'
Set against the dramatic landscape of contemporary Afghanistan and the National sport of Buzkashi - a brutal game of horse polo played with a dead goat - Buzkashi Boys tells the coming of age story of two best friends, a charismatic street urchin and a defiant blacksmith's son, who struggle to realize their dreams as they make their way to manhood in one of the most war-torn countries on Earth. Shot on location in Kabul city by an alliance of Afghan and international film makers, Buzkashi Boys is a look at the life that continues beyond the headlines of war in Afghanistan.

Curfew, Shawn Christensen, USA,19'
At the lowest point of his life, Richie gets a call from his estranged sister, asking him to look after his nine-year old niece, Sophia, for a few hours.

Dood van een Schaduw (Death of a Shadow), Tom Van Avermaet, France and Belgium, 20'
Soldier Nathan died during World War I. A strange collector imprisoned his shadow and gave him a new chance: a second life against 10000 captured shadows. It is love that guides him, as his purpose is to meet Sarah again, the woman he fell in love with before he died. But then he discovers that she's already in love with someone else, jealousy clouds his mind and pushes him towards a bitter decision, not without consequences.

Henry, Yan England, Canada, 21'
Henry, a great concert pianist, has his life thrown in turmoil the day the love of this life, Maria, disappears mysteriously. He'll then discover the inevitable verdict of life.

Il turno di notte lo fanno le stelle (The Night Shift Belongs to the Stars), Edoardo Ponti, Italy and USA, 23'
It's a story about a man and a woman. He is alone. She is married. Both mountaineers, both survivors of cardiac operation. He has in his chest the heart of a young woman, she has a mitral valve. A fate and a promise unites them . A short story where the rhythm of the heartbeat accelerates, to find at the end, a steady pace.

Kiruna-Kigali, Goran Kapetanovic, Sweden and Rwanda, 15'
In the midst of frost and snow, a woman is driving her way to the hospital in Kiruna, the northernmost city of Sweden. Under the scorching sunlight of Kigali, Rwanda, another woman is being carried to the hospital on a stretcher. The two single mothers-to-be on the verge of giving birth to a baby are departed thousands of miles apart, but share the same fear of entering the unknown world of motherhood.

Salar, Nicholas Greene, USA, UK and Bolivia, 19'
Two lives cross in an isolated Bolivian village: a disgruntled American doctor looking to leave, and a Bolivian salt miner who's just been stabbed in the hand.

When You Find Me, Bryce Dallas Howard, USA,
A young boy asks his pregnant mother if he will like his baby brother, and he asks her if she has a brother. This sends the mother, Lisie, on a reverie of her relationship with her older sister, Aurora, when they were kids and their mother was dying. Flashbacks show the contrasting reactions of the two girls, Aurora's anger and Lisie's innocent determination to find her mother. The boy's questions also prompt Lisie to visit Aurora and to tell her a story.

Perhaps the most attention grabber short from list is the one directed by none other than Sofia Loren's son, Carlo Ponti, and starring Nastassja Kinski, Julian Sands and Enrico Lo Verso. The cast is fantastic!  But from watching videos the French/Belgian production looks/feels great and the star is none other than Matthias Schoenaerts.

Watch trailers @MOC (only 2 don't have videos, but have images)

Get Real

Description:  The “Get Real is a 1998 British drama film directed by Simon Shore, based on the play What's Wrong With Angry? by screenwriter Patrick Wilde. The plot is about gay teenager Steven Carter's coming out to the world. The film was shot in and around Basingstoke, England.”

Directed by:  Simon Shore
Produced by:  Stephen Taylor, Patricia Carr, Helena Spring and Anant Singh
Screenplay by:  Patrick Wilde
Based on:  What's Wrong With Angry? by Patrick Wilde
Starring:  Ben Silverstone, Brad Gorton and Charlotte Brittain
Music by:  John Lunn
Cinematography:  Alan Almond
Editing by:  Barrie Vince

Category by FTI Movie House: Romance

All Good Things

And that's that.

85th Academy Awards Visual Effects Shortlist

The Academy announced today that ten (10) films remain in the running in the VFX category and here they are in alphabetical order.

The Amazing Spider-Man
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Night Rises
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
John Carter
Life of Pi
Marvel's The Avengers
Prometheus
Skyfall
Snow White and the Huntsman

As expected most of the above films are blockbusters that rely in exceptional visual effects to move audiences. But in the above list there are two films that I have to see, Cloud Atlas by Lana and Andy Wachowski with Tom Tykwer; plus Ang Lee's Life of Pi.

2013 Sundance - A Very Different Preview - Part 2

Continues from Part 1. If the news in the previous post weren't enough surprising for you, then let's continue exploring other films that have unusual stories centered in women.

Jill Soloway

Jill Soloway is not really known to me even when have seen most of the TV shows she has written for (Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, United States of Tara, Dirty Sexy Money); then just learned that she was behind the "lesbian stories" told in some of those shows but most interesting is to find that her previous work is Valencia (aka Valencia: The Movie/s) a collaborative film project by twenty one queer filmmakers each shooting 5-7 minute short based on a chapter from the underground classic memoir into a kaleidoscopic vision of San Francisco's Mission District in the early 90's during the rise of a punk lesbian diaspora told through the experiences of Michelle, a single rootless twenty-something searching for sex and love, drugs and adventure. If you wish to read more about this movie go here.

But going back to Sundance that will screen Jill Soloway's debut feature film, Afternoon Delight, which she directed and wrote the script, and considering everything I learned today about her, have to admit that became very interested in her film even do there is not much info about it in the net but check the fest synopsis.

In this sexy, dark comedy, a lost L.A. housewife puts her idyllic hipster life in jeopardy when she tries to rescue a stripper by taking her in as a live-in nanny. Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, Jane Lynch.

The housewife is played by Kathryn Hahn and from photo dare to deduce that the stripper is played by Juno Temple. I just hope that as much as Soloway has contributed to lesbian stories in television, she also contributes with a lesbian-interest storyline in this film. But will not be until more information becomes available that we will be able to find what story is really about.



Still, based on what I saw in her short Una Hora Por Favora I like her filmmaking style even do her humor is not exactly the kind of humor I enjoy; but I'm interested in watching this film.

Lynn Shelton

After watching Your Sister's Sister I became really interested in the work of Lynn Shelton and her new film Touchy Feely also in US Dramatic competition seems could be interesting especially because has Rosemarie Dewitt playing the leading role as a massage therapist who suddenly finds the human body repulsive. Check the synopsis from the fest.

A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother's foundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his “healing touch.”

The cast includes Ellen Page, an actress that I like but suddenly disappeared into low-profile roles and/or movies and just hope she shines again in this indie movie which was the milieu that made her well-known. I'm interested in finding what Shelton will give us in this movie that know probably will surprise me once again.



Shelton has been called Sundance's "L'enfant chéri" as her recent films have been showcased at Sundance, Humpday in 2009 and Your Sister's Sister in 2012; her newest is just following what it seems has become a tradition due to the quality of her films.

Liz W. Garcia

Not familiar with Garcia's work even do have seen some of the TV shows she has written for, like Dawson's Creek and Cold Case. But her film The Lifeguard also in the US Dramatic competition seems could have an interesting story. Check the synopsis from fest.

A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager.

Another film that has not much information in the net but here is a still from the film where Kristen Bell has the lead role.



Perhaps due to the casting and from the eight female directors in the US Dramatic competition, this is the film that I'm interested less in watching, but have to wait for info to become available to determine if film is interesting or not.

Lake Bell

I'm familiar with Lake Bell as an actress as has many big and small screen supporting roles but have no idea what a film directed and written by her could be like, especially when is her debut feature film, is an indie comedy plus also she is performing in what could be her first leading role. Not really interested but check the fest synopsis, cast and film still

In a World... An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation. Cast: Lake Bell, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Fred Melamed.

Maybe when we learn more about Bell's film I could be more interested in watching.



Jerusha Hess

Known as the half of the Jared and Jerusha Hess husband and wife filmmaking team behind movies like Napoleon Dynamite or Nacho Libre, Jerusha jumps to direct her first film Austenland based on the novel by Shannon Hale with a script co written by Hess and Hale. Check the synopsis from fest plus the cast.

Thirtysomething, single Jane is obsessed with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. On a trip to an English resort, her fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman become more real than she ever imagined. Cast: Keri Russell, JJ Feild, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, Georgia King, James Callis.

Perhaps the better known person from those involved in film is none other than Stephenie Meyer, which is one of the film producers. Not proud of what I'm about to say but I know will watch this USA and UK production as I see everything where Keri Russell is in, besides story could be "sweet" and entertaining.



I have the feeling that this unprecedented milestone that Sundance Film Festival has achieved is more than remarkable for being 50-50, have the work of some known female directors and most of all is an amazing moment for openly lesbian filmmakers, lesbian-interest audiences and the community in general as not often have something to celebrate, much less in cinema related events.

From the other six male directed films in the US Dramatic competition only one more has what seems is a women-centered story.

Mother of George / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Dosunmu, Screenwriter: Darci Picoult) — A story about a woman willing to do anything and risk everything for her marriage. Cast: Isaach De Bankolé, Danai Gurira, Anthony Okungbowa, Yaya Alafia, Bukky Ajayi.

In the end there are 9 out of the 16 stories told about women, which is also surely a first. Nevertheless we have to consider that the two movies that had more buzz before the festival announcement are none of the ones in the first post or above. They are films with male directors, both have male-centered stories and are included in the following list that completes the US Dramatic competition lineup.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Lowery) — The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Nate Parker, Keith Carradine.

C.O.G. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kyle Patrick Alvarez) — In the first ever film adaptation of David Sedaris' work, a cocky young man travels to Oregon to work on an apple farm. Out of his element, he finds his lifestyle and notions being picked apart by everyone who crosses his path. Cast: Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Corey Stoll, Dean Stockwell, Casey Wilson, Troian Bellisario.

Fruitvale / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O'Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.

Kill Your Darlings / U.S.A. (Director: John Krokidas, Screenwriters: Austin Bunn, John Krokidas) — An untold story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that led to the birth of an entire generation – their Beat revolution. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHann, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Elizabeth Olsen.

The Spectacular Now / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber) — Sutter is a high school senior who lives for the moment; Aimee is the introvert he attempts to "save." As their relationship deepens, the lines between right and wrong, friendship and love, and "saving" and corrupting become inextricably blurred. Cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler.

Toy's House / U.S.A. (Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Screenwriter: Chris Galletta) — Three unhappy teenage boys flee to the wilderness where they build a makeshift house and live off the land as masters of their own destiny. Or at least that’s the plan. Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie.

Upstream Color / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Shane Carruth) — A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins.

If you can't guess which had buzz before being in the Sundance US Dramatic competition lineup, let me help you. First, the one where you find Rooney Mara and Cassey Affleck; and second, the movie where you find Daniel Radclife and Elizabeth Olsen. Yes, buzz came because the actors and not the directos.

Can't deny that I'm extremely curious to see how the fest will distribute their awards in this competition that has the most unexpected and surprising lineup. But we have to wait about two months as fest runs from January 17 to 27, 2013.

Cheers!!! ... and many congratulations to the honored women filmmakers and the festival programers that made history with this lineup.

2013 Sundance - A Very Different Preview - Part 1

Because the Sundance Film Festival started to release their program and me getting excited by what I saw yesterday, writing about it became a must as not only there are many female directors but also there are many stories about women which absolutely call my attention.

Today I was reading the news at reputable American newspapers and my spontaneous reaction was that articles were written by male journalists that not only react to the surprising lineup but also to the directors' gender. Take a look at some excerpts.

In what festival programmers say is a Sundance first, fully half of the narrative features were made by women. (...) Many of the films, perhaps as a reflection of the gender of their directors, focus closely on personal, and often highly sexual, relationships.

Sundance, known for championing dark and inscrutable films, has unveiled an unusually accessible — and sellable — competition lineup.

The fact is that this year the lineup has eight (8) of the sixteen (16) films chosen for the dramatic U.S. dramatic competition helmed by women, which is a first for Sundance but also for any top festival in the world! Then you have to agree that -in general- women stories are better told by women, so no one shouldn't be surprised when a 50-50 lineup gives the impression that festival stories are focus on personal relationships plus, as in reality, personal relationships have much to do with sex.

From more than 12,000 submissions, another first for Sundance, 113 feature films were selected and 51 are from first-time filmmakers. But what this year calls the attention is that in the lineup there are some recognizable directors like Cherien Dabis, Lynn Shelton and Chilean Sebastián Silva, among others. The consequence of the 50-50 lineup plus recognizable directors , at least for me, is that this fest edition becomes interesting to follow to learn more about how films are received by critics and more important, if they find distribution in regular and/or new distribution channels.

As soon as the complete lineup is published will do a post, but for starters take a look at some films that called my attention.

Cherien Dabis

The festival high-profile opening slot went to May in the Summer by Cherien Dabis that came to be widely known for her highly praised debut film Amreeka which premiered in 2009 Sundance, was official selection in the Director's Fortnight section of 2009 Cannes where won the FIPRESCI Prize and continued to collect more honors in the festival circuit; but to some of us was already known for being one of the few openly lesbian filmmakers and for being a writer in the television series The L Word.

Written and directed by Dabis, May in the Summer is a USA, Qatar and Jordan production that brings us the surprise that she also performs in the leading role along with extraordinary Hiam Abbass (she was also in Amreeka) in a story that seems compelling as the following synopsis tells.

At the center of the tangled family in May in the Summer is thirty-something Palestinian American May (Cherien Dabis) whose stubborn pride and fear of making herself vulnerable stand in her way of having honest relationships with the people closest to her. As the story opens, May travels to Amman where she’s reunited with her divorced mother Nadine (Hiam Abbass) and younger twenty-something sisters. In the midst of planning her summer wedding, May has one slight problem: Nadine, a devout Christian, disapproves of her Muslim fiancé. Convinced that a mixed marriage is doomed, she plans to boycott the wedding. As if that’s not bad enough, there’s trouble in paradise. But May is too busy trying to prove her mother wrong to take her relationship troubles to heart. Meanwhile, May and her sisters attempt to reconcile with their estranged father only to learn that his new wife suspects he’s having an affair. Faced with family secrets and the fallout of her parents' divorce, May starts to come apart at the seams. But only in facing the reality of what she’s lost can she discover the freedom of letting go. And ultimately, she and her mother learn to accept one another for who they truly are – differences and all.

But from the few publicity material available seems that film will also have some breathtaking visuals.







I'm really excited with Cherien Dabis second feature film and look forward to eventually watch film that know is must be seen for me not only for how much I liked Amreeka but also because Dabis is performing.

Francesca Gregorini

Another film in the US Dramatic Competition that calls my attention is Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes directed and written by none other than Francesca Gregorini, better known as Countess Francesca McKnight Donatella Romana Gregorini di Savignano di Romagna, Ringo Starr's stepdaughter and/or Portia di Rossi's ex. This is her second feature film and many of us have to remember her debut film, Tanner Hall, which she co directed and co wrote with none other than Tatiana von Furstenberg. So, tell me, what are the odds that two of the few openly lesbian filmmakers have films in competition at a top festival? Very low, but finally is happening!

Nevertheless her film could be interesting for the story -especially because the spoilers I read, which I'm not sharing here- but check the official synopsis written by the director.

A troubled girl (Emanuel) becomes preoccupied with her mysterious new neighbor (Linda), who bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother. In offering to baby-sit Linda's newborn, Emanuel unwittingly enters a fragile, fictional world, of which she becomes the gatekeeper.

Have to admit that I'm a bit concerned with the casting as I haven't seen Kaya Scodelario (Emanuel) in the big screen (seen her in UK TV series Skins) and do not enjoy Jessica Biel (Linda) performances; but maybe both can surprise us here plus Alfred Molina (Emanuel father) and Frances O'Connor (Emanuel stepmother) can make the watching more easy to ride experience.





Stacie Passon

If you are not surprised enough to find two openly lesbian filmmakers in the competition, how about finding an unusual lesbian-interest story? But first let's learn about the director. She became known to me when a few days ago won the Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" grant at the 2012 Gotham awards but is not until finding her debut film in Sundance that I learn the story that Concussion tells. Check the fest synopsis.

After a blow to the head, Abby decides she can't do it anymore. Her life just can't be only about the house, the kids and the wife. She needs more: she needs to be Eleanor.

But without giving too many spoilers check an excerpt from the news that Stacie Passon won the Adrienne Shelly Foundation 6th Annual IFP Labs Director's grant.

Concussion follows Abby, a disengaged wealthy lesbian housewife stuck in the suburbs. After a concussion-inducing hit to the face, something inside her ignites; she craves more than her boring, saturated existence. She buys a loft in the city to fix up and sell. Then, she sees a prostitute, and then another, and is drawn into the life herself.

So yes, probably story will be very unconventional to most lesbian-interest audiences but definitively we have a film here that besides being honored by being in competition at Sundance has already won in the past week two relevant women directing awards. Just fantastic!

To my surprise there was a film video on Youtube but surely due to the buzz Passon has been provoking, the video has become "private". But check a couple of films stills.





Film absolutely has become MUST BE SEEN for me!

I don't like long posts and post has become too long, so please continue reading in Part 2.

Hey, Internet? Can We Maybe Not Be In Such a Rush to Crucify James Gunn? (UPDATED!)

UPDATED: Gunn has responded, clarified and effectively apologized on his Facebook page.

ORIGINAL POST: I'm the first one to say/admit that "it was just a joke!" is more often than not a cheap dodge to get out of being called on saying something racist/sexist/etc; but the thing is... yes, there are times when I think that people go a little overboard being offended by dark/sleazy/sophmoric humor, often involving things being taken out of context - particularly in cases where the joke is at least in-part supposed to be on the teller (re: "look at what a pathetic sleaze I am for thinking these things.")

For my money, that seems to be what's happening to writer/director James Gunn right now. (NSFW)


The situation is that a blog post relating to a "50 superheroes you'd like to have sex with" poll he did a year ago has gone viral now (presumably because he's a known quantity now as writer of "Lollipop Chainsaw" and prospective director of "Guardians of The Galaxy") and is currently getting him flamed from all corners of the Internet. Of particular issue, highlighted by The Mary Sue (who are good people, for the record) is an entry about Batwoman, which reads as follows:

"This lesbian character was voted for almost exclusively by men. I don’t know exactly what that means.  But I’m hoping for a Marvel-DC crossover so that Tony Stark can “turn” her.  She could also have sex with Nightwing and probably still be technically considered a lesbian."

Okay. Dark, yes. And the "turn" thing is no laughing matter. But when you read the whole thing (google archive link, original has been taken down, probably to try and firewall this blowup before it loses him the "Guardians" gig - which would really suck) IMO it's pretty clear that this is meant, at least partially, as Gunn taking the piss out of the sexualization of comics in general and out of himself as well - the "homophobic" Nightwing reference, for example, is a callback to his earlier entry on a fangirl-servicey buttshot of the character: "Okay, uh, yeah, I can see where you would want some of that shit."

The commentary (particularly on the entries for male heroes) is pretty-much a note-for-note transcription of the kind of skeexy "what would it be like...?" fanboy conversations happening behind the counter of thousands of comic shops every day. I mean, here's the Kitty Pryde:

"@KittyPryde actually wrote me on Twitter after posting the nominees for heroes you most want to have sex with. I wrote her back, but neglected to mention that I wanted to anally do her.  I won’t even mind if Lockheed is in the room, staring at me with a creepy look the whole time. Well, okay, I’ll mind a little. But it will be worth it."

See, to me, the combination of sophmoric fratboy fantasizing with minute fanboy details (is Lockheed even still around?) reads like pretty clear "ha ha but whoa do I have problems..." humor. This sort of thing isn't generally conveyed well in text (the whole thing is only really "passably" funny to me, honestly) but I can't look at the whole thing in the context of entries like X-23:

"Another debut, and a pretty good choice. Except, uh, isn’t she supposed to be fifteen years old? And after you fictionally fuck her fictional police are going to arrest you and put you in fictional jail for being a very real pedophile."

Or Elektra:

"Another new debut. If you’re turned on by characters whose costume always seems to be blowing in extremely harsh winds when everyone around her seems perfectly still, then Elektra is your woman.  Maybe she’s like carrying one of those little mini-fans, only a mini-fan who will give you a really terrific, Ninja-trained blow job."

...and not conclude that the "point" here is less being "actually" creepy/sexist toward women/gays in general and more have an exaggerated larf at the expense of heavily-sexualized comic imagery.

The thing is, I very much support the cause of rooting of genuinely hateful people hiding behind "comedy"... in this case, I simply think they've got the wrong guy. Or maybe I'm totally off base, which is always possible. Maybe Gunn is a bad guy, a bigot, etc and it just somehow managed to never manifest in his numerous screenplays, films etc. up to this point. I honestly don't think that's the case, given the tonal context of the actual piece and the much larger context of the rest of his career... but I've been wrong before. The truth will out.

  P.S. re: the "fans I do not want" thing - anyone who wants to jump into the comments and try and claim this topic for the "evil PC feminazis wanna silence every1!!!!!" bullshit be forewarned: I can ban people from this blog for abusive behavior and I won't hesitate to do so. My issue here is not that people don't have the right to be offended by the blog in question, they do. I simply think it's jumping the gun to tear down a filmmaker who has shown zero concrete evidence of deserving such otherwise - it's possible to have a grownup discussion about that, or at least it ought to be.

2013 Goya Awards News - Ibero-American Films

Thirteen (13) Ibero-American (Latin America plus Portugal) films are being considered to select the five (5) films that will be nominated for the current edition of the Goya Awards.

Most interesting for me is to find in list the acclaimed film from Paraguay, 7 Boxes, that I was expecting to be that country submission to Oscar and look forward to be able to see; but there are more must be seen films -for me- in this list.

These are the films listed by the submitting country.

(*) Argentina: Infancia Clandestina (Clandestine Childhood), Benjamín Ávila, Argentina, Brazil and Spain
Brazil: Febre do rato (Rat Fever), Cláudio Assis, Brazil
Chile: Joven y Alocada (Young and Wild), Marialy Rivas, Chile
Colombia: La Playa, D.C., Juan Andrés Arango, Colombia, Brazil and France
Costa Rica: Tr3s Marías, Francisco "Pako" González, Costa Rica
(*) Cuba: Juan de los Muertos, Alejandro Brugués, Cuba and Spain
Ecuador: Pescador, Sebastián Cordero Espinosa, Ecuador and Colombia
Mexico: Después de Lucía (After Lucia), Michel Franco, Mexico and France
Paraguay: 7 Cajas (7 Boxes), Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schémbori, Paraguay
Peru: Cielo Oscuro, Joel Calero, Peru
Portugal: Florbela, Vicente Alves do Ó, Portugal
Uruguay: 3, Pablo Stoll, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Germany
Venezuela: Patas Arriba, Alejandro García Wiedemann, Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia

(*) As Infancia Clandestina is a Spain co production, film is also being considered in 8 more categories. The same happens with Juan de los Muertos that is also being considered in 19 more categories.

If you wish to check the films that are being considered in each Goya Awards category please go here where you can find info about each film too, available only in Spanish.

Today the academy released the news that from December 5 to 20 those living in Madrid will be able to see the above movies as the screenings will be open to the public, besides being the official screening for Academy members. There are no dates for the nominations announcements or the awards ceremony but I assume that nominations will be announced before January 15 and the ceremony will be after the middle of February -before the Oscars-. As soon as the dates are published will post in calendar.

Big Picture: "Original Geek Girl"

The next three episodes are about Supergirl. Buckle up.

The Escapist : The Big Picture : Original Geek Girl

22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards Winners

Officially the American award season started last night with winners announced at the "lackluster" ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. As you can tell the ceremony was streamed live but unfortunately streaming quality was really bad due to bandwidth problems as stated by organizers in twitter.

I was able to watch for a while and the most enjoyable part was the nominated movie clips but as many others that were watching, stopped when the "error" message came back. Most disappointing was to learn, according to comments from the few that stayed watching, the tributes were not broadcasted and what I was most interested in watching was the tribute to Marion Cotillard. I'm not deleting the previous post as seems there will be a "live recording" of the ceremony... soon, and still will like to see what I missed. If you wish to see the recording and if becomes available, will let you know by twitter.

There are some unexpected surprises but perhaps the biggest is that The Master got no recognition from this group, which could mean that now the movie needs critic's groups to honor film or will not make it to the Oscar race. On the positive side I'm glad that Your Sister's Sister got honored with the Best Ensemble Performance as movie real value was the extraordinary performances given by the cast, especially the female cast. Then Moonrise Kingdom (photo) was surprisingly good and enjoyable so I'm glad that was honored with the top award.

These are the winners.

Best Feature: Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson

Breakthrough Director: Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild

Breakthrough Actor: Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere, Ava DuVernay

Best Ensemble Performance: Your Sister's Sister by Lynn Shelton
Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt, Mark Duplass

Best Documentary: How to Survive a Plague, David France

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You: An Over Simplification Of Her Beauty, Terence Nance

Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" grant: Stacie Passon for Concussion

Audience Award: Artifact by Bartholomew Cubbins

Tributes:
Marion Cotillard
Matt Damon
David O. Russell
Jeff Skoll

Even if I did not enjoyed at all the movie story I'm able to recognize that Benh Zeitlin did take a lot of risks so can't complain with him being honored with the Breakthrough Director award; however now started to wonder about film possibilities for the Oscar Best Actress category. So that's it for this year winners. Later today, the nominations for the other independent film awards will be announced, so see you soon.

Please Don't Let This Happen

Short version: HitFix's Drew McWeeny says that Warner Bros. is inching towards making a move that could kneecap their still-shaky "Justice League" project before it even gets off the ground. Long version? Read on...

I find myself the odd man out when it comes to the production of "The Man of Steel." The general thread that runs through a lot of the film-geek press regarding the production is that it's in constant peril of being "ruined" by the presence of Zack Snyder as director, and that we are to take comfort in the presence of producer/story-approver Christopher Nolan. But me? I'm in the opposite boat. Thus far, the sole reason my expectations are positive for the film (given the many continued demonstrations that Warner Bros. simply does not have a single fucking clue what to do with their own DC Universe properties) is Zack Snyder. I'm counting on him - not just to deliver an action movie that reminds the world that Superman is awesome, but to protect the film (and the Justice League/DCU films that are supposed to spin out of it) from Nolan's influence.

Don't get me wrong. I like Nolan. He's a good filmmaker, in full view a better and more interesting one overall than Snyder is. But everyone has their limits and place, and Nolan's governing aesthetic - businesslike, asexual, ultraliteralist - may have been good for two out of three Batman movies, but it'd be toxic for Superman and really just about any similar character other than Batman. For me, "Nolanesque" realism is the cinematic extension of the "grim n' gritty" motif that drove the genre (indeed, the entire comic-book industry) off a cliff in the 90s; and part of the reason I so celebrate the success of "The Avengers" is that it's undeniable success (the same year as the third Nolan Batman film failed to fully stick the landing, even!) might hopefully go a long way into purging the superhero-movie "scene" of the Nolan/Dark-Knight "vibe."

Again, there's at least 2 (2 1/2 if you want to be charitable) films worth of great art in question here, I don't deny that - I simply hope we do with "The Nolanverse" what we do with other great art: put it behind glass, stick it in a museum and admire it on the weekends while meanwhile, on the outside, things continue to evolve. Which is why I'm now struck with nothing short of dread to read this rumor from the typically very reliable McWeeny; which suggests that Warners is not only not mothballing the Nolanverse (which, by the way, is exactly what Nolan himself wanted them to do)... they might be gearing up to let it kill the "Justice League" movie in the crib...

According to McWeeny's sources, Warners wants Joseph Gordon Levitt to be Batman in "Justice League" and maybe turn up for a walk-on in "Man of Steel." - that is to say, they want "Justice League" to be tied-in to Nolan's Batman films, which concluded this summer with the heavy implication that Levitt's Officer Mary Sue John Blake would become the new Batman.

I... I just can't fathom the level of sheer wrongheadedness that would inform a decision like this. It's been long expected that WB would be borrowing the Marvel model of using "MOS" to plant the seeds of a larger DC Universe, but it seemed like a safe bet that they everyone involved understood that the Nolan Batman characters had no place in a larger, more comic-like world and that nobody wanted to see a "Justice League" movie whose Batman wasn't the "real" Batman.

That last part is especially key. Warner Bros? You have to know this: The pre-"Avengers" 'fanservice' stuff worked because each successive tease gave 'fanboys' further indication that things were not only lining up but lining up properly. The people you're thinking of playing these kind of continuity games (which, again, the Nolan Batman movies you'd be doing this with were designed to avoid) to try and excite are also people who are likely to write "Justice League" off before they see one scrap of film because of something like this.

Fans aren't just fans of the costumes and the names, they're fans of the characters - the "big idea" behind team-ups like this isn't just to see two guys wearing a Superman costume and a Batman costume hanging out, it's to see what happens when Bruce Wayne meets Clark Kent, costumed or otherwise. I mean, not to nerd-out about it or anything... but part of the reason that the Superman/Batman thing is seen as such a big deal is that they represent opposing ideals of the same goal; the vigilante vs the do-gooder, aid vs control, protect-the-innocent vs punish-the-guilty, etc. Kal-El and Bruce Wayne have stuff to talk/argue about. Blake, on the other hand, as-presented in "Dark Knight Rises" has the same basic attitude and outlook Superman does - that's boring.

Now, it's entirely plausible that this is all being misunderstood. Maybe they want Levitt to play an entirely new Bruce Wayne Batman and this is just a jokey reference ("Heh! That guy was in a movie where they said he might be Batman!") and not a continuity nod. That'd be... dopey, but lightyear better than the alternative.

Warner Bros? Don't do this. Don't be stupid. You've got a bunch of good stuff to work with and a pretty solid template to steal from. You're working with characters and properties that have endured for decades for a reason - if you're going to show fealty, show fealty to them... not just to one adaptation that'll be well into the "oh yeah, that was pretty cool" memory-bin by the time you get this stuff together.

Gotham Awards LIVE

The awards will stream in this channel... soon. At 7:30pm EST. According to Twitter the stream has "minor kinks" and they are fixing them... so, will not be able to see the red carpet...

49th Golden Horse Awards Winners

After a long four hours award ceremony finally winners are known and two movies tie with three (3) awards each to become the top winners this year, Beijing Blues and Life Without Principle, can help but to notice that the second is the Hong Kong submission to 2013 Oscar. As some Taiwanese bloggers/twitters say, "Mainland China cinema is the ultimate winner" in these Taiwan awards where most top awards winners come also from the Mainland.

Among the honored Taiwanese films we find Touch of the Light which is Taiwan's submission to 2013 Oscar. Notorious is the absence of China's submission to Oscar and I'm not clear about the reason why film was not considered, maybe due to release date (?!).

These are the award winners

Best Feature Film: 神探亨特張 Beijing Blues, Gao Qunshu, China

The winner of the Best Director award at the 2012 Shanghai fest, also known as "Detective Hunter Zhang", is a "humours Chinese police procedural" based on the real-life story of renowned detective Zhang Huiling that received awards for his excellent work in catching thousands of thieves. But seems than more the story it tells, is how director chose to tell it what is bringing praise to movie. The more I read about movie the more interested in watching I become as seems will be an "unglamorous" voyage into contemporary Beijing, a Beijing reserved to his inhabitants. Great.  Movie is not in black and white but I liked this photo better than all I saw.

Synopsis: Each day Beijing police detective Zhang Huiling patrols the Shuangyushu neighborhood of the Haidian. He and his colleagues are kept busy by thieves, con artists and illegal hawkers from all over China. Zhang is good at his job, but with every crime, every arrest and every ounce of mercy he can muster, he fights the endless battle with his soul.

Best Director: Johnnie To for 奪命金 Duo Mingjin (Life Without Principle), Hong Kong
Best New Director: Chang Jung-Chi for 逆光飛翔 Touch of the Light, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China

Best Leading Actress: Gwei Lun-Mei in 女朋友。男朋友 Gf * Bf (Girlfriend Boyfriend), Yang Ya Che, Taiwan
Best Leading Actor: Lau Ching Wan in 奪命金 Duo Mingjin (Life Without Principle), Johnnie To, Hong Kong

Best Documentary: 千錘百煉 China Heavyweight, Yung Chang, China
Best Short Film: 拾荒少年 The Home Gleaners, Zhang siqing, China

The Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year: Huang Yu-Siang
Lifetime Achievement Award: Shih Chun

FIPRESCI Prize: 逆光飛翔 Touch of the Light, Chang Jung-Chi, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China

To check winners in all categories plus info for each film go here.

Laurence Anyways

You can say I am a Xavier Dolan fan as have highly enjoyed his two previous films with interesting explorations on human relationships, great visuals, outstanding use of color, extraordinary compositions, fantastic attention to details, great set design, and yes, fabulous music scores. This film has all the elements I like but there has to be some problem with editing as find film uneven. Perhaps too much.

At the beginning was not easy for me to engage as the way Dolan introduces us to his characters is not much interesting and due to marketing/news knew what story was about; then story captured me only to loose me after a while and it happened several times: capture-release me again and again. In the end I was confused with all the capture-release and after clearing my mind I think that there are two movies in here, one very "superficial" with absolutely fantastic images and another that tells the story of a very unconventional love. My problem is that Dolan and the editor are not able to join them together often as there are moments were both are together but more moments where they are independent. Then there is the issue of the length.

I have seen many three hours films and have NO problem watching them. Here and due to the inconsistencies there were moments where got tired (got out of the story) and moments when I wanted more (was inside the story); but one thing is fact, I noticed the length which I never do in, for example, movies from India. Perhaps that's the major consequence of the capture-release thing as breaking the flow -especially when you're engaged- is not pleasant as breaks all the emotional building that you were starting to feel. Ah! the emotional component.

Dolan's storytelling style of choice for this movie is different than the one he used in his two previous movies (J'ai tué ma mère and Les amours imaginaires) where I was able to feel for his characters, to have my emotions positively disturbed by what I was watching. Here was not easy to feel emotional connections with the characters and/or the intense love story. I know that story is NOT about a man's transformation into a woman, is about love, very intense love, that cannot be lived freely because the inability of a woman to accept the changes in the man she intensely loved. She couldn't love a woman and after leaving his transformation experience, she couldn't love a man. She was really unable to love a person and most of all, was unable to realize that she loved Laurence because the person, not the gender. Thus, story is about true acceptance of others. In paper story is very interesting, seems engaging, emotional and intense; in the screen this story is diluted with all the "big bangs" that showcase visually outstanding images and music.

Do not get me wrong, I highly enjoyed the visuals but regret that some of them disconnected me from the story as in my opinion some "big bang" visuals did not contributed to the narrative. As an example of the exceptions, the pouring water scene (photo) was one that visually blew my mind and made me feel in that moment, intense emotions for the character. Conversely, the ball scene blew my mind for the visuals, the costumes, the glitter, the sumptuosity, the music, the surrealism, so much blew me that was unable to feel for the character during that key moment. Ah! the movie surrealism.

When reading reviews most critics and viewers mention that they didn't liked some scenes, especially the ones with the Rose group. Then many compare/relate Dolan to other directors and I'm not an exception. There are many surreal scenes in movie and most made me think about Fellini, which was highly unexpected for a Dolan film. But find that most of these scenes while being gorgeous highly distracted me from story and yes, if Dolan wishes to continue to be surreal, needs to improve his skills; but I am not closed to visualize that for his learning process he gives us a film that ONLY uses surrealism. That will be just fantastic -based on what I saw here.

The use of color. Mainly viewers comment about the great use of color in this movie which I tend to agree but mostly disagree. The thing is that I have a reference, a Dolan's reference. If you wish to see how extraordinary Dolan can be with the use of color then you have to see Les amours imaginaires. Here he uses mainly red to tint, darkish colors to dramatize, and most of all, a lavish palette that really contributes to move the narrative as yes, I believe that if something did not distracted me was his use of color. But in my opinion, his use of color here is a notch down to what he did in Les amours imaginaires were color was not used to move narrative but was an essential part of the narrative.

Performances were above the norm but the one I really enjoy for the brutally honest character she plays so well is Nathalie Baye. Most of the one-liners that got stuck in my head came from her mouth; her character is so well-written that I imagine was easy for her to deliver a fantastic performance. I simply love Louis Garrel performances but do not regret that he dropped out of this movie, as is not easy for me to imagine a better Laurence than the one Melvil Poupaud gave us. Suzanne Clément performance allowed me to pay her character more attention than to Popaud's character but perhaps her moments in the screen are the ones more broken for me.

No doubt that the newest of cinema "Enfant Terrible" or as some critics call him, ambitious Boy Wonder, is exploring new -to him- territories with this film that he calls his "most accessible" and maybe it is, but my true feeling after watching is that I wanted scissors to cut and glue to rearrange this movie, not because the length (the 10 years story could be so good that four hours or more are all right) but to make it more emotional, more engaging, not broken, not uneven. All the elements are here but some needed to be polished to make it an almost perfect cinema experience.

As we know film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at 2012 Cannes and news told us about Dolan's "surprise" to not being in the main competition; I really understand why film was not chosen to be there and now more than ever understand Dolan not going to accept in person the Queer Palm as believe that this is NOT a gay-interest or transgender-interest genre movie, this is a mainstream movie, so much mainstream as love (or tolerance) can be.

Nevertheless, film has collected many honors while travelling the fest circuit, starting with Suzanne Clément winning (tie) the Un Certain Regard Award for Best Actress to continue with winning the Best Canadian Feature Film at 2012 Toronto fest and more accolades; then won't surprise me if film collects more recognition in the next Canadian award season.

Do I recommend movie? Yes, of course. But suggest to be prepared for an uneven ride and if you're not patient with "long movies" then be glad that movie is now available to view it at home, so you can select the right viewing-rhythm for you. For those readers that enjoy the LGTB-interest genre share that my impression is that due to how story is tell, looks and feels more like a cross-dressing film than a male to female transformation story (especially when consider that Laurence is straight, not gay -by-the-way, I'm not giving film the label-), there are no real gay-interest scenes and the brief lesbian-interest with transgender tones scene is thankfully brief as generates a non-positive impression.

Still, I am Xavier Dolan fan and after watching this film still are, as for me is exciting that he is moving forward and exploring new-to-him territories; now I just can't wait to see his next one, Tom à la ferme especially because he is also acting and not doing only a brief cameo as he did here (his cameo was fantastic!). To tease you readers, check the following clearly gay-interest synopsis: "The story of Tom, who is in the grip of grief and depression following the death of his lover. When he meets the family of the deceased, it is revealed the mother was not aware of her son's sexual orientation, or his relationship with Tom either, for that matter."

Enjoy!!! (if movie was not uneven, this could have been Big Enjoy!!!)

Watch trailer @MOC

6th Annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards Winners

Was able to watch the ending of the awards ceremony and enjoy live the amazing concerts especially the one with Ryuichi Sakamoto performing a composition from Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor. Awards ceremonies like this one are centered in culture and is not an easy task as the Asian Pacific Screen Academy groups 70 countries/territories with very different cultures.

At the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane, Australia , the ceremony gave Awards and High Commendations to films from ten countries and areas of Asia Pacific including Turkey, India, Indonesia, Iraqi-Kurdistan, Israel, Japan, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Republic of Korea and Taiwan, and Iraq.

These are the 2012 winners.

Best Feature Film: Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill), Emin Alper, Turkey and Greece

Jury President statement: Beyond the Hill took us on a journey to hidden secrets within a family. It was a microcosm of what can happen in a more universal situation. The characters were truthful and complex, it told the story in an original and different way. Beyond the Hill dealt with our tendency to look on the outside for a solution when the real problems lie within.

High Commendation: Bumchoiwaui Junjaeng (Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time), Jong-bin Yun, Korea

UNESCO Award: Seediq Bale (Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale), Wei Te-sheng, Taiwan

Screen International Jury Grand Prizes
Director Anurag Kashyap for Gangs of Wasseypur, India
Actress Cho Min-soo in Pieta, Kim Ki-duk, Korea
High Commendation: Writer Joseph Cedar for Hearat Shulayim (Footnote), Joseph Cedar, Israel

Achievement in Directing: Brillante Mendoza for Sinapupunan (Thy Womb), Philippines
High Commendation: Cheng Er for Bian jing feng yun (Lethal Hostage), China

Best Performance by an Actress: Nora Aunor in Sinapupunan (Thy Womb), Brillante Mendoza, Philippines
High Commendation: Darya Ekamasova in Жила-была одна баба Zila bila odna baba (Once Upon a Time There Lived a Simple Woman), Andrey Smirnov, Russia

Best Performance by an Actor: Choi Min-sik in Bumchoiwaui Junjaeng (Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time), Jong-bin Yun, Korea
High Commendation: Lior Ashkenazi in Hearat shulayim (Footnote), Joseph Cedar, Israel

Achievement in Cinematography: Touraj Aslani for Fasle Kargadan (Rhino Season), Bahman Ghobadi, Iraqi-Kurdistan and Turkey

Best Screenplay: Reis Çelik for Lal gece (Night of Silence), Reis Çelik, Turkey

Best Documentary Feature Film: In My Mother's Arms, Atea Al Daradji and Mohamed Al Daradji, Iraq, UK and Netherlands
High Commendation: Planet of Snail, Yi Seung-jun, Korea, Japan and Finland

Best Animation Feature Film: Momo e no tegami (A Letter to Momo), Hiroyuki Okiura, Japan
Best Children's Feature Film: Launt Bercemin (The Mirror Never Lies), Kamila Andini, Indonesia

The Best Film award went to Emin Alper's debut film that was premiered at the Forum section of the 2012 Berlinale where won a Special Mention in the Best First Feature category and has been collecting more honors while travelling the fest circuit. But the best news for me is Rhino Season winning a cinematography award as somehow confirms that film has to have great visual images.

Escape to the Movies: "Rise of The Guardians"

I liked it. Your kids will probably love it.

"Intermission" is about movie release dates. Exciting!

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : Rise of the Guardians

Shark Night 2011

Description:  "The Shark Night (advertised as Shark Night 3D) is a 2011 American 3D horror action film..., which was negatively received by critics and grossed $40 million worldwide."

Directed by:  David R. Ellis
Produced by:  Chris Briggs, Mike Fleiss and Lynette Howell
Written by:  Will Hayes and Jesse Studenberg
Starring:  Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack, Katharine McPhee, Donal Logue,  Joshua Leonard and Joel David Moore
Music by:  Graeme Revell
Cinematography by:  Gary Capo
Editing by:  Dennis Virkler
 
Synopsis:  “A weekend at a lake house in the Louisiana Gulf turns into a nightmare for seven vacationers as they are subjected to shark attacks.”  

Category by FTI Movie House: Horror

Beasts of the Southern Wild

I can appreciate this movie as has many great visuals, great hand held camera shots, not with a slowish pace, some tension building elements, good editing, good raw/realistic non-actor's performances and more great tech specs for a low-budget production; but graphically tells a story that for me is very hard to watch as no matter all the magical elements present or the "happy and uplifting" message, story is so unsettling that even made feel sick while/after watching and the feeling stayed with me for a too long time.

This movie has been called by many as an American Magic Realism representative as according to them shows reality and fantasy blended in a magical way. But let me share with you a brief description of Magic Realism.

In literature the term magic realism describes contemporary fiction, often from Latin America or the third world, whose narrative blends magical or fantastical elements with reality. Was coined early last century in Europe but got wider use later in an effort to differentiate the work of Latin American writers from the European Surrealist movement. Eventually the term was transferred from literature to other arts, including films. The key element is that the magic and the reality blend so flawlessly that readers cannot differentiate them or if they do, it does not matter to them.

I'm quite familiar with many of the very different Latin American cultures and as you can tell if you are a blog regular reader, I highly enjoy Latin American movies. In my experience I have seen beautiful magical realism in the movies of directors like Carlos Reygadas, Claudia Llosa, Alfonso Arau, Lisandro Alonso, and many others. Movies that exquisitely blend magic and reality to make watching a very enjoyable ride no matter what the story is all about and most stories are about very disturbing issues like discrimination, poverty, oppression, repression, abuse of power, bleak future, sexual taboos, etc.

In my opinion this movie does not blend magic and reality. What it does is to show us some magical moments and many raw reality moments, perhaps too many. My problem starts the moment I realize that to see many of the "real" things shown I just have to walk, drive for a while and I'll be able to see them for real. But it doesn't stay there. The "real" things are shown so barbarically raw in the name of creative license, of art, that become intolerable to watch; and say this considering the many films I have seen that show us very raw realism with NO magic at all.

But also believe that viewers from the so-called "first world" does not have the sensibility that viewers for the "other worlds" have regarding the issues shown and understand why they like the story as for them has a positive message of pride, choice, belonging, prevailing, overcoming, individualism, freedom, surviving, etc. When you read American critics and viewers reviews you notice that many talk about the "politics" in the story; some go as far as to give interpretations of what story is about when seen from the left and the right of the political scale. Others say that they are sure that many only got the evident message and the real message was lost in the "beauty" of film. But all end up praising the film and some foreseeing the possible awards that will collect in the American award season.

Yes, film as a film can be good, so good that captures you attention and holds it in a very hypnotic, mesmerizing way. That's why I was able to watch the entire film that otherwise would have stopped watching as soon as I started to feel sick. My honest feeling is that I wish I stopped watching, as I have no need or desire to see what is shown in film. It is undeniable that the story, the narrative is essential in filmmaking and many times a great story makes a great movie, conversely a terrible story makes a terrible movie no matter if everything else is good. So, is this movie good, no matter the story it tells? The answer is up to you. My answer is: no, as the whole gave me a not positive cinema experience.

Do I recommend the movie? No, I don't; especially for those viewers that are not from the "developed countries" as probably your sensibilities will be touched in a very negative way. Will this movie continue to collect honors in the American awards season? Probably, especially the young non-actor that is the lead character.

Sigh.

Watch trailer @MOC (but be aware that trailer has very beautiful images and do not tell much about story)

Dark House

Description:  A 2010 horror film

Directed by:  Darin Scott

Produced by:  Mark Sonoda and Nick Allan
Screenplay by:  Darin Scott
Story by:  Kerry Douglas Dye and Darin Scott
Starring:  Jeffrey Combs,  Meghan Ory,  Bevin Prince and  Diane Salinger
Music by:  Vincent Gillioz
Cinematography by:  Philip Lee
Editing by:  Charles Bornstein

Synopsis:  “A troupe of actors hired for a haunted house attraction soon find [out] that they are working in a true house of horror.”

Category by FTI Movie House:  Horror

The Twilight Saga - The Conclusion

Finally saw all the five movies and wish to not see anything more related to Stephenie Meyer Twilight books, unless she decides to write a new book about the amazing world she created. Of course will read the book before watching anything, as with the huge success she got with her four books, writing a fifth should not be an easy task as now readers expectations have to be very high. Well, at least mine are.

As some of you know, especially if you read the first movie review, I liked the first and the last book, the ones in-between were less interesting for me. Luckily was able to read all four books before watching the first movie as Meyer's world was first created in my imagination and when watching films my imaginary world became the benchmark to see what they did in the movies.

Still believe that the first installment, Twilight, is the best movie when considering everything involved in making a movie as director Catherine Hardwicke created in the screen a world very similar to what I imagined when reading the first book. But from the acting point of view, the second movie New Moon by Chris Weitz has the best Kristen Stewart performance. So, from the cinematic point of view -not related to the story- the less interesting film for me was Eclipse by David Slade, so much that I didn't even bothered with a review.

The same happened with Breaking Dawn - Part 1, besides the story there was nothing interesting to see in it. But mentioned that the fourth book is one I liked and from it what blew my mind was the fantastic use of words that Meyer created to describe the confrontation with the Volturi. So the movie second installment was really what I was interested in watching as was very curious to see how that magnificent description could be translated to the screen. Honestly I tried to imagine it and in my very creative mind was almost impossible to figure it out how to do it.

Breaking Dawn - Part 2 by Bill Condon was a great surprise as even if it wasn't thanks to the director but to the joint collaboration between Stephenie Meyer and scriptwriter Melissa Rosenberg, what blew my mind in the book ALSO blew my mind in the screen. Well, more than my mind, blew my emotions. The so-called "twist" in the last installment really is not something new to the book, it is in the book but in the movie is told so unexpectedly that audiences react loudly when key elements happen. Well, not only the audience that surrounded me, I also reacted! (lol). Which is fantastic as not often a movie makes me "react" in a public place!

Won't spoil the movie for you, as know that most blog readers are not teenagers and probably have not seen the movie, but if you read the book and were moved by the confrontation then be prepared for a great surprising interpretation in the screen. Before the confrontation I only got impatient, very impatient while all the previous events happened as I just wanted to see that part. LOL. Yes, movie is all right, nothing special, similar to Part 1 as after all was filmed together -two years ago- by the same director.

The five films were a nice entertainment moment that allowed me to escape reality and live for a while in the fantastic world Meyer created but more relevant, in the imaginary world I created while reading her books. I believe that imagination is something that adults tend to use less and less as they grow up, which only makes me to pay more attention to it and to use imagination very often. But what you create in your mind thanks to what you read is very personal. That is why I believe that all five films are for adult audiences a very personal trip into the world they were able to imagine. For those that do not used their "imagination muscle" while reading the books as well as for those that haven't read the books, the trip becomes not pleasant from almost every point of view that involves filmmaking, as honestly, movies are nothing special in the world of films.

Truth is that this saga did something interesting in the American filmmaking industry, it allowed them to "discover" that female-centered stories have HUGE audiences beyond young female teenagers as the five films in the "domestic" market made more than a billion of dollars and the number doubles when you add the international market. Figures tend to be different according to the source you consult, but all place the up-to-date figure close to three billion for the worldwide box office. The immediate benefit is that other female-centered stories are being currently told with also great box office results, among them the best example is The Hunger Games first installment that has collected only in theaters almost seven hundred million worldwide.

As often happens in the American industry trends appear to only eventually disappear but hope that "smart" industry executives realize that stories well-told make more money than lousy stories told with huge amounts of special effects. Stephenie Meyer Twilight stories are good, were able to involve teenagers with the romance between the lead characters and adults with the imaginary world. Just imagine IF all five films were done with the same standards that the first one had -which included more creative freedom to the director and "a lot less hands in the pot"- surely the box office figures could have been a bit higher.

So the Twilight chapter is closed, but I still have one more thing to do. Have to have the Box Set with the five films as definitively have to have them in my collection to be able to visit my own imaginary world as often as I wish. No date has been set yet for the release however know that the Box Set has to be available by next midyear; but the best is that already have someone committed to give it to me as a present, LOL!

Cheers!