The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Films

Archive for August, 2009

We are a day early today, and joined by Johnny Barnstorm who took the plunge and viewed Grace to participate in the review. Big thanks to Johnny for joining us, and looking forward to having him joining us regularly in the near future. Mark is still lost in the forest and should be home to return to the podcast next week.

Box Office

• Weekend Grosses (The Final Destination, Halloween 2)
• Opening Next Week (All About Steve, Extract)

News

• ‘Avatar’ Imax tickets already on sale
• Studios join to offer DVD downloads
• Steven Spielberg Developing a Michael Crichton Adaptation!
• Bronson – In Theatres October 9th
• ‘Hancock’ Will Fly Again in a Sequel
• Rob Zombie to remake ‘The Blob’
• xXx: The Return of Xander Cage Gets Replacement Director
• Boy Does This Trailer ‘Suck’
• Two New ‘Top 100′ Lists to Get Angry At!
• Fan Made: Twisted Disney Princesses

Review

• Grace

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We conclude our look at the films of 1985 with our lists of notable directors, Good Movies, Bad Movies and our Top 5 films of the year.

Movies discussed include The Color Purple, Brazil, Cocoon, Commando, The Legend of Billie Jean and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome amongst many others.

Next Week Ross and I will be doing a one-episode special on Vampires including a review of Twilight!

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Mark is away on Vacation, and it is a light news week, yet Ross and I still find plenty to talk about in this episode…

Box Office

• Weekend Grosses (Inglourious Basterds) 
• Opening this week (The Final Destination, Halloween 2)

GBU List: Kid Adventures

A Discussion about Francis Ford Coppola

News

• 10 Movie Marketing Blunders
• James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ Trailer Online Now!
• ‘Avatar’ site crashes as fans seek tickets
• Bryan Singer eyes ‘Excalibur’ remake
• Catherine Hardwicke Lands Red Riding Hood & 21 Jump Street
• Jaime King celebrates ‘Mother’s Day’
• First Trailer for the Herzog/Lynch Film ‘My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done’
• ‘Outland’ remake in works
• New Writers for DC’s Shazam

Reviews

• Lesbian Vampire Killers
• Killshot

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Oops! Friday came and went and posting a podcast completely slipped my mind! (To be honest I was eagerly awaiting doing Tuesday’s podcast so I can rip on “Avatar” – Lets hope I keep the steam going for that one! heh heh).

Anyhow… Here is part one of our look at 1985 starting with the Box Office, Actors and Ugly movies of 1985. Movies discussed include Back to the Future, Legend, Witness and more.

Watch next week for part two when we will do our Good and Bad, as well as our Top  lists and some directors as well.

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GBUF Theatrical Review: “District 9” Release Date: August 14, 2009

My arm has a hairline fracture, and my blood level had toxious amounts of Ephemere – But I capped an incredible zombie-filled weekend with a visit to “District 9”. We’ve been talking about the viral marketing this movie has been putting out for quite some time now. If I recall, there was even some advertising back at the 2008 Comicon. Unlike the hype build-up/ letdown of ‘Cloverfield’, I felt that ‘District 9’ delivered the goods (and if I wasn’t in such a loopy state on Sunday, I would’ve caught ‘The Goods’ as well). Initial fears of ‘District 9’ being to close in concept to ‘Alienation’ were dispelled. Although the initial premise is similar in both movies – a spaceship appears with some lost alien life forms who eventually settle on Earth – District 9 takes this foundation and explores many other Sci Fi concepts in different and sometimes startling ways. We’re constantly led to believe the movie is taking us in one direction, when suddenly we’re finding it opens a new can of worms in all its slimy, squirmy glory. The only problem I had was the predictable ending. Somehow, I felt it coming… but many other people who saw this film think the ending was shocking. It sets up a pretty good sequel opportunity (and knowing producer Peter Jackson’s tastes – here comes a trilogy!).

"Hey Emmerich, this is how it's done!"

The aliens (nicknamed ‘prawns’) were extremely well done – Kudos to the special effects house in Vancouver who created their design. The fact that the human actors were all virtual unknowns lends to our ability to enter this realm of disbelief – Lead actor Sharlto Copely serving as a conduit in which we can explore the alien relocation camp along with him. As the movie evolves (literally), we relate with Sharlto’s character (as Agent Van De Merwe)… This isn’t Johnny Depp or Christioan Bale; actors who we’d never fully detach from the Hollywood roles they have portrayed in the past. I loved that the location was in South Africa. Not the typical New York or Los Angeles setting. I think it also helped with our removal from the commonplace – Making the experience that more gratifying. Director Neil Blomkemp has done an incredible job on his first feature film. I wish more maverick directors would be let loose to put their visions on film… Instead of the usual Michael Bays, McGs…. etc.

The photography is brilliant – However I felt it serves as a cautionary (and forboding) purveyor of the future of Sci Fi cinema. Using a realistic documentary style of camera work amplifies our experience within District 9. The aliens feel more lifelike, the awesome alien weaponry more rooted in reality, the smoggy visage of the alien ship an actual part of the skyline. 20 years back, ‘Alienation’ started off very similar. Remember the ‘television footage’ of  alien ship? Or how about the brief glimpses of the creatures in the movie ‘Signs’? – Caught via an amateur videographer. Both scenes were extremely well executed, yet the filmmakers decided to make the rest of their movies with the standard cinematic ‘framed’ scenes… Where everything fits in nicely within our point of view. ‘Blair Witch’ was the modern day granddaddy of this trend – Its results questionably effective. ‘Cloverfield’ took the concept further with its ‘caught on camera!’ rhetoric.  I’m a little worried about ‘District 9’ if it becomes a popular film. Are all Sci Fi features going to use this cinematic model for its storytelling. Will we get ‘expert’ interviews interspersed with the alien onslaught? Will all images of aliens be captured by a shaky camera? I’m not sure how long this novelty will last. I feel it’ll get really old, really fast.

I recommend ‘District 9’ for a variety of reasons. The story constantly throws curveballs – using a script that is deadpan serious or comical in unexpected intervals. The special effects are impressive; considering this movie only cost $30 million dollars to make. Perhaps this is a good example for Hollywood blockbusters to follow. It forces directors to ‘think outside the box’ in creating their worlds – Not simply falling back on expensive CGI Shots or Effects. Finally, the ‘documentary’ style story-telling is still fresh enough to be captivating. Go see it used on an original and thought-provoking story before Hollywood abuses the hell out of it. Trust me, they will.

Overall: GOOD

(See it in the theatre – You’ll be talking about it for days to come!)

Again we had more news that time to talk about it all, Plus we detoured into a little discussion about Vampire films (that may evolve into a Spotlight special of its own very soon), plus we review the Mallcop Double Feature of Paul Blart and Observe & Report.

Next Week Mark will be away on vacation and it will be just Ross and I talking to you. Have a great time in the woods Mark! ¦¬)

Box Office

• Weekend Grosses (District 9, The Time Travelers Wife)
• GBU List: Time Travel Movies
• Opening This Week (Inglourious Basterds, Shorts)

News

• Singer to direct ‘Battlestar’ movie
• Lionsgate pays $50 million for Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Kick-Ass’ (R)
• Anne Rice’s ‘Vampire Chronicles’ Returns, Who is Lestat?!
• A general discussion of Vampires in Current Film – Why Now?
• Ratner Wants a Vampire For Youngblood (R)
• Kate Beckinsale Returns in Fourth ‘Underworld’?
• Siegels win Superman ruling
• Blockbuster revenue plummets 22%, shares fall 16% (R)
• DVD business stays strong
• Heat (US – BD)
• Trick ‘r Treat (US – DVD R1 | BD)
• Paul Hogan reviving popular character? (R)
• Death Race Prequel is in the Garage (R)

(Stories We Ran Out of Time For)

• HARRY POTTER’S WAND IS GETTING LONGER (R)
• Sony sets writer to spin ‘Spider-Man’ (R)
• Woods, Purcell Join ‘Straw Dogs’ Remake Cast
• MGM’s Poltergeist Remake Gets a Late 2010 Release Date
• ‘Tin Cup’ director signs up for ‘School’
• Martin Scorsese: An open letter to Michael Govan and LACMA (R)
• Francis Ford Coppola: The godfather in his labyrinth (R)
• David Mamet takes on ‘ Anne Frank‘ (R)
• Vanguard Films acquires comics(R)
• White Chicks’ sequel in works (R)
• CocoPerez: Perez Hilton’s Sad Bid for Legitimacy (R)

Trailer

Reviews

• Paul Blart: Mallcop
• Observe & Report

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On this Spotlight Special we take a look at the films written and directed by the recently deceased John Hughes and discuss the impact he had on film, especially in the 80s and the influence his films continue to have on the films of today.

As a supplement to this podcast, you may want to check out the Op-Ed piece by Molly Ringwald in the New York Times…

The Neverland Club

Though it does seem sadly poignant that physically, at least, John’s heart really did die. It also seems undeniably meaningful: His was a heavy heart, deeply sensitive, prone to injury — easily broken.

-Molly Ringwald

Also there has been news of a documentary about Hughes…

John Hughes doc finds distributor

In the end it is undeniable how great of an impact Hughes and his films had on a generation, and how they helped define a decade, but also how they continue to influence filmmakers. In spite of any criticisms we may have in the podcast, we all agree John Hughes is, and will be, sorely missed.

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We’re Back after our week off with more news than time, so check out some of the links we missed…

Box Office

• Weekend Grosses (GI Joe, Julie & Julia)
• GBU List: Attics
• Opening this Week (District 9, Time Traveler’s Wife, The Goods)

News

• John Hughes Dies. GBUF Spotlight on Hughes on Friday
• ‘Alien’ prequel takes off
• Ridley Scott’s Brave New World Adaptation is Gaining Momentum
• GI Joe Initially Well Reviewed, but RT Scored Has Dropped from 85% to 39% (R)
• Exclusive: Galifianakis Talks Hangover 2 (R)
• Spielberg picks next directing job: ‘Harvey’
• McG Talks About His Plans for Terminator 5 & 20,000 Leagues
• ‘Orphanage’ remake finds a director
• Sony Moving Forward on Developing Underworld 4 in 3D
• New Updates from David Twohy on Another Riddick Movie (M)
• Exclusive: xXx: The Return of Xander Cage Script Review (R)
• Par to seek staggered disc releases
• Tough times in the porn industry (R)
• Hollywood Turns to the Toy Chest (R)
• Hugh Jackman Offers ‘Wolverine 2′ Update: ‘We’re Starting To Work On It Now’ (R)
• ‘Machete’ and the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Casting Twists
• ‘Machete’ star hacks up biz plan on ‘Vengeance’
• New ‘Barbarella’ in works
• ‘Fraggle Rock’ And ‘Dark Crystal’ Sequel Updates From Brian Henson (R)
• Harry Potter and the Pint of Liquid Courage (R)
• Ilene Chaiken mentions plans for "The L Word" movie (R)
• Sony And Scribe Are inFamous (R)
• SDCC: ‘Titanic’ Going 3D, ‘Lord of the Rings’ 3D on Hold (R)
• Spirit seeks out King Kong story (R)
• Catherine Deneuve booed off stage
• Perez Hilton Cancelled (R)
• Gugino feels Snyder’s ‘Sucker Punch’
• 5 Things Movie Trailers Need to Stop Doing (R)
• Letter to the Studios: How Not to Market Adult Dramas (R)

Trailers: Chick Flix

Reviews

• The Answer Man
• Surveillance

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I raided Allen’s DVD collection to watch this John Carpenter film again. I haven’t seen it since it was originally released to the home video market (I missed it when it was in the theatre). When I saw it the first time, I was expecting something like Escape From New York, and I think that’s what threw me. I built the hype up too much and didn’t really enjoy it for what it was. Then came the second viewing…

I’m a fan of many of Carpenter’s films, with The Thing being one of my top two films of all time. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many familiar names rolling through the opening credits this time: Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Pam Grier, Michelle Forbes, Bruce Campbell, and Peter Fonda. With some talent like that, and Carpenter as the driving force behind it, how could I lose? I went into this viewing with an open mind and almost no memories at all of the story.

It didn’t take too long before I remembered what I didn’t like about it so much the first time. The terrible special effects. Well, let me qualify that a little bit. The Virtual Reality stuff near the beginning was really well done. It jumped in seamlessly and was actually quite beautiful. It was the later effects, the ones of destroyed Los Angeles, that annoyed me to no end and broke me out of the movie. The matte paintings, while good, weren’t great and still looked like paintings, not actual places/objects. The blue/green screen effects were laughable, especially the whole surfing the tsunami.

Despite having some very powerful actors in this movie, most of them stumbled through it like they were sleepwalking. Steve Buscemi seemed to be the only one trying to work it, but there weren’t any really outstanding performances by anyone. Even Kurt Russell just growled his lines and posed a bit. I was sadly disappointed. I really wanted to enjoy it too. Oh well.

Allen may hate me for this, but I’m going to have to rate this as: BAD!

Something that is GOOD though is that we were recently linked to from another movie blog site, onlygoodmovies.com. They wrote a list of 25 Military Movies to Watch Before You Die and linked to us for The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. While Allen, Ross and I might take issue with some of their choices (probably different movies for different reasons), it’s a damn fine list and there’s lots of other movie-related articles there. Go take a look and say that you heard about them here at GBUF.

Yes, we did not have a podcast on Tuesday – It was a long weekend up here in Canada and we just weren’t able to get together, but we will be back next week with the usual podcast.

Until then, we have Part Two of our look at 1974 including our Good and Top 5 lists, as well as notable directors – and we (ok, I) almost forgot the Uglies, but snuck them in at the end. Films discussed include Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, The Godfather II, The Longest Yard, The Island on Top of the World and Benji (which Ross felt needed defending for some reason ¦¬P).

Our next Spotlight Year will be 1985.

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