I guess we'll have to take his word for it that he's really rapping in Klingon!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Michael Fassbender Video Interview in NY Times
The emerging star talks about movies that influenced him and his obsession with TV theme songs.Hearing him do Magnum, P.I. was a trip!
Night Watch - Film Review
Serendipity arrived in my mailbox last week. I had given up on Netflix ever sending me Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Danish film Nightwatch, and ordered it from an Amazon Marketplace vendor. They sent me the wrong movie - Timur Bekmambetov's Russian horror film, Night Watch (Nochnoy dozor), instead.Being a big fan of Timur's film Wanted, I had Night Watch on my Netflix queue, but buried deep. I had heard the buzz about Night Watch. It was the first Russian blockbuster, and made Timur Bekmambetov's reputation as a director. Amazon refunded my money for the mix up, but I thought I might as well watch the used DVD before I mailed it back.
Night Watch is the first of a trilogy about the "Others", forces for light and dark who have formed a truce after an epic medieval battle. The Night Watch patrols and tries to control the dark others (like vampires and witches). The Day Watch does the same for the light others. It's an urban fantasy set in modern day Moscow. It's visually stunning and inventive, just as Timur's work in Wanted is, but here he had to be even more creative on a more limited budget. It's not the scariest horror vampire film ever, but it has an interesting world, based on a series of Russian novels. Anton, the main character, we first meet in 1992, when he seeks out a witch to try to get his wife back. He makes a bargain with her that could tip the balance in the eternal struggle between the light and dark others. He discovers that he is an "Other" himself when he suddenly can see the witch struggling with members of the Night Watch (dressed as workers for the Moscow Light Company).
You feel like there's all sorts of back story you're not getting, and as Timur says in the commentary, you're only getting the tip of the iceberg, as this is the set up for the trilogy. I liked that there was mystery about lots of things. It was intriguing. Anton is an agent of the Light Others, but he lives across the hall from a family of vampires, and seems to be friends with them. It's not explained, and obviously is fodder for the future movies.What I really loved about the film is its innate Russian-ness. I rewatched the film with Timur's commentary, and there are lots of things that American audiences wouldn't catch. There is a huge "Vortex" threatening Moscow, and it's shown by swirling huge flocks of crows. In Russian, the words for "crow" and "vortex" are nearly the same. The Night Watch uses big yellow utility trucks which evidently are everywhere in Moscow, and are known for being slow and old fashioned. In the movie, the trucks are practically turbo charged rockets, and one does a complete flip. Look at this creepy Russian doll made into a spider creature. In the commentary, Timur said this was a common doll from his childhood.
Is this the best movie ever? No, but it has a great visual style, and is quite an entertaining film. Timur said in the commentary that journalists and film critics hated it because they "didn't know where to put it on the shelf". It's not just genre (horror). Timur said with a chuckle that he views it as an art house film. It's very Russian in the settings, and yet you can see all the American film influences. I felt like it was a Russia I had never seen before -- not all the Kremlin square Cold War spy movie shots we usually get. It created a sensation in Russia, and some said it was too American, while others said it was too Russian. The DVD gives you the option of watching in Russian with subtitles or dubbed in English. Watch the subtitled version, as the subtitles are some of the most inventive I've ever seen. When a vampire calls to a little boy, the subtitles turn red and dissolve like blood mist. When one vampire sharply yells, the word explodes in size on the screen.
Timur Bekmambetov made this film for Russian audiences, and never expected it to be seen outside his country. It ended up being released in theaters all over the world. This is one DVD worth seeking out. I give it three stars and a strong recommendation. I've already added the sequel, Day Watch, to my Netflix queue. Watch the trailer, below, to get a taste.
And I'm still on my quest for the Danish Nightwatch!
Gerard Butler talks about diet cheating on Bonnie Hunt Show
A friend sent me this picture of Gerard Butler in a body builder apron on the Bonnie Hunt show. He appears tomorrow (Friday), and Just Jared has a promo clip where he talks about cheating on his diets for movies and sneaking cake! Hilarious! Bonnie Hunt twittered the clip, and thanks to Just Jared for sharing it! Law Abiding Citizen comes out tomorrow, and Gerard will be on Jimmy Kimmel tonight, and hosting Saturday Night Live, too.
Hat tip: Trenna
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Informant! - Film Review
The Informant! is a very interesting film. I read in an interview with Matt Damon, that Steven Soderbergh told him that they couldn't remake The Insider with this movie, and boy, they sure didn't. The Insider, with Russell Crowe as the whistle blower, was a tense suspenseful drama. Matt Damon's Mark Whitacre seems to think he's in that kind of a movie at all times, but Soderbergh has found a deft comedic tone for this film. It's not a laugh out loud comedy, but similar to a wry Coen Brothers film. The craziest thing about The Informant! is that it's based on a true story. Mark Whitacre worked with the FBI for over two years to expose the lysine price fixing at Arthur Daniel Midlands. This story was all over our local papers in Chicago at the time, but I had no idea the twists and turns that it took.
Roger Ebert found this quote in the Decatur paper from Mark Whitacre:
“It's like I was two people. I assume that's why they chose Matt Damon for the movie, because he plays those roles that have such psychological intensity. In the ‘Bourne' movies, he doesn't even know who he is.”
Mark Whitacre went to the FBI with information about the price fixing, and seemed to delude himself that by being the whistle blower he would end up running the company. He was a very highly paid executive in the company, and Soderbergh filmed in his actual mansion in Decatur, Illinois.
Matt Damon is amazing in the film. He walks that fine line, fooling his bosses by being such a blunderbus. Matt Damon had only a few moments to show his comedic talents in the Oceans Eleven films, and this film is his showpiece. With the crowded field this year, I don't know if he will garner an Oscar nomination, but he deserves one. At one point in the trial, Matt Damon says the exact words that Whitacre said in his statement to the court, but Soderbergh asked him to do it as if it was an Oscar awards acceptance speech. We'll see if he gets to give a real one.
Scott Bakula is perfect as the FBI agent, and his partner is Joel McHale from Talk Soup. I was also amused to see both Smothers brothers in cameos (Tom is the judge.)
I give this film three and a half stars. It's very entertaining. Interestingly, Mark Whitacre is still married to Ginger and he's CEO of his own company.
The Tom Button
This is just hilarious! David Letterman presses a red button, and surprise guest Tom Hanks comes sprinting out and leaping over chairs!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Neil Patrick Harris is the Music Meister villain on Batman
This is just delicious! Neil Patrick Harris is the new villain on the Batman cartoon on Cartoon Network. Because he is the Music Meister, he makes everyone sing like it is a musical. So, all the characters sing through the episode. I love it!! He was great as Dr. Horrible, and now he kills as the Music Meister.
First Mark Hamill is the Joker, and now this!
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