Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/'Mr. Fox' Deserves a Fantastic Feasthttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/mr-fox-needs-a-fantastic-accompanying-feast/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/mr-fox-needs-a-fantastic-accompanying-feast/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/mr-fox-needs-a-fantastic-accompanying-feast/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Dear Alamo Drafthouse or any other movie theater that serves food with movies,

I just saw Fantastic Mr. Fox and afterwards I realized something that no one seems to have mentioned so far: This is totally a foodie movie. It's not foodie like Julie & Julia, where the characters are baking desserts and decapitating ducks and invoking the spirit of Julia Child ... but food is a central part of the story . The three main bad guys each are rumored to only consume a single type of food or drink, and Mr. Fox is obsessed with getting his paws on some of these delicacies. There are feasts, there are large plates of French toast and desserts, there is a significant cider incident -- in short, this movie is awash in food and drink.

Therefore, I strongly suggest that you offer a feast to accompany some screenings of Fantastic Mr. Fox. It took me days to recuperate from Alamo's feast for The Simpsons Movie, but boy was it worthwhile. Alamo does feasts for all kinds of fancy foodie movies, and any other movie it likes ... this is one I hope is not forgotten, even though it is opening in Austin around Thanksgiving, when people have turkey feasts on the brain.

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]]>Alamo DrafthouseAlamoDrafthousefantastic mr. foxFantasticMr.FoxfeastfoodiesmenuJette KernionFri, 13 Nov 2009 15:48:00 ESTDiscuss: When Movie Marketing Crosses the Linehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/discuss-when-movie-marketing-crosses-the-line/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/discuss-when-movie-marketing-crosses-the-line/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/discuss-when-movie-marketing-crosses-the-line/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A quiet storm has been brewing on the Internet over the ethics of spoilers, all in response to The Fourth Kind. It started when Cole Abaius at Film School Rejects took arms against the myriad of bloggers, critics, and tweeters who had been relishing in discussing the veracity of Universal's new alien abduction movie. His post was in part a reaction to a new column started at SciFi Squad that addresses the actual science behind science fiction, which is a perfect podium for an article titled What's The Real Truth Behind The Fourth Kind?

Long story short, Cole feels that to address the claims of the movie (whether or not it is indeed "based on real events") is to spoil the director's vision of how the movie should be seen, and even though you're not spoiling anything that happens during the film's run time, you're ruining the experience. Obviously I disagree. I think there are people who actively want to know whether or not its documentary footage is actual footage or the flights of fancy of screenwriters and producers. It's a fine line to walk, that's for sure, but ultimately the question is whether or not such discussion undermines the suspension of disbelief the director clearly intended to be there. It's an issue Cole and I have been going back on forth on for a few days, but now there's a twist involved, proving even further that the situation surrounding The Fourth Kind is quite unique.

Universal just settled a lawsuit filed against the studio by the Alaska Press Club for the news stories The Fourth Kind PR department manufactured under the guise of being legitimate news articles from the Alaskan Press. So the question I present to you is, are fake news stories crossing the line?

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]]>EthicsCommitteefact vs fictionFactVsFictionfeaturedspoiler ethicsSpoilerEthicsThe Fourth KindTheFourthKindPeter HallFri, 13 Nov 2009 12:02:00 EST'Make-Out with Violence' For Free in L.A.!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/make-out-with-violence-for-free-in-l-a/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/make-out-with-violence-for-free-in-l-a/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/make-out-with-violence-for-free-in-l-a/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Indie movie lovers of the greater Los Angeles area, take note of a wonderful gem from this year's SXSW festival that's coming your way. Make-Out with Violence is an angsty teenage zombie horror comedy that I caught last year at the Oxford Film Festival, and tonight - November 12 - it screens in Los Angeles. For free!

Ok, technically it's screening in Alhambra. But this one-night only engagement will likely be your only chance to see the underappreciated indie film that our own Scott Weinberg called "pretty damn good" - and if I may add my own endorsement, Make-Out with Violence is original and gorgeously shot, a great alternative to mainstream (i.e. made with way more money) films about either teenage life or zombies. The best part? Make-Out with Violence is about both of those things. (It's also got the most attractive zombie hottie of the year, with apologies to Zombieland's Amber Heard.)

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]]>Deagol BrothersDeagolBrothersMake-Out with ViolenceMake-outWithViolenceJen YamatoThu, 12 Nov 2009 09:48:00 EST'Meatballs' on TV: Only $25!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/meatballs-on-tv-only-25/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/meatballs-on-tv-only-25/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/meatballs-on-tv-only-25/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' (Sony)The war for your wallet may be shifting from DVD stores to your living room. Just yesterday, our own Jessica Barnes described the price war between Walmart, Target and Amazon as the three retailers have temporarily slashed their profits and passed the savings on to you. Now comes word that Sony will pre-empt retailers by making their animated hit Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs available exclusively to owners of selected Sony television sets and networked Blu-ray players more than a month before it's released on DVD. Sony, however, expects you to slash your savings and pass the profits on to them, charging $24.95 for a rental.

That's a big chunk of change for a pay-per-view movie, dramatically higher than cable and satellite systems charge for pay-per-view flicks in their window of availability before DVD and Blu-ray release. Details from a business standpoint are provided in The New York Times -- the higher price is meant to avoid angering Walmart, the largest and thus most powerful DVD retailer in the country, and the move is part of Sony's strategy to leverage its ownership of both hardware (TVs, Blu-ray players) and software (movies, television) production. I'm sure Sony shareholders will be pleased.

What about the consumer? In his Home Theater blog for ZDNET, Sean Portnoy wonders: "In this economy, is being able to rent this successful movie a few weeks ahead of the masses really worth an extra $20? In fact, if you're using Netflix or renting at $1 per night through Redbox, the pricing difference is even starker." Sony tried this last year with Will Smith and Hancock, but economic times are even more difficult now. Will you pay $25 for Meatballs?

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]]>cloudy with a chance of meatballsCloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballsfeaturepay per viewpay per view moviesPayPerViewPayPerViewMoviessony braviaSonyBraviavideo on demandVideoOnDemandPeter MartinTue, 10 Nov 2009 12:45:00 ESTFun with Math: The Huge Box Office Numbers for 'Precious'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/fun-with-math-the-huge-box-office-numbers-for-precious/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/fun-with-math-the-huge-box-office-numbers-for-precious/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/10/fun-with-math-the-huge-box-office-numbers-for-precious/#commentsFiled under: ,

The final numbers are in, and the estimated $1.8 million earned by Precious in its limited-release opening weekend wasn't an exaggeration. In fact, it was a little short: The Sundance-prize-winning, Oprah-endorsed indie drama actually made $1,872,458 between Friday and Sunday. (Numbers courtesy of Box Office Mojo.) The reason that's so impressive is that it was only playing in 18 theaters, for an average of $104,025 per theater. For comparison's sake, A Christmas Carol made $8,159 per theater.

So let's put on our nerd hats and break down those Precious numbers. While it's only in 18 theaters, it played on 35 screens, because most cineplexes, anticipating the demand, booked two prints. (The per-screen average, therefore, was $53,499.) I looked at each theater's listings and added up how many showings the movie had over the weekend. That number was 507.

Then the math: It made $1,872,458 in 507 showings, for an average of $3,693 per showing. The average ticket price at the theaters in question is $11 (disregarding things like senior discounts and slightly cheaper prices for Friday matinees). That means each screening sold an average of about 335 tickets, which is surely the capacity for a lot of those theaters. That means a sell-out crowd for almost every screening. I guess I could have found out how many people each theater seats and determined exactly how many sell-outs there were, but that would be silly.

Box Office Mojo says the $104,025 per-theater average is the 12th highest ever -- but the 11 films ahead of it were all playing in no more than six locations. Precious played in 18 and still had a huge per-theater average. Any way you slice it, the delightful feel-good romp of the year opened with a splash.

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]]>featurednerderynumber-crunchingpreciousthings Oprah likesThingsOprahLikesEric D. SniderTue, 10 Nov 2009 09:02:00 ESTIs the 'Avatar' Budget Approaching $500 Million?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/is-the-avatar-budget-approaching-500-million/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/is-the-avatar-budget-approaching-500-million/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/is-the-avatar-budget-approaching-500-million/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Talking about film budgets is a tricky thing. Talking about the budget for Avatar is an even trickier thing. I recently mused about how Fox's huge gamble had caused four highly-anticipated films in China to flee from its shadow, poising the film on the precipice of a perfect storm of box office success in China that no previous film had been privy to. In doing so I invoked the ire of a good number of commenters, all of whom felt my budget-returning extrapolation from the news that Avatar is set to dominate in 80% of China's screens during its biggest blockbuster season wasn't just a wrong hypothetical, but downright ignorant.

While I still stand by the point of that post - that the hitherto unseen convergence of all the elements behind Avatar's release is going to see unprecedented box office in China - I'll concede that there is no chance that the film makes its budget back from China alone; not with the New York Times now claiming that the film's price tag is breaching the half-billion mark. As with all things budget, however, this number isn't as simple as it looks.

The $500 million is NYT's combination of the estimated $300 million it cost to actually produce the film, the approximately $150 million Fox plans to spend on global marketing alone, with the remaining $50 million being a cushion for the cumulative costs some of the film's partners have already ponied up (such as Avatar Day, whose bill was footed mostly by IMAX). However, even if their newly estimated number is accurate, that doesn't mean that Fox is on the line for the full half-billion.

Continue reading Is the 'Avatar' Budget Approaching $500 Million?

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]]>Avatarbox officeBoxOfficebudgetsDune EntertainmentDuneEntertainmentfeaturedFoxIngenious MediaIngeniousMediaJames CameronJamesCameronPeter HallMon, 09 Nov 2009 14:15:00 ESTIs Pakistan's Film Industry Dying?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/08/is-pakistans-film-industry-dying/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/08/is-pakistans-film-industry-dying/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/08/is-pakistans-film-industry-dying/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Left to right: Hand painted movie poster, Peshawar, Pakistan, 2006 (photo by Jim Henry); The Odeon Cinema, Lahore, Pakistan, 2009 (photo by Rahat Ali Dar for Los Angeles Times).

You've heard of Bollywood, Nollywood, and even Dollywood, but what about Lollywood? Based in Lahore, the second-largest city in Pakistan (and home to the U.S. Consulate), Lollywood produced more than 100 movies annually back in the 70s and 80s. Today, however, "Pakistani cinema has all but vanished," writes Alex Rodriguez in Los Angeles Times. Reportedly, the number of movie theaters in the country has declined from 1,100 in 1985 to just 120 today, and local film production has shrunk to fewer than a dozen movies each year. It's gotten so bad, the theater pictured above has been playing the same movie for three years. The same movie, and evidently not by popular demand!

Most of the usual suspects are blamed, with one that is unique to the country: "VCR, cable television, President Muhammad Zia ul-Haq's Islamization of Pakistani society, and finally DVD piracy." (Emphasis added.) While film industries have weathered changes in viewing habits, it appears that government edicts played a big role in the collapse of the industry: "Many cinemas were shut down, the rest were heavily taxed. New laws that required producers to have college degrees thinned the ranks of movie makers. The message Zia ul-Haq's government was sending to society was clear, [theater owner Jahanzaib] Baig says: 'We were being told that filmmaking was a vulgar and bad business to be in.'"

Continue reading Is Pakistan's Film Industry Dying?

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]]>lahorelollywoodpakistan film industryPakistanFilmIndustrypakistani independent filmsPakistaniIndependentFilmsPeter MartinSun, 08 Nov 2009 09:02:00 ESTVisionary Chinese Man Combines Movies, Bathinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/visionary-chinese-man-combines-movies-bathing/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/visionary-chinese-man-combines-movies-bathing/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/visionary-chinese-man-combines-movies-bathing/#commentsFiled under: , ,



You know how you love movies so much that you watch them every minute of the day, but sometimes you have to pull yourself away from the DVD player in order to take a shower? Don't you wish there were a way you could clean your body AND watch movies, without the danger of putting a TV next to the shower, or the humiliation of bathing in a washtub that you dragged with you to a movie theater and filled with hot water from the restroom?

Now there is! Industrial designer Wu Chenghou has created the Waterdrop Shower Room, a fully functional shower/tub combination enclosed by a wraparound wall that doubles as a movie screen. It's shaped like a giant drop of water. Once you're inside, you fill the tub or turn on the shower, and whatever you've selected plays on the movie screen that now surrounds you. It's not "3-D," exactly -- well, unless it's a 3-D movie and you're wearing the glasses -- but it will certainly make you feel like you're part of the action! Especially if it's a movie with a lot of wet, soapy people!

Here's the blurb on the product from the Yanko Design blog: "The Waterdrop Shower Room brings to life the childhood fantasies of role-playing while taking a bath. Sometimes you're a beastly pirate and sometimes a brave hero rescuing your ducks. This exciting enclosure comes with a tactile touchscreen that almost envelopes you. Its giant screen happily plays for you [I'm glad the screen is happy in its work] soothing melodies of the Chinese Opera to Nemo (although I reckon the big guys will opt for something more seductive!) and transports you to fantasy land!" [Note: "the big guys will opt for something more seductive" means "adult men will probably watch pornography."]

Gallery: Waterdrop Shower


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]]>extravagant wastes of moneyExtravagantWastesOfMoneyshoweringEric D. SniderThu, 05 Nov 2009 18:45:00 ESTFan Made: The Ultimate Batman-Related Man Cavehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/fan-made-the-ultimate-batman-related-man-cave/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/fan-made-the-ultimate-batman-related-man-cave/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/05/fan-made-the-ultimate-batman-related-man-cave/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



While tooling around online I came across a post over at Brobible on the 15 Best Man Caves on the Internet. A Man Cave, for those who do not know, is usually an area somewhere in the house (normally the garage or a spare room) designated for the guys to hang out in and do "guy things" like watch tons of sports or, in the case of one Australian homeowner, tons of The Dark Knight. I'm not exactly sure how much this cost, though Gizmag tells us the screening room won the highly commended prize in the 'above $100,000' category at CEDIA Asia Pacific annual awards, so more than likely this sucker cost a pretty penny to produce.

The room took about 20 days to piece together, while the installation of equipment and acoustic took another 8 days. Apart from very cool-looking and comfortable seats, as well as a big screen, the room also features a full wet bar and a bathroom that can be accessed via a remote-controlled sliding door.

From Gizmag: "Entry to the 'secret location' is via a remote-controlled pneumatic sliding door (unfortunately, not bat poles). A touch of the panel outside and the door opens, the lights turn on to a predetermined level, the projector and scaler come to life, and the processor goes into action. So, by the time you've chosen your movie and had your first mouthful of popcorn, everything is humming along, just like a well-oiled Batmobile."

Check out some images below and more stats on the equipment over at Gizmag. If you had the dough, would you put something like this in your home?

Gallery: The Ultimate Batman-Related Man Cave

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]]>batmanbatman man caveBatmanManCavefeaturedthe dark knightTheDarkKnightErik DavisThu, 05 Nov 2009 11:15:00 ESTSundance U.S.A.: The Festival Comes to Youhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/sundance-u-s-a-the-festival-comes-to-you/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/sundance-u-s-a-the-festival-comes-to-you/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/sundance-u-s-a-the-festival-comes-to-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you can't make it to Park City, Utah, in January for the Sundance Film Festival, don't worry -- Sundance will come to you! Sort of! If you live in one of eight specific cities! Still, it's a good start, and a pretty nifty idea.

They're calling it Sundance Film Festival U.S.A., and it will work like this. On Jan. 28, while the festival is taking place in Utah, eight filmmakers from the fest will travel to theaters around the country to show their movies to local audiences, followed by the customary Q&A. For the local audiences, it will be a decent approximation of what a real Sundance screening is like, minus the insane crowds and absence of parking. Several of the chosen cities are even in snowy climes, so you won't have to miss out on that aspect of Sundance attendance. If you're lucky, for the full effect, maybe you'll even run into a journalist complaining about the weather.

The selected theaters are: Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, Mass.; BAM, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Music Box Theatre, Chicago; Downtown Independent, Los Angeles; Sundance Cinemas, Madison, Wisc.; Belcourt Theatre, Nashville; and Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, San Francisco. Tickets will be sold through the individual theaters. Each location will get a different film, and we won't know what those films are until after the festival announces its programming in December.

Dispatching filmmakers to appear with their movies live and in person is a cool innovation, and a good way to spread the Sundance vibe beyond the confines of Park City. But it makes me wonder if the next logical step is to simply beam the films via satellite to theaters around the country, the way they do with concerts and special events. As big as Sundance is getting, and as small as Park City is staying, I'm glad to see the festival expanding its reach any way it can.

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]]>featuredsundancesundance film festival usaSundanceFilmFestivalUsaEric D. SniderWed, 04 Nov 2009 14:27:00 ESTThe Big Apple Film Festival Begins Tonight!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/the-big-apple-film-festival-begins-tonight/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/the-big-apple-film-festival-begins-tonight/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/the-big-apple-film-festival-begins-tonight/#commentsFiled under: ,

Attention New Yorkers (or people who live somewhere near New York and from time to time travel to the city for a taste of some quality entertainment): The Sixth Annual Big Apple Film Festival begins tonight over at Tribeca Cinemas and runs through Saturday, November 7th. Named one of the "25 Coolest Film Festivals" by Moviemaker Magazine (partly because yours truly is heavily involved with all aspects of the festival, natch), this year's slate of over 100 different films looks to be their best yet.

Now this isn't some giant big city festival by any means; it's more of a small, intimate slice-of-NY-life sorta festival that supports and promotes homegrown talent. Tonight they're opening the festival with Against the Current, starring Joseph Fiennes, Elizabeth Reaser, Justin Kirk and Mary Tyler Moore -- and if you're one of the lucky ones in attendance, you'll spot a hottie Cinematical stud named Erik Davis hosting the post-screening Q&A. I'll also be on hand to host the Q&A for the closing night film, Breaking Upwards, and to watch that film's star, Zoe Lister-Jones (a pretty awesome actress who you need to put on your Watch List, like, yesterday) receive this year's Emerging Talent Award alongside Aaron Stanford, who's screening his new film How I Got Lost on closing night as well.

If you're a fan of indie film and fun, intimate film festivals, there's no reason why you shouldn't pop in and check out a film or several during the week. And if you happen to run into me during one of the screenings, do say hello.

For more info on the Big Apple Film Festival (including where to buy tickets), check out the fest's official website.

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]]>aaron stanfordAaronStanfordagainst the currentAgainstTheCurrentbig apple film festivalBigAppleFilmFestivalbreaking upwardsBreakingUpwardsthe big apple film festivalTheBigAppleFilmFestivalzoe lister-jonesZoeLister-jonesErik DavisTue, 03 Nov 2009 16:15:00 ESTIf Ben Stiller & Downey Jr. Aren't Hosting the Oscars...http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/if-ben-stiller-and-downey-jr-arent-hosting-the-oscars/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/if-ben-stiller-and-downey-jr-arent-hosting-the-oscars/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/if-ben-stiller-and-downey-jr-arent-hosting-the-oscars/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Back in October, Adam Shankman was determined to make the Oscars fun, itching to "kick up the funny a little bit" and celebrate entertainment. But there wasn't a whole new revamp in mind -- he still wanted to continue with the path laid out last year and have Hugh Jackman host ... but the actor refused. Rumors immediately started bubbling that Neil Patrick Harris was circling, but there were other funny men in his sights. Deadline Hollywood reports that Shankman and Bill Mechanic went to Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. to host as a duo.

But they said no.

Talk about a bummer. It's quite easy to imagine the red carpet coverage wind down, and Stiller and Downey Jr. dancing or strolling to center stage. They could easy bring a healthy dose of classic funny, yet still embody the new spin focused solely on entertainment and mirth. Hell, I would easily take Robert on his own. Can you imagine a series of blips where he acts out scenes from the top contenders or top grossing films? He could fall in love and be a lonely old man with a balloon house, travel into space, throw out classic Tarantino dialogue, channel Julia Child, suffer through a painful locker, feel the pressure of A Single Man...

But that dream is done. Is there any duo who could bring the same excellence? It would never happen, but if Ben and Robert are a no-go, I want insanity with a slice of brilliance by joining Christopher Walken and Jane Lynch. How about you? What other Oscar hosting duos would you suggest?

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]]>Ben StillerBenStillerCinematicalOscars 2010Oscars2010Robert Downey Jr.RobertDowneyJr.Monika BartyzelTue, 03 Nov 2009 15:45:00 ESTSavannah Film Fest: Where Indie Meets Oscarhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/31/savannah-film-fest-where-indie-meets-oscar/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/31/savannah-film-fest-where-indie-meets-oscar/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/31/savannah-film-fest-where-indie-meets-oscar/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


I'm in Savannah, Georgia to spend a week as a guest blogger for the Savannah Film Festival, an eight-day fest hosted in the historic Southern town by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). [Read my entries in the "Voices from the Fest" section on the festival website.] As the town prepares to kick off the 12th annual festivities with the Iraq film, or rather post-Iraq film, The Messenger, I'm wondering how SFF's growing success might reflect or even influence the rise of film festivals that similarly fall somewhere in between the biggies (Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice) and the little guys.

For starters, a brief look at SFF's line-up and star-studded guest list. The festival begins today, October 31, with The Messenger, a Sundance entry that has Oscar possibilities but more likely will make a run at the Indie Spirit Awards. Stars Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster will be in attendance. (I will be attempting to run into them at the local Starbucks or wherever it is that Hollywood actors hang out when they visit other cities.) Another Oscar hopeful, the Emily Blunt-starring period biopic The Young Victoria, is screening the following day.

And then there are the almost certain Oscar pictures: George Clooney in The Men Who Stare At Goats; Lone Scherfig's An Education; Michael Haneke's Cannes winner The White Ribbon; Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, with star Jeremy Renner in attendance; and Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, which will bring both director Lee Daniels and his star Gabourey Sidibe to town.

Read on for more about this year's Savannah Film Festival.

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]]>AdamAn EducationAnEducationDear Lemon LimaDearLemonLimaMercyPrecious:BasedOnTheNovelPushBySapphiresavannah college of art and designSavannah Film FestivalSavannahCollegeOfArtAndDesignSavannahFilmFestivalSCADthe city of your final destinationThe Hurt LockerThe Loss of a Teardrop DiamondThe men who stare at goatsThe Messengerthe white ribbonTheCityOfYourFinalDestinationTheHurtLockerTheLossOfATeardropDiamondTheMenWhoStareAtGoatsTheMessengerTheWhiteRibbonWhatever WorksWhateverWorksJen YamatoSat, 31 Oct 2009 19:02:00 ESTMultiplex Surprise: 'Good Hair'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/31/multiplex-surprise-good-hair/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/31/multiplex-surprise-good-hair/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/31/multiplex-surprise-good-hair/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

'Good Hair' (Roadside Attractions)When was the last time you were genuinely surprised at your local multiplex? Maybe it was the unexpected qualities of a movie that you'd formed preconceptions about -- which were then pleasantly upended. Or perhaps it was the simple fact that a little-heralded independent picture was actually playing at your local bijou, the one with 18 screens, of which 14 always seem to be filled with predictable Hollywood product.

From Scott Weinberg's Sundance review, I knew that Good Hair, directed by Jeff Stilson, would be educational. From Eugene Novikov's box office report, I knew that it opened at 176 theaters three weeks ago. (It expanded two weeks ago and again on Friday.) But I was still quite surprised that it was playing at my local 18-screen bijou, which had somehow escaped my notice until I was recently binging on a (progressively disappointing) horror triple-feature. With horror DVDs stacked up at home waiting to be watched over the weekend, I decided that a well-regarded documentary might be just the thing to cleanse my palette. So I was in just the right mood to kick back and be surprised.

As expected, co-producer and co-scripter Chris Rock is a wry narrator and on-camera guide. What caught me off guard was how funny the interview subjects are! When I first read Scott's review months ago, I latched on to his opening line: "I now know more about black womens' hair than any middle-class Jewish guy ever has" and unfairly categorized it mentally as 'good for you, not necessary to see in a theater.' While I wish that the theater had been packed, I laughed out loud frequently nonetheless.

Continue reading Multiplex Surprise: 'Good Hair'

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]]>african american women hairAfricanAmericanWomenHairchris rockChrisRockfunny documentariesFunnyDocumentariesgood hairGoodHairjeff stilsonJeffStilsonPeter MartinSat, 31 Oct 2009 15:02:00 ESTKatie Holmes to Star in 'Cocktail: The Musical'?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/27/katie-holmes-to-star-in-cocktail-the-musical/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/27/katie-holmes-to-star-in-cocktail-the-musical/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/27/katie-holmes-to-star-in-cocktail-the-musical/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Are you ready for another hippie, hippie shake? The New York Post reports that Cocktail is getting turned into a Broadway musical by producer Marty Richards, and Heywood Gould, the pen behind the book and film, will write it. But that's not all. Gould told them: "I am writing it as we speak. Marty Richards is on board and he's working on the score. It's far too early to talk about casting. We haven't approached anybody yet. But I do like Katie Holmes." Yes, original star Tom Cruise's wife. Gould might not be the end-all on decisions, but since he's involved with all the story's incarnations, I bet he has some sway.

The 1998 film focuses on a young guy (Cruise) who drops out of school and becomes a famous bartender. Eager to have his own bar, he heads to Jamaica to earn enough money. While there, he must choose between the girl he falls for, and the rich woman who needs a "drink-mixing stud." Is it terrible to root for the latter? Who wouldn't want their own personal bartender?

If this sucker becomes a reality, I predict Cocktail, Reimagined! -- starring Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise -- coming to the big screen by 2015. Yeah, he's 20 years older as it is, but could he resist returning to his bartending fame alongside Katie? Or maybe he'll leave the love to a young and lucky bloke, and take over Bryan Brown's (Doug) bar vet ways? Or Doug becomes the drink-mixing stud?

Speaking of Hollywood couples -- for a pair so into one another, is it surprising that they haven't co-starred together yet? Maybe Tommy is fearing another Eyes Wide Shut experience.

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]]>CinematicalCocktailKatie HolmesKatieHolmesTom CruiseTomCruiseMonika BartyzelTue, 27 Oct 2009 18:02:00 EST'Carrie' Might Get Bloody Again on the Stagehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/19/carrie-might-get-bloody-again-on-the-stage/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/19/carrie-might-get-bloody-again-on-the-stage/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/19/carrie-might-get-bloody-again-on-the-stage/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A blood-drenched young woman who immediately morphs from prom queen to telekinetic murderer is not the sort of fare that usually inspires musicals. Nevertheless, Brian De Palma's Carrie found its way into a song and dance production back in 1988. But it was no Evil Dead: The Musical ... it was a disaster. First, there was a a stint in Stratford that lasted three weeks. Then, five performances on Broadway. Just five -- the cheers mixed with plentiful booing and terrible reviews until it closed after a handful of shows -- thus becoming one of the most expensive flops in history.

I don't know if it's because Fame is in the air, and the production was choreographed by Debbie Allen and worked on by Dean Pitchford, but Variety reports that producers are bringing together a 29-hour Equity reading of the flop. The creators -- composer Michael Gore, lyricist Pitchford, and writer Lawrence D. Cohen are "revisiting and reworking" the script, but no further plans have been set yet.

Should Broadway, or Hollywood for that matter, be revisiting past flops and try to save them? Is it a waste of time? Or, will Carrie finally get the tuner reception she deserves? Me, I just watch the clip after the jump and wonder what on earth they could be thinking, and hoping Tinseltown's next move is not revisiting all of cinema's flops.

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]]>CarrieCarrie: The MusicalCarrie:TheMusicalCinematicalMonika BartyzelMon, 19 Oct 2009 11:33:00 ESTLet's Stop Using Cell Phones During Movies!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/18/lets-stop-using-cell-phones-during-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/18/lets-stop-using-cell-phones-during-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/18/lets-stop-using-cell-phones-during-movies/#commentsFiled under:

Let's Stop Texting During Movies!Hurray! At least one smaller movie theater chain (AmStar Cinemas / Grand Theatres nationwide) has banned cell phone usage and other theaters are considering it (Burlington, North Carolina). Maybe you know of others. What can we do to get all exhibitors to do likewise?

Perhaps cell phone / text message movie interrupters need to imagine the following scenario: You're watching a movie at home, you're in the dark all by yourself, you're in the narrative groove, you're caught up with the characters -- and then someone taps you on the shoulder and shines a flashlight in your face. When you motion to the stranger in your house to get the light out of your face, the stranger shrugs his shoulders as if to say, "What? I'm not doing anything wrong."

That's the rough equivalent. Complete strangers routinely and rudely disturb others by pulling out their cell phones, lighting up their equipment, and checking that all-important message. Then they take another few moments to type a response. Sometimes it's a phone call, and the stranger answers it right at their seat. Sometimes they proceed to check other messages, or keep the phone out to wait for a response to their text. Occasionally they think they're being "polite" by angling the phone away from others, which never entirely hides the bright, shining light. Texters know no age boundaries -- I've seen everyone from teens to well-dressed professionals to folks old enough to be my grandparents lighting up and talking or texting away. I've experienced it at public screenings, press screenings, and film festivals. Why do they do it? What can the rest of us do about it?

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]]>cell phones at moviesCellPhonesAtMoviesfeaturedtexting at moviestexting during moviesTextingAtMoviesTextingDuringMoviesPeter MartinSun, 18 Oct 2009 17:02:00 ESTNew Website Leverages Piracy Tool to Help Filmmakershttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/new-website-leverages-piracy-tool-to-help-filmmakers/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/new-website-leverages-piracy-tool-to-help-filmmakers/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/new-website-leverages-piracy-tool-to-help-filmmakers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Since it's inception, bit-torrent has been the bane of filmmakers, film distributors, and studio shareholders alike. The popular file-sharing protocol has tons of legitimate uses, but there's no question that one of its largest uses is the mass dissemination of copyrighted material without permission of those who own said material; AKA movie piracy. However, a new service called VODO is planning on turning the worst aspect of peer-to-peer downloading into an advantageous new release platform for independent filmmakers.

The project, created by one of the gentlemen behind the movie piracy documentary Steal This Film, functions as an intermediary between downloaders and content creators and works a little something like this: A filmmaker interested in giving out his film for free submits their labor of love to VODO. A jury then approves the film for distribution, at which point it ends up on the VODO homepage as a bit-torrent download which can then be shared freely by users all over the world. Should a downloader enjoy a film and then want to support it, they can go back to the website which works as a portal directly to the filmmaker, be it to make a donation or ask for permission to show the film commercially.

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]]>bittorrentindepdent filmsIndepdentFilmsmovie piracyMoviePiracyUs NowUsNowVodoPeter HallThu, 15 Oct 2009 14:34:00 ESTAFI Fest: See 'Dr. Parnassus,' 'Bad Lieutenant' and More - For Free!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/afi-fest-see-dr-parnassus-bad-lieutenant-and-more-for-f/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/afi-fest-see-dr-parnassus-bad-lieutenant-and-more-for-f/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/afi-fest-see-dr-parnassus-bad-lieutenant-and-more-for-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


When it comes to film festivals, cinephiles have a lot to choose from. But if you're in Los Angeles from October 30 - November 7, there's only one film festival that will have The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, The Road, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Youth in Revolt, A Single Man, and tons more buzzed-about indie, foreign, and genre gems - ALL FOR FREE. That's right, folks: AFI Fest is giving free admission for every single one of their films this year, so how can you possibly resist?

As Peter Martin wrote back in May, AFI's groundbreaking move to free ticketing is a daring experiment. (Tickets can be reserved online and via phone starting October 16.) I suppose the rationale is that if the cost of a ticket precludes film goers from attending, why not make it even easier to participate? One look at AFI's line-up, released yesterday, pretty much makes the decision for you.

Get the full list of (FREE! ) AFI Fest screenings after the jump.

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]]>AFI FestAfiFestfilm festivalJen YamatoThu, 15 Oct 2009 10:03:00 ESTWatch This: 'Guardian' Writer At (Sort Of) Real-Life Fight Clubhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/13/watch-this-guardian-writer-at-sort-of-real-life-fight-club/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/13/watch-this-guardian-writer-at-sort-of-real-life-fight-club/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/13/watch-this-guardian-writer-at-sort-of-real-life-fight-club/#commentsFiled under: ,

"Like many of you, I was stuck," narrates Guardian writer Paul MacInnes in his best Chuck Palahniuk-style monotone. "I looked at blog after blog, trying to find some Star Wars fan site that would justify my existence. This was my life, and it was ending one minute at a time." In a very funny take on Fight Club, MacInnes' short video has the frustrated blogger receiving an e-mail that invites him to a "dodgy warehouse," and finds him taking part in a stage-fighting workshop where he gets the chance to beat up a writer from Men's Fitness magazine.

The workshop, it turns out, was a publicity event put on by Jameson's Irish Whiskey's Cult Film Club, a London film series that features movies like Trainspotting, This is Spinal Tap and, of course, Fight Club. The movies are all free, and the website promises a complimentary glass of Jameson's, as well.

For those of us who blog for a living, the intro to MacInnes' video holds an additional bit of entertainment. An e-mail he receives from his editor contains the subject line "FWD: RICKY GERVAIS DOESN'T LIKE AUBERGINES" (aubergine being the proper European word for eggplant) followed by the note, "Paul - great story. Give me 900 words in 20 mins. And make it good." Indeed. Thankfully, the Cinematical editors would never make us blog about celebrity vegetable preferences.

It's a clever take on an equally clever PR stunt, and a fun few minutes to watch. You can check it out here.

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]]>Fight ClubFightClubguardianjamesonscultfilmclubDawn TaylorTue, 13 Oct 2009 14:32:00 EST