SandraOh Tagged Articles at Cinematical
The 'Defendor' Trailer Lands Online
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Independent », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Toronto International Film Festival », Trailers and Clips »
I have been intrigued by Defendor since it went into development. It's not every day you see an indie "superhero" movie, and even rarer to see anyone using the comic craze to spin an original story. Watchmen may have deconstructed an awful lot of myth, but I feel like there's still things to say about the need for costumed vigilantes, especially as each generation discovers them all over again.
Defendor is one of the selections at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival, and the early buzz on it is pretty positive so far. Directed by Peter Stebbings, it stars Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Kat Dennings, and Sandra Oh. It's the story of an unassuming man named Arthur Poppington, who lives in his own comic-book based world, and patrols the streets as the superhero Defendor. He's on the hunt for his arch-nemesis, Captain Industry, who he believes killed his mother and who deals in weapons and drugs. Along the way, he rescues a young prostitute (Dennings) from an undercover cop (Koteas), and winds up in therapy with Ms.Oh before proving that anyone can make a difference.
The trailer made its debut at TwitchFilms, and they've kindly provided an embed, which I've put below the jump. I'm encouraged more by the buzz than the trailer, which feels a little flat to me. Defendor seems to be a gentler version of Mystery Men, crossed with a little Alan Moore criticism and a dash of Punisher: War Zone. Still, I'm intrigued, and I'll be watching its TIFF reception, and hoping this wannabe superhero will fly.
Defendor is one of the selections at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival, and the early buzz on it is pretty positive so far. Directed by Peter Stebbings, it stars Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Kat Dennings, and Sandra Oh. It's the story of an unassuming man named Arthur Poppington, who lives in his own comic-book based world, and patrols the streets as the superhero Defendor. He's on the hunt for his arch-nemesis, Captain Industry, who he believes killed his mother and who deals in weapons and drugs. Along the way, he rescues a young prostitute (Dennings) from an undercover cop (Koteas), and winds up in therapy with Ms.Oh before proving that anyone can make a difference.
The trailer made its debut at TwitchFilms, and they've kindly provided an embed, which I've put below the jump. I'm encouraged more by the buzz than the trailer, which feels a little flat to me. Defendor seems to be a gentler version of Mystery Men, crossed with a little Alan Moore criticism and a dash of Punisher: War Zone. Still, I'm intrigued, and I'll be watching its TIFF reception, and hoping this wannabe superhero will fly.
The Sundance Jury is Announced
Filed under: Awards », Sundance », Exhibition »
When juries are put together for these film fests, chances are the everyday person wouldn't have the slightest idea who most of the people are -- perhaps they make ultra-arthouse films, or they work behind the scenes in some capacity. But for Sundance, they've collected a bunch of names that are pretty recognizable -- coming from both the world of big-budget film and indie wonder. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Marcia Gay Harden, Sandra Oh, Quentin Tarantino, Jason Reitman, and Alan Alda are heading the list of 24 jurors chosen to hand out prizes at Sundance this year, which starts later this month.There are six juries selecting the prizes, and this is how it is broken up:
Dramatic Competition Grand Jury -- Harden, Diego Luna, Oh, Mary Harron, and Tarantino.
Documentary Competition Grand Jury -- Michelle Byrd, Heidi Ewing, Eugene Jarecki, Steven Okazaki, and Annie Sundberg.
World Dramatic Competition Jury -- Shunji Iwai, Lucrecia Martel, and Jan Schuette.
World Documentary Competition Jury -- Ilda Santiago, Leena Pasanen, and Amir Bar-Lev.
American & International Shorts Jury -- Jon Bloom, Melonie Diaz, and Jason Reitman.
Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize Jury -- Alda, Michael Polish, Evan Schwartz, Benedict Schwegler, and John Underkoffler. (It's awarded to a film focusing on science or technology, and most of these names are in the biz.)
Ah, if only I could be there! Stay tuned to Cinematical for lots of Sundance goodies as the fest heats up.
Review: Sorry, Haters
Filed under: Independent », Theatrical Reviews », Cinematical Indie »
Enough time has passed since 9/11 that filmmakers are beginning to feel comfortable talking about it in their films. In Sorry, Haters, writer and director Jeff Stanzler wonders if, for some, tragedy is an addiction. New Yorkers, in particular, pride themselves on their ability to unify in the face of adversity. The blackout of 2003 and the "blizzard" of 2006 each had newscasters (and the Mayor) standing on street corners, lauding the citizens and their willingness to band together. Would we be so concerned with that image if we didn't have to live up to the expectations created by 9/11? We have a duty to fulfill, it seems, and for some life was never better than it was in the shadow of no towers.
Phoebe (Robin Wright Penn, frenetically overacting) has a thankless job at Q-Dog, an MTV-type conglomerate. Her closest friends are well-meaning, but ultimately oblivious, not to mention richer and more successful; Phoebe's jealousy is palpable. In tragedy, however, all are equal, and this becomes her focus and biggest fantasy: how to make it happen—to recreate that feeling of belonging—all over again? The premise is an interesting one, and not unfathomable. Tragedy does bring a community closer together, not to mention the pride that comes with "living through" said tragedy. In a time where war, for many, is an abstract, far-away thing fed to us piecemeal by network talking heads, just living through seemingly random violence is equivalent to courage, and as we know from all war films, courage equals bonding. What to do, then, when the camaraderie fades away?
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Directors We Love: Jim Jarmusch
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
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Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
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