SouthlandTales Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I think it's safe to tell you, without spoiling the movie, that The Men Who Stare at Goats includes a couple of scenes with Jeff Bridges and George Clooney dancing around. The scenes are amusing and a little strange -- why are soldiers dancing? But they did fit consistently with the film as a whole. However, I was reminded of moments in movies that aren't musicals, but suddenly shift to some crazy kind of dance or musical number. I love these moments, and in fact I wish the dance scenes in The Men Who Stare at Goats were a little less toned-down and a little more "WTF?"

Okay, I'm kind of BS'ing you here. The Men Who Stare at Goats is a flimsy excuse. I really just wanted to write about surreal dance numbers in otherwise straightforward movies, because that can be so much fun. Last year's Adam Sandler vehicle Bedtime Stories was an annoying dud ... except for one glorious, shining moment where Guy Pearce launched into a song-and-dance number. Sometimes these dance moments are the best part of a movie, sometimes they spoil the mood and sometimes they're just one more weird aspect of an altogether bizarre film. Here are seven of my favorites.

A week ago, I finally tore through Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' acclaimed graphic novel, Watchmen, which I'd only recently prompted myself to make the time for after years of recommendations (the recurring threat of ending spoilers for a movie that I'd inevitably see was a catalyst unto itself).

It really is a tremendous work, and I'm as curious as anyone else to see how Zack Snyder's film turns out, but the one comparison that I kept coming back to was how much Watchmen reminded me of Richard Kelly's much-maligned Southland Tales, with each being a sprawling tale of an alternate reality in which several narrative threads are building towards the threat of a looming apocalypse.

Between that and the news of Kelly's latest being pushed back, I find myself tempted to give it another look-see -- especially since my first viewing wasn't exactly held in the most proper of environments. I'm sure that there's a method to Kelly's madness, but it's an indulgent, unpredictable film whose very story density I enjoyed more in and of itself. I doubt that I'd share those sentiments if instead first subjected to the three-hour Cannes cut, but if that version were ever released, I wouldn't be against giving it a spin. (My overall sentiments fall closer to Jette's.)

So, what say you, the readers? Did you see it? Did you finish it? Love it? Hate it? Or maybe, just maybe, did some of you land somewhere in between? (And for bonus points, what don't pimps do?)

Oy vey: after shifting more dates than an old lady working in the produce section, it appears that Richard Kelly's thriller The Box has been bumped once more, from next March to next November. Usually, this would be a bad thing, but I'm still seriously intrigued by this adaptation of Richard Matheson's short story, in which a young couple (James Marsden and Cameron Diaz) are given a mysterious box that can make them wealthy, but at the cost of killing a stranger the moment they use it.

The film is completed enough to merit a PG-13 from our pals over at the MPAA (for "thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images"), so it's not post-production woes holding the film up. One suspects this is a much less sprawling film than his Southland Tales, which we'll come back to soon enough. Is it part of WB's strategy to spread out product as the strike catches up to them, as they had by moving Harry Potter from this week to next summer?

Man, if I could just kill a stranger to get some answers...

There's no way around it: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson owes at least some of his fame to the way his dominating figure fits the blockbuster action stereotype with near-mechanical sleekness. However, he also offers an alternative to that reductive perspective. Looking sharp in a business suit and speaking with the relaxed professional discipline of a CEO, Johnson showed up at a screening of Get Smart on Sunday at the CineVegas Film Festival displaying sheer confidence. The screening took place at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, where Johnson had recently acted in Race to Witch Mountain ("We just added to the chaos," he said), but on this visit, Johnson got a chance to remind people that he's not just a one-note performer, but someone who plays an active role in the international film community (not to mention the health community, since The Rock Foundation pushes obesity prevention).

Outside of his supremely meta performance in Richard Kelly's Southland Tales, Johnson has made his interests in adventurous cinema increasingly clear, and boldly champions independent artists. You can get a small glimpse of this aspect of his personality in Operation Filmmaker, documentarian Nina Davenport's account of an Iraqi filmmaker named Muthana Mohmed whose aspirations tragically fall short of the expectations surrounding him. Landing the opportunity to work for Liev Schreiber on the set of Everything is Illuminated, the 25-year-old Mohmed grows increasingly frustrated with the boring tasks given to him, and continually blows opportunities as a result of his unbalanced work ethic.

I guess members of Arcade Fire like to keep an eye on their online reputation, because it took a total of eight days for the band to reduce a popular rumor to rubble. A little over a week ago, Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) had posted that, "a very famous band who is honoring us with being the first filmmakers they've ever scored a film with" had signed up to score his upcoming thriller, The Box. Before you knew it, Pitchfork had picked up the story and was reporting that Arcade Fire was that "famous band".

Cut to one week later and Arcade's co-founder, Win Butler, posted the following message on his blog (through the band's official site): "Arcade Fire is NOT doing the soundtrack to any film. We are all off for the summer, writing songs, reading books and keeping our plants alive" -- although he did concede that he might compose some original music for the film along with band mate Owen Pallet (Final Fantasy).

The Box takes place in 1976, where an unhappily married couple (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) receive a mysterious box from a stranger (Frank Langella). The box will reward the couple with a massive payday, but only on the condition that a complete stranger dies in return. Erik gave us the heads up on some production photos back in February, but so far there is no release date. Hopefully the 'stink' of Southland Tales has finally worn off, and Kelly will be able to secure an official date soon.

Despite all the awards attention it received, Joe Wright's Atonement still sounds too much like a lushly romantic period melodrama for my personal taste. Still, it's one of those movies you probably need to experience yourself before deciding if the praise was too lavish (Ryan Stewart thought it was a "stunning achievement") or the criticism too harsh. The DVD from Universal Studios includes deleted scenes, two "making of" features, and an audio commentary by the director.

From all that I've read, Southland Tales sounds like an astonishing train wreck. Nick Schager began his review for Cinematical by writing: "Let me present Exhibit A in the case against granting talented young filmmakers extensive creative autonomy." Given my perverse nature, that makes me want to see Richard Kelly's futuristic epic even more. The DVD from Sony Pictures includes a "featurette" and an animated short.

Steep presents thrilling footage of big mountain skiers who swoosh down incredibly steep slopes. As I noted in my review, though, I felt it raised more questions than it wanted to answer. The DVD from Sony Pictures includes an audio commentary by director Mark Obenhaus with some of the skiers, photo montages, and an additional interview with one of the sport's masters.

Though it was ignored during last fall's awards season, Mike Newell's Love in the Time of Cholera might be ripe for discovery. (On the other hand, Jeffrey M. Anderson really didn't like it.) Javier Bardem and Benjamin Bratt star in an adaptation of the novel by Gabriel García Márquez. The DVD from New Line includes an audio commentary by Newell, a "making of" feature, and deleted scenes.

Why are so many film critics rushing around in November as if it's the end of the year? Is Atonement truly worthy of the Oscar buzz? Will Brian De Palma's Redacted be heard over the roar of its own controversy? When did Southland Tales go south, exactly? Is there any 'there' there in I'm Not There? And if Beowulf's truly the future of movies, are we all doomed? Joining James for this edition of The Rocchi Review is Cinematical's Jeffery M. Anderson, whose work for Metro newspapers and the Las Vegas Weekly can be found at Combustible Celluloid. You can download the entire podcast right here -- and we hope you enjoy; those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

Quick, tell me what's wrong with this image? I haven't read Maxim in awhile; usually I'll pick up a copy before traveling as it's something easy to read on the plane, but I haven't gone anywhere in a few months and, thus, haven't read any Maxim. I'm not sure if they've always picked their Woman of the Year wayyy ahead of time (like, in the wrong year), but that's neither here nor there. What's baffling to me is why on earth they would choose Sarah Michelle Gellar to represent woman in 2008. For what, exactly? And don't tell me it's because of that image -- heck, you can airbrush me for a few hours and turn out something that makes me look like Brad Pitt. Seriously though ... why her? Of all people, why Sarah Michelle Gellar? And I wonder if she only agreed to pose for sexy pics under the condition they'd give her some bogus prize like 2008 Woman of the Year.

When asked why she decided to grace the cover now, she replied: "I'm 30, and I'm promoting a bunch of different kinds of movies. I like to shake things up every once in a while. It's good to leave people wanting more, but I don't want to leave them waiting too long or they'll lose interest. Besides, how could I not do a Maxim shoot when I have a movie coming out in which I play a porn star?" That movie is Southland Tales, and as of now Gellar has only three roles lined up for 2008 -- two Korean horror remakes (ugh) and Alice. And she claims to be promoting a bunch of different movies? Like .... Southland Tales? Because that's the only movie you're in. (Oh wait, she's also in Suburban Girl, but that doesn't go straight to DVD until January.) Buffy is Back! Actually, technically, she's not back -- Gellar does not have plans to reprise the Buffy character in the near future. So that's a lie. Surely, if it's hotness you're going after, then Maxim could've easily found a better gal to call their 2008 Woman of the Year? I'm a little disappointed. You?

[via Daily Stab]

Besides giving Justin Long some work and making him the geek poster boy, Apple has been pretty good at making lots of people wish they lived in SoHo (as well as a few other choice areas across the US). Along with indieWIRE, they've been bringing filmmakers and stars into their stores for discussion and exclusive clips -- this includes the indie names behind Hannah Takes the Stairs, producers Jason Kliot and Joana Vicente who showed part of Redacted to New York fans, and even Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, and Natalie Portman popped by for Hotel Chevalier, the short prequel to The Darjeeling Limited.

Now things are getting a little more sci-fi, and indieWIRE reports that the next filmmaker on the list is none other than Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly, who will be on hand to show clips from Southland Tales and talk about the film. The event will take place on Friday, October 19, and run for just one hour -- 6:30-7:30 p.m. As per usual, the cost is free, and it is first come, first serve at Apple's SoHo store on Prince Street in New York City. It sounds like this will be a speedy run-through that won't allow for many, or any, questions, but if there's a filmmaker and film around that might benefit from some expository commentary, it's Kelly and Tales!

I want this week's trailer park to be a celebration of the strange, a bash of the bizarre. Once again, we are the weird, and where better to start than:

Weirdsville
You gotta love that title, and the tagline "the road to salvation is paved with burned out hippies," is pretty cool too. Dexter and Royce need to pay off their drug dealer and dispose of a body quick, but run into trouble when the abandoned drive-in theater they chose for a grave site is being used for a satanic ritual. We've got midgets in medieval armor, gnomes and talking mice too. Nice. I have high hopes for this one, and it goes into limited U.S. release on October 5.. Monika Bartyzel saw Weirdsville at the Toronto International Film Festival and you can read her review here.

Southland Tales
Future cult classic or the next Ishtar? Judging from the trailer it could go either way, but I'm dying to see this. I stumbled across Richard Kelly's previous film Donnie Darko when it hit DVD and absolutely loved it, and like many others I've been waiting for his followup project for some time. Cinematical's James Rocchi reviewed the film in May 2006 after it played at Cannes, but apparently the release version represents a very different cut of the film. Synopsizing Southland Tales is quite a challenge, especially since I've only seen this preview, but apparently Kelly is expanding upon his apocalyptic visions from Donnie Darko. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays an action film star and Sarah Michelle Gellar is his porn star girlfriend who has the best line in the trailer when she says "Scientists are saying that the future is going to be far more futuristic than they originally predicted." There appears to be some kind of paranoid conspiracy at work, and I'm getting flashbacks of Terry Gilliam's Brazil and the works of David Lynch.