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Watch This: Spike Jonze and Kanye West Make a Short Film
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », DIY/Filmmaking », Trailers and Clips »
Most people look at Kanye West as a bit of a joke these days, and to be fair he's responsible for most of the damage to his own reputation as an egomaniac and a bit of a blowhard. But I guess it takes the directorial genius of Spike Jonze to remind us that there's probably more going on underneath Kanye's surface than we give him credit for, and no matter what you may think of West he does have pretty good taste in his pop culture 'associations' -- and the latest is an 11-minute short film directed by Jonze that premiered at the Los Angeles Film Fest earlier this summer and is now available online.
Unfortunately I can't really tell you much about it, because frankly, you have to see it to believe it. But here is what I can tell you: the film is titled We Were Once a Fairytale and it starts out with Kanye being his usual drunken and obnoxious self (though luckily Taylor Swift is nowhere in sight). But keep in mind this is Jonze's short, and as to be expected, things take a very strange (and somewhat disturbing) turn.
Hopefully the success of Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are this weekend means we will be seeing more from the director this year, because this short reminds us that there's nobody that makes movies like Jonze -- not to mention that he does the impossible with this short: he makes Kanye West seem almost human.
After the jump: West's life imitates Jonze's art in We Were Once a Fairytale...
Fan Made Trailers: 'Raiders' '51 and 'Forrest Gump' '49
Filed under: Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
I like to pride myself on having a pretty good memory for classic films, but man, my powers of recollection are nothing up against a dedicated film fan by the name of whoiseyevan. A couple of weeks ago I brought you his reworked Ghostbusters trailer as a 1954 classic starring Bob Hope and Dean Martin, and now he's back at work making trailers for Raiders of the Lost Ark and Forrest Gump as if they had been made in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
First up is Raiders, which was an ode to adventure serials of the '30's, but for the remake we've jumped ahead about thirty years. Now, it stars Charlton Heston as Dr. Jones, Anthony Quinn as Sallah, and the great Peter Lorre as everyone's favorite melty-face Nazi, Toht. Once again, you have to marvel at whoiseyevan's ability to find the perfect clips, and if you're as familiar with Raiders as I am, you will spot plenty of scenes that are almost identical -- right down to the monkey.
Now, transplanting Forrest Gump back to 1949 might have been a little bit easier, and it should come as no shock that Jimmy Stewart is standing in for Tom Hanks (especially since Hanks as been called our generation's Stewart on more than one occasion). Which would also explain how whoiseyevan might have selected some of these clips, because Stewart played a lovable man-child more than once during his career. For Gump, most of the clips look like they were taken from It's a Wonderful Life, but there are a few surprises to be had, including who gets to take over the role of Lt. Dan -- which I won't spoil for you because, frankly, it's genius.
After the jump: a trip back in time with Dr. Jones and Forrest Gump...
Watch This: Between Two Ferns with Charlize Theron
Filed under: Comedy », Trailers and Clips »
If you happen to subscribe to the Hitchen's theory of comedy (you know, the one that says women can't be pretty and funny), then you're going to need to explain Charlize Theron to me. The Oscar-winning actress is probably one of the most beautiful women to walk the earth ... but that's not all, because she's also damn funny. Now, we've seen installments of Between Two Ferns here at Cinematical before, but the latest moment of strangeness from Zach Galifianakis just might be my favorite.
Most of us know Theron from her dramatic work, but if you're a fan of Arrested Development then you know how good she is at comedy. In fact, I think that's why this installment works so well, because Theron is a good enough actress that you honestly can't tell if she's in on the joke -- and considering Galifianakis relies on moments of awkwardness in his comedy, presto! You've got the perfect pairing.
Watching this clip reminded me that it's been too long since Theron has unleashed the funny, and with The Road and The Burning Plain already on their way to theaters, and an Atlas Shrugged mini-series on the horizon, this could be our last chance to see her crack a smile for a long, long, time.
After the jump: Charlize gets between the ferns...
Watch This: 'Manifest Destiny'
Filed under: Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », DIY/Filmmaking »
The history of the movies is packed with tales of the 'little filmmakers that could'. Starting as far back as Ed Wood, right up to people like Robert Rodriguez, or The Blair Witch masterminds, there are tons of stories about filmmakers who defied the system and made movies on their own terms. After watching the short film, Manifest Destiny, I'm convinced that Darrell and Doug Waters could be the latest success story to add to the list. The sci-fi short is the first film by the Waters', and low-budget doesn't begin to describe it. Frankly, it doesn't get more cost-effective than shooting the whole thing in a garage using medical equipment you bought off eBay -- and may I just say, ewww.
The short film chronicles a supremely creepy alien autopsy and was inspired by 70's and 80's horror sci-fi like Invasion of The Body Snatchers and The Thing. The film manages to be scary and kind of sad at the same time, and I can only assume that these two guys will be using this short as a calling card for a feature deal. Considering it was made with props from eBay by two guys no one has ever heard of before, you'll have to admit, the results are pretty impressive.
Watch This: 'Ghostbusters' 1954
Filed under: Classics », Comedy », Fandom », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips »
Well, usually this works the other way around, but for once, a modern film is getting a classic update...at least when it comes to the trailer, anyway. This time, a dedicated fan by the name of whoiseyevan has made a trailer for the Ghostbusters movie that could have been...if it had been made in 1954. Taking over the roles made famous by Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray are crooner Dean Martin as Dr. Ray Stantz (Aykroyd), Fred McMurray as Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis), and who else but Bob Hope could fill Murray's coveralls as the smart-a**, Dr. Venkman?
All those classic 'busting' touches are there, which is probably what made this fan-trailer such a success. Then again, I might be biased because they managed to work in one of my favourite lines from the film in one of the title cards. So even if you aren't impressed with the result, you have to hand it to whoiseyevan and his knowledge of spook and spectre movies from the 40s and 50s. Heck, he's even got a line of dialogue with Martin calling himself a Ghostbuster! Now that's what I call a happy coincidence.
After the jump: Ghostbusters 1954 Vs Ghostbusters 1984...
Watch This: A Musical Tribute to 'American Psycho'
Filed under: Drama », Music & Musicals », Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
It's not often that two of my favorite things come together, but Tom Cruise impersonator extraordinaire/film actor Miles Fisher has managed to do just that by combining the Talking Heads and American Psycho. Over at his personal website he's launched a musical tribute to Psycho in a video for This Must Be the Place (possibly one of the best Talking Heads songs ever written, but I digress) -- and what do you know -- I don't hate it. The song is the first release off his self-titled EP, which you can download for free if you're into that kind of thing.
All your favorite moments from Psycho get a nod, including Bateman's infamous Huey Lewis and The News speech, the business cards and facials, and we even get the creepiest three-ways ever to go on film. The video stars Fisher doing a pretty decent Bale/Bateman alongside Lydia Hearst (a model/socialite who is also heir to William Randolph Hearst) filling in as the 'hooker' in the story (I'm sure Great Grandpa would be thrilled).
Of course, last fall it was announced that Psycho was in line for a Broadway re-imagining that would turn Ellis' yuppie mass murderer into a song-and-dance man. So I have to wonder if Fisher thought he'd get in on the ground floor and get to work on his 'audition tape' a little earlier than the rest? Especially since the last time he did a good celebrity impersonation we even forgave him for taking a role in Superhero Movie.
After the jump: This Must Be the Place, and remember, this is an American Psycho tribute, so things get a little NSFW...
Watch This: Han Solo P.I.
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Fandom », George Lucas », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Trailers and Clips »
I think we can all agree that Han Solo will probably go down as one of the most beloved characters in film history. Granted, he was just an update on an old theme, but we all love a swaggering bad-boy with a heart of gold, don't we? Han has inspired plenty of fan art over the years...not to mention the occasional piece of office furniture, and you would think that fans would have run out of ideas by now, right? Well, not quite, so may I introduce: Han Solo P.I.
Devoted Star Wars fan TheCBVee has created a great little mash-up of scenes of Han Solo repacked as the opening credits for Magnum P.I., and as someone who grew up with the mustachioed private eye, this thing is spot-on (TheCBVee also provided a handy little side-by-side comparison of the original opening and his creation). You've got Alec Guinness filling in for Higgins, Chewie picks up where TC left off, and Luke as Rick, the suave playboy. OK, Luke as the suave type might be a bit of a stretch, but you had to work him in somewhere, right?
Watch This: Shia LaBeouf, Music Video Director
Filed under: Music & Musicals », Celebrities and Controversy », Trailers and Clips »
I think we all know there have been a few 'mishaps' on the path to stardom for Shia LaBeouf, but I'm convinced the man still has a pretty bright future ahead of him. It takes a fair amount of natural charm (and skill) to pull off some of the so-so films that pepper his resume (ahem, Eagle Eye), but somehow the guy manages to walk away from every crappy film with his dignity intact, and more importantly, with another project coming down the pipe. But, like every other actor who came before him, what LaBeouf really wants to do is direct ... a music video ... and now he's made his directorial debut in the form of a music video for Hip-Hop artist Cage, titled I Never Knew You.
The actor has been a long-time supporter of Cage, and back in 2007 he told Vanity Fair that he was going to be directing a feature film based on the rapper's life. According to Cage's bio, he was "Born to a heroin-addicted father and a distant mother, he battled drug addiction and was institutionalized for 18 months, where he became a test subject for Prozac and tried several times to end his life before discovering hip-hop as a vehicle to express his inner-torment." So while tough luck stories are all fine and dandy, you're probably wondering: but is the video any good? Well, the bad news is that it isn't mind-blowing – pretty standard MTV fare. But the good news is that it's definitely a start in proving LaBeouf can handle himself behind the camera -- not to mention that a celebrity director guarantees Cage a few more headlines.
Watch the video below and tell us what you think about LaBeouf as a director...
Watch This: The First Seven Minutes of 'The Brothers Bloom'
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Romance », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Summer Movies »
The Brothers Bloom is one of the best movies I've seen in quite a while. I actually dreamed that at one of the press days, instead of DVDs with assets they were giving out copies of the movie, and I was really disappointed when I woke up. Seriously.
It's being marketed as a globe-trotting con man movie, which is true, but it's also got some romantic comedy action going on, and it's very funny. Rachel Weisz's character Penelope is one of the coolest and most three-dimensional "quirky female" characters I've seen in so long. Rinko Kikuchi steals every scene she's in as Bang Bang, their explosions expert. It's why The Brothers Bloom ranked with Happy-Go-Lucky as one of my faves of last year. The costumes are stylish and cool, the locations are glamorous and romantic, and the script is smart and well written -- just what you'd expect from Rian Johnson, who wrote Brick. (Fortunately, I didn't need subtitles to get all the nuances of Johnson's script, as I did with Brick -- which is, by the way, totally worth it.)
Okay, so now that I've slobbered all over The Brothers Bloom, go watch the first seven minutes on Hulu, introduced by Rian Johnson. Voila! The rest of the film hits theaters on May 15.
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
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