With the release of the second full trailer and an extensive article in this week’s Entertainment Weekly, I am quickly reaching the end of my fanboy-induced patience regarding the new film, Superman Returns. Wednesday can’t come soon enough it seems. Startlingly enough, this is the first time in a while where that fanboy sense, which has been steadily been disappearing over the past three or so years, has been allowed to make a quick return engagement.
Superman: The Movie was released in December or 1978, just in time for the Christmas holiday. Star Wars came out a full-year earlier, but to my second-grade mind, Star Wars’ appeal, not to mention its merchandising, which I was sure to strike big-time with a little help from Jolly St. Nick, was still growing strong. However, literally being weaned on comicbooks thanks to my Grandfather, Darth Vader, X-Wing fighters and the entire mystical Force couldn’t compete with the likes of Superman. After all, this movie had promised me that I would believe a man could fly.
On opening day, my parents pulled a totally unexpected move, and one that would endear me to them forever: the took me out of school early to catch the matinee premiere. My folks were rather hardened with me skipping school for fake illnesses, so deliberately pulling me out just past lunch to see a movie – and a superhero movie at that – was nearly inconceivable.
With the advent of the Eighties getting ready to warm up and replace Disco with New Wave, theater multiplexes were still in their pre-historical state. One of the nearby malls’ General Cinema boasted an incredible six screens (I would see Superman II at this theater in just two summers) while the Eric at another mall had the much-less mind-blowing four. There were still three one-screen houses in the area that presented first-run movies. The Harwan was in Mt. Ephraim and would end up lasting the longest and go on to show second- or third-run screenings right up to the new Millennium. The Westmont, located in, you guessed it, Westmont, sported a balcony. In later years the Westmont spilt its room into two screens and later became a village playhouse. It is now closed up and sitting on what I’m sure is pretty valuable land. Finally, The Century theater sat directly on the corner of the White Horse Pike and King’s Highway, about a mile-and-a-half East from the Harwan. The Century was abandoned, eventually torn down against a lot of public protest, became a drug store for a fortnight and is once again abandoned. In 1978, however, when the Century was still king, I saw that film and I believed.
Almost 30 years later, a new Superman movie, one to rival Dick Donner’s 1978 epic is about to be released. Responsibilities will not permit me to skip work for a matinee, nor do I have the patience to wait in a queue with teenagers and college students for a midnight showing. I will most assuredly being seeing the film in the 24-room strong corporate-sponsored and equally-soulless theater complex that’s in walking distance from my Cherry Hill house. But my wife will be there with me. We’ll hold hands during the exciting parts and she’ll smile as the youth returns to eyes that are quickly forgetting childhood dreams. And I can’t wait.
Much like that winter in 1978, I find that it’s not just the film of Superman Returns that is exciting my inner-child, but the build up for the event. Already-forgotten is X-3 and the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel is sure to be a fun film, but when is that being released anyway? There is another film being released this July that should relate to and produce excitement from my college years with just as much fervor as Superman has to my primary school days, but sadly isn’t. The film: Clerks II.
No need for a discussion or breakdown here on Kevin Smith’s rebellious and nigh-vulgar look at the convenience store industry that debuted in 1994 and spawned a short-lived animated series and couple of comicbooks and, oh yes, four more features all based on his characters. But then Smith said goodbye and looked eager to continue his growth as a filmmaker, which I applauded. Jersey Girl was released ten years after his debut and although not his strongest film, took him out of the pool he was playing in, which definitely seemed to quickly be running out of water.
Clerks II just seems like a retread, a return to comfortable ground, a way to play it safe, which is definitely uncharacteristic of Smith and perhaps one of my wary reasons and the cause of lukewarm feelings. If he is giving in, no longer catering to the rebelliousness of youth and refusing to live by his dreams, then why should we as viewers or fans? Staying in comfortable environs means commuting to college instead of living on campus, giving into the past is like continuing to use the air popper when microwave popcorn is just so much quicker and comes pre-buttered.
And perhaps I’m wrong. Maybe this feeling is exactly what Smith is counting on and looking forward to disproving. Maybe his jokes will still be relevant, much like a man in blue tights and a red cape is still relevant, and still needed.
I will see Clerks II. Not on opening night, but with my friends. Maybe once the crowds have calmed down. I’ll sneak in my flask and divide the warm liquor into each of our cool cups of soda. I’ll laugh and permit my non-jaded youth to once again jump free in the twinkling of my eyes.
As Always,
theJOE
25 June 2006
16 May 2006
5 A.M.
I harshly and suddenly woke from a dream at 5 AM by a thunderclap signaling the oncoming apocalypse. This wasn’t simply God bowling his strikes, rather the Almighty had decided to completely demolish the entire bowling alley with pins, balls and vending machines complete with unwinable trinkets that truly have no place in Paradise still inside. This happened directly above my house.
By the time my breathing got under control and the coolness of my skin warmed with the beaded perspiration, the awareness that the end of the world was not upon us just yet slowly rolled to the surface of my consciousness like a wobbly gutter ball moves with lackadaisical determination towards its final destination. It was still 5 AM. Plus eight minutes. I would be pounding the clock/radio silent in another 90 minutes. It would ignore my pleads, beckoning me to arise and prepare for an 8 AM conference call to Toronto. But seeing as how I am presently awake, and the rain showering on my roof is certainly not contributing to the pleasant return to sleep, I move forward.
My legs swing off the mattress and I smile inwardly with the smallest sense of satisfaction that I have beaten the radio, at least for this morning. Its commands will go unheeded today; the impotence of its digital display no longer necessary.
The remainder of the early morning passes without much significance. Shower. Coffee. A weary treading of footfalls. Sometime in-between, the rain stops and the sun does its best to try to break through the cloud cover. What rays that do penetrate accentuate the greenness that abounds in the aftermath of a spring storm. The azure leaves on the hickory tree stand out vividly against the slowly-breaking grey sky.
But I have no time for beauty. I cannot allow my mind to drift before the caffeine releases the racehorses of my synapses from their starting gate. The wetness in the atmosphere hangs equally heavy with the thoughts of the day before me. Toronto this morning, California at lunch where the day’s sun is still new, New York this afternoon. My company’s phone bill lights up like a North American passport. Most use the stillness of the morning to begin their day with calm reflection. I use this break to debate calling in sick, ignoring all responsibilities that have become accustomed to this adult life.
The sky is quiet now. God’s obviously taking a coffee break reading the Washington Post with a Boston crème because He obviously doesn’t need to watch the calories. And with the end-of-the-world obviously on hold, I boot up my iMac and get to work because, after all, there’s much to do.
As Always,
theJOE
By the time my breathing got under control and the coolness of my skin warmed with the beaded perspiration, the awareness that the end of the world was not upon us just yet slowly rolled to the surface of my consciousness like a wobbly gutter ball moves with lackadaisical determination towards its final destination. It was still 5 AM. Plus eight minutes. I would be pounding the clock/radio silent in another 90 minutes. It would ignore my pleads, beckoning me to arise and prepare for an 8 AM conference call to Toronto. But seeing as how I am presently awake, and the rain showering on my roof is certainly not contributing to the pleasant return to sleep, I move forward.
My legs swing off the mattress and I smile inwardly with the smallest sense of satisfaction that I have beaten the radio, at least for this morning. Its commands will go unheeded today; the impotence of its digital display no longer necessary.
The remainder of the early morning passes without much significance. Shower. Coffee. A weary treading of footfalls. Sometime in-between, the rain stops and the sun does its best to try to break through the cloud cover. What rays that do penetrate accentuate the greenness that abounds in the aftermath of a spring storm. The azure leaves on the hickory tree stand out vividly against the slowly-breaking grey sky.
But I have no time for beauty. I cannot allow my mind to drift before the caffeine releases the racehorses of my synapses from their starting gate. The wetness in the atmosphere hangs equally heavy with the thoughts of the day before me. Toronto this morning, California at lunch where the day’s sun is still new, New York this afternoon. My company’s phone bill lights up like a North American passport. Most use the stillness of the morning to begin their day with calm reflection. I use this break to debate calling in sick, ignoring all responsibilities that have become accustomed to this adult life.
The sky is quiet now. God’s obviously taking a coffee break reading the Washington Post with a Boston crème because He obviously doesn’t need to watch the calories. And with the end-of-the-world obviously on hold, I boot up my iMac and get to work because, after all, there’s much to do.
As Always,
theJOE
01 May 2006
Marillion
The latest version of iChat allows the user to broadcast their current iTunes track, a nifty little app that allows other iChat (or higher end IM users) participants to get a little insight as to what you are doing or what you are listening to. Plus, this is simply a great way to proudly show off your snobbish tastes in music to those who are deemed less-enlightened.
My best friend, Scott, doesn’t have iChat, nor is he allowed to use an IM program in his workplace. Instead, he emails a network of people a list of whatever tune he is bopping around to in hopes that this happy vibe is picked up on and continued.
A number of these recent emails have been directed around the Scottish prog-rock band, Marillion. Marillion never hit it big in the States (only 1985’s Misplaced Childhood had two singles chart in the US, “Kayleigh” and “Lavender”), but had a fair-sized and committed fan base here whose fanatical ways could almost be considered cultish. For a while in college, I was such a member. But not any longer.
Scott was responsible for the initial Marillion introduction, but I didn’t immediately jump on-board like I was doing with other such new found discoveries; after just sampling Dream Theater, as an example, I bought their current discography as quickly as possible. At the time, Marillion’s original lead singer, Fish, got fed up with the group and their label and struck off on a solo career only to be replaced by Steve Hogarth, whose somewhat effeminate ways that were oh-so stylish at first became more and more annoying as the Century concluded. I thought Fish sounded like a Peter Gabriel knock-off (and he did, but unlike Hogarth, as the Century ended I gained a deeper respect Fish) and Hogarth’s Marillion tended to be a little quieter, kind of in a similar manner as how Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe is quieter to the balls-out rock Yes presented during the early Trevor Rabin years. But after a while, much like drinking bad diner coffee, the saturation set in.
The end of Fish’s career and Hogarth’s first two releases were the prime recording years of the band, in my mind as a fan anyway (1984’s Fugazi, 1985’s Misplaced Childhood, 1987’s Clutching At Straws, 1989’s Season’s End, 1991’s Holidays In Eden ). They maintained a hip progressive status by allowing those four or five releases to maintain a loose theme, mixed up the ballads with the rockers, varied the length of songs from 11-minute epics to two-and-a-half radio cuts and came across as artsy, haunting, raw and silly with their lyrics.
What especially made it fun to be a fan in the early 90s were their occasional US tours. The band solidly understood that without these passionate fans their US sales would be a lot worse, so they eagerly did meet-and-greets sometimes before, but mostly after, their shows. They listened, shook hands, signed autographs and eagerly accepted alcohol. Often times their shows would feature little surprises in the set list. My knowledge of their library was growing but still limited when compared to Marillion long-timers, known as “Freaks” taken from one of their lyrics, “All the best freaks are here” - or at least I called them freaks. I also call my motorcycle-riding, volunteer firefighter neighbors freaks as well, so that title might not be considered canon. Still, it was that unexpected element, that possibility of that one gem heard live, that certainly keep the crowd interested.
Their future releases, unfortunately, became significantly uninteresting.
After two efforts, it was as if Steve Hogarth played artistic traffic cop and purposefully directed Marillion’s efforts away from anything remotely related to a Fish-y progression. After all, such an endeavor worked for Van Halen. Right?! Hmmm, next question please.
Alright then, how about this one: why did Marillion move away from foot-tappin’, moody, memorable Prog Rock and embrace a much-more obtuse and significantly more moody style of Prog-Rock?
Two easy answers. The first, obviously, being that all music is subjective to the listener. Not being much of a blues fan, I can honestly say that I never got personal enjoyment from Stevie Ray Vaughn’s music. I would have been kicked out the local record exchange if the guys there ever knew that. But then MP3s kinda kicked out the local record exchanges, so my secret is safe.
Answer number 2. Maybe Marillion understood that Prog Rock was dying quicker than the memory of gas prices falling under a buck. Maybe they wanted to truly embrace that indie spirit and make music that could not fully be classified into one genre.
Another answer exists that is just as easy. Maybe my own tastes changed. Maybe as I got more into classical, jazz, electronica and instrumental scores I cared less and less for this new alternative, this new direction, a band was taking.
1994 saw the release of Brave, a morose concept album that just didn’t have sustaining power. Brave, however, did have one treasure – the love ballad “Made Again”. This was one of those truly beautiful songs that you would sing to your wife on your wedding date, even though I did not.
After Brave, the band put out their last great work, 1995’s Afraid Of Sunlight. Truly progressive and filled with atmospheric works that harkened back to Fish’s time without being derivative. Unfortunately, this trend would not last.
By the time This Strange Engine and Radiation were released (1997, 1998) I was out. Gone. Vanished like a puff of smoke ala Keyser Soze. I listened to tracks that Scott threw at me. I eventually threw them back. Scott, like the loyal friend he is, remained loyal to the band much longer than my scant 6 years. However, he too, rode off into the wind sometime after the Century mark.
Scott stills likes from time-to-time to, as the Boss commands, capture a little of the glory of. For this rocker though, well time slips away and leaves you with nothing mister but boring stories.
Here’s hoping this wasn’t one of them. And no, I'm not signing off with a Marillion lyric either.
As Always,
theJOE
My best friend, Scott, doesn’t have iChat, nor is he allowed to use an IM program in his workplace. Instead, he emails a network of people a list of whatever tune he is bopping around to in hopes that this happy vibe is picked up on and continued.
A number of these recent emails have been directed around the Scottish prog-rock band, Marillion. Marillion never hit it big in the States (only 1985’s Misplaced Childhood had two singles chart in the US, “Kayleigh” and “Lavender”), but had a fair-sized and committed fan base here whose fanatical ways could almost be considered cultish. For a while in college, I was such a member. But not any longer.
Scott was responsible for the initial Marillion introduction, but I didn’t immediately jump on-board like I was doing with other such new found discoveries; after just sampling Dream Theater, as an example, I bought their current discography as quickly as possible. At the time, Marillion’s original lead singer, Fish, got fed up with the group and their label and struck off on a solo career only to be replaced by Steve Hogarth, whose somewhat effeminate ways that were oh-so stylish at first became more and more annoying as the Century concluded. I thought Fish sounded like a Peter Gabriel knock-off (and he did, but unlike Hogarth, as the Century ended I gained a deeper respect Fish) and Hogarth’s Marillion tended to be a little quieter, kind of in a similar manner as how Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe is quieter to the balls-out rock Yes presented during the early Trevor Rabin years. But after a while, much like drinking bad diner coffee, the saturation set in.
The end of Fish’s career and Hogarth’s first two releases were the prime recording years of the band, in my mind as a fan anyway (1984’s Fugazi, 1985’s Misplaced Childhood, 1987’s Clutching At Straws, 1989’s Season’s End, 1991’s Holidays In Eden ). They maintained a hip progressive status by allowing those four or five releases to maintain a loose theme, mixed up the ballads with the rockers, varied the length of songs from 11-minute epics to two-and-a-half radio cuts and came across as artsy, haunting, raw and silly with their lyrics.
What especially made it fun to be a fan in the early 90s were their occasional US tours. The band solidly understood that without these passionate fans their US sales would be a lot worse, so they eagerly did meet-and-greets sometimes before, but mostly after, their shows. They listened, shook hands, signed autographs and eagerly accepted alcohol. Often times their shows would feature little surprises in the set list. My knowledge of their library was growing but still limited when compared to Marillion long-timers, known as “Freaks” taken from one of their lyrics, “All the best freaks are here” - or at least I called them freaks. I also call my motorcycle-riding, volunteer firefighter neighbors freaks as well, so that title might not be considered canon. Still, it was that unexpected element, that possibility of that one gem heard live, that certainly keep the crowd interested.
Their future releases, unfortunately, became significantly uninteresting.
After two efforts, it was as if Steve Hogarth played artistic traffic cop and purposefully directed Marillion’s efforts away from anything remotely related to a Fish-y progression. After all, such an endeavor worked for Van Halen. Right?! Hmmm, next question please.
Alright then, how about this one: why did Marillion move away from foot-tappin’, moody, memorable Prog Rock and embrace a much-more obtuse and significantly more moody style of Prog-Rock?
Two easy answers. The first, obviously, being that all music is subjective to the listener. Not being much of a blues fan, I can honestly say that I never got personal enjoyment from Stevie Ray Vaughn’s music. I would have been kicked out the local record exchange if the guys there ever knew that. But then MP3s kinda kicked out the local record exchanges, so my secret is safe.
Answer number 2. Maybe Marillion understood that Prog Rock was dying quicker than the memory of gas prices falling under a buck. Maybe they wanted to truly embrace that indie spirit and make music that could not fully be classified into one genre.
Another answer exists that is just as easy. Maybe my own tastes changed. Maybe as I got more into classical, jazz, electronica and instrumental scores I cared less and less for this new alternative, this new direction, a band was taking.
1994 saw the release of Brave, a morose concept album that just didn’t have sustaining power. Brave, however, did have one treasure – the love ballad “Made Again”. This was one of those truly beautiful songs that you would sing to your wife on your wedding date, even though I did not.
After Brave, the band put out their last great work, 1995’s Afraid Of Sunlight. Truly progressive and filled with atmospheric works that harkened back to Fish’s time without being derivative. Unfortunately, this trend would not last.
By the time This Strange Engine and Radiation were released (1997, 1998) I was out. Gone. Vanished like a puff of smoke ala Keyser Soze. I listened to tracks that Scott threw at me. I eventually threw them back. Scott, like the loyal friend he is, remained loyal to the band much longer than my scant 6 years. However, he too, rode off into the wind sometime after the Century mark.
Scott stills likes from time-to-time to, as the Boss commands, capture a little of the glory of. For this rocker though, well time slips away and leaves you with nothing mister but boring stories.
Here’s hoping this wasn’t one of them. And no, I'm not signing off with a Marillion lyric either.
As Always,
theJOE
14 April 2006
Smerconish
Got to be a guest on the Michael Smerconish Morning Show today discussing if all the technology at our disposal here in the 21st Century has indeed made live better …easier?… or if it’s contributing to more and more cases of ADD.
Okay, I wasn’t a guest. I just called in. But it was cool. Smerconish puts on a good show where he uses common sense to deal with daily topics; common sense that remarkably enough tends to make things controversial in today’s morally ambiguous PC world.
My contribution to the show came as a result of Michael mentioning that his voice mail message prompts his callers to email him stating that he can answer them quicker through email rather than returning a call. I wholeheartedly agree because this is the exact set-up I currently have on my business line. In fact, I went on to say, that clients who contact me via email get preferential treatment and priority than those who strictly leave VMs.
Smerconish enjoyed hearing that and took delight in that matter that he wasn’t alone in this. I responded saying we should start a revolution.
He called me his “pal.” Yeah.
Good way to start the morning.
Okay, I wasn’t a guest. I just called in. But it was cool. Smerconish puts on a good show where he uses common sense to deal with daily topics; common sense that remarkably enough tends to make things controversial in today’s morally ambiguous PC world.
My contribution to the show came as a result of Michael mentioning that his voice mail message prompts his callers to email him stating that he can answer them quicker through email rather than returning a call. I wholeheartedly agree because this is the exact set-up I currently have on my business line. In fact, I went on to say, that clients who contact me via email get preferential treatment and priority than those who strictly leave VMs.
Smerconish enjoyed hearing that and took delight in that matter that he wasn’t alone in this. I responded saying we should start a revolution.
He called me his “pal.” Yeah.
Good way to start the morning.
26 March 2006
Continuity – An Introduction
One of the best aspects about reading sequential comicbooks month-by-month is looking not at the minutiae, that is, the fine aspects of the story – and don’t get me wrong, it is this very same minutiae that draws a reader in and gets them involved with the character and moves the story and defines the moment – rather, where does the story go in the span of years other than months. How does the character grow and react to a continually changing environment. Does the one moment that is hyped as “nothing will ever be the same again” actually have long term effects?
Looking at complete runs on a title throughout the months where new challenges are met, races are run, moral differences are breached and key relationships wind up being just as trivial as stopping the generic bank robber, my date-conscious mind seeks to place these events in a particular order. Where do key crossovers fit in with the general direction of a run? Certain matchups have to happen before certain events because of location or costume updates. Key characters that have multiple monthly titles obviously are not performing these deeds simultaneously, regardless how supernatural they may be.
This is definitely a tall order and even borders on the insane. After all, all these comics were written, drawn and edited by entirely different people at entirely different times. But finding this proper sequence can be fun – not to mention a unique insight to the psychological ordering of my mind. Yes, issue 324 occurs after issue 323 numerically, but issue 324 happens to be a flashback tale chronicling events leading up to issue 300. This continuity presents such a timeline.
Now, to quote the immortal Beatles, do you want to know a secret? The creation of this continuity timeline, this linear representation of a shared universe that always seems to be a buzzword amongst us geeks, is truly nothing more than a grand excuse to go back and re-read all these countless titles amassed over 20+ years of collecting. Going through back issue upon back issue has allowed the re-discovery of long-forgotten treats as well as the unearthing of a number of blunders that once were an embarrassing part of my collection are now fodder on eBay (so to paraphrase a well-worn saying here in Philadelphia politics: bid early, bid often).
Parts of this blog will be highlighting such treats, as well as the occasional blasting of a youthful and shameful purchase. As always, being an ambassador of the medium, I totally invite you to check out any titles or storylines mentioned in upcoming posts. If you have questions, feel free to join in a discussion.
As always,
theJOE
Looking at complete runs on a title throughout the months where new challenges are met, races are run, moral differences are breached and key relationships wind up being just as trivial as stopping the generic bank robber, my date-conscious mind seeks to place these events in a particular order. Where do key crossovers fit in with the general direction of a run? Certain matchups have to happen before certain events because of location or costume updates. Key characters that have multiple monthly titles obviously are not performing these deeds simultaneously, regardless how supernatural they may be.
This is definitely a tall order and even borders on the insane. After all, all these comics were written, drawn and edited by entirely different people at entirely different times. But finding this proper sequence can be fun – not to mention a unique insight to the psychological ordering of my mind. Yes, issue 324 occurs after issue 323 numerically, but issue 324 happens to be a flashback tale chronicling events leading up to issue 300. This continuity presents such a timeline.
Now, to quote the immortal Beatles, do you want to know a secret? The creation of this continuity timeline, this linear representation of a shared universe that always seems to be a buzzword amongst us geeks, is truly nothing more than a grand excuse to go back and re-read all these countless titles amassed over 20+ years of collecting. Going through back issue upon back issue has allowed the re-discovery of long-forgotten treats as well as the unearthing of a number of blunders that once were an embarrassing part of my collection are now fodder on eBay (so to paraphrase a well-worn saying here in Philadelphia politics: bid early, bid often).
Parts of this blog will be highlighting such treats, as well as the occasional blasting of a youthful and shameful purchase. As always, being an ambassador of the medium, I totally invite you to check out any titles or storylines mentioned in upcoming posts. If you have questions, feel free to join in a discussion.
As always,
theJOE
16 March 2006
A short story that should have been treated as a short film.
Let’s not look at BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN as the “gay cowboy” movie or as “the film that should have won the Best Picture Oscar.” Let’s avoid the clichés that cinema as an art form reflects the political nature of society and let’s definitely not tiptoe around the assumedly politically-correct stance that the homosexual community needs to rally around this film and treat it as a benchmark. Instead, let’s look at BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN as a film, something many reviewers (and fans) refuse to do.
From its opening scene of a lonely pre-dawn road through the entire first act filled with Canadian majesty masquerading as the purple mountains of Wyoming, film auteur Ang Lee tries his best to illustrate the solitary life that a sheep-herder must certainly face. This solidarity continues its theme as Ennis and Jack learn that they are a definite minority and how their lifestyle affects other choices they must deal with.
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN possess a number of fine and memorable scenes, most of which occur in the following two acts where Ennis and Jack, apart from each other, do their best to simply live life. Lee’s base camerawork coupled with beautifully-authentic looking sets helps capture these cinematic moments. Where BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN fails is its inability to place these individual moments into a cohesive and compelling film. Lee fails in glancing over this solitary cowboy life by providing nothing more than the quickest of glimpses. As a result, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN as a whole appears as nothing more than filler material padding a short story.
The silent moments in a cowboy’s life is a topic that has been illustrated in more compelling films than this. Kevin Costner’s OPEN RANGE is perhaps the most current example. A handful of good scenes does not make a complete narrative and Ang Lee and James Schamus have partnered on better collaborations than this.
Heath Ledger’s Ennis is a one-dimensional rough and stoic cowboy of old whose press has surprisingly outshone that of Jake Gyllenhaal’s work, whose character – and acting – is definitely the superior of the two.
Not to slight Annie Proulx’s magazine story, it appeared that Lee and Oscar-winning writing team of McMurty and Ossana failed to forget the basic premise of adapting a single short story into a full-length feature. Great scenes become highly memorable but without a cohesive story combing such scenes into a greater sum results in an unimpressive product.
As Always,
theJOE
From its opening scene of a lonely pre-dawn road through the entire first act filled with Canadian majesty masquerading as the purple mountains of Wyoming, film auteur Ang Lee tries his best to illustrate the solitary life that a sheep-herder must certainly face. This solidarity continues its theme as Ennis and Jack learn that they are a definite minority and how their lifestyle affects other choices they must deal with.
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN possess a number of fine and memorable scenes, most of which occur in the following two acts where Ennis and Jack, apart from each other, do their best to simply live life. Lee’s base camerawork coupled with beautifully-authentic looking sets helps capture these cinematic moments. Where BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN fails is its inability to place these individual moments into a cohesive and compelling film. Lee fails in glancing over this solitary cowboy life by providing nothing more than the quickest of glimpses. As a result, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN as a whole appears as nothing more than filler material padding a short story.
The silent moments in a cowboy’s life is a topic that has been illustrated in more compelling films than this. Kevin Costner’s OPEN RANGE is perhaps the most current example. A handful of good scenes does not make a complete narrative and Ang Lee and James Schamus have partnered on better collaborations than this.
Heath Ledger’s Ennis is a one-dimensional rough and stoic cowboy of old whose press has surprisingly outshone that of Jake Gyllenhaal’s work, whose character – and acting – is definitely the superior of the two.
Not to slight Annie Proulx’s magazine story, it appeared that Lee and Oscar-winning writing team of McMurty and Ossana failed to forget the basic premise of adapting a single short story into a full-length feature. Great scenes become highly memorable but without a cohesive story combing such scenes into a greater sum results in an unimpressive product.
As Always,
theJOE
02 March 2006
Oscar Rant 2006
What a year for movies, eh? Well maybe not, seeing as how attendance levels were consistently down throughout the year. Two-Thousand Five, and let’s mark it now shall we, is the our first year without a Lord Of The Rings movie. And sorry, Peter, as cool as Kong was, it didn’t feature an Hobbits!
This year’s Top 10 grossing films featured Jedis, teenage Wizards, a Lion, an alien invasion, a 25-foot ape, a montage of weddings, the chocolate factory, the Bat, CGI zoo animals and a vehicle spotlighting Brad and Angelina’s romance. Once again and consistently so, none of those top-grossing films broke into the elite of the nominations. Even DreamWorks’ Madagascar failed to receive a nod for Animated Feature. And aside from the typical Visual Effects, Sound Editing, Costume Design groups (Star Wars’ only entry: Makeup) only Batman Begins was able to break into the Cinematography category – not Original Screenplay but hey, Hollywood is hardly the place for dreams.
Also as usual there is one film that generates all the typical buzz about it and regardless how well received it may be, I find myself uninterested and even uncaring about it knowing full well that I’ll see it on DVD after it wins its multiple statues on March 5. Last year that film was Million Dollar Baby. This year’s darling, and not surprising, is Brokeback Mountain.
The choice not to see the film is not political nor is it a product of a religious boycott, both of which are perfectly valid statements. Rather, I grew up watching westerns. If there was ever anything I would want to do on a magical trip to the past, it wouldn’t be visiting Camelot or participating in the Last Supper or watching the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima – all of which would be ridiculously grand. No, no, I would want to be a Post-Civil War cowboy out exploring the Great West. Rescuing nieces from Indians like in The Searchers, being a shotgun-riding pioneer from How The West Was Won or simply annoying the Mexicans ala Clint in Fist Full Of Dollars.
Why deconstruct one of the last great American myths? Answer: obviously because this is the 21st Century and everything needs to be deconstructed. I guess. I simply fail to find entertainment in the basis of Annie Proulx’s tale. And, naturally, all this will be recanted in an 8 point font somewhere on my blog after viewing the aforementioned DVD. Have to hand it to Ang Lee; the man keeps making hit after hit.
I did see nearly everything else, and, naturally, comments abound. I invite you to read on and feel free to post comments on my blog. What follows are highlights from some key categories as well as mentioning those absent. This is not a list of picks because, after all with politics being what they are in the Academy, very rarely does the deserved win.
Picture
There was none better, I believe, in 2005 then Paul Haggis’ Crash (please, most definitely not to be confused with the same titled movie by David Cronenberg). After seeing it, and thoroughly being amazed, I instantly knew that this movie was so good that it would be completely ignored by the All-Knowing Academy. Six nominations later quickly had me cast aside my sour prediction.
The Academy may have done right by one movie – and certainly not to slight either Good Night, And Good Luck or Munich – but there were two hefty absences from the ballot.
And the envelope please… Cinderella Man and Walk The Line. Two major biopics that were feel-good without being saccharine, strong without being smothering, honest without being preachy. Honorable Mention: The Constant Gardner, a political-preachy film that deserves to have a larger audience.
Director
Fact: Capote was truly a great film. Aside: not too sure if Bennett Miller deserves the nod. Replacement: Ron Howard. Cinderella Man is the film that should have brought him home the Oscar; not A Beautiful Mind.
I’m rooting for Clooney and Spielberg on this one. Steven for making Munich visually stunning; George for keeping Good Night, And Good Luck so beautifully simple.
Supporting Actor
The only category that I wouldn’t mind seeing Crash lose to this one as Paul Giamatti needs to win. One of the biggest crimes this century in Hollywood was not allowing this man to win for American Splendor or Sideways. Redemption needs to be made and justice meted out.
Absurdity at its best: William Hurt for A History Of Violence. If over-the-top buffoonery is to be awarded, then Bill Shatner and Christopher Walken need their Lifetime Achievement Awards.
And the envelope please… how’s this for a replacement? A little known B actor named Clifton Collins who truly gave life to the killer Perry Smith in Capote. Dare it be said that part of the excellence Philip S. Hoffman’s performance is due to this man.
Another suggestion. If Hurt is allowed a nomination, then where the hell is Jack Black’s for King Kong? Or Tim Robbins’ for War Of The Worlds? All kidding aside, how about Daniel Craig or Ciarán Hinds for Munich? And speaking of, where the hell was Eric Bana’s Actor nomination?!
Original Screenplay
Again, none better this year then Crash. The timeliness and poignantly political nature of both Good Night, And Good Luck and Syriana should both be commended, even though the slightly unstructured complexity of the latter was a bit of a downfall.
Although certainly not surprised by its absence, it’s my opinion that one of the most original thrillers of the year was The Skeleton Key, a film that really warrants higher exposure than it got.
Adapted Screenplay
Tough category this year, and, tons of absences. Three of the five were stellar picks: Capote, The Constant Gardner and Munich. A History Of Violence came as a little surprise, especially because the adaptation of the John Wagner/Vince Locke graphic novel could have been so much stronger. See the film first, then read the gn for the full and complete – and better - story.
And the envelope please… The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Walk The Line, Layer Cake, King Kong, Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and Jarhead. Absentees each and every one with Narnia being the most grave loss.
Animated Feature
Difficult to believe and equally difficult to admit, but the Academy got it right with the nominations of Corpse Bride, Wallace & Gromit in The Case of the Were-Rabbit and Howl’s Moving Castle. Truly, may the best film win but not only was Wallace & Gromit the best Animated film, it was one of the year’s best in general as the cheese eater and his silent friend prove once again that their adventures are nothing but magical. The other two nominees are certainly worthy contenders. Miyazaki-san won the Oscar three or so years back for the phenomenal Spirited Away. Howl, not as visually or artistically compelling as Spirited Away or especially Princess Mononoke, still possesses a great charm. Same can be said for Burton’s Corpse Bride, whose animation style is as wonderfully unearthly as the film’s content. In Bride’s case, the film might not be award-worthy as Henry Selick, who directed Burton’s classic The Nightmare Before Christmas back in 1993, was not involved. For those missing Selick’s animation style, be sure to check out the underwater animation scenes from 2004’s The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.
Rant, cheer, groan, smile or complain, the simple – and yes, perhaps sad – truth of the matter is that after Sunday the traditional holler of, “Ride ‘em, cowboy!” is going to have a completely different connotation.
I’ll be cheering on Crash as well as Wallace & Gromit in hopes that entertainment and solid story-telling is still rewarded. See you on the Red Carpet.
As Always,
theJOE
This year’s Top 10 grossing films featured Jedis, teenage Wizards, a Lion, an alien invasion, a 25-foot ape, a montage of weddings, the chocolate factory, the Bat, CGI zoo animals and a vehicle spotlighting Brad and Angelina’s romance. Once again and consistently so, none of those top-grossing films broke into the elite of the nominations. Even DreamWorks’ Madagascar failed to receive a nod for Animated Feature. And aside from the typical Visual Effects, Sound Editing, Costume Design groups (Star Wars’ only entry: Makeup) only Batman Begins was able to break into the Cinematography category – not Original Screenplay but hey, Hollywood is hardly the place for dreams.
Also as usual there is one film that generates all the typical buzz about it and regardless how well received it may be, I find myself uninterested and even uncaring about it knowing full well that I’ll see it on DVD after it wins its multiple statues on March 5. Last year that film was Million Dollar Baby. This year’s darling, and not surprising, is Brokeback Mountain.
The choice not to see the film is not political nor is it a product of a religious boycott, both of which are perfectly valid statements. Rather, I grew up watching westerns. If there was ever anything I would want to do on a magical trip to the past, it wouldn’t be visiting Camelot or participating in the Last Supper or watching the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima – all of which would be ridiculously grand. No, no, I would want to be a Post-Civil War cowboy out exploring the Great West. Rescuing nieces from Indians like in The Searchers, being a shotgun-riding pioneer from How The West Was Won or simply annoying the Mexicans ala Clint in Fist Full Of Dollars.
Why deconstruct one of the last great American myths? Answer: obviously because this is the 21st Century and everything needs to be deconstructed. I guess. I simply fail to find entertainment in the basis of Annie Proulx’s tale. And, naturally, all this will be recanted in an 8 point font somewhere on my blog after viewing the aforementioned DVD. Have to hand it to Ang Lee; the man keeps making hit after hit.
I did see nearly everything else, and, naturally, comments abound. I invite you to read on and feel free to post comments on my blog. What follows are highlights from some key categories as well as mentioning those absent. This is not a list of picks because, after all with politics being what they are in the Academy, very rarely does the deserved win.
Picture
There was none better, I believe, in 2005 then Paul Haggis’ Crash (please, most definitely not to be confused with the same titled movie by David Cronenberg). After seeing it, and thoroughly being amazed, I instantly knew that this movie was so good that it would be completely ignored by the All-Knowing Academy. Six nominations later quickly had me cast aside my sour prediction.
The Academy may have done right by one movie – and certainly not to slight either Good Night, And Good Luck or Munich – but there were two hefty absences from the ballot.
And the envelope please… Cinderella Man and Walk The Line. Two major biopics that were feel-good without being saccharine, strong without being smothering, honest without being preachy. Honorable Mention: The Constant Gardner, a political-preachy film that deserves to have a larger audience.
Director
Fact: Capote was truly a great film. Aside: not too sure if Bennett Miller deserves the nod. Replacement: Ron Howard. Cinderella Man is the film that should have brought him home the Oscar; not A Beautiful Mind.
I’m rooting for Clooney and Spielberg on this one. Steven for making Munich visually stunning; George for keeping Good Night, And Good Luck so beautifully simple.
Supporting Actor
The only category that I wouldn’t mind seeing Crash lose to this one as Paul Giamatti needs to win. One of the biggest crimes this century in Hollywood was not allowing this man to win for American Splendor or Sideways. Redemption needs to be made and justice meted out.
Absurdity at its best: William Hurt for A History Of Violence. If over-the-top buffoonery is to be awarded, then Bill Shatner and Christopher Walken need their Lifetime Achievement Awards.
And the envelope please… how’s this for a replacement? A little known B actor named Clifton Collins who truly gave life to the killer Perry Smith in Capote. Dare it be said that part of the excellence Philip S. Hoffman’s performance is due to this man.
Another suggestion. If Hurt is allowed a nomination, then where the hell is Jack Black’s for King Kong? Or Tim Robbins’ for War Of The Worlds? All kidding aside, how about Daniel Craig or Ciarán Hinds for Munich? And speaking of, where the hell was Eric Bana’s Actor nomination?!
Original Screenplay
Again, none better this year then Crash. The timeliness and poignantly political nature of both Good Night, And Good Luck and Syriana should both be commended, even though the slightly unstructured complexity of the latter was a bit of a downfall.
Although certainly not surprised by its absence, it’s my opinion that one of the most original thrillers of the year was The Skeleton Key, a film that really warrants higher exposure than it got.
Adapted Screenplay
Tough category this year, and, tons of absences. Three of the five were stellar picks: Capote, The Constant Gardner and Munich. A History Of Violence came as a little surprise, especially because the adaptation of the John Wagner/Vince Locke graphic novel could have been so much stronger. See the film first, then read the gn for the full and complete – and better - story.
And the envelope please… The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Walk The Line, Layer Cake, King Kong, Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and Jarhead. Absentees each and every one with Narnia being the most grave loss.
Animated Feature
Difficult to believe and equally difficult to admit, but the Academy got it right with the nominations of Corpse Bride, Wallace & Gromit in The Case of the Were-Rabbit and Howl’s Moving Castle. Truly, may the best film win but not only was Wallace & Gromit the best Animated film, it was one of the year’s best in general as the cheese eater and his silent friend prove once again that their adventures are nothing but magical. The other two nominees are certainly worthy contenders. Miyazaki-san won the Oscar three or so years back for the phenomenal Spirited Away. Howl, not as visually or artistically compelling as Spirited Away or especially Princess Mononoke, still possesses a great charm. Same can be said for Burton’s Corpse Bride, whose animation style is as wonderfully unearthly as the film’s content. In Bride’s case, the film might not be award-worthy as Henry Selick, who directed Burton’s classic The Nightmare Before Christmas back in 1993, was not involved. For those missing Selick’s animation style, be sure to check out the underwater animation scenes from 2004’s The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.
Rant, cheer, groan, smile or complain, the simple – and yes, perhaps sad – truth of the matter is that after Sunday the traditional holler of, “Ride ‘em, cowboy!” is going to have a completely different connotation.
I’ll be cheering on Crash as well as Wallace & Gromit in hopes that entertainment and solid story-telling is still rewarded. See you on the Red Carpet.
As Always,
theJOE
28 February 2006
And Now The News...
Found a few interesting news items that deserve commenting:
From Movie & TV News @ IMDb:
Would Apple Buy Disney?
Rumor spread flood-like through the Internet over the weekend that Apple Computer might make an attempt to acquire the Walt Disney Co. The rumors were touched off by an item in Barron's. It noted that Apple now boasts a stock-market value of more than $60 billion - $10 billion more than Disney's, and that when Disney completes its acquisition of Pixar, Steve Jobs, who heads both Pixar and Apple, will become Disney's largest shareholder, with four times the stake of Michael Eisner and seven times that of Roy Disney. Several analysts forecast that Apple will soon develop a movie downloading service for its video iPods, which are expected to sport larger screens in their next evolution. "From an intellectual property standpoint, [an Apple-Disney merger] would be a match made in heaven," Washington D.C. intellectual-property attorney Alan Fisch said in the Barron's article.
Imagine that. Apple has always been regarded as a dark horse. And even though this little upstart of a computer company gets its sleek products and simple logo big-time movie and TV placements, it is still treated as "the other computer platform." iPods command more than 80% of the mp3 player market, but a vast majority of their owners hook up to iTunes through their PCs. Yet here they are, the company that started back in 1976 when the two Steves, Woz and Jobs, strung together a few circuit boards inside a wooden box to, essentially, create the Apple I, is now possibly taking over an industry giant.
Giant. Disney is oh-so much more than Snow White, The Lion King and a few amusement parks. They are ESPN. ABC. E!. Touchstone. A&E. Giant! And now they might be Apple.
Granted, the deal is hardly signed yet hence it is unknown what Apple's controlling stake would be, however, one only needs to look at the previous merger between AOL and another media giant, Time Warner. I believe the question more at hand is, what would this merger do for Apple? Will Apple Computers start to take their proper hold of a blind nation whose dependency on a second-rate operating system such as Windows is so grand it truly is mind-boggling? Will iMacs and G5s and PowerBooks start appearing more in homes and cubicles than on film? Imagine, a nation waking up one day realizing that the "other" operating system is actually the better one.
Dreams, perhaps, only dreams. But isn't Disneyland a place where your dreams can come true?
If you are interested in finding out more about Apple Computers and their beginnings, please check out a fine book called Apple Confidential 2.0 by Owen Linzmayer. Or you can always just buy an Apple computer.
From NHL on OLN
SHUT DOWN
Flyers captain Keith Primeau will sit out the rest of the regular season, nearly four months after sustaining another concussion. Primeau was injured Oct. 25 after taking a hit from Montreal's Alexander Perezhogin, the latest and most severe in a list of head injuries the center has sustained in a 15-year career. He had one goal and played in only nine games for the Flyers this season.
Not a surprise announcement, and definitely not a joyous one. After to coming to the Flyers from the Hurricanes in 1999, and the Red Wings before that, Primeau had a career best season in 2000-2001 scoring 34 times with 39 assists. After that season he began getting hurt more frequently leading to less and less ice time and points alike.
Still, he was the captain and to many fans signified all that was good, and especially all that was rough, for the Broad Street Bullies. Disappointing that the player who is captain no more will not return to the ice.
Surprisingly, Primeau did not announce his retirement. In doing so, the center would have freed up about $3M for the salary-cap strained Philadelphia team. A team that could use another solid player.
This year has shown the depth the team has had as injuries have abounded all season long, most particulary all-star Peter Forsberg, returning to Philadelphia with a gold medal, who has continuously been battling a pulled groin. The addition of Petr Nedved has certainly answered that call and has helped out Golden Simon Gagne work his way to being an NHL leader in goals. Now Handzus, Johnsson and Therien will all be on the injury report for indeterminate amounts of time.
Just past the Olympic break, every game until season's end is inter-conference. This includes four more games with hated rivals the New York Rangers, the team that sits three points above the Flyers. And for as well as Hitchcock's team is going, questions still remain. Can the Flyers remain strong with depth while still nursing injuries? Just how healthly is Forsberg right now? Why is Antero Niittymaki still the backup goalie? And Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
One thing is certain. With 24 games left, there is still plenty of time to game on.
As Always,
theJOE
From Movie & TV News @ IMDb:
Would Apple Buy Disney?
Rumor spread flood-like through the Internet over the weekend that Apple Computer might make an attempt to acquire the Walt Disney Co. The rumors were touched off by an item in Barron's. It noted that Apple now boasts a stock-market value of more than $60 billion - $10 billion more than Disney's, and that when Disney completes its acquisition of Pixar, Steve Jobs, who heads both Pixar and Apple, will become Disney's largest shareholder, with four times the stake of Michael Eisner and seven times that of Roy Disney. Several analysts forecast that Apple will soon develop a movie downloading service for its video iPods, which are expected to sport larger screens in their next evolution. "From an intellectual property standpoint, [an Apple-Disney merger] would be a match made in heaven," Washington D.C. intellectual-property attorney Alan Fisch said in the Barron's article.
Imagine that. Apple has always been regarded as a dark horse. And even though this little upstart of a computer company gets its sleek products and simple logo big-time movie and TV placements, it is still treated as "the other computer platform." iPods command more than 80% of the mp3 player market, but a vast majority of their owners hook up to iTunes through their PCs. Yet here they are, the company that started back in 1976 when the two Steves, Woz and Jobs, strung together a few circuit boards inside a wooden box to, essentially, create the Apple I, is now possibly taking over an industry giant.
Giant. Disney is oh-so much more than Snow White, The Lion King and a few amusement parks. They are ESPN. ABC. E!. Touchstone. A&E. Giant! And now they might be Apple.
Granted, the deal is hardly signed yet hence it is unknown what Apple's controlling stake would be, however, one only needs to look at the previous merger between AOL and another media giant, Time Warner. I believe the question more at hand is, what would this merger do for Apple? Will Apple Computers start to take their proper hold of a blind nation whose dependency on a second-rate operating system such as Windows is so grand it truly is mind-boggling? Will iMacs and G5s and PowerBooks start appearing more in homes and cubicles than on film? Imagine, a nation waking up one day realizing that the "other" operating system is actually the better one.
Dreams, perhaps, only dreams. But isn't Disneyland a place where your dreams can come true?
If you are interested in finding out more about Apple Computers and their beginnings, please check out a fine book called Apple Confidential 2.0 by Owen Linzmayer. Or you can always just buy an Apple computer.
From NHL on OLN
SHUT DOWN
Flyers captain Keith Primeau will sit out the rest of the regular season, nearly four months after sustaining another concussion. Primeau was injured Oct. 25 after taking a hit from Montreal's Alexander Perezhogin, the latest and most severe in a list of head injuries the center has sustained in a 15-year career. He had one goal and played in only nine games for the Flyers this season.
Not a surprise announcement, and definitely not a joyous one. After to coming to the Flyers from the Hurricanes in 1999, and the Red Wings before that, Primeau had a career best season in 2000-2001 scoring 34 times with 39 assists. After that season he began getting hurt more frequently leading to less and less ice time and points alike.
Still, he was the captain and to many fans signified all that was good, and especially all that was rough, for the Broad Street Bullies. Disappointing that the player who is captain no more will not return to the ice.
Surprisingly, Primeau did not announce his retirement. In doing so, the center would have freed up about $3M for the salary-cap strained Philadelphia team. A team that could use another solid player.
This year has shown the depth the team has had as injuries have abounded all season long, most particulary all-star Peter Forsberg, returning to Philadelphia with a gold medal, who has continuously been battling a pulled groin. The addition of Petr Nedved has certainly answered that call and has helped out Golden Simon Gagne work his way to being an NHL leader in goals. Now Handzus, Johnsson and Therien will all be on the injury report for indeterminate amounts of time.
Just past the Olympic break, every game until season's end is inter-conference. This includes four more games with hated rivals the New York Rangers, the team that sits three points above the Flyers. And for as well as Hitchcock's team is going, questions still remain. Can the Flyers remain strong with depth while still nursing injuries? Just how healthly is Forsberg right now? Why is Antero Niittymaki still the backup goalie? And Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
One thing is certain. With 24 games left, there is still plenty of time to game on.
As Always,
theJOE
25 February 2006
Romantic Appetizer Needed More Main Course Meat
Cameron Crowe is certainly no stranger to romantic movies, however, instead of opting out for the ridiculously cliché romantic comedy or an ultimately sappy one on the other end of the spectrum, Crowe simply makes his films real and relies on much of his own personal experiences. ELIZABETHTOWN falls perfectly into this category. But, unlike many of his past successes, ELIZABETHTOWN fails on several thematic fronts and, more so then any previous film, save for the mediocre SINGLES, appears as nothing else than an excuse to wrap a story around a killer soundtrack.
Orlando Bloom’s Drew and Kirsten Dunst’s Claire do share a great on-screen chemistry and their all-night talk session on the phone draws the audience into the beginning stages of their relationship; one that you hope to see succeed knowing full well that a happy ending is in store for all. Well, other than Drew’s dead dad, of course.
For Drew, his issues of failure and the conflicting desire to re-build versus the impending dark date with his own personal destiny are what drive the character. When first introduced, Drew’s mantra is, “I feel fine,” and even the most naïve of viewers are aware of the fact that he most certainly is not. During the course of the film, he is told by Claire to “let go.” Still later, the childhood ed flick featuring Rusty ends with the positive note of, “building a new house.” Both of these key moments are thematically ignored. The closest Drew ever comes to “letting go” is struggling over a cremation vs. burial issue. A new house is never built. Instead he discovers an old one filled with estranged family members and a rock-n-roll cousin he befriends.
Where the film succeeds is during the latter part of the final act when it becomes a road movie. Music and cinematography merge together as Drew discovers, and enjoys time with, his father. The solitude Crowe creates while listening to the likes of Tom Petty, Elton John and U2 capture those personal moments that relate oh-so well to real life.
ELIZABETHTOWN meets the requirements of good familial memories, the desire for new love and the quest for the open road but this particularly personal tale from Crowe is perhaps too introspective leaving the viewer with nothing more than montages of a Southern wake and cell phone call that totally used up all those "whenever" minutes. Drew becomes a good character to watch and enjoy. It is unfortunate that his story does not match up with the likes of Lloyd Dobler, William Miller or Jerry Maguire.
As Always,
theJOE
Orlando Bloom’s Drew and Kirsten Dunst’s Claire do share a great on-screen chemistry and their all-night talk session on the phone draws the audience into the beginning stages of their relationship; one that you hope to see succeed knowing full well that a happy ending is in store for all. Well, other than Drew’s dead dad, of course.
For Drew, his issues of failure and the conflicting desire to re-build versus the impending dark date with his own personal destiny are what drive the character. When first introduced, Drew’s mantra is, “I feel fine,” and even the most naïve of viewers are aware of the fact that he most certainly is not. During the course of the film, he is told by Claire to “let go.” Still later, the childhood ed flick featuring Rusty ends with the positive note of, “building a new house.” Both of these key moments are thematically ignored. The closest Drew ever comes to “letting go” is struggling over a cremation vs. burial issue. A new house is never built. Instead he discovers an old one filled with estranged family members and a rock-n-roll cousin he befriends.
Where the film succeeds is during the latter part of the final act when it becomes a road movie. Music and cinematography merge together as Drew discovers, and enjoys time with, his father. The solitude Crowe creates while listening to the likes of Tom Petty, Elton John and U2 capture those personal moments that relate oh-so well to real life.
ELIZABETHTOWN meets the requirements of good familial memories, the desire for new love and the quest for the open road but this particularly personal tale from Crowe is perhaps too introspective leaving the viewer with nothing more than montages of a Southern wake and cell phone call that totally used up all those "whenever" minutes. Drew becomes a good character to watch and enjoy. It is unfortunate that his story does not match up with the likes of Lloyd Dobler, William Miller or Jerry Maguire.
As Always,
theJOE
22 February 2006
Beginning with a touch of George Carlin
Let's start this whole blog thing off right...
In the vein of George Carlin, here's something I can do without:
Songs that sound like there's a party going on in the recording studio where everyone is singing and clapping along with the band. They just need to shut up.
As Always,
theJOE
In the vein of George Carlin, here's something I can do without:
Songs that sound like there's a party going on in the recording studio where everyone is singing and clapping along with the band. They just need to shut up.
As Always,
theJOE
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