FREEDOM FILM SERIES at Freedom Regional Public Library

FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: VIDEO GAME ADAPTATIONS

2009-06-17T16:31:00.007-04:00

The summer action-movie season is well under way in theaters and it is time for the Freedom Film Series to catch up. Every summer movie studios put a great deal of their yearly budget into what they hope will be the biggest summer blockbuster of the year. Most of the time these are large-scale action/adventure movies with a lot of star power, but occasionally a studio will put its faith in a star-driven comedy. The summer of '09 is no different. This is the summer of Star Trek, Land of the Lost, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Public Enemies, and Harry Potter, of course.

This year I didn't want the Freedom Film Series to be left out of all the summer action-movie fun. So, the month of July will be dedicated to action-packed movies based on popular video games. This has become a very popular genre in film recently so there were a lot of movies from which to choose. The movie industry has been tapping into video game titles from the classic Nintendo NES system and Sega Genesis, to the more recent Playstation titles. I wanted to pick movies that represented as many video game companies and systems as possible, while still picking movies that would be fun, enjoyable, and somewhat decent. Hopefully, I have achieved my goal.

The Video Game Adaptation series will be held every Wednesday night in July. All screenings will start at 6:00pm in the Community Room of the Freedom Regional Public Library. All screenings are free and open to the public. There will also be free popcorn for those who attend the screenings. Hope to see you there!

Freedom Film Series Presents: Video Game Adaptations

July 1: Super Mario Bros., PG

July 8: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, PG-13

July 15: Street Fighter, PG-13

July 22: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, PG-13

July 29: Mortal Kombat, PG-13

Until next time....

FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: COMIC DUOS

2009-04-30T09:45:00.006-04:00

The spring is turning out to be a busy time for the Freedom Film Series. The Mel Brooks Freedom Film Series wrapped up just last night after an April run and it is time to turn our sights on the next series which will run throughout the month of May.

In May, the Freedom Film Series will remain in the comedy genre as we take a look at some of the more successful comedic duos in film. When the idea for this theme came to me, I spent a lot of time trying to decide which duos to feature in a four week series. There have been numerous comedic teams throughout the history of film that have made an indelible impact on today's cinema. So instead of just trying to pick and choose the duos randomly, I decided to create a structure for the series and use that as a guide in my choosing. I thought the best course was to go for the broadest appeal possible. So, I decided to take a comic duo from four different time periods in film history. I have chosen a comic duo from the earlier days of film ('30s-'40s), a duo from the '70s-'80s, a duo from the early to mid-'90s, and a recent comic duo.

The comic duos that will be highlighted in this series are: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, Chris Farley and David Spade, and Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The first three duos more or less fit the classic definition of a comic duo that I initially had in mind. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are more of an action/comedy duo, but they are one of the better examples from the more recent cinema of today. Abbott and Costello helped to define what a great comedic duo is and there routines are stuff of legend. Pryor and Wilder equaled comedy gold during the '70s, '80's, and even into the early '90s. Even though Chris Farley and David Spade only head-lined two movies together in the mid-'90s, one cannot think of one without the other. The two movies they made, Tommy Boy and Black Sheep, have become huge cultural phenomenons and have allowed both men to leave significant marks on the comedy genre. And everyone knows the kind of success Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker have experienced with their three Rush Hour films.

Each screening in the Comic Duos Freedom Film Series is be on each Wednesday night in the month of May. All screenings will begin at 6:00pm in the Community Room of the Freedom Regional Public Library. Free popcorn is served at every screening to those who attend. Hope to see you there!

Freedom Film Series Presents: Comic Duos

May 6: Who Done It?

May 13: Stir Crazy, R

May 20: Tommy Boy, PG-13

May 27: Rush Hour, PG-13

**Anyone under 17 must have parental guidance or permission to attend an R-rated film.**

Until next time....

FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: MEL BROOKS

2009-03-18T15:20:00.007-04:00

After taking a month off following the previous National Lampoon series, the Freedom Film Series is returning in April with a series celebrating one of the funniest filmmakers of all time: Mel Brooks.

What can be said that people do not already know about Mel Brooks. The man is a genius and has been making people laugh since The Producers was released in 1968. Nothing has been safe from Mel Brooks' satirical eye and mind. He is one of the few total packages in Hollywood. He writes, directs, and acts in all of his films. Sometimes this combination does not work for people in Hollywood, but Mel Brooks always hits his mark perfectly. Of course he is not without his critics. There are some people who consider some of his humor vulgar and distasteful. In response to some of these detractors, Mel Brooks coined one of his most well-known quotes: "My movies rise below vulgarity."

Those detractors, however, are in the extreme minority. Mel Brooks is widely considered to be one of the greatest comedic minds in film history. From his famous movie and genre parodies to his constant jokes about Nazi Germany and Hitler, Mel Brooks has been making audiences laugh for over 40 years. Even though his focus recently has been mainly on adapting his previous work into Broadway musicals, we have plenty of quality films to draw from for the Freedom Film Series. For this series, we are tapping into the three decades in which he did the majority of his work: the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Through April, we will be taking a look at two movies from the 90's, two movies from the 70's, and one from the 80's.

So, if you've got nothing to do on a Wednesday night in April, come out to Freedom Regional Library and enjoy yourself for two hours courtesy of Mel Brooks. It is especially important in these difficult economic times to find time for laughter and enjoyment. As Mel Brooks himself has been known to say: "Humor is just another defense against the universe." Come and humor yourself with the Freedom Film Series.

All screenings in the Freedom Film Series are free of charge (and there's not much you can get for free these days.) The screenings for this series will take place on each Wednesday night in April at 6:00pm in Freedom Regional's Community Room. There will also be free popcorn for those who attend the screening. Hope to see you there!

Freedom Film Series Presents: Mel Brooks

April 1: Dracula: Dead and Loving It, PG-13

April 8: Spaceballs, PG

April 15: Blazing Saddles, R

April 22: Robin Hood: Men in Tights, PG-13

April 29: Young Frankenstein, PG

**Anyone under 17 must have parental guidance or permission to attend the screening of an R-rated film.**

Until next time....

2009 OSCAR PREDICTIONS

2009-02-19T11:50:00.007-05:00

I don't think I have ever had more trouble making Oscar predictions than I've had this year. This does not apply to all of the categories. I am mainly referring to the acting categories. I have never been more conflicted over choices that, in the scope of things, are quite inconsequential. I don't stand to gain or lose anything by making the wrong predictions, except perhaps a little bit of personal pride. What conflicts me is whether to make my picks based on what I think will happen or what I want to happen. Normally, I would not hesitate to base my official picks on how I think the Academy will vote. This has never really bothered me because: a.) the clear choices of the Academy are usually mine as well, and b.) in the past, I have never been able to see as many of the nominated films as I have this year. Having seen almost every nominated film, I have a better idea of what the competition really looks like and am better able to compare the nominees. This also means that my personal reactions to the films are going to play a large role in my predictions. Thus, after a paragraph of rambling that some may find boring and useless, I have reached the heart of the conflict. This year, much more than others, the apparent choices of the Academy do not sync up with who I think deserves to win. You're probably thinking to yourself, who cares? My response.....go see these movies. Some of the performances that are nominated carry such power and conviction that I lost sight of the actor and saw only the character and believed they were real. And for an hour and a half to two hours, they were real for me.

Since last night, I have been having an internal battle with myself. Do I write and post this blog with true "predictions" of what the Academy will do, or do I present you with my "choices" for who will walk away with the golden statue? That battle did not come to an end until the moment I started typing this sentence. My official predictions this year and for this blog will be based on who I believe deserves to win. For the categories where my choice and the choice of Academy will most likely not match up, I will name the likely Academy choice, as well. Again, this will not apply to the majority of the categories, but mainly the acting ones.

I will be making predictions in all 24 categories as listed on the ballot available at the Internet Movie Database website, imdb.com. I've also decided to go in reverse order with the main categories coming at the end of the blog just so you'll at least have to scroll past the constantly overlooked categories. Some predictions will have a brief explanatory note and some will not.

Now, if you're still reading, here are my official predictions for the 81st Annual Academy Awards:

Best Short Film, Live Action
-Auf der Strecke
-Manon sur le bitume
-New Boy
-Grisen
-Spielzeugland

Prediction: New Boy

Best Short Film, Animated
-La Maison en petits cubes
-Ubornaya istoriya-lyubovnaya istoriya
-Oktapodi
-Presto
-This Way Up

Prediction: Ubornaya istoriya-lyubovnaya istoriya

Best Documentary, Short Subject
-The Conscience of Nhem En
-The Final Inch
-Smile Pinki
-The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306

Prediction: The Final Inch

Best Documentary, Feature
-The Betrayal-Nerakhoon
-Encounters at the End of the World
-The Garden
-Man on Wire
-Trouble the Water

Prediction: Man on Wire
-Man on Wire has been the clear front-runner in this category. Though Encounters at the End of the World is a beautiful and well-made film and Herzog is brilliant, I believe that Man on Wire is something special. It was unlike any documentary that I had ever seen before. I think it will revolutionize the genre.

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
-Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (Germany)
-Entre les murs (France)
-Revanche (Austria)
-Okuribito (Japan)
-Vals Im Bashir (Israel)

Prediction: Vals Im Bashir (Waltz with Bashir)
-Admittedly, I have not seen any of these films yet. The weight that Waltz with Bashir is bringing is undeniable, though. I was disappointed, once again, that Let the Right One In did not receive any kind of nomination. It got shafted at the Golden Globes and it has been shafted by the Academy. For shame.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
-Bolt
-Kung Fu Panda
-Wall-E

Prediction: Wall-E
-With all the buzz there was about Wall-E possibly receiving an overall Best Picture nomination, this is a no-brainer. And it is better than the other two films.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The Dark Knight
-Iron Man

Prediction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-What these guys did with Brad Pitt was amazing. Even if the movie doesn't quite live up to ALL of the hype.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
-The Dark Knight
-Iron Man
-Slumdog Millionaire
-Wall-E
-Wanted

Prediction: Wanted
-I had to give this movie something. Don't be surprised, though, if they give The Dark Knight a lot of the technical awards in compensation for not getting Directing and Best Picture nods.

Best Achievement in Sound
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The Dark Knight
-Slumdog Millionaire
-Wall-E
-Wanted

Prediction: The Dark Knight
-The Sound and Sound Editing usually go hand-in-hand. This one is my legit pick of the two.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
-Slumdog Millionaire, "Jai Ho"
-Slumdog Millionaire, "O Saya"
-Wall-E, "Down to Earth"

Prediction: Wall-E, "Down to Earth"
-One of the travesties of this years list of nominees.....Bruce Springsteen wins the Golden Globe in this category (for The Wrestler) and doesn't even get an Oscar nod??!! And then Slumdog Millionaire gets TWO nominations??!! My prediction in this category is a cry of defiance. And I really do think this song will win.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Defiance
-Milk
-Slumdog Millionaire
-Wall-E

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
-The soundtrack for this movie is incredible. A.R. Rahman is a major contributor to this movie's magic.

Best Achievement in Makeup
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The Dark Knight
-Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Prediction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The subtle, believable stuff usually wins here. Brad Pitt as an 90 year old man.....I bought it.

Best Achievement in Costume Design
-Australia
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The Duchess
-Milk
-Revolutionary Road

Prediction: The Duchess
-Extravagant period pieces are a sure bet most of the time.

Best Achievement in Art Direction
-Changeling
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The Dark Knight
-The Duchess
-Revolutionary Road

Prediction: Revolutionary Road
-I had a really tough time with this category. For those who are not sure what Art Direction is, it's sort of like set design in theatre. Basically, it deals with how the background looks; the furniture, the surroundings, houses, cars, etc. Revolutionary Road just happens to be the film in which all those things stood out to me the most. In a good way.

Best Achievement in Editing
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The Dark Knight
-Frost/Nixon
-Milk
-Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
-This was just a really well put together film. There was a lot of quick cutting, but it did not become confusing. There was no unnecessary cutting or jumping around done. The Dark Knight may be a sleeper here. That wouldn't bother me too much, though.

Best Achievement in Cinematography
-Changeling
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-The Dark Knight
-The Reader
-Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
-The colors, the lighting, and the camera work are all superb in this film. Every shot and every angle has a distinct purpose. It's just a beautiful looking film.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Doubt
-Frost/Nixon
-The Reader
-Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
-The writing was one of the first things that caught my attention when I saw this movie. It flows so naturally. And this has just as much to do with the original material as it does with the screenplay.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
-Frozen River
-Happy-Go-Lucky
-In Bruges
-Milk
-Wall-E

Prediction: Milk
-O.K. My pride got the better of me on this one. I really want to get this category right because I almost always do. I believe the Academy will award Dustin Lance Black for the incredible work he did. He pretty much wrote a biography of Harvey Milk in a 2 hour long movie script. Then again, I have special place in my heart for In Bruges. It is such a good film; well written and well acted. If another movie comes close to Milk, I do think it will be In Bruges. It's a win-win in my eyes.

Best Achievement in Directing
-Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
-Stephen Daldry, The Reader
-David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
-Gus Van Sant, Milk

Prediction: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
-The magic of this movie will share plenty of its wealth on Oscar night. Danny Boyle deserves just as much as anyone.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
-Amy Adams, Doubt
-Penelope Cruz, Vickey Cristina Barcelona
-Viola Davis, Doubt
-Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Prediction: Viola Davis, Doubt
-I so want Viola Davis to win this award, and I think the Academy does, too. There has been some last minute buzz about Penelope Cruz, and she is great in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. But the kind of impact that Viola Davis had in that film with only a 12 minute scene (with Meryl Streep, no less) is awe-inspiring. I really hope the Academy does the right thing here.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
-Josh Brolin, Milk
-Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
-Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
-Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
-Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Prediction: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
-Well deserved in more ways than one. Michael Shannon deserves some attention, though. I still don't think he should win, but you should see Revolutionary Road if only for his performance.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
-Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
-Angelina Jolie, Changeling
-Melissa Leo, Frozen River
-Meryl Streep, Doubt
-Kate Winslet, The Reader

Prediction: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
-This is the category that I lost the most sleep over. Anne Hathaway had the strongest buzz going into Oscar season, but kind of died away after Kate Winslet's Golden Globes sweep (which was an injustice.) Meryl Streep is always a contender and I have heard a lot about Melissa Leo in the last couple of weeks. I had not made a decision on this category until last night. This was due to the fact that I had not seen Frozen River until last night. My choice was made, however, before that movie even started. When I put the DVD in last night, one of the first previews was for Rachel Getting Married. As I watched the trailer, all of the memories of seeing that movie and witnessing the power of Anne Hathaway's performance came rushing to the forefront of my mind. When the simplest reminder of a movie, like that trailer, can bring that much detail and emotion to mind, there is something special there. The widespread favorite for this category is clearly Kate Winslet. And I wouldn't be surprised if Melissa Leo snuck in a win (she's worked with a lot of people in the business and that's who votes.) As for me, though, I'm standing beside Anne Hathaway. (Kristen Scott Thomas was robbed by not receiving a nomination for I've Loved You So Long. She was a subtle emotional force in that movie.)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
-Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
-Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
-Sean Penn, Milk
-Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Prediction: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
-As with the previous category, I believe I am in the minority on this one. The buzz over who will win seems to flip/flop from week to week between Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn. I feel kind of bad that the other three guys are just left out in the cold. Their performances were great as well. For me, it came down to the fact that I lost sight of Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler and saw only Randy "the Ram" Robinson. That's a difficult thing to do. Ever now and then, I could still see Sean Penn through Harvey Milk. I don't want to take anything away from Sean Penn; his performance is amazing. It took a lot of courage to embrace a role like that and he did it with flare. Sean Penn will be the favorite going into Sunday night, but my heart screams Mickey!

Best Motion Picture of the Year
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Frost/Nixon
-Milk
-The Reader
-Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
-A clear favorite and rightly so. It truly is one of the few complete package movies I have seen. A real underdog story in a year of underdog stories. It deserves to win and it should win. I wouldn't have minded seeing The Wrestler take the place of Frost/Nixon, though. Or The Dark Knight replace The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. My prediction, however, would still be the same.

Well, there you have it. The full list of my 2009 Oscar predictions. Please feel free to let me know what you think. And, if you completely disagree with one of them, tell me. I'd love to hear some different opinions.

Until next time....

FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: NATIONAL LAMPOON

2009-01-22T15:13:00.009-05:00

It warmed my heart and brought the slightest little tear to my eye when I heard someone asking when the Freedom Film Series was coming back. It's always nice to know that this film series is something people look forward to as new months approach. For those who are wondering, the Freedom Film Series has been on somewhat of a hiatus for the holiday season. The multiple closing dates for the library made the idea of putting the series on hold a good one. But the holidays are behind us and it's time to get things rolling again!

The return of the Freedom Film Series is scheduled for the month of February. The theme for this return to the series will be movies from one of the greatest storehouses of comedy: National Lampoon!

Since the 1970s, the words "National Lampoon Presents" in front of a movie's title meant something special. You knew that you were in store for a particular brand of comedy that has become a staple of American movies. National Lampoon originated as a magazine publication, much like "Mad" is today. They eventually branched out into the movie business and really hit the big time with Animal House. Since then, expectations have been high for National Lampoon movies and they have met them, for the most part. From the late 1970s through the early 1990s, they experienced their cinematic peaks. These days most of their movie offerings come in the way of straight to DVD releases. Though they do come out with the occasional success, like Van Wilder. The Freedom Film Series will focus on the only series of movies that National Lampoon produced (with one exception thrown in to fill out the four week series.) For this film series, we will be looking at the "Vacation" series from National Lampoon. The "Vacation" series, starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid, follows the Griswold family on their various....vacations.

The time and place for the Freedom Film Series has not changed. All screenings will take place at the Freedom Regional Public Library in the Community Room. They will be held each Wednesday in February at 6:00pm. So, if you're not doing anything Wednesday nights in February, mark your calendar and I hope to see you there! (Free popcorn will be served.)

Freedom Film Series Presents: National Lampoon

February 4: Vacation, R

February 11: Loaded Weapon, PG-13

February 18: Vegas Vacation, PG-13

February 25: Christmas Vacation, PG-13

**Anyone under 17 must have parental guidance or permission to attend the screening of an R-rated film.**

Until next time....

2008 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

2008-12-15T12:26:00.006-05:00

Last week the nominations for this year's Golden Globe Awards were announced. This is always an interesting time of the year because, historically, the Golden Globes serve as a preview of who the front-runners for the Oscars will be. Seeing as how I host a regular film series and write reviews, I thought that I would write a post giving some of my predictions for the awards. I will not be hitting every category since I am mainly a movie guy. I'll leave the TV predictions to those better suited for it.

One more note before I get to it....

I usually only take my Golden Globe predictions half-seriously. Most of the time my predictions will reflect who I want to win instead of who will most likely win. Sometimes these two match up, sometimes they do not. This is because, as I said before, the Golden Globes are a precursor to the Oscars. When the Oscar nominations are announced, I will write another prediction post and that one will be taken more seriously and more than just "what I want" will be taken into account.

With that said, here are my predictions for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards:

BEST MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA

-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Frost/Nixon
-The Reader
-Revolutionary Road
-Slumdog Millionaire*

I'm going with Slumdog Millionaire here. This film has received praise from almost everyone that has seen it. It is truly a celebration of life and film at the same time. Don't get me wrong. The other films in this category are very, very good and this category will most likely be very close. But a celebration of life is a winner in my book.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA

-Anne Hathaway* Rachel Getting Married
-Angelina Jolie Changeling
-Meryl Streep Doubt
-Kristin Scott Thomas I've Loved You So Long
-Kate Winslet Revolutionary Road

Anne Hathaway gets my vote here. This is another power-packed category that could go to any one of these amazing women. Anne Hathaway was the first actress to start generating Oscar buzz with her performance this year, but Meryl Streep seems to always bring the heat. I go with Hathaway now, but don't be surprised to see Meryl snatch the Oscar in February.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA

-Leonardo DiCaprio Revolutionary Road
-Frank Langella Frost/Nixon
-Sean Penn* Milk
-Brad Pitt The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Mickey Rourke The Wrestler

Sean Penn gives the performance of the year in Milk. He will without a doubt win an Oscar this year. That being said he will also most likely win the Golden Globe. Sometimes, however, in cases like this where an Oscar is clearly in line, the Golden Globe can go to someone else who deserves recognition. Do not be surprised if Frank Langella or Mickey Rourke walk away with this Golden Globe.

BEST MOTION PICTURE-COMEDY OR MUSICAL

-Burn After Reading
-Happy-Go-Lucky*
-In Bruges**
-Mamma Mia!
-Vicky Cristina Barcelona

This was a very tough call for me because I love some of these movies, but know that others I have not seen are very, very good. I'm going a little against my rule and picking two out of this category. I believe that Happy-Go-Lucky will win the award. I have heard nothing but great things about this movie and its lead actress. My heart screams for In Bruges though. I think this is one of the most underrated movies of the year, maybe even the last few years. It is so incredibly smart, funny, and well-acted and written.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE-MUSICAL OR COMEDY

-Rebecca Hall Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Sally Hawkins* Happy-Go-Lucky
-Frances McDormand Burn After Reading
-Meryl Streep Mamma Mia!
-Emma Thompson Last Chance Harvey

As I mentioned before, Sally Hawkins has been garnering a lot attention for her performance in Happy-Go-Lucky. I believe she will net an Oscar nomination as well, but, as I also said before, I think that category is already wrapped up by Meryl Streep. I think Sally Hawkins gets her due at the Golden Globes. Although, I wouldn't be surprised to hear Emma Thompson's name announced that night, either.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE-COMEDY OR MUSICAL

-Javier Bardem Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Colin Farrell In Bruges
-James Franco* Pineapple Express
-Brendan Gleeson In Bruges
-Dustin Hoffman Last Chance Harvey

Again, I would love to see Colin Farrell or especially Brendan Gleeson win in this category. But I'm going with a sleeper pick on this one. I think James Franco will come away with it. Pineapple Express was incredibly funny and his performance was great. I think winning this award will also be in recognition somewhat of his work in Milk as well.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

-Bolt
-Kung Fu Panda
-Wall-E*

Wall-E wins. No question.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

-The Baader Meinhof Complex
-Everlasting Moments
-Gomorrah
-I've Loved You So Long*
-Waltz with Bashir

I know it's not everyone's favorite category, but people need to learn that other countries besides America make very good films. This will ultimately be between and I've Loved You So Long and Waltz with Bashir. I think the former wins. I was disappointed that Let the Right One In did not make the list. Hopefully, the Academy Awards will get it right.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

-Amy Adams Doubt
-Penelope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Viola Davis* Doubt
-Marisa Tomei The Wrestler
-Kate Winslet The Reader

I'm going with another sleeper pick in Viola Davis in this category. She has only one very long scene in Doubt where she squares off with Meryl Streep. Anyone who can hold their own with Streep and gets a lot of notice for it, deserves something. Although, I do like Marisa Tomei's chances as well.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

-Tom Cruise Tropic Thunder
-Robert Downey Jr. Tropic Thunder
-Ralph Fiennes The Duchess
-Philip Seymour Hoffman Doubt
-Heath Ledger* The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger wins. No explanation necessary.

(These last few are not as popular as the others so I'm just giving my picks.)

BEST DIRECTOR-MOTION PICTURE

-Danny Boyle Slumdog Millionaire
-Stephen Daldry The Reader
-David Fincher The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Ron Howard* Frost/Nixon
-Sam Mendes Revolutionary Road

Opie makes another great one.

BEST SCREENPLAY-MOTION PICTURE

-Simon Beaufoy* Slumdog Millionaire
-David Hare The Reader
-Peter Morgan Frost/Nixon
-Eric Roth The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-John Patrick Shanley Doubt

Beautiful writing from Mr. Beaufoy.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE-MOTION PICTURE

-Alexandre Desplat The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Clint Eastwood Changeling
-James Newton Howard Defiance
-A.R. Rahman Slumdog Millionaire*
-Hans Zimmer Frost/Nixon

A.R. Rahman's work is inspired and addicting. I couldn't buy the soundtrack fast enough when I saw it on the store shelves.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG-MOTION PICTURE

-"Down to Earth" Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman Wall-E
-"Gran Torino" Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens Gran Torino
-"I Thought I Lost You" Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele Bolt
-"Once in a Lifetime" Beyonce Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street Cadillac Records
-"The Wrestler" Bruce Springsteen* The Wrestler

The Boss rules!

Well, those are my Golden Globe predictions for this year. Let me know what you think: do you disagree, agree, or feel like the nominators left someone out. I'd love to hear from you.

BELATED UPDATE

2008-12-08T12:43:00.002-05:00

I realized today that I never posted a concluding blog for the Stage to Screen series. The final screening came right before the Thanksgiving holiday and I have been tumbling in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season since then. My apologies.

I hope that everyone who attended any of the Stage to Screen screenings enjoyed themselves and plan on coming back. The Freedom Film Series is taking a two month hiatus for the holiday season, so there will be a little gap before the next series starts up. That doesn't mean, however, that you can't go ahead and mark it on your calendars.

The Freedom Film Series will pick back up in February 2009 with a National Lampoon series! So, mark off your Wednesday nights in February and plan on joining us. As always, keep checking back with the blog for any updates and/or movie reviews.

Until next time....

F.F.S. FROM STAGE TO SCREEN: "SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET"

2008-11-20T09:49:00.005-05:00

With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, as well as Black Friday, I'm sure that everyone is either dreading it and the hustle and bustle that goes with it, or fondly anticipating it as I am. A quick clarification...that "fondly anticipating" refers to Thanksgiving and definitely not Black Friday. But in the midst of all the scurrying about to the grocery store and chaos in the kitchen, I want to remind you all to there is one more screening left in the current Stage to Screen Freedom Film Series. It could provide an ideal opportunity to escape from the stress and anxiety of the coming holiday season; an enjoyable two hour break from the real world. The screening next week will still be on Wednesday, but because the it is the day before Thanksgiving the library will be closing early at 6:00pm. Since the screenings for the Freedom Film Series are usually 6:00pm-8:00pm, an adjustment was made and the screening on Nov. 26 will start at 3:00pm. In my opinion, this would be ideal as well. An early screening in the afternoon prevents you from having to come out after it's already dark and it wouldn't interfere with any Thanksgiving prep work you would be doing that night. It's win-win all around.

O.K. Now that I've done my sales pitch for coming out to the library the day before a big holiday, it's time to talk about the final movie in the Stage to Screen series: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Sweeney Todd is the newest and most recent stage musical adaptation in this film series. It was released into movie theaters in 2007, stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, and Sacha Baron Cohen, and was directed by Tim Burton. Adapted from the 1979 stage musical of the same name, Sweeney Todd is the story of a man driven to madness for simply having a beautiful wife. Shortly after the birth of his daughter, Todd (Depp) is falsely arrested and exiled to Australia at the behest of Judge Turpin (Rickman), who lusts after Todd's wife. Sweeney Todd returns, years later, to find out that his wife is dead and his daughter, no a beautiful young lady, is the ward of the very man who had him sent away. Todd vows revenge and uses his profession as a barber to exact his vengeance. He is aided by Mrs. Lovett (Bonham Carter), who knew him before he was sent away. Mrs. Lovett owns the bakery below Todd's barber shop and helps him with the unique...disposal of his victims.

The original Broadway stage musical "Sweeney Todd" was largely celebrated musical; it was said to be the first horror musical. The songs and lyrics were written by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim and the play starred Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury. The stage version met not only with critical success, but was an award winner as well. At the 1979 Tony Awards, it won for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actor, and Best Actress. The more recent film version has also been critically acclaimed and received its share of award nominations, though it was not as lucky as the stage version in winning. Sweeney Todd received 3 Oscar nominations, but won in only one of the categories, Best Art Direction. The other two nominations were for Best Costume Design and Johnny Depp received a Best Actor nomination.

The Art Direction Oscar was well deserved. Tim Burton and his production designer created a dank and dark London that evoked despair, poverty, and (for me at least) a Dickensian aura. With this in mind, the pairing of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp seems the only natural choice. Burton is known for his somewhat Gothic flair in his movies, and since this movie makes the sixth pairing of these two as actor/director we expect a Gothic character from Depp as well. When these two people come together, nothing short of brilliant is what you most likely will get. The only other actor/director pairing that might equal them today would be Scorcese and DiCaprio.

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, however, are not the only reasons this movie adaptation is so powerful and well done. Helena Bonham Carter is stunning as Mrs. Lovett and, after looking at some of the actresses that were on the short list for the part, she seems the only natural choice. Sacha Baron Cohen is a master at work as always and Alan Rickman knows how to play a villain better than any other actor working today. Oh yeah, and the songs from Mr. Sondheim aren't too bad either.

Well, I hope you'll be able to find the time to take a break from the holiday rushes and come spend a two hour vacation with us here at Freedom Regional Library. You know, that truly is the test of a good movie: how well does it assist our escapism. So, come escape for a little while this Wednesday afternoon at 3:00pm. There will be free popcorn for those who attend the screening. See you there!

Until next time....

"BOLT" REVIEW

2008-11-18T10:35:00.013-05:00

This Friday, November 21, Disney Studios will be releasing their most recent animation project in theaters across the country, Bolt. Bolt is coming in off of the heels of the highly successful and critically acclaimed Wall-E. Where Wall-E was billed as a Disney/Pixar release, Bolt is being billed strictly as a Disney Animation Studio release. It seems that Pixar has built enough steam to start producing their projects on their own, which is not that surprising. But that's a topic for a different post. On with the review....

Bolt is about a white German Shepherd (named Bolt, obviously) who plays a superhero dog with super powers on TV and is a national celebrity. The catch, though, is that he doesn't know it. He thinks that the events of the TV show are all real; he thinks he really has a Super Bark, heat vision, and that his owner (or, as Bolt refers to her, his person), Penny, is constantly in danger from the evil Green-Eyed Man and his cats. Life is quickly turned upside down for Bolt, however, when he is accidentally shipped from Hollywood to New York. He then begins his long, arduous, and enlightening journey to get back home to Penny. Along the way, he picks up the classic Disney sidekicks. One is a mangy, ex-house cat named Mittens who embodies the classic abandoned animal cliche. She spends most of the movie trying to convince Bolt that what he believes is real is actually fake; mostly because he has taken her prisoner and demands her to take him to Penny. The other sidekick is a TV-obsessed hamster, Rhino, who is almost always rolling around in his plastic exercise ball. He is a new character type for a Disney movie; an extreme fanboy of Bolt and his TV show. Some of the funniest lines and scenes in the movie belong to him.

The movie is also littered with smaller characters who pop in for quick comedic interludes with the main characters; another classic Disney element. Among these interludes are encounters with pigeons in different parts of the country, and each time the pigeons are embodiments of those parts of the country. New York pigeons with heavy accents and Hollywood pigeons who talk like college students pitching movie ideas. The pigeons were, actually, my favorite part of the movie. The dialogue was well written and pigeons' personalities were spot on.

The animation and digital effects in the movie are superb. And this is what we have to come to expect from Disney. The movements of the characters, especially the animals, look extremely realistic. When we first see Bolt as a puppy playing with a toy, I was hard pressed to identify any extreme difference between that and watching my dog play. The facial expressions of the animals and the people also look powerfully real. We see joy, fear, and sadness in ever aspect of the face. Disney has always taken pains to make their animated animals and their movements realistic and it pays off. What I find interesting, though, is their choice to make some of humans look the most unnatural; the female animal control officer with a large head and tiny body is a perfect example.

The plot is typical Disney fair: the journey. A main character ends up displaced and far from home. Naturally, a long and difficult journey back home must occur. Along the way, they meet unlikely friends and learn important life lessons. More often than not they have an identity crisis and have to find out who they really are and figure out their place in the world. All of these elements appear in the Bolt story, but somewhat predictably. Disney has used this formula many times over and have made some very good movies with it. With using the same formula over and over, however, it can be easy to be a little unoriginal. Unfortunately, this seems to have happened with Bolt. All of the elements of a really good Disney movie are there, but it seems to be missing that little something extra that made movies like Wall-E and Finding Nemo so magical.

Now, that being said, I also understand that this movie was not made to cater mainly to adults and movie reviewers. I believe it is a movie made to cater to families and children. After attending the advanced screening last night with a theater full of kids between the ages of 2 and 13 and their parents (as well as some other adults like myself), I can honestly say that Disney has another successful movie on their hands.

I had the opportunity to talk to a couple members of the movie's target audience after the screening. I felt that it was important to gather some of their reactions in order to give the movie a fair rating.

Katie, a 12 year old young lady who sat beside me in the theater with her mother, thought that the movie was "pretty good" and that, if given the chance, she would "probably see it again." I asked Katie what rating she would give it on my 4 star rating system. Katie said she would give it 3 1/2 stars, and her mom piped in with an emphatic 4 stars.

I also talked to a young 9 year old girl named Liesl (that's right, just like in The Sound of Music.) Liesl had a huge smile on her face when she told me that she thought the movie was "really funny" and that her favorite character was Mittens. When I asked her to pick her favorite scene, she wasn't able to do it because she "loved the whole thing!" I also asked Liesl to rate the movie on my 4 star system. She didn't hesitate to give Bolt a perfect 4 stars.

I am giving Bolt a 3 star rating. The animation is spectacular, the characters are satisfyingly funny, and it clearly pleases its target audiences. The lack of that certain magical Disney touch is what prevents from giving the movie a higher rating. A 3 star rating is not a bad one by any means; a movie must be rated based on what it is trying to do or say. It, first and foremost, is trying to reach and please its target audience of youngster. This it certainly does, unquestionably. Bolt also tries to earn its place among the many Disney classics, as all of their movies do, and I believe that it will succeed. It will not, however, make it above the line that movies like Toy Story and The Incredibles surpass. I definitely suggest going to see it, especially with young ones. The sound of their laughter can sometimes make up for a bit of that missing magic.

Until next time....

F.F.S. FROM STAGE TO SCREEN: "CHICAGO"

2008-11-14T12:31:00.006-05:00

Before I get into the highlight's of next week's screening, I forgot a relevant note about our screening of Rent earlier this week. The touring stage version of "Rent" will be making its way through Charlotte in January and February. Trust me when I say that nothing can compare to the experience of seeing a musical like this live. I have already bought my tickets and, if there are any left, I suggest you do the same.

Interestingly enough, this provides a very convenient starting point for introducing the next movie in the Stage to Screen series.

The touring stage-version of the musical that will be screened next Wednesday is already in Charlotte and its final performance is this Sunday. Next week's stage to screen musical adaptation is Chicago.

When Chicago was released into theaters in 2002, it was met with high critical and audience acclaim. The movie version stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, and John C. Reilly. It was directed by Rob Marshall, who, surprisingly, has very few directing credits. His other directorial work that most would recognize is 2005's Memoirs of a Geisha. But with these two films, I'd claim quality over quantity.

Chicago is based on the 1975 stage musical of the same name and a Broadway revival of the musical debuted in 1996 and is still running. Most, at this point, are familiar with the plot. Two murderesses on Death Row, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, decide that the best way to avoid the death penalty is to use their stories to turn themselves into celebrities. They both compete for the same flamboyant attorney, who promises their desired fame and freedom. Amidst this story, some of the most memorable Broadway musical numbers arose. Songs like "All That Jazz," "When You're Good to Mama," and "Razzle Dazzle" made the stage version a hit and they do the very same for this updated movie version. It really speaks to the timelessness of involving and magical stagecraft.

This musical also seems to have a magical touch when it comes to award nominations. The original production was nominated for Best Musical and acting Tonys, but was unable to win. The 1996 revival, however, was able to accomplish what the original could not. It won Best Revival and Best Actor and Actress Tonys. This amount of greatness seemed to have rubbed off on the movie adaptation. At the 2003 Academy Awards, Chicago walked away with a total of 6 Oscars, including Supporting Actress (Zeta-Jones) and the Best Picture award. It was also nominated in several other categories: Supporting Actor, Actress, and Director.

Chicago is one of those rare films that is able to satisfy almost any taste. It is star-driven, award-winning, a musical, funny, and its technical aspects are of the best quality. It is also able to stay true to the original stage version, which is what is important to me; especially in this film series.

I hope you will be able to attend the screening of Chicago here at Freedom Regional. We have already had two successful screenings of Grease and Rent in this series and I'm hoping for another with Chicago. The movie will play at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 19 in the Community Room here at Freedom. There will be free popcorn for those attending the screening. See you there!

Until next time....

F.F.S. FROM STAGE TO SCREEN: "RENT"

2008-11-06T12:40:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately, this is going to be another brief and condensed post this week. I should be back to true form for next week's blog post.

The screening for our second week of the From Stage to Screen Freedom Film Series will be Rent.

"Rent" made its Broadway stage debut in 1996 to a great deal of critical and public praise and adoration. It was labeled as a modern-day rock opera and has become near and dear to as many theatre lovers as "The Phantom of the Opera" or "Cats." It also garnered numerous awards and nominations. It pulled in four Tony Awards (the Oscars for Broadway), including Best Musical and Best Score. It also earned its writer and composer, Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Larson put his heart and soul into writing and composing one of the most memorable musicals we are likely ever to see.

The story focuses on a group of friends struggling to live in New York. They fight against poverty as struggling musicians, film-makers, and artists. They fight against hate, discrimination, and disease, but also find time to fight for love. Heavy prices to pay for trying to follow one's dreams. Larson's work sheds new light on this facet of New York society who have taken to calling themselves Bohemians. The path that these characters walk is not what draws us into the story, but it is the complexity of the characters themselves. We are given unforgettable and sympathetic characters along with amazingly powerful and memorable songs.

The Broadway sensation made its way onto the big screen in 2005, almost ten years after its Broadway debut. Rent is directed by Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter films. He pays considerable homage to the original stage version and does an admirable job turning it into a musical to fit the silver screen. What truly makes the movie a good adaptation is the fact that they were able to get most of the original cast members of the stage version to star in the film. Only two of the characters had to be recast (Rosario Dawson and Traci Thoms step into the roles of Mimi and Joanne.) Unsurprisingly, not all of the songs were able to make it into the movie; the movie would have been quite long if this had happened. The ones we know and love, however, are there: "Seasons of Love," "La Vie Boheme," and "Rent." After seeing this movie, these songs will be stuck in your head for a good while. But that's not such a bad thing.

I hope you'll be able to join us this Wednesday night for our screening of Rent. The screening will begin at 6:00pm in the Freedom Regional Library Community Room. There will free popcorn available for those in attendance. Come out for a good film, good music, and a good time and bring some friends with you!

F.F.S. FROM STAGE TO SCREEN: "GREASE"

2008-11-03T19:04:00.003-05:00

This is going to be a really, really short post. After the screening Wednesday night, I should have things back on track and I should be able to write a normal post.

The first screening in the From Stage to Screen film series is going to be the '70s classic, Grease. Everyone, at some point in their life, should see this movie. It helped launch the career of John Travolta, along with Saturday Night Fever. It also gave us some very funny and memorable performances from Stockard Channing and Olivia Newton-John. It's also one of the most quotable movies I have ever seen.

And, if you haven't seen the movie, I'm sure you've at least heard of some of the songs: "Grease," "Summer Nights," and "You're the One That I Want."

Come out and join us this Wednesday night, November 5, for a screening of the classic musical, Grease. The screening will begin at 6:00pm in the Freedom Regional Library Community Room. There will be free popcorn available for those who attend the movie. Hope to see you there!

See, I told you it was going to be short.

Until next time....

FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: FROM STAGE TO SCREEN

2008-11-01T17:20:00.011-04:00

Hope everyone out there had an enjoyable, safe, and suitably scary Halloween. For anyone that read my "what to watch" post, I hope my advice gave you helped choose some good movies for you, but let me know how things turned out either way.

This is going to have to be a short post because time is still a little tight today and I really should have written this post a couple of days ago.

For the first time, the Freedom Film Series is going through consecutive months. We just finished up the Halloween Movie Madness II series for October. Now, we are moving ahead in November with the third Freedom Film Series. The theme for this series is: From Stage to Screen. During November, the series will highlight major Broadway shows that have known huge success on the stage leading to their adaptation for the big screen. You could go on and on about all of the major movie musicals that there have been, like Singin' in the Rain or An American in Paris. I completely agree. Those are some classic musicals that are great films as well. But with this series, I want to concentrate on the ones that have the origins on the stage.

Another criteria that I used in my decision-making process for this series deals with the story that is being told and how it matches with the medium. First and foremost, I wanted stage musicals that everyone loves and that have compelling and wonderfully told stories. I also wanted musicals with stories that would have worked just as well if they had originated on the screen. Of the ones I have chosen, each has a story that you cannot help but get caught up in. Surprisingly, all four of the musicals that will be screened have been adapted for the screen in only the past 30 years, after the hay-day of the musical machine in Hollywood. In fact, three of the four have just now made it to the big screen in the current decade.

I hope you'll be able to join us for any or all of these fantastic musicals. The screenings will be held every Wednesday in November at 6:00pm here at the Freedom Regional Public Library. If you have any questions about the film series, such as information about upcoming series or any other general questions, please feel free to post a comment on any of the blogs. Feel free, also, to shoot me an email at jfurr@plcmc.org. I'll try to respond to any and all inquiries as soon as possible. I look forward to seeing everyone at the next screening!

Freedom Film Series Presents: From Stage to Screen

November 5: Grease, PG
November 12: Rent, PG-13
November 19: Chicago, PG-13
November 26: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, R (3:00pm)
**Anyone under 17 must have parental guidance or permission to attend the screening of R-rated films**

(Please note the altered time of the Sweeney Todd screening. Since that is the day before Thanksgiving, the library will be closing at 6:00pm that day, instead of 9:00pm. With that being the case, I had adjust the screening time to fit into the library's schedule. So to repeat, the screening of Sweeney Todd will be at 3:00pm on November 26, not at 6:00pm.)

Until next time....

"CHANGELING" REVIEW

2008-10-30T15:16:00.011-04:00

The world of American cinema has one of its greatest benefactors in Clint Eastwood. He gave American movies some of its greatest characters, movies, and quotable lines in his early career as an actor. Now that he is older and in his golden years, he is behind the helm of some of the best films every year. In 2004, he gave us the multi-Oscar winning Million Dollar Baby, and in 2006, he gave us one of the best war movies every made in Letters from Iwo Jima. Fellow movie-goers, he has done it again.

The Clint Eastwood directed Changeling is one of the best films of the year. I say this without any hesitations or reservations. It chronicles a tragic event that occurred in Los Angeles in the late 1920s and one that brought about major changes in the practices of the L.A.P.D. It is based on the true story of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) and her battle with the L.A.P.D. over her missing son. Collins' son disappears one afternoon prompting her to call the police who inform her that she must wait 24 hours before a case can be made (how things have changed.) Months later, the police say that they have found her son in Illinois, but she claims that the boy they bring back to her is not her son. This sparks a battle between Collins, who wants her real son back, and the L.A.P.D., who are trying to save face instead admitting they made a mistake.

This movie does everything right. All of the performances are perfectly on point. Angelina Jolie does not merely play a despairing mother, but embodies one. We feel her anger, her hurt, her desperation, and we have complete sympathy for her throughout the movie. But her character is not just a despairing and emotionally distraught mother. She is also a strong advocate for what is right and just. Just as she instills this in her son, it has been instilled in her: "I told my son that you should never start fights, but you do finish them."

The supporting cast members deliver powerful and convincing performances as well. John Malkovich is electrifying, as always, as the Rev. Briegleb, a man dedicated to exposing the corruption of the L.A.P.D. Jeffery Donovan and Colm Feore provide admirably despicable police officials. And the child actors show surprising maturity in some demanding roles.

It is Clint Eastwood, however, that takes center stage in this film. He shows us why he was deserving of the Oscars he has received thus far and why he will surely have some coming his way in the future. One of Eastwood's greatest gifts is his ability to create an encompassing atmosphere in his films. He does a spectacular job of re-creating Los Angeles in the 1920s. As you're watching the film, you feel as if you have stepped back in time. From the clothes to the cars, everything fits perfectly. The one aspect that stood out to me is how much slower the world was then. Today, we are so used to the hustle and bustle of busy city streets and of being afraid of missing out on something if we're not moving at full speed wherever we go. Eastwood is able to show us how much slower and calmer things were in the late '20s. You feel as if you have really stepped back in time 80 years.

Another trend I have noticed about Eastwood, having seen Million Dollar Baby and now Changeling, is a slight film noir feel to his films. In Million Dollar Baby, there are times when you can't tell if the movie has switched to black and white or is still in color. It does not distract or seem out of place, but rather enhances the mood and feel of the scenes. I found the same affect in Changeling. In the opening shot of the movie, I felt like my eyes were playing tricks on me. It seemed as if the initial shot was in black and white and color was gradually added piece by piece; in articles of clothing or street signs. The subtle music (by Eastwood himself) in the background also adds to the noir feel of the film. The whole atmosphere seems to evoke some of the feelings from the 1940s detective crime dramas.

Changeling is one of the definite must-see films of the year. It evokes strong emotional feelings from its audience and is able to invest us in the lives of its characters. I am giving Changeling my first four star rating. I predict Oscar nominations for Jolie, Eastwood, and a nomination for Best Picture. Go see this movie. It's worth your time.

"ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO" REVIEW

2008-10-30T10:09:00.010-04:00

Where to begin?!

For years now, I have been a huge fan of writer/director Kevin Smith. Most people will not recognize his real name, but they do know him as Silent Bob from the Jay and Silent Bob movie duo. A lot of people will also recognize his behind the camera and writing work in such films as: Clerks, Dogma, and Chasing Amy. His movies are always so well directed, but his writing is what has made me a fan. His dialogue is so witty and quick and funny. Then, he also knows just when it's funny to slow things down. He is truly one of the most prolific writers in the business today. And he has proven his craftsmanship once again with Zack and Miri Make a Porno, which opens tomorrow in theaters.

The title characters are played by Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as Zack and Miri, two life-long friends who have been living as roommates since they graduated high school. In the middle of winter, naturally, their power and water is turned off because they haven't been paying their bills. This doesn't come as much of a surprise seeing as how Zack works at a coffee shop and Miri...well, I don't think we ever see what Miri does for a living. They are in dire straits and decide that the best and quickest way to get the money they need for their bills is to make a porno (I love it when movie titles are simple and straight-forward). They enlist the help of their friends to help finance and shoot the film. Naturally, Zack and Miri will be two of the stars of the movie and they are sure that their scene together will not make things awkward between them. Right.

The film succeeds on the performances of Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. They come across as very natural people that any of us could have gone to high school with. The dialogue and jokes feel unforced, as if a camera just happened to be following these two friends around and captured their everyday interactions. A lot of comedies today try to force feed you gags and punch lines. Not Kevin Smith and his actors. They allow the jokes to develop to the point that you really believe a particular character would make that joke because that's who they are, not because it's in the script.

Rogen and Banks also sell their love story extremely well (yes, this movie is about love). When their characters have to "perform" for the first time in their movie, you can feel their hesitation and their anxiety. You can also sense the jealousy in their eyes when they know the other will have to have a sex scene with someone else. By the time the scene has ended, they have not had sex. They have made love, and, in all honesty, it is one of the most touching and moving love scenes that I have ever scene in a movie. As one of the porno's actresses says: "It was pretty!"

Now, one of the biggest concerns audiences will have about this movie is its vulgarity. The MPAA originally gave the movie an NC-17 rating, which would not allow anyone under the age of 17 to see the movie whatsoever. On an appeal from the cast and director, however, the MPAA revised their original rating to an R. In my opinion, the MPAA could not have been blamed for leaving the NC-17 rating on the film. I do applaud their decision to revise the rating, though. Kevin Smith's work is incredibly intelligent and the vulgarity is not there just to make the movie vulgar. There's a method to Kevin Smith's madness. Although, there were a couple times when I found myself saying "Gross!" out loud.

I have recently read that there are theaters in Utah that are refusing to show Zack and Miri Make a Porno at their theaters because it is too vulgar and graphic. Shame on them. First, the MPAA would not give a movie a rating below what it deserves; in fact, a lot of times they give movies ratings that are too high for the material (like an R when a PG-13 would have sufficed.) Second, just by having a movie playing at your theater complex does not make you responsible for who goes to see it. That kind of responsibility lies on individuals and parents. There is enough information out there about this movie for everyone to make an informed decision about seeing it. It is also worth noting that the owner of these theaters also refused to show Brokeback Mountain when it was released, but, now, has no problem booking the extremely violent Saw V.

After tossing it around in my head for a few days, I've decided to give Zack and Miri Make a Porno three and a half stars out of four. Go see this movie. It will make you laugh and it might make you queasy a time or two, but trust me when I say that it's worth it. And I doubt you'll look at Starbucks the same way ever again.

WHAT TO WATCH ON HALLOWEEN

2008-10-28T10:49:00.003-04:00

As a movie fan, Halloween is my favorite holiday. In fact, this is my favorite time of year in general. The weather is starting to get cooler, but not too cold that it's annoying. The leaves on the trees begin to change their colors. I believe that Fall and the month of October are when you can really consciously feel the Earth changing. But I digress.

Halloween has officially become my favorite time of year in the world of movies. Around this time in October, we see the beginnings of Oscar season. Some of the critically touted movies begin to come out and we see previews for others on their own Oscar hunt. It is also the time of year when horror films are on T.V. almost every night and we have also come to expect the next installment in the Saw franchise. There's nothing better than going to the theaters and getting the crap scared out of you and then going home and getting the crap scared out of you on T.V.

This is also the time of year when people gear up for Halloween parties where they plan on watching the scariest movies possible. Then, there are some people who do not even plan to make a party out of their Halloween movie watching. They look forward to curling up on the couch with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn and spend a few hours in the dark. A friend of mine and I usually fall in the second category. While we were in school together, we would try our best to go see some scary movie together at the movies, and, on Halloween night, get together and watch a few scary movies. This year I have decided to raise the stakes on myself just a bit. I plan on devoting the whole 24 hours of October 31 to scary movie watching. That's right. I am planning my own personal 24 hour horror movie marathon. Why, you ask? Why not? I believe that this is something that should be done by every fan of horror movies at some point in their lives. My time has come this year.

O.K. I've rambled again. Back to the point of this post...

The question that someone always asks me during this time of year is the point of this post: "What are the best scary movies to watch on Halloween?"

I always hesitate and take my time when I answer this question. What I have learned over the years of watching movies is that everyone does not respond to movies in the same way. Just like some people are frightened by spiders and others are not, so too, not everyone will be frightened by the same horror movie. It's always difficult trying to tell a person what movies they should watch to make their Halloween a truly scary and enjoyable one if you don't know them very well. So, in essence, I am giving a non-answer answer to that question this year. Think about what scares you the most. Try to think back to a movie that had an icy grip on you. One that had you scared to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. When you do that, you'll have answered your own question.

The next best thing I can do is give a little insight into some of the movies I have chosen for my personal movie marathon this year. Werewolves scare the living daylights out of me. It's not so much their appearance that scares me, but what I know they are going to do. Werewolves are going to rip you apart and probably eat you. One of my biggest fears is of being eaten by something. I know it's kind of random, but the thought terrifies me. This is why I have two werewolf movies on my list this year: Silver Bullet (1985) and Dog Soldiers (2002).

The whole idea behind the urban legend of Bloody Mary and calling her through a mirror in the dark freaks me out every time I walk into a dark bathroom. So, I have put Candyman (1992) on my list this year.

This is the kind of stuff I am talking about. Analyze yourself and what really scares you at your core. Then, go out and find movies that will play off of those fears. I promise it will make for an unforgettable Halloween experience.

Until next time....

P.S. Reviews for the upcoming Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Changeling will be posted very soon. Keep an eye out!

QUICK PLUG

2008-10-27T12:56:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to quickly advertise another movie screening that is going on this week. As a special event screening for Halloween, Friday the 13th: Part 3 will be shown in its original release 3-D format here at Freedom Regional Library. I was able to track down a copy of the 3-D version of the film and we have ordered some 3-D glasses for the occasion. The movie will be shown on Wednesday, October 29 at 3:00pm in the Freedom Regional Library Community Room. Basically, this Wednesday night at FRL we are rolling a double-feature. Come out for the special screening of Friday the 13th: Part 3 in 3-D (glasses provided) at 3:00pm and then stick around for the Freedom Film Series screening of Halloween II at 6:00pm.

F.F.S. HALLOWEEN MOVIE MADNESS II: "HALLOWEEN II"

2008-10-23T11:56:00.012-04:00

We are fast approaching the end of the Halloween Movie Madness II Freedom Film Series. After the showing of Scream last night, there is only one more movie left in the series. If you have come to any of the screenings so far, thank you and I hope you'll come out for the final movie, too! If you haven't come to any yet, there is no time like the present. Even though you didn't make it to the other screenings, coming to this one will make up for all those misses in my mind. The movie I am showing this week is one of my favorite movies, and not just out of the horror genre. The final movie screening in the Halloween Movie Madness series this year is Halloween II. Seeing as how the original, Halloween, was the final movie in our first Halloween Movie Madness last year, it seems only fitting to show the sequel (or in my mind, the original's other half) as the final film this year.

Halloween II was released three years after the first film in 1981. John Carpenter, unfortunately, did not take the directing job and the reins were handed over to Rick Rosenthal. This was Rosenthal's first legitimate directorial job and what a film to draw for your first gig. He had a great deal of help, though. Dean Cundey returned from the original film to be the cinematographer and the same producing team returned as well. Most importantly, however, the script was, again, written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Rosenthal had all the pieces he needed to make a successful follow-up to Carpenter's legendary and ground-breaking film. The reactions of critics and fans, however, would be varied and different compared to those of the original film. But more of that later.

Halloween II picks up seamlessly from where the original story in Halloween left off. In fact, the movie begins with the very same scene that the original ended on; the same shots, the same dialogue, for the most part. If you have been keeping up with my blog and my posts, you already know that I am a huge fan of consistency in story lines from one movie to another in a series. You can't ask for more perfect consistency than this.

The movie kicks off as Dr. Loomis finds that, after shooting Michael Myers six times at the end of Halloween, he has gotten up and walked off to continue his killing spree. Laurie Strode has been taken to the local hospital and thinks she is out of harms way. She soon finds out that she is very, very wrong. Michael follows her to the hospital and begins taking out doctors, nurses, and EMTs trying to get to her. Sounds pretty straight-forward, right? You really don't need a very detailed plot for this kind of movie. The original story was not much more complex than this. We are already familiar with the main characters so the story of the sequel can be a little less involved. But Carpenter and Hill provide some extra twists to keep us on our toes as the reveal surprising dynamics of the relationship between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode.

Now, getting back to the various reactions to the film. As I have already mentioned, this film received mostly negative reviews from film critics. It was a little more up in the air with general horror movie fans, though, but still not what one would expect from the sequel to Carpenter's masterpiece. The complaints about the movie include poor character development, that it's uninspired, and that it is more interested in piling on the gore than establishing the same intensity the first film had. All of these are pretty valid points and I can understand where these complaints are coming from.

Here is what I think...

Though I do like Halloween II, I do believe that it is not as good as the original and does have its problems. After years of watching these two films, however, I have developed a theory about these two films, and others have come to this same conclusion based on some reading I have done. When looked at side by side, Halloween and Halloween II are two halves of one movie. For years, they have both stood alone as individual films, but something intriguing happens when they are viewed back to back. For me, at least, they merge seamlessly into one movie. Viewed this way, the imperfections of Halloween II do not matter as much as you are absorbed into one of the most intense and terrifying stories ever told in the movies. This is what I would be interested in seeing happen: splice the two films together. The closing scene in one is the opening scene in the other, so it shouldn't be that difficult. You could also just combine the credits to reflect the two separate crews that worked on the films. Sure you could just watch one movie right after the other in your DVD player, but there is a loss of effect. You have to stop the player, take one out, put the other in, and sit through another set of opening credits.

Now, is my suggestion likely to ever happen? Doubtful, but one can dream. Halloween II will probably forever be known as the inferior sequel to one of the greatest horror films ever made. But it did help deepen our worst fears about doing time at the hospital.

Come out and join us this Wednesday, October 29 for our screening of Halloween II. The screening will begin at 6:00pm in the Freedom Regional Library's Community Room and there will be free popcorn for those who attend. Hope to see you there!

Until next time....

F.F.S. HALLOWEEN MOVIE MADNESS II: "SCREAM"

2008-10-17T14:23:00.011-04:00

I hope everyone in attendance this past Wednesday night enjoyed Fright Night and had a good time. I was unable to be there because of illness, but have made a full recovery and will be back in the saddle for next week's screening.

Speaking of which...

The movie I will be showing next week for the Halloween Movie Madness II series will be Wes Craven's modern classic, Scream. For those who have become used to the longer posts with a lot of information about the movies, I am afraid this will not be one of those posts. After being sick for two days, there is a good bit I am trying to catch up on; movies to view, reviews to prepare and write, other blog entries to prepare for, etc. I am going to have to try and keep this one short and sweet, but still provide some good information about the movie.

Scream was originally released in 1996, directed by horror-maestro, Wes Craven, and has famously become the first entry in Craven's "Scream" trilogy. Scream has also become a Halloween movie staple and I would venture to guess that it is part of a lot of people's Halloween movie watching each year. This is because Scream truly scares people. It should come as no surprise that the use of Caller ID increased three time the usage after the movie came out. It also took the teen-slasher horror genre and added a much more frightening aspect. (Do not read any further if you have not seen the movie. I am about to reveal some spoilers.) For years, the young people in horror slasher movies were pursued by these hulking serial killers who were mostly middle-aged, grown men. With Scream, new ground was broken. Scream made it popular for some of the teens themselves to be the killer. The victims no longer fear the unknown figure, but the also must harbor fears and doubts about their own friends. It adds an interesting new element to any horror script.

Scream not only broke new ground in horror plot construction, but it also broke one of the oldest standing movie "laws." One of the longest standing rules of film-making is that characters in a film should not have anything to do with movies in their world. Yes, there have been countless movies where characters go to a movie, like Bonnie and Clyde or The Last Picture Show. This is true. But in those films, the emphasis is on the act of going to or watching a movie and not an emphasis on the movie they are going to see. The real violation of the rule occurs when the characters discuss or analyze movies; when the characters are seen as knowledgeable about the world of film. The key word in all of that is knowledgeable.

In Scream, all aspects of the rule are broken. The characters watch a movie, react to it, and the movie watching plays a somewhat pivotal role in the movie. On top of this, the characters (specifically just one) are knowledgeable about movies and how movie plots operate. There is even a discussion on the rules characters must abide by if they are to survive in a horror movie. Wes Craven is well aware of these rules and you can tell that he, and writer Kevin Williamson, have a whole lot of fun breaking them as many times as they possibly can.

By now, I am sure that a great many people have seen, or at the very least heard about, Scream. It has taken its place among the great horror movies of its time. I think what most people do not realize, however, is how influential and ground-breaking it was when it was released. It made it O.K. for characters in movies to be knowledgeable about film and it helped redefine some major components of the horror genre. It also gave birth to one of the most sought after Halloween costumes around.

We will showing Scream on Wednesday, October 22 in the Community Room of the Freedom Regional Public Library at 6:00pm. There will be free popcorn available for those who attend the movie. Hope to see you there!

Until next time....

F.F.S. HALLOWEEN MOVIE MADNESS II: "FRIGHT NIGHT"

2008-10-09T10:16:00.007-04:00

Two down and three more to go. Last night's screening of Friday the 13th: Jason Lives went over really well and the crowd was the largest that the Freedom Film Series has seen so far! And, for the second week in a row, the audience was really into the film and seemed to be enjoying themselves. There's nothing like a good horror movie to bring people together.

For next week's screening, we are moving away from the demented serial killer genre and focusing on a more traditional horror movie villain: the vampire. Beginning with F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu in 1922, the vampire has been a reliable figure in the horror genre and was established fully by Bela Lugosi's famous portrayal in Todd Browning's Dracula in 1931. Since then, there have been countless movies made utilizing the legendary creatures of the night. They hay-day of these horror icons is arguably in the late 1950's through the 1970's with the Hammer Films organization based out of the United Kingdom. Hammer Films produced at least 8 Dracula films from 1960 to about 1974. After all the success and popularity of the Hammer films, however, the vampire genre films became less appealing to audiences and the vampire began to fade from the silver screen.

Then came the '80s...

Film audiences experienced a healthy resurgence of vampire-themed horror films in the 1980's, but this time it did not come from the U.K. This rebirth of the vampire movie came from the American film industry. The '80s was a decade dominated by horror movies. The '80's gave birth to a number of successful horror movie franchises as well: Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Child's Play (Chucky), and Hellraiser. These franchises, and most of their sequels, came out in the '80s and are still active today. The franchises, however, are just the tip of the iceberg. The number of stand-alone horror films from this decade is staggering and the vampire film benefited from this greatly.

One of these films has made its way into this year's Halloween Movie Madness: Fright Night. Fright Night was released in 1985 and was directed by Tom Holland (who would later direct Child's Play as well.) Fright Night was Holland's first directing gig (he also wrote the film) and established him as a premier director in the horror genre. It contains your classic "boy who cried wolf" plot line. The movie follows Charlie Brewster as he tries to convince his friends that a vampire (played by Chris Sarandon) has moved in next door. He goes so far as to ask Peter Vincent, the local horror movie television host and legendary vampire-killer, to help him. Of course no one believes him and, as always, it takes some drastic occurrences for them to see the truth.

The movie works really well as it blends elements of horror and comedy, and a little bit of teenage romance, seamlessly. The script is incredibly funny and witty and the actors do a tremendous job of using to create some unforgettable characters. Not least of which is the Peter Vincent character played the one and only Roddy McDowell. McDowell's performance is what makes the movie as memorable as it is. He basks in the absurdity of his character's life and screen career and brings a lot of truth to the part. He is so much fun to watch in this film, as are the other actors as well (Amanda Bearse, the love interest in the film, would later go on to become the annoying neighbor, Marcy D'Arcy, in the "Married with Children" sitcom.)

As I mentioned before, Fright Night was just one of many vampire films that emerged in the '80s to renewed excitement and welcome. Others include, Once Bitten (with a young Jim Carrey), The Hunger (David Bowie, Susan Sarandon), Vampire's Kiss (Nicholas Cage), and, most famously, The Lost Boys with Kiefer Sutherland. Now, the natural thing to ask would be why were these films so successful and accepted after audiences had grown tired of the vampire genre. According to Tom Holland, the vampire movie genre was in desperately needed redefining. In fact, that was his goal in writing Fright Night. According to Holland, almost all vampire movies were Gothic period pieces set in Victorian-era England with women in gowns, horse-drawn carriages, and high English accents. This is what Holland wanted to get away from with his movie and give the audiences a vampire story set in modern day that they could relate to and give them a vampire that could easily pass for any one's next door neighbor. Well, redefine the vampire genre Tom Holland did. With Fright Night and The Lost Boys, the vampire genre in movies is no longer constricted to Gothic period pieces. They opened the doors for writers and directors to take vampire movies in completely new directions.

One last thought before I end this post...

If, after reading this far, you are wondering why I chose to screen Fright Night instead of The Lost Boys, you are not alone. As I was writing the above passages, I began to wonder that myself. Yes, personally, I do prefer Fright Night over The Lost Boys, but there is more to it than that as I think about it. Both of these films would be adequate choices for any horror movie series and are excellent examples of their genre. My reasoning for choosing Fright Night for the Freedom Film Series is two-fold. First, I think the comedic elements give Fright Night an added bonus in that the comedy does not distract from the horror, as it is apt to do in other films. And second, Fright Night is not as well-known. The Lost Boys is definitely the more popular of the two and, I'm sure, has been seen by more people. With the Freedom Film Series, I like to try exposing people to new films that have been flying under the radar for years. Though Fright Night may not be as under the radar as other films, it definitely takes a back-seat to The Lost Boys.

So, I hope you will join us next Wednesday, October 15, at 6:00pm as we watch Fright Night here at Freedom Regional Public Library. The screening will be free of charge and free popcorn will be served to those who attend the movie. Hope to see you there!

Until next time....

F.F.S. HALLOWEEN MOVIE MADNESS II: "FRIDAY THE 13TH: JASON LIVES"

2008-10-03T12:39:00.008-04:00

Your Friendly Neighborhood Movie-Man is in high spirits! This past Wednesday night was a complete success with the screening of The Monster Squad. There was a very good turn out with some people just stumbling in to see what was going on. And from my observations sitting in the back of the screening room, I think everyone really enjoyed themselves and the movie as well. I can already tell that I have helped add numbers to the constantly growing devote following that The Monster Squad has developed over the years. The delighted gasps of the young boy in the back row confirmed this for me and were music to my ears.

After the results of this past Wednesday night, I am all that more eager for next week's screening. Looking back at last year's slate of movies for the Halloween series, I saw that I included A Nightmare on Elm Street, one of the most popular horror movie franchises that has spanned decades and gave America one of the most recognizable of all movie characters in Freddy Krueger. When putting together the line-up for this year's series, I wanted to include and pay homage to another long-standing horror franchise. The choice was incredibly easy to make. One of the few horror movie icons just as recognizable, if not more so, than Freddy Krueger is Jason Vorhees. I knew that I would not be any kind of film series coordinator if I did not include a Friday the 13th film in one of my Halloween film series.

The Friday the 13th series began earlier (1980) than the Elm Street series (1984) and has produced more sequels. I must admit that I was incredibly torn and conflicted as to which Friday the 13th film I wanted in the series. My first instincts were to show the original Friday the 13th. As is the case with most movie series (especially horror series), the first installment is the best and a classic and Friday the 13th is no different. It introduced the movie audience to new horror techniques and scare tactics, one of the most identifiable soundtracks in cinema, and not to mention the new kinds of violence. But it is abundantly clear that fans expect to see the hockey mask-wearing Jason when they think of Friday the 13th films. Over the years, that is what fans of the series have come to expect with each new film. They wait to hear the classic Friday the 13th music and get their first glimpse of Jason in all his glory. The series has also become known for its inventive death sequences. With each new film, the filmmakers and special effects artists provide Jason with new and unique ways to kill his victims.

Also, one of the things that scores points with me in the Friday the 13th series is that they, for the most part, pick up where the last film left off. By this I mean that the films always pick up Jason from where he was left in the previous film. They always start by bringing Jason to life from where he was left dead. If he was left floating at the bottom of the lake in one movie, in the next one they figure out a way to get him back up from the bottom. I am huge fan of this kind of continuity. It just makes everything seem so much more complete.

With all this in mind, I have decided to show Friday the 13th: Jason Lives (1986) in this year's film series. With this film, we get everything we come to expect from the series. There is the classic score, the new and inventive styles of death, and, of course, the pick up from where Jason was last left, in his grave. Now, if you are a film lover (and especially a lover of this series), your next question will probably be: why this one? What makes this film a better choice than the others?

Through various polls and surveys, it is considered the best out of all of the sequels. It is also the only one of the films to receive critical praise anywhere close to what the original received. Most people attribute this to the fact that this is the first film in the series to not try and take itself completely serious. It has a very present and distinct comedy element. It pokes fun at itself and at the whole series. This is what made the film so refreshing and interesting. It is not, however, all comedy. The typical elements for a Jason movie are there. Friday the 13th: Jason Lives boasted the highest body count of all the movies for a long time. The more recent Jason X broke that record.

Bottom line...I chose this movie in the series because people want to see Jason hacking through teenagers when they watch one of these movies, and that is certainly what they are going to get. In fact, this is the movie that made the statement that Jason is here to stay; the blatant Bond reference at the beginning of the film makes that clear.

As I sit here thinking of a way to wrap up this post, I can't help but think of the one of the funniest lines in the entire film given by the grave digger as he looks directly at the audience: "Some people have sick idea of entertainment."

Truly, we do.

Friday the 13th: Jason Lives will be screened at the Freedom Regional Public Library on Wednesday, October 8 at 6:00pm. It will be free of charge and free popcorn will be served for those who attend the movie. Hope to see you there.

Until next time....

CHARLOTTE FILM FESTIVAL RECAP

2008-09-29T10:44:00.002-04:00

The 3rd annual Charlotte Film Festival officially closed yesterday evening after a screening of F.W. Murnau's Sunrise. Over a four day span, from Thursday through Sunday, over 70 movies were shown on five different screens at five different locations. From what little I have heard from other people, it seems that the festival was a success and that everyone who came to see at least one film enjoyed themselves. I am one of these people.

As I believe I said in the previous Charlotte Film Festival post, I was disappointed and upset with myself for not attending last year's festival. I was determined to make up for it this year. Over the weekend run of the festival, I was able to sit in on three film screenings. They were all enjoyable experiences, although some more than others. I was very excited that I was able to see the film from Germany that was brought over as part of the new Mecklenburg Connection that the Charlotte Film Festival started this year. It basically involves a connection with the film festival here in Charlotte and a film festival in Mecklenburg, Germany (the connection should be obvious to Charlotte natives.) Starting this year with the 2008 Charlotte Film Festival, one film will be brought to Charlotte and screened for our festival from the FilmLand festival in Germany, and vice versa. I think that this effort says a great deal about how culturally open Charlotte is becoming and I hope that it continues. As I mentioned, I saw three films during the festival weekend and I thought I would post briefly about them and about the experience.

The first film I saw was the Friday evening screening of the German exchange film. The film is called Nacht vor Augen (A Hero's Welcome). Now, digging back into my German classes from college, I knew that "Nacht vor Augen" does not translate into "A Hero's Welcome." The movie is about young German soldier that has just come home from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Upon his return, we watch as he tries to deal with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (a common problem that soldiers coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from.) We watch as, one by one, each of his relationships crumble and fall apart because of his mental problems. As an American watching this film, none of the situations seemed unfamiliar or new. There have been so many films made about American soldiers suffering after time overseas that we can almost write our own movie about it. We, the audience that night, learned from the German festival representatives that this, however, is something completely new for Germans. They haven't been in a war since the '40s, and they arrived in Afghanistan much later than Americans. This gave the film a much more meaningful impact for me. The movie was superbly acted, directed, and shot; an all-around great film. Back to the title for a brief second. Now, it has been a long time since my German classes in college, but I was pretty certain that "Nacht vor Augen" did not translate into "A Hero's Welcome." As I was watching the film, I was trying to figure out the exact translation. I knew it meant something to the effect of "night over the eyes" (that was my very rough translation, mind.) After the screening, I was able to ask the German festival reps about the title. I was mostly right about the title. In English, it means "Night before Your Eyes." At least that's what I think they said. "A Hero's Welcome" was a title the film was given for its international distribution and, incidentally, the director was not happy about that addition. I completely agree. The original title gives the film a much more haunting feel. I truly hope this film gets a wide international release. It is very, very good and deserves to be seen.

Well, I can't help but notice that I have rambled on much more than I expected about the first film. So, I am going to be extremely brief with the other two films I saw. I was able to see Henry May Long. It tells the story of two men in 19th century New York. One, Henry May, has spiraled into debt and shame. The other, Henry Long, watches all of this take place while he obsesses over being with May. Long offers May financial help if he will spend time with him while he is ill. Both men enter into the relationship with hidden motives and, of course, that never bodes well. There are some definite sexual undertones in Long's obsession with May, but nothing ever comes of it. It makes one wonder why even hint at something like that if it is never confronted and brought to the surface. The craftsmanship of the film was very good, but the story came up lacking for me. If it makes it to DVD, it might be worth a look, but I'm not holding my breath.

The last film I saw was Earl Owensby's Rottweiler, a independent horror film from the '80s. The experience watching this film with the audience that was there that night was worth the price of admission, even if the film was awful. The film was shown as part of the festival honoring the local North Carolina film maker, Earl Owensby. Don't get me wrong, the entire movie is bad. But it is one of those movies that is CHEESE instead of just cheese. A CHEESY movie is one that kind of celebrates and basks in its awfulness. You can tell that the actors and film makers know how bad it is. Sitting in a theater with fellow movie lovers (people knowledgeable about films, not just people who like movies) made the movie so much fun. As knowledgeable movie-goers, we laughed till we cried at the absurd script and the amateur acting. If you ever do see this movie, make sure you watch it with other people who know movies so you can all appreciate the absurdity.

All in all, the 2008 Charlotte Film Festival was a great experience, and I applaud everyone who contributed time, money, or just came and saw a movie. You all are encouraging the establishment of Charlotte as strong cultural and artistic center in North Carolina. You are also encouraging these young and unknown film makers to keep making movies and expressing themselves in one of the world's greatest art forms. Now, for those of you who did not participate in this year's festival......DO NOT MISS IT NEXT YEAR! As I'm sure 2009 Charlotte Film Festival will be even better than this one, it would be a crime to miss out on the experience.

F.F.S. HALLOWEEN MOVIE MADNESS II: "THE MONSTER SQUAD"

2008-09-24T15:16:00.014-04:00

I must confess......I have been looking forward to this film series for awhile now. What readers of blog will come to learn soon is that I am a horror fan. There has always been a special place in my heart for movies that can scare the living daylights out of me. If, after watching a horror movie, I am not nervous about walking down a dark hallway or scared to turn the lights off, I know I have had a disappointing movie experience. It takes true horror movie-making skill to scare me.

That being said, the films in this year's Halloween Movie Madness are a little on the tamer side (especially compared to last year's line-up). But, despite being a bit on the tamer side of the scary stuff, they are still enjoyable films nevertheless. This series is a celebration of the diversity in horror films.

The first movie we are screening is The Monster Squad next week, October 1.

The Monster Squad was originally released in 1987 and is directed by Fred Dekker. The Monster Squad is arguably the movie Dekker is most well-known for, though he did only direct four films (Robocop 3 is the other well-known movie). Despite being directed by an unknown director and starring a cast made up mostly by unknowns as well, the movie has developed an extremely large cult following over the years. When one of you're characters is Scary German Guy, you are bound to develop a strong cult following.l

The premise of the movie is built like that of The Goonies. It revolves around a backyard club that some local middle school boys have formed called The Monster Squad. They meet in their tree house to discuss monsters, naturally. Discussions range from where monsters come from, how to kill them, and they even debate whether Wolf Man really does deserve the "Man" half of his name. Little does The Monster Squad know that their world of monsters is about to become much more real than they could ever imagine. Count Dracula shows up and has brought together his fellow Universal monsters from the classic 1930s-40s films: Frankenstein, Wolf Man, the Mummy, and Gill Man (Creature from the Black Lagoon). His plans are, of course, to take over the world with the use of an ancient amulet that has been hidden in the kids' little suburb.

As I said, The Monster Squad borrows a great deal from The Goonies and definitely attempted to ride its popularity coat tails. Unfortunately, it was not as immediately as successful in the theaters and became destined for underground and cult followings. Despite it's disappointments in its early years, The Monster Squad has become a classic film that any fan of 80s films should see at some point in their life. Seeing it for the first time, you won't be able to help yourself from comparing it to The Goonies, but it does separate itself upon further viewing. It is easily just as funny as The Goonies and has just as many quotable lines.

The film's idea has it's origins in the classic Universal horror films from the 1940s. After each of these monster had their solo movies, the studios began bringing them together to spare off against each other. The Monster Squad goes a step further and brings them ALL together and has the kids fighting them all at once; the ultimate in Good vs. Evil. The filmmakers acknowledge the source material for their movie and pay dutiful homage to those films. One moment was particularly poignant for me (poignant isn't exactly the word you'd expect to be used with a movie like this, but...). In the original Frankenstein, there is a scene where the Monster approaches a little girl throwing flowers into a stream. She shows him how to do it, but when they run out of flowers he throws her in, thinking she will float as well. There is almost a shot for shot recreation of that scene in The Monster Squad, but it does not end so tragically.

The similarities to The Goonies are much more evident and some of the characters seem like exact copies. The Monster Squad fights through these comparisons and establishes itself as its own being. On close inspection, it is clear that this movie is not nearly as family-friendly as The Goonies. There are frightening scenes in this film that would be right at home in an average horror movie. The director cleverly laces some of these frightening scenes with just the right touch of humor and absurdity, and that is what makes this film great in my eyes. It is able to find a delicate balance between being a good horror film for kids and adults and being....The Goonies.

The Monster Squad will be screened on Wednesday, October 1 at 6:00pm in the Freedom Regional Library Community Room. It is free of charge and there will be free popcorn as well! Hope to see you there!

Until next time....

P.S. The creature make-up for the movie was done by the late, great Stan Winston and his studio. Stan Winston never disappoints.

FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: HALLOWEEN MOVIE MADNESS II

2008-09-17T15:11:00.016-04:00

After a month and a half break, the Freedom Film Series is coming back and gearing up for an exciting month of October. For this series, I have incorporated a program into the Freedom Film Series that I put on last year at this time. I decided to keep the name, so the Freedom Film Series takes on a kind of producers role. Every Wednesday night, throughout the month of October, the Freedom Film Series will be celebrating Halloween by screening five different scary movies for the film series, Halloween Movie Madness II!

As I mentioned before, this is the second annual Halloween movie series that I will be putting on here at Freedom Regional. Last year's Halloween Movie Madness was quite successful and we had steadily growing crowds every night. I am hoping that with this success and the introduction and promotion of the Freedom Film Series that the crowds will be the biggest that we've had so far. I mean, what's better than scary movies at Halloween?

Since the film series will be centered around the Halloween holiday, I thought it would be appropriate to provide some information on the origins of Halloween.

This annual celebration originated in Ireland as the Celtic festival of Samhain, a celebration of the end of the harvest and Celtic New Year (the transition from October to November). This harvest festival did not remain solely within Ireland for very long. The idea spread across the world and, soon, many countries had adopted their own versions of Halloween. With the immigration of the Irish into the United States, Americans began celebrating the holiday and it was made an official holiday in the 19th century.

Though the traditions adopted for the festival vary from country to country, the general beliefs surrounding the holiday and the traditions remained the same. In one way or another, most of the cultures believed that on the eve of the Celtic New Year and the end of the harvest season (October 31), or All Hallows Eve, the boundary between the world of the living and the world of dead dissolves. Spirits are able to physically affect the living at will. In an effort to ward or confuse the spirits, people would wear masks and costumes. They believed that dressing up as spirits themselves would fool the spirits into leaving them alone. So, the costuming that people love to practice today was born from fear, not the desire to scare. Another common Halloween tradition today has its roots in this same fear. Villages would build huge bonfires in an attempt to keep spirits away and they would dance in their costumes and masks around the bonfires the entire night.

In the United States today, Halloween is the 6th most profitable holiday. Candy and costume sales reach their yearly peaks at this time of the year, which comes as no surprise. It is also one of the biggest, if not the biggest (in my opinion), movie holiday. I'm not referring to the number of releases or it being targeted for big blockbuster releases. When I say that it is the biggest movie holiday, I am referring to the fact that any company that is making a horror movie prays that they can shoot for a Halloween release date. More money is spent buying tickets to a horror movie or renting them than any other time of the year. Watching scary movies in October and on Halloween has become a storied tradition and a consistent part of American life.

So, if you're planning on using movies to scare the pants off of you this year (and I know you are), then why not come out to Freedom Regional Library and do it here with us for free! Every Wednesday night in October at 6:00pm the light from the movie projector will be our own bonfire as we watch a series of five scary movies in celebration of Halloween. Hope to see you there!

Freedom Film Series Presents: Halloween Movie Madness II

October 1: Monster Squad, PG-13
October 8: Friday the 13th: Jason Lives, R
October 15: Fright Night, R
October 22: Scream, R
October 29: Halloween 2, R
**anyone under 17 must have parental permission or be accompanied by an adult for the R-rated features**

Until next time....

P.S. FREE POPCORN WILL BE SERVED AT EVERY SCREENING!!

MOVIE-MAN MOVIE REVIEW: "RIGHTEOUS KILL"

2008-09-16T10:18:00.012-04:00

Back in 1995, fans of The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Scarface, and Raging Bull flocked to and flooded theaters across the country. The hype could not have been bigger surrounding the first movie in which Al Pacino and Robert De Niro would share the same screen together. People could not wait to see Tony Montana/Michale Corleone and Travis Bickle/Jake La Motta going head to head on the big screen in Heat. Though the movie experienced impressive critical acclaim, fans were disappointed in the limited screen time which De Niro and Pacino shared together.

It has been thirteen years since Heat was brought to the screen and the right Hollywood elements have been assembled, again, to bring these two heavyweights of cinema together for another big screen outing. This time they come together as two cops who have been partners for years with the NYPD in Jon Avnet's crime drama, Righteous Kill. As NYPD detectives Rooster and Turk, Pacino and De Niro are trying to track down a serial killer who seems to have taken justice into their own hands by targeting criminals as their victims. The two detectives are conflicted in their investigation; how passionate can a detective be about hunting down someone they feel is doing a service to the community and to the human race, even though how they are going about it is against the law? As the investigation progresses and the plot twists and turns (as all crime drama and thriller plots usually do), the detectives begin to suspect that it may be one of their own behind the killings.

Once again, the hype around another movie that is pairing these two titans was extremely high. This time it seems that the lesson was learned from Heat and Pacino and De Niro are in almost every scene together and they are rarely seen apart. Do they play off each other as we would expect them to? Sure. The charisma and intensity that both are known for are there and neither one tries to override the other, proving that both of these men are two of the best actors in American cinema. The director, Jon Avnet, knows just what these two men are capable of and what they are individually good at. De Niro is in his element as a tough guy who rarely shows vulnerability and sensitive emotions. As for Pacino, I was so glad to see Avnet use his distinct comedic ability, which, in my opinion, is the one thing that makes Pacino such an amazing actor. He has subtle ways of drawing laughs that leaves me in awe of his acting ability. His character's wise-cracking one-liners and obvious intelligence play the perfect brain to the De Niro character's brawn.

Performances aside, the movie took at bit too long to develop into the slick, well-balanced movie you would normally expect. The first half of the movie seemed disjointed and, at times, it was hard to follow the chronology of the scenes. This seemed to stem from a combination of poor editing choices and some flaws in the script construction. These are not detrimental flaws by any means, but it made an already involved plot difficult to follow. These problems seem to work themselves out later in the movie and it continues in a more or less linear fashion to the ending. The premise of the story works quite well and, as in most crime thrillers, the plot draws you into trying to figure out who the killer is before it's revealed (it was a little too easy for my taste, but interesting nonetheless).

What intrigued me most about this film was one of it's underlying themes: Right vs. Might. Can Might truly make Right, or does Right make Might? This moral dilemma has its roots all the way back in the legends of King Arthur. The Right vs. Might struggle was the central theme in T.H. White's classic Arthurian novel, "The Once and Future King." King Arthur and his knights were conflicted as to whether they should use their Might (strength, power, violence) to make peace and make things Right, or whether to always do the morally Right thing and that would make them Mighty among men.

This is the dilemma that the characters in Righteous Kill face, not to mention real detectives and police officers everyday. Is taking justice into our own hands and using our Might the Right thing to do? Or should we trust in the law and in what we know is the Right thing to do? For this movie, the answer to these questions ultimately determines what kind of person you are. From the beginning of the film, we have some ideas as to where the characters stand on this issue. But, this movie makes it clear that you cannot always assume the answer to these questions by looking at the way someone outwardly appears.

I am awarding Righteous Kill with three stars. With more conscious editing, it could have been an even better film. Despite that fact, it was an entertaining film and fulfilled it's role as a crime drama/thriller. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro do what they do best and meet up to the expectations that movie audiences have had since Heat. I realize that many people will be going to see this movie just because of the pairing of these two again. While this is, indeed, an exciting experience, try and listen to what the movie is trying to say and the reactions it draws from you. You might just learn something about yourself.

Until next time....

P.S. The introductory post for the next Freedom Film Series next month should be up tomorrow and the fliers will be up around the library as well. Hope to see you there!

CHARLOTTE FILM FESTIVAL

2008-09-15T11:18:00.004-04:00

In the midst of preparing my next Movie-Man Movie Review and gearing up for the next Freedom Film Series next month, the third year of the Charlotte Film Festival almost passed me by. When I found out that Charlotte was starting their own film festival a couple of years ago, I was thrilled! Film festivals are such an important part of any city's artistic community and Charlotte's artistic community is moving in a very positive direction.

Film festivals can be a whole lot of fun and they are incredibly important and meaningful to the filmmakers whose work is getting exposure. Festivals provide the opportunity for virtually unknown filmmakers to display their talents and projects they have spent precious time and money on. Festivals also provide a venue for like-minded movie enthusiasts to get together, socialize, and indulge in their greatest love: watching movies; and not just the typical Hollywood stuff that the market and the theaters are always flooded with. You can always count on festivals to draw some good independent films and documentaries and every once in awhile you stumble upon and see a really good movie before it's discovered and given a big national release (I love that feeling). These film festivals also give you a way of giving back to the artistic community and helping out struggling filmmakers who are actively pursuing their passions and dreams.

The 2008 Charlotte Film Festival looks like it's gearing up to be a great one. I have recently visited their website and it's filled with good information on the different movies that are being shown, the panel discussions, and the different venues being utilized. After reading through the list of entries this year, I can tell that there is going to be some very good filming-making to be found and good movie watching to be done. I want to point out, again, that these are not the typical Hollywood mainstream movies. I don't want people to go in expecting the big blockbusters with recognizable stars and then find themselves watching movies with limited budgets and unfamiliar faces. That's the point of film festivals, to give unknowns the chance to shine. I say this not to deter people from attending by any means, but rather to inform people of what to expect. I truly hope that every film screening is sold out!

As I mentioned earlier, the festival's website has all the information you would need to know about what films are showing, when and where they're showing, and how to buy tickets. The ticket prices are quite reasonable considering what movie ticket prices are like today. As with most things these days, tickets are cheaper if you buy them ahead of time online ($6.50), but still pretty reasonable at the door ($8.00). There are also some good deals on ticket packages. Personally, I went with the 5-Pack deal, which gives you 5 tickets for $26 (online) that you can use towards any movie during the run of the festival.

The Charlotte Film Festival is running September 25-28 and a total of 70 narrative, documentary, and international films and short films will be shown over these four days. Find some time in your schedule that weekend to get out and see at least one of the movies this year. I'm sure you can find something you like. I mean, there are 70 of them.....

Until next time....

P.S. My Movie-Man Movie Review of the current release Righteous Kill will be posted very soon.

FIRST ONE IN THE BOOKS

2008-08-14T15:10:00.003-04:00

Well folks, the first ever Freedom Film Series came to a close last night as we had a nice sized crowd for our screening of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. Last night's screening ended our four week series celebrating Alfred Hitchcock. I was really pleased the reception the Freedom Film Series has received so far and at the numbers we have been getting. Of course, we can always hope to do better. Once again, I would like to thank everyone here at the library that helped contribute to the film series in any way and I would especially like to personally thank those who make sure the library basics get done while I am screening these movies for two hours. Thank you!

Now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to say good-bye to Alfred Hitchcock (for awhile at least) and look forward to the next Freedom Film Series on the horizon. Our next series will be in October when we will be screening five consecutive weeks of classic and contemporary scary movies. I am not releasing that months screening schedule yet, but keep an eye out for it and the introductory blog post for that series in mid-September. So, I want everyone to mark their calendars and keep every Wednesday night in October open for our Halloween Movie Madness Film Series!

Until next time....

P.S. My next Movie-Man Movie Review should be coming soon.

F.F.S. HITCHCOCK: "REAR WINDOW"

2008-08-07T10:35:00.012-04:00

Well ladies and gents, our first Freedom Film Series is coming to a close and it has been an encouraging and successful experience. With the turn-outs we have had so far, I am confident that we will continue to have audiences for the other Freedom Film Series that I have planned for the library. Thank you to everyone who has come out to see one of the Hitchcock movies we have shown so far and to those who will be coming to see Rear Window on August 13. I would also like to take a moment and apologize to those of you who came out to see The Birds last night. We made it half-way through the movie when we had to close the library early because of the broken air conditioner. I was incredibly disappointed that we were unable to finish the movie for you and I hope it does not stop you from coming out to next week's screening.

Speaking of which......

Our final screening in the Hitchcock-themed Freedom Film Series will be Rear Window (which happens to be my personal favorite.) Rear Window had its original premiere in 1954, but was stored away shortly after the premiere. It and four other Hitchcock films were locked away and were prevented from being released because of a dispute over rights. These films became known as the Five Lost Hitchcocks and would not be seen for almost 30 years. After that 30 year span, the disputes were settled and the five films were all re-released around 1984. Rear Window stars two Hitchcock regulars, James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr (that's right, Perry Mason) also provide excellent supporting performances. The movie was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, Best Director, Best Color Cinematography, Best Screenplay, and Best Sound. Though most critics believe that Vertigo was Hitchcock's true masterpiece, Rear Window is considered one of the greatest movies of all time. As proof, it holds the #48 spot on the American Film Institute's list of the Greatest American Movies of All-Time.

James Stewart plays L.B. Jeffries, a photographer for National Geographic. When we meet him, he is confined to a wheelchair in his apartment because of a broken leg. He is being cared for by a home care nurse (Thelma Ritter) and his fashion model girlfriend (Grace Kelly). Since he is extremely limited to what he can do, Jeffries often finds himself looking in on his neighbors with the use of one of his larger zoom lenses. Through his lens, we, as the audience, get to meet his neighbors and get a glimpse into their lives. We also witness, along with Jeffries, what appears to be foul play involving one of his neighbors (Raymond Burr) murdering his wife. Jeffries does not know for sure whether she has been killed, but becomes increasingly obsessed with finding out the truth. He becomes so obsessed, in fact, that he begins to ignore his girlfriend and even asks her to go in harm's way by searching the adjacent apartment. All of this leads to a suspenseful and thrilling conclusion that has the audience on the edge of its seat.

Technically, Rear Window has some of the most impressive, yet subtle, distinctions out of all of Hitchcock's movies. The entire movie was shot on one set, and it was the biggest set at Paramount Studios at that time. Not only was it shot on just one set, but it was shot (for the most part) from a single perspective. Except for a couple of shots near the end of the movie, the entire film is shot from the James Stewart's perspective; basically the view from his apartment window. We do not see the apartment courtyard or the inside of the apartments from any other vantage point. Hitchcock even went as far as to only direct and work from that apartment and would not work from anywhere else. The actors in the other apartments were given earpieces so that Hitchcock could radio to them his directions.

All the technically aspects, along with the nature of the plot, place the focus on one of Hitchcock's favorite themes: voyeurism. Normally, voyeurism is combined with the objectification of women in Hitchcock's movies, but this time it is based on obsessive curiosity. Because the audience sees only what Stewart's character sees, the audience shares the burden of his fears and his anxiety as he is trying to piece together what has happened in Burr's apartment. Each person watching the film becomes Jeffries and is subjected to the consequences of his voyeurism and curiosity. This is what separates Rear Window from Hitchcock's other films, and other films in general. The film absorbs us into itself and we have no choice but to wait, agonize, and watch along with Jeffries.

So, come out and celebrate the closing of the first ever Freedom Film Series, as well as celebrate Hitchcock's 109th birthday! Rear Window will be screened at 6:00pm in the Freedom Regional Library Community Room on Wednesday, August 13th. It will be free of charge and there will also be free popcorn served! Hope to see you there.

Until next time....

F.F.S. HITCHCOCK: "THE BIRDS"

2008-07-31T12:04:00.006-04:00

Well, we are now half way through the first Freedom Film Series and things have been going smoothly. I hope that those who were able to come and watch Vertigo enjoyed themselves and enjoyed the movie! For the third installment in the Hitchcock film series, I will be screening another one of his more well-known movies. It proudly takes its place among the greatest thrillers of all time and, like Spielberg's Jaws, gives us yet another reason to fear the coastal areas. For next week's screening, we will be watching Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

The Birds was originally released in 1963 and was the very first movie to be released under Universal Pictures new name (the studio's previous name was Universal-International). The film stars Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, and Tippi Hedren in her big screen debut (Hitchcock found Hedren through soda commercial on the "Today" show; and the Hitch has always had a thing for blonds). The Birds received an Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects, but lost to Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra. This movie was, again, based on a Daphne Du Maurier story; Hitchcock would make three of Du Maurier's stories into movies. The entire movie, interestingly enough, has no musical score whatsoever. There are only the typical ambient sound effects, the sounds of the birds, and various other sounds mixed together with the use of an electronic mixer and placed at strategic moments in the film. In my opinion, this adds tremendously to the creepiness of the film, as well as the tension.

As far as plot is concerned, it is extremely basic for a Hitchcock movie. In a nutshell, the characters played by Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren meet in a pet shop in the city and there is an instant and innocent attraction (typical boy meets girl scenario). Hedren is invited for a visit to Taylor's home, which is in Bodega Bay right on the coast. After we have this established, the only thing left to say is BIRDS ATTACK! The characters in the film have no idea why the birds are behaving the way they are and, as the audience, neither do we. This is, I believe, the key to what makes The Birds such a terrifying movie and experience. What is more unnerving than the absence of reason, the inability to explain why things are happening? What is more frightening than the unknown? I think this is the point Hitchcock was trying to make with this movie. One does not need intricate and involved plot twists to create a fearful experience. As with most things in this world, simplicity does the trick nicely. All Hitchcock needed to was take animals that are a part of our everyday lives and make them behave to the opposite extreme that we are used to.

Technically, The Birds was quite unique for its time and this was recognized with the Oscar nomination. The bird attack scenes were a combination live animals, puppets, and fake birds on strings. In some of the scenes, birds were even attached to actors' clothing in order to keep them in camera frame and close enough to the actor to make the attack realistic. In some of the scenes of the movie, there are very large numbers of birds, specifically sea gulls, just sitting still ominously. It is hard to imagine how bird handlers would be able to get that many birds to remain that still long enough for filming. According to one of the actors, Rod Taylor, the sea gulls were fed wheat and whiskey so they would remain still and docile long enough to get the shots needed. I seriously doubt any other animals in any other movie were treated quite so well.

As for its critical acclaim, The Birds is considered to be one of Hitchcock's somewhat lack-luster efforts. That's not to say that critics think it is a bad movie; just that it seems a little inferior to some of his other more involved films. In this respect, the critics are right. If you come into this movie looking for a classic Hitchcock twist and turn plot, you are going to be disappointed. What the critics do agree on, however, is that The Birds is one incredibly eerie and chilling movie experience that is not easily forgotten. Hitchcock, himself, is famously quoted as saying: "It may be the most terrifying motion picture I have ever made." It is a movie that preys on one of the basest fears of human beings. The fear of nature outside of our control, of nature asserting its place of dominance on the planet. The fear that we humans may not be as high in the pecking order as we think.

Come out and join us on Wednesday, August 6 at 6:00pm in the Freedom Regional Public Library Community Room for our screening of The Birds. The screening is free of charge and open to everyone. Hope to see you there!

Until next time....

F.F.S HITCHCOCK: "VERTIGO"

2008-07-24T14:20:00.004-04:00

A big thanks goes out to the people who came to our opening night screening of Rebecca in the Hitchcock Freedom Film Series. And thanks to those who helped me get the movie going! If you came out to see Rebecca, and even if you didn't, I hope you'll plan on making it to our next Hitchcock movie, Wednesday July 30. Next week, we will be venturing into more familiar Hitchcock territory with the movie Vertigo.

Vertigo was originally released into theaters in 1958 and stars Kim Novak and the Hitchcock regular, James Stewart. Although the film earned itself two Oscar nominations, it was initially given less than stellar reviews by critics and was generally disliked in its early days. As a fine wine, however, Vertigo has aged extremely well. It is now considered one of Hitchcock's greatest movies if not THE greatest movie he has ever made. A combination of staggering performances from Stewart and Novak, innovative camera work, and the always involving and suspenseful story we come to expect from Hitchcock make this one of the most memorable thrillers in film history.

To give a brief description of the plot....James Stewart is a San Francisco detective who is hired by an old school friend to follow his wife (Kim Novak) for fear that she is losing her mind and may be suicidal. As he follows her around town, Stewart's assignment becomes an obsession as he becomes enamored with the blond-haired beauty. As his obsessions grow, Stewart comes to realize (in typical Hitchcock fashion) that things are not always what they seem. If anymore of the plot is revealed, it would ruin the movie. The real thrills come from following the numerous twists and turns and watching Stewart become helplessly entangled along with ourselves. If you're wondering what part vertigo actually plays in the movie, it's somewhat small. Stewart's character does have a somewhat severe case of vertigo, but it is only mentioned in conversation once in the film. (Vertigo, by the way, is a stark dizzying sensation one feels while on completely stable surroundings. It is mistakenly thought to be a fear heights; extreme heights merely cause a more severe attack of vertigo.) The reason for naming the movie as such comes from the way Stewart's mind is twisted and spun in obsessions with Novak.

Vertigo was listed at #61 on the American Film Institute's Top 100 American Movies and deservedly so. It stands out from the rest of Hitchcock's other films in its technical work and the nature of its characters. Hitchcock and his cinematographer, Robert Burks, created what is today called the contra-zoom or trombone zoom and they used this type of shot to create the sense of vertigo. Basically, the shot involves zooming out the camera lens while tracking, moving, the camera closer to what you are filming. It is used on a regular basis today in order to capture similar sensations. The characters also stand out in Vertigo more than they do in Hitchcock's other films. The characters are overall darker than what we are used to in Hitchcock, even the ones we are supposed to be in support of. Perhaps this is why most critics believe this movie is his masterpiece. It offers us something that we are not expecting.

So, if you have seen Vertigo before, or you have never seen any of Hitchcock's movies at all, come out and join us for a screening of Vertigo in the Freedom Regional Public Library Community Room at 6:00pm on Wednesday, July 30. The screening will be free of charge and open to the public. Join us for a good movie and a good time!

Until next time....

F.F.S. HITCHCOCK: "REBECCA"

2008-07-15T11:13:00.005-04:00

I have been eagerly awaiting, as I hope many of you have as well, the first screening of the very first Freedom Film Series program. As we already know, the theme for the first Freedom Film Series is Alfred Hitchcock and we will be spending one night a week for four weeks watching four of his best films. The first film that I have chosen to show in the Hitchcock program will be Rebecca. The film was originally released in 1940 starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine and it was the first movie that Alfred Hitchcock made in Hollywood (after making the move from Great Britain to the U.S.).

Rebecca is not one of Hitchcock's more well-known films, but was, nevertheless, quite successful and critically acclaimed. In 1941, it was nominated for a total of 11 Oscars and came away with the Best Cinematography, Black and White and Best Picture awards. This would be Hitchcock's only Best Picture win out of the many times his films earned that nomination. Three of its Oscar nominations were in the acting categories. Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier were both nominated for Lead Acting awards and Judith Anderson earned a Supporting Actress nomination. Hitchcock was also nominated for Best Director, but had to settle for the Best Picture award instead.

The movie is an adaptation of a Daphne Du Maurier novel of the same name and is an eerie Gothic, suspense tale. Without giving too much of the plot away, the story centers around a young, naive, lower class girl (Joan Fontaine) who meets a young, rich widower, Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) and they immediately fall in love and marry. Soon after moving into the large estate of her new husband, the, now, Second Mrs. de Winter finds that the atmosphere she is met with is anything but hospitable. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), is the primary source of this unwelcoming spirit. Mrs. Danvers was, and seemingly remains to be, devoted to the First Mrs. de Winter and disdains the new-comer. As the movie progresses, we learn that the death of the First Mrs. de Winter is shrouded in mystery and Joan Fontaine spends most of her time trying to figure out what has really happened and why the house is so haunted by the memory of her predecessor.

Rebecca is an extremely atmospheric film that successfully evokes creepy chills from the audience. Hitchcock's choice to shoot the film in black and white is one the biggest contributing factors to the Gothic feel and aura and, according to Hitchcock, was the only way that the mood of the book could be translated into film. The movie is filled with great performances, a suspenseful story, a chilling musical score, and is beautifully shot. In other words, it is classic Hitchcock. And, of course, there is the classic Hitchcock cameo near the end of the movie. But you'll have to actually come to the screening to see for yourself.

The movie will be shown on July 23 at 6:00pm in the Freedom Regional Library Community Room and it is free of charge. Come on out for a good movie and a good time!!

Until next time....

MOVIE-MAN MOVIE REVIEW: "WANTED"

2008-06-30T17:26:00.005-04:00

I couldn't have asked for a better movie to use as my first review on the F.F.S. blog than Wanted. One never wants to start any new venture on a sour note, so I knew that I my first review had to be a positive one for a movie that I really enjoyed. Wanted has fulfilled all these desires. Throughout the entire film, I sat in my seat basking in the hardcore, in-your-face spectacle that is Wanted.

I'll spend minimal time discussing the plot: a. because that's not what reviews are really for, and b. plot doesn't really matter in a movie like Wanted. The story centers around Wesley Gibson, played by James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia, The Last King of Scotland), an overly-anxious office worker that's being served the worst life can possibly offer. Wesley's life, however, quickly becomes something much more than he ever could have dreamed. He comes to learn that his father, recently murdered, was the greatest assassin in the world. Wesley is recruited by The Fraternity, an elite group of assassins, of which his father was one. He is informed that it is his destiny to follow in his father's footsteps, and he is steered towards this destiny by Fox (Angelina Jolie) and Sloan (Morgan Freeman).

That's pretty much all the plot that anyone needs to know before seeing the movie. And, like I said, this movie does not rely on a heavily detailed and elaborate plot, and it doesn't need to. The special effects are second-to-none and well executed. People manipulate bullets, cars, and themselves in ways I would have never thought possible. In fact, most of the stunts that take place are not very realistic, but who cares! It's still a whole lot of fun to watch and think how cool it would be if you could do it. This movie and its creators and actors know exactly what it is, an action-packed, full-throttle adrenaline rush for the eyes and ears. It doesn't try to be anything more or less, and that is where it succeeds. I have seen action movies that have tried to be dramatic and artful, and I have seen more serious films try to highlight action elements. It just doesn't work. Wanted enthusiastically embraces its place in the genre of jaw-dropping action.

One place that Wanted also stands surprisingly tall in is its comedic elements. In fact, I found myself laughing out loud, with the rest of the audience, several times. For anyone who has seen Office Space, you will greatly appreciate a lot of these comedy moments. And it's not just the office scenes that are funny. There are quite a few hilarious moments during the action sequences; whether it be facial expressions or one-liners, they all hit their mark almost perfectly.

To sum up, Wanted is pure candy! It's candy for the eyes, the ears, and even for the soul. It provides the perfect 2 hour escape from the real world and allows us to bask in its unabashed energy. A large number of critics will say that the lack of a plot makes it a poor movie. As I've said, plot is not what's important to this movie. What's important to this movie is giving its audience a good time and giving them their money's worth and, in this, it succeeds. Besides, a little bit of candy every once in awhile is good for you.

For my movie reviews, I will be using a 4 star rating system. Basically, anything rated 3 stars and up, I recommend seeing and is worth spending your time and money on. Anything below 3 stars has problems; the severity of the problems will determine how few stars it gets. So, with a 3 and a half star rating, I highly recommend Wanted. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn close.

Until next time....

FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: HITCHCOCK

2008-06-30T15:16:00.004-04:00

Well movie fans, the very first Freedom Film Series is upon us! The theme I have chosen for the first F.F.S. pays homage to one of the greatest film-makers in movie history. He is the rightfully named and undisputed Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. This 5-time Oscar nominated director created movies that were potently suspenseful when they were first released, and are still just as thrilling today. This is what modern day horror/thriller/suspense directors strive to emulate. From the time I first came up with the idea for the Freedom Film Series, I knew one of them would have a Hitchcock theme. This first F.F.S. seemed like the perfect choice. It starts the series off with a great, well-known director, and the final screening of this series will fall on Hitchcock's 109th birthday!

The four films I have chosen for the series reflect some of Hitchcock's favorite motifs/themes and some of his best work. Each week, prior to the screening, I will publish posts on each individual film; giving a brief overview and introduction of the film. All of the screenings will be held in the Freedom Regional Library Community Room and are free of charge. All screenings will be on Wednesday nights from 6:00pm until 8:00pm. Below are the four films that will be screened and their dates, as well as a copy of the advertising flyer that is posted around the library. I am eagerly looking forward to getting the F.F.S. going on a high note, so I hope to see a good crowd here for our first screening!

July 23: Rebecca
July 30: Vertigo
Aug. 06: The Birds
Aug. 13: Rear Window

Until next time....

P.S. Be on the lookout for my first movie review, which will be posted very soon!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2008-06-19T09:47:00.001-04:00

Welcome one and all to the FREEDOM FILM SERIES BLOG! I am currently working on what the first real blog entry will be, but you should look forward to information and announcements about the various Freedom Film Series that are planned here at Freedom Regional Library. I've got some great stuff in the works for the Freedom Film Series and I hope we get a good crowd for each and every one. From time to time, I will also be posting reviews I have written for recent and not-so-recent films; most of which will be available in the PLCMC library collection. All in all, this blog, the film series, and my reviews are an attempt to get people to take a closer look at movies and recognize that they are more than just action, gore, and sex (most of them anyways). Movies have been one of this country's most potent art forms and cultural medium. It spans age ranges, gender, race, and, at crucial times in our country's history, been used as a way to make bold and powerful statements. On another level, I also want the community to realize how great of a cultural storehouse the public library really is. The public library is a place of learning, entertainment, community, and a place where culture is preserved in its many different forms. I am really looking forward to getting the Freedom Film Series up and running and I hope it will become something that the community looks forward to.

Until next time....