The Movie Beat

Recount: The Movie!

2009-03-23T10:46:00.003-06:00

The Movie:
This Emmy-winning film presented in 2008 shows the unreal behind-the-scenes fiasco that took place during the weeks following the highly controversial 2000 election. Here a presidential race further split an already divided America. The country's leadership was hanging in the balance after the closest vote in history. This fight between George W. Bush and Al Gore became down a heated contested vote count in Florida.

What I liked: The acting is flawless and the story is unbelievable. Unbelievable that such a fiasco could happen. I enjoy watching Kevin Spacey

What I disliked: I think Laura Dern overacted in the role of Katherine Harris, Florida's Secretary of State. Of course I could be wrong because I never saw any news reports with Katherine Harris. I was out in the boondocks during this time in history.

My Take:
I belive that this is a film that should be seen by every American. It should be show in shown in Colleges, High Schools and Day Care Center!
I rate it 5 stars out of 5. Get it you'll love

Turn The River: The Movie!

2009-03-19T10:09:00.002-06:00

The Movie:

Kailey Sullivan (Famke Janssen), a small time pool hustler suspects her son's father, the custodial parent, of physically abusing the him. Kailey has a plan to change the situation using her skill at playing pool. She calls on her mentor, Teddy (Rip Torn), and her pool shark talents to win enough money to take her son across the border into Canada.

What I liked: Famke Janssen is an outstanding actress and she's beautiful. What I liked most, however, is the "Final Shot". Seeing is worth the price of admission. I found this flick in our public library. It was produced in 2007. I rate it a 4 star on a 5 star scale.
What I disliked: Rip Torn is a seasoned actor with a lot of experience but somehow I just could not relate to his character in this film. Another actor I had a hard time watching was Matt Ross. I've seen him in other films and he was fine but not so here.

Get this film. You'll love watching Famke Janssen make the "Final Shot"!

The Movie: The Bedford Incident

2009-03-18T07:41:00.003-06:00

Movies From The Public Library

BACKGROUND
At the peak of Cold War tensions, a U.S. naval ship discovers a Soviet submarine in the North Atlantic and scrutinizes its every move. As the ship's commander, Capt. Findlander (Richard Widmark), pushes forward, relations between crew members become strained, and a battle of wits ensues. Sidney Poitier plays an unfortunate reporter who interviews the captain but gets more of a story than he wanted as the drama builds to an edgy climax. Produced in 1965 with a great cast including: Martin Balsan, Wally Cox, Eric Portman and James MacArthur.

What I liked: A great story. well presented by an excellent cast.
What I disliked: I found nothing to dislike. Get this from your public library.

A fun free evening of entertainment!

Slow Moving Movie, Paranoid Park!

2009-03-16T14:55:00.001-06:00

The Movie: Paranoid Park!

What I liked: I enjoyed the acting of Gabe Nevins. Very natural and low keyed.
What I disliked: Critics have many nice things to say about Paranoid Park: "...the result is a work of breathtakingly personal cinema--intimate, beautiful, and moving..." And another says: "It is a modestly scaled triumph without a false or wasted moment."

For me, however, the movie was slow and boring. I hate it when directors spend so much time walking behind an actor, or the camera stays focused on the actor's face for what seems an eternity. No action! No dialog! Just walking along behind or fixed on the actor's face while he does nothing.

Hitchcock's Movie: The Torn Curtain

2009-03-12T06:56:00.001-06:00

Torn Curtain:

What I liked: Another great Hitchcock Film with all the fantastic takes. There's the usual cameo appearance of Hitchcok himself in the hotel scene. Hitchcock with a baby on his knee.

I especially liked the gassing of the German security guard. With his head in the oven all we see are his hands as he dies. Really fine filming.

The film stars Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. Hitchcock's 50th thriller produced in 1966 and rated PG.

What I disliked: I did not like the casting of Julie Andrews as Newman's fiancée. I think she was cast because of her box office draw and popularity at the time.

That aside the film is well worth your time and money. It's an entertaining experience to see Paul Newman in his handsome, youthful days.

Stop-Loss: The Movie

2009-03-03T08:28:00.002-07:00

The Movie: Stop-Loss
Stop-Loss (2008) R
Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) returns home to his small Texas town, after a tour in Iraq, a decorated hero. He attempts to readjust to civilian life, but he's recalled as part of the military's controversial stop-loss program, he decides he's had enough and goes AWOL. The film was directed by Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry).

Stop-loss, in the United States military, is the involuntary extension of a service member's active duty service under the enlistment contract in order to retain them beyond their initial end of term of service (ETS) date.
The policy has been legally challenged several times, however federal courts have consistently found that military service members contractually agree that their term of service may be involuntarily extended

For More Info Visit Wikipedia:

What I liked: I liked this movie. There's enough action and the controversial stop-loss policy is clearly defined. The acting is excellent even the small parts are well performed. I'd spend the time and money to see this film again. Go for it.
What I disliked: I found nothing really objectionable.

Tape & Hangman's Curse - 2 Movies

2009-02-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Movie: Tape (2001) R
Three high school friends (Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard and Uma Thurman) reunite for the first time in 10 years in a motel room. Here they play out an unresolved dramatic event from their final days in high school . Each character reveals his or her true feelings and motivation. behind the high school episode. The film also exposes how different men and women view the same event.

What I liked:The ensemble acting was outstanding. The three actors worked together flawlessly. I loved the soundtrack, I'm Sorry sung by Brenda Lee. This is a well-wort- you-time flick.
What I disliked: A bit too talky for me. It was written for the stage and I would think perform best there.

The Movie:Hangman's Curse -2003) PG-13
A horror lurks at Rogers High School and a family of investigators attempt to discover the deadly power that's killing off students one by one. Nate and Sarah Springfield and their two teenage kids go undercover to find the unspeakable evil.

What I liked: The only thing I liked in this movie was the well trained tarantula spiders. Spider freak me out and this movies had hundreds if not thousands. The Special Spider Feature offered on the DVD is more exciting than the movie!
What I disliked: I disliked just about everything in this movie, but I especially disliked the character of the "mad" scientist (who is actually the author of the book from which the movie was taken). His acting was soooo bad i was embarrassed for the poor fellow. Unless your into these adolescent type horror movies save your money.

Saw IV & Prayer for the Dying - 2 Movies

2009-02-21T07:49:00.001-07:00

The Movie: Saw IV - (2007) UR
The movie begins with Jeff searching for his missing daughter. A videotape from the dead serial killer Jigsaw is Jeff's only lead in his frantic search. The film jumps back and forth in time throughout the entire Saw series and ties up some bloody loose ends left over from the previous films.

What I liked: I enjoyed the technical effects by both the movie people and Jigsaw himself!
What I disliked: Hopping back and forth got a bit confusing for an old mind.

The Movie: Prayer for the Dying - (1987) R
Mickey Rourke a young IRA terrorist who is tired of violence after accidentally blowing up a school bus full of children. Now useless to his cause, he's being pursued by both the British and the IRA. Alan Bates a sadistic mobster offers Rourke a way out. He'll need to commit just one more murder. Bob Hoskins in the unlikely role of a priest witnesses the killing, and Rourke uses the Catholic confessional as a way of silencing the priest.

What I liked: Mickey Rourke's performance is sterling.
What I disliked: It's sometimes, in fact often, hard to follow the Irish dialect.

Two Movie Versions Of Funny Games

2009-02-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

I spent the evening viewing the movies Funny Games (1998) and Funny Games (2007). It was interesting to compare these two movies directed by the same German director, Michael Haneke. The 1998 version was in German while the 2007 version was in English.

The story involves a married couple and their son who are spending their vacation at their lakeside home. What begins as a peaceful day is interrupted by a pair of sadistic young men who enjoy playing funny, scary games of violence.

In the German version the wife and husband are played by Susanne Lothar and Ulrich Muhe.

In the English version the wife and husband are played by Naomi Watts and Tim Roth.

The dialog and action was almost identical throughout both movies. One major difference was that Naomi Watts remained in her underware after being forced to undress. In the German version Susanne Lothar is also forced to undress, but is later allowed to put on all of her clothes.

I felt the acting was equally good in both versions, however, the sadistic young men in the English version were to me more frightening.

I give both movies 3 out of 5 stars.

The Virgin Spring: An Igmar Bergman Movie

2009-02-16T08:11:00.002-07:00

The Virgin Spring: An Ingmar Bergman's 1960 film with Max von Sydow.

BACKGROUND:
I chose to feature this film because, like Ang Lee, it was the first art film I'd seen. I became a fan of Bergman and von Sydow and even today 49 years later with all the innovations in film The Virgin Spring is still a magnificent piece of film making.

Not so for Bergman: "A film which was one of my shadiest, it seems to me just now, was The Virgin Spring.
— Ingmar Bergman, Bergman on Bergman

According to Wikipedia the story is based on a 13th century Swedish ballad named "Töres dotter i Wänge" and which was adapted by screenwriter Ulla Isaksson. It is one of the few films Bergman directed but did not write

THE STORY:
Set in medieval Sweden, this story of rape was directed by the great Ingmar Bergman and earned an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. While to delivering candles to a church, the virginal daughter (Birgitta Pettersson) of feudal landowner Töre (Max von Sydow) is brutally raped and murdered. As fate would have it, however, the killers unknowingly seek food and shelter at the girl's home. The grief-stricken Töre learns the truth about his visitors and takes his revenge.

My TAKE:
Beautifully filmed, outstanding ensemble performances and brilliantly conceived and directed.

CONCLUSION:
The film is in black and white and runs 1 hour 29 minutes.

It goes without saying I love the film and give a top 5 star rating.
Go get it!

Brigham City: The Movie

2009-02-06T07:04:00.003-07:00

BACKGROUND:
Brigham City is a murder mystery filmed in 2001. It was written, directed by and features Richard Dutcher. Mr Dutcher is also the creator of
God's Army. In addition to Richard Dutcher, the film stars Wilford Brimley and Matthew Brown.

THE STORY:
The story takes place in the small Utah town of Brigham City. Although there is a Brigham City located to the North of Salt Lake City, the "Brigham City" referred to in this film is fictitious. According to Wikipedia the movie was filmed in Mapleton, Utah. The in-movie descriptions of geography and population are fictional.

This sleepy little Utah town is jolted to its core when the local sheriff who is also the Mormon Bishop discovers a California woman dead near her car. The sheriff calls in the FBI from their closest office, Provo, Utah. He does this both because he has no experience in murder investigations and because he wants to keep the murder's influence out of his town. The sheriff points out that there has never been a murder reported in this town.

As the murders pile up, however, the sheriff turns for help from his young deputy, his trusty secretary, and a retired sheriff (Wilford Brimley), the sheriff leads the investigation, fearing that the perpetrator may be a Brigham citizen. Suspicion runs rampant and before the killer is finally exposed there is irreparable damage to several citizens.

The story blends together belief in Mormonism with the troubles that the town is facing. It's an idyllic town, a paradise, in the words of the retired sheriff (Wilford Brimley) "Nothing attracts a Serpent like paradise".

My TAKE:
This flick is an unusual mixture of mystery, murder and Mormonism.

The acting is outstandingt and most believable. in the words of one reviewer, Steve Rhodes, "...the film is filled with actors who deliver such flawless performances that you have to keep reminding yourself that they're just acting."

CONCLUSION:
Well worth your time and money.
Netflex rates this a 4 Star, PG-13.

Here's a link with more information:
Brigham City The Movie

The Movie Beowulf: 2007

2009-01-27T13:55:00.001-07:00

I want to share with you all a film I watched last night, "Beowulf".
This is the 2007 production directed by Robert Zemeckis. See notes
below.

If you have not seen this movie I encourage you to rent, borrow or steal it.
It's that unique. In fact it's "An Astonishing Experience", but the making
of the movie; the technical aspects behind the filming just blew my mind.

I often think of myself as a stage director who could make the transition
to the film with a little effort. Not so if this is where they are going.

Anyway, get it, watch it and let me know what you think.

I should warn you that it's for mature audiences.

NOTES FROM WIKIPEDIA
Beowulf is a 2007 performance capture action film based on the Old English epic poem of the same name. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was created through a motion capture process similar to the technique used in The Polar Express. The cast includes Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Alison Lohman, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover, Brendan Gleeson, and Angelina Jolie. It was released in the United States, Canada and the UK on November 16, 2007, and was available to view in IMAX 3D, Real D and standard 2D format.

The Sundance Film Festival: Movies! Movies! Movies!

2009-01-19T15:07:00.001-07:00

It's official! The 2009 Sundance Film Festival is a go!

This world -class movie making event will run through January 25th. Showing more than 100 films. The festival has been a Park City, Utah event since 1981.

On the sidebar are a few links to help my readers who may not be able to attend the festival or those who feel a little overwhelmed by the 100-plus films available for viewing.

The site at festival.sundance.org features videos from this year's festival. "Storytime" is a series of videos about what's happening at this year's festival. "Snackbox" is a collection of short videos about the independent film

There are archives that look back at last year's festival. The site also includes slide shows, filmmaker profiles and interviews, and a daily collection of news from the event.

This year, Sundance will have a presence on the social networking site Facebook (see link on sidebar). At Facebook, there will be videos, trailers, interviews and reviews.

Meanwhile, the Slamdance Film Festival, also held in Park City, has its own site at www.slamdance.com that will feature filmmaker profiles and news. The Slamdance Film Festival runs each year in Utah during the same time as the Sundance Film Festival. The Slamdance Film Festival began in 1995, competing with Sundance to provide what some consider a truer representation of independent film-making. It supports directors starting out with little or no budgets.

Go ahead Click on the links on the sidebar and enjoy Utah's Sundance Film Festival!

Elizabeth & I'm Not There: The Movies

2009-01-14T17:08:00.001-07:00

Talk about Trompe-l'Oeil (fool-the-eye) art. The acting of Cate Blanchett in the role of Jude Quinn, (a version of Bob Dylan) in "I'm Not There" is awesome!

If you want to see some fine acting watch "Elizabeth: The Golden Age", then watch "I'm Not There". Fantastic character acting performed by Cate Blanchett.

I watched these two films this past week and found them both a rewarding evening of thought-provoking entertainment.

"I'm Not There"
"I'm Not There" is a 2007 biographical film directed by Todd Haynes and is inspired by the life of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.
Six actors portray six persona of Bob Dylan in scenes showing several stages in the Dylan's life. Chronicling his rise from unknown folk singer to international icon, the film reveals how he reinvented himself many times. Todd Haynes directs this stylized portrait, the first biography approved by the Dylan. The cast includes Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere and Cate Blanchett (in the Oscar-nominated role of Jude).

This is a fast paced and fun movie to watch. If you lived through the Dylan era you'll enjoy the trip down memory lane. If your too young to have joined the Dylan rebellion you need to take a look and hear how music use to be.

"Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Cate Blanchett is at the head of the cast as the Virgin Queen (earning her another Oscar nomination) in this Shekhar Kapur-directed sequel to the 1998 film production of "Elizabeth". The film also stars Clive Owen in the roll of Sir Walter Raleigh.

The film is full of elaborate sets and won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Blanchett received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Though many of the critic provide lukewarm reviews of the script and "overbearing" musical soundtrack, I encourage you to watch this movie. If for no other reason than to observe the fine acting of Cate Blanchett. I might also add, however, that though not a historian I belive the historical facts are a bit fictional.

Watch the film. Enjoy the ACTING!!