victoratthemovies

[victoratthemovies]

The Master

I wrote this review for Film School Rejects, which you can find here:http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/review-paul-thomas-anderson-the-master-vesco.php

Editor’s Note: On Friday night in Santa Monica’s Aero Theater, a group of movie fans gathered to enjoy a 70mm print of The Shining were treated to the first screening ever of Paul Thomas Anderson’s forthcoming The Master. We’ve asked film geek Victor Escobar, who was lucky enough to be there, to offer his thoughts on the film. It hits theaters September 21st.

I thought that I was lucky just because I had won tickets to see The Shining on Friday,  but before it began, we were told that a special 70 mm print was being shown right afterward and that we were welcome to stay for the screening. During the movie, I kept thinking of films that were shot in 70 mm which would make a great follow-up to Kubrick’s hotel-set horror. The first and most logical film that came to mind was 2001: A Space Odyssey. So the film ends, the lights go up and we’re told that we will be the first people to see Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, The Master.

The announcement was greeted by a unanimous roar from the audience.

The Master is about Freddie (Joaquin Phoenix), a man without any self control or a sense of direction life, who is taken under the wing of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Both men find inspiration within each other but as Dodd’s religion grows, Freddie finds himself going against not just Dodd’s teachings, but Dodd himself.

I wasn’t exactly sure of my feelings as I left the theater. I didn’t have a single negative response  in my head, but I thought about the film on my way home, I thought about it as I was going to sleep, I thought about it as I woke up and I still find myself thinking about it over and over again.

Partially because of the bombardment of tweets I received following the screening, I was quick to praise the film and my mind was solely focused on the questions that I was being asked about it, but I always felt that something was a bit off. I realized that it was the film’s ambition. It laudably tried to reach the heights of Anderson’s previous films such as There Will Be Blood and Magnolia but The Master never quite makes it there. Still, it is an intimate film with an epic scope that, like it’s main character, occasionally strays off course.

Anderson’s script continues his previous themes of destiny, loneliness, faith and dysfunctional families. The writing really shines through the two lead actors who deliver some of the best performances of their already impressive careers. Phoenix is controlled chaos. A ticking time bomb. His performance is nearly as unpredictable as his character. He goes from calm and inviting in one scene to an absolute animal in the next.

On the other hand, Hoffman is focused, intense and nearly seductive as the charismatic Lancaster Dodd. The best scenes in the film are those that Phoenix and Hoffman share, bouncing off each other in intense verbal showdowns and in strange religious practices conducted by Dodd.

The Master also exceeds in its technical merits. Beautifully photographed in 70mm by Mihai Malaimare Jr., the film’s bright and brilliant colors emulate the optimism of Lancaster Dodd and the film’s 1950s post-war America setting. Jonny Greenwood’s score closely mimics Freddie in the sense that it can range anywhere from subtle, anxiety-inducing percussions to lush harmonies.

Featuring few, if any, redeemable characters, The Master is poised to become a critical darling upon its release but it will no doubt polarize audiences. Its subject matter is sure to cause controversy amongst certain groups. However, with its beautiful photography and impeccable acting, The Master’s only shortcoming is that it ultimately does not live up to the epic that it aims to be.

The Upside: Gorgeous cinematography, excellent writing, and two carnally strong lead performances.

The Downside: Its reach exceeds its grasp.

On the Side: Jeremy Renner was going to play Freddie but bowed out because of his Avengers schedule, while PTA’s constant cinematographer collaborator Robert Elswit was also unavailable because of his duties on The Bourne Legacy, in which Renner also stars.

#the master #paul thomas anderson #phillip seymour hoffman #joaquin phoenix #film #Victor At The Movies

[victoratthemovies]

Hot Fuzz Commentary

The Hot Fuzz Blu Ray (not sure if it's available on the dvd version) has an amazing commentary track by Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino that is film geek heaven. Tarantino has nothing to do with the movie and they barely talk about the film at all but they mention a plethora of other films that I intend to see. Here's a list of every film mentioned in the commentary:

Hot Fuzz (EW's film; QT's favorite film of the year—"so far")

The Mechanic (directed by Michael Winner, who EW would like to have do a commentary for Hot Fuzz; starring Charles Bronson; EW's favorite Michael Winner film)

Lawman (directed by Michael Winner; starring Burt Lancaster)

Scorpio (directed by Michael Winner; starring Burt Lancaster; later discussed as featuring Alain Delon and Gayle Hunnicutt)

Firepower (mistakenly referred to as Flashpoint; directed by Michael Winner; featuring OJ Simpson and Sophia Loren)

The Nightcomers

The Nightcomers (directed by Michael Winner; starring Marlon Brando)

Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (directed by Michael Winner)

James Bond films (filmed around the world "with Sony money" and therefore not "British" anymore; some starring Hot Fuzz's Timothy Dalton)

Death Wish 3 (set in New York but filmed in the UK; directed by Michael Winner)

Full Metal Jacket (set in the US but filmed in the UK; directed by Stanley Kubrick)

Beyond Therapy (set in New York but filmed in Paris; directed by Robert Altman)

The Laughing Policeman (good old cop movie QT showed EW; starring Walter Mathau)

Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (good Italian cop movie QT showed EW; QT: One of the greatest titles of all time, and it lives up to its name!)

The Rookie (similar plot to Hot Fuzz; starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen; written by Spiegel and Yakin)

Hostel (produced by QT and the writers of The Rookie)

That's My Boy

That's My Boy (similar plot to Hot Fuzz; QT's favorite Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis movie)

48 Hrs. (by allusion: "Nick Nolte is a cop. Eddie Murphy is a con.")

Dirty Harry (by allusion: "Dirty Danny"; later referenced directly)

Shaun of the Dead (directed by EW; starring Hot Fuzz's Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; later when discussing editing cheats, EW mentions that he removed zombie blinking)

Hot Fuzz 2 (imaginary sequel to Hot Fuzz which wouldn't work)

The Matrix (film that didn't need sequels, like Hot Fuzz)

The Matrix: Reloaded (the sequel, which was unnecessary and caused problems with the story)

The Matrix: Revolutions ("the third one")

Superman (referenced by the ending of The Matrix)

"Spaced" (featuring Hot Fuzz's Julia Deacon; directed by EW and starring Hot Fuzz's Simon Pegg and Nick Frost)

Naked (featuring Hot Fuzz's Peter Wight; directed by Mike Leigh)

Vera Drake (featuring Hot Fuzz's Peter Wight; directed by Mike Leigh)

The Bitch (starring Joan Collins and featuring Hot Fuzz's Peter Wight and Bill Nighy; QT mistakenly says it was directed by Quentin Masters but it was actually directed by Gerry O'Hara)

The Stud (starring Joan Collins; directed by Quentin Masters)

The Wicker Man

The Wicker Man (starring Hot Fuzz's Edward Woodward; the by-word in the UK for creepy towns)

Deliverance (the by-word in the US for creepy towns)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (similar creepy-town idea; by allusion: "We're in 'Texas Chainsaw' country.")

Callan (starring Hot Fuzz's Edward Woodward as a "badass lawman")

Reservoir Dogs (directed by QT; later, QT mentions an accidental moment left in, when he raises his finger to call cut but the other actors rise to leave, so he does too)

Enchanted April (what everyone thought British movies were in the 80s and 90s)

Sitting Target (featuring Hot Fuzz's Edward Woodward as a "badass lawman"; directed by Douglas Hickox; starring Oliver Reed)

'Breaker' Morant (starring Hot Fuzz's Edward Woodward, which QT quotes with a shout)

"The Equalizer" (starring Hot Fuzz's Edward Woodward as a "badass lawman", altho actually a private detective)

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (by allusion: "Gil Grissom"; featuring William Peterson as a "badass lawman", altho this is stretching both terms; QT directed an episode)

To Live and Die in LA (by allusion: "Richard Chance"; featuring William Peterson as a "badass lawman")

Manhunter (by allusion: "Will Graham"; featuring William Peterson as a "badass lawman")

Young Guns 2 (featuring William Peterson as a "badass lawman")

"The Saint" (by allusion: "Simon Templar" who QT mistakenly calls "Temple"; starring Roger Moore as a "badass lawman", altho he's not really a lawman)

"The Persuaders!" (starring Roger Moore as a "badass lawman", altho he's not really a lawman)

Twisted Nerve (featuring Hot Fuzz's Billie Whitelaw; one of QT's favorite films; directed by Roy Boulting; controversial for its treatment of Down Syndrome)

"Common as Muck" (starring Hot Fuzz's Edward Woodward)

Lawrence of Arabia (QT is friends with the daughter of editor Anne Coates, wife of Douglas Hickox)

Brannigan

Brannigan (directed by Douglas Hickox; UK cop movie starring John Wayne and Richard Attenborough; featuring Ralph Meeker, who QT quotes later with a shout; EW says later that Judy Geeson's character is "Carol Thatcher" but it's actually Jennifer; characters walk past the ITA theater)

Hot Doris (an imaginary film starring Hot Fuzz character PC Doris Thatcher)

Grindhouse (included a spoof trailer by EW; the double-feature of....)

Death Proof (directed by QT; referred to directly later, and...)

Planet Terror (directed by Robert Rodriguez; referred to again later, indirectly)

Maximum 'Tache (an imaginary film starring Hot Fuzz detectives Andy and Andy)

Coffy (includes a typical 1970s strip club scene for no reason)

"Budgie" (1970s British urban-streets TV show, starring Adam Faith)

"Minder" (1970s British urban-streets TV show)

The Man Who Haunted Himself (starring Roger Moore; directed by Basil Deardon)

Khartoum (directed by Basil Deardon)

Dead of Night (directed by Basic Deardon; QT: the greatest of all ventriloquist dummy movies)

Devil Doll (another good ventriloquist dummy movie; directed by Lindsay Shonteff; starring Bryant Haliday)

Magic (another ventriloquist dummy movie; QT: doesn't deliver at the end; directed by Richard Attenborough; featuring Ann-Margret)

Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (mistakenly called "Death Wish 3: The Crackdown", but QT is right to bet that director J Lee Thompson is British)

The Passage (directed by J Lee Thompson, starring Malcolm McDowell, James Mason, and Anthony Quinn)

Fragment of Fear

Fragment of Fear (starring Gayle Hunnicutt and David Hemmings; featuring Hot Fuzz's Ken Cranham)

Hammer films (UK horror films with some respect in the UK and abroad)

Don't Look Now (The Wicker Man was the B movie to it in the original double feature)

Flash Gordon (featuring Hot Fuzz's Timothy Dalton)

No Escape (featuring Hot Fuzz's Stuart Wilson)

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (featuring Hot Fuzz's Ken Cranham)

11 Harrowhouse (starring Candice Bergen; QT discussed it with her; featuring Charles Grodin and John Gielgud)

Silent Rage

Silent Rage (DVD featured on-screen in Hot Fuzz; starring Chuck Norris and featuring Brian Libby, name-checked as a paperboy in Hot Fuzz)

Hero and the Terror (mistakenly called "Hero Versus Terror" at first; starring Chuck Norris; one of the worst of the genre)

Unbreakable (directed by M Knight Shamalamadingdong; QT "not super-screamingly obvious that this is a re-telling of the Superman story," which it is not, but he's close)

Halloween (by allusion: Silent Rage is "Chuck Norris versus Michael Myers"; later referenced directly)

The Shawshank Redemption (directed by Frank Darabont and featuring Brian Libby)

The Green Mile (directed by Frank Darabont and featuring Brian Libby)

The Mist (directed by Frank Darabont and featuring Brian Libby)

Raw Meat

Raw Meat (AKA Death Line) (one of EW's favorite horror films)

North by Northwest (accidental moment that stayed in the movie: kid puts his fingers in his ears before the gunshot)

The Phantom Menace (did more than the recommended amount of "cheating" in the editing room)

Lady in the Water (directed by and featuring M Knight Shamalamadingdong with blinking in close-ups that could have been fixed in editing as done in Hot Fuzz)

Bullseye! (directed by Michael Winner and starring Michael Caine)

Candyman (like him, Michael Winner might show up if you say his name five times)

The Italian Job (Paramount film with UK cast and setting, altho Paramount was just the distributor for Oakhurst Productions)

Alfie (Paramount film with UK cast and setting, altho Paramount was just the distributor for Lewis Gilbert)

Hennessy (AIP film with UK cast and setting; starring Rod Steiger)

Carry On films (UK comedies that don't "travel" well)

The Exorcist (US horror film that killed off the Hammer horror films)

To the Devil a Daughter (US/German horror film that helped kill Hammer films)

The Satanic Rites of Dracula/Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride (UK horror film)

Dracula AD 1972 (One of QT's favorites; starring Christopher Lee)

Chariots of Fire (1980s UK film that began to become the norm)

A Room With a View (1980s UK film that began to become the norm)

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1990s UK film that began to become the norm)

Hellraiser (1980s UK horror exception; directed by Clive Barker)

Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (QT: Hellraiser was this film as done by Hammer)

Villain

Villain (UK film; starring Richard Burton, mistakenly referred to as The Villain by QT; directed by Michael Tuchner)

The Squeeze (UK cop film; directed by Michael Apted; starring Stacy Keech)

The Young Americans (UK film with Harvey Keitel; sort of a remake of Brannigan)

Copkiller (Italian film starring Harvey Keitel and featuring Johnny Rotten [as John Lydon])

Theater of Blood (directed by Douglas Hickox)

Frenzy (same stuntman as in Brannigan and Sean of the Dead; featuring Barry Foster)

McQ (Dirty Harry rip-off starring John Wayne; directed by John Sturges)

Death Wish 2 (characters walk past the Paramount theater; directed by Michael Winner)

True Romance (characters walk past Vista theater; written by QT)

Point Break (one of EW's favorite films; great chase thru a back yard, but copies Raising Arizona; featuring Gary Busey and M Emmet Walsh)

Raising Arizona (EW's favorite film of all time; good chase thru a back yard, but copies Straight Time)

Ferris Beuller's Day Off (another good chase thru a back yard)

Straight Time (chase thru a back yard inspired Raising Arizona and Point Break; featuring Gary Busey and M Emmet Walsh)

Narc (good back yard chase)

Police Academy 5

Police Academy (good back yard chase; starring Steve Guttenberg, who EW prefers over Matt McCoy)

Reno 911: Miami (EW: poster looks just like Police Academy 5 poster—but it doesn't)

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (EW: poster copied by Reno 911: Miami; starring Matt McCoy)

Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (the one where they go Moscow; mistakenly called the eighth at first, but actually the seventh; featuring neither Guttenberg nor McCoy)

Reno 911: Miami

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (the second Police Academy movie; starring Steve Guttenberg)

Police Academy 3: Back in Training (the third Police Academy movie; it's poster actually does look a bit like the Reno 911: Miami poster; starring Steve Guttenberg)

Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (the fourth Police Academy movie; starring Steve Guttenberg)

Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (the sixth Police Academy movie; one of the films EW projected; starring Matt McCoy)

Police Academy 3

Lethal Weapon 2 (EW saw the trailer dozens of times while a projectionist in 1989 and associates the music with 1980s action movies and used it in Hot Fuzz)

Die Hard (same music composer as Lethal Weapon 2; featuring Alan Rickman)

Batman (EW saw the trailer dozens of times while a projectionist in 1989)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (EW saw the trailer dozens of times while a projectionist in 1989)

Without a Clue (featuring Hot Fuzz's Paul Freeman; one of the films EW projected)

Prisoner of Rio (starring Hot Fuzz's Paul Freeman)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (featuring Hot Fuzz's Paul Freeman)

Long Good Friday (starring Hot Fuzz's Paul Freeman and Pierce Brosnan)

The Sender

The Sender (featuring Hot Fuzz's Paul Freeman; directed by Roger Christian; QT's favorite movie of 1982; he created his own video version from the R-rated and TV versions)

Battlefield Earth (directed by Roger Christian)

Nostradamus (directed by Roger Christian; and EW's brother was a model maker)

The Evil Dead (EW created his own version)

Beaches (one of the films EW projected)

A Nightmare on Elmstreet 4 (one of the films EW projected; which he accidentally showed with the reels in the wrong order, and no one complained; directed by Renny Harlin)

Can't Stop the Music

Can't Stop the Music (EW: the high point of Steve Guttenberg's career)

The Boys from Brazil (EW: the other high point of Steve Guttenberg's career)

Still Crazy (starring Hot Fuzz's Bill Nighy; his breakout movie)

"The Strauss Family" (featuring Hot Fuzz's Stuart Wilson)

"I, Claudius" (featuring Hot Fuzz's Stuart Wilson)

The Road to Wellville (directed by Alan Parker, who was discussed more in a deleted bit of commentary)

The Rock (featuring Hot Fuzz's Stuart Wilson)

Enemy of the State (featuring Hot Fuzz's Stuart Wilson; directed by Tony Scott; EW thinks it's one of the most wasteful films of great actors, especially Ian Hart)

Lethal Weapon 3 (featuring Hot Fuzz's Stuart Wilson)

The Omen (by allusion: "Mrs. Baylock"; featuring Hot Fuzz's Billie Whitelaw)

The Krays (featuring Hot Fuzz's Billie Whitelaw as the British thugs' "deah muvvuh")

Brazil (featuring Hot Fuzz's Jim Broadbent)

"Coronation Street" (featuring Hot Fuzz's Anne Reid)

"Victoria Wood" (featuring Hot Fuzz's Anne Reid)

The Mother (starring Hot Fuzz's Anne Reid; directed by Roger Michell)

Matchpoint (directed by Woody Allen; wasteful of great actors)

Scoop (directed by Woody Allen; wasteful of great actors)

Psycho (directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who was derided for it but not as bad as the Boulting Brothers were for Twisted Nerve)

Peeping Tom

Peeping Tom (directed by Michael Powell, who was derided for its sleeze)

Shaw Brothers films (HK action films that QT has on bootleg)

Supercop films (Hong Kong action films that EW has on bootleg)

Kill Bill (directed by QT; used music from Twisted Nerve)

Bad Boys 2 (Musing on who wrote the line "Shit just got real", referenced in Hot Fuzz)

Permanent Midnight (writer also co-wrote Bad Boys 2)

Armageddon (had seven credited writers but no one noticed that there were two nearly identical lines about it being a nightmare a couple of minutes apart)

Past Midnight (QT did a dialog polish; a poor man's Jagged Edge)

Jagged Edge (compared to Past Midnight)

Crimson Tide (QT did a dialog polish; directed by Tony Scott, whom QT loves and can't say no to)

Doom (EW and Hot Fuzz's Simon Pegg were asked to do a dialog polish, but didn't)

Pulp Fiction (directed by QT)

Plump Fiction (spoof version of Pulp Fiction)

Pulp Friction (porn version of Pulp Fiction)

Drill Bill

Drill Bill (gay porn version of Kill Bill)

Thrill Bill (straight porn version of Kill Bill)

Death Poof (imaginary UK gay porn version of Death Proof, to be directed by EW)

Death Poo (imaginary scat-fetish version of Death Proof, with Scatman Mike)

Girls Gone Wild films (directed by Joe Francis, misidentified as "Joe Franklin")

Bad Boys 3 (an imaginary third Bad Boys movie, which EW is willing to direct)

Marx Brothers films (QT and EW agree should not be seen more than one at a time)

Man on Fire (directed by Tony Scott and an inspiration for the final shootout camerawork)

Domino (directed by Tony Scott and an inspiration for the final shootout camerawork; one of both EW and QT's favorite films of the year)

"Q" series (Spike Milligan's television show, where they left wardrobe tags on the costumes, just as evidence tags are left on the guns used by the cops in in Hot Fuzz)

"Cannon" (1970s US cop show, starring William Conrad)

Mad Max (one of QT's favorite car chase scenes of all time; featuring the Night Rider)

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (not the big truck scene)

War of the Gargantuas

War of the Gargantuas (directed by Ishirô Honda; Japanese monster movie QT would like to emulate and EW inadvertantly did emulate in the model village fight)

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (filmed next to the model village set; starring Hot Fuzz's Cate Blanchett; directed by Shekhar Kapur)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (featuring Hot Fuzz's Bill Nighy)

Hope and Glory (the destroyed station house resembles it)

Children of Men (shot near by; borrowed its rubble for the destroyed station house scene)

Mary Poppins (by allusion: Dick Van Dyke's lousy Cockney accent)

Ocean's Eleven (by allusion: Don Cheadle's lousy Cockney accent)

"Hot Fuzz" (imaginary TV show that would have been based on Hot Fuzz if it were made in the 1980s)

Boom (starring Richard Burton and Liz Taylor; Burton speaks the title as dialog)

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

The Perfect Storm (Christopher McDonald speaks the title as dialog; directed by Wolfgang Peterson)

The Mother of Tears (Asia Agento speaks the title as dialog; directed by Dario Argento)

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (example of a movie QT takes music from)

Extreme Prejudice (directed by Walter Hill; DVD cover used in Hot Fuzz)

#Hot Fuzz #Edgar wright #Quentin Tarantino #Film #Victor At The Movies

[victoratthemovies]

     This happens every year. We're about 7 or 8 months into the year and I realize that nothing particularly outstanding has been released. There are only two films this year that I have seen that I would put in this category: The Grey and The Dark Knight Rises. Both films went above and beyond my expectations. I expected The Grey to be a satisfying turn-your-brain-off popcorn movie but instead it was a bleak,visceral survival film that would fit perfectly on a double bill with John Carpenter's The Thing. The Dark Knight Rises, well I really can't put my love for this movie into words. A part of me thought that this would be Christopher Nolan's first failure but the other hoped that it would be greater than it's predecessor and the latter part of me was correct. I'm rather disappointed that these are the only two films of the year that I have a genuine love for. I thought back to how great 2011 was. By this time of the year we had:

The Tree of Life

Beginners 

Drive

Warrior

Super

Midnight In Paris

Crazy, Stupid, Love

All of these turned out to be true cinematic treats. With the exception of Drive and Super, these films showed me how beautiful life and love can be and the importance of family. Drive was unlike anything else that I've ever seen. A gritty action movie that belonged at an art house who's scenes of violence were not only disturbing but also poetic. Super was a brutal, balls to the wall charmer with excellent performances from Rainn Wilson,Ellen Page and Kevin Bacon but what I loved the most about it was the love and passion for this project that clearly shows on screen. I've yet to see anything this year that has caused such a reaction with me and as I check the calendar for upcoming releases, I'm afraid that nothing will come close to the films of last year.

#the grey #the dark knight rises #the thing #the tree of life #beginners #drive #warrior #super #midnight in paris #crazy stupid love #2011 #2012 #film #Victor At The Movies

[victoratthemovies]

Films are subjective-what you like, what you don’t like. But the thing for me that is absolutely unifying is the idea that every time I go to the cinema and pay my money and sit down and watch a film go up on-screen, I want to feel that the people who made that film think it’s the best movie in the world, that they poured everything into it and they really love it. Whether or not I agree with what they’ve done, I want that effort there-I want that sincerity. And when you don’t feel it, that’s the only time I feel like I’m wasting my time at the movies. - Christopher Nolan

[victoratthemovies]

Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of 'The Dark Knight Rises', I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families.

Christopher Nolan

The news of the shooting inside a crowded theater in Aurora, Colorado has really hit close to home. Throughout the day, I've been thinking about all those people and kids who were like me, giddy with anticipation to see the final Batman film and what was a moment that all of them had been waiting for quickly turned into a tragedy.

[victoratthemovies]

“Philosopher and filmmaker share a way of being, an outlook on life that embodies a generation.” - Jean Luc Godard, Masculin Feminin 

#masculin feminin #jean luc godard #criterion collection #film #french new wave #Victor At The Movies

[victoratthemovies]

     The Dark Knight Rises will be released to west coast audiences in half an hour. With it's release, I have realized how anal I am when it comes to how I see my movies in theaters.

     I've never really been into this whole midnight release thing as I can usually wait a day or two to see it but I was willing to do so for The Dark Knight Rises because Batman is to me, what Harry Potter is to others and a new movie from my favorite directors is always exciting. The reason why I am currently not at a theater is because my dad showed interest in seeing it. My family isn't as enthusiastic about seeing movies in theaters when I am so it kind of ruins my experience. The last two movies we saw as a family were The Avengers and Captain America. The three of them got into an argument on our way to see Captain America and I was the only one who had energy as we waited in line for The Avengers. I want to see movies with someone who's going to be as excited as me and I told myself that if they show no interest in this movie then I will be there at midnight. My brother doesn't care, my mom didn't even know there was another Batman movie being released but my dad wants to go. Because of this, I bought tickets for a 6 p.m screening on Saturday. I saw Batman Begins in theaters with him and I saw The Dark Knight in theaters with him so I feel as if I should finish the trilogy with him.

     I was also invited to a 10:30 a.m screening but I feel that something this epic and special to me should not be viewed at such an early hour.

     Because of my, whatever you call it, I am seriously considering a social media blackout until I see it. I really hate when anyone spoils anything but I'd hate for this movie in particular to be spoiled.

#the dark knight rises #Victor At The Movies

[victoratthemovies]

Natural Born Killers

     During summer vacation, my friend and I usually get together during the weekdays at my place and we watch whatever movie that both of us have wanted to see. The movies range from some of the more obscure films in the Criterion Collection's catalog to recent releases like 21 Jump Street. Today's selection was Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers.

     Natural Born Killers is a movie that I've been wanting to see for a while. I have never felt so polarized by a movie. I can't say that I liked it but I can't say that I didn't either.

     Throughout the movie, I couldn't help but think that it seemed like some one's first film. It felt like a kid had just seen Slacker, El Mariachi and Reservoir Dogs and told himself "I could do this" and his product was Natural Born Killers. I had really high hopes for this movie. A. It's Oliver Stone and B. It's based on a script by Tarantino.I know the script was significantly changed but it's still a Tarantino story.

    Some of it's strong points are also some of the weakest such as the frenetic editing and frequent switch between color and black and white. It works but it also made it feel like a music video (early Nine Inch Nails and a few Butthole Surfers videos came to mind). The only thing that I can truly stand behind is the acting. Especially Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as a self centered journalist who loses it and finally understands the question that he is trying to understand (Why do Mickey and Mallory Knox kill?)

     My friend and I both agreed that we would've absolutely fallen in love with the film if we saw it during our first "Summer Movie Fest" back at the end of 8th grade where we first saw Easy Rider, American Psycho and I was first introduced to Tarantino's body of work. As two snobs who have seen it all, we felt that it had been done before and better. In the end, all I can say is that I respect it. It had it's fair share of enjoyable moments but it did not ultimately live up to what it perceives itself to be. I will definitely be revisiting this in the years to come.

#Natural Born Killers #Oliver Stone #Quentin Tarantino #film #Victor At The Movies

[victoratthemovies]

This is one of my favorite taglines

#fade to black #movie posters #film #victor at the movies

[victoratthemovies]

As a reference to the previous post, here's the trailer for William Castle'sThe Tingler.

[victoratthemovies]

Back in the 1950s or maybe early 60s, William Castle the king of gimmicks used a similar device to the D Box for his film The Tingler. I went to a revival showing of the Tingler 12 years ago. Only 3 seats had "Tinglevision" or whatever installed. But what was effective is that the audience did not know which seats they were. So a lucky few were in for a real "shock" when during the last reel their bottoms were zapped. They literally yelped on cue. The Tingler is great anyway and worth seeing.

How cool would these gimmicks be today?

Physical pain, actual smells, and anything else that they'd do back in the 50's and 60's. That's an immersive experience.

I actually saw the trailer about a week ago and I imagined myself as a kid on his way to see it and how terrified I'd be because of Castle's warning.

[victoratthemovies]

This is mine.

#the dark knight rises

[victoratthemovies]

if... -dir. Lindsay Anderson, starring Malcolm McDowell

(1968)

#if #lindsay anderson #posters #film #Victor At The Movies

[victoratthemovies]

My Favorite Movie-Theater Experience

     My favorite movie theater experience actually happened in a "gimmick" auditorium. A few AMC's have a special auditorium that delivers an "ETX", or an Enhanced Theater Experience. What makes this experienced enhanced is that the screen is 20% larger than their normal screens (it was pretty big) and the theater is equipped with 12.1 channels of sound. That's why I call ETX a gimmick. There has never been a movie that was produced with 12 channels of sound. Most movies are mastered in 5.1 and a very select few are mastered in 7.1. I do know that Red Tails was mastered in 11.1 to recreate height and distance but how many theaters are equipped to handle that?

     Anyways, my dad and I went to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo on Christmas day and again, I'm really wary of all these gimmicks. I refuse to see anything in 3D unless it was filmed in 3D and even then I probably won't see it in 3D. We go up to the ticket counter and the lady informs us that their only theater that is showing it is their ETX theater. Forcing people to pay extra by having the movie screened in a special auditorium is rather shameless but I thought "Fuck it, this might be cool."

     I immediately noticed how much larger the screen was upon entering. What I really wasn't expecting was how loud this thing would be. There was a trailer for John Carter that was almost unbearable. I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy the movie because the sound was going to be too much to handle. Anyways, the movie begins and the picture was absolutely breathtaking. It was projected digitally, which I know is something that purists have deemed as ruining the movie going experience but to be honest, I don't really care. The film was shot digitally and it was projected digitally so I'm sure that I didn't lose anything in terms of visual quality.

     If you've seen The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, you know that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' cover of Zeppelin's Immigrant Song kicks some serious ass, but hearing it in 12 channels is something that I will never live down. My shirt was rumbling!

     The audience reaction was also something that I had never witnessed before. Major SPOILERS RIGHT NOW. MAJOR. During Salander's rape, I counted at least 12 people who walked out. I had never seen anyone walk out of a theater because they were disturbed by the content. The crystal clear picture and sound definitely amplified the experience. ANOTHER MAJOR SPOILER. People were cheering as Salander got her revenge on her rapist. The act itself is essentially rape. People were cheering rape!

     If you can handle it, than ETX is definitely worth it. I'm glad that I experienced it with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The noise would have probably distracted me if I were to have seen something like The Avengers in that auditorium. But The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a fairly quiet film. I don't think I would've appreciated Reznor and Ross' subtle score if I were to have seen the movie in a theater that had a subpar audio system and I don't care what people say but a digitally shot film projected digitally delivers some of the best images that I have ever seen.

#Victor At The Movies #amc theaters #etx #film #the girl with the dragon tattoo #v #victor #victor at the movies

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Wes Anderson

     Friday, I stopped by the Laemmle NoHo7 to see Wes Anderson's most recent outing, Moonrise Kingdom. From the first Wes Anderson film I saw (Fantastic Mr. Fox), to the very last (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), I was never really quite sure what to think of Wes Anderson.

     I did think that Anderson was very pretentious and his humor was exclusive to a group that I most certainly do not belong in but there was something that always attracted me to him. My first introduction to Wes Anderson's work was Fantastic Mr. Fox, which is my favorite kids movie. I didn't think of him as pretentious when I saw this but I recently re-watched it and I did see that he was able to infuse the themes that he's known for into the film. It's not a Roald Dahl adaptation in the purest sense of the word but it is a full on Wes Anderson film. I saw The Royal Tenenbaums after that and I'm very divided on the film. I did enjoy it but I couldn't help but feel a sense of condescension on Anderson's end. I felt as if it wasn't a movie that was made for "me", a minority who has no idea what it is to live amongst upper class individuals. Woody Allen has several films that deal with upper class intellectuals from Manhattan but I had never once felt this feeling while watching a Woody Allen movie.

     The Life Aquatic was the film that would solidify whether I truly enjoy Wes Anderson or if I just respect him as a filmmaker and would continue to seek out his upcoming films. I loved Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited was okay but felt like a chore to get through and aside from the last 20 mins,Bottle Rocket, while being his least pretentious film, was a bore. Unlike most people, I absolutely enjoyed The Life Aquatic. It employed Anderson's quirky sense of humor and a charm that he has that has won me over.

     Now, I pretty much adore him. His films feels as if they come out of a child's storybook. I know what to expect when I view a Wes Anderson film and I'm almost certain to receive it.Moonrise Kingdom was no exception but it seemed to excel in all these qualities. It kept a smile on my face throughout and it seemed right that the two main character's were kids. I've always thought that Anderson should and could write an excellent kid's book. The thing that I probably love the most about his body of work is that I always feel as if I'm seeing his true intentions. From the small things like the fabric in the clothing to the color palette. It's comforting to know that some people out there are still able to fulfill their visions.

#Wes Anderson #Moonrise Kingdom #film #Victor At The Movies

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It's been a while since I've posted. I ought to post more often. I'm going out to the movies tomorrow so expect a post by then. To my 3 followers who have stayed on, thank you!

[victoratthemovies]

last updated in 2011. Update or pull down. There is limited space on the Internet. Update or pull down.

I've stumbled upon porn blogs that haven't been updated in over two years but why not, I'll give this blog another shot.