Some Halloween Fun!

This week I decided to share some of my favorite Halloween links and videos. The first video is actually a movie trailer starring a young Johnny Cash. The movie is titled, “The Door-to-Door Maniac.” I have never seen the movie, but it looks like it could be pretty intense.

It was around this time last year that I discovered a whole new genre of movie trailers on Youtube. Some very creative and talented people like to take scenes and clips from beloved movies. They turn these clips into a movie trailer that has an entirely different look and feel from the original film. For example, one person edited clips from the movie “Sleepless in Seattle,” and turned it into a story about an obsessed woman. They basically took a romantic comedy and turned it into a horror film that closely resembles the ’80s movie, Fatal Attraction. Trust me,  you will never see Meg Ryan’s sweet and lovable character quite the same way again.

Another favorite family, “Mary Poppins,” has been painstakingly recut in to a trailer that makes the film look like a horror movie, as well. Once again, you will never look at Mary Poppins, nor Julie Andrews, the same.

The last recut horror trailer I will share, is from another modern family classic, The Lion King. Once again, our lovable hero has been transformed into a psycho-lion!

The last link is for a new, independent movie which an aquantaince of mine produced. Shadowland has been screened at several film festivals, including the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase, the Piasa Film Festival, the Freakshow Horror Film Festival, and the Halloween Horror Film Festival. It has won recognition and awards at these festivals. Additionally, it is scheduled to be screened at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November.  For a synopsis and more information, check out the Shadowland official website.

Read Full Post »

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: Could Internet Movies be the Wave of the Future?

Over the last few days, I have heard talk about a new film. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is not your typical big-screen, feature film. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day, this movie was made strictly for the internet. The movie is presented by Mutant Enemy Productions, and directed by Joss Whedon.

The movie was released in three acts, making it a “serial movie.” I was able to watch all three acts today on the Dr. Horrible website, free of charge. Unfortunately, I learned that they will only be available on their website until midnight, July 20, Eastern time. That means tonight, folks. However, the good news is that they can be purchased and downloaded from itunes after July 20th. They are sold as 3 separate acts for $1.99 each, making them similar to buying individual tv show episodes.

What I loved about Dr. Horrible, is that this movie breaks the traditional super-villain / super-hero mold. Dr. Horrible, as played by Harris, comes across as passionate and sincere, though misguided. On the other hand, the super-hero, Captain Hammer, is portrayed as shallow, insincere, and without a heart. I also enjoyed the cheesiness of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. I miss the cheesy super-heroes of the ’70s and ’80s. I grew up on Electra-Woman and Dyna-Girl, Christopher Reeve as Superman, The Last American Hero, and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It seems to me that the superhero movies today are rather dark and gloomy. While not all of them are this way, I just can’t get into the dramatic, dark superhero films. Super-heroes are meant to be fun!

Dr Horrible has proven to be an internet blockbuster. It has quickly become a fast-spreading viral video across the web. I have to wonder it this medium just might be the wave of the future. Let’s face it, ticket prices have risen considerably, as have prices on other items. Ticket sales have gone down, while prices of other necessities, such as food and gas, continue to skyrocket. Though I do not bill myself as an economic analyst, I see this as a sign that ticket sales will continue to go down.

Another factor is the high costs to filmmaker’s themselves. Surely it would cost less to make an internet movie. In addition, the internet and new social media offer the opportunity for viral marketing, much of it free or low-cost.

I am looking forward to see if other internet movies make such a dramatic splash across the world wide web. I am also curious to see just how this could eventually impact the movie industry.

In the meantime, check out Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. You just might be thoroughly entertained!

Visit the Dr. Horrible website.

Read Full Post »

Minnie Driver: She Can Act, But Can She Sing?

Over the years, many actors and actresses have tried to conquer the world of music in addition to acting. While they may be extremely talented and gifted in acting, they often prove to be lousy vocalists. Reversely, many talented musicians have attempted to take on the role of actor as well. Again, these performers often give credence to the old standard “don’t give up your day job.”

All you have to do is listen to the Hollywood Goes Wild cd to see what I mean. Though it is a noble attempt to raise money for a zoo, most of the actors on the cd prove that they cannot sing. Notable celebrities including Brad Pitt, Russel Crowe, Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, and many more, lend their voices to this effort. Most likely, they will not be able to forgo acting in favor of a music career.

On a positive note, I recently discovered that actress, Minnie Driver had also released a couple of her own cds. She was in such films as Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon and Return to Me with David Duchovny. I decided to download her albums to my Zune and listen to them later.  I was pleasantly surprised to realize that she is actually quite good. I love her voice. I also like the fact the the songs are “just right.”  They are slow and mellow, but never boring.  If you look up Minnie Driver on Amazon.com, you will discover that listeners have rated her cds rather high.  Her two main releases include Seastories and Everything in My Pocket. My personal favorite selection is Beloved.  If you are in the mood to add something new and fresh to your music collection, give Minnie Driver the benefit of doubt. I am glad I did.

Read Full Post »

No Country for Old Men: I Can’t Get it Out of My Mind

About a month ago, I went with some girlfriends to see a movie. This would be only the second movie I would see in a theatre in 2007. On this day, the popular Campbell 16 Theatre was taking part in a canned good drive. Anyone who brought five canned goods was entitled to see any matinee free of charge. The other girls had already chosen the movie, No Country for Old Men. I didn’t know anything about this film except that it starred Tommy Lee Jones.

During the first five or ten minutes of the movie, I decided that it most definetly was NOT one that I would have chosen. It really seemed to be a “guy’s” movie, not the chick flick I was hoping to see. It was quite violent and somewhat depressing. I thought to myself, “this will be two hours that I will never be able to get back. Two hours totally wasted.”

Then something surprising happened. As the movie played on it started to grow on me. The suspense kept me on my toes and kept be interested. I became less disappointed that it wasn’t a chick flick, and more drawn into the storyline and the characters. I realized that this was top-notch acting, not just another violent, shoot-em-up action movie. The cast included the fabulous acting combination of Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and my new favorite, Javier Bardem. Bardem owned the role of the psychotic villain. In my opinion he deserves any and all awards for which he is nominated this year. Last night he won the Golden Globe for best supporting actor in a motion picture drama. He takes this role far beyond a that of a one-dimensional psychotic killer. What makes his performance even more remarkable, is that Javier Bardem is a popular actor from Spain, yet takes on the mannerisms and accent of midwestern American. He has the accent and the language down pat. I sincerely hope and believe that he will not only be nominated for the Academy Award, but will ultimately take the coveted trophy home.

Let’s not leave out the equally talented Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones. Brolin is excellent as the average joe torn between the love for money and doing what is right. He eventually chooses that latter, but it is a little too late. He has already gotten both himself and his wife in deep with Bardem’s disturbing character. Josh Brolin owns his role as well.

Tommy Lee Jones brings to this film, his usual knack of rising above a somewhat limited role. He provides both compelling drama and a much needed comic relief to this otherwise totally intense movie. Woody Harrelson also shares a bit of comic relief. Unfortunately his screen time is very short, but I don’t want to give away too much.

This movie was directed by the infamous Coen brothers who brought us the equally compelling Fargo and Raising Arizona, among others. It is based on the novel by Corman McCarthy. Quite frankly this movie was not one I would have initially chosen to see, but I would have missed out on a compelling and suspenseful story and killer acting talent. This movie stuck with me for weeks after I first saw it. I just can’t seem to get it out of my mind. Truthfully, I believe that has a lot to do with the ultimately convincing performance by Javier Bardem. Horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street don’t really bother me once the movie is over. I know that they would never become reality. They could never really happen. This movie, however, COULD really happen.

If you haven’t seen No Country for Old Men, you really should consider watching it. While it may be a somewhat disturbing movie and at times, difficult to watch, the collaboration of all involved takes this film to a whole new level. It is well worth seeing.

Trailer for No Country for Old Men:

Read Full Post »