Friday, February 13, 2009

Now Playing: Hockey Masks and Shopaholics

links go to trailers

L I M I T E D

Gomorra The Italian hit finally opens proper, without the intended Oscar nomination it expected to be promoting itself with. I thought it was good but I don't totally understand the fuss, I must confess. If you like hyperlink mosaics or mafia films you could certainly do a lot lot worse. It has its moments.

Two Lovers I keep thinking this movie opened already but such is the fateful pattern of distribution for small actor's films. Only in this case it's more like actor (singular) since that's not what Joaquin Phoenix is anymore, you got it? See it for Gwynnie. Didn't you realize you kind of missed her when she showed up in Iron Man last summer?


W I D E
The International Evil banks vs. the world. How timely! But how did they get permission to shoot up the friggin' Guggenheim? (I never use the word friggin but the doubled double 'g's were too much to pass up). That's all I can think of when I watch the trailer because despite the presence of a director I once loved (Tom Run Lola Run Tykwer) and actors I admire it seems so, what's the word, "standard"? We'll see.

Confessions of a Shopaholic In which two time Oscar nominee Amy Ad-- I'm sorry in which Isla Fisher (the other one was on my mind, that's all) tries to carry a girlie hit all by herself presumably targeting the huge Devil Wears Prada audience. Notice the helpful hint "You speak Prada?" in the trailer. Although do we really care what Hugh Dancy speaks so long as we are able to read his lips? Do you think the female audience will ever tire of being portrayed as insatiable brand-crazy consumers?

Kristin Scott Thomas also appears in this one and we'll be talking about her again in a couple of weeks when I've Loved You So Long hits DVD. I'll share my interview then.

Friday the 13th I have no idea what number this is the endless bloody stream of Jason pictures, but the title suggests it's a reboot. Not a rethink! How can one rethink "Kids go to Crystal Lake, get slaughtered" I saw the first five minutes of this at Comic Con (not by choice! they sandwiched it between two things I wanted to see so I couldn't give up my seat). In the first five minutes of the picture, young pretty people get killed in increasingly gruesome ways. Sorry to go so heavy on the spoilers. Did I ruin the movie for you? What surprised me is how many people got killed in those five minutes. I counted five. The movie is 97 minutes long. I guess I'd see 92 more murders if I purchase a ticket? Slasher math.

True story: One of my friends is hosting a Friday the 13th party tonight in which apparently a bunch of the movies are going to be screened in marathon succession --how does one tell where one film ends and another begins? Hours upon hours of grisly murders. Another friend keeps bugging me to go. Don't they know I would just curl up in fetal position? That's no way to behave at a party and it's also not conducive to hanging out by the food, my preferred party position. It's hard to reach for chips and salsa when you're hands are hugging your knees.

Seeing anything this weekend?
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11 comments:

Pablete said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pablete said...

I really want to see "Two Lovers". It seems ravishingly romantic. I love the charming Gwyneth Paltrow, and Joaquin Phoenix is always soulfully human and charismatic. He is going to be missed!

Do you think it will be nominated for the last Oscars of the 2000's?

Dave said...

You interviewed KST? *dies* You are really getting some good gigs these days. (It's simply not fair.)

Also loving that 'One Lover' graphic. Hehe.

Unknown said...

A long time ago (in a galaxy far away - that would be my hometown of Danville, IN), we had a Friday the 13th marathon of Friday the 13th movies. It was pretty fun, actually. We started at noon at one friend's house for lunch. And continued until we watched #5 at the last friends house with midnight snacks and such. It was a Friday the 13th Marathon Progressive Party.

Telling the difference between the movies mattered not. It was just fun.

That said, I have no interest in seeing the new one.

Hayden said...

Ick they're advertising Changeling on your site. Gahhhhhhhhhh.

Uncle Gustav said...

"I keep thinking this movie opened already"

I'm not sure why its being handled this way, but Two Lovers has been available on Comcast cable's Movies on Demand for the past month.

John T said...

You interviewed the goddess KST? My god-please, please, please, please, please, tell me you asked her about The English Patient. One of the most romantic leading roles in the history of cinema, in my opinion.

RahulB said...

It's interesting that you and Ebert seem to have a lot of matching opinions during this year's Oscars.

He (and I) are pulling for a Milk upset.

J.D. said...

You won't stop till you've interviewed everyone, will you Nat? ;)

Anonymous said...

Probably go see "Slumdog Millionaire" this long weekend, test my will and see if it bewitches me. Curiousity mostly.

Marshall said...

The Guggenheim was a replica. When I saw the movie I didn't know that, and I was horrified. They absolutely destroyed it, it's a great scene though. Never thought I'd see Brian F. O'Byrne as a badass action star.

There's some great architecture in the movie.And it's well shot. Besides that it's kinda meh. Great ending someone negated by the epilogue.