The first trailer I shared for The Love Guru featured quite a bit of hockey. The new trailer doesn't introduce the NHL until the 1:36 mark.
I'll bet the whole hockey angle wasn't testing well with American audiences. As we know, Americans don't like hockey. I'll bet the suits ordered the hockey stripped out of the trailers. Watch the new Love Guru trailer below.
I was checking out a list of the highest grossing movies of all-time, and I realized there were many I had never seen. Below is a partial list of movies that made a lot of coin but were never seen by yours truly.
A couple of years ago I listed my ten favourite movies of all time. On that list you'll find four of Quentin Tarantino's six films, and when I put that list together he had only directed five movies. That meant I found 80% of the man's career worthy of my top ten movies list.
So yeah, I'm a Tarantino fan. You'll find a lot of guys my age are pretty big Tarantino fans. I think Scorsese is great, I love Coppola's work, I respect the hell out of Stanley Kubrick and think old Woody Allen and Joel and Ethan Coen are top notch, but there's no better director for my tastes than Quentin Jerome Tarantino.
Here's an awesome tribute to his six films that I just stumbled upon.
Watching "The Last Mimzy" with my son got me thinking about "Time Bandits", a 1981 Terry Gilliam film I watched dozens of times as a kid. I loved that movie.
The entire film can be viewed on YouTube in 12 parts. Embedding is disabled by request, but you can start your fantastic Time Bandits journey right here. Before you click over, you might want to whet your appetite with this trailer.
For years I ran an Oscar pool I'd open up to the public. It got to be a pretty big pain the ass as it grew and grew, so a couple of years ago I opened it up to family members only.
This year, I did the same. I sent the link out to select family members weeks ago. The deadline came and went, I extended it and reminded everybody to get in their picks, but it's official. Worst. Oscar. Pool. Response. Ever.
In addition to my wife and I, only two others bothered to join in on the action. If you're in a pool and you want to know the winners before Sunday night, here are my picks.
The National Film Board of Canada has produced 70 Oscar-nominated films and 12 have brought home the statue. This year, the NFB's Madame Tutli-Putli is up for Animated Short Film.
Of the 12 to win that award, my favourite is Neighbours / Voisins by Norman McLaren in 1952. From Wikipedia:
Produced at the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal, the film uses the technique known as pixilation, an animation technique using live actors as stop-motion objects. McLaren created the soundtrack of the film by scratching the edge of the film, creating various blobs, lines, and triangles which the projector read as sound.
Here it is.
Like George Costanza, I need to go into a film fresh. Months ago, when I started hearing buzz about "Juno", I shut myself off from all Juno-related press. I've been avoiding reviews, articles, interviews and everything else that accompanies a film's release.
Since I've been in the cold, everything in this entry has likely be written elsewhere by others. I wouldn't know, I still haven't read a review of "Juno". I have seen the movie, finally, and the first thing that struck me is how Canadian a film it is.
Here's the Juno Canadiana I detected:
In addition to all this Canadiana, there was a great shout out to "Arrested Development". During the past month I've re-watched all 53 episodes of "Arrested Development" in sequence. Just about every night I watched at least one episode, often two and sometimes three. As a result, I've spent a lot of time thinking about "Arrested Development" so when I see a film co-starring both George Michael Bluth and Michael Bluth, it's natural I'm going to be looking for allusions to the best comedy you didn't watch.
J.K. Simmons, a man I know best from his role as Vernon Schillinger in "Oz" but also a one-time guest star on "Arrested Development", had the honours. His line "I'm not ready to be a Pop Pop" was a clear allusion to "Arrested Development". "Pop Pop" was the term of endearment George Michael and Maeby used for their grandfather, George Bluth Sr., played by the always awesome Jeffrey Tambor.
It's also a great movie, by the way...
Tonight I watched "Dumbo" for the first time in about 25 years. It was exactly as I remembered it, except for a super trippy pink elephant sequence that begins when Dumbo and his mouse buddy get drunk.
For some reason, I completely forgot about this part. Watching it tonight with the kids, I don't think it was booze Dumbo was tripping on. I think that pachyderm dropped himself a little acid!
Watch the scene and judge for yourself.
I like to litter my speech with pop culture references. Often I'll reference a television show or a movie. Most of my television references comes from "Seinfeld" or "The Simpsons", although I have been telling colleagues to "get in that ass, Larry" lately.
Although I reference well over twenty movies, here are the twenty movies I most frequently reference when liberally sprinkling such pop culture nuggets amidst my words of wisdom.
That list is by no means conclusive, but if you watch those films you'll probably get 90% of what I'm saying.
Heath Ledger appeared in some critically acclaimed films. He was in "Monster's Ball" and "Brokeback Mountain", two award winning movies I've never seen. When I think of Heath Ledger, I think about "10 Things I Hate About You".
"10 Things I Hate About You" was a silly little 1999 romantic comedy based on Billy Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew". It was also a lot of fun and included this memorable scene where Ledger's character sings "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".
I've yet to see any of the five films nominated for best picture this year, but that's not unusual. I've got a date to see "Juno" next week and "No Country for Old Men" is on my short list. The other three films up for the top prize are "Atonement," "Michael Clayton" and "There Will Be Blood."
There's strong CanCon this year. Halifax actress Ellen Page and Montreal-born director Jason Reitman are up for Academy Awards for their work on the film "Juno." Toronto's Sarah Polley has received a screenplay adaptation nomination for "Away From Her," adapted from the story The Bear Came Over the Mountain by Alic Munro. Canadian productions also vying for Oscar gold include two animated short films: "Madame Tutli-Putli" and "I Met the Walrus".
Go Canada go!
He had me at "Mr. Show with Bob and David" and he cemented his hold on my funny bone in "Arrested Development". David Cross makes me laugh. "Mr. Show with Bob and David" and "Arrested Development" are two of the funniest shows I've ever had the privilege of watching and David Cross played a huge role in both.
David Cross has a pretty big role in "Alvin and the Chipmunks", a movie I saw this afternoon with my son and a bunch of his friends. It would be oh-so easy to say Cross sold out with his role of Ian. It's not a funny role nor a particularly clever role. Without a doubt, Cross did it for the pay cheque, which you'll read in this fantastic blog entry David Cross wrote.
In that entry, Cross defends his choice to play Ian in "Alvin and the Chipmunks". He lists four mitigating factors: the movie is meant for kids, he doesn't care about the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise, he hadn't worked in a while and...
I live in NYC for a reason. I enjoy it here. I have numerous creative friends and we share much of the same sensibilities. We rarely, if ever, talk about "the business", which I really like. Something that people constantly talk about in LA, which I really don't like. This comes with a cost of course. It's expensive to live here. I have a pretty modest lifestyle, I live in the same relatively small 1100 sq. foot apartment since I moved here. I don't own a car, don't go out "clubbing", and don't really own anything of much value. I am in no way hurting for money but I guarantee you that I have much, much less than you think. The reason I bring this up is because two years ago I decided that I wanted to get a small place upstate. Nothing fancy, a small cottage on at least a couple of acres near some water where I could get out of here, get some fresh air, buy a smoker, make some b-b-q and hang out with my dog on the porch. I looked informally for a long time but never found anything that I liked in my price range. Then finally, after much disappointed searching, I did. It's a small cottage on 5 1/2 acres in the middle of the woods in Sullivan county. It has a largish stream running through it and best of all it's in the middle of nowhere. No town, no nothing. Two hours outside the city and only about a ten minute drive from the Delaware River. Perfect. It was a little more than I had budgeted for but it was definitely worth it. I asked the owner if he'd take some of my credibility as payment. He looked at me as if I was an alien with A.I.D.S. speaking some intergalactic gobbledy-goo. I had to patiently explain to this country bumpkin about my indie hipster cred, and I would now like to cash it in. This rural rube was so backwards and ignorant that he couldn't even conceive of how financial markets work and simple free market capitalism. I tried again to explain the concept of the value of "credibility" and "artistic integrity" but he refused to take it in exchange for the house. This guy was a fucking idiot! But what could I do? He wouldn't take no for an answer. If I wanted that cottage I would have to pay him money. Sigh. So I used my "Alvin and the Chipmunks" money to pay for the down payment. Seriously, I totally did.
That's great stuff. In the same entry Cross admits to having a Google Alert for himself so he reads all the blog entries and articles about him. That means he'll likely read this one.
David, you owe me no explanation as to why you'd star in a steaming pile of crapola like this. "Mr. Show with Bob and David" and "Arrested Development" earned you a lot credit with me. Just don't appear in an Alvin sequel, k?
Soon I'll be sitting in a theatre with a bunch of five year olds watching "Alvin and the Chipmunks". It's times like these my thoughts turn to Pixar.
Pixar is every parent's saving grace when it's time to take the kids to the movies. Every Pixar film is as enjoyable for adults as it is for kids. They're perfect, but there's only one a year. Sometimes you can find salvation in a Dreamworks production, a "Shrek" or a "Happy Feet", but usually you're stuck with "Alvin and the Chipmunks".
At least I'm going in with low expectations. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised? Ya, right...
I need a good laugh. After this Leafs game I'll watch a couple of episodes of "Arrested Development" which is guaranteed to do the trick, but I need something to tide me over. I need "The Naked Gun".
I remember leaving the theatre after watching "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" in 1988 and thinking it was the funniest movie I had ever seen. There were so many laugh out loud moments, I was literally rolling in the aisles. I haven't seen a movie since that left me as physically exhausted from laughter. I was 14 years old and my funny bone was ultra sensitive.
Here's an extended scene from "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!". Frank Drebin calling those strikes with a little dance does it for me every time.
When 2007 came to a close, I had fun putting together a list of my favourite songs and my favourite television shows of the year. I'd love to be able to put together a list of my favourite movies of 2007, but I can't do that. Nope, that ain't how I roll.
I'm typically a solid year behind in my movie watching. I catch 90% of my movies on The Movie Network On Demand, a Canadian digital channel I subscribe to. Movies don't get On Demand status until well after they're released on DVD. Night at the Museum, a movie I watched last night, only hit On Demand yesterday, a full 54 weeks after it was released to theatres. The other 10% of movies I see are either in the movie theatre, on DVD or regular television.
What I ought to do is a best of 2006 list at the end of 2007 and a best of 2007 list at the end of 2008. Or, I can just list the ten best films I saw in 2007, regardless of when the movie was released. Heck, I'll do that right now.
My mental "must see and hear" list is pretty short. There are two current movies I'm aching to see and one album I'm dying to hear.
I read plenty of movie reviews, even if I rarely catch a film while it's in theatres. There's one movie out there that has been consistently praised by critics like no other. Over and over again I saw "No Country for Old Men" top best of 2007 lists. I already love Coen brothers movies, and I know I'm going to love this one.
The other movie calling my name is "Juno". I love what I've read about "Juno" and think that's a tremendous cast. The CanCon is strong with this one and I'm a babysitter away from checking it out for myself.
On the music front, I keep reading about The National's Boxer. It topped several "best of" lists and Spin says "The National traffic in poignant moments of heartbreak and regret, but pain has rarely sounded so beautiful".
I want to hear that.
I know a fair bit about James Bond. It's almost as if I've seen a James Bond film. Truth be told, until yesterday I had never seen a James Bond movie.
This wasn't easy. I had to avoid the following films.
I wonder if there's another 33 year old movie loving North American male who can make the same claim. I'll bet there's not.
Do you remember the final scene of Lost in Translation? Bill Murray's character Bob Harris hugs Scarlett Johansson's Charlotte, whispers something in her ear, kisses her and walks away. We can't hear what he whispered. We know it was unscripted, but neither actor nor Sofia Coppola will tell us what was said.
The website Vid22.com has deciphered the lost whisper and this video finally reveals what was said.
According to some British survey, here are the top ten lines from a film most commonly used in everyday conversation.
Interestingly enough, "Beam me up, Scotty" and "Do you feel lucky, punk?" are mis-quotes.
"Californication" has become a show I love to hate. I watched every episode of the first season and I cringed about a dozen times per ep. I started to look forward to this show just so I could yell smart-ass remarks at the screen and tell David Duchovny's character how damn cool he is.
Actually, the more I saw David Duchovny as too-cool-for-words Hank Moody, the more I missed Fox Mulder. The truth is still out there, but who the hell is going to discover it for us? Thankfully, Fox (the studio, not the character) has announced production will start December 10 on a brand spankin' new X-Files movie. It will be just like old times with Duchovny and Gillian Anderson playing Mulder and Scully, Chris Carter directing and writing and filming taking place in Vancouver.
This new X-Files film will be released July 25, 2008. Hank Moody, eat your heart out.
The kids and I just watched Beetlejuice. It brought back a ton on memories for me as I remember seeing it at the Runnymede Theatre back in 1988 and absolutely loving it. It's still a lot of fun and ideal for the season.
My favourite scene might be the dinner scene where they begin dancing around the table and sing "The Banana Boat Song." Here it is, as great as you remember it.
Humble Howard Glassman and I were just chatting, and he spilt a few more beans about his role in Repo! The Genetic Opera!.
Repo! The Genetic Opera! is currently filming here in Toronto and is some sort of a funky horror/musical hybrid. The plot outline on the IMDB page is as follows: "A worldwide epidemic encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program similar in nature to a standard car loan. The repossession clause is a killer, however."
It stars Paul Sorvino and Paris Hilton and earlier this week Humble Howard blogged about his day on the set. It seems he's got a part in this film, so I hit him up for additional details.
Toronto Mike: why don't you give me an exclusive on this paris hilton movie role - are you playing a newsman or dj?
Humble Howard: neither. I'm playing a Talking head that floats around a giant blimp-like structure and lords over all the plebes below... sort of a play by play of the Opera
i think!
Toronto Mike: who are the other talking heads? John Gallagher is one, right?
Humble Howard: just john and I and we're the only speaking roles in the thing. everyone else sings, for the most part...
I think John is great in it and I know he'll be at the wrap party..
Toronto Mike: we're talking about the same John Gallagher, right?
Humble Howard: he couldn't ask enough people where/when it was going to be!
Yeah, Spike Loud Guy Gallagher. this part is perfect for him...anyways I know a lot of people don't like him but he was always good to me.
Toronto Mike: I don't mind him, I only know him from his CityTV sports days - he is what he is
Humble Howard: true true.
Toronto Mike: anything else before I make ya famous?
Humble Howard: sure I met with a media giant at his house yesterday...i can't say who it is but his name sounds like Closes Miner!
So there you have it, Humble Howard and Spike Gallagher are floating heads who narrate this genetic opera. Chicago was a musical filmed in this city that won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Will Repo! The Genetic Opera! be as successful?
Only time will tell...
Canadians have become the international scapegoats for movie piracy. As a result, anti-piracy campaigns and efforts are highly intense.
I don't attend many premiere screenings of films, but last night we attended the Toronto premiere for Underdog. First they wave their wand over your body searching for recording devices. If that wand beeps, you've got some explaining to do. Then, if you've got a bag of any kind, they search it looking for the same. They want anything camera-ish...
I actually had my 4mp Olympus with me and they wouldn't let me take it into the theatre. I know the guy was just doing his job, but this camera takes 30 second clips that totally suck. When nature called half way through the film, I couldn't get back inside without going through the whole ordeal again. I'll give them props for due diligence, that's for sure.
During the movie itself, I saw a security guy walking the aisles taking video of everyone in attendance. He was clearly shooting the crowd searching for Kramer and his camcorder.
Is all this effort because Canada is "a hotbed for film piracy" or is just because of all the hype surrounding the release of Underdog?
Watching Clerks II last night got me thinking about Clerks. The reason I loved that movie was because of awesome exchanges between Dante and Randal like this one regarding Jedi Politics.
On May 9, 1980, an independent slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller was released to the masses.
The rest is hockey mask history.
I remember seeing "Teen Wolf" at the old Humber Odeon theatre. I loved it, and when they aired "Teen Wolf" during a free preview of First Choice we recorded it to VHS and played it ad nauseum.
If you need inspiration, you can always turn to "Rocky" or "The Natural", but I'd turn to "Teen Wolf". The final scene where Scott plays as himself to the tune "Win In the End" by Mark Safan is still awesome. Watch it in its entirety right here and then go out there and kick some ass.
Humble Howard says "Bon Cop Bad Cop" is the best Canadian movie he's ever seen. He openly admits that he hasn't seem a lot of Canadian films, but who amongst us has? I can only think of a handful of Canadian movies that I've truly loved.
The first couple of great Canadian flicks that pop into my head are "The Barbarian Invasions" and "The Sweet Hereafter". Then there's "Exotica", "Jesus of Montreal" and "C.R.A.Z.Y." After five whole minutes of deliberation, here are my ten favourite Canadian films of all time.
This is fun. How many of these 100 movies can you name?
When you're ready to cheat, here are the answers.
My favourite is #36.
Taryn and I have had many interesting discussions lately about Alec Baldwin and the voice mail he left for his daughter. This isn't new news, and unless you're living under a rock you've heard the message, but here it is if you've yet to hear Baldwin's rant.
We recently watched his apology on The View which can be seen here in part #1 and here in part #2. It triggered a cool debate about parental alienation and Alec Baldwin's current familial situation.
That's all good, but hearing all this Baldwin just gets me thinking of the greatest Alec Baldwin monologue in the history of motion pictures. In Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin's character Blake speaks to the salesmen. Coffee is for closers only.
Here are the top grossing films based on comic books:
Bob Clark and his son were killed by a drunk driver yesterday. In my lifetime I've seen three of his films, and they represent the three Bob Clark's I know.
The first Bob Clark movie I ever saw was "A Christmas Story", which he made in 1983. In 2003 I placed it in My Five Favourite Christmas Specials and a year later I put it high on My Ten Favourite Movies Filmed in Toronto list. I continue to enjoy that film each December, posting a clip from the movie last December and borrowing a quote for my blog header.
Bob Clark created a true classic that's both funny and endearing. A dare you to name a better Christmas movie.
The next Bob Clark movie I saw was "Porky's", which he made in 1982. As I recently confessed, I really enjoyed "Porky's". As a thirteen year old, there was nothing better than City-TV airing uncensored "Porky's" on a Friday night.
I once read an article that suggested the boys from "A Christmas Story" would grow up to become the teenagers in "Porky's". I could definitely see that. "Porky's" isn't just about gawking at nude females, it's about coming of age.
The last Bob Clark movie I saw was "The Karate Dog", which I reviewed last month. It was horrible without a stitch of what made "Porky's" likable and "A Christmas Story" charming. It was the new Bob Clark, the Bob Clark who made "Baby Geniuses" and "SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2". It was the Bob Clark who sold out.
Three very different movies and three very different memories. I'll remember him fondly for the first two and I'll forgive him for the latter.
Spike Lee's 25th Hour has this five minute scene where Ed Norton's character delivers a monologue to the mirror. I wrote about this scene before. It's five minutes of total and complete anger, a sort of bizzaro world love letter to New York City.
It's most definitely NSFW as it's probably the least politically correct speech you'll hear all day with swears a plenty. It was the best part of the movie.
I start watching a number of movies I never finish. If the movie is boring or just plain awful, I'll bail. You never read my reviews of these movies because I don't review the flicks I don't finish.
Deepa Mehta's "Water" has been nominated for best foreign-language film. It's the first time a non-French Canadian movie has received such a nomination. Many a critic has praised "Water", and when it came to TMN last year, I wanted to like it. I'll bet you know where this sad tale is headed.
It bored me to tears. I couldn't take it any longer and stopped watching. This was a critically acclaimed Canadian movie but I couldn't sit through it.
I also couldn't get through "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", "Are We There Yet?" and "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life". There are many others, but I've successfully blocked out the bad memories.
They announced the nominees for the 79th annual Academy Awards this morning. Here's the complete list.
Up for best picture are the following flicks.
Canadian Ryan Gosling is up for best actor for his role in "Half Nelson". From "Breaker High" to Oscar glory, this is the story of the day.
I watched most of the Golden Globes last night. What struck me throughout the night was how all the winners were in movies and television shows I had never seen.
Scorsese won for his direction of "The Departed", a movie I actually saw. Other than that, the only winner I could relate to was "Cars" which won for best animated flick. I took James to that one.
Even the Cecil B. DeMille Award winner left me mainly in the dark. It was awarded to Warren Beatty, and believe it or not, I've only seen one Warren Beatty movie in my entire life. That was "Bulworth", which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank God for Martin Scorsese!
Reading the Globe this morning, I stumbled across a little bit about Zyzzyx Road. I'm still having difficulty believing what I've read.
Zyzzyx Road is a $2-million vigilante thriller starring Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore that grossed a grand total of $30 at the box office in 2006. It ran in one theatre in Dallas for six days.
I think I could release Christmas videos of my kids opening their presents as a documentary and score more than $30. If the tickets were only $6 it would take only five paying customers to hit the $30 mark. Dallas is a big enough city that there are at least six people who would go to everything or anything.
Zyzzyx Road is the lowest grossing movie in the modern record keeping era.
When Peter Boyle passed away earlier this week, many mourned the passing of Raymond's dad on "Everybody Loves Raymond". The fact is, not everybody loved Raymond. I never found it funny.
Many others mourned the passing of the monster in "Young Frankenstein". The scene in which Boyle sings "Puttin' On The Ritz" with Gene Wilder is classic. Here it is.
I mourned the passing of Clyde Bruckman. Boyle played Bruckman in "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", one of my all-time favourite episodes of "The X-Files". Here's a taste of his wonderful performance.
Not everybody loved Raymond. Luckily, Peter Boyle was a whole lot more.
"Breakfast With Scot" is a movie starring Tom Cavanaugh and currently filming in the GTA. Did I mention Tom Cavanaugh is playing an ex-Toronto Maple Leaf who just happens to be gay?
The NHL and Maple Leafs have blessed the project which means Cavanaugh will be wearing an official Leafs jersey and the logo for Canada's team will be well represented. I can't recall another movie featuring the Leafs.
"Breakfast With Scot" will hit theatres in late 2007. Start the Oscar buzz now!
As things worsen in Buffalo, I'm having trouble believing we can win again in The Queen City. I want to believe we can contend this season. I want to believe that if things fall into place perfectly, if our goal tending holds up and we're healthy, if the stars align exactly right, we can have that parade. I want to believe, as Crash Davis does in "Bull Durham".
Well, I believe in the soul. The cock. The pussy. The small of a woman's back. The hanging curveball. High fiber. Good scotch. That the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a Constitution Amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve. And I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days...Goodnight.
Oh, my...
The opening scene of "American Beauty" sets things up perfectly. Lester Burnham is spanking the proverbial monkey during his morning shower and preparing us for his imminent death.
My name is Lester Burnham. This is my street. This is my neighborhood. This is my life. I am 42 years old. In less than a year, I will be dead. Of course, I don't know that yet, and in a way, I'm dead already. Look at me, jerking off in the shower. This will be the highlight of my day. It's all downhill from here. That's my wife Carolyn. See the way the handle on those pruning shears match her gardening clogs? That's not an accident. That's our neighbor, Jim, and that's his lover, Jim. Man, I get exhausted just watching her. She wasn't always like this. She used to be happy. We used to be happy. My daughter, Jane. Only child. Janie's a pretty typical teenager: angry, insecure, confused. I wish I could tell her that's all going to pass...but I don't want to lie to her. Both my wife and daughter think I'm this gigantic loser. And in a way, they're right. I have lost something. I'm not exactly sure what, but I know I didn't always feel this...sedated. But you know what? It's never too late to get it back.
It's never too late to get it back.
I love Office Space. Somebody created a trailer for the flick recut as if it was a horror movie. Now this is thriller.
Well done...
1994 gave us some unbelievable movies. "Pulp Fiction", "Forrest Gump" and "The Shawshank Redemption" to name a few. "The Shawshank Redemption" was unbelievably good with monologues like this one from Red.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. That's goddamn right. For the second time in my life, I am guilty of committing a crime. Parole violation. Of course, I doubt they'll toss up any roadblocks for that. Not for an old crook like me... I find I am so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.
That's goddamn right.
I love that scene in "Hoosiers" when Gene Hackman's character is trying to motivate his team before the Indiana state finals.
Forget about the crowds, the size of the school, their fancy uniforms, and remember what got you here. Focus on the fundamentals that we've gone over time and time again. And most important, don't get caught up thinking about winning or losing this game. If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game. In my book, we're gonna be winners!
I feel better just reading that speech.
I love that scene in "Trainspotting" when Ewan McGregor's character delivers that killer monologue about choosing life.
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family, Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose a three piece suit on hire purchased in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose a future. Choose life...But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
I chose not to choose life. That's gold.
"The Departed" is the first movie in a long time I've actually wanted to see in theatres. In fact, if I can score babysitting, I'm totally there.
Martin Scorsese, the director of "The Departed", has somehow never won an Oscar, despite being nominated seven times. "Goodfellas", which ranks #2 on my ten favourite movies of all-time list, lost out to "Dances With Wolves". I kid you not. "Raging Bull" somehow lost to "Ordinary People". Scorsese gets no respect, no respect at all.
The man is a true talent and a rarity in the biz. Here's hoping "The Departed" is as good as I hope it is and that Oscar is paying attention.
A perfect Friday night as a thirteen year old was discovering "Porky's" being aired on CityTV. City never censored the flick which meant plenty of Cancon T&A.
For almost 25 years, "Porky's" has been the most popular Canadian film in Canadian box office history. It made $11.2 million back in '82, which held up as the record until now. "Bon Cop, Bad Cop" has just surpassed it, taking the title.
"Bon Cop, Bad Cop" can have the title, but "Porky's" provided the thrills.
A Good Year: 7 out of 10.
I spent yesterday evening attending the opening gala of the new Sir Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe film, "A Good Year". The world premiere was held at Roy Thomson Hall as part of the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and I was lucky enough to be seated in the fourth row, completely center. My passes promised a 6:30 show time, but a certain Oscar winning Australian was running late which held things up considerably.
After a brief introduction, Ridley Scott stepped to the podium to speak about the film. He spoke about his vinyard in Provence and his friendship with Peter Mayle who wrote the book. He was well spoken and witty and upon concluding his speech he introduced us to Mayle who assumed the podium. Mayle was also quite witty, dropping the hit line of the introductions. He praised the film for not relying on special effects, violence, dismemberings and other staples of 21st century cinema. It was essentially a slag on Gladiator, the previous Ridley Scott - Russell Crowe project which was rather successful. Following Mayle, Scott introduced a number of the stars of the film who were in attendance. One, of course, was Russell Crowe.
We were warned not to take photos but at the front of the stage there was a swarm of media photographers and videographers, so I whipped out my Olympus and snapped this shot. Yeah, it sucks, but it's the best I got. Hover your mouse of the picture to learn who is who.
The movie was quite likable, although a little predictable and convenient. Although not Best Picture-worthy, it wasn't without its charm. Crowe was quite good as an Englishman who rediscovers happiness when he revisits his uncle's Provencal vinyard. There were laughs and tender moments, both complemented by a visual feast. It's two hours of beauty, and I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night.
I haven't read a critical review of this film yet, but I suspect they'll spin off the title and label it good, but not great. That's a fair assessment, but at this gala with stars about, a buzz in the air and a cocktail reception awaiting us at Monsoon, it was a far better than good night. It was magic.
The TIFF vs. Cannes: which is the premiere film festival in the galaxy? According to Wikipedia, the Toronto International Film Festival has the bigger attendance figures and Roger Ebert himself says "Toronto is more useful and more important". If we're not #1 we're a close #2 and we're definitely the top dog in North America.
This Saturday I'll be at Roy Thompson Hall for the Opening Gala for the new Russell Crowe - Ridley Scott film. It's called "A Good Year" and you can see the trailer here. As I shmooze with Russell and the gang I'll be taking notes and revealing all here so stay tuned.
Screw Cannes.
Have you ever heard of "Tiger Town"? It's likely you haven't. "Tiger Town" was a made for tv Disney movie from 1983 that somehow made it's way to VHS and into my home. The mark this movie left on me is one that remains to this day. For a kid in love with his Blue Jays, this little movie was so much more than a 73 minute flick. It was a religious experience.
It's about faith and baseball, one boy's belief in an aging star and the magic of the baseball gods. The Tigers are struggling and Billy Young has lost his touch, but a kid named Alex refuses to give up on his team and his hero. There's the death of his father and a final gift of seasons tickets at Tiger Stadium. Alex attends these games and summons the baseball gods every time Billy Young is at the plate. He closes his eyes and prays, and Billy Young inevitably comes through. Soon enough, the Tigers are on fire and leading the division. Alex just has to attend these games and believe in his hero. It's awesome.
I wanted to be Alex, attending each home game at Exhibition Stadium and praying to the baseball gods every time George Bell came to the plate. This movie epitomized the romantic ideal of baseball, as I sensed it. "The Natural" came out a year later, and echoed these same themes. Roy Hobbs was Billy Young with more baggage. There was still magic in the air and a heroic triumph.
I'd like to get my hands on a copy of "Tiger Town" and show it to my four year old. You gotta have faith.
Thanks again, Tiger Town, for everlasting memories.
"Grosse Pointe Blank" was released in 1997. It was a very cool John Cusack vehicle that had him attending his ten-year high school reunion party and had us revisiting some great 80s tunes. "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" was also released in 1997. It too had a couple of women going to their high school reunion where 80s songs rule the day. For obvious reasons, I've always associated these movies with one another. Oh yeah, one of these movies I consider brilliant while the other I consider brain dead. Watch these two back-to back and you'll truly see the difference between great and hate.
In 1997, my go to guys for movie reviews were Siskel and Ebert. I'd watch their little syndicated show that always aired at a strange time, and I'd always be interested in whether the thumbs were up or down. I trusted these two and usually agreed with them. In 1997, that ended.
Siskel and Ebert gave "Grosse Pointe Blank" two thumbs down and then gave "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" two thumbs up. I couldn't believe it then and I still don't believe it, but I saw it with my own two eyes and know this to be fact. I was shocked by the fact they didn't like "Grosse Pointe Blank" but I was flabbergasted by the fact they actually liked "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion".
In 1997 I learned even the great Siskel and Ebert could get it way wrong. In 1997 they totally blew it. Like, gag me with a spoon!
Chicks love chick flicks. This is a fact. If there's a guy and a girl and a romantic story of love's triumpth over adversity, my wife and her girlfriends are so there. I'm not a chick, so it's no surprise I don't get the allure. Sure, there are some good chick flicks, but for the most part they're sappy, boring fluff pieces.
According to O Magazine, purveyor of all things chick, here are the ten greatest chick flicks of all time.
From Queen Oprah herself, there's your top ten. Six of those movies I've never seen, one of those movies I really, really liked (The English Patient), one of those movies was okay (Desperately Seeking Susan), one of those movies bored me to tears (The Truth About Cats & Dogs) and another was just horrible (Romy and Michele's High School Reunion). Heck, I have an entire entry brewing in me about "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion".
I'm so glad I'm not a chick.
You can't go anywhere or do anything without stumbling across a Superman reference this week. "Superman Returns" is in theatres and it's received fairly good reviews.
When I think of Superman, a number of pretty good tunes immediately spring to mind. As I think about it, Superman is a popular theme in today's music and there are a bunch of tunes with Superman in the title. In my collection alone there is...
Because it plays at the beginning of the "Toy Story 2" DVD my kids love, I've seen the trailer for the new Pixar movie "Cars" about a hundred times over the past twelve months. I was always happy to hear the song that played over top the trailer, Tom Cochrane's "Life Is A Highway". It was good to hear his voice associated with such a major project.
It turns out I was never hearing Cochrane's voice. It was his song alright, but the vocals were by a country band called Rascal Flatts. I'm sure Pixar had their reasons for going with a cover, but the Rascal Flatts version sounds exactly like Cochrane's original. They didn't change a thing, in fact, they sound like they're doing a Cochrane impersonation.
The American media constantly refers to Cochrane as a one-hit wonder. In the USA, this may be true as only "Life is a Highway" cracked the top 40, but in Canada this guy had a string of hits, both with Red Rider and as a solo artist. Off the top of my head, here are the Cochrane hits that spring to mind.
I'm sure I'm missing a Canadian hit or two from his earlier years and maybe a hit or two post-Mad Mad World, but these are all I can recall.
There was a time when I would look forward to the summer blockbusters. There might be a new Raiders of the Lost Ark or a highly touted big-budget gem like "Jurassic Park". There was actual anticipation for these flicks.
Those days are long gone. I rarely look forward to a movie these days, and summer promises the worst of the worst. The A.V. Club's 2006 Summer Movie Preview gave me an opportunity to check out all the upcoming summer releases. "The Da Vinci Code" could be good, and I hope it's good, but otherwise I have little interest in any of them.
As the A.V. Club so aptly put it, why bother?
At lunch I'm going to get my photo taken. Whether I'm getting my photo taken for my drivers license, TTC student card of U of T student card, I always have the urge to throw the camera my Corey Haim face. Allow me to explain...
In License to Drive, Corey Haim was at the height of his teen dream fame. He was starring with the other Corey, Corey Feldman, and there's a scene when he has to get his photo taken for his newly acquired license. Just before the click of the shutter, Haim opens his mouth wide and makes this face. That's the face I want to have captured on an ID card.
For a while in the late 80s, the Coreys were the big thing. Since then, it's been all downhill for these guys. Just about every second person you meet in Toronto has a Corey Haim story about his fall from grace. The non-Toronto Corey hasn't fared much better. It's too bad. The inspirations for the Corey Hotline Lisa was addicted to deserved a better fate, didn't they?
I'm off to get my picture. In honour of the Coreys, I might just throw the camera my Corey Haim face.
A new DVD found its way into our home this weekend. It's called "Strawberry Shortcake Dress Up Days" and it's 44 minutes of Strawberry Shortcake action. There's also dress up and dance games and a berry special places tour. I'd say it's aimed at the 1-4 year old demographic, which is the primary demo in my house these days.
When you first start playing this DVD, you're hit with a pretty scary anti-piracy ad. It's got frightening images asking the viewer if he or she would steal a car or a hand-bag and then asking them why they think it's okay to steal movies via the Internet. You can't jump past this threatening piece, your one and four year olds have to sit through it waiting for Strawberry Shortcake.
These accusatory ads they force upon you while you watch a DVD you paid for suck bad enough. When they stick them on DVDs intended for the littlest of tikes, that totally blows. Perhaps I should explore alternative means of obtaining these films...
I've seen a lot of bad movies in my life, but I've also been lucky enough to see a lot of great ones. I've always maintained a list of my ten favourite flicks of all-time, which is a surprisingly difficult challenge. For short periods of time I might be completely into one movie or another, boosting them into the top ten, but over time the same core of movies seem to persevere.
Here is my current top ten:
Agree or disagree, just keep in mind how completely subjective this practice is.
For the second Christmas season in a row, I spent some time with "Bad Santa". Sure, I watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with the kids, but "Bad Santa" was for Daddy. It, in my humble opinion, is a modern Christmas classic that deserves to be revisited each holiday season.
It has all the elements of a feel-good story. Willie had a rotten childhood and has become an absolutely miserable adult.who periodically attempts suicide and lives off stolen money. He's rude, he's obnoxious and he's a department store Santa. There's no hope for Willie until he meets the kid. In brilliant Grinch-like fashion, it's eventually revealed that even Willie has a heart.
"Bad Santa" is under appreciated. Perhaps people aren't willing to accept a holiday feel-good movie with 170 instances of the F-word and 74 uses of the S-word. Maybe people don't understand there can be a touching holiday movie that isn't suitable for children, I know I couldn't watch until James was a safe distance from the television. It's as crude as can be imagined but lovingly guided by Terry Zwigoff to a rewarding holiday pay-off.
I still love "A Charlie Brown Christmas", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", "A Christmas Story" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", but when the kids are asleep, I'm sure to save 98 minutes for Willie.
I just read the AFI Movies of the Year Official Selections. I've seen one movie on their list. In my defense, I'm notoriously late getting to movies because I see so few in theaters and many of these are awfully fresh. A number of the movies below are on my "to see" list, but I'm so behind I still have to get to "Million Dollar Baby".
For the record, one one I've seen is "Crash" and I loved it. Here's their list in its entirety:
"Pulp Fiction" is my favourite movie of all time. It's a multi-layered gem of a flick with great dialogue, a fantastic editing style and one memorable scene after another.
One of my favourite scenes is when Jules and Vincent pay a visit to Marvin, Roger and Brett. Jules and Vincent are unaware there's a fourth guy in the apartment until he jumps out of the bathroom emptying his gun in Jules and Vincent's direction. The bullets miss them, leading later to Jules' moment of clarity when he claims he "felt God's touch, God got involved". It's an almost perfect scene. Almost...
The bullets are actually in the wall before that fourth guy shoots. Here's a screen cap to prove it. It's a sloppy director's error but it's a significant one. The soul of this movie, in my humble opinion, is Jules feeling God's touch. If the bullet holes Jules sees behind him are not from the shooter, Jules doesn't decide to quit and walk the earth and Honey Bunny and Yolanda are goners.
I choose to believe that God got involved.
Prior to seeing "The Karate Kid" for the first time in the mid-80s, I already liked Pat Morita. I knew him as Arnold on "Happy Days", a show I watched regularly as a kid. When I first saw "The Karate Kid", I stopped seeing Arnold when I saw Pat Morita. Pat became Mr. Miyagi.
I was ten or eleven years old when I first saw "The Karate Kid" and I instantly loved it. I'd watch it over and over and over again. You could relate to Daniel-san. I'll bet every boy born in 1974 was able to relate to Daniel-san and I'll bet we all adopted "The Karate Kid" as our movie and Miyagi as our mentor. When I listed my five favourite songs that pump you up and motivate you to win it all back in April, Joe Esposito's "You're The Best" was number one with a bullet. How many of you tried that martial arts crane stance?
Pat Morita has passed on, but we're left with his words of wisdom from this inspiring flick. Here are a few of my favourites.
You're the best! Around! Nothing's gonna ever keep you down...
I really enjoyed the inherent charm of this movie. It's well paced, completely interesting and anchored by yet another exceptional performance from Johnny Depp. Who could ask for anything more?
A few years ago, I bought some Kellogg's cereal that had a DVD inside. The DVD was "Air Bud" and I put it away so that one day I could watch it with James. That day was this weekend as we all sat down to watch this Canadian movie about a dog that shoots baskets. Realizing I'm not the target audience, I enjoyed it because the kids liked it, and that was really all I was hoping for. There was, however, a fatal flaw in the premise that drove me nuts.
There's a moment during the final game when Buddy the dog is to compete in the game. They argue back and forth about whether this is legal and one argument is that this dog travels with the team and is therefore part of the team. After much debate, the ref agrees and allows this unorthodox occurrence because he can't find a rule that would disallow it. This is where I lose it...
The dog isn't enrolled in the school! I'm certain the first rule when playing basketball for a primary school is that you must be a student there. It's black and white: if you don't attend the school, you can't play for them in school sanctioned sporting events.
"Air Bud" is built upon deception.
I watched a fantastic documentary last night. It's called "Hardwood" and it's "a personal journey by director Hubert Davis, the son of former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis, who explores how his father's decisions affected his life and those of his extended family".
It packs a major emotional punch in a mere 30 minutes, exploring the father-son dynamic in three pefectly structured chapters: "love," "recollection" and "redemption. Far and away the most important goal for me in life is being a good father to my children. It's my primary quest each and every day I awake. "Hardwood" contains a heart wrenching scene in which one of Mel's sons reads a letter from his dad which elegantly outlines his goals as a father, many of which he failed to achieve. One was to show his son he's disappointed in him without breaking his spirit. It's this balance I seek, this wisdom I desire.
I'm not sure what my second goal in life is, but if I succeed with this first one, the others won't matter.
AFI counted down what they deem to be the top 100 quotes in American movie history. Here is their top 10.
1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," "Gone With the Wind," 1939.
2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," "The Godfather," 1972.
3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am," "On the Waterfront," 1954.
4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.
5. "Here's looking at you, kid," "Casablanca," 1942.
6. "Go ahead, make my day," "Sudden Impact," 1983.
7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up," "Sunset Blvd.," 1950.
8. "May the Force be with you," "Star Wars," 1977.
9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night," "All About Eve," 1950.
10. "You talking to me?" "Taxi Driver," 1976.
There are some glaring omissions on that list. Here are five obvious ones that didn't make their top 100.
Quentin Tarantino once said the sign of a good movie was that it made you want to go home, eat some pie and talk about it. Without a doubt, my favourite movies have been those rare flicks that have never left me. These gems become a part of me, altering my view of the world and opening my eyes to new concepts and ideologies.
During my thirty years of life, there are a few movies that made an impact so forceful it permanently modified my movie-going expectations and outlook. These are the movies that have truly mattered in my life. Today, I salute them.
Star Wars (1977) - This is the first movie I recall seeing in a movie theatre. With VCRs popping up here and there at the turn of the decade, every birthday party I attended seemed to revolve around the showing of this film. I remember staring at a "Star Wars" poster in my bedroom as a kid and playing with the Millennium Falcon. For a guy born in '74, "Star Wars" started it all. There was no turning back, I was hooked.
The Natural (1984) - With "The Natural", I discovered the rewind button on our VCR. I was Roy Hobbs, teaching the Knights to believe again and leading them into a pennant race. The climatic scene, with that music and drama, with the bat boy's bat and Roy's blood soaked jersey, was the most romantic thing this ten year old had ever experienced. It was so thrilling, so inspiring, so glorious. I simultaneously fell in love with triumph and baseball and this many years later I remain a believer in both.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) - You often hear the expression something is so funny you'll be rolling in the aisles. The hyperbolic nature of such a statement is obvious, but a fourteen year old version of myself watching "The Naked Gun" in a theatre for the first time laughed ferociously and often enough to cause such rolling. "The Naked Gun" introduced me to funny. Not "Three's Company" or "Family Ties" funny, but pure hilarity. Every scene, every image, every phrase spoken in this film tickled my funny bone and I've never forgotten how good it felt to be rolling in the aisles.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - In 1991, my perception of what an effective action movie looked like changed forever. At the time, my favourite such movie was "Total Recall" but "Terminator 2" blew it off the map. There was a cool story, lots of action and special effects the likes of which I had never seen before. To this day, "Terminator 2" remains one of only two films I've seen more than once in theatres.
Pulp Fiction (1994) - Without a doubt, this is my favourite movie of all time. I previously mentioned that "Terminator 2" was one of only two films I've seen more than once in theatres. "Pulp Fiction" is the other. I believe I was nineteen when I first saw it and it permanently altered my taste for movies on impact. The dialogue was delicious and the editing exceptional. I remember the owner of our local ma and pa video store praising "Reservoir Dogs" in previous years, but I never bothered to view it until after I saw "Pulp Fiction". Quentin Tarantino's touch and cinematic instincts with regards to dialogue, editing and music is ideal for my sensibilities. "Pulp Fiction" raised the bar and "Reservoir Dogs", "Jackie Brown" and the Kill Bills are further examples of his excellence. You only have one favourite movie, and this is mine.
As disappointed as I was in episodes 1 and 2, I really, really want to see episode 3 of the Star Wars franchise. The reviews I've read for "Revenge of the Sith" are overwhelmingly positive and everyone I've talked to whose seen it raves about it. They're telling me it's much darker and better than the first two and they're planning second and third viewings.
Lord knows my love-hate relationship with George Lucas. The man gave me my first favourite film, "Star Wars", a movie I would see at every birthday party I attended for years in the early 80s. I loved that initial trilogy and equally despised the first two of this second trilogy. Am I suffering from Battered Wife Syndrome? Dare I trust Kevin?
The answer to both, it seems, is a resounding yes. Not only do I want to see this final installment of the franchise, but I want to see it quite badly. I shall require three hours of babysitting and a showing that won't have a massive line-up and the possibility of being sold out before I get my ticket. When these stars align, I will divulge.
"Revenge of the Sith" will be released in theatres later this month. It's episode three and the final installment of the sextet. I've had this thought process before, but having read the first paragraph of Kevin Smith's review of "Revenge of the Sith", I'm thinking I may have to see this one on the big screen.
It's the same story you've heard a thousand times. Child of the 80s grows up adoring episodes 4, 5 and 6, collecting all things Star Wars and still gets warm fuzzy feelings upon seeing Yoda, Chewie and R2D2. You know what happens next... this same child of the 80s is quite disappointed with episodes 1 and 2 and weary of episode 3 for fear of being burned again. I really, really want "Revenge of the Sith" to make amends for the previous two disasters in the hopes it will revive the franchise and clear the blemishing tarnish upon the three movies from my youth. I want to believe Kevin Smith when he writes the following:
"Revenge of the Sith" is, quite simply, fucking awesome. This is the "Star Wars" prequel the haters have been bitching for since "Menace" came out, and if they don't cop to that when they finally see it, they're lying. As dark as "Empire" was, this movie goes a thousand times darker (deleted because there are spoilers) this flick is so satisfyingly tragic, you'll think you're watching "Othello" or "Hamlet".
I hope he's right, but I think I'll need to read a few more positive reviews from less biased sources before I decide to see it in theatres. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice, damn I'll be pissed.
Well over a month ago, I borrowed some DVDs from a friend. One of these DVDs was "The Bourne Identity" and Taryn and I finally got around to watching it early yesterday afternoon.
It was good. We were thoroughly enjoying the story when at the one hour and thirty minute mark the DVD stopped cooperating. There was some severe hesitation in the video making it unwatchable. I tried cleaning the disc but quickly realized we weren't going to be able to watch the last 30 minutes of this entertaining flick. Taryn volunteered to head over to our local Rogers Video to score a copy so we could witness the climax. She was successful and we were able to finish the movie. This is where my O Henry tale gets a little strange...
Perusing the guide on the television while awaiting the start of "The Simpsons", I saw a certain movie debuting on CityTV at 20:00 last night. That's right, it was "The Bourne Identity".
Star Wars fans are lined up in front of the Chinese Theatre in anticipation of the release of "Revenge of the Sith" on May 19th. This alone is quite funny, but it gets funnier. "Revenge of the Sith" won't be playing at the Chinese Theatre.
So what's a nerd to do? They could line up outside of the Arclight where "Revenge of the Sith" is actually going to play, but the Arclight lets you buy tickets online which defeats the whole concept of lining up for a movie. The nerds should go home, right? Not these nerds, they're staying in the line as a form of protest. That's right, they're still lined up outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre even though they're well aware the movie won't play there.
Nerds are funny.
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