tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19025486249931831442012-02-16T09:34:59.945-08:00Review, Sinopsis, and video Box Office Film Hollywood, Bollywood, Indonesianyanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.comBlogger2111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-15112627684541181692011-12-06T00:24:00.059-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.242-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wLptlqeL_Sw/TelHN8dUeSI/AAAAAAAAmdg/EpUSefZq6VM/s1600/X-Men+First+Class.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wLptlqeL_Sw/TelHN8dUeSI/AAAAAAAAmdg/EpUSefZq6VM/s400/X-Men+First+Class.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>The new X-Men film is first class all the way. But what did you expect? Starring <b>James McAvoy</b> and the sizzling <b>Michael Fassbender</b>, and directed by Matthew Vaughn (the man who brought us the hugely entertaining <i>Kick-Ass</i>), <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270798/"><b><i>X-Men: First Class</i></b></a> reinvigorates the series by going back to its groovy, swinging roots. Part adventure, part history lesson and all-exciting, Vaughn’s film delves movingly into what made young Holocaust survivor Erik Lehnsherr into the villainous Magneto, played by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/ian-mckellen.html"><span>Sir Ian McKellen</span></a> previously. McAvoy is a perfect, compassionate counterpoint, as the telepath who would be Patrick Stewart, a.k.a. Professor X.<br /><br />The story of these friends and future enemies begins in the 40’s, when Erik reveals his mutant power over metal in an attempt to save his parents, and at the same time, young Charles Xavier finds a familiar blue shape-shifter stealing food in the kitchen of his family’s palatial Westchester mansion. Raven, a.k.a. Mystique, played by <b>Jennifer Lawrence</b> of <i>Winter’s Bone</i> fame, who cements her reputation as a strong, committed actress who is ready to assume any role that would have earlier been given to Leelee Sobieski. But if Young Magneto and Junior Professor X are friends, who is their super-villain nemesis? That would be the utterly evil Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a former Nazi scientist and current mutant collector. The action moves to 1962, where it turns out the Shaw is primed to bring about nuclear war via the Cuban Missile Crisis.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o21f_DF2ohU/TelH4dd1LeI/AAAAAAAAmdk/K8aYo-lh1Ag/s1600/X-Men+First+Class+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o21f_DF2ohU/TelH4dd1LeI/AAAAAAAAmdk/K8aYo-lh1Ag/s400/X-Men+First+Class+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>X-Men: First Class</i> echoes J.J. Abrams’ <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2009/05/reel-thoughts-beam-me-up.html"><i>Star Trek</i></a> prequel in that we are introduced to many characters who will be very important in the X-Men’s future, with enough nodding cameos to tickle fans of the film series. The rest of the cast is impressive, including <b>Nicholas Hoult</b> (<a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2009/12/reel-thoughts-mad-about-man.html"><i>A Single Man</i></a>) as Beast, January Jones as Emma Frost, and Rose Byrne and Oliver Platt as the only good guys in the US Military Complex that will eventually demonize all mutants.<br /><br />The awesome sixties production design is a character unto itself, even if I doubt miniskirts were all the rage that early. <i>X-Men: First Class</i> truly succeeds in creating human stories amongst the action sequences. Fassbender’s quest for vengeance is a powerful plot, and the mutants’ quest to be accepted for who they are and not be hated and feared for it continues to strike a deep chord with LGBT audiences.<br /><br />The best thing about <i>X-Men: First Class</i> is that you don’t have to have seen anything that came before to appreciate and follow the plot. In a summer that will be jam-packed with monsters, wizards and superheroes. <i>X-Men: First Class</i> graduates with top honors!<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>X-Men: First Class</em> is now available <span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-First-Class-James-McAvoy/dp/B004LWZW42?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">on DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004LWZW42" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> and <span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-First-Class-Digital-Blu-ray/dp/B004LWZW4C?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004LWZW4C" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> from Amazon.com.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7599542967154557683?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-1511262768454118169?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-16285738327601835462011-12-06T00:24:00.058-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.242-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qMz6R9Z508c/Tdl6P5qLpYI/AAAAAAAAmZg/nBAfG51JjsI/s1600/Beginners.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qMz6R9Z508c/Tdl6P5qLpYI/AAAAAAAAmZg/nBAfG51JjsI/s400/Beginners.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>Parents are mysterious creatures to their kids, and sometimes it takes a lifetime to figure them out. <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/05/reverends-interview-mike-mills.html">Mike Mills’</a> engrossing and uplifting film, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1532503/"><b><i>Beginners</i></b></a>, seeks to document his own experiences with his parents, in a fictionalized way. It is such a specific, personal journey, full of details that you know came straight from Mills’ life, yet <i>Beginners</i> feels relatable to anyone who has turned around a strained relationship with a parent or anyone who has embarked on a romantic relationship not knowing if they have what it takes to make it work. The film has whimsical elements, like the way Arthur the Jack Russell Terrier has ongoing subtitles to reveal his feelings, but overall, the film is a leisurely-paced love story paired with a late-in-life coming out tale.<br /><br />Oliver, played by Ewan McGregor, is packing up his late father Hal’s (Christopher Plummer) belongings as the film begins, and in flashback, you are introduced to the man who, after being widowed at age 75, decides to come out of the closet. The film is both a tribute to a man who, being a product of the 50’s, denied his true sexual orientation his whole life, only to embrace it in the end, and an intelligent examination of the effect parents have on their children and the way they interact with others. Oliver is closed off emotionally, and doesn’t stick with relationships very long. He watched his mother Georgia (Mary Page Keller), who made Oliver her confidant and surrogate best friend, suffer from the loneliness of being in a marriage with a closeted gay man. At the same time, Hal was a distant and absentee father.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qNsihec6_KA/TelLeGBZ9HI/AAAAAAAAmdo/YedlSXzTqjw/s1600/Beginners+CP.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qNsihec6_KA/TelLeGBZ9HI/AAAAAAAAmdo/YedlSXzTqjw/s400/Beginners+CP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Oliver meets French actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent from <i>Inglourious Basterds</i>) at a costume party where she is playing mute to save her voice. Their courtship is sweet and tentative, since both come with a lot of baggage. Hal, on the other hand, embraces every aspect of gay life, trying out bars where youth rules supreme and then settling in with a great group of “Prime Timers” who host movie nights and dinners out in West Hollywood. He even gets a wild and crazy boyfriend named Andy (<i>ER</i>’s Goran Visnjic, in a horrible bowl cut). But Hal’s days are numbered, it turns out, and Oliver becomes much closer with his father than he ever was growing up. Mills keeps the tone even and mostly light-hearted, but the reality of losing a parent is explored in a way everyone can relate to; don’t be afraid if tears flow... it’s good for you.<br /><br /><i>Beginners</i> has many moments of emotional truth, and the performances could not be better. Plummer is sure to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and he does a great service to a group in the gay community that tends to be ignored, namely older gay men. McGregor has a much quieter role to play, but he does it with his usual intelligence and intensity. Laurent is quirky and beautiful and Cosmo the dog makes the perfect cinematic companion for Oliver. If you can handle a summer movie that isn’t full of shape-shifting robots or Caribbean pirates, <i>Beginners</i> is a nice, quiet beginning to the season.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2914085833098122421?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-1628573832760183546?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-62832745469443192882011-12-06T00:24:00.057-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.243-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvTBDfCHsOk/TewD0zXsDiI/AAAAAAAAme4/xpX4GOwg264/s1600/Cole+Burden.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvTBDfCHsOk/TewD0zXsDiI/AAAAAAAAme4/xpX4GOwg264/s400/Cole+Burden.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>Hailing from Rome, Georgia, <a href="http://coleburden.com/"><b>Cole Burden</b></a> is a long way from Paris, but he still finds himself climbing a barricade and fighting for French independence eight times a week. As Courfeyrac in the hit musical <b><a href="http://www.lesmis.com/home_usa"><i>Les Misérables</i></a></b>, which has launched its 25th Anniversary tour, he is part of a band of idealistic students who rise up against the oppressive government. Given the current climate of union-busting and stripping rights from public employees, <i>Les Misérables</i> couldn’t be more timely.<br /><br />Set in the early nineteenth century, <i>Les Misérables</i> is Victor Hugo’s epic story of love, revolution and redemption, centering on Jean Valjean, a former prisoner, who spends his life trying to help others, but is pursued by Inspector Javert, who vows to bring Valjean down no matter how long it takes. A love triangle develops between Cosette, Valjean’s adopted daughter, Marius, an idealistic student, and Eponine, the daughter of the cruel couple who raised Cosette before Valjean rescued her. The show’s staying power has always been its gorgeous score, featuring songs like “I Dreamed a Dream”, “On My Own”, “Bring Him Home” and the comedic “Master of the House.”<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2qMwwRpGpA/TewEzDHNcbI/AAAAAAAAme8/eBSIRzxCm2I/s1600/Les+Miz+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2qMwwRpGpA/TewEzDHNcbI/AAAAAAAAme8/eBSIRzxCm2I/s400/Les+Miz+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />“It’s nice to stay on the go. I like that lifestyle,” Burden explained. The handsome twenty-seven year old actor gave up plans to sing opera when he realized that he would be relegated to doing the same few roles due to his vocal range. “I’ve always been drawn to acting, in film or on stage. I just happen to be able to sing.” Musical theater fulfills him more. He has been in workshops of <i>Yank!</i>, the musical about gay soldiers in love during World War II, and played Buck Barrow, Clyde’s brother, in the new musical <i>Bonnie and Clyde</i> by Hunter Foster of <i>Urinetown </i>fame. <br /><br />“I think I’m the only actor in musical theater who had never seen <i>Les Miz</i>,” Burden laughed. “It’s such a rewarding show to do because I do a lot of workshops of new musicals and you’re trying to get a feel for what the audience thinks. With <i>Les Miz</i>, it’s so great because it’s such a ‘sure thing’ every night. The audience is singing the finale with us every night. I think every actor needs to experience what it’s like to do such a hit, because that’s not always the case. It’s nice to do something that everybody loves.”<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TdZq50vRx60/TewFtfzO8qI/AAAAAAAAmfE/SR1-8qu_pCQ/s1600/Cole+Burden+2.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TdZq50vRx60/TewFtfzO8qI/AAAAAAAAmfE/SR1-8qu_pCQ/s400/Cole+Burden+2.bmp" width="313" /></a></div><br />Being in the ensemble means that Burden is working non-stop. “I think I have fifteen costume changes,” he explained. “It’s a lot of fun. I get to be a little bit of everything. I’m a sailor, I’m one of the poor at the beginning of the show, and I’m Courfeyrac, one of the students, who’s told, “Courfeyrac, you take the watch”. I’ve started a blog on <a href="http://coleburden.com/">my website</a> called “Taking the Watch” where I let people know what’s going on on the tour. I also understudy Bamatabois, who’s one of the fops. I get to put on a lot of make-up and beat up on (downtrodden heroine) Fantine, so that’s a lot of fun.” Burden’s blog gives a rare look behind the scenes at an actor’s life on the road, including one incident where the infamous iPhone Daylight Savings glitch made him late to a performance. “I just want to talk to people about life within <i>Les Miz</i>. Nothing personal, but there are so many fans of the show that I think they’d love to hear stuff that goes on. It’s such an epic production, I think that there are lots of interesting stories that one can tell.”<br /><br />Burden devotes a lot of his time to raising money for <a href="http://www.broadwaycares.org/">Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS</a>. “It’s so important as an actor to stay abreast of what’s going on, for lack of a better term, ‘in the real world’.” He is committed to making sure that people continue to fight the spread of HIV, and is proud that they as a cast have already raised more than $75,000. “Just the difference (in attitudes about AIDS) as a gay man between being twenty-seven and twenty-three... it’s like there’s a complacency about unprotected sex. I just don’t understand where that comes from. I guess we’re just getting away from an understanding of how it all originated. It’s very scary, actually.”<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XvpJyShVPEI/TewE-9Lr_JI/AAAAAAAAmfA/sGmgfejBcwM/s1600/Les+Miz+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XvpJyShVPEI/TewE-9Lr_JI/AAAAAAAAmfA/sGmgfejBcwM/s400/Les+Miz+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />He’s glad that <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/larry-kramer.html"><span>Larry Kramer’s</span></a> <i>The Normal Heart</i>, a play about the early days of the AIDS crisis, is back on stage in New York. “I draw a correlation between that play and what happens to the students in <i>Les Miz</i>. It’s about standing up and fighting, literally going into the streets and fighting for a cause that you believe in. In <i>Les Miz</i>, it’s about children and education and the decline of Paris and we have to take control and get it back together because the government is not going to. I relate more to seeing a film like <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2008/12/reel-thoughts-mayor-of-castro-street.html"><i>Milk</i></a> and seeing what <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/harvey-milk.html"><span>Harvey Milk</span></a> really did for the gay community. That’s something as a person that I can relate to, that I’m passionate about.” Burden hopes that people of all generations can take the message from <i>Les Misérables</i> that you have to stand up and be willing to fight against those who want to keep you down.”<br /><br /><span>Interview by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span><span>Echo</span> Magazine</span></a><span>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-6559968522941758891?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6283274546944319288?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-75620006458685995122011-12-06T00:24:00.056-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.243-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-50xbdMoLkEQ/TewJA-FX4eI/AAAAAAAAmfI/7DHfQPhDm3I/s1600/Midnight+in+Paris.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-50xbdMoLkEQ/TewJA-FX4eI/AAAAAAAAmfI/7DHfQPhDm3I/s400/Midnight+in+Paris.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>Who would have guessed that Woody Allen’s 41st film, starring <b>Owen Wilson</b> of all people, would be one of the best pictures of the year? After the nightmarishly shrill <i>You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger</i>, in which all of the ingredients (acting, story and direction) were curdled, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/"><b><i>Midnight in Paris</i></b></a> is a fine, light French soufflé that harkens back to my favorite Woody Allen masterworks, such as <i>Manhattan</i>, <i>Bullets Over Broadway</i> and <i>The Purple Rose of Cairo</i>. It is the story of a nostalgic screenwriter who escapes from his Hollywood hack life into the golden age of Paris in the 20’s via a magical midnight limousine ride.<br /><br />Like a <i>Twilight Zone</i> episode written by an English Lit major, <i>Midnight in Paris</i> is a wonderful fantasy filled with characters like <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/gertrude-stein.html"><span>Gertrude Stein</span></a>, Ernest Hemingway and Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gil (Wilson) is thrilled to find himself among his literary heroes, as well as rubbing elbows with Picasso, Dalí, <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/01/cole-porter.html"><span>Cole Porter</span></a>, <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/josephine-baker.html"><span>Josephine Baker</span></a> and director Luis Buñuel, all played by wonderful actors like Kathy Bates, Allison Pill and Adrian Brody.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dC8HUfwsUj4/TewKKhDMqsI/AAAAAAAAmfM/__ukFJaShD4/s1600/Midnight+in+Paris+OW+RM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dC8HUfwsUj4/TewKKhDMqsI/AAAAAAAAmfM/__ukFJaShD4/s400/Midnight+in+Paris+OW+RM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Creatively stifled by his money-and-status-conscious wife, Inez (<b>Rachel McAdams</b>, in the film’s one bad, thankless role), Gil comes alive with his 20’s cohorts, and falls in love with Adriana (a luminous Marion Cotillard), an art muse already linked to Picasso and Modigliani. Is it cheating if it’s in an alternate reality? There is no explanation for how or why Gil keeps finding his way back to the 20’s, nor does there need to be. Wilson does a great job as Allen’s stand-in, and his innocent love of the period will draw in viewers, even if they (like me) have no idea who <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/05/djuna-barnes.html"><span>Djuna Barnes</span></a> was!<br /><br />As with most time travel tales, there comes the time where the hero must decide in which world he wants to live, and I am not completely satisfied with Gil’s choice. It almost feels as if Allen realized that he had to tie things up in a hurry... although, given his perfectionism, that seems unlikely. At least in the similarly-themed <i>Night Gallery</i> episode, “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar,” a wrecking ball ended the story with a bang. Then again, with wonderful performances like Bates’ Stein, Pill’s flighty Zelda and Corey Stoll’s manly Hemingway, maybe I just didn’t want <i>Midnight in Paris</i> to end.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-3959038332370605168?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-7562000645868599512?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-49330578168123442432011-12-06T00:24:00.055-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.243-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8EE6xsD9Z38/TfFc-wdvQJI/AAAAAAAAmfc/nIC1jKzI1pc/s1600/Los+Angeles+Greek+Film+Festival.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8EE6xsD9Z38/TfFc-wdvQJI/AAAAAAAAmfc/nIC1jKzI1pc/s400/Los+Angeles+Greek+Film+Festival.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>If the Greeks didn't actually invent homosexuality, they were at least the first culture to recognize and integrate it. The Los Angeles/Hollywood summer season of film festivals kicks off this weekend with the <a href="http://lagff.org/"><b>Los Angeles Greek Film Festival</b></a> (LAGFF), a more obscure or specialized but increasingly popular event. Now in its 5th year, the fest runs through Sunday, June 12 at the Laemmle's Sunset 5 in the gay mecca that is West Hollywood. Seven feature films (including one of definite GLBTQ interest reviewed below), five documentaries and nine shorts will be screened, and represent three world premieres, ten US premieres and eight LA premieres. "This year's films represent all facets of Greek life: humor, music, wine, erotica, and family... with a twist! Los Angeles audiences will not be disappointed," says Ersi Danou, LAGFF co-founder.<br /><br />Last night's opening gala celebrated Lea Binzer's documentary <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1858460/"><i>Pelican's Watch</i></a>. It pulls back the veil on a small community of elders on the island of Santorini, where they are charged with the unique duty of preserving the ancient traditions of vine growing and winemaking in the face of changing times. It was followed by a reception featuring some of the top Greek wines with the Santorini winemakers and the filmmakers in attendance. Tonight, LAGFF will present the US premiere of Roy Sher's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1754249/"><i>My Sweet Canary</i></a>, which recounts the life story of Roza Eskenazy, the Diva of Rebetiko, or “Greek Blues," whose music shaped the soundtrack of Greece and Asia Minor for almost a century.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pfFLU2jB8H0/TfFdyDlF5NI/AAAAAAAAmfg/xWPd0rXuRpc/s1600/Strella+A+Woman%2527s+Way.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pfFLU2jB8H0/TfFdyDlF5NI/AAAAAAAAmfg/xWPd0rXuRpc/s400/Strella+A+Woman%2527s+Way.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br />The festival's major GLBT happening takes place on Saturday night, with the LA premiere of <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1332125/"><i>Strella </i>(<i>A Woman's Way</i>)</a></b>. No doubt the tale of "family... with a twist" that Danou refers to above, this provocative drama-comedy weaves elements from traditional Greek tragedies and myths through a decidedly modern story. Set in Athens, it opens with an inmate, Yiorgos (a fine, subtle performance by Yanis Kokiasmenos), kissing his cellmate/lover goodbye as he is released from prison. Yiorgos doesn't waste time in starting to search for his long-estranged son. He settles into a hotel, where he makes the acquaintance of his pre-op transexual neighbor, Strella (Mina Orfanou, very good). Although Strella makes her living as a prostitute, she and Yiorgos embark on a sexual relationship together that soon turns romantic.<br /><br />I don't want to give away any of the plot's sometimes jaw-dropping twists, so let's just say Yiorgos's son turns out to be closer than his father suspected. Directed by Panos H. Koutras and written by Koutras with Panajotis Evangelidis, <i>Strella</i> is well-structured and -layered. The lighting and photography aren't the most glamorous but this generally suits the film's lonely, wounded central figures. There are also some amusing sequences involving an animated squirrel that serves as Yiorgos's id. Ultimately, much of <i>Strella</i>'s impact and resonance can be summed up in one character's line to another: "You made me love you in every possible way."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLORCN4AS44/TfFeJ_3sSdI/AAAAAAAAmfk/tcUln8-_dVs/s1600/With+Great+Power+The+Stan+Lee+Story.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLORCN4AS44/TfFeJ_3sSdI/AAAAAAAAmfk/tcUln8-_dVs/s400/With+Great+Power+The+Stan+Lee+Story.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1091863/"><i>With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story</i></a></b>, a documentary about the legendary comics creator, and the reality-inspired horror film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637709/"><i>The Death I Dreamed Of</i></a> will also be shown during the fest. "The growing Greek film community is rapidly proving itself a formidable source of truly groundbreaking cinema, and I am proud to help bring these incredible works to the Los Angeles screen," states Owen Ward, Director of Programming. LAGFF will conclude Sunday with another gala screening and reception. Tickets for screenings and other festival events can be purchased online at the fest's <a href="http://lagff.org/">official website</a> or at the door while still available.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Rating</i></b>:<br /><i>Strella </i>(<i>A Woman's Way</i>): B+<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-3715751482399711306?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4933057816812344243?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-49353065612472173102011-12-06T00:24:00.054-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.243-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HPn0jdeCaPc/TfWM4-Pu0wI/AAAAAAAAmhQ/9NfQH0cM8vk/s1600/New+York%252C+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HPn0jdeCaPc/TfWM4-Pu0wI/AAAAAAAAmhQ/9NfQH0cM8vk/s400/New+York%252C+New+York.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>There are various theories as to why Martin Scorsese's first big-budget movie — 1977's <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Blu-ray/dp/B004VJJF34?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">New York, New York</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004VJJF34" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b> — was a box office flop. One is that its blend of 1940's musical melodrama with more modern language and acting styles was off-putting. Scorsese seems most accepting of this suspicion in his commentary on the film's just-released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Blu-ray/dp/B004VJJF34?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Blu-ray edition</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004VJJF34" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Another is that <i>New York, New York</i> was doomed by such contemporary mega-hits as <i>Star Wars</i>, <i>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</i>, <i>Saturday Night Fever</i> and <i>Annie Hall</i>, all released in 1977 as well.<br /><br />Upon watching the gorgeously-designed movie on Blu-ray, however, another reason quickly becomes clear: its screenplay is awful. At 163 minutes, the story about an egotistical saxophone player (Robert De Niro) and a rising jazz singer (Liza Minnelli) who share a tortured romance is too slim and derivative of other, better movies such as the 1954 version of <i>A Star is Born</i> (which even starred Liza's mother, Judy Garland). <br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kU4qnaxsPOg/TfWNejKRX6I/AAAAAAAAmhU/oq8Vfzxqo7w/s1600/Hair.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kU4qnaxsPOg/TfWNejKRX6I/AAAAAAAAmhU/oq8Vfzxqo7w/s400/Hair.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br />Jimmy and Francine meet cute, even though De Niro comes across as only a slightly less psychotic version of <i>Taxi Driver</i>'s Travis Bickle, in a nightclub the night of V-J Day. She is understandably wary at first, and Minnelli is great in these early scenes as well as in her later musical numbers. The Blu-ray includes the lengthy, lavish production number "Happy Endings," which was quickly cut from the film after its release in a desperate effort to make a shorter, more audience-friendly version.<br /><br />There is much to admire in <i>New York, New York</i>, especially Boris Leven's production design, Theodora Van Runkle's costumes and Laszlo Kovacs' stunning cinematography. But the script by Earl MacRauch and Mardik Martin takes a full half-hour for anything substantial to happen, and even then nothing too substantial happens. It's best to skip chapters, stopping each time Liza sings.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-naFf0sg6SUc/TfWN6yZuXlI/AAAAAAAAmhY/G2tjfDBBDb0/s1600/Priscilla.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-naFf0sg6SUc/TfWN6yZuXlI/AAAAAAAAmhY/G2tjfDBBDb0/s400/Priscilla.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><br />Along with <i>New York, New York</i>, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and MGM have also released Milos Forman's energetic adaptation of the rock musical <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hair-Blu-ray-John-Savage/dp/B004VJJFDE?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hair</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004VJJFDE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b> (1979), choreographed by Twyla Tharp, and the more recent gay classic <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Priscilla-Queen-Desert-Blu-ray/dp/B004VJJGFG?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert</a></i></b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004VJJGFG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> on Blu-ray for the first time. Both look great in the high-def format, and boast memorable performances and musical numbers. They serve as great inspiration to anyone who hasn't yet invested in Blu-ray player to do so.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-4822518596039142113?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4935306561247217310?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-72161916359637609882011-12-06T00:24:00.053-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.243-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C_M0S3oJ2ec/TfgcTCEdl_I/AAAAAAAAmho/YrbtWSCrQmE/s1600/Dance+1.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C_M0S3oJ2ec/TfgcTCEdl_I/AAAAAAAAmho/YrbtWSCrQmE/s400/Dance+1.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>As the founder of a famed Massachusetts dance troupe and festival is quoted in a new documentary, "Dance is the one art form that leaves nothing but memories." While the more recent technologies of film and video can now record such "memories" for the ages, dance remains distinct from painting, sculpture and what can be described as tangible or permanent media.<br /><br />Southern California's annual <a href="http://www.dancecamerawest.org/"><b>Dance Camera West Film Festival</b></a>, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary June 16-19, is a major chronicler of dance's magnificent global evolution. This year's event will take place at a variety of locations in and around Los Angeles, including the Getty Center, UCLA and the Hammer Museum. For a full schedule and to purchase tickets, visit the fest's <a href="http://www.dancecamerawest.org/">official website</a>.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zjb6jrFXGnk/TfgcoOdHl5I/AAAAAAAAmhs/ZVWw8ttsTYs/s1600/Never+Stand+Still.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zjb6jrFXGnk/TfgcoOdHl5I/AAAAAAAAmhs/ZVWw8ttsTYs/s400/Never+Stand+Still.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The GLBT pinnacle of this year's festival is <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1859553/"><i>Never Stand Still</i></a></b>, the feature-length documentary referenced above. It will make its West Coast premiere on June 19. The film recounts the fascinating history behind the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, which is derived from the first all-male dance troupe established by choreographer Ted Shawn in 1931. Shawn had been partly paralyzed as a young man, the result of diphtheria, and initially took up dance for strictly therapeutic purposes. He later came across and purchased an abandoned farm in the Berkshires (later learned to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad), which was christened Jacob's Pillow. According to gay choreographer <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/08/bill-t-jones.html"><span>Bill T. Jones</span></a>, who narrates <i>Never Stand Still</i>, Shawn "wanted to prove dance could be a viable career for men" at a time when it was dominated by women.<br /><br />Dance was also dominated by ballet when Shawn established Jacob's Pillow, so he set out to expand modern dance as a legitimate field of study and performance. The results were trailblazing. 80 years later, Jacob's Pillow is today considered one of the world's preeminent dance studios by such choreographic luminaries as <span>Mark Morris</span>, <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/09/merce-cunningham.html"><span>Merce Cunningham</span></a> and <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/10/paul-taylor.html"><span>Paul Taylor</span></a> (all of whom are gay and appear in <i>Never Stand Still</i>) as well as acclaimed dancers/performers Marge Champion, Bill Irwin and Rasta Thomas.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jG2tsO01t0k/TfgcyVLxMCI/AAAAAAAAmhw/nLal38d1lY4/s1600/Dance+2.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jG2tsO01t0k/TfgcyVLxMCI/AAAAAAAAmhw/nLal38d1lY4/s320/Dance+2.bmp" width="296" /></a></div><br />The documentary, insightfully directed by Ron Honsa, showcases some remarkable dance pieces featuring an array of diverse styles and techniques. Honsa will be on hand to introduce the screening on June 19. Also not to be missed during DCW is the incredible short film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1921098/"><i>Stronger</i></a>, which will be shown as part of the "Global Screendance 2" program on Friday, June 17. Two attractive, shirtless male dancers leap through the woods and into the trees during this beautifully choreographed, photographed and edited film.<br /><br />Whether or not you are a dance aficionado, DCW is the place to be and create new memories this June.<br /><br /><span>Preview by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-1172597304743983021?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-7216191635963760988?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-33355295174613869932011-12-06T00:24:00.052-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.243-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1R5KOdV0z10/TftBCVqtx5I/AAAAAAAAmh0/2l6jKSamMFY/s1600/Green+Lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1R5KOdV0z10/TftBCVqtx5I/AAAAAAAAmh0/2l6jKSamMFY/s400/Green+Lantern.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>They say that sci-fi or comic book “origin story” films are often boring due to all the exposition necessary to start the franchise. A fellow critic always says that any movie that starts with voice-over narration is automatically going to suck. Then, there is always the possibility that some actors can’t overcome lazy writing and end up looking amazing but bland. The latter would be my guess why <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1133985/"><b><i>Green Lantern</i></b></a> looks so good but feels so empty.<br /><br /><b>Ryan Reynolds</b> plays Hal Jordan, a generically cocky fighter pilot with daddy issues (his hero father died in a plane crash) who is also afraid of commitment. Thanks to helpful narration at the beginning, we know that the universe was created by a set of “Guardians” who have harnessed the green power of “will” (I wonder what Fundamentalists think of <i>that</i>?) and have entrusted the safety of the universe to an elite group of peacekeepers called the Green Lantern Corps. As the film opens, a trio of aliens crashes onto a desolate planet in “the Lost Sector” unleashing a malevolent entity known as Parallax. The big-headed villain feeds on fear, sucking the life force from any living thing he meets and swallowing planets whole. He wastes no time mortally wounding the Green Lantern who imprisoned him, sending him plummeting to Earth to look for someone to take his mantle before he dies. The Green Lantern ring “chooses” who will possess it, and for some reason the ring thinks professional screw-up Hal is the best man on Earth for the job.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a5NlR7Oopug/TftCK3YX1FI/AAAAAAAAmh4/UqjveMv5WdY/s1600/Green+Lantern+RR.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a5NlR7Oopug/TftCK3YX1FI/AAAAAAAAmh4/UqjveMv5WdY/s400/Green+Lantern+RR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />While the writhing Parallax speeds across the galaxy towards Earth, a wormy scientist named Hector Hammond (played by Peter Sarsgaard) gets infected by some of Parallax’s yellow fear mojo and begins getting a swelled head, literally <i>and</i> figuratively. He is an old schoolmate of Hal’s and is obsessed with Hal’s old girlfriend Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), and his jealousy makes him a perfect proxy villain for Parallax.<br /><br /><i>Green Lantern</i> has many plusses going for it. It has the most impressive use of 3-D effects I’ve seen in a live-action film. Reynolds, although dull in the role, looks amazing in his skintight costume. Tim Robbins has fun as Hector’s father, a questionable congressman, and it is always a pleasure seeing Angela Bassett, even in a throwaway role like this.<br /><br />Given the high expectations for <i>Green Lantern</i>, it may well do blockbuster business, and I have to admit that my friend, who is a longtime fan of the comic book, enjoyed it immensely. For the uninitiated, however, <i>Green Lantern</i> is a comic book movie to leave on the newsstand.<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>Green Lantern</em> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=24&field-keywords=The20of3Dmovies-tv?url=search-alias=movies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD and Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />from Amazon.com.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-8727838007388479856?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-3335529517461386993?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-29252863961186209782011-12-06T00:24:00.051-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.243-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kHV4v-jwCI/Tf19pPQeAtI/AAAAAAAAmiE/2spEKjMxFOs/s1600/The+Last+Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_kHV4v-jwCI/Tf19pPQeAtI/AAAAAAAAmiE/2spEKjMxFOs/s400/The+Last+Mountain.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Now that the political/sexting scandal dubbed "Weinergate" is over (please God!), it's time to get back to more critical matters like big corporations raping the environment and local communities. The eye-opening, ire-raising new documentary <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1787816/"><b><i>The Last Mountain</i></b></a>, which opens this weekend in Los Angeles and Orange County and will soon expand nationally, is well timed in this regard.<br /><br />Eco-filmmaker Bill Haney, whose last film was the acclaimed <i>The Price of Sugar</i>, has once again teamed with social issues-oriented producer/director Tim Disney (<a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2009/04/reverends-reviews-flower-power.html"><i>American Violet</i></a>) to pull back the curtain on the continuing battle over coal strip-mining in the Appalachian Mountains. The citizens of Coal River Valley, West Virginia, have long been subjected to deforestation, flooding, birth defects and brain tumors that they claim are the consequences of mountain top removal by Massey Energy in their vicinity. According to a statistic cited in <i>The Last Mountain</i>, "Mountain top removal has destroyed 500 Appalachian mountains, decimated 1 million acres of forest, and buried 2,000 miles of streams."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tm8awxwv-UU/Tf1-MVgtnzI/AAAAAAAAmiI/_Sp-chu21zc/s1600/The+Last+Mountain+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tm8awxwv-UU/Tf1-MVgtnzI/AAAAAAAAmiI/_Sp-chu21zc/s400/The+Last+Mountain+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Haney focuses on efforts over the past decade led by Maria Gunhoe, a local waitress-turned-activist, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to hold Massey Energy's CEO and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, one of the corporation's biggest defenders, accountable. Along the way, we meet numerous townspeople and experts concerned about the coal industry in particular and America's ongoing dependence on coal energy in general. The film also provides gorgeous, almost painterly shots of the Appalachians. This is one movie that really ought to be presented in 3D.<br /><br /><i>The Last Mountain</i> filmmakers unquestionably side with Massey Energy's critics, which limits their objectivity. Defenders of the corporation and of coal mining are given very brief screen time. Still, this is an important account of a disastrous situation that was permitted to grow out of control under former President George W. Bush. Damage has obviously been done. Hopefully, <i>The Last Mountain</i> will encourage justice to be achieved and healing to begin.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Rating</i></b>: A-<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>The Last Mountain</em> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=6&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=12&field-keywords=Cars3Dmovies-tv?url=search-alias=movies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />from Amazon.com.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-4041279519391891970?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-2925286396118620978?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-68252353008597464612011-12-06T00:24:00.050-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.244-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-arosMO38S5M/Tf-yFzi3fkI/AAAAAAAAmkE/K-sJ-3T3vu0/s1600/Poison.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-arosMO38S5M/Tf-yFzi3fkI/AAAAAAAAmkE/K-sJ-3T3vu0/s400/Poison.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>Longtime fans of independent queer cinema will probably find it hard to believe that it's been 20 years since <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/todd-haynes.html"><span>Todd Haynes'</span></a> <b><i>Poison</i></b> hit the screen. The controversial anthology of three mini-movies exploring the darker side of the gay experience debuted at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival and won its Grand Jury Prize. It also won the prestigious Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.<br /><br /><i>Poison</i> is being re-released today by Zeitgeist Films as a special, remastered <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Poison-20th-Anniversary-James-Lyons/dp/B004THJ3BC?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">20th anniversary edition DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004THJ3BC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Packed with rare extras and a 16-page booklet, it provides an excellent opportunity to re-discover the film or see it for the first time. The success of Poison enabled Haynes to write and direct such popular queer titles as <i>Velvet Goldmine</i>, <i>Far from Heaven</i> and the recent HBO miniseries adaptation of <i>Mildred Pierce</i>.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iPAlRP3oVBQ/Tf-yw_Eo_NI/AAAAAAAAmkI/BLUYmlqdtRM/s1600/Poison+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iPAlRP3oVBQ/Tf-yw_Eo_NI/AAAAAAAAmkI/BLUYmlqdtRM/s320/Poison+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The filmmaker's classic opens with the foreboding words, "The whole world is dying of panicky fright." Haynes then intersperses scenes from the stylistically-diverse "Hero," "Horror" and "Homo" over the next 85 minutes. The first is a mock TV news report of a boy who kills his sexually abusive father and then, inexplicably, flies away. "Horror" serves simultaneously as a black & white homage to 1950's B-movies and as a metaphorical account of the AIDS epidemic, focusing on a well-intentioned scientist who isolates the human sex drive with devastating results. "Homo," inspired by the work of gay writer <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2011/05/jean-genet.html"><span>Jean Genet</span></a>, is a dream-like but disturbing romance between two prison inmates. All three stories are beautifully photographed by Maryse Alberti and Barry Ellsworth.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V4FLQWDeujU/Tf-y8Mk6AGI/AAAAAAAAmkM/ohDHGQG85Ew/s1600/Poison+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V4FLQWDeujU/Tf-y8Mk6AGI/AAAAAAAAmkM/ohDHGQG85Ew/s320/Poison+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Upon its release, <i>Poison</i> was denounced by conservative commentators such as Ralph Reed and the American Family Association's Donald Wildmon. They objected to both Haynes' subversive, pro-gay commentary and the graphic nudity and sex depicted in the "Homo' segment, especially since the film had received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Of course, many more critics — including J. Hoberman (whose original essay from <i>The Village Voice</i> is included in the DVD's booklet), David Ansen and Richard Corliss — lauded the movie.<br /><br /><i>Poison</i> also launched the careers of producers <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/06/christine-vachon.html"><span>Christine Vachon</span></a> and James Schamus, who have supervised many of the most significant independent films of the last 20 years. Schamus eventually became president of Focus Features, which released <i>Far from Heaven</i>, <i>Brokeback Mountain</i>, <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2008/11/reverends-reviews-pour-yourself-some.html"><i>Milk</i></a> and the current <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/05/reverends-interview-mike-mills.html"><i>Beginners</i></a>. He and Vachon as well as Haynes are featured in a special 20th anniversary Q&A about their achievements. As made clear by the new, remastered DVD, the impact of <i>Poison</i> has been far-reaching.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AHEvSJOQZs4/TVvfhDxZ6rI/AAAAAAAAkyw/lFly-0MDBGw/s1600/Taxi+Zum+Klo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AHEvSJOQZs4/TVvfhDxZ6rI/AAAAAAAAkyw/lFly-0MDBGw/s400/Taxi+Zum+Klo.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br />1981's German production <b><i>Taxi zum Klo</i></b> (in English, <i>Taxi to the Toilet</i>) has left a similar mark on queer film history and was also recently made available on DVD in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taxi-Zum-Klo-Frank-Ripploh/dp/B00483K13G?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">30th anniversary Director's Cut</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00483K13G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by QC Cinema. It was written and directed by <span>Frank Ripploh</span>, who also stars as a respected schoolteacher with a secret gay life. Set in West Berlin, it has been hailed as "the first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life." While dated in some respects and perhaps not the most positive portrait of our community by today's standards, <i>Taxi zum Klo</i> is nonetheless an enduring testament to the gay experience, then and now.<br /><br /><i><b>Reverend's Ratings</b></i>:<br /><i>Poison</i>: A-<br /><i>Taxi zum Klo</i>: B-<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-8075356784686574999?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6825235300859746461?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-82173894423457484522011-12-06T00:24:00.049-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.244-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lxllRxlCiX0/TgQ70Uwmw6I/AAAAAAAAmlI/zYiyn8gD5Ps/s1600/TrollHunter.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lxllRxlCiX0/TgQ70Uwmw6I/AAAAAAAAmlI/zYiyn8gD5Ps/s400/TrollHunter.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>Norway's legendary trolls are alive but not well in first-timer André Øvredal's handheld fantasy <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740707/"><b><i>TrollHunter</i></b></a>, opening today in Los Angeles and playing other US cities this summer. After centuries of seclusion in their remote territories — monitored by the secretive Troll Security Service (TSS) — the giant beasts have begun rampaging beyond their traditional fjords and caves. Could this be the result of humans encroaching on their land? Global warming? Some kind of infection or disease?<br /><br />A group of college students has noticed an unusual degree of government activity in the troll-impacted areas. Unaware of the existence of trolls and suspecting bears instead, they set out with video cameras to document "the truth." Needless to say, the students can't all handle the truth. This is especially the case for the closeted Christian among them since, faithful to troll specs, the critters can smell believers' blood and aren't fond of it.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P1K8OCiQ7gg/TgQ8PgOMRnI/AAAAAAAAmlM/CSTg5rIUn-A/s1600/TrollHunter+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P1K8OCiQ7gg/TgQ8PgOMRnI/AAAAAAAAmlM/CSTg5rIUn-A/s400/TrollHunter+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Filmgoers have endured similar faux exposés of the supernatural captured on video in recent years, ever since the blockbuster success of 1999's low-budget <i>The Blair Witch Project</i>. We've seen shaky-cam hauntings (<i>Paranormal Activity 1</i> and <i>2</i>), possessions (<a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2010/08/reverends-reviews-devil-made-them-do-it.html"><i>The Last Exorcism</i></a>), zombie uprisings (<i>Diary of the Dead</i>), monster attacks (<i>Cloverfield</i>) and alien invasions (<i>Skyline</i>, <i>Battle: Los Angeles</i>). <i>TrollHunter</i> doesn't offer anything new to the genre, but it rises a notch above most of these entries thanks to its excellent special effects. The visual and sound designs for the trolls bring the simultaneously amusing but scary creatures to vivid cinematic life.<br /><br />Øvredal's screenplay riffs cleverly on Norwegian folklore and history as well as science, religion and government conspiracy theories. For example, we're informed that trolls customarily consume large amounts of charcoal and concrete because they suffer from "calcium deficiency," and a new member of the documentary team responds "Muslim is OK, right?" after learning of the trolls' violent aversion to Christianity. The actors are adequate for their naïve-student roles, although veteran <b>Otto Jespersen</b> is great as the film's crusading title character.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXGxzoWc904/TgQ8_Z94MDI/AAAAAAAAmlQ/agwQvwoKm7g/s1600/Otto+Jespersen.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXGxzoWc904/TgQ8_Z94MDI/AAAAAAAAmlQ/agwQvwoKm7g/s400/Otto+Jespersen.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />One has to wonder what's next in the burgeoning series of documentary style creatures-on-camera epics; dragons, fairies or gnomes seem like prime candidates. In the meantime, <i>TrollHunter</i> offers some unique and entertaining modern twists on the legends of old.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Rating</i></b>: B-<br /><br /><b>UPDATE</b>: <i>TrollHunter</i> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trollhunter-Otto-Jespersen/dp/B0051T47NQ?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">on DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0051T47NQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trollhunter-Blu-ray-Otto-Jespersen/dp/B0051T46XM?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0051T46XM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> from Amazon.com.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-8743566649026393056?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8217389442345748452?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-48173066580634861282011-12-06T00:24:00.048-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.244-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DMFl9bKOVsQ/Tgi4EDGWaJI/AAAAAAAAmo8/JRXqoG-vE04/s1600/Cars+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DMFl9bKOVsQ/Tgi4EDGWaJI/AAAAAAAAmo8/JRXqoG-vE04/s400/Cars+2.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>One could call Pixar’s seemingly unending winning streak an embarrassment of riches. With a string of number one box office hits and Academy Award wins, not to mention all the critical huzzahs and audience love, it’s not entirely unforgivable that the studio would take a chance to rest on their laurels for a bit with their latest animated release <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216475/"><b><i>Cars 2</i></b></a> (in theaters now).<br /><br />Ask any Pixar fan to name their favorite Pixar movie and chances are you won’t hear <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID510470.asp"><i>Cars</i></a> mentioned much. It is also one of only two Pixars to not win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature since the category’s creation in 2001 (ironically, the other is <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID114200.asp"><i>Monsters, Inc.</i></a>, which will also get a sequel next year). So why a second <i>Cars</i> instead of a sequel to one of Pixar’s bigger, more beloved hits like <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID114870.asp"><i>Finding Nemo</i></a> or <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID280320.asp"><i>The Incredibles</i></a>...?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID513780.asp">Click here</a> to continue reading my <b><i>Toon Talk</i></b> review of <i>Cars 2</i> at LaughingPlace.com.<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>Cars 2</em> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=6&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=12&field-keywords=Cars3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD and Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />from Amazon.com.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-4722751106221395986?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4817306658063486128?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-91723359319733359412011-12-06T00:24:00.047-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.244-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MjbWtWAnXTg/TgrBGycg4DI/AAAAAAAAmpQ/DujqSVnViWI/s1600/Shrek+Musical+Tour.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MjbWtWAnXTg/TgrBGycg4DI/AAAAAAAAmpQ/DujqSVnViWI/s400/Shrek+Musical+Tour.jpg" width="345" /></a></div>DreamWorks Animation Studios has created such hit movies over the years as <i>The Prince of Egypt</i>, <i>How to Train Your Dragon</i> and the current blockbuster <i>Kung Fu Panda 2</i>. But as Dreamworks' CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg recently told a group of journalists (including myself) specially invited to his lavish studio compound for a private sneak peek at <a href="http://www.shrekthemusical.com/index.html"><b><i>Shrek The Musical</i></b></a>, a Broadway smash making its Southern California premiere in July, "Welcome to the house that Shrek built."<br /><br />The first <i>Shrek</i> film, inspired by William Steig's classic storybook, was released in 2001 and inspired three sequels. <i>Shrek The Musical</i> premiered in New York in 2009 and was subsequently nominated for several Tony Awards. It will be performed at San Diego's Civic Theatre from July 5-10 and at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles July 12-31.<br /><br />"There is no more defining character or story for DreamWorks than <i>Shrek</i>," Katzenberg said. It took a diverse group of artists to transfer the film to the stage. These include Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, who directed 1999's Best Picture <i>American Beauty</i> for DreamWorks and first proposed the idea of a <i>Shrek</i> musical; author and lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his play <i>Rabbit Hole</i> (which was made last year into an Oscar-nominated movie); Jeanine Tesori, who also composed the music for gay playwright <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/tony-kushner.html"><span>Tony Kushner's</span></a> <i>Caroline, or Change</i>; and co-directors Jason Moore (<i>Avenue Q</i>) and Rob Ashford (the recent Broadway revival of <i>Promises Promises</i>, among other credits).<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVYsJZn_kag/TgrCt1n8B0I/AAAAAAAAmpc/9SQccKo_8iY/s1600/Shrek+Musical+Tour+3.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVYsJZn_kag/TgrCt1n8B0I/AAAAAAAAmpc/9SQccKo_8iY/s400/Shrek+Musical+Tour+3.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>Shrek The Musical</i> adheres closely to the first movie's plot about an initially disgruntled, ultimately heroic ogre who falls in love with the seemingly human Princess Fiona. Along the way, he befriends a chatty Donkey and squares off against the villainous Lord Farquad. An assortment of classic fairy tale characters (including Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs, Humpty Dumpty and the Gingerbread Man) round out the cast. <br /><br />"We could make all sorts of changes in telling the story," according to DreamWorks Theatricals President Bill Damaschke, "but in the end Shrek has to be Shrek, Fiona has to be Fiona, Farquad has to be Farquad, and Donkey has to be Donkey." Damaschke, who is currently preparing the first <a href="http://www.shrekthemusical.co.uk/">London production</a> of <i>Shrek The Musical</i>, also said, "It's a big show, necessitating many logistical challenges" in transferring it from Broadway to the tour. It also entailed several artistic challenges. Some things that didn't work as well in the generally well-received New York production were "too literal," says Damaschke, so the tour has simplified them and is more successful as a result.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SLEhYrlCI-0/TgrBV8KOJ0I/AAAAAAAAmpU/_zKWMo8zfJE/s1600/Eric+Petersen.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SLEhYrlCI-0/TgrBV8KOJ0I/AAAAAAAAmpU/_zKWMo8zfJE/s400/Eric+Petersen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Eric Petersen</b>, a 29-year old actor who performed in <i>Shrek The Musical</i> on Broadway, will play the title role in Los Angeles and San Diego. He was on hand at the press event to sing a show-stopping song from the production, "Who I'd Be," and discuss his participation.<br /><br />"This is such a big, huge character but I approach it honestly," Petersen said of his take on the iconic, green-skinned ogre. The married father of a baby girl shared about how he recalls his crush on a 6th-grade classmate during the scene where Shrek removes his knight's helmet for the first time before the lovely Fiona.<br /><br />It takes 90 minutes and two make-up artists to prepare Petersen before each performance. He recounted how he "enjoyed" the process of developing the tour after being in the Broadway production, with Lindsay-Abaire and Tesori on hand "every day" to re-work songs and dialogue. The touring production includes a new song, "Forever," sung by a massive puppet of the dragon that protects Princess Fiona's tower.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa8kyjjN7Lg/TgrBugngGbI/AAAAAAAAmpY/X_OrAoIN0jg/s1600/Shrek+Musical+Tour+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa8kyjjN7Lg/TgrBugngGbI/AAAAAAAAmpY/X_OrAoIN0jg/s400/Shrek+Musical+Tour+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Petersen also elaborated on the "definite" GLBT appeal to be found in <i>Shrek The Musical</i>. "Shrek and Fiona both ultimately realize 'I'm OK with who I am' despite their differences," he said. The star cites the show's production number "Freak Flag," in which all the fairy tale creatures sing of the culture-changing power they can draw from their uniqueness, as being particularly relevant to GLBT theatergoers.<br /><br />Finally, DreamWorks Animation production designer Guillaume Aretos spoke about his consultative role in adapting the original film for the stage. "The design is at the service of the story," Aretos said, whether working in film or theatre. He is currently hard at work on the <i>Shrek</i> prequel, <i>Puss in Boots</i>. Antonio Banderas will reprise his vocal performance as the feline hero in the movie, which is scheduled for theatrical release on November 4, 2011.<br /><br />Be sure to see <i>Shrek The Musical</i> and "Let your freak flag wave!" For additional information or to purchase tickets for the tour's limited runs in San Diego or Los Angeles, visit the show's <a href="http://www.shrekthemusical.com/index.html">official website</a>.<br /><br /><span>Preview by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-3858111910682746194?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-9172335931973335941?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-49287776681030048842011-12-06T00:24:00.046-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.244-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9gGuhZOeXpI/TgzBXcjVZYI/AAAAAAAAmqA/c1e2pzboTlE/s1600/LA+Film+Fest.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9gGuhZOeXpI/TgzBXcjVZYI/AAAAAAAAmqA/c1e2pzboTlE/s400/LA+Film+Fest.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>Even as the annual <a href="http://www.lafilmfest.com/"><b>Los Angeles Film Festival</b></a> (LAFF) primarily champions movies made outside the studio system, the 2011 edition — held June 16-26 — wasn't above showcasing such would-be blockbusters as <i>Green Lantern</i>, <i>Winnie the Pooh</i> and Guillermo del Toro's remake of <i>Don't Be Afraid of the Dark</i>. 25th anniversary screenings of 1986's Hollywood hits <i>Ferris Bueller's Day Off</i> and <i>Stand By Me</i> were also shown. Still, it is the fest's indie offerings that stoke most attendees' devotion. This was the fest's second year at the downtown LA Live complex and, based on the obviously increased number of attendees over 2010, it is proving to be a good fit.<br /><br />A healthy number of GLBT-interest films were featured, and I appreciate the festival organizers' continued dedication to including our community's stories. <i> Wish Me Away</i>, which details the tumultuous coming-out experience of country-western singer <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2010/05/chely-wright.html"><span>Chely Wright</span></a>, even ended up winning the fest's Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary. The jurors remarked that <i>Wish Me Away</i> was noteworthy for its "honesty, humor and potential to change minds and even save lives." (The Canadian comedy <i>Familiar Ground</i> won the jury's Narrative Award, while <i>Attack the Block</i>, <i>Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest</i> and <i>Senna</i> won Audience Awards.) Here's my take on a few of the festival's memorable offerings, gay and otherwise.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3lYxvZ9RUtI/TgzCOztNCII/AAAAAAAAmqE/3tkatO7kW60/s1600/The+Broken+Tower.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3lYxvZ9RUtI/TgzCOztNCII/AAAAAAAAmqE/3tkatO7kW60/s320/The+Broken+Tower.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Man of letters <b>James Franco</b> was on hand to introduce the world premiere of his latest exploration of literature and liberation, <b><i>The Broken Tower</i></b>. Having portrayed <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/allen-ginsberg.html"><span>Allen Ginsberg</span></a> in last year's <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2010/09/reverends-reviews-howl-reveals-poetry.html"><i>Howl</i></a> to great acclaim, Franco now directs, writes and stars as another gay poet, the lesser-known <span>Hart Crane</span>. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the sold-out event but I was informed after that our love of all things Franco should remain intact. Next up for the GLBT-friendly star: raising Caesar, the hyper-intelligent chimpanzee, and bedding Frieda Pinto in August's <i>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</i>.<br /><br />Theatre and film director Julie Taymor wisely traded NYC for LA the very week that the much-delayed, injury-inducing musical <i>Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark</i> finally premiered on the Great White Way. Taymor spoke to an adoring audience the night of June 19 at the Grammy Museum about her dual careers on film and stage. Even more unexpected, however, was the on-stage pairing of Jack Black and Oscar-winner Shirley MacLaine on June 23. The pair entertainingly discussed their diverse approaches to acting as well as working together on the festival's Opening Night selection, Richard Linklater's unusual <i>Bernie</i>.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pusPa5Gkdqk/TgzCzGSg42I/AAAAAAAAmqI/8TlsegbPbm0/s1600/Leave+It+On+the+Floor.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pusPa5Gkdqk/TgzCzGSg42I/AAAAAAAAmqI/8TlsegbPbm0/s1600/Leave+It+On+the+Floor.jpg" /></a></div><br />The GLBT component of this year's festival really kicked in, though, on June 18 with the World Premiere of <b><i>Leave It On the Floor</i></b>, a spectacular musical-on-a-budget by director Sheldon Larry and screenwriter/lyricist Glenn Gaylord (with music by Beyoncé collaborator Kimberly Bursa). Set in Los Angeles, it focuses on local "dynasties" of GLBT young people who perform in weekly drag balls. It combines elements of the 1991 documentary <i>Paris is Burning</i> as well as <i>Dreamgirls</i> and features the best (only?) dance number set in a bowling alley since <i>Grease 2</i>, the latter choreographed to the great, instantly memorable song "Knock The Mother F***er Down"! The sold-out crowd loved it, and the VIP after party/ball was the fest's best fête.<br /><br />I am not only happy but grateful to have caught the North American premiere of <i>Tomboy</i>, an exquisite new film by French writer-director Celine Sciamma. It depicts a transgender girl's efforts to fit into a new community by presenting herself as a boy, which naturally leads to complications. Young lead actress Zoe Heran gives one of several beautifully-nuanced performances in this sensitive, compassionate movie. Rocket Releasing acquired the US rights to <i>Tomboy</i>, so watch for it later this year.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JHveGkacsIA/TgzDK1oN-nI/AAAAAAAAmqM/Nj0Y7C8NHis/s1600/Christopher+and+His+Kind.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JHveGkacsIA/TgzDK1oN-nI/AAAAAAAAmqM/Nj0Y7C8NHis/s320/Christopher+and+His+Kind.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Also making its North American debut during LAFF was <b><i>Christopher and His Kind</i></b>, a feature-length distillation of the 2010 BBC miniseries about gay writer <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/10/christopher-isherwood.html"><span>Christopher Isherwood</span></a>. Best known for the autobiographical <i>I Am A Camera</i>, based on his years in pre-World War II Berlin and later musicalized as <i>Cabaret</i>, Isherwood pushed social and political barriers as he explored his family, his romances and the rise of the Nazi party. <i>Christopher and His Kind</i> — which features fine performances by <i>Doctor Who</i>'s Matt Smith (as Isherwood), Toby Jones and Imogen Poots — also boasts gorgeous settings and male supporting players. As Isherwood is quoted in one of the voiceovers that opens the film, "To me, Berlin meant boys." Screenwriter Kevin Elyot and director Geoffrey Sax effectively take the author at his word. (<i>Christopher and His Kind</i> was released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christopher-His-Kind-Matt-Smith/dp/B004RIACU4?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">on DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004RIACU4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> this week and is now available from Amazon.com.)<br /><br />Alas, I was disappointed by another gay-themed production having its much-ballyhooed World Premiere in Los Angeles, Mike Akel's <i>An Ordinary Family</i>. A serio-comic take on religious and moral tensions within a "typical" American family, its central dispute between an Episcopal priest and his gay brother (who brings his new partner along for a week at their parents' lake house) seemed unnecessarily strained to the point of feeling dated. First, mainstream Episcopalians are hardly as conservative as they are made to look here and, second, no self-respecting 21st-century gay man would put up with the criticism he and his partner are made to put up with. Despite a good cast led by Troy Schremmer (who starred in Akel's acclaimed <i>Chalk</i>) and Greg Wise as the feuding brothers, <i>An Ordinary Family </i>suffers from a lack of authenticity.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-azcq4rALfE0/TgzDsz2srZI/AAAAAAAAmqQ/wDIppQCleeM/s1600/Higher+Ground.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-azcq4rALfE0/TgzDsz2srZI/AAAAAAAAmqQ/wDIppQCleeM/s320/Higher+Ground.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />There is no way to catch all of the nearly 200 LAFF selections, despite multiple showings and advance press screenings of some of them. That made it especially critical, then, to be on the lookout for those non-GLBT films that came with some pedigree. To that end, I was most intrigued by actress <b>Vera Farmiga's</b> directorial debut, <b><i>Higher Ground</i></b>, which was well-received at January's Sundance Film Festival. That it deals with religion and spirituality naturally piqued my interest as well. <br /><br />Farmiga plays a life-long Christian who, at midlife, begins to experience doubts and tensions with her faith. The fact that she and her family live in a commune-like, fundamentalist environment with fellow devotees makes her discernment all the more difficult. The actress-director was able to assemble a stellar cast that includes Broadway stalwarts and Tony Award-winners Norbert Leo Butz, Donna Murphy and Bill Irwin as well as recent Oscar nominee John Hawkes (<i>Winter's Bone</i>). Joshua Leonard (<i>The Blair Witch Project</i>, <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2009/07/reverends-reviews-hooray-for-humpday.html"><i>Humpday</i></a>) is also excellent as Farmiga's husband. The standout performance in the film, though, may well be Dagmara Dominczyk's heartbreaking turn as Farmiga's earthy, doomed best friend. I love the movie's haunting final shot. <i>Higher Ground</i> will be released nationally later this summer and could easily emerge a 2011 awards contender.<br /><br />Another LAFF has come and gone, but the festival only gets better each year as a celebration of movies... independently made and otherwise.<br /><br /><span>Report by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-6998545014987696959?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4928777668103004884?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-86169209379589973932011-12-06T00:24:00.045-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.244-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z9E12_0znCs/Tg1cOlvMQXI/AAAAAAAAmqg/ksL4I73rUt0/s1600/July2BMD%2BWallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z9E12_0znCs/Tg1cOlvMQXI/AAAAAAAAmqg/ksL4I73rUt0/s320/July2BMD%2BWallpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> is a little bit late jumping on the royal wedding bandwagon... we'll just say that we're fashionably late to the festivities with this month's <b>Calendar Wallpaper</b>, a salute to cinematic <b>Kings and Queens</b>.<br /><br />You'll be sharing the month of July with two King Georges, two King Henrys and three Queens Elizabeth, as well as Arthur, Christina, Eleanor, Victoria and the King of Siam. <br /><br /><span>Just click on the picture above to enlarge it to its 1024 x 768 size, then right click your mouse and select "Set as Background", and you're all set. If you want, you can also save it to your computer and set it up from there, or modify the size in your own photo-editing program if needed.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-1257408962137143821?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8616920937958997393?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-90953856716645273452011-12-06T00:24:00.044-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.245-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ugzvA2kvGzc/ThDNAxWuhFI/AAAAAAAAmrk/EGP11gxDbS4/s1600/Joan2BLiberty%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ugzvA2kvGzc/ThDNAxWuhFI/AAAAAAAAmrk/EGP11gxDbS4/s400/Joan2BLiberty%2B2.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><center><b>Wishing you a happy and safe Fourth of July!</b><br />-- <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b></center><br /><div></div><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7473726443799134107?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-9095385671664527345?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-64089689097754969912011-12-06T00:24:00.043-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.245-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MhIAmiCzUis/ThSoP8sz3CI/AAAAAAAAmsA/yUELfas3J-4/s1600/Outfest+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MhIAmiCzUis/ThSoP8sz3CI/AAAAAAAAmsA/yUELfas3J-4/s1600/Outfest+2011.jpg" /></a></div>Dolly Parton hasn't appeared on the big screen in nearly 20 years but she will be a dominant figure at this month's <a href="http://www.outfest.org/fest2011/index.html"><b>Outfest</b></a>, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. The singer-actress-GLBTQ ally appears in not one but two films that will be screened during the event that runs July 7-17 at various locations throughout LA, Santa Monica and Hollywood. Pornographic zombies, lesbian rockers, <b>Kathleen Turner</b> as a seemingly-perfect housewife and mother nominated for the "Catholic Woman of the Year Award," and yet another chapter in the <i>Eating Out</i> series are also among the tasty offerings on this year's menu.<br /><br />Now in its 29th year, making it one of the longest-running film festivals of any kind in the US, Outfest annually presents the best of new and classic, independent GLBTQ movies. Six gala screenings will be featured in addition to more than 100 features and shorts. "This year's selection of galas represent some of the most acclaimed and thematically diverse films of the year," according to Kirsten Schaffer, Outfest's Executive Director.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JeOF55wPYLU/ThSpkMvHR5I/AAAAAAAAmsE/7KUnt2pCEqg/s1600/The+Perfect+Family.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JeOF55wPYLU/ThSpkMvHR5I/AAAAAAAAmsE/7KUnt2pCEqg/s400/The+Perfect+Family.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><center><i>Is this the C***sucker residence?</i></center><br />The 2011 Opening Night Gala will kick off with the presentation of the 15th Annual Outfest Achievement Award to <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/09/fenton-bailey.html"><span>Fenton Bailey</span></a> and <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/09/randy-barbato.html"><span>Randy Barbato</span></a>. Once the acclaimed directors of such eye-opening documentaries as <i>Party Monster</i>, <i>The Eyes of Tammy Faye</i>, <i>101 Rent Boys</i> and the recent <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/05/reverends-preview-from-chastity-to-chaz.html"><i>Becoming Chaz</i></a> have been honored, the feature <i>Gun Hill Road</i> will be shown. It stars Esai Morales (<i>Rapa Nui</i>, <i>Caprica</i>) as a recently released parolee who comes home to discover his teenage son is transgender. The drama's great cast also includes Judy Reyes of TV's <i>Scrubs</i> and impressive newcomer Harmony Santana as Michael/Vanessa (look for an interview with Santana here next week). A spectacular Opening Night after-party will follow <i>Gun Hill Road</i>.<br /><br />Outfest's Closing Night Gala at the Ford Amphitheatre on July 17 will showcase <b><i>The Perfect Family</i></b>, which recently had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Jason Ritter, Emily Deschanel, Sharon Lawrence and out actor <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/richard-chamberlain.html"><span>Richard Chamberlain</span></a> (as a Catholic monsignor) co-star with Kathleen Turner in this drama-comedy about the collision of traditional values and modern reality within a Catholic household. It marks the feature film debut of director Anne Renton. The Closing Night after-party will be celebrated at Hollywood's classic Roosevelt Hotel.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SNQljEiO1dA/ThSqgeZNTiI/AAAAAAAAmsI/QClBhtLAPL0/s1600/Weelend.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SNQljEiO1dA/ThSqgeZNTiI/AAAAAAAAmsI/QClBhtLAPL0/s400/Weelend.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Between these "bookends," other gala screenings will be held: <i>Circumstance</i>, a contemporary story set in ultra-conservative Iran about the forbidden love between two teenage girls that won the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival; <b><i>Weekend</i></b>, a well-written, affecting drama by British filmmaker Andrew Haigh (<i>Greek Pete</i>), in which the relationship between two men grows from a one-night stand to something more complex and significant; the documentary <i>Hit So Hard</i>, about rock musician <span>Patty Schemel</span>; and <i>3</i>, the latest stylish movie by mainstream German director Tom Tykwer (<i>Run Lola Run</i>), who now explores the topic of sexual fluidity. <br /><br />Dolly Parton will take the cinematic spotlight during Outfest 2011 on two occasions (and is making her live performance debut <a href="http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/performance-detail.cfm?id=4545">at the Hollywood Bowl</a> this month as well). The traditional "Sing-Along" movie musical event on July 13 will be 1982's <i>The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas</i>. The fact-based hit stars Parton as a beloved madam, Miss Mona, who with the local sheriff (a crooning Burt Reynolds) squares off against a religious crusader (the late Dom DeLuise) determined to shut her brothel down. It contains such classic songs as "I Will Always Love You," "Hard Candy Christmas" and "A Li'l Ol' Bitty Country Place." Of note, the movie was helmed by gay director <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2010/09/colin-higgins.html"><span>Colin Higgins</span></a>, who sadly died of AIDS complications not long after its original release.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tDLFbc6yP9Y/ThSq9Xd1_UI/AAAAAAAAmsM/eICKPUrt-mk/s1600/Hollywood+to+Dollywood.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tDLFbc6yP9Y/ThSq9Xd1_UI/AAAAAAAAmsM/eICKPUrt-mk/s400/Hollywood+to+Dollywood.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Then, on July 16, Parton will be seen in the wonderful documentary <b><i>Hollywood to Dollywood</i></b>. The country-western queen is the lifelong object of affection of two gay twin brothers, <span>Gary</span> and <span>Larry Lane</span>, who rent a mobile home and set out on a road trip to hand-deliver a screenplay they've written to Parton at her Tennessee amusement park. Their resulting film serves as a loving tribute to her as well as an opportunity to see the twins' industry friends, which include gay faves <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/leslie-jordan.html"><span>Leslie Jordan</span></a>, Beth Grant and <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/chad-allen.html"><span>Chad Allen</span></a>.<br /><br />A few other must-see movies at this year's Outfest I was able to preview are:<br /><br /><i>- Leave It On the Floor</i>, a spectacular musical-on-a-budget by director Sheldon Larry and screenwriter/lyricist Glenn Gaylord. Set in Los Angeles, it focuses on local "dynasties" of GLBT young people who perform in weekly drag balls. It combines elements of the 1991 documentary <i>Paris is Burning</i> as well as <i>Dreamgirls</i>, and features the best dance number set in a bowling alley since <i>Grease 2</i> (and I am counting the lane-shaking sequences in <i>The Big Lebowski</i> and <i>Across the Universe</i>)! The movie's recent world premiere at the <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/06/reverends-report-going-independent-at.html">LA Film Festival</a> sold out quickly, so don't wait to buy tickets.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sjFpXiw9Fkk/ThSsDkcER6I/AAAAAAAAmsQ/TVrkjylsVPs/s1600/Private+Romeo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sjFpXiw9Fkk/ThSsDkcER6I/AAAAAAAAmsQ/TVrkjylsVPs/s400/Private+Romeo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>- </i><b><i>Private Romeo</i></b>, an ingenious transplanting of Shakespeare's <i>Romeo & Juliet</i> to a modern, all-male military academy. <span>Alan Brown</span> (watch for an interview with him later this week) directs an attractive and talented cast, who utilize the original text and gender references but also add an unexpected twist or two.<br /><br /><i>- </i><i>I Am</i>, which explores GLBTQ life in India. This insightful, award-winning documentary was inspired by director <span>Sonali Gulati's</span> personal efforts to bring closure to her relationship with her deceased mother. Along the way, we are introduced to numerous out Indians including prince-turned-political-activist <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/07/manvendra-singh-gohil.html"><span>Manvendra Singh Gohil</span></a>, who was famously but tragically disowned by his royal family after he revealed he was gay.<br /><br />Not as good but still recommended:<br /><br /><i>- <b>Longhorns</b></i>, the latest comedy from the producers of <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2010/10/reverends-reviews-dvd-tricks-treats.html"><i>BearCity</i></a> and <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2010/10/reverends-reviews-hag-by-any-other-name.html"><i>Fruit Fly</i></a>. Set in the 1980's, it evokes such gotta-lose-my-virginity titles of the time as <i>Porky's</i> and <i>Risky Business</i> — but with a gay sensibility — to often-hilarious effect. The hot, funny cast includes local boys <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/02/dylan-vox.html"><span>Dylan Vox</span></a> and Kevin Held.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x1vhKT8glkk/ThSstGS6gqI/AAAAAAAAmsU/d3bV73Dy25w/s1600/Longhorns.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x1vhKT8glkk/ThSstGS6gqI/AAAAAAAAmsU/d3bV73Dy25w/s400/Longhorns.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>- August</i>, a beautifully filmed and scored tale of romantic entanglement. Following his return to LA after several years in Europe, a man reunites with his former partner despite his ex's new relationship with a sexy immigrant. The movie's writer-director, Eldar Rapaport, is designated by Outfest as one of "4 in Focus" filmmakers to pay particular attention to. <br /><br /><i>- The Green</i>, a timely story about a gay high school teacher in Connecticut who is accused of having a sexual relationship with a male student. It features excellent performances by name actors Jason Butler Harner, <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/10/cheyenne-jackson.html"><span>Cheyenne Jackson</span></a> of <i>Glee</i> and Broadway fame, Ileanna Douglas, Karen Young and, as a lesbian attorney, Julia Ormond.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qpuRwBQ1sUU/ThStmaMF0VI/AAAAAAAAmsY/Ih9ohNNB3qw/s1600/L.A.+Zombie.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qpuRwBQ1sUU/ThStmaMF0VI/AAAAAAAAmsY/Ih9ohNNB3qw/s400/L.A.+Zombie.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><br />For certain, shall we say unusual tastes, this year's Outfest will include <b><i>L.A. Zombie</i></b>, a new porn-horror epic by provocateur <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/10/bruce-labruce.html"><span>Bruce LaBruce</span></a>. Adult superstar <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/franois-sagat.html"><span>François Sagat</span></a> plays the possibly schizophrenic, possibly undead title role. Graphic and gory but chock-full of hot men, the movie is likely to give new meaning to the term "raising the dead"!<br /><br />For the full Outfest 2011 festival schedule and to purchase passes or tickets, visit the fest's <a href="http://www.outfest.org/fest2011/index.html">official website</a>.<br /><br /><span>Preview by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2209689065026841815?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6408968909775496991?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-43720441417877429782011-12-06T00:24:00.042-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.245-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MwIQtCbl9ag/ThZ4oj7mkBI/AAAAAAAAmsg/GAs8NAicV7g/s1600/Horrible+Bosses.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MwIQtCbl9ag/ThZ4oj7mkBI/AAAAAAAAmsg/GAs8NAicV7g/s400/Horrible+Bosses.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Who doesn’t smile when they think of getting revenge on a “horrible boss”? Neither as bad as I feared nor as good as it could have been, the star-studded black comedy <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1499658/"><b><i>Horrible Bosses</i></b></a> (which opens today) is a gender-swapped <i>9 to 5</i> for the recession era.<br /><br />Three pals, played by <b>Jason Sudeikis</b>, <b>Jason Bateman</b> and <b>Charlie Day</b>, each have bosses from hell who make their lives miserable. Nick’s (Bateman) is by far the worst, a megalomaniac named Davis Harken, played to malevolent perfection by Kevin Spacey. David delights in humiliating Nick while dangling a never-to-be promotion in his face. He even made him stay at work late when his “Gam-Gam” was dying.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u2TjiWCdggY/ThZ6WhEIqgI/AAAAAAAAmso/wRsVmaTHppk/s1600/Horrible+Bosses+CF.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u2TjiWCdggY/ThZ6WhEIqgI/AAAAAAAAmso/wRsVmaTHppk/s400/Horrible+Bosses+CF.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Kurt (Sudeikis) loves his boss (Donald Sutherland) but hates his sleaze ball son Bobby, played by a gleefully slumming <b>Colin Farrell</b> in a nasty comb-over. Guess who kicks the bucket, leaving the chemical company in the hands of Bobby the tool? Dale (Day) gets no sympathy from his pals about his boss troubles. Slapped with a “Registered Sex Offender” label for urinating in an empty playground at midnight, Dale takes the only job he can get, which is as a dental assistant for a voracious man-eater named Julia Harris, DDS, hilariously played by Jennifer Aniston. Her non-stop sexual come-ons are more than the meek and mousy Dale can take.<br /><br />A drunken night together inspires the trio to plan taking out their troublesome terrors, leading to a comedy of errors that is an entertaining diversion for the audience. Jamie Foxx has a funny cameo as the guys’ “murder consultant” named Motherfucker Jones.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LYtaAtZNs_w/ThZ51foqYEI/AAAAAAAAmsk/inCZx54bLD0/s1600/Horrible+Bosses+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LYtaAtZNs_w/ThZ51foqYEI/AAAAAAAAmsk/inCZx54bLD0/s400/Horrible+Bosses+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>Horrible Bosses</i> is one of those juvenile adult comedies like <i>Hall Pass</i>, <i>Bad Teacher</i>, <i>The Hangover</i>s 1 and <i>2</i> and <i>Bridesmaids</i>. It is big on lowbrow laughs and short on character development, especially for the females in the cast. I can see why Aniston enjoyed her role, getting to look gorgeous and basically emasculate Day the whole movie long, but I’m surprised that she didn’t in turn ask for some miniscule nods at a character other than the Skinamax vixen she’s asked to play. Sudeikis’ lothario routine seems like delusional posturing, yet his character scores with every woman he wants, which is all of them.<br /><br />If you accept that <i>Horrible Bosses</i> is a bit of white male wish fulfillment and enjoy it as such, you’ll have a lot of laughs. There are enough terrible bosses out there to make that part of the story universal. However, I don’t see the film ever inspiring much praise among women, straight or gay. There are so many gay male sex jokes, as is usual in this kind of film, that gay men may enjoy all the subtext flying around. A case can even be made that Dale’s revulsion at Aniston is due to him being in the closet.<br /><br /><b><i>Reel Thoughts Rating</i></b>: B<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>Horrible Bosses</em> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=24&field-keywords=The20of3Dmovies-tv?url=search-alias=movies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD and Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />from Amazon.com.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-5945498572625930000?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4372044141787742978?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-13475448870469727752011-12-06T00:24:00.041-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.245-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFvuWnStVNU/Thpfa_NgpzI/AAAAAAAAmw8/KUrZpczPim0/s1600/Private+Romeo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFvuWnStVNU/Thpfa_NgpzI/AAAAAAAAmw8/KUrZpczPim0/s400/Private+Romeo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There have been contemporary adaptations of <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>, Shakespeare's tragic saga of star-crossed young lovers from feuding families, notably Baz Luhrmann's 1995 movie version starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. There has even been a prior all-male stage version, the off-Broadway hit <i>R & J</i>. But <b><span>Alan Brown's</span></b> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1500512/"><b><i>Private Romeo</i></b></a> is the first film to combine a contemporary setting of the play with an all-male cast.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-1347544887046972775?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-75815668287936911902011-12-06T00:24:00.040-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.245-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WWx5dqg9oPc/Th0SRJEgoDI/AAAAAAAAmxg/YEyICllN8Ak/s1600/Joan+Dancing.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WWx5dqg9oPc/Th0SRJEgoDI/AAAAAAAAmxg/YEyICllN8Ak/s400/Joan+Dancing.gif" width="400" /></a></div>Yes, it's true: <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b>, your place for cinematic views via a queer eye, is four years old today!<br /><br />Many thanks to my tireless contributors — <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Chris Carpenter</a> and <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html">Neil Cohen</a> — and to all our readers for helping to make <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> what it is today and what it will become in the future!<br /><br />Here's to year #5!<br /><br />- <span>Kirby</span><br /><div></div><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7740414969089739191?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-7581566828793691190?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-49676474089796926632011-12-06T00:24:00.039-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.245-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0kebiyAMVUE/Th6VQXZgrVI/AAAAAAAAmxo/CdPJ_kL_rNw/s1600/Project+Nim.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0kebiyAMVUE/Th6VQXZgrVI/AAAAAAAAmxo/CdPJ_kL_rNw/s400/Project+Nim.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>"You cannot control what is wild." So reads graffiti left by a so-called "eco-terrorist" in the new documentary <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1787725/"><b><i>If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front</i></b></a>, which opens today in Los Angeles and will soon have a national rollout. Their warning, however, applies well to another fine doc, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1814836/"><b><i>Project Nim</i></b></a>, which is already playing in some cities and opens in LA today as well. As both films illustrate, tragedy has resulted historically whenever humanity messes with the environment and other species. Why didn't those of us old enough to remember heed those 1970's TV commercials for Parkay Margarine, in which viewers were cautioned: "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature"?<br /><br /><i>If A Tree Falls</i>, directed by Marshall Curry (an Oscar nominee for <i>Street Fight</i>) and Sam Cullman (who also serves as cinematographer and previously shot <i>What Would Jesus Buy?</i>, among other documentaries), focuses on several members of a cell of the radical Earth Liberation Front, a.k.a. ELF. Since 1996, ELF members have engaged in acts of arson aimed at crippling such non-Earth friendly sites as timber companies, wild horse slaughterhouses, ski lodges (causing $12 million in damage at one such resort in Vail, Colorado) and SUV dealerships. ELF was subsequently labeled the "number one domestic terrorism threat" by the FBI... prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001, anyway.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUU5i9GJ7xA/Th6VfldF9zI/AAAAAAAAmxs/nZ5VufooD-E/s1600/If+A+Tree+Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUU5i9GJ7xA/Th6VfldF9zI/AAAAAAAAmxs/nZ5VufooD-E/s400/If+A+Tree+Falls.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br />In 2005, 14 people associated with ELF were arrested. We hear first-hand here the personal stories of how some of these initially-docile individuals became environmentalists willing to sacrifice their own freedom and survival to prevent what one of the accused (and ultimately convicted) terms "the reckless destruction of the planet." Stepping in where protests and letter-writing campaigns against offending businesses had failed, ELF drew media attention to the plight of the environment while causing acts of destruction that — to the perpetrators' credit — never injured or killed anyone.<br /><br />"It's hideous to be called a terrorist," says ELF member Daniel McGowan. I prefer to think of the subjects of <i>If A Tree Falls</i> as tree huggers with attitude, especially since we've seen what true, life-threatening terrorists can do. Without endorsing their tactics, I admire ELF's tenacity and efforts at educating the public. The movie gets a bit bogged down in legal and procedural details during its final 30 minutes but it will, hopefully, open eyes and hearts. <br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CIyWkC1hjv8/Th6W3Nek3-I/AAAAAAAAmxw/feryExMNDUw/s1600/If+A+Tree+Falls+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CIyWkC1hjv8/Th6W3Nek3-I/AAAAAAAAmxw/feryExMNDUw/s320/If+A+Tree+Falls+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i>Project Nim</i> is even more potent as an indictment against those who would try to manipulate "the natural order." Directed by Academy Award-winner James Marsh (<i>Man on Wire</i>) and winner of the Best Directing Award for World Documentary at this year's Sundance Film Festival, it is a probing exploration — at times painfully so — of humankind's arrogance as well as of the moral superiority some other species unwittingly possess. <br /><br />Created from a combination of vintage footage, recent interviews with some of the surviving players, and re-created moments featuring an actor in a monkey suit, <i>Project Nim</i> recounts an extraordinary experiment during the 1970's in which an infant chimpanzee was removed from its natural mother only days after its birth and given to a human mother with instructions to raise it exactly as she would a human child. The goal: to determine whether humankind's closest relative could learn to communicate as a human being.<br /><br />Utilizing American Sign Language, Nim (as the chimp was rather impersonally named) was taught a number of English words as well as how to dress himself and use the toilet. However, enduringly primitive and even violent actions by Nim indicated, as one researcher says in the film, "You can't give human nurturing to an animal that can kill you." After five years, the experiment's end was suddenly declared and Nim was relocated first to a chimpanzee research center in Oklahoma, then made a subject of medical research and ultimately abandoned to a solitary cage in an animal refuge in Texas.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--M1NMXX88GU/Th6X_AT9AaI/AAAAAAAAmx0/9Cqr_04WDUM/s1600/Project+Nim+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--M1NMXX88GU/Th6X_AT9AaI/AAAAAAAAmx0/9Cqr_04WDUM/s320/Project+Nim+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nim's journey is undeniably harrowing at times, and <i>Project Nim</i> may be tough for some animal lovers to get through. Gratefully, and wisely on Marsh's part, the challenging moments are leavened by enough cute and/or comic episodes of Nim interacting with his supporters both as a youth and as an adult that the film leaves one feeling hopeful rather than depressed. The humans involved, while sometimes well-meaning, are also revealed to be irreversibly ignorant with perhaps two exceptions: Dr. James Mahoney, who ultimately facilitated the transfer of numerous chimps, including Nim, from the bio-medical lab he managed to more hospitable surroundings, and Bob Ingersoll, who visited and continued to communicate with Nim for over 10 years before Nim's death at the age of 26 in 2000.<br /><br />I'm all for trying to talk to the animals (some of my family members and friends even call me "Doctor Dolittle" due to the affinity seemingly shared between me and many non-human creatures), but I believe we ought to meet them on their linguistic level rather than unrealistically expect them to meet us on ours. I think that's the way Mother Nature... not to mention God... intended.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Ratings</i></b>:<br /><i>Project Nim</i>: A-<br /><i>If A Tree Falls</i>: B<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-6018427230606777432?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4967647408979692663?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-34147593649291126512011-12-06T00:24:00.038-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.245-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BD69bxTsB9Y/TiSe5U8neKI/AAAAAAAAmzQ/XKP1MugXQHk/s1600/Shrek+AM+EP.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BD69bxTsB9Y/TiSe5U8neKI/AAAAAAAAmzQ/XKP1MugXQHk/s400/Shrek+AM+EP.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>I notoriously (according to many who read my original review) referred to the 2001 animated movie <i>Shrek</i> oh-so-poetically as "dreck." While it became an enormous hit and spawned three sequels (<i>Shrek 2</i> being, in my opinion, a vast improvement over the first), I found the original an obnoxious fairy tale farce that relied almost solely on potty humor and Disney-bashing for its raison d'etre.<br /><br />Subsequently, I was far from enthused when I heard DreamWorks was turning its cash cow into a Broadway musical, hoping to follow in the footsteps of rival Disney's über-successful stage adaptations of <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> and <i>The Lion King</i>. Then I saw the original cast perform Lord Farquaad's showstopper "What's Up, Duloc?" on the 2009 Tony Awards broadcast. I was impressed. Then I bought the original cast recording, which proved to be filled with witty, inventive songs by David Lindsay-Abaire (an unexpected follow-up to his very serious, Pulitzer Prize-winning play, <i>Rabbit Hole</i>) and the gifted Jeanine Tesori (<i>Caroline, or Change</i>). I was even more impressed.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OhiCsbJJXMA/TiSf4jtLM1I/AAAAAAAAmzU/u52SGl26EU0/s1600/Shrek+Haven+Burton.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OhiCsbJJXMA/TiSf4jtLM1I/AAAAAAAAmzU/u52SGl26EU0/s400/Shrek+Haven+Burton.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />This past week, I was able to attend the Los Angeles opening of <a href="http://www.shrekthemusical.com/index.html"><b><i>Shrek The Musical</i></b></a> and see the complete work for the first time. Color me totally impressed! I highly recommend it — now playing through July 31 at the famed Pantages Theatre — to theatergoers young and old. There are still a few fart jokes and jabs at Disney, but the more-subtle musical benefits from a decidedly more lyrical, romantic approach. That and having human beings rather than computer-generated images fill the key roles give <i>Shrek The Musical</i> a massive advantage over its celluloid roots (although the film and musical are ostensibly based on stories written by the late William Steig).<br /><br />Shrek, for the two people on the planet who haven't heard of the character, is a solitary, swamp-dwelling ogre who suddenly finds his muddy home overrun by fairy tale creatures including Pinocchio, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs and others evicted from the nearby kingdom of Duloc by the diminutive, perfection-obsessed despot, Farquaad (played, predominantly on his knees, by the hilarious <b><span>David F.M. Vaughn</span></b>). Shrek (beautifully portrayed and voiced by <b>Eric Petersen</b>) sets out for Duloc, with a talking Donkey (a great-in-small-doses <b>Alan Mingo, Jr.</b>) at his side. Confronting Farquaad, Shrek is promised the deed to his property if he first rescues the long-imprisoned Princess Fiona (the hilarious <b>Haven Burton</b>) and delivers her to Duloc so Farquaad can marry her and make himself a legitimate king.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OoWwun-KG5w/TiSgOIGIicI/AAAAAAAAmzY/BIZfWHD0bAo/s1600/Shrek+David+F.M.+Vaughn.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OoWwun-KG5w/TiSgOIGIicI/AAAAAAAAmzY/BIZfWHD0bAo/s400/Shrek+David+F.M.+Vaughn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Splendid stagecraft ensues, with one visual delight after another. In addition to the great costume designs (by Tim Hatley) that enable Farquaad to appear only a few feet tall, the show features a talking Gingerbread Man, a flying dragon, a horde of tap-dancing rats, and a cameo by the <i>Shrek</i> movies' Puss in Boots. The touring production is co-directed by the clever Jason Moore, who previously supervised the puppet-based <i>Avenue Q</i>, and Rob Ashford of the recent Broadway revival of <i>Promises, Promises</i> among other credits. Superb if fairly minimal choreography is provided by Josh Prince.<br /><br />Tesori's and Lindsay-Abaire's more than serviceable score is comprised of several gems, most noticeably Shrek's delightfully cynical opening number "Big Bright Beautiful World"; Fiona's wistful "I Know It's Today" (performed by the character at three different ages) and energetic Act II opener, "Morning Person"; any of Lord Farquaad's songs; the dragon's R&B tuner "Forever" (which replaces her previous song "Donkey Pot Pie," heard on the Broadway cast recording); the toe-tapping, GLBT instant anthem "Freak Flag"; and the climactic, proscenium-crossing "This Is Our Story." And for fans of the original movie, an encore cover of the Monkees' "I'm a Believer" performed by the show's vocally gifted cast is included.<br /><br /><i>Shrek The Musical</i> will be touring extensively over the next year. Wherever it plays, I encourage locals to check it out, whether or not you are fans of the movie. You'll have a good time either way. Tour information may be found at the musical's <a href="http://www.shrekthemusical.com/index.html">official site</a>.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-805027981481715864?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-3414759364929112651?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-52847333983733652972011-12-06T00:24:00.037-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.246-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0VaHN20VtX0/TiYKfqAd7dI/AAAAAAAAmzc/Vd-KAL3WGSs/s1600/Winnie+the+Pooh.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0VaHN20VtX0/TiYKfqAd7dI/AAAAAAAAmzc/Vd-KAL3WGSs/s400/Winnie+the+Pooh.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>It has been 34 years since Disney’s first feature length visit to the world of A.A. Milne’s “bear of very little brain”, <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID114470.asp"><i>The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh</i></a>. During that time the character, along with his fellow inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood, have become beloved pop culture icons, spawning everything from television series and DVDs to theme park attractions, not to mention a seemingly never-ending line of merchandise, from stuffed animals and toys to books and video games.<br /><br />Additionally, three more feature films — <i>The Tigger Movie</i>, <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID114790.asp"><i>Piglet’s Big Movie</i></a> and <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID280420.asp"><i>Pooh’s Heffalump Movie</i></a> — have been released theatrically, with (as the titles suggest) our Pooh in supporting roles. But he returns to center stage in his unexpected yet delightful latest big screen adventure, simply titled <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1449283/"><b><i>Winnie the Pooh</i></b></a> (in theaters now). And, as this title suggests, it’s back to basics for the lovable Pooh crew...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID513830.asp">Click here</a> to continue reading my <b><i>Toon Talk</i></b> review of <i>Winnie the Pooh</i> at LaughingPlace.com.<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>Winnie the Pooh</em> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&field-keywords=Winnie20Pooh&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD and Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />from Amazon.com.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2358754738548370154?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-5284733398373365297?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-41272118536394184072011-12-06T00:24:00.036-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.246-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4WSWaUmLcv8/TikMEbVaj8I/AAAAAAAAmzo/hyNQmbz_ZmM/s1600/Woman%2527s+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4WSWaUmLcv8/TikMEbVaj8I/AAAAAAAAmzo/hyNQmbz_ZmM/s400/Woman%2527s+Picture.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>Most people think it's fun and semi-glamorous being a film critic, and it can be. A film critic's job, however, becomes about as challenging as a job can get when covering not just one film festival but two — while also serving as a programmer for a third festival — simultaneously. Such was my lot from late May through July 17, when I provided advance coverage for and attended the <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/06/reverends-report-going-independent-at.html">Los Angeles Film Festival</a> and <b><a href="http://www.outfest.org/index.php">Outfest</a></b>, the 29th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, while reviewing submissions for this September's <a href="http://www.centerlb.org/programs/lbqfestival.html">Long Beach Q Film Festival</a>. All in all, I've been subjected to over 300 mostly independent, primarily GLBT-interest shorts and features in 60 days, an average of 5 films per day. And this isn't even my full-time job!<br /><br />Outfest 2011 came to a close with the LA premiere of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1650058/"><i>The Perfect Family</i></a>, starring Kathleen Turner as the conservative Catholic mother of a lesbian daughter. On the same day she is nominated for the "Catholic Woman of the Year" award, Mom learns that her daughter and daughter's partner are planning to get married. Out actor <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/richard-chamberlain.html"><span>Richard Chamberlain</span></a> plays the local monsignor, and Sharon Lawrence has a great turn as Turner's co-nominee/nemesis. While the film is chiefly a drama, it has its comedic moments and I couldn't help but picture Turner at times as her <i>Serial Mom</i> character and wish she'd make an obscene crank call or two to Lawrence, which only made the movie funnier for me. <i>The Perfect Family</i> doesn't get all the Catholic details right but still presents the church's rituals and parish politics more seriously than most movies. Rating: <b>B</b><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ka1ZXjwo_-U/TikMUV93ViI/AAAAAAAAmzs/cZ66RU43cTw/s1600/Mangus.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ka1ZXjwo_-U/TikMUV93ViI/AAAAAAAAmzs/cZ66RU43cTw/s400/Mangus.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br />Religious themes were big this year, with several significant entries in both the LA Film Fest (including Vera Farmiga's haunting <i>Higher Ground</i>) and Outfest. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1717724/"><i>The Wise Kids</i></a>, featured at the latter, is a lovely, teen coming-of-age story that avoids most of the clichés we've come to expect of that genre. Writer-director Stephen Cone (who also plays a closeted, married church leader in the film) won the festival's Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting, and the movie was awarded the Grand Jury prize for Outstanding US Dramatic Feature. Its no-name cast is excellent and I was also impressed by the ethereal music score by Mikhail Fiksel.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4127211853639418407?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-47043118837695717202011-12-06T00:24:00.035-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.246-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lH3P-iEte_c/Tiy0YP1W4UI/AAAAAAAAm2Y/Zn9A-spIXRY/s1600/Captain+America+The+First+Avenger.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lH3P-iEte_c/Tiy0YP1W4UI/AAAAAAAAm2Y/Zn9A-spIXRY/s400/Captain+America+The+First+Avenger.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in 1941, the star-spangled Marvel Comics hero known as Captain America has been fighting for truth, justice and the American way for 70 years now. In his long, illustrious career, the good Captain’s four-color exploits have taken him from the battlefields of World War II to the far reaches of outer space. But Cap’s greatest challenge was making a successful leap to the silver screen.<br /><br />Now in theaters, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/"><b><i>Captain America: The First Avenger</i></b></a> achieves that feat with flying colors. This period-perfect film boasts superior production values, an embarrassment of acting riches cast-wise and plenty of flag-waving enthusiasm that carries this never campy, always gung-ho summer actioner to blockbuster heights. As directed by Joe Johnston (who also helmed the similarly-set cult favorite <i>The Rocketeer</i>), <i>Captain America</i> smartly sidesteps the typical pitfalls of the superhero genre, playing more like a WWII spy thriller… albeit one that just happens to have a super-powered leading man.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kOBt5SjHQqU/Tiy0cFO7A9I/AAAAAAAAm2c/pK4oN21suOg/s1600/Captain+America+CE.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kOBt5SjHQqU/Tiy0cFO7A9I/AAAAAAAAm2c/pK4oN21suOg/s400/Captain+America+CE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>Chris Evans</b> (who has plenty of cinematic super-powered experience thanks to two <i>Fantastic Four</i> flicks, <i>Push</i> and <i>Scott Pilgrim vs. the World</i>) is said leading man...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID513840.asp">Click here</a> to continue reading my <b><i>Toon Talk</i></b> review of <i>Captain America: The First Avenger</i> at LaughingPlace.com.<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>Captain America: The First Avenger</em> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=9&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=21&field-keywords=Captain3A20First3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD and Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />from Amazon.com.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2311053505933382908?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4704311883769571720?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-13333795263335149352011-12-06T00:24:00.034-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.246-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8k7Gn0MDb2k/TjIZkyP8YHI/AAAAAAAAm5o/PVspkJQWbTU/s1600/The+Devil%2527s+Double.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8k7Gn0MDb2k/TjIZkyP8YHI/AAAAAAAAm5o/PVspkJQWbTU/s400/The+Devil%2527s+Double.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>History has proven that Saddam Hussein, the late long-ruling dictator of Iraq, was no Mr. Nice Guy. If <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270262/"><b><i>The Devil's Double</i></b></a> is to be believed, however, Hussein's son Uday — a.k.a. "The Black Prince" — was even more decadent and vicious. This fact-based, no-holds-barred exposé of political corruption and immorality opens today in New York and Los Angeles.<br /><br />"We must have discipline," proclaims Uday, just prior to beating the unfortunate soldier coerced into serving as his body double. Former schoolmates and similar-looking enough to have been confused as brothers, Latif Yahia and Uday form an uneasy partnership, with the safety of Latif's parents and siblings serving as necessary collateral.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YbAyFKAR55A/TjIajp4GtCI/AAAAAAAAm5s/ZYmi3LRZZ8w/s1600/Devil%2527s+Double+DC.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YbAyFKAR55A/TjIajp4GtCI/AAAAAAAAm5s/ZYmi3LRZZ8w/s400/Devil%2527s+Double+DC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />As Latif and Uday, <b>Dominic Cooper's</b> performance blew me away. Cooper is probably best known for his role as the fiancé of Meryl Streep's daughter in the movie version of <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2008/07/reverends-report-from-outfest-mamma-mia.html"><i>Mamma Mia!</i></a>, but can also be seen currently in <i>Captain America: The First Avenger</i> as Howard Stark. <i>The Devil's Double</i> marks Cooper's first lead in a feature film. It's a terrific double-turn, and he is particularly good as the unhinged Uday. It doesn't hurt that director Lee Tamahori (<i>Die Another Day</i>) doesn't refrain from showing off Cooper's impressive physical attributes as well.<br /><br />Actually, the entire cast is excellent. French actress <b>Ludivine Sagnier</b> (<i>Swimming Pool</i>) utilizes an effective mix of bravado and fear as one of Uday's prostitute mistresses who falls for Latif. Raad Rawi memorably portrays the Husseins' head of security as, in the words of Latif, "a good man in a bad job." As Saddam Hussein, Australian actor Philip Quast inspires no small degree of sympathy once the audience has gotten to know his spoiled, sociopath son (Quast also plays Saddam's double). Mimoun Oaissa has fun as Uday's gay assistant/dresser.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-otFjvDJ2a_Q/TjIayIsW8yI/AAAAAAAAm5w/4b2pP2TH_IE/s1600/Devil%2527s+Double+LS+DC.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-otFjvDJ2a_Q/TjIayIsW8yI/AAAAAAAAm5w/4b2pP2TH_IE/s400/Devil%2527s+Double+LS+DC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The screenplay by Michael Thomas is insightful, although scenes seem to become repetitive and the violence numbing as the film goes on. According to the press notes, Tamahori drew inspiration from Brian DePalma's 1983 version of <i>Scarface</i>, and it shows in the amounts of cocaine snorted and brutal bloodletting depicted. Like <i>Scarface</i>, <i>The Devil's Double</i> is definitely over the top at times, no less so than during a climactic birthday party Uday throws for himself where the guests are forced to disrobe. But then again, that's likely the way it was in Hussein-era, pre-Gulf War Iraq. Sam McCurdy employs gorgeous photography in desert shades of red, brown and gold of the story's setting, opulence and decadence (the movie was actually filmed in Malta). <br /><br />"One day when God visits, we'll have justice," one character says. While Iraq is at present still taking slow steps toward democracy, at least the Husseins have been removed from power there once and for all. <i>The Devil's Double</i> makes it abundantly clear that this couldn't have happened a day too soon. See the movie if for no other reason than Dominic Cooper's revelatory performance, and watch a star being born.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Rating</i></b>: B<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-4129501423476174604?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-1333379526333514935?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-49944479249521392582011-12-06T00:24:00.033-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.246-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FyMk2J8Z1Lw/TjRzZG-KQzI/AAAAAAAAm54/Z1dH_8JnaHg/s1600/Cowboys+%2526+Aliens.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FyMk2J8Z1Lw/TjRzZG-KQzI/AAAAAAAAm54/Z1dH_8JnaHg/s400/Cowboys+%2526+Aliens.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>If potential and casting were all that mattered, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/"><b><i>Cowboys & Aliens</i></b></a> would be a surefire hit. Unfortunately, perhaps driven by the oh-so-serious <b>Daniel Craig</b>, everyone involved decided to fight every impulse to inject humor, lightness and originality. Don’t get me wrong, <i>Cowboys & Aliens</i> is extremely well made and Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde give good performances. It’s just that they could have called the thing “Absolution Day” and called it a day. It is so by rote, I expected Bill Pullman to show up as President Grant to deliver a rousing battle speech before they kick alien butt. <i>Cowboys & Aliens</i> is perfectly serviceable and gets the job done, but it could have been so much better.<br /><br />Craig plays a mysterious stranger who isn’t Clint Eastwood, who shows up in the lawless town of Absolution in the New Mexico Territory circa 1875. He has a strange bracelet and no memory, but it appears that he is a train robber named Jake Lonergan, who is wanted for murder. Wilde plays a prairie knockout named Ella, who seems to know where Jake has been and what the bracelet means.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1ICxSDYJ8Y/TjR0bJsYu6I/AAAAAAAAm58/Gw1Cnj9_SK8/s1600/Cowboys+%2526+Aliens+DC.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1ICxSDYJ8Y/TjR0bJsYu6I/AAAAAAAAm58/Gw1Cnj9_SK8/s400/Cowboys+%2526+Aliens+DC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Ford is Colonel Dolarhyde, the iron-fisted boss of the town, whose ne’er-do-well son Percy (Paul Dano) is a drunken blowhard itching for a fight. Soon, the townsfolk have more to worry about than Percy’s random shooting of deputies; alien ships appear and start snatching people and blowing things up. Jake’s arm shackle activates and helps him blast one of the invaders out of the sky, and he realizes that he is the only one who can beat the aliens.<br /><br /><i>Cowboys & Aliens</i> echoes <i>Super 8</i> with its underground slimy creatures, but it is totally missing the latter’s sense of wonder and exuberance. Director Jon Favreau knows action and he does a good job with the battle scenes. Craig gives gravitas to his character, and makes you feel for the loss of his love (Abigail Spencer). If the screenwriters had just embraced the premise’s campier aspects, <i>Cowboys & Aliens</i> could have been out of this world fun.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2504845594277726707?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4994447924952139258?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-67597339252633290362011-12-06T00:24:00.032-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.246-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7E1G7gM4ms4/TjX6MdAvmqI/AAAAAAAAm8g/7kneOjLVe8Q/s1600/August+2011+MD+Wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7E1G7gM4ms4/TjX6MdAvmqI/AAAAAAAAm8g/7kneOjLVe8Q/s320/August+2011+MD+Wallpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The wisecracking sidekicks and scene-stealing villains usually get all the attention, but it is the brave and bold <b>Toon Heroes</b> who get the spotlight in this month's <b><i>Movie Dearest</i> Calendar Wallpaper</b>.<br /><br />The animated action heroes and heroines of August include such American faves as Pocahontas, Hiccup and the Iron Giant, as well as such international favorites as Kiki, Akira and Wallace & Gromit, plus Roger Rabbit, the original 'toon' star.<br /><br /><i><span>All you have to do is click on the picture above to enlarge it, then simply right click your mouse and select "Set as Background". (You can also save it to your computer and set it up from there if you prefer.) The size is 1024 x 768, but you can modify it if needed in your own photo-editing program.</span></i><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-1497059394790025160?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6759733925263329036?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-3212153454213978402011-12-06T00:24:00.031-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.247-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n--g7bAI9io/TjgPjBMuy3I/AAAAAAAAm80/EiL6qfM0iec/s1600/Streetwalkin2580%2599.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n--g7bAI9io/TjgPjBMuy3I/AAAAAAAAm80/EiL6qfM0iec/s400/Streetwalkin2580%2599.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><b>Melissa Leo</b> wasn’t always a tough older woman with years of experience showing on her face, like her roles in <i>The Fighter</i> and <i>Frozen River</i>. Back in the mid-eighties, Leo was a fresh-faced redhead whose first starring role was as innocent teen hooker Cookie in the Roger Corman exploitation film <b><i>Streetwalkin’</i></b>, available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Streetwalkin-Roger-Cormans-Cult-Classics/dp/B004ZKKL3M?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">on DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004ZKKL3M" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> today. The film’s director, Joan Freeman, intended the film as a serious examination of prostitutes in New York’s Times Square, which was a hotbed of sex clubs and adult movie houses in 1985. As she explains in the commentary, however, she understood that she was making a Roger Corman film, which meant that every ten minutes or so, there needed to be nudity, violence or both.<br /><br />Like an R-rated version of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield” video, <i>Streetwalkin’</i> tells the story of a girl who’s been kicked out by her alcoholic mother and flees to New York City with her little brother. She’s at the Port Authority Bus Terminal for all of five minutes before handsome but unhinged Duke (hunky Dale Midkiff in full Elvis impersonator mode) picks Cookie up, compliments her and turns her into a streetwalker. Her fellow working girls include the statuesque “Queen Bee”, played by the luminous Julie Newmar with an unidentifiable accent, Heather (Deborah Offner), Phoebe (Annie Golden) and Star (<b>Khandi Alexander</b>). When Duke beats roommate Heather savagely, Cookie realizes that he is a certified psycho, so she looks for help from another pimp named Jason (Leon). Duke’s “lesson” doesn’t go as planned, and soon Cookie, Queen Bee and Star are fighting for their lives on the mean streets of New York.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4hM0x5CM1T0/TjgQL5GUiGI/AAAAAAAAm84/NEzY-yl8UZM/s1600/Steetwalkin%2527+ML+KA.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4hM0x5CM1T0/TjgQL5GUiGI/AAAAAAAAm84/NEzY-yl8UZM/s400/Steetwalkin%2527+ML+KA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>Streetwalkin’</i> also stars Antonio Fargas, a.k.a. Huggy Bear from <i>Starsky & Hutch</i>. The film is a fascinating time capsule of pre-Disney Times Square and Leo does show the depth and complexity she’d later exhibit in <i>Frozen River</i> and her Oscar-winning work in <i>The Fighter</i>. She also shows a bit of skin, although it’s doubtful that many lesbians will enjoy it due to its violence and abuse towards women.<br /><br />Since <i>Streetwalkin’</i> is a Roger Corman production, it does have a bit of grindhouse and camp appeal, but you’ll be surprised at how real its seedy setting feels. The commentary by Freeman and producer Robert Alden (who were married when the film was made) gives an intriguing look behind the scenes of a low budget movie.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2527354213584015460?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-321215345421397840?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-29841595976873289462011-12-06T00:24:00.030-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.247-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cqgBWXJgcNk/Tjg9Mk7LTbI/AAAAAAAAm88/LC7O67WcGGg/s1600/Gun+Hill+Road.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cqgBWXJgcNk/Tjg9Mk7LTbI/AAAAAAAAm88/LC7O67WcGGg/s400/Gun+Hill+Road.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1525838/"><b><i>Gun Hill Road</i></b></a> has been winning rave reviews from critics and audiences since its premiere in competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Since then, the film — about a recently-released convict who returns home to discover his teenage son is living as a woman — scored the prestigious opening night slot at Outfest and a theatrical distribution deal. It will open throughout California and the US beginning tomorrow.<br /><br />I had the opportunity to speak privately with <b>Harmony Santana</b>, who plays the movie's central trans character of Michael/Vanessa, as well as writer-director <b>Rashaad Ernesto Green</b> during their recent visit to Los Angles. Currently undergoing her real-life transition from male to female, the 20-year old Santana is stunningly beautiful both on- and off-screen. She was just beginning the process when Green cast her in <i>Gun Hill Road</i>.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hw0yntmKPrs/Tjg-B0U0AWI/AAAAAAAAm9A/VnyRrgyJ6ow/s1600/Gun+Hill+Road+HS.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hw0yntmKPrs/Tjg-B0U0AWI/AAAAAAAAm9A/VnyRrgyJ6ow/s400/Gun+Hill+Road+HS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />"I was looking for the genuine article," Green said. "I was looking for a real transgender person to play this transgender teen role, which was really hard." It took Green two months of searching through New York City nightclubs, GLBT community centers and drag shows before he was referred to Santana during NYC's Pride events. Santana was working an HIV prevention booth. Green described the part of Michael/Vanessa and asked Santana to audition even though she had no acting experience apart from a high school play.<br /><br />Of her first professional acting experience, Santana glowingly recalls "It was like I was living a dream; I loved going to set, and the makeup and hair, everything." She said she found great support during the three-month shoot from her much more experienced co-stars <b>Esai Morales</b> (<i>La Bamba</i>, <i>Caprica</i>) and <b>Judy Reyes</b> (<i>Scrubs</i>), who play her parents. Santana gives an outstanding performance, and has already followed it up with what she describes as "a bitchy role" in not one but two entries in the <i>Eating Out</i> comedy series. "This is the start of my career," Santana says of her plan to become a successful actress and ultimately play non-transgender roles.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fUXqaxq_wC0/Tjg-XKwTSfI/AAAAAAAAm9E/JVzvnca_nsM/s1600/Gun+Hill+Road+JR+REG+HS+EM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fUXqaxq_wC0/Tjg-XKwTSfI/AAAAAAAAm9E/JVzvnca_nsM/s400/Gun+Hill+Road+JR+REG+HS+EM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I asked her how she is both like and unlike the trans character she plays in <i>Gun Hill Road</i>. "We have the same boy problems; I think all transgender people do," Santana said in terms of the similarities. That being said, she had a boyfriend of two months at the time of my interview and reported things were going well. Of the differences, Santana noted her relationship with her father is much more estranged than that shown in the film between Michael/Vanessa and her father. "I haven't spoken to my dad in like four or five years," she said. Fortunately, Santana's family ties with her mother and 15 siblings are much stronger and they have been very supportive of her personal transformation. "I also didn't go through the physical stuff." Santana says in comparison to the abuse that Michael/Vanessa endures from her father and others. <br /><br />Family isn't only the dominant theme in <i>Gun Hill Road</i> but was, according to Green, the inspiration behind his screenplay. "Someone very close to me in my life went through something similar, where he had a child in transition," Green shared. "I watched their family deteriorate over the course of a few years because of his inability to accept his child's transition, but at the same time he loved his child so much and I saw a child without her father." In the wake of this experience, Green decided he "wanted to make a piece of art that didn't necessarily give all the answers but at least pointed them in the right direction."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xUaqz0VNrlk/Tjg-2LKfcFI/AAAAAAAAm9I/RBPpe-J-3V8/s1600/Gun+Hill+Road+HS+EM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xUaqz0VNrlk/Tjg-2LKfcFI/AAAAAAAAm9I/RBPpe-J-3V8/s400/Gun+Hill+Road+HS+EM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Audience response to the finished film (both nationally and internationally) has been tremendous, according to both Green and Santana. "People's eyes are being opened to a world they thought they knew but now they are getting to see another side of it," Green said. Santana has experienced viewers "coming up to me and hugging me and crying and saying how much the film means to them." She appreciates in particular a group of lesbians who came up to her and told her how much she is inspiring them, as well as Facebook messages she regularly receives saying the same.<br /><br />As a trans person herself, I asked Santana about when she first began realizing she was different from other boys. "I was in the second grade," she replied. "I had gone into the bathroom at school and another boy followed me into the bathroom. We started making out and that was my first kiss ever. It all went from there." The three of us laughed as Santana debated whether her personal and romantic experiences have gone uphill or downhill after that early start.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UICRG4AyOp8/Tjg_dFEWuqI/AAAAAAAAm9M/BszAxavtqFA/s1600/Harmony+Santana.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UICRG4AyOp8/Tjg_dFEWuqI/AAAAAAAAm9M/BszAxavtqFA/s400/Harmony+Santana.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />Santana offered the following advice to other trans people: "Be yourself, be happy, and have hope in your family; they might not be supportive now but it takes time." Even if things don't work out, she spoke encouragingly of finding "family in other places, especially among your friends."<br /><br />For more information on <i>Gun Hill Road</i>, visit the film's <a href="http://www.gunhillroad.com/">official website</a>.<br /><br /><span>Interview by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-1163444554252932556?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-2984159597687328946?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-20115220637121714122011-12-06T00:24:00.029-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.247-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PfzqlVcVZGE/Tjz75WBECxI/AAAAAAAAm_g/MTKMbiyYEJM/s1600/Crazy252C+Love.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PfzqlVcVZGE/Tjz75WBECxI/AAAAAAAAm_g/MTKMbiyYEJM/s400/Crazy252C+Love.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>In a summer full of pumped-up superheroes and marauding car-robots, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1570728/"><b><i>Crazy, Stupid, Love.</i></b></a> is a much-appreciated change of pace, a witty, hilarious and constantly surprising comedy for adults without a single “We got so wasted... what did we do?” joke. Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (who can do no wrong after <i>I Love You, Phillip Morris</i>) and starring a fantastic cast including Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, <b>Ryan Gosling</b>, Marisa Tomei and Emma Stone, <i>Crazy, Stupid, Love.</i> is a multifaceted romantic classic in the vein of <i>Love, Actually</i> (maybe the secret of success is putting punctuation in your title).<br /><br />Cal (Steve Carell) is blindsided when his wife of twenty-five years, Emily (Julianne Moore), announces over dessert that she wants a divorce, and that she slept with a coworker. Drowning his sorrows at a hip LA bar, he meets Jacob (Gosling), the ultimate player, who takes pity on the clothing-and-haircut-challenged Cal. Jacob gives Cal a macho makeover and ‘lessons with the ladies’, while finally meeting the girl of his dreams (Stone), who makes him want to reform.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzFMXvzXMIA/Tjz8iyq1p-I/AAAAAAAAm_o/7i6L1GOg7Uw/s1600/Crazy2BStupid2BLove%2BRG.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzFMXvzXMIA/Tjz8iyq1p-I/AAAAAAAAm_o/7i6L1GOg7Uw/s400/Crazy2BStupid2BLove%2BRG.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Meanwhile, Cal’s thirteen year-old son (the unfortunately-named Jonah Bobo) is madly in love with his seventeen year-old baby sitter (Liv Tyler look-alike and <i>America’s Next Top Model</i> finalist Analeigh Tipton), who in turn, has a crush on Cal. Tomei has a priceless supporting role I can’t divulge, and suffice it to say, there are more surprises in <i>Crazy, Stupid, Love.</i> than in a case of Cracker Jacks. Ficarra and Requa, along with <i>Tangled</i> scribe Dan Fogelman, have mined yet another off-center piece of comedy gold.<br /><br />Gosling seems to revel in playing off his good looks and killer abs, rather than hiding them as he did in <i>Blue Valentine</i>, and it is a joy to watch. Carell and Moore have such great, mature comic timing and chemistry that you can’t help but root for their success.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-2011522063712171412?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-84482663399301643072011-12-06T00:24:00.028-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.248-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yWPAYdcmQcU/TjhDyqKAjdI/AAAAAAAAm9Q/xWRE8rmUyW8/s1600/The+Tree+of+Life.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yWPAYdcmQcU/TjhDyqKAjdI/AAAAAAAAm9Q/xWRE8rmUyW8/s400/The+Tree+of+Life.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>Terrence Malick's long-awaited <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478304/"><b><i>The Tree of Life</i></b></a> had its world premiere at May's Cannes Film Festival and received a decidedly mixed reaction. Reportedly, as many attendees booed as applauded it but the film was ultimately awarded the Palme D'Or, the festival's top prize. It has similarly received as many pans as kudos from US critics since opening in limited release here, and has grossed a mere $9 million at the box office to date.<br /><br />Malick is the much-revered but far from prolific auteur responsible for such thinking-person's epics as <i>Days of Heaven</i> and <i>The Thin Red Line</i>. <i>The Tree of Life</i> is only his seventh film in over 40 years as a director. His movies are naturalistic, frequently wordless, lengthy (this one is 2 ½ hours) and slow moving, all of which translates as "dull" to many modern filmgoers. I do agree with most, though, that Malick's last venture — 2005's <i>The New World</i>, based on the story of Pocahontas — was a colossal bore.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QkGR7SUXuUo/TjhFliFwJ6I/AAAAAAAAm9U/hcLey4Hox5c/s1600/Tree+of+Life+BP.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QkGR7SUXuUo/TjhFliFwJ6I/AAAAAAAAm9U/hcLey4Hox5c/s400/Tree+of+Life+BP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>The Tree of Life</i>, however, is easily Malick's warmest movie and may well endure as his masterpiece... although the obnoxious heckler at the screening I attended would surely disagree. It is also a profoundly theological work. While different viewers may draw different conclusions, the movie struck me as being about nothing so much as God's relationship with what God has created. This creation, as depicted in <i>The Tree of Life</i>, includes planets, dinosaurs, and a Texas family struggling with the untimely death of one of its members.<br /><br /><b>Brad Pitt</b> gives a terrific, multi-layered performance as the domineering head of the O'Brien family, which also includes his wife (the radiant Jessica Chastain) and their three precocious boys. Oldest son Jack (played by newcomer Hunter McCracken as a youngster and Oscar-winner <b>Sean Penn</b> as an adult) increasingly challenges his father's authority as he matures. This serves as a fairly obvious but effective metaphor for many people's relationship with God and/or the faith in which they were raised while transitioning from childhood to adulthood.<br /><br />Mrs. O'Brien comments early on in <i>The Tree of Life</i> about the choice human beings must make between the order of Nature which, she says, "seeks its own good," or that of Grace, "which seeks the good of all." Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, among others, would appreciate this framing device. The eternal tension between Grace and Nature is subsequently illustrated via gorgeous, painterly sequences (by George Lucas's special effects house, Industrial Light & Magic) replicating the creation of the universe and Earth's primitive past, as well as through Jack's decades-long effort to reconcile the family's loss and his feelings toward his father.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4dk35h6gQsQ/TjhJcZfKftI/AAAAAAAAm9Y/AdhY7U46kD4/s1600/Tree+of+Life+SP.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4dk35h6gQsQ/TjhJcZfKftI/AAAAAAAAm9Y/AdhY7U46kD4/s400/Tree+of+Life+SP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Most of what constitutes dialogue in the movie is intimate voiceovers, wherein the characters question God and themselves about whatever meaning there might be behind everyday events great and small. That makes <i>The Tree of Life</i> a film that must be listened to carefully, which apparently is increasingly difficult for today's cineplex attendees. The excellent music score — much of it woven from seemingly disparate classical and contemporary sources — by Alexandre Desplat (<i>The King's Speech</i>) similarly helps to make this an aural as well as a visual experience. Luminous cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki (<i>Children of Men</i>) accentuates the latter dimension.<br /><br />Being a Terrence Malick movie, much of <i>The Tree of Life</i> is deliberately paced and intentionally vague. Roger Ebert has compared it to <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i> in scope, but I didn't find Malick's work nearly as confounding as Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi/pseudo-religious classic. Adventurous moviegoers who don't require over-amplified sound and 3D glasses (although this is one movie that would be even more spectacular in 3D) will likely be enthralled as I was. <i>The Tree of Life</i> is one of the very best films of 2011 thus far, no matter what its more graceless detractors are saying.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Rating</i></b>: A-<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>The Tree of Life</em> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=24&field-keywords=The20of3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD and Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />from Amazon.com.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-5914707654426917082?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8448266339930164307?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-59041718541371282742011-12-06T00:24:00.027-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.248-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v71bYsFihpE/TkCvp3ewCtI/AAAAAAAAnAM/IunO_OpaSrQ/s1600/Sarah2580%2599s+Key.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v71bYsFihpE/TkCvp3ewCtI/AAAAAAAAnAM/IunO_OpaSrQ/s400/Sarah2580%2599s+Key.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>When you listen to the vile rhetoric of Christian Conservatives like Michelle Bachmann and her “therapist” husband Marcus, who call LGBT people “barbarians” who are “linked to Satan”, it isn’t hard to sympathize with the foreign-born French Jews in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1668200/"><b><i>Sarah’s Key</i></b></a>, <b>Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s</b> heart-breaking drama based on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sarahs-Movie-Tie-Tatiana-Rosnay/dp/1250004349?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">best-selling novel</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1250004349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Tatiana De Rosnay. Could such a witch-hunt happen again, this time to the LGBT community, the Mexican immigrant population or the Muslim community?<br /><br />Director Paquet-Brenner pondered the question of whether such inhumanity as occurs in his film could happen again to another scapegoat minority when we spoke recently at the Phoenix Ritz-Carlton. “I don’t see gay people as different people, so I think everyone will appreciate the story. I am more in a political or religious perspective with <i>Sarah’s Key</i>, but I see where you are going,” Paquet-Brenner replied. “What is very important to me is that the film is universal, and so of course, you can include other minorities such as the gay community. I can see how someone especially in, how you say Deep America (Middle America), I understand how you can feel excluded or attacked, so you can definitely relate to these people. That is very interesting.”<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oUF_N78Nn9k/TkCx0AaML1I/AAAAAAAAnAQ/rx-ofs_R8jA/s1600/Gilles+Paquet-Brenner+KST+AQ.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oUF_N78Nn9k/TkCx0AaML1I/AAAAAAAAnAQ/rx-ofs_R8jA/s1600/Gilles+Paquet-Brenner+KST+AQ.jpg" /></a></div><br /><i>Sarah’s Key</i> interweaves two stories set almost seventy years apart in Paris. In 1942, ten year-old Sarah (the amazing <b>Mélusine Mayance</b>) is a Jew living in the Marais section of Paris when the police suddenly show up door-to-door to arrest all foreign Jews. Instinctively knowing that something terrible will happen to her family, she locks her young brother in a closet, assuring him that she will return. She is sure that her father, hiding in the basement, would come upstairs and free him, but he is found also and there is no one to save the boy as the family is taken to an indoor sports rink called the Vel’ D’Hiv.<br /><br />In 2009, American journalist Julia Jarmond (<b>Kristin Scott Thomas</b>) is investigating the infamous round up, where 13,000 French Jews were locked into the hot arena without food, water or bathrooms for three days, leading to conditions much worse than the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Those who survived were taken to concentration camps, including Sarah’s family. In her research, Julia discovers shocking connections to Sarah through her French husband’s family, and she is determined to uncover the truth of what happened to the little girl and her brother, who escaped internment in the camps.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OYBmPZnLvjM/TkCyjS6sqtI/AAAAAAAAnAU/qPmpdGt1I2U/s1600/Sarah%2527s+Key+KST.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OYBmPZnLvjM/TkCyjS6sqtI/AAAAAAAAnAU/qPmpdGt1I2U/s1600/Sarah%2527s+Key+KST.jpg" /></a></div><br />“I often say that the story isn’t about a Jewish family, it’s about a family. The same thing could have happened in Rwanda during the genocide,” Paquet-Brenner explained. “It could happen to a gay couple living in Iran or Uganda.” He also knows that Scott Thomas’ following in the gay community holds appeal. “She’s an icon, right? I can see it because she is a very strong woman.”<br /><br />The film is very faithful to the book. “I chose to work very hard on the screenplay, because if you try to fix it in the editing room, you’re dead. It has to work as a reading experience, and then it translates straight to the screen.” He did expand on what happened to Sarah, which turns out to be one of the film’s most touching parts. He split the filming in two to accommodate Scott Thomas’ schedule and to allow him to give the 1942 scenes the raw, hand-held camera technique that puts you right in the terrifying action.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FyjzPQM39hE/TkCzT8x3BOI/AAAAAAAAnAY/0yF3JXQ5i7Q/s1600/Gilles+Paquet-Brenner.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FyjzPQM39hE/TkCzT8x3BOI/AAAAAAAAnAY/0yF3JXQ5i7Q/s1600/Gilles+Paquet-Brenner.jpg" /></a></div><br />“The thing with the round-up is that it’s not like the authorities were brutal on purpose with the Vel D’Hiv, it’s just that they were totally unprepared. In the police, you had people who were against it, and people who supported it. It was a very, very difficult time in France, society was totally torn apart. You had this Vichy Government who was collaborating with the Germans. My grandfather was a German Jew from Berlin and he was arrested by the French. It was very complicated. I like when Kristin says to the young journalist (who asks why no one objected to the round up), “What would you have done? You have no idea what you would do in that situation. Some people want to simplify it; I don’t.”<br /><br />Paquet-Brenner has already received acclaim and French awards for his first film, <i>Pretty Things</i>, in which future Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard played twin sisters, one who assumes the other’s identity when she is murdered. The handsome director shows such mastery with <i>Sarah’s Key</i>, he deserves Oscar attention as well.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wi2DHyyD81Y/TkCzugaX1oI/AAAAAAAAnAc/vUabO1TIk3c/s1600/Sarah%2527s+Key+MM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wi2DHyyD81Y/TkCzugaX1oI/AAAAAAAAnAc/vUabO1TIk3c/s1600/Sarah%2527s+Key+MM.jpg" /></a></div><br /><i>Sarah’s Key</i> Review:<br /><br />As terrible as it sounds, some films about the Holocaust and its aftermath leave you feeling unmoved, well-made though they may be. <i>Schindler’s List</i> was the most searing and gut-wrenching experience on the subject, and <i>Sarah’s Key</i> possesses a more modulated but similar power to devastate you.<br /><br />Kristin Scott Thomas plays a part close to her life as Julia, an American married to a French man and living in Paris. Julia is a passionate journalist who wants to shed light on a shameful period in France’s history, when they aided the Nazis in persecuting the Jews. Like in Arizona today, however, it was the foreign-born who were singled out for arrest and who found themselves demonized by the politicians.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1yaPHwQlnM/TkC0YiVniaI/AAAAAAAAnAg/z8zlHbnm6TE/s1600/Sarah%2527s+Key+KST+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1yaPHwQlnM/TkC0YiVniaI/AAAAAAAAnAg/z8zlHbnm6TE/s1600/Sarah%2527s+Key+KST+2.jpg" /></a></div><br />Julia discovers the story of one little girl who escaped in order to save her brother who’d been left behind in their Paris apartment, but she has no clue how close to home the story will hit. Gilles Paquet-Brenner does an incredible job putting you into Sarah’s life, and seamlessly layering it with Julia’s journey of discovery and heartache. The film leaves you feeling uplifted by the end, much like the experience of reading a perfect novel.<br /><br />The performances, especially by young Mélusine Mayance as Sarah and Scott Thomas, will leave you catching your breath with their honest power. The story itself will reduce you to tears many times, but Paquet-Brenner is a compassionate director who cuts back and forth in time perfectly, saving you from dissolving into uncontrollable sobbing from the brutality of the 1942 atrocities.<br /><br /><i>Sarah’s Key</i> is a mystery well worth unlocking, and you will find one of the best films of the year.<br /><br /><span>Interview and review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span><span>Echo</span> Magazine</span></a><span>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-768556693919718852?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-5904171854137128274?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-65325569044992999802011-12-06T00:24:00.026-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.248-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uMoB7rsKk7I/Tkd684vxH-I/AAAAAAAAnCw/8hJGQdI49IM/s1600/The%2BChange-Up.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uMoB7rsKk7I/Tkd684vxH-I/AAAAAAAAnCw/8hJGQdI49IM/s400/The%2BChange-Up.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1488555/"><b><i>The Change-Up</i></b></a> is a "Career-Down" for everyone involved, a piece of cinematic baby poop so noxious, it could wipe out the rain forests. I was personally offended by every single minute of this stupid, curdled monstrosity. It is all the more depressing for how it sours the charisma of <b>Ryan Reynolds</b>, <b>Jason Bateman</b>, Olivia Wilde and especially poor Leslie Mann. The scene where Mann is forced to sit on a toilet and fumigate the bathroom with her Thai food diarrhea is the kind of thing you would force an actor to do when you really, really hate them. Similarly, Reynolds’ debased slacker and Bateman’s mopey drip make you wonder why they’re stars at all. My "Worst Movie of the Year" list just got a lot easier to compile.<br /><br />Easily the worst entry in the <i>Freaky Friday</i> body swap oeuvre, <i>The Change-Up</i> presents us with two equally awful baby-men who exchange pea brains after peeing in a magic Atlanta fountain. Dave Lockwood (Bateman) is a work-obsessed family man while Mitch Planko (Reynolds) is a repulsive womanizer who trolls Lamaze classes for his sex partners. Alan Arkin plays his hugely disappointed father, echoing the audience’s feelings. Once they’ve traded places, each man ruins the other’s lives, and we couldn’t care less.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhntnzZMHQQ/Tkd7wvWCtbI/AAAAAAAAnC4/32OgB6LI0ZE/s1600/Change-Up2BJB.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhntnzZMHQQ/Tkd7wvWCtbI/AAAAAAAAnC4/32OgB6LI0ZE/s400/Change-Up2BJB.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><br />Trust me when I tell you that after the opening scene where Dave’s baby shoots projectile poop straight into his mouth not once but twice, the film only goes downhill from there. The story has no point, the characters change from scene to scene from hating the switch to loving it and the narrative has the momentum of a clogged sewer line. Only the least discriminating viewer could laugh at the admittedly outrageous and sometimes sickly funny sight gags without feeling supremely guilty and dirty afterwards.<br /><br /><i>The Change-Up</i> even looks cheap and low budget. Supporting characters like Arkin’s newest wife look like they were plucked from a mall contest, and the Atlanta setting feels like the winner in “the cheapest filming location” sweepstakes (watch out, Albuquerque!). I hope that Bateman and Reynolds can change up their agents and get better parts in better movies.<br /><br /><b><i>Reel Thoughts</i> Rating</b>: F<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: <em>The Change-Up</em> is now available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&field-keywords=The3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD and Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />from Amazon.com.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-9132439676186085696?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6532556904499299980?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-39915384691898562752011-12-06T00:24:00.025-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.248-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwyLCXXQuQE/Tkq0IXgvklI/AAAAAAAAnDM/l9GVhB8qt7g/s1600/D23%2BExpo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwyLCXXQuQE/Tkq0IXgvklI/AAAAAAAAnDM/l9GVhB8qt7g/s400/D23%2BExpo.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><a href="http://d23.disney.go.com/">D23</a> serves as the official club for die-hard fans of all things Disney. While a bit pricey to join, D23 certainly isn’t as exclusive as Disneyland’s fabled Club 33, which reportedly has a decade-long waiting list to get in. For those unaware, the “D” in D23 stands for Disney, naturally, and “23” is a shortened form of 1923, the year Walt Disney Studios was founded in Hollywood.<br /><br />The bi-annual <a href="http://d23.disney.go.com/expo/index.html"><b>D23 Expo</b></a>, which will take place August 19-21 at the Anaheim Convention Center, will once again provide a unique opportunity for non-members to savor the history and magic behind Disney’s greatest creations. Billed as “the ultimate Disney fan experience,” the first D23 Expo was held in September of 2009. The event was well attended if on a slightly smaller scale than some expected, and featured live appearances from the likes of Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzF_ShNbcuA/Tkq24ftC43I/AAAAAAAAnDU/V0dGbVUf-hw/s1600/Muppets.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzF_ShNbcuA/Tkq24ftC43I/AAAAAAAAnDU/V0dGbVUf-hw/s400/Muppets.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br />I personally enjoyed several of the behind-the-scenes workshops offered and the fabulous “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” exhibit. Showcasing 80+ years of Disney history, it featured amazing props such as the Nautilus submarine model from the Disney classic <i>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</i> as well as costumes worn in <i>Mary Poppins</i>, <i>Babes in Toyland</i>, <i>Tron</i>, <i>The Rocketeer</i> and the <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i> series. This year’s exhibit space will be twice as large as 2009 and includes Walt Disney’s personal limousine, among other new items.<br /><br />Walt Disney Studios has experienced both hits and misses during the past two years. While their live-action, Tim Burton-directed version of <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> was a colossal global hit, <i>The Sorcerer’s Apprentice</i>, <i>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</i> and the expensive <i>Tron: Legacy</i> foundered. <i>Toy Story 3</i> and <i>Tangled</i> delighted both critics and moviegoers, but <i>The Princess and the Frog</i> and <i>Cars 2</i> weren’t as successful. Still, the Disney legacy endures among both GLBT and mainstream devotees.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0tikztAJ4w/Tkq2-E0XvkI/AAAAAAAAnDc/0HmfA_lFSJs/s1600/Disney%2BLegends.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0tikztAJ4w/Tkq2-E0XvkI/AAAAAAAAnDc/0HmfA_lFSJs/s400/Disney%2BLegends.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />A highlight of each D23 Expo is the <a href="http://disney.go.com/disneyinsider/history/legends/about"><b>Disney Legends</b></a> ceremony, which will be held the morning of August 19. This year’s honorees will be the late Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets; Regis Philbin; Guy Williams, who stirred many a young gay man’s heart in the 1950’s-60’s as Zorro as well as star of the non-Disney TV series <i>Lost in Space</i>; and “Disney Princess” voice actresses Jodi Benson (<i>The Little Mermaid</i>), Paige O’Hara (<i>Beauty and the Beast</i>), Lea Salonga (<i>Aladdin</i> and <i>Mulan</i>) and Anika Noni Rose (<i>The Princess and the Frog</i>). Past recipients include Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Annette Funicello, Robin Williams and Angela Lansbury, as well as out composers <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/elton-john.html"><span>Elton John</span></a> (<i>The Lion King</i>) and the late <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/howard-ashman.html"><span>Howard Ashman</span></a> (<i>The Little Mermaid</i>, <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>).<br /><br />Special sneak peeks will be provided of upcoming Disney productions such as this November’s <b><i>The Muppets</i></b>, the beloved characters’ first big-screen outing since 1996, and next summer’s animated adventure <b><i>Brave</i></b>. There will also be a special screening of 1994’s <i>The Lion King</i> in 3D for the first time prior to its release <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Four-Disc-Diamond-Blu-ray-Digital/dp/B004WDRT1Y?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">on Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004WDRT1Y" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> this fall.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LHbzoDehp7M/Tkq3EUMUELI/AAAAAAAAnDk/NkAuE-hEAOI/s1600/Brave.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LHbzoDehp7M/Tkq3EUMUELI/AAAAAAAAnDk/NkAuE-hEAOI/s400/Brave.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br />Each D23 Expo is partly devoted to celebrations of Disney films celebrating significant anniversaries. This year’s roster includes <i>Dumbo</i> (70 years old), the animated <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> (60 years), <i>101 Dalmatians</i> (50 years) and <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> (20 years). Attendees are encouraged to dress in costume as their favorite Disney characters throughout the weekend.<br /><br />Tickets are required for admission to the D23 Expo, and may be purchased in advance by visiting the <a href="http://d23.disney.go.com/expo/">D23 website</a>.<br /><br /><span>Preview by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-3197970286164645754?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-3991538469189856275?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-36700805854524515982011-12-06T00:24:00.024-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.248-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sN9yCmyrINE/TkxPoJw26KI/AAAAAAAAnDs/Js7mwwZqrak/s1600/Darwin.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sN9yCmyrINE/TkxPoJw26KI/AAAAAAAAnDs/Js7mwwZqrak/s400/Darwin.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>While most of us long to live in a place that truly accepts us just as we are with no questions asked, few of us would like that place to be anywhere in the vicinity of Death Valley. Long considered one of the most inhospitable places on earth, Death Valley has nonetheless been called "home" for 150 years by the varied residents of tiny Darwin, California. <br /><br />Nick Brandestini's illuminating new expose of the locale — appropriately titled <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1735335/"><b><i>Darwin</i></b></a> — is now playing as part of the 15th annual <a href="http://www.documentary.org/docuweeks2011">DocuWeeks</a> in New York and Los Angeles (showtimes and more information may be found at the film's <a href="http://www.darwindoc.com/">official website</a>). The town is currently inhabited by 35 generally eccentric men and women, a mere 1% of Darwin's population of 3,500 at its peak in 1877. They proudly boast in the film of having no government, no church, no children and no jobs, save one. "I got the best job," says local postmaster Susan, "because it's the only job." Virtually everyone else lives on Social Security or disability benefits alone, and everyone has a past.<br /><br />Darwin's other residents include Monty, an originally very handsome man with artistic longings who moved there in the 1950's to work as a lead miner, and his wife; Hank and Connie, who have embraced paganism after abandoning their formerly conservative Christian lives; and Hank and Connie's transgender son <b>Ryal</b>, who was born a girl but found in Darwin a tolerant community that supported his transition to male. Ryal and his partner, <b>Penny</b>, have since moved away from Darwin, hoping to find similar acceptance in the world beyond Death Valley. <br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BgaLK0nzuU8/TkxRFraJtRI/AAAAAAAAnD0/o4l900nx2M4/s1600/Darwin2BRyal.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BgaLK0nzuU8/TkxRFraJtRI/AAAAAAAAnD0/o4l900nx2M4/s400/Darwin2BRyal.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />As if Darwin's position on the map wasn't enough to discourage habitation, it is also located near a Naval Weapons Station established in 1943. The residents' only apparent, enduring fear aside from their water supply potentially being cut off is of one day having a nuclear bomb "accidentally" dropped on their community. Interestingly, the town's most prominent, longtime inhabitant is Michael Laemmle, grandson of the great Carl Laemmle, who founded Universal Pictures and supervised many westerns and other movies shot in the vicinity of Darwin during the 1930's-50's.<br /><br />As someone is quoted during the film, "There sure is a lot of wasted talent in Darwin." The real-life characters depicted, though, more often than not credit their isolated home with bringing true peace and fulfillment to their previously troubled lives. They clearly have no regrets. <i>Darwin</i> is not only revealing but also quite funny due to things the residents say. To its credit, the documentary never leads viewers to laugh at the subjects' expense.<br /><br />The Swiss-born Brandestini (who last made an acclaimed film about artist H.R. Giger) writes in the film's press notes of how he became fascinated with America's "living ghost towns" such as Darwin. He not only directed and produced the result of his interest, but personally shot the doc in vivid, hi-def style that captures the landscape's natural drama and edited it as well. While I haven't personally visited Darwin, I won't soon forget it thanks to Brandestini's haunting travelogue.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Rating</i></b>: A-<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2207071821735859290?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-3670080585452451598?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-42534383708067095262011-12-06T00:24:00.023-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.248-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whtAFRUi3GI/TkxYhSSzSAI/AAAAAAAAnD8/V5tk76c6Ii4/s1600/One%2BDay.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whtAFRUi3GI/TkxYhSSzSAI/AAAAAAAAnD8/V5tk76c6Ii4/s400/One%2BDay.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /><b><i>Reverend's Reviews:</i></b> One (Not Very Fine) <i>Day</i>:<br /><br />July 15th is revered in Anglican Church circles as the feast of Saint Swithin (sometimes spelled Swithun), a 9th-century bishop of Winchester known for — in the words of his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swithun">Wikipedia entry</a> — "posthumous miracle-working." Swithin is referenced several times in the new movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1563738/"><b><i>One Day</i></b></a>, opening nationwide today. If only the good saint's miracles extended to cinematic adaptations of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Movie-Tie-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307946711?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">bestselling novels</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0307946711" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />; <i>One Day</i> could use one.<br /><br />An uneasy mix of romantic longing and thwarted fairy tale, the plot follows two British friends and occasional lovers over a 20-year period beginning with their initial encounter on July 15, 1988. A middle-class, ambitious wannabe-writer, Emma (played by American actress <b>Anne Hathaway</b>), meets the wealthy, uninhibited Dex (<b>Jim Sturgess</b> of the Beatles-inspired musical <i>Across the Universe</i>) following their college graduation. The film subsequently revisits the pair each July 15th thereafter, and we watch the ebb and flow of their careers and angst-ridden relationship via vignettes accompanied by period-appropriate pop songs.<br /><br />This "annual checkup" conceit ultimately proves precious and plodding, despite the occasionally clever ways each date is worked into the scene visually. I haven't read the novel by David Nicholls upon which the film is based (Nicholls also wrote the screenplay). A co-worker who has read the book informs me that the years and events aren't presented chronologically/sequentially on the page as they are on screen. I therefore suspect that events in the novel are presented in a more nuanced and layered way than they are in this heavy-handed movie version.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AA3-AXKgons/TkxZTFTj6pI/AAAAAAAAnEE/uQvclLZPJbc/s1600/One2BJS%2BAH.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AA3-AXKgons/TkxZTFTj6pI/AAAAAAAAnEE/uQvclLZPJbc/s400/One2BJS%2BAH.jpg" width="385" /></a></div><br />At least viewers are privy to some lovely scenery in Great Britain and France (shot by Benoit Delhomme) while we watch the lead characters struggle, work, love, grieve and skinny dip. By film's end, one of them learns "Whatever happens tomorrow, we've had today" as the result of a tragic twist so heavily foreshadowed in the moments before that it should surprise no one.<br /><br />The cast can't be faulted for <i>One Day</i>'s shortcomings. Hathaway and Sturgess are fine in their roles and have good chemistry. I am already weary, however, of Hathaway playing tortured romantic victims following this and last year's <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/03/reverends-reviews-naked-love.html"><i>Love & Other Drugs</i></a>. Here's hoping she gets to bust loose and kick some ass as Catwoman in next summer's <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i>. Patricia Clarkson (<i>Far from Heaven</i>, <i>Easy A</i>) is good as always in her brief turn as Dex's doting, terminally ill mother.<br /><br />Directed by Lone Scherfig, <i>One Day</i> serves as a disappointing follow-up to her more subtle, Oscar-nominated film of 2009, <i>An Education</i>. It also represents a rare misstep for the usually reliable Focus Features, maker of such gay-interest successes as <i>Brokeback Mountain</i>, <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2008/11/reverends-reviews-pour-yourself-some.html"><i>Milk</i></a> and <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/05/reverends-interview-mike-mills.html"><i>Beginners</i></a>. Some fellow critics and audience members may find <i>One Day</i> miraculous somehow. By it's final 20 minutes, though, I was praying to Saint Swithin for deliverance.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Rating</i></b>: C-<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><br /><br /><i>On the other hand...</i><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRIhvkb5A_4/Tk3s0cnQuuI/AAAAAAAAnEM/LR5a0oNkAqc/s1600/One2BAH.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRIhvkb5A_4/Tk3s0cnQuuI/AAAAAAAAnEM/LR5a0oNkAqc/s400/One2BAH.jpg" width="385" /></a></div><br /><b><i>Reel Thoughts</i></b>: A <i>Blue Valentine</i> (That People Will Actually Want to Watch):<br /><br />From <i>Same Time, Next Year</i> to <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2009/08/reel-thoughts-summer-lovin.html"><i>(500) Days of Summer</i></a> to last year’s brutal <i>Blue Valentine</i>, films that unfold on timelines are fascinating, because you get to see the characters change, sometimes radically, from date to date. <i>One Day</i> is like <i>Same Time, Next Year</i> in that we follow Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess on the same date over twenty-three years, starting with a night of passion on the graduation day in 1988 all the way to 2011. At first, the date skipping from year to year seemed too quick and too facile, but as the film progressed, you grow to love Emma and Dex, flaws and all. July 15th, or St. Swithin’s Day as Dex informs Emma after their not-completed tryst, grows dramatically in significance as the pair grow older.<br /><br />David Nicholls has adapted his best-selling novel masterfully, showing Dex’s rise as a smarmy television host and Emma’s escape from a dead-end restaurant job to become the teacher and then novelist she always wanted to be. Of course, Dex’s superficial fame leads to a drug-addicted, sex-drenched superficial life that is bound to burn out, and it does. Through everything, Emma’s and Dex’s friendship and love survives, and this is what makes <i>One Day</i> so powerful and moving.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DaXXiohsi-k/Tk3s6KsHM2I/AAAAAAAAnEU/A5yYt4oF-ng/s1600/One2BJS.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DaXXiohsi-k/Tk3s6KsHM2I/AAAAAAAAnEU/A5yYt4oF-ng/s400/One2BJS.jpg" width="385" /></a></div><br />Everyone has regrets and wonders how there life might have been different if they had engaged with that one elusive person. Writer Nicholls and Danish director Lone Scherfig (<i>An Education</i>) frankly show the highs and lows that fate gives us, and never stoop to easy laughs or unearned payoffs. Hathaway and Sturgess each give incredibly nuanced performances, aided by the luminous Patricia Clarkson as Dex’s mother and a cast of fine British actors. Emma and Dex’s relationship is presented in a real, mature fashion, full of the fights and reconciliations that every couple faces.<br /><br />Anyone who has ever experienced the highs of love and the devastating lows of loss will want to experience this <i>One Day</i>. Its hopeful ending will comfort you with the promise that life can rebound, even when you think it cannot. With <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/08/reel-thoughts-interview-could-it-happen.html"><i>Sarah’s Key</i></a>, <i>The Help</i> and now <i>One Day</i>, the best movies of the year are finally arriving.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-4996999466619550514?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4253438370806709526?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-68981741573198438332011-12-06T00:24:00.022-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.249-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzzcR8WfiwQ/TlN-cOsuplI/AAAAAAAAnG0/WrsVxIQ4U7M/s1600/What2BMost.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzzcR8WfiwQ/TlN-cOsuplI/AAAAAAAAnG0/WrsVxIQ4U7M/s400/What2BMost.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In one corner, we have a legendary, Grammy/Oscar/Emmy-winning superstar, <b>Barbra Streisand</b>. Opposite her is young, falsetto-singing upstart Active Child, a.k.a. former choirboy Patrick Grossi. Both are duking it out via new CDs being released today, and darn it if the young upstart doesn't come out on top... artistically speaking.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong: I've loved Babs ever since her back-to-back triumphs while I was in high school of the movie <i>Yentl</i> and her <i>Broadway Album</i>. Of course, her career began nearly 20 years earlier in New York City, initially as a cabaret sensation and then as the triumphant headliner of <i>Funny Girl</i>, both on stage and screen. Streisand's vocal dynamics, clarity and showmanship have been unmatched. Now, though, she is approaching 70 and — as her new release makes clear — her voice isn't what it used to be.<br /><br /><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Matters-Most-Streisand-Marilyn/dp/B0058A119G?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">What Matters Most</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0058A119G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b> satisfies Streisand's stated, long-desired effort to record an album of songs exclusively written by her longtime collaborators, <b>Alan and Marilyn Bergman</b>. The Bergmans won Academy Awards for their score of <i>Yentl</i> (with composer Michel Legrand) as well as for the title tune from the Streisand-starring hit, <i>The Way We Were</i> (which they co-wrote with Marvin Hamlisch). <i>What Matters Most</i> opens with Streisand singing another Bergman-penned Oscar winner, "The Windmills of Your Mind." Her diction is as impeccable as ever in this somewhat slowed-down cover, and the orchestrations throughout the new CD are lovely.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tw72dymqY20/TlN_uW_x68I/AAAAAAAAnHE/mgHYG3KPd6Q/s1600/Bergmans%2BStreisand.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tw72dymqY20/TlN_uW_x68I/AAAAAAAAnHE/mgHYG3KPd6Q/s320/Bergmans%2BStreisand.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br />Sadly, it begins to become evident on the album's second track, "Something New in My Life," that Streisand should probably stop recording. She's been singing in a lower octave for a while now, which is to be expected as a singer ages and which was put to good use on her last, loungy CD, 2009's <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2009/09/reverends-reviews-babs-goes-mellow.html"><i>Love is the Answer</i></a>. But here, Streisand's voice sounds harsh whenever she strains to reach a higher note at louder volume. This is confirmed by at least two other songs, "Alone in the World" and "The Same Hello, The Same Goodbye."<br /><br />Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, Streisand concludes <i>What Matters Most</i> with the elegiac song of the same name. In it, she sings that "what matters most is that we loved at all." This is presumably directed to the Bergmans but could also serve as a fitting farewell to her longtime fans. While I hate the prospect of never hearing Streisand sing something new after this, a true artist usually recognizes when their best work is behind them but will naturally endure.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qYQugfm4gl0/TlN-zC3yLEI/AAAAAAAAnG8/q_8UPGadTQc/s1600/You2BAll2Bsee.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="343" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qYQugfm4gl0/TlN-zC3yLEI/AAAAAAAAnG8/q_8UPGadTQc/s400/You2BAll2Bsee.jpg" width="345" /></a></div><br />As one recording artist enters their twilight, another is emerging. <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-All-I-See/dp/B0057M38XM?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">You Are All I See</a></i></b><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0057M38XM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is Active Child's second CD — following last year's <i>Curtis Lane</i> — but the first that I've heard. It represents an amazing amalgamation of Grossi's angelic voice, ethereal music comprised of harp and strings, and 1980's synthesizer-manufactured sound. Active Child can perhaps best be considered the musical offspring of the Thompson Twins and Sarah Brightman, with a little <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/05/jimmy-somerville.html"><span>Jimmy Somerville</span></a> DNA thrown in for good measure.<br /><br />From the opening title track on <i>You Are All I See</i>, I was hooked. "Playing House," featuring R&B singer How to Dress Well, is a standout, as is "See Thru Eyes." As a matter of fact, every song on Active Child's latest is a winner. Trust me: If you haven't heard of him, check him out. I think you'll be glad you did.<br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Ratings</i></b>:<br /><i>What Matters Most</i>: C<br /><i>You Are All I See</i>: A<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-4736595994720582963?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6898174157319843833?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-15477004991115024162011-12-06T00:24:00.021-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.249-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uebC-pv01lU/TlOD4zMhO7I/AAAAAAAAnHM/1GFdvvuHs-c/s1600/D23%2BExpo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="294" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uebC-pv01lU/TlOD4zMhO7I/AAAAAAAAnHM/1GFdvvuHs-c/s400/D23%2BExpo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Upon my arrival at the Anaheim Convention Center on the first morning of the <b><a href="http://d23.disney.go.com/expo/index.html">D23 Expo</a></b>, I could tell it was going to have a much larger turnout than the first such event in 2009. I ended up having to park on the top floor of the parking structure, and negotiated large crowds of Disney fanatics once inside the center. The second day of the expo sold out the afternoon before, a significant testament to the increased attention being paid to it.<br /><br />My first stop was the traditional Disney Legends ceremony. A dozen people who have helped build the Disney empire since its founding in 1923 were honored, including five women who have voiced princesses in the more contemporary Disney animated features <i>The Little Mermaid</i> (<b>Jodi Benson</b>), <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> (<b>Paige O'Hara</b>), <i>Aladdin</i> (<b>Lea Salonga</b>, Princess Jasmine's singing voice, and Linda Larkin, Jasmine's speaking voice), <i>Mulan</i> (Salonga again) and <i>The Princess and the Frog</i> (<b>Anika Noni Rose</b>). Host Tom Bergeron, who was nicely casual and provided very funny commentary throughout, noted that Noni Rose is the youngest honoree to be named a Disney Legend.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vQ3RGddBHII/TlOENh87uzI/AAAAAAAAnHU/Qha40Lk_8qs/s1600/O2BSolanga2BBenson.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vQ3RGddBHII/TlOENh87uzI/AAAAAAAAnHU/Qha40Lk_8qs/s400/O2BSolanga2BBenson.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />All five actresses performed to montages of scenes from their respective films, with Benson bringing down the nearly full, 4,000 seat arena both through her audience-participation version of "Part of Your World" and her utterly heartfelt, unapologetic faith sharing. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," she said upon reaching the podium, quoting a traditional Christian hymn. "This is my ministry," Benson remarked of her continuing voice performance as Ariel in video games, television and the new ride inspired by <i>The Little Mermaid</i> at Disney's California Adventure park.<br /><br />The ceremony climaxed with the induction of late Muppets creator, Jim Henson. While Henson didn't work for Disney while he was alive, his company was bought by Disney after his death and the Muppets have been a welcome, appropriate addition to the studio's holdings. Henson's children, Lisa and Brian, were on hand and reminisced about their father, moving audience members to both tears and laughter. But it was a masterstroke on the part of the event planners to bring <b>Kermit the Frog</b> and Rowlf the Dog out at the end to sing "The Rainbow Connection." Attendees were utterly mesmerized.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOv06Q2zsjI/TlOFbpc3uAI/AAAAAAAAnHc/Cf6EdDXAVZM/s1600/Piggy2BSegal.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOv06Q2zsjI/TlOFbpc3uAI/AAAAAAAAnHc/Cf6EdDXAVZM/s400/Piggy2BSegal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Kermit was on hand again Saturday morning at the Walt Disney Studios' presentation of upcoming movies. The amphibian was joined by <b>Miss Piggy</b> (who arrived in a motorcycle sidecar) as well as actor <b>Jason Segel</b>, their co-star in November's big-screen reunion, <i>The Muppets</i>. New studio head Rich Ross and animation executive <b>John Lasseter</b> were fairly giddy as they hyped next spring's <i>John Carter</i>; next summer's <i>Brave</i>; the direct-to-DVD <i>Planes</i>, an airborne knockoff of <i>Cars</i>; <i>The Odd Life of Timothy Green</i>, which does indeed look odd; and their more recently-acquired Marvel epic, <i>The Avengers</i>.<br /><br /><i>John Carter</i> in particular, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter of Mars" series, looks really cool. The crowd went predictably wild when cast members from the last came out, including <b>Robert Downey, Jr.</b>, <b>Chris Hemsworth</b>, <b>Scarlett Johanssen</b> and <b>Jeremy Renner</b>. Other big stars on hand to plug their respective Disney projects were Billy Crystal (the <i>Monsters, Inc.</i> prequel <i>Monsters University</i>), Willem Dafoe (<i>John Carter</i>), Jennifer Garner (<i>Odd Life...</i>) and Jon Cryer (<i>Planes</i>).<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mv7D6sTvaLk/TlOG914CV4I/AAAAAAAAnHk/Q2Hu_ueT4vg/s1600/Avengers%2BCast.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mv7D6sTvaLk/TlOG914CV4I/AAAAAAAAnHk/Q2Hu_ueT4vg/s400/Avengers%2BCast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />A special showroom exhibit entitled "Carousel of Projects" and a Friday afternoon presentation revealed a plethora of developments regarding Disney theme parks around the world. In the Carousel of Projects, visitors could check out a detailed model of the massive Fantasyland expansion currently underway in the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World in Florida. When completed in the fall of 2012, it will nearly double Fantasyland's current size and will feature a "Seven Dwarfs Mine Train" roller coaster (which looks like a milder, kid-friendly version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad but with individually swinging cars) as well as an east coast version of <i>The Little Mermaid</i> ride, among other new attractions. I can't wait to visit and check it out once finished.<br /><br />Details were also shared at the Theme Parks presentation about Disney's new park in Shanghai, China; the company's beautiful new Hawaiian resort, Aulani, which opens next week; the "Cars Land" addition and overall makeover of California Adventure; and magnificent new ships under construction for Disney Cruise Line. A pending expansion of California's Fantasyland was also announced, which will take over the current Carnation Gardens concert area at the end of Disneyland's Main Street USA. The expo also hosted a 45th-anniversary celebration of "It's a Small World" with special souvenirs and a panel of artists, including songwriter Richard Sherman, who helped create the mostly beloved but sometimes hated attraction.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QNvx1VF_cWU/TlOIAmhc1II/AAAAAAAAnHs/Mc85vflMuGw/s1600/John%2BLasseter.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QNvx1VF_cWU/TlOIAmhc1II/AAAAAAAAnHs/Mc85vflMuGw/s400/John%2BLasseter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The presentations and pavilions throughout this year's D23 Expo were very satisfying all in all, despite the larger crowds and long lines for everything, including food and restrooms. The only truly disappointing aspect of this year's D23 Expo was the "Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives" exhibition. Most of the noteworthy artifacts featured were repeats from the first expo's display, and the new additions from less well-regarded Disney films such as <i>Hocus Pocus</i>, <i>Father of the Bride</i> and <i>The Rocketeer</i> were decidedly underwhelming. One newly-included treasure well worth checking out was Walt Disney's personal limousine, but it was on display in the main showroom.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see what Disney does next with the D23 Expo, now that it is well on its way to becoming a Comic Con-esque success. Will they offer it annually? Will it be moved beyond Anaheim as it increasingly outgrows the convention center there? All it will take is a little time... and some continued pixie dust.<br /><br /><span>Report by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-5826106444353429831?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-1547700499111502416?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-53496245502951955082011-12-06T00:24:00.020-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.249-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1hIoUV-_yys/TlRygZGgZdI/AAAAAAAAnIg/al3_alLWUC0/s1600/Hire252C%2BHollywood.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1hIoUV-_yys/TlRygZGgZdI/AAAAAAAAnIg/al3_alLWUC0/s400/Hire252C%2BHollywood.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>Curious about a career in craft services? Think you got what it takes to be an on-set tutor for Abigail Breslin or a stunt double for Pamela Anderson? Always wondered how you could be a hair stylist on <i>American Idol</i> or the co-host of <i>Entertainment Tonight</i>? If you are looking to make it big in show biz but don't know how to do it, authors and entertainment industry vets Mark Scherzer and Keith Fenmore may have the answers for you in their new book <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hire-Hollywood-Behind-Scenes-Unexpected/dp/1440512124?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hire Me, Hollywood!</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1440512124" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b><br /><br />Subtitled "Your Behind-the-Scenes Guide to the Most Exciting — and Unexpected — Jobs in Show Business", this breezy tome is more of a "how did" than a "how to" as it serves up enlightening (and "uncensored") interviews with thirty "industry insiders". Some of the names you'll recognize (Stan Lee, Leonard Maltin, <i>True Blood</i>'s Sam Trammell), most you won't. For <i>Hire Me, Hollywood!</i> covers every link in the show biz food chain, from heads of network programming and senior talent producers on down to the guy who makes protein shakes for the stars.<br /><br />Each interviewee (including at least three out participants: <i>Dancing with the Stars</i> costume supervisor <span>Howard Sussman</span>, creative director <span>David Thomas</span> and special effects artist <span>Steven J. Scott</span>) offers up their own stories of how they made it in their various fields. From nerve-racking first days on set to personal career triumphs (like being singled out for praise by none other than James Cameron), one tenet remains constant throughout: be passionate about what you do and things will happen for you. In other words, think of <i>Hire Me, Hollywood!</i> as a "How to Succeed in Show Business by <i>Really </i>Trying... and With a Little Bit of Luck!"<br /><br /><i>Hire Me, Hollywood!</i> is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hire-Hollywood-Behind-Scenes-Unexpected/dp/1440512124?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">now available</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1440512124" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> for purchase at Amazon.com.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-6772400258869977527?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-5349624550295195508?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-85668289103651158142011-12-06T00:24:00.019-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.249-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3oGckYQoZk/TlcRjMqV3RI/AAAAAAAAnNo/hf5hofg-AL4/s1600/Circumstance.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3oGckYQoZk/TlcRjMqV3RI/AAAAAAAAnNo/hf5hofg-AL4/s400/Circumstance.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>The Islamic fundamentalist president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, definitely wouldn't approve of the award-winning, pro-LGBT drama <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1684628/"><b><i>Circumstance</i></b></a> (opening today in Los Angeles and New York). <span> Maryam Keshavarz's</span> sensual look at two girls from opposite sides of the tracks who fall in love shines a more revealing light than ever before on Iranian culture and politics. Not surprisingly, GLBT people bear the brunt of the current regime's repressive tactics, and can even be put to death.<br /><br />In <i>Circumstance</i>, Atafeh (<b>Nikohl Boosheri</b>), who comes from a wealthy family, meets lower class, orphaned Shireen (<b>Sarah Kazmy</b>) at an underground dance party in Tehran (the film was shot in Lebanon). Despite the constant threats of surveillance and raids by Iran's Morality Police, the girls and their teen/young adult friends can't resist the time-honored temptations to dance, drink, try drugs and have sex. The biggest surprise to Shireen and Atafeh is their unexpected, mutual attraction to each other.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lm9GxbhKPTw/TlcSbRHEI7I/AAAAAAAAnNw/AxIeBn3yDIE/s1600/Circumstance%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lm9GxbhKPTw/TlcSbRHEI7I/AAAAAAAAnNw/AxIeBn3yDIE/s400/Circumstance%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Naturally, they know to keep their relationship a secret. It becomes more difficult to do so once Atafeh's brother (Reza Sixo Safai) returns home from prison. Having embraced extremist religious and political views while incarcerated, he increasingly forces his conservative expectations on his family and threatens to uncover the forbidden love between Shireen and his sister.<br /><br /><i>Circumstance</i> has swept the major awards at many of this year's film festivals, including Sundance, New Directors/New Films (a.k.a. Newfest) and Outfest, and Boosheri was honored with Outfest's Best Actress award for her film debut as the conflicted Atafeh. While I didn't find much new in the film's girl-girl romantic dynamics, it's setting and social-political commentary are certainly above the norm. Writer-director Keshavarz, who is Iranian herself, structures and frames her story beautifully, with scenes gradually moving from open and airy settings to tighter, more oppressive settings and camera shots. The performances from the mix of experienced and neophyte actors are uniformly excellent.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-anKfEjO-2W8/TlcSfhmeQTI/AAAAAAAAnN4/TyowVNUPrhM/s1600/Circumstance%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-anKfEjO-2W8/TlcSfhmeQTI/AAAAAAAAnN4/TyowVNUPrhM/s400/Circumstance%2B3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />In an online chat with critics, Keshavarz related the many risks that she, her cast and crew members took in making the film. "I had serious discussions with the actors that we likely couldn't go back to Iran after making the film," she wrote. "Even shooting in a liberal country, like Lebanon, was still difficult; it is still illegal to be gay there." Keshavarz has been thrilled, however, with the "amazing," positive response <i>Circumstance</i> has received from GLBT audiences in the US as well as from younger Middle Eastern immigrants who have seen it. <br /><br />While homosexuality remains a criminal offense in many Middle Eastern countries and other parts of the world, there is hope to be found in <i>Circumstance</i>. As history has shown — and can currently be seen in Libya and other former dictatorships — the more repressive/oppressive the environment, the more emboldened the oppressed become. This is true of both political and religious structures. Shireen and Atafeh are our latest cinematic heroines in the GLBT community's growing call for acceptance and justice. <br /><br /><b><i>Reverend's Rating</i></b>: B+<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-1525374859964689234?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8566828910365115814?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-76346104468739234722011-12-06T00:24:00.018-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.249-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a92UasxNJm4/TlijQCGOnnI/AAAAAAAAnOI/JtTxxYT8vgM/s1600/Chris2BJason%2BMomoa.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a92UasxNJm4/TlijQCGOnnI/AAAAAAAAnOI/JtTxxYT8vgM/s400/Chris2BJason%2BMomoa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The end of the summer movie season is upon us, so it is time for our annual look back at the film actors that made it so memorable ... and judge them on their looks alone and anoint one the hottest cinematic hunk of the past four months or so!<br /><br />This year we have a slew of sexy superheroes (including all-American hunk <b>Chris Evans</b> and swarthy barbarian <b>Jason Momoa</b>, pictured) plus a vampire, a wizard and previous Summer Movie Hunk winner Ryan Reynolds.<br /><br />Take your pick and place your vote in the <b>MD Poll</b> located in the right hand sidebar. The ultimate summer movie hunk, class of 2011, will be crowned September 24.<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: This poll is now closed; <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/09/md-poll-god-bless-america.html">click here</a> for the results, and <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/search/label/MD%20Poll">click here</a> to vote in the latest <strong>MD Poll</strong>.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-5450116924301577770?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-7634610446873923472?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-48680103492350603292011-12-06T00:24:00.017-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.249-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rfJxIw4z1g8/TlquHVCDfLI/AAAAAAAAnRs/Qmad19rl0T4/s1600/Fright+Night.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rfJxIw4z1g8/TlquHVCDfLI/AAAAAAAAnRs/Qmad19rl0T4/s400/Fright+Night.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>Now, come on! If <strong>Colin Farrell</strong> moved next door to you, in a dull, foreclosure-riddled Vegas subdivision, would you really wait more than five seconds before you were at his door asking for a little sugar? The new <strong><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1438176/">Fright Night</a></em></strong> is a meaner, leaner version of the 1985 classic, which changes up enough of the story to make it worth remaking. The original featured some bizarre casting including Stephen Geoffreys, a Tony-nominated actor who went into gay porn, and <span><a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/10/amanda-bearse.html">Amanda Bearse</a></span>, playing Charlie’s virginal girlfriend a few years before she came out of the closet. William Ragsdale exhibited an acting range that rivals Zack Galligan in its lack of quality. Still, Chris Sarandon was a dark and sexy vampire nemesis and Roddy McDowell was a hoot as the faded TV ghost host Peter Vincent.<br /><br /><em>Fright Night</em> 2011 takes advantage of the modern economic downturn to explain how a vampire could be preying on people without anyone noticing their absence. Families are fleeing their tract homes in Charlie Brewster’s (Anton Yelchin) North Vegas neighborhood by the truckload, so what who’s to know if they were foreclosed on... or fed upon? Toni Collette (who must have had Yelchin when she was 16) plays Charlie’s mother, a lonely real estate agent who is ticked at new neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) who works nights in casino construction and has a butt-ugly dumpster in his front yard.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0mUaWbl4xTU/Tlqw07tEOhI/AAAAAAAAnR4/kp3vJGpu2cA/s1600/Fright2BCF.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0mUaWbl4xTU/Tlqw07tEOhI/AAAAAAAAnR4/kp3vJGpu2cA/s320/Fright2BCF.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Narrative whiplash sets in as Charlie is informed that Jerry is a vampire by his nerdy former best friend Ed (McLovin’ himself, Christopher Mintz-Plasse) almost immediately. Ed had been tracing Jerry’s movements and managed to not-capture him on camera, and he begs his old friend to help him take the bloodsucker down. Once Charlie realizes that Ed was right, his buddy is missing, so Charlie seeks out Vegas Goth magician Peter Vincent (<strong>David Tennant</strong>, channeling Russell Brandt and Chris Angel), a dissolute so-called vampire expert. The drunken lothario is not very supportive, to say the least.<br /><br /><em>Fright Night</em> ramps up the action above the original with Jerry baring his fangs early and launching an all-out assault on Charlie, his mom and his hot girlfriend, Amy (played by the unfortunately-named Imogen Poots). While the original’s acting was sitcom-my, Farrell’s hot, dangerous performance makes the new version sexier and funnier. Wait until you see how Jerry gets around the old, “Vampires can’t come in if you don’t invite them” rule.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ETME--SWz9Q/TlqxyeCQ9oI/AAAAAAAAnR8/dmPtcK--Ek0/s1600/Fright+Night+DT.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="201" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ETME--SWz9Q/TlqxyeCQ9oI/AAAAAAAAnR8/dmPtcK--Ek0/s320/Fright+Night+DT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Even the ubiquitous 3-D is used well in <em>Fright Night</em>. While Yelchin is a little long in the tooth to be a high schooler, he’s way better than Ragsdale, who inexplicably had a career after the 1985 opus. While Geoffreys was creepy and cringe-worthy (“You’re so cool, Brewster!”), Mintz-Plasse actually gets some sympathy as the spurned friend. Poots does well in the thankless girlfriend role, and Collette is fun to watch and really knows how to wield a realty sign!<br /><br />If you’re looking for a fun night with a few frights, <em>Fright Night</em> should be just right.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7863480038938584982?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4868010349235060329?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-62236515000188478382011-12-06T00:24:00.016-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.249-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iF9fE6BfBFA/TlyRibR2HgI/AAAAAAAAnSI/ZjSZlz1Ssww/s1600/Finding+Mr.+Wright.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iF9fE6BfBFA/TlyRibR2HgI/AAAAAAAAnSI/ZjSZlz1Ssww/s400/Finding+Mr.+Wright.jpg" width="312" xaa="true" /></a></div>Summer is over and young people are back to school. A flurry of new GLBT-interest movies on home video this month, though, offers tantalizing viewing options for the fall. First out of the gate on September 1st is <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Mr-Wright-Matthew-Montgomery/dp/B0053GJ77I?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Finding Mr. Wright</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0053GJ77I" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></strong></em>, from Nandar Entertainment. It stars the always amusing Rebekah Kochan (best known for the <em>Eating Out</em> series) as well as one of our favorite out actors, <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/matthew-montgomery.html">Matthew Montgomery</a>, in a contemporary screwball comedy involving Hollywood politics and gay romance. Montgomery reveals an endearing, previously unseen funny side, and comedian <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/03/jason-stuart.html">Jason Stuart</a> is thrown in for good measure.<br /><br />On September 13th, the 2010 festival hit <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Ladies-Benji-Schwimmer/dp/B004ZMBKNA?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Leading Ladies</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004ZMBKNA" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></strong></em> will make its DVD debut courtesy of Wolfe Video. While it primarily puts a lesbian spin on the 1992 Australian film <em>Strictly Ballroom</em>, the plot also features an overtly gay character played by cute Benji Schwimmer, season 2 winner of TV's <em>So You Think You Can Dance</em>. Schwimmer isn't the only connection between that series and this movie; the show's choreographer, Melanie LaPatin, staged the dances in <em>Leading Ladies</em> and stars as the overbearing mother of two sisters groomed for ballroom competition stardom. When one of her daughters becomes pregnant and the other falls in love with another female dancer, Mom is less than pleased.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-INz_-jX66n4/TlyRypCI5iI/AAAAAAAAnSM/0Yrp8IaBd3g/s1600/Leading+Ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-INz_-jX66n4/TlyRypCI5iI/AAAAAAAAnSM/0Yrp8IaBd3g/s400/Leading+Ladies.jpg" width="282" xaa="true" /></a></div><br /><em>Leading Ladies</em> suffers initially from some forced performances and dialogue but both improve as the film moves along. There are some great dance numbers, notably one between Schwimmer and a hunky suitor and another set amongst the aisles of a grocery store, and fine photography by Peter Biagi throughout. The moral of the story -- "Let love lead" -- becomes clear early on and serves as important guidance through the difficult choices the main characters have to make.<br /><br />A more unusual, less polished but very effective glimpse into love and its challenges is provided by <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Open-Gaea-Gaddy/dp/B005C67XNO?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><strong>Open</strong></a></em>. The first American film ever to win the Berlin Film Festival's prestigious "Teddy" Jury Prize, it is set for a September 20th release on DVD and streaming video by Ariztical Entertainment. A striking feature film debut (despite some amateurish performances) by writer-director Jake Yuzna, <em>Open</em> focuses on the travails of two atypical couples. One pair is comprised of hermaphroditic individuals given to frequent cosmetic surgery in their effort to be as similar in appearance as possible. As one observer notes of them, "They truly feel they are one entity, and they want their bodies to reflect that." When one has to travel, an androgynous acquaintance threatens to come between them.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ro27xWD9QVs/TlySG30iTpI/AAAAAAAAnSQ/2vaFO5maGcU/s1600/Open.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ro27xWD9QVs/TlySG30iTpI/AAAAAAAAnSQ/2vaFO5maGcU/s400/Open.jpg" width="270" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />The other couple features a young man who falls in love with a female-to-male transgender person. As they work to define their relationship and sexual interactions, the trans partner's troubled past provides challenges. When the trans character unexpectedly becomes pregnant, a whole new set of questions emerges. <em>Open</em> is a unique and engrossing exploration of the ever-increasing diversity in human relationships.<br /><br />Finally, IFC Midnight is unveiling the provocative <em><strong>Autoerotic</strong></em> in September via Video on Demand (VOD). While there isn't much GLBT content in this anthology of four stories that expose some of the more secretive aspects of sexuality, the best segment is about a very pregnant married woman who accepts another woman's offer to help her achieve orgasm, something her loving husband hasn't been able to provide in the latter months of her pregnancy. It is simultaneously funny and erotic, mainly because it is told with considerable honesty. Both lesbian and straight women should thoroughly enjoy it.<br /><br /><em><strong>Reverend's Ratings</strong></em>:<br /><em>Finding Mr. Wright</em>: B-<br /><em>Leading Ladies</em>: B<br /><em>Open</em>: B+<br /><em>Autoerotic</em>: C+<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7765254208305371839?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6223651500018847838?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-67661472048979433132011-12-06T00:24:00.015-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.250-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tljjOEI0w7k/Tl81gs6f1BI/AAAAAAAAnSo/tn1ydBWPS1U/s1600/September2011MDWallpaper2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tljjOEI0w7k/Tl81gs6f1BI/AAAAAAAAnSo/tn1ydBWPS1U/s320/September2011MDWallpaper2BCopy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>With "back to school" time, September is the month for learning. And in film terms, that means <strong>Documentaries</strong>, our subject for this month's <em><strong>Movie Dearest</strong></em> Calendar Wallpaper.<br /><br />On display are some of the all-time best nonfiction films, including the Academy Award winners<em> Bowling for Columbine</em>,<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6766147204897943313?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-4748214550703780612011-12-06T00:24:00.014-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.250-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NX9CkJRKD6Q/Tl2LkMlTuOI/AAAAAAAAnSg/zrgv8dbmxu8/s1600/Prom.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NX9CkJRKD6Q/Tl2LkMlTuOI/AAAAAAAAnSg/zrgv8dbmxu8/s400/Prom.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>A time-honored rite of passage for every high schooler, the annual event known as “prom night” has also frequently figured prominently in the cinematic genre known as the “high school movie.” From the celebratory (<em><a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2008/10/toon-talk-senioritis.html">High School Musical 3: Senior Year</a></em>) to the disastrous (<em>Carrie</em>), proms make ideal backdrops for such typical high school movie tropes as first loves, youthful heartbreak and plenty of teenaged angst. All that and more is on display in the new Disney high school nonmusical titled <em><strong>Prom</strong></em>, now available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prom-Blu-ray-Combo-Aimee-Teegarden/dp/B0041KKYI8?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Disney Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0041KKYI8" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prom-Aimee-Teegarden/dp/B0041KKYHY?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0041KKYHY" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />.<br /><br />Despite initial appearances, <em>Prom</em> is a touch more realistic (and a whole lot less obnoxious) than your average Disney Channel movie. That is, if you can overlook the fact that, a la <em>Grease</em>, half the cast looks well past their high school years. And, hewing closely to its Disney pedigree, such real world teen hijinks as smoking, drinking, cursing and “getting to third base” are nowhere in sight. Which, let’s face it, is hardly true to life but hardly unexpected in a wholesome family friendly enterprise such as what we have here. Furthermore, one is not likely to expect <em>Prom</em> to remake the high school movie wheel, and it is more then safe to say that it doesn’t...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID513920.asp">Click here</a> to continue reading my <em><strong>Toon Talk</strong></em> review of <em>Prom</em> at LaughingPlace.com.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7009297014361463293?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-474821455070378061?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-56369576166035781732011-12-06T00:24:00.013-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.250-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bpDTR7QeYtI/TmHfKK_MNCI/AAAAAAAAnfY/y-PzWopxz2M/s1600/Semper%2BFi.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bpDTR7QeYtI/TmHfKK_MNCI/AAAAAAAAnfY/y-PzWopxz2M/s400/Semper%2BFi.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>The US Marine Corps prides itself on being the most devoted of all military branches and of taking care of its own. This makes it doubly surprising to learn, while watching the riveting new documentary <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1863372/">Semper Fi: Always Faithful</a></strong></em> (now playing at the Laemmle Sunset 5 in Los Angeles), that approximately<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-5636957616603578173?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-81993916746184967132011-12-06T00:24:00.012-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.250-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nFJVBkxbeSg/TmPMmdOao7I/AAAAAAAAnhg/-OMPhaYXUTU/s1600/The%2BHelp.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nFJVBkxbeSg/TmPMmdOao7I/AAAAAAAAnhg/-OMPhaYXUTU/s400/The%2BHelp.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>As a boy from Civil Rights era Alabama, I really hoped that <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454029/">The Help</a></strong></em> would capture the best and worst of the South during that volatile period. The film is a warm, touching tribute to the great black women who devoted their lives to caring for the children of white families. Based on Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel and directed by her childhood friend Tate Taylor, <em>The Help</em> gets everything right about the genteel, casually racist Jackson, Mississippi setting, with a fantastic cast of women who couldn’t be any better.<br /><br />Scottsdale native Emma Stone plays the unfortunately-named Skeeter Phelan, a late bloomer who returns to her family’s plantation to find that her beloved housekeeper Constantine (Cicely Tyson) has left. She also discovers that the girls she grew up with have become cruel bigots who abuse their help while letting them take over raising their kids. <strong>Viola Davis</strong> almost seethes with unreleased power as Aibileen, a maid who is caring for a young girl after her own son was killed. This is Davis’ finest work since <em>Doubt</em>, and it is sure to garner her another Oscar nomination.<br /><br /><strong>Octavia Spencer</strong> plays too-sassy-for-her-own-good Minnie, a pie-making maid who runs afoul of town queen bee Hilly Holbrook, played to bitchy perfection by Bryce Dallas Howard. Foul about describes Minnie’s act of retribution after Hilly fires her and blacklists her from getting work anywhere else, but it is hilarious as well.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_jO8j7X0fD4/TmPNV1zUZ4I/AAAAAAAAnho/qhryYp6TBOI/s1600/Help2BVD.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_jO8j7X0fD4/TmPNV1zUZ4I/AAAAAAAAnho/qhryYp6TBOI/s400/Help2BVD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Much Sturm and Drang has been published about how <em>The Help</em> diminishes what African-Americans were doing to lead the way on their own struggle for equality, but the truth is that there were also white people (my parents included) who saw the injustice and fought in small and large ways for change. Stone gives a great performance in a bad perm, as does Allison Janney as her cancer-stricken mother and Sissy Spacek as Hilly’s plain-spoken but memory-impaired mother. Jessica Chastain is a marvel as town outcast Celia Foote, who just wants to be liked by the women of Jackson.<br /><br />People may disagree with the cinematic world that <em>The Help</em> recreates, but it is a heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, look back at history that will definitely strike a nerve with you. It is one of the best films of the year so far.<br /><br /><strong><em>Reel Thougths</em> Rating</strong>: A<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-5203557705670235164?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8199391674618496713?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-9934932340501007142011-12-06T00:24:00.011-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.250-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6IlmvDuNTw/TmPUlmtkaxI/AAAAAAAAnh0/sWBEe4o0AhI/s1600/Don2580%2599t+Be+Afraid+of+the+Dark.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6IlmvDuNTw/TmPUlmtkaxI/AAAAAAAAnh0/sWBEe4o0AhI/s400/Don2580%2599t+Be+Afraid+of+the+Dark.jpg" width="268" xaa="true" /></a></div>How can a movie get every single element in place and yet manage to ruin them all? You’ll have to watch <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270761/">Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark</a></strong></em> to see how spectacularly a horror movie can fail by squandering fantastic sets, a game cast of talented actors, genuinely creepy creatures, a fascinating mythology and its well-loved but cheesy TV movie source material.<br /><br />Guillermo Del Toro’s name is all over the film, and he was reportedly terrified of the 1973 Kim Darby film about a couple that moves into an old mansion and discovers that they aren’t alone. However, other than his <em>Pan’s Labyrinth</em>-inspired creatures and secret gardens, his contribution as writer is less an homage than an insult to the original. Those unfamiliar with just about every other haunted house movie ever made will be suitably scared by director Troy Nixey’s heavy reliance on gotcha scares, but the rest of the audience will be scratching their heads over how Del Toro could mess up this badly.<br /><br />Set in a gloriously ornate Tudor mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, <em>Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark</em> opens in the 19th century with a back story of the first owner, a renowned nature illustrator like John Audubon who disappeared along with his young child after killing a chambermaid in some sort of bizarre sacrifice. This scene reveals too much about what is in the basement, and establishes the film’s habit of making the absolute worst choices in storytelling. <br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YncXA84P5W0/TmPV6F6so1I/AAAAAAAAnh4/KBrBfNfYVDY/s1600/Don%2527t+Be+Afraid+GP.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YncXA84P5W0/TmPV6F6so1I/AAAAAAAAnh4/KBrBfNfYVDY/s400/Don%2527t+Be+Afraid+GP.jpg" width="400" xaa="true" /></a></div><br /><br />In the present, the mansion has fallen into disrepair and is being meticulously restored by Alex Hurst (<strong>Guy Pearce</strong>), who apparently didn’t look closely enough at his labor of love to see a barely concealed basement with a huge glass atrium. His sullen daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) gets shipped to him and soon opens up a tightly sealed ash pit in the basement, because that’s what little girls do. Soon a mini-army of tiny ghouls are raising hell and plotting to drag Sally to hell, or at least down the basement ash pit. It has something to do with them craving kiddie teeth. No one believes Sally, and then they do, but still they stay in the devil house. What are they waiting for? "Trollmageddon", of course, and the little invaders don’t disappoint.<br /><br /><em>Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark</em> has one of the sloppiest scripts in recent memory. Major events are dropped from scene to scene, including a party scene where one of the creatures gets squished, losing an arm on the floor and no one notices. If you’re looking for a good remake of an old horror movie, make it a <em><a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/08/reel-thoughts-vamp-next-door.html">Fright Night</a></em> instead. <br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2165595524931266314?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-993493234050100714?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-14222164689587212972011-12-06T00:24:00.010-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.250-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hh8NyuRQhxo/Tmb3vkzCFQI/AAAAAAAAnjk/FY5HEja-vWg/s1600/The+Debt.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hh8NyuRQhxo/Tmb3vkzCFQI/AAAAAAAAnjk/FY5HEja-vWg/s400/The+Debt.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>History is written by the victors. That quote informs the new morality thriller <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226753/">The Debt</a></strong></em>, starring <strong>Helen Mirren</strong>, Sam Worthington and breakout star Jessica Chastain (Celia Foote in <em><a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/09/reel-thoughts-happy-labor-day.html">The Help</a></em>). Set in 1997, but mostly told in flashback in the late sixties, <em>The Debt</em> tells the story of a trio of Israeli Mossad agents (Chastain, Worthington and Martin Csokas) who were charged with finding and bringing to justice an infamous Nazi called the "Surgeon of Birkenau", believed to be living in East Berlin. In 1997, the three agents’ bravery in dealing with the evil sadist has brought them thirty years of acclaim, especially for Rachel (Mirren). Her daughter Sarah has even written a book about her mother’s role in killing the monster, even while she was wounded. Of course, that is the history the Israelis needed to hear, but the reality turns out to be something different, a secret the agents tightly guarded all these years.<br /><br />Director John Madden made a splash with <em>Shakespeare in Love</em>, and <em>The Debt</em> is sure to draw Oscar attention next year, at least for acting. Most of the action takes place in the past, giving Chastain, Worthington and Csokas bigger roles than Mirren, Tom Wilkinson or <strong>Ciaran Hinds</strong>. The only jarring casting is that Csokas looks just like Hinds, and Worthington looks similar to Wilkinson, yet the younger men’s parts are reversed. It takes constant reminding to realize who is who in the flashbacks.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8BpO8mxiQM/Tmb5LE-nowI/AAAAAAAAnjs/7EtP6qTnN0U/s1600/Debt2BHM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8BpO8mxiQM/Tmb5LE-nowI/AAAAAAAAnjs/7EtP6qTnN0U/s400/Debt2BHM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><em>The Debt</em> manages an exciting balance between the morality tale of tracking Dieter Vogel and how the agents struggle to treat their captive beast humanely, the growing emotional bond between Rachel and the two men, and the espionage action as the agents try to smuggle their prisoner out of Communist East Berlin without being caught or shot. The story echoes the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound and the present day mystery is reminiscent of the Pat Tillman “friendly fire” cover-up. The ending cheapens the film with a finale that was a little too <em>Fatal Attraction</em> for me, but it gave <em>The Debt</em> the big closure some audiences need.<br /><br />Israel’s quest to bring the Nazi war criminals to justice is always fascinating, and <em>The Debt</em> is respectful of the subject matter. Wilkinson, Mirren and Hinds ground the story and give it the weight it needs. <em>The Debt</em> is a great, mature thriller to help say goodbye to summer and to get ready for the high prestige films of the fall.<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html"><span><b>Neil Cohen</b></span></a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's </span><a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><span>Echo</span> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7042110466002679332?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-1422216468958721297?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-45595427475050475382011-12-06T00:24:00.009-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.251-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHi6mxq3iWI/TmlUyVT66dI/AAAAAAAAnjw/w6jlrEEx6dk/s1600/Warrior.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" nba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHi6mxq3iWI/TmlUyVT66dI/AAAAAAAAnjw/w6jlrEEx6dk/s1600/Warrior.jpg" /></a></div>I'm not an automatic fan of sports-themed movies and even less one of fight films. I couldn't resist <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1291584/">Warrior</a></strong></em> though<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4559542747505047538?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-48521539679071276402011-12-06T00:24:00.008-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.251-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12v63VZ7a9I/TmvZesoONeI/AAAAAAAAnkE/onlyoldre6U/s1600/Contagion.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12v63VZ7a9I/TmvZesoONeI/AAAAAAAAnkE/onlyoldre6U/s400/Contagion.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Why is Steven Soderbergh planning to retire from movie-making? Did he find out something so terrifying while making <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/">Contagion</a></strong></em> that he is giving everything up and going to live in hiding in a sterile bunker? If so, the film he’ll be leaving behind is a startling if somewhat cold and sterile thriller itself about a deadly virus that threatens to decimate the world’s population. It is a well-made film about the birth of a pandemic caused by Gwyneth Paltrow that spreads like wildfire, and the internet–fueled panic that spreads even faster. As well made as <em>Contagion</em> is, its insistence on being unsentimental and clinical leaves you unmoved by the characters and oddly distanced from caring about them.<br /><br />Starting in blackness as we hear Minneapolis executive Beth Emhoff (Paltrow) cough before we see her sweaty face and casual touching of bar nuts, her credit card and drink that will soon become carriers of the disease. It is set in an airport, so we know that Beth will soon prove every germaphobe right. Beth has just cheated on her schlubby husband Mitch (Matt Damon)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4852153967907127640?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-55588548529597191122011-12-06T00:24:00.007-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.251-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vfl-ixUGlio/Tm1JWQUnIsI/AAAAAAAAnkk/lPUmMEk1AZk/s1600/JudasKiss.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vfl-ixUGlio/Tm1JWQUnIsI/AAAAAAAAnkk/lPUmMEk1AZk/s400/JudasKiss.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>Actor-writer <strong><a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/charlie-david.html"><span>Charlie David</span></a></strong> is well known to gay audiences thanks to his steamy turn as Toby on <em>Dante's Cove</em> as well as the movies <em>A Four Letter Word</em> and <em><a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2009/04/reverends-reviews-family-secrets.html">Mulligans</a></em> (based on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mulligans-Charlie-David/dp/1928662196?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">his novel</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1928662196" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />). His latest feature, <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1242642/">Judas Kiss</a></strong></em>, will be having its Southern California premiere on September 16 as the opening night selection of the <a href="http://qfilmslongbeach.com/">Long Beach Q Film Festival</a>. It will also be released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Judas-Kiss-Brent-Corrigan/dp/B00564HZYY?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">on DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00564HZYY" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> October 25. David plays Zachary Wells, a successful, egotistical filmmaker who unexpectedly undergoes an intriguing journey both backward and forward in time during a visit to his film school alma mater. The 31-year-old star, who lives in Canada when he isn't traveling the world, recently chatted with me via e-mail in advance of his new project's Los Angeles-area debut.<br /><br /><strong>REV</strong>: <em>Judas Kiss</em> is quite different from and more intellectual than most gay themed movies out there. What did you think when you first heard about the project or read the screenplay?<br /><br /><strong>CD</strong>: I was intrigued with the idea of getting a second chance at life. I was going through a period of reflection living in South Africa for six months last year and asking myself questions about where I wanted to go next in my life, career and relationships. The characters in <em>Judas Kiss</em> go through similar reflections and so the screenplay certainly resonated with me.<br /><br /><strong>REV</strong>: How did you approach your character in <em>Judas Kiss</em> and his rather unique dilemma? How is this character different from others you have played?<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBa5jGtwsek/Tm1K4bYtRXI/AAAAAAAAnko/G9gPalstlOM/s1600/JudasKiss+CD.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="223" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBa5jGtwsek/Tm1K4bYtRXI/AAAAAAAAnko/G9gPalstlOM/s400/JudasKiss+CD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><strong>CD</strong>: I most often play the good guy and although the role of Zachary Wells is not necessarily the antagonist he’s certainly a manipulative guy. I think an actor can get lost in trying to create a character and so I always try to keep story as king. When everyone on the cast and crew is focused on telling the story in the best possible way, all the pieces come together naturally. I’ve never had a substance abuse problem, never had the misfortune of sexual abuse but was able to find other elements of desperation within my own psyche that allowed me to understand the role and hopefully do it justice.<br /><br /><strong>REV</strong>: What has been the response of audiences at screenings so far?<br /><br /><strong>CD</strong>: The audiences have overall been surprised by the film, I think. It’s definitely a different genre, a different kind of story than what we often see in LGBT film. I think that’s the best part of the film; it’s likely not what you would expect and our team is proud to be offering something unique.<br /><br /><strong>REV</strong>: You've already had a pretty lengthy career in film, TV and music for a young performer. What originally led you into the performing arts?<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZRH2nLJajM/Tm1LMgLjaRI/AAAAAAAAnks/nSXsOag_gtw/s1600/Charlie+David.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZRH2nLJajM/Tm1LMgLjaRI/AAAAAAAAnks/nSXsOag_gtw/s1600/Charlie+David.jpg" /></a></div><br /><strong>CD</strong>: I’ve just always loved being a storyteller and when asked what I ‘do’ in life that’s the answer I give. I love sharing stories – in my writing, acting, hosting, producing, directing – it’s all the same passion with different mediums and means. I started young and spent a lot of my youth on tour buses doing musicals, then got into a band in Vegas and spent my late teens and early 20's opening for artists like Pink, Destiny’s Child, Sisqo, Rick Springfield and Snoop Dogg. I always wanted to work in film and television, though, and when those opportunities came calling I jumped at the chance. I definitely work hard; I have a lot of fun but I’m always looking forward to create opportunity. When my calendar isn’t booked at least six months in advance I have minor meltdowns until it fills up a year in advance. Then I can breathe again.<br /><br /><strong>REV</strong>: You are also a published author. How do you keep all your projects and interests in balance? Are you currently partnered or in a relationship?<br /><br /><strong>CD</strong>: I love writing, it’s so cathartic for me. I work out in fiction fantasies and fixations from my real life. This year I released my third book, <em>Shadowlands</em> in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadowlands-Charlie-David/dp/0982767609?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">paperback</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0982767609" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />, eBook and audio book. I loved the audio book experience so much I’ve started recording other authors’ work for a few publishing houses. I’m an avid reader already, so doing the recording seemed like a natural fit. Sometimes my life does seem to get a little out of control, and then I simply take a break, go do some yoga or go to the gym and come back. Even though at any given time there may be a dozen projects in various stages of creation, production or distribution, there are always both hectic and slow periods of each process. That natural ebb and flow helps keep my life in balance. I actively date and treasure the guys in my life. It may not be traditional but then again neither am I. I love the one I’m with, as the song goes, and am open and honest about that.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7pgq06iKGg/Tm1NCgSMSQI/AAAAAAAAnkw/XHs6aVVhl4o/s1600/Charlie+David+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7pgq06iKGg/Tm1NCgSMSQI/AAAAAAAAnkw/XHs6aVVhl4o/s400/Charlie+David+2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><strong>REV</strong>: What are you working on now, or what projects would you like to develop in the future?<br /><br /><strong>CD</strong>: We are going into production on season six of (the LGBT travel series) <em>Bump</em> at the end of summer, which will have me globe trotting until the end of March 2012. We’ve got some great destinations this year: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Taiwan, Portugal, Germany and Tahiti, to name a few! On the weeks of hiatus from the show I’m shooting a pilot for a new fashion TV show I’ll host in Toronto. I’m also excited to direct for the first time this fall. It’s a one-hour documentary for Logo on youth who are HIV positive, with subjects in different North American cities. Last year, we produced three films and they are all coming out on DVD this fall: <em>Judas Kiss</em>, <em>2 Frogs in the West</em> and <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Gay-Politics-Pride/dp/B0058DFYXC?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0058DFYXC" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></em>. Outside of work, I’m becoming addicted to yoga, learning French, looking at the stars on a blanket in my backyard and marveling at this miraculous journey on planet Earth.<br /><br />To learn more, visit Charlie's <a href="http://www.charliedavid.com/">official website</a>.<br /><span>Interview by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-71849428315044387?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-5558854852959719112?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-85469045389204357432011-12-06T00:24:00.006-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.251-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CNnYxoRjwK8/Tm7IUTGcC3I/AAAAAAAAnk4/mzylFe4Vx7k/s1600/Bill+Cunningham+New+York.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CNnYxoRjwK8/Tm7IUTGcC3I/AAAAAAAAnk4/mzylFe4Vx7k/s400/Bill+Cunningham+New+York.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>Every now and then, a documentary comes along that -- to its credit -- raises as many questions as it answers about the subject. While this may be frustrating for those viewers weaned on reality shows and tabloid exposes that leave nothing to the imagination, it can also make for intellectually satisfying filmmaking.<br /><br />So it is with <em><strong>Bill Cunningham New York</strong></em>, being released today <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Cunningham-York-Anna-Wintour/dp/B0050I975Q?ie=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">on DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0050I975Q" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and digital download by Zeitgeist Films following a successful theatrical release (and, it should be said, coinciding with New York Fashion Week). The 82-year-old Cunningham is a famed street photographer for the New York Times and other publications. For over 50 years, he has obsessively catalogued fashion and high society, and in the process has often been the first to identify trends and future celebrities. Cunningham's regular photo collages in the Times and habit of riding his bicycle all over NYC have made him a beloved if undeniably eccentric figure.<br /><br />As Cunningham says in the documentary while giving an award acceptance speech in Paris, "He who seeks beauty finds it." He has persistently found beauty through the decades -- although some will no doubt question his taste -- in women's shoes, hats, handbags, dandified menswear, excessive jewelry, miniskirts, silk screened art on T-shirts, young adult males exposing their underwear waistbands (Cunningham cheekily titles his resultant montage, "How low will they go?") and the occasional dog wearing a raincoat. Cunningham is consistently cheerful, whether he is hanging out on street corners waiting for something to catch his ever-vigilant eye, waiting to be granted access to an invitation-only fashion show, or fighting eviction from the Carnegie Hall studio he has lived in since the 1960's. The powerful likes of Anna Wintour, Annette de la Renta and Brooke Astor all sing Cunningham's praises in the film. Wintour matter-of-factly states, "We all get dressed for Bill."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MBIak_q2utY/Tm7I4olDFeI/AAAAAAAAnk8/XwnROUxyi2g/s1600/Bill+Cunningham.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MBIak_q2utY/Tm7I4olDFeI/AAAAAAAAnk8/XwnROUxyi2g/s400/Bill+Cunningham.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Director Richard Press, making an impressive debut, is naturally concerned about what makes his subject tick but is respectful and ethical (not unlike Cunningham himself) when it comes to digging into Cunningham's personal life. Cunningham only reveals himself in bits and pieces, and he becomes disarmingly emotional when questioned directly about his relationship history and habit of regular Mass attendance. Based on this response, one could read a potential history of tension or outright denial between Cunningham's sexuality and lifelong Catholic faith. If this is the case, at least the sublimation of his desires has been to the benefit and not the detriment of our culture. And while some may prefer Press "go for the kill" and be more aggressive in his tactics, I deeply appreciate the fact that he leaves Cunningham his dignity.<br /><br />As the film's title -- lacking a comma or colon -- fittingly reflects, Cunningham and the city that has long served as his home and primary source of inspiration are inseparable. Out of a year full of great documentaries, <em>Bill Cunningham New York</em> is one of the very best both for what it reveals and, ironically but admiringly, what it doesn't.<br /><br /><em><strong>Reverend's Rating</strong></em>: A<br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7536784280742932651?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8546904538920435743?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-47796284838708253302011-12-06T00:24:00.005-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.251-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Stm_G0flmAg/Tm_fL2aRDfI/AAAAAAAAnlA/Lu7Y_AjbT4Q/s1600/Hollywood+to+Dollywood.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="173" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Stm_G0flmAg/Tm_fL2aRDfI/AAAAAAAAnlA/Lu7Y_AjbT4Q/s400/Hollywood+to+Dollywood.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Some of the biggest hits on this year’s GLBT festival circuit as well as a number of area and even world premieres will highlight the <strong><a href="http://qfilmslongbeach.com/">Long Beach Q Film Fest</a></strong>, running September 16-18 at the Art Theatre and The Center Long Beach. An overview of the event schedule runs below:<br /><br /><strong>FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16</strong>:<br />5:00pm - <em>FIT</em> at the Art Theatre<br />7:15pm -<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4779628483870825330?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-36277351344258129452011-12-06T00:24:00.004-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.252-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uuJFSVRRVJY/TnLY7gHtjVI/AAAAAAAAnlM/IuXHRyhgfy4/s1600/Restless.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uuJFSVRRVJY/TnLY7gHtjVI/AAAAAAAAnlM/IuXHRyhgfy4/s1600/Restless.jpg" /></a></div>With summer's more frivolous films behind us, it's time for "serious" movies to dominate the box office and try to garner awards attention. Two of the fall's first major releases deal with the most serious subject of all: death and dying.<br /><br />In the current #1 movie, <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/">Contagion</a></strong></em>, a big-name international cast including Oscar winners Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard confront death on a catastrophic scale when a previously unknown virus begins to decimate the world's population. As doctors around the globe work to identify the pathogen and discover its origin and -- hopefully -- a vaccine, banks fold, riots break out and cities burn. Meanwhile, Jude Law (a memorable standout) fuels the panic with his blog's conspiracy theories that may well be more than mere theories. Despite Elliot Gould's medical researcher denouncing Law's character with the declaration "Blogging is graffiti with punctuation"(!), the online journalist hits the nail on the head more than once as he identifies mutually-beneficial links between the government and pharmaceutical companies. Meanwhile, nearly a billion people die within a few months time.<br /><br /><em>Contagion</em> is a well-made, effective chiller directed by an authenticity-obsessed Steven Soderbergh (<em>Traffic</em>). I would have admired and respected it better, though, if (<span>SPOILER ALERT</span>) it wasn't so subtly judgmental toward Paltrow's "patient zero" character. It isn't enough that she's cheating on her husband (Damon), but she has to work for the corporation responsible for the deforestation that leads to the viral outbreak too??? Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns could use a reminder that viruses don't have moral standards.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtU89PaR1Pw/TnLZeJb-2yI/AAAAAAAAnlQ/6KAvrF9zoto/s1600/Contagion.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtU89PaR1Pw/TnLZeJb-2yI/AAAAAAAAnlQ/6KAvrF9zoto/s400/Contagion.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br />Meanwhile, gay director <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/gus-van-sant.html"><span>Gus Van Sant's</span></a> <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1498569/">Restless</a></strong></em> (opening today) takes a smaller-scale, more romantic approach to the Grim Reaper. The opening night "Un Certain Regard" selection at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the film focuses on the plight of a recently orphaned teenage boy, Enoch (a debut performance by Henry Hopper, son of the late actor Dennis Hopper). He attends strangers' funerals in his ongoing grief over his parents' accidental death, and leans on the ethereal shoulder of his best friend, Hiroshi (Ryo Kase), who happens to be the ghost of a WWII Kamikaze fighter pilot. <br /><br />While at one memorial service, Enoch meets the charming Annabel (<em>Alice in Wonderland</em>'s Mia Wasikowska). They embark on a friendship that soon turns to love, only to have Enoch learn that Annabel is herself dying of cancer. Accepting of her prognosis, Annabel makes it her mission to help Enoch learn to live before she passes on.<br /><br /><em>Restless</em> turns out to be very good and it could have easily been very bad; memories of 1991's <em>Dying Young</em>, in which Julia Roberts fell cloyingly in love with a terminally-ill Campbell Scott, spring immediately to mind. But Jason Lew's script, workshopped for several years with actress/producer Bryce Dallas Howard, succeeds at depicting the tension between young love and premature death with warmth and humor. Van Sant also handles the risky material expertly, cutting away or throwing in a tension-reducing image whenever things threaten to get too morose. Wasikowska's Annabel is a bit one-note in her optimistic attitude and Hopper's lack of acting experience is apparent at some points, but they form an affecting duo.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KCV2_zIunHk/TnLZ85kfbDI/AAAAAAAAnlU/R-E7btIxrMw/s1600/Happy+Happy.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KCV2_zIunHk/TnLZ85kfbDI/AAAAAAAAnlU/R-E7btIxrMw/s400/Happy+Happy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1664892/">Happy, Happy</a></strong></em> doesn't take on end-of-life issues but instead explores the life cycle of relationships. Norway's entry in this year's Academy Awards competition for Best Foreign Language Film, it opens today in southern California and New York. Anne Sewitsky's feature directorial debut also took home the World Cinema Jury Prize from the Sundance Film Festival.<br /><br />Kaia (a very good Agnes Kittelsen) is a young wife and mother who puts on a positive demeanor despite the fact that she and her husband haven't had sex in over a year. When an attractive, seemingly liberal couple move in next door with their adopted, African son, Kaia reaches out as a good neighbor. It isn't long before she and Sigve (Henrik Rafaelsen), the new man on the block, are frolicking nude in the snow and getting it on behind their spouses' backs. Kaia's husband Eirik (Joachim Rafaelsen), in the meantime, is secretly struggling with his sexuality and trying to decide who he's more attracted to: Sigve or Sigve's previously-adulterous wife, Elisabeth (Maibritt Saerens).<br /><br />While essentially a comedy of manners, <em>Happy, Happy</em> isn't of the laugh-out-loud variety, and a subplot involving Kaia<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-3627735134425812945?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-79433523557459091902011-12-06T00:24:00.003-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.252-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zPxCtU4wf_4/TndmJc4Ht4I/AAAAAAAAnlg/J4SEu_HRhuI/s1600/Christopher+Bradley+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zPxCtU4wf_4/TndmJc4Ht4I/AAAAAAAAnlg/J4SEu_HRhuI/s400/Christopher+Bradley+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><strong><a href="http://www.christopherbradley.com/"><span>Christopher Bradley</span></a></strong>, the Hollywood star who has appeared in movies as varied as <em><strong>Waxwork</strong></em>, <em><strong>Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss</strong></em> and <em><strong>Leather Jacket Love Story</strong></em>, remembers that it was a lot different being an out gay actor in the 90s than it is today. His manager at the time warned him that he’d ruin his career if he came out, and looking back, Bradley admits that “he was right.” That’s why he is so glad to see actors like <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/10/neil-patrick-harris.html"><span>Neil Patrick Harris</span></a>, <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/ellen-degeneres.html"><span>Ellen DeGeneres</span></a> and <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/10/tr-knight.html"><span>T.R. Knight</span></a> enjoying strong support after they announced that they are gay. Bradley decided to pursue screenwriting and got accepted to the prestigious Film School at UCLA. For the past three years, Bradley has taught screenwriting at ASU, where he challenges his students to confront and put aside their prejudices and find common ground with each other.<br /><br />Bradley also had the satisfaction of returning to Hollywood on his own terms to premiere his short film <em>The Violation</em> at this year’s Outfest, the prestigious LGBT film festival that has launched many successful gay favorites. It’s quite a journey for a man who was born one of eight children in a devout Irish Roman Catholic household. Bradley’s route to self-acceptance took him to Texas Christian University, in part to resist his growing realization that he was gay. Fortunately, the college was an enlightened place of learning that allowed him to deeply research the Bible and determine what it actually says, versus what are just people’s judgmental interpretations. Bradley took time to talk to me and to curse his nemesis, Neil Patrick Harris.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d0bYDt_ILMk/TndmtGmH2LI/AAAAAAAAnlk/fDcgGLWS1pM/s1600/Waxworks+CB.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d0bYDt_ILMk/TndmtGmH2LI/AAAAAAAAnlk/fDcgGLWS1pM/s320/Waxworks+CB.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br />“I’ve always felt like Neil Patrick Harris stole my life,” Bradley laughed. “Or the life I wanted. He’s growing up in Albuquerque (like Bradley) and his family takes a trip to Los Angeles. He goes along on an audition with a friend. He gets the job instead of the friend and the family moves to Hollywood and he’s a star. With me, it was a series of small events. I was desperate to get out of Albuquerque. I was smoking and drinking and smoking pot in eighth grade and saw where my older brothers were going and I knew I’d get stuck in Albuquerque unless I totally cleaned up. I was always religious, but I became very, very religious as part of getting out of Albuquerque and then I realized I was gay. That made it even worse... I was told that being gay, you were possessed by a demon and God allowed you to be possessed by this demon because you had not been following his will closely enough. So I became extremely religious and was going to do everything right and God was going to make me straight. One of the benefits was that I worked very hard in school and got a scholarship to college. I was going to be a doctor, but I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor,” he said, laughing. Bradley did a play in Dallas and got an agent, which led to commercials and a bloody part in the cult slasher film <em>The Initiation</em>, starring Daphne Zuniga (<em>Spaceballs</em>, <em>Melrose Place</em>) and Vera Miles (<em>Psycho</em>).<br /><br />After a short stint in New York, Bradley moved to Los Angeles, waited tables and got a small part in a film that means the world to him, 1985’s <em>An Early Frost</em>, the groundbreaking AIDS drama starring Aidan Quinn. He had just returned from Dallas, where a close friend had suddenly succumbed to AIDS and found the script at his front door when he returned. At the audition, it was clear he was too young to play Quinn’s boyfriend, but Bradley basically told the casting director “I’m not going to leave your office until you tell me I can be an extra. I’ve got be a part of this movie.” He continued, “I told her what had happened with my friend, but what (the casting director) didn’t tell me was that she had terminal lung cancer and had turned down this big budget Rob Lowe movie for this low budget TV movie. She told me about a group therapy scene, and I ended up getting the role (of Todd).” <br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iegkWMft0sc/TndnI_sGD3I/AAAAAAAAnlo/spbnQAdQWSI/s1600/Christopher+Bradley.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="315" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iegkWMft0sc/TndnI_sGD3I/AAAAAAAAnlo/spbnQAdQWSI/s320/Christopher+Bradley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />At the time, Bradley also got cast in <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/larry-kramer.html"><span>Larry Kramer’s</span></a> fierce AIDS drama <em>The Normal Heart</em> with Richard Dreyfuss and Kathy Bates. Then, his first boyfriend called him to reveal that he’d tested positive for AIDS. “I got tested and I tested negative. By that point, he had died, a few of my close friends had died and others had tested positive, and I went, “You know what, I’m not going to be one of those actors who lies. I’m going to tell the truth.” At a Q&A after <em>The Normal Heart</em>, an audience member asked a question about “destroying your career” if you’re a gay actor. “I just raised my hand and said, “I don’t give a shit! I’m a gay actor and I’ll take what I get.” And it did cost me. There was a soap opera role for a John F. Kennedy Jr. type,” Bradley recalled. They would not read him for the role despite the fact that he was an Irish Catholic JFK Jr. lookalike at the time. After much prodding by his agent, someone admitted that it was because he was gay. They were spending a lot of money on promoting the role and didn’t want to risk it “blowing up in their face if it comes out that he’s gay.”<br /><br />Then he met with Aaron Spelling for a role in <em>Nightingales</em>, a nursing school drama, at the same time as he was playing a straight role on another Spelling production. “As soon as I left the room -- I won’t name names -- this big TV producer who’s gay turned to Aaron Spelling and told him I was gay. He freaked out, because they’d just gone through all this hell with the gay character on <em>Dynasty</em> and he didn’t want to deal with it again. After the meeting, the producer came up to the casting director and asked her, “Well, is he?” She knew I was, but said “I don’t know.” This producer told her, “Well, tell him if he is that he can come hang out by my swimming pool anytime.” So there were consequences to being out, but looking back on it, I just don’t think I could have lived with myself any other way.”<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QQlaPo89U4/Tndo_o6ertI/AAAAAAAAnls/GxHQonw-QUQ/s1600/Leather+Jacket+Love+Story+CB.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" rba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QQlaPo89U4/Tndo_o6ertI/AAAAAAAAnls/GxHQonw-QUQ/s1600/Leather+Jacket+Love+Story+CB.jpg" /></a></div><br /><strong>FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CHRISTOPHER BRADLEY</strong>:<br /><br />1. <em>The Violation</em>:<em> </em>Bradley based this black comedy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-7943352355745909190?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-88821013323900709432011-12-06T00:24:00.002-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.252-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QtkExuqF1co/Tnl09SkZ2LI/AAAAAAAAnl4/Fj3zMOZF900/s1600/Weekend.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QtkExuqF1co/Tnl09SkZ2LI/AAAAAAAAnl4/Fj3zMOZF900/s1600/Weekend.jpg" /></a></div><em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714210/">Weekend</a></strong></em>, which won the 2011 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature, is getting a great reception among gay men wherever it shows. Interestingly, this unapologetic queer romance is also being embraced by straight viewers, who bestowed Audience Awards upon it at the hetero-dominated South by Southwest and Nashville film festivals. <em>Weekend</em> will be gradually released in theaters in NYC and throughout the U.S. beginning September 23.<br /><br />Written, directed and even edited by British filmmaker <strong>Andrew Haigh</strong> (<em>Greek Pete</em>), <em>Weekend</em> follows two gay men over the course of 48 hours following their initial, Friday night meeting. Insightful and sexy, I don't think we've seen a gay-themed film this purely romantic and ultimately affecting since <em>Brokeback Mountain</em>. Lead actors <strong>Tom Cullen</strong> and <strong>Chris New</strong> have undeniable chemistry and give great, vulnerable performances.<br /><br />Haigh called recently from "across the pond" to speak about <em>Weekend</em>. "More than anything," Haigh said, "I just wanted to tell a story about two people falling in love with each other. I wanted to make it as realistic and honest as possible. I've seen a lot of gay films but none of them really reflected my life."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RTpt_2mH4FM/Tnl1t_sSouI/AAAAAAAAnl8/tQAKvEPW-MM/s1600/Weekend+AH+CN+TC.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="262" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RTpt_2mH4FM/Tnl1t_sSouI/AAAAAAAAnl8/tQAKvEPW-MM/s400/Weekend+AH+CN+TC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The filmmaker started out as an editor on such popular mainstream movies as <em>Gladiator</em>,<em> Black Hawk Down</em> and <em>Mona Lisa Smile</em>. In 2008, he was named as one of Screen International's "Stars of Tomorrow." Haigh shared: "I've always wanted to direct; I didn't necessarily set out to be a writer-director but it just kind of happened." He counts Ridley Scott (<em>Alien</em>, <em>Gladiator</em>) as a mentor and independent American directors including Joe Swannberg (<em>Autoerotic</em>, <em>Blackmail Boys</em>) as inspirations.<br /><br />Haigh is thrilled by the awards and positive reactions <em>Weekend</em> has been receiving in the US since his film has yet to open in the UK "It's been fascinating to me, especially now that with the Internet and Twitter you can get people's immediate reaction. Not just gay people but lots of straight people have said (my movie) really resonates with them."<br /><br />He has a theory as to why <em>Weekend</em> is finding more universal acceptance than most gay-themed films. "I've always felt that if you're honest with your story, people will go along with it." Haigh also believes his movie's take on the challenge of finding and keeping Mister or Miss Right is striking a chord. "It's hard!" he laughed. "Finding someone you connect with is very difficult; It's a bit of a battle."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YrnZXqLLzVI/Tnl2tJekKxI/AAAAAAAAnmA/Y0fVQD3UlQk/s1600/Weekend+TC+CN.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YrnZXqLLzVI/Tnl2tJekKxI/AAAAAAAAnmA/Y0fVQD3UlQk/s400/Weekend+TC+CN.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Haigh has nothing but praise for his lead actors, especially when it comes to the film's graphic sex scenes. "Tom and Chris made the whole process surprisingly easy, although it is always daunting filming such scenes. We just tried to make things as comfortable as possible by shooting with minimal crew and doing only a couple of takes. Alcohol helps too."<br /><br />I have to admit I was put off by the characters' considerable drug use in the film. While getting high on marijuana and cocaine during the early stages of courting seems to me a far from healthy foundation for a long-lasting relationship, I can respect Haigh's choice in this regard to the degree it reflects his observations. This is the only aspect in which <em>Weekend</em> felt false to me in light of my life experience.<br /><br />So what can we expect next from this talented gay filmmaker? "I'm trying to write," Haigh said, "which is very difficult while you're going to festivals and traveling around. Writing takes a long, long time." I expect his next project will be worth the wait.<br /><br /><strong><em>Reverend's Rating</em></strong>: <strong>B+</strong><br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-3657651641558020212?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8882101332390070943?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-21430447490461429512011-12-06T00:24:00.001-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.252-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ersZ4XIwwBg/Tn5BPzWluLI/AAAAAAAAnmQ/Aeo652bufo0/s1600/Chris2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ersZ4XIwwBg/Tn5BPzWluLI/AAAAAAAAnmQ/Aeo652bufo0/s400/Chris2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-2143044749046142951?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-39168181509206391332011-12-06T00:24:00.000-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.252-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FB-hr60oVJQ/Tn5X9O7CuuI/AAAAAAAAnmY/1RAMTJO2yKw/s1600/Joan2527%2BLantern.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FB-hr60oVJQ/Tn5X9O7CuuI/AAAAAAAAnmY/1RAMTJO2yKw/s400/Joan2527%2BLantern.bmp" width="300" /></a></div><span>Halloween</span> is just around the corner, which brings up the annual question, "What am I going to wear?" Well, we here at <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> have you covered with ten of the hottest pop culture inspired costume ideas for 2011 ... and not one of them is <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/09/lady-gaga.html"><span>Lady Gaga</span></a>.<br /><br />Take your pick for your favorite 2011 Halloween costume idea in the <b>MD Poll</b> located in the right hand sidebar, and tune back Saturday October 29 for the final results.<br /><br /><strong><span>UPDATE</span></strong>: This poll is now closed; <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/10/md-poll-naked-treat.html">click here</a> for the results, and <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/search/label/MD%20Poll">click here</a> to vote in the latest <strong>MD Poll</strong>.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2755466379585354062?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-3916818150920639133?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-36213538865710955542011-12-06T00:23:00.036-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.252-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbAqhC1md3Y/TnmVYpEDgSI/AAAAAAAAnmE/xtTXMxBzzqw/s1600/Dumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" hca="true" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbAqhC1md3Y/TnmVYpEDgSI/AAAAAAAAnmE/xtTXMxBzzqw/s400/Dumbo.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>Ten years ago, I began writing my <em><strong>Toon Talk</strong></em> film and DVD reviews for LaughingPlace.com, and one of the first year’s reviews was for the <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID114190.asp">60th anniversary DVD edition</a> of <em><strong>Dumbo</strong></em>. Now, a decade later, <em>Dumbo</em> is back in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&field-keywords=Dumbo20Anniversary&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">new high definition Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> make-over in honor of its 70th anniversary. My, how time flies like an elephant when you’re having fun, especially when it comes to watching this beloved Disney classic!<br /><br />Whether you and your family are seeing it for the first time or (like me) rewatching it for the umpteenth time, one will marvel at the simplicity and joy of this tale of a pint-sized pachyderm with super-sized ears who overcomes hardships to become a star. A pure delight for every minute of its brief 64-minute running time, <em>Dumbo</em> is sure to delight audiences for at least another 70 years...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID513980.asp">Click here</a> to continue reading my <em><strong>Toon Talk</strong></em> review of the new <em>Dumbo</em> Blu-ray at LaughingPlace.com.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-8562994310353175538?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-3621353886571095554?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-61172618890020178212011-12-06T00:23:00.035-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.252-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VMS7DlNxUsE/Tn5zFs8tBDI/AAAAAAAAnmg/fIA5snC0V_A/s1600/Stephen%2BDeRosa.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VMS7DlNxUsE/Tn5zFs8tBDI/AAAAAAAAnmg/fIA5snC0V_A/s400/Stephen%2BDeRosa.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>“You are speaking indeed to the legend himself!”<br /><br />With an introduction like that, you know that you are in for a great interview. <strong><a href="http://stephenderosa.com/"><span>Stephen DeRosa</span></a></strong>, a talented Broadway veteran and television actor, did not disappoint. The New York City native will be coming to a<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6117261889002017821?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-65164786568966477482011-12-06T00:23:00.034-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.253-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ix9LkH66knA/Tn-3RA9NViI/AAAAAAAAnns/ANtzSEFzQAw/s1600/Queer+as+Folk.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" hca="true" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ix9LkH66knA/Tn-3RA9NViI/AAAAAAAAnns/ANtzSEFzQAw/s400/Queer+as+Folk.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>Like every American gay man in 2000, I was glued to the TV for the premiere of <strong><em>Queer as Folk</em></strong>, the US version of the critically-acclaimed yet controversial British series of the same name.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6516478656896647748?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-59294356859243136742011-12-06T00:23:00.033-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.253-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-faMZUU7CBUA/ToIui5DKUvI/AAAAAAAAnn8/093QbDSs-tA/s1600/Gay+Days+2011+T-Shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="259" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-faMZUU7CBUA/ToIui5DKUvI/AAAAAAAAnn8/093QbDSs-tA/s320/Gay+Days+2011+T-Shirt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It’s once again time for GLBT fun-seekers to get out those red T-shirts and head to the Disneyland Resort. <strong><a href="http://www.gaydaysanaheim.com/">Gay Days Anaheim</a></strong> will be held this weekend, September 30-October 2.<br /><br />Gay Days was established in 1997 by a small group of gay fans of all things Disney. A <a href="http://www.gaydays.com/">similar "unofficial" event</a> is held each spring at Walt Disney World in Florida. The California event has grown to attract more than 30,000 GLBT people annually from throughout the state and the US. Attendees traditionally wear red shirts to identify themselves as GLBT, since Disneyland and its neighboring theme park — Disney’s California Adventure — will remain open to the general public during the weekend.<br /><br />Besides all the fun the parks have to offer, two major dance parties are held during the weekend. "Wonderland" will be held the night of September 30 at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney, with all proceeds from the event benefitting the <a href="http://www.thetrevorproject.org/">Trevor Project</a>. Academy Award-winning screenwriter <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/dustin-lance-black.html"><span>Dustin Lance Black</span></a> (<em>Milk</em> and the upcoming<em> J.Edgar</em>) will preside over the VIP room. On Saturday night, DJ Kimberly S and <em>The Voice</em>'s Frenchie Davis will headline "Kingdom", Gay Days’ signature dance party at Downtown Disney’s House of Blues.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QG3T4fq51V4/ToIu1DkoAUI/AAAAAAAAnoA/T1K3o7GgD9s/s1600/Rainbow+Mouse.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QG3T4fq51V4/ToIu1DkoAUI/AAAAAAAAnoA/T1K3o7GgD9s/s1600/Rainbow+Mouse.gif" /></a></div><br />Recognizing the growing participation by lesbian women in Gay Days events, a Saturday ladies' night starring comedian <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/suzanne-westenhoefer.html"><span>Suzanne Westenhoefer</span></a> will be held for the very first time. The weekend will also feature a first-ever lesbian lounge at the Anabella Hotel across the street from Disneyland.<br /><br />Other special events planned include "An Intimate Conversation with Carol Channing", in which the 90-year-old Broadway legend will talk about her life and career<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-5929435685924313674?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-5348912921735283512011-12-06T00:23:00.032-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.253-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bor2AmKiAho/ToUxQm2dehI/AAAAAAAAnoQ/TW-rEWGDxnI/s1600/Finding+Joe.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bor2AmKiAho/ToUxQm2dehI/AAAAAAAAnoQ/TW-rEWGDxnI/s400/Finding+Joe.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>During my time in a Roman Catholic seminary twenty years ago, the late philosopher-professor Joseph Campbell was revered for having situated Christianity within what he termed the "monomyth," a millennia-spanning heroic adventure found in every human culture. Today, Campbell -- who was raised Catholic -- would likely be condemned as an apostate given the Church's current, conservative climate.<br /><br />For the uninitiated, the new documentary <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2015370/">Finding Joe</a></strong></em> (opening today in Los Angeles and soon to rollout nationally) serves as a crash course in Campbell's life work involving myths, slaying and/or befriending figurative dragons, and the ultimate encouragement, drawn from Hindu tradition, to "follow one's bliss." Utilizing interviews with such diverse personalities as Deepak Chopra, Mick Fleetwood and Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (<em>A Beautiful Mind</em>) as well as a number of clips from movie classics including the <em>Star Wars</em> saga, <em>The Lord of the Rings</em> and <em>The Wizard of Oz</em>, <em>Finding Joe</em> provides considerable insight into Campbell's writings if not necessarily the man. (To learn more about Campbell himself, check out Bill Moyers' late 1980's PBS series, <em>The Power of Myth</em>.)<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4UZj80pxkAg/ToUy31IQMqI/AAAAAAAAnoc/RYSgJlqww-8/s1600/finding-joe-5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="238" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4UZj80pxkAg/ToUy31IQMqI/AAAAAAAAnoc/RYSgJlqww-8/s320/finding-joe-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The film -- written, produced and directed by Patrick Takaya Solomon -- is nicely shot and edited but generally employs a standard "talking heads" approach and lectures more than it engages. It is strongest whenever it quotes Campbell directly, with such reflections as "Many of us are metaphorically-impaired" (referring to the equation of mythology with metaphor) and "I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive" among the stand outs. There are also some charming vignettes sprinkled throughout in which children dramatize chapters from Campbell's seminal work, <em>A Hero with a Thousand Faces</em>.<br /><br />There is also wisdom to be found in Campbell's conclusion that true power results when each of us learns to "love and accept yourself as you are." <em>Finding Joe</em> may not be the most accomplished piece of cinema, especially when compared to some of the Campbell-inspired films it spotlights, but its subject remains undeniably inspiring.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iOgYoyujoGQ/ToUxbvBkqKI/AAAAAAAAnoU/3nfGE6UFrtI/s1600/Take+Shelter.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iOgYoyujoGQ/ToUxbvBkqKI/AAAAAAAAnoU/3nfGE6UFrtI/s400/Take+Shelter.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br />What might ultimately emerge as one of the best movies of 2011 also opens today in LA and New York City: Jeff Nichols' excellent suspense-drama <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1675192/">Take Shelter</a></strong></em>. Frightening, moving and thought-provoking by turns, it stars <strong>Michael Shannon</strong> (an Academy Award nominee for 2008's <em>Revolution Road</em> and soon to be seen as the villainous General Zod in the Superman epic, <em>Man of Steel</em>) as Curtis LaForche, an unassuming Ohio sand miner with a loving wife (Jessica Chastain, current belle of the cineplex ball in the wake her eye-opening turns in <em><a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/08/reverends-review-theological-tree-worth.html">The Tree of Life</a></em>, <em>The Help</em> and <em>The Debt</em>) and deaf daughter.<br /><br />Curtis is well respected at work and in their community. However, just when the LaForches are prepping their daughter for a cochlear implant that will, if successful, enable her to hear, Curtis begins to have apocalyptic visions and nightmares involving a devastating storm, flocks of angry crows and a pack of seemingly-escaped mental patients out to get his little girl. He subsequently becomes obsessed with expanding and fortifying the family's storm cellar, much to his friends' and neighbors' consternation. Are Curtis's dreams prophetic, or is he succumbing to the same paranoid schizophrenia that struck his mother (a cameo by the always welcome Kathy Baker, of <em>Picket Fences</em> and <em>Edward Scissorhands</em> fame) when she was the same age as Curtis is now?<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m7ERSu-q0wE/ToUyJ6WutDI/AAAAAAAAnoY/WXKEe-s3Hys/s1600/Take-Shelter-Michael-Shannon-2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="247" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m7ERSu-q0wE/ToUyJ6WutDI/AAAAAAAAnoY/WXKEe-s3Hys/s320/Take-Shelter-Michael-Shannon-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I think master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock would have approved of <em>Take Shelter</em>, especially with its visual allusions to <em>The Birds</em> and its beautifully ironic finale (which will likely polarize audiences). Shannon deftly balances the stoic and the terrified, and Chastain gives another, now seemingly expected great performance. Also fine are the movie's eerie storm effects and other effective scares dished up by Nichols along with visual effects supervisor Chris Wells (<em>Avatar</em>, <em>The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</em>) and editor Parke Gregg.<br /><br />In the end, <em>Take Shelter</em> powerfully illustrates that the only real safety to be found when disaster looms -- whether real or imagined -- is with the one(s) we love.<br /><br /><em><strong>Reverend's Ratings</strong></em>:<br /><em>Finding Joe</em>: <strong>B</strong><br /><em>Take Shelter</em>: <strong>A-</strong><br /><br /><span>Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.</span><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-5942863937323508731?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-534891292173528351?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-21075908186129249362011-12-06T00:23:00.031-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.253-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QD9nxp4XDcg/ToYst1R7kzI/AAAAAAAAnog/pSL4KiizDTI/s1600/October+2011+MD+Wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QD9nxp4XDcg/ToYst1R7kzI/AAAAAAAAnog/pSL4KiizDTI/s320/October+2011+MD+Wallpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The full moon is on the rise this October as the <strong><em>Movie Dearest</em> Calendar Wallpaper</strong> for the month<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-2107590818612924936?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-42359611005274075502011-12-06T00:23:00.030-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.253-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z-TuhTUDo-I/ToPrSLIYIBI/AAAAAAAAnoI/xNmlA_YS7cY/s1600/Music+on+Film+Grease.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z-TuhTUDo-I/ToPrSLIYIBI/AAAAAAAAnoI/xNmlA_YS7cY/s400/Music+on+Film+Grease.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>Whether you're a T-Bird or a Pink Lady, the latest edition of Limelight Editions' <em><strong>Music on Film</strong></em> book series spotlighting the ultimate 50's musical <strong><em>Grease</em></strong> is <em>the</em> word. This compact tome, written by Stephen Tropiano (author of <em>Music on Film: Cabaret</em> and <em>The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on Television</em>) packs a whole lot of facts and trivia on the making of the #1 movie musical of all time into its 128 pages.<br /><br />For example, did you know the <em>Grease</em> movie was almost an animated one directed by Ralph Bakshi (<em>Fritz the Cat</em>)? Or that original casting ideas included Elvis as Danny, Ann-Margret as Sandy and Lucie Arnaz as Rizzo? Or that the film's famed Rydell High was actually three separate Los Angeles-area high school locations?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4235961100527407550?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-44750036778670548592011-12-06T00:23:00.029-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.253-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IZZjpXbJVGA/ToomxIijDOI/AAAAAAAAnpI/y8JjP9ngEXM/s1600/Unhappy%2BBirthday.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IZZjpXbJVGA/ToomxIijDOI/AAAAAAAAnpI/y8JjP9ngEXM/s400/Unhappy%2BBirthday.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>'Tis the season for all things creepy and costumed, and several gay-geared home video releases this month are hoping to cash in. Only one of them is a true horror movie, though, and it disappointingly turns out to be the weakest of the bunch.<br /><br /><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=4&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=17&field-keywords=Unhappy3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Unhappy Birthday,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></strong></em> out October 25 from Wolfe Video, draws inspiration from such classic chillers as <em>The Wicker Man</em> (the 1973 original, not the dreadful Nicolas Cage remake) and <em>Children of the Corn</em> but adds a gay twist. Rick (David Paisley) and Jonny (Jonathan Keane) are secret lovers who decide to surprise their girlfriend, Sadie (Christina DeVallee), with a birthday getaway to the mysterious isle of Amen. Separated from the mainland at night by the high tide, the town's inhabitants are gradually revealed to have nefarious plans for their three visitors.<br /><br />Written and directed by Mark Harriett and Mike Matthews, <em>Unhappy Birthday</em> is stylishly shot and features nice chemistry between Paisley and Keane. Unfortunately, anyone who has seen <em>The Wicker Man</em> or other movies in this genre will find the plot predictable, and the bloody make-up effects look fake. Better to rent a horror classic such as <em>The Exorcist</em> if you want to get truly spooked this Halloween.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oTFAK12RyBE/ToondBGDXyI/AAAAAAAAnpQ/oHca_hSDQy4/s1600/Rent%2BBoys.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="357" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oTFAK12RyBE/ToondBGDXyI/AAAAAAAAnpQ/oHca_hSDQy4/s400/Rent%2BBoys.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><br />Meanwhile, Breaking Glass Pictures' QC Cinema is bringing out two new releases in which "tricks" play a central role. <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&field-keywords=The20of3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">The Cost of Love</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></strong></em>(now available) is a British drama focusing on a successful hustler, Dale (Christopher Kelham), who finds himself in crisis as both his 30th birthday and his best friend's wedding draw near. Although he is able to confide in and receive support from his drag performer friend Sean (Michael Joyce, who sadly passed away shortly after filming this), Dale is drawn to increasingly dangerous sex scenes in a misguided effort to deal with his conflicted feelings. It is an engrossing, often sexy -- though occasionally disturbing -- character study.<br /><br />The label's other new DVD is <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&field-keywords=The20of3Dmovies-tv?url=search-alias=movies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Rent Boys,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></strong></em> a well-made German documentary (available today)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4475003677867054859?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-78947927866358944692011-12-06T00:23:00.028-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.254-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aop6APXSF4U/ToybCRYv7_I/AAAAAAAAnpg/2Ierhe2RaXg/s1600/Lion%2BKing.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aop6APXSF4U/ToybCRYv7_I/AAAAAAAAnpg/2Ierhe2RaXg/s400/Lion%2BKing.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>On the heels of its record-making 3D theatrical re-release (which cemented its box office standing as the most successful traditional animated movie of all time), <em><strong>The Lion King</strong></em> roars back on to home video this week with its high definition debut on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_ss_i_1_14&field-keywords=the20king20ray&url=search-alias20Lion20&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Disney Blu-ray.</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> The Academy Award-winning <em>King</em>, along with another Disney “jewel-in-the-crown” <em>Beauty and the Beast</em>, also makes its <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_ss_i_1_14&field-keywords=the20king20ray&url=search-alias20Lion20?url=search-alias=movies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">3D Blu-ray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />this week. And joining them for the first time on DVD shelves is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_ss_i_1_14&field-keywords=the20king20ray&url=search-alias20Lion20?url=search-alias=movies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Disney Blu-ray and DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />premieres of Disney Nature’s latest “true life adventure” documentary <em>African Cats</em>. Talk about “lions and cheetahs and beasts, oh my...!"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID514000.asp">Click here</a> to continue reading my <em><strong>Toon Talk</strong></em> review of <em>The Lion King</em>:<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-7894792786635894469?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-81278049514143025182011-12-06T00:23:00.027-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.254-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf25J1IItz4/TpHbtUJtLCI/AAAAAAAAntw/9AFMk1r2ptY/s1600/bebe6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf25J1IItz4/TpHbtUJtLCI/AAAAAAAAntw/9AFMk1r2ptY/s400/bebe6.jpg" width="374" /></a></div><strong>Bebe Neuwirth</strong> won television audiences hearts as the stiff and repressed but always lovable Lilith Sternin on <em><strong>Cheers</strong></em>, but she had been dancing ballet and acting on Broadway for years before that. <a href="http://www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org/">Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts</a> has enlisted the versatile singer/actress/dancer to open their terrific 2011/2012 Season. I had the pleasure of speaking to Ms. Neuwirth the day after 9/11; we talked about her career, and where she wants to take it in the future.<br /><br />Neuwirth was honored to be one of a huge group of Broadway stars who gathered on Times Square to sing “New York, New York” as part of “Broadway Remembers 9/11”, which was a recreation of a performance done right after the attacks to help Broadway and New Yorkers gain some comfort and be able to return to normalcy. At the time, Neuwirth remembered, “I had just started rehearsing a play for Lincoln Center and when it happened, I thought, “I can’t go back to the play, I mean, what’s the point? I should be down there on the piles helping the guys and feeding people. Then, I realized through the wisdom of the people at Lincoln Center who were saying, “No this is exactly what you should be doing.” It was really (a) pretty awful (time).”<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QrmZdBLNArE/TpHcCW8mxZI/AAAAAAAAnt0/QIWp2efp4Jk/s1600/26BebeNeuwirth.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="279" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QrmZdBLNArE/TpHcCW8mxZI/AAAAAAAAnt0/QIWp2efp4Jk/s320/26BebeNeuwirth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><em>Stories With Piano</em> is the name of the show that Neuwirth is bringing to Scottsdale with pianist Scott Cady, which she hesitates to call a cabaret performance. “It’s sort of hard to describe, because some of the songs are from Broadway shows, but some of them are from Tom Waits and there’s a Beatles song in there and there’s an Edith Piaf song in there. It’s such a broad range that I don’t really know what category it falls into. They are a group of songs that either tell a story in a narrative way or they are a moment in a person’s life that is so compelling or so emotional or so deep that you know there’s a big story behind it,” she explained. <br /><br />“It’s an interesting thing to stand on stage as yourself and not be a character like Jenny in <em>Threepenny Opera</em> or (<em><strong>Chicago</strong></em>’s) Velma or Morticia (from <em><strong>The Addams Family</strong></em>), I’m just me. I don’t want to stand onstage and tell you all about myself because I just think that’s far too narcissistic and boring an exercise for me. There are some people I want to go and hear exactly who they are. I want to hear Elaine Stritch’s show, I want to hear those stories, but it’s not for me to do. I do think that there’s a reason that I choose the songs that I choose. There’s something about them that I can relate to, so there is something that you might know about me (after the show)… maybe,” she said, laughing.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o92sKpnNJXg/TpHcSGM-tKI/AAAAAAAAnt4/zgjFfoY7sqU/s1600/bebe_neuwirth_blankandwhite.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o92sKpnNJXg/TpHcSGM-tKI/AAAAAAAAnt4/zgjFfoY7sqU/s320/bebe_neuwirth_blankandwhite.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Born in the country outside Princeton, New Jersey, Neuwirth developed a love of ballet at an early age. “I’ve been in ballet classes since I was five and been on stage since I was seven (in ballet), so it’s really when I’m dancing that I feel most comfortable and most at home. I enjoy television and film a lot and I enjoy being in a play or singing in these concerts that I do immensely, but there’s something a little bit different when I am dancing onstage. It’s been the one constant in my life.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8127804951414302518?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-90624329496160448772011-12-06T00:23:00.026-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.254-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tGFCWFvJADA/TpMJMNjn9LI/AAAAAAAAnuM/NmPgUh3md2A/s1600/Erasure.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="341" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tGFCWFvJADA/TpMJMNjn9LI/AAAAAAAAnuM/NmPgUh3md2A/s400/Erasure.bmp" width="341" /></a></div>How could I forget my first exposure to <strong>Erasure</strong> back in 1986? They were opening for Duran Duran, and <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/andy-bell.html">Andy Bell</a> pranced out onto stage wearing a tank top and tutu. I was smitten. Their music wasn't bad either, as millions of listeners gay and straight have discovered.<br /><br />Hard to believe it's been 25 years between then and the techno duo's new album, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&field-keywords=Erasure27s3Dpopular&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957"><strong>Tomorrow's World</strong>,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></em> now available this week. Erasure is also currently wrapping up a world tour. While I can't say <em>Tomorrow's World</em> offers much new stylistically, it does reflect how Bell and co-writer/performer Vince Clarke have grown lyrically and musically. The first single from the album, "When I Start To (Break It All Down)," has been available for a while and is a more subdued song than one would think would be<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-9062432949616044877?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-9627403629948989972011-12-06T00:23:00.025-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.254-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mwBkxUgciwg/TptLvgyz_JI/AAAAAAAAn1g/ulz7TxkDbWs/s1600/weekend+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="228" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mwBkxUgciwg/TptLvgyz_JI/AAAAAAAAn1g/ulz7TxkDbWs/s320/weekend+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://www.andrewhaighfilm.com/"><strong>Andrew Haigh</strong></a> is enjoying the kind of buzz over his film <strong><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714210/">Weekend</a></em></strong> that most Hollywood directors would kill to receive. The low-key romance about two guys who hook up and then turn it into something more has captured the imaginations of gay and straight filmgoers alike. No one is more pleased than out British<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-962740362994898997?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-62027375731122063662011-12-06T00:23:00.024-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.254-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BkRdHAx8iHQ/Tp24JSc3z-I/AAAAAAAAn2M/IPEJfPuWeMc/s1600/wizarding.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BkRdHAx8iHQ/Tp24JSc3z-I/AAAAAAAAn2M/IPEJfPuWeMc/s400/wizarding.jpg" width="353" /></a></div>After nine months of coordinating schedules, five hours of coast-to-coast flying time, and several hundred dollars in ticket, hotel and rental car fees, my mother, cousin and I finally found ourselves last week on the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6202737573112206366?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-66760378021641040292011-12-06T00:23:00.023-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.255-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2do9XgplHs4/Tp9ZCQxYppI/AAAAAAAAn2w/A4zBpfIuOg8/s1600/Donor+Unknown.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="274" rda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2do9XgplHs4/Tp9ZCQxYppI/AAAAAAAAn2w/A4zBpfIuOg8/s320/Donor+Unknown.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>While it is being advertised as a real-life version of <em>The Kids Are All Right</em>, last year's Oscar-nominated movie about a lesbian couple raising two teenagers conceived with the help of an initially anonymous sperm donor, it may disappoint some prospective viewers to learn that <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1764278/">Donor Unknown</a></strong></em> only briefly acknowledges the two pairs of same-sex parents included. The documentary will premiere tonight on the PBS series <em><a href="http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/">Independent Lens</a></em> (check local listings for time and channel).<br /><br />Rather, the focus is on young <strong>JoEllen Marsh</strong> and her search for the man she knows only as "Donor 150" via the California Cryobank. Once she learns his true identity is <strong>Jeffrey Harrison</strong><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6676037802164104029?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-69824894778376840142011-12-06T00:23:00.022-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.255-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrtLIMDroOU/TqIoXl7yZgI/AAAAAAAAn3E/hIbTOborq2I/s1600/Being%2BElmo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FrtLIMDroOU/TqIoXl7yZgI/AAAAAAAAn3E/hIbTOborq2I/s400/Being%2BElmo.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><em>Sesame Street</em>, which debuted on PBS in 1969, has introduced many memorable Muppets to pop culture: Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Kermit the Frog, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie, and my personal favorite, the Count. However, the little red monster Elmo has made a bigger impact over the last 15 years or so than any of the others. With his high-pitched voice and unconditionally loving attitude, Elmo became a media sensation, sparked a "Tickle Me" toy craze and, most importantly, continues to touch the lives of children around the world.<br /><br /><em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1787660/">Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey</a></strong></em>, which opens this weekend in New York and November 4 in Los Angeles before expanding nationally, is a totally enjoyable documentary as sweet-natured as Elmo himself. It primarily explores the life of Elmo's operator and spokesman, <strong>Kevin Clash</strong>, but also features the Muppets' late creator Jim Henson as well as commentators Frank Oz and <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/rosie-odonnell.html">Rosie O'Donnell</a>, plus Whoopi Goldberg as narrator.<br /><br />Inspired by Henson, Clash began making his own puppets while still a boy growing up in Baltimore. He was teased by his siblings and schoolmates for his eccentric hobby, but Clash had the last laugh when he was hired right out of high school to perform on a local TV series. This led to gigs on <em>Captain Kangaroo</em> and <em>The Great Space Coaster</em>. Clash worked with Muppets designer Kermit Love on <em>Coaster</em>, and Love eventually introduced Clash to Henson.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kN9P-o5AZAk/TqIpQf_SPtI/AAAAAAAAn3Y/wuYR-0zuYf0/s1600/Being+Elmo2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" rda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kN9P-o5AZAk/TqIpQf_SPtI/AAAAAAAAn3Y/wuYR-0zuYf0/s320/Being+Elmo2.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br />Clash recounts how thrilled he was when Henson subsequently offered him a job on his and Oz's revolutionary big-screen epic <em>The Dark Crystal</em>, as well as how conflicted he felt when Clash couldn't take the cut in pay he would have if he left his two popular TV shows to work on the film. By 1985, though, Clash's series had both been cancelled and he was all too happy to accept Henson's invitation to work on <em>Labyrinth</em>.<br /><br />Destiny united Clash with Elmo once another Muppet performer, Richard L. Hunt, couldn't figure out what to do with their workshop's latest creation. Following Oz's advice to "find one special hook" for each character, Clash decided Elmo should personify love. Elmo's voice and propensity to hug and kiss whomever he meets quickly emerged. The rest is history.<br /><br />Clash and <em>Being Elmo</em> are absolutely inspiring. The film becomes unexpectedly moving when Clash fulfills a terminally-ill child's wish to meet Elmo, and also when Clash speaks about his struggle to be a good father to his daughter given the demands of Elmo's success. Previously unseen footage included from Jim Henson's private memorial service likewise doesn't fail to touch viewers.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wo0AH112P08/TqIogjzNUVI/AAAAAAAAn3Q/niVaEwHX0lk/s1600/Revenge2Bthe2BCar.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wo0AH112P08/TqIogjzNUVI/AAAAAAAAn3Q/niVaEwHX0lk/s400/Revenge2Bthe2BCar.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br />I was riveted by Chris Paine's expose <em>Who Killed the Electric Car?</em> while watching it at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Using a murder-investigation approach, Paine revealed that the nearly 5,000 initial models of an environmentally-safe, exceptionally fuel-efficient electric car were recalled by their manufacturers. Most of them were destroyed, while others were left to rust in a remote area outside a Phoenix suburb. A perceived loss of profits, not safety concerns, was the motivation behind the publicly well received cars' demise.<br /><br />Five years later, sales of more recent models of electric cars are surging and Paine is back with a new documentary: <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1413496/">Revenge of the Electric Car</a></strong></em>, opening today in LA and NYC. Though not as engrossing as the first film, <em>Revenge</em> pulls back the cover on the major car manufacturers' more recent efforts to create and sell electric cars without hurting their financial bottom line. These include Tesla Motors, Nissan and GM, and their CEOs (Elon Musk, Carlos Ghosn and Bob Lutz, respectively) are observed and interviewed in depth about both their past missteps and current strategies.<br /><br />As Paine states in his latest film's press notes, "Sometimes change, like a train in the old West, gets stopped dead in its tracks... so it's a rare privilege to be able to tell the story of how sometimes change has too much momentum to be stopped." His documentaries have certainly made me a believer in the electric car. Now if they'll just get a little more affordable for us middle-class folks, that will be real progress.<br /><br /><em><strong>Reverend's Ratings</strong></em>:<br /><em>Being Elmo</em>: <strong>B+</strong><br /><em>Revenge of the Electric Car</em>: <strong>B</strong><br /><br />Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-8772611197279628168?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6982489477837684014?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-49137118587611125142011-12-06T00:23:00.021-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.255-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tNXiPxhlrc/Tqc_e8MgRJI/AAAAAAAAn4A/1HVNaD8S1ik/s1600/Eating2BDrama.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tNXiPxhlrc/Tqc_e8MgRJI/AAAAAAAAn4A/1HVNaD8S1ik/s400/Eating2BDrama.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>Gay Hollywood and its supporters were out in force the night of October 20th at the Director's Guild of America. With free cocktails provided by Absolut (who also generously donated $30,000 to the night's beneficiary, the <a href="http://www.outfest.org/legacy.html">Outfest Legacy Project</a>), director-choreographer <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/06/adam-shankman.html"><strong>Adam Shankman</strong></a> (<em>Hairspray</em>, the upcoming <em>Rock of Ages</em>) and cable TV network Lifetime being honored, and such celebs as Tony Shalhoub (<em>Monk</em>), <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/jesse-tyler-ferguson.html">Jesse Tyler Ferguson</a> (<em>Modern Family</em>) and full-throated diva/hostess Jenifer Lewis in the house, there was no way not to have a good time.<br /><br />In accepting his award and reflecting on his successful career, Shankman proudly declared that he was able to coax Tom Cruise into wearing both butt-revealing chaps and a codpiece for his role as a "hair metal" rocker in next summer's <em>Rock of Ages</em>. The openly gay, Jewish Shankman also brought down the house by sharing a letter he received from Crystal Cathedral pastor Robert Schuller when Shankman's adaptation of the pro-Christian novel <em>A Walk to Remember</em> was released. Schuller commended Shankman as the new leading face of Christianity in the US. Shankman was tempted to invite Schuller to meet him at the West Hollywood club Rage to discuss it... "and on Passover." <br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3pM6iwXQzbY/TqdAIe-yxlI/AAAAAAAAn4I/j3pG8lDO4gg/s1600/Adam+Shankman.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="305" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3pM6iwXQzbY/TqdAIe-yxlI/AAAAAAAAn4I/j3pG8lDO4gg/s400/Adam+Shankman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The Outfest Legacy Project is dedicated to LGBT film preservation and restoration in partnership with the UCLA Film & Television Archive. During her presentation, Outfest's Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer revealed three recently-restored films and announced that the project was a third of the way through its most ambitious undertaking to date: restoration of the 1919 German film <em>Different from the Others</em>. Believed to be the first cinematic depiction of a gay man's life, most prints had been destroyed by the Nazis. To make a contribution toward this and the Legacy Project's other worthy efforts, visit their <a href="http://www.outfest.org/legacy.html">official website</a>.<br /><br />Outfest is primarily known for premiering more contemporary LGBT movies during its annual summer festival in Los Angeles. Among these has been the ongoing <em>Eating Out</em> film series created by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/01/q-allan-brocka.html">Q. Allan Brocka</a> (who also serves as an Outfest board member). The latest installment, <em><strong>Eating Out: Drama Camp</strong></em>, is being released on DVD today by Ariztical Entertainment. Brocka returns as writer-director after sitting out the last two films, and <em>Drama Camp</em> is all the better as a result.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ureszbt5tIU/TqdBgWZ9LuI/AAAAAAAAn4Q/ucKPRBqWK_E/s1600/Eating+Out+Drama+2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ureszbt5tIU/TqdBgWZ9LuI/AAAAAAAAn4Q/ucKPRBqWK_E/s400/Eating+Out+Drama+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />An enduring, funny-sexy plot involving confused relationships and secret motives among gay and straight people has here been moved to a summer camp for aspiring actors. Additionally, <em>Drama Camp</em> throws the series' first trans character (played by trans actress <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2011/08/harmony-santana.html">Harmony Santana</a>, who recently made an impressive film debut in <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/08/reverends-interview-meet-harmony.html"><em>Gun Hill Road</em></a>) into the mix. <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2010/03/chris-salvatore.html"><strong>Chris Salvatore</strong></a> and Daniel Skelton return as Zack and Casey from the last <em>Eating Out</em> entry, but their relationship has grown stagnant. Once at Dick Dickey's Drama Camp, whose namesake is played by the hilarious Drew Droege of YouTube's Chloe fame, the partners find themselves tempted by several classmates. Unfortunately for them all, Dickey has forbidden sex at his camp under threat of expulsion. <br /><br />The <em>Eating Out</em> series isn't known for comedic or sexual subtlety, but what <em>Drama Camp</em> lacks in restraint it makes up for with good humor and hot guys. Brocka gets game performances from his cast, which also includes Mink Stole as Casey's liberated Aunt Helen (who at one point says -- hilariously -- to her much younger lover, "You make me feel like Demi Moore!") and a cameo by fan fave Rebekah Kochan. Brocka also fills the screenplay with witty jabs at pop culture behemoths including Facebook, Betty White, <em>Glee</em>, <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/10/neil-patrick-harris.html">Neil Patrick Harris</a>, <em>Black Swan</em> and, of course, <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/08/lindsay-lohan.html">Lindsay Lohan</a>.<br /><br />It likely won't be of such lasting, historical value that the Legacy Project will feel compelled to preserve it, but gay viewers today can do a lot worse than <em>Eating Out</em>.<br /><br /><em><strong>Reverend's Rating</strong></em>:<br /><em>Eating Out: Drama Camp</em>: B<br /><br />Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-2128243313017647014?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4913711858761112514?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-84648169432093663612011-12-06T00:23:00.020-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.255-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mwICmETJqhY/TqrNWItRK0I/AAAAAAAAn4k/g3DM-VTyZtA/s1600/Uncle%2BBob.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mwICmETJqhY/TqrNWItRK0I/AAAAAAAAn4k/g3DM-VTyZtA/s400/Uncle%2BBob.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>Talk about a streak of fame! <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2011/10/robert-opel.html"><strong>Robert Opel</strong></a> made Academy Award history when he <a href="http://youtu.be/2IIl3zSYL8k">famously ran naked</a> past presenter <strong>David Niven</strong> at the 1974 Oscars, which led Niven to quip, “Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" To show how far we <em>haven’t</em> come, this streaking stunt was decades before Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl “Nipplegate,” which seems almost quaint in comparison, yet Jackson’s areola ignited much more rabid Right Wing mouth-foaming than Opel’s penis. Opel even got invited to <em>The Mike Douglas Show</em> where the host serenaded him alongside Bea Arthur.<br /><br /><strong><em>Uncle Bob </em></strong>(available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=12&ref_=nb_sb_noss&y=7&field-keywords=Uncle3Dmovies-tv&_encoding=UTF8&tag=movidear-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">on DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=movidear-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />this week), as you might guess from the title, is a tribute to the man who gained national fame in an instant, made by his namesake and nephew Robert Oppel. The film is a fascinating look at a man who was a pioneer in gay rights political action, as well as an erotic photographer who created images as controversial as <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/robert-mapplethorpe.html">Robert Mapplethorpe’s</a>. Sadly, Uncle Bob was murdered in 1979 in his San Francisco gallery called the Fey-Way Studios by thugs demanding drugs and money. The younger Oppel spends the film trying to make sense of how and why his uncle was gunned down in front of witnesses. <br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5gQP6zWR7S0/TqrNb5KgVrI/AAAAAAAAn4w/Qcbf6MB3Udg/s1600/Robert%2BOpel.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5gQP6zWR7S0/TqrNb5KgVrI/AAAAAAAAn4w/Qcbf6MB3Udg/s400/Robert%2BOpel.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><br />Oppel mixes archival footage with recreations of events where he plays his uncle, including his murder, and the effect is sometimes effective and sometimes too over-the-top and badly acted. Opel’s death occurred shortly after he staged an “execution” of <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/04/harvey-milk.html">Harvey Milk’s</a> Twinkie-loving killer Dan White while dressed as “Gay Justice.” Director Oppel (seen, like his namesake in archival photos, frequently full frontal during the course of <em>Uncle Bob</em>) uses a heavy hand to explore the possibility that this act of performance art enraged the San Francisco Police Department, and that they somehow orchestrated his uncle’s murder.<br /><br />This tangent, with scenes of cops yelling “Kill! Kill!” into the killer’s ear in a jail cell, isn’t necessary, though, because Uncle Bob was a fascinating man who interviewed and worked with the likes of <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/divine.html">Divine</a> and the infamous Cockettes. The interviews with those close to Opel provide an engrossing look at life in the 1970’s Castro District of San Francisco, and more specifically a moving portrait of a man who led a radical and trail blazing life who was cut down in his prime.<br /><br />Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/neil-cohen.html">Neil Cohen</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and Phoenix's <a href="http://www.echomag.com/"><em>Echo</em> Magazine.</a><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-8862114310796338652?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-8464816943209366361?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-47877395167857383932011-12-06T00:23:00.019-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.255-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mc6q5ZpMLE0/TqxFo49dxJI/AAAAAAAAn44/zwJ5pvHCMs0/s1600/Ryan+Gosling.bmp" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mc6q5ZpMLE0/TqxFo49dxJI/AAAAAAAAn44/zwJ5pvHCMs0/s320/Ryan+Gosling.bmp" width="319" /></a></div>When it came to Halloween costume ideas, <strong>MD Poll</strong> takers opted for the simple this year. After all, to "dress up" like <strong>Ryan Gosling</strong> a la <em><strong><a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/08/reel-thoughts-dont-be-stupid.html">Crazy, Stupid, Love</a></strong></em>, all one has to do is wrap a towel around their neck, put on a womanizing smirk and show off their little gosling.<br /><br />Other top vote-getters were a little more innocent, such as a <em>Harry Potter</em> Hogwarts grad (second place) and a <em>Glee</em> Dalton Academy Warbler (tied for third with a <em>Black Swan</em> ballerina). For the complete results, see the comments section below.<br /><br />Trick or treat!<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-8779822925945051942?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-4787739516785738393?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-69755342347563935702011-12-06T00:23:00.018-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.256-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QOpp6PX4OYM/Tq2hvP01tvI/AAAAAAAAn5E/CakXknmq7Ao/s1600/Film2BWitch.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QOpp6PX4OYM/Tq2hvP01tvI/AAAAAAAAn5E/CakXknmq7Ao/s400/Film2BWitch.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><center><span>Have a happy and safe <strong>Halloween</strong>!<br />-- from <em><strong>Movie Dearest</strong></em></span></center><br /><div></div><div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-6935660125886798114?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6975534234756393570?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-51568442127369619992011-12-06T00:23:00.017-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.256-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgEV3Q4NgMw/TrBpk96ZyaI/AAAAAAAAn5c/EDF4ZYRb_Yk/s1600/November2BMD%2BWallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgEV3Q4NgMw/TrBpk96ZyaI/AAAAAAAAn5c/EDF4ZYRb_Yk/s320/November2BMD%2BWallpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>With not one but two eagerly-awaited films (<em>The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn</em> and <em>War Horse</em>) coming out later this year, this month's <strong><em>Movie Dearest</em> Calendar Wallpaper</strong> salutes their creator, Academy Award-winning director and producer Steven Spielberg.<br /><br />From such certified cinematic classics as <em>Jaws</em>, <em>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</em>, <em>Raiders of the Lost Ark</em>,<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-5156844212736961999?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-38744623794485706652011-12-06T00:23:00.016-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.256-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2WEkowtfOlI/TrDr6xN2ScI/AAAAAAAAn5w/YWFXNP-qnqQ/s1600/5+Star+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2WEkowtfOlI/TrDr6xN2ScI/AAAAAAAAn5w/YWFXNP-qnqQ/s400/5+Star+Day.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>From the three magi who visited little baby Jesus to <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/miss-cleo.html">Miss Cleo</a> and her contemporary ilk, astrology has fascinated human beings for millennia. 75% of newspapers run a daily horoscope column and 29% of Americans say they believe in astrology, according to statistics cited in the new rom-com <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1325743/">5 Star Day</a></strong></em>. The film opens theatrically in Los Angeles<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-3874462379448570665?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-21355080437143318822011-12-06T00:23:00.015-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.256-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rFiFPWQDhc0/TrHB8m-JhXI/AAAAAAAAn6I/HPEMJCn85Yo/s1600/J%2BEdgar.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rFiFPWQDhc0/TrHB8m-JhXI/AAAAAAAAn6I/HPEMJCn85Yo/s400/J%2BEdgar.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87UeEHrQpDc">The trailer</a> for Clint Eastwood's latest epic, <strong><em>J. Edgar</em></strong>, shows <strong>Leonardo DiCaprio</strong> as the equally respected and reviled founder of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, holding the hand of his #2 and confidante, Clyde Tolson (handsome <strong>Armie Hammer</strong>), in the backseat of their limousine. While historical evidence of a long-rumored romance between the two men is scant, the new film clearly entertains the rumors. The truth may be revealed in Hollywood tonight, when <em>J. Edgar</em> has its world premiere during the opening night gala for <a href="http://www.afi.com/afifest/">AFI Fest 2011</a>, presented by Audi. It will open in theaters nationwide on November 11. <br /><br /><em>J. Edgar</em> won't be the first movie to at least allude to questions about Hoover's sexuality. In 1991, Oliver Stone's <em>JFK</em> featured Tommy Lee Jones giving a mincingly-gay performance as <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/07/clay-shaw.html">Clay Shaw</a> (a.k.a. Clay Bertrand), a New Orleans businessman accused of taking part in a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy that involved Hoover's FBI and the CIA. The film also alleged that a ring of early-1960's call boys existed to discreetly serve political power players, including Hoover.<br /><br />The new movie was written by openly gay screenwriter <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/11/dustin-lance-black.html">Dustin Lance Black</a>, who won an Academy Award for his excellent script of 2008's <em><a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2008/11/reverends-reviews-pour-yourself-some.html">Milk</a></em>. Black has been a busy boy lately, having also penned the stage play <em>8</em>, about the continuing battle in California over marriage equality. <em>8</em> had its world premiere in September at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre. In a recent <a href="http://www.out.com/detail.asp?id=31923"><em>Out</em> magazine interview</a>, Black said of his work on <em>J. Edgar</em>: "To the conservative right, Hoover was a hero. Of course, in the gay community, you hear he was gay and a cross-dresser. I was curious about where the truth lies. Here is a guy who was arguably the most powerful man in the United States in the 20th century... The truth was often more heartbreaking, more horrible than what people think."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mwWdfbXYrFg/TrHCo6HjGxI/AAAAAAAAn6U/0vGssENeh9c/s1600/J2BAH%2BLC.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mwWdfbXYrFg/TrHCo6HjGxI/AAAAAAAAn6U/0vGssENeh9c/s400/J2BAH%2BLC.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><br />Judi Dench, as Hoover's seemingly manipulative mother, and Naomi Watts also headline the film's all-star cast. DiCaprio may seem an unusual choice to play the title character, even with prosthetic make-up. Black defended the casting, saying "Hoover was a pretty good-looking guy in 1919! He was very fit... they called him 'Speedy.' It's not a huge stretch."<br /><br />What is known about Hoover's relationship with Tolson is that the unmarried Hoover named the man he described as his "alter ego" as recipient of his estate upon Hoover's death in 1972. Tolson also received the American flag that draped the casket at the end of Hoover's funeral, and is now buried near Hoover at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. Whether Eastwood and Black's <em>J. Edgar</em> reveals anything more remains to be seen. Still, it may emerge as one of the biggest gay-interest movies of 2011, if only due to the pairing of photogenic DiCaprio and Hammer.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CATm-Tdq3go/TrHDgFJKinI/AAAAAAAAn6g/llkvcyOJnPg/s1600/With2BHeartbeat.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CATm-Tdq3go/TrHDgFJKinI/AAAAAAAAn6g/llkvcyOJnPg/s400/With2BHeartbeat.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br />Now in its 25th year, the AFI Fest annually spotlights several GLBT-interest films and/or filmmakers. Other screenings in this vein between now and November 10 will include the world premiere of <em><strong>With Every Heartbeat</strong></em> (a.k.a. <em>Kyss Mig</em>), a lovely, sincere domestic drama from Sweden about two women (one of them engaged to a man) who unexpectedly fall in love with each other during a family gathering; an evening with gay auteur <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2008/12/pedro-almodvar.html">Pedro Almodovar</a>, this year's guest artistic director, which will include a screening of his <em>Law of Desire</em> as well as conversation with Almodovar and a yet-to-be-revealed "special guest" (could it be Antonio Banderas?); and Wim Wenders' 3D dance spectacle <em>Pina</em>.<br /><br />Though I'm not a fan of its source material, I am looking forward to the fest's screening of <em>Carnage</em>. Based on the excessive, inexplicably acclaimed play <em><a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/04/reverends-reviews-god-help-us.html">God of Carnage</a></em>, the usually-restrained Roman Polanski directs a dream cast (Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly) in the film. I'm also excited about the Los Angeles premieres of <em>We Need to Talk About Kevin</em>, starring GLBT fave Tilda Swinton as mother to a sociopathic son, and Lars von Trier's apocalyptic <em>Melancholia</em>. Watch for my reviews of these awards contenders in my festival wrap-up report here next week.<br /><br />Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-7108594966019156655?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-2135508043714331882?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-67243495641889357262011-12-06T00:23:00.014-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.256-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTCih5V8GCM/TrOb1HKCamI/AAAAAAAAoBM/6VKYExPHlgs/s1600/Catechism+Cataclysm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTCih5V8GCM/TrOb1HKCamI/AAAAAAAAoBM/6VKYExPHlgs/s400/Catechism+Cataclysm.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>As a professional preacher, I could appreciate <em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772371/">The Catechism Cataclysm</a></strong></em> to some degree as a satiric take on storytelling in both religious and secular circles. Sorry to say, that's about as far as my appreciation goes. This horror-comedy with cult aspirations opens today in Los Angeles, having premiered earlier this year as an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival.<br /><br /><strong>Steve Little</strong> (<em>The Ugly Truth</em>) stars as a thoroughly obnoxious Catholic priest, Fr. Billy. His bishop and pastor send him off on a sabbatical after Fr. Billy tells one inappropriate parable too many to his parishioners. Fr. Billy decides to take an extensive canoe trip, but not before tracking down his high-school musical idol, Robbie (Robert Longstreet, who can also be seen currently in the excellent <em>Take Shelter</em>), and bribing him into coming along for the ride.<br /><br />Before this Catholic campfire story run amok draws to a close, a bible is dropped into a diarrhea-filled toilet, Fr. Billy and Robbie cross paths with a pair of wacky Asian girls and their sinister driver, and someone's head explodes. Fr. Billy, however, learns valuable lessons in effective preaching.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AF8HOA4Ed4I/TrOcRaop-sI/AAAAAAAAoBU/8nhhDT-2llQ/s1600/Catechism+Cataclysm2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AF8HOA4Ed4I/TrOcRaop-sI/AAAAAAAAoBU/8nhhDT-2llQ/s320/Catechism+Cataclysm2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I once had an assistant priest named Fr. Billy, and I once had a man as uncomfortably close to me on his knees during confession as depicted in one scene of <em>The Catechism Cataclysm</em>. That's where any similarities to reality end. The movie has a film school vibe to it even though writer-director Todd Rohal and his producers and actors are fairly accomplished. Perhaps most detrimentally, it only runs 81 minutes but feels much longer.<br /><br /><em>The Catechism Cataclysm</em> could potentially catch on as a midnight movie event, with attendees wearing Fr. Billy's signature clergy shirt and bike helmet. God knows, stranger things have happened.<br /><br /><em><strong>Reverend's Rating</strong></em>: <strong>C-</strong><br /><br />Review by <a href="http://thequod.blogspot.com/2009/11/chris-carpenter.html">Rev. Chris Carpenter</a>, resident film critic of <b><i>Movie Dearest</i></b> and the <a href="http://jremedia.com/bladeca/">Blade California</a>.<div><img width="1" height="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/206169726101426819-1904997033944840432?l=moviedearest.blogspot.com" alt="" /></div> : <a href="http://www.oxaku.com">Nouvelles de Téléphone et Gadgets</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1902548624993183144-6724349564188935726?l=telkomsele.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>yanto mananhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279382049426611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1902548624993183144.post-75605004788509798722011-12-06T00:23:00.013-08:002011-12-06T00:40:20.256-08:00<A HREF="http://www.refaku.com">Weird News</A> : <div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PHW3RR991IU/Tr3ZpJlBn3I/AAAAAAAAoCY/P0OIicKP7y8/s1600/Carnage.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PHW3RR991IU/Tr3ZpJlBn3I/AAAAAAAAoCY/P0OIicKP7y8/s400/Carnage.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>Though my time at this year's <a href="http://www.afi.com/afifest/">AFI Fest</a> presented by Audi (which ran November 3-10 in Los Angeles) was cut short by the untimely death of a close friend that required me to travel, I was able to see what are shaping up to be several of this year's major awards contenders. I missed screenings of a few other ballyhooed upcoming releases including <em>Shame</em>, <em>My Week with Marilyn</em> and Luc Besson's <em>The Lady</em>, but the following gems I was able to catch at their LA premieres were more than satisfying. <br /><br /><em><strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1692486/">Carnage</a></strong></em>: I despised the <a href="http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/2011/04/reverends-reviews-god-help-us.html">Broadway/LA production</a> of the award-winning play, <em>God of Carnage</em>, upon which Roman Polanski's star-studded movie is based and approached it with trepidation. Imagine my surprise, then, to find the film a vast improvement over its source material. The movie is tighter (it runs a lean 80 minutes), less literal/pretentious in its staging, and -- most importantly for a comedy -- funnier. Polanski wisely adds an opening depiction of the playground violence that instigates the initially-civilized meeting of two sets of parents played by Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz (a particular standout) and Kate Winslet, as well as a delightful denouement featuring a much-discussed hamster. <em>Carnage</em> is scheduled for release in LA and New York on December 16 and will expand nationally in January.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-291QisJkAMM/Tr3Z1MPd1vI/AAAAAAAAoCg/BIYyY_zaFQE/s1600/Melancholia.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-291QisJkAMM/Tr3Z1MPd1vI/AAAAAAAAoCg/BIYyY_zaFQE/s400/Melancholia.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><strong><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1527186/">Melancholia</a></em></strong>: From controversial writer-director Lars Von Trier (<em>Dancer in the Dark</em>, <em>Antichrist</em>) comes what is probably his most hopeful film to date, despite the fact it culminates in the apocalypse. Kirsten Dunst, who was honored as Best Actress at this year's Cannes Film Festival for her performance here, stars as a woman suffering from clinical depression so inconsolably that not even her lavish wedding to <em>True </em>Blood's Alexander Skarsgaard brings relief. She does however find an unusually comforting emotional (and possibly even sexual) connection to a recently discovered planet, Melancholia, that may be on a collision course with Earth. Von Trier employs an all-star cast (including Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt and a chilling Charlotte Rampling), evocative imagery and Wagner's prelude to his opera <em>Tristan und Isolde</em> to spectacular, haunting effect. The movie is now playing in Los Angeles and is available through Video on Demand, although it should be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated.<br /><br /><strong><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1242460/">We Need to Talk About Kevin</a></em></strong>: The fearless Tilda Swinton plays grieving, persecuted mother to a teenaged son who slaughtered several schoolmates in Lynne Ramsay's superbly crafted, deeply unsettling adaptation of Lionel Shriver's novel. A <em>Bad Seed</em> for the 21st century, it raises provocative questions about nature vs. nurture when it comes to the development of sociopathic children. As Swint