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Monday
08Feb2010

Daybreakers (2010) Movie Review - A Vampire Thriller Film 

DateMonday, February 8, 2010 at 05:26PM

By Irfan Ardiansah

Well now I can breathe a sigh of relief. There are people out there in the world of film who still understand the concept of vampires and know how to create an original yet also incredibly entertaining genre movie that STAYS TRUE TO THE CONCEPT they’re working with. I can’t even begin to describe how satisfying it was to see the sun come up and a vampire burn alive because of it, and that was just in the first 5 minutes. If the character had sparkled I would have walked out of the theater, and there’s something to be said for respecting decades worth of your peer’s work. Sure every author creates their own interpretation of the vampire myth, and even though people like Anne Rice get a lot of credit for the state of vampire legend prior to Twilight (I’d like to give a shout out to whoever coined the phrase Twi-hards, by the way), a new rash of films and television shows have recently started to bend the rules of the long dormant cultural icons.

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Monday
08Feb2010

Bollywood Deserves Its Own Oscar Category

DateMonday, February 8, 2010 at 05:09PM

By Jennifer Hopfinger

The 81st Academy Awards ceremony in 2009 has been referred to as the “Indian Oscars” because the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ won eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film is set in India, the actors are Indian, one-third of the dialogue is in Hindi (one of India’s many languages), and there’s a Bollywood-style song at the end, but it is not, as many Americans believe, an Indian movie. The filmmakers, including the director Danny Boyle, are British. Only three of the film’s eight Academy Awards went to Indians: legendary composer A.R. Rahman won Best Original Score, Rahman and lyricist Gulzar won Best Original Song, and Resul Pookutty won Best Sound Mixing-which is not to be confused with Best Sound Editing. Yes, there are two separate Academy Awards for sound production, as well as two awards for documentary, two awards for animation, and three awards for short film. At the 82nd Academy Awards to be held in 2010, the number of Best Picture nominees will double to 10. And yet, there is only one award for Best Foreign Language Film, chosen from a mere five nominees. Bollywood, the largest film industry in the world in terms of film output and audience numbers, has never won that award. And it’s not because Bollywood films don’t deserve the honor.

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Friday
05Feb2010

Getting Your Script Read and Sold - 5 Mistakes Every Screenwriter Should Avoid

DateFriday, February 5, 2010 at 05:38PM

By Pamela Schott

FADE TO BLACK.

For a screenwriter, there’s absolutely nothing that quite compares to the feeling you get when you type those last three words.

It can be a short-lived euphoria.

Because once you’ve done enough fist pumping and strutting to make Rocky Balboa seem reserved and somewhat insecure, the next thing that probably pops into your mind is, What now?

A search on the Internet shows many pitching sites with tons of other aspiring writers out there, all asking the same question. And for every ten new writers who come out swinging with a spec script, there is one poor industry professional who is, more likely than not, doing his best bob-and-weave to sidestep them.

Maybe we’re overeager, or simply too green. For some of us, we’re too dazzled by the idea of earning a six-figure-plus paycheck to honestly assess whether or not we have the chops to be a screenwriter to begin with. So when it comes to shopping a spec script, we tumble into the same pitfalls that claimed the careers of other aspiring writers, making five common mistakes that often jeopardize our chances of getting that big break.

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Friday
05Feb2010

Singing For Movies, TV and Records - Become A Successful Session Singer

DateFriday, February 5, 2010 at 05:26PM

By John A West

You are no doubt reading this because you have the desire to make a living singing, and not just any living, but a really good living. After all, who wants to be just barely making it? Not you. You want to be able to tell your friends “Hey, that’s me” on that film, TV show or commercial. If this is you, then read on.

What Is A Session Singer?

A session singer is a person who goes into the recording studio and, in a period of time known as a session, performs the music of a composer or songwriter, at the highest musical level and in the least amount of time. A session singer can emotionally capture what the writer has written quickly, and does it in tune and with confidence. A session singer has to know how to sight-read music, as he or she will mostly like not see it prior to walking into the studio. This means a strong and confident knowledge of music is required. Yes, there are a few successful session singers who do not sight-read, but their musical abilities are so well honed and their ears so refined that they quickly, and effectively translate the composer’s ideas to the recording.

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Monday
01Feb2010

Razzies nominees for 2009's "cinematic crap" are announced

DateMonday, February 1, 2010 at 05:04PM

If you’re tired of self-congratulatory awards shows and sentimental acceptance speeches by self-important actors and other movie big shots, don’t forget the Razzies. Their slogan says it all: “Cremating cinematic crap for over 25 years!”

It’s the irreverent Razzies’ 30th anniversary year. The Golden Raspberry Awards, as they are more formally known, the “anti-Oscars” for 2009, will be doled out at Hollywood’s Barnsdall Gallery Theatre at 7:30 p.m. March 6, one day before those other, slightly better known awards on March 7.

Here is the complete list of nominees.

WORST PICTURE OF 2009

All About Steve: 20th Century-Fox

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: Paramount/Hasbro

Land of the Lost: Universal

Old Dogs: Disney

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (a.k.a. Trannies, Too):
Dreamworks/Paramount 

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Friday
29Jan2010

The Evolution of Vampires - Exploring Vampire Lore in Modern Media

DateFriday, January 29, 2010 at 06:05PM

By Sammael Asael

Vampires have come a long way in history, despite being supposed mythical creatures. Stories depicting vampires as ruthless, bloodthirsty creatures have had numerous retellings in the form of various media, be they literature, television or the silver screen. As the world turns, so too does the vampire myth.

For centuries, the vampire myth tells of beings that drain the essence of their victims in a variety of ways, depending on the region in which the myth originates. Ancient Greece had the Lamia and the Empusa, both creatures of demonic stature whose heinous acts were feared by all and became legend amongst the ancient Greeks. India has the Vetalas, undead corpse-inhabiting ghouls that hang upside down on trees around cemeteries and cremation grounds.

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Friday
29Jan2010

Why Do We Love Reality TV But Avoid Documentary Movies?

DateFriday, January 29, 2010 at 05:08PM

By Andrei Rus

Here’s a paradox for you. During any given week, about half of the top 20 most-watched TV shows are reality programs like Survivor or Hell’s Kitchen, or news shows like 60 Minutes. People love reality programs. Yet when it comes to reality movies — aka documentaries — the box office is tiny. Why do people love real life when it’s on TV but not when it’s in the movies?

This is an especially vexing question for the distributors trying to get people to watch widely acclaimed docs like the upcoming American Teen — one of the best movies of any kind that I’ve seen all year, and I’m certainly not the only one who feels that way. Once people see it, they’re bound to enjoy the drama, angst, and hilarity of Midwestern teenage life. But how do you get them into the theaters when they’re so used to skipping documentary fare? And why is skipping it the trend in the first place?

Let’s look at some possible explanations:

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Monday
25Jan2010

Movie Reviews - Inglourious Basterds

DateMonday, January 25, 2010 at 05:10PM

Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe winner: Christopher Wall, Best Surporting Actor; Best Ensemble Cast

By Dan Stevens

This is a very strange, often hilarious, alternate scenario of the Second World War. Focusing on the events surrounding a few individuals who aim to bring down the Third Reich, it is directed by Quentin Tarantino of Pulp Fiction notoriety, so don’t be surprised if our protagonists are a little sadistic.

It stars Brad Pitt as Lieutenant Aldo Raine, who leads a team of Jewish-Americans, in occupied France launching hit and run missions, that have managed to make them all legendary with the Nazis as the Inglourious Basterds. Their antics have reached the ears of Hitler himself played by Martin Wuttke. He particularly wants to meet one hapless soldier who was let go as an example when his squad was unfortunate enough to encounter them.

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Monday
25Jan2010

Screen Actors Guild awards repeat Golden Globes in many categories

DateMonday, January 25, 2010 at 04:52PM

 

Avatar and Up in the Air shut out

Jeff Bridges won the Screen Actors Guild award for best actor for his portrayal of a seedy, aging country musician in the movie Crazy Heart. Sandra Bullock took the award for best actress as the real-life mother of a boy who goes on to become an NFL player in The Blind Side. Both actors won Golden Globes for their roles just a week earlier.

In the best supporting actor category, Christopher Waltz also repeated his Golden Globe win with the SAG award for his role as a Nazi in Inglourious Basterds. The film’s cast also took an award for best ensemble performance. Mo’Nique’s portrayal of the abusive mother in Precious earned her the SAG for best supporting actress, another repeat of the Golden Globes.

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Friday
22Jan2010

Securing Financing and Distribution For Your Independent Film

DateFriday, January 22, 2010 at 03:51PM

By Kevin Hemminger

The 2008 film “Paranormal Activity” has been named “The little movie that could.” Its success has been phenomenal, but what is even more remarkable is that the film was produced for around $15,000. How does a film with a low-key budget end up being such a mega blockbuster? This film has grossed over $100,000,000 (that’s a hundred million dollars) in the US market alone!

Perhaps you have a similar idea for a movie. What steps do you need to take in achieving the kind of success Paranormal Activity was able to garner? Assuming you have the creativity to conjure a movie the masses will love, there remain two obstacles you need to overcome to achieve this level of success. You need to finance your film, then you need to find a distributor.

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Friday
22Jan2010

Sundance Twentyten opens with "dramatic recreation" of Ginsberg's famous 1955 poem Howl

DateFriday, January 22, 2010 at 02:59PM

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival opened Thursday night in Park City, Utah with a screening of Howl, a dramatic recreation of Allen Ginsberg’s famous poem from 1955 and the subsequent obscenity trial that ensued. Robert Redford, the independent film festival’s founder, introduced the film in his opening remarks at the Egyptian Theatre. The film is the work of Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, made with help from the Sundance Documentary Fund. Along the way, the two decided to switch from straight documentary to a dramatic film, with James Franco playing Ginsberg.

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Thursday
21Jan2010

"The Book of Eli" Movie Review

DateThursday, January 21, 2010 at 05:27PM

By Marty Meltz

“The Book of Eli” 
My 0-10 rating: 5 
Genre: Action, Adventure 
Directors: Allen and Albert Hughes 
Screenplay: Gary Whitta 
Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals,

Michael Gambon, Tom Waits 
Time: 1 hr., 58 min. 
Rating: R (brutal violence, vulgarity)

A very, very strange movie. And it surely holds your attention. With Denzel Washington doing lots of super-heroic hand-to-hand against awful baddies, how could it be otherwise?

“The Book of Eli” offers yet another post-apocalyptic scenario, this one apparently happening after, we’re told, a great hole, a “Flash,” opened in the sky during a war, called a Solara. It scorched the planet.

 

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Thursday
21Jan2010

Top 10 Film Festivals

DateThursday, January 21, 2010 at 04:13PM

By Christopher C Odom

This list of the Top 10 Festivals is based upon the festivals ability to discover emerging talent and provide them with national and/or international media attention. In addition, many of these festivals also function as unofficial film markets, enabling filmmakers to find distribution for their films.

1. Cannes Film Festival

Held on the beaches of the French Riviera, the Festival de Cannes is the world’s most prestigious film festival. Each year in May, the Cannes Film Festival is host to the top film industry players worldwide from celebrities to media moguls to emerging independents. There is no higher honor in the festival world than to screen at Cannes.

festival-cannes.org

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Thursday
21Jan2010

The Decline and Fall of Martial Arts Films and the Rise of the Action Blockbuster Movie (with trailers)

DateThursday, January 21, 2010 at 11:29AM

Martial Arts Series: Comparing martial arts films of the 1970s to the action blockbusters of 2009/10

By Derek Armstrong, Films and Books Correspondent

Red Cliff, Ip Man and True Legend are already iconic of the early 21st century “martial arts films”—although many can argue they are more action spectacle than true martial arts films.  The 1970s, on the other hand, didn’t rely on eye-candy effects and were defined more by the true grit of its martial arts actors: Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, the Five Venoms, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Jimmy Wong, and other real fighters trained in genuine martial arts.

Martial Arts Becomes Mainstream But Evolves Into Spectacle

Cult classics such as Enter the Dragon helped change Hollywood. Its growing popularity forced filmmakers to adopt martial arts into the formula of the “action flick.” Through the eighties and nineties, spectacle thrillers were expected to deliver martial arts, even if it was only a few basic moves supported by some stuntmen and wires. Action movies became spectacles that required equal blends of story, drama, pace, martial arts, special effects and improbable plot twists.

In the 21st century, this became less “equal” with films relying first on special effects, then improbable plot twists (surprise is important, right?), followed by pace, martial arts skills, drama and—last and possibly least today—story. This trend extended even to the hot movies of the last few years, including Kung Fu Panda, Forbidden Kingdom, G.I. Joe and even the Transformers.

 

Asian Film Industry Threatens to Out-Spectacle Hollywood

With the full support and weight of China’s cultural industries, Asian film has blossomed into mainstream spectacles in high demand, led by CGI treats such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying

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Thursday
21Jan2010

Martial Arts Series: A Martial Artist’s View of Jet Li’s Latest & Last Martial Arts Film: “Fearless” 

DateThursday, January 21, 2010 at 11:22AM

There must have been only a dozen people attending the Florida showing of Jet Li’s latest and reportedly last martial arts film, “Fearless.”

But numbers lie, because you can’t judge how “boffo” this film is from its box office numbers.

This is gem, I’m sure you’ll agree, when you see it.

In this movie, Li’s character is descended from a father who could have been the martial arts champ of his province, if he hadn’t shown mercy and followed through with a punch he had already expertly launched at his adversary’s heart.

Li swore that he would redeem the family honor and win the title that eluded Papa.

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Tuesday
19Jan2010

Movie Review - Julie & Julia

DateTuesday, January 19, 2010 at 04:34PM

Golden Globe Winner: Meryl Streep, Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical

By Sheryl D

I’ve always wished to have a passion for cooking, to be able to find solace in the ingredients and the knowledge that when combined together they will create something magical. Unfortunately, I’ve never found the foodie within. Fortunately, Julie Powell and Julia Child did.

The movie “Julie & Julia” takes a loving look at these two females who become joined through space and time by Child’s legendary cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

The first story follows Julia Child (Meryl Streep) as she arrives in France and searches for something to fill the restless hours when she’s not dining on fabulous French cuisine. She tries hat making and other hobbies, but then decides to channel her passion for French food into a culinary career.

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Tuesday
19Jan2010

Movie Review of The Hangover - 9 Out of 10

DateTuesday, January 19, 2010 at 04:17PM

Golden Globe Winner: Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

By Bill Bonfanti

The Hangover, starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis as three men who take their buddy, Doug (Justin Bartha) to Vegas for his bachelor party is one hell of a party that will leave you drunk with laughter. Directed by Todd Philips, The Hangover takes the Vegas bachelor party that we’ve seen so many times before and puts it squarely in ludicrous territory resulting in a bevy of laughs and smiles.

 

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Tuesday
19Jan2010

"The Blind Side" Movie Review

DateTuesday, January 19, 2010 at 04:08PM

Golden Globe Winner Sandra Bullock: Best Actress in a Drama

By Marty Meltz

“The Blind Side” (my 0-10 rating: 8) 
Genre: Drama, Sports 
Director: John Lee Hancock 
Screenplay: John Lee Hancock, based on a true story in the Michael Lewis book 
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, Quinton Aaron, Lily Collins, Jae Head 
Time: 2 hr., 6 min. 
Rating: PG-13 (brief violence, drug and sexual references)

A just-plain well-made sports movie with superb audience appeal, charming personalities, a sprightly demeanor and totally entertaining.

“The Blind Side” is Sandra Bullock’s best performance ever. Her sassy and brassy character’s dynamics depend entirely on insightful, professional interpretation and she proves consummately skilled at every line, every nuance and a consistently on-target southern accent.

Director John Lee Hancock seems to perceive, at every moment, the dialogue, body language, story progression, photography and editing to keep his film stepping in a polished lively pace, with gripping, carefully delivered emotions and an unerring sense of audience involvement. It has a refreshing integrity about it, with sharp insights into the present-day South in relation to race matters. One may complain slightly that it could have used more volatile material here and there, but I’m totally satisfied.

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Tuesday
19Jan2010

Piracy and the Future of the Film Industry

DateTuesday, January 19, 2010 at 12:27PM

By Elliot B. Grove

I recently came across this tweet from Duncan Jones, the director of the little film that could, ‘Moon’:

“Dear BitTorrenters… so pleased Moon is popular with u; 40,000 active seeds cant be wrong! One thing. Will you please buy the DVD as well?”

Film piracy is no longer a hot topic; it has been around long enough to cool down a little. That has not, however, prevented it from continuing to cause a lot of problems for the film industry. Dodgy DVDs and increasingly, illegal downloads, cost the film industry massive amounts of revenue every year. A report in 2005 for the Motion Picture Association (all the big studios) estimated that the studios lost $6.1 billion a year and that the industry as a whole (theatres, cable tv etc included) lost $18.2 billion.

At the time it was estimated that of that $18.2 billion, $7.1 was due to internet piracy. There are few people, I feel, who would disagree with the suggestion that that figure has risen. This loss of revenue will obviously cause serious financial problems for the studios and is certainly contributing to their current downfall.

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Monday
18Jan2010

New Moon Film Marketing And How This Can Benefit Independent Films!

DateMonday, January 18, 2010 at 04:13PM

By Ross Jones

The phenomenal Twilight Saga continues with New Moon… in the weeks building up to its opening weekend it has gained massive amounts of attention and awareness. This is no surprise given the techniques they have adopted.

Japanese limited edition New Moon gift set

 

So how have they generated so much hype - and how can it be applied to an independent film?

The Producers and marketing team behind the saga have gone to great lengths to make the most of social media techniques, but have recognised the importance of offline PR techniques to provide interesting material to promote. Here are a few of the online techniques used:

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