Main | August 2005 »

Duh Island

image from rottentomatoes.com

Michael Bay isn't a filmmaker that I have respect for.
Usually his movies make my eyes hurt with their half-second shots and painfully cliche consequences, so it was a surprise when he was annouced as the director of The Island, a film set in the near future about seemingly perfect people in a not-so perfect environment (which they find out). From that brief synop, you don't think car crashes, explosions, gun battles could be in the movie - but Bay absolutely does find a way for his main characters to experience such, which is his usual drug of choice.

Lincoln Six-Echo (Ewan McGregor) is a perfect being, waiting for his turn to visit The Island- a wonderous place that everyone eventually is selected to visit through The Lottery - which is basically a woman talking to everyone, naming the selected, and then they're wisked away, never to be seen again.All of this is because the world has had some kind of extreme contamination which is, of course, never fully explained, except to the point that every once in a while 'survivors' are found, and live amoungst the others.
Scarlett Johansson's Jordan Two-Delta is the resident babe who constantly breaks her proximity barrier with Lincoln, because they're more than friends. But, of course, with these laws set, sex is impossible. One day, Lincoln finds out what happens to one of the people 'sent' to The Island, a place which he has seen in his dreams with fatal consequences.

Lincoln's security breach is found out, and he takes Jordan with him in an extreme escape sequence, eventually leading to the couple to find out that everything they've been told is a lie.
Soon after the escape, they become concious of their surroundings, attempting to expose the truth being their lives, but also being chased ... and chased... shot at, etc.

There is an obvious lack of .. everything.
Dialogue. Acting. Purpose.
But in some areas, I was tolerating what I saw and not really hating the material.
The Island isn't really a bad movie, but it certainly isn't a good one.
It's a bit too stupid to considered a Sci-Fi movie.
But if you turn off your brain, you might enjoy the ride.

NOTE
This movie is rated PG-13 but has absolutely way too much violence for the intended rating.
The characters don't shed more than a few drops of blood, but I was physically worn out by all
the explosions, gun-play, whacks, punches, etc, etc.
This movie should have been rated R and I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 15.

Posted by madamczyk at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)

Good News for People Who Like 'Bad News'

When it comes to this summer, once again, remakes.
They're everywhere. You cannot avoid 'em.

But thankfully, when I saw Bad News Bears a few nights ago, it wasn't exactly your typical seen-it-before sequel. The movie is as charming as it is offensive, and the cast of kids are just right as the foul-mouthed losers turned heroes.

Sticking to the formula, Billy Bob Thornton is Morris Buttermaker, the one-time pro baseball player who is now coaching a little league team, seamingly to fuel his drinking habits.
When he is paired with the inevitable 'Bears', all of the kids really don't know how to play the game,
but they sure know how to react to almost any situation with a slew of obscenities.

Although we really do not need an update of the comedy classic, it's still enjoyable in present mode.
The child actors are all equally perfect, representing various stereotypes, but by the end, we're rooting for the whole team, despite the players personal setbacks from attitude, disability, general awareness, languages, and pride. Some of the kids have some kind of personal issue that does affect their skills in the game, and by the end of the movie, it's evident that, even though he's a boozing fool, Buttermaker has really taught them the games of both Baseball and life.

Outside of the team itself are a few roles filled by notable actors, Marcia Gay Harden, and Greg Kinnear, who is the but of almost every single crotch-related joke, due to his character's outfit choices.

It's cliche, familiar, and all together artificial, but somehow it seems fresh to the usual fare, and is definitely something worth seeing if you want to laugh.

NOTE:If there's one thing that ticks me off, it's parents being oblivious to what their children see for movies.Bad News Bears is PG-13 and should definitely only be seen by children over the age of 12, that is, unless, you want your tykes picking up on phrases like 'douche bag' and language as strong as 'asshole'. The movie also has loads of alcohol consumption, and sexual content, related to crude humor and a large assortment of various strippers and the presence of Hooters.
Do Not Take Your Kids Expecting Nothing Offensive.

Posted by madamczyk at 03:35 PM | Comments (0)

Film School

Well folks, today something rather fantastic and amazing happened.

I was accepted to Film School @ Columbia College, Chicago IL.

I know, I know, you don't need film school to make movies.
Yeah. I get that.

But I'm so incredibly psyched for what is ahead.

First off, living in a big city.
Endless possibilities.
Major movie screening opprounities.

Oh, and did I mention that this is in about a MONTH ?
There is an uncertain nature for me and this blog,
as I will be leaving my home at UNH, Durham, and venturing to the Mid-West.
But hey . . if you read this, let me know.
I could stay up with it.

In the meantime, I suggest seeking out the IFC TV show 'Film School' -
it's like Bravo's Project Greenlight, -- only interesting and worth watching.

Posted by madamczyk at 01:40 AM | Comments (0)

The Bitter Taste of 'Chocolate'.

If there's one thing I hate, it's a filmmaker ripping apart a story I am very familiar to and enjoy.
Tim Burton hasn't exactly destroyed my love for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but his movie, being the lastest remake/imagination does come very close to harming my feelings towards the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Imagine if we all weren't so familiar with the previous movie material -
would we still care about this movie ? Probably not.
And if Burton wasn't such a popular director, even less would care.

The very fact that we've all been to the chocolate factory before (in theory) absolutely puts a smudge on the movie. What else can we see ? There's the chocolate river. The boat. The bratty kids. The Bucket clan. But Burton plays a trick on us - he obviously blends in some Un-Dahl storyline into the background of Wonka, which is amusing, and explains Depp's quirky character, but in the end hampers the other character storylines greatly.

Even though the first film had some artifical flavoring in the story, those placed moments are greatly missed.
There's no moment of Mrs. Bucket singing "Cheer Up Charlie."
No moments of the boy being humiliated in front of his classmates because he can afford a single chocolate bar. Skip the story development before the alertness melts - This movie is Charlie and the Short Attention Span.
Of course, the ticket holders get their quick 5 minutes to shine, and boom. Outside the factory, we're all there, and checking our watches til Gloop gets sucked in the pipe, Beaureguard becomes a blueberry, etc. Sure all of this works, and it's sometimes tolerable, but Freddy Highmore's sweet lil' smile is wasted, and all of the stereotypical kids are extremely tired in their exhausting rants.
Even with all the amazing CGI technology these days, some of the effects look cheap and unfinished
(particularly when the other bratty children exit Wonka's factory).

Even with all my personal issues with the movie, two things actually work.
The art direction, in place where CGI wouldn't suit - and Johnny Depp.
I'm not such a big fan of the roles he has chosen lately, but his Wonka is original,
and gleefully opposed the thoughts of --p-p--p (parents), and anything that comes out of those other non-Charlie ticket holders mouths. His Prince Valiant hairdoo goes with the Willy's mindset of being yourself and not listening to others - it is his factory, and if you have a problem, you're going to face his own style of child endangerment (oh my). Wilder's Wonka seemed to an accidental hand in the original children's demise, but there are hints that Depp's Willy set them all up. I wish this was explained more, but then again, this movie is betting that you don't care.

I will give Burton credit for going more towards the book - otherwise it'd be a full remake of the 1971 feature. But the real question is -- Why ? Why think that we all need see this story played out again ?
Gene Wilder has been quoted in the press saying the only reason for this movie was for the filmmakers to make money.
I kind of felt like Charlie himself when he opens his first chocolate bar - no golden ticket, and disappointed.

Posted by madamczyk at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)

The Best Theaters

Regal. Spinelli. The Music Hall. Cinemagic. Etc.

These are your local options folks, and some of these joints are chains.
When it comes to seeing what you want, you gotta go where the motion pictures are,
but WHAT IF it's showing at two, three, maybe four locations ?

Here are my Top 3 Favorite Seacoast Movie Theaters.. .

1. The Music Hall (Portsmouth, NH)
The best little movies. The most awesome atmosphere.
And those seats ! Not too comfy, not even hard...
and you don't need to put your feet on the backs
(smack yourself if you do .. respect this place).
Even though the adult admission price isn't far from the general
expensivo price of about $9, you can't feel bad about paying it, since you
are supporting The Music Hall, and not some schmuck multiplex that charges $7 for popcorn.
Student/Senior price is $6. Hell of a deal. And the concessions rule.
It's the only theater in the area selling Orangina and Lindt Chocolate.
Also, one major cool thing they do every once in a while is open THE BALCONY for sitting.
Even though you might have to wait for the little film you want to see hit there
a month or two after the initial limited release, you still don't have to drive down to Boston to
catch it. Plus, if it doesn't come during the regular movie seasons, they'll play it during the Summer Film fest, which is going on right now through early September.
Also, they host the Telluride By the Sea festival over the third weekend in September.
So if you really call yourself a film buff, you'd better be going to The Music Hall.

2. Cinemagic (Salisbury, MA)
I have to admit,
I would travel to Salisbury to the Cinemagic more often if I had the time and patience for I-95.
But when I do stop in to this theater, I always have a good time. The crowds are never unruly (which might be my luck), and the prices are just right. Plus, they have something no other theater in the Seacoast has -- STADIUM seating. Ohhh yes. No heads in the way - just pure awesome viewing.
Occasionally, the Cinemagic gets smaller movies playing, but in general, it's a big first run kind of theater. If you've got the time, and want an alternative to the Regals around, drive down and check this place out.

3. The Strand - Spinelli Cinemas (Dover, NH).
The Spinelli Cinemas chain has four locations - Barrington, Lilac Mall (Rochester), Somersworth, and the Strand in Dover. If you want a small theater feel with reasonable prices and could care less about the big multiplex experience, The Strand is the place for you.
I grew up with The Strand having second run movies - months after the big stuff would come out,
you could go to this as a discount cinema , catching all the movies you thought you missed.
But now the theater features first run movies - and the price has gone up slightly.
But it's still a delightful theater that makes you feel more apart of a screening room,
and not a open shell for the masses.

Quick Note -
I'm not a big fan of the Regal Cinemas in Newington, or anywhere,
but the Portsmouth location (formerly Hoyts, and Canad Cinemas)
does have really interesting large screen attributes.
It's not just the DTS that appeals to me --
somehow, the seats are on a slight, long slope and the theater is extremely dark -
Major caution when trying to find a seat when the previews are rolling -
get there early or you might sit on someone you can't see.
There's this different, indescribable feel about their two main screens -
definitely something that isn't like anywhere else.

Posted by madamczyk at 01:21 PM | Comments (0)

Adaptations, Remakes, Sequels - Oh My!

Let's face it .... Summer Movie Season 2005 lacks something.
The obvious answer would be a big blockbuster starring 'Wonder Boy' Tobey Maguire,
but the truth of the matter is . . Hollywood is out of ideas.
This past weekend, the *big* movies that opened were :
The Fantastic Four
Dark Water.

And what could these two completely different movies have in common ?
Well, besides being quite awful, both were NOT original stories.

Dark Water is based upon the Japanese film Honogurai mizu no soko kara (UK title Dark Water). Dark Water is also based upon the novel by Kôji Suzuki, who wrote the all-too-familar novel-turned-horror-turned-remake The Ring (Ringu). Both films have annoyingly similar attributes/plot lines/scary children, but Dark Water is less a horror film, and more a psychological drama, which the trailers/tv spots would definitely not want you to believe.
Despite having great actors and a striking, murky, damp atmosphere, Dark Water drowns in the PG-13 conventions which Hollywood as succumb itself to.
The movie wants you to think that something profound will be revealed at the ending,
but it's all too reminiscent of The Ring .. makes me wonder why there's rumors going around that Director Walter Salles didn't approve the final cut of the movie.

Directed by Tim (this-movie-has-no) Story, The Fantastic Four is anything but fantastic.
The entire plot of this comic book movie might be as simplistic and idiotic as possible.
Doctor Victor Von Doom takes the four into space. Something bad happens.
They're all experiencing different affects. Oh, and Von Doom wants to rule the world, for some reason.
Plus, the special effects are laughable, to accompany the total lack of action and 'awesomeness'.
Don't even get me started on the presence of Kerry Washington (a GREAT ACTRESS), who has been reduced to playing 'the blind woman'.
Combining not-so-big (or even credible) 'actors' together for TF4 wasn't a good idea -
Jessica Alba might as well have been invisible, as her Sue Storm pouts her way through the film, as her brother Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) uses his powers for getting chicks. Ioan Gruffud's Reed Richards doesn't know whether he should be chill with the super 'Stretch' powers or be his normal nerdy self (Gruffud's acting would be more suitable in something in the vein of Hulk - he's really out of place).
How unfortunate is it also that the one actor left in the four - Michael Chiklis - has literally been reduced to a big hunk of moody rock. You might as well have made it CGI and had him do a voice over.

Besides every major character making a complete idiot out of themselves, the only slight redeeming quality of the film is Julian McMahon's Doom being convincing enough with his hammed up evil scientist. He definitely has to be evil - he put these four dodo birds in Space.
Let's call it Diet Spider-Man - All the elements of a comic book movie, without the stuff that makes it sweet.

Maybe this friday 7/15 will hold a new, fresh, and less familiar weekend.
But that's unlikely, since Tim Burton's re-imagination/adaptation/un-remake Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opens wide,
but the other release is the adult comedy The Wedding Crashers, a seemingly original movie, which only *mildly* reminds me of Old School, which I sort of enjoyed. .
hmm .. maybe that's what they're trying to do.

At least with Hollywood this summer, we all know what happens in the ending,
and sometimes that can be a welcome security blanket.

Myself, I like going into a theater and not knowing the characters, the plot, the conventions -
don't we all love a little mystery ?

Posted by madamczyk at 04:06 PM | Comments (1)

About this Blog

Since the age of five years old, Mallory Adamczyk has been watching movies every single chance she gets. After moving to the NH Seacoast at the age of 10, Mallory graduated from basic children's movies to the entire spectrum of film. Through her teen years, she cemented her choice of wanting to become a filmmaker by making short films at home, and by attending film camp at Harvard University.

Now as an aspiring filmmaker/college student, Mallory has been to various film festivals in the New England area, and even volunteered this past April at the Independent Film Festival of Boston.

After working at a local video rental store for six years, the biggest reward of the job for her was recommending films to customers, and hearing their thoughts on the movies they rented.

If there's one thing Mallory enjoys just as much as watching and making movies, it's writing about everything to do with the world of film. Her blog is open for anyone and everyone to voice their opinions on the content discussed. Topic suggestions, comments, or anything else you have to say is greatly appreciated and encouraged.

Posted by admin at 09:21 PM | Comments (2)