Happy new year! Here's a mushroom cloud!

2012, the year of the apocalypse, is almost upon us. So to send you off in the most optimistic of ways here's a little short movie I've come across. It was directed by independent filmmaker Richard Foster.

It reminds me of 'The Road'. Not only because they use the same music but also because of the tone and the pervading sense of despair. So get ready to feel down because we're going 'Into The Valley'.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Review

I’m kind of ashamed to admit that I didn’t see Guy Ritchie’s first ‘Sherlock Holmes’ film when it was in theatres. From the trailers I got a distinct ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ feel with Robert Downey Jr. trying to pull a Jack Sparrow. Well, thanks to a few friends of mine I did get to see it about a week ago and guess what? I liked it!

The character of Sherlock Holmes, as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, seems like an unlikely source for a swashbuckling action film but strangely enough it works. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are well-matched as the constantly bickering duo of Holmes and Watson. What I really liked between them was the way Watson didn’t only endure his partner’s eccentricities as he does in many other versions. Instead he seems fed up with Holmes and his attitude towards him seems simply defiant.

In ‘A Game of Shadows’ Holmes continues his search for the mysterious Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) who’s machinations also kicked-off the first film. Like Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) in the previous adventure Moriarty is an effective villain. And the best thing about him is that he comes straight from Doyle’s novels. He is Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis; his only equal. Demonstrated amazingly in a scene at the end where both consider how a physical fight between the two them would go down. 

Like any good sequel the tone is close to the original but at the same different enough to feel new. In fact, ‘A Game of Shadows’ feels like a James Bond film from the sixties. The story takes us from the UK, to France, blows up a part of Germany and closes in Switzerland. Holmes and Watson are in a desperate race to stop World War I from happening early.

Is it as good as the first? Sadly, no. ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ is a cool film but it didn’t manage to correct some of the flaws of Ritchie’s first effort. You see, in a film about Sherlock Holmes you can always expect to be a few steps behind the hero. After all, he is a genius. The first film played with this notion with hectic interludes in which Holmes explains how he did what he did. These return but are too implausible to be taken seriously. For instance, there is a scene in which he sabotages a soldier’s rifle. But he does not explain how he knew which soldier would later be in a position to kill him and Watson. As I said he is a genius, not a psychic.

As for psychics, there is one in this film, apparently. Noomi Rapace plays a gypsy woman in search of her long lost brother. Rapace is a good actress but she’s wasted on this film. Her character was really quite forgettable. Instead Stephen Fry steals some scenes as Holmes’ smarter and weirder brother Mycroft.

Like we’ve come to expect from the director of ‘Snatch’ and ‘Lock, Stock and Two SmokingBarrels’ the action is beautifully shot, mixing slow-motion with sped-up footage to create a hypnotizing effect. Hans Zimmer is back to supply his brand of film music; hardly creative but still serviceable.

But ultimately the point of a sequel is to make more sequels. Would I mind? Not a bit, I like these movies and I’d love to see more of them. 

The Shadow People Review

Films about the Satanic have always been popular. Years ago we had 'The Omen' and 'The Exorcist', today we have 'Insidious' and 'The Devil Inside'. It's an interesting genre because it went through so many variations. The film I'm about to review is a horror project by Conrad Faraj, a young independent filmmaker from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Admirably he wrote, directed and produced 'The Shadow People' himself. The result is an interesting film with a few shortcomings, but I'll get to that later. First, I want to talk about the story because personally I thought it was pretty damn cool. Faraj's film revolves around a young woman called Bethany Ryder (Joanne Wurm) and her struggle against the supernatural. 

'The Shadow People' opens with an extremely effective found footage sequence. We are introduced to our heroine and bear witness to a strange Satanic ritual. Nine months later Bethany wakes up in a hospital , the staff explain she's been the victim of a severe beating leaving her in a coma. The doctors, who speak like scientists from a 1950's B-movie, are puzzled by the fact she continued sleepwalking despite her condition. Bethany, distraught even further when she's told her boyfriend was killed by the Satanists, is taken home by her grandfather Bob (Jim Strang).

There's a lot that can happen in nine months. Upon Bethany's return she's introduced to Jimmy (Paul Zegarac), a young man who recently lost his parents and is taken in my Bob. Understandably, the girl is eager to return to her normal life but this proves difficult. During the night she's haunted by apparitions and during the day she finds herself growing closer to Jimmy. As the hauntings become worse she finds out the frightening repercussions of the Satanistic ritual. She's told that from her dead body the Antichrist must be born to bring about the end of the world. Next thing she knows she's knee deep in Satan's shit.

The film itself has a lot of strong points. The camera work, editing and scoring are striking. Even the special-effects, a big problem for many independent productions, are well done and convincing. There's also an amazingly staged action sequence in which a masked man chases Bethany while brandishing a chain. The moments between her realizing his presence and the eventual run for safety are terrifying. Both the girl and the masked man look at each other for what appears to be an eternity.

The acting is a bit uneven but it's acceptable considering most of the actors are at the start of their careers. Still, there's moments, especially between Bethany and Jimmy, that feel absolutely genuine. Another weak spot is the movie's length. Running for nearly 2.5 hours 'The Shadow People' is a long film. This is unfortunate because it dilutes the impact of the story. There are some scenes that fail to grab our attention because of the uninteresting dialogue; we're just waiting for the film to pick up again. Without these scenes the pacing and the flow of the story would've been improved.

What's more difficult to solve is the coherence of some story elements. I liked the Satanic angle but there's  stuff that I thought might be explained later on in the film but wasn't. For instance, what was that strange screaming creature in the film's opening? Where did that man-eating zombie guy come from? And what happened to the villain? His final moments reminded me of the climax to 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', but was it actually the wrath of God? I would've liked to have known this. Perhaps we'll find out in a sequel.

All in all 'The Shadow People' is a triumph for a young filmmaker. It's a remarkably well produced and directed piece of work and it deserves all the viewers it can get. I'd like for Faraj to continue his work and show us what more he can do. Because this film, even though it's a little rough around the edges, shows a lot of promise.

If you want to check out 'The Shadow People' you can click here!

Voldemort does Shakespeare

You know that great feeling when you stumble upon something great? Well, that's what I felt when I found out about 'Coriolanus'. Based upon a tragedy by William Shakespeare it is Ralph Fiennes' directorial debut. Fiennes has established himself as one of the great British actors of our time with roles in 'Schindler's List', 'The English Patient', 'In Bruges', 'The Reader' and the Harry Potter films, in which he played the evil wizard Voldemort .

What's cool about 'Coriolanus' is that it isn't a period piece; the original text is believed to be written between 1605 and 1608. Instead the film appears to take place in modern times. This makes the story about the rise and fall of a military man in a war-torn country all the more topical.

Getting high with a children's choir

Christmas has come and gone but there's still some holiday fun left. Take this video for instance. It was made for De Opvoedingslijn, a Flemish advice hotline for parents who have difficulties raising their children. It's not completely film-related but as a communication student I think this deserves some attention. It's a clever and well-executed idea.

As promised here's the 'Prometheus' trailer

It's been one hell of a week for film fans. We already saw trailer for 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'The Hobbit'. Today we get a good look at another big release.

'Prometheus' is a sci-fi/horror directed by Ridley Scott. He's the man behind two of the best sci-fi films ever made: 'Alien' and 'Bladerunner'. As if that wasn't enough this new film seems to take place in the same universe as 'Alien'.

The trailer resembles the aforementioned film's teaser which came out in 1979. You've got that creepy vibe and the way the title appears is exactly the same. If you listened carefully you can even hear bits from Jerry Goldsmith's music for 'Alien'.

'The Adventures of Tintin' Reviewed

Sometimes living in Europe pays off. For instance this year we got one of the biggest releases early. Since the source material of 'The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn' originates from Belgium it makes commercial sense. For those of you unlucky enough to live overseas here's a little review of the motion-capture film by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. 

 

'The Adventures of Tintin' is a charming film with a uniquely European feel. As a person who grew up on  Hergé's books and the cartoon series the film is instantly familiar but at the same time refreshing. It has been a long time since we've seen such a carefree and positive action film. 

Several people have asked why they would need mo-cap to film 'Tintin'. The answer lies in the action sequences. There are some things you can't pull off believably in a live-action film. Here the animation doesn't just look good, it makes sense. 

The story, about a lost treasure and a vendetta spanning over several generations, is involving and moves at a brisk pace. Jamie Bell does a fine job as  our Belgian hero but he only really comes alive after he's introduced to Andy Serkis' Captain Haddock. The latter actor shows off his talent for the medium with a funny and touching performance. 

So if you're in for a fun ride 'The Adventures of Tintin' won't let you down.

'The Hobbit' has more dwarves than 'Snow White'!

Ten years ago Peter Jackson dazzled us with 'The Fellowship of the Ring'; the first entry into 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. Next Christmas he will hopefully do the same with 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' and 'There and Back Again' a year later.

Judging from the trailer the new films certainly have that Middle-Earth thing going. Hearing snippets of Howard Shore's new music helps. Like J.R.R. Tolkien's book the film seems more lighthearted than 'The Lord of the Rings'. Especially the introduction of the dwarves suggests a good deal of humor.

I am curious as to how Jackson will juggle the many characters in this story. A lot of the orginal cast members will return but there are also many newcomers; including thirteen dwarves. It must be a huge challenge to give them all a distinct personality. Once again the casting is outstanding; Martin Freeman makes a great Bilbo Baggins.

They make trailers for trailers now?

Apparently they do. The first trailer for Ridley Scott's new sci-fi/horror 'Prometheus' will be unleashed on Thursday. In order to build the hype 20th Century Fox released a short preview of the trailer itself. A curious decision but not ill-advised. Already people around the internet are anxiously awaiting their first glimpse at 'Prometheus'.

In the preview we're treated to the first footage of the film and a look behind the scenes. Scott himself is seen talking about his return to the genre that made his career to begin with. As expected the preview does suggest we are dealing with a prequel to Ridley's masterpiece 'Alien'.

Here's a new trailer for 'The Dark Knight Rises'

Ever since 'The Dark Knight' opened to much praise and commercial success in 2008 all eyes have been on director Christopher Nolan to bring his Batman story to an end. 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight' have both been refreshingly down to earth entries into the tired superhero genre.

While the title, 'The Dark Knight Rises', still sounds amazingly cheap to me I'm impressed with what I've seen so far. The new villain, as played by Tom Hardy, looks as if he can rival Heath Ledger's show-stopping interpretation of the Joker. What is even more exciting is the way the story is presented; it seems like this time things might not end well for our hero.

On Steven Spielberg

Today I would like to thank my favourite filmmaker. He’s behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of all time. But that’s not why I’m writing about him. My reasons are a tad more personal.

Through television Steven Spielberg has also been a huge influence on my development as a film enthusiast. To illustrate that fact, here’s my childhood as told through Spielberg’s films and productions.

‘Jaws’ is probably my earliest film memory. Somehow my parents thought a six-year-old could handle a movie about a man-eating shark. Turns out I couldn’t, instead it earned me my first film trauma. Baths, swimming pools and beaches became places of fear to little me. I saw myself in Robert Shaw’s place; being dragged into the depths by a Great White.

My second encounter with a Spielberg film didn’t end much better. The little pudgy bastard from ‘E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial’, while cute now, freaked me out. Everything about him made my skin crawl: the huge eyes, the long boney fingers and the raspy voice gave me many sleepless nights.

After those two dreadful experiences it could only get better. Fortunately it did with a Spielberg production that has become my favourite Christmas movie next to ‘It’s aWonderful Life’. A film that should have scared me but by some miracle didn’t. The same goes for ‘Jurassic Park’ which kick-started the dinosaur obsession that, I guess, every boy has to go through during his childhood.

The three ‘Back to the Future’ movies made me want to become an inventor; a profession which I’m yet to pursue. It wasn’t the only job I considered; archaeologist was another. To me Indiana Jones was far more interesting than any other boyhood idol. Sadly, I wouldn’t grow up to discover ancient artifacts, punching Nazis or saving damsels in distress. Those things, I realized, only happen in the movies.

When I was fifteen Spielberg released his adaptation of ‘War of the Worlds’. This film cemented my fascination with his work and films in general. Learning about how movies got made became my hobby. I began to look at films in a different way. In that respect I believe Steven Spielberg’s filmography is a perfect entry point for anyone who is interested in moviemaking.  

Over the years my interest in his work hasn’t faded. True, he is one of the men responsible for the empty-headed ‘Transformers’ franchise. But with a career that spans over four decades he’s earned some leeway. Many of his productions and directorial efforts are well worth the ticket. Whatever way you look at it, Spielberg’s career remains a rewarding one to follow.   

Meet (Para)Norman

Today the latest trailer for 'ParaNorman' hit the web. It's the latest from Laika a.ka. the creators of 'Coraline'. It looks like it's going to be another stunning stop-motion adventure. A hybrid of 'The Sixth Sense' and a zombie movie, with Norman, voiced by Kodi Smith-McPhee, standing in for Haley Joel Osment.

What's strange about this kind animation is that it's often used to tell dark stories. The trend seems to go back to Tim Burton's 'Vincent' and Henry Selick's 'A Nightmare Before Christmas'. Both of which utilized a gothic tone.

So far co-directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell seem to be prodding that same corpse. Hopefully they're prodding it in just the right places.

Faking it with Orson Welles

There are experiences that make you look at things in whole different way; that give you a fresh perspective on a certain subject. ‘F For Fake’, Orson Welles last completed film, is such an experience.

This loose documentary, while widely respected now, wasn’t so well received by audiences or critics when it was released in 1974. Many considered it to be confusing and incoherent. Most of the critique was aimed at the film’s free form, fast editing and pace. All those features are now praised, especially the editing, as being unique and far ahead of its time.

The film, starring Orson Welles himself, focuses on rather vague concepts like authorship, authenticity and art. He explores these ideas by centering his story on the Hungarian art forger Elmyr de Hory and hoax-biographer Clifford Irving. Through their stories he investigates  the importance and meaning of authorship.

These subjects might seem dryer than a camel’s back but the way Welles shines his light on the material is fascinating. Using fast cuts and different shots he manages to create a hypnotizing film. Welles own personality is an important part of the picture. It’s as if the big man is speaking directly to you; drawing you into his mind.

Like Welles himself the film is not without its fair share of humour. In one of the earliest scenes of ‘F For Fake’ Welles assures us that everything he tells us in the first hour of the film will be true. Seventy-seven minutes he’s delighted to announce he’s been ‘’lying his head off’’ for the last seventeen minutes. Again this legendary filmmaker reveals himself as a playful joker.

Hoaxes and tricks have always been a part of Welles his persona. He even contemplates on this during the film by addressing the beginning of his own career.

In 1938, when he was only 23 years old, Welles directed and starred in a radio adaptation of ‘The War of the Worlds’. He told his story as if it was a news broadcast and caused a nationwide panick. Hundreds of American radio listeners believed an invasion by aliens from Mars was at hand.

The notoriety he gained from this broadcast made Orson Welles into a household name. It also got him the film deal of a lifetime, which he used to make ‘Citizen Kane’ in 1941; probably the most celebrated film of all time.

For a moment Welles questions the authenticity of his own career. For how, he muses, can it be authentic when it has all been based on a hoax? Instead of finding the answer himself he seems to leave it to the audience. How important is authenticity?   

On the trail of 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'

Creating a good trailer is an art upon itself. It’s the best way to position your film in the endless barrage of releases. Therefore a trailer should distinguish itself from all others; it has to entice people. In ‘the good old days’ trailers could only be seen before a feature film. You couldn’t catch it on YouTube as soon as it was released.

This meant the previews had to be so memorable that audiences would remember them even after they had seen about two hours worth of entertainment. In some cases the trailer became more popular then the film attached. In 1998 the preview for ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’ was met by a huge amount of anticipation. People bought tickets to a film they wouldn’t even go and see. Instead they left as soon as they had their first peek at the new ‘Star Wars’ film.

As a film buff I love nothing more than checking out the newest trailers. In this returning segment I’m going to discuss previews that caught my attention, be it in a good or a bad way. 

To start off I’m going to discuss David Fincher’s latest. 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' is the American adaptation of 'Män Som Hatar Kvinnor', a novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. A while ago they released a short but perfectly edited teaser. It told you absolutely nothing about the film itself or the story, but it did manage to suck you in.

To make up for the lack of context the filmmakers released another stunning trailer that ran about 8 minutes! A length unheard of in film advertising. This one spilled a few key bits of information regarding the film's story. But still enough is held back to leave you wanting. The effect is breathtaking. This is how you advertise a film:

The lion, the aunt and the big black wall

There's some things in life that you just don't forget. To me one such memory was my first visit to a film theatre. My aunt took me to see 'The Lion King' in 1994, I must have been about five years old at the time. By now the story of that little lion called Simba has become a classic.

Back then it was heavily advertised on children's television. I recall featurettes about how lifelike the animated animals were and how each of their movements were painstakingly copied from their real life counterparts. McDonald's gave away 'The Lion King' toys with their Happy Meals. I remember getting this little plastic version of Scar, the film's villain. You could wind it up and watch it wobble along the floor as if it had just been shot in the leg by an expert marksman.

And so the hype grew, Disney's new film became an event. Every kid in school wanted to see little Simba and his bug eating friends Timon and Pumbaa. Much to the relief of my parents my aunt offered to take me to see it.

She took me to a little theatre called Forum, which has been out of business for quite a while now. I remember being guided into a huge room. All I saw was a big black wall. There were no television sets as I had expected. I looked around, wondering where the hell I was and what I needed to do.

You see, the only movies I had seen up until then had been on television. Naturally, I assumed we would be placed in front of a TV to see 'The Lion King'. It wasn't until that enormous black wall lid up and transported me to the wide African plains that I began to understand.

That was the moment I was hooked. The moment that five-year-old me said to himself: ''I love movies.''

Familiarity is the key

Remember when director Michael Bay made us hope for a better future when he said there wouldn't be a fourth 'Transformers' movie? Well, this week he kicked that dream in the balls by confirming there would be a new instalment in the commercially succesful but creatively bankrupt franchise.

Brand recognition is the key to this decision. The film industry is in a difficult place right now. Their movies can be found on the internet far before the official release date, the 3D gimmick isn't doing as well as before and people stay away from the cinema because of the high prices. What they need is something that will attract lots of people.

What better way to do this than to expand upon brands audiences already love? This is one of the reasons why we have seen so many sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes and adaptations over the last few years. The reasoning behind it is that if people can recognize a film's title they will go and see it. Right now films are being made that are designed to become the first in what studios hope to be a long and succesful series.

It's easy to call productions like these deriative or unoriginal. However the truth is that quality wise these films have an equal chance of succes as a so-called original work. Is it true that some of these franchises stink to high heaven? Yes, it is. But others are good or even manage to improve upon their source material.

The downside is that smaller and perhaps more risky projects don't get the exposure they deserve. Over the years the internet has played a role in spreading the word of these small pictures. Filmmakers on tight budgets are now able to advertise and even display their work thanks to the internet. A medium that hurt the big movies now seems to help the little ones.

To Hell And Back

There used to be a time when editing trailers wasn't done by a strict procedure. When loud noises and quick cuts weren't the norm. Instead editors were experimenting with their trailers in order to make their preview as eye-catching as possible. They did everything to get as many butts in the seats as possible.

One of those editors was Joe Dante, who used it as a starting point for his exceptional career. Dante's fondness for old school film trailers led to the creation of a website called Trailers From Hell. The trailers originate from the 1930s up until the 1980s. Some of them are hilarious while others are pure art by themselves.

All trailers are provided with insightful commentary by experienced filmmakers. Among them are legends like John Landis, Guillermo del Toro, Edgar Wright, Roger Corman and Rick Baker.

Here's Joe Dante talking about 'The Horror of Dracula':

A horse is a horse, of course, of course!

Vince here, with a new trailer/cast interview/thingy for one of the most anticipated films of the year. 'War Horse' is an adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's children's novel from 1982. It is directed by Steven Spielberg, whose last film 'The Adventures of Tintin' is still making loads of money in Europe.

From what I've seen of this film it is sure to be very Spielbergian. It is set during the First World War, so I'm pretty sure we'll see echoes of his earlier work on 'Saving Private Ryan'. But the focus of the story is a friendship between a young man and his horse, which shouldn't be too hard for a man who convinced us that a suburban boy can bond with a space alien.

Still I have some reservations, I mean the trailers do seem awfully sweet to me. I'm hoping Spielberg won't shy away from exploring the horrors of this particular war.

Lights, camera, blogging!

Here it is! My first post on my first blog. Be warned, I'm new at this and I'm probably going to break every unwritten rule of blogging in my first few posts. But if you'd just be so kind to stick with me for a while things might get interesting. Still, don't get your hopes up.

What will I be writing about? Film, for the most part. Perhaps some other stuff that I hope will grab your attention but the movies will be my focus. I will write about new films, old films, the good and the bad, even the mediocre. Basically this blog will be yet another drop in the immense ocean of filmblogs, let's hope the currents will take us somewhere nice.

So if you found me already, which would be surprising, than I welcome you warmly. I'm afraid I can't offer you anything to drink because I ran out of money yesterday. Still, if you're lucky you might find some leftover popcorn under the couch. I wouldn't eat it if I were you.

Speaking of popcorn, this blog is called Sweet Popcorn!