Pop Bunker » Movies

[Sequel City] Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Steve Bogdaniec — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:00:12 +0000

Jude Law as Dr. Watson and Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes - Warner Bros.

The filmmakers of both Sherlock Holmes films, directed by Guy Ritchie, have re-imagined Holmes as a steampunk James Bond. Holmes is constantly chasing or being chased, using Bond gadgets and protecting or fighting Bond girl types. He travels to glamorous locales in between numerous gun battles and explosions—many, many explosions. There’s also a Bond-type super villian with an evil plot to destroy the world: Professor Moriarty, a man who is hyped as Holmes’ intellectual equal. And as with any good Bond villain, Moriarty has a capable and deadly Number Two, the sharpshooting Colonel Sebastian Moran, to do his dirty work.

In other words, this sequel is more of the same. Is that bad? That depends on how you felt with the first one. I asked my movie-going companion how she felt this sequel fared compared to the original, and she had the same answer I had: she couldn’t say because she couldn’t remember much from the original. 2009’s Sherlock Holmes felt a lot like the Pirates of Caribbean franchise to me: lots of good action, but very little to take away other than the lead actor was fun to watch and that the damn thing was at least 15 minutes too long.

Like the Pirates movies, these new Sherlock Holmes films have a lot going for them. There are some admittedly awesome special effects going on here: slo-mo and 360º everything, bad-ass fight scenes with Holmes mapping out fight sequences in advance, and again, things blowing up real good. (As my companion pointed out, effects like going inside the workings of a gun and watching the gears turn as it’s fired are definitely “shiny.”)

Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty - Warner Bros.

And I can’t fault the acting. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect for this version of Sherlock Holmes, and ditto for Jude Law’s Dr. Watson. They had good chemistry in the original, and that carries over to the sequel. Professor Moriarty is aptly played by Jared Harris, whom you may know from Mad Men. Harris has brilliant evil down pat, and his character has the right amounts of sadistic malevolence and playfulness. Like any Bond villain, Moriarty wants to destroy Holmes, but he wants to beat him first.

I also enjoyed the plot, of which I won’t reveal much of here, and overall, despite my apparent grumpiness, I have to admit that I had a good time watching this film. But shouldn’t Holmes…I don’t know…detect more? Like, with clues and whatnot? It’s great to have the wonderful Stephen Fry as brother Mycroft, a kick-ass musical score, Victorian Europe effectively reproduced with CGI, and a few touching scenes and humorous exchanges between Holmes and Watson…but is that really what Sherlock Holmes is all about? Although the train scene around the middle of the movie is a truly great action scene, should Holmes and Watson even be on that train in the first place?

The answer is no, but I’m still recommending seeing Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Life is full of moral complexities, I suppose, and I can’t deny that this was a worthy sequel and a good way to spend a couple of hours on a cold night. It’s just that you might not remember much of it in two years.Similar Posts:

[Taste of Asia] Air Doll (2009)

annieevett — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:00:42 +0000

A heartwrenchingly beautiful urban fairytale, Air Doll seeks to answer what it is to be human. Hirokazu Kore-Eda directs the film adapted from the manga of the same title with sensitivity and precision. Reminiscent of Hollywood films such as Splash, Mannequin, Blade Runner, Real Life Doll and even Pinnocchio, Air Doll pushes the boundaries of relationships with inanimate objects whilst exploring the desperate isolation of our empty urban existence.

Middle-aged Hideo is a waiter who dotes on a lifesize sex doll he keeps at home as his wife. He dresses her, takes her out for walks ( in a wheelchair) and talks to her over dinner; highlighting not only his isolation and loneliness, but of his disconnection with other humans and society.

Bae Doo-Na portrays Nozomis , the sex doll, granted life with an whimsical, fae like presence, delighting in the adventure before her. Her child like wonderment is fresh and endearing. She explores downtown Tokyo, observing the masses but returns every evening to take her place as the complacent plastic wife.

Although seeing a young lady wandering the streets in the middle of the day in a skimpy maids outfit may raise eyebrows within most western societies, the Japanese tend to be very open with eccentricities without highlighting or commenting on them.

Despite Bae being naked a great deal of time, the film does not come across as crass or pornographic. It presents questions about the role of women within society through Nozomis belief that her only function is to provide sexual pleasure. However, morality is not highlighted within the film and appears to be skirted around neatly.

The main plot follows Nozomi taking on a job at a nearby video shop and the blossoming love she develops with a co-worker. After her owner/ husband replaces her with a new plastic sex doll, she seeks her designer, shocked to find that she is a “low rent model.”

Secondary characters encountered throughout the film all search for connection.

Of particular note, the transformation scene is beautifully shot, where the doll creeps slowly out of bed, squeaking its plastic way down to a window and gradually turning to soft skin.

The climax had the opportunity of being incredibly touching, but like the air doll, whimpers as the hot air escapes slowly.

The film leaves the viewer saddened at the human condition of isolation. It swaps quickly from cynical to mystical and at nearly two hours long, may drag for many. Its definitely one of those ‘foreign films’ that needs to be on your list, if not only for Bae Doo-Na’s huge eyes and half smile.

Theatrical Poster Via WikiSimilar Posts:

Sequel City — Die Hard 2 (feat. Lindsay Beaton)

Steve Bogdaniec — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:44:33 +0000

Lindsay Beaton: Oh, the title—Die Hard 2: Die Harder. Dumbest title ever.
Steve Bogdaniec: Yes.
Lindsay Beaton: For crying out loud.
Steve Bogdaniec: F**k you, grammar!

Hello again, everyone! Sorry that Sequel City has been MIA for a bit, but we’re back covering the first sequel to one of the best movies ever made, 1988’s Die Hard. I’m not going to spend time explaining or defending that assertion, except to say that it is simply a pitch-perfect action movie that has all the qualities necessary to be ranked among the best films of all time. If you haven’t seen Die Hard, stop reading now and go rent/stream/download/steal/mainline it IMMEADIATELY. I’m serious—it’s that good.

But of course, Sequel City isn’t interested in the originals—we only examine their sequels.

Die Hard 2 came out in the summer of 1990, and paired up Bruce Willis with the role that made him a superstar, John McClane. It’s Christmas Eve, just like in Die Hard, and just like in the original, McClane’s wife, Holly, is in mortal danger. A group of bad guys has hatched a high-tech plan to take a group of airplanes hostage. The planes are all circling Washington’s Dulles Airport, and if the demands aren’t met, the planes will crash. It’s a very intricate plan, but the bad guys didn’t figure on having to deal with Bruce Willis and his iconic bloody and dirty wife-beater…

Fellow Pop Bunker contributor Lindsay Beaton and I chatted while watching Die Hard 2, and what follows is that conversation, lightly edited. For this special edition of Sequel City, I’m doing away the usual structure and instead giving you Lindsay’s and my take on the movie’s Entertaining Scenes. Enjoy!

Entertaining Scenes:

Die Hard 2 begins with its villain, William Sadler, alone in his hotel room. He’s doing Tai Chi…naked.

Steve Bogdaniec: Not sure that was necessary. Alan Richman didn’t have to do naked Tai Chi.
Lindsay Beaton: No, no he did not. Honestly, who does naked Tai Chi, anyway? Seriously, no one wants stuff flopping all over when they’re working out.
SB: Maybe if you’re that skinny and toned and…unfortunate…stuff doesn’t flop around.
LB: LOL. Steroids’ll clear that right up.

Not really a single scene, but definitely something that kept Lindsay and I entertained: spotting the marked differences between 1990 air travel (the year this came out) and 2011’s…upgrades.

LB: I can’t help but compare how things would go differently now. It’s so weird. No smoking in the airport! No leaving bags unattended! Get away from the gates without a ticket! What’s wrong with these people?
SB: Another impossibility today: the old lady has a tazer with her on the plane.
LB: So true. No tazers on the plane. God, everyone would use them. Get your kid’s knee out of my back…can you imagine teenagers today watching these movies? They probably have absolutely no idea what people are doing in airports in these movies.
SB: I know. And airport security hands Bruce his gun back after taking it away from him. Enjoy your loaded weapon in our airport, sir.
LB: No problem, man, this is an airport. We let people do whatever the hell they want—it’s the ‘90s.

Speaking of whom, Bruce Willis returns as hero John McClane, now a cop in the LAPD. Bruce gets involved in a gunfight in the baggage area of Dulles Airport, which results in a particularly gruesome kill.

SB: Ew.
LB: OMG! That’s it, I’m UPSing my baggage from now on.

“Just the fax, ma’am.”

SB: The airport lady likes Bruce.
LB: Who doesn’t? I have his autograph, you know.
SB: Oooooh.
LB: He’s my only celeb autograph. When he did Tears of the Sun, they filmed on a carrier my dad was on. So he got his autograph for me.

Bruce has a too-familiar shaft and ductwork experience…for me, anyway.

LB: “It’s okay. I’ve done this before.”
SB: Yeah. A little too self-referential.
LB: Classic. I like it.
SB: I have to disagree. Bruce actually just asked, “How can the same thing happen to the same guy twice?” He should just be doing it instead of reminding us of it and winking to the camera.
LB: Well, this did come out a few years since the original. And people like the inside references.
SB: I suppose.

The airport’s new people mover turns deadly.

LB: Lots of shooting. Always with the shooting.
SB: Well, you don’t often stab people in a Die Hard movie. (Took about 20 minutes of screen time to be proven wrong on that score!)
LB: Overall though, this movie is a lot more violent than the first one. Bruce’s body count is way higher in this one, I think. Bodies everywhere. And in the first movie, he cares, you know? In this movie he’s just a killing machine.
SB: Yeah, I agree. In the original, he wasn’t The Terminator, he was a police detective.
LB: He’d be losing his badge big time for killing all these people. Dude’s not special forces, he’s just a cop.

As a result of the above scene, the villain crashes a plane to prove he means business. It was unsettling for me to watch in 1990, but on this side of 9/11, it was nearly unwatchable.

LB: This is so unnecessary.
SB: It should have been quicker and less graphic. Oh God, Bruce finds a baby doll in the wreckage?
LB: I KNOW. It’s a horrible scene.
SB: Alan Richman didn’t waste innocent people without reason…he actually brought out a couch for that pregnant lady.
LB: He did kill that stupid dude in his office.
SB: Yes, but he was an arrogant cokehead with an unfortunate beard.

The airport personnel, of whom there are too many to have to deal with in a two-hour action movie, figure out a way to communicate with the planes.

SB: They can talk to the planes using the outer marker!
LB: Outer marker, is that real?
SB: I know actors and movies, not outer markers.
LB: If the runways went down like this now, they’d divert everyone immediately. Wouldn’t be any of this circling nonsense. Also, I bet this wouldn’t happen.
SB: Do you mean this whole movie?
LB: Yeah. I wonder if it’s even possible to take out the whole system now, you know?
SB: Hope not.

If you only know one scene from this movie, it’s probably this one: Bruce escapes from a plane, Die Hard style.

SB: Time to go! Cool scene.

Special Forces (and Bruce) vs. the Bad Guys. A snowmobile (!) chase ensues, but not before a dude gets stabbed in the eye. With an icicle.

SB: I forgot about the snowmobiles. What if it didn’t snow that day?
LB: All the planes would land. In fact, it’s a good thing it snowed, or this whole movie would never have happened.

Bruce figures out the movie’s twist, and proceeds to demonstrate it to one of movie’s a-holes, Dennis Franz.

SB: The twist kind of saves the movie for me.
LB: Yeah. Still dig the first one better, though.
SB: Oh, completely.
LB: Just better plot. More plot. And more intricate action. I like my explosions with finesse.
SB: Better tension, characters, better setting…and the best movie villain ever.
LB: YES.

Sometimes, not having the right lighter just means you can’t light your cigarette. Other times, it can get you your throat slit.

LB: (Expletive deleted—but rest assured, it was there.) Can we stop that already?
SB: Actually, this whole movie is very throat-slitty.
LB: I don’t like the throat slitting.
SB: Die Hard 2 is not as skillful with the tension as the original, and nothing’s left to the imagination. Less Hitchcock and more Saw franchise.

The other a-hole—returning William Atherton, as the obnoxious reporter—gets his.

LB: Awesome. Love how he gets it!

Great climax on-board the getaway plane. Out of deference to possible spoilers, I won’t describe it further, but I will it give it the highest praise I can—the climax is worthy of the original.

LB: Here comes “The Line!”

The ending: satisfying.

SB: Does Dulles Airport really only have one janitor?
LB: Yes. One guy for the entire airport. He gets paid a crap-ton of money.

Ok, that about wraps it up for now. Sequel City will return in November with…another sequel. Not sure what yet! Write in with any comments, complainants, compliments, and/or suggestions for future columns. Check out my past columns here, and follow me on Twitter, if you’re so inclined.

And don’t forget to give it up for Special Guest Co-host Lindsay Beaton!

By the way, in case you need any further proof that nobody’s perfect, consider this: in his original review, Roger Ebert said he PREFERRED Die Hard 2 to Die Hard. Yeesh!Similar Posts:

Netflix Loses Starz, Will Movie Habits Change?

Jocelyn — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 23:58:18 +0000

With the announcement this afternoon that Netflix is going to lose its programming from Starz, it’s worth exploring what change this will have on movie watching habits. While the dollar figures might be of interest for Netflix’ investors, what we on the entertainment side want to know is: How many movies will we lose from the library.

Under the Starz deal, Netflix gets about 1,000 movies including some from Starz partners Sony and Disney. It’s because of the Starz deal that some Pixar films are available for streaming. Starz also provides some 1,500 TV episodes and “other types of content”.

Netflix has been streaming since 2008, but in the early stages it didn’t amount to much. This of course was before Roku, Xbox, Apple TV and PS3 were offering streaming to your television. Now an $8 Netflix account is almost key to optimizing your entertainment system.

It’s been known for some time that many of Netflix’ contracts were up in 2011-12. There was a scare earlier this year where Fox and Universal were going to pull their Netflix content, until they used their leverage to get a 28 day waiting period for new releases. However, Starz came to the negotiation table for a different angle.

Studios like Starz want “pricing parity” in a new contract, which means Netflix will be paying what the pay-TV networks are charged to air the same titles. To put it in perspective, Netflix got the Starz streaming deal for $30 million. Epstein explains this was 1/20th of what someone like HBO pays. When this math is factored into all of the Netflix studio deals, it means the company is looking at paying over half a billion dollars more per year for the right to stream movies.

Basically, Netflix three years ago was able to negotiate as a small niche company. Now that they’re a huge success, their competitors want them to play by the same rules they do. Similar pieces have been written on AMC, how the TV channel and studio has found out the drastic changes that occur when a hit becomes a franchise.

What does it all mean? When Netflix raised their prices, it almost caused Twitter to meltdown. I don’t think they’re done. I think Netflix is going to eventually have to charge prices on the level of HBO and Showtime, which are $20 a month packages. The idea of getting access to millions of hours of content for just $5 a month was a bit too good too be true.

Those ideas usually are. But what do you think? Would you stick with Netflix for the convenience, even if it costs as much as pay cable? Or is the low price point Netflix’ only selling point?Similar Posts:

[Taste of Asia] Ip Man 2 : Legend of a Grandmaster. (2010)

annieevett — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:01:53 +0000

Ip Man 2 continues the legendary story of one of the most venerated masters of Wing Chun. It is the highly anticipated sequel to Wilson Yip’s 2008 Yip Man biopic. Although known in the West as Bruce Lees Master, Ip Man is one of Chinese Martial Arts most highly regarded practitioners. The film focuses on the time of the second Sino-Japanese War, where Ip Man struggled as a young man to find his place amongst the Martial Arts Schools and founding his own students.

With the devastation for the Japanese occupation of China, Ip Man’s family have lost all their wealth. After relocating to Hong Kong, Ip Man opens a Wing Chung School and is immediately challenged by local Hung Fist master named Hung Jan-nam. On top of this aggression, the occupying British aren’t too happy about the presence of his school and hire a handful of toughened fighters to try and expel or frighten him out of the country. The film broadly comments on chauvinism as well as imperialism, portraying the realities of Chinese suffering by the British, as well as Western perceptions towards Asian Martial Arts.

The movie explores the movements and tenets behind the martial arts technique mastered by Ip Man. Many tiny moments expound the gentleness and beauty of spirit Ip Man possessed. From his gentle manner, kindness towards those less fortunate and his refusal to beg or chase money, Ip Man is portrayed reverently.

Its difficult to choose a favourite scene. Donnie Yen is a martial arts action star of impeccable pedigree, an actor of considerable power and focus with a calm, ferociousness which chills even the most disengaged viewer. The multiple actions scenes are orchestrated with precision, perfection and breathtaking timing. Its gratifying to notice too that most of the fight scenes rely more on skill than wirework.

If you are expecting Bruce Lee to appear in the film, then don’t get your hopes up too high. Although originally the script was intended to focus on the relationship between Ip and his most famed discipline, permissions and film rights had not reached a stage of negotiations before filming began, so it was decided to portray Bruce as a child at the end of the film ( and leave it open for yet another sequel) The film is all about Ip Man settling down into Hong Kong (the first hour) and defending the honour of the Chinese – again – (the second hour).

Ip Man 2 is an engrossing drama commenting on the society norms of the 40s and 50s as well as being a dynamic martial-arts flick.

Theatrical Poster Via Wiki

Similar Posts:

[Taste of Asia] The Malay Chronicles – Bloodlines (2011)

annieevett — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:01:56 +0000

The Malay Chronicles – Bloodlines is an epic fantasy romance, liberally sprinkled with marital arts action, things blowing up, gallons of blood gushing from sword wounds and plenty of slow motion screams of angst in the pouring rain.

The blurb informs potential viewers that it is loosely based on the Malasian 16th Century document “Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa”, a collection of stories surrounding Merong Mahawangsa, a direct descendant of Alexander the Great. Amongst his battles and deeds of glory journeying him from Rome to Asia, he allegedly founded the Kingdom of Langkasuka and ruled as the first Hindi King. For those who don’t know, the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa is traditionally a verbal recollection told from generation to generation, so its expected that there are mystical elements which may not be logical or historically correct.

The story is set in 20 AD with opening scenes informing the viewer of the political and social unrest occurring in both the great Roman Empire and in Chinas Han Dynasty. Political players decide to unite the two empires through a marriage of convenience that will take place in South East Asia. Of course, both young people (Marcus and Meng )are duty bound to bide to the wishes of their rulers and vow to uphold their part, however much they are appalled by the barbarism of their new partner.

After adventures on the seas (where they pick up Merong from a Goa market place), advance parties set up camp and begin to prepare for the wedding. Marcus and Meng, desperate for freedom, find one another beside a stream and discover that they have alot in common.

Pirates kidnap the Chinese Princess and demand ransom. This brings Merong into the forefront to fight for her freedom. There are alot of large scale fight scenes, wizened old men prophesying, sorcery and bloodshed. Most of the army on both sides die on the beach or in the mud, allowing over dramatic cries of revenge (usually done on bent knee in the rain) Its a little predictable but well wort the ride.

The film is a mix of English and Ancient Malay (with subtitles) which is quite jarring and odd in many places. Its credited to be the first Malaysian language feature to be released on the Blu-ray format. From a country who normally churns out horror or comedy films, this was an ambitious project to take on.

Despite this, its a simple story with big fight sequences, blood, swords, sorcery and martial arts. If you are looking for a movie to suit everyone in your group, it doesn’t get better than this. You may not be intellectually challenged as a result of watching the movie, but there are plenty of fight scenes which will make up for this loss. Boosted by use of CGI special effects, though not as sophisticated as many Hollywood Movies, it will suit many genre lovers.Similar Posts:

[Taste of Asia] Farewell My Concubine (1993)

annieevett — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 04:01:25 +0000

Directed by Chen Kaige, Farewell My Concubine is a visual and emotional masterpiece thoroughly deserving of its many international film awards and nominations, winning its section at the Cannes Film Festival. The films costumes, sets and props are as lavish and ornate as the operas it portrays.

The film spans nearly 60 years, following two orphans, taken in by the Peking Opera and trained as lead performers. Their upbringing and training is far from idealic. Through often gruelling and traumatising events, their friendship is pockmarked with dramatic conflicts and emotional reconciliations. Although the opera have a range of performances, these two specialise in specific roles, their stage acts often mirroring their personal lives.

Farewell my Concubine is a political melodrama, with themes focusing on the meaning of unconditional love. Though the main characters are essentially heterosexual, it has veiled homosexual themes as the delicate Dieyi specializes in female roles and the gutsy Xiaolou plays noble warriors and kings. Conflicts arise as the friends mature, falling in love; with one ultimately marrying a woman.

The film deals with the political events surrounding the time it was set, but its main focus explores the friendship of two people as they grow and develop together under harsh settings. The film is neatly separated into book-like chapters. Each part represents a different time in Chinese history as it follows the lives of the characters. Beginning in the 1920s with the Chinese Warlords, it winds through to the Cultural Revolution, the Japanese invasion with the Communist takeover as an integral part to the plot.

Although the film is nearly three hours long, the film flows with little interruption, mesmerising the senses.

Whilst moviemakers in Hollywood struggle to retell old storylines, Chinese film makers are keen to make films on the countless untold stories their country has kept hidden. However, their progress is hindered by the administration involved with governmental approval of scripts. The film evokes a world that most Westerners has little real understanding of, or connection to; allowing us a small peep under the sturdy curtains which still surround much of China.

Farewell My Concubine won a Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival (1993), as well as Best Foreign Language Film from the Golden Globes(1994) and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association(1993). Gong Li won a Best Supporting Actress Award from the New York Film Critics Circle (1993). Sadly, the film received little acclaim in its own country. Because of its depiction of the Cultural Revolution, and its frank look at homosexuality, the movie was banned, the actors shunned and the film only released after heavy editing.

Farewell My Concubine is able to remain an intimate touching story of epic proportions. A brilliant addition to any foreign film buffs collection.

Similar Posts:

Can’t Stop the Signal: New Life for Old Shows

Jocelyn — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:04:14 +0000

Yesterday it was announced that Friday Night Lights, the TV show, would be continued as a movie (spoilers in that article if you haven’t finished the series).

Friday Night Lights exec producer Peter Berg is confirming what TVLine told you last month: He wants to bring the franchise back to the big screen, with Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton reprising their roles as Coach and Tami Taylor.

“We’re writing a script,” he told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour following a panel for his NBC reboot of Prime Suspect. “We’ve been meeting with [fellow FNL EP] Jason Katims for the last couple of weeks. We have a real good script idea. We want to do it. We’re very serious about doing it. We intend to do it.”

Should the movie come to be, the net result would be a movie based on a TV series about a fictional football team; in a fictional Texas town. The TV series was, of course, based on a movie about a real football team in a real Texas town. Then that movie was based on a book written about a real football team in a real Texas town. That book was based on interviews and experiences of an author observing a real football team in a real Texas town. Quite a few degrees of separation between the original team and a movie version.

The announcement made me think about the nature of franchising in the current entertainment world. TV shows based on movies and movies based on TV shows are nothing new, but these days popularity isn’t even a requirement. As I write this, I’m watching the Serenity movie based on the Fox series Firefly that didn’t last eleven episodes. The gap between the TV series and movie has been picked up in licensed Comic Books, some written by the creator himself.

Arrested Development, another cancelled Fox series, has long been rumored to be heading to the big screen. Recently it was confirmed that things are indeed going forward.

In the case of both Friday Night Lights and Arrested Development, any movie would take place after a series finale had been written and aired. Just consider what the scriptwriters have to consider:

In the series Friday Night Lights, at least three different football teams have been represented. The series began with the Dillon Panthers, who were a take on the movie’s Permian Panthers. It seems logical to make the movie a prequel, before coach Taylor took over the Panthers. However, that’s just one of a million ways the movie can go, I’ll save “extending the series” for another column since not everyone has seen the series finale, but there’s also coach Taylor’s stint at the college level, and his work with the East Dillon Lions. TV shows have to continually reinvent themselves, and one of the consequences of a post-mortem movie is which storyline to reopen.

With Arrested Devlopment, enough time has passed that the cast has all gotten older, which takes out the prequel option. However, knowing they were cancelled, AD wrote a series finale that would lend itself directly to making a movie.

I also have to mention the proposed Buffy the Vampire Slayer remake. In that case, it’d be like Friday Night Lights: a movie based on a TV series based on a movie. However, the remake is being proposed by Frank Kuzi, the director of the original film. Buffy has been played by two different actresses, and currently the story is being continued in a series of comic books. After the show ceased production, a few licensed novels went about continuing the story. If the Kuzis are successful in getting a movie made, which version comes out as the true continuation?

It took many years for Marvel to recognize the earning power of their characters, forming their own movie studio. Now they don’t have the option of putting Spiderman or Wolverine in the Avengers movie, because those characters are owned by other studios. With the original Buffy producers threatening to make a movie sequel without Joss Whedon: who really owns a character?

These are just cases of remakes and relaunches. The question can be made even more theoretical when considering fan fiction. However, I turn it over to the commenters. Everything has an authorial source, but does that author still control those characters once they’re created? Outside of the legal system, how do you, as the fan of a franchise, deal with the multiple versions of every character’s story? How do you deal with the conundrum known as cannon?Similar Posts:

[Taste of Asia] Once a Thief (1991)

annieevett — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:01:59 +0000

John Woo took a breather from his normal bloody thrillers to make this questionable romantic action comedy in 1991. The story focuses on three orphans who grew up under the tutelage of wealthy crime boss and a kindly police officer and train as thieves.

The film opens with a scene of the three swearing that the heist they are about to undertake will be their last. With a myriad of high tech thieving methods, they steal prized paintings around Europe. Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, and Cherie Chung play the siblings with a light hearted but serious intensity portraying some of the tougher assignments that the thieves must have had to undertake along the way. There is a constant reminder of the theft of a mysterious “cursed” painting and how its obsession affects the trio, which moves the plot along in a number of places.

Their crime boss father double crosses them with a painting, so they decide to pay him back. As you can expect from Chow Yun-Fat and Leslie Cheung, there is gunfights, punch ups and plenty of slapstick comedy. Its hard to say if it was just me , or if Chow Yun-Fat does not fully engage in a romantic role. In some of the scenes where he was meant to be tender and caring, it appeared he’d rather be slicing something up with a machete or kicking some serious butt. Perhaps its just me?

Again, the music score can be unsettling, but the set ups for the burglaries easily make up for that.

Once a Thief is an exhilarating action-packed film with plenty of comedy and shades of sappy romance. It’s got everything - suspense, gun-fights and laughs. A passable heist movie which could be used as an introduction to Woos other works – or simply because you love Chow Yun-Fat. The pair always deliver an entertaining film, and although not on the same level as some of the later ones, its once not to pass up ether.

Theatrical Poster via WikiSimilar Posts:

Slap Shot

Chris Corning — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:57:47 +0000

Director: George Roy Hill / Writer: Nancy Dowd / Starring: Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, and Strother Martin

For this week I chose another one of those old movies that I actually did see when I had much younger eyes. I know I must’ve watched this movie when I was somewhere between the ages of, say, nine and thirteen, but I really don’t remember. The only recollections I really had of this movie were that Paul Newman seemed awesome (I don’t think I’d seen him in anything else by that point) and that the Hanson brothers were outrageously amusing. I’m not sure, but now that I think about it, it’s also possible that I saw this movie as a nice antidote to The Mighty Ducks, which would’ve come out right around that time (and which I found loathsome).

Watching Slap Shot again recently, after having seen countless sports movies in the interim that all seem to chronicle the rise or return of an underdog team to its deserved or former glory, I must say that the plot no longer felt nearly as compelling as it might have the first time I watched this one. Still, a familiar or formulaic plot need not be an excuse not to enjoy a movie, in my opinion, especially when the movie provides some laughs, which Slap Shot does.

The plot of this movie basically revolves around the impending closure or sale a minor league hockey team, the Charlestown Chiefs, coached by a former star player, Reg Dunlop (Paul Newman). In the first game scene, it’s made clear that the team has been doing pretty badly, and getting heckled shamelessly by the few fans in the audience. One of the few good players on the team is #10, Ned Braden (Michael Ontkean). As the story unfolds, we learn that the town’s mill is shutting down, displacing tons of blue-collar workers. We also learn that Braden’s marriage is getting rocky and the coach’s marriage hasn’t been solvent for years, as everyone knows that truly dedicated athletes are lone wolves, and can’t be caged. For these guys, hockey is life. And with such a shitty team, life is shitty.

One of the Hanson Bros. Not to be confused with those mmm-bop pussies.

The Hanson brothers, three new players on the team who have the emotional and intellectual maturity of eleven-year olds (as evidenced by the fact that the suitcases they bring to town are filled with toys), end up providing a glimmer of hope for the ill-fated Chiefs. Coach quickly discovers that these guys are sadistic maniacs on the ice, and that hockey audiences have an unquenchable thirst for blood and mayhem. (That he might not have known this already sorta makes me skeptical of whether he’d ever actually been to a hockey game prior to coaching the Chiefs.)

When the Hanson brothers’ antics start drawing huge turnouts for the games and the Chiefs even start racking up some wins, it starts to look like there might be a chance of saving the team. Whether that means being sold to some old folks community down in Florida or some other possibility isn’t quite clear, but Coach really gets his hopes up and thrives on the attention generated by his team’s complete disregard for order and the sanctity of human life.

Awesome coach. Also, pretty good salad dressing.

The movie also has some secondary plot lines dealing with Ned’s and Coach Reg’s special lady friends, but those were pretty dull. This is a sports movie, dammit, stop trying to inject the narrative with things about people relating to one another! Although, as with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, I was a little surprised by the amount of uninterrupted booby footage. There does happen to be a relationship, though, between the similarities in the challenges these men face with their significant others and the growing disparities in how they have in how they think the Chiefs should be playing.

So will the team survive? Will they straighten up their act and win a straight game of hockey, or will they continue to play rough and dirty? And will Coach Reg and Ned manage to steer each other right with regard to their romantic and ideological disagreements? Watch the movie and find out.

One of the interesting things that Wikipedia taught me about the movie is just how closely modeled after real-life events the film was. Even more fascinating than that, though, the Hanson Brothers are a real trio of hockey-playing brothers, two of whom actually played in the film. How’s that for art imitating life?Similar Posts: