Skateland

"Skateland" epitomizes what a SXSW film should be, great film made by a Texan director in Texas. The premiere was very fun because not only was the cast there (which included the very talented Ashley Greene) but the families of those involved were there to. So, when a random name would pop up in the opening credits you would sometimes hear a small group let out a burst of applause and yelps. It felt like you were at more than a movie, you felt like you were very big event in people’s lives. So, along with that great experience, "Skateland" was an excellent movie. To describe this movie in the simplest way possible, I would have to say that "Skateland" was everything "Adventureland" was supposed to be (heck it even had a girl from Twilight). It is a superb coming of age tale set in the back drop of the 1980's Texas. The film is easily goes from heart breaking to painfully funny, illustrating the complexity of young adulthood. I do not want to go in depth into the plot because I do not want to spoil this film for anyone. But it is about a smart early twenties guy who is struggling on whether or not to go to college, has a friend who just came back after being a bike race, has a complicated relationship with the bike racer's sister, and whose parents are going through a divorce. There are various other story lines that are occurring, but that is the main surface of the film. This film richly shows the growth of its main characters and does what all great dramas do to their audiences; it makes the audience care about the characters. The Surprise of the film for me was Ashley Greene of Twilight fame, she had a very subtle performance, but by the end of the film you cannot forget her, she is a young woman with a very fragile exterior but reveals a woman of great resolve by the movies end. I truly hope he appears in other films (keyword films, not Twilight), because she could be an acceptable leading lady in the future. There is another unforgettable performance by a character in a moustache, I cannot recall the actors name but when the movie is done you will remember every single one of his hilarious lines.
I am truly hoping this film gets the wide release that it deserves, but it seems unlikely without a big star. Hopefully it will find a home on DVD.

The Loved Ones

This movie is definitely loved by me. I have watched a lot of horror films due to my older brother torturing me from a very young age, and I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that "The Loved Ones" directed by Sean Byrne is the best fusion of horror and comedy I have ever seen. The film was surprisingly scary with a very original and twisted plot, which created a scenario that was so crazy it could be true. The main plot is about the boy who is kidnapped by a female classmate and her father after her turned her down for the school dance and they drag him through a macabre and torturous dance of their own making. While this may sound like a plot for a generic teen slasher flick, it is so much more. The movie has compelling (and might I say complete, which most horror films lack) characters, bizarre plot twists, and gives something most torture films never give the audience (spoiler alert!) retribution. The films is anchored by Robin Mcleavy as the main torteress who is extremely cute and crazy (almost so much so she may remind you of someone you know), and also has an obsession with a song called "Am I Not Pretty Enough". This song is hilarious and seemed to have been written for the film specifically to compliment the unbalanced psyche of the character. Then, I found out the song was a number 1 hit in Australia when I got a chance to speak to the director at the screening. Shows how funny the real world can actually be. Here it is (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzLuYZ9rz5M). There is another notable performance from the victim played by Xavier Samuel, who seriously may have less than 10 lines of dialogue, who brings a monster performance showing true anger and resistance with only his eyes. Those two performances combined with the extra story line of the victims lovable best friend, which gives the audience a much needed respite from the gore, makes something so well balanced it only comes along once in a while. I cannot give this movie enough praise, and it is very obvious that it should have been the only film sold at SXSW.

incoming SXSW reviews

The People Vs. George Lucas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aoc3roT81nU

Skateland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5i95Ow7Z1k&feature=fvw

Beach Fossils
http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.singleplaylist&friendid=461316576

Neon Indian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlJ27Dcv4fc

Dawes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgYxzBVDW_4

Richard Garriot: Man on a Mission
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPRvqt3NKFs

Futurestates
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=futurestates&search_type=&aq=f

Beyond Ipanema
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65N_1eSkKWg

The Loved Ones
http://www.tribute.ca/interviews/Xavier+Samuel/starchat/811

Alice In Wonderland

While i know that most will be saying how much they loved Tim Burton's latest effort, Disney's "Alice In Wonderland", I must tell you this was probably his worst film since "Planet of The Apes". My first problem is the title, it should not be "Alice In Wonderland" because it is not, it is a generically plotted sequel created by Burton. I guess Disney wanted the original title for marketing reasons, but still there are better ways of doing such thing, they could have easily called it "Alice In Wonderland: Through The Looking Glass" or something to make a distinction from the famous story. Then there was the lack of background, the whole time i felt like i should have watched the Disney animated original before, and i was craving backgrounds on my favorites characters from wonderland, which is something i think Burton could have had a lot of fun with. I know i am not the only person who wanted to know how the Caterpillar became an addict.
Next comes the plot (spoiler alert), this film is about an outsider that comes to a tormented state, defeats a dragon, and puts the rightful ruler in place. ARE YOU SERIOUS. Teen movies have more original plots, you know whats going to happen 30 mins into the movie. Now on to Johnny Depp, arguably the best actor without an Oscar, and is known for going deep into character to create something unique and captivating. The Mad Hatter is probably the worst performance he has given in 20 years, now you could blame the writing, but he is talented enough to overcome such set backs (Chocolat). The character was flat, looked like he was in kabuki makeup, totally sane, and not very funny. The character also had this weird Scottish voice that he kept going in and out of, and it did not make him seem delightfully mad (which is what he is suppose to be), but really very weird ( weird like the kid in high school that wont take a shower after gym, not cool weird). Then to top it all off, there is a dance he does at the end of the film that almost made me ask for my money back.
Now i know that i won't be in the majority on this, but i was also not that crazy about the set. It was good for for most films, but i feel if they had gone the other way and tried to create the sets it could have been much more awe inspiring. Crispin Glover's animation was a little off too.
There were some great parts in this film also. Mia Wasikowska who plays Alice is amazing, she hit her character spot on changing from a frustrated girl to a strong young woman. It would be easy to say that most men would want to purpose to her by the end of the film. Helen Bonham Carter was the stand out of the film with her big head, hilarious cruelty, and surprising girlishness, shown in a scene on a balcony with Crispin Glover. This film really makes me wish we saw her in more things other than her partner's movies. The last part of the film i am going to praise are the scenes outside of Wonderland. They were spectacular, they were excellently written with very dry humor and these were also the most beautiful scenes visually. Each shot looks like it could have been a rococo painting.
My suggestion to all is to go see the film since everyone else is but don't pay extra for 3D. And don't let all the pretty colors fool you. we should expect much more from Depp and Burton.

what is this about?

Pretty much this blog will be about things that i feel are important to me at the time. This can be news, politics or just what i did that day. While there never may be a central theme of this blog, there will probably be an emphasis on movies, due to the fact that i watch a ridiculous amount of films, but there will be more than just that addressed.

My blog in the coming days will be detailing my trip to South By South West (SXSW)for spring break.

Hope to have a follower by next Friday.