Review: "Jonah Hex" is Not Really THAT Bad

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 93 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Jonah Hex (2010)
Running time: 81 minutes (1 hour, 21 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images and sexual
DIRECTOR: Jimmy Hayward
WRITERS: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor; from a story by William Farmer and Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (based upon the characters appearing in magazines published by DC Comics created by John Albano and Tony DeZuniga)
PRODUCERS: Akiva Goldsman and Andrew Lazar
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mitchell Amundsen (D.o.P)
EDITORS: Kent Beyda, Dan Hanley, Tom Lewis, and Fernando Villena
COMPOSERS: Marco Beltrami and Mastodon

WESTERN/ACTION with elements of horror

Starring: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Aidan Quinn, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, John Gallagher, Jr., Tom Wopat, Michael Shannon, Wes Bentley, John McConnell, and Lance Reddick with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (no screen credit)

Jonah Hex is a recent Western, released by Warner Bros. Pictures this past June. The title character, Jonah Hex, is one of DC Comics’ Western characters, and this anti-hero type is a bounty hunter whose face is horribly scarred on the right side. Created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga, Jonah Hex made his first appearance in the early 1970s.

During the American Civil War, Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) fought for the Confederacy. However, Hex turned against his commanding officer, Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), after Turnbull ordered him to burn down a hospital. After the war, a vengeful Turnbull killed Hex’s wife and son and branded his initials into Hex’s face.

Most of the movie takes place in 1876. As the country prepares for the Centennial celebration, Turnbull plots a July 4th terrorist attack using a devastating super weapon, an attack he believes will topple the American government and destroy the nation. President Grant (Aidan Quinn) orders the U.S. military to find Jonah Hex, who has many warrants on his head, and make him an offer he can’t refuse. In exchange for his freedom (and some cash), Hex must stop Turnbull. Hex, who can temporarily resurrect and communicate with the dead, uses all his talents and an array of firearms to fight his way through Turnbull’s men. Hex also gets help from Lilah (Megan Fox), a gun-wielding prostitute in love with him.

Jonah Hex was a critical and commercial flop during its theatrical release. I initially avoided the movie because the trailers looked dumb, and I thought that the movie was probably even dumber. When the opportunity to see it came around again, the first thing I thought was, I bet I’ll like this movie. And I did.

Jonah Hex is not really all that bad a movie. First, it really isn’t a Western. It is more a weird faux-Western like Will Smith’s 1999 flick, Wild Wild West. Also, a lot of this is clearly tongue-in-cheek. The director, Jimmy Hayward, tries too hard to make this film different. The film really doesn’t have much in the way of familiar Hollywood Western iconography, visual cues, or symbolism. The creators dress this movie to look like a Western, then, do everything to make it not a Western. Still, the film, at times, manages to have some good, Western-style action sequences.

The film’s writers, William Farmer and the team of (Mark) Neveldine and (Brian) Taylor, pack the story with a lot of ideas to ponder, including weird occult stuff, the character of revenge, and nature of war. There are also many scenes that are extraneous and/or badly staged, such as the motion comic-like origin story early in the film. In a comic book, this heap of weird ideas and scenes would likely not be a problem. In a film, it just makes the narrative move awkwardly.

Ultimately, the cast does right by this movie. Megan Fox makes the best of a poorly designed character. John Malkovich is, as always, superb in menacing, villainous role. Michael Fassbender is a scene-stealer as Turnbull’s homicidal right-hand man, Burke. Of course, Josh Brolin continues to prove himself as an exciting movie star and high-quality actor. It is remarkable what he does with the cheesy dialogue here. Brolin makes me wish for a sequel that may likely never come. For all its faults, Jonah Hex is so weird and is such kooky fun that it is not actually that bad.

5 of 10
C+

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

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15 Animated Films Eligible for Oscar Consideration

Yesterday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 15 animated films eligible to be nominated in the category of "Best Animated Feature Film."  Under Academy rules, there must be 16 eligible films in order for there to be 5 films nominated in this category.  So because there are only 15 this year, there can only be 3 nominees.

Press release:

15 Animated Features Line Up for 2010 Oscar® Race

Beverly Hills, CA (November 15, 2010) – Fifteen features have been accepted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards®.

The 15 features are:
“Alpha and Omega”
“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”
“Despicable Me”
“The Dreams of Jinsha”
“How to Train Your Dragon”
“Idiots and Angels”
“The Illusionist”
“Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”
“Megamind”
“My Dog Tulip”
“Shrek Forever After”
“Summer Wars”
“Tangled”
“Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”
“Toy Story 3”

“The Dreams of Jinsha,” “The Illusionist,” “Summer Wars” and “Tangled” have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and meet the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process.

Under the rules for this category, in any year in which 8 to 15 animated features are released in Los Angeles County, a maximum of 3 motion pictures may be nominated. If 16 or more animated features are submitted and accepted in the category, a maximum of 5 motion pictures may be nominated.

Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Review: "Up" as Good as it Gets (and Belated Happy B'Day, Ed Asner)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2009) by Leroy Douresseaux

Up (2009)
Running time: 96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some peril and action
DIRECTORS: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
WRITERS: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson; from a story by Thomas McCarthy and Pete Doctor and Bob Peterson
PRODUCER: Jonas Rivera
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/DRAMA/FANTASY

Starring: (voices) Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, and Donald Fullilove

Pixar Animation Studios’ 10th computer-animated feature-length film is entitled Up. This visually and emotionally beautiful film is also the 10th example of how a group of animators and filmmakers can use their tools and workstations to create fully rounded stories with depth of character and storytelling. And Pixar does it better and more consistently than live action film studios. Up tells the story of a sour old man, a lonely boy, and an old house that sails through the air powered by thousands of balloons tied to the structure.

The story centers on a grouchy widower, Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner), a squat old fellow with a box-shaped head and square glasses parked on his bulb of a nose. A retired balloon salesman in his 70s, Carl mourns the loss of his wife, Ellie. Once upon a time, the couple dreamed of traveling to the mysterious South American locale of Paradise Falls. At age 78, life seems to have passed Carl; that is until it delivers two twists of fate.

First, a misunderstood confrontation threatens Carl’s home and freedom. He decides that he will take his home to Paradise Falls by floating the house there with the help of thousands of colorful balloons tied to it. Life’s second surprise comes in the form of a persistent, 8-year-old Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai). Russell becomes an accidental stowaway on the floating house – one that is not welcomed as far as Carl is concerned. However, the lad – himself round, buoyant, and bouncy as a balloon – proves to be an invaluable, loyal, and trustworthy pal, especially once the house finally lands.

Shortly after landing, Carl and Russell encounter a large flightless, ostrich-like bird, which Russell names Kevin. Kevin is being hunted by a vicious pack of dogs, led by a Doberman named Alpha (Bob Peterson). However, one of the dogs, Dug (Bob Peterson), the nerd of the pack, befriends Carl and Russell. Dug, like the other dogs, can speak because of a translating collar on his neck. But things really get hairy when Carl meets his boyhood idol, famed explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), who is obsessed with the mystery bird, Kevin.

Pixar’s films are always grounded in real emotion – whether it is a desperate father searching for his lost son (Finding Nemo), a marooned star determined to win again (Cars), or, as in this film, a grieving husband lost without his wife. Of all those films, Up seems to be the one best established on substantive ideas and themes. That might sound strange when considering (1) that Up is about a house that travels across continents by balloon power and (2) that for most of the movie, an old man with a lame hip and an eight-year-old kid drag the still floating house across rough terrain as if it were no more than a large and troublesome kite.

Yes, as is usual for a movie from Pixar (the gold standard in 3D/computer animation), the animation is superb. The sense of space (to say nothing of the composition, movement, and storytelling) in this 3D animation is superb. I’m starting to believe that 3D is the high-tech replacement for stop-motion animation. High-quality computer-animation gives the viewer the sense of watching something taking place on a stage, which is similar to the visual illusion stop-motion creates.

Yes, as is usual for a Pixar movie, the characters are also great. Only Pixar could make a animated feature that has as it star a widower who is almost 80-years-old, walks with a limp, and looks like a cross between Spencer Tracy and Walter Matthau, a great lead. But one superb character isn’t enough for a Pixar film. Up also gives Russell, a misfit boy who is braver than he’d believe himself to be; Charles Muntz, a man made dangerous and pathetic by his obsessions; and Dug, an adorable canine who personifies all that is good in a loyal dog. Even the weird bird Kevin manages to be something we’ve never seen before.

As I stated earlier, however, Up is about substance and not just flights of fantasy. In Carl and his former idol Charles, Up posits that obsession can drain away the will to truly live, and before the obsessed knows it, he is old and alone. The creators of Up dare to deal with the issue of loved ones dying and loved ones leaving us, and the film implores its viewers to have an adventure with the ones we have – the people who are with us and the people who want to be with us. The impressive thing is that this movie is hugely entertaining, but the escapism can’t cloud Up’s strong and clear messages.

10 of 10

Sunday, July 05, 2009

NOTES:
2010 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Michael Giacchino) and “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Pete Docter); 3 nominations: “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Michael Silvers and Tom Myers), “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Jonas Rivera) and “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (Bob Peterson-screenplay/story, Pete Docter-screenplay/story, and Thomas McCarthy-story)

2010 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Animated Film” (Pete Docter) and “Best Music” (Michael Giacchino); 2 nominations: “Best Screenplay – Original” (Bob Peterson and Pete Docter) and “Best Sound” (Tom Myers, Michael Silvers, and Michael Semanick)

2010 Golden Globes: 2 wins: “Best Animated Feature Film” “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Michael Giacchino)

2010 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Voice Performance” (Delroy Lindo)

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Tony Scott's Skill Undeniable in "Unstoppable"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 92 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Unstoppable (2010)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of action and peril, and some language
DIRECTOR: Tony Scott
WRITER: Mark Bomback
PRODUCERS: Eric McLeod, Mimi Rogers, Tony Scott, Julie Yorn, and Alex Young
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben Seresin
EDITOR: Robert Duffy and Chris Lebenzon
COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams

ACTION/THRILLER

Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee, Kevin Dunn, Kevin Corrigan, Kevin Chapman, Lew Temple, Elizabeth Mathis, Meagan Tandy, Jessy Schram, and David Warshofsky

Unstoppable, a new action thriller, is the fifth collaboration between Oscar-winning actor, Denzel Washington, and director Tony Scott, known for his stylish action movies and thrillers. The two have made some entertaining films (Crimson Tide, Man on Fire), but Unstoppable is truly a fine piece of work. It is a nail-biter, an edge-of-your seat thriller, and a heart-stopping movie that has many in the audience clapping, cheering, and laughing. Unstoppable is the great summer movie that somehow missed the summer.

The film focuses on Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington), a veteran locomotive engineer, and Will Colson (Chris Pine), a rookie train conductor. As the old guy being put out to pasture and the new guy who got in because of family connections, respectively, the two naturally find tension and conflict between them. That is put aside when a half-mile freight train ends up on the loose with no humans onboard to control it. The runaway train is headed for the Stanton Curve in Stanton, Pennsylvania, at 70 miles per hour, and it is carrying combustible liquids and toxic chemicals. Any train hitting the Stanton Curve at more than 15 miles per hour will derail to disaster. When all attempts fail to stop the locomotive, Barnes and Colson are the only people who can stop the train, but can they get to it in time?

I find it strange to write that Unstoppable is a Denzel Washington movie that is actually not quite a Denzel Washington movie. Of course, Washington is, as usual, good, and so is Chris Pine. The veteran Washington doesn’t steal thunder from his younger costar, as Pine’s Colson has plenty of opportunities to be heroic and shine. Both Barnes and Colson, however, are regular guys; they’re working stiffs. They are not necessarily hero types, although they do heroic things, and that serves this movie well, because, as I just said, this is not just a Denzel Washington movie. Unstoppable is a runaway-train-of-doom movie.

Director Tony Scott and screenwriter Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard) have transformed the locomotive into something as exciting and as mesmerizing as any Hollywood movie star. Scott not only makes the threat of annihilation by train seem real, but also the working class small towns threatened by the train and the gritty train yards where the mechanical beast originated.

This movie probably won’t win any Oscars, although composer Harry Gregson-Williams’ pounding, textured score (which at one pointed mimicked the sound of a panicked heartbeat) should get some consideration. With this film, Scott puts forth a directorial effort that doesn’t take second place to any of this year’s most popular action-oriented films like Alice in Wonderland and Inception. Bomback has fashioned a story that we need now – the tale of two men way over their heads and out of their league who put their lives on the line for people they don’t even know. Without a load of fancy CGI, Scott has reminded us that real world threats are every bit as scary as aliens and evil wizards.

Tony Scott has crafted a superb film. It’s one of those good movies we’re always demanding. Unstoppable, don’t stop yourself from seeing it.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, November 14, 2010

"Dolphin Tale" Begins Production with Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd

Press release:

“Dolphin Tale” is Underway

Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick, Jr. and Ashley Judd Lead the Cast in the Inspiring True-Life Story

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on Alcon Entertainment’s “Dolphin Tale,” inspired by the remarkable true story of a courageous dolphin named Winter and the compassionate people who banded together to save her life.

The film stars Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”), recording artist and actor Harry Connick Jr., award-winning actress Ashley Judd, and music and movie legend Kris Kristofferson. The main cast also features young actor Nathan Gamble (“Marley & Me”) and newcomer Cozi Zuehlsdorff, as well as the actual Winter, who plays herself in the movie.

“Dolphin Tale” is being directed by Charles Martin Smith (“Air Bud”) and produced by Alcon Entertainment’s Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove (Oscar® nominees for “The Blind Side”) and Richard Ingber. Robert Engelman and Steven P. Wegner are serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi, Charles Martin Smith and Jordan Roberts.

In announcing the start of production, producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove stated, “The real Winter has served as an example of courage, perseverance and hope to people around the world, and we’re hoping that the movie about her extraordinary rescue and recovery will also inspire, as well as entertain, audiences everywhere.”

Producer Richard Ingber added, “We are very excited to be filming ‘Dolphin Tale’ at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the very place where her story unfolded. And we are also thrilled to be working with Charlie and our amazing cast. But, without a doubt, Winter is the one who has captured all our hearts. She is a star in every sense of the word.”

Collaborating with Charles Martin Smith behind the scenes are director of photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub (“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”), editor Harvey Rosenstock (“Lottery Ticket”) and costume designer Hope Hanafin (“[500] Days of Summer”).

“Dolphin Tale” is being filmed on location in Florida, including Clearwater Marine Aquarium, whose motto is “Rescue, Rehabilitate and Return.”

Slated for release on September 16, 2011, “Dolphin Tale” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

"Splice" Merges the Monster Movie with the Family Drama

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 91 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Splice (2010)
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing elements including strong sexuality, nudity, sci-fi violence and language
DIRECTOR: Vincenzo Natali
WRITERS: Vincenzo Natali and Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor; from a story by Vincenzo Natali and Antoinette Terry Bryant
PRODUCER: Steven Hoban
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tetsuo Nagata (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michele Conroy

SCI-FI/HORROR/DRAMA

Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Cheneac, Brandon McGibbon, Simona Maicanescu, David Hewlett, and Abigail Chu

Splice is a science fiction and horror film with an international flavor – being a French, Canadian, and American co-production. It is also a kind of monster movie/family drama about two scientists and their taboo-obliterating creation.

Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Klast (Sarah Polley) are brilliant scientists who are as devoted to their careers as they are to one another. Their cutting-edge experiments in genetic engineering, which involve splicing together the DNA of different animals to create new hybrid animals, have made them superstars in their field. Now, they want to splice human DNA to animal DNA in order to create a hybrid that could potentially revolutionize science and medicine.

Although, N.E.R.D., the pharmaceutical giant that funds their research, forbids it, Clive and Elsa continue their unorthodox experiment to create a human-animal hybrid. The result is a female creature that Elsa names Dren (Delphine Cheneac). Clive starts to have misgivings about their creation and tells Elsa that they must destroy the creature. As their fantastical creation grows stronger and smarter, she also grows more dangerous.

Monster movies can be scary and thrilling or they can be creepy and disturbing. Splice is creepy and exceedingly disturbing, while managing to be more unsettling than scary. It really isn’t a cautionary tale about the misuse of science and man playing God. It is more a quirky take on the Frankenstein motif, with Clive and Elsa as two hubristic Victor Frankenstein-types, arrogantly going places that would give most scientists pause.

In a way, Splice is also a drama about a dysfunctional family. Once Clive and Elsa’s creature baby arrives, they are not as thrilled about being custodians as they were about being the first to create a human-animal hybrid. That pretty much sums up this movie’s eccentric narrative. It is smart and has a lot of ideas, but co-writer and director Vincenzo Natali and his co-writers, Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor, are constantly shifting this movie from one genre to another. Splice starts out as a science fiction movie, before becoming a monster movie when Dren arrives. Finally, it becomes a family drama, which is why the film seems longer than it is.

The story largely focuses on Clive, Elsa, and Dren, a dynamic that grows dull and cold pretty quickly. When other characters enter the narrative, the movie comes to life. That is where the real dramatic tension and conflict are. It is not about Clive and Elsa’s little secret family, but about what happens when other people get caught up in their web of deceit and have to deal with Dren. That is most obvious in the film’s final 20 minutes.

Regardless of its faults, Splice is too intriguing to ignore. Although it uses familiar ideas, Splice also manages to be fresh and smart when many science fiction and monster movies just want to be about the action and thrills.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, November 13, 2010

The Bieb, Bruno Mars to Rock The Grammy Nominations Concert

Press release:

"The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown to Music's Biggest Night®" to Feature Performances by Justin Bieber, B.o.B, Miranda Lambert, Bruno Mars, and Katy Perry LL Cool J Set to Host One-Hour Live Event on Dec. 1

CBS Entertainment Special Will Announce Nominations for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards Live from Club NOKIA in Los Angeles

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pop star Justin Bieber, rapper B.o.B, country artist Miranda Lambert, singer/songwriter/producer Bruno Mars, and pop star Katy Perry are the first performers announced for "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night®." Two-time GRAMMY winner LL Cool J once again is set to host the one-hour special, which takes place live on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Club NOKIA in Los Angeles. The show will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network from 10 – 11 p.m. ET/PT. Additional performers and presenters will be announced shortly. The special marks the third time nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced live on primetime television. Last year's airing of the nominations special reached more than 7 million viewers and led to double-digit percentage increases in all key demos for the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast earlier this year, delivering the show's best ratings in all key measures since 2004 and the biggest year-over-year increase in more than 20 years.

The road to Music's Biggest Night begins with "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!" and culminates with the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 and broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy®'s social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys, www.facebook.com/thegrammys.

"The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night" is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC and John Cossette Productions. John Cossette and Ken Ehrlich are the executive producers. LL Cool J is producer.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit http://www.grammy.com/. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.