Review: "The Master" Piece

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 17 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Master (2012)
Running time: 144 minutes (2 hours, 24 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexual content, graphic nudity and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson
PRODUCERS: Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, Daniel Lupi, and JoAnne Sellar
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mihai Malaimare Jr.
EDITORS: Leslie Jones and Peter McNulty
COMPOSER: Jonny Greenwood

DRAMA

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, Ambyr Childers, Rami Malek, Laura Dern, and Kevin J. O’Connor

The Master is a 2012 film drama from writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood). The film follows a World War II Naval veteran who returns to America unsettled and uncertain of his future – until he is tantalized by a new religion and its charismatic leader. The Master is also noted for its similarities to the life of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

The Master opens with a brief look at Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) and his service during World War II. After the war, Freddie is sex-obsessed and an alcoholic, and he struggles to adjust to post-war life. Early in 1950, Freddie is jobless and drifting, when he stows away on the yacht of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the founder and leader of a philosophical movement called “The Cause.”

Seeing something in Freddie, Dodd takes him into the movement, and Freddie travels with Dodd along the East Coast, spreading the teachings of The Cause. Freddie’s erratic and violent behavior, however, makes Dodd’s followers, especially Dodd’s wife, Peggy (Amy Adams), suspicious of him.

First, let me say, The Master is a film overflowing with quality. The cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. is some of the best that I’ve ever seen. The colors practically pulse with enchantment. Every so often, I come across a film score that affects me in ways that just seem to inspire me to better things. Jonny Greenwood, the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band, Radiohead, delivers such a score for The Master.

Yada, yada, yada: do I have to say that Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams deliver stellar performances? Of course, they do; it’s some of the best work these three actors have ever done.

Anderson takes what he gets from his collaborators and delivers a vibrant, uncompromising film in The Master. It is a trip down the piss-gold, yellow brick road into the American heart of darkness, delving into themes of master-disciple relationships, the yearning for success, and our urge to uncover each other’s secrets. The Master is challenging and frustrating, but for serious movie audiences, it is simply a gift.

Greenwood’s score, which Anderson uses to maximum effect, makes me think that, in some ways, The Master is a science fiction film. As much as the film delves into the past, it is about where the characters are going – their futures. At times, The Master looks like a weird science fiction film made in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The Master seems out of time, a movie that belongs to a time over a half-century ago, and it was trying to predict what the psychological state of affairs would be like after “The Cause” took over the world.

Anderson refuses to settle the matters of the characters by the end of this film –sorry for that semi-spoiler. However, The Master is the kind of movie that proves that film is indeed an art form and not merely a commercial endeavor for people and corporations that want fame and money.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2013 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Joaquin Phoenix), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Amy Adams)

2013 BAFTA Awards: 4 nominations: “Leading Actor” (Joaquin Phoenix), “Original Screenplay” (Paul Thomas Anderson), “Supporting Actor” (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and “Supporting Actress” (Amy Adams)

2013 Golden Globes, USA: 3 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Joaquin Phoenix), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Amy Adams)

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Happy Birthday, M.A.D.

I recently remembered that you loved those initials... and the magazine and it copycats and competitors.  So have a MAD Happy Birthday.

First "Hobbit" Film Over a Billion Dollars in Worldwide Box Office

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Crosses One Billion Dollars and Still Climbing

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” has surpassed the billion dollar milestone at the worldwide box office. The joint announcement was made today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema; Gary Barber, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios; Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures; and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

To date, the blockbuster has earned $301.4 million domestically. With its recent release in China, where it has grossed $37.3 million in 10 days, the film has earned a staggering estimated $700 million internationally, for a global total of $1 billion to date. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” becomes only the 15th film in history to exceed one billion dollars worldwide.

In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “We could not be more proud to have reached this amazing benchmark. Together with our partners at MGM and New Line, everyone at Warner Bros. congratulates Peter Jackson and his entire cast and crew on the extraordinary success of this film.”

Kwan Vandenberg said, “From Berlin to Beijing, it is so gratifying to see how the release of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ has been such an event with audiences around the world. We know that moviegoers everywhere are already excited about the next film, as are we.”

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Pictures, is the acclaimed first film in Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s epic “The Hobbit” Trilogy, based on the timeless novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. The film recently earned three Oscar® nominations, for Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

The film stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a WingNut Films Production, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” All three films in “The Hobbit” Trilogy, also including “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” and the final film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

www.thehobbit.com

Review: Average "Willow" Entertains

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 69 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux


Willow (1988)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Ron Howard
WRITERS: Bob Dolman; based upon a story by George Lucas
PRODUCER: Nigel Wooll
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Adrian Biddle
EDITORS: Daniel Hanley, Michael Hill, and Richard Hiscott
COMPOSER: James Horner
Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/ADVENTURE

Starring: Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, Patricia Hayes, Billy Barty, Pat Roach, Gavan O’Herlihy, David Steinberg, Mark Northover, Kevin Pollack, Rick Overton, Maria Holvoe, Julie Peters, Mark Vande Brake, Dawn Downing, Tony Cox, and Ruth & Kate Greenfield

The subject of this movie review is Willow, the 1988 fantasy film that was a collaboration between George Lucas and Ron Howard. Joe Johnston was also an associate producer on the film.

The 1988 film, Willow, which Ron Howard directed, was George Lucas’ attempt to do for fantasy films what Star Wars had done for science fiction films, but Willow’s box office receipts barely paid back the film’s production costs. Lucas reportedly studied mythology from around the world in the process of writing this film’s story, but in the end, he borrowed heavily from author J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (which nearly a decade and a half later became an international super hit film trilogy) the way he borrowed from author Frank Herbert’s Dune for Star Wars. Willow is by no means great, but it’s a good, entertaining fantasy adventure for the juvenile, teens, and adults who like fantasy films, although Willow is low-wattage compared to the intensity of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films.

In the story, Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis), the member of a dwarfish race called the “Nelwyn,” takes possession of Elora Danan (Ruth & Kate Greenfield), a special baby girl sought by an evil sorceress, Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh). Bavmorda wants to kill Elora because a certain prophecy says the child will cause Bavmorda’s destruction. Willow, who is also an apprentice sorcerer, must take the baby girl back to her people, all while being pursued by Bavmorda’s soldiers. Through the difficult journey, Willow is joined on his quest by the boastful and loony swordsman, Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), and two sarcastic brownies, a type of diminutive fairy.

Although Willow borrows from such high fantasy tales at the Rings trilogy, the film is more grounded in reality, more earthy. In Willow, magic is inconsistent, and practitioners must rely as much on their wits and skills to survive as they do on magic. The film is notable for the fact that the hero is played by a dwarf actor, and the both of the powerful magic users are old women. However, nothing much about the film stands out as memorable, except for James Horner’s fabulous score, which borrows heavily from other musical sources, in particularly Mozart. The other item of note is a giant two-headed dragon that appears in the middle of the film’s narrative. It was one of the early attempts at adding computer-generated characters into live action film.

5 of 10
B-

Friday, May 20, 2005

NOTES:
1989 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing” (Ben Burtt and Richard Hymns) and “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Dennis Muren, Michael J. McAlister, Phil Tippett, and Christopher Evans)

1989 Razzie Awards: 2 nominations: “Worst Screenplay” (Bob Dolman; George Lucas-story) and “Worst Supporting Actor” (Billy Barty)

Ron Howard, Warwick Davis to Tweet "Willow" Anniversary

DIRECTOR RON HOWARD AND STAR WARWICK DAVIS REUNITE ON TWITTER TO CELEBRATE THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF "WILLOW"

WHAT:
Join Director Ron Howard and star Warwick Davis for an exclusive Artist to Artist Twitter chat in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Willow! Fans can even join in the conversation by tweeting questions using the hashtag #WillowChat.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the unforgettable classic, Willow, has been fully digitally restored and debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack March 12, 2013 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

The Willow Blu-ray and DVD include a dazzling array of extras with never-before-seen exclusive content such as deleted scenes with remarks from Ron Howard, a personal video diary of Warwick Davis, matte paintings and much more. In addition, look out for Ron Howard’s new introduction for the original 1988 featurette “The Making of an Adventure,” as well as special effect legend Dennis Muren’s new intro to his piece, “From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking.”

WHO:
Director, Ron Howard - @RealRonHoward
Actor, Warwick Davis - @WarwickADavis

WHEN:
Tuesday, March 12
2:00pm – 2:30pm PST

WHERE:
Twitter - #WillowChat

"War Witch" Tops 2013 Canadian Screen Awards

by Leroy Douresseaux

War Witch was named the “Best Motion Picture” of 2012 at the 2013 Canadian Screen Awards. Kim Nguyen, director of War Witch, won “Achievement in Direction.”

This was the inaugural Canadian Screen Awards, which honor achievements in Canadian film and television production, as well as achievements in digital media. In 2012, the formerly separate Genie Awards (for film) and Gemini Awards (for television) merged into a single ceremony, the Canadian Screen Awards.

War Witch, which is also known by its French-language name, Rebelle, swept away nearly all competition at the inaugural Canadian Screen Awards broadcast gala Sunday night (March 3, 2013). The Congo-set drama about child soldiers won in 10 of the 12 categories for which it was nominated.

War Witch’s teen star, Rachel Mwanza, won “Actress in a Leading Role.” Mwanza once lived on the streets of Kinshasa (the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Now, she is earning accolades internationally for her performance as Komona, a child forced to kill her parents and join a local warlord’s band of soldiers

The 2013 Canadian Screen Award winners:

Film categories:

Best Motion Picture: War Witch

Achievement in Direction: Kim Nguyen, War Witch

Actor in a Leading Role: James Cromwell, Still Mine.

Actress in a Leading Role: Rachel Mwanza, War Witch.

Actor in a Supporting Role: Serge Kanyinda, War Witch.

Actress in a Supporting Role: Seema Biswas, Midnight’s Children

Original Screenplay: Kim Nguyen, War Witch

Adapted Screenplay: Salman Rushdie, Midnight’s Children

Art Direction/Production Design: Emmanuel Frechette and Josée Arsenault, War Witch.

Make-Up: Colleen Quinton, Kathy Kelson, Michelle Cote, and Martin LaPointe, Laurence Anyways.

Costume Design: Xavier Dolan and François Barbeau, Laurence Anyways.

Cinematography: Nicolas Bolduc, War Witch.

Editing: Richard Comeau, War Witch.

Music - Original Score: Howard Shore, Cosmopolis.

Music - Original Song: Howard Shore, Emily Haines, James Shaw, “Long to Live” (from Cosmopolis)

Overall Sound: Claude La Haye, Daniel Bisson, Bernard Gariepy Stroble, War Witch.

Sound Editing: Martin Pinsonnault, Jean-Francois, B. Sauve, Simon Meilleur, and Claire Pochon, War Witch.

Feature Length Documentary Award: Sarah Polley and Anita Lee, Stories We Tell.

Short Documentary: Ariel Nasr and Annette Clarke, The Boxing Girls of Kabul.

Live Action Short Drama: Miranda de Pencier and Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Throat Song.

Animated Short: Dominic Étienne Simard and Julie Roy, Paula.

Visual Effects: Dennis Beradi, Jason Edwardh, Matt Glover, Trey Harrell, Leann Harvey, Jo Hughes, Ethan Lee, Scott Riopelle, Eric Robinson, and Kyle Yoneda, Resident Evil: Retribution.

Television categories:

Dramatic Series: Flashpoint.

Comedy Program/Series: Less Than Kind.

International Drama: The Borgias.

Lead Actor in a Dramatic Role: Enrico Colantoni, Flashpoint.

Lead Actress in a Dramatic Role: Meg Tilly, Bomb Girls.

Lead Actor in a Comedic Role: Gerry Dee, Mr. D.

Lead Actress in a Comedic Role: Wendel Meldrum, Less Than Kind.

Reality/Competition Program: Dragon’s Den.

News Anchor: Peter Mansbridge, CBC News The National.

Sports Host or Analyst: Brian Williams, London 2012 Olympic Games.

Host in a Variety, Lifestyle, Reality/Competition, Performing Arts or Talk Program: George Stroumboulopoulos, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.

Previously announced awards:

Claude Jutra Award for Best First Feature Film: Jason Buxton, Blackbird.

Cineplex Golden Reel Award: Resident Evil: Retribution

Academy Special Film Award: Victor Loewy, former head of Alliance and Vivafilm.

Review: "Sinister" is Indeed Sinister

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 16 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Sinister (2012)
Running time: 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing violent images and some terror
DIRECTOR: Scott Derrickson
WRITERS: Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill
PRODUCERS: Jason Blum and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Christopher Norr (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Frédéric Thoraval
COMPOSER: Christopher Young

HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton Thompson, James Ransone, Michael Hall D’Addario, Clare Foley, and Nick King with Vincent D’Onofrio (no screen credit)

Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film and mystery thriller from director Scott Derrickson. Starring Ethan Hawke, the film focuses on a true-crime writer who finds a cache of 8mm "snuff" films in his new home and then begins an investigation of what seems like the work of a serial killer.

Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) is a washed up true-crime novelist whose last hit was a decade ago, a controversial book called Kentucky Blood. He is desperate to find a murder case that he can turn into another hit true-crime novel. Ellison moves his family into a Pennsylvania house where the previous family was found murdered. Four of the family members were hanging from a tree, while a fifth member, a daughter, was missing.

Oddly, Ellison does not tell his wife, Tracy (Juliet Rylance), about the house’s terrible history, and the family never really settles into their new home. Their son, Trevor (Michael Hall D’Addario), starts having the worst night terrors he’s ever had, and their daughter, Ashley (Clare Foley), is painting bizarre pictures on the walls.

Ellison finds a box containing some reels of Super 8 film and a projector. This discovery leads him to begin researching a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960s. As Ellison tries to solve this mystery, a sinister force threatens him and his family.

Watching Sinister, I was reminded of how important sound effects and music are to horror films, thrillers, and other scary movies. There are indeed some creepy visuals and ideas in Sinister, but sound is what makes this movie really work the scares. Creaking noises in the house, footsteps in the night, gusts of wind, and everything that seems determined to go bump in the night, especially when someone is alone. The excellent sound effects in this movie had me watching the film in what was almost like a fetal position. And the music: it won’t make you shake your ass, but it’ll have you quaking in your boots.

I don’t want to spoil too much for potential viewers, but I must complain about the villain. He was less supernatural disturbing and more low-rent death metal scary. Sinister’s ending is a bit of a letdown, compared to the sheer frightener that the rest of this flick is.

Ethan Hawke carries this movie because the story is largely centered on Ellison Oswalt (a moniker that apparently blends the names of writer Harlan Ellison and actor/comedian Patton Oswalt). It’s a good performance with depth. Horror movie require that the viewer suspend disbelief, but this film explains why someone would do stupid things when faced with the supernatural. Ellison Oswalt is obsessed with writing a book, and his obsession makes his already self-centered nature even worse, to the point that he makes nothing but bad decisions. Hawke’s performance conveys this.

I did also like James Ransone as the sadly under-utilized character, Detective So-and-So. Once again, I want to do something I generally avoid. I want to heartily recommend Sinister. Even with its ending, it’s one of the best horror movies of the year 2012.

7 of 10
A-

Sunday, March 03, 2013