Category Archives: Movie News and Articles

“ANDY GRIFFITH – AN AMERICAN ICON”

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Andy Griffith

While Andy Griffith did appear in a few feature films and was an accomplished singer, he will always be remembered for his contributions to television. From 1960 to 1968 Andy Griffith starred in the appropriately titled “The Andy Griffith Show”. The series became a major hit for CBS. In 1986 he returned to TV starring in the popular series “Matlock”. It ran for almost 10 years and once again solidified Griffith’s status as a television icon.

Andy Griffith, a man known in every American household and many around the world, died yesterday at the age of 86.

Over the years “The Andy Griffith Show” became an American cultural phenomenon. While it was immensely popular during its original run, an argument can be made that it was never more popular than when it went into syndication. Generation after generation has watched and laughed at the exploits of Andy, Barney, Opie, Aunt Bee, Gomer, Floyd, Otis, Earnest T., and others in the fictional but beloved town of Mayberry. My grandparents liked the show. My parents love it. I love it. Now my children – aged 8 and 10 – both love it.

“The Andy Griffith Show” is the definition of timeless. After all this time it still stands strong and it’s rare to find someone who really dislikes it. It was wonderfully written and centered around an assortment of fantastic characters. It also still shows that you can create a genuinely funny product without all of the filth and raunch that seems to be the lazy gimmick of choice in the world of modern comedy – television or film. You can actually watch it with your whole family without being on constant guard. And like “Matlock” what really made the show work was Andy Griffith. He was the stabilizing force and even the host of hilarious side characters played off of him.

Andy Griffith was a true entertainment icon and his passing reminds us of his amazing contributions. Many of us will grow old  remembering the exploits of Andy and Barney – talking about show after show while remembering scene after scene in vivid detail – still laughing after all of these years. THAT is a sign of true comedy. Thank you Andy.

Five Great Scenes From “Midnight in Paris”

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Ok, I’ve never been what you would call a Woody Allen fan. That being said, I can’t express how much I enjoy “Midnight in Paris. It’s a movie that features some great laughs and the best performance from a usually annoying Owen Wilson. It’s a romance film but not in the traditional sense. The true love of the movie is the city and it’s magic. It’s the city that brings Gil Pender (Wilson) to realize some very important things about himself and his life. It’s the city that Gil’s in love with and it’s the city that helps him get on the right path in life.

Now I know that one reason I responded so strongly to this movie was because of my current trip to Paris. As I sit here soaking up all this glorious place has to offer, I understand what Allen in conveying in his film. Paris is a city like no other. It’s living and breathing. It’s a place filled with history, style, and beauty, all things that “Midnight in Paris” presents. So my opinion of the movie is most certainly influenced by my expectations of what I’m now experiencing here in Paris, France.

But let’s not get bogged down in just that. “Midnight in Paris” is also laugh out loud hilarious. The characters are fantastic and for my money it features some of Woody Allen’s best writing. Filmed at various locations here in Paris (some we have already visited), Allen places his characters right in the middle of this city both past and present day. The performances are top-notch and the feeling of nostalgia is impossible to deny. It’s a beautiful film that I just love talking about.

So, before we head off to a local cafe and take a stroll in the Latin Quarter, I thought I would share five great scenes from this movie I love. Now, last Sunday I did a Phenomenal 5 on Paris movie scenes and #2 was the gorgeous opening montage of “Midnight in Paris”. Since I’ve already used it I’ll leave it out here. But it is an amazing opening sequence that I have watched over and over. These scenes I have picked are just samples of what makes this movie so good. Great laughs, great characters, great performances, great city!

 #1 – GIL MEETS THE FITZGERALDS

One of my favorite scenes in “Midnight in Paris” is where Gil meets Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald (played brilliantly by Alison Pill and Tom Hiddleston). After getting lost in the streets of Paris, Gil is picked up by an antique car which whisks him away to 1920’s Paris. He arrives at a bar where a party is going on and bumps into the Fitzgeralds. Gil’s confusion mixed with amazing portrayals from Hiddleston and Pill make this a hysterical scene. And even though it’s completely preposterous, the environment, the music, and the performances make this strikingly believable. Hiddleston alone makes this scene with his chipper expressions and hilarious line deliveries. I love it.

#2 – DEBATE AT THE RODIN MUSEUM

We all know people like Paul (Michael Sheen) from “Midnight in Paris”. He’s one of those who thinks he’s a lot smarter than he actually is. He’s an old friend of Gil’s fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) and she is enamored by his immense knowledge of Paris and it’s history even though most of his “knowledge” is flat-out wrong. A great example of this is the scene in the gardens at the Rodin Museum. Paul, flexing his pseudo-intellectual muscle, actually argues with the museum tour guide regarding Rodin’s past relationships. Paul is clearly wrong, but you know guys like this, they’ll never be convinced of it. Sheen’s delivery is hilarious and Rodin himself couldn’t have convinced this know-it-all otherwise. *(Yes, I know this photo isn’t from the Rodin Museum scene but it perfectly captures the Paul character).

#3 – A CHAT WITH HEMINGWAY

Corey Stoll’s portrayal of Earnest Hemingway was absolutely phenomenal. We’re introduced to him after Gil leaves the above mentioned party with the Fitzgeralds in search of more lively entertainment. They enter a bar where Hemingway is sitting alone in the corner. We just stand there alongside Gil and watch as a hilarious conversation takes place between Hemingway and the Fitzgeralds. It’s clear that Zelda doesn’t like Earnest and she takes off. F. Scott soon follows leaving Gil to share a conversation about life and  writing with one of his literary idols. Stoll speaks like Hemingway wrote which adds an ever funnier element to their conversation. This is a key moment in the film that begins Gil’s new perspective on life. It’s also extremely funny.

#4 – A NIGHT WALK WITH ADRIANA

After several trips back in time, Gil finds himself mesmerized by the beautiful Adriana (Marion Cotillard). He finally gets some meaningful time alone with her as they share a romantic walk on a beautiful Paris night. The cool 1920’s feel mixed with the beauty of the city of lights is the perfect setting for the movie’s most romantic scene. Woody Allen also uses Gil to once again speak of the allure of the city. It makes you question who he’s attracted to more, Adriana or the city? This is such a wonderful scene that moves which such grace, all as the equally beautiful “Parlez-moi d’amour” plays in the background. Call me a sap but this is a great scene.

#5 –  PARIS IN THE RAIN

The movie ends with Gil walking alone in the Paris night. He’s broken it off with Inez and has realized his desire for the past was misguided and that every era has their own problems. Unsure of everything, he bumps into Gabrielle (Lea Seydoux) again on the beautiful Pont Alexandre III bridge. The two strike up a conversation and Gil tells her that he will be staying in Paris. There is an obvious attraction between them which is only solidified when a small rain shower pops up. The two walk off together enjoying the rain and the city. While Gil thought he once again had no direction in his life, Paris takes him by the hand and sets his course. What a great way to end the movie.

Well, that’s all for now. I have fountains, paintings, a buttered baguette, and a cozy cafe in my immediate future. What did you think of “Midnight in Paris”. Hopefully you liked it as much as I did. Please fell free to share your thoughts on it. And until I hit the states again…au revior.

OFF TO PARIS, FRANCE 2012

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I love the months of June and July because for my family that means VACATION TIME! We’re doing something special next week. My wife and I are going on a trip to Paris, France as an early 20th wedding anniversary celebration. Sooo, that means no movies (and obviously no movie reviews) for the next several days. But I do have a couple of cool posts planned including my “Prometheus” review (posted earlier today) and a special Phenomenal 5  Sunday that will tie in nicely to our trip.

I’ve got a great wife and this should be a great trip. It is gonna be weird being away from our children for so long. We’ve never been away from them this long and I’m definitely going to be thinking of them. God has blessed me beyond measure and this trip is a celebration of that as well. We live in a big world and anytime we have the chance to see it, we should take advantage of it.

But I do plan on checking in and maybe even sharing a cool photo or two during our stay. So keep your eye out for a “Live from Paris, France” post or two! Until then…

“DJANGO UNCHAINED” – Breaking down the trailer…

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Everyone has probably seen the new “Django Unchained” trailer that is supposed to hit big screens in front of tomorrow’s “Prometheus”. It’s the new film from Quentin Tarantino that’s set to be released this Christmas. This is a highly anticipated trailer from a highly anticipated film. In fact it’s #8 on my “Most Anticipated Films of 2012” list. But I have to admit, I have mixed feelings when it comes to Tarantino and I also had mixed feelings after seeing the trailer.

Some view Tarantino as a visionary and a filmmaking genius. For me, he has an undeniable style. His visual presentation is very impressive and the way he crafts his stories show off a slick and unique flare for storytelling. But while I think Tarantino is a solid director in terms of style, I’ve never seen him as the writing genius that others have. I think he is a case of style over substance. Now don’t misunderstand me. Not ever movie has to be thick with complexity. There’s nothing wrong with making simple but stylish films. Some have made the case for the underlying themes found in many of Tarantino’s pictures. Some I can see while others are a bit of a stretch. If their were more deeper meaning to his films, they didn’t connect with me. I tend to see his movies as hyper-violent exercises broken down by clever and unique forms of storytelling. In other words, a simple story told with a slick visual style.

This brings me to “Django Unchained”. I was really anxious to see this trailer for several reasons. First, I was interested to see how Tarantino would present the “old west”. Say what you will about him, but Tarantino is a film lover first so the fact that he would invest in creating a modern-day spaghetti western really appealed to me. That brings me to the second reason I was excited about this trailer (and film). I love the spaghetti western genre. Sergio Leone remains one of my favorite directors of all time and his spaghetti westerns remain my favorite westerns of all time. “A Fistful of Dollars”, “For a Few Dollars More”, “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly”, and “Once Upon a Time in the West” are wonderful films and seeing Tarantino tip his hat to them is great.

That being said, the trailer left me feeling mixed. Now let me preface this by saying that I know you don’t judge a movie by a trailer. Just look at the first trailer for “The Avengers”. It was slow and pretty lifeless yet the movie was a fun action romp that I loved. But there were things with the “Django Unchained” trailer that really left me scratching my head. One key issue I had was the jarring shift in tone after Django is, well, unchained. The James Brown music kicks in which I thought was a little self-indulgent. The movie seemed to be flaunting it’s cleverness and style at the cost of setting the mood and tone. I was also surprised at some of the cheesy lines that, again, seems more aimed at a comedy that a spaghetti western. On the flip side, the production value looks fantastic and it doesn’t look as if Tarantino is going to shy away from the grit you’ll find in many of the great spaghetti westerns. Then there’s the fun assortment of characters. Let’s take a look at the big three:

DJANGO – (Jaime Foxx)

My biggest question mark for this entire production was the casting of Jaime Foxx. It’s said that originally Will Smith was sought after for the part but I’m not sure he would be a big step-up from Foxx for this type of role. Foxx is a decent enough actor. I liked him in “Ray” but not as much as most people. I actually thought he was better in “Collateral Damage” and in his sketch comedy work on the TV show “In Living Color”. There are elements to each of these past performances in the “Django Unchained” trailer. But the trailer did nothing to really sell me on Foxx as a genuine western buttkicker. At times it seemed like he was doing straight parody and it didn’t really work for me. Can Foxx handle this role remains the biggest question for me moving ahead.

 DR. KING SCHULTZ – (Christoph Waltz)

I love Christoph Waltz. He was the very best thing about Tarantino’s last film “Inglourious Basterds”. So naturally I was drawn to the idea of him playing a German bounty hunter in the wild west. Waltz seems to have a wide range and I have no doubt he will be able to handle this material. He looks right at home with the Schultz character and even with his exposition-heavy contribution to the trailer, I found myself drawn to him. Unfortunately he looks to be softer and friendlier than I hope he turns out to be and he features a gun draw so slow that he would never live through a Sergio Leone duel. But Schultz looks to be an intriguing character and it’s still unclear whether he’s to be trusted or not.

CALVIN CANDIE – (Leonardo DiCaprio)

Talk about an actor that has really shown a range. DiCaprio has proven to be more than capable of handling a wide assortment of roles and he certainly was an interesting choice to play the evil plantation owner Calvin Candie. The first thing we quickly notice is that DiCaprio is having tons of fun with this role. He clearly has a ruthless side but there is a suave and sophisticated charm about him as well. In the trailer DiCaprio shows us a character that seems completely self-absorbed but yet mesmerizing. Plus he has the best line of the entire trailer: “Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention”. Of all that I saw in this trailer, DiCaprio’s character and performance excited me the most.

So there’s a few thought’s on the trailer so many are talking about. Have you seen the “Django Unchained” trailer yet? What were your thoughts?

It’s Official…I’m 3D’d Out

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3D technology in movies dates back to the 1920’s and really found an audience during the 1950’s. It made several reappearances often times finding and wowing audiences. But the technology is also known for it’s dissappearances as the interest fades in what some view as a fancy gimmick. Right now we are in the middle of one of those 3D waves. But have they finally gotten it right and made it a viable storytelling tool that will stick around for a while? Or has the high ticket prices and mediocre transfers already driven off movie fans?

James Cameron and “Avatar” was the movie that really brought 3D back and I have to say it impressed me more than any other previous attempt at 3D movie making. While his unoriginal, paper-thin plot and political/environmental preachiness killed “Avatar”, it was still a technical marvel and his use of 3D was a sight to behold. It was the first time I could really say the 3D grabbed me and pulled me into a movie. It wasn’t just about “pop out of the screen” moments. Cameron truly made his movie come alive with clever camera work and an amazing depth.

One of the things that made “Avatar” work visually was that from the start it was shot for 3D. It didn’t take me long to see that it makes a world of difference. Before long several post production 3D transfers started hitting theaters with noticeably lesser results. As with many things, the studios saw dollar signs and started putting out more and more of these underwhelming 3D productions. After seeing several movies where I felt ripped off by the higher prices I’ve moved back to 2D. Unless a movie is getting rave reviews for it’s 3D by other reviewers and if given the choice, I’m going with 2D.

So has this reemergence of 3D reached it’s apex and now heading downhill or is there still more on the horizon? There’s no denying that 3D has shown itself to be a very effective way to tell a story. But with so many lackluster 3D movies coming out, it seems that the technology could be doomed to fail. In a way it will be sad if it does fall by the wayside simply because it looked like they finally got it right. They simply didn’t know when enough is enough.

What are your thoughts on today’s 3D?

MEMORIAL DAY… A DAY TO REMEMBER

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 Instead of doing a Phenomenal 5 today, I thought it much more appropriate just to say thank you to all the men and women who have served our country to defend the precious freedoms we experience today. So many have sacrificed so much. Families are still feeling the loss of loved ones who were willing to give all. As I’ve watched several war pictures over the last couple of days it’s reminded me of the cost to maintain liberty and freedom. Movies can be a powerful source of information and reflection and Memorial Day is a prime example of that.

My grandfather was Lieutenant Colonel in the Army during World War 2. He took part in the North African campaign before moving into Italy as the Allies fought through Europe. As a teenager (and into my early 20’s), I appreciated his service and had a few conversations with him about it. But I don’t think I appreciated it as much as I do now. He’s not here today. He passed away in 1995. He sent so many interesting things back home to my grandmother from his time at war and we still have some of the most amazing photos of his time there. But I would give anything to have the opportunity to sit down with him now and just listen. He gave me so many reasons to be proud to be called his grandson. His service to his country is one of them.

So many people have similar stories. So many have relatives or friends who served their country with honor. This is a special day where we can remember and say thank you. Whether it be a day at the lake, a cookout with the family, or enjoying patriotic war movies – enjoy the day. But remember exactly why you’re able to do so. Think about those who have served and take time to say a prayer of thanks to God for giving us those men and women who sacrificed so much.