Where the Long Tail Ends

Kurosawa, In Order #11 – Rashomon

Robert Reineke — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:43:05 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #11 – Rashomon Where the Long Tail Ends

RASHOMON (1950)

Writing about Rashomon at this late stage is a challenge to a reviewer. What possibly can be added to the conversation? The orthodox view is that it’s one of the greatest movies ever made. One can even proclaim it as the greatest movie ever without it being considered a particularly controversial opinion. So much has been written about Rashomon that it’s hardly necessary to add to the conversation. Yet, Rashomon is all about the subjectivity of perception, so it invites an individual response like few other movies.

Given its historical reception, it’s perhaps surprising to learn that it was a struggle for as accomplished a director as Kurosawa to get Rashomon made in the first place. Rashomon was based on a pair of short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, “Rashomon” and “In a Grove”. “Rashomon” basically gives the frame of the film, a ruined station where travelers relate how harsh the world is, while “In a Grove” tells the story that makes up the center of the film, a bandit, a samurai, the samurai’s wife, rape, and murder, only with seven different witnesses to the tale. “In a Grove” basically concludes that there is no single truth, although Kurosawa obviously had a different opinion. But, Kurosawa’s conception of the film was tough for the studio heads to comprehend. There was no movie precisely like Rashomon before Kurosawa made it. Even Citizen Kane, with its mixed film stock and telling the story from several different points of view is more a puzzle movie, fitting since jigsaw puzzles are featured in the film, than a statement on subjectivity. We’ve lost that sense of revolution since Rashomon has become so fixed in cinema, but every studio rightly viewed it as a risk that would leave audiences bewildered. It took Kurosawa several years to get the film made, through his own perseverance and belief in the project.

What’s more it was a break for Kurosawa from what he had been doing. Kurosawa had abandoned the historical film for about half a decade in favor of the contemporary neo-realist film. Turning away from contemporary concerns signals a change in Kurosawa the director, a director now most interested in “big picture” ideas. Kurosawa would return to contemporary concerns and stories, but the rest of his career springboards from Rashomon to a remarkable extent.

But enough rambling, it’s time to get on to the film.

Kurosawa opens on the impressive ruins of a Japanese traveler’s station, Rashomon station, amidst a truly epic downpour. It’s not an exaggeration to claim that the heavens’ weep as the question of whether there’s any truth in the world is pondered. Usually, Kurosawa’s weather tends to merely comment on the action, but in this case the weather affects the plot. It forces three characters, a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura), a priest (Minoru Chiaki), and a commoner (Kichijiro Ueda) together as they await the passing of the storm.

Kurosawa reveals the woodcutter and priest through a series of axial cuts, putting his mark on the film. Even before the commoner shows up, we can see that something is bothering the pair. It doesn’t take the commoner long to figure that out either. Given that they’re all trapped by the storm, a story to ponder and pass the time sets up the flashbacks that drive the film.

It doesn’t take much cajoling and the woodcutter relates his story of finding the body of a samurai (Masayuki Mori) and the subsequent trial. It opens with one of the most famous sequences of Kurosawa’s career as the film follows the woodcutter’s trek into the woods. There are cuts on action, tracking shots, and shots of the sun through the leaves of the trees. It’s been mistakenly referred to as the first time that a movie camera was pointed at the sun, Kurosawa himself did it earlier with Stray Dog, but it’s certainly the first widely seen movie to do so.

The sun shining through the leaves is important, Kurosawa isn’t creating a noir styled world in the woods, but a dappled world with light and shadow existing simultaneously and not being extreme in either sense. It’s a world not of stark blacks and whites and it comments on the story being told. Visually the film is a masterpiece, not just in the selection of shots but in keeping every shot consistent with the story being told.

Then, of course, the body of the samurai is discovered and the film shifts from the grove to the trial.

Kurosawa attempted breaking the fourth wall, unsuccessfully, in One Wonderful Sunday. He doesn’t quite break the fourth wall in the trial sequences in Rashomon, but he certainly pushes up against the wall as the characters testify directly to the camera. We, the audience, are to judge the testimony. While we can’t rely on much beyond the framing sequence, the simple trick of putting the audience as the judge of the action tells us that this section is to be regarded as reliable. The judge is never heard, even though he could have done so off camera, further heightening the illusion. Recently, A Separation used a similar setup for its story, another film where the audience is asked to judge right and wrong, truth and fiction, and the device is still effective to this day.

This is followed by the testimony of the priest, just confirming some facts as to the whereabouts of the samurai and his wife (Machiko Kyu). Finally, we have a policeman (Daisuke Kato) bring out the bandit Tajomaru (Toshiro Mifune) and we start to get to what exactly happened in the grove of trees.

Before we dive into that, it’s worth noting that Rashomon features big ideas on what must have been a fairly modest budget. The court of law is basically a gravel courtyard with a wall in the background. There’s some on location filming in the woods. The one major set, the ruined Rashomon station seems to be the only major expenditure on Kurosawa’s part. Couple it with the fact that there are only eight speaking parts in Rashomon (half present in the above picture) and it’s an example of getting the most for your budget.

Getting back to the story, the scruffy, fleshy Toshiro Mifune is the image I have of the great actor and this is the first appearance of Mifune in that form. I like the more urban image of Mifune from Kurosawa’s earlier films, but getting a raw, unrestrained costume to go with Mifune’s often unrestrained characters really makes an impression. Unfortunately, Mifune goes too big in this role. The character is meant to be a braggart so it’s not a real flaw in the film, but Mifune could have dialed it down without losing the essence of the character. He’s a big character, but not bigger than life even if Tajomaru frames his story on a grand scale.

One of the things that notable about Rashomon is that even though it’s making a statement about one idea, the subjectivity of truth, it knows when to ponder other ideas. The notion of luck plays a role in Rashomon. Things may have turned out differently if the wind had not picked the right opportunity to unveil Machiko Kyu’s fact to Tajomaru. Or if Tajomaru had stumbled in battle at the wrong time. These ideas aren’t just in the script, but are evident in how Kurosawa frames the images and directs the action.

A chance glimpse, and Tajomaru’s course of action is fixed. And, predictably, ends in tragedy. The samurai husband gives into his greed at the promise of treasure and his overconfidence that he can take out the scruffy Tajomaru. Tajomaru has to humiliate the samurai further by bringing the wife so that the husband can view her rape. And the wife has to deal with her victimization and the husband’s pride. Much of this is constant across stories.

Kurosawa does well to treat each of the stories equally. He doesn’t particularly change up styles or emphasize characters more than their place in the story calls for. He moves among the three characters in each story. Often Kurosawa uses his depth of field to make sure that we can see multiple characters in the same shot. Kurosawa uses his shots to illustrate a triangle of characters at every opportunity.

The fallout of the rape is where the differences in stories crop up as we see the characters react to their circumstances. Tajomaru’s story is perhaps the most straightforward. He see’s himself as a great thief and his story reinforces that. Right down to an epic sword duel.

It’s worth considering that this is Kurosawa’s first sword fight. And it’s everything a sword fight of this nature should be. It’s exciting. It has shifts in momentum. And it ends as much as by chance as by skill. We know the outcome already but how it plays out is exciting to watch regardless as we don’t know when or how it will end.

On its own, the film to this point would be a terrific textbook on how to make a film. It’s expressive. It’s exciting. It’s dramatic. And then, Rashomon truly gets great as it moves into its other stories.

First up is the wife’s story. If there’s a standout actor in the film, I’d argue for Machiko Kyu. She is put upon and has to demonstrate the most range from victim to instigator. She has to move from fear, to shame, to anger. He face is expressive and clear always as she struggles with the situation. More than any other character she gets to react and that’s always a great showcase for acting.

The story ends inconclusively with the wife convinced that she must have killed her husband, not Tajomaru.

Perhaps if there were only two conflicting stories you could dismiss one. She’s ashamed. Tajomaru is a braggart. Kurosawa tosses in a third as we get the husband’s side courtesy of a medium.

It’s a shame that Kurosawa never really directed a horror movie, because his handling of the medium, her movements, and the voice that comes out of her mouth is impressively unsettling.

The husband’s story paints the wife as someone who victimizes him again. She becomes a harpy that wishes him dead and is easily led astray by the Tajomaru. But, he’s left alone to ponder his failures and opts for suicide as the only honorable way out. Rashomon is a film that lets its images speak even more than its words, perhaps reason for its international success, and this sequence is a particularly quiet one. Fitting, considering the ending.

At this point, it’s impossible to reconcile the stories. As a modern westerner, you can toss out the medium as being inherently unreliable and unbelievable, but as a filmgoer presented with this evidence it’s an exercise in logic that leads nowhere. This isn’t a trial, this is a film. The logic that applies to film isn’t the same logic that one brings to a trial. The filmmaking itself is evidence.

And, to his credit, Kurosawa both finds a way to unravel the threads and still preserve the idea that there’s inherent subjectivity in truth. Kurosawa could have simply cut to show us what really happened. Instead, Kurosawa finds another unreliable witness (aren’t they all?), the woodcutter, with his own agenda.

In the woodcutter’s story, the tables are turned and some of the hypocrisies of the samurai class are attacked head on such as the victim being blamed for the crime. And, the wife gets to goad and shame the men after her shame.

It’s worth noting that it must have been very hot when Kurosawa shot the grove scenes of Rashomon. There’s sweat on the faces of the characters throughout the films. Kurosawa doesn’t call attention to the heat, but he doesn’t have to. And it makes the final confrontation between Tajomaru and the samurai all the more visceral.

The final fight might even be viewed as a deconstruction of the final duel. It’s clumsy. The characters breathe heavily and are visibly frightened. It might be called more realistic, but that’s perhaps an overstatement. For a director that had never directed a sword fight before, Kurosawa directs two completely different types of movie sword fights and excels at both of them.

Kurosawa paints a pretty damning picture of humanity, even if you don’t believe the woodcutter’s story is rationalization for stealing the expensive dagger from the scene of the crime. Yet, while the film to this point may represent Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s stories and is a great representation of Kurosawa’s talents as a filmmaker, it doesn’t represent Kurosawa’s views on humanity. He’s still too much of an optimist.

The coda to the film revolves around the woodcutter, the priest, and the commoner again. They’re considering the final revelations when they hear a baby cry within the ruins. The commoner finds an infant, abandoned by its mother, and steals the few meager belongings left that could provide for it. However the woodcutter, in a pure streak of humanity, takes the baby home with him. He’ll provide for the baby as best he can. The rains stop and the priest’s faith in humanity is restored by this gesture.

In this way, there are still truths in the world. No one can rationalize away the fact that stealing from a baby is evil. And that caring for an abandoned baby is an act of charity. Most of the world may exist in a dappled gray area, but that doesn’t mean that good and evil don’t exist. Kurosawa takes liberties with the source material, and makes a legitimate statement of his own which is perhaps truer than the source material.

What’s fundamentally great about Rashomon is that it illustrates a subtle example of human perception in clearly cinematic terms. It’s fiction illustrating truth. People filter the world around them in various ways and their perception colors the events. I’ll point to Series 3, Episode 2 of High and Low (Brow) as an example of this phenomenon in action. We’ve all had these moments in our lives, although seldom illustrated as effectively as Kurosawa’s film.

If there’s any ground for criticism of Rashomon it’s perhaps that Kurosawa exaggerates the differences in perception. The Rashomon effect is usually much more subtle, usually consisting of subtleties like inflection or interpretation of body language, not presenting itself as seemingly contradictory as the various episodes presented in the film. But, Kurosawa isn’t attempting subtlety here and the idea that subtle is always better isn’t necessarily true. We might not even be talking about Rashomon as a universally understood film today if it was more subtle. Trying to explain to a non-English speaker the dialect humor of something like Fargo is likely to be an effort in frustration. Kurosawa’s blunt illustration transcends language limitations and became a universal touchstone of cinema.

Rashomon did fine in its Japanese original release and undoubtedly made the studio money. It reportedly wasn’t much loved by the contemporary Japanese critics, although that may be exaggerated. The head of the studio claimed he didn’t understand it. Still, it was entered in the Venice Film Festival almost by accident as the Japanese film heads couldn’t come up with a film that they thought the west would enjoy and it was only at the urging of Guilliana Stramigioli, head of Italiafilm in Japan, that the film was entered. And it subsequently won the Golden Lion, then perhaps the most prestigious world film prize. Overnight, Kurosawa became a worldwide name.

Kurosawa, however, never anticipated that Rashomon would be the film that would make him famous. He was already at work on his next film when he won the prize and perhaps hadn’t fully grasped what he had tapped into. The post-Rashomon effect on his career would have to wait until he completed production on his next film. A film that had perhaps a more prestigious pedigree if less apt to be free from studio meddling.

Next Time: THE IDIOT (1951)

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 6 – Filming the Unfilmmable

Matt Gamble — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:21:06 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 6 – Filming the Unfilmmable Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! James and I are starting to get our groove back with recording, as our schedules are aligning far better than they have in some time, and because of that we almost made our monthly deadline. Almost. Now, with this episode we don’t have any tales of my failed pornographic exploits, but I promise we have plenty worth listening too this episode of High and Low (Brow).

As always we follow a theme for each episode, with this one focusing on movies based on “unfilmmable novels”. First up for us is the Louis Malle film Zazie dans le métro which is based on the French novel Zazie in the Metro, which focused on the gripping subject of colloquialism in the French language. The film that completes this dynamic duo is the Michael Winterbottom film Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, which is based on the legendary British novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, which is considered one of the greatest humorous novels ever written. Will the film live pale in comparison? Will Zazie overcome the fact it’s French? And a french comedy at that?

This episodes theme is thanks to one of our listeners, Nat Almirall, and we like to reiterate how much we enjoy using your suggestions for themes and movies for us to watch for the show. If you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, or simply want to tell James how awesome he is, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him. And while you’re there be sure to join our relatively new Facebook group devoted to Where the Long Tail Ends.

One more thing, if you enjoy the show feel free to donate to it through PayPal in either a single installment or as a recurring donor. We’d love to upgrade some of our equipment and anything you donate will go directly towards us getting some decent mics and perhaps even pop screens that aren’t made out of cotton balls.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – All Grown Up by Johnny Horton

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Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 5 – Cabin in the Woods

Matt Gamble — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:53:43 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 5 – Cabin in the Woods Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! On this episode of the Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast, Angela (of The Film Confessional Podcast) and I get back in the hot tub and talk about a horror movie that comes out this weekend, but we saw a preview of almost two weeks ago, that being Cabin in the Woods. Unbeknownst to you, this episode is actually the first one we recorded, long before Angela started hating my guts for forcing her to watch kids being set on fire, Japanese business men have needles shoved through their major organs and deranged serial killers eviscerating pregnant women. In my defense, I am an asshole, so its her own damn fault for not being prepared.

This is the final episode in this first series, so far Angela is at least allowing me to continue watching horror films with her, and so far I’m finding the podcast format a far more enjoyable way of disseminating her views on the movies. We’re always interested in feedback. We are trying to keep this to more of a conversational style than a true critique of the films. And of course, I’d always be open to suggestions for her to watch. Word of warning, torture porn and zombie films will get me yelled at and probably punched in the face.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Help, I’m Alive by Metric
Closing Music – Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See by Busta Rhymes

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Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 4 – StageFright

Matt Gamble — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:45:57 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 4 – StageFright Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! After putting Angela (of The Film Confessional Podcast) through the ringer with last episodes screening of Audition for the Cabin in the Woods Film Festival, I thought it would be nice if I dialed back on the gore and violence by showing her an Italian horror film. Okay, maybe that isn’t dialing back on the gore and violence, but it is adding a bit of campiness and schlock to the proceedings which should make for a more entertaining viewing. To help buffer that we did record this one while hot tubbing, making this our first tubcast!

Thus I chose the lesser known Italian slasher film StageFright, which attempts to be post-modern before modern slashers really became cliched. It also has song and dance numbers and a killer running around with an owl mask on. So, that’s exciting.

The film marked the feature film debut of one Michele Soavi who would endear himself forever more to horror fan’s hearts when he made Dellamorte Dellamore a short seven years later. He’s known for working with pretty much every Italian giallo filmmaker in the book and for his artistic takes on genre films, so you could say I was more than a little excited to see what his debut film would be like. Angela really didn’t care as long as a kid wasn’t set on fire. But she didn’t say anything about a pregnant woman being eviscerated, so I’m like, totally in the clear.

Thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Help, I’m Alive by Metric
Closing Music – Pretend We’re Dead by L7

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Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 3 – Audition

Matt Gamble — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:00:21 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 3 – Audition Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! So, after getting lectured on what a terrible person I am for making Angela (of The Film Confessional Podcast) watch the British horror film Eden Lake on the last edition of the Cabin in the Woods Film Festival, I decided to show her just how depraved things could get when I doubled down and threw on Takashi Miike’s Audition next.

Yeah, maybe not my best of ideas, but as my Halfling Rogue is prone to saying, “Go big or go home!” So… umm… Angela might have threatened to send me home. So it should make for an entertaining show.

Thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Help, I’m Alive by Metric
Closing Music – Bad Romance by Lady GaGa

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Recurring donation $.99/month

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 2 – Eden Lake

Matt Gamble — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:30:52 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 2 – Eden Lake Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! That’s right, after easing Angela (of The Film Confessional Podcast) into the latest series of the Cabin in the Woods Film Festival with Blade II, this time I decided to just kind of throw her off the dock and into the deep end with the British horror film Eden Lake, starring Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly’s cleavage.

It should be noted that this episode didn’t go quite as well I expected (SPOILER ALERT – I might get yelled at) which I hope leads to plenty of entertainment for all of you.

Thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Help, I’m Alive by Metric
Closing Music – Better Be Good To Me by Tina Turner

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Recurring donation $.99/month

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 1 – Blade II

Matt Gamble — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:05:55 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival Podcast – Episode 1 – Blade II Where the Long Tail Ends

What’s that? A new podcast? You’re god damn right it is. For those of you not following at home, The Cabin in the Woods Film Festival occurs every time I make my girlfriend Angela (herself a co-host of The Film Confessional Podcast) watch a horror film. Since she is not a fan of horror films, and I most certainly am, it’s a fun way for us to get a healthy debate going about how depraved and pointless my taste in movies can be.

And while the first iterations of thew festival came through me writing reviews about the films we watched, since we were taking a nice long vacation at her family’s cabin in the woods, it seemed all the more fitting for us to record our post-viewing conversations about the movies I was making her watch.

We’ve got five episodes coming up for this series of podcasts, as some of the movies toe the line of being horror, others flirt with being torture porn and some are just flat out fun to watch. We’re trying to keep these more conversational and focus more on Angela’s visceral reactions to the films, as well as affording the opportunity to publicly dress me down for being a deceitful asshole. Trust me, it’s all in good fun and I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as we enjoyed making them. Well, at least as much fun as I had.

Thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Help, I’m Alive by Metric
Closing Music – Ready or Not by The Fugees

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High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 5 – Horrors

Matt Gamble — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:37:45 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 5 – Horrors Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! James and I have finally had some free time to sit down and record and you’re in luck, this episode is a doozy and perhaps our best ever. From the cold open to the stinger I think this is one of our best and most entertaining, and most embarrassing, episodes of High and Low (Brow) yet.

As we left off, this episode is one James came up with as we try and see how horror can be internalized or externalized in movies. To do this we select a pretty interesting duo of films, first up being the only horror film legendary director Ingmar Bergman ever made, that being Hour of the Wolf. Countering that cinematic oddity, we have the underseen and underknown Mill of the Stone Women, a horror film from the dawn of the 60′s that just might be an undiscovered gem. Of course, be sure to stick around for the latest entry of James Gillham: Pop Culture Guru.

If you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, or simply want to tell James how awesome he is, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him. And while you’re there be sure to join our relatively new Facebook group devoted to Where the Long Tail Ends.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – My Girl’s Pussy by Harry Roy and His Orchestra

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Recurring donation $.99/month

The Lagoon is Obsessed!

Matt Gamble — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:13:45 +0000

The Lagoon is Obsessed! Where the Long Tail Ends

Of course, if I was I would have posted about this ages ago rather than waiting until the first day of the series to write anything. But, you know, whatever. Anyways, The Lagoon is showing something like 4 movies by a ton of really great directors. Like, seriously, these guys are good. Well, at least I think they are. Not quite sure but I’m pretty sure guys like Lucas, Preminger, Coppola, maybe that other Coppola, Altman, Spielberg and Danny Huston. Or maybe none of them. Who the fuck cares anyways?

Oh right, some of the people in these movies do. Possibly obsessively so.

Fitzcarraldo, March 7th
(1982, Directed by Werner Herzog, 158 mins. Rated PG)
Playing at 7pm and 10pm

Werner Herzog based Fitzcarraldo on a true story of a rubber baron seeking to establish an opera house in the jungle. In shooting it, He went to extreme lengths to truly do what was seen on film. To accomplish this, he went so far as to drag a 340 ton boat up and over a mountain, and sent it down very dangerous rapids, resulting in injuries to himself and cinematographer. Klaus Kinski, who rivaled Herzog in eccentricity and was infamously difficult, brought to the character the sense of insane obsession. The two of them battled throughout the production of the film. Their tumultuous relationship is now legendary. At one point, Kinski claims that he threatened to leave the set and Herzog responded by pulling a gun on him and forcing him to perform at gun point. Similar to the other films in this series, Fitzcarraldo is about the depths of the human will. It is an uncompromising masterpiece.

Treasure of the Sierra Madre, March 14
(1948, Directed by John Huston, 126 mins. Not Rated)
Playing at 7pm and 9:45pm

John Huston is often considered one of the greatest directors to come out of Hollywood. He was nominated for five Oscars and three of his films are in AFI’s top 100 films of all time. Like Huston’s other films, “Treasure” has a moral anchor of fate. Greed is repaid with betrayal, vice with failure. Here, he also explores the idea of success. As Walter Huston states, “as long as there’s no find, the noble brotherhood will last but when the piles of gold begin to grow… that’s when the trouble starts.” When the film was released, in 1948, America had just won the Second World War, and American industry created millionaires overnight. Huston’s warning could not have been more timely

Close Encounters of the Third Kind, March 21
(1977, Directed by Steven Spielberg, 132 mins. Rated PG)
Playing at 7pm and 10pm

Steven Spielberg is the master of summer blockbusters. His giant films started the trend. Jaws, E.T., and Raiders of the Lost Arc are some of the most beloved films ever made. And, although these films played off pulp novels of the 1940s and b movies the likes of Roger Corman, they were expertly directed and beautifully photographed. With Close Encounters, Spielberg went so far as to have eleven cinematographers work on the film. Stunning images of space and Devil’s Tower were shot on 70mm film. Spielberg mixed the popcorn fare of a blockbuster and infused both existential philosophy and his personal obsession with space. In the end, Spielberg’s optimistic view of the human existence makes the film a wonderful plea for adults to stop fearing the unknown and remember what it’s like to see the universe with the eyes of a child.

Apocalypse Now, March 28
(1979, Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, 153 mins. Rated R)
Playing at 7pm and 10pm

Francis Ford Coppola’s hallucinogenic journey into the heart of darkness is legendary both for Coppola’s obsessive genius and for its disastrous production. Coppola wanted to go into the Philippines and capture the truth of the Vietnam War. His possessed behavior behind the camera can be seen in every performance. The result is one of the most disturbing and engrossing films of all time. Shooting lasted a grueling sixteen months, 200 hours of footage were shot, Coppola threatened suicide several times and Martin Sheen ended up having a heart attack. It took over three years for Coppola to finish post-production. The final product is a winding, surreal, and horrific view of a mission without purpose and coming to terms with the horror inside oneself.

Great Moments in Cinema History – Repo Men

Matt Gamble — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:34:55 +0000

Great Moments in Cinema History – Repo Men Where the Long Tail Ends

2010 wasn’t the best of years for mainstream. of course, not many years are particularly strong for mainstream film making, but 2010 was a year that was especially poor. But while most of the films all that weren’t, 2010 marked a bit of a revival of genre film making with films like Shutter Island, Kick Ass and Inception gaining traction in mainstream.

Of course, just a few short years later genre films and television shows are seemingly the greatest things since sliced bread so for a genre nerd like myself I find myself a bit out of sorts that the very things that I’ve loved since a kid are now being enjoyed by everyone and their mother. But before the mainstream was infatuated with genre film making their was 2010, a year that had its fair share of genre failures, one of which was Repo Men.

Repo Men is a rough facsimile of an already terrible movie, that being Repo! The Genetic Opera, though at least Repo Men at least has the decency to spare you from the horror of actors singing terrible songs impressively poorly. Of Course, Repo Men was trapped in development hell, as it was actually based on a book that was started in 2003, but wasn’t published until 2009, though the film that was based on the book was actually shot in 2007. Got all that? Is it really any wonder that the movie ended up being more than a bit of a mess?

The film drags like you wouldn’t believe as the characters are uninteresting and the tension in the film is practically non-existent. Then you have the antagonists, which are flat and frankly, boring. On top of that, the film tries to interlock this over-reaching social commentary that really is utterly pointless, even more so when the film drops an eye rolling ending that reduces the film’s finale to non-existence.

But while you must wallow through shallow mediocrity for 90 minutes you quickly discover that all of that was to set you up for a final reel that is trumps any realm of absurdity you could possibly imagine. From a violent recreation of the Oldboy hallway hammer fight, a race through a white dreamscape and finally culminates in a violent erotic explosion that is a Great Moment in Cinema History and has to be seen to be believed.

Which you are about to.

If it isn’t already obvious, this scene is NSFW!

Keri Noble will try to defend herself at the Trylon

Matt Gamble — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:51:30 +0000

Keri Noble will try to defend herself at the Trylon Where the Long Tail Ends

It is that time of the month again, when The Defenders rears its head over at The Trylon. This time my favorite film series in the Twin Cities is hosted by the eternally raspy Keri Noble, who has promised me that she will not be showing a movie starring sparkly vampires. Though I have it on good authority that it was very difficult for her to resist that kind of temptation. Oh God, I hope it isn’t a Ken Russell movie. Shit, I bet it’s a Ken Russell movie. Nevertheless, stop by the Trylon tomorrow at 7 pm for your chance to take part in a potentially ridiculous film and some great conversation afterwards.

The idea of “The Defenders” started in 2008, when Jim Brunzell went to the Seattle Int’l Film Festival and wanted to participate in SIFF’s, “Secret Festival” of films that can only be seen, once the patron has signed a waiver, making sure they don’t speak of the “secret title”. “The Defenders” is set-up in similar fashion as titles are not announced until the lights in the theater dim and audience members do not know what they are going to be watching until the opening credits show up. Each “Defender” is given the task of selecting a “secret film” that is either considered, a “forgotten gem”, a “guilty pleasure” or an “under-the-radar classic” and defending their choice to an audience after the film ends.

Past “Defenders” have included Star Tribune film critic Colin Covert, MPR’s “Movie Maven” Stephanie Curtis and Motion City Soundtrack singer/guitarist Justin Pierre.

The Defenders
Trylon Microcinema
Third Wednesday of the Month
7 PM

Make sure to check out Keri’s work as well!
Official Website
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Jay Cheel wants your help in raising his capitol or tell him How to Build a Time Machine

Matt Gamble — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:07:11 +0000

Jay Cheel wants your help in raising his capitol or tell him How to Build a Time Machine Where the Long Tail Ends

For those of you who don’t know, Jay Cheel is the director of the Genie nominated documentary Beauty Day, a film that focuses on the life and antics of one Ralph Zavadil, perhaps better known as Cap’n Video. But Jay, no longer shackled with an ego that thinks he can only cover subjects who think setting their face on fire is funny, has now decided to move onto a subject just brimming with possibilities, time travel. But don’t take my word for it:

For years I’ve been exploring the subject and talking to people – from science fiction fans to physicists – who are as intrigued as I am. My film will explore all aspects of time travel (which is theoretically possible!) but the core will be the tale of John Titor.

HOW TO BUILD A TIME MACHINE will be a genre-bending, true life sci fi mystery that will tell John Titor’s story through interviews with the incredible web of people who were drawn into it, and through a recreation of his journey.

To help Jay with this project, the Canadian Documentary Film Festival Hot Docs has selected How to Build a Time Machine as its inaugural selection for its crowd funding campaign Doc Ignite, a program designed to help filmmaker’s raise money for their projects. In How to Build a Time Machine’s case it will be to help pay for actors, costumes, props and locations. I mean, flying Reed Farrington out to CERN doesn’t come cheap. And to help convince you that giving a miscreant like Jay your hard earned greenbacks is a good idea, Jay has cut this promo trailer with some of the footage for the upcoming film.

But really, how hard of a sell do you need to help support a documentary on time travel?

How to Build a Time Machine – Doc Ignite Campaign Video from Jay Cheel on Vimeo.

And if you still aren’t sold, check out Jay’s student film Obsessed & Scientific, when he first starts to explore time travel in the documentary format. This is just a taste of what will be in store for you.

Kurosawa, In Order #10 – Scandal

Robert Reineke — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:35:17 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #10 – Scandal Where the Long Tail Ends

SCANDAL (1950)

By 1950, the post-war occupation of Japan was running its course, and restrictions and censorship by the occupying authorities slackened. That was a good thing for the people of Japan as they moved towards a modern democracy. However, the rise of yellow journalism and the scandal sheet were not necessarily good things.

Kurosawa had some experience with the scandal sheets as he was once linked to actress Hideko Takamine in gossip magazines. Whether true or not, it evidently stung Kurosawa even though he never that thought much of the press. So, Scandal was Kurosawa’s protest against what he saw as a societal problem. A protest that Kurosawa felt strongly, perhaps too strongly.

Scandal opens with our hero, Ichiro Aoe (Toshiro Mifune) creating a painting of a mountain before a group of interested, rural onlookers. It’s fairly easily to see Aoe as a stand-in for Kurosawa, a former painter himself, as he expounds on art and how he sees the world. Aoe’s mountain may be redder than what the locals see, but that’s how he sees it in his mind. In fact, the mountain may move which the locals can sort of see as they stare at the mountain. Kurosawa uses that occasion to frame these characters against the mountain in question to lead the viewer judge. It has nothing to do with the plot of the film, but it does establish character. Unfortunately, for a look at post-war Japan, the character of Aoe is a total romantic hero. He’s sensitive, principled, and this may be the best Toshiro Mifune ever looked on film.

Aoe’s painting is interrupted by the arrival of Miyako Saijo (Yoshiko Yamaguchi). She’s a famous singer, and she enters the picture singing, on the vacation in the countryside. Unfortunately she’s missed the bus and it will be a long walk back to the inn. She’s too shy to ask, one gets the feeling that Kurosawa is implying that she’s a pure virgin damsel in distress, but the locals encourage Aoe to take her back on his motorcycle. So, the image is complete of the noble knight rescuing the maiden on his steed.

Along the way they pass a bus, complete with two paparazzi from the gossip magazine Amour who have been following Saijo. To them it looks like a story, whether or not there’s anything to it. When Aoe and Saijo have an innocent chat after cleaning up back at the hotel, with Aoe pointing out the local scenery, the paparazzi manage to snap a shot that looks like Aoe and Saijo are in a tender moment.

At this point, the photographers have a moment of doubt. What does the photo really prove? The editor, Asai (Shin’ichi Himori) blows off this sentiment. Asai notes that, for the most part, the famous blow off responding to the scandal sheets as beneath them. Perhaps because he’s not recognized, Asai is all the more eager to proceed with his rumor mongering. Soon, the story is everywhere.

Kurosawa doesn’t delay the moment of discovery long though as Aoe ventures out of his studio clueless to the news, only to stop before the board of advertisements for his moment of discovery. Soon he arrives at the offices of Amour, his motorcycle announcing his arrival and responds with a punch to the editor. Soon a war of media words is on with Aoe threatening a lawsuit.

We check on Aoe in his studio at work with his regular model Sumie (Noriko Sengoku) as he contemplates going ahead with the lawsuit. Sengoku is a regular at this point after Drunken Angel, The Quiet Duel, and Stray Dog and does solid work as usual. There’s a thread of a subplot that’s introduced, Aoe is apparently smitten with Saijo, that’s never really followed up in the movie. But, it’s evident by Aoe no longer doing nudes and wanting to hold onto his mountain painting instead of selling it.

Whether or not our noble hero and heroine can win against the scumbag yellow journalists is the conflict that the film sets up. And, frankly, it’s setup in such black and white terms that there’s little drama left save for the trial. Compared to the scenario of something like Anatomy of a Murder with its very gray morality, Scandal is very weak dramatically at this point. Unlike The Verdict, the characters of the protagonists are beyond reproach so it’s only a matter of winning or losing, not redemption. Kurosawa had written himself into a corner and apparently he knew it as he struggled with the screenplay.

Kurosawa’s solution, rather than a page one rewrite, arrives in the film in the shape of Takashi Shimura as the lawyer Hiruta. Toshiro Mifune almost stole Drunken Angel from Shimura, but Shimura really does steal away and save Scandal. This being a Kurosawa film, Hiruta enters the film accompanied by a chill wind. Hiruta is evidently a lawyer of very modest means, but he makes a plea to represent Aoe and Saijo since he seems to truly believe in their cause. And to make money.

Aoe then makes a foolish, naïve decision and hires Hiruta. Sure, they show his research, but I’d advise everyone not to follow the Aoe method of selecting a lawyer. Aoe doesn’t check Hiruta’s references, he goes to visit Hiruta at his home, a home right by a cesspool out of Drunken Angel, and finds Hiruta gone but Hiruta’s daughter Masako (Yoko Katsuragi) is present. What Aoe finds is a very sweet girl who’s suffering from tuberculosis. Masako, with the winter/Christmas setting of the film, can very easily be called a Japanese stand-in for Tiny Tim. Aoe then goes to visit Hiruta’s rundown office and finds no evidence of Hiruta’s competency, but a picture of Hiruta’s daughter overlooking his desk. To Aoe, being a person of a good heart seems to count for more than things like competency, so Aoe selects Hiruta as his lawyer.

From a Kurosawa script, it boggles belief that one of his characters would behave in such a naïve manner. Having seemingly smart characters do stupid, illogical things is almost never a good choice in a movie and the whole second half of the movie rests on that single decision.

Fortunately, Hiruta livens up the proceedings. Hiruta goes to talk tough to Asai in the hopes of a quick settlement, but Asai quickly turns the tables on Hiruta. Before he knows it, Hiruta is borrowing money from Asai for gambling and taking a bribe to throw the case. Hiruta’s weaknesses make him interesting.

As does Hiruta’s conscience. Hiruta struggles with his weakness, hating himself for it, and that kind of legitimate drama is something that’s in short supply in the rest of the film. So as long as Shimura is on screen the movie is watchable and sometimes much more.

All of which leads up to the most memorable and manipulative part of the movie. Christmas at the Hiruta residence is kicked off by Aoe delivering a fully decked out Christmas tree on the back of his motorcycle. That’s not an image you see every day.

Hiruta’s out, but he arrives back to a carefully staged scene of Saijo singing “Silent Night” in Japanese, while Aoe plays an organ in the background (framed so that a halo is implied by the decorations), and Masako with her teddy bear framed like a little angel. Kurosawa selects a dolly shot down the hallway to show this scene in little snippets seen through windows as Hiruta drunkenly arrives home.

Hiruta flees, ashamed of himself, and Aoe follows. The sequence leads to a nearby bar where the patrons are drunkenly singing “Auld Lang Syne”. Hiruta joins in and resolves to be a better person in the new year. Given the time period, it’s certainly possible that this whole sequence is influenced by Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life although Capra might call Kurosawa to task for going overboard on sentimentality.

Kurosawa does cap off the whole sequence with an image that seems 100% his own. On returning to Hiruta’s residence they stop by the cesspool and see the stars reflected in the water. There’s beauty apparently in even the most humble object.

If there’s a better visual representation of Kurosawa’s ultimately hopeful view of the Japanese people being able to lift themselves out of the post-war hardships, I’m unaware of it. Kurosawa doesn’t linger long over this, there’s still a trial to proceed. And things don’t go well. Hiruta is in over his depth and has sabotaged the trial so that even when things go in his favor, the methods are called into question. Masako dies. And Asai sits there with a smug face knowing that Hiruta’s only chance of beating him is to destroy himself.

I won’t spoil the ending, but Kurosawa leaves the film on an ironic note as the last shots of the film show the tattered remains of the scandal advertisements. The characters put themselves through a trial over something that the general public ultimately will swiftly forget. It doesn’t mean that the damage wasn’t done, but that there’s very little monument to yellow journalism beyond the moment.

Scandal is very much the definition of lesser Kurosawa. There’s lots of craft on display, but the script is flawed. Kurosawa is so intent on getting his message out, worthy as it may have been, that he didn’t craft a film that was interesting dramatically, that had three dimensional, realistic characters, and that didn’t resort to blatant manipulation. No amount of fine camera work and terrific performances can be expected to cover up those problems. Unlike some of his earlier films where Kurosawa was dealing with outright censorship, he had no one but himself to blame for Scandal’s shortcomings.

I’m a third of a way through Kurosawa’s filmography and I’m going to take a two month break in order to build up my inventory. This is an appropriate point as Kurosawa’s career was about to radically change. With his next film, Kurosawa went from acclaimed Japanese director to international superstar and the most famous phase of his career began in earnest.

Next Time: RASHOMON (1950)

Requiem for a Dream in 60 seconds (with Puppets)

Matt Gamble — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:54:49 +0000

Requiem for a Dream in 60 seconds (with Puppets) Where the Long Tail Ends

No, seriously, WITH PUPPETS!

Better watch out Substream, someone just kicked your bit up a notch, and did it in half the time. AND WITH PUPPETS!. Try and pull that kind of shit off with Kurt Halfyard or Matt Brown.

Not. Gunna. Happen.

And now, it brings me great pleasure to give you Requiem for a Dream. WITH PUPPETS!

The Nazis are coming, the Nazis are coming!

Matt Gamble — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:29:49 +0000

The Nazis are coming, the Nazis are coming! Where the Long Tail Ends

Its been a long time coming, but the Iron Sky theatrical trailer has finally been released. And whil0e the odds that you’ll get to watch this space Nazi epic in a theatre is slim, at least here in the US, that doesn’t make this movie look any less fun. Sure, I could do with out the blatant Sarah Palin references but that’s easily countered by Udo Kier being, well, a Nazi Udo Kier. And that soundtrack, I might even be more excited for that.

Official Iron Sky Website
Official Facebook Page
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Iron Sky trailer

Bobcat Goldthwait pushes the envelope with God Bless America

Matt Gamble — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:57:39 +0000

Bobcat Goldthwait pushes the envelope with God Bless America Where the Long Tail Ends

As if comedies focusing on alcoholic clowns, bestiality and teen suicide weren’t enough, Bobcat Goldthwait now brings us his latest magnum opus, this time focusing on vigilante serial killers. Granted the trailer for God Bless America comes off as a bit in your face with how obvious it is trying to offend, but I can’t help but have faith that one of the most interesting directors working on the Hollywood fringe will pull this film off.

Red Band Trailer NSFW

Signalnoise offers up a free custom Blu-Ray cover for Drive

Matt Gamble — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:02:35 +0000

Signalnoise offers up a free custom Blu-Ray cover for Drive Where the Long Tail Ends

A pretty slick idea for a pretty slick movie, Signalnoise is offering free downloads for its custom made Blu-Ray cover for Drive. The download is available on Mystery Box. As if free isn’t enough to convince you, they also are including custom designed iPad and iPhone wallpapers along with the Blu-Ray cover. As an added bonus, the whole process is quick and painless, taking me less than a few minutes to have the cover in my hands.

Granted I’ve never paid much attention to custom covers before but this thing is done so damn well I can’t but help waiting for the next film they decide to offer up this kind of treatment.

Quick Thoughts – Chronicle

Matt Gamble — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:26:28 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Chronicle Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m sure you’re quite aware of my fondness for comic books. I’ve been reading them, fairly faithfully, since the early 80′s and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. That being said, as I’ve aged I’ve drifted further and further from reading mainstream titles from Marvel and DC. Nothing against them, I’m a pretty die-hard fan of Vertigo, but I just don’t have much interest in most superhero titles these days, and Marvel and DC’s primary publications focus almost entirely on superheroes.

Nothing against superhero comics, I’m just a bit worn out after almost 30 years of reading them. They are still great when done well, but I simply don’t have the free time to wade through mediocrity, and unfortunately, in recent years too often mainstream superhero comics have been more concerned with just getting by then trying anything different or interesting.

Oddly enough, certain cinephiles are undergoing similar reservations when it comes to superhero movies. Sure they are one of the most popular sub-genres in recent memory, but man if critics don’t seem eager to crow about their downfall. Populism doesn’t pay the bills when you are a movie critic. Well, unless you are Peter Travers. That shill will rave about anything put in front of him.

Chronicle has had a pretty interesting marketing campaign to date, focusing on the idea of teenagers getting super powers and being unable to deal with the moral complications involved with them. It’s hardly a new idea, Rick Veitch produced probably the most seminal version on the concept with his Brat Pack comic back in 1992, but when it comes to film it certainly would appear to be a new idea, and one that has film snobs actually interested in a superhero film.

But the concept behind Chronicle is a hard task to pull off. Teenage melodrama can often appear frivolous and self-aggrandizing, making for a delicate balancing act in trying to woo audiences to invest in the characters emotional well-being. Toss in a fantastical element like super powers and you are left with a difficult balancing act often shunned by your standard superhero movie audience.

Leaving Chronicle I was left with mixed emotions on how well they pulled off this high wire act. The effects were solid, and while the first-person camera gimmick was hardly needed, it was passable at worst and offered some truly fantastic moments when it was at its best.

But as I rolled things over in my brain I tried to figure out why Chronicle never quite grabbed hold of me. The film did a remarkable job of toying with the audience on who would develop into the “super villain”, tempting each of the trio of main characters with gifts and character flaws that could lead to their fall from grace.

As for the boy who would inevitably become the antagonist, Chronicle offered up one of the better insights into the mind of madness and hatred I’ve seen in sometime on film. Lucas certainly provided far less for Anakin Skywalker in the total of his three films than Chronicle was able to pull of in just under eighty minutes. It’s rare for a villain to be given ample screen time to show how he became the monster, and Chronicle never lacked in effort or skill in doing so.

But in spite of this, or perhaps because of it, I struggled with truly identifying or sympathizing with the characters, and this was Chronicle’s fatal flaw. Its hard to root against the villain when he is the most interesting character, and the one who you’d most like to know more about, and most people don’t like the feeling of rotting for the mass murderer.

That being said, while I initially have a conflicted, if not ultimately a negative reaction to Chronicle, I can’t stress enough that I believe the film succeeded in its goals, often rather brilliantly. Chronicle capably challenges its audience and does its best to never pander, but at the same time struggles to truly engage the audience. Its an interesting film, and one I am eagerly hoping to revisit. Because challenging and interesting films always seem to age the best.

Quick Thoughts – The Woman in Black

Matt Gamble — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:01:46 +0000

Quick Thoughts – The Woman in Black Where the Long Tail Ends

I can’t remember when I first watched a Hammer film. I can guess that it had to have been back in the late 80′s, and I’m fairly certain it would have been after we moved to Wisconsin and I started knowing people with greater access to cable television, of course, that is also about the time that I became a regular at my local video store. It didn’t take very long for me to get hooked on Hammer films, they somehow consistently found a way to make something that should have been campy, and craft it into something compelling. Much of it had to do with the fact they consistently starred Christopher Lee of Peter Cushing, or if you were lucky, both of them. But even besides that, Hammer films seemed to consistently be filled with great acting and underrated directing.

Now the Hammer studio has been trying in recent years to bring about a bit of a modern day resurgence for their brand. They released a few smaller films in the past five years, but really tried to make their mark with the release of Let Me In, a solid film, but one that one would be hard pressed to say feels like a Hammer film. Then, two years later, Hammer helped release The Woman in Black, a film set sometime around the turn of the 20th Century and starring The Boy Who Lived. Yet, make no mistake, The Woman in Black is a return to Hammer’s glory days.

After watching The Innkeepers just a few weeks ago it is practically impossible not to compare the two. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, and being a huge fan of The Innkeepers I was hoping that The Woman in Black would be able to keep pace. What I’m happy to report is that not only does the film keep pace with The Innkeepers, it frequently outpaces it.

The Woman in Black is a throw back to the days where horror films actually scared the hell out of you. It dances around you, flicker dread at you from every angle, and just when you think you can’t take any more, it really starts to go to work on you.

It is a film filled with craft, it uses shadows and negative space to incredible effect, often relying just on the threat of being scary to scare you to your wits end. But, perhaps even more impressively, it gives you just enough safety to drag you out from behind your fingers only to once again send your courage running down the aisle, screaming the whole way.

Its been some time since I’ve watched a horror film so skillfully scare you out of your wits, and often doing it with jump scares that are both legitimate and reinforce the plot. Its a masterful performance of mood and emotional manipulation, and makes it easy to see why people compare films to thrill rides. But more than that, The Woman in Black makes a compelling argument for new viewers to take a risk in watching other films from the legendary film company. Sure it lacks the low budget aspect of those films from Hammer’s heyday, but it offers up a tantalizing promise for the future of horror.

Oh yes, Hammer is back.

RaroVideo keeps overwhelming me with awesomeness

Matt Gamble — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:07:51 +0000

RaroVideo keeps overwhelming me with awesomeness Where the Long Tail Ends

I really need to write about RaroVideo more on this site. They keep sending me awesome movies and I watch them and I like them and I tell other people to watch them and like them and tell other people to watch them but in all that watching and liking and telling I never seem to remember to actually write something about how awesome they are. I’d like to say its because I’m too busy watching their movies but in actuality its because I’m lazy. And possibly an asshole. Well, I am an asshole, but its possible that is also the reason, though I’d put your money on lazy.

But back to what I am here for, and that is telling you what new releases RaroVideo has coming down the pipe over the next two months. And yeah, I’m saving my most anticipated for last.

THE AUTOMOBILE (1971) From the 1962 Oscar winner writer of Divorce Italian Style and available for the first time on DVD, The Automobile, an episode from the TV mini-series The Three Women, featuring Italian movie icon Anna Magnani with music composed by the genius Ennio Morricone, comes this classic 70s Italian story of Anna, an experienced prostitute who has become an institution in the Roman nightlife. In reality she is lonely and aimless, and decides to buy a car in order to satisfy her need to feel like a normal woman. On an outing to the beach to celebrate her new sense of freedom she meets two men who convince her to let them drive her new car, and things deteriorate from there.
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 28, 2012

CONVERSATION PIECE (1974) (Luchino Visconti’s award-winning classic examines the solitary life of a retired American professor (Burt Lancaster) who lives alone in a luxurious palazzo in Rome. When he is confronted by a vulgar Italian marchesa and her companions – her lover, her daughter and daughter’s boyfriend – he is forced to rent them an apartment on the upper floor of his palazzo. Before long his quiet routine is turned upside down and the introverted professor becomes entangled in his tenants’ machinations. In the midst of this chaos each of the new neighbors’ lives – including that of the professor himself – takes an unexpected but inevitable turn. Visconti’s penultimate film, CONVERSATION PIECE marks the culmination of his career as a master of Italian cinema.
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 13, 2012

THE VISITOR (1963) Thirty-something stunning beauty Pina (Sandra Milo) takes out an ad in the personal column hoping to find a man to take her away from the tiny Italian village where she lives. For months now she has been trying to find the right one – a man with a solid career, a family in mind, and plenty of stamina. Adolfo (Francois Perier) lives in Rome running a profitable business. Looking to share his life with that special person and willing to raise a family Adolfo replies to Pina’s ad. The two arrange to meet in the village where Pina lives. Incorporating flashbacks that highlight Pina’s and Adolfo’s lives, the complexity of the characters are slowly revelaed and when the two finally meet Pina quickly concludes that Adolfo is the one. He appears noble, cultured, and ready for a serious commitment – Pina can hardly believe her luck!
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 13, 2012

YOUNG VIOLENT DANGEROUS (1976) Paul, Joe and Louie, three young men from good families, who decide to go on a bloodthirsty and pointless crime spree, much to the dismay of Paul’s girlfriend (Eleonora Giorgi) and the local police commissioner (Tomas Milian). The group starts by robbing a gas station where Paul guns down three innocent bystanders. They later rob a bank and a grocery store where Paul kills more people. It isn’t long before the entire police force is looking for the 3 criminals, who pick up the girl and proceed to hightail it to the Swiss border killing everyone in their path.
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 13, 2012

Say good bye to The Uptown as you know it

Matt Gamble — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:27:30 +0000

Say good bye to The Uptown as you know it Where the Long Tail Ends

Well, it’s been a long time coming, but it was finally officially announced that The Uptown will be closing on January 31st for remodeling. Granted, this “rumor” has been floating around since as long as I’ve been living in the Twin Cities (which would be just short of 17 years now) and probably long before that. Each time the rumor has surfaced its been quickly dismissed as Landmark has never been known as a company that reinvests much in its properties.

So year after year the staff at The Uptown did what it could to keep the building functioning. Painting, repairing and dealing with the unending string of complaints about the seats. What? You mean they are uncomfortable? I’m shocked that 30 year old theatre seats aren’t in pristine condition. And frankly, you didn’t go to The Uptown for good seats, sober customers and short lines. You went because they consistently showed the best movies in town in one of the most iconic buildings in the Twin Cities.

You went there because it was better than any other theatre in town.

Of course, over the years the perception of The Uptown changed, as did the belief on what was the best theatre. The Lagoon became the crown jewel of the Landmark empire, The Heights underwent a magnificent transformation and The Riverview quickly became the apple of everyone’s eye, while The Uptown struggled to become anything but a running joke to the Minneapolitans that dared set foot on the dangerous streets of Uptown Minneapolis.

The Uptown still showed the best movies, and before anyone else in town, and in recent years they worked their ass off at programing one of the more interesting midnight madness campaigns that you were likely to find anywhere in the country. But the odds were always against The Uptown. Landmark had little interest in fixing up the theatre, so instead they were content in running it into the ground. And for years that seemed to be good enough for Landmark.

That is, until a few months ago when the Mpls/St Paul Magazine finally admitted out loud just how much of a joke The Uptown had become. Sure, their were still plenty of fans of that great old building, myself included, but The Uptown had ceased being a destination spot for years.

Now, no one knows what exactly set a fire under Landmark’s ass to make some changes. It’s easy to assume it was the magazine article, but like I said before, rumors of The Uptown being remodeled have been around for years. But come January 31st the rumors will suddenly become fact.

Now I first heard about The Uptown closing back in September. Originally they were going to close it just after Thanksgiving and hopefully open early in the new year. That plan never came to fruition and for a short time it began to look as if this was once again more smoke being blown towards our collective asses. But come December the rumor was quickly transformed into fact, as again and again I was told that The Uptown was closing, and sooner rather than later.

Sure enough, soon after the first of the year I received word that the Uptown renovations were finally finalized. The theatre would operate until January 31st, and then renovations would begin the next day. Managers and staff were being reassigned, and more than one source confirmed that this was finally going to happen.

But what struck me as odd, was the veil of secrecy that shrouded these events. Why no report from the Star Tribune? Why nothing from Landmark? Hell, why no grand celebration at The Uptown itself, honoring both its memory and its new lease on life?

This is The Uptown after all. It has been around for something like 3000 years, been set on fire and been a vessel for John Holmes’ schlong on countless Saturday nights. And now, finally after 33 years of ownership, Landmark has decided to return The Uptown to its former glory, and become the first theatre in Landmark’s Independent Exhibition Empire to be entirely digital. So why the reluctance to tell everyone?

Could it be that they still haven’t finalized their plans for The Uptown? Or maybe they have no idea if they’ll re-open by the June 1st date they’ve set but won’t openly say? Could it be that they are worried about public backlash of the remodel? Maybe they didn’t want their competitors to know until the last possible minute? Or maybe they simply had to wait for final approval from Mark Cuban, the man who just last year put the entire company up for auction/.

When it comes down to it, the reason for why they decided to remodel, and why they tried to keep it so damn secretive really don’t matter. What does matter is The Uptown is finally being put front and center.

Where it rightfully belongs.

2012 Nordic Lights Film Festival hosted by St Anthony Main

Matt Gamble — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:12:14 +0000

2012 Nordic Lights Film Festival hosted by St Anthony Main Where the Long Tail Ends

St Anthony Main will play host to the Nordic Lights Film Festival (I believe this is the second annual, but could be wrong due to the fact that I’m notoriously poor at counting) on the soon to be legendary Screen 3. The film festival highlights contemporary films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden as well as representing Minnesota’s longstanding Scandinavian ties to these cultures. The goal of the festival is to affirm cultural ties with those in town with Scandinavian roots as well as expose people to a little known subset, the Nordic film.

The festival will be hosted by The Film Society from February 3rd – 9th, and will include a variety of feature length and short films, many of which will include people with blonde hair and probably better looking than you are. Also, the smart money is that at least one Skarsgard will be represented in either celluloid or ice sculpture.

The movies will be good too, which is nice.

Nordic Lights Film Festival Schedule
Nordic Lights Film Festival Facebook
Nordic Lights Film Festival Twitter

The Film Society is bribing people to watch Norwegian Wood

Matt Gamble — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:54:13 +0000

The Film Society is bribing people to watch Norwegian Wood Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m not sure why though. I understand that this is the twin Cities so you’d think their would be plenty of people in this town who have seen their fair share of Norweigan Wood. Oh, it’s a movie? Like a real one? Well then I guess that makes a bit more sense, and a far more relevant post.

Based on the novel by Haruki Murakami, directed by Tran Anh Hung and scored by Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead, There Will be Blood), the film will be opening this Friday, January 27th, hopefully in the underrated Screen 3 over at St Anthony Main.

It should be noted, The Film Society will be giving away copies of the book to the first four people who donate $50 or more to their fantastic organization. Hence the absurd headline. Word is you’ll get a pretty damn good movie out of this transaction as well.

The Lagoon is going to rob you blind

Matt Gamble — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:45:55 +0000

The Lagoon is going to rob you blind Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m sure their is some sort of Valentine’s Day themed crime pun that I am just blanking on, but I really am not up to coming up with better headlines at the moment. Probably because I am over-tired and under-fed. Malnourished if you will. Thankfully, The Lagoon is up to their new tricks when it comes to programming an upcoming film series this February, one focused one cinematic capers. Some criminally underseen (Eh? How’s that pun for ya?) Le circle rouge is the one I am most interested in seeing on the big screen, both because of my infatuation with Jean-Pierre Melville and the fact it is a rare treat to watch one of his films in the cinema. Good news is, that is hardly the only film in the series worth seeing, as all of them are worth making your way over to the Lagoon to watch.

Make sure to keep an eye out for the Lagoons rumored March film series. I hear its one you won’t be able to get out of your head.

Heist film series at the Lagoon Cinema

4 films exploring the fine art of Grand Theft

Wednesday, February 1st, ASPHALT JUNGLE
Criminal genius Doc emerges from prison and is looking to do one last score. He recruits all the right players and at first everything goes perfectly, but each partner proves to have his own fatal weakness. The film is often considered one of the finest film noirs ever made. Starring Sterling Hayden with an unknown named Marilyn Monroe.
(1950, Directed by John Huston, 112 mins. NR) Playing at 7pm and 9:45pm at the Lagoon Cinema

Wednesday, February 8th, LE CERCLE ROUGE
A master thief, fresh out of prison, crosses paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic ex-cop. The three plot an impossible jewel heist, but a relentless inspector hounds them at every turn. Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Cercle Rouge is a masterpiece of crime cinema. Starring Alain Delon.
(1970, Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, 140mins. NR) Playing at 7pm and 10pm at the Lagoon Cinema

Wednesday, February 15th, THE KILLING
Stanley Kubrick shows his masterful style for the first time in this account of a daring racetrack robbery. Beautifully photographed and drenched in irony, it is one of the genre’s finest examples. Starring Sterling Hayden.
(1956, Directed by Stanley Kubrick, 85mins. NR) Playing at 7pm and 9:30pm at the Lagoon Cinema

Wednesday, February 22nd, DOG DAY AFTERNOON
The robbery should have taken ten minutes. four hours later, the bank was like a circus sideshow. Eight hours later, it was the hottest thing on live T.V. Twelve hours later, it was all history. And it’s all true. Starring Al Pacino.
(1975, Directed by Sydney Lumet, 125mins. Rated R.) Playing at 7pm and 10pm at the Lagoon Cinema

Volkswagon’s The Bark Side proves the Internet’s greatness

Matt Gamble — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:36:38 +0000

Volkswagon’s The Bark Side proves the Internet’s greatness Where the Long Tail Ends

Minneapolis, get ready to change your Block E viewing habits

Matt Gamble — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:33:44 +0000

Minneapolis, get ready to change your Block E viewing habits Where the Long Tail Ends

Today it was announced that the lease for the AMC Block E Movie Theatre would not be renewed. This effectively means that the Block E Theatre will be closing its doors some time in the next few months.

This is coming just weeks after Steve Mann made public news that the Mann 6 Theatre in St Louis Park was operating under a month-to-month lease and wasn’t expecting to survive for much longer. The closing was considered so inevitable, that the St Louis Park City Council granted Frauenshuh Commerical Real Estate, who holds the lease on the Mann 6 property, the right to make major changes to the building.

With both of these upcoming closing, their will be a major hit to the West Metro when it comes to places you can watch movies. While AMC Southdale and AMC Rosedale still rule the roost to the south and north, you now have just The Heights, St Anthony Main, the ShowPlace ICON and the Landmark Theatres who will benefit from the closures. And of those only St Anthony Main and the ICON look like they will truly be able to siphon off any of the remaining customers, what little there were, from those two establishments.

Of course, Landmark has their own in an effort to coerce issues to handle in the coming months. After the Mpls/St Paul Mgazine wrote a scathing critique on The Uptown Theatre that pulled nary a punch this past August, rumors started to fly that The Uptown would be either sold off to someone who gave a damn or would be shut down for good due to its current state. Thankfully, it appears neither of those will prove true as word is slowly leaking out that their are plans in place for some drastic renovations for The Uptown. Early reports was that the theatre would close just after thanksgiving to chop the theatre up into two separate screens, but those seem to thankfully be nothing more than rumor. But it does look like The Uptown will be closing in the next few months so the building can finally undergo some badly needed renovations. Talk of adding in a beer and wine bar, along with turning the balcony into a VIP 21+ section seem like they might actually come to fruition as well.

Now, when it comes to the Block E closing I really don’t have much of an opinion. The writing has been on the wall for sometime that the theatre wasn’t drawing the numbers that had been anticipated for it to be one of the primary anchors for the complex. Block E has always been a fairly profitable theatre, primarily due to its very advantageous lease, so it can be safely assumed that AMC isn’t going to be all that happy at the loss of the location. That being said, the property owners had been pretty open about their desire to turn the complex into a casino. So it comes as little surprise that they finally took the initiative to sink the entire complex (rumors have floated around for years that Block E must shut down if either the movie theatre or The Graves Hotel closes) in an effort to coerce the City of Minneapolis into giving in to their demands. If I was a betting man, I’d say they have no chance in hell of succeeding. But hey, it’s just people’s jobs and livelihood they are playing with.

As for the Mann 6 in St Louis Park, I have never been much of a fan of the theatre, it being one of the most poorly built and maintained theatres in town. And the Mann brother’s modus operandi of always doing things as cheaply as possible has never sat well with me. That mentality of offering customers and their employees the absolute bare minimum is quickly becoming antiquated, and the Mann’s inability to recognize this means they will have a hard time succeeding in the film exhibitor business in the coming years. While it would be nice if one of the few remaining neighborhood theatres in the metro area survived, the community will be better off without the Mann’s shuffling their feet and bring film exhibition into the 21st Century.

But it is The uptown that I have the most excitement for. It’s a theatre that I am quite fond of, though it was badly in need of renovations when I first moved to the twin Cities back in the mid-nineties. While The Heights, Riverview, and in recent years, The Parkway have started pumping money into returning these theatres to their past glory, The uptown has continued to waste away in spite of the staff’s best efforts (and often times their own hard earned money) to stave off the inevitable. While I can only surmise that the Mpls/St Paul Magazine editorial is what finally convince Landmark to renovate, frankly, I could care less on what started the idea but rather am content in the knowledge that one of the greatest buildings in Minneapolis is finally being given the treatment that it so richly deserves. And the best thing about it? In a few months I’ll be able tor reap the rewards.

Spoiler Alert! – The Innkeepers

Matt Gamble — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:09:55 +0000

Spoiler Alert! – The Innkeepers Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back!

It has been quite sometime since James and I have recorded a Spoiler Alert! podcast, after a quick search I discovered it was all the way back in October of 2010 when we reviewed two films for the Sound Unseen Film Festival that year (it also was the podcast which involved a certain urine related kitchen incident). So I wouldn’t be surprised if more than a few of you are unfamiliar with this show. While our standard podcast, the universally poorly received High and Low (Brow), is a themed podcast in which we watch older, obscure and possibly awful films for your listening amusement, Spoiler Alert! focuses more on newer films that catch our eye and we want to share our enjoyment with you.

So for this episode we review the newest film from Ti West, a director is quickly becoming a favorite of both James and I. That film being the haunted house not quite yet horror classic, The Innkeepers. But that’s not all. In this episode we also give you a sneak peek, and really more of a full on peek, of our newest podcasting segment, James Gillham: Pop Culture Guru. Oh yes, your long wait is over, and it was totally worth it.

As always thanks for listening!

Opening Music – Don’t Break the needle by J Roddy Walston and the Business
James Gillham: Pop Culture Guru Theme Music – Opiate by TOOL
Closing Music – The Show Must Go On by Queen

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The Defenders: Jeremy Messersmith

Matt Gamble — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:56:18 +0000

The Defenders: Jeremy Messersmith Where the Long Tail Ends

My favorite ongoing film series in the Twin Cities will have its next screening at the Trylon on Wednesday at 7pm. The Defenders, a series devoted to showing weird, unusual and often times hated films, will be hosted on local musician Jeremy Messersmith. What movie will he be defending? Stop by to find out!

Past “Defenders” have included Star Tribune film critic Colin Covert, MPR’s “Movie Maven” Stephanie Curtis and Motion City Soundtrack singer/guitarist Justin Pierre.

The Defenders
Trylon Microcinema
Wednesday, January 19th
7 PM

Kurosawa, In Order #9 – Stray Dog

Robert Reineke — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:15:19 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #9 – Stray Dog Where the Long Tail Ends

STRAY DOG (1949)

Kurosawa had the cinematic chops to create compelling movies out of scenarios that weren’t on their surface cinematic or were just flat out abstract. The subjectivity of truth. Meeting a production quota. Battles with disease. How one deals with the difficult realities of post-war Japan. How one deals with one’s own mortality. It’s sometimes difficult to sum up just how entertaining his movies are when you have to explain the high concept behind some of his films.

Which brings us to Stray Dog, where no allowance for a difficult concept is necessary. A rookie cop gets his gun stolen and relentlessly hunts for the thief through the mean streets of post-war Tokyo during a sweltering heat wave. If that description doesn’t get your adrenaline pumping, I don’t know what to say.

The Quiet Duel was stagey, dialogue heavy, and had long extended scenes. In contrast, Stray Dog takes off and scarcely slows down. You can tell Kurosawa was proud of the story hook since as soon as they get out of the credits he gets right to it with Murakami (Toshiro Mifune) reporting the loss to a superior and then fills in the story. Kurosawa resorts to an unusual device for himself by providing backstory, voice over narration. The voice over is pretty perfunctory, at least as translated, Murakami is a rookie, he was tired, and it’s hot as hell, but it gets the points across without need for character exposition. It’s inelegant, but efficient. It might even be a nod to the American crime films of the period with their Chandler-esque narrations, although it’s not a real good imitation if that was the intention. Either way, we’re quickly off to Murakami’s pocket getting picked on a public bus by a woman that reeks of cheap perfume.

It doesn’t take Murakami long to recognize the theft. And he’s after the man who has been passed the gun in no time. Kurosawa takes a dynamic overhead shot to set up the geography of the chase and then gets right into it.

The chase shows Kurosawa’s action chops which are fully formed. There are cuts on movement, axial cuts, tracking shots, and he uses the camera’s full depth of field for staging the scene. Of course, the foot chase ends unsuccessfully for Murakami, there wouldn’t be a movie otherwise, but it’s anything but perfunctory in its presentation.

Murakami will be doing a lot of pursuing in the film, so it only seems fitting for the film to include a foot chase early. After the chase, Stray Dog changes gears into a police procedural, certainly one of the early instances of that form and foreshadowing High and Low. We learn some things about Murakami, like Mifune he’s been discharged from the Army recently, and Kurosawa plays close attention to composition so that it’s not just two men talking to each other over a desk. Murakami quickly makes his way to checking out photos of pickpocket suspects and Kurosawa makes sure to frame the space in three dimensions with activity in the fore-, mid-, and background. A fan and Mifune’s sweat remind you that it’s stifling hot.

The search leads to the first clue. It turns out the woman reeking of cheap perfume is a pickpocket. It turns out that she used to be known for her kimonos but now is wearing modern dress (Symbolism!). Murakami and a superior are immediately off to question her. It turns out that the elder officer and the pickpocket are know each other well, probably Kurosawa making a statement on how the law and lawlessness mixed following the war, but they have no proof to hold her on and she walks out. But, instead of chalking it up as a dead end, Murakami follows her relentlessly. It’s a partly comic sequence, but it shows Murakami’s dedication, almost obsession, with his stolen gun. He’s taking it very personally as if it’s part of him that’s been stolen.

Eventually, the pickpocket gives in and points Murakami in the right direction, the gun dealers of Tokyo who recruit those looking desperate. It’s an interesting decision in that it seems to be motivated by pity and annoyance . Is that a credit to Murakami’s persistence or his desperation? Kurosawa, of course, adds his own take on this condition because immediately after the pickpocket unloads her conscience she looks at the stars again for the first time in a long time. It’s hard to appreciate that there’s still beauty in the world when you’re watching your back all the time.

What follows is a long montage as Murakami breaks out his old Army gear and beats the streets of Tokyo looking for the next link in the chain. It’s a long, somewhat experimental sequence. A montage is a tricky thing, you get ideas across but if it’s too brief the plot point looks like something easily accomplished. Kurosawa tests your patience a bit here, but it’s to the idea of showing how much effort Murakami is expending. Nothing comes easy to him. Including the sun beating down in a shot that precedes the famous shot in Rashomon of the sun among the trees.

Mifune is very authentic in this sequence as an Army veteran as he was in real life. He probably didn’t have to reach very far to give off a sense of desperation. Kurosawa captures the seamy side of Tokyo well while using every device he knows to keep the film interesting. There are lots of shots of Mifune’s desperate face, lots of shots of walking feet, and even both at the same time in one shot.

The length of the sequence has been criticized. Certainly, Kurosawa errs on the long side of the montage. But, the sequence certainly establishes post-war Tokyo as an identity, filled with lots of desperate people. Clearly, it gives meaning to Murakami’s story as he’s just a subset of the larger desperate whole.

Kurosawa layers in a lot of information. And, eventually it pays off as Murakami locates a gun dealer, who will rent him a gun for his rice ration card. In perhaps a rash move, he leaps at the first opportunity to bring in a dealer, possibly while giving the rest of the gang a chance to escape. A barred door drives home the fact that jail is in the future for the dealer. A subsequent interrogation reveals that if he hadn’t acted rashly on his own, he could have hauled in his pistol, unfired, by just waiting a little bit. Action without thought doesn’t pay off in Kurosawa’s films.

In a digression, we get a scene of Tokyo CSI. It turns out that there has been a shooting, and the bullet was from a Colt pistol like Murakami’s, driving him to further despair. Murakami, obsessed at this point, digs a bullet out of a stump where he missed on the shooting range. Turns out the grooves match which confirms Murakami’s instincts and deepens his guilt. And, again, it sends him back to the dealer for further interrogation.

The dealer is, of course, a small fish. And, perhaps less of a bull in a china shop approach would be wiser. Enter a mentor for Murakami, the experienced cop Sato played by the great Takashi Shimura. Sato is a great character in his own right, introduced sharing a popsicle in the extreme heat to get the empathy of his suspect/source of information. He’d be right at home in The Wire.

The interrogation scene is a little gem as Sato controls the situation, finds the weak point in the dealer’s façade (she’s in love with her boss), and exploits it. It’s also worth noting that the girl is played by Noriko Sengoku, who played the barmaid in Drunken Angel and Nurse Minegishi in The Quiet Duel, Kurosawa is establishing his own repertory company at this point. It turns out that the guy with the gun never got his ration card back. So, the next link in the chain is up the ladder to the boss, who loves baseball games.

Murakami and Sato quickly bond. Kurosawa certainly never met a student/teacher relationship he didn’t like and this is one of his better ones. Sato is of the pre-war generation and he’s cynical. He acknowledges Murakami’s guilt over his gun, but doesn’t give it credence as anything more than sentimentality. There are good guys and there are bad guys, and that’s that. Murakami would like to follow that advice, but easier said than done. And, this being Kurosawa, there’s a storm brewing in the background.

Then it’s off to the ballgame to round up the head of the gun dealing syndicate. This of course represents a problem on how to find and safely bring in an armed criminal in the midst of a crowd. Kurosawa uses the ballgame, which surely seems more exciting than usual with lots of hits, plays at the plate, etc., as a tension device. As the game moves along, the time to locate and apprehend the criminal becomes more problematic. It’s not quite Hitchcockian in nature, but it is an effective device. Finally, Sato comes up with a solution and the straight police procedural portion of the narrative comes to a conclusion.

Kurosawa has a tendency to split his features into essentially two sections. Consider Ikiru or Seven Samurai before and after the intermission. The second half of Stray Dog evolves into the story of two men, Murakami and Shinjiro Yusa (Isao Kimura), the man who has his gun. We see very little of Yusa, but nevertheless we learn a lot about him. Like Murakami, Yusa is an Army veteran. Both of them had their packs stolen on the way home from the war and were left with nothing. Murakami had the fortune of finding a job, while Yusa was left to wallow in absolute poverty.

It’s worth considering that Mifune was an Army veteran. One of the lucky ones who found a career after World War II. The story must have hit home to some extent given he could have easily ended up as someone desperately looking for work.

The trail of Yusa leads Murakami and Sato first to a comic encounter with Yusa’s friend who likes to think of himself as a real ladies man and then to a burlesque show and Yusa’s erstwhile girlfriend Harumi (Keiko Awaji). Kurosawa turns the heat and backstage resting area of the showgirls into almost a vision of Hell with the bodies entangled and no relief from the heat in sight. No one’s immune and everyone is suffering in Kurosawa’s world.

Harumi stonewalls the detectives and breaks down in fake tears. It’s the end of a long day and Sato and Murakami are beat. Sato knows he mishandled her, but the only solution is to try again at a later date. Meanwhile, Sato takes Murakami home and we get a glimpse of Sato’s personal life.

We also get to see Murakami’s view of the case and the sympathy Murakami feels with Yusa. Sato, of course, dismisses the similarity of the two. But, then, he’s of a different generation. The post-war (après-guerre) generation is the generation of Murakami and Yusa. Sato’s been a cop long enough that he’s forgotten that he too perhaps faced a choice. He made his choice and never looked back. To him, criminals are now like dogs, stray or mad. Murakami is, of course, familiar with desperation. And, so, every bullet that Yusa fires is a bullet that Murakami could have if things had gone differently. Or, at least, so Murakami imagines. And, as the bullet count escalates as a murder occurs and there’s no going back for Yusa. In response, Murakami grows more desperate in his search. If he can’t redeem Yusa, perhaps he can redeem his own part.

At this point there’s no turning back for Murakami and with a murder, there’s an added sense of urgency. They’re only real lead is Harumi and they track her down to her home. Turns out that she has seen Yusa, and while Sato tracks down a lead, Murakami sticks with Harumi in case that Yusa shows up.

While Sato investigates, Murakami and Harumi get to the heart of the matter which is the desperation of many of simply wanting a better life in an unfair world. Is it too much to ask for a pretty dress after how much they’ve suffered following the war? The answer is, of course, that suffering doesn’t give you the license to make others suffer. It turns out Yusa had bought Harumi a dress which Murakami goads her into wearing. It’s only by wearing it that Harumi realizes the shameful way it was acquired. She breaks down weeping and the heavens break down in rain, ending the heat wave. Of course, Kurosawa can’t resist introducing weather into an emotional scene, but he’s set it up so long that the payoff is worth it.

Murakami isn’t out of the woods yet. Sato does track down Yusa, but takes two bullets for his efforts. A Kurosawa hero can’t track down a villain with assistance, he ultimately has to do it for himself. Meanwhile, Murakami has even more reason to beat himself up.

Sato will live though. And Harumi atones for her part in Yusa’s rampage by informing Murakami that Yusa wants to meet her at the morning train so that they can escape together. Harumi’s seen the error of her ways, but Yusa has gone too far.

There’s a kind of clumsy voice over narration by Murakami as he deduces who Yusa is at the station. Not even the same narrator as opened the movie, which is a head scratching decision in an otherwise marvelously crafted movie. But, the misstep is small and Kurosawa gets to display all his action chops as Murakami pursues Yusa through the woods for a final confrontation. Murakami is encountering a wild version of himself and he’s only slightly less desperate than Yusa. Both of them have become wild dogs.

Kurosawa wasn’t completely happy with the final vision of Stray Dog which he had originally written as a novel in the style of Georges Simenon. Kurosawa may not have achieved the film in his head, but the final version is a great movie nonetheless. It’s gripping, exciting, well acted, expertly shot, and has a lot to say about post-war Tokyo. It’s a great police procedural in its own right and a preview of High and Low. By all accounts, it was a terrific success with critics and at the box office of the time. Today, it’s still riveting.

And, despite his misgivings, Kurosawa seemed ready to move on to other things, although he still wanted to make a movie about contemporary Tokyo. His next film again featured Toshiro Mifune, but was much less concerned about crime, medicine, and Japan’s post-war trials, but a different social ill that he felt was plaguing contemporary Japan.

Next Month: SCANDAL (1950)

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 4 – 3… 2…1…Comment!

Matt Gamble — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:04:39 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 4 – 3… 2…1…Comment! Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! James and I have once again taken a bit of an extended break, but I must admit its al my fault. Thankfully, I have a few legitimate excuses, they being my badly spraining my knee and ankle in early November, followed by the death of my grandfather Rufus, whose funeral I attended over the Thanksgiving holiday. But now that I’m finally on the mend we were able to sit down and finally record a new episode of High and Low (Brow).

Speaking of new episodes, in this one we shift our primary focus and watch a pair of commentary tracks as well as the films that spawned them. First up is the 90′s comedy cult classic, PCU, starring Jeremy Piven, David Spade, Jon Favreau and a cast of thousands. The commentary track is a solo one from the film’s primary star, Jeremy Piven, but what makes it interesting is that Piven spends the bulk of the films 80 minute running time complaining about the director and how much he could have improved the film if he was just allowed to run the whole thing himself. Following that, we revisit a classic from our collective youth, Conan the Barbarian, starring the incomparable Arnold Schwarzenegger. This commentary track is provided by Arnold and the film’s director, John Milius, and I think it is quite safe to say that you won’t ever hear anything like it. After that, make sure to stick around for our blind selection process, as we figure out which theme and films we ill be watching next week, compliments of James.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Velvet Green by Jethro Tull

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Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – The Human Centipede 2

Matt Gamble — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:50:43 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – The Human Centipede 2 Where the Long Tail Ends

The following review is 100% medically accurate.

You have been warned.

The Human Centipede is a movie that is difficult for most people to fathom that it should exist, let alone be defended. It’s a strange film, thick with satire about the horror genre and torture porn, yet at the same time comfortably resting well within fairly standard conventions. Normally, when a film does that it is ravaged for being hypocritical, but it seems as if most reviewers were fine with ignoring the “hypo” and not even going past critical when dealing with The Human Centipede. So when the sequel was announced it was a bit surprising that the general reaction seemed to be not much fiercer than a collective yawn. No one really seemed to grasp the point of the first and thus, they didn’t really even feign the outrage of even trying to come up with any vitriol for the second. So I shall in their stead.

Defending The Human Centipede 2 is an affront to humanity and good taste. But here’s the thing: The Human Centipede 2 is worth your time if you’re the kind of person into that sort of thing, which I am. Perhaps I should have mentioned that earlier. Oops.

Now allow me a quick sidebar if you will; the other night my girlfriend was shopping for sex toys online, because then the only males leering at her are me and my cat, Parker. Hold up, allow me an amendment to this sidebar; why is it that when I catch her checking out porn videos featuring pregnant women that she can say it’s “educational” but everyone damn well knows that if I was seen doing the same it would lead to all sorts of questions and at least one half hour sit down on whether or not I am into Prego Porn. You know what? Scratch this whole sidebar. It’s all theoretical anyways.

Back to the amendment, so she’s shopping for sex toys and she stumbles onto the concept of a growing industry centered on the concept of making molds of various genitals so that a sex toy can be crafted from them. The best part? You can do this at home so you can carry around your partner’s no-no place in your purse. Or, if you prefer a different orifice, you could just carry around a model of their head.

Now, perhaps an argument can be made that if one’s first thought about making sexual orifices at home from your partner’s naughty bits (perhaps people who haven’t watched thousands, literally thousands of horror films might even think of a penis or a vagina as their first choice) should be their head that you might not be what they call normal. But people who make that argument are normal people in normal relationships that don’t have conversations like this:

“You can do anything you want to me.”
“So I can shit in your mouth?”
“Do you want to do that to me?”
“No, but if I’m being given the opportunity to do anything I might as well shoot for the moon.”

So yeah, if you find the idea literally dropping some scatological humor into your woman’s pie-hole even slightly amusing you’re the type of reprobate The Human Centipede 2 is aiming for.

Heading into The Human Centipede 2 I warned Angela that she really didn’t have to come. She earned plenty of cool cred just by saying she’d be open to watching something as vile as that film, let alone actually watching said film. And she certainly didn’t need to try and impress me. Frankly, I felt bad that she was even attempting it, as I knew she was in over her head. Plus, I knew I was going to Hell, so I was less than thrilled about dragging her down with me.

Here’s the good news, Angela didn’t make it through The Human Centipede 2, thus saving her immortal soul. No, she made it about 30 minutes, which is a valiant effort for someone who doesn’t like movies like this. Even more amazing, she sat in the car for an hour and watched Hulu on her iPhone while she waited for the film to blow its wad of gore. If that isn’t love I don’t know what is.

As for the film, it was everything I hoped it would be. After director Tom Six took heat for being disgusting from people not into this style of film while he was simultaneously being ripped by genre fans for being too comedic and campy, he clearly decided to make the kind of depraved masterpiece that would horrify both sides of this metaphorical bitch fit.

Eliminating the campiness of the original while dialing back on the gallows humor, Six instead decided to crank up the creepiness to the 11th power, crafting a truly unlikeable and bizarre film that was unrelenting in its efforts to get its audience to cry, “Mercy!” As if that wasn’t enough, Six enlists yet another unknown as his antagonist, but unlike Dieter Laser’s absurdly over-the-top performance, Laurence R Harvey instead turns a nearly silent performance into a role for the ages. As he squeals and squeaks, licks and laughs, Harvey does his best to turn his Peter Lorre looks into a veritable viewing nightmare that will make even the most battle hardened squeamish.

But what appealed to me most was Six’s continued faith in his own ability to break boundaries you never thought he would dare to tread. Sure you have the ass-to-mouth moments that one practically demands, but you also have a mother attempting to murder her son in his sleep, gross sexual perversion, and an infant curb stomping for good measure. The final item, I should add, is such a golden calf shattering moment I practically stood up and cheered at Six’s centipede sized balls.

Of course, Angela missed all of these moments, as she quietly, and rather quickly, shuttered out of the auditorium when she witnessed Mrs. Lomax (mother of arch villain Martin Lomax) attempt to kill herself after he stumbles upon her poorly plotted plan to kill him. It was by far one of the more moderate gross out gags in the film and I was a bit surprised that it was the scene that pushed her over the edge. But when I asked her about it, I found her answer to be far more interesting; Rather than that scene being too gross for her, it was actually the moment she realized the film was about to get a whole lot worse and she was quite happy to not witness said events. Or as she so eloquently put it, “I knew I had to get out of the rollercoaster at the top of the hill and take those tiny steps all the way back down.”

Oh yeah, and she never did “theoretically” make that mold of her head for me either. I don’t know what the hell my family sees in her.

Kurosawa, In Order #8 – The Quiet Duel

Robert Reineke — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:57:09 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #8 – The Quiet Duel Where the Long Tail Ends

THE QUIET DUEL (1949)

A strike had stopped production at Toho Studios prior to filming The Quiet Duel and Kurosawa was desperate to get back to work as soon as possible once it ended. So, Kurosawa turned to a play penned by Kazuo Kikuta dealing with a doctor dealing with a real life issue in contemporary Tokyo. Perhaps because it was a play first, Kurosawa thought that he could quickly get started on production with just a few changes to open it up. Kurosawa obviously had great affection for doctors, and a film set in a rundown hospital with a doctor struggling with a personal and, at the time, shocking illness had an innate appeal. Plus, it was a chance to give Toshiro Mifune a chance to star in a role that was far removed from the gangsters he had portrayed in his first three films and a preemptive strike against being typecast. All of that sounds good on paper, but the screenplay to The Quiet Duel hardly plays to Kurosawa’s strengths and the results are a mixed bag.

The Quiet Duel starts off as what you expect and want from Kurosawa. The opening credits are set against a background of scenes of pouring rain with pounding drums on the soundtrack. There’s mud everywhere. A truck illuminates a Red Cross sign and text reviews that it’s 1944. Men scramble through a triage packed with wounded men. Kurosawa has plunged us head first into World War II, and from the Japanese perspective which is a rare feature of cinema. Even with a few establishing shots, Kurosawa quickly establishes that it’s not a time of glory.

The cinematography is stark and full of high contrast black and white. There’s a depth of field here as well. I have issues with The Quiet Duel, but Kurosawa’s compositions and the cinematography by Soichi Aisaka aren’t among them. In fact, the shooting scheme is reminiscent of film noir which suits the moral struggles of the film.

In this scene we’re introduced to a pair of doctors utterly exhausted by the endless stream of wounded they’ve been handling. Kuroswa’s introduction is clever, we see two doctors both passed out from exhaustion, and Toshiro Mifune’s Kyoji Fujisaki is so dedicated to duty that he’s passed out still wearing his surgery mask and not letting his hands droop — still ready for their next instrument. It’s an efficient character introduction as it sets up character and the fact that they’re not at the top of their game and mistakes can happen through no conscious choice. It’s also vaguely prescient of M.A.S.H.

The comparisons to M.A.S.H. continue as the surgeons are summoned to treat a patient with an abdominal wound and Kyoji struggles on despite exhaustion. Kurosawa manages to stage a fully formed scene with depth of field. The surgeons are fanned due to the obvious heat. Water drips down and is captured in pans in the foreground with the sound of the rain drops perhaps being a metaphor to the heartbeats of a patient. It’s a master class of staging which keeps the scene dynamic considering the actors can’t move from their stations.

The raindrops are distractingly noisy, the lights flicker, the heat requires Kyoji’s brow to be wiped constantly, the surgery is difficult, and knots are almost impossible to tie while wearing gloves covered in blood. It’s a well staged scene, so that when a series of simple mistakes are made it’s completely understandable. Kyoji removes a glove to tie knots. He hurriedly sets a scalpel down with his concentration on the patient. No reason he should pay attention to it.

But, when he reaches for it again, Kyoji cuts his finger. It’s a minor cut. It’s attended to quickly, but there’s a patient dying on the table so Kyoji plunges his hands back into his work and gets started. It’s completely commendable.

And he suffers for it for the rest of the movie.

There’s follow up as Kyoji overhears the recovering soldier Nakata (Kenjiro Uemura) spout off about how he’s going to be sent home because of his wound and disease. Kyoji realizes that he has become infected with syphilis and probably won’t cannot treat the disease while constantly on the move with the Army. The main thrust of this section of the movie is covered in those brief moments that open the movie and they demonstrate what Kurosawa is so good at. It’s a dynamic sequence showing characters in action. And, tellingly, it’s doubtful that any of that is in the play but simply fleshed out back story. The next sections of the movie are talky and you can see Kurosawa struggle to bring the characters inner lives to outer action.

The film jumps forward to a rundown hospital in post-war Tokyo and quickly introduces a new cast of characters. The most interesting of them, by far, is Ninegishi (Noriko Sengoku), a nurse’s apprentice from a troubled past. She’s a former dancer who has gotten knocked up and tried to commit suicide before being saved by Kyoji and offered a job. She’s cynical, not particularly thankful, and the only character that feels like someone Kurosawa would come up with.

The hospital is also a character in this section. It’s dirty and clearly has seen better days, even if it still functions. Ninegishi notes that it used to be clean. It’s a pretty clear metaphor for Kyoji as well as being an accurate reflection of the times. The photography has a crispness and a deep field of focus; if it can’t hide how stagebound the movie is, at least creates a sense of place within the sets.

We’re also introduced to Kyoji’s father Konosuke played by Takashi Shimura. He’s an obstetrician, although it appears that he’s drafted into more general hospital work due to the shortages around him, and he’s the wise, good humored sage that Morgan Freeman has made a career of playing.

Completing the principal set of new characters is Kyoji’s former fiancée Misao (Miki Sanjo). Kyoji has hidden his infection from everyone and has broken it off from his fiancée. However, she’s still hanging around the hospital, nobly helping out, and trying to win back Kyoji’s affections. She’s less a character than a type and, unfortunately, never develops any shadings that make her interesting. Instead, she’s a prim, noble, virgin pining for her love.

Konosuke tries to rekindle their relationship by having Kyoji escort Misao home, but in a recurring visual metaphor, their relationship is like the vines of flowers that form the backdrops of their walks which wither and die over the course of the film. (There are very few nature metaphors that Kurosawa didn’t like to use.)

Kyoji eventually finds out that you can’t hide the treatment of a serious disease in a hospital as Minegishi walks in on him in the midst of treatment. And, recognizing what the treatment is for but not the cause, she feels vindicated that she has something on the “noble” doctor. Konosuke a short time later discovers his son’s disease through an overheard argument between Kyoji and Minegishi.

It’s not long before Konosuke gets to the bottom of what’s going on with his son as a result. And, they have it out, with Kyoji explaining that he has syphilis, before fully explaining how he got it. Konosuke’s reaction is one of disappointment, as is common with any sort of STD. You can look at the reaction to a diagnosis of AIDs in the 1980s to see how modern people react to a serious STD, and syphilis was just as serious at the time of the movie. But, when Kyoji finally learns of how his son was infected, he feels shame for jumping to conclusions. His son is every bit as moral as he assumed prior. An eavesdropping Minegishi also learns shame for jumping to a false conclusion and respect for his self sacrifice.

It’s a wonderful scene from an acting standpoint. Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura had a natural chemistry that served them well in movie after movie, even when the subject matter is quite different. It also points out the chief problem with the story– like an episode of Three’s Company, once the source of the infection is explained, the moral conflict disappears completely.

Kyoji justifies not telling Misao as it will take years for him to be cured and he has no intention of infecting her. And, by implication, she’ll not be able to bear children at that point. It’s better if she moves on to someone else.

While that’s all noble and self sacrificing from a certain point of view, it’s also enormously patronizing. The culture does change over time and you have to make certain allowances for that when viewing older movies. Still, it’s much easier to ignore cultural differences when it isn’t the central conflict of the movie. There’s no question that from a modern perspective Kyoji should tell Misao and let her make her own choice. Kurosawa is usually forward looking in his politics and morals, but this is one of the rare cases where a Kurosawa film is conservative in its message.

It also doesn’t sit well with the rest of the movie. The day to day operations of the hospital are modern. Kyoji bonds over baseball with a boy after an appendectomy. Heck, there are fart jokes in The Quiet Duel as passing gas is the sign that a patient has recovered sufficiently after an abdominal operation to take food and water. Minegishi talks openly about how she wished she had gotten an abortion. Inserting an almost Victorian sense of discretion into film that is in most other aspects modern and frank just doesn’t sit well.

It also renders the plot inert for much of the remainder of the movie. If Kyoji isn’t going to come clean now, then structurally it has to wait until the climax. That might be alright if the movie was packed with subplots and characters, but that’s not something this movie has going for it. Instead, we have noble people suffering nobly. If it was a modern film, it would be dismissed, perhaps rightly, as Oscar bait.

The movie does its best to keep moving . It jumps ahead to winter. Minegishi has had her baby, after realizing how much Kyoji is willing to sacrifice and bear, and is studying to become a full fledged nurse. Konosuke is bonding with Minegishi over the child, perhaps as the ersatz grandchild he could have. Misao is moving on and engaged to be married. And Kyoji is still battling his disease.

The one wrinkle in the plot that does add interest is that Kyoji is summoned to the police station to treat an injured officer and he’s reunited with Nakata, the man who originally infected him. It’s at this point that we see how much Kyoji is a doctor as instead of being overly bitter he tries to help Nakata and follows up on how Nakata has been faring and if he managed to stay current with his treatments. You only have to look at the wall of the bar Nakata frequents to know that he’s not taking his medical situation seriously, although he does claim he got the all clear from a doctor.

Nakata is the flip side of Kyoji. You get the sense that he hasn’t sacrificed a thing. And Nakata’s story puts the cautionary warning that Kyoji’s restraint was the right choice. Unfortunately, it’s kind of ham handed in driving the point home.

A few meetings and Kyoji is confessing that Nakata passed on his disease to him. And, Kyoji is horrified to learn that Nakata has taken a wife who’s now pregnant. Sensing the potential disaster, Kyoji discloses to Nakata that he’s infected through the same bacteria that infected Nakata, and that he’s still not cured. With that, Kyoji convinces Nakata to bring in his wife for tests and discovers that she is infected with syphilis with dire consequences for her and her baby. It’s devastating for all parties involved, but it all stems from Nakata’s selfishness in contrast to Kyoji’s selflessness.

That shot above is also a good example of Kurosawa’s sense of composition. It could have been people sitting directly across from each other at a table. Instead, Kurosawa uses the deep focus to separate the characters across space as they’re all alone with their thoughts. This may be lesser Kurosawa, but there still are plenty of pleasures to be derived here. The screenplay may have issues, but Kurosawa still has a command of composition and acting that few have ever equaled.

Kurosawa follows up this painful consultation with Misao visiting Kyoji and letting him know that she’s to be married the next day. It’s a painful encounter as Kyoji’s options are all but out. He loves and desires Misao, but he’s just been given a vivid reminder of what can happen if he’s weak. This is moral of this scene is obviously underlined given its place in the movie, but it’s so well acted and staged that you can sense the danger of Kyoji failing.

Ultimately, Kyoji resists. He’s too noble to fall. And, with that, Misao exits his life in a beautifully composed shot. Perhaps Kurosawa is a little too cute, but he adds a train whistle just to drive the point home that she’s leaving Kyoji for good.

It’s up to Minegishi to finally get Kyoji to fully open up. And explain the title. It would be easy to assume that the “quiet duel” of the title refers merely to the physical battle between Kyoji and his disease. And that would be right to an extent. But, the battle that Kyoji is fighting is also between his physical desires as a man and his moral duty as a man and as a doctor from spreading his disease further. It’s a long, tearful scene where Mifune fully reveals the depths of his feelings and his battles. Frankly, it’s a bit much given how in control he’s been throughout. Mifune is very good in The Quiet Duel giving a reserved performance with about the only showy bit being the tic where he constantly rubs his cut finger throughout the whole film. For someone who’s great at portraying fiery gangsters and samurais, his performance as a noble doctor is welcome display of his true range. But, when finally given the chance to let loose Mifune and Kurosawa turn it up to eleven, with tears, declarations right into the camera, thrown objects of furniture, etc. It doesn’t ruin a very good performance by any measure, but it’s a climax that comes off as over the top and didactic.

It does hint at a future for Kyoji. Minegishi declares that she would sacrifice her body to fulfill his desires. Kyoji won’t hear of it, but it’s clear that there’s someone that will be there for him for when he fully recovers. Someone that knows his secrets, his desires, and his shames. When Minegishi declares that she loves him and Kyoji merely changes the subject to the latest medical case that he’s attending to rather than denying her or himself the possibility.

To underline that there’s hope, Nakata’s story plays out in a lesson for what happens when selfishness prevails. And to the surprise of no one, it’s not a happy ending.

Kyoji might not have a purely happy ending either, although it’s not the depressing one the original screenplay proposed where he goes mad from his infection. Instead, he continues to treat the disease. And, Minegishi and Konosuke are still there to support him. He’s come clean and can move forward at last. Kurosawa might even engage in a visual pun as we see Minegishi at work airing the formerly dirty now clean laundry of the hospital. This is probably the first time we associate the hospital with cleanliness and it’s certainly an image of hope, as well as being a fun dynamic watching the laundry flap in the breeze. Minegishi is now wearing spotless white now too.

The Quiet Duel isn’t necessarily a bad movie. There’s plenty to admire about the cinematography, the ideas in the screenplay, and the acting. However, the main characters are just too pure to be very interesting, the hospital setting doesn’t allow Kurosawa to fully flex his muscles, and the story ends up being fairly didactic. Kurosawa was never the most subtle director and this is a story that requires a far lighter touch to pull off as it was much more suited to the style of Yasujiro Ozu.

Perhaps sensing the deficiencies of The Quiet Duel, Kurosawa dived right back into the contemporary crime milieu of post-war Tokyo. And the result is one of his best and most entertaining films.

Next Month: STRAY DOG (1949)

Kurosawa, In Order #7 – Drunken Angel

Robert Reineke — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:16:04 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #7 – Drunken Angel Where the Long Tail Ends

DRUNKEN ANGEL (1948)

It’s clear that the condition of post-war Japan was on Kurosawa’s mind during the years immediately following World War II. He didn’t shy away from it in One Wonderful Sunday, but that film featured a respectable working class couple. In Drunken Angel, Kurosawa almost literally dives into the cesspool of corruption and neglect of contemporary Japan.

That alone would have made Drunken Angel a notable film. But, Drunken Angel also marks the beginning of a great partnership. Susumu Fujita was unavailable to Kurosawa due to labor issues, so Kurosawa was looking for new actors. Toho Studios was looking at all sorts of new faces following the war, and one of the people trying out was Toshiro Mifune fresh out of the Army. Kurosawa didn’t discover Mifune, the credit goes to Kajiro Yamamoto, but Kurosawa was instrumental in getting Mifune hired when there was some debate on the board considering hiring Mifune. Mifune appeared in a couple of films before Drunken Angel, most notably Snow Trail which was written by Kurosawa and co-starred Takashi Shimura, but Drunken Angel was the film that made him a star, and Kurosawa and Mifune would be joined at the hip until Red Beard in 1965.

While One Wonderful Sundaywas a fairly candid look at the difficulties of post-War Tokyo, the gloves are really off for Drunken Angel. The opening shots center around a stagnant pond / cesspool in the heart of a downtrodden neighborhood which will form the central unifying image of the film. Prostitutes fan themselves by the side of the pond. A guitar player performs a tune in the night. Kurosawa tells us all we need to know and sets up some of the central themes without a word.

In this setting, the low level gangster Matsunaga (Toshiro Mifune) seeks out Doctor Sanada (Takashi Shimura) to address a wound to his hand. Mifune and Shimura will share the screen in a string of masterpieces and their first scene together crackles. Given how skinny Mifune is he’s not as immediately recognizable as he will be later, but his intensity is unmistakable. Matsunaga is arrogant, at least on the surface, and barely tolerant of Dr. Sanada. Perhaps rightly, as Sanada is established quickly as a doctor barely holding on, treating the lowest of the low, and drinking too much. The “drunken” part of the title is established, at least as backstory, early. Sanada’s marginal circumstances aren’t hidden though as he ends up performing surgery on Matsunaga’s hand without the assistance of anesthetic. Not that Sanada is all that unhappy about that fact.

It’s an interesting contrast that’s set up early. Matsunaga displays nothing but confidence even though he has no higher purpose in life. Sanada, like his country, is disillusioned, cynical, and defeated despite the higher calling of his profession. But Sanada soldiers on and notes the signs of tuberculosis, which Matsunaga dismisses. Or at least tries to, as it’s clear he’s shaken to his core. So much so that he pays no attention to Sanada’s nurse Miyo (Chieko Nakakita) that his lackeys almost recognize.

The movie sticks with Sanada a bit, we follow him as he chases some kids from playing in the obviously contaminated cesspool. It’s a redeeming value that will elevate him from his drunkenness that he will try to save even the bad.

Kurosawa’s original intention was to concentrate the film on Sanada, but Mifune was a force of nature that demanded more attention. I think Drunken Angel is a better film as a result. By shifting the focus to concentrate more on Matsunaga the film expands in scope and stakes as we follow Matsunaga through the underworld. And Sanada’s pursuit of Matsunaga, to persuade Matsunaga to at least get an x-ray, brings Sanada into contact with his own temptations, alcohol. And, although it’s a serious film, it’s not humorless as Sanada displays a welcome willingness to flirt with the bargirl.

In an economy of character, the bargirl will prove of some importance later. The economy also helps makes a point, these characters are all connected into a community. It may not be a very reputable community, but it’s a community all the same. It’s just one with a large, contagious cesspool in the middle.

Meanwhile, Matsunaga is still behaving as if he’s bulletproof. Smoking, drinking, and whoring, he thinks because of his “status” as a yakuza he’s immune. Or perhaps he’s just too scared to admit it. Either way, we see that he thinks he’s a big shot and is full on acting that way.

Sanada, we’ll learn, has had all the same vices in the past. And although he still drinks, a lot, he’s at least learned some humility. He’s at least now content to suck on a popsicle rather than smoke like Matsunaga. Of note, the area of vice that they’re in is covered in signs in English which is an efficient way around censorship restrictions. Kurosawa is smart that instead of just ducking in for a drink and a conversation once Sanada tracks down Matsunaga, Matsunaga wants to go to a less conspicuous place to discuss his mortality. It’s both a character move and a way to show Matsunaga in his native environment as the perceived cock of the walk. Kurosawa strives to achieve balance between his two leads. Once they arrive at their destination, there’s a funny sequence reminiscent of Stagecoach, of Sanada giving in to his temptations.

At this point, the two stalemate. Matsunaga can’t get Sanada to reveal why his nurse seems familiar. And Sanada can’t get Matsunaga to get an x-ray. Matsunaga argues that it’s his life to live. Sanada doesn’t argue that, but asks who cares if Matsunaga lives or dies? Sanada is just interested in killing TB, as his calling dictates. Matsunaga throws him out. It’s a good scene, not least of which because it quickly moves between moods comedic, dramatic, and angry. Kurosawa said that one of Mifune’s strengths as an actor was how quickly he could communicate what he’s thinking and feeling with the audience and that’s on full display in this scene. Shimura’s right there with him too.

We’ve got a pretty full understanding of both men at this point. Or, at least, we think so, as Kurosawa has a few curveballs left. But, the stakes and characters are clear. Sanada really is trying to save Matsunaga from himself as much as from the TB. Matsunaga’s character is just as destructive as the bacteria.

And, in a scene of self reflection, Sanada admits to his own self destructive character. He has a great calling, he actually cares about medicine, but he’s short tempered, blunt, stubborn in addition to his vices. He could have been just as rich and successful as his classmates, but his character dragged him away from high society. Amusingly from the vantage point of history, he also scratches his head in frustration, a mannerism that will return in Seven Samurai. Sanada sees himself in Matsunaga, although he’d never admit it to Matsunaga but only to his nurse. Curing Matsunaga is like curing himself. The scene, like film noir, is filmed in heavy shadows adding to the sense of moral struggle. Into this an even darker note is added, as Sanada notes that Miyo’s former abusive boyfriend Okada (Reizaburo Yamamoto) is due to be let out of jail soon, although Sanada is confident that Okada will never find Miyo at the clinic.

A dinner conversation continues the theme of Okada and how he abused Miyo. And, yet, there’s still an attraction. Sanada accuses her of thinking like a slave, but we’ve already been shown the seemingly glamorous attraction of the gangster lifestyle so it’s hard to blame Miyo too much. Scorsese will hit on this theme in Goodfellas. But, as Kurosawa seems to be saying, these are flawed human beings and it’s hard to live up to expectations. Again, the guitar player plays in the night, perhaps merely the Act I bookend. Perhaps indicating that things haven’t changed at all from the beginning of the film.

Things do begin to change from here though. First off, Kurosawa further comments on Matsunaga as Sanada deals with one of his patients, a young, teenage girl who’s also dealing with TB. It’s important to note that the girl displays courage, discipline, and optimism in that she’ll follow Sanada’s instructions and is confident she’ll beat the disease. A total contrast to the yakuza Matsunaga. More than that, it offers hope that Matsunaga can make the choice to live and this isn’t Ikiru where his fate is already established. Kurosawa follows up that consultation with Matsunaga visiting Sanada again. This time with Sanada accusing the yakuza of confusing embarrassment of being human with courage.

Kurosawa and Mifune make sure that this confrontation isn’t just one of talking. Mifune grabs a forceps off the table, examines it, and then uses it to smoke a cigarette right in the middle of the scene. It’s a scene stealing bit and perhaps signals the point where Mifune takes over the picture.

And he does from this point forward. There’s still some charades that goes back and forth between Sanada and Matsunaga, but Matsunaga does eventually get the x-ray taken and comes in the night to see Sanada. And Sanada is positive that they can cure him.

At this point, Okada enters. The guitar player is playing the same old tune, when Okada borrows the guitar and plays his own tune. It pretty much tells you everything when Okada is so bad that he even has his own theme song, “The Killer’s Anthem”. While Sanada and Matsunaga are nuanced characters, Okada is simply an agent of destruction. The yakuza personified. Playing that tune, Okada announces his return to the neighborhood. It’s a brilliant introduction using sound and image to bypass the usual grand entrance.

It’s not TB that will drive the rest of the movie so much as it’s Okada. He’ll drag Matsunaga into an unhealthy lifestyle undoing his progress in battling the disease. And he’ll hunt for Miyo even though he’s already moved in on Matsunaga’s girl. Sanada may represent rationality, even with his weaknesses, but Okada is pure rapaciousness.

It’s through Okada that Matsunaga will learn some hard lessons about his true place in the yakuza and how much they truly value loyalty and honor. And Matsunaga has all his illusions shattered.

In the end, Matsunaga has to make the big decision. Sanada, sensibly, decides that if Okada is going to cause problems, he’ll go to the police. Matsunaga with his feudalistic beliefs in honor and courage doesn’t have as clear a path. Go to the country with the bargirl who is the only one that will take him in once Okada has taken his place, be passive and let the police do the job, or fulfill his debt of honor to Sanada and attempt to kill Okada himself? Matsunaga, to no real surprise, attempts the heroic and foolish option. And, again, Kurosawa distinguishes himself. It’s not enough to have a knife fight, but a knife fight amidst buckets of spilled white paint creates an indelible image. Perhaps the Wachowskis were thinking of it for Bound.

It’s a glorious climax. Although, in the end, it changes relatively little. There are two less yakuza around, either through flight, death, or prison –I won’t spoil it– but the cesspool is still right in the center of the neighborhood. But, perhaps there is hope for the future as Sanada’s schoolgirl patient comes back with a clean x-ray. Not everybody can be saved, but the rational and disciplined can.

There’s not much to criticize in the whole picture. Really, only two sequences stand out. Shortly after Okada and Matsunaga meet and celebrate Okada’s release from prison, into the seedy nightclub is thrown a glitzy musical number. It’s not necessarily bad, but it stands out like a sore thumb.

The other is less a flaw and more a stylistic choice that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest. In the midst of his struggle with his illness, Matsunaga has a dream where he confronts his own mortality. It’s a needed character moment, but it’s filmed in such a way that it’s reminiscent of Dreyer’s Vampyr more than Kurosawa’s so far gritty drama. Since it’s a dream it’s a legitimate choice, but it is a bit jarring.

Drunken Angel is a minor masterpiece and complete unto itself. Kurosawa had made some terrific movies before, but his style for the next major phase of his career really cements itself here. No longer would the mentor be the flawless exemplar and the student’s path would be ever more difficult. The film is recognized as a great film immediately and created a new star in Mifune. Kurosawa hit every target he was aiming for, although he brushed aside Mifune’s struggle with the actual disease over Mifune’s struggle with his character and role in society. Perhaps sensing that there was more to be done, Kurosawa’s next film again featured Mifune struggling with disease.

Next Month: THE QUIET DUEL (1949)

Flyway Horrorcast – James Gillham w/ Craig Varian

Matt Gamble — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:01:52 +0000

Flyway Horrorcast – James Gillham w/ Craig Varian Where the Long Tail Ends

And James is back! For those of wanting more James Gillham, and that seems to be everyone who listens to our podcasts, you are in for a Halloween treat. James took it upon himself to sit down and record some interviews with several different horror film aficionados while attending the 2011 Flyway Film Festival and the result is a handful of great interviews and discussions about the Flyway Film Festival and horror films.

This time James is chatting with composer Craig Varian from 400 Lonely Things who James first encountered when he listened to their Night of the Living Dead concept album, Tonight of the Living Dead. They quickly dive into talk of Zombie, Lucio Fulci and The Thing prequel. Its a peak into the minds of two obvious horror fans, and makes you wish that they could have recorded for another hour or two.

Enjoy!

Flyway Horrorcast – James Gillam w/ Brett Harding

Matt Gamble — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:57:40 +0000

Flyway Horrorcast – James Gillam w/ Brett Harding Where the Long Tail Ends

This time James is talking with Brett Harding, director of the fantastically twisted short film Tunnels of Love, an erotic comedy set entirely in the New York City Subway System. Its a short but sweet interview as James finds out what Brett thinks of Flyway and how receptive audiences have been to his unique film.

Enjoy!

Flyway Horrorcast – James Gillham w/ Gary King

Matt Gamble — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:21:54 +0000

Flyway Horrorcast – James Gillham w/ Gary King Where the Long Tail Ends

Next on the agenda for James is talking with director Gary King, (Death of the Dead, How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song) who was attending Flyway for the first time without a movie in tow to screen. So rather than let Gary just enjoy the festival, James pulled him aside to discuss why he keeps returning to Flyway and what horror films he might be watching this October. Gary, up for the challenge, starts of with The Exorcist and Halloween, which leads to a flurry of themes discussed by the duo.

Enjoy!

Flyway Horrorcast – James Gillham w/ Pericles Lewnes

Matt Gamble — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:55:08 +0000

Flyway Horrorcast – James Gillham w/ Pericles Lewnes Where the Long Tail Ends

First up is Pericles Lewnes, one of the few people that have had the pleasure of attending every Flyway Film Festival, and who has also had a chance to screen two different films at Flyway in years past, those being LOOP and Redneck Zombies. James and Pericles focus at first on Flyway itself, before discussing the opening night film Collaborator and parlaying that discussion into an examination of how effective claustrophobia is with injecting horror elements into almost any film and what other elements elevate a good horror film into a great horror film.

Enjoy!

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 3 – Disasters!

Matt Gamble — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:13:03 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 3 – Disasters! Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! This time James and I are coming to you from the Flyway Film Festival, and like last year we have invited some guests to record with us. Joining us for this episode are Jay Cheel (Film Junk & The Documentary Blog), Andrew James (Row Three) and Angela Fabbrini (The Film Confessional Podcast) making this the most star-studded High & Low (Brow) ever!

In this episode we focus on disaster movies, but while doing that we discovered that both of these films are docudramas as well, which makes for a nice discussion on whether or not these movies might actually be a documentary. First up is the classic rendition of the sinking of the Titanic, A Night to Remember. Coupled with that we have the compelling and terrifying The War Game, which depicts what might happen if a nuclear bomb went off in the UK, with shocking detail. After that, make sure to stick around for our blind selection portion of the show, as our guests pick the theme and the films that James and I will be watching on our next episode.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Hello, My Treacherous Friends by OK Go

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Coverage of the 2011 Flyway Film Festival

James Gillham — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:19:41 +0000

Coverage of the 2011 Flyway Film Festival Where the Long Tail Ends

For the last four Octobers, the small towns of Pepin and Stockholm, Wisconsin have hosted the annual Flyway Film Festival — so named for the path of migratory birds along their neck of the Mississipi. This year the festival featured over thirty different independent shorts and features, some international and some from the Wisconsin/Minnesota area. The festival took place from October 20th to the 23rd, 2011. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay through Sunday the 23rd, and enjoy the sights and cinema that the area of Lake Pepin had to offer over the long weekend.

Opening night film Collaborator, written and directed by one of the film’s co-stars, Martin Donovan, also features David Morse, Olivia Williams, and Katherine Helmond. Donovan portrays down-on-his-luck playwright Robert Longfellow who, following the chilly reception of his most recent work in New York, is staying at the home of his mother (Helmond) outside of Los Angeles. While hiding out in California, Longfellow crosses paths with his mother’s manic, ne’er-do-well neighbor Gus (Morse) — a 57 year old pot smoking, alcoholic ex-con — who grew up alongside Longfellow and is still living at home with his own widowed mother. When Gus makes good on Longfellow’s half-hearted pledge to share a beer, thus dragging Longfellow into Gus’s legal entanglements, the two manage to form a bond in spite of buried memories and resentments that the two share. But when things take a violent turn, and Longfellow’s life is put in danger, he becomes Gus’s collaborator of sorts, helping him deal with the bitterness that has plagued him since childhood in hopes that he can make it out of Gus’s troubles alive.

Morse is terrific as Gus. He was named Best Actor at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic for his performance. He captures what is most lovable and unnerving about Gus — a kind of childish mania that has kept him from making himself an adult after all of these years. First-time feature director Donovan puts in a fine performance as Longfellow, while also achieving real tension throughout the film. Collaborator is a bleakly comedic and suspenseful film that had me caring about its characters and on the proverbial edge of my proverbial seat until the very end.

There were many short works featured at Flyway over the weekend, and there is only room enough to mention a few of my favorites here. Karl Mulberry, part of the L.A. Comedy Shorts tour is a poignant and hysterical tale about a young man’s war on his mother’s gentleman friend. Paul Goetz (of Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air) is Karl, our hero and the titular roller-blading mama’s boy. David Purdham plays Frank Salt, Karl’s nemesis. The film is both wickedly funny and heartwarming. You can catch a trailer of the film (a thesis work at the American Film Institute) here. It is directed by Lorne Hiltser.

Wolfgang Lehmkuhl’s silent short Strumpet is enjoyable as well. The film is an intelligent ghost story about a man who is haunted by a female spirit who preys on weary travelers. Brian McDowell gives a standout performance as the innkeeper.

Le Diable En Personne, directed by French Canadian duo Philippe Lupien and Vincent Ethier, hyperactively tells the story, including song and dance, of a man who has never done bad or good in his life being confronted by the devil and his bizarre menagerie on the day of his death. This duo was also featured at Flyway in 2009 with their short L’Halloween de Monsieur Simard.

Mike Scholtz’s Madtown is a Flyway Wisconsin/Minnesota Showcase film. It documents the protest at the Wisconsin capital building in Madison leading up to the signing of a controversial piece of legislation that affected the rights of Wisconsin’s union work force.

This year’s Best Documentary award winner, Beauty Day, directed by Jay Cheel tells the story of St. Catharine’s Ontario’s own Ralph Zavadil, a wild-eyed cable access star who performed the same style of stunts in the 1990s that would achieve worldwide recognition on programs like MTV’s Jackass in the 2000s. Zavadil, aka Cap’n Video, performed on weekly episodes of the show while he worked as a videographer during the day. Cap’n Video came to the attention of millions when one of his stunts (where the Cap’n attempts to remove a pool cover by leaping into his pool from atop a ladder braced against his back fence) that nearly killed him was caught on video. Now, twenty years after the first appearance of the Cap’n, Cheel documents Zavadil’s real life following his fame as a cable-TV daredevil.

The film is a touching reflection on the life of an outsider. Zavadil, after being dismissed from his job at an automotive plant for drunkenness, decides to pursue his passion for video by filming at local music venues. Soon, his own love of being on camera is born, and Cap’n Video begins to air on St. Catharine’s cable television. Along the way, Zavadil falls in love, briefly makes it big, and nearly kills himself — all within the space of a few years.

Cheel was given full access to the Cap’n Video archives, and Beauty Day features a number of the more shocking stunts alongside the story of Ralph in real life: The Cap’n shaves with lighter fluid, snorts raw eggs, sleds down the roof of his house, and more. Zavadil is philosophical about his time as the captain, seeing his efforts as less than a stab at fame and more as an attempt to express himself, to bring his “idiocity” to the “idiociteurs.” Ralph in real life is shown to be a ballsy and big-hearted man who is never content to let life happen to him.

Beauty Day shows us the joy and the consequences of living one’s life to the beat of one’s own drummer, or, in the Cap’n's case, one’s own marching band.

One of the nicest things about Flyway is the community of folks who work so hard to make your stay in Pepin and Stockholm a memorable one. The festival is judged by a group of artists and cinephiles local to the region, and along with Festival Director Rick Vaicius the group provides an environment that is welcoming to filmmakers and lovers of film alike.

Pepin and Stockholm boast some of the most beautiful autumn scenery in the area. Both towns are situated along the banks of Lake Pepin, one of the largest natural lakes in America that is formed by the confluence of the Mississippi and Chippewa Rivers along the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. Area merchants work with the festival organizers to provide a one of a kind experience — that “Flyway feeling” that you’ll surely hear about at one of the festival’s get-togethers of while in line waiting for a screening to begin. From an awesome Friday fish fry to one of the greatest slices of pie you will surely ever have, the towns provide a wonderful environment for a terrific film festival. I’m already looking for to next year’s!

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – Frailty

Matt Gamble — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 04:48:00 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – Frailty Where the Long Tail Ends

To date I have played fairly nicely with Angela as I’ve programmed a horror film festival that is high on atmosphere and low on actual scares. And while that is liable to change sooner than she might hope I decided to give her one last respite in the form of a little known thriller called Frailty.

Released in the spring of 2002, Frailty was in and out of theatres do to both a fairly small release (just under 1500 screens) and mostly luke-warm reviews from critics (a tepid 71% on Rotten Tomatoes from the 31 reviews that were even submitted). Nowadays, the film is perhaps best known as Bill Paxton’s directorial debut and even as one of the few films which Matthew McConaughey attempts to act, rather than be, well, Matthew McConaughey.

I was probably one of the few dozen people who watched the film during its initial theatrical run and I remember it pretty distinctly because this became the film that made me realize I should really start ignoring local film critic Jeff Strickler whenever he got saddled with reviewing a genre film. While a perfectly nice man, he and I contrasted as much as possible when it came to our taste’s in genre films, and because of this I knew I would only grow annoyed when reading his “incorrect” reviews. Thankfully, grey-haired cub reporter Colin Covert received most of those assignments, so I was spared this frustration on most weekends.

Now, Mr Strickler hated Frailty, which even to this day I am a bit dumbfounded by. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece by any means, but it is a solid thriller with some themes that were a bit cutting edge for its time. The film is quite nihilistic throughout much of its running time and the multiple reveals during the final act take on an almost perverse glee at everyone’s fate because of it. So maybe I can see why he didn’t like it. But for me, which is all that matters at the moment, the twists in the film are inconsequential compared to the primary plot point of a small Southern family in the late 70’s who decide to go on a killing spree because an Angel of God told them to, and how impressive it is on maintaining such a disturbing plot thread.

Even more impressive is that the film doesn’t rely on gore or graphic kills to churn the audience’s stomach or feed their blood lust, but rather it is unwavering in its devotion of the father and his youngest son to their Holy work that is the true horror presented in the film. While the film meticulously cuts away from the kill shots, the camera always manages to linger on the joy of the youngest boy and doing God’s work while the older brother watches in horror at the monster that has replaced his loving father.

The wholesale slaughter of innocents in the name of the Christian God was a horror hardly lost on my girlfriend as she became increasingly squeamish and angry as the film progressed. There are few things more repulsive and alien than witnessing a father training his sons on how to slay “demons”, but when I told her that in a perfect world I’d program Frailty as the first half of a double-feature with the documentary Jesus Camp, she quickly agreed that Frailty worked so well because it seemed like just a short hop, skip and a jump from that powerful, compelling and terrifying documentary.

Kurosawa, In Order #6 – One Wonderful Sunday

Robert Reineke — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:46:35 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #6 – One Wonderful Sunday Where the Long Tail Ends

ONE WONDERFUL SUNDAY (1947)

After World War II, neo-realism sprung up as a film movement; films about everyday people struggling with the new realities of the world around them, a counter-movement to the big, glossy, Hollywood productions. These films were often shot on location and frequently featured non-professionals. To me, the movement reached a pinnacle with De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves.

Kurosawa had presaged this movement to an extent with The Most Beautiful. But in 1947, relatively free from restrictions, Kurosawa looked at the realities of post-war Japan for the first time with One Wonderful Sunday, a contemporary film that combined the post-war concerns of a film like The Best Years of Our Lives with the simplicity and intimacy of a film like Before Sunrise.

Like Before Sunrise, the setup of the film simply involves an extended date. A man, Yuzo (Isao Numazaki), meets his fiancée, Masako (Chieko Nakakita), on their only day off. He’s a veteran who’s struggling to get by in the devastated post-war economy and the two can’t afford a place where they could live after marrying. Between the two, they have 35 yen to somehow pay for a day together. What follows is a series of episodes involving their day together which explores the harsh realities of contemporary Japan and the strain it’s putting on their lives.

Kurosawa pulls very few punches with the exception that the American occupying force is absent from the movie. What’s there gives the film an edge even today, and the title of the movie certainly comes off as ironic for a good portion of the run time.

To start off, the couple looks at a cheap model home that only costs 100,000 yen. Even at that cut rate price, the dream of owning a homeseems impossible. They learn of a cheap but awful apartment and rush off to see it. They’re warned off by the former tenant, now working off his debt to the landlord by being the property custodian in a funny scene as the custodian changes his sales pitch depending on the presence/absence of the landlord.
Despite the apparent awfulness of the place they strongly contemplate the prospects of at least being able to live together, but quick calculations show the impossibility of even that modest dream. They had dreamed of being able to open a café together, but they can barely afford their own existence at present.

The power of dreams is one of the recurring themes. Kurosawa introduces it early. Of what use are dreams in the face of such a devastated reality? That’s one of the central questions of the movie.

Discouraged, Yuzo attempts to join a street ball game with the area kids as a momentary respite. Complete with western music playing on the soundtrack, in this case Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, it’s fun and a rejection of pre-war feudalism. And it lifts the spirits, until Yuzo hits a ball into a nearby food stand costing a few precious yen for some damaged rolls. Even playing has a price to be paid.

Yuzo recalls that one of his army comrades, one he doesn’t particularly like, owns a cabaret and Masako encourages him to go visit. Ironically, Yuzo never gets to meet his army companion. Instead, he’s mistaken for a gangster asking for protection money and lead into the bowels of the club. It’s an outstanding sequence with a tracking shot that presages the iconic steadi-cam shot from Goodfellas.

After a few brief moments of interaction with the lowlifes present, he’s handed an envelope of money and it dawns on him how people perceive him. The corruption around him is ever present and everyone assumes the worst, probably with good reason. And despite his need, Yuzo walks out in disgust without the money as he still has his honor and wants no part of the Black Market or racketeering. It’s the first real statement of principles in the film, although subsequent events will show that Yuzo isn’t a saint or immune from failings. Without really having to state the theme, Kurosawa asks how one can survive in the world and maintain one’s honor?

Searching for anything cheap to do, the couple heads to the zoo, even though it’s been a regular stop for a while. Unfortunately the zoo visit is the weakest section of the film. The couple notes that the animals have food and security, but that’s such an obvious point that it doesn’t provide much insight. What are people supposed to do, let zoo animals starve? It’s an observed irony that adds little to a film full of observations of real problems. To top it off, the sequence is dull. Much of it consists of inset shots with the voices of the couple commenting on the animals. The whole sequence is uninspired.

It only seems necessary to get the couple to a darker place. Yuzo suggests that they go back to his room, his roommate is out, and you can tell from Masako’s reaction that it’s for exactly the reason you’re probably thinking . And it casts a pall over their conversation as Masako tries to come up with a good excuse not to go. The darkening mood as things go wrong is reflected in the fact that it starts to lightly rain, the weather reflecting emotional
mood is a swiftly developing trademark.

A flyer for a Schubert concert, the first concert they went to as a couple, gives them some hope to salvage the afternoon. It’s only 10 yen apiece and “art is for the masses”. It results in a race through Tokyo as they try to get to the concert. And it displays Kurosawa’s chops as an editor and action director. It’s a decidedly modern bit of editing and features Kurosawa’s trademark cuts on action. It’s a sequence that technically doesn’t need to be
in the film, Kurosawa could have easily just cut to the couple running up to the theater, but it breaks up the couples wanderings and talking into a scene of action and excitement adding variety and adrenaline to the movie. It’s a small sequence that indicates Kurosawa’s growing mastery of pacing and variety.

All seems to be back on track. They arrive in time and tickets are available. But racketeers arrive at the ticket booth a few feet before them and buy up all the tickets. And then start scalping them at 15 yen instead of 10 yen. Yes, Ticketmaster’s practices are exposed as villainous by Kurosawa. Even if he wasn’t proud and frustrated, Yuzo doesn’t have the money to pay for these tickets, and so a confrontation arises as Yuzo demands that he be sold tickets for 10 yen apiece. The confrontation soon escalates into a fight and Yuzo gets a beatdown from the racketeers. It’s a public humiliation to his already damaged manhood. To top it off, it starts to pour.

The couple retreat to Yuzo’s room. And while the rain beats down, Yuzo confronts Masako about his intentions. The guy’s been so emasculated throughout the day, it is little wonder he attempts to regain his manhood. The confrontation seems like the last straw as Masako leaves in tears and Yuko is left alone to stew. This is one of the key scenes for Isao Numazaki and Chieko Nakakita to show their acting chops and they’re both fairly good, albeit not up to the standards of Susumu Fujita or Setsuko Hara. One of the things Kurosawa handles about their confrontation is although it’s hurtful it’s handled in such
a way that one’s not a monster and the other a victim. They’re two people under stress and making mistakes born out of a deep hurt.

Yuzo is clearly in the wrong though. And Kurosawa makes him pay in a scene that’s among his best ever. Yuzo is left alone, the rain pounds outside, a song plays in the apartment complex, and Yuzo is left to stew in his own misery. Kurosawa plays this without a word of dialogue as we observe Yuzo in an extended sequence. It’s a thoroughly modern moment that could play in a movie today and it’s powerful. Even if Kurosawa was no longer a new director, the confidence in his ability to let images and sound tell a story is something
a lot of experienced directors never show. And Yuzo is given a reprieve as Masako returns and he sees how far he’s pushed her away and his unintended cruelty. He begs her forgiveness and they reconcile.

The reconciliation signals a shift in the film. The film drops its concerns about corruption and the style shifts from neo-realism as the couple now ventures outside into a Tokyo that’s clearly composed of studio sets. The tone of the film shifts where it was once hardnosed neo-realism, it’s now something akin to Frank Capra. They go to a little café to celebrate their renewal as a couple and discover that they don’t have enough money to cover the bill. Instead of a show of machismo, Yuzo dutifully hands over his coat as a deposit with the promise that he’ll be back tomorrow to reclaim it. Perhaps it’s Kurosawa’s suggestion on how best to deal with the demands of the shattered economy, with as much honor as one can muster.

Outside the café, the couple discusses their own dreams. To open a café that charges fair prices and good customer service. The non-reality of the sets softens the idea of a rebuilding Tokyo and gives it a romantic glow. The couple even play act what it would be like in this fantasy substitute for the real Tokyo. The spell lasts until they’re observed. Their dreams are for them alone. It’s very evocative of Capra and with his long messy hair and constant games with his hat, it’s possible that Kurosawa viewed Yuzo as a
stand-in for the type of characters Jimmy Stewart would play.

Finally they wander to an abandoned band shell, another victim of the war. Yuzo comes up with the idea that he’ll conduct an imaginary concert of the Schubert symphony. Even racketeers can’t steal their imaginations. But, even after strutting out like a proud conductor, he can’t quite muster the courage to proceed. In an uncharacteristic move from Kurosawa, Masako breaks the fourth wall and encourages the audience to applaud to
encourage young lovers everywhere like Peter Pan encouraging the audience to applaud to revive Tinker Bell. Frankly, it’s one of the biggest missteps of Kurosawa’s career and would sink many a lesser movie. It doesn’t work on home video and it reportedly didn’t work in post-war Tokyo either. It stops the movie dead in its tracks.

Fortunately, Kurosawa redeems the misstep with another great sequence. Yuzo starts conducting, wind moves leaves around the band shell like dancers, Schubert’s music soars on the soundtrack, and the camera cranes and swoops with the music. Images and music work together to uplift and affirm the power of imagination to overcome reality. Not only do we hear the music, Yuzo and Masako hear the music. There is hope after all.

The couple has made it through the day and is renewed. Times are tough, but they have their honor, their hopes and dreams, their imagination, and each other. The movie
ends on a happy note and a promise that things will get better.

One Wonderful Sunday, perhaps due to its episodic structure, has some extremes. The apartment sequence and the imaginary symphony are two of Kurosawa’s best sequences of any period. However, the episodic nature leads to sequences that don’t really contribute much, the switch in tone from neo-realism to a Capra-esque movie world is sudden, and the fourth wall breaking doesn’t work at all. There’s so much that’s good, observant, and exciting film making that One Wonderful Sunday still holds up as a good movie with a powerful message of hope, just a film slightly overstuffed. Kurosawa, in retrospect, regarded the film similarily. He’s quoted saying “I had a lot of things to say and I got them all mixed up…”. Still, it was reportedly popular and Kurosawa won a Best Director prize for it.

Perhaps Kurosawa wasn’t totally happy with the final result without the benefit of hindsight, because his next movie covers the difficulties in post-war Japan again. Only in
the interim, Kurosawa will discover Toshiro Mifune and a legendary partnership is born.

Next Month: DRUNKEN ANGEL (1948)

Kurosawa, In Order #5 – No Regrets for Our Youth

Robert Reineke — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:24:18 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #5 – No Regrets for Our Youth Where the Long Tail Ends

NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH (1946)

After World War II, the Allied Occupation set a few rules in place for the Japanese film industry. No movies that celebrated feudalism or Japan’s recent military adventurism, or that contained elements that were critical of the Occupation were the basic rules. For Kurosawa it must have been an artistic godsend as his own politics coincided with the main goals of establishing Japan as a peaceful democracy. Finally Kurosawa could make exactly the movies he wanted to make.

That was the plan anyways. Kurosawa and Eijiro Hisaita had quickly developed a script around the true story of Hidemi Ozaki, a leftist who was executed in 1944 for alleged espionage, and the Kyoto student protests of 1933 following the forced resignation of Professor Yukitoki Takikawa by the military. Unfortunately, director Kiyoshi Kusuda had a similar script and there was conflict in the studio over making two similar films. Kurosawa explained that the two directors would make very different films from similar scripts. Kurosawa also claimed, unwisely, that he would make the better film. The latter claim didn’t go over well and Kurosawa was the one forced to change his script.

Perhaps it’s fortunate because No Regrets for Our Youth is one of the most singular movies of Kurosawa’s career. It has a large sweep of time, covering over a decade of
Japan’s recent history, which is unlike most of Kurosawa’s work which tends to concentrate on a specific time and incident. More than any other Kurosawa film it has a female protagonist at the dead center of the film and her journey and growth is the primary focus on the film, even above the politics.

Kurosawa opens the film in 1933. A group of students are enjoying a gorgeous day in the hills that overlook Kyoto University. There’s still a life full of hope for these young men and women. Yukie (Setsuko Hara), the spoiled young daughter of Professor Yagahara (Denjiro Okochi) even takes the time to make fun of a peasant showing her lack of concern or understanding. Nothing seems to trouble Yukie. Yukie and the students sing songs celebrating Kyoto and are having a grand time.

Yukie has clearly smitten two student leaders Noge (Susumu Fujita) and Itokawa (Akitake Kono) although it’s clear that she only really reciprocates Noge’s feelings. Even then it’s hard to say that she’s in love as much as she enjoys being chased by the boys, there’s a terrific sequence of tracking shots that makes that point literally, just that she enjoys being
chased by Noge most of all.

The ideal day can’t last forever as it’s interrupted by gunfire by the military troops practicing. Noge denounces the signs of rising fascism but Yukie finds it exciting and skips away to see what’s happening only to find a wounded soldier. The future under the military isn’t going to be all parades; there will be real human costs.

This is all in the first seven minutes of the movie. It’s a marvel of efficiency as we learn what we need to know about the characters with very little exposition. And it sets up the larger themes and ideas of the film. The sweep of history and rise of fascism as seen on how it impacts the individual.

It’s the last idyllic day for awhile. Professor Yagahira soon finds himself fired from the university for speaking out against the Manchuria Incident, used as a pretext for a land grab in Asia, and the students riot and protest as a result. Noge becomes one of the leaders of the students, preaching an anti-militarism message, while Yukie just finds the whole thing an annoyance. It’s at this point that Noge chooses to shatter Yukie’s illusions
about herself which sets off her character arc. Noge leaves Yukie to her piano playing, technically proficient but without understanding or nuance, and Yukie finds that Itokawa kowtows to her much too easily for any satisfaction.

Setsuko Hara is terrific throughout the movie. Her face is expressive and she hardly needs dialogue. She’s a flat out star. In addition to Kurosawa, with whom she’ll work again in The Idiot, Hara worked with Naruse and most especially Yasujiro Ozu with whom she’s most associated. Hara was featured in six of Ozu’s movies including Late Spring, Early Summer, and Tokyo Story. Upon Ozu’s death in 1963, Hara quit acting at the age of 43 and has lead a Garbo-like life of privacy since. It’s a shame since she was a world class talent and must certainly have a lot of insight into the careers of some of Japan’s most acclaimed directors.

Kurosawa makes one break from the intimate character drama and that’s to show the protests by the students and subsequent crackdown by the fascists. It’s a swift series of montages and small scenes which is frankly reminiscent of the 1960s. It’s exciting filmmaking. His use of horses during the climax is notable of being a precursor of using horses in close proximity to a mass of people in Seven Samurai showing the power of the animal in relation to the vulnerability of people.

In response to the crackdown, Itokawa quits the movement at the urging of his mother to fulfill the family dream of having her son finish college and being able to support the family. Itokawa isn’t necessarily a villain, as much as someone who bends to power around him. Noge doesn’t quit and is arrested.

The first major time jump occurs as the story moves from 1933 to 1938. Yukie is still upset about the events of 1933, Kurosawa uses her flower arranging as a visual metaphor. Itokawa, now a prosecutor, has arranged for Noge’s release and they visit the Yagahara
household. Noge is apparently a shadow of his former self and Yukie first understands the power of the state.

Professor Yagahara isn’t so sure about Noge’s changed ways. But, regardless, Yukie makes the first break from the safety of her bourgeois home and heads to Tokyo to make a life of her own. No politics, no Itokawa, and no Noge.

Kurosawa manages to boil down a large statement on “the cost of totalitarianism” into a personal story. And that’s perhaps the biggest triumph of the film. It’s not abstract. It doesn’t rely on shock effects. It just tells a personal story with larger meaning. It seems simple in Kurosawa’s hands, but there are any number of well meaning directors that have fumbled the same approach. In many ways, No Regrets for Our Youth is the first step towards Rashomon and Ikiru.

Again the film skips ahead to 1941 and Itokawa encounters Yukie in Tokyo. Itokawa is now married and settled into the bureaucracy and Yukie is pretty much going through a string of jobs. Flower arranging and piano playing don’t pay the bills, and the common duties
of a clerk don’t engage her. She’s directionless. Itokawa mentions that Noge hasn’t given up his leftish ways and is writing critical essays on the regime and Yukie is drawn back to the strong man she knew. Reluctantly at first, there’s a series of scenes with differing seasons in the background as she stands outside his office, but eventually she’s reunited with Noge.

This part is Susumu Fujita’s chance to shine. He’s been mostly a symbol so far, but he gets fleshed out as a person. Fujita doesn’t have the inner conflict that Toshiro Mifune is often able to bring to the screen, but what he has is an easy likability and conviction. Noge’s fully
aware that any time he can spend with Yukie is likely temporary before the authorities finally set about to silence him, but he’s fully committed to his cause of trying to halt Japan’s imperialist aims. And he’s fully in love with Yukie. He’s not about compromise but living life with “no regrets” by doing what he believes is right.

At this point, Yukie joins him as his wife. A step in her transformation to someone willing to sacrifice. It’s a mixture of joy and fear. Noge even lets her into his own private fears as he worries about what will happen to his parents, sharing a photo of them with Yukie.

And it is temporary. Noge sets out to expose the military’s plans and is soon arrested. Yukie is imprisoned, her first direct mistreatment by the authorities. She even gets a literal slap across the face in the process. And learns that all Noge’s plans were for nothing with Japan declaring war in December 1941.

She’s soon released though. Professor Yagihara tries to represent Noge only to learn that he “died” in his cell leaving Yukie a widow. Noge’s parents don’t even want to pick up his remains. Yukie sets out to restore Noge’s memory to his parents and returns Noge’s ashes. Only to have to bury the ashes in the night due to the scandal and the peasants’ reaction to
having the parents of a “spy” in their midst.

Noge’s parents are immediately distrustful of Yukie. They’re in hiding, but still have to get the rice crop in. Yukie, hoping to prove herself takes part in the grueling work of rice planting, which adds some context to Seven Samurai, and she is transformed from a bourgeoisie city girl in an inappropriate silk blouse into a farmer.

There are a couple of things that are notable about this sequence. Kurosawa sells the grueling work and shows how hard it is to change in a very literal fashion. The work is
glorified in several aspects, Kurosawa often chooses a low angle ala Citizen Kane or Russian cinema to show giant figures hewing at the earth which gives Yukie a heroic stature. However, Kurosawa glorifies the individual characters not the farmers as a
class, as the farmers are shown to buy into the government propaganda and to be needlessly petty.

Yukie wins over Noge’s parents through her hard work and is accepted as their son’s wife. She’s transformed from a petty schoolgirl into a brave, stalwart farmer. And in her own way, a brave, social activist refusing to live her life in fear or with regrets.

Most films these days have some sort of character arc, but Yukie’s transformation is remarkable in its completeness. It’s hard to overstate just how remarkable Setsuko Hara’s performance is. She’s completely believable at every step of her journey into being a better, stronger human being. Given Kurosawa’s upbringing as the son of a teacher and his leftist politics, it’s easy to speculate that there’s a lot of Kurosawa himself in Yukie, just with his activism channeled in different directions.

Of course, Japan’s militarists are defeated and Yukie returns briefly to her childhood home. Now that she’s finally developed an understanding of the world and can perhaps interpret music with more than mechanical precision, in a last irony she states that the physical toil has left her hands unsuitable for the piano.

Yukie now views her mission to help better the lives of the rural farmers. That’s how she’s going to assist in Japan’s rebuilding. She’s rebuilt her life to one of self respecting sufficiency and now can turn outward once again. It’s Kurosawa’s statement on what Japan should do now. Start over from the bottom and work up again. Yukie still has sadness over the loss of Noge, but she has a direction and no regrets.

There are plenty of debates over what’s a major work of Kurosawa’s and what’s a minor work. To me Sanshiro Sugata was his first major work and No Regrets for Our Youth
is his second. If it’s not quite a masterpiece, it’s an excellent film that deserves wider viewership than the obscure position it’s found itself in to date. It’s perhaps understandable from a commercial standpoint that an early Kurosawa film without Toshiro Mifune and concerned with Japanese politics of the 1930s and 1940s might be a tough sell, but it’s a remarkable movie and a major statement of Kurosawa’s social views.

As Kurosawa’s first post-war film it sets a high standard. His next film is a more contemporary film taking a look at the difficulties of Japan following the war. A film not without its own ambitions.

Next Month: ONE WONDERFUL SUNDAY (1947)

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 2 – The Impalers

Matt Gamble — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:26:58 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Series 3 Episode 2 – The Impalers Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! It has been a few months since James and I have had time to sit down and record but we more than make up for it with a jam packed episode of High and Low (Brow) with James attempting to wrest the reins of control from me, worries that we don’t talk enough about an Italian Erotic film and belly rolls out of the way of suppressing gun fire to ensure that I am hit. Oh yes, all that and even the occasional movie review as well, would you expect anything more from this show?

In this episode the movies we focus on are the 1969 Italian erotic codpiece of one Radley Metzger entitled Camille 2000. Sure it has roots in classic literature, but is it really just an excuse for people to roll around naked? Coupled with that is the 1955 drama The Cobweb from famed director Vincente Minnelli (Spoiler alert, the V is silent!). A film filled with paranoia, mental illness and meat curtains. Wait, I’ve been informed that their are only curtains in this film, the meat is reserved for Camille 2000 only. Also, make sure to stick around for the blind selection segment of our show, to get a glimpse of what next episode’s theme and films will be.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – 99 Problems by hugo

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Quick Thoughts – 30 Minutes or Less

Matt Gamble — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 02:52:40 +0000

Quick Thoughts – 30 Minutes or Less Where the Long Tail Ends

It was a screening like any other; you entered the building with no signs to designate where you should stand. Through means of gross intuition I discerned that, yes, I was supposed to walk right past the box office, ticket taker and concession stand and form a queue around the corner outside a mislabeled theatre. Granted, I have been to dozens of these kinds of screenings, and have run countless more, so I had a bit of a leg-up on the common pass whore who attends free screenings.

As if to taunt me, when I arrived I saw the signs posted that stated “No Cell Phones Allowed!” which for people who came alone that means you are fucked. You can either leave the line right away to take your cell phone to your car (thus losing your spot) or you can wait until you reach the front and hand your $400 phone over to a security guard who is paid $13 an hour to safe keep within a brown paper bag.

As someone who has worked in the industry for ten years, please listen to me when I say never give your cell phone (or any of your property) to hold on to while you watch a movie. The odds of you not getting it back are far higher than you realize, and since you are bringing a recording device to a pre-released movie, you don’t have much of a legal leg to stand on.

But once again, thankfully, I am in the industry, so the security guards knew who I was, and allowed me to place my bag in the theatre, thus saving my seat, before I took my phone out to my car. Thus I was able to move in and out of the theatre at my leisure, something of which can’t be said for the rest of the audience. But then, considering the plot of the film, the lack of maneuverability seemed oddly fitting.

30 Minutes or Less isn’t a hard film to form an opinion on, but it sure as hell is a hard film to write a review on. Its not particularly deep film, nor does it have any ambition of being so. But it is a film heavy in plot, thus if one strays from covering plot points you’ll quickly be short on material to work with. Now that I have made that clear, lets dive right in, shall we?

Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to rob a bank when he has a bomb strapped to his chest by Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson) who plan to use the money to pay an assassin (Michael Pena) to kill Dwayne’s father The Major (Fred Ward). Nick has 10 hours before the bomb blows. The End.

It should be noted that the film follows that plotline fairly closely, shockingly including scenes of planning a bank robbery, an escape from a bank robbery and (perhaps the mostest shockingly) a bank robbery occurring. But while it may seem impossible to do anything but focus on anything but the remarkably anti-Byzantine plot, it should be noted that the plot is really not important to the film, even while the film relies so heavily on it.

This is a classic farce cranked to 11, thus focusing on plot seems like petty nitpicking when all that really matters is if the actors sell their bizarre and ridiculous roles, and if the film is consistently funny. 30 Minutes or Less is much like a similar and recent Danny McBride vehicle that co-starred Will Farrell, a film reviled by critics and watched by almost no one, Land of the Lost.

Both films are dependent on a truly ridiculous plot to move the course of events along, but rather than treat the plot with any sort of seriousness, the film instead decides to be just bizarrely idiotic. And while I am a huge fan of Land of the Lost, the reason why that film fails to be anywhere near as successful with your standard audience is simply because the film drags far too much, thus allowing the audience enough time to ponder the absurdity that keeps being served to them. Given enough time to consider just how stupid the humor is they are watching, it isn’t surprising that audiences ultimately tend to reject Land of the Lost.

But 30 Minutes or Less has no pacing problems like its farcical predecessor, but rather zips through each scene as if Wiley E. Coyote is hot on its tail. Much has also been said about how heavily the film is trying to tie itself to director Ruben Fleischer’s last film, Zombieland. But unlike Zombieland, which tries rather hard to maintain a sense of hipness throughout the film, 30 Minutes or Less never tries to appear to be smarter than the average bear. But while much of the humor in 30 Minutes or Less is most certainly stupid, its brisk, tightly woven stream of conscious jokes bely the fact that this film is farter smarter than it wants you to think it is, and it is that sleight of hand that is what is most impressive from the film.

Though, that the film knows just how to get in and get out with no wasted motion certainly is refreshing and impressive in its own right. And considering my pre-show ballet with the security guards, it was something I was in a perfect mood to witness.

Quick Thoughts – Fright Night (2011)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:26:55 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Fright Night (2011) Where the Long Tail Ends

Up until just a few weeks ago I hadn’t seen Fright Night in years. In fact, I think I might not have seen it since High School, back when every weekend I would spend my days biking to the local video store, only to close out my evenings by watching the films I had discovered just a few hours earlier.

I remembered enjoying Fright Night, but it had been lost in the shuffle of comedies with a vampire/comedy bent that seemed to come out every couple of years back then. Once Bitten, Vamp and Innocent Blood all existed in this odd little niche of horror films that came out during the eighties and early nineties.

I knew that Fright Night had since grown to become a bit of a cult phenomenon, often being mentioned as one of the better vampire related films ever made, and even one of the better horror films made in the eighties. But my memory was faded on the film, and with the remake’s release fast approaching it seemed as good a time as any to revisit the film.

The good news is that the original Fright Night has aged incredibly well. It’s funny and queer and is filled with whip smart timing. It’s a very smart film, made especially impressive due to the fact that it was aimed primarily at a teenage demographic that didn’t seem to put much weight in that skill during much of that time period. But besides being smart, the film also contains several fantastic performances from its cast and some ridiculously impressive practical effects.

To say it is one of the better teenage comedies of its time period isn’t much of a stretch by any means, nor is it much of a stretch to claim it is certainly one of the better vampire films that you’d be able to track down should the need ever arise. Then, when you toss in the fact that it was one of the first true horror/comedies, a sub-genre that would rise to prominence when a certain scream related film would come along in the nineties, and Fright Night quickly becomes a film that should be labeled must watch for those who are fans of genre films.

With the quality of the original Fright Night confirmed, it now becomes a question on whether or not the film even needs to be remade. For me, that’s a fairly easy “Yes.” Fright Night, while a damn good film, just never quite entered into the popular consciousness like other horror films of its time. While it was popular enough to spawn a sequel, that sequel’s perceived lack of quality essentially killed any chance of a franchise erupting. So lesser franchises (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween) stepped in and dominated the horror genre through the eighties and nineties. So a remake stands a good of chance as any to remind genre fans that a damn good movie is just waiting to be watched by those willing to take the time to track it down.

But is the sequel good enough to get people interested in the original? I’m happy to say that is a “Yes” answer as well. While the film is without a doubt inferior to the original, it is still a solid and entertaining film that does its best to pay homage to the original, while simultaneously attempting to stand on its own.

Certain plot points are paid homage to, but the film rarely sticks any closer to the original than that. Yes, his best friend is turned, though when it occurs is a bit surprising. Yes, a scene in a dance club occurs, but it is vastly different than the original. And yes, Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) enlists the help of an elder to fight vampires, but it isn’t some eunuch in charge of a low-rent late-night cable show, but rather a rather inventive and inspired new profession altogether. Even the setting of the film, Las Vegas, makes ridiculously good sense for a place for vampires to hang out.

The one thing the film pays closes attention to is maintaining a solid, if sometimes subtle, layer of dark humor throughout the film. While not quite as entertaining as in the original, Fright Night does its damndest to make sure you know it is having as much fun as you are. From shameless 3D shocks, to over-the-top characters, to a fantastic sight gag of Colin Farrell hissing at a beam of sun light, perhaps the most obvious call-back to the original is a great cameo appearance that leads to a bloody delicious end.

While I might regret the fact that more and more films I enjoyed while growing up are being remade by studios desperate to make a quick and easy buck, for once it seems as if the studio has at least taken the time to make a film that isn’t going to make audiences question why such material as revisited in the first place. And frankly, if forced to choose between Fright Night and the 80th iteration of Final Destination, I’ll take Fright Night and never think twice about it.

Fright Night 3D moves in to your neighborhood on August 19th.

Quick Thoughts – 50/50

Matt Gamble — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:58:26 +0000

Quick Thoughts – 50/50 Where the Long Tail Ends

In a typical Hollywood film, cancer is never funny. It’s not hard to rattle off dozens of films devoted to people having a terminal illness and how awful it is for everyone involved and, of course, the tale inevitably ends in tears. Perhaps the worst offender is the Michael Keaton vehicle My Life, in which a dying father records all the things he won’t be able to teach his unborn son.

Now, its not like these are bad movies, but they have a certain Hollywood veneer that makes the situations never seem all that real, thus causing the film to utterly rely on the viewers to inject their own sentimentality into the viewing in order to find any emotional value or resonance.

Of course recently Judd Apatow tried his own hand at the sub-genre with Funny People, chronicling the life of a dying stand up comic who had already lost his zest for life, and now was fighting just to hang on to his life. It’s a movie I am a pretty big fan of, as for most of the movie it does a very good job of presenting an actual range of emotion with how people deal with death. Its far more sophisticated than it is given credit for, and it has the added bonus of being a challenging comedy from someone (Adam Sandler) who had long strayed from such films.

But even Funny People is an artificial presentation, turning from its original premise to become a bit of a farcical romantic comedy. Its focus on a Hollywood lifestyle also provides a separation from reality that most people could never really grab hold of. And now, along comes 50/50, attempting to finally bridge the gap and present an honest look at coping with death.

50/50 is the tale of Adam (Joseph Gordon Levitt) attempts at dealing, and hopefully surviving, with his battle with a rare form of spinal cancer. He’s a good person, with good taste in friends, but horrible taste in women. Coupled with this battle with cancer, he must also deal with a mother who is struggling to take care of his father, who is suffering from a rapidly advancing case of Alzheimer’s. He’s a good guy, one who doesn’t deserve the joke that Fate has chosen for him, but he’s clearly a man who doesn’t deal well with conflict. Choosing to run from it, he’s now faced with a fight that there is no escape from, and certainly can’t be eluded as simply as refusing to answer a well-meaning phone call.

50/50 screams of a film made by people who know the pain of losing a loved one far too soon, but really, who doesn’t know that pain? But its not the obvious experience with such events that allow such emotional accessibility, but rather the open intimacy into the thoughts, flaws and failures of those who are dying and how they fail s mightily at dealing with their inevitable deaths. See, Adam is ultimately a good and decent person, but he uses his misfortune as a way to help his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) bed women, and even attempts it for himself on several occasions. Not only that, he distances from his mother, focusing only on his own misery, oblivious to the fact that the two people she loves most are slowly slipping away from her, no matter how diligent her efforts are to keep them in her life. It’s a raw and intimate look at all our emotional failures and insecurities, laid bare by a disease that ravages anyone it feels like, oblivious to whether they are decent or a douche bag.

But 50/50 doesn’t merely focus on the emotions that toil away at ones soul. It also provides far more than a glimpse at how people can actually relish such seemingly terrible predicaments. Unshackled from the burdens of time, these men and women can finally find emotional freedom if they are open to the thought. They can laugh and love as much as anyone, even while their veins fill with poison in a desperate to kill the disease before it kills them. It is in these moments of emotional honesty that 50/50 shines brighter than any of the films that has tread this ground previously.

This is because 50/50 is composed almost entirely of these moments. It is relentless in its pursuit of emotional honesty, never providing the audience with a respite from its quest. But this isn’t to say that 50/50 is an emotional drag, rather, it is quite possibly the funniest and most entertaining films I will watch all year, even if it is viewed through a steady stream of tears. But make no mistake, 50/50 isn’t merely a great film in the realm of this heavily weighted niche of a sub-genre, it is a great film in its own right. And quite possibly even a perfect one.

50/50 begins its treatment nationwide on September 30th.

Kurosawa, In Order #4 – The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail

Robert Reineke — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:12:16 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #4 – The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail Where the Long Tail Ends

THE MEN WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER’S TAIL (1945)

As World War II was dragging to an end, Kurosawa wanted to make his next movie, a samurai epic, which the Allied bombing campaign was making impossible. A studio film with many sets or other lavish production values was out of the question. In a stroke of resourcefulness, Kurosawa found an answer. He wrote a script in one night that required one set and otherwise could be filmed on location in forests and meadows away from the bombing campaign.

Kurosawa’s story is an adaptation of a 12^thcentury incident. Lord Yoshitsune has a falling out with his brother and must escape into safer lands. His retainers, including his chief bodyguard Benkei, disguise themselves as monks, with the Lord as a porter, and must submit to close questioning at a checkpoint where every question and answer could lead to
their capture. Finally satisfied, the steward of the barrier allows them to leave, but Lord Yoshitsune comes under suspicion as they prepare to depart. However, Benkei beats Yoshitsune, in complete contradiction to the role of master and servant, and completes the ruse allowing them to escape. The story has been a staple of both Kabuki and Noh, as the plays Kanjincho and Ataka, respectively. Giving the outline of the story is a bit like giving the outline of Hamlet.

It’s a relatively simple story and the film reflects that clocking in at a trim 59 minutes. Given the ornate traditions of Kabuchi and Noh, which the film reflects, a straight adaptation would likely be something very static, full of ceremony, and a very po faced celebration of the feudalistic way. Kurosawa doesn’t quite give us a straight adaptation,
he adds a significant character, a lowly porter played by comedian Kenichi Enomoto , a Jerry Lewis / Jim Carrey rubber faced type, and then sets out with his dynamic style not to subvert the traditional story, but to add layers, contradictions, and nuance. It’s a minor movie in Kurosawa’s canon, but it’s still a remarkable one in many aspects.

Right from the start it’s recognizable as a Kurosawa picture. The first shots are looking straight up at trees moving in the wind. It’s a precursor to Rashomon.

Soon the camera pans downward to reveal men following a trail through the woods. These are clearly men of ability and determination as they stride with purpose, a precursor to Seven Samurai. At least until we’re introduced by a cackling laugh to Enomoto’s porter, who wants to talk about the weather and other trivialities. In contrast to the stoic faces of the disguised samurai, you can read every emotion and thought on Enomoto’s face and nothing is hidden.

They stop at a clearing to rest. Enomoto prattles on, engaging in helpful exposition, while the stoic men rest. Through his prattling, Enomoto puts two and two together and realizes just who he’s travelling with. It’s at this point that Benkei (Denjiro Okochi) turns around
and fully reveals himself. And the movie fully reveals its dual nature. Benkei and the samurai are marked contrasts to Enomoto. The acting style is very deliberate and subtle, where Enomoto uses his full face, Okochi is content to use subtle gestures and glances, as well as an even speaking style. Drums and flutes play on the soundtrack along with songs. These samurai, with Takashi Shimura among them, are in full Noh / Kabuki ceremonial tradition.

Given that their pursuers are looking for seven priests, they decide to disguise Yoshitsune as a porter. In one of Kurosawa’s more clever bits, you really see very little of Yoshitsune, mostly hidden under a large sedge hat, until the end. They set out for the barrier, determined to bluff their way through. The samurai want to fight, but Benkei wisely points
out that they’ll have many more barriers to get through and it’s important that the disguise work. (Benkei, in contrast to the porter and later Kambei in Seven Samurai, will almost always know the right thing to do.) The porter, perhaps curious to see how this drama plays out, tags along. And, in their arrogance, the samurai dismiss the porter’s potentially helpful advice as to how Lord Yoshitsune should carry a pack, for instance.

They arrive at the barrier for what is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the movie.

The steward of the barrier Togashi (Susumu Fujita) backed by an obviously villainous second in command, engage Benkei in a long series of questions, where any misstep in answering will call down the surrounding guards upon them.

This sequence really shows Kurosawa’s command of the camera and editing suite. It’s a talky scene, but it’s not a dull scene as the camera glides around and the cuts keep the scenes from flagging as we see the various reactions. It’s a scene worthy of Hitchcock or something Tarantino would attempt where every question is a potential trap. Togashi tests Benkei on all points and it’s clear he’s not a fool. It’s a different role from Sanshiro Sugata and Fujita has just the right mix of authority and conflict about his role. There’s clearly the suggestion that Togashi is not fooled at all, he smiles a lot as if amused by the show he’s witnessing, but may let them go anyways out of admiration for their dedication and honor — provided that they play their parts well. It’s a nuance that makes the character interesting instead of merely a guy that gets duped. It also suggests that Benkei isn’t the perfect hero he’s made out to be.

The big test comes when Togashi asks Benkei to read the prospectus for the temple they’re supposedly soliciting funds to build. Benkei overlooked this request and attempts to bluff his way through reading from a blank scroll. In a series of cuts and camera moves, the second in command edges closer to Benkei, the camera edges closer to Benkei, and the porter reacts in growing terror to what is about to be discovered and eventually relief.

Enomoto is clearly overacting. But it’s overacting with a purpose, albeit he can be an annoying presence at times during the film and certainly isn’t one of my favorite characters. He busts up the ceremony. You have to wonder if Kurosawa thought it would be easier to sneak the tweaks at tradition past the censors by keeping Enomoto’s reactions largely non-verbal. The script may read very different than the finished product.

Enomoto is also sort of the audience’s surrogate. To this point, he’s merely been a witness and has reacted like the audience to what he’s observed. That’s shortly going to change. And that gives his character meaning and sets what has been to this point merely a traditional story about duty to one’s superior on its ear.

As in the traditional play, the ruse works. But the second in command apparently sees through Yoshitsune’s disguise. Benkei then proceeds to beat Yoshitsune as a common porter. At this point, Enomoto steps in pleading with Benkei to stop the beating and even imposing himself between Benkei and Yoshitsune. It sells the ruse completely with one porter pleading for another. The lowly porter protects the Lord. A Lord he has no loyalty to, except perhaps as a fellow human being. The story no longer becomes one clearly about doing what you can for your master, but of displaying kindness to a suffering person.
The porter performs the traditional duty, protecting the Lord, that the samurai must violate.

The events leave little room for keeping the priests, and they’re allowed to pass. A short ways away from the camp the party rests and Benkei breaks down in shame. But he’s forgiven by Lord Yoshitsune who finally reveals himself.

Perhaps as tribute or as apology or simply out of kindness or as a bouquet for a good performance, Togashi sends a messenger with sake for the party. Benkei drinks deeply, perhaps to assuage his guilt, perhaps out of realization that he didn’t fool anyone, and the whole party, including the porter, drinks in celebration.

Traditionally, Benkei gets the last scene of the story. He wakes up with a hangover and proceeds to do a dance of balance. He’s the hero of the story who gets to demonstrate his mastery one last time. Not so in Kurosawa’s version. The porter wakes up and finds himself covered with a fine robe and with a purse as a reward while the party has left in the night. The final dance is left to him and the common peasant who displayed kindness is the hero of the picture. Or almost, as he can’t quite pull off the dance without a tumble. If
he’s not a “hero”, he’s a human who did something heroic and traveled with heroes, at least for awhile.

Kenichi Enomoto as the porter represents what will be a continuing trope of Kurosawa’s; the fool, perhaps owing to Shakespeare, who skewers the pomp of the upper classes. You
can see some of this from Toshiro Mifune in Seven Samurai, but it’s on full display in The Hidden Fortress and Ran. I suspect that Enomoto is what George Lucas was thinking about when he created Jar Jar Binks, to a much less satisfactory result. The difference being that Jar Jar is a fool only there to provide comic relief, while Enomoto’s porter proves crucial to the plot, attempts to supply actual helpful advice, and demonstrates that the lowest of the low can be noble and honorable in a tough situation, contrary to their perception. Enomoto’s character is a person, an extremely caricatured one admittedly, with human contradictions. Jar Jar is a cartoon, literally and figuratively.

I suspect that The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail was one of the kernels for The Phantom Menace. A small group of warriors leading a disguised noble through enemy lines with a fool in tow complete with some Kabuki visual touches are elements common to both films. The results are vastly different as Kurosawa has a story to tell with comments on the nature of humanity. Kurosawa plays his story for drama while Lucas uses the framework for action.

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail wasn’t released until 1952, after Kurosawa had already become famous internationally. Kurosawa’s skewering of tradition didn’t sit well with the Army and it was too traditional for the Allied occupation. As a result, it didn’t pass censorship from either side of the war. Still, it’s an entertaining, interesting film. Kurosawa took a story that could have been simply a celebration of martial duty and turned it into a story of unexpected kindness and humanity. There’s not much to it beyond
the main story, Benkei’s fellow samurai don’t have distinct personalities, and it plays much more like a short story than an epic movie. It’s a minor work, but a very satisfying one.

It drew to a close an important phase of Kurosawa’s work. Three of his first four films are accomplished films of that era and it’s clear that Kurosawa had real talent. The next phase of his career was beginning where Kurosawa would have to deal with the more liberal Occupation censors and turn his attentions to contemporary issues instead of the period piece which he is most famous for.

Next Month: NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH (1946)

Battleship trailer is functionally retarded

Matt Gamble — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:41:27 +0000

Battleship trailer is functionally retarded Where the Long Tail Ends

Seriously, this movie might be the dumbest thing ever created, let alone filmed.

Peter Berg produces and directs Battleship, an epic action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force. Based on Hasbro’s classic naval combat game, “Battleship” stars Taylor Kitsch as Hopper, a Naval officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones; Brooklyn Decker as Sam, a physical therapist and Hopper’s fiancée; Alexander Skarsgård as Hopper’s older brother, Commanding Officer Stone of the USS Samson; Rihanna as Lt. Raikes, Hopper’s crewmate and a weapons specialist on the USS John Paul Jones; and international superstar Liam Neeson as Hopper and Stone’s superior (and Sam’s father), Admiral Shane.

Knights of Badassdom acquires Trailer +1 of Awesome

Matt Gamble — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 07:40:07 +0000

Knights of Badassdom acquires Trailer +1 of Awesome Where the Long Tail Ends

The perception role is strong in this one. But, will the rest of its skill checks follow suit?

Quick Thoughts – The Change-Up

Matt Gamble — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:47:59 +0000

Quick Thoughts – The Change-Up Where the Long Tail Ends

It’s been an interesting summer for studio comedies. For once they seem to have not only embraced the R-Rated comedy, but have allowed women to have some decent material to work with. So it comes as a bit of a surprise when one of the bigger late season summer comedy releases is so painfully archaic by comparison.

The Change-Up follows a plot that’s been redone, rewrote and re-imagined so many times its impossible to keep track. I think it’s safe to say that when Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers spends a very special episode examining the culture clash of two divergent personalities living each other’s lives that the idea has not so much jumped the shark but been chewed up and spit out by said shark. Thankfully, for audiences all across this great nation, Universal Pictures has dusted off the cinematic equivalent to chipped beef on toast and shoved it down our throats all over again. But don’t worry, this time the G-rated high jinks have been beefed up for adult audiences to digest.

But see, here’s the problem. Universal has decided that “adult” audiences simply want gross out humor. You know, because being as low-brow as possible is what adult audiences clearly want in their comedy. So, sure enough, not even five minutes into the film you are treated with not one, but two jokes about being hit in the face with shit. And trust me; the shits just keep on rolling through the proverbial fan after that.

I suppose I should be impressed that a studio would be so comfortable wallowing in scatological humor in one of their major summer releases. It’s certainly a choice that is a bit off the beaten path for an R-rated film. Oh sure, you might see the occasional shit or fart joke, or if you’re really in for a treat some insinuation of Hershey Squirts will squeak by that nasty censor board, but this type of broad humor is typically left for children’s films. You know, the pre-pubescent people who still think “You smelt it, you dealt it.” is the highest echelon of comedy.

Not to be outdone, The Change-Up isn’t about to let broad humor be its only taste transgression, as it makes sure the broads in the film are as wafer thin as a Monty Python after dinner mint. When the women aren’t evacuating their bowels you’ll be lucky if the worst offense is that they show off their tits in every other scene. Which by a rough hand count (all the fwapping chaffed it a bit after all) every single one of the female characters does. Well, outside of Olivia Wilde, who strays above such ribald humor by instead taking part in a sight gag in which three men stare at her vagina. Oh that’s right true believers, she lies down, spreads her legs, and three men shove their faces right up in her business and eye fuck her muff. Don’t forget to wipe your drool off her labia while you are down there, boys! It’s a classy cherry on top of the shit sundae.

Though, I think what annoys me the most about The Change-Up isn’t the constant pandering to the lowest of humor, or the openly misogynistic nature of the film (though neither of those are helping matters any), but more the fact that the makers of this film clearly think the audience is over-populated with juvenile idiots, and they’ve made sure to make a movie not just for them, but celebrating them. Quite frankly, I’m too old for that kind of shit.

The Change-Up rears its ugly head in theatres nationwide on August 5th.

George C Scott struggles to watch the Jack and Jill trailer

Matt Gamble — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:41:33 +0000

George C Scott struggles to watch the Jack and Jill trailer Where the Long Tail Ends

Watch it. Love it. Share it. This mashup deserves to be the next great meme. Make sure to check out Hardcore as well, which is where the George C Scott clip comes from.

Kurosawa, In Order #3 – Sanshiro Sugata Part 2

Robert Reineke — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 07:18:19 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #3 – Sanshiro Sugata Part 2 Where the Long Tail Ends

SANSHIROSUGATA PART 2 (1945)

SANSHIRO SUGATA told a complete story and didn’t need a sequel. But, it was popular
and the war office wanted a propaganda film to inspire the audience as Americans pushed towards the island nation, so Kurosawa complied, albeit without much interest. The result is widely regarded as one of Kurosawa’s worst films.

The film is split into two narratives with the first part largely focusing on brutal Americans vs. the soulful, noble Sugata. A drunken American sailor assaults a lowly rickshaw driver after a mishap and Sugata steps in to stop the abuse. The sailor is a boorish, ugly stereotype and Sugata is the Japanese champion. The result is that the sailor ends up in the water as a callback to the opening fight of the earlier film.

What’s most shocking about SANSHIRO SUGATA PART 2’s opening scene is not that it’s propaganda, but that it’s so badly shot. The sequence consists of nothing but long and mid-range shots, the editing has no edge, extras mug in the background, and the fight is just not exciting. I don’t know if it was disinterest on Kurosawa’s part or a rushed effort for a variety of reasons, war, budget, deadline, etc., but the result is amateur hour.

The rest of the first part of the film is better shot, but no more interesting. As in many sequels where the main character already has grown, Sanshiro Sugata has his character development turned back at least one step for unconvincing reasons. Where once he was confident and at peace, he’s now unsure about his role in the world again.

The Ambassador to the American embassy, a western dressed fop, asks Sugata to partake in a match pitting American boxing vs. judo. Sugata declines as judo for entertainment goes against his core tenets. However, he’s curious to see what boxing is and goes to observe.

At the boxing match, Kurosawa engages in some pretty blatant stereotyping (likely at the war office’s insistence). The American men are ugly cigar smoking caricatures or drunken sailors. The women are all blondes. And they’re all cheering the boxing match because of its brutality. Now, the stereotypes don’t bother me, after all there are plenty of Japanese stereotypes in Hollywood movies of the period, but the sequence is flat and uninvolving.

Sugata is disgusted by the brutality. He tries to talk the jujitsu fighter pitted against the American champion out of the bout for the respect of Japanese martial arts. The jujitsu fighter replies that Sugata’s judo has destroyed Japanese martial arts for the rest and that he needs the money to survive. Afterwards, Sugata leaves the match with his internal turmoil evident.

The first part of the movie is pretty much a wash. But, Kurosawa was too much of a pro to make a complete waste of film and the film begins to gather momentum and style. Sugata retreats back to the dojo and the tutelage of Yano (Denjiro Ookouchi ). The beaten rickshaw driver comes to be Sugata’s pupil and there’s a very nice montage of the driver coming in and bowing at the mat and in each iterations showing more confidence and presumably skill, which very cleverly and skillfully shows Kurosawa’s growing skills. It’s a brilliant sidestep of the training montage. Even in a movie that no one counts among his best, you can see evidence of Kurosawa’s genius.

The plot picks up more as the film moves on to a revenge scheme by the brothers of the first film’s villain Gennosuke Higaki (Ryunosuke Tsukigata). Tesshin Higaki (Ryunosuke Tsukigata in a dual role) and Gunzaburo Higake (Akitake Kono) disrespectfully enter the dojo and challenge Sugata to a duel to determine the superiority of karate to judo. Sugata refuses and the pair starts attacking judo students at night, pressing the issue. Tesshin is
fairly one dimensional, but Gunzaburo is an interesting character. He’s clearly crazy with long, wild hair. He’s also a character out of the Noh tradition, carrying a bamboo twig which is the traditional symbol of craziness. He’s also an epileptic that suffers violent fits. He’s a memorable character.

It’s here that Kurosawa finally steps out of the shadow of the earlier film and gives the sequel a bit of meaning. Between films, Gennosuke Higaki has reacted to his defeat by finding peace and meaning. Instead of a one dimensional villain, he’s found the path that Sugata has lost. He’s also dying, Kurosawa doesn’t spell it out, but it certainly looks like
he’s afflicted with TB. Gennosuke tries to talk his brothers out of their revenge scheme in a fun bit of dual role camera trickery and editing. When that fails, he delivers the secrets of karate to Sugata hoping that Sugata will win being the more worthy person to advance Japanese martial arts.

Sugata is genuinely touched by this conversion. Even offering to ferry Gennosuke back to his home in a rickshaw, which may be Gennosuke’s last chance to see the city. An encounter with Sanshiro’s erstwhile love interest from the first movie, Sayo (Yukiko Todoroki), also Gennosuke’s former love, causes Gennosuke to painfully button up the rickshaw and depart. Presumably so he can die at peace and alone. It’s a sad ending for a once formidable foe. The rest of the movie proceeds from this pivot point.

First, there’s some propaganda to settle. Sugata takes on the American boxer and wins decisively. And gives his winnings to the jujitsu fighter he encountered earlier. What’s interesting in this sequence is that after Sugata defeats the boxer Kurosawa uses a series of faux still frames to capture a moment frozen in time as the spectators stare disbelieving at what happened.

It’s at this point that Sugata seeks the advice of a priest after breaking the rules by fighting in an exhibition match, after earlier breaking a rule about drinking in the dojo (because he can’t sleep), and facing a final rule of participating in a duel. The priest, surprisingly, advises that he go ahead and don’t worry about breaking the dojo rules. They’re fine for a
beginner, but a master must find his own path. There’s a nice bit of composition here where Kurosawa positions the camera so that a column separates Sugata from the priest, indicating their different states of mind and disagreement.

They eventually meditate. Framed against a backdrop of painted blooming lotus flowers which recall the first movie, Sugata, in a funny dissolve, falls asleep. He awakens to some shame, but when he attempts to apologize he finds the priest has fallen asleep too. Perhaps he realizes that no human can live up to an absolute set of rules, but at this point he sets out for the fight he’s been avoiding.

The final duel takes place, again, on a mountain. This time instead of a howling gale, it’s a snowstorm the fight takes place in. It’s yet another callback to the first film. Tesshin and Sugata face off, barefoot in the snow, while Gunzaburo is sidelined after a seizure. The result is about a 5 minute epic karate vs. judo duel complete with a tree being cut down with a karate chop. While the film has little of the emotional impact and meaning of
the first one, Kurosawa is still able to deliver an epic climax. There’s an important coda with Gunzaburo’s reaction to the fight and Sugata’s spirit.

As entertainment, Sanshiro Sugata Part 2 shrugs off its propaganda and slow start to deliver a lot of technical high points and thrills. But it’s hopelessly compromised from being art. Kurosawa was disinterested, but I don’t know if he could have delivered much more even with real interest. There’s just no story to tell after Sugata’s growth in the last film. And Sugata, with his struggle to find the most honorable way instead of struggling between honor and impulse, just isn’t as fun and likable a character. He’s too noble for his own good this time around. At its best, it’s a pale shadow of the first film and relies on the first film to provide it any meaning. It’s essentially a remake of the first film, only
bigger. It’s a typical sequel in many ways.

It’s pretty much impossible to tell how it played in Japan upon its release. So many theaters were bombed in the meantime that it was barely seen. The very reasons for making the film in the first place, WWII, ironically prevented it from being of any use.

Kurosawa though delivered what the authorities wanted. And he was given his next assignment, adapting a famous traditional story of Noh and Kabuki. It’s Kurosawa’s first samurai movie as well. I’ll look at the results next month.

Next Month: THE MEN WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER’S TAIL (1945)

The Movie Night Diaries — Crawlspace

James Gillham — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:00:31 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries — Crawlspace Where the Long Tail Ends

The 1986 horror-thriller Crawlspace, directed by David Schmoeller (of Puppet Master fame) is a lower-budget entry in the spate of Hollywood splatter films that dominated the horror genre in those days. Klaus Kinski is Dr. Karl Gunther, an apartment building caretaker who is preoccupied with his female tenants. When he’s not oiling the odd squeaky hinge or plunging a toilet, Karl sits in his attic apartment and thinks. He scribbles his odd reflections on life in his little journal and designs implements of torture. It is revealed that he is the orphaned son of a Nazi war criminal and he maintained his father’s legacy of mayhem by becoming a death-obsessed doctor who used his patients as guinea pigs. Now in hiding and living in the Providence-area, Gunther is continuing his experiments in secret and spying on his comely young tenants from inside the crawlspace in the ceiling.

A trailer comes up after the break.

The role of Dr. Karl Gunther is one that Kinski seems born to play. Sadly, he just seems to be acting out rather than acting. He severely overacts his way through the 70-odd minutes of this film, seemingly relishing every chance he gets to act ridiculously. In one over-the-top (but strikingly photographed) scene Kinski applies makeup, dons a Nazi military cap, and marches back and forth before an 8-mm projection of one Hitler’s more fervent speeches. This is the only scene that seemed to be firing on all cylinders. Otherwise, things just limp along in this plotless bore of a horror film.

Anything resembling conflict is resolved so quickly, or left unexplored, that the film lacks any kind of momentum. Worse than that, everything is strangely lit and resembles an episode of Matlock. I realize this sort of thing has no place in a film review, but keeping in mind that I am unsure if the Diaries qualifies as a review, I must mention how distracting Kinski’s hair and wardrobe are. He wears a sparse, white mullet and Cosby-style cardigan sweater throughout the film. This is just awful. Apart from that, the dialog is quite rough. There is a turgid love scene that features the following bit of dialog: “Alfred, I love your cane. It’s long, sleek, and hard.” This is dialog nearly worthy of a pornographic film if it weren’t for the word “sleek”. And there is little in the way of actual character development. The girls who live in the building are each given a distinct personality, but only so that the audience can tell the difference between them when they start dying.

Surprisingly, there is little left to say. The film clocks in at 80-minutes including a prolonged credit sequence at the opening of the film, so the feature actually manages about 70-or-so minutes minus the end credits. Sadly, its length is Crawlspace‘s saving grace.

One out of five stars means: wedge of cheese.

If you’re wondering why lately it seems that The Movie Night Diaries has become a clearing house of sorts for old, odd Kinski films, I’ve attached the following bit of video. It’s a short film directed by and starring the director of Crawlspace, David Schmoeller. In the film, Schmoeller describes how difficult it was to work with Kinski during the film of Crawlspace, and how Kinski made the work of film-making more difficult by refusing to be directed, throwing fits, and generally living up to his madman reputation. However hard life was for Schmoeller during the production of the film, he is still able to reflect on what a captivating performer Kinski was, and reflects on why it is that his work draws audiences back again and again to his films.

MPR’s Wits w Neil Gaiman and Josh Ritter

Matt Gamble — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:12:59 +0000

MPR’s Wits w Neil Gaiman and Josh Ritter Where the Long Tail Ends

I lucked out and was able to attend the season ending show of WITS (for those of you with excellent vision you can spot me waiting in line in this picture), put on by MPR out at the historic Fitzgerald Theatre this past Friday. Author Neil Gaiman headlined, along with musical guest Josh Ritter, but that just was the tip of the iceberg of the famous faces that stopped by, which included Wil Wheaton, Adam Savage of Mythbusters and some former greats from MST3K (Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy). And of course, Neil’s dog Cabal, who enjoyed a torrid 30 second affair with my crotchal region. Then, of course, their was the announcement that HBO had picked up Gaiman’s breakthrough novel American Gods to be adapted into TV series.

While Gaiman was certainly the reason for going I have to say that it was Josh Ritter who stole all of his thunder with a heck of a great set that really did show that he was worthy of being compared to Bob Dylan. Oh sure, you’ll eyeroll as I did at the comparison, but Ritter is a storyteller first and foremost and it shines through in his songs. Gaiman himself was clearly transfixed by Ritter, as was the audience, during his first song The Curse, which is a heartfelt ballad about Mummy love. Its a beautiful song and it was an absolute treat to see this artist forced upon me who simply blew me away.

Not to be outdone Gaiman continued his Gaiman-esque way of simply trying his hand at some other art form and once again sheepishly knocking it out of the park. He’s written comics, screenplays, novels, children’s stories, poems and songs, and rumor has it he’s a heck of a bedtime storyteller. And now, he can add the illustrious title of singer, as he stood up and took the stage to sing one of his latest songs, The Problem with Saints, about a resurrected and slightly trigger happy Joan of Arc.

Not to be outdone Ritter upped the ante in his final song, one he was apprehensive for fear it would go out over public airwaves, and its fantastic. I’ve embeded all three songs after the b reak so make sure to listen to all of them, then head over to MPR’s website to see the rest of the videos as they continue to post them and be sure to check out their archives from this season as well.

Josh Ritter – The Curse

Neil Gaiman – The Problem with Saints

Josh Ritter – Galahad

Awesome Intros – Tampopo

Matt Gamble — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:10:10 +0000

Awesome Intros – Tampopo Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve been posting a few films with fantastic opening scenes the past couple months (Priest and Caliber 9 for starters) and I figured why not start highlighting the occasional film that really knocks me out with a terrific intro. Sure, some people want credits and to be eased into a film, but me, I just like diving right in. And last night, I got shoved in with a screening of Tampopo, courtesy of Trash Film Debauchery.

Opening in a movie theatre, Tampopo introduces one of its primary secondary characters (it makes sense in the movie) who immediately breaks the 4th Wall to let you know that the film is as in on the upcoming gags as the audience is. From there it embarks on a seemingly unrelated rant on how to consume food in a theatre, complete with threats of theatergoers, before settling in to watch foodie porn.

Now the opening isn’t the best scene in the film, that easily goes to the jaw dropping egg consummation scene (Shown here for your viewing enjoyment and quite worthy of a Great Moments in Cinema History post on its own), but it is a pretty close second and a truly fun way to open a truly fun and bizarre film that only could have been made in Japan.

Quick Thoughts — We Are the Night (Wir sind die Nacht)

James Gillham — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:00:28 +0000

Quick Thoughts — We Are the Night (Wir sind die Nacht) Where the Long Tail Ends

Germany’s 2010 vampire film We Are the Night is an action-oriented feminist vampire film about four lady vampires in modern day Berlin. Louise (Nina Hoss) is the leader of a vampire coven of sorts, whose job it is to initiate Lena — the coven’s newest member, played by Karoline Herfurth — into a life of vampirism. The coven uses a rundown nightclub as a front for its nocturnal activities, and Lena soon finds herself at home in her new life. However, the conflict arises from the discovery that Louise might have initiated Lena into this life only because she is in search of an ages-lost love, and that the non-stop partying lifestyle of a 21st-century vampire is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

The movie starts off in a big way with the three lady vampires on board an airplane bound for Berlin… an airplane filled with passengers and crew whom they’ve drained of blood. In dramatic fashion, the trio leap from the plummeting airplane in time (one thinks) to gracefully sail back to earth. Count these three in with the Twilight-era vampire with multiple superpowers: flight, acrobatics, super strength, etc. This pace is maintained through most of the film — from parkour-style chases through Berlin, to knife and gun fights. Little is left to the imagination in this gory stylized romp. So, if you’re looking for a more serious entry into the vampire canon, you might do well to look elsewhere.

The film is very stylish and features a thumping techno music soundtrack. There are a number of grisly and violent scenes strung together to keep one’s interest; however, there is little in the way of character development. Each of the three lady vampires (along with Lena, the fourth and newest member) are given a back-story of sorts. Each has some reason for regretting their life as an immortal and nocturnal bloodsucker. Save these bits (which aren’t all that bad, really) all that the rest of the film has going for it is beautiful photography. And this is not an exagerration. I am hard-pressed to think of a more beautifully filmed horror film in recent memory. All in well, it was an enjoyable film — albeit not a very smart one — that is worth the time of horror film fans, particularly those with an interest in the aesthetics of urban vampirism.

We Are the Night is in limited theatrical release in the U.S. through IFC Films and is available through numerous video-on-demand outlets throughout the summer.

The Movie Night Diaries — Someone Behind the Door

James Gillham — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:00:54 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries — Someone Behind the Door Where the Long Tail Ends

Convoluted is a term I loosely use when describing a mixed-up and sloppily plotted film. In anticipation of writing this article, I thought it best to consult the OED online to ensure that I use the word correctly. Fortunately, the way in which I normally use it is the way in which it is normally used: colloquial usage of the word means just that, sloppy, mixed up, confused. However, the word originates from 19th century zoology where it was first used to describe things that are naturally tightly wound in animal biology — for instance, the intestines.

With that accomplished, I can confidently proceed with my review of the 1971 film Someone Behind the Door, starring Anthony Perkins, Charles Bronson, and Jill Ireland. Perkins plays Dr. Laurence Jeffries, an American neurosurgeon living in England. Bronson plays an anonymous amnesiac who is brought to Jeffries’s clinic when he is found wandering on the beach, disoriented. Jeffries brings the patient home home with him under the guise of taking a personal interest in treating his amnesia; however, we soon learn that the doctor is obsessively jealous of his beautiful wife Frances (Ireland) whom he suspects of infidelity. Enter the anonymous amnesiac, and Jeffries hatches a plan to deceive the man into believing he is the husband of Frances Jeffries and drive him to kill Frances in a flight of jealous rage. Enter Paul Damien, the unfaithfaul Frances’s French lover, and Andrew, Frances’s brother, and Jeffries’s masterful plot is put in motion and the helpless Frances soons travels into the orbit of the hapless amnesiac. Soon, it is revealed that the amnesiac is an escaped mental patient who may or may not have raped and murdered a woman on the beach the night of his mental collapse… and Jeffries finds he may have happened upon the perfect patsy. And you might see why it is that I wanted to consult the OED for the official definition of “convoluted” before I began my review.

While it is true that the plot is far fetched and all of the various players muddle up the works a bit, the film still manages to be enjoyable for two reasons: Anthony Perkins and Charles Bronson. You see, this film isn’t really a thriller; mostly, it’s a complex psycho-drama that plays out in Perkins’s character’s secluded oceanside home outside of London. Perkins’s Laurence Jeffries is a gameplayer of sorts. When he’s not manipulating his victim or recording his diagnoses on tape, he’s fiddling with those little games one often finds in their stocking at Christmas — one is a wooden maze which must be tilted back-and-forth to roll a set of steel balls into the hole at the center. Observant audience members will note that the steel balls rolling through the maze represent the lives of the various players in Jeffries’s real-life game to exact revenge on his cheating wife; everyone must be nudged in the right direction to bring the players together in this drama. Andrew, Jeffries’s brother-in-law, is used to bring Frances back to the seaside home where Bronson’s amnesic can get her; Bronson is lead to believe (through the use of forged letters and a phony suitcase full of clothes) that he’s the cuckold, not Jeffries; and Paul Damien, the French lover, has to come along for the ride so Jeffries can have his fun with him too.

Bronson and Perkins share the screen for most of the film. Slowly, over the course of several days, Jeffries molds the amnesiac into a weapon to use against Frances and Paul Damien. Both actors are well cast. Perkins does well as the diabolical genius at the heart of the drama. Bronson’s performance of the amnesiac is understated and effective; when it’s revealed that Jeffries’s victim may be a missing mental patient who’s guilty of rape, Bronson is both pathetic and menacing.

There are a few missteps along the way, though. Chief among those is that the secondary players (Frances, Damien, etc.) are not put to better use. Also, it bothers me that so much of the exposition occurs through talking rather than action. It seems at times that the film is a recording of a stage play rather than a motion picture. As a psycho-drama, much of this is necessary, but so little is shown and so much is told, that I started hitting the display button on my DVD player to see how much time was left. Still, the film features fine work by two celebrated American actors and is the kind of hidden gem that’s a joy to stumble upon when surfing through one’s Netflix queue.

For this, the film earns three out of five stars, which means no gripe, but it doesn’t quite make the grade.

Tomorrow night … Tampopo

Matt Gamble — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:36:52 +0000

Tomorrow night … Tampopo Where the Long Tail Ends

The world’s first (only?) Japanese Noodle Western, presented by Trash Film Debauchery out at the Trylon Microcinema. Be there or be a loser.

Quick Thoughts – Horrible Bosses

Matt Gamble — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:08:36 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Horrible Bosses Where the Long Tail Ends

I wasn’t too excited about the prospect of watching Horrible Bosses, though I was excited about the prospect of watching a movie over a month before release, which basically balanced out. Granted, I like several members of the cast of the film, but I’ve yet to commit to the Church of Sudeikis so that sort of tainted the possibility of enjoyment as well. I mean, when it came to raunchy R-rated comedies coming out this summer I was far more excited about Bad Teacher than Horrible Bosses, and both would have to overcome the incredibly solid Bridesmaids to lay claim to best comedy of the 2011 blockbuster season.

The good news is I enjoyed Horrible Bosses, far more than I expected actually. It’s a solid comedy, and it stays consistently funny throughout its run time, which brings up its biggest negative, which is that it never achieves anything all that special in terms of its humor. For a comedy about people killing their bosses it’s relatively tame, even innocuous at times. Bad Teacher still looks like it stands the best chance of truly pushing boundaries of humor and good taste, while Bridesmaids has already shown that it was quite willing to test the boundaries of what is often the narrow and dull sub-genre that is the chick flick.

Horrible Bosses simply aims to be something of an odd duck, the R-rated comedy that plays it close to the vest. It’s not even hard to see how with just a couple nips and tucks in the dialogue that the film could play as a PG-13 film. That is, if they excised the one character who truly does lay it all on the line.

Combining Fred Simmons (The Foot Fist Way FTW!) with an 8-day cocaine bender and a killer comb-over, Colin Farrell’s Bobby Pellitt is the stuff of soon to be comedic legend with an absolutely manic, go-for-broke performance that truly is a wonder to behold. With no less than two (Count them, I know you won’t!) posters that absolutely beg Mondo to reproduce them and the kind of twisted worldview that only over-privileged movie douche bags dream of, Pellitt steals scene after scene and makes you wish the rest of the film was filled with such kinetic and doltish energy. But it doesn’t. Which really is a shame, because instead of being a great comedy Horrible Bosses settles for merely being an entertaining one.

Free Lone Wolf & Cub screening at Moto-i

Matt Gamble — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 19:04:05 +0000

Free Lone Wolf & Cub screening at Moto-i Where the Long Tail Ends

Talk about timely!

BlkMrktCinema presents a free screening of Lone Wolf & Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx on the rooftop of Moto-i on Wednesday, June 29th at 9:00pm. “The Lone Wolf & Cub series chronicles the story of Ogami Itt?, (Tomisaburo Wakayama) the Shogun’s executioner who uses a Dotanuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accusations from the Yagyu clan, he is forced to take the path of the assassin. Along with his three-year-old son, Daigoro, they seek revenge on the Yagyu clan and are known as “Lone Wolf & Cub.” The second film in the legendary series finds the evil Yagyu clan setting a band of deadly female ninja’s on Ogami’s trail. Meanwhile, Ogami must kill a traitor who seeks to sell a clan’s secrets to the Shogun – a traitor guarded by three men known as “The Gods of Death!”

Wednesday, June 29th @ 9:00pm FREE!
BlkMrktCinema (Facebook page)

Lone Wolf & Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx trailer

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 3.1 – Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

Matt Gamble — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 09:02:36 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 3.1 – Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! James and I have taken a few months off to rest and relax from what we both felt was a pretty good second series for High and Low (Brow) and we have triumphantly returned with a fair share of rust for the Series Three premiere. But then, if this show ran smoothly I don’t think we’d have a tenth of the viewers we have.

In this episode we gently tackle the theme of Revenge by watching the 1955 sci-fi B-movie The Creature with the Atom Brain as well as the Japanese samurai grindhouse film Sword of Vengeance, which is based on the iconic manga Lone Wolf and Cub. Will we like them? Will we hate them? Will we spend more time discussing James’ penchant for lying for his own amusement? Perhaps all three and more, as we of course also engage in our blind selection process to find the theme and films for the next episode, which was thankfully provided by one of our regular listeners.

I went back to posting the episode as just a simple mp3, primarily because it was taking me forever to do the post production for this episode and I really just didn’t feel up to investing the extra time to get the show posted. I should be going back to mp4 after this unless people really make a stink about keeping them as mp3′s.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – You Must Be Out of Your Mind by The Magnetic Fields

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One to Watch – Attack the Block

Matt Gamble — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:11:17 +0000

One to Watch – Attack the Block Where the Long Tail Ends

This potential little Indie gem of a genre film has been thrilling audiences for several months, and now with the backing of Sony’s Screen Gems production company, Attack the Block stands as good a chance as any of getting somewhat of a wide release here in the States. Though, to start out it is only being released in larger markets. So here’s to hoping audience response is strong enough in those to actually turn this film into this year’s District 9.

From the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city kids who try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an extraterrestrial warzone.

Attack the Block

Director – Joe Cornish
Starring – John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Alex Esmail
Release Date – July 29th (USA limited)

Red Band Trailer NSFW

The Movie Night Diaries — Circus of Fear

James Gillham — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:17:06 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries — Circus of Fear Where the Long Tail Ends

Circus of Fear (aka Psycho-Circus, 1966), the second film based on a work by Edgar Wallace that I’m reviewing for the ‘Diaries, is part heist film, part murder mystery, and all mess. The film begins by firing on all cylinders — a taut scene of an armored car heist on top of the Tower Bridge of London cracks by in seamless real-time; however, sadly, this is where the real fun ends. Soon, the members of the gang split up, and it is revealed that the heist’s mastermind is a member of the Barbarini traveling circus. Enter the inimitable Christopher Lee as Gregor, the masked lion tamer whose possession of the stolen cash puts him at the top of the suspect list. But even the introduction of the intense Klaus Kinski as the lone member of the heist gang left to seek out his share can’t jumpstart this film into anything more than a mildy enjoyable but sloppily structured mystery.

After it becomes apparent that there is more to the story than the armored car heist and the aftermath, things get very confusing. As the rest of the film plays out within the tents and caravans of Barbarini’s traveling circus, there is a varied and interesting group of characters: the masked lion tamer, the black mailing dwarf, the wife-beating knife thrower, and the circus accountant/would-be magician. The major problem is that all of these characters become involved in an increasingly confusing plot that never unravels in a satisfactory way. The dwarf is blackmailing the lion tamer; after a series of stabbings on the circus grounds, the knife thrower’s knives go missing; the knife thrower’s wife is having an affair with an unknown hairy-armed man; the daughter of the lion tamer holds the secret of a recent South African murder, etc. etc. Sure, these disparate elements are drawn together in typical “mystery revealed” fashion at the end of the film, but it is by no means a convincing or satisfying way of ending the film.

By the time the plot winds up, the audience is so mired in all of the different subplots that the resolution rings hollow. And the two marquee performers (Kinski, Lee) get lost in all of the “ins and outs and what have yous” of the film. Basing my judgment on the fun I had a few weeks ago with another film based on an Edgar Wallace work (The Dark Eyes of London) I am left guessing how things went so awry with this one. SPOILER ALERT, when the reveal of the bank heist mastermind/serial murderer is revealed, it is obvious only because there is a single character who’s not given an alibi by being involved in one of the tepid subplots that convince the audience that the killer isn’t any of the obviously suspect characters.

A good mystery is well planned. The viewer should be surprised by the ultimate reveal, but should also be able to logically reconstruct the path through the plot that the killer (or burglar, or blackmailer, or whatever) took towards the ultimate reveal and be satisfied that the reveal is earned. Circus doesn’t manage any of this, even though it could have. So many characters and subplots are twisted together, that it could plausibly be both any of the characters or none of them at all that are behind the plot to rob the armored car and the murders to keep it covered up.

Two out of five stars means: No grind.

1966
90 minutes
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey
Written by Harry Alan Towers

Kurosawa, In Order #2 – The Most Beautiful

Robert Reineke — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 06:41:46 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #2 – The Most Beautiful Where the Long Tail Ends

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL (1944)

In normal times, Kurosawa would have been given free rein after the success of Sanshiro Sugata. But it wasn’t normal times, it was World War II and Japan was losing. So Kurosawa was basically ordered to make a propaganda film with preapproved messages and material. The result was one of the most atypical films of his career.

Kurosawa, with his affection for western art and belief in individualism, was opposed to the regime in Japan and World War II. But it was a passive opposition and he was willing to put the goal of continuing to make films above his politics. At least to a point. Despite the propaganda office’s requirements, you can see Kurosawa’s beliefs sneak in at the edges. They don’t subvert the main message, but they support the idea that auteurism can never be completely hidden.

After the propaganda messages and the declaration that the film is “A MOVIE OF THE PEOPLE”, the film proper begins. The opening scene is a speech by the manager (Takashi Shimura) of an optics factory, which illustrates that Shimura was already assuming a place of authority in Kurosawa’s films. Shimura announces an emergency quota increase for the war effort; for men an increase of 100% and for women an increase of 50%. And, in a stroke that makes it a Kurosawa picture, he reminds the workers that they each must strive to become an outstanding individual as well. “One can’t improve productivity without improving one’s character.” And that theme of sacrificing and improving oneself becomes the central theme of the film. The film isn’t physical beauty, but the most beautiful in spirit. It’s also a smart script decision, because how interesting would a movie simply about meeting a production quota be?

One of the things that is immediately striking about The Most Beautiful is how much Kurosawa mutes his style in favor of a documentary look. The opening scenes of the speech, with the workers standing at attention and backlit look like Russian cinema of the period.

But the heart of the picture is when we get into the factory. Kurosawa was interested in a documentary style realism and shot the film in a real optics factory. (As you watch the film, you can learn many of the steps in the process of how optics are made.) He had his cast live in a dormitory, just like the workers of the story, march in a fife and drum corps, just like the workers of his film, and did everything to eliminate traces of theatricality. The camera moves are restrained. Most shots are at eye level giving a “you are there” feel to the picture. In its simplicity and emphasis on realism, it’s a precursor to the post-war neorealism movements in Italy, Japan, and elsewhere.

One of the ways that the film sticks out from Kurosawa’s filmography is in its use of women as the main characters. There are many fine performances by females in Kurosawa films, but they’re seldom the main characters. Here, they’re front and center and the film focuses on their trials and small triumphs as they work to meet the quota.

Right away, the film sets up the first crisis as the women respond to the speech in distracted groups in the factory. The quota increase being the source of their frustration. It turns out it’s not because the increase is too big, but that the women feel that they aren’t being asked to do enough. Although, this being pre-feminist times, they only ask for a 67% increase. It’s a small triumph for the women doing their part, and after that episode we’re introduced to the women as characters.

The principal character is Watanabe (Yoko Yaguchi ) who is the de facto leader of the women. The film follows an episodic structure for the remainder as we see the mini-crises which the group faces as they try to meet the demanding quota. (The quota goal being helpfully illustrated with an interspersed chart at various intervals.) Among the episodes that Watanabe must deal with is the production plummeting following a too quick start. Volleyball games organized to boost spirits. One worker becomes sick and is forced to go home in a tearful farewell. Another breaks her leg. A third is hiding her own sickness, with Watanabe as an accomplice in the deception. Watanabe has her own crisis with her mother falling ill. Interspersed with these personal crises are the volleyball games and scenes of their fife and drum corps marching in parades, respites for their individual trials in communal activity and purpose.

Much of the film is standard melodrama. What keeps it from sinking into sob sister territory is Kurosawa’s tight control on the tone. His emphasis on realism keeps the film emotional but not mawkish. At least for the most part, the weeping goodbye of Suzumura as she returns to her home sick is one of the few times Kurosawa indulges the more melodramatic side of his film. The restraint even works its way into the politics. The British and Americans are mentioned once, in a pledge of allegiance to destroy the enemy, but never again and they’re simply presented as “the enemy”. There’s no stereotyping that can mar even Allied propaganda films of the period to this day. It’s a story of a group of women doing their best in trying circumstances and for the most part it’s content to leave it at that.

Although the camera work and acting are very down to earth, it would be a mistake to dismiss the film as lacking in style and energy. Kurosawa isn’t indulging fancy camera work and acting, but he lets himself loose full bore in the editing suite. The editing on the film is very tight and sophisticated. There are wipes. There are axial cuts. And there are montages. The full force of the movie is unlikely to be conveyed in a series of still frames, because this is truly a moving picture where the juxtaposition of images matters.

An example is the volleyball game mid-way through the picture. It’s a model of editing, beginning with far away shots giving an overview of the point, an axial cut to draw us closer, a cut to a mid-range shot at the net following the action, finally cutting to a montage of individuals, lovingly backlit, as they leap and volley, sometimes without the ball even being seen in frame. The montage is so effective that you can follow the implied action clearly and it puts you right in the action, almost as a participant. It is exciting filmmaking and an improvement over Sanshiro Sugata in many respects.

Events come to a head in the third act as we see what Watanabe is made of. The quota is in danger of not being met. The women under her charge accuse her of favoritism. Her mother is deathly ill. And, to top it all off, after being interrupted at work she’s misplaced a lens before finishing calibrating it. The reveal of the misplacement is an outstanding example of editing by Kurosawa rapidly fitting together scenes we’ve seen earlier where our attention was diverted elsewhere. After shaming her accusers with the revelation that her supposed “favoritism” was simply protecting a sick girl from being sent home, Watanabe sets herself the nearly impossible task of going through several days of lenses to check their calibration. In a skillfully edited sequence, it goes long into the night while she sings to herself to keep herself awake and fight the headaches the work is causing her. It’s an unnecessary, painstaking, lonely task, as the supervisors explain that there are other quality control checks along the way but it’s a point of honor for her and a triumph of character when she completes her task.

There are rewards that follow from that, as the group is fully reunited by the return of Suzumura. And it looks like the quota is going to be met. Into this triumph, Kurosawa throws the death of Watanabe’s mother. Watanabe won’t return for the funeral, following her mother’s wishes, but instead returns to her station, where tears stream down her face.

Triumph and tragedy are balanced. As Donald Richie notes in The Films of Akira Kurosawa, it will be a continuing theme of Kurosawa that “life is hard”. The rewards that Watanabe receives are internal, not external and the ending elevates it above simple propaganda into a work of art that can survive viewing nearly 70 years later as more than a curiosity.

Yoko Yaguchi is the heart and soul of the picture and turns in a really solid performance. Kurosawa was very demanding and the cast appointed Yaguchi as a go between. The director and his star butted heads often as a result, but in true Hollywood fashion, they became close and married in 1945. And they stayed married until her death in 1985. Kurosawa reportedly called the film one that was “most dear” to him, and it’s easy to read his subsequent marriage into part of the reasons.

The Most Beautiful certainly isn’t as fun as Sanshiro Sugata with its weepy melodrama and propaganda, but it demonstrates an increasing command of all the tools available to a director and indicates Kurosawa’s growing range. You definitely couldn’t dismiss him as a one trick pony after this film. And it foreshadowed post-war neorealism. In its own way, it’s nearly as successful as Kurosawa’s earlier picture, artistically and at the box office. Not bad for a picture that’s ostensibly about meeting a production quota.

That success would prove to be a mixed blessing in wartime. Kurosawa’s next picture would again be a propaganda film, but whereas he got to choose the story he wanted to tell for The Most Beautiful, he’d have it prescribed to him next time. And, to top it off, it was to be a sequel to his first hit, a film the censors had to be talked into releasing.

Next Month: SANSHIRO SUGATA PART 2 (1945)

On the Series Three premiere of the High and Low (Brow) podcast

Matt Gamble — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:48:36 +0000

On the Series Three premiere of the High and Low (Brow) podcast Where the Long Tail Ends

It’s bound to get nasty as James and I tackle the theme of Revenge for our series premiere with the films Sword of Vengeance and The Creature with the Atom Brain.

Sword of Vengeance trailer

The Creature with the Atom Brain trailer

Quick Thoughts – X-Men: First Class

Matt Gamble — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:58:59 +0000

Quick Thoughts – X-Men: First Class Where the Long Tail Ends

Unlike most people I never really cared for any of the X-Men films. The first I thought was alright, while the second was decent, I think it’s one of the most over rated films of recent memory, while the third and the unfortunate Wolverine spin-off were quite terrible, if not bordering on obscene.

I’m not sure what my problem was, I grew up during the heyday of Chris Claremont’s epic run on the X-Men comic that turned it from a forgotten book to Marvel’s biggest money making machine. Which is fascinating as it also was its most critically acclaimed as well, proving that mainstream money makers in comics didn’t have to be brain dead, a lesson I wish Marvel would have remembered as it churned out no less that 47 X-related titles in the coming years. Okay, it’s probably less than that, but I doubt by much.

Perhaps much of my disdain for the original films was their general feeling of sanitization. The villains never felt truly dangerous, Wolverine never felt feral, Rogue never felt like anything other than Sooki Stackhouse and the plot point of anti-mutant sentiment always just felt like window dressing.

You see, what drew me to the original source material was how dark and unforgiving they were at a time when mainstream comics rarely went in that direction. Oh sure Frank Miller was quietly carving out a career doing such a thing and Vertigo was just starting to show people that comics were for more than teenagers, but I was a teenager dammit! So to have a book aimed directly at me but at the same tying stretching the medium and my brain pan was a welcome hook. And man, did it set itself in me.

So when word came out that Marvel was going to reboot the franchise and hand over the helm to the man they originally intended, Matthew Vaughn, to helm the prequel I was intrigued. Then when it was leaked that the film would be set in the 60’s my interest began to pique. And then the first trailer was released and once again X-Men set its hook in me.

But while X-Men was the comic book movie I was most interested in witnessing this summer, I knew it was going to have a hard time matching up with my expectations much as the previous films did. X-Men is a tough franchise to do correctly, as it veers into melodrama time and again, due to its overlying theme of mutants acting as a stand-in for any type of minority, which results in a fight against oppression being as much of a villain as whatever three-dimensional force might also be present. It also doesn’t help matters that Claremont had no problem killing off characters in an effort to melt their compatriot’s brains.

Time and again this franchise felt sanitized with their themes and their actions, often resulting in PG-13 fare that could be digested by the masses in mass quantities. Rather than pushing young audiences into dealing with themes that rarely were black and white, let alone safe, the films simply were content with making the most bucks instead of the most bang.

So when the semi-reboot that was to be X-Men: First Class decided to take a bit of a risk and set the film in the 1960’s I became intrigued. Tat the film soon started rounding up a rather impressive cast (Michael Fassbender as Magneto being the most interesting) I soon began to think that maybe this version of the X-Men might actually start to approach the comics. Granted, in the long run I would once again prove disappointed but at times X-Men: First Class absolutely shines as interesting and daring filmmaking.

Fassbender’s portrayal of Magneto is truly outstanding and possibly one of the best performances that will be seen this year. Magneto is a complicated character fresh on his road to villainhood, with a nasty streak that is positively electric to witness. Who doesn’t want a solo vehicle for Magneto after this? Well, as long as it is Fassbender in the role.

Along with Fassbender Kevin Bacon also shines as the sleazy Sebastian Shaw, and it isn’t surprising that the scenes involving both Fassbender and Bacon facing off which are where X-Men: First Class rises head and shoulders above your standard summer popcorn fare.

But in the end X-Men: First Class struggles to maintain its momentum, as the rest of the characters are poorly written and fleshed out, and the plot is trying desperately hard to be Byzantine in the hopes that will prevent you from thinking too hard about it, lest you see the cracks forming with each passing scene. But each time the film seems content to fail, Fassbender maniacally drags it back into your good graces

The Movie Night Diaries – Case 39

James Gillham — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:11 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries – Case 39 Where the Long Tail Ends

For this edition of The Movie Night Diaries, I have chosen something a bit more contemporary than usual. I decided to take a look at 2009′s Case 39, a horror-thriller directed by Christian Alvart and starring Renée Zellweger. This film had a minor theatrical release in 2009 and waited two years for its 2011 DVD release.

Renée Zellweger is Emily, a young child protection officer who’s assigned a 39th case on top of an already packed docket. Case 39 concerns Lilith (Lily) Sullivan, a girl whose parents are neglecting her and is showing signs of abuse. When Emily is sent to the young girl’s home to investigate, her curiosity is piqued: the parents are uncommunicative, the home is squalid, and young Lily is clearly suffering through some sort of stress. After Emily is unable to retrieve any useful information from the couple, she enlists the help of a police detective who’s shown sympathy to abused children in the past. Soon, in one of the most harrowing horror scenes I have seen in some time, it becomes apparent that Lily is indeed the victim of abuse, and Emily must come to her aid. After Lily is taken from her parents and placed under the care of child protection, Emily becomes trapped by an element so evil that the audience is left to wonder: who is it that was trapped in the child’s home, young Lily or her parents?

This will be the first film that I’ve given a less-than-positive review since launching The Movie Night Diaries. I generally enjoy horror films, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me that I soured on this film at about the midpoint. However, there are a number of things that I enjoyed about the film in spite of my initial dislike; I’ll start there. Beware: SPOILERS AHEAD.

There were a number of very well done scenes in this film. As I mentioned in the brief description above, the scene that has Lily’s parents attempting to do her in is one of the most harrowing horror film scenes that I’ve watched in some time. Renée Zellweger is a great protagonist. There is a reason she is one of this generation’s most celebrated actresses — she is versatile enough to find the balance between the maternal figure who takes on the care of young Lily, and the woman who discovers her as the source a evil and must take her on. Bradley Cooper is great as the child psychologist who cares for Lily once she’s rescued from her home. There is a scene in which he is forced to confront his greatest fear — wasps — and the subject is broached, and tension mounts, in a logical fashion to an ultimate and disturbing payoff. The thriller elements of the film are well done — there are scenes of Zellweger’s car careering through city streets at break-neck speed, and scenes of high tension are just that: highly tense. And young Jodelle Ferland’s performance as Lily deserves recognition. She owns this role in a way an older, more cultivated actress might struggle with. She was around thirteen or fourteen when the film was made, so her ability to capture what is truly frightening about the character of Lily is worth mentioning. It is no wonder that she would go on to be featured in the third Twilight film as Bree Tanner and star in the film adaptation of the game Silent Hill; Ferland has earned her horror chops at a young age by tuning into what can make a child frightening — a theme that has been visited a number of times in horror, and was even the subject of one of our High and Low(Brow) podcasts called Killer Kids.

So, where did things go wrong?

I think what I disliked like most about the film was that it abondoned its subtlety. The really frightening (or, at least, unsettling) element of the film is the demonic evil contained in the angelic person of the young girl, Lily. There are a number of spots where this worked — chief among those, a scene in which Lily discovers the terrified Emily hiding beneath her bed, a cleverly executed twist on events earlier in the film. Still, there’s too much running and screaming in place of things like this. In their next confrontation, Lily begins to change shape and become more demonic; she aquires super strength and the filmmakers opt for cheese-like CG effects of monstrous arms and the morphings of Lily’s face into the face of a demon. When you consider how frightening Damien of The Omen films is, and the children of the Village of the Damned are, you see that the most horrifying elements of these situations won’t be made more horrifying with the use of extra effects; rather, a slower pace and more time spent concentrating on the evil elements of Lily would be better. The filmmakers chose a different path.

While I don’t want to negate my criticisms by couching them in any more qualifiers, I will say that there are things to be enjoyed about this film, and that overall, I did enjoy the movie. It’s just one of those films that zigged when it should have zagged — there were logical choices to be made that would capitalize on the more frightening elements of the film rather than those the filmmakers made.

For that, Case 39 is awarded two stars stars.
: No grind.

2009
109 minutes
Directed by Christian Alvart
Written by Ray Wright

Argento’s Suspiria and Deep Red @ Trylon Microcinema

James Gillham — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:00:49 +0000

Argento’s Suspiria and Deep Red @ Trylon Microcinema Where the Long Tail Ends

Take-Up Productions has announced that they will be screening Dario Argento’s Suspiria and Deep Red back-to-back Friday and Saturday nights July 15th and 16th, and again on Sunday, July 17th.

This digital presentation coincides with the recent release of these films on blu-ray DVD and is part of the Trylon’s Microseries at the Microcinema.

As Matt likes to say, the trailers are after the break!

The Movie Night Diaries — The Ghost (1963)

James Gillham — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:52:16 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries — The Ghost (1963) Where the Long Tail Ends

1963′s The Ghost is an Italian-made chiller starring the inimitable queen of scream Barbara Steele. Steele is Margaret Hichcock, the frustrated wife of Dr. John Hichcock, a wheelchair-bound physician who is researching his own therapy in hopes of curing his own paralysis. Enter Dr. Charles Livingstone, a young physician charged with administering Hichcock’s own therapy — a combination of poisons chosen for their ability to stimulate the doctor’s atrophied musculature. The young doctor and the frustrated Mrs. Hichcock become romantically involved and soon begin to plot Dr. Hichcock’s death. After the doctor’s apparent demise, the young doctor and widow are terrorized by a series of ghostly apparitions on the estate. Has Dr. Hichcock returned from the grave, seeking revenge? Or is there a more rational means of explaining the haunting?

The film, directed by Italian Riccardo Freda (credited as Robert Hampton for distribution within the United States), is guilty of being formulaic. Surely the vengeful ghost premise has for some time been considered part of the stock and trade of the horror genre; however, the film achieves something admirable — crafting a neat and effective iteration of a tried and true premise. The Ghost will not disappoint horror fans, particularly those horror fans that have a love of Italian horror film-making.

One of the things that I liked so much about this film was, I imagined, its status as an underdog of the genre. Riccardo Freda is not a name that leaps to the forefront of one’s mind when considering Italian horror canon; he is credited as having begun, but not finished, the film Lust of the Vampire, which was completed by Mario Bava. In spite of this, with The Ghost he helms a fine gothic horror film with an Italian flair. The screw is turned and tension mounts — from the earliest appearance of the ghost of Dr. Hichcock through to the end. Steele elevates the role of Mrs. Hichcock to a realm worthy of a portrayal of Lady MacBeth. Beyond this, her performance bends the role of the scheming lady lover in a new direction — her Lady MacBeth is sordid and broken down, a Scottish lady trapped in a marriage to an older man, now paralyzed, who is aloof and unkind.

The pleasure I took did not end with the performances. It is a nicely photographed film. Contrasting primary colors used in the lighting complement the mood of the film — it is, overall, a dark film, but blood reds and deep blues confound the darkness. The whole film plays like a nightmare. The sights and sounds of the filmed world are exaggerated in a way that would make the viewer believe that they have a fever — blood drips loudly, the slashing of a razor like slamming doors, the breathless moments of terror suffocating.

Four out of five stars means: nearly there.

1963
98 minutes.
directed by Riccardo Freda
written by Oreste Biancoli and Riccardo Freda

The Movie Night Diaries – Dead Eyes of London (1961)

James Gillham — Wed, 25 May 2011 11:00:54 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries – Dead Eyes of London (1961) Where the Long Tail Ends

This week I watched 1961′s iteration of the Edgar Wallace mystery Dark Eyes of London, Alfred Vohrer’s Dead Eyes of London.

This is the second attempt at bringing this work to the screen, preceded by 1939′s The Human Monster starring Bela Lugosi. This time ’round, Inspector Larry Holt (Joachim Fuchsberger) is investigating a series of London murders. According to the Inspector’s assisstant, Seargent Sunny Harvey (played to perfection by German-born actor Eddie Arent), approximately 40 days a year in London are foggy — and on each of the previous several foggy nights, a murder has occured. Each of the men is wealthy. All wear glasses. Each is found with a length of rope tied around their ankles, and all are found drowned in the Thames. Holt soon finds that tracking the murderer down will not be so easy, because at every turn he is met by another layer of complexity and obfuscation; from blackmailers and imposters to gamblers and frauds, the murders seem to involve the whole of London’s underworld.

The film is shot in a stark black-and-white. Its world is full of foggy nights, full moons, and the grotesque; hidden passageways, creaking floorboards, and screams. It has the feel of a giallo, in that it concerns a series of gruesome murders, the investigation of which is played out in a stylish fashion on screen. This is a German production of an English author’s murder mystery, and – as such – it has its own unique look and feel. A youthful Klaus Kinski (Nosferatu the Vampyre, Aguirre: Wrath of God) gives a standout performance in his portrayal of Edgar Strauss, the assistant to shady insurance brokers David and Stephan Judd. While its nature is disctinctive and it anticipates some of the elements of giallo, it is also a gothic thriller — ticking clocks, long staircases, and the fog-filled nights of London — and features the familiar elements of the absurd or grotesque.

It is a bit slow to start, to be sure; however, the audience is soon rewarded with a genuinely chilling horror film with all of the suspense one might expect from an English mystery… a form that the nation seems to have mastered along with the sitcom. There are a number of standout performances, haunting imagery, and enough complexity to keep you guessing through to the end. Unlike some other violent stylized thrillers you might have heard me complaining about, the mystery here is logically constructed from the start, and the final reveal is a satisfying one. Kinski’s black-gloved and sunglassed Strauss is a villain worthy of Bava. All that’s missing is gorgeous color and a drilling electric soundtrack. Still, and sorry for repeating myself, all comparisons to giallo aside (which is part of the fun) Dead Eyes achieves something of its own here.

Four out of five stars means: nearly there.

98 mins.
Directed by Alfred Vohrer
Written by Trygve Larsen and based on a novel by Edgar Wallace.

I told you the Muppets trailer was awesome

Matt Gamble — Wed, 25 May 2011 05:21:43 +0000

I told you the Muppets trailer was awesome Where the Long Tail Ends

6 days ago I made the claim that the teaser trailer for the new Muppets Movie was petty damn awesome, and now, finally, the trailer has hit the Internet where I can bask in the glory of calling this almost a week in advance of everyone else.

Suck it, Twitch, and in all seriousness, everyone else too.

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.

The Muppets trailer

Kurosawa, In Order #1 – Sanshiro Sugata

Robert Reineke — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:18:02 +0000

Kurosawa, In Order #1 – Sanshiro Sugata Where the Long Tail Ends

I’d like to thank Matt for allowing me a platform for a new feature, a look at Akira Kurosawa’s films from beginning to end in chronological order. The inspiration for this was one of those Facebook lists of how many films of random category you’ve seen. And the result for me was surprising in how many of Kurosawa’s films I haven’t seen. Most, admittedly, are not his acknowledged masterpieces, but are still worth seeking out.

So, a journey begins to correct that deficiency. With a goal of once a month, I intend to review Kurosawa’s entire director’s filmography, all 30 films. In conjunction with the latest High and Low (Brow), what better place to start than the beginning? (If you want to follow along, a good starting place is Criterion’s Eclipse Series 23: The First Films of Akira Kurosawa and Eclipse Series 7 – Post-War Kurosawa Box. Or, if you really want to show off, AK 100: 25 Films of Akira Kurosawa (The Criterion Collection).) For the first time, all of Kurosawa’s films are readily available on DVD in the US following those recent releases. Also, Donald Richie’s The Films of Akira Kurosawa is an invaluable resource.

SANSHIRO SUGATA aka JUDO SAGA (1943)

Kurosawa was born on March 23, 1910 to a moderately wealthy family. His father was a descendant of a samurai family and was a director in the Army’s Physical Education Institute. His father was also fairly progressive in attitude towards the west and encouraged studies in that direction and movie watching.

In that upbringing, Kurosawa developed an interest in art. He was a left-wing artist in the 1930’s but became disillusioned over the overt politics in the art scene of the time and never made much of a living. In 1935, Kurosawa answered an ad from the soon to be Toho Studies for assistant directors. The ad called for an essay on “the fundamental problems of Japanese film and how they may be overcome”. Kurosawa, somewhat cheekily, argued that if problems were fundamental, then they were impossible to overcome in his essay. Perhaps to his surprise, he got a job regardless and worked on an assistant director on 24 films, the last of which Uma (Horse) he claimed to have done more than the actual credited director. He also took up screenwriting to supplement his income, and was good at it.

Following Uma, everyone pretty much acknowledged he was ready to take the step to director, they only had to find the right source material. And something that would pass muster with the war time censors. Kurosawa eventually settled on Tsuneo Tomita’s novel regarding the birth of Judo and the rivalry between Judo and Jujitsu and Kurosawa was able to secure the rights, right before a host of other filmmakers. Kurosawa then went about writing the screenplay, as he would do for all his movies, filmed it in the winter of 1942, and released it in March 1943, after a tussle with the censorship office over the film being too “British-American”. Eventually 18 minutes were trimmed and lost.

That’s all academic background. What’s astonishing about watching the movie is how fully-formed Kurosawa already is in his first film. The first scene is an tracking shot as the camera tracks down a busy, Japanese town street and then turns left into an alley, while women sing about having to walk a narrow road. With a 180 degree cut, it’s instantly revealed that the tracking shot was really a p.o.v. shot of Sanshiro Sugata (Susumu Fujita ) who now has his way blocked in the narrow alley. In a matter of seconds, Kurosawa has introduced one of the key themes of the film and indicated the character arc of the main character, while also being dynamic visually. This efficiency will be a hallmark of the film and Kurosawa’s career.

Sanshiro is looking for an instructor in jujitsu and is directed to a nearby school. There he falls in with a group of martial artists. They’re grousing about a rival instructor and Sanshiro asks the next key theme of the film “What is judo?”. Knowingly, these men don’t have an answer to that question. And, to the film’s credit, it doesn’t answer that question in a long stream of exposition, but allows the viewer to learn through the experiences of Sanshiro Sugata. But, to make it short, what I take from the film is that jujitsu is simply martial arts for the sake of martial arts, while judo couples martial arts with a respect for life and humanity.

The jujitsu group decides that they’re going to teach the judo instructor, Mr. Yano (Denjirô Ôkôchi), a lesson and set out to ambush him at night. They assault his rickshaw driver and then prepare to attack the middle aged man by the river.

They get more than they bargained for as Yano proceeds to toss them all in the river. There’s a wonderful series of tracking shots between each successive attack on Yano as you see the confidence of the group of jujitsu experts evaporate and Sanshiro’s fascination grow.

At the end of the ass kicking, Sanshiro asks to be taken on as Yano’s student and replaces the rickshaw driver who ran off. Sanshiro kicks off his shoes and we essentially get a training montage. But, it’s nothing as clumsy as a long stream of exposition explaining judo, but a symbolic montage as we watch Sanshiro’s abandoned shoes get beaten up as the seasons roll on.

Our next scene with Sanshiro finds him in a street brawl over an alleged insult. The aftermath finds Sanshiro begging forgiveness from the gravely disappointed Yano. The centerpiece of the whole film follows as Sanshiro Sugata throws himself in a freezing pond and stays there throughout the night to show his devotion. Or to die there if he can’t be forgiven. Sugata is reborn there symbolized by a lotus flower blooming in the night.

Critics rightly point out that lotus flowers don’t bloom at night, but that’s mistaking realism as trumping symbolism and beauty. (Later, the villain will use a lotus as an ashtray.)

I won’t give a blow by blow of the rest of the movie, but have done so here just to demonstrate Kurosawa’s command right from the outset. The first act is pretty much a complete film unto itself, quickly demonstrating Kurosawa’s mastery. And, frankly, although the rest of the film is good and contains some terrific sequences, the opening act is easily the strongest part of the film.

The plot kicks in at this point. With Sanshiro firmly on the right path, the judo school crosses paths with the villain of the film Gennosuke Higaki (Ryunosuke Tsukigata), a total slime dressed in western clothing. (An insistence from above for wartime.) Due to Yano’s restrictions, Sanshiro isn’t allowed to fight Higaki, and the promised duel between the two is the driving promise of the rest of the film. Higaki is a student of Hansuke Murai (the great Takashi Shimura) who leads a rival school. Sanshiro unknowingly crosses paths with Murai’s daughter, Sayo (Yukiko Todoroki) and their meetings on the temple steps is one of Kurosawa’s visual highlights. Particularly their first meeting in the snow.

Eventually the Hansuke Murai and Sanshiro Sugata meet in a match. The middle aged Murai not being a match for Sanshiro. But the match, as centerpiece, is a terrific set piece. Tense, funny at points, exciting, and then touching as Hansuke accepts his defeat. It looks great too.

The aftermath shows Sanshiro’s growth. He grows closer to Hansuke and Sayo and takes the place in their lives that Higaki hopes to occupy. Of course, Sanshiro is worthy of that spot, Higaki is not. Higaki challenges Sanshiro to a duel on a wind-swept mountainside for the climax of the picture. Nature dominates man throughout that sequence.

The wind howls and clouds sweep across the sky at this climax, a feat of meteorology exactly matching the needs of the picture.

What’s most striking about Sanshiro Sugata is how recognizably a Kurosawa movie it is. The theme of a man (student) setting out on a journey to learn what life is all about is seen throughout Kurosawa’s filmography. And, you can see the “western” influence as the story emphasizes the individual finding his own way through life, not in finding meaning through allegiance to a feudal master. The compositions are painterly. The action has a bravura to it. Wipes are frequently deployed, often with a bit of playfulness (my favorite being a wipe with a man being thrown violently into a wall immediately following the wipe.) There are montage sequences, tracking and panning, axial cuts, cutting on action, slow motion sequences, and a relentless momentum to the film. Perhaps most importantly, Kurosawa knows when an image is all that’s necessary and the film isn’t particularly talky. There’s not a moment wasted. Kurosawa uses weather too. The final sequence takes place in an epic gale, but wind presages earlier matches (with a cut that brought a smile to my face as Kurosawa cuts from flags flapping in the winds to fans flapping to cool audience members of a match. Weather is used to show the passing of time (sometimes beautifully as when the snow falls on Sugata and Sayo on the temple steps). Heck, Sanshiro even rubs his head in a manner before a match that will presage Kambei’s tic in The Seven Samurai. Heck, there’s a cry of “madadayo” (Not yet!) in the film’s climax which will be the title of Kurosawa’s last film.

More seeds of greatness to follow include the fact that the great Takashi Shimura has a part in the film. It’s a part that shows off many of his strengths, his humor, his humanity, and his dignity. It’s the beginning of a lifetime partnership between Shimura and Kurosawa lasting until Shimura’s death in 1982. Shimura would eventually appear in 21 of Kurosawa’s 30 films and has one of the great filmographies of all time appearing in Kurosawa’s films, other classic samurai films, Kwaidan, and many of Toho’s giant monster movies including important parts in the first two Godzilla films.

Susumu Fujita is Kurosawa’s first leading man and his skills fit the needs of the picture well. He’s rugged and handsome, but he’s also able to embody the more soulful elements of Sanshiro. He’ll be a recurring presence in Kurosawa’s early filmography, although pushed out of the way by studio politics and the emergence of Toshir? Mifune after the war. He’ll later return in supporting roles and will appear in eight of Kurosawa’s films total.

There are minor flaws, of course. Nobody counts it among Kurosawa’s later masterpieces. There are cuts to men on wires to simulate them being thrown through the air that don’t work and don’t match the recoveries. The villain is obvious and shallow, and dressing him in western garments (at the army’s request) makes him less potent as a symbol of jujitsu’s limitations. The supporting characters aren’t as strong as they could be. Etc.

But it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable film with some great imagery, beyond confident direction, and a story with some depth. At the end of it, you can only conclude that there’s greatness ahead for this new director.

Even though the censorship office had problems with Sanshiro Sugata, critics and audiences did not. It was a success, and got his career as director off to an auspicious start. However, wartime needs would prevail over personal preference and Kurosawa was quickly employed to make a propaganda film. We’ll see how that turns out next month.

Next Month: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL (1944)

It is coming

Matt Gamble — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:31:27 +0000

It is coming Where the Long Tail Ends

Only at Where the Long Tail Ends

Psst … The Muppets teaser trailer is pretty awesome

Matt Gamble — Thu, 19 May 2011 10:10:16 +0000

Psst … The Muppets teaser trailer is pretty awesome Where the Long Tail Ends

Near as I can tell the trailer for The Muppets (Or as the French would say, Les Muppets – make sure to emphasize the second p for maximum douchiness) still hasn’t hit the Internet, which is odd since it is attached to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Search for More Money which will be released this weekend.

Needless to say the teaser trailer is outstanding as it mocks conventional romantic comedies, while at the same time barely revealing a single detail about the actual upcoming film it is promoting. I’m not even sure the plot line focused upon in the teaser is even an actual plot line in the eventual film, especially since it has nothing to do with the few plot details that have been leaked up to this point. Which means you can not only enjoy the trailer, but not have to worry about any precious spoilers being leaked before you have a chance to watch the film.

Now if only they’d hurry up and get it online so I could watch it whenever I wanted

The Movie Night Diaries — The Screaming Skull

James Gillham — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:00:25 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries — The Screaming Skull Where the Long Tail Ends

1958′s The Screaming Skull is a tasty morsel of gothic psychological horror. I say morsel, because — at 68 minutes — it is definitely a shorty. That 68 minutes includes the groan-inducing (but in a good way) two-minute introduction informing the audience that anybody who dies of fright during the film will have their funeral expenses taken care of by the film’s producers. After this introduction, the remaining sixty-odd minutes is a fun and scary film that will please fans of films like Francis Ford Coppola’s Dementia 13 and Herk Harvey’s Carnival of Souls (1962).

John Hudson plays wealthy widower Eric Whitlock. Recently re-married to the comely Jenni (Peggy Webber) the two return to the estate that was formerly the home of Eric and the deceased Marian Whitlock. The director Alex Nicol plays Mickey, the dim and disturbed gardener who’s been tending the grounds since Eric left the home two years ago following the death of Marian. As soon as the couple has moved in, Jenni begins seeing skulls throughout the grounds that seem to have been placed there in order to frighten the couple away. But is it Mickey who’s determined to drive them away, or is the home really haunted by the ghost Marian? Or, perhaps, there is another person who has even more sinister motives that is terrorizing Jenni. The film’s brevity demands a quick resolution, but the film still manages a gothic atmosphere and a few good scares before the end credits roll.

I have probably gotten into this before, but I am a sucker for the gothic horror genre. I am always eager to see ways in which filmmakers or writers draw from gothic horror elements to craft a work of contemporary horror. Of course, a film from 1958 can hardly be called contemporary nowadays; however, Skull works on a number of levels that will reserve it a place alongside other canonical works of gothic horror film. The sprawling Whitlock estate might easily be mistaken for a 18th-century mansion, and Peggy Webber performs beautifully as our beleaguered heroine. The characterization of Nicol’s oddball gardener Mickey is a bit thin, but he serves the plot well. The premise is what grabbed me and led me to grab this one off the shelf: a mentally unstable new bride believes her new home to haunted by the widow of her new husband when mysterious skulls begin appearing on the grounds. It is really a neat idea and — barring a few budgetary shortcomings — the concept works well and the filmmakers manage an accomplished work of gothic horror.

Three out of five stars means: no gripe.

1958
68 mins.
Directed by Alex Nicol
Written by John Kneubuhl

This film was given the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment a number of years back, but you can check out the film and decide for yourself scot-free and legal via its page at the Internet Archive.

Trylon openly asks me to challenge them

Matt Gamble — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:44:18 +0000

Trylon openly asks me to challenge them Where the Long Tail Ends

And bless them for it. Defendors, the latest series from the Trylon Microcinema and Take-Up Productions, involves inviting people who know a thing or two about movies and giving them the opportunity to present a film that might be forgotten, unknown or even just a straight guilty pleasure to se how receptive the audience is, or isn’t, too it. And after the screening the presenters will take the stage and defend their selections.

The first three presenters selected are Dean Otto, curator for the Walker Arts Center, Star Tribune film critic Colin Covert and Sound Unseen programmer Jim Brunzell III. Even better the movies they’ve selected are kept hidden until they are unveiled for the masses over in South Eastern Minneapolis. And while I’m excited for all three, I’m counting the minutes to Colin’s to see what kind of madness he has in store for everyone. Also to shout insults at him and see how mentally spry he still is in his old age.

You hear that Colin? I’m not like the old ladies who call in to the Star Trib, I’ve still got my wits about me!

The Defenders
@ Trylon Microcinema
Dean Otto | June 15 | $8
Colin Covert | July 20 | $8
Jim Brunzell | Aug 17 | $8

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – The Last Exorcism

Matt Gamble — Sun, 15 May 2011 23:46:51 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – The Last Exorcism Where the Long Tail Ends

So two films in and the girlfriend in starting to feel confident that I am easing her into what’s to come with the Cabin in the Woods Film Festival. But after taking it easy on her, I’m about to go after the thing that scares her the most, possession.

In actuality, anything with ghosts or demons is right in her wheelhouse of terror, but with Drag Me to Hell taking it easy with those subjects, I decided to pull out a film that would not only hit them hard, but cheat like Hell while doing it, that film being The Last Exorcism.

Now my thoughts on The Last Exorcism are fairly well known and it is a film I am a huge fan of, though I am probably in the minority. For me the fact that a 70’s style satanic exploitation flic made it into mainstream release was a breath of fresh air, and that it was actually a pretty damn entertaining movie was just an added bonus.

I can see why people don’t like the film, it continually pulls out a hard sell on what kind of movie it truly is, and it certainly never plays fair with the audience, and the ending is so gonzo and out of left field, not to mention tonally far off the path that the film had up to then stuck to fairly closely, that its easy to see audiences writing off the film because they didn’t like the ending. Which is a shame because the film really is quite clever, and the general concept of the film is fantastic.

One other interesting thing about The Last Exorcism is that it rarely branches into outright horror; rather it works like crazy to stay grounded in its real world environment, which also can lead to some shock during the final five minutes of the film.

So would a film about exorcisms, that aren’t really exorcisms, actually scare the girlfriend? The short and simple answer is, yes, without a doubt.

About halfway through the film I needed to get up to use the restroom and I was met with a muted cry of protest. “Get it all out, because after this you can not leave my side. Its about to get scary.”

Now at that moment she claimed that she was “Just at a 5” which seemed pretty unimpressive, and also like a dirty, filthy lie since she was wrapped around my arm so tight that a tourniquet would have felt comfortable in comparison. So when the demon, which happens to appear in these kinds of movies, showed up she promptly lost her shit. It was awesome.

But the best response happened the next morning when she tried to tell me how unimpressive the physicality of Ashley Bell’s performance was because “I can bend like that too.” To which I promptly challenged her to perform such feats. “No problem, but you need to help me up just in case I can’t.”

For the record, I didn’t help her back up.

Next up: The Brood

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – Drag Me to Hell

Matt Gamble — Sun, 15 May 2011 19:57:53 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – Drag Me to Hell Where the Long Tail Ends

Not content to rest on my laurels with the early success of They Live as the debut film for the Cabin in the Woods Film Festival, I decided to keep easing the girlfriend into the genre by following up with a decidedly fun horror film, that being Sam Raimi’s fantastic return to the genre, Drag Me to Hell.

The girlfriend had refused to watch the film since it release due to the fact she was utterly convinced that it would scare the hell out of her. Which is understandable since she hasn’t had much contact with Raimi outside of the Sider-Man films and Evil Dead 1 & 2.

Now pardon the interruption but I need to spend a moment talking about the Evil Dead trilogy, and more specifically my confusion at just why Evil Dead 2 is the one that is constantly referred to as the best one in the series. Now for me my favorite is by far Army of Darkness. It’s just off the reservation from the rest of the series I can’t help but fawn over it. A kinetic mess of sight gags and ridiculous one-liners, Army of Darkness is just too damn fun for a horror film, and why I consider it to be far more of an action-comedy (one might even consider it being a buddy team-up movie, in which the buddies in the film are clearly Ash, his boom stick and a certain chainsaw not found in Texas) making it tonally a vast departure from either of the previous series entries. But like the original Evil Dead, Army of Darkness at least maintains a consistent tone throughout the film, whereas Evil Dead 2 never seems quite comfortable with what kind of movie it is at any point.

By opening Evil Dead 2 as an almost direct remake of Evil Dead, you immediately elicit thoughts f confusion by anyone who has already seen the first film. Is this a new cabin and Ash is simply reliving a nightmare that he thought he had escaped? The film certainly makes no efforts to explain such odd circumstances, and you are only left to wonder for yourselves at just what is going on. And sure the film is funny and scary, but never as funny as Army of Darkness and certainly never as scary as the original Evil Dead. So to this day I still wonder why people rave about the film, especially since the things it does well it actually does better during different entrants in the series. But I digress.

The point isn’t to ramble on about Evil Dead 2, rather the point of this whole exercise is to force my girlfriend to watch a film where any manner of disgusting liquid or object is shoved into the female protagonist’s mouth. Bruce Campbell is typically who is on the business end of Raimi’s directorial wrath but you have to give credit to Alison Lohman for allowing herself to be sodomized so damn often in Drag Me to Hell.

In most splatter films I’d be concerned that the gore might put a newcomer off, but with Drag Me to Hell, it all comes flying at the viewer so fast and furious, and often for such brief seconds, that typically by the time you have worked up the gag reflex the film has already moved on to the next ridiculous moment. Thus, for most people their response to the film is not revulsion, but rather fascination as they marvel at the whirly-gig of madness on screen and they do their damndest to keep up with the frantic pace.

The girlfriend’s response was quite similar, as it took her a bit longer to get into the film as clearly her primary initial concern was preparing herself to be terrified. I even asked her half way through the film what she thought of it and she responded with, “I like it so far, but it could get gross and scary. I’m not too worried about the gross.”

Slowly but surely she started to relax, as it became more and more clear that while frightening things were occurring onscreen, they were rarely delivered in a manner that caused her to be frightened. Then, when the cute little kitten was sacrificed to save Lohman and the girlfriend only meekly whimpered her dismay at the thought rather than shouting her disgust I knew the film had her.

But I knew that wasn’t what would make or break the film; rather it was the nihilistic ending, which is truly where the film shines. Rather than give you a happy ending, it brutally crushes the hopes of dreams of both Lohman and her boyfriend (the one truly decent person in the entire movie) and not only pummels them into the ground, but also drives a train over them for good measure. Raimi isn’t giving these characters the slightest chance of happiness, merely; he only wants to drive them to Hell and back for my girlfriend’s enjoyment.

“And an unhappy ending? Awesome!”

Next up: The Last Exorcism

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – They Live

Matt Gamble — Sun, 15 May 2011 03:30:11 +0000

Cabin in the Woods Film Festival – They Live Where the Long Tail Ends

I don’t take vacations all that often, though in the past year I’ve spoiled myself with a couple. First, a trip to Washington DC to see the Rally to Restore Sanity, and then to New York to see the premiere of Beauty Day, but other than that vacations are a bit thin on the ground in my world. Its not that I don’t like vacations, I do, but rather I don’t like coming back to all the work awaiting me when I get back from vacation.

But with the summer movie season about to kick off in full force in two weeks this was my last chance to get away for a few days to rest, relax and recharge my batteries for what looks to be a busy season. So the girlfriend decided that it would be a good idea to go up to her family’s cabin where we could do a whole lot of nothing for an entire weekend. Well not nothing, because I had a plan.

Now the girlfriend is a bit of a movie buff, but she isn’t much of a horror fan, let alone a genre fan. Its primarily because horror films scare the crap out of her, in the industry we call that kind of person a pussy, and because of that she tends to avoid any film that she thinks might be the slightest bit frightening. So being that I’m a genre fan and we’d have some time on our hands I thought what better way to spend time than sitting in front of a fire at the cabin in the woods of northern Wisconsin and watch some horror films; thus the Cabin in the Woods Film Festival was born.

And since we were going to be watching movies, and I happen to run a movie blog, what better fun than to document the movies we watch and the hell I put her through.

Have I mentioned how awesome I am to date?

First up on the agenda I decided that I would ease her into the whole bloody affair with my favorite John Carpenter film, They Live. I’ve been nose deep in an essay by Jonathan Lethem for the Deep Focus book series (Purchase the book here) on the film for the past week and it had left me itching to watch the film once again.

They Live is far from perfect, its slower than molasses and the acting is abjectly horrible even at its best, but damn if it isn’t still pretty damn sharp with its satire, even nearly 25 years later, which is primarily do to the recent resurgence of Reagan era political posturing in popular culture.

And the fistfight, oh man, does it still hold up. In nearly five minutes of “action” that brings the plot to a crashing halt in a film that already was risking falling into that trap at almost every other moment. That Carpenter has the restraint to not rush this fight sequence when it would counter-act everything he had setup in the film to that point is one heck of a feat. Of course, it is hardly the kind of thing that thrills action film audiences, but for whatever reason I just can’t get enough of it or the rest of the film.

As for the girlfriend’s thoughts? She gave the film a passing grade, as she wasn’t much of a fan of the pacing, but loved the social commentary present in it. She even remarked that it was the kind of film that might do well to be remade, a sentiment which I can understand but would disagree with. While the film’s posturing holds up well, it is still very much a film that is a product of its times that is impossible to reproduce. If only because only John Carpenter can craft art out of something that should otherwise be awful.

Next up: Drag Me to Hell

If you only need one reason to watch Priest, here is the reason

Matt Gamble — Fri, 13 May 2011 07:00:39 +0000

If you only need one reason to watch Priest, here is the reason Where the Long Tail Ends

Good thing for the haters is that it is the opening 2 minutes of the film, but this animated sequence is truly outstanding stuff, and possibly even worth the price of admission. I’d go into more about Priest but I want to take some time to digest what I just watched and hopefully come up with something worthy of the film, which will most certainly be critically panned, and probably crapped on by audiences, but is deserving of far more than that, even with its flaws.

But until I get to that, here’s something to savor.

The Movie Night Diaries — The Giant Claw

James Gillham — Wed, 11 May 2011 11:00:27 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries — The Giant Claw Where the Long Tail Ends

The Giant Claw is the second of two films I watched this week that were produced by noteworthy horror film producer Sam Katzman. The second film, also included on the DVD I got, is The Creature with the Atom Brain. I don’t want to get into my thoughts on The Creature, because I’m going to be talking it over with Matt on an upcoming episode of the High and Low(Brow) Podcast. However, I enjoyed The Giant Claw so much, I decided to make it my entry for my little corner of wherethelongtailends.com.

Claw is a really fun movie. It’s a kind of American version of Godzilla in that it concerns a gigantic bird that terrorizes people from the sky. All of this is done in brilliant miniature, the cables holding up the bird’s wings barely visible. Miniature buildings are chewed up, model airplanes and cars crushed, and even a model train is devoured by the bird. Our story begins with the exploits of one Mitch MacAfee, electrical engineer and stunt pilot. While flying jet planes over the Antarctic, he sees what he describes as a “flying battleship”… a battleship with wings and a giant beak. MacAfee (Jeff Morrow of This Island Earth fame) brings this to the attention of his incredulous superiors for the branch of US military that’s employing him as a test pilot. While at first they reject his claims, they soon come around when planes go missing and other pilots begin to report sightings of this mysterious flying battleship. Soon it’s discovered that this UFO is on its way south through Canada and towards the USA. And when the bird proves itself impervious to bullets, it is surmised that this is actually a trans-dimensional being, coated in an anti-matter shield, that’s flown through outer space and arrived on Earth to feed and lay a few eggs.

With the help of the darling scientist and statistician Sally Caldwell (Mara Corday) Mitch begins research on an anti-matter ray-gun using state of the art nuclear technology. To go into too much more would spoil the fun of watching this movie, so I’ll stop here. However, I will say that there’s much more to enjoy in this film — the homey miniature special effects, the campy dialog, and far out atomic-age plot are just the beginning. You won’t be sorry you checked this one out. This film also has an interesting layer just below the surface. As the film fits neatly alongside many of the other atomic-age science-fiction and horror films of the 1950s, it’s easy to attach a psychoanalytic interpretation of the film’s exploitation of the audience’s subconscious fear of nuclear war; however, you’re not let off so easily. When you keep in mind that the winged menace brings with it a mysterious history explained only by the most esoteric of nuclear scientific explanations (and who knows how accurate the film was for its time…) but that it’s science itself — in the person of engineer and jet pilot Mitch MacAfee — that is humanity’s only hope, you see that the filmmakers were up to something a bit more ambitious that your average monster movie. And for that, The Giant Claw flies high above the competition.

Four out of five stars means: nearly there.

1957
75 minutes
directed by Fred F. Sears
written by Samuel Newman and Paul Gangelin

Possible Amazing Spider-Man poster envokes feelings of lust

Matt Gamble — Wed, 11 May 2011 06:15:29 +0000

Possible Amazing Spider-Man poster envokes feelings of lust Where the Long Tail Ends

Not sure if it is real or not, but man, I seriously want this poster.

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 19)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 10 May 2011 21:03:47 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 19) Where the Long Tail Ends

For this Triple Bill Tuesday I start off by keeping it serious with a screening of Network as the latest Cooper Classic out at the ICON, then I am heading home to wash my palette with my favorite John Carpenter film (not to be confused with The Thing which is his best film) and a quasi medieval horror film that I missed when it played a blink and you’ll miss it midnight run at The Uptown a few months ago.

Network

Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Faye Dunaway, William Holden and Peter Finch
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: ShowPlace ICON
Price: $1o

They Live

Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Roddy Piper, Keith David and Meg Foster
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant
Price: Free (with subscription)

Black Death

Director: Christopher Smith
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean and Carice van Houten
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: RedBox
Price: $1

Week 19 total cost: $11
YTD: $139.50

I am taking full credit for Rubber playing at the Trylon

Matt Gamble — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:54:49 +0000

I am taking full credit for Rubber playing at the Trylon Where the Long Tail Ends

Yes, yes I am. I only asked Kathie to book the thing on eight different occassions, and with each one she slowly broke down to the fact that even though she didn’t like the movie (she so silly) that it would be awesome to book. So, your welcome Twin Cities.

Now go and enjoy my gift to you.

Rubber
Trylon Microcinema
May 31| 7pm & 9pm
June 7 | 7pm & 9pm

Red Band Trailer (NSFW)

Quick Thoughts: Meek’s Cutoff

James Gillham — Mon, 09 May 2011 10:00:15 +0000

Quick Thoughts: Meek’s Cutoff Where the Long Tail Ends

Kelly Reichardt’s latest work is a slowly burning meditation on pioneer life in the 19th century American West. While its pace is slow, the mounting existential tensions facing the characters draw the viewer in.

Michelle Williams plays Emily Tetherow, a strong-willed frontier woman traveling with her husband and two other families in search of better lives and fortune on the trail to Oregon. The cast also includes familiar faces like Bruce Greenwood, Will Patton, and Paul Dano. Greenwood plays the title character Stephen Meek — a grizzled frontiersman at whose mercy the band hopefuls find themselves in the wilderness. It is not just these cast members who shine; each and every performance is expert and understated, complementing the
film’s vision.

I just loved this movie. With gorgeous imagery and gentle flourish it captivated me from the first frame to the last. In true realist fashion, the world inhabited by the characters is a merciless wasteland that has you feeling as though they’re lost at sea, when, in reality, they are forever near death from lack of hydration.

Meek’s Cutoff had its Minneapolis area premiere at Landmark’s Edina Cinema on May 6th. It is due to premiere in Washington DC, Chicago, and Atlanta on May 13th. Check out a full review of the film from its premier at the Toronto International Film Festival last month by Mike Rot over at RowThree.

Minnesota Made I’m not Jesus Mommy opens this weekend

Matt Gamble — Fri, 06 May 2011 03:16:11 +0000

Minnesota Made I’m not Jesus Mommy opens this weekend Where the Long Tail Ends

Perhaps even more shocking is that I’m Not Jesus Mommy opens in Minnesota. Of all places! I don’t know much about the movie other than it contains clones, murder and possibly a resurrected mudering clone of Jesus so its all good in my book. The film comes courtesy of the Minnesota distribution label FilmDemic (who also were awesome enough to sponsor the MSPIFF Late Night Series), and will open at three local thetres this weekend. So if you happen to be in the area be sure to swing by and check out the film.

St Anthony Main Theatre
Lakeville 21 Theatre
White Bear Township 17 Theatre

“I’m Not Jesus Mommy” tackles controversial and socially fueled topics including human cloning, immigration abuse and the perversion of the world’s religions in a brash and intense vision of our planet’s last days. The film centers around a human cloning project which takes a turn for the worse with only one cloned pregnancy making it to term, a boy named David.

Seven years after David’s birth, wars, famine and natural disasters of every kind plague the Earth. As Kimberly struggles to survive her biggest challenge is raising her son. Strange occurrences surrounding the young boy are only becoming worse and more mysterious.

Roger, the head researcher of the cloning project returns to reveal that David was cloned from DNA taken from the Shroud of Turin…from blood of Christ.

Network is your next Cooper Classic

Matt Gamble — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:40:28 +0000

Network is your next Cooper Classic Where the Long Tail Ends

Continuing its epic run of epic epicness, the ShowPlace ICON is screening Network as the latest addition of its retro film series, the Cooper Classics. Honoring not only the old Cooper Theatre but the late, great Sidney Lumet, as well as making a shameless appearance during May sweeps, Network is one of my favorite films and easily what I would consider one of the best written films ever made. I also hear their is some decent acting in it as well. Network will be screening this coming Tuesday, May 10th at 7pm and tickets are now on sale at the ICON Box Office. Be sure to hold on to your ticket stub and bring it over to the Cooper Pub the day of the show. Who knows what sort of food or drink special you might receive because of it?

One special note, due to the up tick in business the ICON gets during the summer months, the Cooper Classics will take a short reprieve in June and July before coming back the second Tuesday in August with the next addition to the Cooper Classics. What will it be? Keep checking back here to find out.

Cooper Classics presents Network
Showplace ICON
May 10 | 7:00 PM
$10

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The Movie Night Diaries — The Living Coffin

James Gillham — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:00:59 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries — The Living Coffin Where the Long Tail Ends

The Living Coffin (directly translated, The Scream of Death) is a rare movie. It contains many of the elements of the classic b-grade Hollywood western along with some genuinely chilling and atmospheric horror moments. The film’s premise borrows from a Mexican folktale about La Llorana, the ghost of a wailing woman who haunts the living in search of her dead children. This time a landed and wealthy family is haunted by the ghost of their dead relation Clotilde (Carolina Barrett). Clotilde’s sister (expertly portrayed by Hortensia Santoveña) is obsessed with the missing corpse of her dead sister. Her niece, María Elena (María Duval) — the heir to the family fortune — is sceptical of her aunt’s superstition. Enter a young man, Gastón (Gastón Santos), and his hilarious sidekick (yes!) Coyote Loco (Pedro de Aguillón) in time to discover that the hauntings may not be so easily explained and that there may be others with the motive to make them seem genuine, and the duo sets out to solve the mystery.

What I enjoyed most about this movie is its playfulness. Santos and Aguillón make a great team. The hauntings are genuinely scary, and the film’s gothic premise lends itself well to the remotely located Mexican town where the story takes place. It’s a short one, clocking in at only 72 minutes, so it’s almost over before it starts; however, there’s enough going on to make this a really fun movie. Gastón arrives at the village on horseback. The horse, called Silver Lightning, is given top billing alongside the actor playing Gastón in the opening credits. There are a number of times when the horse saves Gastón’s bacon — once, most dramitically, by throwing him a rope as he is drowning in a pit of quicksand. María Elena is a terrific heroine; she alone is crying shenanigans when the hauntings begin, but soon she is converted to a true believer when more corpses start disappearing. Coffin has lots of neat atmosphere and is an interesting application of the gothic aesthetic — the gothic Mexican cowboy film.

[SPOILER ALERT] Coffin is an example of the fun that can be had with a horror story of the explained gothic genre (think old Scooby-Doo or the most recent Sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey, Jr.), where the supernatural elements are explained away by a brief exposition at the end of the film when the mystery’s been solved. When Gastón and Coyote Loco first come to town, the villagers are in fear of Cotilde’s ghost. But Gastón thinks something else may be afoot, because the small idols of the village’s llorana are made from a mineral that is only found near large deposits of gold. When it’s at last revealed that the disappearance of Cotilde and the subsequent hauntings are the work of the village Don and nothing supernatural is going on, there is a terrific unmasking of the Don’s simpering assistant who’s been masquerading at night as the ghost of Cotilde.[/SPOILER ALERT]

Three out of five stars mean: no gripe.

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 18)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 03 May 2011 15:02:27 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 18) Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m taking it easy this week and enjoying a nice nite at home, primarily because I’m lazy, but also because lazy. You see, the girlfriend is out of town so I’m going to tear it up by sitting on my couch and watching old movies, preferably with a pizza that contains at least 6 meats of varying origins on a pig and a tall glass of Kool-Aid.

Because that’s how I roll.

Virtuosity

Director: Brett Leonard
Cast: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Kelly Lynch
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: RedBox
Price: $1

Gorky Park

Director: Michael Apted
Cast: William Hurt, Lee Marvin and Brian Dennehy
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant
Price: Free (with subscription)

The Thomas Crown Affair

Director: Norman Jewison
Cast: Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway and Paul Burke
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant
Price: Free (with subscription)

Week 18 total cost: $1
YTD: $128.50

DVD Review: Federico Fellini’s The Clowns

James Gillham — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:00:04 +0000

DVD Review: Federico Fellini’s The Clowns Where the Long Tail Ends

Federico Fellini’s The Clowns (I Clowns) is a 1970 Italian telefilm that chronicles the acclaimed director’s love affair with the circus. In particular, it is his love and fascination with clowns that the film focuses on — a love and fascination that has endured for Fellini since childhood. The film is made in a sort of meta-documentary fashion, perhaps mockumentary fashion, that purports to be footage filmed while Fellini himself travels across France and Italy in pursuit of the men behind the masks and makeup that have fascinated him for so long. With a darling lady presenter, British cinematographer, and two Italian crewmen, Fellini manages to track down several of the men who portrayed two of the principle traditional European clown characters: the so-called White Clown, the ghastly and severe-looking thin man in white face and cone hat, and the lovable Arturo, the familiar pudgy-faced and balding foil whose antics are so entertaining.

In March, Raro Video released a beautifully remastered DVD package that preserves this work and allows it to be introduced to a whole new audience in the USA. The set is nicely packaged and includes 50-page booklet that contains Fellini’s own notes and reflections on the project, along with exclusive photos not featured in the film.

In classic mockumentary style, what’s real and what’s imagined are blended together as Fellini and company visit circus visionaries, great performers, and scholars of circus history in search of the artistry behind the clowns’ performances. Fellini interviews a number of aging performers whose heartfelt reflections on a now nearly-forgotten art form ground the film in its reality. He attends a summit of white clowns held in a Parisian cafe, gets a behind-the-scenes look at the audition of two young performers seeking to keep the clown tradition alive, and lovingly documents the stories of the men who occupied the spotlight in years past, who prove themselves, to the last man, to be expert raconteurs. The film features many funny and beautiful performances by the clowns in addition to documenting the stories of their lives.

Clowns begins with Fellini’s own dreamlike reminiscences of his earliest memories of the circus. He wakes late one night to discover that a circus big top is being erected just outside the front door of his childhood home; however, his initial enthusiasm soon turns to fear upon his first visit to the circus. The antics of the clowns are too similar to the antics of eccentric characters that populate the small Italian town that was his childhood home. Soon, the film advances to the cinematic present, and Fellini and company enlist the aid of a clown scholar (yes, a clown scholar) and interview the surviving clowns and those closest to them. It is a journey across Italy and France in search of the meaning of the clowns — an understanding of how they are both lovable and frightening, why they played such an important role in Fellini’s childhood and why they figure so prominently in his mature works. We find that the story of the clowns is often a sad one — they, themselves, seem misfits in some way, and the world has forgotten them. This sense of sweet melancholy grows throughout the film and culminates in an amazing funeral performed by the clowns themselves to symbolically commemorate the death of clown Augusto.

Raro Video’s package also includes a 40-minute documentary entitled Fellini’s Circus by Adriano Aprà. Aprà, a renowned Fellini scholar, delves deeper into Fellini’s oeuvre and the influence his fascination with the circus has had on his work. An earlier work, the short film Un Agenzia Matrimoniale, is also included — a story that concerns a young reporter whose story of a friendly werewolf in search of a bride has unseen consequences. It is a fantastic story with less-than-reliable narration that rhymes Clowns in a way that makes it a fine addition to the package.

This is a very nice set for the DVD collector. It’s packed with information on the production and its history. Clowns is sure to be well received by Fellini fans who may have been waiting for this work to get the red carpet treatment; it boasts a new and improved subtitle track and has been fully remastered to preserve the beauty of the original work.

How about a Trailer round up?

Matt Gamble — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:30:21 +0000

How about a Trailer round up? Where the Long Tail Ends

Several new trailers were released this week, and while I already posted one for Our Idiot Brother there were enough that caught my eye in some way that I figured I’d simply do the lazy thing and posted several of them in a single post. Because I’m lazy.

So sit back and enjoy the trailers, featuring troll hunters, duplicates and bank robbers and even a reboot of a remake of a tired idea when it was last en vogue back in the 80′s. Huzzah!

The Troll Hunter

The doc jumps off from the concept that the Norwegian government has been hiding the fact that they have a secret population of trolls – real, actual trolls – living on game preserves in the far north of the country, kept safe and secure and out of the public eye to prevent mass panic should people realize that these fairy tale creatures are real. Those high tension power lines you see stretching out over the horizon in unpopulated areas, seemingly going nowhere? Not power lines at all but an electric fence to keep the beasts contained!

Check out the rest of the trailers after the break!

Another Earth

In Another Earth, Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling), a bright young woman accepted into MIT’s astrophysics program, aspires to explore the cosmos. A brilliant composer, John Burroughs (William Mapother), has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child. On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined.

30 Minutes or Less (Red Band)

In the action-comedy 30 Minutes or Less, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). The volatile duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With mere hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.

The Change-Up (Red Band)

Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman star in The Change-Up, from director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers), writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore (The Hangover) and producer Neal Moritz (Fast & Furious, Click). The R-rated comedy takes the traditional body-switching movie, ties it up tightly and throws it off a cliff.

Growing up together, Mitch (Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman) were inseparable best friends, but as the years have passed they’ve slowly drifted apart. While Dave is an overworked lawyer, husband and father of three, Mitch has remained a single, quasi-employed man-child who has never met a responsibility he liked. To Mitch, Dave has it all: beautiful wife Jamie (Leslie Mann), kids who adore him and a high-paying job at a prestigious law firm. To Dave, living Mitch’s stress free life without obligation or consequence would be a dream come true.

Following a drunken night out together, Mitch and Dave’s worlds are turned upside down when they wake up in each other’s bodies and proceed to freak the &*#@ out.

Despite the freedom from their normal routines and habits, the guys soon discover that each other’s lives are nowhere near as rosy as they once seemed. Further complicating matters are Dave’s sexy legal associate, Sabrina (Olivia Wilde), and Mitch’s estranged father (Alan Arkin). With time not on their side, Mitch and Dave comically struggle to avoid completely destroying each other’s lives before they can find a way to get their old ones back.

The Movie Night Diaries – Raw Meat (1973)

James Gillham — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:00:36 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries – Raw Meat (1973) Where the Long Tail Ends

1973′s Raw Meat (a.k.a. Death Line) is a mean little horror flick with a gentle dose of social commentary. While providing the chills you’d expect from a film that features performances by horror-film icons Donald Pleasence and Christopher Lee, Raw Meat also has elements of mystery and a wry sense of humor.

Donald Pleasence is working-class police inspector Calhoun. When a young English woman and her American boyfriend stumble upon an unconscious man on a subway platform, they contact the police to investigate. However, when the body vanishes and it is discovered that the unknown man is a titled aristocrat, Calhoun suspects that there is more to this matter than what is immediately apparent. Calhoun follows a hunch but is soon ordered off the case by a mysterious member of the UK’s Secret Security Service, MI5 (Christopher Lee). It is soon found out that the site of the disappearances is located near an abandoned branch of the London subway system, thought to be empty since the close of the 19th century — but when a city clerk tips off the police that it is the location of a decades-old urban legend about a group of buried miners abandoned by the government, Calhoun ignores the MI5 man’s advice and takes on the case.

Donald Pleasence’s performance in this film is a real treat. Calhoun is a droll, London wiseass who, as you might expect from an English policeman, is fueled by tea and lager. Lee’s performance is adequate, but he only appears in the film briefly — in fact, he appears only in a single scene. Surely a performer of Lee’s status warrants billing alongside the star of the film, but the appearance of his name in the same font as Pleasence’s is a bit less than honest. Some of the single scene that the two actors share seems to be shot with Lee alone in a room and an odd bit of footage of Pleasence spliced in to grant their exchange some credibility. The nameless bad guy, who bears more than just a passing resemblance to that creepy-looking guy from the cover of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung record, is effective as the bent descendant of the group of miners who were buried alive and managed to eke out an existence alongside the London subway system.

Beyond the cast, the film’s most intriguing element is its premise — imagine seeing this film one evening in a London movie theater and then riding the subway back home… I’d rather walk home than face what nameless evil might be lurking in the dark corners of the station. The story unravels at a leisurely pace, but the tension builds along the way. The social commentary elements arrive when the audience discovers that, indeed, there was a group of miners abandoned to die beneath the subway system, and those audience members keen on social satire will have another level on which to enjoy the film. Still, these bits are not so heavy-handed as to detract from the frightening elements of the film. The filmmakers deftly leave it up to the audience to decide in which way they will interface with the film. Raw Meat is a chiller that achieves a unique aesthetic — think gothic dungeon à la London’s underground railway. And while the film may lack some of Hammer’s characteristic flourish, fans of the Hammer films could do worse than add this one to their rental queue if they’re seeking a nice horror film from across the pond.

Three out of five stars means: no gripe.
[gap][/gap]

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 17)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:16:41 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 17) Where the Long Tail Ends

Second solid week in a row as I revisit two of the best films I’ve seen in the past year in Rango and Marwencol, and while I’ve gone on at length on this website about my love for Rango make no mistake that Marwencol is an outstanding film in its own right, and then you can hit up the Trylon for Take Up’s latest addition to their Tuesday Premiers with the Indie film The Anchorage.

Merwencol

Director: Jeff Malmberg
Cast: Mark Hogancamp
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant
Price: Free (with subscription)

The Anchorage

Director: Anders Edström, C.W. Winter
Cast: Ulla Edström, Marcus Harrling and Elin Hamrén
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Trylon
Price: $8

Rango

Director: Gore Verbinski
Cast: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher and Timothy Olyphant
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Hopkins 6
Price: $2.50

Week 17 total cost: $10.50
YTD: $127.50

One to Watch – Our Idiot Brother

Matt Gamble — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 19:43:32 +0000

One to Watch – Our Idiot Brother Where the Long Tail Ends

Our Idiot Brother, previously known as My Idiot Brother, tore up this year’s Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews and was even able to snag a nice distribution deal out of the positive buzz. But while that was happening in Colorado, the rest of us have sat around waiting to see a glimpse of just what the film was to see if it was worthy of the buzz that was building.

Now while the latest trailer certainly doesn’t light the world on fire or seemingly revolutionize the family comedy, the cast is absolutely loaded with talent that I can’t help but remain excited for this film. Plus I’d be hard pressed to ignore any film that as Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan in it.

Ned (Rudd) is an idealist. His three sisters (Banks, Deschanel, Mortimer) are ambitious. His mother (Knight) is overbearing. Ned crashes at each of their homes, in succession, and brings truth, happiness and a sunny disposition into their lives. In other words, he wreaks havoc.

Title: Our Idiot Brother | Official Website | Facebook Page
Director: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Sterling K. Brown, Rashida Jones, Steve Coogan, Hugh Dancy, T.J. Miller, Adam Scott
Release Date: August 26, 2011

Willow Creek is up to something

Matt Gamble — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 18:20:56 +0000

Willow Creek is up to something Where the Long Tail Ends

Perhaps something as evil as digesting the fru-its of the Devil. Or perhaps Willow Creek might just be showing great retro movies this summer. Mine sounds way better, but I’m guessing there’s is better attended. I still say the teaser video they leaked implies they were built on an Indian graveyard as much as it does a retro film series, but you know, whatever.
[gap][/gap]

Stay up to date on all the bloody mayhem here.

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.12 – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies

Matt Gamble — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 07:35:55 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.12 – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! This is a but of a packed episode as this marks not only our 20th episode of High and Low (Brow), but also the season finale. Though, for reason that James will articulate, we will now start referring to each season as a series, because it sounds far more stuffy and English.

But yes, with this episode wrapping up the end of series two of the podcast, James and I take the time to come up with our Top 5 High and Low (Brow) picks that we watched for the podcast this past year. While last series we tended to have very similar selections, it will be interesting to see if the same holds true for this series, especially when so many episodes resulted in a mutual admiration society populated by both James and I.

But besides that extra bit of fun, on this episode James and I also discuss the Auteur Theory, and whether the early films of director Sam Peckinpah and Alfred Hitchcock will tend to show the artistic flourishes that would would quickly become so well known for. To help illustrate our quest we watch Sam Peckinpah’s debut film, The Deadly Companions, while we watch Hitchcock’s third film (and first Thriller) The Lodger: A Story of London Fog. Oh yeah, and we reveal just what films we will be watching for the next episode during the selection segment.

Once again I’ve went with posting the podcast in m4a, and I’ve done a bit more work with adding show notes to it as well as links to purchase the films we review. So for those of you with iPhones and iPads you should let me know if these new additions are even worth the trouble.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – The Creature with the Atom Brain by Roky Erickson & The Aliens | Buy Here

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 16)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:36:29 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 16) Where the Long Tail Ends

Screw the Minneapolis/St Paul International Film Festival, I got a whole day of genre films to gorge on. Hell, a double feature of Super and Kill the Irishman alone is a good day out at the Lagoon, then toss in some Ip Man 2 and you get one hell of a triple bill.

Oh man, today is a good day. Today is a very good day.

Ip Man 2

Director: Wilson Yip
Cast: Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung and Simon Yam
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: RedBox
Price: $1

Super

Director: James Gunn
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Liv Tyler
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Lagoon (matinee)
Price: $7

Kill the Irishman

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Cast: Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken and Vincent D’Onofrio
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Lagoon
Price: $9

Week 16 total cost: $17
YTD: $117.00

Want to watch the cheapest midnight movies in town?

Matt Gamble — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:59:22 +0000

Want to watch the cheapest midnight movies in town? Where the Long Tail Ends

Then head over to the ShowPlace ICON. Unbeknownst to pretty much everybody, the ICON quietly dropped their late night movie prices (any show starting after 8:30 pm) to the same price as their matinee prices, making them $7.50 a ticket for a general admission ticket. Now while those prices are good only Monday through Thursday, there is one pretty sweet catch.

You see if you want to watch a Thursday midnight premiere of a film, lets say upcoming midnight movie releases like Fast Five or 3D Thor which will lead off the summer midnight bonanza, those late night prices still apply, meaning you could watch the midnight release of Fast Five for just $7.50. Which means you’ll be saving at least $2 a ticket compared to any other midnight release in town.

Which kind of ruins the assumption that the ICON is the expensive theatre here in town. Then toss in the fact that before you watch the film you can enjoy a drink and some chicken sliders and the real question becomes why isn’t the ICON your destination spot for midnight movies?

There are few perfect things in this world

Matt Gamble — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:19:32 +0000

There are few perfect things in this world Where the Long Tail Ends

Like sitting on the porch drinking a cold beer or Robin Wright’s breasts in The Princess Bride. Those are just a pair of examples (Ha!) of things that offer up something that just makes life a little bit better. Thankfully, we can add something else to that list, that being HBO adapting Neil Gaiman’s award winning book American Gods into a television series.

Gaiman is quickly becoming a pretty well known mainstream entity in the literary and film world, and this adaptation of one of his most beloved works is something that should endear him to even more fans. Granted I’m not a huge fan of the book, I actually prefer the lighter pseudo-sequel Anasi Boys to the far more serious American Gods, but the source material is so rich with possibilities that it seems tailor made to be adaptaed into a longer running format like a television series.

Several months ago Gaiman also dropped hints that American Gods had been picked up for development by an Oscar winner, who turned out to be none other than Tom Hanks who purchased the developments rights for his Playtone production company. Gaiman is still remaining rather coy on the news, which considering the fickle nature of film and television production is probably a safe play. But hopefully he’ll take the self-imposed gag off as soon as things officially become finalized.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer makes me want to say ….

Matt Gamble — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 01:29:39 +0000

Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer makes me want to say …. Where the Long Tail Ends

“Hmm… that was interesting.”

Oh sure, not the giant visceral reaction you might generally expect out of me but I think its a definate positive sign that a film I had zero interest in and was completely prepared to write off as a desparate cash grab has found a way to make me not only reconsider my position, but might even be the start of convincing me to actually watch the film. Dare I even say, anticipate it?

An origin story in the true sense of the word, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is set in present day San Francisco. The film is a reality-based cautionary tale — a science fiction/science-fact blend where mankind’s hubris leads to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. Oscar(R)-winning visual effects house WETA Digital – employing certain of the groundbreaking technologies developed for “Avatar” – will render, for the first time ever in the film series, photo-realistic apes rather than costumed actors.

Triple Bill Thursday (Week 15)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:28:55 +0000

Triple Bill Thursday (Week 15) Where the Long Tail Ends

Recording the latest High and Low (Brow) podcast last week negated any chance of me watching films that day, let alone put up a post about the movies I was going to watch. I’m guessing most of you were quite happy with the end results for that day, but this week is a different week, and with it brings an interesting blend of films. I’m particularly fond of Layer Cake, which I think is one of the best directed films of the 2000′s, and in particular one of the best color palettes I’ve seen in some time. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out, if only to see the film that netted Daniel Craig the Bond franchise.

The Natural

Director: Barry Levinson
Cast: Robert Redford, Robert Duvall and Glenn Close
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: ShowPlace ICON
Price: $10

Four Lions

Director: Christopher Morris
Cast: Will Adamsdale, Riz Ahmed and Adeel Akhtar
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant
Price: Free (with paid subscription)

Layer Cake

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller and Michael Gambon
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: RedBox
Price: $1

Week 15 total cost: $11
YTD: $100.00

Only the dumbest conspiracy theories are good enough for Roland Emmerich

Matt Gamble — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:32:32 +0000

Only the dumbest conspiracy theories are good enough for Roland Emmerich Where the Long Tail Ends

Fresh off the heels of 2012, which tries to reinforce one of the dumbest conspiracy theories ever, Roland Emmerich has decided to up the ante by now making a movie about the famed conspiracy theory that William Shakespeare didn’t write his own plays, with his new film Anonymous.

Stay tuned for his next planned works Flush, his sci-fi epic in which scientists disocover the world actually is flat, and Drapes = Curtains, his grandiose biopic on the life of Marilyn Monroe’s hairdresser.

I must say it’s pretty sad when my made up movies sound way better than his really real movies.

A Quick Cooper Classics Reminder

Matt Gamble — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:54:09 +0000

A Quick Cooper Classics Reminder Where the Long Tail Ends

Tomorrow is the second Cooper Classics screening out at the ICON Theatre. Now that everyone is finally able to start getting over there spring fever the ICON will be screening The Natural at 7pm in an effort to get people back inside on what will probably be another beautiful spring day. Tickets are on sale at the ICON Box Office, and you can redeem them tomorrow over at the Cooper Pub and restaurant for one free Big Ginger.

The ICON will be starting up an email list just for the Cooper Classics so make sure to ask about signing up for it while you are there, and if we are lucky, the ICON will announce the next film to be featured at the start of the show.

Cooper Classics
The Natural
7 PM | $10
Tuesday, April 12
Showplace ICON

Nothing was going to stop Roy Hobbs from fulfilling his boyhood dream of baseball superstardom. Robert Redford stars in this inspiring fable that begins when 14-year-old Hobbs (Redford) fashions a powerful bat from a fallen oak tree. He soon impresses major league scouts with his ability, fixing his extraordinary talent in the mind of sportswriter Max Mercy (Robert Duvall), who eventually becomesinstrumental in Hobb’s career. But a meeting with a mysterious woman shatters his dream. Years passand an older Hobbs reappears as a rookie from The New York Knights. Overcoming physical pain and defying those who have a stake in seeing the Knights lose, Hobbs, with his boyhood bat, has his chanceto lead the Knights to the pennant and to finally fulfill his dream.

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.11 – Exploiting Exploitation

Matt Gamble — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:47:00 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.11 – Exploiting Exploitation Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! After a short break James and I are back to doing what we do best, talking about far too personal of issues on a movie related podcast. Huzzah!

On this, the latest episode of the High and Low (Brow) podcast we visit Exploitation films, specifically the 1977 sexploitation film Death Game, and the French pseudo-exploitation film The Escapees, from famed French horror director Jean Rollin. Besides discussing the erotic qualities of one Sondra Locke we touch base on my recent trip to New York to see Jay Cheel’s latest magnum opus and James’ feelings on cell phones, Barnabus Collins and the importance of handwritten communication. Needless to say we cover a lot of ground. Oh yeah, and we reveal just what films we will be watching for the next episode during the selection segment.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Good Old Dad by The Ron Hicklin Singers | Death Game Theme Song

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

Your 2011 MSPIFF: Or How I Learned to Only Care About the Late Night Movies

Matt Gamble — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 22:57:30 +0000

Your 2011 MSPIFF: Or How I Learned to Only Care About the Late Night Movies Where the Long Tail Ends

So the schedule for this year’s Minneapolis/St Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF for those of you who want ugly sounding acronyms) has been posted for all to see and it once again looks like it might be an interesting festival. I say might be because once again MSPIFF has found a way to continue its Byzantine style scheduling online, making it damn near impossible to figure out just what the heck is playing at the festival. Add in the three week running time, which will only be acceptable if they’ve dropped the standard week long “Best Of” run they’ve tacked on previous festivals, because if they haven’t MSPIFF season will make a serious run to be the third longest season in Minnesota (trailing only Winter and Roadwork Season).

And while I fell like a bit of a jerk for harping on MSPIFF when they have been really improving things the past few years, I feel I should at least highlight the fact that the Late Night scheduling for the festival looks pretty damn good. While they’ve managed to sneak in the occassional intersting film in the past as part of this series, they really seem to have out done themselves this year. No less than three of the films (13 Assassins, The Troll Hunter and Stake Land) rank on my hypothetical Must See list of 2011, and the three remaining films all spark some interest from me. And thankfully, there are only six films so I might actually be able to figure out how to see them while they are playing at the fest. Bonus!

Interested in what I’m interested in? Then check out the trailer after the break!

13 Assassins Trailer

The Troll Hunter

Stake Land

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:58:14 +0000

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow) Where the Long Tail Ends

We tackle exploitation films. I’m sure you’re thinking, why have we not done this earlier? Probably because we didn’t think of it. But thanks to our inveterate naughty boy, James Gillham, on our next episode of High and Low (Brow) we’ll be watching a pair of exploitation films, the 1977 sexploitation film Death Game, and the barely known pseudo-exploitation film The Escapees from famed French director Jean Rollin. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a trailer for The Escapees so you are left with only a taste of what is to come with Death Game.

Keep an eye out for the podcast in the middle of next week, and until then, quit nagging us about it. Gawd!

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 13)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:17:19 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 13) Where the Long Tail Ends

This week the releases in theatres don’t really wow me (though I would argue that everyone should go watch Sucker Punch and decided for themselves if it is post-feminism trash of neo-fanboy satire) so I decided that rather than go out I’m going to rent a Triple Bill of trashy films and couch surf all day. Go me. Thus I am about to partake in films on murderous crows (Hah, puns!), Russian takes on superhero films and political thrillers, because politicians are the trashiest of all.

Husk

Director: Brett Simmons
Cast: Devon Graye, Wes Chatham and C.J. Thomason
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: RedBox
Price: $1

Black Lightining

Director: Dmitriy Kiselev, Aleksandr Voytinskiy
Cast: Grigory Dobrygin, Ekaterina Vilkova and Viktor Verzhbitskiy
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: RedBox
Price: $1

Fair Game

Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn and Sonya Davison
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: RedBox
Price: $1

Week 13 total cost: $3
YTD: $89.00

TRIUMPH67 finally has a trailer

Matt Gamble — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:15:53 +0000

TRIUMPH67 finally has a trailer Where the Long Tail Ends

One of the great pleasures of the Flyway Film Festival is the chance to get to meet many of the filmmakers who made the films that will be screening over that weekend. One of the not so great things (but not really) about the Flyway Film Festival is there are too many films that I want to see that simply have no time to see.

One of those films that checked off both those boxes was TRIUMPH67, a Minneapolis made film produced by Jeremy Wilker (who I had the pleasure of interviewing for the website). At the time TRIUMPH67 was still not quite a finished film and was screening as a work-in-progress at the festival.

Since then TRIUMPH67 has completed its final cut, scored a spot in the Minneapolis-St Paul International Film Festival and today launched its first trailer. And thanks to my skills of coercion (I may or may not have promised a piece of pie at the next Flyway to Jeremy) I have gotten a quick peak at the trailer and can post it here before it goes live sometime tomorrow morning.

So check out the trailer, attend the screening and make sure to let Jeremy and the rest of those who helped make the film a reality know what you thought of the film over on Facebook![gap][/gap]

Official Website
Official Facebook Page

The best news Rango has given me all year

Matt Gamble — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 02:27:37 +0000

The best news Rango has given me all year Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve been backing Rango since well before anyone else (as happens when you somehow stumble upon being the first review for a film), so when the weekend numbers were added up and released to the public it was great to hear that this weekend Rango had officially passed Just Go With It to become the highest grossing film of 2011.

Sure that record won’t hold up, but for such a fantastic film to hold that spot just for a moment is one heck of an achievement. And richly deserved. Congrats to everyone who had a hand in making the film and thanks from all of us hanging out on the long tail who now know that sometimes even the weird films can come out on top.

Sucker Punch

Matt Gamble — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:15:30 +0000

Sucker Punch Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve anticipated a lot of films over the years, films that sometimes exceed my wildest dreams and some that do their very best to shatter them into a thousand pieces, such is the nature of expectation. Its a risky proposal that seems to inevitably lead to disappointment, that is, except when it doesn’t. But people don’t like to talk about that sordid side of expectation, they’d rather focus on the other party’s failures to meet there’s.

Sucker Punch is a film that placed incredible expectations on its audience years ahead of its premiere. Promising giant samurais, gianter machine guns and mechs and still even giantest dragons it was a film seemingly after every fanboy’s heart. Then you start watching the film and you quickly realize the film isn’t really trying to cater to fanboy’s, but rather not so subtlety mocking them.

Baby Doll has done a bad thing. She’s defended the health and wealth of her little sister from her wicked step-father, a man who when spurned by his advances on her estate (both literal and fictional) promptly has her institutionalized so that he might live out the rest of his days in the comforts he so richly doesn’t deserve. Even worse, Baby Doll only has five days before she losses the only thing she has left, her sanity.

Sucker Punch is a film that is incredibly easy to write off at face value, in fact, I’m quite sure it will be by most people. The film rolls out every cliché and trope in the proverbial book, resulting in a film that seemingly massages the fanboy’s need for hyper-sexualized violence and ass-kickery at the hands of bare bottomed buxom babes. Do they need to be in fishnets, stockings, bustiers and school girl uniforms? Well, in a word, yes. But not for the reasons you think they do.

Every aspect of Sucker Punch is hyper-sexualized, and that’s kind of the point, but titillation most certainly is not. The film doesn’t glorify their sex appeal, in spite of the fact that it practically bathes the viewer in it. The most obvious acts of sex are always kept off-screen, safely hidden away from prying eyes, and this goes for the rape and abuses the characters must endure as well as the provocations their job requires. Sucker Punch doesn’t really care about the sex, rather the fallout that occurs from it.

It is that fact which makes Sucker Punch such an interesting and complex film. Its taking a risk in decrying the hyper-sexual nature of not only male-oriented action and fantasy films, but of pop culture itself by overly indulging in it. Less discerning viewers will simply write off the excess (often patting themselves on the back for it) while steadfastly refusing to examine for even a second just why Sucker Punch makes the choices it does.

Why do the girls enter into an escapist reality? To deal with the abuses that are handed out to them on a routine basis. If you are sexually assaulted, as these girls most assuredly are, then it’s easy to see why their escapist fantasy is in a world where sex equates to power, and one where they at least have a modicum of control on that power. From there they enter into yet another counter-reality, this time where that sexual power is fully exploited as the tie that binds them to their inner wants and desires (which is freedom, not sex). They escaped this world of wanton sex and depravity in increments that led to their virtual paradise. A paradise where sex is the ultimate power, and they were finally the ones fully in control.

Alan Moore explored a very similar concept with his trilogy of Lost Girls stories, which explored how three iconic storybook characters (Alice, Wendy and Dorothy) all dealt with X-rated sexual exploits by crafting them into a dreamlike fantasy narrative that would become the stories we now know as The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. It’s a brilliant bit of story-retelling, and because Moore co-wrote the books with his longtime female life partner Melinda Gebbie, has escaped most criticism involving the work being nothing more than masturbatory male fantasy. Unfortunately for Zach Snyder, he has neither a female co-hort to extinguish such facile critiques, or the story telling skills of Moore to help clearly illustrate the goals of the film.

Sucker Punch is far from a perfect film, and I think it is quite worthy of critiques that it might not even be a good film, but to dismiss the film as nothing more than masturbatory fantasy is an acknowledgement of such a viewer of their inability to see the forest for the trees.

You see, Sucker Punch is a satire on action films. Its excess is to such extremes that it gleefully glides into the this realm. The heroines, all one note and pristine, have managed to single handedly attack the concept of the manic pixie dream girl, so prevalent in films that take such storylines far too seriously in other films, and miraculously replaced her with something far more entertainingly ridiculous, the blond stripper Jesus. From there it even takes the time to debase the male gender far more than it titillates it.

The men in Sucker Punch are without questions a vile sub-race of human, incapable of controlling even the slightest of sexual urges, and perhaps even worse, unwilling to shower or take even a moment out of their day for a quick mani and pedi. I mean really, how gauche. But it is in the treatment of the men that Sucker Punch reveals that it isn’t quite the easy to dismiss film that calloused viewers might assume that it is. The men are the true victims in one note treatment in this film, as none have a single bit of arc, and most often are only identifiable by the instrument they carry that will serve the women in the story. They are empty, soulless vessels, all working in favor of the blond stripper Jesus, who has no intention of saving their souls, for their souls are without merit.

For you see if you want to lambast Sucker Punch for its treatment of women as sexual objects, then you must allow yourself to view its treatment of men as sexual objectifiers, and when they are both taken to such absurd extremes (the men are powerless when put face to face with the raw sexual energy that is the roaring woman) it becomes rather obvious that it is the male gender that is treated the most poorly of the two, thus the outrage and scorn for the treatment of women seems painfully obtuse. Unless of course the criticism is that women can’t be treated like sexual objects but its fine if men are, which is, quite frankly, phenomenally stupid. But when you juxtapose Sucker Punch against the base assumption of what the male-driven action film is supposed to be in Hollywood, you see a film that is clearly elevating the genre to new levels of debauchery.

The blond stripper Jesus, the goddess of the new flesh, has become the symbol by which Sucker Punch carefully lays outs its audacious cards. The film is attacking fanboy mentalities by engaging them head on with their own perverted view of the cinematic landscape. Its a gallinging gutsy take that should be applauded rather than reviled. Sucker Punch has no intention of treating action films as some playground where you can simply turn off your brain and enjoy the macabre, but rather it wants to use those tools of hyper-sexuality to push you out of your comfort zone and revile in the virtual landscape of the pop art it has splayed onto the silver screen.

Even more audacious is the ending monologue of the film, which extolls upon the viewer the opportunity to take what they have learned of excess and to use those weapons to fight against it. Even more interesting, is the repeated use of reflections in the lense throughout the film, which cast aspertions on if the protagonist’s view of the world even truly exists, or if it is actually an extension of the viewers own subconcious. For you see, it is the people who watch these films that allow their message to gain power, and by Sucker Punch turning the looking glass on them it is attempting to force the new flesh to finally think about the information they ingest and discard. Sucker Punch doesn’t want you to revel in the glory of the blond stripper Jesus, it wants you to destroy it.

And the next Cooper Classic is ….

Matt Gamble — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:24:17 +0000

And the next Cooper Classic is …. Where the Long Tail Ends

In honor of the spring that seems to be refusing to arrive here in the Twin Cities the ICON will be screening The Natural next month as part of its newly created Cooper Classics film series honoring the old Cooper Theatre that once resided in St Louis Park. Cooper Classics are digital presentations of films that once played at the Cooper and the series kicked off last month with How the West Was Won, in Cinemascope no less! Tickets for The Natural are now on sale at the ICON’s Box Office and their kiosks for $10. Also, make sure to hang on to your ticket stub, because if you bring it into the Cooper Pub the evening of the show you’ll get a free desert.

Oh yeah, stay tuned for announcements concerning future screenings for Cooper Classics. The ICON will present one more on the second Tuesday in May before taking a short break over the summer, only to start up again on the second Tuesday in August and run through November. And if the Fall series shapes up as planned, cinema fans in town are in store for a real treat.

The Natural
Showplace ICON
April 12 | 7:00 PM
$10

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 12)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:42:32 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 12) Where the Long Tail Ends

You’ll have to excuse me for the lack of a Triple Bill this week as I just flew in from New York this morning and boy are my arms tired. Well, and the rest of my appendages as well. So while I can’t offer up a Triple Bill I can give you something to help tease the next episode of the Movie Club Podcast (no, I do not know when it will be recorded) which will be covering the camp classics Zardoz and Flash Gordon. And since I’m sure that won’t wet your appetite enough I give you something that will….ZARDOG!

Thanks to Theresa Kay for the find. If you live in the Cities you should totally check out Trash Film Debauchery on Wednesday nights. You can thank me later.

Week 11 total cost: $0.00
YTD: $86.00

It WAS a Beauty Day

Matt Gamble — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 04:40:53 +0000

It WAS a Beauty Day Where the Long Tail Ends

Just got back to the hotel after a great day hanging out with the guys and girls of Film Junk (Sean, Jay, Roman, Alicia and Megan) before attending the screening of Jay’s documentary, Beauty Day. Also was great to meet the legion of Film Junk fanboys (yes, even you Falsk) who made the trek to support the film and Jay.

Hopefully I’ll get some time to actually write something about the weekend for all of you, or post a short video clip of Jay’s Q&A, but in case that doesn’t happen anytime soon here’s a nice candid shot of what hanging out with a bunch of film nerds might be like.

Enjoy!

When Adrien Brody is Stuck for 127 Hours on The Edge

Matt Gamble — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 05:06:23 +0000

When Adrien Brody is Stuck for 127 Hours on The Edge Where the Long Tail Ends

Also known as the trailer for Wrecked. Mark me down for a Meh.

Adrien Brody stars as a man who awakens in a mangled car-wreck at the bottom of a steep cliff. Injured and trapped inside, with no memory of how he got there or who he is, he must rely on his most primal instincts to survive.
[gap][/gap]

Wrecked crashes and burns at theatres sometime in 2011. We think.

I have no reason to be this excited for Conan

Matt Gamble — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:18:34 +0000

I have no reason to be this excited for Conan Where the Long Tail Ends

Why? Because the marketing to date for the film is practically non-existant, the sword and sandal style epic has been pretty much dead in Hollywood for decades, its a glorified reboot and the titular star grew up in freaking Iowa. Iowa!!! I’ve been there, and let me tell you, Barbarians are thin on the ground. Oh sure you can find more Left Tackles than you can shake a stick at but finding a beast of a man with a Slavic accent just doesn’t happen.

Honestly, I think if this even got a PG-13 rating I’d still be excited for this film, which is sacreligious.

Please don’t be PG-13. It just wouldn’t be a proper Conan film without bloody battles in bogs by bare-breasted heathens spouting blasphemies.

The glorious blasphemies.

The most legendary Barbarian of all time is back this Summer. Having thrived and evolved for eight consecutive decades in the public imagination- in prose and graphics, on the big screen and small, in games and properties of all kinds- Conan’s exploits in the Hyborian Age now come alive like never before in a colossal 3D action-adventure film.

[gap][/gap]

Conan the Barbarian opens to the lamentation of the women on August 19th.

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 11)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:07:15 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 11) Where the Long Tail Ends

In a perfect world I’d watch Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance in between the weightier I Saw the Devil and Army of Shadows but this isn’t a perfect world and Evangelion 2.0 is only screening at 9:45 tonight, thus eliminating the possibility. So instead, it gets to be the film that hopefully cleanses my palette after the other two outstanding films drag my soul through the mud. But man, is it ever good mud.

Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance

Director: Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki, Hideaki Anno
Cast: Kotono Mitsuishi, Megumi Hayashibara, Megumi Ogata, Yuko Miyamura, Akira Ishida
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: St Anthony Main
Price: $8.50
[gap][/gap]

I Saw the Devil

Director: Kim Ji-woon
Cast: Choi Min-sik, Lee Byung-hun
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Lagoon Theatre
Price: $7 (matinee)
[gap][/gap]

Army of Shadows

Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse and Jean-Pierre Cassel
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant Streaming
Price: Free (with subscription)
[gap][/gap]

Week 10 total cost: $15.50
YTD: $86.00

Sometimes, greatness finds you

Matt Gamble — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:08:47 +0000

Sometimes, greatness finds you Where the Long Tail Ends

I don’t want to spoil the surprise so I’ll let the trailer speak for itself. Though I must say, I can’t believe this film actually exists. And yes, that is who you think it is playing a Frenchman, which looks like the least offensive thing about this movie.

Oh man this is going to be so good. And by good I mean a crime against cinema.
[gap][/gap]

[Wolfen]g7b9-7xaxlE[/Wolfen]

Sucker Punch quietly dropping 3D?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:15:13 +0000

Sucker Punch quietly dropping 3D? Where the Long Tail Ends

I haven’t been able to track down an official announcement, but with the latest one sheet for Sucker Punch touting the film playing in IMAX, but not IMAX 3D, I started to wonder if Sucker Punch was going to actually be released in the controversial format. Warner Bros, the studio producing the film, made the announcement of the film being converted into 3D last summer, and followed that up by rolling out official 3D trailer last fall, yet they’ve failed to keep up with the marketing of the 3D aspect for the film. And while the visuals for the film certainly look amazing, the soft lighting look for the film doesn’t appear to be something that would play nice with the notoriously dim format.

Even more interesting is that bookings for the film are starting to crop up around town and none of them are for 3D. That’s quite the risky move for theatres unless they are sure the the film really won’t be playing in 3D, and this is the kind of information that theatre bookers known about even before the super nerds on the Internet do.

This wouldn’t be the first change for the film either, as director Zach Snyder initially claimed that he wanted the film to be rated R, but with Sucker Punch getting a PG-13 rating he’s slightly changed his tune. Couple this with reports that Snyder was unhappy with the conversion process to 3D and I think its getting safe to assume that in two weeks Sucker Punch will be surcharge free.

Super looks solid

Matt Gamble — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:51:48 +0000

Super looks solid Where the Long Tail Ends

Sure Super doesn’t look like some mind-bending take on the growing sub-genre of real-life superheroes but does it have to be? I’m not sure I want every movie out of the gate to be pushing to be cutting edge, and James Gunn is certainly not cutting edge. He’s a Troma alum after all. Those guys are the antithesis of cutting edge. You know, like dull slopes. But goofier and more honestly entertaining. Hell, once you get past the gore, gags and gross outs, they’re downright charming.

In Super, Frank’s (Rainn Wilson) wife leaves him for a seductive, psychopathic drug dealer (Kevin Bacon), Frank is transformed and the Crimson Bolt is born. With a hand-made suit, a wrench, and a crazed sidekick named Boltie (Ellen Page), the Crimson Bolt beats his way through the mean streets of crime in hopes of saving his wife (Liv Tyler). The rules were written a long time ago: You are not supposed to molest children, cut lines or key cars; if you do, prepare to face the wrath of the Crimson Bolt!

Super opens in theatres you’ve never heard of on April 1st, 2011. Check the Official Website for more details.

[gap][/gap]

tonight, we stay indoors @ The Trylon

Matt Gamble — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:11:54 +0000

tonight, we stay indoors @ The Trylon Where the Long Tail Ends

Friend and former co-worker Joe Larsen (he’s the Uptown manager who doesn’t wear a tie) will be screening his film tonight, we stay indoors at the Trylon Microcinema, courtesy of Take-Up Productions. I’d say more about this, but I haven’t seen the film yet, cause some jerk scheduled the screening on a night I work and won’t give me a screener as recompense. The nerve!

Dubbed by the media as the Umbrella Killer, Donovan Doring was responsible for five deaths in the otherwise quiet community of Sutter Bay. The sole survivor of the massacre was Miss Davi Winters who, after some struggle, was responsible for the death of Donovan himself. She doesn’t go out much anymore. All of her friends are dead.

tonight, we stay indoors
March 30 | 7:30 pm
Trylon Microcinema
$5 (Buy tickets HERE)

[gap][/gap]
[Wolfen]QnW96toKPQk[/Wolfen]

Dylan Dog looks to be direct to DVD

Matt Gamble — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:27:06 +0000

Dylan Dog looks to be direct to DVD Where the Long Tail Ends

Which is a shame because its a decent premise and I hear the source material is solid and Cemetary Man is a pretty special kind of zombie awesome. But I don’t know, I guess I kind of pictured that if someone was going to make a Dylan Dog film they’d be Italian, or at least blatantly mimic Italian genre film making. Instead we get a fairly blase horror/comedy that looks like a cheap Hellboy knock-off. Setting it in London would have been a nice start too.

Le sigh.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night is a new horror/comedy film based on one of the world’s most popular comics (60 million copies worldwide). Brandon Routh stars as Dylan Dog, world famous private investigator specializing in affairs of the undead. His PI business card reads “No Pulse? No Problem.” Armed with an edgy wit and carrying an arsenal of silver and wood-tipped bullets, Dylan must track down a dangerous artifact before a war ensues between his werewolf, vampire and zombie clients living undercover in the monster infested backstreets of New Orleans.
[gap][/gap]

Great Moments in Cinema History – Caliber 9 (Milano Calibro 9)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:19:18 +0000

Great Moments in Cinema History – Caliber 9 (Milano Calibro 9) Where the Long Tail Ends

I must confess once again that my lack of knowledge on Italian films is somewhat limited. Oh sure I’ve seen more than my fair share of Spaghetti Westerns, but when it comes to giallos, Italian crime and horror films or even that much maligned and misunderstood sub genre, the Italian sword and sandal epic, I just haven’t gotten around to them.

Needless to say, when RaroVideo offered me up a DVD box set of Fernando Di Leo films (Buy it HERE) to review I leaped at the chance. Sure I knew little about his filmography, but I knew he was highly regarded. And frankly, since checking out movies I’ve never seen before is kind of the whole point of this website it seemed like a match made in heaven. Then I watched the film that led off the box set, Caliber 9.

To say Caliber 9 is a great film is giving it a disservice. This film is damn near transcendent. With its frenetic pacing, gonzo editing style and rollicking score this is a crime film decades ahead of its time. I was mesmerized at just how damn slick this film was and it was plainly evident why Quentin Tarantino often claims this film was the reason why he wanted to be a filmmaker. Simply put, Caliber 9 is the shit.

This is no more evident than in its stunning opening sequence, in which you are witness to a crime gone wrong. Done with a serious lack of dialogue, the sequence instead relies on a series of fantastic framing shots spliced together into a truly fascinating detailed sequence of this criminal caper. But what truly elevates the sequence to one of the Great Moments in Cinema History is the blistering score that pounds away at your brain with its driving piano lines in conjunction with a sublime orchestral accompaniment. And when it bridges into a blues guitar riff superseded by some Jazz flute? Hell, that’s just gravy.
[gap][/gap]

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 10)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:47:35 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 10) Where the Long Tail Ends

Today in the Twin Cities people can enjoy one hell of a double bill in How the West Was Won and Kuroneko, and adding a third title to that almost seems superfluous at this point, though Monsters is a pretty damn interesting take on the monster movie. Of course, you could always check out Morning Glory instead. I won’t begrudge you for it.

How the West Was Won

Director: John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall
Cast: James Stewart, John Wayne and Gregory Peck
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: ShowPlace ICON
Price: $10
[gap][/gap]

Kuroneko (Black Cat)

Director: Kaneto Shindô
Cast: Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa and Kiwako Taichi
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Uptown Theatre
Price: $7 (matinee)
[gap][/gap]

Monsters

Director: Gareth Edwards
Cast: Whitney Able, Scoot McNairy
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant Streaming
Price: Free (with subscription)
[gap][/gap]

Week 10 total cost: $17.00
YTD: $70.50

Its amazing how quickly three years can pass

Matt Gamble — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:33:32 +0000

Its amazing how quickly three years can pass Where the Long Tail Ends

Earlier this year Where the Long Tail Ends quietly hit its three year anniversary. Back when I first started this site I had far more free time on my hands, and as such could devote a ridiculous amount of time to watching movies and writing overly long reviews of them on a weekly basis. What seems strange now is that a podcast is now by far the biggest draw for the site and one of the things I enjoy doing most, as my time to write reviews simply evaporated during the past few years. Working two jobs and running two websites will do that after all.

But last week I received some very good news, news that will finally allow me to quit my second job and devote more time to writing again. That, coupled with the possibility of receiving a grant later this year, I’ll finally be able to do some much needed updates, revisions and hopefully add more content to the site on a regular basis. So while I have had a blast with this site for the past three years, now it finally feels like I have the chance to mold it closer to what I had envisioned when I first started.

That all being said, the site would never have made it this far without all the help its received from its many contributors over the years. I’ve been lucky enough to work with several individuals who have been nothing but a pleasure to work with, and I’ve been quite proud to be able to offer them a platform to publish some of their thoughts on film.

And of course, thanks to all of you who read the site and listen to the podcast. We’d probably be doing this crap regardless, but it makes it a hell of a lot more fun and satisfying knowing that some of you out there like what we are doing and make a point to hang out here.

Yes Mahoney, we’re even happy to have a tweaked out Welshman like you around.

Quick Thoughts – Source Code

Matt Gamble — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:10:20 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Source Code Where the Long Tail Ends

It should be noted right from the beginning that I am a bit of a Duncan Jones fanboy. Well, that isn’t entirely accurate. A more accurate statement is that I am a total fanboy of his first feature film, Moon. Its a truly marvelous film full of skill and craft that is easily one of my favorites of the previous decade, and that it was his first one out of the gate is almost jaw droppingly impressive.

But I’m not here to talk about Moon, I’m here to talk about his sophmoric slump effort Source Code. Or, at least that is what all the reviews of the trailer would have you believe. Yes, hundreds of dozens of critics have decided the film sucks because the trailer is awful, while hundreds of dozens more have decided the movie rules because the trailers are awesome. Of course, this simple tally doesn’t include the millions of people who have lives and don’t give a crap about any of this because they have lives even though in a couple weeks they will be lining up to watch the movie without knowing anything about it at all then blaming the theatre for everything if their evening doesn’t go perfectly. But I hate those people, so I’m not going to talk about them. Whoops.

So, in retort, yes the trailer kinda sucks (the International one is at least a step in the right direction), especially in relation to the actual movie that appears onscreen, which isn’t an action film at all. Of course, I’m not sure what I would classify the film as it bounces around between mystery, thriller and love story all tied together by an interesting morally hinged plot. But word of warning, the film isn’t all that mysterious, nor thrilling nor is the plot all that complex, so if that is what you are demanding from your films you’re going to end up sorely disappointed.

But what Source Code does offer is a fascinating morality tale that is a pitch perfect compliment to the one found in Moon. But that hardly is the meatiest morsel in this cinematic confection, rather, it’s Source Code’s fascinating take on time travel. As a bit of a sci-fi buff I’ve seen my fair share of time travel films and I have to admit I’m stumped at ever seeing time travel depicted in such a bizarre, yet novel way. It truly is an ingenious twist on the sub-genre and allows for some fascinating introspection because of it.

And that is the true strength of Source Code. While it will entertain you, it isn’t a film that is going to wow you while it is onscreen, rather it is going to burrow into your brain and seduce you on the drive home.

Source Code fittingly opens nation wide to confundicated viewers on April 1st.

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.10 – We Need a Little Controversy

Matt Gamble — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:40:47 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.10 – We Need a Little Controversy Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! James and I have fallen into a bit of a groove with recording, allowing us to make up for some lost time and churn out a few episodes for your listening enjoyment.

This time we sit down and discuss a pair of controversial films, the Louis Bunuel classic Viridiana, a film declared blasphemous by the Catholic Church and banned in Bunuel’s home country of Spain, and the much maligned Disney film Song of the South, a film that has never been released on home video or re-released in theatres since 1986, all because it paints a rather idyllic picture of the old South and possibly the master/slave relationship. We’ll see if the films are worthy of the controversy that surrounds them, and perhaps even engage in a little controversy ourselves.

In unrelated news, I’m dabbling with posting the podcast in an m4a format rather than as an mp3. It allows for a bit more functionality for those with mobile devices, especially for those of you who listen to the show through iTunes, which happens to be most of you. As I get better acquainted with Garage Band I hope to take a bit more advantage of some of the options it provides so hopefully the downloads will have a bit more to offer than just me and James talking about movies. Feedback, as always, would be appreciated.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Girl is on my Mind by The Black Keys | Buy Here

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

[gap][/gap]

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 9)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:17:48 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 9) Where the Long Tail Ends

Bit of an expensive week this time out as I catch two films in theatres. The solid Cedar Rapids, the under-seen Another Year and the sci-fi film which wasn’t marketed as a sci-fi film, Never Let Me Go. Of course, what with March looking like a pretty damn good month for films (and not just for new releases either) I expect to try and catch more in the theatre in the coming weeks.

Cedar Rapids

Director: Miguel Arteta
Cast: Dd Helms, John C. Reilly, Sigourney Weaver, Alia Shawkat, Anne Heche, Stephen Root, Rob Corddry, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: ShowPlace ICON
Price: $7.50 (matinee)
[gap][/gap]

Another Year

Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman, David Bradley, Imelda Staunton
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Edina Cinema
Price: $7 (matinee)
[gap][/gap]

Never Let Me Go

Director: Mark Romanek
Cast: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins, Nathalie Richard, Andrea Riseborough
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Redbox
Price: $1
[gap][/gap]

Week 9 total cost: $15.50
YTD: $53.50

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow) ….

Matt Gamble — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:58:57 +0000

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow) …. Where the Long Tail Ends

Oh that’s right, 3 episodes in under two months. If all goes well you should see the next episode up sometime Tuesday evening. Which has got to be some sort of a record. Or at least it should be.

Song of the South trailer

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Viridiana trailer

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A little Friday night fun

Matt Gamble — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 03:09:07 +0000

A little Friday night fun Where the Long Tail Ends

How to be a clever film critic, courtesy of one Matt Groenig.

(Click the pic for full resolution)

Quick Thoughts – The Hangover 2 Trailer

Matt Gamble — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:17:02 +0000

Quick Thoughts – The Hangover 2 Trailer Where the Long Tail Ends

An interesting thing has been occurring the past year or so, people are turning on The Hangover. Its not often you see the tide turn against a film that made over $277 million and was the clear surprise hit of the year. More than that, it was a film driven strongly by word-of-mouth praise, as much for its bizarre plot and breakout performance by Zach Galifianakis than for it being any sort of innovative comedy. And that is where people seem to have a problem.

The Hangover is by no means innovative, or fresh with its comedy. It plays its cards very straight and rarely takes risks, and because of that people assume that it has limited re-watch value, and from their they further infer that because of this it must not be a very good movie. They then convince themselves that they’ve somehow been fooled into liking this film. From there you watch as the mob convinces themselves that no, they never liked the film in the first place, not them. It wasn’t that good. It wasn’t that funny, and the sequel sure as hell won’t be. Which is a shame, because they are wrong.

The Hangover has its flaws to be sure, it is heavily plot driven by a plot that doesn’t hold up well under scrutiny, but at the same point, it has far more going on in the margins than it is often given credit for, specifically in the performance of Galifianakis. It’s a monster performance and one that he was rightfully lauded for. But far from being the funnyman in the film, his character repeatedly drives the film past any plot hang ups that it might otherwise suffer from. He is its lynch pin, but also its savior.

As you watch the film again you start to notice just how integral Galifianakis is to the film’s success. His goofy go for broke delivery allows everyone else to comfortably slip into their roles and simply play off of him. Even as the cameo’s roll through and the character actors chew scenery he still manages to hold everything together. It truly is an incredible performance.

But can it be duplicated? Galifianakis is certainly talented enough, but will the script hold up? Will the plot once again offer up resistance at every turn? Will Mike Tyson do his damnedest to derail the whole damn thing?

No one knows, but I’ll still give the film a chance to see if lightning can strike again.
[gap][/gap]

Screw Santa, I’m now all about Bad Teacher

Matt Gamble — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:47:14 +0000

Screw Santa, I’m now all about Bad Teacher Where the Long Tail Ends

Oh, this will go over well in the Gamble household. Of course my household is just me and my two cats but for once their opinion isn’t going to sway me. Yah hear that Kali? Daddy’s got a new mistress now!

Wait. In proper context that makes way more sense, and is far dirtier. Much like the Bad Teacher red band trailer.

Some teachers just don’t give an F. For example, there’s Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz). She’s foul-mouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can’t wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job. When she’s dumped by her fiancé, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute (Justin Timberlake) – competing for his affections with an overly energetic colleague, Amy (Lucy Punch). When Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic, irreverent gym teacher (Jason Segel), the consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and even herself an education like no other. Hide Trailer Details

Class is in session on June 24th.
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Red Band – NSFW

Before you realized who Ralph Zavadil was, there was Beauty Day

Matt Gamble — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:01:29 +0000

Before you realized who Ralph Zavadil was, there was Beauty Day Where the Long Tail Ends

Now I may be one of the few people who has seen a rough cut of Jay Cheel’s feature length documentary Beauty Day, but that doesn’t mean I’m biased. It has just been my pleasure to have known Jay for a long enough period of time that he knows it is perfectly fine to ignore my opinion.

That all being said, Beauty Day is a heck of a film, and one I hope makes the rounds in the US. Jay recently announced it will may its US debut at the Museum of Modern Art in New York next month, and hopefully that is just the first of many screenings to come.

As if that isn’t enough, Jay finally got around to posting a trailer for the film so people can finally get a taste for the style and tone of the film. A style and tone that is as much Jay as it is it’s star, Ralph Zavadil, the man best known as Cap’n Video. Well, that’s not true. Ralph is probably best known as the man who broke his neck trying to open his pool. But as you’ll soon find out, Ralph should be known for so much more.

[gap][/gap]

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 8)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:24:23 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 8) Where the Long Tail Ends

Bit of a serious week but what excites me most is I will finally get a chance to sit down and watch Fish Tank. After Andrea Arnold’s amazing and disturbing debut film Red Road, I’ve been eagerly anticipating her follow up film. As for why I haven’t gotten to it until now, partially it had to do with a lackluster trailer, and partially because I just haven’t gotten around to it.

In other news, I think I’ve figured out a way to more accurately calculate the cost of this feature, as the announcement of Hulu snagging up all of the Criterion films by the end of the year means I will most likely be adding an additional subscription service in the coming months, so it seems like I should simply include some line items at the end of the year for the total cost of the subscriptions. Seems easy enough.

The Housemaid

Director: Sang-soo Im
Cast: Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-Jae Lee
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Landmark Lagoon
Price: $7 (matinee)
[gap][/gap]

Get Low

Director: Aaron Schneider
Cast: Bill Murray, Lucas Black, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Redbox
Price: $1
[gap][/gap]

Fish Tank

Director: Andrea Arnold
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Harry Treadaway, Kierston Wareing, Jason Maza
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Streaming
Price: Free (with paid subscription )
[gap][/gap]

Week total cost: $8
YTD: $38

Quick Thoughts: Repo Chick

James Gillham — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:00:51 +0000

Quick Thoughts: Repo Chick Where the Long Tail Ends

Alex Cox’s Repo Chick (2009) doesn’t serve so much as a sequel to its landmark punk/science-fiction namesake, 1984′s Repo Man; rather, it is a re-imagining of the world of the repo people for the 21st century.

Instead of the overly-microwaved, down and out early-eighties setting of the original, Cox sets this film in a bent, sunshine-and-Botox caricature of the first decade of this century. The lovely Jaclyn Jonet stars as the titular heroine of the film, Repo Chick aka Pixxie de la Chase, a media starlet and socialite who is on the trail of a missing train housing ultra secret nuclear weapons à la the glowing Chevy Malibu of the original film. A slightly familiar cast of zany characters accompanies her on her mission. The only holdover from the original film is actor Miguel Sandoval as Arizona Gray. But Sandoval is not the only familiar face in the film. The cast boasts screen queens Karen Black and Rosanna Arquette alongside Robert Beltran (Star Trek: Voyager’s Commander Chakotay) and Sid and Nancy’s Chloe Webb. As soon as the viewer is familiar with these dramatis personae, the oddness ensues.

The entire film is shot before a green screen. The backdrops are close-ups of miniature worlds created by ingenious model work. These vistas are a real treat when compared to the sterile CGI used in today’s big-budget fair; however, this novelty might sustain a three-minute music video, but one wearies of it by the end of the film. To be sure, this film has an almost microscopic budget: according to the documentary accompanying the film, it was funded by a SAG grant in the amount of $200,000. This certainly shows, but — given the overall warped nature of the film — doesn’t detract too much from the fun being had on screen.

Most of the jokes are overdone. Any social commentary one might glean from the film is so heavy handed that it leaves you with a headache. Worst of all, the juvenile, punk rock ethic the film embraces is stale. What might have been challenging in 1984 is tedious in 2011, and one gets the idea that this might be part of the nostalgia the filmmakers are trying to capture by revisiting themes from the original film.

Again, the cast is fun and the filmmakers’ approach is novel. Still, the film’s merciful 85 minute length is its saving grace. I was ready for the closing credits well before the film’s indiscernible plot gave up the ghost and sang its swan song — a nonsense clamor on board said missing train that finds Repo Chick and her cohorts running afoul of a plot to destroy the world’s golf courses. If that doesn’t convince you that it takes a certain kind of film fan to endure this movie, nothing will.

Repo Chick is now available for purchase or rental on DVD and Blu-ray. For Minneapolis-based fans of the original, the Uptown theater is screening Repo Man Friday night, February 25th as part of its Midnight Madness series.
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Apollo 18 trailer soiled my space suit

Matt Gamble — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:16:16 +0000

Apollo 18 trailer soiled my space suit Where the Long Tail Ends

I lucked out and watched this trailer a couple of days ago and have been frothing at the mouth as I waited for it to inevitably appear online. Sure found footage is getting a bit ridiculous bot man oh man, does Apollo 18 look like they’ve got a little slice of genius on their hands.

This was a film that I really didn’t even give a crap about , lack of any marketing for the film will do that to you, but now it is rocketing up my hypothetical “Must See” list for this year.

Oh man, this thing is going to mess me up so bad. I can’t freaking wait.

Apollo 18 opens to scared audiences nationwide on April 22nd of the year two thousand and eleven.

Officially, Apollo 17, launched December 17th, 1972, was the last manned mission to the moon. But a year later, in December of 1973, two American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded by the US Department of Defense. What you are about to see is the actual footage which the astronauts captured on that mission. While NASA denies its authenticity, others say it’s the real reason we’ve never gone back to the moon.
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Quick Thoughts – The Adjustment Bureau

Matt Gamble — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:00:44 +0000

Quick Thoughts – The Adjustment Bureau Where the Long Tail Ends

Adjustment Team is an interesting story (read it here), albeit one that really offers only a hint of the world it has created. But as a framework for a larger tale, it is excellent.

Adjustment Team is just one of a host of fantastic tales written by the great Philip K Dick, an author who was tragically never as accomplished with the public as his talent demanded. Throughout his career Dick wrote almost exclusively science fiction stories, but it was commonly known that he dreamed of being known not as a simple genre writer, but accepted as a conventional author.

Dick’s stories have been widely popular with Hollywood screenwriters in recent years. A host of films, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly are all based on his works and have developed fan followings. But even with those Dick still isn’t widely known as a must-read author from the movie going public. But perhaps with the latest adaptation of his work, The Adjustment Bureau, their might finally be a film that appeals to the audience that Dick so desperately wanted to be accepted by.

The Adjustment Bureau is a fairly conventional love story told in an slightly unconventional way. Its neither flashy in its visuals or its story telling, focusing rather on telling a good tale in a slick, sufficient manner.

This isn’t a film that will wow you, nor is it even attempting to do so. This film merely wants to flesh out its characters, give them interesting story arcs, and allow them to run about a world that is vividly realized. Its just damn fine filmmaking coupled with fantastic acting.

Oh, did I not mention the acting? The Adjustment Bureau has assembled an especially fine cast to match its slick, stylized aesthetic. Featuring Matt Damon and Emily Blount in the leads, The Adjustment Bureau also boasts the talents of Anthony Mackie, Daniel Dae Kim, John Slattery and the always spectacular Terrance Stamp.

While Slattery, Stamp and Mackie are content with stealing every scene they appear in, the film hinges on the performances of Blount and Damon. The film absolutely hinges on their budding love being both provocative and compelling, and if their performances lacked in chemistry the film would have crumpled quicker than a house of cards. Yet time and again you can’t help but root for these two unlikely lovers, rooting them on as they struggle against The Adjustment Bureau’s idea of free will.

Plus, how can you hate a movie where Terrance Stamp gets punched in the face?

Terry Blue: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Matt Gamble — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:38:04 +0000

Terry Blue: The Man, The Myth, The Legend Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve worked in the theatre business here in the Twin Cities for almost 7 years now, and in doing so it was inevitable I’d come to know many of our regulars and grow fond or several of them. And while with the vast majority of them my exchanges would be short snippets of conversations that would continue over days, weeks and months, none of them could compare to the force of nature that was Terry Blue.

There have been many nice things said about Terry over the past few days, and there will be many more said in the days to come. Heck, I’ll be saying some in another paragraph or two, but lets get something clear, Terry was an ass, but damn if he wasn’t an entertaining and completely honest one.

I think my longest conversation with Terry clocked in at well over an hour, for those that have known him longer I’m sure you’re thinking “That’s it? You got off light, son.” Many a day Terry would come in to my theatre, bag in tow, and he would tell me which movies were good, bad and worth my time with a sense of passion and purpose that would continually amaze me. What’s even more amazing it didn’t matter what the perceived quality of the film was, if he thought it was good he’d argue in its defense with the samed bulldog mentality whether it was some high faluting art film or if it was Dude, Where’s My Car? Terry didn’t care about the film’s pedigree, all he cared about was whether or not he liked it. And if he liked it you damn well were going to hear about it later (or during the film if you happened to be in the theatre at the time).

There were days where I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see Terry wander into the theatre (typically its when we were understaffed and I was stuck behind the counter trying to help 30 people in line as he’d barrell his way to the front and setup shop right next to the register), but even those days Terry would entertain me. He’d sit there, not giving a rat’s ass about anyone else in line as he’d sit and talk to me about the latest movie that pissed him off. And if it was a good rant, he’d pull out the visual aides (Oh God the viual aides) and he’d show me exactly what was pissing him off, all while the line sat bewildered at what they were witnessing.

Terry was a man of such strong personality that you’d often need to prepare to talk to him. Prepare for the minimum 30 minutes of exposition, prepare for the complete disregard for personal space and prepare for the bruise your shoulder would develope from his constant poking. But what you could never prepare yourself for was his opinions. But man, you’d never forget them.

On Monday Terry slipped on the ice while walking. He didn’t think much of it at the time and went about his business. On Tuesday Terry went to sleep and simply never woke up.

When I heard the news I was shocked and saddened at his passing. Terry was always one of my favorite regulars over the years and he was such a force of nature I simply assumed he’d go out with a ticket stub in one hand and a Star Trib in the other. How else could it happen afterall? Tuesday the Twin Cities might have lost a horse’s ass, but we’re a lesser town, and film community, for it. For all his bluster he was not just a fan of film, he was the living, beathing embodiment of this town’s passion for the arts.

But as I sit and write this and think of Terry and all the weird and wonderful stories I have about him, the one thing that I can’t just shake is the concern that now I won’t have anyone tell me that Sean William Scott was the greatest actor of his generation. Out of everything, that is what I’ll miss most about him.

This is for you Terry, I’m sure you’d laugh like hell over it.

[gap][/gap]

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How the West Was Won screening at the ICON

Matt Gamble — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:08:58 +0000

How the West Was Won screening at the ICON Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m ridiculously happy to announce that the Showplace ICON will be having an upcoming screening for How the West Was Won on Tuesday, March 8th. I’ve been hard at work trying to get some classic films booked at the ICON that had previously played at the old Cooper Theatre, and How the West was Won is the first in what will hopefully be an ongoing series of Cooper Classics.

The second film to ever play at The Cooper Theatre, How the West was Won is the kind of big screen epic that played right into the strengths of The Cooper’s enormous 100 ft screen and was just the first of many films to follow that would endear the theatre to a legion of film fans. Besides its impressive panaramic presentation, The Cooper was one of the few movie theatres who boasted the use of hard tickets, meaning that you purchased a specific seat in the auditorium, and what nowadays would be called reserved seating.

The ICON hopes this screening is just one of many to honor not only The Cooper Theatre, but as a cinematic treat to anyone who loved the many great films that played there. And in conjunction with the show, the ICON is partenering with the Cooper Pub. Bring in your ticket stub the night of the show and you’ll get a complimentary dessert, compliments of the Cooper Pub. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, February 18th, at the ICON Box Office and ticket kiosks.

How the West was Won
March 8th | 7:00 PM
$10
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Please don’t hate me Lucasfilm

Matt Gamble — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:52:59 +0000

Please don’t hate me Lucasfilm Where the Long Tail Ends

So in the past day the site has been inundated by a host of viewers from a small ranch out in California, some of you might know it as Lucasfilm (Hi George!), and it all seems to be centered around a short review I wrote on the upcoming film Rango. Now some of you might be wondering, but that is a Paramount film, why would Lucasfilm care? Well that’s because Industrial Light and Magic did the animation for the film so you can see why they might have a bit of a vested interest.

Now in my excitement in watching the film, and wanting to tell people about it I seemed to have inadvertantly published a review before just about everyone on the vast tubes of the Internet. It wasn’t a bad review, and point of fact it wasn’t much of a review at all, more of a gleeful stream of conciousness shout out to the cinema gods (No George, not you.) for my being lucky enough to see this movie.

Now since their was a rather sudden burst of traffic from sunny California, and coupled with the fact their was a considerable lack of reviews out there already, I decided on my own to pull the review until I start seeing some go up online. Neither Lucasfilm nor Paramount asked me to do this, and honestly who knows if they even would have cared, but I figured I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Because I really want to go see this movie again and if anyone has the power to bar me from ever seeing it again it’s one Mr Lucas (The jokes are out of love, George!)

Willow Creek announces upcoming midnight series

Matt Gamble — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:50:21 +0000

Willow Creek announces upcoming midnight series Where the Long Tail Ends

Bless the folks over at Willow Creek who continue to put out a solid retro film series week in and week out. The upcoming weeks look particularly good with The Thing and The Muppet Movie as two personal favs that I definitely need to see in the theatre again.And if I’m really lucky they’ll be showing one of those new fangled The Thing prints that have been touring around the country. Toss in Tommy Boy and The Big Lebowski and a winner is you, and that’s not even every movie in the series!

3/4 & 5: SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
3/11 & 12: THE THING
3/18 & 19: TOMMY BOY
3/25 & 26: BIG LEBOWSKI
4/1 & 2: MUPPET MOVIE
4/8 & 9: GREASE
4/15 & 16: BLAZING SADDLES

Showings are Thursday at 9:30 P.M. and Friday & Saturday at midnight. Saturday at 10:30 A.M. Tickets are $6.50 for all showings and are ON SALE NOW!!!
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Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 7)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:59:26 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 7) Where the Long Tail Ends

Looks like their is some sort of award winning theme this week, as two of them have been nominated for Oscars while the third cleaned house at Cannes and is finally getting some much needed screen time here in town. I also considered for a moment including the Riverview’s screening of the Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Films, but with a 3+ hour running time that wouldn’t leave people much time to watch anything else. Plus you can go watch those tomorrow and Thursday.

Today is my day.

Waste Land

Director: Lucy Walker, João Jardim, Karen Harley
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: St Anthony Main
Price: $6 (matinee)
[gap][/gap]

Winter’s Bone

Director: Debra Granik
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Sheryl Lee, Tate Taylor
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Redbox
Price: $1
[gap][/gap]

Samson and Delilah

Director: Warwick Thornton
Cast: Rowan McNamara, Marissa Gibson, Mitjili Napanangka Gibson, Scott Thornton, Matthew Gibson, Steven Brown, Gregwyn Gibson, Noreen Robertson Nampijinpa, Kenrick Martin
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Trylon Micro Cinema
Price: $8
[gap][/gap]

Week total cost: $15
YTD: $30

Quick Thoughts – Rango

Matt Gamble — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:11:48 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Rango Where the Long Tail Ends

Over the past few months, Rango has been a film I have been eagerly anticipating, but I have to admit I truly had no idea just what the film was about. Oh sure I knew it was a Western of sorts, and its title certainly cast illusions that it might be tangentially related to Sanjuro. But in terms of actual plot I really had no idea what I was in for with Rango. But what I did know, is that I had to see it.

Of the films coming out early this year, Rango was one of the first to catch my eye. The cast is absolutely monstrous, and the animation looked fantastic. Couple in Gore Verbinski as the director and I knew the film had as good a chance of any of being a fun film, but would it ever be anything more than that?

Within a few moments Rango made sure to let me now it was aiming for more than being a fun children’s animated film, for Rango is an actor. An actor who doesn’t know who he is, because he spends all his time investing in trying to figure out who his character is. Immediately the film had put me on notice that this was to be an examination on film itself, though it made sure to keep the fun at the forefront as often as possible.

But as it launched into numerous movie in-jokes (up to an including adaptions of classic scores, running gags and several rollicking cameos) I fell deeper and deeper into its wonderful web. A web shot and framed based on the recommendations of one Roger Deakins, and the result is incredibly cinematic, made even more incredible by the fact the entire thing is animated. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better looking film this year, and this is a year with films from Tarsem and Terrence Malick still on the docket.

But while the look of the film is second to none, and blessed with a level of style rarely seen in American animation, Rango possessed far more than just good looks for its audience. It also made sure that it was funny, entertaining, fun and incredibly unique. But even better, while it is a film that most certainly will entertain kids, it can only truly be appreciated when you have thousands of movie watching experiences under your belt, and plenty of time to watch Rango over and over again to fully take in the vast density of each frame. And as I sat in wonder, awed by the sheer enjoyment brought to me in each single solitary frame, I soon realized that Rango was the first great movie of 2011.

RANGO

Director: Gore Verbinski
Cast: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Ray Winstone, Beth Grant, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton, Alfred Molina, Timothy Olyphant

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High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.9 – Dopplegangers

Matt Gamble — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:21:04 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.9 – Dopplegangers Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! As promised James and I had a much quicker turn around for the latest episode of the High and Low (Brow) podcast, which means more work for us and hopefully less enjoyment for you. Wait, what?

For this episode we watched a pair of films that fell under the theme of Dopplegangers, meaning that one of the actors/actresses in the movie played a duel role. Thus, to fill these needed slots we found the 1973 Brian de Palma helmed Sisters (with Margot Kidder tackling the duel role), and the 90′s neo-noir Man with a Gun (in which Jennifer Tilly plays twin sisters), directed by someone I don’t know and have no intention of Googling. Will James and I take part in yet another episode of a mutual admiration society, or will we finally, finally, engage in a little controversy?

It should be noted that the theme was supplied to us by one of our loyal listeners (He Who Must Not Be Named), which is a great segue into stating that if you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, or simply want to tell James how awesome he is, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him. And while you’re there be sure to join our relatively new Facebook group devoted to Where the Long Tail Ends.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – The Dog Days are Over by Florence + the Machine | Buy Here

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

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Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 6)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:48:21 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 6) Where the Long Tail Ends

One thing I’ve quickly come to realize is I should probably be getting these posted much earlier. While it would be interesting for people to read, it wouldn’t be much help to anyone who might actually be choosing to search out any of these films on a Tuesday. Especially since I plan on trying to watch the occasional movie at discount theatres, this can pose a bit of a problem. But just a bit.

This week I’m not going to worry about that too much because its to late to, and because I don’t feel like it. So in place of confronting my inability to plan ahead I’m just going to move along to this week’s selections and pretend none of this ever happened. Good? Good.

Dogtooth

Director: Giorgos Lanthimos
Cast: Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Christos Passalis
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant Streaming
Price: Free (with subscription)
[gap][/gap]

Tamara Drewe

Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Bill Camp, Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, Tamsin Greig
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Redbox
Price: $1
[gap][/gap]

The Illusionist

Director: Sylvain Chomet
Writer: Sylvain Chomet, Jacques Tati
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Landmark Lagoon Cinema
Price: $7 (matinee)
[gap][/gap]

Week 6 total cost: $8
YTD: $15

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:45:36 +0000

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow) Where the Long Tail Ends

Oh that’s right, we told you we were going to have a quick turn around. James and I are recording Thursday night so if all goes well you might just get a new episode before the weekend. Or, if you are really special, on Valentine’s Day.

And while I may have forgotten the theme have no fear, for I do remember the movies. Brian de Palma’s Sisters, and some other director’s Man with a Gun.
[gap][/gap]

Sisters TV trailer
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Man With a Gun trailer
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The Movie Club Podcast, now with more Gillham

Matt Gamble — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 23:56:55 +0000

The Movie Club Podcast, now with more Gillham Where the Long Tail Ends

Only a slight delay in posting the link to the latest Movie Club Podcast, and for that I can blame the fact that my team was in the process of preparing for the Super Bowl, which meant that I was in the process of preparing for the Super Bowl, and thus all other items needed to be put aside for what was truly important, beer and mini weiners. I trust Vikings fans can understand this.

But in the latest episode of the Movie Club Podcast, our own James Gillham sits down with members of Row Three, Film Junk, Quiet Earth and The Documentary Blog to discuss three films, F for Fake, Exit Through the Gift Shop and Catfish. And its all thanks to the wonders of the Internet, which as has been well documents, James not only doesn’t understand but doesn’t believe actually exists. Its all very meta and quite fitting for everyone involved in the show.

So swing over to the site and check out the latest episode, and be sure to leave your thoughts there as well. As for the next episode, I have no idea what has been chosen but I’m willing to put down a schilling that Jay and Kurt dominate the conversation and don’t let anyone else talk about anything ever. Hopefully they’ll also totally misinterpret the films in the process.

Its funny cause its true.

Bridesmaids once again proves their is nothing more worthless than a trailer for a comedy

Matt Gamble — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:37:58 +0000

Bridesmaids once again proves their is nothing more worthless than a trailer for a comedy Where the Long Tail Ends

While I’m a fan of trailers I rarely count on them to sell me on a film. Simple fact being that a good trailer does not make a good film, and vice versa. Case in point, take the trailer for Bridesmaids, which by and large isn’t a very good trailer. Sure Melissa McCarthy looks like she might have a bit of a plum role, but the rest of the talented cast looks relatively wasted.

But that’s the thing about comedy films, the jokes you can show in trailers are rarely the best (in spite of what most people will say), but rather the ones that are clearly punched up and the easiest to disseminate in a few seconds. Or worse, bland physical humor. With only a few minutes to show the thinest of plotlines and show of some jokes they simply don’t have the time to use anything but cheap gags to try and convince people the film is funny.

So when judging a comedy trailer I simply tend to go by who is involved and who the film is aimed at. Bridesmaids is a film clearly geared towards woman, what with it being written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, but that it also involves numerous people who have had success in comedy (Paul Feig, Judd Apatow, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper, Chris O’Dowd, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Michael Hitchcock) means their is a good chance the film could appeal to a much wider crowd than one would expect from a film built around weddings and the bridesmaids who ruin them.

Having my man crush, Jon Hamm, in it doesn’t hurt either.

This spring, producer Judd Apatow and director Paul Feig invite you to experience Bridesmaids. Kristen Wiig leads the cast as Annie, a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), and a group of colorful bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) on a wild ride down the road to matrimony.

Annie’s life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian’s maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love.

SXSW announces its Film Lineup

Matt Gamble — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:50:36 +0000

SXSW announces its Film Lineup Where the Long Tail Ends

Via: SXSW Website

One of these days I really need to make it down to Austin for SXSW. I have family there after all, and its not like I can’t make up some excuse for ditching them for 5 days while visiting. That’s pretty much par for the course as it is.

Made up family melodrama aside, there are quite a few films that interest the hell out of me. The Documentary films are strong as always, with the big three of Tabloid, Cave of Forgotten Dreams and Armadillo leading the way. The Headliners section is ridiculously impressive as nearly every one of those films brings something intriguing to the table. But perhaps out of all of the films the one I am most interested in seeing is Ti West’s latest, The Innkeepers.

But then I should probably let you decide for yourself.

Narrative Feature Competition

This year’s 8 Narrative Feature Competition films were selected from 984 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.

96 Minutes
Director & Writer: Aimée Lagos
Four young lives. One night. One terrifying event. These 96 minutes will change everything.
Cast: Brittany Snow, Evan Ross, Christian Serratos, J. Michael Trautmann, and David Oyelowo (World Premiere)

A Year in Mooring
Director: Chris Eyre, Writer: Peter Vanderwall
In his first leading dramatic role, Josh Lucas walks an isolated line between solitude and redemption. This quiet cinematic journey tells a of tale grief, solace and peace.
Cast: Josh Lucas, Ayelet Zurer, James Cromwell, Jon Tenney, Taylor Nichols (World Premiere)

American Animal
Director & Writer: Matt D’Elia
Jimmy – eccentric, delusional, dying – feels betrayed when roommate James gets a job. During one night of drinks, drugs and women, a classic battle of wills ensues as James prepares for work and Jimmy goes mad.
Cast: Matt D’Elia, Brendan Fletcher, Mircea Monroe, Angela Sarafyan (World Premiere)

Charlie Casanova (Ireland)
Director & Writer: Terry McMahon
A ruling class sociopath knocks down a working class girl in a hit-and-run and uses a deck of playing cards to determine his fate.
Cast: Emmett J. Scanlan, Leigh Arnold, Damien Hannaway, Ruth McIntyre, Tony Murphy (World Premiere)

FLY AWAY
Director & Writer: Janet Grillo
A poignant yet humor filled story about a single mother of a teenager with autism, confronting her child’s future. What will sustain her daughter, and herself? A parent/child love story, when love means letting go.
Cast: Beth Broderick, Ashley Rickards, Greg Germann, JR Bourne, Reno (World Premiere)

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Director & Writer: K. Lorrel Manning
A war torn marine returns home to face his fiercest battle yet — the one against himself.
Cast: Michael Cuomo, JD Williams, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Tina Sloan, Alan Dale (World Premiere)

Natural Selection
Director and Screenwriter: Robbie Pickering
When a dutiful, albeit barren, housewife discovers that her ailing husband has an illegitimate son, she sets out to find the young man and reunite him with her husband before he dies.
Cast: Rachael Harris, Matt O’Leary, Jon Gries, John Diehl (World Premiere)

Small, Beautifully Moving Parts
Directors & Writers: Annie J. Howell & Lisa Robinson
Technology-obsessed Sarah Sparks is pregnant and ambivalent, afraid she relates better to machines than to people. Looking for answers, she hits the road in search of her estranged mother, now living off the grid.
Cast: Anna Margaret Hollyman, André Holland, Sarah Rafferty, Susan Kalechi Watson, Mary Beth Peil (World Premiere)

Check out the rest of the lineup after the break!
[gap][/gap]

Documentary Feature Competition

This year’s 8 Documentary Feature Competition films were selected from 808 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.

A Mouthful
Director: Sally Rowe
Considered a rising star of haute cuisine, Paul Liebrandt found his career stalled in New York’s austere environment post 9/11. Paul struggles over the next decade as he tries to make his way back to the top. (World Premiere)

Better This World
Directors: Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega
Two childhood friends from Midland, Texas cross a line that changes their lives forever. The result: eight homemade bombs, multiple domestic terrorism charges and a high stakes entrapment defense hinging on a controversial FBI informant. (World Premiere)

The City Dark
Director: Ian Cheney
The film chronicles the disappearance of darkness, following astronomers, cancer researchers, ecologists and philosophers in a quest to understand what is lost in the glare of city lights. (World Premiere)

DRAGONSLAYER
Director: Tristan Patterson
Killer Films presents the transmissions of a lost kid, falling in love, in the suburbs of Fullerton, California. Featuring skateboarding, the usual drugs, and stray glimpses of unusual beauty. (World Premiere)

FIGHTVILLE
Directors: Michael Tucker & Petra Epperlein
A documentary about the art and sport of fighting: a microcosm of life, a physical manifestation of that other brutal contest called the American Dream. (World Premiere)

Kumaré (U.S.A/India)
Director: Vikram Gandhi
A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. (World Premiere)

LAST DAYS HERE
Directors: Don Argott & Demian Fenton
The film follows middle-aged rocker Bobby Liebling, lead singer of the cult hard rock/heavy metal band Pentagram, as he leaves his parents’ basement in search of the life he never lived. (World Premiere)

Where Soldiers Come From
Director: Heather Courtney
From a snowy small town in Northern Michigan to the mountains of Afghanistan and back, the film follows the four-year journey of childhood friends and their town, forever changed by a faraway war. (World Premiere)

[gap][/gap]

Headliners

Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with some major and rising names in cinema.

13 Assassins
Director: Takashi Miike, Writers: Shoichirou Ikemiya & Daisuke Tengan
Distressed by the Lord’s murderous rampage, top Shogun official Sir Doi secretly calls on esteemed samurai Shinzaemon Shimada to assassinate the evil Naritsugu. Outraged by Lord Naritsugu’s vile acts, Shinzaemon willingly accepts the dangerous mission.
Cast: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura

Ain’t It Cool News 15th Anniversary Screening
Harry Knowles will curate a surprise screening in honor of the 15th Anniversary of his popular cult website Ain’t it Cool News.

The Beaver
Director: Jodie Foster, Writer: Kyle Killen
Two-time Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with two-time Academy Award® winner Mel Gibson in an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re- start his life. Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black was once a successful toy executive and family man who now suffers from depression. No matter what he tries, Walter can’t seem to get himself back on track…until a beaver hand puppet enters his life.
Cast: Cast: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Cherry Jones (World Premiere)

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
Director: Rodman Flender
Did Conan O’Brien go on tour to connect with his fans or fill a void within himself? Rodman Flender’s documentary captures an artist trained in improvisation at the most improvisational time of his career. (World Premiere)

Paul
Director: Greg Mottola, Writers: Simon Pegg & Nick Frost
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite as two geeks who meet an alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) on a pilgrimage to America’s UFO heartland. Their road trip will alter our universe forever.
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, John Carroll Lynch, with Sigourney Weaver, and Seth Rogen as Paul (North American Premiere)

Source Code
Director: Duncan Jones, Writer: Ben Ripley
When soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he’s ever known, he learns he’s part of a government experiment called the “Source Code,” a computer program that enables him to cross over into another man’s identity in the last 8 minutes of his life..
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright (World Premiere)

SUPER
Director & Writer: James Gunn
In this outlandish dark comedy, James Gunn has created what is perhaps the definitive take on self-reflexive superheroes.
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Michael Rooker (U.S. Premiere)

WIN WIN
Director: Tom McCarthy, Writers: Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
Tom McCarthy, acclaimed writer/director of The Visitor and The Station Agent, once again explores the depths and nuances of human relationships in his new film about the allegiances and bonds between unlikely characters.
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, Melanie Lynskey, Alex Schaffer, Margo Martindale, David Thompson
[gap][/gap]

Spotlight Premieres

Shining a light on new documentary and narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. Premieres at SXSW.

A Bag of Hammers
Director: Brian Crano, Writers: Brian Crano & Jake Sandvig
An offbeat comedy about two misfit best friends incapable of growing up, whose direction is tested by an abandoned child, worn beyond his years; together they invent the family they’ve always needed.
Cast: Jason Ritter, Jake Sandvig, Chandler Canterbury, Rebecca Hall, Carrie Preston (World Premiere)

Becoming Santa
Director: Jeff Myers
In an effort to rekindle his Christmas spirit, Jack decides to spend this season as Santa Claus, but the role of Kris Kringle is more complex than he thinks. (World Premiere)

Beginners
Writer & Director: Mike Mills
When Oliver (Ewan McGregor) meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna (Mélanie Laurent) only months after his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) has passed away, this new love floods Oliver with memories of his father who – following 44 years of marriage – came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life.
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox (U.S. Premiere)

Bob and The Monster
Director: Keirda Bahruth
A highly compelling portrait of outspoken indie-rock hero Bob Forrest, through his life-threatening struggle with addiction, to his transformation into one of the most influential and controversial drug counselors in the US today. (World Premiere)

Detention
Director: Joseph Kahn, Writers: Joseph Kahn & Mark Palermo
A downtrodden 17-year-old girl is sent to detention where she must survive a slasher film killer and save the world in time for prom.
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Dane Cook, Shanley Caswell, Spencer Locke, Aaron David Johnson (World Premiere)

Elevate
Director: Anne Buford
From a basketball academy in Senegal, to the high-pressure world of American prep schools, the film documents the extraordinary personal journeys of four particularly tall West African Muslim teenage boys with NBA dreams. (World Premiere)

Fambul Tok
Director: Sara Terry
Victims and perpetrators of Sierra Leone’s brutal war come together for the first time in an unprecedented reconciliation program of grassroots truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies. (World Premiere)

Fubar: Balls to the Wall (Canada)
Director: Michael Dowse, Writers: David Lawrence, Paul J. Spence
Documentarian Farrel Mitchner explores the lives of headbangers Dean Murdoch and Terry Cahill.
Cast: Paul J. Spence, David Lawrence (U.S. Premiere)

Girl Walks Into a Bar
Director & Writer: Sebastian Gutierrez
A sharp-witted comedy that follows a group of apparent strangers in interlocking stories taking place in ten different bars during the course of one evening in Los Angeles.
Cast: Carla Gugino, Zachary Quinto, Danny DeVito, Josh Hartnett, Rosario Dawson (World Premiere)

The Innkeepers
Director & Writer: Ti West
Hotel clerks by day, amateur ghost hunters by night, the last two employees of the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn set out to prove that their place of business is as haunted as its reputation.
Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis (World Premiere)

It’s About You.
Director: Kurt Markus
First-time filmmakers, photographer Kurt Markus and son, Ian, document John Mellencamp’s 2009 summer tour and recording of his latest album. This film celebrates the visual beauty and power of Super8 film and the human voice. (World Premiere)

LBF (Australia)
Director & Writer: Alex Munt
A pop-art film based on the novel “Living Between Fucks” by Cry Bloxsome. It follows Goodchild, a young writer back home for his ex-girlfriend’s funeral, The Dead Girl. Love, Loss & Desperation.
Cast: Toby Schmitz, Bianca Chiminello, Gracie Otto, Septimus Caton, April Rose Pengilly (World Premiere)

The Other F Word
Director: Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
When the most anti-authoritarian among us become the ultimate authorities… we might just have to use The Other F Word. (World Premiere)

PressPausePlay (Sweden)
Directors: Victor Köhler & David Dworsky
A Film about Hope, Fear and Digital Culture. (World Premiere)

Something Ventured
Directors: Dan Geller & Dayna Goldfine
Apple. Intel. Genentech. Cisco. Atari. This film tells the story of a handful of risk-takers who alongside visionary entrepreneurs created these revolutionary companies, and in the process ignited the industry known as venture capital. (World Premiere)

Square Grouper
Director: Billy Corben
A colorful portrait of Miami’s pot smugglin’ scene of the 1970s, populated with redneck pirates, a ganja-smoking church, and the longest serving marijuana prisoner in American history. (World Premiere)

UNDEFEATED
Directors: Dan Lindsay & T.J. Martin
A volunteer coach helps a neglected inner-city football team in their quest to win the first playoff game in the high school’s history. (World Premiere)

Yelling to the Sky
Director & Writer: Victoria Mahoney
As her family falls apart, seventeen year old Sweetness O’Hara is left to fend for herself in a neighborhood where her survival is uncertain.
Cast: Zoe Kravitz, Jason Clarke, Antonique Smith, Gabourey Sidibe, Tim Blake Nelson (U.S. Premiere)

YOU INSTEAD (Scotland)
Director: David Mackenzie, Writer: Thomas Leveritt
Two rival musicians find themselves handcuffed together at the world renowned music festival, T in the Park, where they are both scheduled to perform.
Cast: Luke Treadaway, Natalia Tena, Sophie Wu, Ruta Gedmintas, Kari Corbett (North American Premiere)
[gap][/gap]

Emerging Visions

Innovation and creativity from new and emerging feature filmmakers, showcasing raw talent in documentary and narratives of varying premiere status.

Bad Fever
Director & Writer: Dustin Guy Defa
A humorless loner attempts to win the admiration of a drifter with his debut performance at the local comedy club.
Cast: Kentucker Audley, Eléonore Hendricks, Annette Wright, Allison Baar (World Premiere)

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye
Director: Marie Losier
A portrait of the life and work of ground-breaking performance artist and music pioneer Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV) and his wife Lady Jaye, centered around their sexual transformations for their “Pandrogyne” project. (North American Premiere)

Bellflower
Director & Writer: Evan Glodell
A love story with apocalyptic stakes.
Cast: Evan Glodell, Jessie Wiseman, Tyler Dawson, Rebekah Brandes, Vincent Grashaw

The Catechism Cataclysm
Director & Writer: Todd Rohal
Father William Smoortser drops his bible into a toilet at a rest stop just before embarking on a day- long canoe trip, breaking loose all glorious hell.
Cast: Steve Little, Robert Longstreet, Walter Dalton, Miki Ann Maddox, Koko Lanham, Rico

Caught Inside (Australia)
Director: Adam Blaiklock, Writers: Adam Blaiklock & Matt Tomaszewski
AA surfing holiday turns deadly when a group of friends fight over a beautiful woman.
Cast: Ben Oxenbould, Daisy Betts, Sam Lyndon, Simon Lyndon, Peter Phelps (North American Premiere)

CONVENTO (Portugal)
Director: Jarred Alterman
Artist Christiaan Zwanikken resurrects deceased wildlife by reanimating the skeletal remains with servomotors and robotics. He breeds these new species in a 400-year-old monastery in Portugal, restored from ruins and converted into his laboratory. (North American Premiere)

The Dish & The Spoon
Director: Alison Bagnall, Writers: Alison Bagnall, Andrew Lewis
In this poignant comedy, Rose (Greta Gerwig), reeling from her husband’s affair, collides and forms an unexpected bond with a marooned teenager from England (exciting newcomer Olly Alexander) in a boarded-up Delaware beach town.
Cast: Greta Gerwig, Olly Alexander, Eleonore Hendricks, Amy Seimetz, Adam Rothenberg (World Premiere)

Fuck my life (Chile)
Director & Writer: Nicolás López
Love in the times of Facebook is worst than love in the times of cholera.
Cast: Ariel Levy, Lucy Cominetti, Andrea Velasco, Paz Bascuñan, Leonor Varela (U.S. Premiere)

Green
Director & Writer: Sophia Takal
An intimate friendship between two women dissolves as they are drawn into an irrational, destructive spiral of jealousy and paranoid fantasy in this haunting examination of the female psyche.
Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine (World Premiere)

THE KEY MAN
Director & Writer: Peter Himmelstein
Bobby Scheinman is an insurance salesman struggling to provide for his family. Enter Vincent and Irving, two con men who convince Bobby to join them for a moneymaking scheme that quickly spirals out of control.
Cast: Jack Davenport, Hugo Weaving, Brian Cox, Judy Greer, Ben Shenkman (World Premiere)

New Jerusalem
Director: R. Alverson, Writers: R. Alverson & Colm O’Leary
Ike (Will Oldham), an Evangelical Christian, befriends Sean, an Irish immigrant, and attempts to ensure his salvation. A meditation on the allure and limitations of modern utopian belief.
Cast: Will Oldham, Colm O’Leary, Thomas Bowles, Walter Scott, Roxanne Ferris (North American Premiere)

No Matter What
Director & Writer: Cherie Saulter
The story of Nick and Joey, two best friends living in the crumbling landscape of rural Florida, whose lives and friendship are changed by the journey to find Joey’s mother.
Cast: Matt Webb, Waylan Gross, Amy Seimetz (World Premiere)

Our Day Will Come (France)
Director: Romain Gavras, Writers: Romain Gavras & Karim Boucherka
Two outcast redheads set off on a roadtrip of hate, violence and self-destruction. The time for revenge has come…
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Olivier Barthelemy (U.S. Premiere)

Riscado (Brazil)
Director: Gustavo Pizzi, Writers: Gustavo Pizzi & Karine Teles
What’s the importance of luck in life? Is luck part of the craft?
Cast: Karine Teles, Camilo Pellegrini, Dany Roland, Otavio Muller (North American Premiere)

Septien
Director & Writer: Michael Tully
A reclusive sports hustler returns home to his family farm after years of absence to reunite with his two eccentric, unhinged and emotionally damaged brothers.
Cast: Robert Longstreet, Onur Tukel, Michael Tully, Rachel Korine, Mark Darby Robinson

SILVER BULLETS
Director & Writer: Joe Swanberg
Filmmaking and life converge around a werewolf film.
Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Ti West, Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, Jane Adams (North American Premiere)

Surrogate Valentine
Director: Dave Boyle, Writers: Dave Boyle, Joel Clark, & Goh Nakamura
Musician Goh Nakamura is hired to teach TV actor Danny Turner how to walk and talk like a rock star for his new movie.
Cast: Goh Nakamura, Chadd Stoops, Lynn Chen, Mary Cavett, Joy Osmanski (World Premiere)

Turkey Bowl
Director & Writer: Kyle Smith
Ten friends gather to play an annual game of touch football in this real-time comedy.
Cast: Morgan Beck, Adam Benic, Kerry Bishé, Troy Buchanan, Tom DiMenna (World Premiere)

Weekend (England)
Director & Writer: Andrew Haigh
A one-night stand that becomes something else, something important – a (sort of) love story between two guys trying to take control of their lives.
Cast: Tom Cullen, Chris New (World Premiere)
[gap][/gap]

Lone Star States

Texas proud! Documentaries and Narratives with a special connection to the Lone Star State.

Apart
Director: Aaron Rottinghaus, Writers: Aaron Rottinghaus & Josh Danziger
Young love is derailed by a rare psychological disorder known as icd-10 F24.
Cast: Olesya Rulin, Josh Danziger, Michael Bowen, Bruce McGill, Joey Lauren Adams (World Premiere)

blacktino
Director & Writer: Aaron Burns
Sad, fat, black, latino, nerd. It doesn’t get any worse than that.
Cast: Austin Marshall, Devyn Ray, Tiger Sheu, Danny Trejo, Jeff Fahey (World Premiere)

Building Hope
Director: Turk Pipkin
Filmmaker Turk Pipkin’s promise to help build the first high school for a remote African community connects Americans and Kenyans in this true story.(World Premiere)

Five Time Champion
Director & Writer: Berndt Mader
A film about love, hope, petty theft, adultery, and the boundless opportunities presented by science.
Cast: Betty Buckley, Dana Wheeler Nicholson, Jon Gries, Ryan Akin, Robert Longstreet (World Premiere)

INCENDIARY: The Willingham Case
Directors: Steve Mims & Joe Bailey, Jr.
Cameron Todd Willingham: A martyr for anti-death penalty activists, a ‘monster’ for right-wing politicians and a flash point for an astonishing twenty-first century fight between science and folklore. (World Premiere)

Inside America (Austria)
Director & Writer: Barbara Eder
A portrait of six teenagers during their senior year at Hanna High School in Brownsville and “a relentless, downbeat but convincing indictment of a small Texas high school.”
Cast: Raul Juarez, Aimeé Lizette Saldivar, Zuleyma Jaime, Luis De Los Santos, Carlos Benavides, Patty Barrera (U.S. Premiere)

My Sucky Teen Romance
Director & Writer: Emily Hagins
In a culture that is currently overrun with romanticized vampires, it is up to four geeky teenagers to defend their friend and beloved sci-fi convention from a group of very real, blood-thirsty vampires.
Cast: Elaine Hurt, Patrick Delgado, Santiago Dietche, Lauren Lee, Tony Vespe (World Premiere)

Otis Under Sky
Director: Anlo Sepulveda, Writers: Anlo Sepulveda, Anis Mojgani, Roberta Colindrez
Otis is a socially inept web artist who struggles to connect with people. He falls into unrequited love with Ursula, and his world is turned upside down.
Cast: Anis Mojgani, Roberta Colindrez, Tony Jackson, Jacqueline Leal, Ruth Sepulveda (World Premiere)

WUSS
Director & Writer: Clay Liford
A high school teacher is severely beaten by his own students. Too embarrassed to inform the authorities, he plots his own revenge.
Cast: Nate Rubin, Alicia Anthony, Alex Karpovsky, Jonny Mars, Tony Hale (World Premiere)
[gap][/gap]

24 Beats per Second

Showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.

Benda Bilili! (France)
Directors: Renaud Barret & Florent de La Tullaye
Ricky dreams of making Staff Benda Bilili the best band in Congo Kinshasa. Roger wants to join these stars of the ghetto. Together, they must avoid the pitfalls of the street and believe in music. (U.S. Premiere)

Foo Fighters
Director: James Moll
The definitive documentary of the last great American rock n’ roll band: chronicling Foo Fighters’ 16 year history from their first club gigs to the recording of their new album in Dave Grohl’s garage. (World Premiere)

Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour
Director: Kerthy Fix
A concert film that follows a feminist electronic band across 4 continents and 10 countries and provides an unusual peek behind the curtain of the contemporary pop machine. (World Premiere)

Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale
Director: Danny Clinch
The film documents the collaboration between New Orleans’s legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band and American rock band My Morning Jacket, demonstrating the power of Preservation Hall to inspire a whole new generation of musicians. (World Premiere)

Love Shines (Canada)
Director: Douglas Arrowsmith
Love Shines follows Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith as he makes his latest studio album with legendary producer Bob Rock. (U.S. Premiere)

NYMAN IN PROGRESS (Germany/England)
Director: Silvia Beck
A documentary about composer and artist Michael Nyman, who at 65, surprises the world with a new insight into his creativity. (U.S. Premiere)

Outside Industry: The Story of SXSW
Director: Alan Berg
Four guys living on next to nothing created a music event in the hopes of giving bands a way of connecting with music insiders. The result was the biggest music industry event in the world. (World Premiere)

Sound It Out (England)
Director: Jeanie Finlay
A documentary portrait of the very last record shop in Teesside. A distinctive, funny and intimate film about men, the North of England and the irreplaceable role of music in our lives. (World Premiere)

Taken By Storm: The Art of Storm Thorgerson and Hipgnosis
Director: Roddy Bogawa
Real? Surreal? Iconic? Impossible? The album art of Storm Thorgerson is so far deeply embedded into our psyche, it’s hard to believe it all came from one mind. (World Premiere)

UPSIDE DOWN: THE CREATION RECORDS STORY (England)
Director: Danny O’Connor
The definitive and fully authorized documentary of the highs and lows of the UK’s most inspired and dissolute independent record label – Creation Records. (North American Premiere)
[gap][/gap]

SX Global

A diverse panorama of international filmmaking talent, including premieres, interactive documentaries and shorts.

Andante (Israel)
Director & Writer: Assaf Tager
In a post-industrial world people are no longer able to dream. Sarah, the single surviving dreamer, sets out to the only place that can provide answers to her strange night visions: the dream factory.
Cast: Sarah Adler, David Fire, Liron Levo, Nicole Veronica (North American Premiere)

Armadillo (Denmark)
Director: Janus Metz
Following a group of Danish solders on a 2009 tour of Afghanistan, Janus Metz’s acclaimed documentary is a gripping, visually stunning probe into the psychology of young men in the midst of a senseless war.

Beats of Freedom (Poland)
Directors: Leszek Gnoinski & Wojciech Slota
A captivating film about the birth of rock music in Poland.

El Ambulante (Argentina)
Directors & Writers: Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano and Adriana Yurcovich
A traveler arrives at a village and proposes to make a feature film – but only the villagers will act in the film.

El Bulli – Cooking in Progress (Germany)
Director: Gereon Wetzel
The starred chef Ferran Adrià is known as the best, most innovative and craziest cook in the world. Every year, the restaurant closes for six months and Adrià and his creative team retire to their cooking laboratory in Barcelona, to create a new menu for the following season. Everything is allowed – except copying themselves.

Heaven Hell (Czech Republic)
Director: David Calek
A documentary film dealing with human diversity that doesn’t necessarily lead to hell even though it might seem like that from the outsider’s point of view. (U.S. Premiere)

IDFA DocLab presents: New Documentary Narratives
For the third year in a row, SXSW has invited IDFA DocLab (www.idfa.nl/doclab) to organize a panel and a special live cinema screening. IDFA DocLab is the new media program of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Since 2008, IDFA DocLab showcases the many new and unexpected forms of documentary storytelling made possible by digital technology. In Europe, the program has become a platform for transmedia and multiplatform projects, ranging from interactive webdocs to documentary media art.

My Life With Carlos (Chile/Germany/Spain)
Director: German Berger-Hertz
The film chronicles the journey of a son (director German Berger-Hertz) trying to learn the truth about his father, who was killed in 1973 in Pinochet’s Chile.

Reindeer Spotting (Finland)
Director: Joonas Neuvonen
Without moralizing the film shows the real life of a group of friends in the Arctic Circle, dabbling in petty crime and hard drugs. Disturbing, brutal and beautifully honest. Trainspotting in Santa Land. (North American Premiere)

Self Made (England)
Director: Gillian Wearing
A diverse group of British people respond to an ad from artist Gillian Wearing. Taking part in an experiment with Method acting, they find themselves for the first time confronting their innermost personal truths.

Viva Riva! (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Director & Writer: Djo Tunda Wa Munga
The first major film out of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the story follows fast-living hustler Riva. While being pursued by Kinshasa’s dangerous underworld, Riva finds himself inextricably drawn to a gangster’s seductive, kept woman.
Cast: Patsha Bay, Manie Malone, Hoji Fortuna, Marlene Longage, Diplome Amekindra, Alex Herabo (U.S. Premiere)

WAY OF THE MORRIS (England)
Directors: Tim Plester & Rob Curry
Filmmaker Tim Plester journeys from the English village green to the killing fields of The Somme, in search of a connection with the much-maligned native dance traditions that run deep in his blood. (World Premiere)
[gap][/gap]

Festival Favorites

Acclaimed standouts and selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey
Director: Constance A. Marks
The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet – the heart and soul of Elmo – Kevin Clash. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (France)
Director: Werner Herzog
Filming in 3D, Herzog captures the wonder and beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sites on earth.

Ceremony
Director & Writer: Max Winkler
Sam Davis convinces his former best friend to spend a weekend with him to rekindle their friendship at an elegant beachside estate but he is forced to realize how complicated love and friendship can be.
Cast: Michael Angarano, Uma Thurman, Reece Thompson, Lee Pace, Jake Johnson

The First Movie (Canada/England)
Director: Mark Cousins
What’s it like to be a child in war – not when the conflict is raging, but when the war tide is out, as it were, when kids are telling stories or playing games?

Hesher
Director: Spencer Susser, Writers: Spencer Susser & David Michôd
Loud music. Pornography. Burning shit down – just a few of Hesher’s favorite things. And it’s just this kind of anarchy that’s needed to shake the burdens of sorrow from a boy and his father.
Cast: Natalie Portman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson, Devin Brochu, Piper Laurie

How to Die in Oregon
Director: Peter D. Richardson
The film tells the complex stories of terminally ill Oregonians, their families, doctors and friends, as they decide whether to end their life by lethal overdose under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act.

In a Better World (Denmark)
Director: Susanne Bier, Writer: Anders Thomas Jensen, based on a story by Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen
Golden Globe® Award winner and Academy Award® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, and told from the two very different worlds of an idyllic Danish town and an African refugee camp, a doctor and his family are faced with conflicts that force them to make difficult choices between revenge and forgiveness.
Cast: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, Markus Rygaard, William Jøhnk Nielsen

Incendies (Canada)
Director & Writer: Denis Villenueve
Academy Award® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film and adaptation of Wajdi Mouawad’s acclaimed play, Incendies tells the story of two siblings who set out to the Middle East to understand the life of their deceased enigmatic mother, who has left them with a mystery only they can piece together.
Cast: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Rémy Girard

Page One: A Year Inside The New York Times
Director: Andrew Rossi
Unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom yields a complex view of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity.

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Spurlock (Oscar nominee, Super Size Me) explores the world of product placement, marketing and advertising in POM Wonderful Presents: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD, a film fully financed through product placement.

ROAD TO NOWHERE
Director: Monte Hellman, Writer: Steven Gaydos
Illusion is the First of all Pleasures.
Cast: Shannyn Sossamon, Tygh Runyan, Dominique Swain, Cliff De Young, Waylon Payne

Sound of My Voice
Director: Zal Batmanglij, Writers: Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling
A young couple infiltrate a cult that meets in the San Fernando Valley.
Cast: Brit Marling, Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius

TABLOID
Director: Errol Morris
Errol Morris further redefines and pushes the boundaries of documentary film with the tale of Joyce McKinney and the infamous “Case of the Manacled Mormon.”

Terri
Director: Azazel Jacobs, Writer: Patrick deWitt
A moving and often funny film about a big kid in a small town that doesn’t seem to have room for anyone who is different.
Cast: Jacob Wysocki, John C. Reilly, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Bridger Zadina

Wasted on the Young (Australia)
Director & Writer: Ben C. Lucas
An incident at a high school party sets off a dramatic chain of events and two brothers must place their lives at the mercy of popular opinion.
Cast: Oliver Ackland, Adelaide Clemens, Alex Russell (U.S. Premiere)
[gap][/gap]

Special Events

Live Soundtracks, cult re-issues and much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected and unique film event one-offs.

The Cameraman
Directors: Edward Sedgwick & Buster Keaton, Writer: Clyde Bruckman
Buster Keaton plays a bumbling street photographer who tries his hand as a newsreel cameraman to impress a girl. Austin jazz/rock band Bee vs. Moth plays their original score live. Presented in partnership with the Alamo Drafthouse.
Cast: Buster Keaton, Marceline Day, Harold Goodwin, Sidney Bracey, Harry Gribbon

Fubar (Canada)
Director: Michael Dowse, Writers: Dave Lawrence, Paul J. Spence, Michael Dowse
SXSW presents the cult classic Fubar to celebrate the screening of SXSW 2011 Official Selection, Fubar: Balls to the Wall.
Cast: Dave Lawrence, Paul J. Spence, Gordon Skilling, Andrew Sparacino, Tracy Lawrence

The National Parks Project (Canada)
A stunning collection of short films that represents the breadth of Canada’s artistic talent and diversity of the country’s landscape, as it’s never been seen before.
Live music by NPP musicians. (U.S. Premiere)

Red Riding Hood – Special Screening
Director: Catherine Hardwicke, Writer: David Leslie Johnson
Catherine Hardwicke will be present for Q&A following this special screening of her latest film, on Thursday, March 10 at midnight. In the film, a werewolf terrorizes a small village, especially when the people discover that, by day, the beast could be anyone. And one young woman discovers that she has a unique connection to the wolf that makes her both suspect…and bait.
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons

The Rime of the Modern Mariner (England)
Director & Writer: Mark Donne
A documentary set to a spellbinding live musical score – which examines the nature of relationship between a nation state and the seas in a globalized world.
Cast: Mark Donne, Carl Barat (The Libertines), Anthony Rossomando (The Klaxons) (U.S. Premiere)

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 5)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:32:38 +0000

Triple Bill Tuesday (Week 5) Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m starting up a new column devoted simply to watching movies for cheap. The simple goal is to show people that in the course of one year you can watch a whole lot of interesting films for not a whole lot of money (time falls under another metric entirely that I don’t feel the need to calculate).

As a movie theatre manager one of the most common complaints I hear is how expensive movies are, yet I find a way to watch movies (yes that I pay for) for cheap on a ridiculously consistent basis. So really, what I’m saying is quit your crying crybabies, and let me show you how it is done.

The format will probably be tweak over the coming year but the basic parameters is that I need to find (and will most likely watch) three films every Tuesday and I will never spend over $20 to watch all three. I’m considering dropping that total down at some point but for now $20 sounds like a nice round number. So with the rules in place, shall we begin?

Animal Kingdom

Director: David Michôd
Cast: Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton, James Frecheville
Official Trailer | Synopsis

Available: Redbox
Price: $1
[gap][/gap]

The Parking Lot Movie

Director: Meghan Eckman, Christopher Hlad
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Netflix Instant Streaming
Price: Free (with subscription)
[gap][/gap]

The Way Back

Director: Peter Weir
Cast: Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong
Official Trailer | Synopsis
Available: Showplace ICON Theatre
Price: $6 (with free EXTRAS membership)
[gap][/gap]

Week 5 total cost: $7
YTD: $7

Quick Thoughts – The Mechanic

Matt Gamble — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:47:57 +0000

Quick Thoughts – The Mechanic Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m not what you would call a Jason Statham fan. Which isn’t exactly true as I have no issues with Jason Statham the concept, its his movies that are consistently crappy. Sure the first Transporter is passable, but the remainder are beyond awful, and don’t even try and mention the Crank series. I’m not sure either of those would even qualify as functionally retarded.

But what I am a fan of is Ben Foster. Perhaps one of people most worthy of becoming a star in Hollywood, Foster consistently finds interesting roles in films and acts the crap out of them. As an extra added bonus he seems to have an affinity for genre films, and as a genre fan it is always nice that someone with some real acting chops is willing to dive into a role. And like he is wont to do, Foster absolutely brings it in The Mechanic.

Granted The Mechanic is a simple film, and it most assuredly is a violent film, and that combination isn’t something that typically plays well with film critics (its currently at 29% for Top Critics at Rotten Tomatoes). But as someone who grew up on straight up action films in the 80′s, The Mechanic absolutely delivers in a way that something like The Expendables failed to, it takes its concept with straight faced seriousness and doesn’t stop until the credits roll.

Sure the film has its share of flaws, the pacing is a bit poor as the first half hour is a scattershot selection of scenes that barely forward the plot let alone draw the viewer into this universe, and the ending fizzles more than I thought it would. But when The Mechanic is on, like one of the best down and dirty hand-to-hand fight scenes caught on film in years, or during a brutally fantastic torture scene, The Mechanic delivers like few action films are able to in recent years.

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a ‘mechanic’ – an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It’s a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed – he wants those responsible dead.

His mission grows complicated when Harry’s son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop’s trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can’t turn his back on Harry’s son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.
[gap][/gap]

[gap][/gap]

Why aren’t you watching Pootie Tang at The Uptown?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:50:08 +0000

Why aren’t you watching Pootie Tang at The Uptown? Where the Long Tail Ends

Now I’ve sung the praises of the great job the guys at The Uptown have done with booking midnight films on numerous occasions, and I shall continue to as long as Patrick, Rich and Joe keep on keeping on, but Pootie Tang just might be their crown jewel.

Written and directed by the best comic working today, Louis C.K., Pootie Tang is a serious satirical take on blaxploitation, making it a film that most people won’t get and the rest will find unfunny, which is probably why it did so horribly during its initial release. On top of that Pootie Tang was made when Louis C.K. was still firmly entrenched in his original absurdest style, making the film bawdy and outlandish even by the ridiculous standard set by blaxploitation films in their heyday.

But what makes Pootie Tang stand out is that it is a film that will challenge viewers more than almost anything you’ll find. This movie works hard to be stupid, and stupid it most assuredly is. But their is more lurking beneath the seemingly lazy humor than you would initially think. This is a film that trying ridiculously hard to convince you it is dumber than a post, when in reality its a hair bit smarter than said post. Possibly even two hairs.

But more than that Pootie Tang is a film that you will probably never again have a chance to see in the theatre. And really, what more of an excuse do you need than that to watch it?

Pootie Tang
The Uptown Theatre
Friday January 28th | Midnight

Adapted from a comedy sketch on HBO’s “The Chris Rock Show,” Pootie is the ultimate superhero. A cool-walking, smooth-talking ladies man, Pootie is a hero and a role model to all the children. Everybody looks up to him, except for the evil Dick Lecter, CEO of Lecter Corp., a company that makes cigarettes, alcohol and fast food. Can Pootie’s cool determination and strength prevail over the evil Lecter and his crew?
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Fact: Men in the house ARE invaluable

Matt Gamble — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:51:26 +0000

Fact: Men in the house ARE invaluable Where the Long Tail Ends

You have to hand it to the people at Minnesota Film Arts and St Anthony Main, they are in the midst of a heck of a run (resurgence?) these past few months with their programming. And I (possibly you too but I don’t really care about that) are reaping all the benefits.

Next up on their string of great releases is the Minnesota premiere of Tiny Furniture, the Indy smash hit (maybe, but it sure sounds good) from writer/director/star Lena Dunham, which chewed up and spit out audiences at SXSW with its droll awesome sauce. What’s that? You don’t think that is possible? Have you watched the trailer which contains quote possibly the funniest line in the history of line delivery? From Where the Long Tail Ends favorite Alex Karpovsky no less? Oh yeah, and it did win Best Narrative feature at SXSW, so there is that.

As if that isn’t enough Tiny Furniture is now challenging for supremacy with three Independent Spirit Award nominations (Best First Feature, Best Cinematography, Best First Screenplay).

Seriously, go watch the movie.

Tiny Furniture
St Anthony Main
Jan 28th – Feb 3rd | Tickets & Showtimes

Winner of the best narrative feature at the SXSW Film Festival, Tiny Furniture is a hilarious and endearing film that explores the depths of romantic humiliation and the heights of post-college confusion. Writer/director/star Lena Dunham is being called one of the most exciting new voices in American independent cinema and critics are hailing her film as “irresistibly funny”, “unnervingly honest”, and “near perfection”. Tiny Furniture also stars Dunham’s real-life sister, Grace, and real-life mother, Laurie Simmons, the celebrated artist and photographer.
[gap][/gap]

I’m not sure that Kaboom could look any worse

Matt Gamble — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:13:01 +0000

I’m not sure that Kaboom could look any worse Where the Long Tail Ends

For those of you that don’t know, Kaboom, the latest film from director Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin), won the inaugural Queer Palm at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, for its contribution to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues. Which means its a GLBT friendly film which is lovely. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck.

From its marketing campaign focused almost entirely on its “beautiful” cast, to its sound bite styled claims of being a Twin Peaks for the Coachella Generation (whatever the hell that means) to having the production values of a canceled MTV soap opera this movie looks, sounds and feels like complete and utter crap. Nauseatingly pretty crap, but crap nonetheless.

Kaboom is available for jerk offs nation wide today, January 26th, on Video On Demand. I’d recommend avoiding it, but its not like you will listen to me anyway.

Pervs.
[gap][/gap]

The latest film from iconoclastic independent filmmaker Gregg Araki, Kaboom is a hyper-stylized “Twin Peaks” for the Coachella Generation, featuring a gorgeous young cast. A wild, witty and sex-drenched horror-comedy thriller, Kaboom tells the story of Smith (Thomas Dekker), an ambisexual 18-year-old college freshman who stumbles upon a monstrous conspiracy in a seemingly idyllic Southern California seaside town. KABOOM shares key touchstones of Araki’s early films, including scatological and absurd Valley-inflected dialogue, elements of campy gore and Araki’s troupe of arrestingly sexy guys and girls. With his sophisticated synthesis of various experiments in tone and cinematography, Araki has reached a new level of artistic maturity.

And the nominees are …

Matt Gamble — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:12:38 +0000

And the nominees are … Where the Long Tail Ends

Unlike every other movie website I’m not going to list off all the nominees for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, mainly because I don’t care about them. Primarily because the awards have no value, at least none that is important to the general public. People turn in year after year to the awards show (and thankfully each year it seems to be less and less) and they wait to be told what the best film is. Told what the best performance is. Told what the best sound design or makeup effect or whatever the category is.

Granted for years the main reason people tuned into the Oscars was that it gave them the one chance a year to see the world’s biggest stars on the world’s biggest stage (cue cliche #1). You didn’t have the 24 hour news networks, or TMZ, Access Hollywood or whomever searching for the latest headline in every nook and cranny they could find, splaying these people’s lives everywhere they could for our entertainment. You just had millions of people wanting to spend one night out of the year star gazing.

Now I said the awards have no value, and that isn’t entirely correct. Their is a perceived value to winning an Oscar, as their is a perceived value to even being nominated for an award. This perception by the common filmgoer is that the film must be good because it was nominated. But it isn’t just the common moviegoer who adds to this perception, but critics and talking heads and bloggers as well.

Every year there is this dance around the mulberry bush as people scream their outrage at this director who has snubbed, or that film which is painfully under recognized. Or more frequently, how Film A > Film B, so how could Film B possibly have gotten the nomination over Film A. As if that is how the nominating process even works.

Which begs the question, how does the nominating process work?

Oh that’s right, no one knows because it is shrouded in secrecy. As are the myriad of rules in regards to what makes a film or score or performance even eligible to be nominated. And even better, the members who are voting are kept private as well. For all we know, the Best Actor category is decided by which person has the largest pinky toe. And with so many secrets, its a wonder they even announce the nominees at all.

And that is the rub. What really is going on is the cool kids are making up the rules as they go along, hoping that by doing so the rest of us nerds will just simply follow along. And frankly, I’m sick of following. Because here’s the thing. Whatever film wins isn’t the Best Picture of the Year, it simply is the most popular.

And its that popularity that people crave. They want to watch what is in and be able to talk about it with everyone else, and it is in that moment where the Oscars actually have some tangible power, and that is they can make it so smaller pictures are watched by the masses. Winter’s Bone couldn’t even sniff the Alpha Beta’s jockstrap last week, but when they snag a few choice nominations suddenly everyone wants to watch it. And the same follows true with a host of other small films that don’t have the marketing budgets to reach the mainstream, nor the producing cache to garner bigger distribution deals.

And so it is because of the perceived power of the awards that the awards can bring about true power to the films, which is a remarkable feat in and of itself. Yet it still doesn’t change the fact that while the Oscars are not powerless, they certainly are meaningless.

You see I know what the best film of last year was. I know it because I got off my ass and went to the cinema and watched and experienced it. It may not be the same as everyone else, but that doesn’t matter. Because none of you are me and vice versa. You see the best film of the year is what you decide it is, not what the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tells you it is.

The rest of it is just star gazing.

St Anthony Main snags the Minnesota debut of Secret Sunshine

Matt Gamble — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:54:02 +0000

St Anthony Main snags the Minnesota debut of Secret Sunshine Where the Long Tail Ends

Great news for Twin Cities cinephiles!

Widely regarded as South Korean director (and oddly enough former Minister of Culture and Tourism) Lee Chang-Dong’s masterpiece, Secret Sunshine is an award winning 2007 film that hasn’t been made available for US distribution until late last year, so finally snagging this coveted film is a bit of a coup for Minnesota Film Arts and the St Anthony Main Theatre.

Granted I’m not usually one for “sad bastard” films (Yes I know, I suck), but Secret Sunshine has garnered so much praise over the years for its striped down, yet powerful, emotional take on loss that I can’t help but be interested in seeing what it has in store for anyone viewing it.

Toss in a career making performance from lead actress Jeon Do-yeon who won the coveted Prix d’interprétation féminine du Festival de Cannes (Best Actress) at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, then factor in that she’s joined by one of my current favorite actors today in Song Kang-ho and I can’t help but anticipate checking out this film when it opens on February 4th.

Secret Sunshine
St Anthony Main Theatre
Feb 4th – 10th

[gap][/gap]

Tickets for Red State go on sale Friday

Matt Gamble — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:33:27 +0000

Tickets for Red State go on sale Friday Where the Long Tail Ends

Fresh off news that Kevin Smith has decided to distribute Red State himself, he also stated that he would be taking the film on a 15 city tour across the country in an effort to help drum up interest as well as money for a wider October release for the film. As luck would have it, Minneapolis happens to be one of the earliest cities on that tour, garnering a screening at The State Theatre on March 9th.

Even better yet? Tickets go on sale for this screening this Friday, January 28th. No word yet on what the cost will be (my guess is somewhere around $50 a ticket) but considering The State Theatre seats roughly half a billion people (actually 2122) there is reason to assume that if you want to see Red State months in advance, you’ll be able to grab yourself a seat.

Want to see Red State in your town?

One to Watch – Atrocious

Matt Gamble — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:09:33 +0000

One to Watch – Atrocious Where the Long Tail Ends

I have to admit that I’m becoming a bit of a homer for Found Footage style horror films. The Blair Witch Project is the grandfather of them all, but recent additions like [Rec] & [Rec] 2 and The Last Exorcism have been some of my favorite horror films in recent years. Toss in the Paranormal Activity series and the still criminally unreleased The Poughkeepsie Tapes and you have a growing sub-genre of horror films that seems to have struck a cord with audiences.

Now comes along yet another Spanish addition in Atrocious. A found footage horror film about a pair of siblings who are stuck at their families summer home with no TV and no one their age to play with. Luckily they have a couple video cameras to help them wile away the time as the engage in their hobby; that of investigating local urban legends.

I had been anticipating this film ever since Todd at Twitch gave the film a very positive review, and now that the film finally has released a trailer I can only get more excited as I anticipate its inevitable non-release here in the states. That being said, am I the only one getting the vibe that this won’t be a supernatural based film, which would be a nice twist on the sub-genre to date. But man, I can only hope someone picks it up for US distribution that can actually get it in theatres. But I’ll settle for Magnet grabbing it, which I can only imagine they will.

Because they have excellent taste in genre films.

In April 4th of 2010, Quintanilla family was found murdered in their country side house. Police reported the existence of 37 hours of evidence recorded by Christian and July Quintanilla, who were investigating the Legend of the Girl in the Garraf woods.

Title: Atrocious | Official Website | Twitter Feed | Facebook Page
Director: Fernando Barreda Luna
Starring: Dead people
Release Date: TBD

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In every sense of the word, Rubber is in my wheelhouse

Matt Gamble — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:54:05 +0000

In every sense of the word, Rubber is in my wheelhouse Where the Long Tail Ends

You are talking to a man who ranks Deathbed: The Bed That Eats high on his all-time Top 10 films, so when word reached thine ears that a film existed about a killer tire you had to have known that I would be all over that like white on rice. Mark my words, there will be a Spoiler Alert! on Rubber at some point, no matter how much James complains about it. I also plan on pushing hard for the Movie Club Podcast to review it, which will give me the chance to finally get all of them to track down Deathbed. Sure, Row Three has been pushing this movie (Rubber) hard for months, but like I care what those guys think about anything. I just want a plausible excuse to watch it. Not that I really needed one.

I’m also proud to admit that Rubber will probably be my first ever Video on Demand purchase when it finally is released in February. So there is that as well.

Rubber, the epic tale of Robert the sociopathic tire, opens at any number of Pep Boys auto center’s nationwide on February 25th.
[gap][/gap]

Stick a fork in me, I’m done

Matt Gamble — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:36:37 +0000

Stick a fork in me, I’m done Where the Long Tail Ends

It comes with great regret that I announce that Where the Long Tail Ends is shutting its doors to the public, not because of any financial burden or lack of effort on our part. No, rather I have witnessed greatness and simply feel I can’t measure up to it.

You see lurking around the tubes of the internet is a review. A review so blindingly brilliant that the only rational response for any online critic is to move to Guam and change their name to Bea Coo-az and never review anything ever again. The mountain top has been reached, so what is the point in trying to follow such an epic tale of misbegotten, Flash driven woe.

What’s that? You don’t know of what I am speaking? Well then, take a few minutes of your time to prepare yourself for the greatest bit of criticism known to mankind, courtesy of Rice Pirate by way of Axman13.
[gap][/gap]

[Wolfen]4Z2Z23SAFVA[/Wolfen]
[gap][/gap]

As is pointedly obvious, their truly is no reason to continue. Axman13 is just too poignant, too precise, too ridiculous for me to ever hope to achieve anything greater. Thus I am left with no recourse but to change the site’s focus on to my first internet love.

Lemurs.

Thankfully I won’t even have to change the name of the website.

I don’t know what it is, but I’m watching Gantz anyways

Matt Gamble — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:08:49 +0000

I don’t know what it is, but I’m watching Gantz anyways Where the Long Tail Ends

Actually that isn’t entirely true. I’m somewhat familiar with the anime that Gantz is based on, though I’ve never watched an episode of it or read the original manga in which the film and and the anime is based on. What I do know is the film is about dead people with big guns killing aliens, which when you think about it, is all the info one might every need.

So where does one see Gantz? Excellent question if I do say so myself. Gantz is streaming via the wonders of satellite broadcast to theatres nation wide this evening. While their is a thorough list of theares playing the film posted online (Link for those of you too lazy to look for it). You also can find additional information at the Fathom Events website.

For those of you in the Twin Cities the film will be playing at the following locations at 7pm this evening.

AMC Block E
AMC Eden Prairie 18
Kerasotes Showplace ICON
Marcus Oakdale Cinema
Regal Brooklyn Center 20
Regal Eagen 16

Still not convinced? Watch the trailer after the break and see if that will sway you.

[gap][/gap]

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I have to admit, I am excited for Red State

Matt Gamble — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:26:34 +0000

I have to admit, I am excited for Red State Where the Long Tail Ends

Sure the idea of a Kevin Smith horror film seems like a bad idea on paper to a jaded horror film fan like myself, but with a pretty slick set of posters, a solid cast (Melissa Leo, John Goodman, Kevin Pollak, Stephen Root and Michael Parks FTW!) and one heck of a creepy teaser trailer, I’m quickly becoming one of the converted that the master of View Askew might actually pull this thing off.

Of course, the last time Smith had a film germinate this long before finally making it he pulled out Dogma, which is a film I have a deep affection for and will readily argue is a misunderstood gem, so here is to hoping Red State was made during its creative peak as well.
[gap][/gap]

Finally a trailer for the world’s most unlikely 3D film

Matt Gamble — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Finally a trailer for the world’s most unlikely 3D film Where the Long Tail Ends

After being the most sought after ticket at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, IFC films picked up Werner Herzog’s latest documentary, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, claiming it will be released in theatres in early spring (though IFC’s theatrical release history isn’t exactly sterling. Oh hi Pontypool). What that means for those of us in the Twin Cities I don’t really know. It will of course play at one of the Landmark Theatres in town, but since none of them are capable of playing 3D the film isn’t going to be seen as its truly intended, let alone play to people’s fascination of Werner Herzog actually making a 3D film.

Is it too much to hope that this will actually play at the ICON?

For over 20,000 years, Chauvet Cave has been completely sealed off by a fallen rock face, its crystal-encrusted interior as large as a football field and strewn with the petrified remains of giant ice age mammals. In 1994, scientists discovered the caverns, and found hundreds of pristine paintings within, spectacular artwork dating back over 30,000 years (almost twice as old as any previous finds) to a time when Neanderthals still roamed the earth and cave bears, mammoths, and ice age lions were the dominant populations of Europe. Since then, only a handful of specialists have stepped foot in the cave, and the true scope of its contents had largely gone unfelt—until Werner Herzog managed to gain access. Filming in 3D, Herzog captures the wonder and beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sites on earth, all the while musing in his inimitable fashion about its original inhabitants, the birth of art, and the curious people surrounding the caves today.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams will be most assuredly be released in glorious 2D on March 25th in theatres too snooty to show 3D.

Watch the trailer after the break!

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In the life … of a movie theatre employee

Matt Gamble — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:05:45 +0000

In the life … of a movie theatre employee Where the Long Tail Ends

While this firmly falls under the “funny because it’s true” label, this still might not be funny to anyone except movie theatre employees (though I bet anyone who works in customer service or retail will relate) but man does this tickle my cockles. Sadly I’ve had similar conversations to this far too many times.

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High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.8 – Lurid Loincloths

Matt Gamble — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 05:35:58 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.8 – Lurid Loincloths Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! It’s been some time since James and I have been able to sit down and record a High and Low (Brow) podcast, the holidays, illness and family interactions helped bring about this problem, but now that things have finally calmed down we hope to be able to get back into our regular schedule of putting out a new episode every month. I’ve also decided that we will continue to number the episodes based on 12 episodes for each season of the podcast, to keep everything simple in case we get sidetracked in the future.

As for this episode I’d like to thank Jay Cheel (Film Junk and The Documentary Blog) who recorded our last episode with us and who supplied the theme and the films for this episode, which was 1980’s barbarian fantasy films. And being that that theme doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue I came up with the much more flowery title for what is an admittedly great theme.

What is arguably great is the quality of the two films we did end up watching, the somewhat infamous Yor, The Hunter from the Future and Deathstalker. Both are considered rip-offs of Conan the Barbarian and both were released in 1983. But only one involves Darth Vader. Which one is that? You’ll just have to listen and find out for yourself.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Yor’s World by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis (Yor, the Hunter from the Future Soundtrack) | Buy Here

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

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On the next episode of High and Low (Brow)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:19:21 +0000

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow) Where the Long Tail Ends

On the next episode of our award losing podcast we tackle 80′s Barbarian fantasy films thanks to the recommendations of one Jay Cheel. Will it be a loin clothed disaster? Or will we revel in the lamentations of the women? Tune in this week as the episode goes live whenever I get around to posting it and we actually record it.

Deathstalker
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Yor, The Hunter from the Future
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Double Dare

Matt Gamble — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:40:19 +0000

Double Dare Where the Long Tail Ends

For those of us who have seen Death Proof, Zoe Bell is more than a known commodity, she’s a frakkin superstar. As a film fan I love it when a movie can not only whisk me away to the universe they have created, but just as thrilling is when they can do something so amazing I can’t help but ask “How the hell did they do that?” More often than not, the answer exists due to the hard work of the stunt men and women who risk life and limb so the “stars” of the film don’t have to. But in the case of Zoe Bell, its not so much a matter of how she does it, but rather that she does it so much better than anyone else.

For the uninitiated Zoe Bell was initially known for being Lucy Lawless’ stunt double for Xena: Warrior Princess during its television run. Fresh off the success and acclaim for being able to pull off such difficult and athletic stunts on a weekly basis, Zoe set her sights on the US where she hoped to break in the film business.

Double Dare is the story of two women, trapped in a world dominated by men, as they risk their lives trying to prove that anything boys can do they can do better. And you know what? They damn well can.

Helping her on this journey was Jeannie Epper, a woman who’s family was a veritable Hollywood institution when it came to stunt work. Her family had been doing stunt work since the beginnings of Hollywood and Jeannie had gone on to become a rather acclaimed stunt actor in her own right. While best known as Linda Carter’s stunt double for the television series The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, her decades of hard work and dedication had made her one of the most respected stunt performers in Hollywood. But stunt work is a young person’s game, and for all the barriers Jeannie had broken down as a performer, she was struggling to become a stunt coordinator, a job her years of experience seemed to be tailor made for her.

And thus this likely pairing was formed, a New Zealander on the way up, being mentored by someone struggling to stay relevant. And it is Jeannie’s constant efforts to genuinely help Zoe break into Hollywood that provide a layer of kindness and selflessness rarely seen in such a cutthroat town.

But while the humanitarian aspect and general Girl Power sentiment are a fascinating complimentary element to Double Dare, it is the window into behind the scenes production that is both fascinating and incredibly revealing. Its obvious these people love the art of film making as they risk their lives and limbs to help make them a reality, and in turn the actors, directors and everyone else above the line has nothing but gratitude for their tireless efforts.

But beyond that, Double Dare opens wide the window into what these people, and specifically women, must do to make these scenes come to life. Intensive training, hours of work, bruises, breaks, pulls and a surprising lack of protective gear, all so the stunt performers can match closely with their on-screen counterparts . It is a dangerous, daring and dynamic line of work and these women clearly love it. Apparently none more than Zoe, whose face positively beams with excitement as every new and more complicated stunt is presented to her.

As fascinating a character as Jeannie is, the true star of the film is Zoe, and what is most fascinating is that everyone knows it but her. As stunt performers marvel at her skills Zoe constantly and effortlessly moves through each scene like the happiest kid in the World’s Biggest candy store. Zoe is so comfortable and relaxed that she continually forgets that there is a camera following her, resulting in numerous candid moments that she is truly as fun loving as she already appears to be.

Now those of you who know Zoe Bell also know that she was eventually cast as Uma Thurman’s stunt double for both of the Kill Bill films, and easily the greatest moments in Double Dare are directly tied to Zoe’s tryouts for the role.

You see Zoe was a virtual unknown in Hollywood when she arrived from New Zealand, and it was Jeannie that not only recognized her talent but had Zoe invited to a workout where she knew multiple talent evaluators would be in attendance. And sure enough, Zoe killed. She caught the eye of the stunt co-coordinator for Kill Bill, Keith Adams, who in turn invited her to a tryout for the film in front of Quentin Tarantino and legendary martial arts adviser Master Woo-ping Yuen.

It is at the tryout that Double Dare turns into a truly magical film. As Zoe continues to impress those in attendance, the camera catches Master Woo-ping and Quentin Tarantino quickly noticing that someone special was suddenly in their midst. And slowly but surely, Quentin starts to display that shit-eating grin that he has become synonymous with, it quickly becomes clear that he is positively enamored with Zoe. So when he pounces on a chance to introduce himself, during a quick break in her workout, you soon realize that in that brief moment in time, Quentin is the fan privileged enough to meet a star for the first time. And through all of that, Zoe is still unaware, and certainly unsure, that she has made an impression. That is, until; she receives the phone call that will change her life forever.

And it is in those moments or role-reversal, trepidation and unadulterated joy that Double Dare provides you, the viewer, a chance to watch a genuinely nice person, who has worked their whole life for this one shining moment, really and truly grab hold of their dreams. And right then, Double Dare shines almost as brightly as Zoe Bell’s infectious smile.

Want to watch a good movie this weekend? Then head over to St Anthony Main

Matt Gamble — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:19:36 +0000

Want to watch a good movie this weekend? Then head over to St Anthony Main Where the Long Tail Ends

One thing this city is lucky to have is an amazing number of places to take in a quality film, be it first-run, second-run or just a repertory showing. And while the Riverview dominates the second-run showings (though The Parkway certainly performs admirably) you can usually count on the place to have your best choices of films to be a Landmark theatre, both in selection and quality.

Oh sure The Trylon will challenge, and often, exhilarate you with its limited runs, and the ICON is doing its damnedest to not be a cookie-cutter multiplex, week in and week out the Landmark Theatres here in town just keep putting out quality product for people to watch. That is until this weekend when St Anthony Main waltzed right in and whooped everyone’s ass.

Part of it is that The King’s Speech has pretty much swallowed up the Edina, and with True Grit and Black Swan dominating the Lagoon their just isn’t much screen space for new films to come out, resulting in in choices like Somewhere (is anyone conscious actually excited about this film?) and Made in Dagenham (Yeah, I don’t know what it is either) as your new releases.

But over at St Anthony Main? While they are still running True Grit and Black Swan in addition to the outstanding The Fighter, they just added Four Lions and Summer Wars, two films that have the potential to blow audiences away for entirely different reasons.

So drop on by the little multiplex that could, pull out and dart and toss it at the board, knowing full well you can’t help but watch a damn good film. Oh sure you might hit Little Fockers but every game needs at least one Whammy to add a little risk.

Watch the trailers for Four Lions and Summer Wars after the break!

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Summer Wars
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Four Lions
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And for good measure … Made in Dagenham
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Long Tail Approved (1/7/11)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:59:37 +0000

Long Tail Approved (1/7/11) Where the Long Tail Ends

I really do need to post this particular column more frequently, as I do love me some obscure home video releases, and it is rare the week where I don’t find at least one that catches my eye and seems, at the very least, worth my time.

Their are a few this week as well, and Catfish probably seems like the obvious choice as it has churned up enough controversy with its is it or isn’t it real banter. Add to that the fact hat it is a very good documentary and you have the recipe for a film that is worth watching and discussing. But frankly, I’ve talked about it so much now that I’ve more than burnt out on it.

So instead I’m picking a film that actually had fair success at the Box Office (its final gross was over $40 million), and its ending generated plenty of controversy and upheaval from film-goers, enough that the backlash was strong enough that it disappeared from theatres within 5 weeks of release in spite of being in the top 5 its first two weeks.

But I’m quite proud to say that The Last Exorcism is one of my top 10 favorite films of the year. Its a film that manipulates its audiences with remarkable ease, convincing viewers that left is right and down is up, and coupled with its blatant exploitive marketing campaign and its easy to see why viewers were aghast at the film hey received when they went in expecting something far more showy and gory.

Instead you are handed a self-reflective character piece from an admitted charlatan who wants to stop fooling congregations, and a tour-de-force performance from a relative unknown in Ashley Bell that will scarcely receive a sniff of recognition at awards time simply because it occurs in an outright genre film.

But make no mistake, this film has oodles of tricks up its sleeve, and just because you might not like the payoff doesn’t mean that this parlor trick wasn’t entirely successful.

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How about a trailer round up?

Matt Gamble — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:13:02 +0000

How about a trailer round up? Where the Long Tail Ends

Because I can enjoy a couple trailers for films that just might be awful or might be ok, but I’m going to watch them anyways. Because that’s how I roll. Or un-spool as the metaphor might say.

Cedar Rapids
To call insurance agent Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), “naive” is a gross understatement. He’s never left his small hometown. He’s never stayed at a hotel. And he’s never experienced anything like Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sent to represent his company at the annual insurance convention, Tim is soon distracted by three convention veterans (John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr.) who will show him the ropes and push his boundaries. For a guy who plays everything by the book, this convention will be anything but conventional.

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Your Highness
Throughout history, tales of chivalry have burnished the legends of brave, handsome knights who rescue fair damsels, slay dragons and conquer evil. But behind many a hero is a good-for-nothing younger brother trying just to stay out of the way of those dragons, evil and trouble in general. Danny McBride and James Franco team up for an epic comedy adventure set in a fantastical world–”Your Highness.” As two princes on a daring mission to save their land, they must rescue the heir apparent’s fiancée before their kingdom is destroyed.

Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure, adoration and the throne, he’s settled for a life of wizard’s weed, hard booze and easy maidens. But when Fabious’ bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), gets kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), the king gives his deadbeat son an ultimatum: Man up and help rescue her or get cut off.

Half-assedly embarking upon his first quest, Thadeous joins Fabious to trek across the perilous outlands and free the princess. Joined by Isabel (Natalie Portman)-an elusive warrior with a dangerous agenda of her own-the brothers must vanquish horrific creatures and traitorous knights before they can reach Belladonna. If Thadeous can find his inner hero, he can help his brother prevent the destruction of his land. Stay a slacker, and not only does he die a coward, he gets front row seats to the dawn of an all-new Dark Ages.

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Hanna
The title character of this adventure thriller, filmed in Europe, Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Cate Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

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Paul
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite for the comedy adventure “Paul” as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever.

Take Me Home Tonight trailer is tickling my Cusack

Matt Gamble — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:06:31 +0000

Take Me Home Tonight trailer is tickling my Cusack Where the Long Tail Ends

It seems their is a bit of a movement lately for films being set in the 80′s (Adventureland, The House of the Devil, Let Me In) and now here comes yet another. And while John Cusack tried half-heartedly to reclaim some of his lost 80′s magic with Hot Tub Time Machine, it seems that Take Me Home Tonight might actually be one of the rare films that might be able to pull of being a retro-styled Cusack film that isn’t truly terrible.

It also helps that I’m one of the few remaining Topher Grace fans, though the fact this film has been sitting on the shelf for two years isn’t helping matters. Though kudos for the Angie Everheart call-back and the almost judicious use of NWA in the trailer.

As the summer of 1988 winds down, three friends on the verge of adulthood attend an out-of-control party in celebration of their last night of unbridled youth. Starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler and Teresa Palmer, Take Me Home Tonight is a raunchy, romantic and ultimately touching blast from the past set to an awesome soundtrack of timeless rock and hip-hop hits. Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) should be working for a Fortune 500 company and starting his upward climb to full-fledged yuppie-hood. Instead, the directionless 23-year-old confounds family and friends by taking a part-time job behind the counter of a video store at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. But Matt’s silent protest against maturity comes to a screeching halt once his unrequited high school crush, Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer), walks into the store. When she invites him to an epic, end-of-summer party, Matt thinks he finally might have a chance with the girl of his dreams. With his cynical twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris) and best friend Barry (Dan Fogler), Matt embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime evening. From stealing a car to a marriage proposal to an indescribable, no-holds-barred dance-off, these friends share experiences that will change the course of their lives on one unforgettable night in the Go-Go ’80s.

Check out the trailer after the break!

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The British Television Advertising Awards at The Walker

Matt Gamble — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:21:36 +0000

The British Television Advertising Awards at The Walker Where the Long Tail Ends

The BTAA’s are a bit of a holiday tradition at The Walker and I finely got around to going to one of them this year. And while most years are well known for being filled with light-hearted and humorous ads, this year I got bombarded with serious and somber ads that sometimes splattered polar bear corpses on city streets just because they could. Well, and because they wanted to lecture you on carbon emissions.

But that isn’t to say that their weren’t plenty of ads that I enjoyed, and a few of them I enjoyed quite a bit, more than enough to justify the two hours spent watching ads that I paid the privileged to watch. Well I didn’t pay, but the sentiment still stands. Anyways here are a few of my favorites.

Goodness Unlimited – McCain Potato Range
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Space Chair – Toshiba Regza SV Television
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Extreme Shepherding – Samsung
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Eyebrows – Cadbury
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The Man Who Walked Around the World – Johnnie Walker Whisky
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Carousel – Philips
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Documentary Lemmy coming to the Riverview

Matt Gamble — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:14:43 +0000

Documentary Lemmy coming to the Riverview Where the Long Tail Ends

Do I really need to sell you on watching this?

Saturday 1/15
11:30 pm | $8

Over four decades, Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister has registered an immeasurable impact on music history. Nearly 65, he remains the living embodiment of the rock and roll lifestyle, and this feature-length documentary tells his story, one of a hard-living rock icon who continues to enjoy the life of a man half his age.

Shot on a combination of High Definition and Super 16mm film, “Lemmy” includes interviews with friends, family, bandmates past and present and such admirers/peers as Metallica, Slash, Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters), Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order), actor Billy Bob Thornton, wrestling superstar Triple H, Alice Cooper, Mick Jones of The Clash, and many more.

Called “pure gold” by WIRED, “Lemmy” made its world premiere in March 2010 at the South by Southwest Film and Music Festival, and has since collected rave reviews at film festivals around the globe. Variety remarked “‘Lemmy’ rocks,” and The Hollywood Reporter noted, “You don’t have to be a metalhead to love ‘Lemmy.’”

More information can be found at lemmymovie.com
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Wherefore art thou Chris Cunningham?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:13:50 +0000

Wherefore art thou Chris Cunningham? Where the Long Tail Ends

Nowadays the Internet has sort of killed the possibility of not knowing about something that is in the works. With its noodly like appendages reaching far and wide, the Internet and its various fan sites routinely throttle wish fulfillment into oblivion on a daily basis. This seems to be especially true of movies, as the blogosphere seems hell bent on revealing every single minute plot detail, script revisions, green lit projects and on set photos that it can find. To them whether or not a movie will ever be made doesn’t matter, but revealing details about a rumored Chutes & Ladders film is just too enticing to dismiss.

So when a director who is ridiculously talented goes more than half a decade without making a new film you’d think they’d be asking questions about just what the heck he is doing. To be fair the director in question, Chris Cunningham, has never made a feature length film, but he’s tempted audiences with his music videos, commercials and short films for years, of which he hasn’t made any since his epic 6 minute opus Rubber Johnny way back in 2005. Oh sure you may think Irreversible or Antichrist is disturbing, but you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen Rubber Johnny.

Besides being a noted director, Cunningham also is a noteworthy effects creator. After garnering attention for designing the ABC Robot and Mean Machine for Judge Dredd, Cunningham began catching the eye of the likes of Clive Barker, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and David Fincher, and even swooning Stanley Kubrick with his creations, so much so that Cunningham was kept on A.I. even after Kubrick’s untimely death. But even his effects career has effectively vanished into thin air since A.I.

So what has he been doing? Primarily getting his projects killed, as Cunningham has been at work adapting both A Scanner Darkly and William Gibson’s Neuromancer to the big screen only to have the projects killed, and in the case of A Scanner Darkly, picked up and made by another director.

But earlier this year Cunningham finally released a new work, this a music video remix of the Gil Scott-Heron song New York is Killing Me, which recently opened at the Museum of Modern Art. Even better? Cunningham is claiming to be working on an audio visual album to be released sometime soon. So while it looks like the possibility of Cunningham ever turning his attention to feature filmmaking is quickly passing by, it looks like his exploits in the music industry are just getting started.

I can live with that.

I Saw the Devil to get March release

Matt Gamble — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:25:43 +0000

I Saw the Devil to get March release Where the Long Tail Ends

In what is already shaping up to be a banner year for domestic films, foreign releases just got a huge boost by the announcement by Magnet that I Saw the Devil, the ridiculously controversial yet highly acclaimed Korean police procedural, will receive a limited theatrical release on March 4th in the US.

Pairing up actors Lee Byung-hyun (A Bittersweet Life, The Good The Bad And The Weird, GI Joe) and Choi Min-Sik (Oldboy) with director Kim Ji-woon (The Good The Bad And The Weird, A Tale of Two Sisters), I Saw the Devil infamously was effectively banned in its native country of Korea, only to receive massive acclaim during its festival run.

No word yet on if Minneapolis will happen to be one of the Cities that lucks out and gets to take part in the release, but here’s to hoping.

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Long Tail Approved (12/17/10)

Matt Gamble — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 05:22:06 +0000

Long Tail Approved (12/17/10) Where the Long Tail Ends

Its been a few weeks since I’ve thrown together a DVD recommendation. I can blame a few things, a hectic holiday schedule, general apathy towards several of the choices on certain weeks and just plain laziness. But this week along came a movie that I simply must recommend because while it is relatively easy to find now that its been released on DVD, it was fairly hard to find while it was in its limited theatrical release. That film is Banksy’s street art disaster film, Exit Through the Gift Shop.

I simply can’t recommend the film enough, and considering the subject matter it isn’t likely to progress past the Oscar’s short list for Best Documentary to being named one of the actual finalists for the award. Which is a shame because not only is it the best documentary of the year, but the best film of the year.

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Order Now

Enhance your Rare Exports experience

Matt Gamble — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:23:59 +0000

Enhance your Rare Exports experience Where the Long Tail Ends

Rare Exports is an interesting film, incredibly dry and no where near as horrific as its trailer implies. In fact, the film is clearly a horror film made for children, making it a rare find in the modern cinematic landscape. But its a film that doesn’t lend itself well to going in blind, as it clearly has a solidly constructed mythos but it isn’t always clearly explained while watching the film.

So, take a few minutes and watch these two outstanding shorts and then go track down this incredibly unique and entertaining movie.

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Tree of Life trailer makes me eyegasm

Matt Gamble — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:44:36 +0000

Tree of Life trailer makes me eyegasm Where the Long Tail Ends

Tree of Life, the new film from Terrence Malick, has been my most anticipated movie for the past decade, mainly because it sure as hell feels like this movie has been pushed back that many times in as many years. Sure its closer to only three, but is that really any less obnoxious? Thankfully, the wait that has been positively killing art snobs is finally almost over, as this week brought about the release of the trailer for the film.

Sure the trailer doesn’t make a lick of sense, by good lord if it isn’t every pretty to look at. And by pretty I mean jaw droppingly beautiful. Thus quickly putting to halt any complaints I might have previously had about having to wait this damn long, because visually, it most certainly will be worth it.

From Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director of such classic films as Badlands, Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950′s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick’s signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life.

Watch the trailer after the break!

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Tree of Life sprouts to life in theatres on May 27, 2011.

The Assassination of Yogi Bear by the Coward BooBoo

Matt Gamble — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:06:22 +0000

The Assassination of Yogi Bear by the Coward BooBoo Where the Long Tail Ends

If only this scene was in the actual movie and not just a parody. But in spite of that error, you really have to give the creator of this mad props for turning a truly atrocious looking movie into a poignant tribute of a brilliant film.

In other news, if you haven’t watched The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford your life is meaningless.

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Watch the scene that inspired the parody after the break!

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2010 Movies remixed in 6 minutes

Matt Gamble — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:18:24 +0000

2010 Movies remixed in 6 minutes Where the Long Tail Ends

2010 has been an odd year for film, coming off the heels of one of the best decades in history you were bound to have some sort of drop off in quality. That this year also represented the creative stunting due to the 2007 strike by the Writer’s Guild of America didn’t help matters. And while many of the big name tent poles failed to energize audiences, the year turned out to be one of the most interesting I’ve seen in some time if you are a fan of genre films, primarily because so many films had such strong genre influences. 2010 may not have been a year that thrilled multiplexes, but with so many films mixing and mashing genres you had a year that pushed the boundaries of creativity and innovation, and it is a year that I think might well end up being fondly remembered in the future once people have time to sit and process the myriad of smaller, off the radar, films that truly had something interesting to say.

So what better way to remember such a year than with a mashup video? 270 films from the past season, remixed into a package that entertains and amazes in an easy to digest 6 minute package.

Please sir, can I has some more?
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Want to know which movies appear in the video? Check it out here.

Why can’t all weekends be like this in the VIP?

Matt Gamble — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:39:06 +0000

Why can’t all weekends be like this in the VIP? Where the Long Tail Ends

First off, it should be noted that I think the VIP section at the Showplace ICON Theatre is arguably the best place to watch a movie in the Twin Cities. But that doesn’t mean it is a perfect place to watch a movie, and one thing that occassionally trips up the whole experience is due to which films are booked up there.

Now, for the most part I think the ICON has done a solid job of trying to get the most popular movies up there for people to see, and they’ve made huge strides in booking solid counter-programming between the two houses so people typically have at least some semblence of a choice between the two theatres.

But by being limited to just two houses, their will always be the occassional hiccup whenever their is aparticularly strong release week, or when one particularly large tent pole release gobbles up both houses due to sheer demand. Both of those issues would be quickly resolved with more VIP auditoriums, but that simply isn’t in the cards, so the next best thing is to make sure to consistently get the best movies the ICON is showing up in those houses, and this weekend you certainly are going to be given that.

Its rare that such contrasting films are also the two most likely to bring in the biggest box office numbers, and that these two films represent the best of both arthouse and blockbuster film making is also a rare occurence, but one that gives people the chance to treat themselves to a luxurious VIP double feature of Tron: Legacy and Black Swan out at the ICON.

Tickets on sale now for Tron: Legacy, and tickets for Black Swan go on sale after 5pm tomorrow (12/14). Purchase both at showplaceicon.com.

Check out the trailers after the break!

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Black Swan
A psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet, Black Swan stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a featured dancer who finds herself locked in a web of competitive intrigue with a new rival at the company (Mila Kunis).

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Tron: Legacy
TRON is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (GARRETT HEDLUND), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (JEFF BRIDGES), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant (OLIVIA WILDE), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

The Irishman is gunna kill

Matt Gamble — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 03:08:04 +0000

The Irishman is gunna kill Where the Long Tail Ends

Being Friday once again a handful of trailers are released as attached to new releases. Some of them actually look interesting (Kill the Irishman), other I’m oddly non-committal about (Thor, I Am Number Four, Real Steel) and one just makes my brain bleed (Transformers: Dark of the Moon). But all of them, and I can’t stress this similarity enough, are trailers.

So to help you be as lazy as I am I am placing them all in one easy to navigate post. Make sure to hold of your thanks until after you’ve watched them, because most of them aren’t very good.

Kill the Irishman
Over the summer of 1976, thirty-six bombs detonate in the heart of Cleveland while a turf war raged between Irish mobster Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson) and the Italian mafia. Based on a true story, “Kill the Irishman” chronicles Greene’s heroic rise from a tough Cleveland neighborhood to become an enforcer in the local mob. Turning the tables on loan shark Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken) and allying himself with gangster John Nardi (Vincent D’Onofrio), Greene stops taking orders from the mafia and pursues his own power. Surviving countless assassination attempts from the mob and killing off anyone who went after him in retaliation, Danny Greene’s infamous invincibility and notorious fearlessness eventually led to the collapse of mafia syndicates across the U.S. and also earned him the status of the man the mob couldn’t kill. Hide Trailer Details

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Watch the rest of the trailers after the break!

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Real Steel
A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback. Hide Trailer Details

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The Autobots Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide and Sideswipe led by Optimus Prime, are back in action, taking on the evil Decepticons, who are determined to avenge their defeat in 2009′s Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. In this new movie, the Autobots and Decepticons become involved in a perilous space race between the U.S. and Russia, and once again human Sam Witwicky has to come to the aid of his robot friends. There’s new characters too, including a new villain in the form of Shockwave, a longtime Transformers character who rules Cybertron while the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out on Earth.

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I Am Number Four
Three are dead. Who is Number Four? D.J. Caruso (“Eagle Eye,” “Disturbia”) helms an action-packed thriller about an extraordinary teen, John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events—his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

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Thor
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, Thor, which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Godzilla + Moto-i = Bliss

Matt Gamble — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:43:34 +0000

Godzilla + Moto-i = Bliss Where the Long Tail Ends

First off, huge thanks to the fells over at Switchblade Comb for giving me the heads up on this.

Second, and probably most importantly, Moto-i, the only sake brew pub outside of Japan, and one of my favorite places to eat in the Twin Cities, is now running Godzilla films every Sunday night at 10pm and midnight.

Which means I can now enjoy Godzilla, pork buns and the best damn roasted peanuts on the planet the way God always intended them. In a kick ass Minneapolis bar.

Moto-i (Official Website)
Motio-i (Facebook Page)
Moto-i (Twitter Feed)

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Godzilla Tribute
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The ICON hosts the 2010 Filmanthropist Project

Matt Gamble — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:25:06 +0000

The ICON hosts the 2010 Filmanthropist Project Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m a little behind in posting this (especially once you factor that I was involved in actually bringing this great little festival to the ICON) but you can never be too late, right? Work with me here. Anyways, The top 10 short films for this year’s Filmanthropist Project will be screening for free out at the ICON this Sunday.

Hopefully this is just the first of many festivals who start to call the ICON home.

Filmanthropist Project (Official Website)
Filmanthropist Project (Facebook Page)

On December 12th, join us for an afternoon of short documentary films that showcase the very best of community engagement in Minnesota. We will screen this year’s top ten films and award the top three with cash and prizes.

As always, this event is FREE with a canned food item or an optional $5 donation. Come ready to experience a fresh perspective of your own community and leave inspired by the good work happening in your own backyard.

What: 2010 Filmanthropist Project Screening and Awards Reception
Where: Kerasotes Showplace Icon 14 Theaters
When: Sunday, December 12th, 4:00pm
Why: To showcase the inspiring community improvement in progress across Minnesota through the lens of local filmmakers.
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2008 Filmanthropist Project Winning Film

Give the gift of Wereswans this holiday season

Matt Gamble — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:26:06 +0000

Give the gift of Wereswans this holiday season Where the Long Tail Ends

After blowing up last weekend in its limited release of 18 screens, Darren Aronofsky’s latest film, Black Swan will be opening at The Uptown Theatre for an exclusive run (as The Uptown is prone to do). But the big news today is that Fox Searchlight, buoyed by the record setting per-screen average of the film, announced that it will be expanding the film into wide release in the US on Dec 22nd, just in time to compete with the likes of True Grit, Little Fockers and Gulliver’s Travels.

While this is exciting news, I am a bit worried that Black Swan and True Git are going to poach each other’s customers, causing both to be less successful at the box office than they should be. Neither are classic holiday releases (except in my family where one-eyed alcoholic gunslingers and wereswans gather around the Festivus pole every year) so they are already at a disadvantage going up against studio flotsam like Little Fockers and Gulliver’s Travels. Ah well, guess I’ll just have to trust the judgment of the American movie going public to pick the best movies this Christmas.

Yeah, my money is on Little Fockers too.
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St Anthony Main’s December Lineup

Matt Gamble — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:35:22 +0000

St Anthony Main’s December Lineup Where the Long Tail Ends

Well, remaining lineup. I’m not exactly quick on the uptake this time of year. Probably because I’m working 16 hours a day and sleeping 4 if I am lucky.Thankfully their are only … 24 more days in the holiday season. Crap.

But what’s not crap is St Anthony Main’s December lineup.Point of fact, its actually pretty damn awesome. Booking Rare Exports for Christmas Eve is ingenious, and showing off Summer Wars on New Years Eve is possibly the best way to ring out the year that I can think of. Kudos Minnesota Film Arts, you’re ending the year with a bang.

12/10 – Boxing Gym
12/19 – Unspoken Rules – Documenting America
12/24-31 – Ronia the Robber’s Daughter
12/24-26 – American Matchmaker (Amerikaner Shadkhn)
12/24 – Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
12/31 – Summer Wars

And while I’ve already posted the fantastic trailer for Rare Exports, be sure to feast your eyes on the trailer for Summer Wars. You won’t regret it though you may not completely understand it.
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Morning Glory

Matt Gamble — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:04:26 +0000

Morning Glory Where the Long Tail Ends

Nostalgia – it’s delicate, but potent. Teddy told me that in Greek, “nostalgia” literally means “the pain from an old wound.” It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. It goes backwards, and forwards … it takes us to a place where we ache to go again.

Nostalgia is an interesting thing. In spite of your best intentions, your most rock solid logic, or even your most rigid bias, nostalgia is an emotional trump card that can overcome any obstacle, real or imagined. It is so powerful, that companies yearn to exploit it, and in the theatre business an ever increasingly nostalgic release schedule means countless retreads of characters, stories and franchises that hunger to recapture their former glory in your heart of hearts.

But actually connecting, truly connecting with people’s base memories and loves is a tricky and difficult task, one that is rarely accomplished through blatant manufactured ideas, but rather, it is strongest when it appears in forms you really didn’t expect, and thus catches your better judgment off guard and beats it to a bloody pulp. I experienced said beating recently when I watched Morning Glory.

Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) is New Jersey’s hottest young TV executive, that is until budgetary cutbacks lead to her unwitting termination. Not one to take this setback lying down, Becky soon muscles her way into executive producing a morning show for a major network whose rating just happen to be in the toilet. In a last ditch effort to resurrect the ratings she enlists the help of Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) a respected anchor man who’d rather be reporting hard news stories that slinging morning show swill. Wow, it sounds like a match made in Hollywood Heaven.

Excuse me while I pause for a quick announcement from my reasoning for even attending this film. You see I had just watched 127 Hours at The Uptown theatre, a movie which I enjoyed quite a bit, but at the same time it left me haggard and my stomach more than a bit upset with me. I keep hearing that the film is supposed to be uplifting but that isn’t the response I had. Oh sure the ending is for the most part happy, and I suppose it could be argued that it was inspiring, but for me the film was far more of an emotional rollercoaster that left me winded and shaken. While this is most certainly a good thing, it isn’t exactly how I wanted to end my movie watching day so I decided I would wash my palette with a movie that I knew couldn’t possibly challenge me in the slightest, Morning Glory.

It’s true that Morning Glory didn’t challenge me. It’s simple and obvious with a wafer thin plot that has existed in countless other romantic comedies churned out by Hollywood over the years. By all rights it’s a movie that should offend me simply by how insulting the story is, but I never once found such sentiments ever boiling to the surface, but rather I found myself enamored with a man I had long since written off, Harrison Ford.

Now Harrison Ford has never been what I would call a great actor, but he once was a fine leading man. He isn’t capable of enveloping a character and giving it life, rather, his skills are in his reactions to the players moving around him and interacting with him. Take a minute and throw on Star Wars and just watch his performance. He’s a marvel of reaction shots and facial tics that absolutely convey every emotion that character is experiencing. Watching Harrison Ford as Han Solo, you know that character within seconds of being introduced to him. It’s an acting gift that many are not capable of, but it’s one that Ford brings to the table whenever he is engaged with a role.

That lack of engagement with his parts has been the key reason why Ford’s films, and his career, have taken such a nosedive in the past decade. He no longer is an actor who can connect with his audience at such an intimate level, and because his other acting skills are lacking, he simply can’t get audiences to engage with his films. Instead we watch a man simply going through the motions on screen, but rather than hate him or his movies we simply long for the times when he once was able to introduce us to people we never imagined we could ever meet.

Yet as I sat and watched Morning Glory I quickly became aware that this was not the sad bastard version of Ford I’d grown to expect in his films, but rather something very different. He was grizzled and surly, but he was engaging. You wanted to know why his character,Mike Pomeroy, was this way and you couldn’t help but want more as you watched. This was a Ford who had somehow come back to what he was so good at in the past and was finally laying it all out for people to once again witness, which could not be described as anything short of glorious.

I’d grown up on Harrison Ford, watched him in every movie that he starred in, and each time I became more and more enamored with him. But I’d grown tired of him these past years, and with each new movie I simply grew more and more lethargic at his cinematic table scraps and soon I simply stopped going, and not long after that I stopped caring.

It’s hard for me to revisit people, places or things that I no longer care about. I’m protective of my emotions and I rarely offer a second chance to recapture feelings I once had. It’s not because I don’t care, and it’s not because I don’t want to, I just simply don’t have the energy to put in the effort to rebuild those bridges, especially when it’s obvious that the other party doesn’t care.

That’s what nostalgia is for me. It’s the portion of my heart where I shove things that I know I can’t care about anymore, but still fondly remember the times that I did. I don’t have any ill will towards those items, rather many of those things host some of my most cherished memories. It’s a place where I had gently and carefully placed Harrison Ford, seemingly for good, until he decided that wasn’t a place he was happy being stored, and instead decided to lure me to unlock the door by making me a frittata.

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You really shouldn’t show your beaver out in public, Mel

Matt Gamble — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:31:36 +0000

You really shouldn’t show your beaver out in public, Mel Where the Long Tail Ends

Funny thing about watching the trailer for Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster’s latest movie, The Beaver, is that I clearly remember that when Mel was having his meltdown(s) this past summer, word was the film was going to be shelved because the studio wouldn’t want to put the movie out when the public was clearly so anti-Mel Gibson.

But as you watch the trailer, which is about a guy who has a bit of a mental breakdown and turns to a beaver hand puppet to help him maintain control, I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t immediately think that any marketing rep worth with his weight in salt wouldn’t be drooling at the potential tie-ins Mel’s behavior could reap for this film.

But then I’m a cynic.

Two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with two-time Academy Award winner Mel Gibson in The Beaver – an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life.

Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black was once a successful toy executive and family man who now suffers from depression. No matter what he tries, Walter can’t seem to get himself back on track… until a beaver hand puppet enters his life.

The Beaver demands your thanks sometime early next year.

And be sure to check out the ridiculously obvious trailer after the break!

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One to Watch: Maniac

Matt Gamble — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:47:18 +0000

One to Watch: Maniac Where the Long Tail Ends

With the dearth of new releases this weekend I figured it was once again time to tout the great job the fellas over at The Uptown Theatre have been doing with their Midnight Madness films. One of the reasons I’ve been enjoying it so much is that they keep booking the occasional off-kilter film instead of sticking to a steady diet of 80′s nostalgia. This weekend will be one such moment as they introduce Minneapolis to Maniac, a grindhouse serial killer film with not so much a heart, but at least a dramatic arc for its antagonist. Also its banned in like 431 countries, so you know its good cinema.

This 1980 grindhouse classic is back on the big screen! Starring Joe Spinell as the deranged Frank Zito. Frank is an embittered loser who talks to himself and his dead mother, stalks a pretty model (legend Caroline Munro), and spends his spare time brutally murdering and scalping women.

Maniac tears out your funny bone this Friday and Saturday at midnight. Word of warning, no one under 17 will be admitted.

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Spirit Award nominees are announced

Matt Gamble — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:12:22 +0000

Spirit Award nominees are announced Where the Long Tail Ends

And thus begins my tepid titillation at the upcoming award season. I’m not saying I don’t like award shows, but I just don’t like award shows. As for the actual awards themselves, they are fairly meaningless except in the minds of consumers. So while I may not really care who wins what, I have to admit that I at least like the fact that nominations do play a huge role in getting smaller films some much needed love at the box office. And The Spirit Awards, which is the preeminent award for Independent filmmaking, certainly do as good a job of getting the little guy noticed as anyone.

So without further ado, the nominees are…

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BEST FEATURE
127 Hours
Black Swan
Greenberg
The Kids Are All Right
Winter’s Bone

BEST DIRECTORDarren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
John Cameron Mitchell, Rabbit Hole

BEST SCREENPLAY
Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, Winter’s Bone
Nicole Holofcener, Please Give
David Lindsay-Abaire, Rabbit Hole
Todd Solondz, Life During Wartime

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Everything Strange and New
Get Low
Night Catches Us
The Last Exorcism
Tiny Furniture

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Diane Bell, Obselidia
Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture
Nik Fackler, Lovely, Still
Bob Glaudini, Jack Goes Boating
Dana Adam Shapiro, Evan M. Wiener, Monogamy

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
Daddy Longlegs
Lbs.
Lovers of Hate
Obselidia
The Exploding Girl

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Greta Gerwig, Greenberg
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

BEST MALE LEAD
Ronald Bronstein, Daddy Longlegs
Aaron Eckhart, Rabbit Hole
James Franco, 127 Hours
John C. Reilly, Cyrus
Ben Stiller, Greenberg
ADVERTISEMENT

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Ashley Bell, The Last Exorcism
Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone
Allison Janney, Life During Wartime
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jack Goes Boating
Naomi Watts, Mother and Child

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Samuel L. Jackson, Mother and Child
Bill Murray, Get Low
John Ortiz, Jack Goes Boating
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Adam Kimmel, Never Let Me Go
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan
Jody Lee Lipes, Tiny Furniture
Michael McDonough, Winter’s Bone
Harris Savides, Greenberg

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Marwencol
Restrepo
Sweetgrass
Thunder Soul

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Kisses
Mademoiselle Chambon
Of Gods and Men
The King’s Speech
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
Hossein Keshavarz, Dog Sweat
Laurel Nakadate, The Wolf Knife
Mike Ott, Littlerock

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
In-Ah Lee, Au Revoir Taipei
Adele Romanski, The Myth of the American Sleepover
Anish Savjani, Meek’s Cutoff

AVEENO® TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Sweetgrass
Jeff Malmberg, Marwencol
Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Summer Pasture

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
Please Give
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele

We’ll miss you Leslie

Matt Gamble — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:40:26 +0000

We’ll miss you Leslie Where the Long Tail Ends

I might just throw on a triple bill of Forbidden Planet, The Poseidon Adventure and Day of the Animals in remembrance. He was capable of doing more than comedy, you know. And as much as I love Airplane! and the opportunities it opened for him, and the rewards it brought him, it would have been nice if he had still done the occasional genre film. But now that opportunity is forever closed and its a damn shame.
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I’m totally late in announcing the latest episode of The Movie Club Podcast

Matt Gamble — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 16:07:27 +0000

I’m totally late in announcing the latest episode of The Movie Club Podcast Where the Long Tail Ends

It was actually posted a week ago but my week long struggles with trying to get the Malware cleaned off the site (and general reorganizing of the site) I just never got around to posting about the latest episode of The Movie Club Podcast. For those of you who don’t know, The Movie Club Podcast is a rotating group of film fans and writers from such websites as The Documentary Blog, Film Junk, Quiet Earth, Row Three, Twitch, and Where the Long Tail Ends who get together to discuss a pair of films every episode. Usually I’m the person in on the discussions from this site, but in this episode James picked up the mantle for the site and more than held his own.

In this episode they review two films known for pushing the boundaries of good taste, they being Takashi Miike’s Visitor Q and Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. I’d go into them more but I prefer to simply close the comments and direct you over to The Movie Club Podcast to discuss the film.

The Source Code is so hot right now

Matt Gamble — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:19:37 +0000

The Source Code is so hot right now Where the Long Tail Ends

So the trailer for Duncan Jones’ new film was released this week and I’m not sure what I think about it. Sure, I’ll go see anything from the guy who lovingly gave me Moon but the trailer hardly does a thing to convince me that this film is anything but mindless filler, or that it is deserving of being such a highly sought after script.

You may not remember this, but Source Code used to be considered one of the hottest scripts in Hollywood, even being named to the Hollywood Black List just a few years ago, alongside such other notable screenplays like The Road, Adventureland, Never Let Me Go and The Wrestler. Even more surprising? Source Code was more highly regarded than all but The Road.

So sure, I was going to see this movie anyways, and yes I’m am a bit skeptical based on the trailer, but with Duncan Jones and a supposedly killer script hopefully this film turns out to be far more interesting than it initially appears.

When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he’s ever known, he learns he’s part of a government experiment called the “Source Code,” a program that enables him to cross over into another man’s identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack.

Filled with mind-boggling twists and heart-pounding suspense, Source Code is a smart action-thriller directed by Duncan Jones (Moon) also starring Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Due Date), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), and Jeffrey Wright (Quantum of Solace, Syriana).

Source Code will blow your mind on April 15th, 2011.

Watch the trailer after the break!

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The Parkway presents a Melody Gilbert Marathon

Matt Gamble — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 01:43:17 +0000

The Parkway presents a Melody Gilbert Marathon Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve seen a couple of Melody Gilbert’s documentaries over the years and I’ve yet to be dissappointed. I’d like to give a special shout out to Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness as a film that really should be seen on the big screen. But if uyou have any time during the first weekend in December, make sure to make it over to the Parkway Theatre to enjoy some great food and movies courtesy of Pepito’s and one of Minnesota’s best filmmakers. melody will be present for all the screenings, along with cast members from some of the different films, making the Parkway a must-see destination that weekend.

Frozen Feet Films (Melody’s Website)
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Friday, Dec. 3rd
6 pm: Disconnected
7:30pm: Married at the Mall (with Melody’s new short doc Tami Tushie’s Toys)
9:15pm: Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness
10:30pm: After-party @ Pepitos (next door) – Half-price apps and 2-for-1 drinks

Saturday, Dec. 4
3pm: Whole
4:30pm: A Life Without Pain (with MN family featured in the film)

Sunday, Dec. 5
6pm: Fritz: The Walter Mondale Story
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Battle: Los Angeles teaser has piqued my interest

Matt Gamble — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 06:59:53 +0000

Battle: Los Angeles teaser has piqued my interest Where the Long Tail Ends

I haven’t been paying much attention to Battle: Los Angeles for a couple of reasons. One, director Jonathan Liebesman has made a career out of making truly horrible films (Oh Hi, Darkness Falls) and two, I really don’t give a crap about another alien invasion movie. At least in terms of epic scale alien invasion films. They just seem horribly cliched and rote and frankly, I’m just getting sick of them.

But I have to admit, the teaser for Battle: Los Angeles is pretty damn enticing. The film looks like it might simply be making a gritty war film, that simply swaps out the current enemy of the week with aliens, which is a nifty little idea. If they can focus on that, and limit the amount of Hollywood histrionics so often found in these movies, they might actually be on to something. And to whomever picked out the song for the trailer? Kudos to you sir/madame. It is an inspired choice and sure to catch the attention of many who view the trailer.

Battle: Los Angeles invades theatres on March 11, 2011.

And make sure to check out the teaser after the break!
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Nordic Lights Film Festival at The Parkway

Matt Gamble — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:43:13 +0000

Nordic Lights Film Festival at The Parkway Where the Long Tail Ends

While the Nordic Lights Film Festival is just a week away I haven’t been able to post about it due to my laziness and then a nice flare up of ridiculous Malware issues that evidently my site doesn’t even have. Wheee!

Anyways, Nordic Lights Film Festival at The Parkway starting this weekend. Read the entire schedule below or save yourself a half hour and download it (here) to print off and read when its actually convenient. Also, be sure to follow the Festivals Twitter Feed (twitter.com/NordicLightsFF) to keep fully up to date on everything that is happening.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19:
6.00: Social hour in lobby/Nordic Happy Hour in Pepitos
7.00: Nordic Shorts I 85 min

Title M for Murder (SWE)

Epic Fail (ICE)

The Visitor (FIN)

Good Advice (SWE)

The Knot (NOR)

The Mouse (DEN)

Hotel Earth (ICE)

8.30: Social hour
9.00: Tango Pohjan Tähden (performing in the theater on stage)
9.30: Sexy Shorts 74 min

Love is the Law (NOR)

Burst (ICE)

A Mate (FIN)

Seduction (NOR)

TBA (ICE)

Kissing (ICE)

Old Faithful (NOR)

Birthday (SWE)

Tango Finlandia (FIN)

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20:
1.00: Finding Our Talk (SAMI) & Home Boys (NOR) 81 min
3.00: Finnish Family Films 80 min.

Veeti and the Beanstalk

Magic Night

Big Boy

4.30-5.00: Musical performance by Kaivama in theater lobby
5.00: Country Wedding (ICE) 99 min
7.00: Nordic Shorts II 88 min.

The First Day (SWE)

Never Mind the Weather (NOR)

The Nail (ICE)

We Who Stayed Behind (DEN)

Far Away War (ICE)

Dreams from the Woods (SWE)

Snow (ICE)

9.00: When a Man Comes Home (DEN) 100 min
[gap][/gap]

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21:
1.00: Millennium – The Story (SWE) and Panel Discussion 80 min.
3.00: Laban the Little Ghost – Rattle and Rolls (SWE) 44 min
4.15: The Girl (SWE) 95 min
6.15: Troubled Water (NOR) 115 min
8.15-8.45: Musical performance by Kaivama in theater lobby
8.45: Finnish Films 88 min

Jalil

Over the Fence

Citizens

[gap][/gap]

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22:
4.30: Nordic Shorts I 85 min

Title M for Murder (SWE)

Epic Fail (ICE)

The Visitor (FIN)

Good Advice (SWE)

The Knot (NOR)

The Mouse (DEN)

Hotel Earth (ICE)

6.30: When a Man Comes Home (DEN) 100 min
8.45: Sexy Shorts 74 min

Love is the Law (NOR)

Burst (ICE)

A Mate (FIN)

Seduction (NOR)

TBA (ICE)

Kissing (ICE)

Old Faithful (NOR)

Birthday (SWE)

Tango Finlandia (FIN)

[gap][/gap]

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23:
4.00: Finnish Family Films 80 min

Veeti and the Beanstalk

Magic Night

Big Boy

6.00: Millennium – The Story (SWE) 52 min
7.30: Troubled Water (NOR) 115 min
[gap][/gap]

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24:
4.00: Millennium – The Story (SWE) 52 min
5.30: Laban the Little Ghost – Rattle and Rolls (SWE) 44 min
7.00: Nordic Shorts II 88 min

The First Day (SWE)

Never Mind the Weather (NOR)

The Nail (ICE)

We Who Stayed Behind (DEN)

Far Away War (ICE)

Dreams from the Woods (SWE)

Snow (ICE)

Quick Thoughts: Private Eye

Matt Gamble — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:38:41 +0000

Quick Thoughts: Private Eye Where the Long Tail Ends

I have to admit, I am quickly becoming a huge fan of the films coming out of South Korea in the past several years. While Japan tends to be a bit more widely recognized by mainstream audiences I’d happily put up the best films from South Korea against anything from any other country, let alone Asian nations. Time and again they keep releasing films that utterly captivate and entertain me. Private Eye, a South Korean take on neo-noir from first time director Park Dae-Min is no different.

Unlike most neo-noirs, Private Eye isn’t set in the modern day but rather at the turn of the century in occupied Korea. Following the tale of Oh Yeong-dal (Dal-su Oh) a medical student so desperate to work on human body that when he stumbles across the body of a murder victim that he doesn’t think twice about how the body got there, who it was or how they were killed, but rather, just how soon can he get it home so he can study its organs. When he discovers that it is a high ranking government official’s son he soon realizes how much trouble he could get in. So he enlists the help of Hong Jin-ho (Jeong-min Hwang), a private detective who specializes in catching cheating wives. But with promises of a reward large enough for him to finally travel to America, Hong Jin-ho greedily takes the case.

Private Eye’s strength lies in its ability to blend multiple genres and shooting styles into such a seamless presentation of such a complex and marvelous tale. Clearly influenced by the Coen Brothers, director Park Dae-Min adds his own flair with a fascinating mystery, massive set pieces, fantastic costumes and a parkour styled chase sequence through crowded city streets that dazzles equally as much as it tickles your funny bone.

And it is the constant influx of various genres, and the mishmash of styles that make Private Eye both comfort food and wholly original. You’ll recognize much of what is being shown to you, but it is routinely presented with such a fresh perspective that it makes it feel like you are watching something with fresh eyes. Its an impressive trick, and one I thoroughly enjoyed participating in.

But what I found most impressive is the broad appeal of the film. I find it hard to imagine that it wouldn’t have something that would appeal to most everyone who might stumble across it. It is a delicate balancing act but one it pulls off marvelously, making Private Eye a film that will be at the top of my list to recomment to people new to South Korean, or simply Asian filmmaking.
[gap][/gap]

Quick Thoughts: Redline

Matt Gamble — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:55:32 +0000

Quick Thoughts: Redline Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve never been a huge fan of anime, that isn’t to say I don’t like anime, point of fact there are more than a handful of anime films that I absolutely adore, but I’ve never gone much out of my way to track down anime films. Sometimes its because I’m lazy, and sometimes its because anime films can be so shockingly hit or miss. When one is working its tough to top in terms of visual style and entertanment, but if it is off it is simply painful to sit through one. But much of it is that I rarely am provided the opportunity to watch these films on the big screen. And really, outside of Miyazaki the odds of you seeing an anime during a theatrical run are about as good as this 60 degree weather holding out for the rest of November here in the Cities.

So when I saw that Minnesota Film Arts programmed some anime films as part of their Minneapolis/St Paul Asian Film Festival I knew I’d have to try and see at least one of them since they would likely be my only opportunity to watch them in the theatre.

As luck would have it, several of the most well known anime films at the fest were screening on nights that conflicted with my work schedule (or my chance to see Ip Man 2) so I ended up settling on Redline, a bizarre anime about a futuristic car race on a planet ruled by militaristic cyborgs hell bent on keeping their culture’s secret military advancements a secret from the prying eyes of billions of race fans. Because they’re secretive.

There is also a big haired hero, chasing after his dreams of actually finishing a race while he pines for a big breasted racer who has dreamed of winning the Redline race since she was a girl. There’s also some half man half car super racer who aims to beat both of them, sisters who attempt to eviscerate every racer through sheer sex appeal, some rock lord who gets stronger the more he cries and a host of other characters that fit perfectly well in this version of Cannonball Run for the Internet 2.0 set.

Redline is nothing short of a masterpiece of the bizarre, with its sumptuous visual style and intelligent writing combating its razor thin plot and rapid fire non sequitors. Couple that with some purposeful Engrish subtitles that are as much a part of the gags as any of the ridiculous antics of the characters and you have a film that has no interest in analyzing the human condition, but damn if it isn’t fun to watch.
[gap][/gap]

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Seek out Private Eye

Matt Gamble — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:05:33 +0000

Seek out Private Eye Where the Long Tail Ends

I had the pleasure of watching two films this weekend as part of the Minneapolis/St Paul Asian Film Festival and quite enjoyed both, though Private Eye is the one I not only enjoyed more, but think has broader appeal. Hopefully I’ll have reviews of both films in the upcoming days but until then make sure to keep an eye out for this film as it truly is a heck of a lot of fun.
[gap][/gap]

Neil Gaiman’s The Price coming to a Kickstarter campaign near you

Matt Gamble — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:37:58 +0000

Neil Gaiman’s The Price coming to a Kickstarter campaign near you Where the Long Tail Ends

Fred the Unlucky Black Cat is my favorite of Neil Gaiman’s cats. I’m sure in large part it is because Neil tends to write about Fred the Unlucky Black Cat more than his other cats. Partially because Fred is unlucky, and partially because Neil doesn’t know much about him and seems rather fascinated about who Fred the Unlucky Black Cat is and just where he came from. So, several years ago Neil wrote a story about Fred the Unlucky Black Cat, called The Price (read it here), envisioning just that.

Actually, none of that is true, but it makes for a much better introduction.

Now, several years later, a filmmaker named Chris Salmon has taken inspiration from the story and is attempting to make a CGI film based on it. To date he’s already garnered support from Neil himself and now is hard at work trying to raise the money necessary to make the film by running a Kickstarter campaign. He’s asking for $150,000, which is the largest ever asked for on a Kickstarter campaign, though it is not the most amount of money ever raised during a Kickstarter campaign. To date he has raised just over $22,000 and he has 25 days left to go.

The Price is a wonderful little story, and the animatic made by Chris seems utterly fitting, making it easy for me not only to plug the Kickstarter campaign, but donate to it as well. This is a project made for fans, by a fan and I truly hope it becomes realized.

theprice-movie.com
silverfishcreative.com
blog.silverfishcreative.com

[gap][/gap]

“The Price” Kickstarter project pitch from Christopher Salmon on Vimeo.

I know what I am watching this Christmas

Matt Gamble — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:27:58 +0000

I know what I am watching this Christmas Where the Long Tail Ends

Nothing brings about the Holiday spirit more than a Finnish horror film which turns Santa Claus into a kidnapper. Well, Rare Exports isn’t so much a horror film as some weird and bizarre fantasy film that reimagines Santa as not exactly the type of person you want coming to town. And man, does it look freaking awesome.

It’s the eve of Christmas in northern Finland and an “archeological” dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But this particular Santa isn’t the one you want coming to town. When all the local children begin mysteriously disappearing, young Pietari and his father Rauno, a reindeer hunter by trade, capture the mythological being and attempt to sell Santa to the misguided leader of the multinational corporation sponsoring the dig. Santa’s elves, however, will stop at nothing to free their fearless leader from captivity. What ensues is a wildly humorous nightmare – a fantastically bizarre polemic on modern day morality. “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale” is a re-imagining of the most classic of all childhood fantasies, and is a darkly comic gem soon to be required perennial holiday viewing.

Unfortunately, my chances of seeing this film at Christmas are slim, as it doesn’t look like it will have a US release date until March of next year. Drat!

[gap][/gap]

Minneapolis Underground Film Festival offering discounted passes

Matt Gamble — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 03:56:34 +0000

Minneapolis Underground Film Festival offering discounted passes Where the Long Tail Ends

Now until November 15th you can buy a festival pass for just $29 instead of $49 dollars. That will get you admission to every film, 60 in total, as well as entrance into the party and 1 free drink. That is a heck of a deal for one of the more eclectic and interesting film festivals you’ll find in the Twin Cities. If you haven’t ever been to the festival now is a great time to give it a try.

Minneapolis Underground Film Festival
Friday, Dec 3 – Sunday, Dec 5
Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Official Website

2010 Official Program

Long Tail Approved (11/2/10)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:46:39 +0000

Long Tail Approved (11/2/10) Where the Long Tail Ends

Its a solid week for DVD and Blu-Ray releases, I mean, when Toy Story 3 is the main release you’ve got a heck of a nice start, and then toss in the Blu-Ray release of The Bridge on the River Kwai and you are pretty much distancing yourself from any other week.

But as always, I strive to find releases that are a bit more of the radar, and their are plenty of those his week as well. From growing fan favorite Best Worst Movie, to the solid chase film Centurion, to even more obscure hit or miss films like Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead and ExTerminators.

But the film that was the easy pick for me is Winnebago Man, featuring legendary viral video star Jack Rebney. For those of you who have never seen the now famous video of Jack’s outtakes in trying to craft a Winnebago sales video you may not understand why such a man could be so downright captivating, but let me assure you, that he most certainly is, making it quite clear that he is not only capable of driving a film, but taking it so far off the rails you can only help it won’t ever turn back.

Purchase Winnebago Man (Amazon)

[gap][/gap]

Trailer

Be sure to check out the original outtake video after the break!

[gap][/gap]

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I couldn’t have been happier with the premiere of The Walking Dead

Matt Gamble — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:48:44 +0000

I couldn’t have been happier with the premiere of The Walking Dead Where the Long Tail Ends

While I felt like Frank Darabont was one person who clearly could do the source material justice, you always just sort of worry until you see the finished product. And man, did it ever deliver.

From moment one the show nailed the pacing, tension and sense of overwhelming dread that flows out of the comic, and with its killer (literally!) opening scene I knew immediately that The Walking Dead was not only in good hands, but that I had found my next must watch television show.
[gap][/gap]

Fantastic Opening Credits Sequence
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Watch The Bridge on the River Kwai at the ICON

Matt Gamble — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:24:57 +0000

Watch The Bridge on the River Kwai at the ICON Where the Long Tail Ends

Coinciding with the release this week of The Bridge on the River Kwai on Blu-Ray, Sony Pictures also created 4K and 2K resorative prints to play in select digital theatres across the country. And one of them will be playing at the Showplace ICON on November 8th.

This presentation will be in conjunction with the fine folks over at Take-Up Productions. This is a booking I’ve been working pretty damn hard on for several months along with Barry, and I’m incredibly proud that this is my first official booking out at the ICON. And with more and more classic films being given grand restorations for Blu-Ray, their is an increasing chance that more of these films will make their way over to the ICON. So come out and show your support for a great film and hopefully we’ll be able to make this far more of a regular occurence than a one shot deal.

The Bridge on the River Kwai
November 8th, 2010
Tickets | $10

When British POWs build a vital railway bridge in enemy-occupied Burma, Allied commandos are assigned to destroy it in David Lean’s epic World War II adventure The Bridge on the River Kwai. Spectacularly produced, The Bridge on the River Kwai captured the imagination of the public and won seven 1957 Academy Awards(r), including Best Picture, Best Actor (Alec Guinness), and Best Director. Even it’s theme song, an old WWII whistling tune, the Colonel Bogey March, became a massive hit. The Bridge on the River Kwai continues today as one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of all time.
[gap][/gap]

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.7 – Skeletons in the Closet (w/ Jay Cheel)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:53:50 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.7 – Skeletons in the Closet (w/ Jay Cheel) Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! Its been a bit of time since we posted our last High and Low (Brow) podcast, but that was mainly due to logistical issues in trying to have James and I joined by a special guest, that being Jay Cheel of Film Junk and The Documentary Blog. But thanks to the Flyway Film Festival and a dark and stormy night, the three of us were able to sit down and finally record this episode.

This time we review two Italian genre films, the giallo The Black Belly of the Tarantula and the Lucio Fulci horror epic The Beyond. While I’m fairly new to Italian genre films, Jay and james are both fairly well versed but this is clearly in James’ wheelhouse since he’s devoted years to tracking down and watching various Italian genre films. That, coupled with the thunderstorm blasting over our heads makes for a very fun and atmospheric recording session, which seems most fitting for the films we dive into.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Shangri-La by The Kinks

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

[gap][/gap]

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-2e51bc3671879610170763886a139b9b}

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow)

Matt Gamble — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 23:53:12 +0000

On the next episode of High and Low (Brow) Where the Long Tail Ends

We dive into James’ adulthood obsession, Italian genre films. And considering that James hates them while subsequently being compelled to watch all of them, it should prove to be an interesting episode.
[gap][/gap]

The Black Belly of the Tarantula trailer

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[gap][/gap]

The Beyond trailer

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2010 Flyway Pubcast – Jed Schlegelmilch & Damon Holland (Absence/Presence)

Matt Gamble — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:33:35 +0000

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Jed Schlegelmilch & Damon Holland (Absence/Presence) Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! And in the final interview for the Flyway Film Festival, I’m happy to sit down with Andrew (Row Three) with my friend Jed Schlegelmilch, director of Absence/Presence, as well as his Director of Photography, Damon Holland.

Absence/Presence is a very personal film for Jed, as it deals with the tragic death of his older brother, almost 18 years ago. But besides being a personal film, it is an incredibly brave and revealing look at how Jed and his family have dealt with the tragedy. If I haven’t said it yet, I’m incredibly proud of him for simply confronting this issue, let alone filming it and putting it on public display.

But besides simply talking about the struggles in making the film, Jed and Damon also talk about how the suddenly found Cloud Cult agreeing to let them use their music, what direction they want to go with Absence/Presence in the future, and what its like being a couple of guys who find themselves in a film festival for a film they never expected to show to anyone but family and friends.

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Xan Aranda (Chicago Short Film Brigade)

Matt Gamble — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:30:38 +0000

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Xan Aranda (Chicago Short Film Brigade) Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! This time Andrew (Row Three) and I sit down with the founder and curator of the Chicago Short Film Brigade, Xan Aranda, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite people to reconnect with when visiting the Flyway Film Festival. Just last year she was at Flyway in support of Milking the Rhino, and this year she is helping present the great Howard Reich to the world while at the same time bringing several of her curated short films from the Chicago Short Film Brigade to play at Flyway.

Besides that, she’s also working on directing two films, one with longtime collaborator Andrew Bird entitled Fever Year, as well as another film entitled Mormons Make Movies. As if that wasn’t enough to talk about, she also spews hatred for Jay Cheel and his lack of sharing of his films, a pastime I fully endorse.

Minnesota Film Arts presents: The Minneapolis / St Paul Asian Film Festival

Matt Gamble — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:55:44 +0000

Minnesota Film Arts presents: The Minneapolis / St Paul Asian Film Festival Where the Long Tail Ends

I’d heard about Minnesota Film Arts putting on an Asian Film Festival for a few weeks now, and you could said I was rabidly excited at the news. While Landmark does an admirable job in trying to bring Asian films through town, their still are enough films coming out of the Far East that their simply isn’t the screen space to devote to them. Then when you include the rather formidable Asian population in the Twin Cities, it seems like an area that is tailor made to have an Asian Film Festival.

Sure enough, last week Minnesota Film Arts released their festival lineup and its pretty damn solid for a first year fest which only increases my excite. For sure the movie I am most excited to see is Ip Man 2, but their are plenty of other films that are catching my eye as well. And, after meeting the lovely Lobit sisters this weekend, I would be remiss not to recommend you attend a screening of their film The Things We Carry in which Athena will be in attendance. Make sure to bring her poutine, as word is she’s totally into it. Make sure to tell her Matt says your welcome as well.

While I’m posting the full schedule for the film festival make sure to check out the main website for the fest, as it is loaded with information on ticketing, special guests in attendance and all the specials and parties that go along with the screenings.
[gap][/gap]
Wednesday 11/3
That Girl in Yellow Boots – 7pm

Thursday 11/4
Come Together Home – 4:15pm
Open Season – 7pm
Dev D – 9pm

Friday 11/5
The Mikado Project – 2:30pm
The Red Chapel – 5pm
Pinoy Sunday – 5:15pm
The Things We Carry – 7pm
A Brand New Life – 7:15pm
Sinful & Sensational Sushi at SEVEN – 9pm
The People I’ve Slept With – 9:15pm
Crazy Racer – 9:30pm

Saturday 11/6
City of Life and Death – 1:30pm
The APA Community in Media and Film Panel Discussion – 3pm (@Pracna)
Sawako Decides – 4pm
Poetry – 4:10pm
The Legend of Chao Fa – 7pm
Rah Rah Fuji Ya! – 9pm
Redline – 9:30pm
Pinoy Sunday – 9:35pm

Sunday 11/7
I Wish I Knew – 1pm
Film in Contemporary Asia Panel Discussion – 3pm (@Pracna)
Raspberry Magic – 3:45pm
Between Two Worlds – 4pm
ANPO: Art X War – 6pm
The Mikado Project – 8:30pm
Happiness Shared at Chiang Mai Thai – 9pm
Private Eye – 9:30pm

Monday 11/8
Pinoy Sunday – 5pm
Breaking the Silence: Burma’s Resistance – 6pm
Gulabi Talkies – 7pm
Come Together Home – 8pm
Clash – 9:20pm

Tuesday 11/9
The Things We Carry – 4:45pm
The Mikado Project – 5pm
City of Life and Death – 6:45pm
Breaking the Silence: Burma’s Resistance – 7pm
Talentime – 9pm
Between Two Worlds – 9:15pm

Wednesday 11/10
Asian Escape I – 5pm
The People I’ve Slept With – 5pm
Raspberry Magic – 5:15pm
Asian American Shorts Program – 7pm
The Red Chapel – 7:15pm
Sawako Decides – 9pm
Asian Escape I – 9pm
Clash – 9:15pm

Thursday 11/11
Dev D – 4:15pm
ANPO: Art X War – 4:30pm
Enemies of the People – 7pm
Private Eye – 7:15pm
Pham-tastic Fun – 9pm
A Brand New Life – 9:30pm
Crazy Racer – 9:40pm

Friday 11/12
Gulabi Talkies – 2pm
Talentime – 4:30pm
Poetry – 7pm
The Legend of Chao Fa – 7:15pm
Asian Escape II – 9pm
Ip Man 2: The Legend of Grand Master – 9:45pm

Saturday 11/13
I Wish I Knew – 2pm
Summer Wars – 4:30pm
Gallants – 7:15pm

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Howard Reich (Prisoner of Her Past)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:57:43 +0000

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Howard Reich (Prisoner of Her Past) Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! This time Andrew (Row Three) and I are joined by my usual podcasting co-host, James Gilham, as we sit down with Howard Reich to talk about the film Prisoner of Her Past, which follows the story of his mother’s struggles with Late Onset Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Our friend, Xan Aranda, who has been helping tour with the film as part of Kartemquin Films has been gleefully withholding access to Howard for months as she teased me with tales of just what an amazing man and interview he is and man, does he exceed any of my wildest expectations. I’ve had a blast interviewing and meeting people at the Flyway Film Festival these past three years and I have to say Howard was not only the most fascinating individual I’ve met, but the most gracious as well. He’s been on a pretty amazing journey this past decade and it was an absolute privilege to be even a small part of it.

Prisoner of Her Past (Official Web Site)
Purchase the DVD
Purchase the Book
Howard’s Blog

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Jeremy Wilker (Triumph67)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:41:02 +0000

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Jeremy Wilker (Triumph67) Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! This time Andrew (Row Three) and I sit down with local Minneapolis filmmaker Jeremy Wilker, who served as the producer for the film he brought to the Flyway Film Festival, Triumph76. The story of my glorious birth and rise to pow…. what was that? It’s Triumph67? Well then that probably has nothing to do with me at all. Seems like a lost opportunity to me. Gunna have to write that on the ‘ol comment card I think.

But while that may or may not be the case, Jeremy indulges us by talking about his movie and the trials and tribulations of trying to make movies in a state that really doesn’t support filmmakers in the slightest. And while the film screened as a work in progress at the festival, I hope the strong turnout for the screening helps convince them to finish up the final touches and start having some screenings around town.

Triumph67 (Official Web Site)
Triump67 (Kickstarter campaign)
Triumph67 (Twitter)
Jeremy’s Facebook
Jeremy’s Twitter

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Alyssa Lobit & Athena Lobit (The Things We Carry)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:12:07 +0000

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Alyssa Lobit & Athena Lobit (The Things We Carry) Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! This time Andrew (Row Three) and I sit down with Alyssa and Athena Lobit, the dynamic duo behind The Things We Carry, which won the award for Best Narrative Feature at the Flyway Film Festival. The film is a bit of a personal project for the two of them (Alyssa wrote the screenplay and starred in the film while Athena was a producer for the film) and they both were nice enough to give a bit more detail on the creative process for a story that was something they had to deal with growing up.

Also, The Things We Carry was recently announced as being part of the first Asian Film Festival that is coming up in November here in Minneapolis and Athena is going to be in attendance. I can’t recommend enough that you go see the film and then talk to Athena as both her and her sister we’re a blast to meet and talk to throughout our time at Flyway.

The Things We Carry (Web page)
The Things We Carry (Facebook)
The Things We Carry (Amazon)
The Things We Carry (Netflix)

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Gary King (Death of the Dead & What’s Up Lovely)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:36:59 +0000

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Gary King (Death of the Dead & What’s Up Lovely) Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! Andrew (Row Three) and I sit down with Gary King for the second year in a row to talk about his films screening at Flyway, Death of the Dead and What’s Up Lovely. We also talk about what it was like being a work for hire director and why Andrew’s reviews are so much better when they’ve been translated into other languages.

Be sure to check out all the links to the projects Gary is either working on or has for sale as well.

New York Lately DVD (Complete with Andrew’s commentary track)
Grry’s Webpage (GrKing.com)
Andrew’s review of What’s Up Lovely
The surreal translated version of the review

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Jay Cheel (Cooking with Gerry)

Matt Gamble — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:37:24 +0000

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Jay Cheel (Cooking with Gerry) Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! Andrew (Row Three) and I sit down to chat with the creator, director and unexpected Flyway Film Festival Superstar Jay Cheel the morning before his latest short, Cooking with Gerry, blows away the festival crowd with its eclectic brand of horrific cooking show drama.

We do our best to dive into the intricate nuances of the film, and examine the fascinating life of its star, Reed Farrington. Its as compelling an interview as you’ll find around these parts, which really says more about the lack of anything worth listening to around here than anything.

But in all seriousness, it was great to once again hang out with Jay over the weekend, as few things were more enjoyable than sitting and listening to a crowd of non-Film Junk readers fall under the spell of Cooking with Gerry. As an interesting side note, the film was enjoyed so much that our friend Xan Aranda snatched up a copy and took it with her to Chicago to screen the following evening as part of her short film program, where it promptly blew away the audience yet again.

As always thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy!

[gap][/gap]
And just so you can be in on the fun I’m streaming the short below the fold for all to see. And once you watch the short, be sure to check out the audience reaction to the film at Flyway. I assure you it is fantastic.

Cooking With Gerry – Episode #2: Poutine from Jay Cheel on Vimeo.

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Rick Vaicius

Matt Gamble — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:27:20 +0000

2010 Flyway Pubcast – Rick Vaicius Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! Andrew (Row Three) and I once again traveled to beautiful Pepin, WI to participate in the 3rd Annual Flyway Film Festival. This is my third year down there and once again the festival out did itself in its generous support it provided both of us along with all the filmmakers in attendance, and of course presenting some great films all weekend.

Rick Vaicius, director of programming for Flyway, also was nice enough to take time out of his busy opening night schedule to sit down with us for a few minutes to talk about the Flyway Film Festival and his efforts to bring such a unique and fun festival to the Midwest.

Also, I’d like to thank the Breakwater Gallery and Wine Bar for allowing us to hold the interviews there in addition to their already outstanding job of being a retreat for all of the filmmakers to hang out and talk film.

And keep in mind this is just the first of several pubcats that will be posted all week long here at Where the Long Tail Ends and Row Three. Hope you enjoy!

Long Tail Approved (10/19/10)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:52:00 +0000

Long Tail Approved (10/19/10) Where the Long Tail Ends

Oh man, its a tough week to pick obscure films as this week’s releases are loaded with genre films I have been dying to see. Oh sure their are bigger name art films being released, Agora or Holy Rollers for example, but the real highlight of the week are the borderline ridiculous genre films coming out. Two of them, Zombiechrist and Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl would normally take the recommendation on any other week. But no, this week goes to a post-apocalyptic Japanese sci-fi video game film that involves mutants, angels and ridiculously cute Asian girls shooting big fucking guns. I’m talking about Assault Girls of course.

And my god, is this movie filled with awesome.

Purchase Assault Girls (Amazon)

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Harry Potter tickets on sale now at the ICON

Matt Gamble — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:00:14 +0000

Harry Potter tickets on sale now at the ICON Where the Long Tail Ends

That’s right, this morning tickets for Part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are now on sale. And while buying tickets early at other theatres ensures that you have a seat, buying early at the ICON, thanks to its reserved seating, means that you know exactly where you will be sitting come opening night.

That means no showing up hours in advance to camp out for seats. No sitting in line all day with nothing put a pillow, a gaggle of geeks and your thoughts to keep you company. If you want you can purchase your tickets today and on opening night show up 5 minutes ahead of time and walk right in. Or heck, show up an hour early and enjoy yourself in our Lobby lounge before heading into the movie. Either way you’ll know that you already have the best seat in the house, so no need to bum rush the auditorium to ensure it.

So for those of you still unsure about the benefits of reserved seating, get ready to see just how great it can be.

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Flyway Film Festival Schedule announced

Matt Gamble — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:36:39 +0000

Flyway Film Festival Schedule announced Where the Long Tail Ends

Its less than a week away and I’m a little behind on posting the schedule for the upcoming Flyway Film Festival. I’ll be there for the entire festival and if all goes according to plan, Andrew (from Row Three) and I will be busy intyerviewing all manner of filmmakers and posting them online for your listening enjoyment. We both had a blast doing it last year, and hopefully we can get even more recorded this year, though that is going to be tough as we try and work around trying to watch as many of the films as possible.

As for the films, there are some great ones. It looks like a really strong year on the documentary side, which makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside, but even besides that it should be yet another strong festival.

Film schedule (short films in parenthesis)

Thursday, October 21
Lake Pepin Art and Design Center
6pm – Kickoff and Awards Gala

Friday, October 22
Stockholm Opera Hall
7pm – Baraboo (Aurora Australis)

Lake Pepin Art and Design Center
10pm – Kickstarter Backer Party featuring Death of the Dead (Libidoland, Be Still Life & Cooking with Gerry)

Saturday, October 23
Lake Pepin Art and Design Center
11 am – Beyond the Myth
1pm – Chicago Short Films Brigade BLOCK ONE
3pm – Chicago Short Films Brigade BLOCK TWO
5pm – Prisoner of Her Past (Sea of Trees)
7pm – Europa East

Stockholm Opera Hall
10am – Cangleska Wakan (Rose)
12pm – Ballhawks
2pm – Footsteps (Divorcees)
4pm – What’s Up Lovely (Lost in Definition)
6pm – Phasma Ex Machina (Bititsch)
8pm – The Things We Carry (Thru)

Sunday, October 24
Lake Pepin Art and Design Center
10am – Absence/Presence
12:30pm – Mystico Fantastico (Vinny Vino)
2:30pm – Open Season (Boundary Waters)
5pm – World’s Largest (Woke Up Ugly)

Stockholm Opera Hall
11am – Way of Nature (Demise)
1pm – American Jihadist
3pm – One Hundred Mornings (Le Portail)
5pm – Triumph67
7:30pm – The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan (Five Degrees of Rural Genius)

Watch Paranormal Activity for FREE on Thursday

Matt Gamble — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:58:43 +0000

Watch Paranormal Activity for FREE on Thursday Where the Long Tail Ends

The St Louis Park ICON Theatre just announced that members of its EXTRAS Club can watch the original Paranormal Activity for free on Thursday simply by purchasing a ticket for Paranormal Activity 2. Even if you aren’t an EXTRAS member you can still come and watch the original as you prepare for the midnight release of its highly anticipated sequel. Screening is at 8pm on Thursday, and the film will be followed by yet another perk just for EXTRAS members. I’d tell you what it is but I don’t want to ruin the surprise.

So how do you become an EXTRAS member? Easy, you can sign up online and the Club is free to join. You will recieve weekly emails outlining our latest specials, deals and discounts just for EXTRAS members. Past benefits have included:

Free refills on popcorn
Free popcorn with paid admission
Free soda with paid admission
Half price glasses of wine
Discounts on concession stand items
Free VIP upgrades
Exclusive access to advanced tickets for upcoming films
Exclusive advanced screening for Twilight: Eclipse
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Still waffling on seeing The Exorcist at Willow Creek?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:45:31 +0000

Still waffling on seeing The Exorcist at Willow Creek? Where the Long Tail Ends

Well they’ve cut together a sweet little promo to help convince you!

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Watch The Exorcist for FREE at Willow Creek

Matt Gamble — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:03:07 +0000

Watch The Exorcist for FREE at Willow Creek Where the Long Tail Ends

All your possesions belong to us!

5 screenings of the horror masterpiece, all of them free. This deal is so good I’ll be longing to go even as I’m enjoying the Flyway Film Festival. Kudos to Willow Creek for this.

10/21 – 9:30 PM
10/22 – Midnight
10/23 – 10:30 AM & Midnight
10/24 – 10:30 AM

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Upcoming MFA line up at St Anthony Main

Matt Gamble — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:53:53 +0000

Upcoming MFA line up at St Anthony Main Where the Long Tail Ends

Lots of cool films being shown by Minnesota Film Arts over the next month. Ip Man is of course a heck of a booking job, and be sure to stay tuned as they might have something similar to offer as part of their Asian Film Festival mid-November. Also, I really need to just make one giant events calendar. If only I knew people at Take Up and MFA to help me out and send me their schedules.

If only.

10/29 – 02 – Dogtooth
10/29 – Ip Man
11/18 – 25 – Ahead of Time
11.99 – 20 – My Suicide

11/3 – 11/13 Asian Film Festival

INDIA
That Girl in Yellow Boots

JAPAN
City of Life & Death
Sawako Decides

KOREA
Brand New Life
Crazy Racer
The Red Chapel

Thanks to Switchblade Comb for the heads up.

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Why aren’t you addicted to the best talk show being made today?

Matt Gamble — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:10:41 +0000

Why aren’t you addicted to the best talk show being made today? Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m speaking of course about Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis (though the criminally awesome Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show isn’t far behind). All this show is crank out awesome one episode at a time. From getting into a fist fight with Bradley Cooper, getting cursed out by Steve Carell, making Charlize Theron pee her pants, or comparing his penis to Natalie Portman’s dog this show never ceases to amaze you with its ability to make its host look like a complete moron.

And of course, in his latest episode with Bruce Willis, Zach drops perhaps the most amazing question in the history of interviews.

“Do you know some actors turn down roles?”

Seriously, go watch this show. You can thank me later.

[gap][/gap]

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Bruce Willis from Bruce Willis

Long Tail Approved (10/12/10)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:53:27 +0000

Long Tail Approved (10/12/10) Where the Long Tail Ends

The easy choice this week is How to Train Your Dragon, a truly outstanding fantasy film the helped lead the charge for the resurgance of genre films this year. As an added bonus its a heck of a good children’s film as well, and a movie I am eagerly anticipating owning and watching again and again.

But, knowing me, I don’t like to make the easy choices and instead prefer to recommend something a little bit more on the fringe, though considering the people involved with it the film is hardly fringe. That film being the standup comedy documentary I Am Comic. Now there have been plenty of concert style standup comedy films coming out in recent years, all essentially knockoffs of one another and appealing to differing niches, but this one seems like it is trying to be something a bit different and it is that which intrigues me.

Through unprecedented backstage access and candid interviews, the film weaves through the absurd world of the working comedian and reveals a crazy and hilarious psychological profile of its practitioners. We also follow retired comic Ritch Shydner’s attempt to climb back on stage after a thirteen-year hiatus. At the top of his game in the 1980′s, Shydner had HBO specials, shot five pilot TV shows, and numerous late night appearances (Carson, Letterman, Leno, etc.) but the big time eluded him. Equipped with the collective wisdom and nutty musings of over 80 of his peers, he gives it another shot. Does Ritch have what it takes to connect with today’s young crowds and still get the laughs? Guaranteed to make you watch.
[gap][/gap]

Spoiler Alert! – Sound Unseen Film Festival

Matt Gamble — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 04:25:29 +0000

Spoiler Alert! – Sound Unseen Film Festival Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back!

It’s been a little over a month since James and I have had to sit down and record a podcast, primarily due to our contrasting schedules that rarely give us the time to plan a time to record, but with this episode devoted to the Sound Unseen Film Festival that started yesterday and runs through the weekend we knew we had to roll up our sleeves and make time.

We focus on two films playing at the 11th incarnation of Sound Unseen, they being the Broken Social Scene semi-concert documentary This Movie is Broken from director Bruce McDonald (Pontypool) as well as the rather straight talking heads documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone. Both films prove to be great fun and nice departures from standard concert and documentary style film making in various degrees.

As always thanks for listening!

Opening Music – Stop by Jane’s Addiction
Closing Music – Hit It and Quit It by Funkadelic

Donate via PayPal

Subscribe $.99/month

Oldboy at The Uptown this weekend

Matt Gamble — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:22:09 +0000

Oldboy at The Uptown this weekend Where the Long Tail Ends

At first glance a slowly paced 2 hour opus may seem like not the best of choices for a midnight film but in the case of Oldboy you just might need to make an exception. Sure its long, oddly paced and not much happens for huge chunks of the running time, but its still a freaking masterpiece of manipulation, which is exactly why it makes such a great midnight film.

Plus the hammer fight, live squid eating and the most twisted twist ending you’re likely to find don’t hurt either.

Oldboy plays this Friday and Saturday at midnight at The Uptown.
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I’m still not sure what I think of The Tempest

Matt Gamble — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 04:17:10 +0000

I’m still not sure what I think of The Tempest Where the Long Tail Ends

Julie Taymor is all sorts of hit or miss and judging by the recently released trailer for her latest adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest it looks like it could be both. As for the swapping of genders of Prospero, yeah, I like Helen Mirren and all but I’m still firmly on the fence for that decision.

The Tempest opens to the joy of theatre geeks everywhere on December 10th.
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Long Tail Approved (10/5/10)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 02:08:50 +0000

Long Tail Approved (10/5/10) Where the Long Tail Ends

As everyone knows Tuesday is DVD release day, and in an effort to finally start making some DVD recommendations I decided to start making some DVD recommendations. Its a heck of an idea if I do say so myself.

I don’t know how many I’ll do each week, though i’m leaning to just one a week, and I’m going to try and pick lesser known films that may or may not deserve a bit more of a following, thus keeping up with the general theme of the site.

That being said this week offers up a host of movies that were hard to see in theatres, including The Human Centipede, The Secret of Kells and Mid-August Lunch. As well as the re-release of eternal best worst movie candidate, Troll 2. But the movie that catches my eye is the documentary about US public schools and the bizarre lottery system that parents and kids subject themselves every year in an attempt to get the best education possible. No I’m not speaking of the semi-overrated Waiting for Superman, but rather the much smaller project The Lottery.
[gap][/gap]

Buried: Now with alochol

Matt Gamble — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:41:27 +0000

Buried: Now with alochol Where the Long Tail Ends

Yup, just got confirmation that Buried will be playing in the VIP at the ICON. So now you can retard your clautrophobia by smothering it with grain alcohol and beef tenderloin sliders.

I’d call that win/win.

Full True Grit trailer makes me happy in da pants

Matt Gamble — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:14:21 +0000

Full True Grit trailer makes me happy in da pants Where the Long Tail Ends

IN DA PANTS!!

True Grit opens Christmas day to ecstatic pant’s parties nationwide.

Quick Thoughts – The Social Network

Matt Gamble — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:47:17 +0000

Quick Thoughts – The Social Network Where the Long Tail Ends

For months the question on everyone’s mind seemed to be, “Who the Hell cares about some stupid Facebook movie?” I mean really, nothing seems less compelling that the story of oppressed nerds fighting the cool kid establishment they could never hope to penetrate. Well, unless there are Tri Lambs or Alpha Beta’s involved that is. And really, I had my share of doubts, even with David Fincher attached to the film.

But The Social Network bitch slaps your doubts in its very first scene, choking out any thoughts that a film about nerds defiantly obtaining cool cred could be anything less than engrossing, engaging and brain meltingly compelling for the next two hours. And as the scene bobs and weaves, twist and turns and in general teases and toys with its viewing audience you know immediately that you’re about to witness something truly special.

In a year that’s been short on cinematic treats (well, unless you are a genre fan) The Social Network is a veritable smorgasbord for the masses, meticulously set for maximum nourishment and enjoyment.

Jesse Eisenberg gives a performance of a lifetime ( and considering that life already contains fairly epic turns in Rodger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale and Adventureland is saying something) as a veritable geek maelstrom of furious alienation. He probably won’t net an Oscar nomination, but he damn well should.

Deftly stalking Eisenberg at every turn as he lithely moves from scene to scene, director David Fincher has crafted perhaps his most artistic populist film to date. Fincher’s camera practically preens while it stalks its subjects, but goddamn if The Social Network doesn’t just breathe mood throughout.

But the true star of this show is Aaron Sorkin’s seamlessly entertaining script. The dialogue is the characteristic rapid fire approach you’ve come to expect from the master of the walk and talk, but beyond that the script really and truly sings. It’s meaty, rich and goes down smooth. It’s a crowning achievement of an already impressive career and if he doesn’t win for adapted screenplay you won’t find a greater crime against humanity outside of Guantanamo.

Hyperbole much?

Fuck yes; this is a movie about the goddamn internet after all.

Its official, Showplace ICON gets a Twin Cities exclusive on Buried

Matt Gamble — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:56:33 +0000

Its official, Showplace ICON gets a Twin Cities exclusive on Buried Where the Long Tail Ends

Buried opens Friday October 8th.

Tickets on sale now.

My most anticipated movie of the year finally gets a trailer

Matt Gamble — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:51:38 +0000

My most anticipated movie of the year finally gets a trailer Where the Long Tail Ends

Well, a teaser anyway. And I have to say this version of True Grit looks like it could be even better than the original. That’s sort of what happens when you have the Coen brothers involved.

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Pssst, Sound Unseen is just around the corner

Matt Gamble — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:46:48 +0000

Pssst, Sound Unseen is just around the corner Where the Long Tail Ends

The 11th annual Sound Unseen Festival (not to be confused with their Duluth based spin-off) is just a few weeks away. For those of you who don’t know about the festival, it is a documentary film festival that focuses primarily on “films-on-music”. Considering Minnesota’s rich music history, it really is a match made in Heaven for film nerds like myself. And while James doesn’t know about it yet, hopefully by the opening of the festival James and I will record a Spoiler Alert! covering some of the films screening at the festival.

Also, make sure to check out at least one screening at the Southern Theater, Red Stag Supperclub, and Trylon Microcinema. You won’t regret it.

October 6th
7:30 PM & 9:00 PM – The Adventures of Prince Achmed – Trylon (Trailer)

October 7th
7:00 PM – Look At What The Light Did Now – Trylon
7:30 PM – The Agony & the Ecstacy of Phil Spector – Southern (Trailer)
8:45 PM – Wheedle’s Groove – Trylon (Trailer)

October 8th
7:00 PM – This Movie is Broken – Trylon (Trailer)
8:00 PM – Ride Rise Roar – Southern (Trailer)
9:00 PM – The Carter – Trylon (Trailer)
10:30 PM – Shadow Play: The Making of Anton Corbijn – Red Stag (Trailer)

October 9th
1:00 PM – Charlie Haden: Rambling Boy – Trylon (Trailer)
3:00 PM – Do It Again – Trylon (Trailer)
5:00 PM – Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone – Trylon
8:00 PM – Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why is Everyone Talkin’ About Him)? – Southern (Trailer)
9:30 PM – Closing Night Party – Channel Z

October 10th
1:00 PM – The Adventures of Prince Achmed – Trylon

Purchase tickets for all screenings (Link)
Sound Unseen (Official Website)
Sound Unseen (Facebook Page)

Coming Soon (9/14/10)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:26:20 +0000

Coming Soon (9/14/10) Where the Long Tail Ends

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

09/17 The Tillman Story Uptown
09/17 Soul Kitchen Lagoon
09/17 Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child Lagoon
09/17 Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 Lagoon
09/17 The Concert Edina

09/24 Never Let Me Go Uptown
09/24 A Woman, A Gun, and a Noodle Shop Lagoon ***
09/24 Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, and Rebel Lagoon
09/24 Winnebago Man Lagoon
09/24 Bran Nue Dae Lagoon/Edina (tent.)
09/24 Heartbreaker Edina
09/24 The Romantics Edina

10/01 Waiting For Superman Uptown ***
10/01 The Sicilian Girl Lagoon
10/01 Jack Goes Boating Edina

10/08 It’s Kind Of A Funny Story Lagoon
10/08 Freakonomics Lagoon ***
10/08 White Wedding Lagoon/Edina
10/08 You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger Edina

10/15 Howl Lagoon ***
10/15 Tibet in Song Lagoon/Edina

10/22 Tamara Drewe Uptown
10/22 Conviction Lagoon
10/22 Last Train Home Lagoon
10/22 Inside Job Edina ***
10/22 Stone Edina

10/29 The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest Uptown/Edina
10/29 Douchebag Lagoon ***

11/05 Monsters Uptown (tentative) ***
11/05 Vision Lagoon

11/11 Skiing Everest Lagoon

11/12 Waste Land Lagoon
11/12 Cool It Lagoon
11/12 Wild Target Edina

11/19 127 Hours Uptown ***

11/26 My Dog Tulip Lagoon

12/03 Marwencol Lagoon

12/17 Black Swan Uptown ***
12/17 Made In Dagenham Edina

I’ll see your retros, ICON, and I’ll raise you a Willow Creek

Matt Gamble — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:37:08 +0000

I’ll see your retros, ICON, and I’ll raise you a Willow Creek Where the Long Tail Ends

If you couldn’t get enough of the retro film series playing over in St Louis Park you’ll be happy to know that the fine folks out at the Willow Creek Theatre in Plymouth, MN recently announced their Fall and Winter schedules for The Retros at Willow Creek, a 35 mm film series that will hit its one year mark in late October.

The films play every Thursday at 9:30pm, Fridays at Midnight, Saturdays at 10:30am & Midnight, and Sundays at 10:30, with all tickets priced at $6.50. If you haven’t checked it out yet I highly recommend that you do.
[gap][/gap]
SEPT 16, 17, 18, 18 – Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
SEPT 23, 24, 25, 26 – Fast Times and Ridgemont High
SEPT 30th, OCT. 1, 2, 3 – The Blair Witch Project
OCT 7, 8, 9, 10 – Addams Family
OCT 14, 15, 16, 17 – Carrie
OCT 21, 22, 23, 24 – T.B.D
OCT 28, 29, 30, 31 – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
NOV 4, 5, 6, 7 – Risky Business
NOV 11, 12, 13, 14 – Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan
NOV 19, 20, 21, 22 – Pink Floyd: The Wall
NOV 25, 26, 27, 28 – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
DEC 2, 3, 4, 5 – GoodFellas
DEC 9, 10, 11, 12 – Scrooged
DEC 16, 17, 18, 19 – Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Trash Film Debauchery serves up The Apple

Matt Gamble — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 19:55:05 +0000

Trash Film Debauchery serves up The Apple Where the Long Tail Ends

One of these days I’m going to make it out to Trash Film Debauchery but thankfully The Apple isn’t one of those days. It is deliriously awful, which I can only assume is exactly why they are showing it.

This campy cult classic charts the fortunes of fresh-faced Canadian musical duo Alphie (George Gilmour) and Bibi (Catherine Mary Stewart), who enter the Worldvision Song Contest and lose thanks to a scheming record industry titan named Mr. Boogalow (Vladek Sheybal). Though he rigged the competition, Boogalow offers the pair a contract that only Bibi accepts — and she soon becomes a pop star. Meanwhile, Alphie hooks up with a gang of hippies.

Monday, September 20
Turf Club
9:00 PM l FREE

The ridiculous trailer, which is just begging to be mashed up into an iPad commercial, is after the break!

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Showplace ICON starting a retro film series

Matt Gamble — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:38:50 +0000

Showplace ICON starting a retro film series Where the Long Tail Ends

I just got word a couple days ago that the Showplace ICON is going to officially start regularly showing older “classic” films in their VIP auditorium. Right now the plan is to show the films twice per week, on Sunday and Tuesday evenings at 7pm. As for the price, even though the shows are in the evening they will be at matinee prices, meaning general admission will be $7.50 and the VIP will be $12.50. But that’s not everything, EXTRAS Club members can get a free VIP upgrade.
[gap][/gap]
As for the actual films:

9/12 & 9/14 – 2001: A Space Odyssey
9/19 & 9/21 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
9/26 & 9/28 – Ghostbusters
10/3 & 10/5 – Goodfellas

Right now the plan is to do this every week for at least the next three months and titles are still being decided. So if there is something you’d like to see just let me know and I’ll make sure to pass the suggestions along.

Help support the Flyway Film Festival with Kickstarter

Matt Gamble — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:18:18 +0000

Help support the Flyway Film Festival with Kickstarter Where the Long Tail Ends

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of the Flyway Film Festival down in Pepin, WI. The third annual festival is right around the corner, and once again I plan on making the beautiful trek down to Pepin to enjoy some great views, home meade pie and some fantastic Independent films.

Last year Andrew (from Row Three) and I had the pleausre of doing some pubcasting while we attended the festival and we are raring to do more this year as well. But before we can get to that Flyway has started up a Kickstarter campaign to help get some additional funding for the festival. The goal is to raise $5000 to help pay for some of the costs of the festival, as well as help ensure that Flyway can continue to waive all entrance fees for filmmakers who submit their films to the festival. Their one of the few festivals in the country who waive the entrance fee and its one of the big reasons why I am such a fan of the festival (not including the great lineups and the nearly unprecedented opportunities to sit and talk with the film makers about their projects while sharing some pie).

So hopefully you can take the time, and spare the change, and help contribute to this great film festival. You won’t be sorry.

Flyway Film Festival (Facebook Page)

In honor of tonight’s Movie Club Podcast

Matt Gamble — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:33:34 +0000

In honor of tonight’s Movie Club Podcast Where the Long Tail Ends

We’ll be recording the Movie Club Podcast later this evening and we’ll be reviewing Grave of the Fireflies and Wizards, two decidedly different takes on the children’s film, yet both are strongly anti-war in their own ways. And while Grave of the Fireflies is a somber film, Wizards reflects creator Ralph Bakshi’s more spastic and goofy take on animation. And while Wizards is my favorite Bakshi film, I don’t think its his best, that I’d reserve for the much maligned Coonskin, a film which skewers the inherent racist nature of Blaxploitation films, as well as craps all over white supremacy, the Mafia and for good measure, Disney.

Sadly people who failed to examine the film for any length of time simply labeled the film racist due to its being directed by a curmudgeony Jew and its fairly outrageous characterizations of its black faced animated leads. Of course, if people took even a fraction of time they would have found that not only was the film attacking racist stereotypes, but that Bakshi employed both numerous African Americans as animators on the film (most notably Brenda Banks, who was the first female African American animator) as well as several graffitti artists to give the film a remarkably authentic and streetwise attitude that is appallingly absent from most American films that deal with similar themes. Juxtaposing that with aggressive dialogue and a staggering amount of cartoons and live actors integrated into a single frame create a remarkably unique and aggressive look at the struggle African Americans must endure to simply survive in 1970′s America.

So do yourself a favor, track down this ridiculously hard to find film and treat yourself to one of the best satirical films ever made in this country. And once you’re finished with it do what so rarely modern mainstream films require of you; think about what this film is saying. You’ll be the better for it.

[gap][/gap]
Opening Credit sequence to Coonskin

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Let Me In gets a heck of a nice one sheet

Matt Gamble — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:21:48 +0000

Let Me In gets a heck of a nice one sheet Where the Long Tail Ends

Oddly enough, I’ve seen the official one sheet and it is slightly different than what they touted online a week ago. They’ve changed the pool of blood that Chloe Moretz is laying in to more of a velvet carpet sort of look, and along with that extended the red coloring further out from the center and gradually blending it in with the black background. While I really like the blood, its still a very nice look to the poster and its very eye catching.

The other big change? Removing “From the Director of Cloverfield” from the top of the poster and inserting a tagline. What is it you ask?

Innocence Dies. Abby Doesn’t.

Let Me In opens nation wide on October 8th. Possibly to good reviews and probably to a small audience.
[gap][/gap]

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.6 – Hopping Mad

Matt Gamble — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:10:20 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.6 – Hopping Mad Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! We’ve fallen a bit behind in posting episodes of High and Low (Brow) and rather than place blame (its James’ fault) I’ll just say we will try and have a quick turn around for our next episode (if James allows it).

This episode we focus on two lesser known Dennis Hopper films, The Sons of Katie Elder and Mad Dog Morgan. The Sons of Katie Elder certainly has the better pedigree, with its epic scale and big names such as director Henry Hathaway and stars John Wayne and Dean Martin, as well as a host of other well known actors from its time. And Mad Dog Morgan, a low budget Ozploitation film from Australia which has its share of heavy hitters (Frank Thring, Jack Thompson and Aussie aboriginal star David Gulpilil) but its genre conventions and micro budget certainly hindered the film from being seen by the mainstream, but does that mean it is the weaker film? Stay tuned to find out.

Be sure to stick around for the selection portion of the show, as James takes the reigns once again and the theme he chooses reveals some of the deep seeded desires and needs from his long lost childhood. It also turns out to be a doozy of a theme as our two choices for next episode should be a heck of a lot of fun.

And as always James and I tend to ramble a bit, while we try and end the episode at around the 70 minute mark, my implying James’ mom is a circus freak and inadvertently spoiling Twilight: Breaking Dawn for James cause a bit of a ruckus. And at that point, hilarity ensues.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Spaceman by Harry Nilsson

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

[gap][/gap]

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Next time on High and Low (Brow)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:02:05 +0000

Next time on High and Low (Brow) Where the Long Tail Ends

Hopefully a new episode will be posted by the end of the week. This epsiode’s theme is Dennis Hopper and we’ll review The Sons of Katie Elder and Mad Dog Morgan. It should be a ridiculously fun episode.
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Happy 50th Takashi Miike

Matt Gamble — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:56:52 +0000

Happy 50th Takashi Miike Where the Long Tail Ends

The most cocaine fueled creator (allegedly) since Dr Rockso the Rock ‘n Roll Clown somehow survived to reach his 50th birthday. Thankfully, he seems less inclined to direct 18 movies a year, thus allowing his system to actually expunge some of his more sleepless years, but along with that he still keeps churning out some of the most interesting films you are bound to see in the cinema, well, if they even make it to the cinema. Hopefully Thirteen Assassins will.

In the era of the Shogun, an evil young lord rapes and kills, assured of immunity by law. But he didn’t count on the Thirteen Assassins. A feared secret force, each with their own deadly skill, the Assassins undertake a suicide mission to wipe out the Lord. As he embarks on a perilous journey, the Assassins close off his escape route and ambush him in a village of death. But little do they know, they are outnumbered four to one by the Lord’s crack team of bodyguards. The streets will run red.

Check out the trailer for Miike’s latest opus after the break!

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AMC’s The Walking Dead finally gets a trailer

Matt Gamble — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:50:18 +0000

AMC’s The Walking Dead finally gets a trailer Where the Long Tail Ends

This is going to be so freaking good.

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This is going to hurt so good

Matt Gamble — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:45:46 +0000

This is going to hurt so good Where the Long Tail Ends

Words can not express the length of my orgasm upon seeing this poster. As if that isn’t enough, the K-Swiss short currently playing on Funny or Die is freaking epic.

Kenny Muther Fuckin’ Powers demands ancient traditional Asian pornography after the break!

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Kenny Powers Gets Signed By K-Swiss – watch more funny videos

Avatar: Special Edition coming to Showplace ICON

Matt Gamble — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:17:43 +0000

Avatar: Special Edition coming to Showplace ICON Where the Long Tail Ends

Going to keep this short and sweet since Avatar takes a decade to watch as it is, but Avatar: Special Edition will be playing a one week engagement at the Showplace ICON next week and one of the big announcements that goes with that is that tickets will be $7.50 (except VIP which is $5 more) for all shows not matter what time of day. On top of that, their will be no 3D charge either for this run.

And as if that wasn’t enough, anyone who is an Extras member can get a free upgrade to VIP at any show, continuing a trend that they started with this week’s run of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Which means Extras has now just one other perk that no other theatre in town can match. So if you haven’t signed up, make sure you do. After all, its free to join, so really you have no excuse.

Oh, I almost forgot. Someone finally started listening to me (not really) and I’m also happy to announce that The Last Exorcism will have a midnight screening on Thursday night IN THE VIP. Finally, finally you can watch a horror film the way it was always intended, with an appletini in hand.

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Aronofsky just might win me over with swans

Matt Gamble — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:47:38 +0000

Aronofsky just might win me over with swans Where the Long Tail Ends

Darren Aronofsky is fairly hit and miss with me (don’t get me started on the bile inducing The Fountain) due to the fact too often he shifts from merely dabbling in indulgence to rolling around and catering to it at the cost of a good narrative. And sure, Black Swan certainly looks like it could fall into the same repetitive traps of Aronofsky’s other films, but it also seems as if it just might be so compelling that all the indulgences can’t drag me away from it.

And that is certainly a good thing.

Black Swan follows the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter’s professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

Watch the trailer after the break!

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Black Swans opens at only the finest pretentious theatres on December 1, 2010.

I know what I want for Christmas

Matt Gamble — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:25:29 +0000

I know what I want for Christmas Where the Long Tail Ends

Nothing like posters of gothic horror films to really bring out the Holiday Cheer!

The Art of Hammer is the first ever collection of rare and iconic Hammer film posters, with nearly 300 examples drawn from Hammer’s own archive and private collections from around the world!

Hammer is almost as well known for the way it promoted its films as for the films themselves. The legendary British production company supported each new release with eye-catching posters that have become classics of their kind.

Licensed by Coolabi, fully authorized by Hammer Films Productions Ltd and annotated by acclaimed historian Marcus Hearn, (author of the recent bestseller Hammer Glamour) The Art of Hammer is a testament to the company’s pioneering mastery of film promotion, and a celebration of movie art at its best!

The Art of Hammer is to be published by Titan Books on 22 October 2010, priced £24.99 (RRP).

I’m not exactly sure what I think about The Virginity Hit

Matt Gamble — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:54:19 +0000

I’m not exactly sure what I think about The Virginity Hit Where the Long Tail Ends

If the film was an actual documentary I might actually be interested in this film, but since it is simply using a handheld style to give the illusion that the things in the movie actually happened, like, for real, I have a hard time being anything but wary. Especially when they’ve set up a fake YouTube channel to help sustain the facade.

But while I’m wary of the film, the fact that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are behind this should make me optimistic. They consistently have shown a good eye for talent, and they certainly have a good idea of what is funny, but The Virginity Hit seems just so beyond the scope of reality that it seems like a difficult film to pull off successfully. I mean, the kids spend their prom or whatever in what appears to be a goddamn mansion so Matt can lose his virginity. How is anyone, and specifically teenagers, supposed to identify with a bunch of obnoxious rich kids who just want to get laid? Well, except when they are trying to shoplift $1800 suits. Jesus.

This movie could be so freaking bad.

Still interested? Then watch the ridiculous trailer after the break!

Four guys, one camera, and their experience chronicling the exhilarating and terrifying rite of passage: losing your virginity. As these guys help their buddy get laid, they’ll have to survive friends with benefits, Internet hookups, even porn stars during an adventure that proves why you will always remember your first.
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Quick Thoughts – Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Matt Gamble — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:45:40 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Scott Pilgrim vs the World Where the Long Tail Ends

Scott Pilgrim vs The World is one of those movies that I dread reviewing as it was a movie that I knew had a good chance of winning me over, yet at the same time would most likely turn off most viewers. I hadn’t been a fan of the comic, but as a die hard supporter of Edgar Wright I was simply excited to see his next film, and that it was one he didn’t write was something I found incredibly intriguing. Then as I found out more and more about the comic and the film I soon became absolutely hooked.

Scott Pilgrim is a film that has invented its own universe, a universe that exists within a video game where people find random warp zones, power up as they gain experience and in general kick ass for little to no discernable reason. And if you weren’t sure what you were in for, the 8-bit Universal logo intro is sure to give you a serious hint at what is to come.

If you don’t live and breath comics and video games it may be hard to understand just what the heck is going on in this visual barrage of a film, the quick cuts, CGI sound effects and quickly paced dialogue is bound to confuse and annoy many, but once you figure out the films rhythm you start to discover something more.

A film working on multiple levels, and in particular working its ass off to change the complexion of how one takes in a film, and it is succeeding again and again. Its taken the training wheels off of Kung Fu Hustle and propelled a visual masterpiece at your optic nerve, all while pummeling your auditory senses with music and sound galore. Its all such glorious noise, noise noise. Scott Pilgrim vs the World isn’t so much a game changer, but rather cinemas first killer app.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World, the coolest thing in the history of stuff, opens in not enough theatres on Friday.
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I Spit On Your Grave, now this is a pointless remake

Matt Gamble — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:16:40 +0000

I Spit On Your Grave, now this is a pointless remake Where the Long Tail Ends

Not that I’m against people going to the movies to watch brutality so awful you’ll vomit in your popcorn, I have after all seen Cannibal Holocaust more times than is socially acceptable, this incessant need to re-imagine 70′s video nasties (see Last House on the Left) is stupid and really illustrates how Hollywood truly doesn’t “get” those films. Not that their was much to get in the first place. But I digress.

A remake of the controversial 1979 cult classic, I Spit on Your Grave retells the horrific tale of writer Jennifer Hills, who takes a retreat from the city to a charming cabin in the woods to start on her next book. But Jennifer’s presence in the small town attracts the attention of a few morally deprived locals led who set out one night to teach this city girl a lesson.

They break into her cabin to scare her. However, what starts out as terrifying acts of humiliation and intimidation, quickly and uncontrollably escalates into a night of physical abuse and torturous assault. But before they can kill her, Jennifer sacrifices her broken and beaten body to a raging river that washes her away.

As time passes, the men slowly stop searching for her body and try to go back to life as usual. But that isn’t about to happen. Against all odds, Jennifer Hills survived her ordeal. Now, with hell bent vengeance, Jennifer’s sole purpose is to turn the tables on these animals and to inflict upon them every horrifying and torturous moment they carried out on her… only much, much worse.

If you must you can watch the trailer after the break!

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Latest Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis is pure genius

Matt Gamble — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:25:01 +0000

Latest Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis is pure genius Where the Long Tail Ends

Though that’s probably because I think every response to a mention of Evan Almighty should be “Fuck you!”.
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Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Steve Carell from Between Two Ferns

Quick Thoughts – Step Up 3-D

Matt Gamble — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:46:05 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Step Up 3-D Where the Long Tail Ends

It seems like 2010 is the year I start watching film series I said I never would. First was Twilight (with the ridiculousness that is Eclipse) and now along comes Step Up. Unlike Twilight, which is seemingly everywhere and impossible to ignore, the Step Up series is something I know next to nothing about. Oh sure I gathered that it typically involved warring factions (both in ideals and clothing lines) who unified through dance, or should we say, the romantic leads unified through dance. But besides that I was fairly ignorant of any specific plot lines. What’s that? There aren’t any? Oh then that makes this much easier.

Step Up 3-D is about two warring factions (the Pirates and the Samurais) and their attempts to win some dance battle contest who’s name doesn’t really matter. As if this intrigue isn’t enough, it also follows the budding love of two people from different socio-economic backgrounds and the struggle of trying to be in love when you are obscenely rich. Full of love and loss, heartbreak and sadness, this is a bitter sweet tale that shows that while popping and locking can unite anyone, it is friendship that truly is the strongest bond in life.

Also their is copious use of a CGI Icee which is just about the dumbest fucking thing I have ever seen.

In, like, my whole life.

But the dance scenes are pretty solid (apart from the horrific Fred Astaire number) so at least their is something worth watching in this movie, cause it sure as hell isn’t the acting, plot or examinations of the human condition that will convince people to watch this thing.

Still interested? Well then watch the trailer after the break!

New York’s intense street dancing underground comes alive in eye-popping Digital 3D in the third installment of the Step Up franchise as the raw, passion-fueled culture goes global. A tight-knit group of street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Adam Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the world’s best breakdancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

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Short Form – White Noise

Matt Gamble — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:38:10 +0000

Short Form – White Noise Where the Long Tail Ends

While this isn’t a short film per se, I do think their is something to be said for well done music videos, and this one by Lauren O’Connell for her song White Noise is truly outstanding. Simple and elegant yet still finding a way to be both incredibly effective and interesting to watch. And after watching it, I think you’ll be hard pressed to not rush over to iTunes to pick up her album.

Lauren O’Connell (MySpace)
Lauren O’Connell (YouTube)
The Shakes (album)

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New trailer for Catfish: Bait and Switch

Matt Gamble — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:47:28 +0000

New trailer for Catfish: Bait and Switch Where the Long Tail Ends

Well, actually its just called Catfish, but the marketing for this film is so counter intuitive to what the actual film it is about its bound to raise up some controversy once the film is finally released. For those that don’t know, Catfish is a documentary about a guy who documents his brother’s burgeoning online relationship with a girl who lives hundreds of miles away and that he’s never met and the complications involved with such an endeavor.

But from the trailer the viewer is lead to believe that this is a film shot in a documentary style about a boy who starts dating a girl who lures him to the middle of nowhere to slaughter him and his companions (think Blair Witch for the Facebook generation). And well, that’s really not even close to accurate. And while this marketing campaign is bound to generate interest (the trailer is pretty damn effective) its going to be drawing in a crowd that is looking for something that Catfish simply can’t deliver, nor is it even attempting to. So while I’m happy that their is a chance this documentary will potentially get more exposure due to this campaign, I’m really rather worried that it will get slammed into obscurity due to the inevitable backlash.

In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. A reality thriller that is a shocking product of our times, Catfish is a riveting story of love, deception and grace within a labyrinth of online intrigue.

Watch the trailer after the break!

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Monsters trailer falls short of being even remotely scary

Matt Gamble — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:45:15 +0000

Monsters trailer falls short of being even remotely scary Where the Long Tail Ends

Is it just me or does this look like a weak remake of The Arrival with a couple scenes stolen straight from Jurassic Park? It also doesn’t help that one of the quotes comes from Slash Films, who don’t exist. Their is a /Film though, often referred to as Slash Film. So yeah, outside of the cinematography this trailer is doing nothing for me. Really the only thing that keeps me from ignoring it completely is that Magnet is behind the release, which means that in spite of the tepid trailer, this thing is actually probably pretty good.

Six years ago previously, a NASA probe returning to earth with samples of an alien life form, crashed over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear, and half of Mexico was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain “the creatures”… The story begins when a US journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.

Watch the trailer after the break!

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Podcasts down for the time being (Update – fixed for now)

Matt Gamble — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:36:08 +0000

Podcasts down for the time being (Update – fixed for now) Where the Long Tail Ends

I did an update to WordPress last night and that seems to have not made my podpress plugin happy. So much so that the website that supports it is down as well. So that’s fun. Hopefully this is just a short term issue and things will be back up soon, until then, enjoy the teaser trailer for Sucker Punch and hopefully that will take your mind off the fact that I’m not really doing anything to fix this situation.

Quick update – I figured out a temporary fix that has gotten everything up and running, but hopefully I can figure out something much more permanent in the next couple days.
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Spoiler Alert! – Operation: Endgame

Matt Gamble — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:43:30 +0000

Spoiler Alert! – Operation: Endgame Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! It’s been a few weeks (months?) since James and I have had the time to get together and record a podcast and it sure shows in this episode. Oh sure we spend a good deal of time on Operation: Endgame and its massive cast of characters (Zach Galifianakis, Emilie de Ravin, Maggie Q, Odette Yustman, Rob Corddry, Adam Scott, Ellen Barkin, Ving Rhames, Brandon T. Jackson, Jeffrey Tambor, Joe Anderson, Beth Grant, Bob Odenkirk, Tim Bagley and Michael Hitchcock) but soon after we drift into all sorts of other topics including James complaining about my poor working knowledge of Minnesota geography, discussions on movie endings and why James doesn’t want to hang out with more than one person a day.

And that’s just the first hour.

Needless to say this is a pretty packed episode and it runs much longer than what we typically prefer Spoiler Alert! to be, but I think it ends up being a pretty damn interesting episode because of it. Hopefully all of you feel the same.

And as always, thanks for listening!
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Donate via PayPal

Subscribe $.99/month

Spoiler Alert! coming tonight, or possibly another day

Matt Gamble — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:32:34 +0000

Spoiler Alert! coming tonight, or possibly another day Where the Long Tail Ends

Thanks to my purchasing a house James and I have fallen a bit behind on our podcasting duties but wait no more! Today James will be swinging by to record a new episode of Spoiler Alert! and hopefully, if I decided I’d rather do some post-production work than watch a documentary on weirdo fans’ love of mislabeled Goblin films you could be listening to a new podcast from us as early as this evening.

Of course their are a few caveats, the first of which is that James hasn’t actually seen the movie yet, but since he will be watching it here, right before we record, we could get some interesting commentary from him. Or he could just become disgusted and shut it off and leave us up shit creek.

Then of course their is the fact that my house doesn’t have a doorbell, which opens a whole boatload of issues. Will James even make it in the door? Will he stand outside for 3 minutes and simply leave? Now, I have informed him that he does have the ability to knock, but really, there’s no telling what James will do when push comes to shove.

As for the film? I’d alluded to it earlier but if you really want to know, the trailer is after the break. Otherwise, talk to ya soon!

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Holy exploitation!

Matt Gamble — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:25:29 +0000

Holy exploitation! Where the Long Tail Ends

So what has Sam Raimi been working on? Why producing a 3D post-apocalyptic vampire film starring Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Christopher Plummer and Brad Dourif called Priest. Oh yeah, its also a western. Man, does it looks like it could be pretty damn awesome.

A warrior priest (Paul Bettany) disobeys Church law by teaming with a young sheriff (Cam Gigandet) and a beautiful priestess (Maggie Q). The three band together to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped the priest’s niece before they turn her into one of them.

Priest is scheduled for release on May 13, 2011.

Watch the trailer after the break!

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Vita.MN’s Top 10 Movie Theatres

Matt Gamble — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:09:42 +0000

Vita.MN’s Top 10 Movie Theatres Where the Long Tail Ends

So Vita.MN just released their yearly list issue and the To Ten Movie Theatres turned out to be a rather interesting list as finally someone didn’t put The Riverview at the top. Now, I love The Riverview, but its not the best theatre in the Twin Cities, that designation clearly belongs to The Heights. But now my issue. The Heights isn’t even on the damn list?!?!

Hey Twin Cities, do you even like movies?

The Heights screening Metropolis with an organist accompanying is the movie event of the year in this town. Where is it going to be? The Heights (potentially, Take-Up hasn’t confirmed anything yet). But yeah, if that happens there is no better show in town.

As for the list:

1 – Lagoon
2 – Uptown
3 – Riverview
4 – Southdale
5 – St Anthony Main
6 – Edina
7 – Oak Street
8 – Parkway
9 – Eden Prairie
10 – Rosedale

Congrats to Landmark for nabbing 3 of the Top 6 spots as all three have earned their reps by continually presenting some of the best films you’ll see in the Twin Cities. Also nice to see that 7 of the 10 theatres on the list specialize in Indie films and repertory programming. But why the Oak Street is on there is beyond me since its been dark for what, 7 months now? In fact, I don’t believe a single movie was shown at the Oak Street this year, so kudos to having it on the list Twin Cities!

Also strange to see 3 AMC theatres on the list as they are fairly awful places to watch movies, so I’m guessing the fact they are dirt cheap is the reason why people love them.

In a semi-related not, the Block E Theatre finally fell of the Top Ten places to be shot in the face while enjoying a night on the town and moved up to having its restrooms named as one of the Top 10 places to have sex in. Baby steps Block E. Baby steps.

Finally, The Rock has come back to his senses

Matt Gamble — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:35:20 +0000

Finally, The Rock has come back to his senses Where the Long Tail Ends

Why he hasn’t been sticking to action films is beyond me but at least Faster might make up for some of those gawd awful Disney comedies he keeps churning out.

A stint in prison usually has one of two effects on a man – it either breaks him down or makes him stronger. For Driver (Dwayne Johnson), a 10-year sentence proved the latter. His strength was not just fueled by time, but also by a hunger to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his own imprisonment. Untouchable on the ‘inside,’ he made plenty of enemies in prison – men who were counting the days until his release so they could exact their own revenge on the outside. Now, on the day of his release, he is hell-bent on reaping vengeance upon the four men responsible for his brother’s murder. With a list of names and addresses in hand, he sprints out of the prison gates and is immediately on his mission.

No regard for witnesses. No finesse to the acts. One down. Check. Within hours of Driver eliminating the first name on the list, two men are on his trail – Cop (Billy Bob Thornton), a veteran police officer just days from retirement, and Killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a young egocentric hitman with a flair for the art of killing. The hunter is now also the hunted.

Without hesitation, Driver methodically continues down his list while the mystery deepens surrounding his brother’s murder and who might have tipped off those responsible to their robbery plans. With each killing, Driver finds himself face to face with Cop or Killer and he evades them every time. Killer wants Driver now more than ever – he’s finally met a worthy opponent. Thus begins a do or die race to the list’s finish with new details in the decade old murder emerging along the way…hinting that Driver’s list may be incomplete and his life in further danger.

Faster is released on November 24th, 2010.

Watch the trailer after the break!

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Centurion just keeps looking better and better

Matt Gamble — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:51:57 +0000

Centurion just keeps looking better and better Where the Long Tail Ends

Man I can’t wait to watch this movie.

AD 117. The Roman Empire stretches from Egypt to Spain, and East as far as the Black Sea. But in northern Britain, the relentless onslaught of conquest has ground to a halt in face of the guerrilla tactics of an elusive enemy: the savage and terrifying tribes known as the Picts.

Quintus, sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus’ legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the earth and destroy their leader Gorlacon.

But when the legion is ambushed on unfamiliar ground, and Virilus taken captive, Quintus faces a desperate struggle to keep his small platoon alive behind enemy lines, evading remorseless Pict pursuers over harsh terrain, as the band of soldiers race to rescue their General, and to reach the safety of the Roman frontier.

Centurion opens at the Landmark Lagoon Theatre on August 27th.

Trailer after the break!

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Anatomically Correct w/ Bakery Band at The Uptown

Matt Gamble — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:15:42 +0000

Anatomically Correct w/ Bakery Band at The Uptown Where the Long Tail Ends

Next month you’ll have the opportunity to watch a local film + a local band for a price that’s damn near free, all at The Uptown Theatre. What more could you ask for? Thanks as always to Switchblade Comb for the heads up.

Relationships seem to end and begin everywhere, all the time. But like the parts of the body, each person in our lives has a purpose, makes a difference and leaves a mark. We find two pairs of twenty-something friends as they struggle to accept the state of their relationships or lack thereof. A twittering jewel of a person named Jem attempts to wreak havoc on their lives by breaking people apart and putting them together, performing her idea of romantic surgery. But sometimes, the natural course of life and romance needs to simply take its course. Join Melissa, Brooke, Jeff and Michael as they try to find who they are, what they want, and who they want to be to each other.

Friday, Aug. 20
Midnight l $5-10 Suggested Donations

Anatomically Incorrect (Official Webpage)
Bakery Band (MySpace)

Well, you can run like Hays, but you hit like sh-t.

Matt Gamble — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:46:59 +0000

Well, you can run like Hays, but you hit like sh-t. Where the Long Tail Ends

One of the greatest deadpans in cinema history has passed away. How crappy.

Oliver Stone’s South of the Border is coming to Minneapolis

Matt Gamble — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:51:16 +0000

Oliver Stone’s South of the Border is coming to Minneapolis Where the Long Tail Ends

On July 30th, Oliver Stone’s new documentary South of the Border will open at the Showplace ICON Theatre in St Louis Park on an exclusive one week run here in the Twin Cities. I don’t know much about the film, but from what I do know I am certainly intrigued at its fascinating premise and its potential promise of giving an in depth and behind the scenes look at various members of South American governments and just how they are trying to transform their countries and the region, even while the US seemingly does its best to thwart those efforts.

Summary
There’s a revolution underway in South America, but most of the world doesn’t know it. Oliver Stone sets out on a road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media’s misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents. In casual conversations with Presidents Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), as well as her husband and ex-President N?stor Kirchner, Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), and Raúl Castro (Cuba), Stone gains unprecedented access and sheds new light upon the exciting transformations in the region.

South of the Border (Official Website)

Check out the trailer after the break!

The Devil trailer just did something I’ve never seen before

Matt Gamble — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:44:29 +0000

The Devil trailer just did something I’ve never seen before Where the Long Tail Ends

So tonight I was at a midnight screening of Inception (go see it BTW) and I saw something that I’ve never seen before either working at a movie theatre or simply attending a movie.

The trailer for M Night Shyamalan’s (sort of) upcoming film, Devil, was attached to the print. Now for those of you who haven’t watched the trailer let me assure you that it is a pretty solid trailer, and does a good job of building suspense for a film that looks like it might actually be scary.

Now as the trailer was playing it was pretty evident that the crowd was into the film and was intrigued on just what it was. And for those of you who haven’t seen the trailer yet it should be noted that the trailer doesn’t reveal M Night’s participation with it until it is about three fourths of the way through. And that is when things got interesting.

As I said the crowd was into the trailer, but as soon as M Night’s name popped up on the screen the entire theatre (roughly 275 people) either groaned or laughed their asses off. It was a complete 180 turn and I’ve never seen anything like it. Honestly, if the guy was standing in the auditorium they damn near might have lynched him. Which is a shame because they guy is clearly a talented filmmaker and the trailer certainly makes the film appear as if it might be pretty damn good.

But clearly this is evidence as to why M Night’s name is being pulled from any future advertising for the film. The viewing public has turned on him, even though he still continues to make good, albeit flawed, films. Ah well.

Anyone else witness a similar occurrence when viewing the trailer in the theatre?

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This is for James and Reed

Matt Gamble — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:48:05 +0000

This is for James and Reed Where the Long Tail Ends

Meet Kevin. Be advised, his voice is incredibly soothing, perhaps even more so than the comfort found in so many pages of Star Trek novels.

Enjoy and please try not to drool.

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Coming Soon (7/14/10)

Matt Gamble — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:09:47 +0000

Coming Soon (7/14/10) Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve been way behind on updating the Coming Soon lists for the various Landmark Theatres for the last few months. While most of that is due to me devoting most of my time trying to buy a house, some of it is also due to me considering a revamp of the feature. As much as I love pimping out Landmark, I’m leaning more and more everyday to trying to make this a more comprehensive Coming Son list that has as many of the various Independent film releases that occur all of the Twin Cities.

Sure that’s going to potentially give me a ton more work to add to this, but at the same time it should make for a much better list for film fans living in the Cities.

But then I think about how much work it will be so I keep putting it off.

And off.

Deal.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

7/16 The Kids Are Alright Uptown
7/16 Wild Grass Lagoon
7/16 Inception Lagoon ***

7/23 Best Worst Movie Lagoon ***
7/23 Love Ranch Edina
7/23 Restrepo Lagoon (NEW)
7/23 Father of My Children (NEW)

7/30 Agora Uptown ***
7/30 Ran (new print) Lagoon ***
7/30 Countdown to Zero Lagoon

8/6 Great Directors Lagoon ***
8/6 Extra Men Lagoon/Edina (tentative)
8/6 Farewell Edina

8/13 Wildest Dreams: Conquest of Everest Uptown (NEW)
8/13 Get Low Edina ***
8/13 Everyone Else Lagoon
8/13 Life During Wartime Lagoon (NEW)

8/20 Patrik, Age 1.5 Lagoon
8/20 Mesrine: Pt 1 – Killer Instinct Lagoon (NEW)
8/20 The Concert Edina
8/20 The Dry Land Edina (NEW)

8/27 Animal Kingdom Uptown (NEW)
8/27 Cairo Time Edina (NEW)
8/27 Centurion Lagoon ***

9/03 Lebanon Lagoon
9/03 Mao’s Last Dancer Edina
9/03 Waking Sleeping Beauty Lagoon (NEW)
9/03 The Tillman Story Lagoon (NEW)

9/10 Soul Kitchen Uptown (NEW)
9/10 I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix Lagoon (NEW) ***
9/10 Mesrine: Pt 2 – Public Enemy #1 Lagoon (NEW)

9/17 Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child Lagoon

9/24 A Woman, A Gun and a Noodle Shop Uptown (NEW)
9/24 Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, and Rebel Lagoon

10/01 The Sicilian Girl Lagoon

10/22 Last Train Home Lagoon (NEW)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

On the next episode of the Film Junk Podcast

Matt Gamble — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:36:13 +0000

On the next episode of the Film Junk Podcast Where the Long Tail Ends

Be sure to check out the latest episode of the non-award winning Film Junk Podcast as I fill in for Greg, Jay and I batter each other with passive aggressive insults and I manage to muck up plugging my own book, all in one spectacular episode!

Oh yeah, we also talk Predators and the difference between Team Reed and Team Gerry.

Compelling shit, to be sure.

Film Junk Podcast Episode 278

We loved him because he DID blow every single chance

Matt Gamble — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:15:51 +0000

We loved him because he DID blow every single chance Where the Long Tail Ends

You’ll be missed Harvey. You were one of the greats.

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The Rango trailer starring Sanjuro

Matt Gamble — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:19:57 +0000

The Rango trailer starring Sanjuro Where the Long Tail Ends

Not much is known about the upcoming animated film Rango, outside of the fact its directed by Gore Verbinski and stars Johnny Depp and somewhere near a million other great actors (Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Timothy Olyphant, Ned Beatty, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina, Ray Winstone, Stephen Root and Harry Dean Stanton round out most of the cast).

Well, nothing more outside of the thinnest of plot details, which at this point point to Rango being a chameleon having an existential crisis of some degree, and who dreams of being a swashbuckling hero until he stumbles upon a town terrorized by bandits and he has to live this role and protect them. Granted this plot line is alluding more towards Seven Samurai than any of the films about a certain wandering ronin, but hey, I’ll get my Kurosawa fix any way I can get it. Even if it comes from a chameleon.

Rango is scheduled to open in the US on March 4th of next year.
[gap][/gap]

Operation: Endgame is my newest obsession

Matt Gamble — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:36:06 +0000

Operation: Endgame is my newest obsession Where the Long Tail Ends

Beware, the following is not safe for work, or for losers.

Cause its AWESOME!!!!

[gap][/gap]

I smell the next episode of Spoiler Alert! in Operation: Endgame’s future.

It’s official, a Twilight: Eclipse cast member is appearing at the Showplace ICON tomorrow night!

Matt Gamble — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:07:36 +0000

It’s official, a Twilight: Eclipse cast member is appearing at the Showplace ICON tomorrow night! Where the Long Tail Ends

I don’t know to many details as of yet but I do know a “star” from Twilight: Eclipse will be appearing at the Showplace ICON Theatre at the Shops at West End in St Louis Park tomorrow night at 7pm.

Now, does that mean Robert Pattinson will be in St Louis Park tomorrow night? I don’t know and I’m not sure when I will know. If I was a betting man I’d put money on it being Elizabeth Reaser, whom Twin Cities cinephiles will know from the Indie hit Sweet Land from 2005 which was a Minnesota production that turned into a massive hit here in the Twin Cities and propelled Reaser to an Independent Spirit Award Nomination for Best Female Lead.

Sure she isn’t the sex symbol most of the members of Team Jacob and Edward are clamoring for, but she’s a damn good actress and she’s totally deserving of more recognition. Of course, I am basing this entirely on my own suppositions, so its just as likely Kristen Stewart will be the one strolling through St Louis Park tomorrow night.

Holy crap, Let Me In looks awesome

Matt Gamble — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:30:14 +0000

Holy crap, Let Me In looks awesome Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve been a bit apprehensive about the remake of the damn near perfect Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In. But as more and more details emerge about the American/British remake I can’t help but be impressed. From the great casting (Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee are about as good as one could hope for for the leads), to a solid choice to have Cloverfield director Matt Reeves put at the helm, to Hammer Films proclaiming that this will be the film that launches their brand as a new force in the horror genre I can’t help but think, dammit this just might work.

Then they released the international trailer and my greatest hopes seem to not only be realized, but possibly were not even thinking grand enough.

This movie is going to be amazing.
[gap][/gap]

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Cover Stories update

Matt Gamble — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:17:57 +0000

Cover Stories update Where the Long Tail Ends

Just taking a quick break from moving this week in to my new home (Hello adulthood!) to note that the website for Cover Stories has now gone live. Their isn’t a ton of content on it at the moment, but we’ve set a pretty rigorous schedule for updates so you should see plenty of interesting additions in the future. I know I plan on writing a few posts about how I came up with some of my story ideas and possibly admitting just how much of each story is actually true and how much is me lying through my teeth.

While I know some of the others plan on possibly posting more euphictional stories on the website, I’m not sure if I will though the idea intrigues me. Its more to do with time limitations than anything, as working two jobs and having four websites tends to stretch me a little thin at times.

But for now I want to thank everyone who has bought the book so far and once again encourage people to download our sampler and then take the plunge. I think you’ll be very happy that you did.

Cover Stories (Web page)

Cover Stories Sampler (FREE download)

Cover Stories Store

Quick Thoughts – Twilight: Eclipse

Matt Gamble — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:06:47 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Twilight: Eclipse Where the Long Tail Ends

So one of the perks of my job is I get to watch a lot of movies in advance. While at the previous chain I worked for we were able to go to press screenings, we also screened anything that we thought looked interesting pretty much whenever we felt like it. It was a pretty awesome part of that job.

But at my new chain I was introduced to something very different, preview screenings that were required of all managers working the night before a changeover. You see, evidently other chains had people who weren’t very good at building prints, so managers were required to watch every single print of every single new movie they would be opening as soon as the prints were built. That meant I’d be paid to sit and watch movies for a whole day. Which is awesome when the movies are good, and which sucks when they aren’t.

Which brings me to Twilight: Eclipse, a movie I have claimed on numerous occasions someone couldn’t even pay me to watch. It seems I was incorrect on that statement, though to be fair if I didn’t perform this task I would have lost my job, so clearly I was going through the kind of extreme duress seen only in Lifetime movies.

Which segues nicely into Twilight: Eclipse, which at its best could maybe be considered a good Lifetime movie, but really, that’s being overly kind to the fat girl who is asking you if she looks skinny in her new dress.

You see, Twilight: Eclipse sucks. And not in the fun, sparkly way its fans claims it does.

No, this is a movie that was so bad that even though I was paid to watch it, I still went up to the box office to demand my money back.

But on the plus side I now know never to date anyone who likes this bilge. Seriously ladies, stop eating your feelings and go kiss a dude. Its way more fun than this crap. You’ll even find that your chances of getting laid go up by a factor of 20. Bonus!

[gap][/gap]

Showplace Icon keeps upping the digital ante

Matt Gamble — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:19:09 +0000

Showplace Icon keeps upping the digital ante Where the Long Tail Ends

With little fanfare, the Showplace ICON Theatre at the Shops at West End in St Louis Park has added an additional two 3-D screens, upping its total number of 3-D screens to seven, allowing it to once again claim the title of having the most 3-D screens in the Twin Cities and possibly Minnesota. And while reviews may be mixed on how much people enjoy 3-D, the box office numbers do little to indicate anything than 3-D being an industry staple from here on out.

But perhaps even more impressive was the coinciding move made out at the Showplace Icon, that of add Dolby 7.1 surround sound to its four largest auditoriums, marking it as only the fifth theatre in Minnesota to boast the technology and the only theatre in the Twin Cities that can make the claim (the next closest theatre with 7.1 is in Oakdale).

The reason for adding both of these additions was of course the release of Toy Story 3, which is the first major theatrical release that boasted 7.1 surround sound. Right now it seems Disney of all places is the primary studio leading the charge towards 7.1 surround sound. It might even surprise people to find out that 7.1 isn’t the standard in the vast majority of theatres spanning the globe, but rather 5.1. And for the home video enthusiasts, now that true 7.1 is being offered for theatrical releases you’ll start seeing more true 7.1 Blu Rays being made available rather than trussed up 5.1 discs.

And while I fully admit to being a Showplace Icon employee, the addition of 7.1 to our theatre only solidifies my belief that our Theatre #1 is the best house to watch a movie in in the Twin Cities. Which is saying something because their are a heck of a lot of great houses in this town.

As for the next big theatrical release to boast 7.1 surround sound? Its Step Up 3 (or 3-D as the case may be in some theatres). Which means I know exactly where Joe will be on opening day.

If I can’t rename it HAL what’s the point?

Matt Gamble — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:14:16 +0000

If I can’t rename it HAL what’s the point? Where the Long Tail Ends

This just happens to be one of the stranger videos I’ve seen coming out of E3. Why does the Emcee have two microphones? Why is the engineer terrified of moving his arms? Why isn’t the Xbox named something way cooler than simply XBOX?

But as odd as the video is, I must say the the technology intrigues me. Plus we are now just one step closer to having our home entertainment centers play porn and jerk you off without ever having to use our hands. And that’s a feat. An ignominious feat, but a feat nonetheless.

Video Games | Kinect | E3 2010: Xbox 360 Interface Demo

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Minimalist movie posters

Matt Gamble — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:51:50 +0000

Minimalist movie posters Where the Long Tail Ends

Well aren’t these fun.

Check out the whole lot of them at trendland.net.

Why aren’t you buying a copy of my book, Cover Stories, as we speak?

Matt Gamble — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:15:07 +0000

Why aren’t you buying a copy of my book, Cover Stories, as we speak? Where the Long Tail Ends

Its official, Cover Stories is now available for purchase. This book has been a long time in coming, and thanks to the efforts of everyone involved I am incredibly proud to be a part of this project.

DOWNLOAD A FREE SAMPLER (WITH 10 STORIES) HERE!

A year ago, writer Christian A. Dumais (Empty Rooms Lonely Countries) set in motion Cover Stories, a project where 10 writers from around the globe banded together to produce a collection of 100 stories that cut deep into the tracks of their favorite albums to produce euphiction, the duet of euphonious and fiction. The writers include Simon Neil, Derrek Carriveau, Christian A. Dumais, T.P. Whited, Erik Schmidt, Suzi M., A.C. Noia, Derek Handley, Matt Gamble and N. Pendleton. Afterword by Sean P. Murray.

In the book’s foreword, Mike Dawson, creator of Freddie & Me, talks about euphiction: “My understanding of a song cover is one artist performing their own take on another artist’s work. . . but how do you cover a CS SAMPLER song in prose form, those letters sitting silently on the page? How exactly do you do that? How do you write the way music feels?”

Dumais says, “I believe the writers in Cover Stories addressed Dawson’s questions and delivered more than just a mix tape of divergent fictions. Inspired by the music of the Walkmen, Combichrist, By Hook or Crook, the Twilight Singers and more, these writers have become the scouts of a new literary invasion.”

And like any good mix tape, Cover Stories encompasses a wide range of territory, from horror to romance to comedy to the unexpected. This is a visual soundtrack that will stay in your head long after the book is closed. Readers can also read the liner notes following each set of stories, where the authors provide details regarding their musical muses.

BUY YOUR COPY NOW

ISBN/EAN13: 1452831548 / 9781452831541

If you don’t like Scott Pilgrim, I will hate you

Matt Gamble — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:49:08 +0000

If you don’t like Scott Pilgrim, I will hate you Where the Long Tail Ends

Its like Edgar Wright is making love with and/or to my brain. Srsly.

The greatest movie in the history of stuff opens August 13th in not enough theatres.

[gap][/gap]

You know what? The Sorcerer’s Apprentice might actually be good.

Matt Gamble — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:34:07 +0000

You know what? The Sorcerer’s Apprentice might actually be good. Where the Long Tail Ends

While the first few trailers that came out made The Sorcerer’s Apprentice appear to be nothing but decidedly mediocre, this latest trailer actually looks kinda good.

Like, honestly. Who knew that was even possible?

I even found out that Monica Bellucci is in the film, though why they are barely using her in any of the trailers is beyond me. At least they are starting to show off a bit more of Alfred Molina’s character, who could prove to be deliciously evil fun. And that might just be enough to make this a good time at the multiplex.
[gap][/gap]

Short Form – Cooking with Gerry

Matt Gamble — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:04:52 +0000

Short Form – Cooking with Gerry Where the Long Tail Ends

Both James and I are big fans of the film site Film Junk, especially their podcast Cantankerous which co-stars Jay Cheel and Reed Farrington. Thanks to that podcast we discovered the 20 years old pilot episode Reed made for Cooking with Gerry, a cooking show that was low on cooking but high on entertainment. But now, more than 20 years later, the second episode of Cooking with Gerry has finally materialized on the web and man, was it ever worth the wait.

This episode focuses on the mysterious French-Canadian cuisine Poutine, a simple dish of french fries, gravy and cheese curds that is adored by Jay and has seemingly become a bit of a fad. I know here in Minneapolis at least two dinning spots have added Poutine to their menu, and I must say, outside of the horrible name for the dish, it is rather tasty.

So if you have any interest in making your own version of Poutine, be sure to check out this episode of Cooking with Gerry, also, be on the lookout for Reed’s own eclectic flourishes, you won’t be disappointed.
[gap][/gap]

81 minutes

Matt Gamble — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:28:43 +0000

81 minutes Where the Long Tail Ends

That’s the running time for the Jonah Hex movie, a more ridiculous number you’ll be hard pressed to find this summer season. But wait, once you figure that the average film has 7 minutes of credits, and Jonah Hex being an effects heavy film will mean it will probably push closer to 10 minutes, suddenly you realize that means an actual running time for the movie as just a tich over 70 minutes, barely qualifying Jonah Hex as a feature length film.

Or as I said when I found out, “Holy crap, that means the entire plot is in the trailer!”

And suddenly, I might actually be slightly interested in watching this abomination.

[gap][/gap]

Scoop: Who loves trailers?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:52:31 +0000

Scoop: Who loves trailers? Where the Long Tail Ends

Its already old news that the newest Disney film, Tangled, has already had a trailer released on the web and will be attached on Toy Story 3 in just a few short weeks. So why that may not be getting you hot and bothered, I do have news about two other trailers that will be attached to films in the coming weeks that have yet to be announced and both are pretty big.

First up is the live action version of the 80′s cartoon classic The Smurfs starring Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria. Little to no footage is floating around the Internet or legitimate news channels, but I’m happy to announce that the first teaser trailer for the film will be attached to Toy Story 3. Its just a short teaser, not even a minute long, so don’t expect too much out of it. It is a shame that they didn’t get the trailer finished sooner, as I can’t think of a more perfect film to premiere it on than the remake of The Karate Kid. Ah well.

The second big trailer release will be attached to the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups and is a bit more of an odd tie-in. Its the first trailer for The Green Hornet which stars Seth Rogen and is directed by Michel Gondry. No confirmation yet on whether or not the trailer will be a teaser or something more substantial, but considering that the film isn’t scheduled for release until this January I’m willing to bet that its just a teaser at this point.

And while I can’t show you either of those two trailers yet, at the very least I can post the new trailer for Tangled. Hope you enjoy!
[gap][/gap]

Get Him to the Greek sidenote – BUY THE ALBUM

Matt Gamble — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:36:00 +0000

Get Him to the Greek sidenote – BUY THE ALBUM Where the Long Tail Ends

Seriously, the music in this film is outstanding. Not only are they fairly solid satirical representations of rock songs, they also are just damn good songs. Seriously Gang of Lust, Going Up, The Clap and even Furry Walls and Bangers, Beans & Mash are a blast to listen to, and this isn’t even counting Jackie Q/Rose Byrne’s ridiculously fun pop send ups Supertight and Ring Round.

Seriously, this soundtrack is so good it might even be one of the better albums of the year. Well… lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Buy Get Him to the Greek Soundtrack (Amazon)

[gap][/gap]

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Quick Thoughts – Get Him to the Greek

Matt Gamble — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:48:17 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Get Him to the Greek Where the Long Tail Ends

Its been a rough year at the movies. After a year in which their were seemingly untold masses of both critical successes and financial successes you can scarcely find either kind this year. Sure fire blockbusters have stumbled, critical darlings can’t be found, and damn near nothing has surprised anyone and become a bit of a hit. Sure Alice in Wonderland has become a bit of a monster overseas, but outside of How to Train Your Dragon you’ll be hard pressed to find a bankable film with any legs since Avatar was initially released seven months ago.

Now sure, I’ve been quite satisfied but the rise of exploitation films which are turning up at the multiplex, but even out of those you can’t find a film that doesn’t have its share of flaws. So by the time I got around to Get Him to the Greek I had resigned myself to the fact that 2010 simply wasn’t going to contain many, if any, hidden gems at the the cinema. For the time being I am happy to admit I am completely wrong.

Well, maybe not completely, as one good film certainly isn’t enough to stem the tide of mediocrity that has flowed through multiplexes so far this year. But make no mistake, Get Him to the Greek is a good film.

Its funny, has great music, dark and somehow has found a way to not ruin almost any of its jokes because of its trailers. Inn fact, nearly every trailer has been cut with footage that never appears in the film. So rather than spoiling the film, the trailers actually keep the audience guessing, a trick I wish more comedies would employ. Oh sure the film stumbles at times, and it by no means is a perfect film, but time and again Get Him to the Greek found a way to keep me on my toes while it entertained me. I just wish being entertained wasn’t such a rare site these days at the multiplex.

The new Dinner for Schmucks trailer is melting my brain

Matt Gamble — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 01:19:53 +0000

The new Dinner for Schmucks trailer is melting my brain Where the Long Tail Ends

This film is quickly starting to reach epic proportions, and scaling heights I couldn’t before fathom it could actually achieve in a mainstream comedy. Sure, the reveal of Jemaine Clement to be a man who believes he is the God Pan himself is one thing, having Steve Carell being nursed by a vulture is another. But it is the moments between Carell and Zach Galifianakis, teased at in the first trailer but focused upon more in the second, that look to be the type of bizarre raw comedy that will practically force me to watch this films hundreds of times over.

Oh please be as good as you promise, Dinner for Schmucks.

Pretty please.
[gap][/gap]

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2 . 5 – Hide and Seek

Matt Gamble — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:44:06 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2 . 5 – Hide and Seek Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! After a slightly extended leave due to my attempts to purchase a house (word of warning, due to having purchased said house this might be the last HLB until well into July) James and I return for this episode of High and Low (Brow) whose theme was brilliantly concocted by one of our listeners, Mike Langlie. Without out a doubt Mike did a fantastic job and both James and I had a blast with the theme.

As for the actual films, for the second episode in a row we watch a made for TV film, this time the “lost” classic Bad Ronald which was produced by ABC waaaaaay back in 1974. And while James and I spend ample time reviewing the film, it also leads us into an interesting tangent about the disappearance of the network television movie and miniseries.

Following that we then review the Otto Preminger directed cult classic Bunny Lake is Missing, which features a host of outstanding performances, amazing cinematography and one heck of a modern marketing plan that crashed and burned back in 1965.

Then of course, make sure to stick around for the the selection segment of our show, as James and I manage to muck it up completely. Yet somehow we still manage to pull off selecting a pretty fascinating and compelling pair of films for the next show (whenever it just might be).

As always thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Washington Square by The Village Stompers

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

[gap][/gap]

Next time on High and Low (Brow)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:17:00 +0000

Next time on High and Low (Brow) Where the Long Tail Ends

James and I are recording tomorrow so you can expect a new episode to be posted hopefully by the end of the week. And if you forgot what we were reviewing, here are some trailers/scenes to get you in the mood.

Bunny Lake is Missing
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[gap][/gap]

Bad Ronald
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New Scott Pilgrim trailer roXors my s0x0rz

Matt Gamble — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:45:39 +0000

New Scott Pilgrim trailer roXors my s0x0rz Where the Long Tail Ends

Clearly deserving a well deserved w00t, the new Scott Pilgrim vs the World looks freaking awesome. Sure the thing is destined to do squat at the box office but Edgar Wright’s latest triumph is clearly in the running for best film of the summer, and perhaps the year.

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God dammit! Hollywood just got a little less awesome.

Matt Gamble — Sat, 29 May 2010 19:02:11 +0000

God dammit! Hollywood just got a little less awesome. Where the Long Tail Ends

Well Dennis Hopper has succumbed to cancer. How shitty. Truly a fantastically talented actor who rarely brought less than his A game to even the most frivolous of films, he’s an American cinema icon who will be sorely missed.

I don’t know about you but I plan on honoring him by drinking 6 bottles of Jack Daniels and watching perhaps his most crazed (best?) performance, and the role that actually killed him for a minute or two, Mad Dog Morgan. I highly suggest you give it a try as well.

Buy it here (Amazon)

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2010 Sound Unseen International Duluth Film Festival

Matt Gamble — Sat, 29 May 2010 18:37:52 +0000

2010 Sound Unseen International Duluth Film Festival Where the Long Tail Ends

Sound Unseen is becoming a bit of a festival staple here in the Twin Cities every fall but now Duluth gets to join in on the fun a few months early. But while the Twin Cities version of Sound Unseen focuses exclusively on films about music, the Duluth festival is playing a bit more loose with that format though there still will be plenty of music onhand, including performances from Solid Gold, DJ Talk Radio, Charlie Parr, Roma di Luna, Bight Club, Heiruspecs, The Keep Aways, Gasoline Silver, and Gay Witch Abortion.

You can’t pick a much better time to visit Duluth, so if you have the chance make the quick drive up there next week and catch some of this fantastic festival.

7:00 PM – Feed the Fish w/Google Short + Q & A

06.03

7:00 PM – Wheedle’s Grove + Q & A
7:15 PM – Wasteland
9:00 PM – The Secret to a Happy Ending: a Documentary About the Drive-By Truckers + Q & A
9:15 PM – The Freebie + Q & A

06.04

5:00 PM – The Secret to a Happy Ending: a Documentary About the Drive-By Truckers + Q & A
5:15 PM – Sex, Drugs, & Rock and Roll
7:30 PM – October Country + Q & A
7:45 PM – Cold Weather + Q & A
9:30 PM – Hipsters
9:30 PM – Sounds Like Teen Spirit
11:55 PM - Down Terrace

06.05

11:00 AM – Childish Shorts Program
11:45 AM – October Country + Q & A
12:30 PM – Silent Light
1:00 PM – The Secret of Kells
1:15 PM – Cold Weather + Q & A
1:45 PM – Hipsters
3:00 PM - Tahaan
3:30 PM – I Am Secretly an Important Man + Q & A
3:30 PM – Filmmaker’s Panel: Collaborative Filmmaking
5:00 PM – Sex, Drugs, & Rock and Roll
5:45 PM – Some Days Are Better Than Others + Q & A
7:15 PM – Wheedle’s Grove + Q & A
8:00 PM – Putty Hill + Q & A
9:30 PM – Funkytown + Q & A
10:00 PM – Daddy Longlegs + Q & A

06.06

12:15 PM – Some Days Are Better Than Others
1:00 PM – Wasteland
1:15 PM – Shorts Program
2:15 PM – I Am Secretly an Important Man
3:00 PM – Older Than America
3:15 PM – Daddy Longlegs + Q & A
5:00 PM – Rejoice & Shout + Q & A
5:30 PM – Hamilton + Q & A
7:30 PM – Low + Q & A

PS – Thanks to Switchblade Comb for doing all the work in writing out the work and gathering the links. Thankfully they aren’t as lazy as me.

Think the ladies are a little excited for Sex and the City?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:21:44 +0000

Think the ladies are a little excited for Sex and the City? Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m just not falling for Easy A

Matt Gamble — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:22:55 +0000

I’m just not falling for Easy A Where the Long Tail Ends

While I must admit I really enjoy it when films really stretch the definition of “remake” by taking very iconic story ideas from one film and then going off in their own direction with them (Short Circuit is to Frankenstein as Cyranno de Bergerac is to Electric Dreams) but for whatever reason the trailer for Easy A just isn’t doing it for me.

Oh sure it looks like it has a pretty solid premise as a riff on The Scarlett Letter, and I certainly think Emma Stone is more than capable of carrying her own film but something just seems … off. But hopefully that’s just the trailer, as this film certainly has the potential to be a good bit of fun at the multiplex.
[gap][/gap]

I have a confession

Matt Gamble — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:18:54 +0000

I have a confession Where the Long Tail Ends

The Karate Kid trailer actually makes me want to see it. How, I’m not really sure. But I do like the idea of moving the film to Beijing instead of Los Angeles, primarily because I find it incredibly unbelievable that anybody in LA would know Karate unless their agent told them to for a casting call. And that’s just the kids. Also, I can’t wait to hear what the Chinese word for body bag is.

Though I’d be willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that there is going to be at least one scene where Jackie Chan has to beat it into Jaden Smith that Kung Fu isn’t Karate. Hopefully with a billy club. I’m just sayin’.

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No one knows about this movie, let alone some stupid cats

Matt Gamble — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:33:39 +0000

No one knows about this movie, let alone some stupid cats Where the Long Tail Ends

No One Knows about Persian Cats opens at the Lagoon Theatre on 6/4.

Go see it before everyone else knows about it.

Spoiler Alert – The Human Centipede

Matt Gamble — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:58:38 +0000

Spoiler Alert – The Human Centipede Where the Long Tail Ends

Finally, James and I have come back to Spoiler Alert. This episode offers a change of pace as James joins me, Andrew and Kurt of the Row Three Cinecast to discuss The Human Centipede instead of just having the two of us sit and bicker with each other. For those of you who are devotees of the Row Three Cinecast, be advised this is the same episode we posted just last week on Row Three. And for those of you who haven’t heard it yet, be prepared as James struggles with nerves in his first big league call up, but once he gets in the groove he has no problem making me look like an ass with my own words. Its a fun episode and I hope you enjoy it.

And as always, thanks for listening!
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Pardon our mess

Matt Gamble — Sun, 16 May 2010 02:59:09 +0000

Pardon our mess Where the Long Tail Ends

I’ve been having issues with my old WordPress theme for the past several months and after once again finding the theme to be less than secure decided it was time for a change. Now I haven’t settled on this current theme by any means, but hopefully over the coming days/weeks I’ll find something a bit more suitable for my needs. Until then I hope you don’t mind the occasional adjustments that might throw a wrench in things around here.

Consider it part of the charm of the place.

Heads up, the Iron Sky teaser is awesome

Matt Gamble — Fri, 14 May 2010 03:08:21 +0000

Heads up, the Iron Sky teaser is awesome Where the Long Tail Ends

The second teaser for the Nazi sci-fi film Iron Sky has just been released and it doesn’t show much outside of some cool visuals and a killer song. One thing I find very interesting is that the film is now being billed as a comedy, which both intrigues me and has me wary. The concept can certainly work, but to me it seems like it would have to walk a very fine line to pull it off, though I hope they do.

Take a gander at this sweet teaser and be sure to swing by the Iron Sky website for more info, and if you feel the need, throw a few bucks at them to help them finish the project. And maybe try and figure out where the heck I can buy that song.

Seriously, I must have it. Now.

Iron Sky (Official Website)

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The Human Centipede extends its run in Minneapolis

Matt Gamble — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:41:15 +0000

The Human Centipede extends its run in Minneapolis Where the Long Tail Ends

Good news for those of you unable to make it out to last weekends midnight screenings of The Human Centipede at The Uptown Theatre, Landmark has held over the film for another weekend of 11pm shows at The Lagoon. For fans of disturbing body horror or dark comedies I can’t recommend The Human Centipede enough as it makes a great late night viewing experience.

So swing over the The Lagoon this weekend and give it a try and hopefully we can get it extended another week!
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High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2 . 4 – Roadgasm

Matt Gamble — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:43:58 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2 . 4 – Roadgasm Where the Long Tail Ends

And we’re back! This episode of High and Low (Brow) will probably be a hit for those of you who listen just to hear me and James argue as the delay in posting this episode is almost solely due to James’ reluctance to stay in any location for more than five minutes. Compounding that issue, this episode proved to be a bit of a headache in post-production as the audio wasn’t recorded very well and at one point it almost looked like the entire episode was corrupted. Luckily I was able to eventually get everything worked out and sounding somewhat passable, so I apolagize in advance for any of the audio hiccups.

That all being said, this episode James and I focus on two films that are set on the road, them being Steven Spielberg’s feature film debut, Duel, and the odd amalgamation of a road movie/satanic cult film, Race with the Devil. Both involve killers, chase sequences and trucks getting the crap kicked out of them, but which one will be the better film?

As always be sure to sick around for the selection portion of the show, as our next episode’s theme was chosen by listener Mike Langlie (Liar Society and Twink.net). He did a terrific job, and our upcoming episode should be a real treat because of it. Also, be sure to stick around for the greatest stinger of all-time as James discovers the joys and horrors associated with twink.com.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Theme – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Axl F (remix) by Twink

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

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Coming Soon (5/8/10)

Matt Gamble — Sun, 09 May 2010 01:33:27 +0000

Coming Soon (5/8/10) Where the Long Tail Ends

While their is a decent slate of films added to the list this week, only a few of them have me excited. The most obvious being the re-release of the German Expressionism masterpiece, Metropolis. Possibly the greatest science-fiction film ever made, Metropolis is a tour de force of aswesomeness, and this newly available remastered print comes complete with damn near a half hour of long thought lost footage that has been restored. Oh man am I excited.

The other film that piques my interest is The Girl Who Played With Fire, which is the second film in a trilogy, the first film being the excellent The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. If this film is half as good as the initial entry everyone should walk away quite pleased. Hopefully, it surpasses that minimal expectation in spades.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

5/14 Please Give Uptown
5/14 Robin Hood Lagoon
5/14 The Good, The Bad, and The Weird Lagoon ***
5/14 Harry Brown Edina ***

5/21 180 South Lagoon (NEW)
5/21 Dancing Across Borders Lagoon
5/21 Mother and Child Edina
5/21 Princess Kaiulani Edina

5/28 Casino Jack and the United States Uptown (tentative)
5/28 George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead Lagoon
5/28 Looking For Eric Lagoon (tentative)

6/04 Metropolis Lagoon (NEW) ***
6/04 No One Knows About Persian Cats Lagoon
6/04 The Misfortunates Lagoon
6/04 Little Traitor Edina (tentative)

6/11 Micmacs Uptown ***
6/11 Ondine Edina
6/11 The City of Your Final Destination Edina
6/11 Paper Man Lagoon ***

6/18 Holy Rollers Lagoon
6/18 Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Lagoon
6/18 Living in Emergency Lagoon (NEW)

6/25 Agora Uptown (very tent.)
6/25 Winter’s Bone Uptown / Edina
6/25 OSS 117: Lost in Rio Lagoon ***
6/25 Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky Edina

7/02 The Girl Who Played With Fire Uptown (NEW) (very tentative) ***
7/02 Cyrus Uptown/Lagoon ***
7/02 The Killer Inside Me Lagoon ***
7/02 I Am Love Edina

7/09 Stonewall Uprising Lagoon
7/09 Love Ranch Edina

7/16 The Kids Are Alright Uptown
7/16 Wild Grass Lagoon

7/23 Best Worst Movie Lagoon ***

7/30 Ran (new print) Lagoon ***
7/30 Countdown to Zero Lagoon (tentative)
7/30 The Concert Edina (NEW)

8/6 Great Directors Lagoon ***
8/6 Extra Men Lagoon/Edina
8/6 Farewell Edina (NEW)

8/13 Get Low Lagoon / Edina
8/13 Everyone Else Lagoon

8/20 Patrik, Age 1.5 Lagoon
8/20 Mao’s Last Dancer Edina

8/27 Centurion Lagoon ***

9/03 Lebanon Lagoon

9/10 Hipsters Lagoon

9/17 Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child Lagoon (NEW)

9/24 Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, and Rebel Lagoon (NEW)

10/01 The Sicilian Girl Lagoon (NEW)

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I must own this poster

Matt Gamble — Thu, 06 May 2010 05:56:09 +0000

I must own this poster Where the Long Tail Ends

Though a bus shelter sized version of this would be absolute bliss.

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Czech film Kuky Returns appears to be greatest thing ever made

Matt Gamble — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:49:06 +0000

Czech film Kuky Returns appears to be greatest thing ever made Where the Long Tail Ends

Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I was this amazed, thrilled, excited and downright overjoyed at a trailer for an upcoming movie. Wow, just wow. Thanks to the people at Twitch for the heads up on this gem and make sure to check after the break for the two full trailers.

Official Site

Kuky Returns is the story of a boy six Ondra, who suffers from asthma, and so on “health reasons” must be off his favorite toy – a pink bear kuky. When mom Kukyho throw in the trash, it will work Ondrová fantasy in which experienced Kukyho adventure in an unknown natural world. It’s really just a dream a little boy or kuky actually went to the biggest adventure of his plush life

Kuky Returns is an adventure and poetic, a family story in which the main role, however, take the heroes of children’s fantasy world. “I’ve wanted to make a film in which I could give small details – insect light in leaves, feathers flying, and even I wonder what is happening on the scene when the actors leave. Variously we smuggled into their films, but it’s hard. “Says director Jan Sverak impulses to the recording film, whose main, but not the only heroes are the puppets. “I thought then change the scale and place the story directly into the microcosm, his protagonists make small enough that the roots of the tree decorations, light in the atmosphere made raspberry leaves, fuzz was all the props and extras natural insects,” says Jan Sverak, who is also the author scenarios and as with most of his recent films also the producer.
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TEASER

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Trailer #1

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Trailer #2

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Would it kill ya to book Joe Dante’s The Hole?

Matt Gamble — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:42:44 +0000

Would it kill ya to book Joe Dante’s The Hole? Where the Long Tail Ends
Joe Dante has long been one of my favorite directors, his run of off-the-wall films stretched from the late 70′s into the early 90′s, and were as solid a run as you are likely to find from any director. Don’t believe me? Well here’s the list:

Piranha
The Howling
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Gremlins
Explorers
Innerspace
Amazon Women on the Moon
The ‘burbs
Gremlins 2: The New Batch

That’s a heck of a run, and certainly Matinee and Small Soldiers are solid films as well and I am particularly fond of Small Soldiers. But since then Dante has has sort of disappeared from feature film making, only occasionally popping up to direct a television episode or two. But then last year Dante seemingly got the itch to try his hand at feature films again and this time came up with a House of Leaves lite film called The Hole. The Hole has played at several festivals in the past year, and at each stop has garnered some pretty positive reviews and accolades, but as of yet their is still no confirmed theatrical release for the film. Even more vexing? The entire film was shot in 3D at a time when Hollywood still hadn’t realized what a cash cow 3D was.

So the question now is, if you have a quality 3D film from a well known and respected director just sitting out there waiting to be released, why the hell has no one pounced on it yet?

Trailer for the film after the break!

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m not sure what’s worse…

Matt Gamble — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:14:15 +0000

I’m not sure what’s worse… Where the Long Tail Ends
The Jonah Hex trailer or Megan Fox’s Southern accent.

Both should qualify as cruel and unusual punishment.
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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Parkway Saturday Matinee (5/1/10)

Matt Gamble — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:20:55 +0000

Parkway Saturday Matinee (5/1/10) Where the Long Tail Ends
After a short layoff the Saturday matinee at The Parkway returns for its next run, which means a brand new serial to follow. Be sure to swing by The Parkway this Saturday for one of the best deals in town.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

New Metropolis trailer promises everything up to and including more cowbell

Matt Gamble — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:27:55 +0000

New Metropolis trailer promises everything up to and including more cowbell Where the Long Tail Ends
Still no word yet on when this re-release will hit theatres in the Midwest, but man if this trailer of some of the restored footage doesn’t make this perhaps my most anticipated release of the summer.

Metropolis (Kino Website)
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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

June 21st, it is coming

Matt Gamble — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 07:33:46 +0000

June 21st, it is coming Where the Long Tail Ends

Looks like the release date for the book I collaborated on has finally been set in stone, and it will be June 21st. So just a short 54 days away. Recently I started up a web page dedicated to the various writing I am doing and it is located at HaikuKoala.com. Over the coming weeks I hope to start throwing up a few more updates, sneak peeks at some of the stories and the occasional other odds and ends about the book to help promote the release.

As the date nears I’ll be able to give you more info on where you can purchase it, though expect links to be available here, on Haiku Koala and on the book’s future homepage, plus I have that handy dandy counter in the side bar to help you keep an eye on when the date is nearing.

Also keep an eye out in the future for the web page we will be setting up for the book. All ten authors will be regularly contributing content there in addition to what we have posted on our own individual web pages. And of course be sure to join our Facebook Fan Page and help promote the book that way as well.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Quick Thoughts: The Eclipse

James Gillham — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 08:00:32 +0000

Quick Thoughts: The Eclipse Where the Long Tail Ends
Last Friday I attended a screening of The Eclipse on the evening of its Minnesota premier at Landmark’s Edina Cinema outside of Minneapolis. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that The Eclipse is one of the more interesting fright films to be released in the last year or so. It is an Irish film concerning the life of a lonely widower Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds) experiencing visions of supernatural visitors. A timely visit by British ghost story author Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle — whom you may recognize from 2000′s High Fidelity) at a local literary conference helps Michael get in touch with the mysterious origins of his supernatural visitors, as well as come to terms with the lingering grief of the recent loss of his wife.

The film has terrific atmosphere and some downright frightening moments of supernatural horror. It is in the vein of the Gothic ghost story, but with a modern-day approach. The cast is enjoyable from top to bottom — Jim Norton is great as Michael Farr’s aging father-in-law, and the young actors who portray his two children are excellent. Aidan Quinn does an outstanding job of performing handsome jackass and best-selling author Nicholas Holden, a man vying for the affection of Lena Morelle and shallow literary nemesis of the humble Michael whose solitary scribblings hold a hidden appeal. And the misty, beautifully evocative landscapes of Ireland are an excellent setting for the film.

It isn’t often that such a moving and understated work of horror makes its way to the big screen. If you are a fan of the thoughtfully told horror yarn and are fortunate enough to be near a town where the film is being released theatrically, I recommend running out to see it. You won’t be disappointed.

The Eclipse is enjoying a theatrical run in the US this week at Landmark Theatres in Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle, and Minneapolis. You can also catch it online or through your cable/satellite provider via a number of video-on-demand outlets. There is a scheduled release date for this film on DVD in the US on June 29th, 2010.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Movie Night Diaries: Twilight and New Moon

James Gillham — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:21:23 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries: Twilight and New Moon Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for checking out THE MOVIE NIGHT DIARIES for the week of April 24th, 2010. DIARIES is a weekly casual review of a film of interest to the author.

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;”
— Shakespeare’s Henry V.

Only this time “the breach” isn’t near Agincourt; this time the breach is in Forks, Washington — the real town that is the fictional stomping grounds of the teen-aged characters in the Twilight novels.

For the uninitiated, The Twilight Saga is the blockbuster series of cinematic re-imaginings of Stephenie Meyer’s popular series of supernatural romance novels. Bella Swan, the heroine of the series, is a high school student who moves from sunny Phoenix, Arizona to the small, rain-drenched town of Forks, Washington to live with her father. New in town, Bella finds it hard to fit in — along with the normal vicissitudes of teenage life, she comes to realize that the coolest kids in school aren’t merely the aloof gang with model good looks that they appear to be — in fact, the boy in the group who most catches her eye, Edward Cullen, sprouts fangs, is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and shimmers during the daytime like a pole dancer. And not just that. Her boyhood friend Jacob Black, with whom she is reunited upon her arrival in Forks, just might have more in common with the legendary ancestors of his Native American tribe than one might think.

In anticipation of the upcoming release of the third installment of the series, Eclipse (coming June 30th, 2010), this week we have a dual selection — THE MOVIE NIGHT DIARIES takes a look at Twilight and New Moon, the first two installments of the Twilight Saga.

It seems redundant to attempt a synopsis of these films. My quick notes at the opening of this article are merely meant to convey to the reader the tone with which I will add my two cents to the surely enormous number of semi-pro or fan-based film websites that make an attempt at critiquing these films. Admittedly, I haven’t spent much time reading these critiques — although I have been able to divine from the few I’ve read that the most I can expect are either a hateful, scathing deconstruction of the films by horror film fan-boys, or some gushing review by an adolescent fan of the series who smells of bubble-gum and Oxy Clean. Before the first sequel was released last year, I added the first film to my Netflix queue to see what all the hub-bub was about. I am not ashamed to admit that, as a fan of nearly all things related to horror film and literature, I am a fan of Gothic fantasy and romance. My first introduction to this genre was the early 90′s revival of the old Dark Shadows soap opera on ABC. In junior high I obsessively watched the ten-or-so episodes of the weekly remake starring Benjamin Cross as Barnabas Collins and a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt as David Collins. I taped each episode and watched it several times before the next week’s episode aired. Later on, as they became available on VHS through MPI Home Video, I began to watch episodes of the original series. This proved to be a habit too expensive for somebody who relied on a weekly allowance from his parents as a sole source of income, so I soon gave it up. A few years later the Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy) began airing the soap twice a morning. I watched that for a short time, but I then lost interest. Recently, a friend discovered a treasure trove of original Dark Shadows video cassettes left in the laundry room of his apartment building by somebody seeking a good home for them. I snatched them up shortly after I heard of this, and watched every one of them in the space of a month. This began a two-month period where I began receiving the subsequent volumes on DVD from Netflix. I soon worked my way through about the first year of the series. I’m on a bit of a hiatus now, but I plan on picking the series back up again when I have more time.

So why the digression into a discussion of Dark Shadows? Because I consider Twilight and works like it to be fine representations of modern-day attempts at the Gothic fantasy romance that first captured the imagination of English readers near the close of the 18th Century. Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto was an immensely popular book back then, and it is the book that is credited by literary scholars as birthing the whole genre. Anne Radcliffe’s subtler, more refined variety of Gothic novel (The Mysteries of Udolpho for one) bring us a bit closer to what we would now consider the Gothic romance. On our side of the pond, Nathaniel Hawthorne had his works, which later chum around with more familiar works of horror fiction from writers like Edgar Allen Poe, Washington Irving, and Bram Stoker. Later on, these works served as the inspiration for the 20th century horror films and works of fiction that bring us closer to works like Dan Curtis’s Dark Shadows and — even more later on — Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight.

So, now that we’ve arrived at the late 20th/early 21st century works like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Vampire Diaries, and even Alan Moore’s brilliant and serious rendering of Marvel Comics’ The Swamp Thing, I think I’m grasping hold of where the appeal of the Twilight films lies — they are the inheritors of a literary tradition that dates back to the third English King George and Colonial America. Scoff if you like, but they deserve a place alongside these famous works. They are of the same genre and pedigree. You can quibble over the quality of the works, sure… just not around any of the rabid young fans of this century’s first Gothic smash hit, as it were. Me, I’ll just have to take your word for it, as I haven’t bothered reading the books just yet. So far I’m happy enough with the films. And — since I’ve spent all this time trying to prove to you that the hub-bub surrounding Bella, Edward, and Jacob is as legitimate a hub-bub as one can expect — I’ve proven to myself why it is that I can now place myself squarely on the side of the legions of gum chewers and bra-strap snappers that are anticipating the next movie. You see, when I watched the first film last year, I wasn’t much impressed. I think I remember saying that I saw how it might hold appeal for somebody other than someone like me, specifically, how it might hold appeal for somebody other than a thirty-three year old man. However, I didn’t quite recognize how much the Twilight films could appeal to me if I gave them better than half of a chance. Which is why, some five or six months later, I am compelled to revisit the first film and its first sequel. I am glad that I did.

The two films work together well. Although each film has a different director, and each film covers somewhat different ground, sitting and watching the two back-to-back (as I did on one of my days off this week) is an experience not unlike watching two or three of the Star Wars films back-to-back — you’re in the same place, only in a slightly different neighborhood; or, better yet, at different times of the year. Twilight has more hope in it. It plays quicker. New Moon takes us to a darker place. With the addition of the Volturi — a vampire congress of sorts — the world of the films matures a bit and grows. Suddenly we’re not just in Forks, Washington. We’re in a universe where mythical monsters like vampires and werewolves are better than real: they hold meetings. And once Bella and company broaden their horizons a bit, we’re taken along for the ride. Somewhere along the time when werewolf Jacob saved Bella from evil vampire Victoria, I allowed myself to be swept along and quit looking back.

Surely there are more MTV-style musical montages, slam-bang vampire dust ups, and washboard abdominal muscles than there are in any of Anne Radcliffe’s novels or old episodes of Dark Shadows, but so much of that is window dressing. Like the candelabras and frilly collars of Twilight’s fictional forebears, they’re there to set a mood. Twilight effects a mood all its own — one part Gothic fantasy, many parts Hollywood — but it still captures an engaging and enjoyable love story. All the parts fit into place — handsome and muscular Taylor Lautner and the dreamy, ephemeral Robert Pattinson make great combatants; the comely and talented young Kristen Stewart is the perfect heroine; Forks, Washington makes as good a modern-day setting for a Gothic tale of romance as Collinsport, Maine; and the universe of the Twilight films, with true to life Native American lycanthropy myths and a vampire underworld, provides ample space for the imagination to run around in.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Tune in next time for … The Manitou

Matt Gamble — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:10:04 +0000

Tune in next time for … The Manitou Where the Long Tail Ends
The Manitou marks the first of two completely bat-shit crazy horror films that I will be reviewing over the next moth or two. Both should be much more fun to watch then my past few films, which is part of the appeal. The other part of the appeal? The ridiculous plot which can basically be summed up as follows:

A 400 year old demonic Native American midget suddenly starts growing out of a lump on some poor possessed San Francisco woman’s back, ultimately resulting in them both magically being transported into outer space where the woman proceeds to battle said evil midget with psychedelic laser bolts that she shoots from her fingertips.

This is going to be so much fun.
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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Crazies (1973)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:45:22 +0000

The Crazies (1973) Where the Long Tail Ends
Coming off the heels of watching The Collector, a film eventually remade into a sexier, gorier and ultimately dumber film that barely shared anything with the original film outside of the title, I decided that I would like to watch a film that might potentially suffer a similar fate, however unlikely that may be.

You see unlike The Collector, which is a borderline masterpiece of psychological terror, The Crazies is a relatively unknown and lightly regarded exploitation film from the early years of George Romero’s career. Far from being some lost treasure, The Crazies is typically viewed as an easily forgotten relic, but I was still hopeful that it might be better than the reputation that had proceeded it.

Something strange is happening in the small Pennsylvania town of Evans City. The townsfolk are starting to go a little crazy sometimes. And when the military show up to get the town back under control, it quickly becomes obvious that the military is as inept as the townsfolk are crazy.

Going into The Crazies I made sure to lower my expectations as much as humanly possible, but even with that nothing could have prepared me for its opening scene, or the fallout that would directly entail as a result. Focusing on a young brother scaring the socks off of his little sister by chasing her around their artificially darkened house as she tries to protect herself from her runaway imagination with just a simple flashlight. But soon something far more dangerous begins to lurk in the shadows.

You soon discover the monster lurking in the dark is the children’s father, driven mad by what neither they nor the audience knows. But when the children try to hide in the protect bosom of their mother, only to discover daddy has already dealt with her you know that things aren’t going to end happily for this seemingly nuclear family. Sure enough, their father soon locks the children away and as punishment sets the house on fire, killing them and erasing all trace of his former happy home life.

It is an absolutely killer opening scene, one that invokes all manner of conflicting emotions as it tugs at your empathetic heartstrings. Unfortunately, its the best The Crazies will ever get by a long shot.

You see, the biggest fault of The Crazies is that is a scatter shot film, one that focuses on multiple story lines and a seemingly unlimited number of characters, resulting in a confusing plot filled with in-your-face political ideologies, stock characters, bad acting and a surprisingly limited feeling of dread.

You see, the biggest problem with The Crazies is it complete lack of direction. The film follows three primary story lines (one focusing on the townsfolk trying to escape, another focusing on the military trying to control the townsfolk, and still a third involving the government attempting to cover its ass for the whole fiasco). Any one of the story lines was strong enough to focus a film on, but by splitting them up and trying to devote equal time to all three the film diminishes the power of each of them.

So the plight of the townsfolk never is able to reach a height of a decent escape film, nor does the struggles of the military to be even half-way competent ever reach the point of being a farce, and the government just comes across as pricks rather than full blown evil assholes. Its all just half-hearted attempts watered down by the lack of screen time to fully develop the characters and the story lines.

Compounding the lack of plot development is the fact everyone in this film is a terrible actor. And not just terrible like how Hayden Christensen sucks at acting, I’m talking Corky St Clair level of bad, where people project emotion by simply talking louder rather than, you know, emote. So of course scene after scene culminates in people attempting to yell over each other, resulting in me cranking the volume on my television down to eleven in a failed effort to protect myself from getting a headache.

That being said, there is the occasional interesting visual strung throughout the film, my favorite being a handmade prison that was sculpted out of cinder blocks that the person I assume to be the primary protagonist constructs to protect his infected girlfriend (Wife? Seriously, fuck if I know how these people were related to each other and I stopped caring hours ago.)

But even the occasionally sharp visual is hardly enough to make up for a horror film that is shockingly absent of scares. Let me repeat, this is a horror film that not only doesn’t have any scares, but rarely even attempts to have any. Why? Hell if I know, and by this point I’m just sort of sick of even contemplating it as The Crazies seriously sucks.

And as I entered into this whole review I had this grand plan of doing another juxtaposition of the original versus the remake, primarily because I hoped the remake would be a superior film to The Crazies, unlike The Collector. But herein lies the problem, The Crazies, both the original and the remake, are not good films, though to be fair the remake actually improves upon the original in a few areas but still ultimately fails. And now, nine hundred or so words in I’ve decided neither of these films is worth any more effort on my part and so I’ve decided to just take my ball and go home, because I can and because a blank page is more entertaining than The Crazies.

That’s right, this just happened.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Deliciously profound lameness

Matt Gamble — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:10:45 +0000

Deliciously profound lameness Where the Long Tail Ends
This mashup of Star Wars and Coming to America is so ridiculous I can’t help but adore it.

And with each “Ah-HA!” I fall deeper and deeper in love.

EMBED-Star Wars Coming to America – Watch more free videos

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Cinema Flashback — Fear in the Night (1947)

James Gillham — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:00:47 +0000

Cinema Flashback — Fear in the Night (1947) Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for joining us for CINEMA FLASHBACK for the week of April 20th, 2010, where, each week, we examine a film that had its American release during this week somewhere in the past.

This week’s selection is an American noir featuring Star Trek alum DeForest Kelley — 1947′s Fear in the Night.

This film debuted before American audiences on April 18th, 1947.

Young bank clerk Vincent Grayson (Kelley) awakes with a start one morning following a night filled with odd dreams of murder. He finds evidence on his person that leads him to believe he is the perpetrator of an actual crime, and starts to wonder how much of his dream is truly reality when strange coincidences in his waking life mirror those in his dream. Grayson seeks out evidence in the real world to convince himself of his innocence, and is soon unwittingly drawn to the place where the dream murder might have actually happened. And with the aid of his brother-in-law, police detective Cliff Herlihy (Paul Kelly), Grayson comes to the conclusion that not everything in his dream is reality, and that reality might be a dream in this work of film noir written and directed by Maxwell Shane, based on the short story “Nightmare” by William Irish (Cornell Woolrich).

Clocking in at only an hour and twelve minutes, this film is what one might call a ‘shorty.’ It seems to have suffered a bit from lack of funding, and the filmmakers make up for that by ample use of voice-over narration. The film opens with images from Vincent Grayson’s murder dream sequence and a short voice over narrative by DeForest Kelley describing what has taken place up until the opening of the film. Frankly, the heavy use of voice-over narration throughout the film might detract from one’s enjoyment of the film; however, there are enough ingenious uses of camera and editing to keep you interested. The opening dream sequence is surprisingly surreal. The scene takes place in an octagonal mirrored room, and plays in a disorienting way worthy of any of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks dream sequences. But the filmmakers don’t stop there. The film features a surprising number of odd angles, funky edits, and oddball dissolves to keep you a bit off your guard for much of the film. The images of the film are not transparent means of capturing the drama; rather, they are part of the drama itself, representing the state of mind of the film’s protagonist, Vincent Grayson.

There are also a number of clever and subtle ways in which the filmmakers make up for the lack of screen time and dialogue. For instance, Grayson’s love interest Betty Winters (Kay Scott), one of his co-workers at the bank, cues the audience in as to how she feels about Grayson when she silently places her own name plate from the bank alongside his and pauses for a moment to admire them.

Kelley stands out among a cast of fine performers. At times he must perform against his own voice-over narration and affect postures and expressions that convey his thoughts. There are a few awkward plot points that the viewer must overcome, and the solid performances by the cast helps one through. For instance, when Grayson first begins his search for the octagonal mirrored room from his dream, his first act is to place an ad in the paper requesting the rental of an octagonal mirrored room for “sentimental reasons.” When a lady responds to the ad by offering him a square mirrored room to rent, there is a laughable and frustrating moment for Grayson before the film mercifully moves on.

There are, like the ad in the newspaper routine, some clumsy steps taken in this film. And at at only one hour and twelve minutes, the film plays a bit like a rather long Twilight Zone episode. But aside from that, it is a neat little film noir with an interesting psychological twist. The film begins with an intriguing premise — a man, waking from a dream of murder and convinced that he unconsciously left his room during the night, must determine whether the acts he performed in his dream obtain in reality — and maintains that intrigue throughout the film until reaching a satisfying ending. Fear in the Night is more than just a cinematic curiosity to catch the interest of film buffs. It is a fine film and a unique entry in the museum noir.

The author gratefully acknowledges Internet Movie Poster Awards for the poster image used in this article.

As of this writing, Fear in the Night is available via a free and legal download at Internet Archive.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Great Moments in Cinema History – My Best Friend’s Girl

Matt Gamble — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 10:18:38 +0000

Great Moments in Cinema History – My Best Friend’s Girl Where the Long Tail Ends
I’m not sure exactly what I did to inflict such a horrid punishment as watching a Dane Cook movie, but I’m quite sure whatever it is I did, I deserved my fate. But as I attempted to find a film truly terrible one stood out for a variety of reasons, though almost all of them had to do with the intriguing cast (Kate Hudson, Alec Baldwin, Lizzy Caplan, Jason Biggs and Diora Baird) which offered at least a glimmer of hope that perhaps a scene or two would be amusing, or dare I hope, entertaining, even with the black hole that is Dane Cook.

But as it turns out, My Best Friend’s Girl truly is an absolute pile. It never attains to be anything but the most base of romantic comedies, constantly trotting out cliche after cliche with a straight face. But even worse, when it somehow stumbles onto a plotline that might actually skewer the genre, it abruptly changes course in order to remain on the same stilted and boring path that it had followed for the rest of the film. And at that point, all one can do is laugh at how truly inept this film is.

But their is some hope, and it resides fully in the bosom of one Alec Baldwin. Riding high on his comedic talents, Baldwin steals every scene he enters, never once falling prey to the urge to sleepwalk through the film as every other cast member does. Instead, he aims for a higher purpose, to make college coeds bluster with delight at such a charismatic braggadocio, marking this as one of the Greatest Moments in Cinema History.

If it isn’t obvious, this clip is NSFW

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Cinema Flashback — Jabberwocky

James Gillham — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 07:34:28 +0000

Cinema Flashback — Jabberwocky Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for joining us for CINEMA FLASHBACK for the week of April 17th, 2010, where, each week, we examine a film that had its American release during this week somewhere in the past.

This week’s selection is Terry Gilliam’s 1977 feature-length directorial debut sans Python, Jabberwocky — a comic, larger-than-life retelling of Lewis Carroll’s poem starring Michael Palin.

Jabberwocky debuted before American audiences on April 15th, 1977.

The Jabberwocky poem is brought dynamically to life in this (sort of) adaptation. Michael Palin is young Dennis Cooper — a cooper’s apprentice more concerned with studying the efficiency of his father’s cooperage than learning his trade. When David is disowned by his father for his stock-taking foolishness and spurned by Griselda Fishfinger, the woman he loves, he is forced to reckon with the aimlessness of his life and must attempt to carve his own niche. Having ventured no more than a few miles from his small hometown in medieval England, David sets out for the city in hopes of finding work and discovering himself. However, the Jabberwock monster is terrorizing the countryside, making entrance into the city difficult for outsiders. David soon bumbles his way into the city, and after a series of comic mishaps finds himself squire for the king’s champion knight, on a mission to slay the Jabberwock.

This film, like most everything I have seen directed by Terry Gilliam, is boldly photographed. The world of Jabberwocky is brought to life in a most vivid and striking way — The rate of the film is slowed to comical mimicking of rapid movement and characters are filmed in extreme close-up and at the least complimentary angles, the camera seemingly pointed up a person’s nose or catching the character while they are eating or shitting. They grunt and fart their way through the film. Gilliam’s squalid vision of medieval England seems like a handful of dungeon master pewter figurines brought to life.

Much of what is to be enjoyed in this film is the kind of thing that is enjoyable in the rest of Gilliam’s cinematic works. Gilliam’s world seems reflected to us through a fun house mirror. David, a wide-eyed nave who believes the best of everybody, gestures towards other of Gilliam’s protagonists — Sam Lowry of Brazil leaps to mind first. Palin does a fine job with David, capturing his innocence and pitiable naïveté. Actress Annette Badland portrays Griselda Fishfinger to grinning, malnourished perfection, and the rest of an enjoyable cast rounds out the rest of the denizens of Jabberwocky’s world. Terry Jones, another Monty Python alum, makes a brief appearance in the film.

The film has fun making sport of the medieval royalty and clergy. The royalty, cowering behind the city’s walls, is in fear of their lives for the Jabberwock monster; the clergy in fear of its life at the possibility of losing the revenue-making monster that the Jabberwock has become. The clergy goes so far as to try and undermine the crown’s attempts at slaying the monster by enlisting the aid of the feared Black Knight, a Knight with a frightening horned helm and black steed.

For sure there is plenty of absurd Python-esque humor throughout the film. With Palin as the film’s star and Gilliam at the helm, how could there not be? However, to lump this film in with the rest of the Python troupe’s cinematic efforts, or think of it as The Holy Grail that almost was, is to do a disservice to a fine film that should be considered on its own merits. Although the film lacks a discernible plot in the early parts of the film, the film-makers and cast manage to make an engaging film that is both howlingly funny at times, and at times a mark off-center. Fans of Monty Python will find much to love about Jabberwocky, but it should also appeal to lovers of comedy, fantasy, and even horror.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (4/16/10)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:20:10 +0000

Coming Soon (4/16/10) Where the Long Tail Ends
Not much new this week that interests me, outside of maybe Love Ranch of which I can honestly admit only interests me due to the hope that the title is far more lurid than it most likely is. Oh sure, Centurion gets me in a tizzy but technically that should have been on last week’s Coming Soon list, I just somehow forgot to add it. Which actually is helpful because every other addition this week is less than appealing.

But in other news, their are some totally great movies that have been added to The Uptown’s midnight schedule, including Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers, City of Lost Children, and Troll 2. It’s going to be a good summer.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

4/23 The Eclipse Uptown
4/23 The Square Lagoon ***
4/23 LBS. Lagoon
4/23 The Secret of the Kells Edina ***

4/30 Exit Through the Gift Shop Uptown ***
4/30 The Warlords Lagoon
4/30 The Cartel Lagoon
4/30 The Secrets in Their Eyes Edina

5/07 Mid-August Lunch Lagoon
5/07 Ajami Lagoon
5/07 The Good Heart Lagoon
5/07 Babies Edina ***

5/14 Please Give Uptown
5/14 Robin Hood Lagoon (tentative)
5/14 Little Traitor Edina (tentative)
5/14 The Good, The Bad, and The Weird Lagoon
5/14 Harry Brown Edina ***

5/21 Casino Jack and the United States Uptown (tentative)
5/21 Dancing Across Borders Lagoon
5/21 Mother and Child Edina
5/21 Princess Kaiulani Edina (very tentative)

5/28 George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead Lagoon
5/28 Looking For Eric Lagoon (very tentative)

6/04 No One Knows About Persian Cats Lagoon
6/04 The Misfortunates Lagoon

6/11 Ondine Edina
6/11 The City of Your Final Destination Edina
6/11 Paper Man Lagoon ***

6/18 Micmacs Uptown ***
6/18 Holy Rollers Lagoon
6/18 Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Lagoon

6/25 Agora Uptown (very tent.)
6/25 Winter’s Bone Uptown / Edina
6/25 OSS 117: Lost in Rio Lagoon ***
6/25 Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky Edina

7/02 The Killer Inside Me Lagoon ***
7/02 I Am Love Edina

7/09 Stonewall Uprising Lagoon
7/09 Love Ranch Edina (NEW)

7/16 The Kids Are Alright Uptown
7/16 Wild Grass Lagoon
7/16 Cyrus Lagoon ***

7/23 Best Worst Movie Lagoon ***

7/30 Ran (new print) Lagoon ***

8/6 Great Directors Lagoon ***

8/13 Hipsters Lagoon
8/13 Get Low Lagoon / Edina
8/13 Extra Man Lagoon (NEW)

8/20 Patrik, Age 1.5 Lagoon
8/20 Mao’s Last Dancer Edina (NEW)

8/27 Centurion Lagoon (NEW) ***

9/03 Lebanon Lagoon

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Spoiler Alert! – [Rec]²

Matt Gamble — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:55:10 +0000

Spoiler Alert! – [Rec]² Where the Long Tail Ends
And we’re back! It has been about a month since James and I last recorded our epic Dan O’Bannon tribute episode and this time we return with a review and discussion on the upcoming release of the Spanish horror film [Rec]². But since almost none of you have seen [Rec]², and plenty of you haven’t seen the original [Rec] either, we decided to cover both of those films as well as the US remake of [Rec], Quarantine.

As always with Spoiler Alert!, these discussion can and will contain spoilers. But be sure to skip to the end, as I give James a sneak peek of what our next Spoiler Alert! will cover, much to his chagrin. And if you are really dedicated, stick around until the very end to hear just how confident James is that he will hate the film.

As always thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the show!

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Show Notes

0:00 – We’re making a documentary!
0:15 – Chuck Mangione – Children of Sanchez
0:36 – Intro
04:57 – [Rec] discussion
15:55 – [Rec]² review
31:15 – Heavy spoilers for [Rec]²
42:07 – Final Summaries
45:28 – Unveiling of the next Spoiler Alert
48:05- James watches the trailer (Lawrence Welk – Calcutta)
50:17 – Final Thoughts
60:15 – The Bar-Kays – Soul Finger
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Movie Night Diaries: Dementia 13

James Gillham — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:00:45 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries: Dementia 13 Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for checking out THE MOVIE NIGHT DIARIES for the week of April 20th, 2010. DIARIES is a weekly casual review of a film of interest to the author.

This week’s selection is Dementia 13, a 1963 shocking suspense film produced by Roger Corman and co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

This tale of gothic horror surrounds the slow demise of an aristocratic Irish family. The aging matriarch of the Haloran clan, Lady Haloran, resides in her worn family castle on the ancestral estate in a remote region of Ireland along with her three sons: Richard, Billy, and John. All three boys have spent time abroad, and have now returned home at their mother’s request to commemorate the death of their younger sister, Kathleen. For each of the seven years since her daughter’s death, Lady Haloran memorializes Kathleen by re-enacting the day that she was put to rest. Each year her sons return home to participate in the morbid play. This year her eldest son John is accompanied by his American wife, Louise. Louise is convinced that Lady Haloran is unbalanced and is shocked to discover that she has neglected her three sons in the distribution of the family fortune. Unexpectedly, John dies on the family estate. Louise hatches a plan — a plan to drive Lady Haloran over the edge and secure her share of the fortune in the wake of her husband’s death. However, Louise’s plan quickly goes awry when she discovers things may not appear to be as they seem to be on the family’s sprawling estate. Soon, Louise is convinced that the late Kathleen Haloran is still alive and may be haunting the castle in this excellent and chilling film that is one of the earliest works of the renowned director Francis Ford Coppola.

Recently, it would seem, that this film has become difficult to obtain. I wasn’t able to add it to my queue on Netflix and didn’t find a copy on the shelf of my local DVD retailer; however, the rights to its distribution have recently expired, making it available for free from any number of sources easily available to the computer-savvy viewer. I was able to obtain a free and legal copy to download from Internet Archive. It is also (as of this writing) available to view on You Tube. This is nice because it is a frightening little flick that is well worth preserving — not only because it is billed as Coppola’s directorial debut, but because it is the kind of smart and atmospheric work of refined horror that is so rarely made nowadays. Dementia 13 manages to provide plenty of chills without a lot of gore. The characters are exceptionally well developed and the dialog is smart. Once you are drawn into the film’s narrative, there is no escape until the film’s end. And at just under 90 minutes, Dementia is a lean thriller that keeps you involved from the first frame to the last.

Luana Anders (whom we have previously seen in Curtis Harrington’s The Killing Kind, reviewed here) plays Louise Haloran, the conniving young wife of John Haloran. Her performance is as beautiful as she is, with her striking good looks and model’s poise. She is the embodiment of the wily temptress, nagging her poor husband to his, literally, last breath. Louise is the new, young, very American wife that John Haloran has brought home from his travels abroad, and Lady Haloran is immediately suspicious of Louise, whom she coldly shuts out of the dreary goings-on at the old Haloran castle. Louise, with her smart outfits and American manners, starkly contrasts the gothic atmosphere at the family’s castle. She is, as one character puts it, an American girl raised on promises.

Patrick Magee is the family doctor, Justin Caleb. He knows the family’s history well and has been privy to the sad decline of the family in recent years. Young Kathleen drowned in a pond on family property, and only young Billy Haloran was there to witness it. Dr. Caleb knows that something is amiss at the family’s castle, and — when sightings of young Kathleen are reported and some the house guests begin disappearing — Caleb starts to suspect that someone in the family has become unhinged.

The movie keeps you guessing right up to its shocking ending. The film was made on location at an old castle in Ireland, and you can see the that Copolla’s eye finds the best and most moving means of putting the location to use when telling this story. As far as a work of gothic horror (complete with ghost, family curse, cobwebs and cellar) it is near perfection — its beautiful atmosphere is haunting. But that is just one element of a terrific horror film. It will surely appeal to fans of chilling suspense films. I first stumbled across this film years ago as one half of a two-for-one VHS cassette along with Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead. In my younger years I appreciated the film’s ample horrorshow chills. Now I appreciate it even more as a relic of an age of horror that is, regrettably, in as steep a decline as the Haloran family in their lonely castle. It is well worth the time it will take to download and watch in your home.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – Harry Brown

Matt Gamble — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 06:30:27 +0000

One to Watch – Harry Brown Where the Long Tail Ends
Is there a more perfect fit then a gritty revenge flick starring Michael Caine? 2010′s B-movie goodness looks like it is bound to continue with this British contribution that is bound to make me giggle with devilish glee.

Set in modern day Britain, Harry Brown follows one man’s journey through a chaotic world where teenage violence runs rampant. As a modest, law abiding citizen, Brown lives alone. His only companion is his best friend Leonard. When Leonard is killed, Brown reaches his breaking point. Harry Brown is a powerful, character driven thriller starring two-time Academy Award winner Michael Caine in a tour-de-force performance.

Title: Harry Brown
Director: Daniel Barber
Starring: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Charlie Creed-Miles, David Bradley
Release Date: April 30, 2010 (USA limited)

[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Great Moments in Cinema History – 30 Days of Night

Matt Gamble — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:10:19 +0000

Great Moments in Cinema History – 30 Days of Night Where the Long Tail Ends
While the first two selections in this most prestiges of columns focused solely on comedic moments, with this entry I have chosen something from the horror genre. Oh sure it lacks the absurd silliness and downright addicting goofiness of the others, but counteracts that by being one of the biggest “WTF?” moments you are likely to ever see.

Adapted from a comic book of the same name 30 Days of Night has a killer initial premise, that of a sleepy Alaskan town that is about to besieged by 30 consecutive days of night as well as a troupe of blood thirsty vampires, as well as making the smart decision of doing its best to siphon off the genius of artist Ben Templesmith by keeping fairly close to his frantic and visceral work when it comes to the films art direction, specifically in the rather unique look of the vampires.

But besides mimicking the look of these fiends, 30 Days of Night also takes another inspired step with the particular sounds it uses for the vampires, which can only be described as a cross between a shriek and a Velociraptor mating call. Unfortunately, the film wastes much of what it has going for it with bad pacing, poor acting and incredibly repetitive scenes. But just when you think the film can’t get any more boring, it turns and unloads an absurdly brilliant and disturbing death scene, marking this as one of the Greatest Moments in Cinema History.

If it isn’t obvious, this clip is NSFW

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – Paper Man

Matt Gamble — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:00:39 +0000

One to Watch – Paper Man Where the Long Tail Ends
I only found out about Paper Man a week ago but it immediately caught my eye with both its cast and its intriguing storyline. I was able to track down a couple scenes from the film and it only further increased my interest, and now that a trailer is finally online I’m hoping that even more people will start getting excited about the release of this film.

At the urging of his wife Claire, Richard has moved to a Long Island beach community for the winter season in order to overcome his writer’s block. There, Richard meets Abby and hires her as a weekly babysitter, even though he has no children. Their tenuous, new friendship is sparked by Richard’s awe over Abby’s homemade soup and Abby’s enjoyment of Richard’s writing and his attempts at Origami. As the season progresses and the warm, quirky friendship between Richard and Abby grows, the two begin to share with each other their dreams and life hardships. Becoming the best of friends, Richard and Abby discover there comes a time to let go of imaginary friends of the past and to embrace the future as a new beginning-just as one would embrace a new and unique friendship.

Title: Paper Man
Director: Kieran Mulroney & Michele Mulroney
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Lisa Kudrow, Kieran Culkin
Release Date: April 23, 2010 (USA limited)

[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Dinner for Schmucks turned my mind into its puppet

Matt Gamble — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:30:16 +0000

Dinner for Schmucks turned my mind into its puppet Where the Long Tail Ends
Seriously, the sequence where Steve Carell and Zach Galifianakis are shooting each other with mental bolts had me rolling.

Rolling.
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Kids are Alright aims to entertain crowds that don’t include me

Matt Gamble — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:13:57 +0000

The Kids are Alright aims to entertain crowds that don’t include me Where the Long Tail Ends
Is it me or does this trailer scream white heterosexual guilt?
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Other Guys trailer elicits a collective “Meh” from the Internet

Matt Gamble — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:05:12 +0000

The Other Guys trailer elicits a collective “Meh” from the Internet Where the Long Tail Ends
Probably because it looks like a movie that just came out a couple weeks ago and doesn’t look much better, let alone up to the quality of Hot Fuzz, or even Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s previous work. Hopefully its just a bad trailer.

In other news The Rock is finally back to playing a bad-ass, so that’s nice.
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Ong Bak 3 trailer hurts so good

Matt Gamble — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:16:27 +0000

The Ong Bak 3 trailer hurts so good Where the Long Tail Ends
You know I’d watch anything Tony Jaa starred in, especially a movie that involved him kicking ass and taking names, but the whole idea of Ong Bak 3 seems a little ridicu …. good lord are those zombies?

That’s rad.
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (4/11/10)

Matt Gamble — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:15:38 +0000

Coming Soon (4/11/10) Where the Long Tail Ends
Almost nothing new added this week, nothing that is, except for Harry Brown and The Kids are Alright. And while The Kids are Alright does little to inspire confidence in it being anything of particular note, Harry Brown does the exact opposite. Probably because Michael Caine as a vigilante is pitch perfect casting, even at his current age.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

4/16 Sweetgrass Lagoon/Edina
4/16 Red Riding: 1974 Lagoon ***
4/16 Red Riding: 1980 Lagoon ***
4/16 Red Riding: 1983 Lagoon ***
4/16 The Joneses Lagoon

4/23 The Eclipse Uptown
4/23 The Square Lagoon ***
4/23 LBS. Lagoon
4/23 The Secret of the Kells Edina ***

4/30 Exit Through the Gift Shop Uptown
4/30 The Warlords Lagoon
4/30 The Cartel Lagoon
4/30 The Secrets in Their Eyes Edina

5/07 Mid-August Lunch Lagoon
5/07 Ajami Lagoon
5/07 The Good Heart Lagoon
5/07 Babies Edina ***

5/14 Please Give Uptown
5/14 Robin Hood Lagoon (tentative)
5/14 Little Traitor Edina (tentative)
5/14 The Good, The Bad, and The Weird Lagoon
5/14 Harry Brown Edina (NEW) ***

5/21 Casino Jack and the United States Uptown (tentative)
5/21 Dancing Across Borders Lagoon
5/21 Mother and Child Edina
5/21 Princess Kaiulani Edina (very tentative)

5/28 George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead Lagoon
5/28 Looking For Eric Lagoon (very tentative)

6/04 No One Knows About Persian Cats Lagoon
6/04 The Misfortunates Lagoon

6/11 Ondine Edina
6/11 The City of Your Final Destination Edina
6/11 Paper Man Lagoon ***

6/18 Micmacs Uptown ***
6/18 Holy Rollers Lagoon
6/18 Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Lagoon

6/25 Agora Uptown (very tent.)
6/25 Winter’s Bone Uptown / Edina
6/25 OSS 117: Lost in Rio Lagoon ***
6/25 Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky Edina

7/02 The Killer Inside Me Lagoon ***
7/02 I Am Love Edina

7/09 Stonewall Uprising Lagoon

7/16 The Kids Are Alright Uptown (NEW)
7/16 Wild Grass Lagoon
7/16 Cyrus Lagoon ***

7/23 Best Worst Movie Lagoon ***

7/30 Ran (new print) Lagoon

8/6 Great Directors Lagoon ***

8/13 Hipsters Lagoon
8/13 Get Low Lagoon / Edina

8/20 Patrik, Age 1.5 Lagoon

9/03 Lebanon Lagoon

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Cinema Flashback — Colossus: The Forbin Project

James Gillham — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 02:55:18 +0000

Cinema Flashback — Colossus: The Forbin Project Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for joining us for CINEMA FLASHBACK for the week of April 8th, 2010, where, each week, we examine a film that had its American release during this week somewhere in the past.

This week’s selection is Colossus: The Forbin Project.

This film debuted before American audiences on April 8th, 1970.

The Forbin Project is an interesting film for two reasons. First, it is a fine bit of nuclear age American techno-horror. Second, it is a cracking good thriller. Eric Braeden (whom you might remember from Escape from the Planet of the Apes) plays Dr. Charles Forbin, supergenius. He is the architect of an American-made supercomputer that will ensure the US’s safety from all enemy attacks. The supercomputer is named Colossus. It is hidden deep within a mountain in the Western US. This is prior to the age of the microchip, so Colossus really is colossal — it is housed in a giant bunker rung by a moat made of some sort of a giant heat ray. The day that Colossus goes online, Forbin is celebrated, champagne is passed around, and the US — for the first time — is convinced of its complete safety from the menacing reds.

That is until Colossus finds a friend… a friend that the US had no idea existed. Suddenly Colossus is out-thinking his makers, and Forbin and company realize that they’ve loosed a technological monstrosity on the world.

Colossus’s friend is none other than the Soviet Union’s shadow project, Guardian. Guardian is an equally powerful supercomputer designed to protect Soviet interests from western attacks. Both machines have been programmed, ultimately, to protect their makers from all threats, and — you guessed it — they both agree on what they think the greatest threat to humankind is. Of course, telling you what that threat is would spoil some of the fun, but if you’ve been watching genre films for as long as I have, I’ll bet that you’ve got a pretty good idea what it is that Colossus and Guardian think they have to protect humankind from.

Surely this is a theme that’s been visited a number of times to varying degrees of success; however, this theme works well. Forbin Project does a great job of finding the human side of the vastly-scaled drama of potential global disaster. Braeden is excellent as Forbin. He’s a bit dashing in a James Bond way, and he’s sort of an intellectual super hero. It might seem unlikely that the United States would trust its defenses to a supercomputer designed by a guy with a British accent, but, hey, this doesn’t take away from the fun of the film. The plot is a bit cerebral, in an Andromeda Strain sort of way, but where other, more cerebral films have tended towards the intellectual ramifications of a given threat, Forbin tends toward the emotional. What begins as an existential conundrum for Forbin and company ends as war between the free, the human, the feeling and thinking, and the cold, efficient, and calculating.

To my mind, techno-horror is ultimately about the loss of one’s humanity, whether the dilemma presents itself as humanoid robots or omnipotent computers. And science-fiction of the speculative kind has lots of fun with these dilemmas. Ultimately, it’s because — in examining the conflict between the human and the machine — one is forced to reckon with humanity in a way that any normal work of science-fiction might not find a means of doing. Machines are the creation of mind, and in some ways they represent man’s highest ideals; however, in machine there is a kind of death for man — the timeless and efficient quasi-human thinking box is humanity seen through a cracked lens. By exploring these themes we’re able to distill humanity — or the lack of humanity — to its essence. Either way we are forced to reckon with ourselves: our inefficiency, our irrationality. And we are forced to reckon with what humankind comes to lose when we exchange our foibles for the sterile vacuum-tube reality of the digital kind.

Please forgive the vacuum tube reference; this is a film made in 1970, after all.

Forbin manages to accomplish all of this and still delight the viewer. It is a film well worth hunting down and watching (or re-watching) now, upon the fortieth anniversary of its American release.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Short Form – Logorama

Matt Gamble — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:55:33 +0000

Short Form – Logorama Where the Long Tail Ends
If you haven’t had the chance yet to see the 2010 Oscar Award winner for best animated short film, you are going to get your chance now. Created by the French Animation studio H5, and directed by François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy and Ludovic Houplain, Logorama follows the exploits of the residents of a sleep California town in which slowly but surely everything goes terribly wrong.

Logorama Official Site
H5 Web Site

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The inspirational power of The King of Kong

Matt Gamble — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:48:27 +0000

The inspirational power of The King of Kong Where the Long Tail Ends
Not sure if you would call this life imitating art (life imitating life?) since the recent buzz over being the World Record Holder in Donkey Kong is largely due to the outstanding documentary The King of Kong, but just a few short weeks ago, once again, a new Donkey Kong World Record was set. But the interesting thing is who it was set by, as for once it was neither Billy Mitchell or Steve Wiebe who was atop the leader board. Instead, it was a relative unknown plastic surgeon named Hank Chien who snuck up and surpassed them both for the vaunted title.

Chien even admits that he was inspired to go for the record due to The King of Kong, and once Twin Galaxies changed up their rules for video recording (making them a more easy to follow 39 steps) he knew he stood a chance of qualifying. Which adds another layer of awesome to the story that film has already given us.
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[Wolfen]3K7wpatALDQ[/Wolfen]

Thanks to Asylum for the original article.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

I’m still not convinced that The Human Centipede is a real movie

Matt Gamble — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:59:50 +0000

I’m still not convinced that The Human Centipede is a real movie Where the Long Tail Ends
Oh sure their are dozens of reviews posted online and its played at numerous film festivals in the past year, and just this past week a trailer finally was posted for all to see. Yet even now, I’m still not convinced that this isn’t just some grand prank aimed directly at me. because I want this film to not only exist, but be so terribly awesome.

During a stopover in Germany in the middle of a carefree roadtrip through Europe, two American girls find themselves alone at night when their car breaks down in the woods. Searching for help at a nearby villa, they are wooed into the clutches of a deranged retired surgeon who explains his mad scientific vision to his captives’ utter horror. They are to be the subjects of his sick lifetime fantasy: to be the first to connect people, one to the next, via their gastric system, and in doing so bring to life ‘the human centipede’.

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One to Watch – Cyrus

Matt Gamble — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:02:04 +0000

One to Watch – Cyrus Where the Long Tail Ends
From the minds of the Mumblecore masters, Jay and Mark Duplass, comes the tale of a lonely divorcee who stumbles upon a relationship with the perfect woman, with a less than perfect son. This film hasn’t been receiving much fanfare to date, though its been well received at the festivals that it has played at so far, and was recently announced that it would be the closing night film for the Minneapolis/St Paul International Film Festival.

While I’m not a huge fan of Mumblecore, I certainly have enjoyed the Duplass Brother’s films and Cyrus looks to be a showcase for John C Reilly, which is hardly a bad thing. Now if only it would get a decent theatrical release maybe everyone could see just what Mumblecore is all about.

Title: Cyrus
Director: Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass
Starring: John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill, Catherine Keener, Matt Walsh
Release Date: July 9, 2010 (USA)

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Oh man, Taxidermia could be awesome

Matt Gamble — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:00:57 +0000

Oh man, Taxidermia could be awesome Where the Long Tail Ends
Finally released on DVD tomorrow, this Hungarian fantasy horror film looks like it could be a real hidden gem in an otherwise lackluster release date. Oh sure Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is awesome, but nothing else looks to be worth your time of day. Nothing else that is, than Taxidermia.

Taxidermia contains three generational stories, about a grandfather, a father, and a son, linked together by recurring motifs. The dim grandfather, an orderly during World War Two, lives in his bizarre fantasies; he desires love. The huge father seeks success as a top athlete — a speed eater — in the post-war pro-Soviet era. The grandson, a meek, small-boned taxidermist, yearns for something greater: immortality. He wants to create the most perfect work of art of all time by stuffing his own torso.

Official Website
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One to Watch – Micmacs

Matt Gamble — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:44:41 +0000

One to Watch – Micmacs Where the Long Tail Ends
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is one of those directors that caught my eye from the first film of his I saw. Sure its easy to say it is because his style apes that of another one of my favorite directors, Terry Gilliam, but its more likely due to the fact that the man just makes damn good fantasy films. So when I heard that he was finally coming out with his first film since 2004 you could say I was more than just a little excited. Then I watched the trailer, and now I am not sure I can wait until this film is finally released.

Official Site
Title: Micmacs
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Starring: Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marié, Jean-Pierre Marielle
Release Date: May 28 2010 (USA limited)

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The Movie Night Diaries: The Killing Kind

James Gillham — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:04:11 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries: The Killing Kind Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for checking out THE MOVIE NIGHT DIARIES for the week of April 5th, 2010. DIARIES is a weekly casual review of a film of interest to the author.

This week’s selection is The Killing Kind, a horrifying thriller from 1973 directed by Curtis Harrington.

Featuring a great cast and striking imagery, The Killing Kind is the story of Terry, a sheltered and awkward man traumatically forced to confront his buried sexual demons when he is coaxed into raping a young girl. He is sentenced to a brief prison sentence, and, upon his return to his dreary and anonymous hometown in southern California, he is once again confronted by the same demons. Trapped in a suffocatingly intimate relationship with his mother, Terry is drawn into a web of sexual repression and dysfunction — he is tempted by a beautiful young model renting a room in his mother’s house, hounded by a repressed neighbor woman who is targeting Terry for her own needs, and trapped, again, by the same torments of his own repression that led him down the wrong path to begin with.

The theme of the overly-mothered and repressed killer is a familiar one to genre film fans. However, Harrington manages to breathe new life into this premise. What he does so excellently is thrust Terry into trials that test his ability to manage his violent impulses. The film makes it clear that Terry is a sick young man. He is the product of an awful environment — one fraught with sexual ambiguity. His mother is the person to whom he is closest in his life. Terry is her greatest object of affection. She laughs at his jokes and his mugging her camera. She worships him. There is, at all times, a subterranean sexuality to their relationship. Terry rarely calls his mother “mom” or “mother;” instead he chooses to call her “Thelma,” and the nature of their relationship isn’t made clear to the audience until a short time into the film. By then it is obvious that there is something wrong between the two of them. She clings to Terry’s every word and move, guards him jealously from other women, and is convinced that he is innocent of the crime for which he’s been convicted.

Terry’s mother is expertly portrayed by Ann Sothern. The character personifies a tawdry sort of Hollywood glamor that has soured with age. With her girlish kiss curls and swollen cheeks, she resembles the girl that lived in Jack Nance’s radiator in Eraserhead. She covets the attention of her son as one might covet the attention of a lover, and she quickly makes enemies of those who would damage him. She detests Tina, Terry’s rape victim, and suspects that Terry’s lawyer (Rhea Benson) failed to defend him against the surely spurious charges she brought against him. And Lori, the young model and hopeful starlet (vibrantly and effectively played by a young Cindy Williams of American Graffiti fame) who rents a room in the house, is everything that Terry’s mother detests. But beyond all of this, Terry’s mother is intensely interested in her son, physically — always petting him and stroking him, taking his picture, feeding him, like a grown baby, and we are convinced that Terry’s relationship with his mother has made him repressed and impotent. Unable to respond to his own desires, Terry instead kills that which he desires.

In an intense scene Terry locks himself in his room to masturbate with an adult magazine; soon, his mind wanders from the pages of the magazine and returns to the afternoon beneath the pier two years ago — when he raped Tina. It is her image that brings him eventual release, and he is horrified at that; he begins telephoning Tina, then following her — one night he drives to her home, follows her, and forces her car off the road. Terry detests what he desires — one presumes this is likely because of his fear of his own sexuality; however, what makes him so afraid is unknown — does he secretly desire his mother? Or have her intense overtures damaged him in some irreparable way? Terry is driven to seek revenge against whatever it is that so deeply troubles him; however, he is driven to harm only the symptoms of illness — the brash lady lawyer who failed to keep him out of jail, the young model living with he and his mother, and young Tina, always young Tina, whom he surely imagines has done him the greatest harm.

The most interesting dynamic of the film is the one between Terry and his neighbor Louise, played by Luana Anders. Louise, the bookish neighbor who lives next door is a female analogue of Terry — she lives in the company of her aging and effete old father. She wields a sexual power over Terry: she is possessed of a hidden sensuality that is distracting; she is older, beautiful, more intelligent; she is preoccupied with him — watching him from the safety of her bedroom window as he swims, etc. One evening, drunk, she confronts Terry and confides in him her desire for him to rape her — she the fantasizing victim, he the impotent rapist. She attempts to seduce him, willing herself to be his next victim. She hopes he will force her sexuality from her, the sexuality that she is too frightened to release. But Terry evades her, and Louise is wounded when she realizes that she is unattractive to him — too old for him, perhaps? He guesses that she is thirty-five and she admits that he is right, however, one wonders: if she is willing to admit to being thirty-five how old might she actually be? Her age is a difference between the two that she cannot overcome. She returns the following day to apologize for her drunkenness, and in what is surely the most accomplished scene of the entire film, Terry spurns her and calls her lady, and the exchange following features great dialog – Louise turns on him and says: “I hear you strumming that guitar all the time, all the time, but I’ve never actually heard you play an entire song on it. You say you write songs. Why don’t you play me one? Because you can’t. and that thing that you hold so close to you, like a woman, you can’t even play it.” Louise mocks him. He is emasculated. He moves to beat her with the guitar, but he cannot bring himself to. Instead he smashes it. The irony of their relationship is their mutual repression.

There is much more to be discovered in this film, and much more to make it well worth your time to check out. The Killing Kind is one of director Curtis Harrington’s most celebrated works and features a cast of talented actors.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Solitary Man looks interesting, so why no interest?

Matt Gamble — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:49:37 +0000

Solitary Man looks interesting, so why no interest? Where the Long Tail Ends
Few actors can play skeevy as well as Michael Douglas. So he seems perfectly cast as the floundering, philandering car magnate Ben Kalmen in Solitary Man. Couple that with an absolutely loaded cast (Jenna Fischer, Jesse Eisenberg, Mary-Louise Parker, Susan Sarandon, and Danny DeVito),the fact that Douglas and DeVito are co-starring in a movie for the first time since The War of the Roses and what looks to be a halfway decent trailer and you have what appears to be a film that stands a good chance of being both good and appealing to adults out at the movies. And if that isn’t enough, Steven Soderbergh is producing the film. Yet why no buzz at all?

The films release date has been pushed a few times, Douglas seems to being setup for an Oscar run for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps instead, and perhaps bookers are under the impression that this film was already done better last year with Up in the Air. And while I’m all for the zoom, bang hiss of the summer, but it would be nice if a few more character driven films were given a chance to show off during those months. After all, women swilling martinis in New York City isn’t the only way to counter program during the summer months.
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Resident Evil: Afterlife looks like a steaming pile

Matt Gamble — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 23:30:13 +0000

Resident Evil: Afterlife looks like a steaming pile Where the Long Tail Ends
Which probably means it will make $1.8 billion dollars at the box office. Gotta love the public’s desire to gorge on shameless commerce.

I mean hell, they are touting the 3D cameras as the biggest reason to watch the movie. Good grief.

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One to Watch – Splice

Matt Gamble — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 23:21:15 +0000

One to Watch – Splice Where the Long Tail Ends
Finally a trailer has been released for this science fiction horror film that has been trying to get distribution for what seems like an eternity. And while the stills that have been released have looked fantastic, having an actual trailer to show people only makes my job easier. Now if only this thing will get a decent release so people will actually get to see it.

Official Site
Title: Splice
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, David Hewlett
Release Date: June 4, 2010

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (4/2/10)

Matt Gamble — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 03:52:26 +0000

Coming Soon (4/2/10) Where the Long Tail Ends
What a difference a week makes. This time I actually am up to date on posting the list, as well as finally getting some time to check out the new additions and see just what the heck they might be. Best Worst Movie needed little introduction, as I’ve been waiting to see it since it debuted on the festival circuit almost two years ago. In addition we have what looks to be a fascinating documentary on directors called, surprisingly, Great Directors. Mumblecore masters the Duplass brothers seem to be hitting the big time with their latest star studded film Cyrus. But the film that most caught my eye, is the Jeff Daniels starring film Paper Man, which in and of itself is great, but when Ryan Reynolds is playing his imaginary friend Captain Excellent I tend to get a wee bit excited.

Its shaping up to be a pretty damn good summer for Indie film fans. Who knew?

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

4/09 The Most Dangerous Man in America Lagoon ***
4/09 The Greatest Edina
4/09 Vincere Edina/Lagoon

4/16 Sweetgrass Lagoon
4/16 Red Riding: 1974 Lagoon ***
4/16 Red Riding: 1980 Lagoon ***
4/16 Red Riding: 1983 Lagoon ***
4/16 The Joneses Lagoon

4/23 The Eclipse Uptown
4/23 The Square Lagoon ***
4/23 LBS. Lagoon
4/23 The Secret of the Kells Edina ***

4/30 Exit Through the Gift Shop Uptown
4/30 The Warlords Lagoon
4/30 The Cartel Lagoon
4/30 The Secrets in Their Eyes Edina

5/07 Mid-August Lunch Lagoon
5/07 Ajami Lagoon
5/07 The Good Heart Lagoon
5/07 Babies Edina ***

5/14 Please Give Uptown
5/14 Robin Hood Lagoon (tentative)
5/14 Little Traitor Edina (tentative)
5/14 The Good, The Bad, and The Weird Lagoon

5/21 Casino Jack and the United States Uptown (tentative)
5/21 Dancing Across Borders Lagoon
5/21 Mother and Child Edina
5/21 Princess Kaiulani Edina (very tentative)

5/28 George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead Lagoon
5/28 Looking For Eric Lagoon (very tentative)

6/04 No One Knows About Persian Cats Lagoon
6/04 The Misfortunates Lagoon (NEW)

6/11 Ondine Edina
6/11 The City of Your Final Destination Edina
6/11 Paper Man Lagoon (NEW) ***

6/18 Micmacs Uptown ***
6/18 Holy Rollers Lagoon
6/18 Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Lagoon

6/25 Agora Uptown (very tent.)
6/25 Winter’s Bone Uptown / Edina
6/25 OSS 117: Lost in Rio Lagoon ***
6/25 Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky Edina

7/02 The Killer Inside Me Lagoon ***
7/02 I Am Love Edina

7/09 Stonewall Uprising Lagoon

7/16 Wild Grass Lagoon
7/16 Cyrus Lagoon (NEW) ***

7/23 Best Worst Movie Lagoon (NEW) ***

7/30 Ran (new print) Lagoon

8/6 Great Directors Lagoon (NEW) ***

8/13 Hipsters Lagoon
8/13 Get Low Lagoon / Edina

8/20 Patrik, Age 1.5 Lagoon

9/03 Lebanon Lagoon

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UK [Rec]² trailer soils my shorts

Matt Gamble — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:14:26 +0000

UK [Rec]² trailer soils my shorts Where the Long Tail Ends
For those that don’t know, [Rec]² has officially been picked up for US release by Magnet films, bless their little genre filled hearts. So you just might be lucky enough to see this movie in theatres. And if you still need convincing, James and I plan on reviewing [Rec]² (and possibly [Rec] as well) on our next episode of Spoiler Alert.

Enjoy!

[Rec]² Official Website

More [REC] 2 Videos

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Do NOT watch Clash of the Titans in 3D

Matt Gamble — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:06:31 +0000

Do NOT watch Clash of the Titans in 3D Where the Long Tail Ends
Well, don’t watch it in 2D either, because it is a terrible movie.

But if you insist to watch this insipid remake simply because it is the big new release this weekend let me tell you that you will be flushing your money down the toilet. As has now become fairly common knowledge, the 3D for Clash of the Titans was tacked on at the last minute due to the studio (way to go Warner Bros.) deciding they wanted in on the seemingly sudden desire of the movie going public to watch 3D films. Who cares if the film was ever meant to be seen in 3D, or if they’d even have the time to produce a quality transfer that might actually be worth the extra $3.50 that’s dolloped onto the ticket price.

No, they’d rather just count the dollars as they giggle with glee at their clientel paying more money for a shoddier product. Why they think blatantly ripping off their customers is a good way to keep them coming to the movies is beyond me. So save yourself the hassle and the inevitable headache, use the money to buy something from the concession stand and support your local theatre, and then watch the film it was always meant to be presented as, in 2D.

Or better yet, you can go watch an outstanding 3D movie, like How to Train Your Dragon, and kick yourself for not watching it sooner.

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Cinema Flashback — Cat People (1982)

James Gillham — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:29:52 +0000

Cinema Flashback — Cat People (1982) Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for joining us for CINEMA FLASHBACK for the week of April 1st, 2010, where, each week, we examine a film that had its American release during this week somewhere in the past.

This week’s selection is director Paul Schrader’s 1982 remake of a horror film classic, Cat People.

This film debuted before American audiences on April 2nd, 1982.

Nastassja Kinski is Irena Gallier. Traveling to New Orleans seeking reunion with her lost brother Paul Gallier, played by Malcolm McDowell, she is alarmed to discover that her brother has some very odd habits. He lives a quiet life in an older part of New Orleans, spending most of his time in the company of his housekeeper, played by Rudy Dee. Irena discovers that Paul has awkward intentions for their new relationship. Things grow worse for Irena when, one day, Paul disappears from the house altogether. Shortly thereafter, a call girl is mauled by a leopard in a sleazy hotel. The leopard is captured by authorities and placed under the care of experts at the New Orleans zoo. In the absence of her brother Irena forms a bond with the striking black leopard at the New Orleans zoo. Drawn to this leopard in a way she cannot explain, Irena soon discovers that she, and Paul, have more in common with cats than she would have originally guessed. Confronted by Oliver, the zoo keeper (John Heard)in charge of the mysterious black leopard, Irena grows more and more suspicious of her brother’s motives and her own curious desires.

This erotic update of Jacques Tourneur’s 1942 work of horrific noir produced by Val Lewton for RKO pictures features a haunting soundtrack by David Bowie. It is an excellent update of an excellent film. Schrader and company add an eroticism to the film that is only hinted at in the original. The incestuous overtones to Paul Gallier’s advances on Irene are put to good use in the new film — Paul’s character was absent from the original, so this is an element invented for the new film. Also in a new twist, it is discovered that the act of love-making is the impetus for Paul and Irena’s transformation into the black leopard; they are forever condemned to roam the world alone, without a mate, because of their odd lineage that causes them to be cursed with feline needs that are almost vampire-like in nature.

They go to great pains to preserve some of the most effective elements of the original film. In particular, a scene where Irena confronts the other woman, played in the Schrader remake by Annette O’Toole, Irena’s newly discovered animal instincts drive her to hunt down her prey at local gym. Swimming in the pool all alone, Alice becomes aware that she is being stalked just in time to save her own life. The scene is perfect in both versions of the film and really frightening. Elsewhere, Schrader and company manage new and even more frightening sequences. There is a violent brutality to this film, in large part provided by the character of Paul Gallier, that gives this new film a different flavor from the original.

Still, there are enough new elements in this film to make it enjoyable to someone who’s already seen the original. The style is updated and the film has a remarkable feel to it. Kinski is perfectly cast in the role of Irena. Her performance is the standout performance among a capable cast of well-known actors and actresses. She is possessed of an almost feline quality herself, and she makes good use of it in her performance of Irena. She manages to capture the character’s spirit at its most innocent; its most erotic and frightening, too.

Watching Cat People now brings us back the thirty-or-so years since its debut and shows that it has all the right elements to have captured the energy of its time while providing the sort of entertaining experience that will still make it enjoyable to viewers today.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Movie Night Diaries: The Guyver

James Gillham — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:39:27 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries: The Guyver Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for checking out THE MOVIE NIGHT DIARIES for the week of March 31st, 2010. DIARIES is a weekly casual review of a film of interest to the author.

This week’s selection is The Guyver, a 1991 live-action film based on the Japanese animated series direct by Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang.

In 1991, The Guyver made its way to the big screen… or, at least and as best as I can tell, it made its way to home video and a brief run on cable television. I am unacquainted with the original Japanese series, however I could gather very well from the brief synopsis at the beginning of the film that the story of The Guyver is extraordinarily convoluted. It is the kind of story that only shows up in Japanese animated films and programs, or the video games based on those same Japanese films and programs. And although the mythology and cosmology beneath Guyver is explained, again, later in the film, I am still nearly in the dark as to how it works. Somehow, eons ago, aliens seeded Earth with human life in the hopes of designing a super weapon. Now, the Zoalord (perhaps, one of the alien beings) has emerged from or returned to Earth to begin converting the human species into Zoanoids — humans beings turned into mostrous aliens trained in the martial arts; however, an earthling working for the Chronos Corporation (the front for the Zoalord) discovers an ancient alien secret and turns it into The Guyver — a biosuit that, when coupled with a human host, creates the ultimate fighting machine. Add Mark Hamill as a CIA agent investigating the scientist’s disappearance, Jimmy Walker as a wise-cracking Zoanoid, and John Berryman as the Zoalord’s chief henchman, and you’ve got about ninety minutes of pure, unadulterated fun.

What makes Guyver so much fun is that everyone involved is in on the joke. It’s enjoyable both as a zany, science-fiction action romp and a send up of all of those Japanese monster movies that are in its pedigree. It has more cartoon tough guys and rubbery monsters than you can shake a stick at. Mark Hamill, as Max the CIA agent in on the whole ordeal, is part Fox Mulder, part Sam Spade — a sort-of cosmic gumshoe. Jack Armstrong is the all-American boy who stumbles upon the Guyver suit in an alleyway, and puts it to use in order to save the life of his beautiful Asian girlfriend, played by prolific Chinese actress Vivian Wu, who also happens to be the daughter of Dr. Segawa, the inventor/discoverer of the Guyver.

The films is so much fun because it is a living, breathing dramatic representation of an adolescent nerdly fantasy: boy meets girl; boy get pushed around by bullies; boy is embarrassed in front of girl; boy finds alien biosuit, conquers bullies, saves the planet, and gets the girl.

The action sequences are brilliant. There isn’t even the rumor of CGI anywhere in this thing. Rubbery monsters flop across the screen, crushing one anothers’ heads between their hands or being sawed in half by circular saw blades. David Gale (you might remember him from the Re-animator films) is comically diabolical as Fulton Balcus, aka Zoalord. As the principles race around the sets doing battle, you can almost hear the bip-bopping loop of tinny video game music that ought to be playing behind it.

The film is wisely rated PG-13. There are some gory moments. When Max, Mark Hamill’s character, first turns into a zoanoid bug then dies, it is really a gory mess of a scene, and one that Mark Hamill seems to relish playing to the hilt. But older kids will certainly enjoy the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-like aspect of the whole thing — something that isn’t lost on the filmmakers who make a not-so-subtle reference to the turtles during the film.

There is a brilliantly done moment when the Jimmy Walker-voiced zoanoid hurls itself over a brick wall, and one can plainly see the studio lighting and one of the filmmakers helping it over. There is a rapid cutaway, and your left thinking that you’ve just witnessed an embarrassing goof-up that made its way to the final print. However, moments later, you discover that the zoanoids have accidentally invaded a movie being shot on location and the director has mistaken one of the zoanoids as the creature in the film. There is a funny cameo appearance by Linnea Quigley during this scene, and the whole exchange sort-of sums up the entire film — something not to be taken very seriously, but nonetheless an enjoyable 90 minutes of sci-fi fun.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Who says there are no more action stars?

Matt Gamble — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:59:46 +0000

Who says there are no more action stars? Where the Long Tail Ends

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

I think I just schwarzeneggered in my pants

Matt Gamble — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:31:31 +0000

I think I just schwarzeneggered in my pants Where the Long Tail Ends
Really, what needs to be said about the 160 Greatest Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie Quotes? Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Thanks to Pajiba for doing all the hard work.

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[Wolfen]pDxn0Xfqkgw[/Wolfen]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Parkway Movie Matinee (3/31/10)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:10:42 +0000

Parkway Movie Matinee (3/31/10) Where the Long Tail Ends
Perhaps one of the cooler movie related weekly events here in the Twin Cities is The Parkway’s Saturday Movie Matinee. Featuring older films fro days gone by, each matinee also screens cartoons and an old school serial before the feature. And the best part? Each ticket is only $2. So make sure to swing over to The Parkway each Saturday at noon to take part in the fun.

The Parkway Website

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.3 – Hammer Time

Matt Gamble — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:06:11 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.3 – Hammer Time Where the Long Tail Ends
And we’re back! And with this quick turn around we are once again back on schedule to complete twelve episodes of High and Low (Brow) this year. Hopefully you are as excited by that prospect as we are.

In this episode we focus on the two works from the vaunted Hammer Films, a British movie studio best known for its modern takes on Universal horror classics such as Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy. But along with those films Hammer produced a vast number of films in the horror and thriller genres and as we discovered, they weren’t adverse to making films about the fantastic either.

We sat down with the 1972 film Vampire Circus, a film filled with curses, lycanthropes, mutilations, titillation and devoured children. Not to be outdone we follow that up with the science fiction epic Quatermass and the Pit, a film widely regarded as the finest film Hammer ever produced. Will it live up to the hype? And of course make sure to stick around for our selection process for next month’s episode as James once again tries his hand at picking the theme and the films so I can have a much deserved month off.

If you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, or simply want to tell James how awesome he is, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him. And while you’re there be sure to join our relatively new Facebook group devoted to Where the Long Tail Ends.

One more thing, if you enjoy the show feel free to donate to it through PayPal in either a single installment or as a recurring donor. We’d love to upgrade some of our equipment and anything you donate will go directly towards us getting some decent mics and perhaps even pop screens that aren’t made out of cotton balls.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Music – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Big Wheel by Jim Croce

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

What is cooler than cool?

Matt Gamble — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:19:27 +0000

What is cooler than cool? Where the Long Tail Ends
Why Saul Bass inspired credit sequences of course. Enjoy!
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Thanks to Kurt at Row Three for tipping me off to this fantabulous trend.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Movie Night Diaries: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

James Gillham — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 05:55:23 +0000

The Movie Night Diaries: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for checking out THE MOVIE NIGHT DIARIES for the week of March 27th, 2010. DIARIES is a weekly casual review of a film of interest to the author.

This week’s selection is Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, or, The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Somewhere in the mid nineties, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise was given one last jolt with those electronic paddles paramedics use. The copyright of the film, I think, is somewhere around 1993. I have been a fan of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films since I first watched the original 1974 classic when I was in middle school. Later on, I got ’round to the sequels. I have never bothered with the recent remakes; I think there are one or two of them. Instead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is, to me, the swan song of the franchise. I first watched it when it became available on VHS. I was employed by a video store at the time. When I saw its name on the new arrivals list, I was shocked and anxious. I hadn’t known of its existence before then, and the thought that there was another Chainsaw film written by Kim Henkel, one of the principle people involved in the first film, was big news. I couldn’t imagine how I’d managed to miss it when it was in the theaters. After watching it that first time, I realized that it was unlikely to have had a significant theatrical release. I found it nauseatingly bad. I hated it. So, here I am, around fifteen years or so later, giving it a second chance.

The film stars two Texas-based actors who would go on to much bigger and much better things than this film: Renee Zellwegger and Matthew McConaughey. Matthew McConaughey is miscast as the principle wack-o of the film. Although he provides an energetic performance, he is too fit and too good-looking to appear to be anything other than a raging fraternity brother. Renee Zellwegger, on the other hand, performs her role well. One is left feeling terrible, however, that there was a point in her career where she had to settle for making a film like this. I enjoy her work very much — particularly the Bridget Jones films and The Whole Wide World, a biographical film about the late pulp author Robert E. Howard, beautifully portrayed by Vincent D’onofrio. The film also features the (by then) fourth Leatherface to appear on film. Of course, one cannot expect a performance that rivals Gunnar Hansen’s; however, this film’s Leatherface is sufficiently different from all the other Leatherfaces that one’s not left looking for comparisons to make. I guess I’ll start there.

In the original film, there was a deleted scene that had Leatherface applying make-up to his skin facemask. Tobe Hooper mentions it on the commentary track of the special edition Texas Chainsaw Massacre DVD that is currently available. It was an idea in embryo — something that occured to the filmmakers to do during production, but not something that grew into an actual element of the film. I believe Hooper mentioned someting along the lines of Leatherface being the matriarch of the family in the original or something. Anyhow, this incarnation of Leatherface plays second banana to McConaughey’s paranoid loonie character, and I feel like he was given short shrift. The feminine element of the original Leatherface is explored further in this film, but it doesn’t succeed in bringing anything like nuance to Leatherface. In this film he’s a hooting, chainsaw-wielding nutcase who happens to like wearing womens’ clothing. He screams too much. The whole cast screams too much. That’s one of the things I didn’t really like in this one.

Points ought to be given to the new filmmakers for attempts at style. This is a much more stylish film than either of the sequels. The second film is zany and the third film feels like just what it is — a film that got washed in with the rest of the low-budget late eighties/early nineties slasher pics. The third film featured Kane Hodder (aka mark three, I think, of the Jason Vorhees character) as Leatherface. That Leatherface was a bit tepid compared to this one, and the third film, while being more watchable, accomplishes less than this one does. The addition of a heavy, pop music soundtrack add something to the film in some places, and detracts in some ways. The closing shot and melancholy music hum together harmoniously, while the early scene of Mconaghay’s loonie running a kid over with his truck to the sound of pounding heavy metal is tawdry.

Along with points for style, there should be some points alloted for audacity. Henkel and company try to link the films together. The opening monologue (performed by John Laroquette of TV’s Night Court in the first one… I dunno who did this one) strings the release of the previous sequels into a timeline that brings a previously unseen cohesion to the films. Henkel and company also make the brave step of introducing the subplot of a continents-spanning conspiracy theory undergirding the crimes of the Chainsaw family. Some vaguely European guy shows up near the end who seems to be in on something at a much deeper level than the Chainsaw family is, and, at a point earlier in the film, the female counterpart to the central loonie alludes to a huge conspiracy behind everything… even the possibility that some members of the family may be from outer space. This is purely scatterbrained riffing by the writers, I think, and I enjoyed this element of the film the most of all the newly introduced stuff. I imagine at the time, back then I took my horror cinema very seriously, I like objected to this; it is just too far out an addition to have been enjoyable to me back then. However, now I see it for it is — a novel jolt of adrenaline in the arm of a dying patient. That patient is the Chainsaw franchise, but the few novel jolts of adrenaline provided by this film cannot save it. Hence the film is the franchise’s swan song. Hence the franchise has been caught in the net of the new crop of horror remakes — the new Jasons, Michaels, and soon new the Freddys. Considering how much I loved Rob Zombie’s Halloween, I really ought to be willing to give the new Chainsaw film (films?) a shot. I dunno.

The film makes many visual nods toward the original film. The comely brunette girl is killed in a way identical to the way in which the comely brunette girl is killed in the first film. There is no guy in a wheelchair to my recollection, but Paul Partain makes a cameo appearance near the end. The numerous shots of the full moon are there. The skeletal elements of the plot are there — this film rhymes with the original, if you get my meaning. The supporting cast is better in this film, overall. There is some nice dialog at the beginning, and some wit of it manages to be witty. The body count is the same, but there isn’t a single scene (or frame, if I’m honest) that has the horribly cloying presence of anything in the original. This one just doesn’t smoke like Hooper’s masterpiece. But, then again, I really wasn’t expecting it to. The original film has a presence — the images carry a real weight, and Hooper ingeniously manages to load the imagery of the first one with a sensual quality missing here — you can smell the original place, feel its heat — this one is just there.

So, as I said, here I am fifteen years later giving this one a second shot. I must say that I enjoyed it more than when I originally saw it… but it just doesn’t work overall. It takes its time on the stuff that doesn’t matter, and glides right over the stuff that does. These films are essentially simple fright flicks. Any depth provided by the characters and setting is secondary to the action on screen. Hooper and company (including Henkel, I might add) managed to give us everything in the original. I feel that it is an artfully horrible masterpiece of the genre. This one (still Henkel, minus Hooper) spends so much time on the grisly business behind the action that it’s difficult to tell at times whether they’re going for something self-referential and ironic, something blackly comedic, or are just not in tune with the subject matter enough to capitalize on everything that makes it interesting. I guess, in a way, it lacks backbone. And, worst of all, it glides over all of the stuff that worked so well in the first one along with editing it in a sickening MTV paced montage of images and providing a grating rock n’ roll soundtrack. The stuff that works is enough to make this one worth watching if you’ve not already gotten around to it, but all of the missteps and blunders keep the film from working well.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (3/26/10)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:08:44 +0000

Coming Soon (3/26/10) Where the Long Tail Ends
Tons of new additions this week, probably because I’ve been too busy to post a new list in the last month. My bad. And thanks to the ridiculous amount of new films I’m going to bypass most of my rambling and just say that the Red Riding trilogy looks amazing. Like whoa level amazing.

And the posters? Oh man, they make we want to … well … you get the idea.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

4/02 Police, Adjective Lagoon
4/02 Mother Lagoon/Edina ***
4/02 City Island Edina

4/09 The Most Dangerous Man in America Lagoon ***
4/09 The Greatest Edina
4/09 Vincere Edina (NEW)

4/16 The Eclipse Uptown (NEW)
4/16 Sweetgrass Lagoon
4/16 Red Riding: 1974 Lagoon ***
4/16 Red Riding: 1980 Lagoon ***
4/16 Red Riding: 1983 Lagoon ***
4/16 The Joneses Lagoon (NEW)

4/23 Exit Through the Gift Shop Uptown (NEW)
4/23 The Square Lagoon ***
4/23 LBS. Lagoon (NEW)
4/23 The Secret of the Kells Edina (NEW) ***

4/30 The Warlords Lagoon
4/30 The Cartel Lagoon (NEW)
4/30 The Secrets in Their Eyes Edina (NEW)

5/07 Mid-August Lunch Lagoon (NEW)
5/07 Ajami Lagoon (NEW)
5/07 The Good Heart Lagoon (NEW)
5/07 Babies Edina (NEW) ***

5/14 Please Give Uptown (NEW)
5/14 Robin Hood Lagoon (tentative) (NEW)
5/14 Little Traitor Edina (tentative) (NEW)
5/14 The Good, The Bad, and The Weird Lagoon

5/21 Casino Jack and the United States Uptown (tentative) (NEW)
5/21 Dancing Across Borders Lagoon (NEW)
5/21 Mother and Child Edina (NEW)
5/21 Princess Kaiulani Edina (very tentative) (NEW)

5/28 Survival of the Dead Lagoon
5/28 Looking For Eric Lagoon (very tentative) (NEW)

6/04 No One Knows About Persian Cats Lagoon (NEW)

6/11 Ondine Edina (NEW)
6/11 The City of Your Final Destination Edina (NEW)

6/18 Micmacs Uptown (NEW)
6/18 Holy Rollers Lagoon (NEW)
6/18 Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Lagoon (NEW)

6/25 Agora Uptown (very tent.) (NEW)
6/25 Winter’s Bone Uptown / Edina (NEW)
6/25 OSS 117: Lost in Rio Lagoon (NEW) ***
6/25 Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky Edina (NEW)

7/02 The Killer Inside Me Lagoon (NEW) ***
7/02 I Am Love Edina (NEW)

7/09 Stonewall Uprising Lagoon (NEW)

7/16 Wild Grass Lagoon (NEW)

7/30 Ran Lagoon (NEW)

8/13 Hipsters Lagoon (NEW)
8/13 Get Low Lagoon / Edina (NEW)

8/20 Patrik, Age 1.5 Lagoon (NEW)

9/03 Lebanon Lagoon (NEW)

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Oh … My … PILGRIM!

Matt Gamble — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:28:06 +0000

Oh … My … PILGRIM! Where the Long Tail Ends
I’m nerding out so hardcore right now.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Short Form – Tarboy

Matt Gamble — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:20:52 +0000

Short Form – Tarboy Where the Long Tail Ends
Want a quick way into my heart? Make a short film about robots killing capitalist pigs. Well, having a frantic visual style, plenty of humor and a pretty slick soundtrack certainly doesn’t hurt matters. Which is probably why I love Tarboy so much. The husband and wife team of James and Hania Lee have made a great little animated yarn about a boy made of tar who is trying to free the world’s robots from being enslaved by their fat cat corporate masters. Even better? A sequel is in the works.

Dare I hope for a whole series on the adventures of Tarboy?

Official Site
Hania Lee’s Blog
Tarboy (Facebook Fan Page)
Hania Lee (Twitter)

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[Wolfen]ACHVwA1D8fE[/Wolfen]

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Cinema Flashback – Don’t Go in the House

James Gillham — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:12:27 +0000

Cinema Flashback – Don’t Go in the House Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks for joining us for CINEMA FLASHBACK for the week of March 24th, 2010, where, each week, we examine a film that had its American release during this week somewhere in the past.

This week’s selection is director Joseph Ellison’s 1980 horror film Don’t Go in the House.

This film debuted before American audiences on March 28th, 1980.

In his youth, Donny (played by actor Dan Grimaldi) was ritualistically abused by his overbearing mother. Now, the two live a life of claustrophobic co-dependence in a worn and sprawling Victorian home on the outskirts of town. Today an awkward and lonely young man, Donny still bears the scars of the burns inflicted upon him by his mother as punishment for his boyhood evil thoughts; and, in an ironic twist, he now works at the local trash incinerator, purging the garbage of the world by burning it into nothing. Upon returning home from work one evening, Donny discovers that his mother has died. Following an initial moment of joy for his newly found freedom, he is driven to a psychological breaking point when he discovers that his mother hasn’t gone anywhere — she’s still alive! She’s everywhere! And soon her voice inside of his head is telling him to do awful things…

Following a dynamic opening and a brief expository interlude, the film commits itself to a leisurely pace unfamiliar in contemporary horror fare. As Donny paces about his empty house, retreating more and more from reality, the audience is slowly drawn into the film’s world. Donny hears his mother’s voice whispering to him over and over that he must do something to cleanse the whores and garbage from the streets, to cleanse himself of the evil impulses the motivate his desire for them. In the physics of Donny’s mind, fire is the element that cleans everything — his mother used it to clean him of his evil thoughts as a child, and now he uses it at the incinerator to clean the world of its garbage. By luring women into his old house, he locks them into a makeshift larger-than-life crematorium in one of the rooms. There he chains them, nude, and burns them clean of their evil. Once twisted, charred, and dead the women join his mother as permanent residents of the house, their skin burnt nearly entirely from their body, their teeth exposed in an eternal rictus.

Mercifully, the audience is spared most of this grisly business. The actual images of torture and death are limited, and director of photography Oliver Wood makes the most of the atmosphere of the film. He fills the frame with frightening and effective images that trace Donny’s fall from sanity and define the claustrophobic environment of his old and worn house. Brief and violent pictures create a horrifying montage that forces the audience to reckon with just what occurs behind the closed doors of Donny’s house of horrors.

The film makes few missteps. As stated earlier, it does carry on a pace that might, to some members of the audience, seem to conflict with its subject matter; however, the film succeeds in drawing the viewer in. In spots the dialogue seems to have been clumsily dubbed, giving the film the feel of a work that was originally filmed in a foreign language before being given an English soundtrack. The film lacks any characters of depth beyond its protagonist and instead feels more like an artful exploration of a horror theme. Still, overall, it is a lean and competent work of violent psychological horror.

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After.Life could be downright awful

Matt Gamble — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:36:21 +0000

After.Life could be downright awful Where the Long Tail Ends
Or After.Life might not be terrible. Honestly, this trailer doesn’t make it look like their will be much middle ground with this strange high concept film. Plus Justin Long in a serious role just seems wrong on so many levels. And is it just me or does casting Christina Ricci as a dead girl seem particularly lazy? But then again, I’ve heard nothing but great things about director Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo’s short film Pâté, so once again I’m not sure which way I am leaning with this.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – Tron Legacy

Matt Gamble — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:44:29 +0000

One to Watch – Tron Legacy Where the Long Tail Ends
I do love the original Tron, in spite of the fact it really isn’t a very good film. But man, were those visuals mind blowing back then. So much so that they made up for the ponderous pace and the over-inflated sense of self-worth that permeates the entire movie.

That all being said, the new film looks freaking awesome visually and I just hope that if it takes a bit more time to clean up the dialogue and plotting that we might finally have a Tron film worthy of its epic reputation.

Official Site
Title: Tron Legacy
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Jeff Bridges, John Hurt, Bruce Boxleitner
Release Date: December 17, 2010

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Quick Thoughts – Repo Men

Matt Gamble — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:06:34 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Repo Men Where the Long Tail Ends
You know, I have to admit I went into Repo Men with low expectations, the trailer is downright terrible and looks completely unsure of what kind of movie it is marketing, and for an hour and a half Repo Men did nothing to convince me that this film was worth my time. In fact, the film was so dull, listless and obvious that I found myself quoting dialogue before the characters could utter it. Yeah, its one of those. But then something magical happened.

The final reel began and everything changed for the better. The pace quickened, and the film finally shook off its rust and began to fly loose with all sense of reality and good taste. Soon eye popping set pieces were in play, an Oldboy style hammer fight smacked me in the face with a freaking hacksaw, and the most disturbing organ transplant/sex scene cropped up out of left field and skull fucked me into sheer cinematic bliss. Oh that’s right, Repo Men skull fucked me.

And it hurt. So. Good.

And that’s right before the film grabbed its balls and swung for the fences with an ending that’s bound to piss off as many people as it pleases. And that’s when I realized, “Holy shit?! I think I love this movie!”
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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.2 – machine. Honey, I think I invented a time…

Matt Gamble — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:54:33 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.2 – machine. Honey, I think I invented a time… Where the Long Tail Ends
And we’re back! Due to some slight technical difficulties (James seems to think a 5.25 floppy disk can hold an entire movie) we ran afoul of our proposed release schedule for the year. But pay no attention to the machinations behind the curtain, as we race through this episode of High and Low (Brow) in record time, due probably to the fact that one of the movies we viewed is abysmal.

But of Berkeley Square (1933) and World Without End (1956) your guess is as good as mine as to which of the films is the true stinker of the bunch. Thankfully, we don’t linger on this spoiler too long, and simply call a pile of crap a pile of crap right off the bat. That being said, while both of these films are quite hard to track down, one of these films truly deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.

Make sure to stick around for our selection process, as we have chosen a far simpler group of films for us to find and watch, which means you should expect to see another episode of High and Low (Brow) by the end of the month, thus getting us right back on schedule for the year. Big thanks to loyal reader Robert R for his help in determining the films for the selection process.

If you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, or simply want to tell James how awesome he is, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him. And while you’re there be sure to join our relatively new Facebook group devoted to Where the Long Tail Ends.

One more thing, if you enjoy the show feel free to donate to it through PayPal in either a single installment or as a recurring donor. We’d love to upgrade some of our equipment and anything you donate will go directly towards us getting some decent mics and perhaps even pop screens that aren’t made out of cotton balls.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Music – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Rock Your Socks Off by Tenacious D

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The coolest man in cinema turns 59 today

Matt Gamble — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:03:00 +0000

The coolest man in cinema turns 59 today Where the Long Tail Ends
Perhaps not the coolest man ever, but Kurt Russell is certainly in the Top 5. And without his many contributions to cinema I would not be the man that you see here today.

Yes, the rumors that I bought a winter coat specifically because it makes me feel like a member of the cast of The Thing are in fact true. The beard I grow just because I’m lazy.

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[Wolfen]FkNyC6MQMj0[/Wolfen]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Finally, a Secret of Nimh for Owls

Matt Gamble — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:31:22 +0000

Finally, a Secret of Nimh for Owls Where the Long Tail Ends
While I’m not exactly a fan of Zack Snyder’s films, his personal brand of razor thin plotting and fast-paced action just might make for a stellar children’s film, which is exactly what Legend of the Guardians looks like it might be.

I know next to nothing about the series of books it was based on, or what the heck the film is about, but I must admit, I’m a sucker for epic fantasy films starring animals. Dare I dream that this will be as good as Watership Down?

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Greatest Moments in Cinema History – Strange Wilderness

Matt Gamble — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:35:39 +0000

Greatest Moments in Cinema History – Strange Wilderness Where the Long Tail Ends
Its tough to follow up the absurdly perverse genius of Meet the Feebles, so I decided not to. Instead I decide to pick a film that is truly ridiculous and revels in showcasing some of the dumbest jokes that you could possibly imagine. Yet while the jokes may be stupid, and believe me they are stupid, its the delivery that sells them time and again.

One of the most interesting things about this film, is that it currently holds a 0% approval rating over at Rotten Tomatoes, an impressive feat to be sure. Yet even stranger is the fact the film is actually ridiculously funny and has a truly epic cast (including Steve Zahn, Jonah Hill, Kevin Heffernan, Harry Hamlin, Justin Long, Jeff Garlin, Ernest Borgnine and Robert Patrick). The voice over narration during the nature scenes alone are absolutely priceless (ex – Experts estimate that monkeys make up 80% of the world’s monkey population.) and they beg the question, why the hell isn’t that kind of nature show on television?

But it is the final nature show that truly eclipses them all, and the one that is impossible not to find humorous, despite it being one of the laziest jokes ever. Yet Strange Wilderness continually shows that earnest repetition is the key to getting a laugh, which is why this is one of the Greatest Moments in Cinema History.

If it isn’t obvious, this clip is NSFW

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Spoiler Alert! – A Tribute to Dan O’Bannon

Matt Gamble — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:51:47 +0000

Spoiler Alert! – A Tribute to Dan O’Bannon Where the Long Tail Ends
And we’re back! It’s been along layoff since James and I had a chance to sit down and record a new podcast, and thanks to the wonders of memory, in this episode you’ll hear exactly why this is so. We also talk briefly about the Oscars, more specifically on the In Memorium montage that honors those who have lost their life in the past year, and we note some of the most obvious snubs from this montage, including the man we devote this episode to, writer/director Dan O’Bannon.

O’Bannon isn’t a household name, but his contributions to the Alien franchise and zombie lore alone make him as influential as anyone you are likely to find working in genre films. But then, the Academy isn’t fond of genre films, so why should they be fond of Dan O’Bannon?

So in this episode James and I tackle five of his films as our own way of honoring a man who has made movie watching just so damn enjoyable for us over the years. You may not know who he is, but you’ll be hard pressed to avoid his influences in modern film. He was an incredible talent, and film making is a lesser medium with his loss, and a whole lot less fun. But hopefully you’ll take the time to try out some of his films and finally see just what you’ve been missing.

The five films we selected:
Dark Star (Trailer)
The Return of the Living Dead (Trailer)
Lifeforce (Trailer)
Invaders from Mars (Trailer)
Screamers (Trailer)

Dan O’Bannon Official Site
Facebook Fan Page

Opening Music – Benson, Arizona by John Carpenter and Bill Taylor
Closing Music – Trioxin Main Theme from Return of the Living Dead

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Donate via PayPal

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Greatest Moments in Cinema History – Meet the Feebles

Matt Gamble — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:17:16 +0000

Greatest Moments in Cinema History – Meet the Feebles Where the Long Tail Ends
Recently I’ve been tossing around the idea of starting up a regular feature that would highlight some of the films that I’ve run across in my film watching career that I adore for no discernible explanation. That is, no explanation until now.

For now I will highlight the competently ridiculous, the oddly perverse and hopefully the drug-addled genius of some truly awful movies that hurt so good. For these movies truly represent the greatest moments in cinema history.

Our inaugural edition highlights one of the most bizarre and possibly frightening films you are bound to encounter. A film so vile, so lewd and so inspired that it could only come from a man who was destined to become one of the biggest director’s in Hollywood, that being Peter Jackson. This movie marks both his creative peak AND nadir, resulting in a movie that is bound to fell anyone without the strongest of stomachs, though a complete lack of morals can only improve your viewing experience.

For those unaware of Meet the Feebles, the plot is rather simple, a troupe of Muppets is trying to put together one big television broadcast special, in the hopes of landing a syndicated series. But as the big day approaches a series of disasters threaten to ruin everything they’ve worked so hard for. Of course that also leaves out the sex addicted rabbit dying from AIDS, the massive drug ring that the show’s producer runs in the theatre’s back alley, or nasal sex, which sounds almost as disgusting as it actually is.

But the highlight of the film is the pinnacle song and dance number as a homosexual fox sings about his love for, you guessed it, sodomy, all while a manic depressive hippopotamus attempts to murder every performer with a machine gun, thus marking this as one of the Greatest Moments in Cinema History with a bullet.

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If it isn’t obvious, this clip is NSFW
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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Hot Tub Time Machine keeps getting funnier

Matt Gamble — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:02:58 +0000

Hot Tub Time Machine keeps getting funnier Where the Long Tail Ends
Sure I’m the only person who thinks so, but with each trailer I watch I get more excited to see Hot Tub Time Machine. Granted, the new Red Band Trailer leaves a lot to be desired, but that doesn’t change the fact that this movie is from the guys directly responsible for two of my favorite comedies, High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank. Plus, the new Green Band Trailer contains one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard.

“Oh then you have to talk to girls with your mouth.”

That’s genius right there, that is.
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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

So you want to watch an Oscar nominee?

Matt Gamble — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:29:37 +0000

So you want to watch an Oscar nominee? Where the Long Tail Ends
Just in time for the upcoming Oscars, shocking I know, several theatres here in the Twin Cities have decided to host some movie marathons of films nominated for this year’s Oscars, from Live Action and Animated short films, to Documentary to every Best Picture nominee, you can find them somewhere in the Cities this weekend and next.

Live Action and Animated Short Films
The Lagoon Cinema
Animated – 2:50 & 7:15 (Daily)
Live Action – 5:10 & 9:30 (Daily)
Matinee $7 | General $9
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Twin Cities Gold Film Festival
Woodbury 10 Theatre
The Most Dangerous Man in America – Sat @ 7:00 (Twin Cities Premiere)
Food Inc – Fri @ 1:00 | Sat @ 5:00 | Sun @ 3:00
Burma VJ – Fri @ 3:00 & 9:00 | Sat @ 3:00 | Sun @ 1:00
Which Way Home – Fri @ 7:00 | Sat @ 9:00 | Sun @ 5:00 (Twin Cities Premiere)
The Cove – Fri @ 5:00 | Sat @ 1:00 | Sun @ 7:00
Tickets $6 | Festival Pass $25

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Best Picture Marathon
Day 1 (Feb 27th)
AMC Eden Prairie 18
10:30 – Avatar
1:45 – Up
3:45 – A Serious Man
6:30 – Precious
8:45 – District 9

AMC Arbor Lakes 16 & AMC Rosedale 14
10:30 – Avatar
1:45 – Up in the Air
4:00 – Precious
6:45 – The Blind Side
9:15 – Inglourious Basterds

Day 2 (March 6)
AMC Eden Prairie 18
10:30 – An Education
12:45 – The Hurt Locker
3:25 – Up in the Air
6:00 – The Blind Side
8:30 – Inglourious Basterds

AMC Arbor Lakes 16 & AMC Rosedale 14
10:30 – Up
12:45 – A Serious Man
2:45 – The Hurt Locker
6:00 – An Education
8:00 – District 9

Two Day Pass $50 | One Day Pass $30

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – American Grindhouse

Matt Gamble — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:01:09 +0000

One to Watch – American Grindhouse Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve made it relatively clear that I am a fan of genre films, up to and including exploitation films. I grew up on these movies and they have helped shape my future movie watching habits, so I have enjoyed quite a bit the recent bit of mainstream love for grindhouse films.

Now, coming on the heels of the outstanding Ozploitation documentary Not Quite Hollywood, comes a film devoted to the American exploitation films of the same time. Now the film does not look to have quite the same level of frenzied adoration as its Australian counterpart, but with its massive cast of interviewees it should prove to be a fascinating look at one of my favorite parts of cinema history.

Official Site
Title: American Grindhouse
Director: Elijah Drenner
Starring: Allison Anders, Larry Cohen, Joe Dante, Don Edmonds, Robert Forster, Jack Hill, John Landis, Herschell Gordon Lewis, William Lustig, Bob Minor, Kim Morgan, Fred Olen Ray, Lewis Teague, Fred Williamson
Release Date: March 2010 (SXSW Film Festival)

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Special thanks to The Documentary Blog for the heads up on this film.
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Tune in next time for … The Crazies

Matt Gamble — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:00:18 +0000

Tune in next time for … The Crazies Where the Long Tail Ends
With The Crazies remake just around the corner, I figured it was finally time to watch this exploitation “classic” from George A Romero. While I’m not expecting much I figure it can’t be any worse then the last few Of The Dead films he’s put out.

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New Kick Ass trailer does exactly that

Matt Gamble — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:25:46 +0000

New Kick Ass trailer does exactly that Where the Long Tail Ends
Word of warning, it is a red band trailer, and it is most certainly NSFW.

That being said, its pretty flippin sweet and only gets me more excited for the film. Now the question is just how many girls will dress up as Hit Girl this Halloween?

Only the ones you should avoid at all costs.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

So what’s it feel like to be on a press tour?

Matt Gamble — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:45:01 +0000

So what’s it feel like to be on a press tour? Where the Long Tail Ends
According to Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air) it is a lot like this:

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Collector

Matt Gamble — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:56:59 +0000

The Collector Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve been on a bit of a Terrance Stamp kick as of late. I’ve been a fan of him for sometime, probably ever since his General Zod showed me the sublimely manicured face of evil all the way back in Superman II, but much of his early work I simply had never gotten around to watching. But after James and I took the time to watch The Mind of Mr Soames for one of our High and Low (Brow) podcasts (Episode 4 – Comas), I decided that perhaps it was finally time to devote some real effort into watching some of his earlier films, which brings me to The Collector, a film that only recently graced my radar after I found out that a very loose remake was being released in theatres last year.

Now, it isn’t often that you see films co-opted, manipulated and outright subjugated to the whims of modern remakes. Wait, let me rephrase that. Alright, so it is common. But in the case of The Collector it has been a very unique form of modern bastardization. You see the title was taken and the idea of collecting people was used (or mis-used as the case may be) and that was the end of it. Complex characters were abandoned for one dimensional stock. The creepy, slow burning plot was replaced with the now standard mess that highlights gore and ignores everything else. It is a thin thread that ties the modern “remake” to the original. Which, honestly, is a good thing.

You see the modern film is a blatant Saw facsimile lacking tact, pathos or good taste, let alone competent filmmaking. It is a shallow and facile piece of celluloid bilge that infuriated me as I watched it. It was the antithesis of horror, as it relied on gratuitous gore to encourage the masses to gleefully gorge on, well, gore. You weren’t pushed, challenged or attacked; simply stultified into ignorant bliss.

So how exactly did it draw my ire? Simple, it followed a man who captured families, tied them up and then proceeded to fill their entire house with booby traps because evidently he knew that they would escape at some point during the film. Who cares if that particular plot point flew in the face of reality and common sense, as the practicality of it is nothing less than fucking ridiculous. You can’t just simply suspend disbelief to believe this was even possible, you had to disembowel your brain.

Perhaps even more frustrating is that horror critics ate up this pile with a spoon. Hordes of people who really should know better praised this pile of dung to the nines. Excuse me, this piece of derivative shit. But thankfully the original aspires to be quite a bit more than a horrible Saw knockoff.

Freddie Clegg (Terence Stamp) is lonely. Thanks to winning the lottery he has been able to live a life of comfortable luxury in the British countryside. He bought a house on a quiet estate and he now has the time to devote to his growing lepidopterology hobby. But still, he’s lonely. Even worse he is socially awkward, which makes it even more difficult for him to find someone special to spend the rest of his life with. So Freddie devises a plan. A plan that will mean he’ll never have to be alone again.

Immediately it is obvious that The Collector is a very different film than its future progeny. While the remake omits details in order to confuse viewers and hopefully keep them interested the original hides nothing. It meticulously reveals every detail of Freddie’s plan, though the reveal remains obscured because Freddie’s plan isn’t shown entirely in chronological order, thus forcing the viewer to actually engage their brain to keep pace with the bizarre world that Freddie exists in.

You see Freddie is a little unhinged. He’s under the belief that if he kidnaps the woman of his dreams (Samantha Eggar) that in one month she will fall in love with him. To complete this quest he buys a secluded estate, complete with an elaborate wine cellar, that will allow him to keep her in the life he believes she should live. Of course, her feelings on the situation don’t really matter. But that fact that he brings her a few of her favorite things should, at least in Freddie’s mind. Freddie gives her 30 days to fall in love with him, and that is when the mind games begin.

Perhaps the most fascinating, and best, aspect of The Collector is how capably and confidently it pulls back its twisted and complex layers. It is neither showy nor sadistic, rather, it meticulously and proudly reveals to the audience what a tragically twisted web that it is weaving. It has no intention of playing nice, nor of going easy on its audience. It plain and simply wants to creep you the fuck out. And time and again it does in spades and thanks to some standout performances and a blatantly manipulative score The Collector takes great glee in toying with its audience at every turn leaving you so unnerved, even the most seemingly facile of moments offer the allure of ghastly reveals.

And creep you out it does. In perhaps the films finest scene Freddie reveals the full power and depth of his obsessions when he reveals his extensive butterfly collection to Miranda (Eggar). During the opening of the scene you find yourself admiring his dedication to his hobby. Clearly this is something he loves and values, but as soon as you begin to identify with Freddie, The Collector turns its fiery gaze on you, indicting you along with its resident monster, leaving your mind to race to its own defense as the film continues to pummel Freddie and throw his tortured psyche under the nearest metaphorical bus.

From that point on The Collector manages to deftly walk a fine line between admiration and revulsion with Freddie. It wants you to sympathize with him, but at the same time it has every intention of punishing you for having such feelings for such a beast. But as The Collector batters you for such blasphemy it soothes you with its reiteration that Freddie is simply a man with zero social skills. To be frank, he’s a nerd. A nerd who has never had a meaningful interaction with a woman, thus he has no idea how to have a friendly relationship with one, let alone an intimate one. Freddie simply wants to be loved for who he truly is. Is that so wrong?

Be careful how you answer that.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Short Form – Uncle Jack

Matt Gamble — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:08:50 +0000

Short Form – Uncle Jack Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve been touting Ink ever since I watched it last year (read my review here), its a fabulous throwback to the kind of sci-fi/fantasy films that were everywhere in the 80′s yet have seemingly gone out of fashion in the decades since. Its a terrific little film from some of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of meeting. If you haven’t checked out the movie yet, let me once again urge you to do so.

Now, I’ve been not so secretly hoping that writer/director Jamin Winans would return to the proverbial well and make another film that would involve the Ink universe, and while his latest short film doesn’t do that exactly, it certainly involves a lot of elements that made Ink such an enjoyable film to watch. Most of the actors in Uncle Jack were involved with Ink (note to self, watch anything with Jeremy Make in it), the plot certainly cribs some elements from Ink and of course Winan’s visual style and flair exists in both films. So sit back and watch this great little short film, and perhaps it will finally convince you to give Ink a try.

My audio interview with Jamin Winans and Chris Kelley
Ink (Offiicial Site)
DoubleEdge Films (Facebook)
DoubleEdge Films (Twitter)

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – Mars

Matt Gamble — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:17:33 +0000

One to Watch – Mars Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks to the guys over at Film Junk I came across the trailer for the new mumblecore science fiction film Mars that will be debuting at the 2010 SXSW Film Festival. Combining its eye catching visual presentation with its misanthropic tone hopefully will result in an interesting romantic comedy, though the trailer certainly reminds me at times of Dark Star.

But what I might be most interested in for the film, is the involvement of James Kochalka, who is one of the best American independent comic creators currently working. I wouldn’t be surprised if he helped with some of the background animation, but that he is acting in this film gives me hope that some of his outstanding writing talent might be used to help sharpen up the dialogue. Please let it be true.

Official Site
Title: Mars
Director: Geoff Marslett
Starring: Mark Duplass, Zoe Simpson, Paul Gordon, Cynthia Watros, Michael Dolan, Liza Weil, James Kochalka, Howe Gelb and Kinky Friedman
Release Date: 2010 (USA)

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (2/9/10)

Matt Gamble — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:25:13 +0000

Coming Soon (2/9/10) Where the Long Tail Ends
Its been sometime since I’ve been able to post a recent Coming Soon list so you’ll notice that a vast majority of the movies listed are labeled new additions. With the sheer number of new additions I didn’t have the time to go through and check out trailers and reviews for some of them but I did try to label as many of those as I could as recommended. The Red Riding trilogy coming in March is certainly one that I have an eye on, as I’ve heard excellent things about it.

Of course the movie I’m most excited about on the whole sheet is the one being re-released this weekend at The Uptown, that being Rashomon, the breakout International hit for my favorite director, Akira Kurosawa. If you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, now is the perfect time to swing by The Uptown and watch one of the greatest films ever made.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

2/12 Rashomon (Restored Print) Uptown ***
2/12 Creation Edina

2/19 North Face Uptown ***
2/19 Oscar Nominated Shorts Lagoon ***
2/19 District B13: Ultimatum Lagoon

2/26 44 Inch Chest Lagoon ***
2/26 Saint John of Las Vegas Lagoon ***

3/05 The Ghost Writer Lagoon (tentative)

3/12 A Prophet Uptown
3/12 Red Riding: 1974 Lagoon (NEW) ***
3/12 Red Riding: 1980 Lagoon (NEW) ***
3/12 Red Riding: 1983 Lagoon (NEW) ***
3/12 A Town Called Panic Lagoon ***
3/12 The Art of the Steal Edina
3/12 The Yellow Handkerchief Edina (NEW)

3/19 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Uptown (NEW)
3/19 Mother Lagoon (NEW) ***
3/19 The Runaways Lagoon (NEW)
3/19 Fish Tank Lagoon ***

3/26 Terribly Happy Lagoon (NEW)
3/26 Chloe Edina (NEW)
3/26 City Island Edina (NEW)

4/02 Police, Adjective Lagoon

4/09 The Most Dangerous Man in America Lagoon (NEW) ***
4/09 The Greatest Edina (NEW)

4/16 Sweetgrass Lagoon (NEW)

4/23 The Square Lagoon ***

4/30 Warlords Lagoon ***

5/07 Mid-August Lunch Lagoon (NEW)

5/14 The Good, The Bad, and The Weird Lagoon (NEW)

5/28 Survival of the Dead Lagoon (NEW)

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – Heartless

Matt Gamble — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:52:47 +0000

One to Watch – Heartless Where the Long Tail Ends
There isn’t much info out right now about this fabulously creepy looking film, but Lionsgate claims they will be making a pretty big online push for the film as it nears its release date. Unfortunately, the release will be a day and date release in the UK and nary a peep can be found on when this film will cross the pond and exhibit here in the States. Which is annoying. The fantastic trailer though, is anything but.

Official Site
Title: Heartless
Director: Philip Ridley
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Noel Clark, Clémence Poésy, Timothy Spall, Eddie Marsan
Release Date: May 21, 2010 (UK)

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Short Form – Spider

Matt Gamble — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:37:55 +0000

Short Form – Spider Where the Long Tail Ends
Thanks to word that Minneapolis based distributor Apparition is going to distribute the Australian neo-noir The Square here in North America I finally found an excuse to watch director Nash Edgerton’s short film Spider. I had heard good things about The Square, and I figured that his short might help give me an idea of what type of filmmaker Edgerton is.

Well, if The Square has as much malicious glee as Spider I could be in for a real treat.

Jack and Jill are always hurting each others feelings. But like Mum said, Its all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

Blue Tongue Films (Website)
Blue Tongue Films (Online Store)
Blue Tongue Films (Twitter)
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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Astrix Home Video presents Werewolf Prevention

Matt Gamble — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 06:30:02 +0000

Astrix Home Video presents Werewolf Prevention Where the Long Tail Ends
Coinciding with the DVD release of Living Arrangements (read my review), Astrix Home Video has released a step-by-step series of videos to help you in preventing werewolves from invading your home. It is safe to say that these videos are freaking fantastic, and I can’t oversell them enough. I’m embedding the first one but be sure to head over and check out all of them. You won’t regret it.
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STEP #1 Werewolf History In America and Statistics

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STEP #2 Werewolf Prevention Through Proper Attic Maintenance

STEP #3 Maintaining a Werewolf and Proper Feeding Habits

STEP #4 Alternative Ways and Secret Tips in Maintaining Your Finances

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Short Form – Be Still Life

Matt Gamble — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:38:12 +0000

Short Form – Be Still Life Where the Long Tail Ends
Just over a week ago the short film/long form music video Be Still Life was posted on Vimeo. Featuring and inspired by the music of 400 Lonely Things, the film is from brothers Michael and Philip Harrell and it is about a boy who is given a broken television frame and using it he rediscovers and reconnects with the beauty of his life. It is a bittersweet and romantic journey for the protagonist who is seemingly as battered and useless as his unusual gift. Be Still Life is a simple story and concept, but its brilliant and striking framing device makes for a captivating and fascinating viewing experience.

Hope you enjoy!

Be Still Life Official Site
400 Lonely Things (Facebook)
400 Lonely Things (MySpace)

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Be Still Life from 400 Lonely Things on Vimeo.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Mondo releases limited edition posters for Frozen and House of the Devil

Matt Gamble — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:30:37 +0000

Mondo releases limited edition posters for Frozen and House of the Devil Where the Long Tail Ends
Mondo has been making great screen printed posters for what seems like eternity, so it should come as little shock that they have once again out done themselves with their latest releases for House of the Devil and Frozen. Granted, I can see why people would wonder why House of the Devil needed a sweet limited edition poster when its original one sheet is already bloody fabulous, but the poster for Frozen is simply outstanding and one of their finest releases to date.

So swing over to Mondo and grab one of these, or dozens of other, great posters to hang on your wall. And if you’re really feeling frisky, pickup this fantastic Werner Herzog t-shirt while you’re at it.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

House of the Devil gets a retro release

Matt Gamble — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:18:50 +0000

House of the Devil gets a retro release Where the Long Tail Ends
House of the Devil is a bit of a favorite around the site, so much so that James and I devoted one of our few Spoiler Alert podcasts (Download Here) to it, and it is with great pleasure and excitement that I discovered a few days ago that it would be released today on DVD. And not just DVD but Blu-ray as well. And while I’m not a fan of Blu-ray I have to admit the film should look fabulous in that format.

But in a rather shocking twist, I also found out that House of the Devil can also be purchased on VHS! Oh that’s right, for just a few dollars more you can have your very own VHS copy of this film along with your DVD copy. And unlike Blu-ray I am a huge fan of VHS and this kind of release is sheer brilliance considering the style and tone of the film. Kudos to whomever came up with the idea, you’ve totally sold me.

And now, just when I thought VHS was dead and buried I now have a reason to dust off the old head cleaner and fire up the VHS player. Scha-weet!

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Decades 30 Best Long Tail Films

Matt Gamble — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:08:33 +0000

The Decades 30 Best Long Tail Films Where the Long Tail Ends
Pretty much every movie related website on the Internet has come up with some sort of Best of the Decade list over the past month. But while the majority of them focused on straight up “Best of” lists featuring relatively well known films, I figured in the spirit of this website that I would instead focus on the lesser known films that have been made over the past ten years.

But one question I had to figure out was just how should I whittle down films as “Long Tail” films. Plenty of films started out as smaller films that eventually found their audience, while there is certainly a fair share of films that were initially given a wide release. So I decided I would use two different determining factors to help figure out which films would be considered part of the long tail.

The first is the amount of screens the film was released on during its theatrical run here in the US. I decided to go with a relatively small number of screens as the ceiling (100 at the films widest release) and that any film that broke that would simply be dismissed. This number essentially acts as the films initial chance to gain potential viewers. Films eliminated by this include The Proposition (158 screens), City of God (242 screens) and The Triplets of Bellville (463 screens).

Secondly I went off of reviews on IMDb.com. Once again I selected a fairly small number of reviews as the ceiling (no more than 10K). This number reflects the film’s total audience, as the films that are more popular with mainstream audiences, or those that have rabid fan followings, typically break that number quite easily. Film eliminated by this number include such seemingly smaller films like Oldboy (28 screens, 87016 votes), Dead Man’s Shoes (2 screens, 16286 votes) and Let the Right One In (53 screens, 45413 votes).

While still far from a perfect system, this seemed to work pretty well in eliminating a fairly large chunk of lesser known films, making it a far more manageable task for me to select some of my favorites from what remained. One interesting note, this process seemed to favor documentaries as twelve ended up making the list. So while the quality of documentaries has grown throughout the decade, it still seems like the form still has a ways to go to capture the public’s attention.

And without further ado, I give you this decades 30 Best Long Tail Films.

30 – Grace (2 screens, 2091 votes, 2009)

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29 – Ink (0 screens, 4465 votes, 2009)

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28 – Shuttle (3 screens, 1231 votes, 2008)

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27 – Noí (7 screens, 4281 votes, 2003)

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26 – Outpost (0 screens, 5430 votes, 2008)

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25 – Take Out (5 screens, 139 votes, 2004)

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24 – Lost in La Mancha (24 screens, 5246 votes, 2002)

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23 – The Dying Gaul (20 screens, 1595 votes, 2005)

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22 – Bronson (4 screens, 4986 votes, 2008)

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21 – Brand Upon the Brain (7 screens, 1190 votes, 2006)

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20 – Duck Season (24 screens, 1939 votes, 2004)

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19 – The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (63 screens, 1860 votes, 2003)

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18 – The Hole Story (0 screens, 112 votes, 2005)

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17 – House of the Devil (7 screens, 1854 votes, 2009)

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16 – Not Quite Hollywood (6 screens, 1006 votes, 2008)

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15 – Deliver Us From Evil (24 screens, 2627 votes, 2006)

[Wolfen]scW90Q6Z_OM[/Wolfen]

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14 – The Devil and Daniel Johnston (17 screens, 2814 votes, 2005)

[Wolfen]wJZOe65eA4Y[/Wolfen]

[gap][/gap]
13 – Sweet Land (47 screens, 1763 votes, 2005)

[Wolfen]3d84zP4QyeQ[/Wolfen]

[gap][/gap]
12 – Shotgun Stories (4 screens, 1591 votes, 2007)

[gap][/gap]
11 – My Date With Drew (58 screens, 2822 votes, 2004)

[Wolfen]7xfVzSz-lSQ[/Wolfen]

[gap][/gap]
10 – Murderball (97 screens, 5471 votes, 2005)

[gap][/gap]
9 – The Baxter (47 screens, 2742 votes, 2005)

[gap][/gap]
8 – Jesus Camp (52 screens, 8836 votes, 2006)

[gap][/gap]
7 – Pontypool (1 screen, 2493 votes, 2008)

[gap][/gap]
6 – The Cove (56 screens, 3197 votes, 2009)

[gap][/gap]
5 – Lake of Fire (7 screens, 921 votes, 2006)

[gap][/gap]
4 – Capturing the Friedmans (78 screens, 8870 votes, 2003)

[gap][/gap]
3 – The Memory of a Killer (27 screens, 4618 votes, 2003)

[Wolfen]wzUsj_PRlBU[/Wolfen]

[gap][/gap]
2 – Red Road (11 screens, 4033 votes, 2006)

[Wolfen]dSfy6UpAXKQ[/Wolfen]

[gap][/gap]
1 – 49 Up (18 screens, 983 votes, 2005)

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps trailer is painfully obvious

Matt Gamble — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:32:54 +0000

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps trailer is painfully obvious Where the Long Tail Ends
Oliver Stone has never been one for subtlety but it takes all of about 20 seconds for this trailer to treat you like an idiot.

One gold money clip … with no money in it!

I’m practically speechless.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.1 – Fairy Tale Theatre

Matt Gamble — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:35:03 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 2.1 – Fairy Tale Theatre Where the Long Tail Ends
And we’re back! James and I sit down as we attempt to maintain a robust and brisk pace of one episode of High and Low (Brow) each month. Rather than stick to the standard numbering of episodes numerically we’ve decided to go to a seasonal format to hopefully confuse everyone even further. Thankfully, that’s not the only possible change we might have in store for you.

In this episode James and I watch and review two films that are based on legends or fairy tales, those being the 1940 fantasy epic The Thief of Bagdad and the 1972 film The Pied Piper. The first is a multiple Academy Award winner while the second has people in funny hats. Well, more than just funny hats, but you really need to see those things to truly believe them.

Besides the main review we read some viewer mail, plug my recent appearance on the Movie Club Podcast and discuss the possibility of James and I devoting an upcoming podcast to a director who’s films that we both enjoy. Will it become a regular feature? Who knows but it certainly is being considered. Rounding out the show we have our selection process for the next episode and this marks a return to our standard format as I once again pick the theme and films for James to choose from.

If you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him.

One more thing, if you enjoy the show feel free to donate to it through PayPal in either a single installment or as a recurring donor. We’d love to upgrade some of our equipment and anything you donate will go directly towards us getting some decent mics and perhaps even pop screens that aren’t made out of cotton balls.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Music – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Back in Time by Huey Lewis and the News

Donate via PayPal

Recurring donation $.99/month

[gap][/gap]

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The Season of the Witch trailer is a trailer alright

Matt Gamble — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:19:44 +0000

The Season of the Witch trailer is a trailer alright Where the Long Tail Ends
You know, I really wasn’t expecting much from the Season of the Witch trailer. Some goofy fun perhaps, an over-the-top performance by Nicolas Cage to be sure, and of course the “title track” sung by Donovan. I don’t think that is too much to ask, and I got none of them. NONE!

Instead I get an overly serious action film, Cage sleepwalking through every shot and a ridiculous metal song accompanying everything throughout. Oh yeah, I also get to see this shot a full 837 times throughout the two minute running time. I get it, an evil witch is in a cage. We’re happy for you. Though, to be fair, it should be noted that you do get to see Christopher Lee in some pretty sweet Black Plague makeup, so the trailer isn’t a total loss.

Its a shame really. Cage looked like he might be hitting a bit of a hot streak but this trailer isn’t giving me much hope for this being anything but a bad movie. And not good, bad either. Bad, bad.

What a pity.

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I guest star on the latest edition of The Movie Club Podcast

Matt Gamble — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:30:08 +0000

I guest star on the latest edition of The Movie Club Podcast Where the Long Tail Ends
Though they might claim it was closer to gate crashing, but I digress. On the latest episode I join members of Film Junk, Row Three, The Documentary Blog, Twitch and Quiet Earth to talk about The Warriors and After Hours on The Movie Club Podcast.

Make your way over to the site where you can listen to us discuss whether or not Griffin Dunne is an asshole or just a guy who wants to get home, as well as if the director’s cut of The Warrior’s ruins the film, or that Jay is an idiot for thinking a 1979 film should look like a 1950′s comic rather than a 1986 comic.

In an effort to help promote the group venture that is The Movie Club Podcast as well as keep all discussion on the films over on that site, I’ve locked comments on this post and ask you swing on bye The Movie Club Podcast and download a few episodes and hear what you’ve been missing. And make sure to vote in the poll for the next film to be featured on the podcast.

Episode #16 – After Hours & The Warriors

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Chloe: Brilliant or trainwreck?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:06:19 +0000

Chloe: Brilliant or trainwreck? Where the Long Tail Ends
My money is on trainwreck.

I didn’t know much about the film Chloe outside of the oddly fascinating yet congruently creepy poster, which is almost solely due to the fact that Amanda Seyfried is missing her goddamn nose in the thing. Oh sure its just a trick of light but try and deny that she doesn’t look like she escaped from Area 51 on that thing.

Anyways, I knew nothing other than the poster, and thus began a horrifying 2 minute journey through the international red band trailer for the film. In it I discovered that the film starred not only Amanda Seyfried, but Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson and it was directed by Atom Egoyan, a mix I wouldn’t wish on anything but the most egregious melodramas, and after sitting there slack-jawwed at what I was watching, I decided to do a little more research on the film.

You see, evidently Chloe is based on a French film called Nathalie…, in which a woman discovers that her husband might be having an affair and so decides the best way to trap him is to hire a prostitute to seduce him. A dumber solution to such a dilemma I can not imagine. And of course, the US version follows a very similar plot line with Moore enlisting Seyfried to seduce Neeson and that’s when things go horrib … well, you get the idea. But I think I’ll let the trailer speak for itself. Though, word to the wise, it is a red band so it is NSFW.

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Must see movie at The Heights this Monday

Matt Gamble — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:22:31 +0000

Must see movie at The Heights this Monday Where the Long Tail Ends
The Heights Theatre along with Take-Up Productions is proudly presenting the British noir classic Peeping Tom from famed director Michael Powell. The film is now known for killing Powell’s illustrious career due to its graphic and disturbing images of a serial killer who films his victims as he kills them. The film was so reviled by critics, that Alfred Hitchcock decided not to screen Psycho for them because he was so worried his film would receive the same treatment and kill any chances it would have to find box office success.

Some time ago I reviewed this now legendary film, and while I found it fascinating, the film is harmed by the fact that nearly every thriller has blatantly cribbed from this rather impressive source material, neutering the film to some degree compared to its modern counterparts, yet the film still is unquestionably a must see film for those who appreciate thrillers. Tickets are just $8 and there will only be one showing this upcoming Monday so make sure to make the time to see this fascinating film.

Peeping Tom
The Heights Theatre
January 25th
7:30 pm | $8

[gap][/gap]

[Wolfen]uQ6qodlkSO0[/Wolfen]

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Indie Publisher Top Shelf to start making movies?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:59:11 +0000

Indie Publisher Top Shelf to start making movies? Where the Long Tail Ends
Now Indie film making isn’t exactly all that interesting to most people, that is, not until the next Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind comes out and blows people away. Most people are content to simply ignore Indie films until the bandwagon no longer allows them to. Suffering a similar, if even more ignominious fate is Indie publishing, specifically comic book publishing. The mainstream couldn’t care less what the virginal, pimple-faced nerds are reading. So it comes as little of a surprise that barely anyone is covering the announcement that Top Shelf Productions, arguably the best Indie comic publisher currently in operation, has made a deal with the Indie film company Likely Story for partial interest in Top Shelf Productions. The reason for this? To start putting Top Shelf comics into film production.

Top Shelf co-founders Chris Staros and Brett Warnock still have controlling interest in the company, but now entrepreneur John S. Johnson and independent film producer Anthony Bregman (owners of Likely Story) now have the option to hand select which Top Shelf products they’d like to produce for film or television, essentially granting them exclusive rights to hand select from the Top Shelf catalog, whereas before Top Shelf simply allowed Hollywood to come to them for adaptations like Surrogates.

And word has it that the first project has already been selected, a film adaptation of Alex Robinson’s Too Cool To Be Forgotten (recently named one of Amazon.com’s Top Ten Graphic Novels of the Year), a story of a man who tries to battle his cigarette addiction by traveling back in time to the first time he ever smoked, High School. Its a great comic and one that should translate rather easily to the silver screen which only excites me at the possibilities of Top Shelf finally getting the mainstream recognition and acclaim that it so richly deserves.

Original Press Release
Alex Robinson’s Website

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So I finally got around to watching The Book of Eli trailer

Matt Gamble — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:52:25 +0000

So I finally got around to watching The Book of Eli trailer Where the Long Tail Ends
And I must say that I am even more unimpressed then I originally thought I would be. Post-apocalyptic films should be right in my wheel house, instead The Book of Eli gives me what looks like an overly serious Yojimbo rehash, Denzel Washington badly channeling a religious version of the Man with No Name and Gary Oldman parading around like a freaking lunatic.

As if that isn’t enough, the trailer doesn’t seem to show any footage of the people I actually would care to see in a film like this, namely Ray Stevenson, Michael Gambon and Tom Waits. Instead the trailer focuses on the Karate Kid influenced plotline of Denzel training Mila Kunis. Mila Kunis! Oh sure she’s great in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but the idea of a girl who weighs 79 pounds as an action star is completely ridiculous.

Now the question is which will I hate more, the trailer, or myself for inevitably watching this movie?

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Why aren’t you watching this amazing Star Wars: The Phantom Menace review?

Matt Gamble — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:39:30 +0000

Why aren’t you watching this amazing Star Wars: The Phantom Menace review? Where the Long Tail Ends
I’m not quite sure how I never stumbled upon this video critique of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace until a few weeks ago, but I can now definitively state that upon watching it my life is now complete. Unlike most I don’t actually hate The Phantom Menace, that I reserve for Attack of the Clones, yet I still count the film as one of the colossal disappointments of my movie viewing life. Its a deeply flawed film, constantly mired in pointless characters and ponderous dialogue as it drowns you in plot. But it does have Darth Maul, which almost makes up for it. Almost.

But now a video review has come along of such epic nature and scope that it almost makes The Phantom Menace better by association. Probably because the reviewer may or may not be Buffalo Bill. The serial killer, not the circus performer.

Don’t believe me? Then perhaps you should watch it and see for yourself? Warning, this video is awesome yet also NSFW!

[Wolfen]FxKtZmQgxrI[/Wolfen]

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

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Who is Salt? Better question is who cares?

Matt Gamble — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:58:17 +0000

Who is Salt? Better question is who cares? Where the Long Tail Ends
Color me unimpressed with the trailer/hype for the latest Angelina Jolie big-budget action flick, Salt. While I think Jolie is a solid actress, I’ve never been much of a fan of her as an action star. Oh sure, I liked Wanted, but that has far more to do with me loving the source material and ignoring the flaws of the watered down film adaptation than with think Jolie totally rocks out with her gun out. And this latest “Is she or isn’t she?” espionage film just isn’t doing it for me.

Sue me.

[gap][/gap]

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One to Watch – Inception

Matt Gamble — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:35:24 +0000

One to Watch – Inception Where the Long Tail Ends
Proving all you need to market a film is a foghorn, what appears to be a city sized Rubik’s Cube and lucky Leo, director Christopher Nolan gives us his latest film, Inception. What’s it about? Neither I, nor anyone else (possibly including Nolan himself) has any idea, but it does look like a return to Nolan’s mind bending Indie roots just on a big budget scale. So that’s awesome. Hopefully Inception is as well.

Official Site
Title: Inception
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe
Release Date: July 16, 2010

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One to Watch – How to Train Your Dragon

Matt Gamble — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 08:37:07 +0000

One to Watch – How to Train Your Dragon Where the Long Tail Ends
Normally I’d be embarrassed at including a rather blatant mainstream cash grab of a film as something that people should go out and watch. Oh sure its based on well known and liked children’s book but what isn’t these days? But a funny thing happened while watching the trailer for How to Train Your Dragon, it actually looked interesting. Not only that, Toothless, the dragon in the film, looks freaking awesome. Way better than that silly Doug the Dog from Up. Or whatever its name was. So while this normally might be considered a guilty pleasure, right now I think their is a great chance I won’t be feeling guilty about watching this in the slightest.

Official Site
Film: How to Train Your Dragon
Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson
Release Date: March 26, 2010

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Spoiler Alert – Avatar

Matt Gamble — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:29:07 +0000

Spoiler Alert – Avatar Where the Long Tail Ends
James and I sit down to record our final podcast of the year, this time covering the newest James Cameron phenomenon, Avatar. But not just that, we also cover our year end lists for High and Low (Brow) giving our top 5 favorites (Highs) and our 5 worst (Lows) that we watched this year. For those of you who haven’t had enough lists, James and I also give our top 5 moments for the year as well.

And as if that isn’t enough, somewhere around the one hour mark things get totally weird when we abandon any and all formats and free form for what seems like an hour, probably because it is. Is it a good idea? Not really, but at least you get to hear about how James wishes he was Mark Hamill. Hope you enjoy this oddly overlong edition. Feel free to email us with questions, comments and complaints about this episode, from the cold open to the year end format.

As always, thanks for listening!

[gap][/gap]

Matt’s Highs
5) The Mind of Mr Soames
4) Häxan
3) The Brood
2) Horror Express
1) Long Weekend

James’ Highs
5) The Mind of Mr Soames
4) Häxan
3) The Offspring (From a Whisper to a Scream)
2) The Brood
1) Long Weekend

Matt’s Lows
5) Survival Quest
4) 5 Dolls for an August Moon
3) Talk to Her
2) The Curse of the Crimson Altar
1) Mysteries from Beyond Earth

James’ Lows
5) Showdown in Little Tokyo
4) Link
3) The Resurrected
2) 5 Dolls for an August Moon
1) Mysteries from Beyond Earth

Opening Music – Adonai by Ennio Morricone
Closing Music – Mystic and Severe by Ennio Morricone

[gap][/gap]

Donate via PayPal

Subscribe $.99/month

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One to Watch – Kick Ass

Matt Gamble — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:21:51 +0000

One to Watch – Kick Ass Where the Long Tail Ends
Their are few films I am more excited to see next year than Kick-Ass. The film has already got an interesting backstory, as its violent comic book origins made it one that studios immediately shied away from. Yet, oddly enough, the comic had already sold its film rights before the first issue ever hit stands. So while I’m excited to see the film, I just as equally excited to see if an independent, ultra-violent comic book film can actually be a hit with audiences. We know they like the PG-13 films, but will they flock to see a hard R?

Actually, I don’t really care. I just want to see a kick ass movie.

Official Site

Film: Kick-Ass

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Release Date: April 16, 2010

[gap][/gap]
And for those of you wanting to know just what kind of a film is in store, just check beneath the fold!

Red Band Trailer

Bulletproof Vest Clip

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Oh, Hi, Soundboard: Or How The Room Just Keeps Getting Better

Matt Gamble — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:28:53 +0000

Oh, Hi, Soundboard: Or How The Room Just Keeps Getting Better Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve mentioned The Room a few times on this website (most recently for its Twin Cities premiere at The Uptown next month) but for those of you who have already watched the film you’ll be happy to know that a soundboard was just released online for this ridiculously quotable film.

Now you can pull up any random quote from a film made entirely of random quotes at your own leisure. From Tommy Wiseau channeling second tier Simpson characters (We’re Expecting) to a matter of fact cancer diagnosis (I Definitely Have Breast Cancer) to, of course, the most oft quoted line in the whole film (You’re Tearing Me Apart, Lisa!). Though I must admit I am totally hooked on how everyone opens every greeting with Oh, Hi! (Oh, Hi Denny #1)

Make sure to make it out to The Room next month for a once in a lifetime film experience. And until then, just keep on sounding off your favorite quotes to help pass the time.

[Wolfen]sLs-PkfUS2g[/Wolfen]

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Short Form – Alma

Matt Gamble — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:03:12 +0000

Short Form – Alma Where the Long Tail Ends
You might remember that several months ago I posted a teaser for the short film Alma from director/animator Rodrigo Blass. Now, in the spirit of giving this holiday season, Blass has decided to post the full short film on Vimeo for all to see. Though after watching this fantastic short, you might think twice about opening some of your gifts.

Official Website
Facebook Page

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Short Form – Kiwi!

Matt Gamble — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:21:06 +0000

Short Form – Kiwi! Where the Long Tail Ends
How much do I like the short film Kiwi! from director/animator Dony Permedi? So much that I’ve decided to start up an entire feature based on highlighting other short films on the Internet. No idea how often I will post them, or just how I will find them, but after checking out this fantastic short I decided I needed to post it for as many people to see as possible and that it would be a great idea to feature other short films as well. Hope you enjoy!

Official Website

Original Music by Tim Cassell

[Wolfen]sdUUx5FdySs[/Wolfen]

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One to Watch – Crazy Heart

Matt Gamble — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:59:58 +0000

One to Watch – Crazy Heart Where the Long Tail Ends
Granted the trailer seems overstuffed with sap and sentimentality, but I would watch Jeff Bridges perform a 90 minute bowel movement and know I’d walk out entertained. He’s that level of greatness. Couple that with the fact he’s playing yet another role that seems tailor made for him (a worn out country singer) and this film has a chance to be something pretty damn special. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait very long to see it.

Film: Crazy Heart

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall

Release Date: December 16, 2009 (USA – limited)

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Finally a trailer for the best documentary you’ll never see…

Matt Gamble — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:38:56 +0000

Finally a trailer for the best documentary you’ll never see… Where the Long Tail Ends
But really should. Don’t believe me, check out my review.

Now enjoy this two minutes of glorious … umm … glory.

[Wolfen]CnuohnCNUY4[/Wolfen]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The best midnight series of the year?

Matt Gamble — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:19:04 +0000

The best midnight series of the year? Where the Long Tail Ends
I just got final confirmation of the films playing at the Uptown as part of their midnight madness schedule next year and it is awesome. Seriously awesome. Every single film in the month of January will be making its Twin Cities premiere, which is one hell of an exciting feat. But the biggest news? Oh that’s easy. You see, they’ve got a US Premiere as well. A. US. Premiere.

Probably some crappy film, right? Right? Nope, its only the director’s cut of The Evil Dead. Damn that is cool, the only thing cooler is the remaining January lineup.

1/1-2: BIG FAN Twin Cities Premiere!

1/8-9: THE EVIL DEAD Directors’ uncut print! No one under 18 admitted!

1/15-16: THE ROOM Twin Cities Premiere!

1/22-23: BRONSON Twin Cities Premiere!

If this is what the first month of 2010 will offer, I can’t wait to see what The Uptown does for the rest of the year.

Big Fan trailer

The Room trailer

[Wolfen]yCj8sPCWfUw[/Wolfen]

Bronson

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Coming Soon (12/9/09)

Matt Gamble — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:09:25 +0000

Coming Soon (12/9/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
Its been a couple weeks since I posted the last Coming Soon list, and I think I will stick to this bi-weekly format for the short term. Not enough changes happen on a week-to-week basis to merit weekly posts, so this should help keep things a bit more interesting.

I don’t have much time to delve into it, but their are a host of films coming out in spring that look incredibly promising. Expect plenty of One to Watch entries as I track down trailers and more info. Other than that, see you at the movies.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

12/11 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Lagoon ***
12/11 The Strip Lagoon
12/11 Me and Orson Welles Lagoon

12/18 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon
12/18 The Maid Lagoon/Edina
12/18 Young Victoria Edina

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown
12/25 Nine Lagoon
12/25 A Single Man Lagoon

1/08 Crazy Heart Uptown (NEW) ***
1/08 The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus Lagoon ***

1/22 White Ribbon Uptown/Lagoon ***

2/12 Rashomon (Restored Print) Lagoon ***
2/12 The Last Station Edina
2/12 Saint John of Las Vegas Lagoon (NEW) ***

2/19 Oscar Nominated Shorts Lagoon ***

2/26 44 Inch Chest Lagoon ***

3/05 North Face Lagoon (NEW) ***

3/12 A Prophet Uptown
3/12 A Town Called Panic Lagoon ***
3/12 The Art of the Steal Edina (NEW)

3/19 Fish Tank Lagoon (NEW)

4/12 Police, Adjective Lagoon

4/23 The Square Lagoon (NEW) ***

4/30 Warlords Lagoon (NEW) ***

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Spoiler Alert! – The House of the Devil

Matt Gamble — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:00:43 +0000

Spoiler Alert! – The House of the Devil Where the Long Tail Ends
That’s right, this week you get a double dose of podcasts from us here at Where the Long Tail Ends. James and I have been mentioning for sometime that we wanted to watch and review the 70′s throwback horror film The House of the Devil, but do to our busy schedules we never had the chance to get together. But finally, finally, we were able to get enough free time to sit down and have an in depth and spoiler filled discussion about this interesting film.

Also, big thanks to Craig Varian of 400 Lonely Things (whom I interviewed at this year’s Flyway Film Festival) who was nice enough to give me a copy of his latest album Tonight of the Living Dead, an album composed entirely from the soundtrack to the the landmark horror film Night of the Living Dead. And since The House of the Devil uses an interesting technique involving clips of Night of the Living Dead to help show the passage of time in the film, it seemed only fitting to use one of the songs from Tonight of the Living Dead to close out the show. I can’t speak highly enough about the album, so be sure to check out the 400 Lonely Things website and get yourself a copy of it for yourself.

400 Lonely Things (Website)
400 Lonely Things (MySpace)
Tonight of the Living Dead (Website)

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Music – Face to Face by Daft Punk
Closing Music – The Music Box by 400 Lonely Things

[gap][/gap]

Donate via PayPal

Subscribe $.99/month

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One to Watch – Greenberg

Matt Gamble — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:57:42 +0000

One to Watch – Greenberg Where the Long Tail Ends
As I watched The Fantastic Mr Fox last weekend, I was pleased to see that it was co-written by Noah Baumbach, who had previously collaborated with Wes Anderson on The Life Aquatic. Now, for those of you who don’t know Noah Baumbach, he’s also a fabulous director who has knocked his three previous films out of the park (Kicking and Screaming, The Squid and the Whale and Margot at the Wedding). So while I was happy to see that he was writing, it reminded me that he had a new movie coming out sometime next year. What it was about I did not know. When it would be released I did not know. Who would star I did not know.

Then I finally saw the trailer, and I instantly knew that I needed it released tomorrow. I simply couldn’t wait any longer then that.

Film: Greenberg

Director: Noah Baumbach

Starring: Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Release Date: March 12, 2010 (USA – limited)

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High and Low (Brow) – Episode 8 – Killer Kids

Matt Gamble — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:27:01 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 8 – Killer Kids Where the Long Tail Ends
And we’re back! It’s been a few weeks since last James and I met to discuss movies, and after we raced through our last episode of High and Low (Brow) we decided to have a bit more leisurely pace during this one. This episode we our theme is Killer Kids, as we focus on two films that have sadistic, murderous children in them. Those films being The Offspring (also known as From a Whisper to a Scream), starring Vincent Price and the far better known David Cronenberg film The Brood, starring mutant babies and the women who produce them.

But besides spending far too much time discussing sociopathic children, we take some time out of the show to discuss The Road, a film we had both seen earlier yet had not had time to discuss. And of course we round out the episode with our selection show, for the second episode in a row we change things up as this time I’m the one who knows nothing about the theme for next show as James lays out his cunning plan as he wrestles control of the show away from me. Will we end up with good movies for next time? Will I ever let James have any say ever again? Does James secretly curse at me when the tape isn’t recording? Tune in to find out.

If you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him.

One more thing, if you enjoy the show feel free to donate to it through PayPal in either a single installment or as a recurring donor. We’d love to upgrade some of our equipment and anything you donate will go directly towards us getting some decent mics and perhaps even pop screens that aren’t made out of cotton balls.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Music – Lovin’ Things by The Grass Roots
Closing Music – Careful by Jeff Hanson

Donate via PayPal

Subscribe $.99/month

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – 44 Inch Chest

Matt Gamble — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:34:42 +0000

One to Watch – 44 Inch Chest Where the Long Tail Ends
I knew next to nothing about this film until the trailer was finally released, and man, am I excited to watch this. At first glance this might seem like a weak knock off of Suicide Kings with an added dose of revenge, but when you consider that the film is from the writers of the fantastic Sexy Beast and dishes out a monster cast this has quickly turned the film from an unknown into a must-see. February can’t get here soon enough.

It should also be noted that seeing Joanne Whalley in the trailer really makes me want to watch Willow again. Who knew she was still making movies?

Film: 44 Inch Chest

Director: Malcolm Venville

Starring: Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Joanne Whalley

Release Date: February 2010 (USA)

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One to Watch – Daybreakers

Matt Gamble — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:32:25 +0000

One to Watch – Daybreakers Where the Long Tail Ends
Over the past few years I’ve become quite the fan of Ozploitation films, and I’ve quite enjoyed the recent resurgence of Australian genre filmmaking. One of my more recent finds was the flawwed, yet still enjoyable, Australian zombie film Undead. And while it was a decent enough independent horror comedy, I must say I found it a bit surprising that the director’s of that film, The Spierig Brothers, were able to secure over $20 million to film their next project. The Australian vampire film Daybreakers.

I’m a bit at a loss on just what kind of film this will be, as the trailers seem to be pushing a glossy action pic, but judging by Undead I wouldn’t be surprised if Daybreakers ends up being a relatively decent budget schlock film. Complete with ridiculous effects, gaping plot holes and over zealous acting. Willem Dafoe is in it after all. And if its a good one, man do I hope it makes it to the multiplex.

Official Site

Film: Daybreakers

Director: Michael and Peter Spierig

Starring: Ethan Hawk, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neil, Claudia Karvan, Isabel Lucas

Release Date: January 8, 2010

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One to Watch – The White Ribbon

Matt Gamble — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:19:13 +0000

One to Watch – The White Ribbon Where the Long Tail Ends
Michael Haneke isn’t all that well know to American audiences, and its a shame as I would argue that he is the best director currently working in film. He manipulates the screen in a way few directors can, not by bending audiences to his will but by actually engaging them. That he uses themes and genres that are often considered mindless entertainment is even more impressive, and has lead to many people not really understanding his actual purpose.

When Haneke remade his film Funny Games, about a family whose house is overrun and terrorized by two sociopathic teens it was assumed that Haneke made the film because he hates violence and was preaching against violence in film. But Haneke has no issue with violence in films, for most of his films as disturbingly violent, but rather how violence is fetishized. He uses violence to engage the audience, or if need be, shake them out of their stupor. Which is why the true victim in Funny Games is the audience, as Haneke slowly shifts the events of the film from the screen directly into the auditorium. He didn’t want to make yet another slasher film where the audience giggles with glee at the fool onscreen, but rather drags the audience unwittingly into the terror they would typically dismiss and scoff at.

Which brings us to his latest film, The White Ribbon, which won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and has been receiving huge acclaim as being yet another masterpiece from a director who seems to churn them out with relative ease. It is a film about a small town in Germany in 1913. An authoritarian town, where the children are subjected to rigid rules and even harsher punishments. But something even more sinister might be occurring. And could the children possibly be behind it?
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Official Site

Film: The White Ribbon

Director: Michael Haneke

Starring: Christian Friedel, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur, Burghart Klaußner

Release Date: December 30, 2009 (limited)

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Quick Thoughts – Thirst

Matt Gamble — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:40:53 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Thirst Where the Long Tail Ends
As the latest Twilight fan-fic opens nationwide, it seems only fitting that I finally get around to writing something about a South Korean vampire film I watched a few weeks ago at The Uptown Theatre. Now most people know director Park Chan-wook for his Vengeance trilogy (Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance) or possibly for his segment from the horror film Three Extremes making him one of the better known foreign language film makers in the US. So when I heard he’d be making a vampire film, I was excited at the possibilities, but I got something I never expected.

Thirst follows the story of a priest who undergoes an experimental treatment, during the course of which a blood transfusion transforms him into a vampire. Soon he discovers that if he doesn’t feed, that his disease will return, thus he must soon abandon his morality in order to survive. But that is scarcely his furthest fall.

You see, our priest has a secret, he’s in love with his friend’s wife. And his hunger isn’t simply for blood, but for other things just as carnal. Thus, our intrepid hero must slowly abandon his faith in order to satiate his growing desires. And that’s when Thirst truly blossoms into a modern masterpiece of film making.

While Thirst is a morality play to be sure, and it is full of horror elements, at its heart it is a romance, though a very twisted and dysfunctional one to be sure. As our priest falls deeper in love with the woman of his desires, he makes a rather foolish step that propels the two of them into an unending struggle for dominance of their lives, their relationship and of their hunger.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s outstanding vampire film Let the Right One In, Thirst creates complex and realistic characters that are thrust into worlds they can scarcely imagine let alone control, try as they might. These are people with faults and flaws, and simply craving the taste of blood won’t change that, but it just might amplify their flaws. Thirst simply isn’t just the best vampire movie of the year, its one of the year’s best movies, period.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, your St Louis Park Showplace ICON theatre

Matt Gamble — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:09:10 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen, your St Louis Park Showplace ICON theatre Where the Long Tail Ends
For those of you wondering what I’ve been up to these past few weeks while the site has run silent, I’ve been working like crazy out at the new Kerasotes Theatre in St Louis Park that is scheduled to open this Friday, November 20th. The Showplace Icon Theatre will be a bit different from your standard movie theatre experience, which is why I am so excited to tell you about it.

So just what is so special?

Bathroom attendents

Yup. Each of our bathrooms will have an attendant to make sure everything is clean and fully stocked throughout our operating day.
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Reserved seating in every auditorium

That’s right. Every seat in every auditorium is reserved. Which means you will get to pick and choose where you sit in any theatre. Like sitting up in the corners? No problem. Have an entire party and want to be sure you get seats together? Done. And just in case you are worried about finding your seat, we will have ushers in every theatre to assist you.
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After 7pm every one 16 and under must be accompanied by their parent our guardian

We want to be a theatre that caters to both adults and to families that are seeing a film together. While we enjoying having kids and teenagers alike, what we don’t want to be is a theatre where kids can simply be dropped off and allowed to run around all day. We want people to come to our theatre to watch movies.
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No admission to a movie after the first 5 minutes

One of the primary goals for the Showplace ICON is to remove as many distractions as possible from the theatre going experience. A common issue is people trying to avoid watching the ads before the films, so they come late to purchase tickets and then wander in during the film and try to find seats, disrupting the film for every one else. With our reserved seating groups will no longer have to worry about finding the seats they want, and everyone will know where they will be sitting o that eliminates any potential seating issues. Thus the only reason to now show up late would be to try and miss the ads. Which brings me to my next point.
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No ads

And by no ads I mean no digitally projected Coke sponsored “special presentation” during admission and no ads before the trailers. All you will have is a blank screen until we roll trailers and start the film. Once you enter the theatre we want you to enjoy the movie you paid to see and not being forced to watch ads. And since the feature will start 5 minutes after we start we won’t let people into the film once it starts so you can enjoy what you paid to see, the movie.
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All digital presentation

Both sound and projection are 100% digital and you are about to experience film like you never have before. No more having to worry about films being out of focus or brain wraps causing the prints to melt. And in the case of emergency, we can actually pause the film and rewind if need be.
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All 3D theatres have silver screens

One of the biggest complaints about 3D films is that the image can be dark and muddled, our 3D screens are specially made with a silver additive that allows them to reflect images much better, allowing the light to be reflected back at the audience, which makes the images appear bright and colourful and which in turn helps eliminate eye strain and the headaches they can cause.
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Digital sound in every theatre

While previously mentioned, we are the first theatre in Minneapolis that uses 100% digital sound, and oh the noise, noise noise it is capable of. Multiple channels in each theatre and the crisp, clear sound makes for a listening experience just as impressive as the viewing experience.
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Bar and lounge area upstairs for those 21+

If you are 21 and over you can enjoy a drink or some food at our upstairs bar and lounge. Nuff said.
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VIP section available for auditoriums 1 & 2

This is possibly our coolest feature in the entire theatre. Both theatres 1 & 2 offer VIP seating for an additional $5 charge for people 21+. What this is is balcony seating for both of those theatres which have leather love seats and tables so that people can bring their drinks and food in from the bar and lounge to enjoy while they watch their movies. Its an incredibly comfortable, fun, relaxing and cool environment to watch the biggest movies out today.
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Those are just some of the many features you’ll find at our theatre, along with other ammenities like real butter for your popcorn, pizzas at the concession stand and an easy to find floor staff and management team willing to help fill your every need. But the best reason to come to the Showplace ICON is our main house, which is Theatre #1.

Now I’ve been to almost every theatre in the Twin Cities. I love The Uptown, The Heights, The Riverview, and The Parkway just to name a few. And I’ve seen some impressive theatres that offer great picture and sound at them and other theatres around town, but I’ll put up our main house against any of them and not think twice about it. The seating is around 450, which is big but not huge, but the size of the auditorium is massive, possibly even bigger then The Uptown. The screen is just as huge, topping out at 70ft, making it large enough to be a mini IMAX screen. And if that isn’t impressive enough, the sound system in that house has 3x the power of the Metrodome. Then add in the VIP seating the lounge and all of our other amenities an you have a viewing experience that simply can’t be matched in the Twin Cities, and possibly anywhere else in the country. Starting this Friday, its a great time to be a film fan in Minneapolis.

I hope to see you there!

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Quick Thoughts – Youth in Revolt

Matt Gamble — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:29:33 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Youth in Revolt Where the Long Tail Ends
Going in to Youth in Revolt I knew next to nothing about the books that the film was adapted from. Evidently they must have been somewhat popular, as the adventures of Nick Twisp have become somewhat of a cottage industry. But going in blind I had no idea what to expect, though the trailer at lease gave me a hint that the film would be a bit of a satire on the standard romantic comedy.

What I didn’t expect was the film to be a scathing rebuke of teenagers. According to Youth in Revolt, teenagers are self-aggrandizing, narcissistic douche bags of the highest order, who also operate under the false assumption that they are intellectuals and romantics of the highest order. And adults, they simply stand in the way of their happiness. As does responsibility and accountability. To say I ate this premise up would be a major understatement.

Leading the way is the great dual performance of Michael Cera as Nick Twisp an his archangel alter ego Francois Dillinger. But a bevy of character acting heavyweights like Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, Justin Long, Zach Galifanakis, Jean Smart, Fred Willard, Mary Kay Place and M. Emmet Walsh turns this film into a tour de force of acting talent and the world of Youth in Revolt into a vibrant and memorable playground of absurdity.

And while Cera doesn’t get to display as much acting range as the trailer might hint at, he does finally get a chance to have a character go through a full fledged arc, evolving and changing through the course of the film. Though that may not exactly be for the better for Twisp, though he’s far too ignorant to realize that anyways, which is exactly why Youth in Revolt is so damn entertaining.

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Quick Thoughts – Gentlemen Broncos

Matt Gamble — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:08:57 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Gentlemen Broncos Where the Long Tail Ends
With just a cursory glance it would appear that Jared Hess’ career is in decline. After hitting it big with Napoleon Dynamite, his next film, Nacho Libre, struggled to gain a following as it garnered mixed reviews. Their certainly seem to be a certain group of devoted fans, but it had no where near the mainstream appeal of Napoleon Dynamite. Now along comes Gentlemen Broncos, and its stunningly poor 15% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

So when I went to a screening of Gentlemen Broncos I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Napoleon Dynamite had certainly grown on me, but I loved Nacho Libre. Was I just one of those people who simply clicked with Jared Hess? As I sat through the film, quite early on the answer became quite clear, yes I am.

Gentlemen Broncos seals the fact that no one truly gets what being an awkward nerd is like Jared Hess does. His protagonists are strange, uncomfortable and surprisingly sweet. These are naive and gentle characters that know what they like, and understand that that makes them very different from everyone else. And while they might not always be comfortable with that, they accept it.

This is what I thinks makes watching his Hess’ films so difficult for most people. His “nerds” truly are nerds. Not simply some pretty face made ugly with one weird personality trait, but people who just can’t ever make that step to being acceptable to the mainstream. Hess portrays these personalities both accurately and lovingly, and the cool kids hate his films for it. These films don’t just have a facile appreciation for the un-hip, they saturate ever fiber of their being with oddities.

Is Gentlemen Broncos a great film? No, but its filled with sold performances, as well as Sam Rockwell’s second monster performance of the year, and it is wildly entertaining with its spastic and unconventional humor. It’s an incredibly sweet film, filled with awkward moments and subtle humor, and it does a remarkable job of capturing just how awkward teenage passion can be. Sure I’m in the minority, but I have been much of my life, and I am quite comfortable enjoying Gentlemen Broncos while the cool kids go watch something more comfortable.

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Coming Soon (10/31/09)

Matt Gamble — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:48:34 +0000

Coming Soon (10/31/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
A huge amount of new additions this week, with the headliner clearly being Michael Haneke’s newest film, and the most recent Golden Palm winner, White Ribbon. And while that is my most anticipated, I am also eagerly awaiting Men Who Stare at Goats, Ong Bak 2 (I don’t care what you say Joe), Up in the Air and The Fantastic Mr Fox.

In other news, I have left Landmark for Kerasotes. Thursday was my final day with Landmark, and I made sure to have a nice break in between the two jobs by having Friday be my first day with Kerasotes. I had a blast working at Landmark, but Kerasotes offered me an opportunity that I simply couldn’t let pass by. I’ll still be doing the Coming Soon announcements for Landmark, as several of the managers have been nice enough to keep sending me the lists so I can post them, but don’t be surprised if more Kerasotes information starts to creep in the occassional post.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

11/06 Antichrist Uptown ***
11/06 Men Who Stare At Goats Lagoon (NEW) ***
11/06 Flame & Citron Edina (NEW DATE)

11/13 Ong Bak 2: The Beginning Uptown (NEW)***
11/13 Crude Lagoon
11/13 Gentlemen Broncos Lagoon ***
11/13 Skin Edina (tentative)

11/20 (Untitled) Uptown/Lagoon (NEW DATE)
11/20 We Live in Public Lagoon
11/20 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon
11/20 The Messenger Edina

11/25 Red Cliff Uptown (NEW DATE)
11/25 The Road Edina ***
11/25 The Fantastic Mr Fox Lagoon (NEW) ***

11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon

12/04 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Uptown ***

12/11 Up in the Air Lagoon (NEW) ***
12/11 The Strip Lagoon
12/11 Me and Orson Welles Edina (NEW)

12/18 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon (NEW DATE)
12/18 The Maid Lagoon/Edina
12/18 Young Victoria Edina

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown
12/25 Nine Lagoon
12/25 A Single Man Lagoon/Edina

1/08 The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus Lagoon ***

1/22 White Ribbon Uptown/Lagoon (NEW) ***

2/12 Rashomon Lagoon ***
2/12 The Station Edina (NEW)

2/19 Oscar Nominated Shorts Lagoon (NEW) ***

2/26 44 Inch Chest Lagoon

3/12 A Prophet Uptown (NEW)
3/12 A Town Called Panic Lagoon (NEW)

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Tune in next time for … The Collector

Matt Gamble — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:42:40 +0000

Tune in next time for … The Collector Where the Long Tail Ends
No not the new American horror remake, but rather I will be watching the original 1965 film starring Terence Stamp as a butterfly collector whose hobby takes a sinister twist when he decides to “collect” a beautiful woman for his collection.

The Collector (Amazon)
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[Wolfen]L0ZMjIs6Uh0[/Wolfen]

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Steel Dawn

Matt Gamble — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:50:45 +0000

Steel Dawn Where the Long Tail Ends
As a youth I used to live in the shelves of my local video store. Most summers I would spend my days down at the local strip mall (a scant 1.3 miles away) bowling for hours, reading comics off the rack at the drug store, picking out the most essential candy at the grocery store and finally wandering in the stacks, searching for the perfect movie to watch that weekend. All this time spent in the stacks lead to a curious skill of recognizing films based solely by their cover art, and I’d often know the plot of the films based off of the descriptions on the back. Soon it became a bit of a game for my friends to quiz me on what the films were about, but only the films I’d never actually seen and using simply the cover as a hint.

Of course, back then I was still very young and simply didn’t have the time nor the resources to watch every film I wanted to. So I would pick and choose which I would watch, often leaning heavily towards science fiction and fantasy films (my horror obsession didn’t really kick in until my early twenties). So how is it that I never watched a post-apocalyptic film about a nomadic swordsman? Simple, I hated the cover.

After the fallout of World War III the world’s water has become contaminated, leading to sparse populations of humans fighting over what little supplies remain. When a local baron (Anthony Zerbe) seizes the town of Meridian’s only supply of water, they fight back the only way they know how, by hiring a former soldier named Nomad (Patrick Swayze). But Nomad has another reason for being in Meridian, that of finding the assassin who killed his mentor, and who seems to now be making his living as the baron’s resident enforcer.

To say Steel Dawn starts with a bang and ends with a whimper is a bit of a misnomer. Steel Dawn opens with a face melter. That’s right, a scene so amazing that it will melt your face right off. The problem is, the scene achieves such great heights that the rest of the film pales in comparison. Which is a shame, as Steel Dawn is a damn solid, if a bit predictable, movie.

For those at home wondering just what occurs in the opening minutes allow me to indulge you. The film opens with Patrick Swayze standing on his head. Let me repeat, the film opens with Patrick Swayze standing on his head. Why? I have no idea, as the film never even attempts to answer it, but one can only imagine that he does it as some sort of calming technique. Now as he is standing on his head, he just so happens to be in the middle of a desert. A desert teaming with Sand People.

Now by Sand People I do mean people who literally live in the sand, for as our capsized hero coyly looks on, we see the sand begin to move and within a few seconds people begin to emerge. Unlike in modern day films when this would have been done with CGI this was all done wit practical effects. Meaning, they drove out to the middle of some desert, covered two dozen people in rags and then buried them alive. How freaking awesome is that?

But that alone isn’t the reason why the scene works as well, its that once Swayze chooses to engage these Tusken Raiders (Don’t believe me? Check out those Gaffe sticks they’re wielding.) the film totally goes for broke. Swayze breaks out karate, and what appears to be some sort of pirouette, and when the Tusken Raiders try to steal his backpack he sprints down the dune, dives and in midair does a somersault quite possibly just because it looks cool. But once he reaches his pack he draws a sword and promptly hacks his underground assailant’s arm clean off.

But that’s not all. After slaughtering a dozen of these would be thieves one finally tries to burrow underneath him and drag Nomad below the sand, to which he counters by jamming his sword into the sand, killing the raider and causing blood to spurt out as if it were Texas tea. It truly is an outstanding ten minute action sequence and one hell of a way to open a film, especially considering that I expected Steel Dawn to be more of a slow burn dramatic film rather then the action film it now appeared to be.

The problem is that Steel Dawn is a slow burn styled dramatic film. Point of fact, Steel Dawn is actually a remake of Shane, which becomes quite evident when Swayze makes it to a small settlement, where he finds it is being dominated by a rather nefarious rancher who wishes to control the only water supply in the entire valley. Now Shane is a fine film, one I’ve grown to enjoy more and more over the years, but Steel Dawn is a surprisingly faithful adaptation of this beloved source material. Outside of the futuristic setting, Steel Dawn stays close to the original film.

A similar concept was used with Outland, which was a remake of High Noon but set in space. And while it also stayed close to the original film it works much better for Outland. I suppose you could argue that Outland was working with better source material, but that would be a hard argument to win as both films are considered classics of the Western genre. And while any ambiguity in Shane’s ending has been scrubbed out of Steel Dawn, the new ending still works quite well and certainly isn’t an issue that hampers the film. So I am left with only one conclusion on why Steel Dawn wasn’t as successful as it should have been; the opening scene should have been cut.

The most obvious problem with the opening sequence is that it potentially misrepresents the film by leading the uninitiated into believing that they are about to witness a rip-roaring sci-fi action film rather than the drama it truly is. Because of this rapid change in style and pace it gives viewers the false impression that there are pacing issues with Steel Dawn and this can lead directly to impatience while people view the film. It pains me to say this, but the opening scene to Steel Dawn should have been cut for two reasons:

First, the obvious uneven and disjointed feel between the opening scene and the rest of the film. While the first scene is fantastic, it simply doesn’t fit stylistically with the rest of the movie. So even though it is a great scene, it harms the overall presentation. Which brings me to my second point. Despite it being the best scene in the film, Steel Dawn would be a better film without it.

But how is that possible? Well, besides clearing up the botched transition, by removing the initial scene it gives Nomad an air of mystery. You would have no knowledge of who he is, how skilled he is or even if he is a decent person. The obvious parallel would be Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) in Yojimbo. And while Steel Dawn never attempts to play two sides against the middle, the film would be aided by the extra layer of complexity and ambiguity. Of course, they could always go the other way and just cut everything else out and follow the lead of the opening scene. But I’ve already got plenty of fantasy epics to choose from, so I’d rather that Steel Dawn try to be the best post-apocalyptic Western that it can be.

But wait? What does the cover have to do with any of this? Well that’s simple enough. The cover/poster of Steel Dawn was quite clearly a shameless rip-off of The Running Man. Both used head shots of their stars in a rather distinct sepia tone, and both used giant red script to advertise their star’s last names and the title of the film. Now, to be fair, I have absolutely no idea which film came out first or who stole from whom. But I had seen The Running Man, and it was awesome. And my twelve year old brain put things pretty simply, why would I watch a rip-off of The Running Man when I could just watch The Running Man? For years I thought that way, and it wasn’t until Sawyze’s death that I finally decided to take the plunge and watch Steel Dawn. By last count I think I’ve watched The Running Man 438 times. But now, after finally taking the time to evaluate Steel Dawn, that gap just might be closed a bit.

Just let me watch The Running Man one more time. Then, I promise to even the odds a bit.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Flyway Filmcast – Associate Producer Xan Aranda (Milking the Rhino)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:42:36 +0000

Flyway Filmcast – Associate Producer Xan Aranda (Milking the Rhino) Where the Long Tail Ends

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Time to confess, even before arriving at the Flyway Film Festival I had been interested in watching Milking the Rhino. So much so that I requested a screener of it so I could review it for this website. But do to circumstances beyond my control (laziness) I simply never found the time to watch it before the festival.

So armed with just a trailer and a severely lacking working knowledge of African animal husbandry I do my best, along with Andrew from Row Three, to talk with Xan Aranda about her documentary Milking the Rhino. You’ll be happy to know that I avoided making a fool out of myself by asking if their truly was any rhino milking in the film. And thanks entirely to the efforts of Xan, the interview turns out incredibly well.

Milking the Rhino (Website)
Kartemquin Films (Website)

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Flyway Filmcast – Director Jamin Winans & Lead Actor Chris Kelly (Ink)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:23:39 +0000

Flyway Filmcast – Director Jamin Winans & Lead Actor Chris Kelly (Ink) Where the Long Tail Ends

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Ink is one of those rare small Independent films that has garnered quite a bit of attention and a fan following from just some impressive word-of-mouth and a dynamite trailer. Building on the buzz, director Jamin Winans has been touring with his film along with his wife (Producer and Art Director Kiowa Winans) along with several of the actors, turning the film into a bonafide grass roots phenomenon.

Andrew and I are both fans of the film, so it was a pleasure to sit down with Jamin and Chris Kelly as they talk about the film and the difficulties in making a big budget action/fantasy epic for pennies on the dollar and trying to get their film out to the masses.

Ink (Website)
Double Edge Films (Facebook)
Double Edge Films (Twitter)

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Flyway Filmcast – Producer Jeff Coughlan (Pontypool)

Matt Gamble — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:08:50 +0000

Flyway Filmcast – Producer Jeff Coughlan (Pontypool) Where the Long Tail Ends

[gap][/gap]
Pontypool is a bit of a favorite both here and at Row Three, so the chance for Andrew and i to sit down with producer Jeff Coghlan and ask him some questions about the film was a real treat. Is the trilogy still in the works? How awesome is Stephen McHattie? And just what is up with the final scene in the movie? All those questions and more are answered, and listen up for a rare podcast cameo from Film Junk’s Jay Cheel as well.

Pontypool (Website)
Pontypool (Amazon Pre-Order)

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Flyway Filmcast – Craig Varian (400 Lonely Things)

Matt Gamble — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:04:27 +0000

Flyway Filmcast – Craig Varian (400 Lonely Things) Where the Long Tail Ends

[gap][/gap]
Some quick backstory before the interview, Craig and his recording partner Phil Harrell were roommates during the Flyway Film Festival with Film Junk’s Jay Cheel. We ended up having dinner together on Friday night before the screenings of the opening night films. So it should come as no surprise that the four of us spent the dinner talking about horror films. After that evening, I knew I wanted to get an interview with Craig so he could talk about his rather fascinating concept album Tonight of the Living Dead.

Using only a public domain copy of the film Night of the Living Dead that he downloaded from Archive.org he remixed the score of the film into a wholly new album. Then, he collaborated with Phil to do the same with the visuals of the film. What’s fascinating is that Craig and Phil did this entirely online. Even more amazing? That they had never met in person until they both attended the Flyway Film Festival.

Hope you enjoy both the music and the interview!

400 Lonely Things (Website)
400 Lonely Things (MySpace)
Tonight of the Living Dead (Website)

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Flyway Filmcast – Gary King (New York Lately)

Matt Gamble — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:37:14 +0000

Flyway Filmcast – Gary King (New York Lately) Where the Long Tail Ends

[gap][/gap]

Joining Row Three’s Andrew James and I in the pub for this podcast is New York Lately director Gary King. New York Lately has a bit of a following over at Row Three, and since I haven’t had a chance to watch the film yet Andrew makes sure to take the reigns on this interview. Besides New York Lately Gary tells us a little about some of his future projects like What’s Up Lovely? and another film that immediately piqued my interest. Hope you enjoy the interview!

Gary King (Twitter)
Gary King (Facebook)

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Flyway Filmcast – Pericles Lewnes & Ed Bishop (Redneck Zombies)

Matt Gamble — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:02:21 +0000

Flyway Filmcast – Pericles Lewnes & Ed Bishop (Redneck Zombies) Where the Long Tail Ends

[gap][/gap]

And now for the continuing adventures of Andrew and, well, me. This time Andrew and I try out pubcasting, which for the uninitiated is when you sit down in a bar and record a podcast. Our first victims/subjects are writer/director Pericles Lewnes and Executive Producer Ed Bishop who are responsible for Redneck Zombies, which as part of its 20th Anniversary is playing as part of the International Zombie Summit here at the Flyway Film Festival.

Redneck Zombies
Loop
Pretentious Film Society
[gap][/gap]

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Flyway Filmcast – Ink

Matt Gamble — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:17:04 +0000

Flyway Filmcast – Ink Where the Long Tail Ends

Straight from Pepin, WI, Andrew from Row Three and I sit down and record a quick review of the Flyway Film Festival’s opening night Film, Ink. A fantasy epic sure sounds great, but will it hold up under an Indie budget? Survey says ….

Andrew and I hope to get a couple more micro-podcasts recorded throughout the Festival, either reviewing films or pulling aside some of the directors in attendance and having them talk about their films and the Festival itself. And if we are lucky, perhaps the enigmatic Jay Cheel of the illustrious Film Junk will join us for some of these as well. That is, if we can get some poutine in him before he goes into withdrawl.

Thanks for listening and hope you enjoy the show!

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Flyway Film Festival – Shorts

Matt Gamble — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:10:31 +0000

Flyway Film Festival – Shorts Where the Long Tail Ends

Growing up I was always a huge fan of short stories. I was a voracious reader and they helped make me feel like I was getting more bang for my buck (or my parent’s buck as it were) when I read compilations. But even besides the fact that I could read more stories, and thus go on more adventures, I loved how they provided small snap shots into the character’s lives. They allowed me more freedom to come up with a continuation on the narrative, allowing me to fill in the gaps and construct worlds that only I would experience.

But while short stories have allowed authors to flourish, short films seem to be a slightly different animal. Too often festivals focus only on the ultra short films that have to rely on ironic or O’Henry style endings to drive the film, resulting in an all to often seemingly manufactured and formulaic genre.

Thankfully, the Flyway Film Festival cares not about running times, preferring instead unique tales and wondrous characters regardless of if the film is three or thirty minutes. Because of this, it is the audiences who benefit if they decide to attend this festival.

The Fridge
Director: Allison Orr
United States | 7 min | 2008

The first short I had the privilege of watching, The Fridge has set an incredibly high bar for the other shorts to follow. The Fridge takes the challenging and complicated topic of climate change and brilliantly illustrates it in seven glorious stop-motion minutes. Using a refrigerator as the setting, The Fridge explores what happens to the food when someone accidentally leaves the door open and the culinary delights within thaw out and begin to explore their new world. Will the now booming micro-ecosystem manage to survive when malfunctions?
[gap][/gap]

Fledgling
Director: Tony Gauly
United States | 7 min | 2009

Fledgling is a fascinating micro documentary about Kevin and the baby crow he finds on the street one stormy evening. Shot in an archival fashion, it is both compelling and alluring as you watch Kevin struggle with his desire to help the crow and his fear that by doing so he will ruin any chance that it might live a more “natural” life.
[gap][/gap]

Alex’s Halloween
Director: Daniel Persitz
United States | 15 min | 2008

Alex’s Halloween has something you won’t see often at Flyway, star power in the form of one Jane Lynch. And while Lynch is great as the fanatic health foodie she’s hardly the focus of this tale. Rather we follow the adventures of Alex as he recreates the wondrous tales of the various Halloween costumes he is try to choose from. Its fantastical fun for the whole family. Well, as long as you prefer Three Musketeers to granola that is.
[gap][/gap]

Penny
Director: Mary Cates
United States | 6 min | 2009

Penny follows the travels of a long forgotten and often ignored Penny. And while the short may follow the standard plot conventions of most short films, its twist on the old rhyme “Find a penny, pick it up. All day long you’ll have good luck!” makes for a sweet and amusing tale.
[gap][/gap]

Calendar Confloption
Director: Andrew Jiminez
United States | 24 min | 2009

Calendar Confloption is the story of a twelve year old girl who is so scared of her upcoming New’s Year Day birthday that she attempts to stop time and prevent it from every happening. But when the year’s Holidays begin appearing in her bedroom wondering what is going on, things start to really get strange.

A narrative short after my adolescent heart, Calendar Confloption immediately reminded me of fantastical fairy tales of my youth like Labyrinth and The Neverending Story. So to say this film appealed to me is quite the understatement, as I could scarcely contain my grinning throughout the film. Bring your kids and your inner-child and prepare for a magical one-room adventure.
[gap][/gap]

Cheese Wars
Director: Taylor Pipes
United States | 24 min | 2008

Moving to Wisconsin when I was eleven, I was forced to learn two important rules. The first is that a drinking fountain is not a drinking fountain. It is a bubbler. (Do not ask why, it is a rabbit hole you will never escape.) The second is that Wisconsin is cheese country. Both of these facts are irrefutable. But i the twenty years since I moved to Wisconsin something changed, California decided that it wanted to challenge for cheese supremacy, and with its massive corporate and high-tech farms, it looks like it will happen sooner rather than later.Cheese Wars documents this “friendly rivalry”, and while it does its best to remain objective despite its director’s Wisconsin ties, it can’t help but lean in one direction.

Its easy to see why this film is being so well received, as its neither mean nor intent on making one side look bad, but rather it attempts to show two sides of an industry and the passions of the people who drive each side. These people are proud of what they make, they simply focus on different things to define their success. And while its easy to say that because I’m from Wisconsin that I will gravitate to their way of making cheese, but I feel safe in saying that I gravitate to the side that makes cheese in a way that I feel is right. And hopefully, I actually am.
[gap][/gap]

Colore Non Vedenti
Director: Jay Cheel
Canada | 29 min | 2009

It should be noted that know Jay. I wouldn’t say we are close, but we have bought poutine together. That’s practically second base in Canada. So feel free to cry “Biased!” when I say this; Colore Non Vedentirocks. If you’re a genre film fan you are in for a treat, as its a film that carefully balances humor and horror, while still managing to tell an interesting and complex science fiction yarn. As an added bonus you’ll get to see some fascinating and inventive visuals (think Giallo), making the film easy to sum up as thus: its like Mario Bava directing an episode of The Outer Limits. Yes, its that freaking good.

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High and Low (Brow) – Episode 7 – HP Lovecraft

Matt Gamble — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:59:42 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 7 – HP Lovecraft Where the Long Tail Ends
And we’re back! This time on High and Low (Brow) James and I are joined by a live studio audience named Kevin who was invited because he offered us pizza and bread sticks. Delicious bread sticks. Buttery foodstuffs aside, this episode’s theme is HP Lovecraft, an author both of us enjoy, but who’s works have struggled to gain mainstream acceptance and have had even worse results in finding capable, or even enjoyable, versions brought to the silver screen.

For this episode we watch The Curse of the Crimson Altar, a 1968 film starring Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff and Barbara Steele, an impressive pedigree to be sure, but will the film live up to the expectations that such a monstrous (pun intended) cast brings? The second film we watch is the 1992 film The Resurrected, directed by Dan O’Bannon and starring Prince Humperdinck, Ross’ lesbian ex-wife Carol, Mike Damone and some guy from Lost. Sure the bar is set low, but can it be cleared? And out of these two films will we finally stumble across a good adaptation of Lovecraft’s work?

Rounding out the show we have our selection process for the next episode, and once again we provide a twist on it to help keep things fresh and exciting. If you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him.

One more thing, if you enjoy the show feel free to donate to it through PayPal in either a single installment or as a recurring donor. We’d love to upgrade some of our equipment and anything you donate will go directly towards us getting some decent mics and perhaps even pop screens that aren’t made out of cotton balls.

As always, thanks for listening!

Opening Music – Mother Made Me Do It by Mark Mallman
Closing Music – Okey Dokey by The Incredible Bongo Band

Donate via PayPal

Subscribe $.99/month

[gap][/gap]

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Podcasts then, Flyway Film Festival

Matt Gamble — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:41:57 +0000

Podcasts then, Flyway Film Festival Where the Long Tail Ends
Well James and I got together over the weekend to record the latest episode of High and Low (Brow). We once again had a change in format (as is quickly becoming our format), but nonetheless we had a good time with our theme of HP Lovecraft. Haven’t done much with the audio file yet, but expect the episode to be up sometime this week.

Also, make sure to swing by RowThree.com next week to check out the newest episode of the Cinecast. We’ll be recording it on Monday night and the film we will be reviewing will of course be Where the Wild Things Are. But, unlike most episodes where it is just me, Kurt and Andrew, we will be joined by a special guest, Rian Johnson, director of Brick and The Brothers Bloom. Should be an interesting and fun discussion.

And once both those episodes are posted, make sure to keep an eye out for my reviews of several of the films that will be playing at next weekend’s Flyway Film Festival. I should be attendance for most of, if not the entire, festival and I hope to have reviews and some commentary from the event. And if things go really well, hopefully some audio interviews with several of the various directors, actors, producers and other luminaries in attendance.

Just look for this banner for any reviews of films that will be playing at this year’s Flyway Film Festival.

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Its 33% worse then Sophie’s Choice

Matt Gamble — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:19:21 +0000

Its 33% worse then Sophie’s Choice Where the Long Tail Ends
My math might be a bit off on the title statement, but I stand by my current dilemma’s level of difficulty. Over the next two days I have to find a way to watch three movies (The Return of the Living Dead, Scanners and Hausu) with the distinct possibility that I can only make one of them do to my work schedule.

So the question becomes, if I can only watch one of these movies, which one do I choose?

The Return of the Living Dead
Uptown Theatre
October 16 & 17 | Midnight

[Wolfen]9FoteAueNUI[/Wolfen]

[gap][/gap]
Scanners
Trylon Microcinema
October 16 & 17 | 7pm & 9:10pm

[Wolfen]vQYhURQoDI0[/Wolfen]

[gap][/gap]
Hausu (House)
Oak Street Cinema
October 15-17 | 9:30pm

[Wolfen]NN0HVJ5tkIM[/Wolfen]

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Coming Soon (10/15/09)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:14:58 +0000

Coming Soon (10/15/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
Not much has changed with the films being released over the next couple of weeks, and most of the changes to the list seem to be films shuffling around rather than being dropped completely, which is always a welcome sight. That being said, their are a few big changes and additions.

An Education was bumped a week, but will still be opening at The Uptown, as it looks like they think Coco Before Chanel will have a good run their, of which I am less optimistic about. It looks like a decent enough film, but I think it would do better at The Edina then The Uptown, but I digress.

The other big move is pushing the relase of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, though that is so it can have an exclusive opening at The Uptown, which is fantastic news. I’ve heard good things about Werner Herzog’s latest, and I hope it lives up to the early praise.

As for new additions, their are a few films that I know next to nothing being added to the booking sheet, which include A Single Man, 44 Inch Chest and A Town Called Panic. Hopefully over the coming months I’ll find out a few more details about them. But the big additions are easily Nine and The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus. Both look like potential Oscar contenders, and Imaginarium is one I am in particular coveting the chance to finally see.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon
10/23 The Damned United Edina/Lagoon
10/23 Amelia Lagoon
10/23 Flame & Citron Edina

10/30 An Education Uptown (NEW DATE)
10/30 New York, I Love You Lagoon
10/30 Canyon Lagoon

11/06 Antichrist Uptown ***
11/06 Skin Edina (tentative)

11/13 Crude Lagoon
11/13 Gentlemen Broncos Lagoon ***
11/13 (Untitled) Lagoon/Edina

11/20 We Live in Public Lagoon
11/20 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon
11/20 The Messenger Edina

11/25 The Road Edina ***

11/27 Red Cliff Uptown
11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon

12/04 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Uptown (NEW DATE) ***

12/11 The Strip Lagoon (NEW DATE)
12/11 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon

12/18 The Maid Lagoon/Edina
12/18 Young Victoria Edina

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown
12/25 Nine Lagoon (NEW)
12/25 A Single Man Lagoon/Edina (NEW)

1/08 The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus Lagoon (NEW) ***

2/12 Rashomon Lagoon ***

2/26 44 Inch Chest Lagoon (NEW)

3/12 A Town Called Panic Lagoon (NEW)

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HP Lovecraft documentary now out on DVD

Matt Gamble — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:33:44 +0000

HP Lovecraft documentary now out on DVD Where the Long Tail Ends
Just in time for our upcoming High & Low (Brow) podcast that will focus on two HP Lovecraft film adaptations, there is a new documentary devoted to him being released this week. While I am a fan of Lovecraft I’ve always felt he never has seemed to have received the amount of mainstream popularity he deserves, especially compared to other horror writers. He’s always seemed to be a bit more respected by horror nerds then general audiences, which is a shame.

Part of the reason might be that his stories tend to be a bit cumbersome to the uninitiated, with their flowery prose that is not often seen, especially from more modern authors like himself. His stories have also become rather notorious in Hollywood for how difficult they are to adapt, resulting in people being less impressed with his work by proxy and with a general reluctance from the studios to adapt his works.

Lovecraft: Spreading the Madness looks to correct these oversights and misconceptions on the man and his mythos, and they do so by rolling out an impressive group purveyors of the weird and wonderous like Neil Gaiman, John Carpenter, Guillermo del Toro, Peter Straub, Stuart Gordon, Ramsey Campbell, S.T. Joshi, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Andrew Migliore and Robert M. Price to talk about Lovecraft and his influence on horror as well as their own lives. Its an impressive group, to be sure, and I can barely contain my excitement at getting a chance to watch this film. While I won’t have time to watch this before James and I record, you can be sure within the next few weeks I will make sure to get my hands on a copy of this potentially fabulous documentary.

Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (Official Website)

[Wolfen]OnkQqfAlQ-4[/Wolfen]

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One to Watch – Phasma Ex Machina

Matt Gamble — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:48:04 +0000

One to Watch – Phasma Ex Machina Where the Long Tail Ends
While my last entry for The Crazies was a fairly mainstream film that should be easy for people to see, this next choice is one I’ve been keeping an eye on for a few months now. As an added bonus, this film was made here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, making it extra easy for me to keep tabs on it.

The film I am speaking of is Phasma Ex Machina, which essentially means Ghost from the Machine. Based on the trailer I’ve heard people compare it to Primer, but with that title the film seems to have more of an existential bent in mind and honestly the first film that comes to me is Ghost, which may or may not be a bad thing. Phasma Ex Machina doesn’t seem to be planning to layer on the sappy love story, but rather delve potentially into more of an eerie ghost tale, which would be a welcome sight.

The good news is that it looks like post-production is almost wrapped up, and the film should start being screened around town and festivals. Be sure to check out their website where you can follow the film on Twitter and Facebook, read their production blog and sign up for the newsletter to keep up to date on any potential screenings in your area.

Title: Phasma Ex Machina (Official Website)
Director: Matt Osterman
Starring: Sasha Andreev, Matthew Feeney
Release Date: TBD

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One to Watch – The Crazies

Matt Gamble — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:01:17 +0000

One to Watch – The Crazies Where the Long Tail Ends
I’m not anti-remake by any means, in fact I rather enjoy them quite a bit, but it would be nice if Hollywood took a bit more care in just which films they chose to remake. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one that comes easily to mind, as the original is perhaps a perfect film, and the remake doesn’t seemingly intend to do anything other then tone down the weirdness and ramp up the gore.

I also don’t mind if people take a signature film and attempt to re-imagine it or put their own spin on the material. Take iconic fare like The Wizard of Oz, which has been remade at least 5 times by my count. Even the Judy Garland version was at least 4 tries in. Making it a bit difficult for purists to make a decent argument for one and done film making.

But what I enjoy most are when Hollywood takes lesser known films, or even films that were high on ideas but low on quality production and pump some much needed money and exposure towards them as they come up with a new take on the film. George Romero might have come up with a pretty nifty concept for the original The Crazies, but the film is far from perfect, and not much closer to even being decent. The remake looks like a hop, skip and a jump in the right direction, and it looks like it might be one of the rare recent Hollywood horror films to squarely hit its mark.

Title: The Crazies
Director: Breck Eisner
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Danielle Panabaker
Release Date: Feb 26, 2010 (USA)

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Independent Indies – Ink

Matt Gamble — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:25:43 +0000

Independent Indies – Ink Where the Long Tail Ends
for very long, but ever since I first saw the trailer for it I knew this was a film that I had to watch. By hook or by crook if need be. Sure the trailer doesn’t explain single thing, or seem coherent in the slightest, but the visuals are so compelling that I knew at the very least it would be a visual marvel. Then when you toss in the fact that this is an Independent film, and clearly a low budget one as well, makes the effects even more stunning.

Now lets focus on the effects for a paragraph or 100 words, whichever comes first. They most certainly are eye catching, what makes them even more spectacular is that they are so obviously working with limited means. But rather then use that fact to limit the creativity of the special effects, director Jamin Winans has turned it into a creative boon that is fascinating to witness. The fight sequences in particular are stunningly impressive as Winans uses darkened hallways and spotlights to cover the potential weaknesses of the choreography by simultaneously highlighting the visual stylization.

But Winans doesn’t stop there. The visual look of the film is hard wired into the story, thus providing an easy explanation for the seemingly odd look. These characters exist in a dream world that parallels our own, so it makes perfect sense that the world these dream warriors live in would be slightly off center from our own. Because of this brilliant story point, any visual flaws or quirks that might be caught by the viewer during the course of the film are easily accounted for by this story element.

But before you start thinking that the visual effects don’t hold up well outside of the three minute trailers, let me make some thing clear, the visuals in this film are truly outstanding and gloriously innovative. In particular I’d like to highlight the Incubus, who are truly one of the most disturbingly inventive villains ever captured on film. You’ll be hard pressed to scrape them out of your brain anytime soon. And just when you think they can’t get any creepier, Winans cranks them up to eleven in an all out effort to scare the socks off his audience. And to bring this whole thing full circle, the Incubus are bringers of darkness, which explains why the fight sequences are in total darkness, except for the glowing eyes of the Incubus. All this simply reinforces the fact that Ink is brilliant not for how complicated or technically innovative it is, but because of its relative simplicity.

But while the visuals are so eloquently connected, the story is a vastly different matter. Normally I do a short summary of the films I review but have decided to slightly alter from that because Ink is a difficult film to sum up. But if you really want it I’ll do my best. Ahem! A young girl is kidnapped from the really real world by what appears to be a human Skeksie called Ink who has plans to sell the girl to a group called the Incubus, who are the bringers of nightmares, for the return of his soul. The forces of good, powerless to prevent the kidnapping, are hurriedly tracking Ink in the hopes of saving Ink from his own demons, and the girl from the clutches of the Incubus.

That actually turned out much more coherent than I thought it would.

But what does complicate the narrative is that there are multiple stories being told that exist in multiple timelines. It doesn’t so much complicate the story as it attempts to confuse the viewer, and not nearly to the effect that Winans is probably hoping for. The true narrative is fairly obvious, and while this form of trickeration doesn’t harm the film, it doesn’t help it either. There is enough story elements in the film that it doesn’t need to rely on an overly complicated narrative flow to keep the audiences interest.

But while I my not like the flourishes in the narrative, I have nothing but praise for the world that Winans has created. This world is compelling, fascinating and aching for more stories to be told about it due to its rich atmosphere. I want to know more about the Incubus, the storytellers and the souls they are fighting over. These creatures are fascinating and I know I would be in Heaven if this world is revisited by Winans at another date. While the trailers for Ink wet my appetite, the film itself is both a meal and a first course in a singular expressive and beautiful package.

Ink will play as the Opening Night film for the upcoming Flyway Film Festival on October 23rd. Tickets are available for purchase here.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Independent Indies – The Last Lullaby

James Gillham — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:43:44 +0000

Independent Indies – The Last Lullaby Where the Long Tail Ends
Jeffrey Goodman’s 2008 film The Last Lullaby is a subtle and riveting tale of betrayal and revenge. Jack Price, a retired hitman, is drawn into a web of deceit when he stumbles upon a kidnap victim at a run-down house in the woods. As a consequence of his actions he appears on the radar of Martin Lennox — a brutal and aloof millionaire in a jam. Drawn out of retirement by Lennox, Price is put on the trail of the beautiful Sarah, but he soon finds there is more to his quarry than first meets the eye. Of course, things turn out to be not at all what they seem, and Price finds himself in hot water with a number of different players in this suspenseful drama.

The oft seen scenario of the helpless victim and duped would-be assassin is given a refreshing treatment in this lean production. Neither a thriller nor an action film, this one is best described as a grim and suspenseful character study that nonetheless features moments of action, mystery, and intrigue. Penned by Max Allan Collins — well-known mystery novelist, author of the graphic novel Road to Perdition, and former writer of the comic strip Dick Tracy — and Peter Biegen, The Last Lullaby will keep even the most jaded video viewer guessing until the end. It effects a mounting tension from its brutal beginning to its suprise conclusion, and even then leaves the viewer wondering what will come next.

Tom Sizemore portrays retired hitman Jack Price with a cold brilliance that assures this performance a place alongside his other celebrated performances. And Sasha Alexander, as the mysterious Sarah, proves that she doesn’t have to be playing a member of naval intelligence to turn in a convincing and effective performance. Bill Smitrovich and Jerry Hardin round out this cast of familiar faces, and Ray McKinnon’s performance (billed only as ‘Ominous Man’) is eerie and memorable. Especially observant reviewers will recognize him from another of his memorable performances in the Coen brother’s film O Brother, Where Art Thou?

The Last Lullaby is well worth your time, and fans of Road to Perdition will especially enjoy it. It was recognized at the Brooklyn International Film Festival and the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival, among others. You can visit the filmmaker’s blog to check out other reviews and read about the project. The DVD will be available for purchase through the film’s official website beginning October 19th, and you can save it for future addition to your Netflix queue now.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Quick Thoughts – Paranormal Activity

Matt Gamble — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:20:14 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Paranormal Activity Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve never been so stressed out for a movie. It should be noted that at the moment I started writing this I hadn’t even seen the film yet, though I am sitting in the theatre waiting for it to start. It all started this morning. I’d known a few days earlier that Paranormal Activity had finally been booked to play in Minneapolis, but I had foolishly assumed that it would get a standard run. Instead, the film had been booked for just two midnight shows on Friday and Saturday night, making Anna’s and my plans to watch it on Sunday morning totally meaningless. So when I woke up this morning I didn’t know how frantic my day was about to become.

Luckily for me I discovered early on that their would be no Sunday screening. Knowing that Anna would kill me if I didn’t get tickets I did what any man would do, I called her at work and got permission for us to go out past our bedtime.

The conversation that followed was rather strange, as Anna assured me that her sister had told her the 7:30 show had sold out so I must be mistaken. After assuring her that their was no such show I was finally given the go ahead to order tickets and that was that. Or so I thought.

A few short hours later, as I drove to work, I received a frantic phone call from Anna. She had just talked to her sister who had assured her that the Friday show was sold out and that I couldn’t have possibly ordered tickets.

“Well it might be sold out now but I bought tickets.”
“But Lindsey said the show was sold out before today.”
“That’s great. But I bought tickets.”
“Are you sure?”
“Do you want me to show you the confirmation?”
“But Lindsey said it was sold out.”
“She also said the show was at 7 o’clock.”
“I don’t know why you are getting frustrated.”
“I don’t know why you are questioning me about tickets I bought on your orders.”
“I don’t trust online ticketing.”
“Since when?”
“I don’t want us to show up and find out the ticket you bought were already sold.”
“Good lord, you sound like my parents.”

Sure enough, over the next few hours I would receive a few more phone calls questioning whether the tickets I ought had actually been bought. By the time I finally got home from work I was exasperated by the onslaught of disbelief that it was actually possible to buy tickets online. Even once we showed up for the movie, over an hour early based on Anna’s demands, I was still being questioned on whether the tickets were actually purchased. So by the time we finally got seated I had had about all I wanted from Paranormal Activity.

So as for my thoughts? Paranormal Activity is a nice little film. The actors (Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat) both do a good job and the effects are very good, but the film suffers from some gaping plot holes and inconsistencies. Its not a movie that will hold up well to any sort of analysis or scrutiny, but the film is fun to watch and it does offer plenty of scares. Its not as good nor scary as it is billed, but for a bare bones true Indie film its is top notch entertainment. The good news is it scared the socks off of Anna, meaning I have all sorts of ways that I can enact my revenge for the hell she put me through all day. And don’t feel sorry for her, she’s earned it.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (10/3/09)

Matt Gamble — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:17:20 +0000

Coming Soon (10/3/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
Not many new additions but their are some notable ones. First we have The Messenger and (Untitled), films I know nothing about and probably will never see. Besides that I am happy to announce that Thirst will actually play in Minneapolis, though it won’t have a week long run. instead it has been added to the upcoming Midnight Madness schedule, and will play the weekend of November 6th, and you can be sure that I will be in attendance for one of those shows.

The other big addition is one of my most anticipated for the fall season, that being the science fiction farce Gentlemen Broncos. I’ve been looking forward to this film for well over a year, and I am finding it incredibly difficult to remain patient for the adventure of Ronald Chevalier. Hopefully I’ll luck out and be able to attend a screening beforehand, but that looks unlikely.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

10/09 Earth Days Lagoon
10/09 The Boys Are Back Edina
10/09 Amreeka Edina
10/09 Unmistaken Child Lagoon

10/16 Coco Before Chanel Uptown
10/16 Still Walking Lagoon
10/16 More Than A Game Lagoon

10/23 An Education Uptown
10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon
10/23 Damned United Edina/Lagoon
10/23 Amelia Lagoon
10/23 Flame & Citron Edina (NEW DATE)

10/30 New York, I Love You Uptown/Lagoon
10/30 Canyon Lagoon

11/06 Antichrist Uptown
11/06 Skin Edina

11/13 Crude Lagoon
11/13 Gentlemen Broncos Lagoon (NEW) ***
11/13 (Untitled) Lagoon/Edina (NEW)

11/20 We Live in Public Lagoon
11/20 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon
11/20 The Messenger Edina (NEW)

11/25 The Road Edina ***

11/27 RED CLIFF Uptown
11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon
11/27 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Lagoon

12/04 The Strip Lagoon

12/11 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon

12/18 The Maid Edina
12/18 Young Victoria Edina

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown

2/12 Rashomon Lagoon ***

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Quick Thoughts – A Serious Man

Matt Gamble — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:41:39 +0000

Quick Thoughts – A Serious Man Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve got a secret to tell you, I watched A Serious Man over a week ago. When I went to go see it I assumed I would rush home to write something about it and get it online before any other doink could beat me. Then, due to circumstances beyond my control, I simply didn’t have the time due to watching a few other screenings over the next two days. Which is a good thing, as it allowed me a bit more time to think about the film, and make no mistake, this is a film that will force you to think.

Now, I’m going to do my best to not go into any specific spoilers about A Serious Man, but their are things that I think one should know going in. A Serious Man is a dark comedy, and while it has plenty of comedy the film is incredibly dark. Like most of the Coen’s films this one makes sure to put its characters through the ringer, and in a few cases they are downright unrelenting. I’ve heard people complain that they don’t like the Coen’s films because they get the feeling that the Coen’s don’t like their characters and A Serious Man isn’t going to change their minds, and most likely reinforce that idea, but to me A Serious Man is the one clear instance where the Coen’s are playing God. They are working in mysterious ways and tempting their characters to see if they will sin, and sinning results in consequences, rigorous and immediate consequences.

While Burn After Reading, a better film then most will have you believe, came across as a palette cleansing after the grim No Country For Old Men, A Serious Man dives right back into those murky and dangerous waters where every decision is fraught with risk and their are no easy answers.

Where No Country for Old Men saw a simple man come across a stroke of luck that he couldn’t possibly understand, A Serious Man provides the flip of a coin, where a simple man runs across a stroke of bad luck at the worst possible time, leaving him to question the nature of his life and his faith. And while good luck hardly favored Llewlyn Moss, bad luck provides some hope for Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) to have a better life, if only he finds it in himself to make the right choices. God doesn’t hate Larry Gopnik, he loves him. But he wants him to be a better, stronger more serious man, and he is going to put him through hell so that he can finally reach his potential.

A few other final notes, Stuhlburg has turned in a monster performance in a year filled with them. Not to be out done, Richard Kind follows him step for step in a fantastic supporting turn as Uncle Arthur, Gopnik’s troubled but brilliant brother.

For those wondering, the rather flashy trailer for the film actually does have a tie-in to the film, with many of the scenes having an almost orchestral flow to them as players slowly enter into a scene and interact until it crescendos. For such a dark and subdued comedy, the script comes off almost downright showy with how its structure is so flowery.

As for the ending, its going to perplex people as much, if not more then No Country for Old Men’s ending. Perhaps because it offers far more clues on to what was really going on while providing far fewer answers. I’ve got my theories on to what was actually happening in the film, and I’m quite certain it will take multiple viewings to truly grasp the multitude of events that were transpiring before me.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 6 – Coast to Coast

Matt Gamble — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:10:13 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 6 – Coast to Coast Where the Long Tail Ends
And we’re back! It’s been a month off and it seems like we somehow were able to pick up where we left off. This episode’s theme is Coast to Coast, based on the well known and otherwordly AM radio show of the same name that deals with UFO’s, ESP, Cryptozology and any other strange phenomena.

Following that premise we have watched two films, the Dutch film Häxan (1922), which focuses on occultism and witchcraft, and the obscure documentary Mysteries From Beyond Earth (1978), which covers pretty much everything. Considering James is a fan of the show and I am not, this could make for an interesting episode.

Rounding out the show we have our selection process, and thanks to Robert for sending in the recommendation for next episode’s theme. If you have any recommendations for films we could watch for the podcast, or want to suggest a potential theme for us to use, feel free to email us and tell us your ideas. If you enjoy the show make sure to subscribe through iTunes or our RSS feed so you can catch every new episode. Also, please friend James on Facebook. Because it will frighten and confuse him.

Thanks for listening!

Intro music – Frizzle Fry by Primus
Outro music – Lovecraft in Brooklyn by The Mountain Goats

Want to watch Mysteries From Beyond Earth? Its streaming online here.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Quick Thoughts – Surrogates

James Gillham — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:10:21 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Surrogates Where the Long Tail Ends
Friday afternoon, on a lark, I decided to attend a screening of the new action/science-fiction film Surrogates starring Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, and James Cromwell. To be honest, I was a bit cynical about it going in – aside from District 9 I’ve been left wanting by films of the action/science-fiction genre for quite a while now. But I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Surrogates is a fun, engaging film with enough twists to keep you guessing until nearly the end.

The special effects were used to great advantage and never felt superfluous. There were a number of terrific performances by the film’s well-known cast, Ving Rhames’s performance of ‘The Prophet’ (a Mumia Jamal-style subversive at war with future Earth’s techno-establishment) being especially outstanding. It is a fresh approach to a kind of science-fiction film (that being the kind of film where the main characters’ senses of reality are altered in some irretrievably extreme way through the use of technology) that have been seeing a lot of screen time since The Matrix made such a splash lo those many years ago. And, with films like these, it manages to make several pointed observations about the subtle ways in which a life filtered through certain technologies (such as the one we’re using now) can make for a more vivid, yet distant, reality. There are a number of spots where the film shifts between its mystery and action elements and the kind of social commentary one might expect from a work of speculative science-fiction like this.

Sure the plot runs afoul of a few science-fiction clichés here and there, and the film gets by with minimal tickling of the cerebellum; however, Surrogates is an exciting action/science-fiction film with enough going for it to make it well worth your time.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Quick Thoughts – Pandorum

Matt Gamble — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:48:34 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Pandorum Where the Long Tail Ends
I woke up this morning hoping that the first show of the day for Pandorum would be at noon as last night I screened Ichi for those of us stuck working and who were unable to watch the film during its screening. Because of that I didn’t get home until 3am, and since the print needed to be shipped out by noon today I was hoping I’d be able to get at least a few hours of sleep before heading out to the movie. But alas, AMC made sure to have the first show of the day at 110:45 am (thus ensuring a sparse crowd for the only matinee show of the day) and meaning I had to get up at 9am so that I could be at work and have the print broken down in time for me to make it to the screening. Not exactly the choicest way to view a movie, but I made it so I don’t have too many regrets.

Oddly enough Pandorum, despite the interesting trailers, was not screened for critics and has been released with little fanfare. This seems a bit curious as the film looked like it might be a nice sci-fi styled horror film and the production values alone looked impressive enough that they would draw people if even the tiniest bit of effort was put into publicizing the film.

The good news is the films visuals are stunning, the set designs are fantastic and the creatures roaming the ship are grotesquely amazing. Along with those we have some decent camera work and a solid performance by Ben Foster and a truly chilling one by relative newcomer Cam Gigandet.

That all being said, Pandorum has some serious pacing issues and it is particularly bloated in the middle of the film when the plot doesn’t quite seem to know where to go so to cover that up everyone runs around in circles on the ship for a half hour from one scene of expository dialogue to the next before they finally decide that things are much worse then they realized and they need to be fixed as soon as possible.

Luckily, Pandorum rights itself in its final act and gamely recovers from whatever pacing issues it might have been struggling with to pull off a pretty fun and somewhat inventive conclusion that seems to make the whole thing more then worth your time. Its far from a perfect movie, but it certain isn’t because of a lack of effort.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Days of the Dead @ The Parkway

Matt Gamble — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:27:43 +0000

Days of the Dead @ The Parkway Where the Long Tail Ends
The Parkway Theatre has assembled one heck of a great horror marathon for the Halloween weekend that they are calling Days of the Dead. Starting at 5:30 on Friday October 30th and running through Sunday evening The Parkway will be screening numerous horror films and other oddities for those of us who are into that sort of thing. As if that isn’t enough, each screening will have a corresponding drink/food special at the neighboring Pepito’s restaurant or at The Parkway’s concession stand. And if that isn’t enough, the entire marathon costs a mere $10. That’s right, a single ticket will get you into each and every film being shown during the entire weekend. One important note, starting at 7pm you must be 21 to attend any of the screenings due to the allowance of alcohol in the theatre.

If you haven’t made it out to The Parkway yet, this is as good a time as any to make the trip to this fantastic south Minneapolis movie theatre.

Full Schedule (drink/food specials)
Friday, Oct. 30th.
5:30 Frightmare ($1.00 off any size popcorn)
7:15 Blood Suckers (two for one beers and half price burritos)
9:00 Blood Thirst (two for one beers and half price nachos)
10:30 Blood Orgy of the She Devils (two for one beers and half price nachos)

Sat, Oct. 31st
1:30 The Legend of Bigfoot (1/2 off a large pop)
3:15 The Capture of Bigfoot (Free small beverage with large popcorn)
5:00 Werewolf Vs The Vampire Woman (Free small beverage with large popcorn)
7:30 Night of the Living Dead (free chips and salsa in lobby and $1.00 off margaritas)
11:30 Bride of the Monster (free chips and salsa in lobby and $1.00 off margaritas)

Sun, Nov. 1st
2:15 Mysteries From Beyond Earth (free chips and salsa in the lobby)
4:15 The Devil’s Triangle (free chips and salsa in the lobby)
5:30 Beyond Death’s Door (Small Popcorn and small beverage $2.30)
7:30 The Worm Eaters (Two for one Margaritas)
9:30 The Devil’s Messenger (Two for one Margaritas)
[gap][/gap]

[Wolfen]RNs_W7QiVMY[/Wolfen]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Quick Thoughts – Zombieland

Matt Gamble — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:13:57 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Zombieland Where the Long Tail Ends
Just got back from a screening of Zombieland and I don’t have too much to say about it. It’s a solid zom-com thought it is far from the best. The film drags early on and takes its sweet time getting to its actual point but it does have its share of highlights.

First, the opening credit sequence is pretty solid. And by solid I mean really freaking good. It will easily rank as one of the better opening credit sequences of the year and that includes Watchmen. No matter how much I see it, slow-motion plus people running from zombies always seems to work, and Zombieland makes sure to show you things you’d never thought you’d see in a zombie film.

Second, while the film drags for much of its second of four acts it really picks up its game when it introduces an absolute monster of a cameo in the third act. Epic in both the scale of the person involved and what they bring to the film. The cameo elevates the entire film and even when it ends it has built up enough momentum to power the film through a solid 4th act. This performance alone begs the film to be rewatched, and possibly even owned. Its that freaking good.

Third, at around 80 minutes the film doesn’t overstay its welcome, which is good because it feels a hell of a lot longer then 80 minutes. The film has its fare share of pacing issues, but once it finally gets to the meat of its story the film doesn’t fail to produce an entertaining and funny film.

Fourth, the audience I saw this with sucked. Their are few things I hate more then people who try and laugh louder than everyone in the theatre and this screening was full of them. yes, we get it. You know this is a comedy so you want to make sure that everyone knows how funny you think it is. So funny, in fact, that you will laugh at things that are not even supposed to be funny. That way, every one in attendance will know that you, and only you, truly “get” this movie.

So to sum up, Zombieland is a solid and entertaining film that should please pretty much any fan of the genre, even when douchebags in the audience try and ruin the film for everyone but themselves.

Zombieland opens at any theatre worth a damn on Friday, October 2nd.
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Independent Indies — Beer Wars: Brewed in America

James Gillham — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:27:33 +0000

Independent Indies — Beer Wars: Brewed in America Where the Long Tail Ends
Americans drink a lot of beer. We eat a lot of chocolate; we go to a lot of movies; we smoke lots of cigarettes, drive expensive cars, and watch lots of football games. We spend billions of dollars renting videos, buying computers, and visiting amusement parks. The American consumer is known the world over for their ability to spend money, and we’re reminded nearly every day (particularly during this time of less-than-ideal economic prosperity) that American consumerism is one of the engines that drives the world’s economy.

Still, it is amazing to see how much Americans spend on beer alone. Considering that Americans are thought by many to be an uptight bunch, it boggles the mind to consider how much money is spent on beer the world over. And with so much money to be made in our country alone, it is inevitable that the American beer industry be something akin to that little island where all of those kids crash-landed in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. And, of course, with an industry so mind-bogglingly vicious it is equally mind-boggling to think that there hasn’t yet been a documentary made exposing how vicious that industry really is.

Enter Beer Wars: Brewed in America.

Anat Baron, a former executive with the company that makes Mike’s Hard Lemonade, writes, produces, and directs this 89 minute foray into the cut-throat realm of the American grown-up beverage industry, where corporate back-stabbing, savage capitalism, and American politics-as-usual combine into a bitter brew indeed. Baron, herself allergic to alcohol, is nonetheless fascinated by the industry she called home for several years. Beer Wars (2009) begins by telling the brief history of the American brewing industry. From its peak in the early part of the twentieth century, where it seemed as though every major city had its own thriving brewery, through prohibition and its aftermath, and ultimately to the late 1970′s — when a combination of imperial capitalism and a mess of byzantine alcohol distribution regulations — reduced the number of profitable full-time breweries to a whopping three, the story of America’s love affair with beer is an interesting one.

Where our story really picks up is at the dawn of the last quarter century or so, when so-called “craft breweries” began to single-handedly revitalize a vibrant American beer-drinking culture that lay dormant beneath the dominance of the a few powerful beverage companies. Over the past twenty-five years the craft brewery industries has managed to secure itself a mere 5% share in all of the money spent by Americans on beer. The remaining 95%, distributed between the big three (or troika, as some of the craft brewmeisters would have it) beverage companies: Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors. Certainly, this last twenty-five years has had its heroes — think Rebel Alliance vs. Evil Galactic Empire, if you’re buying what Baron and some other of her beverage industry cohorts are selling — like Boston Brewery’s Samuel Adams and Delaware’s relatively tiny Dogfish Head brewery. Beer Wars is essentially a paean to their struggle to maintain their tiny foothold within the beverage industry in the face of the big three’s incredible wealth and influence. It is easy to identify with them; from Samuel Adams’s millionaire top executive Jim Koch who went from a bearded home-brewing hobbyist to one of the first very successful craft brewers, to young Sam Calagione, the beer enthusiast cum brewery CEO behind the Dogfish Head label, everybody involved in the craft brewing industry seems to live by the same motto: Brewing first, business second.

As Baron introduces the various players in the craft beverage game, we sympathize with their plight. Along with introducing us to Calagione of Dogfish Head, we also meet Rhonda Kallman — the co-founder of Boston Brewery (along with Jim Koch) who is now in charge of her own beer venture: a brew called Moonshot that is the world’s first caffeinated beer. Dogfish Head and Moonshot are just two of the many different people battling for room in America’s mugs, and Beer Wars gives us a frank insider’s look into their lives as they struggle to make it in the big show. They are both dreamers who necessarily must tangle with the larger American beverage concerns in order to first capture, then hold, their niche in the market. Anheuser-Busch (who is soon distinguished as the film’s number one heavy) stops at nothing to derail their progress. By marketing their own beers made to look like craft brews, cloning beers (like Moonshot) that seem to be gaining a foothold, and bringing frivolous suit against smaller concerns in order to sue them out of business, Anheuser-Busch proves that the American beer wars are indeed a bloodsport.

However, the film loses some of its fizz well before it’s finished. Once Baron turns from the concerns of the little guys and decides to take on the big three, Beer Wars starts to feel like so many of the other run-of-the-mill underdog documentaries that are out there. In a, conveniently one thinks, naive turn, Baron incredulously looks into the purpose of the American brewer’s lobby in Washington, as if a multi-billion dollar industry concerned with shipping alcoholic beverages across state lines wouldn’t at some point need to grease the palms of a few politicians. And worse, she even attempts a Michael Moore-style ambush of August Busch IV (then CEO of Anheuser-Busch) at some-or-another meeting of beverage executives in Washington. We watch as Calagione and Kallman make the rounds of various conventions trying to find a market for their brews, and listen as Baron criticizes the bully-boy tactics of Anheuser-Busch and the rest. The same refrain grows tiresome as one realizes that Calagione and Kallman are winning this game — they’ve managed to find a spot for themselves in this large and bewildering industry, and they’re among a larger movement of brewers and businesspeople that are bringing their products to market and finding buyers. Just because the going gets tough, Calagione and Kallman aren’t going anywhere — they’re content to continue fighting the good fight even if it seems, at times, a losing battle.

In a final and ironic twist, we learn that Coors and Miller have joined forces to fight Anheuser-Busch, and Anheuser-Busch has been purchased by an even bigger beverage concern. This and the fact that at one point Kallman meets with both Coors and Anheuser-Busch executives in hopes of marketing Moonshot to them, does a bit to take the edge off of all the nasty things we’ve been hearing about Coors, et. al. Before long, Calagione celebrates the addition of another giant tank at his expanding brewery in Delaware and we start to realize that things aren’t nearly as grim as Baron’s been making them out to be.

Still, Beer Wars is an enjoyable look into the world of the American brewing industry and is sure to hold the interest of beer drinkers as much as Bottle Shock and Sideways caught the eye of wine drinkers. The DVD contains deleted scenes and footage from a roundtable discussion featuring Baron, Calagione, Kallman, and others. It will be available for rental and purchase on DVD this Tuesday, September 22nd.

Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – The Shrine

Matt Gamble — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:33:13 +0000

One to Watch – The Shrine Where the Long Tail Ends
Very little details have come out so far about the upcoming film The Shrine. Even the first teaser trailer for the film shows only the title of the film and nothing more, though the second teaser at least finally shows some actual scenes from the film, but with little more then that to go on. Luckily, there is at least a short plot synopsis floating around to lend a little help.

After a young American backpacker goes missing in Europe, a group of journalists link his disappearance to a remote Polish village called Alvaina. Upon further investigation, the journalists discover that Alvaina has a history of bizarre cult activity revolving around human sacrifice. Hellbent on revealing the truth, they travel to the small village to uncover the story first hand. But after the discovery of an ancient stone statue hidden within the town, they quickly find themselves pursued by a mysterious and vengeful group of locals. Forced into the gruesome reality of true survival horror, the journalists soon realize that Alvaina hides a much darker secret than they could ever imagine.

Human sacrifice? Hell bending? Poland? Sure its not actual dialogue but it sure sounds good enough to me! Now if only I knew when the heck this movie was actually coming out.

Film: The Shrine (Official Site)

Director: Jon Knautz

Starring: Aaron Ashmore, Meghan Heffern, Cindy Sampson

Release Date: 2010 (USA)
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (9/18/09)

Matt Gamble — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:21:38 +0000

Coming Soon (9/18/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Afghan Star is getting its released date pushed, for the fourth time. Of course this is a better fate then Park Chan-wook’s latest film Thirst, which has been dropped and will not open in Minneapolis. This after being delayed twice, and after having an intial release date scheduled a full six weeks after its Chicago opening. As far as I can tell, Thirst only played in Chicago, New York and LA and that is it for the US, which is truly ridiculous. Word is trickling out that the studio (Focus Features/Universal) simply didn’t want to pay to strike prints, let alone market the film. Evidently they thought marketing a vampire film to modern day filmgoer’s was a risk not worth taking. Probably because they are idiots.

In other news Young Victoria had its release date pushed and … ohh … it says here Universal sucks. So it must be true. Hopefully one of the local Independent theatres(The Heights, Parkway or Riverview, I’m not picky) picks up the slack (Hey Trylon, throw us a freaking bone please!) and releases the film so Minneapolis film lovers have a chance to watch it in theatres.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

09/25 Burning Plain Uptown (tentative)
09/25 Paris Uptown/Edina
09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***
09/25 Afghan Star Lagoon (NEW DATE)
09/25 The Other Man Edina (tentative)

10/02 A Serious Man Uptown ***
10/02 Capitalism: A Love Story Lagoon
10/02 No Impact Man Lagoon
10/02 Flame & Citron Edina

10/09 Earth Days Lagoon
10/09 The Boys Are Back Edina
10/09 Amreeka Edina
10/09 Unmistaken Child Lagoon

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon
10/16 Coco Before Chanel Edina
10/16 More Than A Game Lagoon

10/23 An Education Uptown
10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon
10/23 Damned United Lagoon
10/23 Amelia Lagoon

10/30 New York, I Love You Uptown/Lagoon
10/30 Canyon Lagoon

11/06 Antichrist Uptown
11/06 Skin Edina

11/13 Crude Lagoon

11/20 We Live in Public Lagoon
11/20 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon

11/25 The Road Edina ***

11/27 RED CLIFF Uptown
11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon
11/27 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Lagoon

12/04 The Strip Lagoon (NEW)

12/11 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon

12/18 The Maid Edina
12/18 Young Victoria Edina (NEW DATE)

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown

2/12 Rashomon Lagoon ***

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Special Appearance by Michael Moore tomorrow @ The Lagoon

Matt Gamble — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:19:53 +0000

Special Appearance by Michael Moore tomorrow @ The Lagoon Where the Long Tail Ends
If you happen to be wandering the streets of Uptown tomorrow night and happen to see a large individual who bears more then a passing resemblance to Michael Moore, surprise, it is Michael Moore. The charismatic filmmaker will be in town to support his latest film Capitalism: A Love Story. But that film isn’t supposed to open in the Twin Cities for another couple of weeks? True, but The Lagoon Cinema will be hosting a semi-secret screening tomorrow at 7:00 pm of the film, and Moore will have a Q&A afterwards.

Great, so how can you get tickets? You can’t. This is a word of mouth screening so you have to be invited. In case that doesn’t register that means that you shouldn’t call The Lagoon to ask for tickets because they can’t give you any. You also shouldn’t show up at The Lagoon to ask for tickets because they can’t give you any. And it also means do not email me because I can’t get you in either. And if that isn’t enough reasons, please remember to not talk about Fight Club either. Because it has nothing to do with Moore’s film.

But, if you want to show up to stand outside and people watch and snap a few photos of the jolly director and then feel like sending them my way I’ll be more then happy to post them.

And, if anyone who actually has been invited to this screening could give me any details on what is discussed in the Q&A that would be awesome, because I’m stuck working tomorrow night and won’t be able to attend. So I’m just as screwed as the rest of you.

Capitalism: A Love Story opens at The Lagoon Cinema on October 2nd.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Headscratching marketing: Paranormal Activity

Matt Gamble — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:18:12 +0000

Headscratching marketing: Paranormal Activity Where the Long Tail Ends
While buzz is starting to build for the low budget haunted house/demon possession independent film Paranormal Activity, the odds of anyone actually getting to see the film seem surprisingly low. The film is getting an incredibly limited release on Thursday September 24th, with midnight screenings at 13 different theatres.

But so far that is it in terms of theatrical release. The studio (Paramount here in the US) is trying to increase demand for the film by having a competition hosted by Eventful, where fans demand the release in their local markets with a rather vague promise of “When your city gets enough demands, you WILL be the first to experience the terror!” Yet no mention of just how many demands are required to get a screening.

Knowing from experience what I do about free screenings, you’ll need something in the neighborhood of 1000 demands to convince a theatre to devote a 200 seat auditorium to a screening. And, as of this moment, not a single city has reached that magical number, though LA seems like it will eventually make it. It doesn’t seem very smart to make promises, no matter how vague, to their fanbase only to not be able to live up to them.

Of course we then have the new trailer, which incorporates audience reactions while showing moments from the film, which makes the entire thing look incredibly cheesy to me. The original trailer looks better, and is far more effective, and in the new trailer it is readily apparent they’ve cleaned up the images to make the picture look glossier and thus have more appeal to mainstream audiences. Whether or not the actual product has been cleaned up I have no idea, but the disconnect is now evident. Then you have the previous plans to remake the film with original director Oren Peli helming the remake, and you can’t help but wonder if they simply re-shot the whole film with better equipment due to the stark contrast in the visuals of the two trailers. It has taken two years to release this film after all.

And finally, we have the film’s rumored new endings. I say endings, because word is that there are as many as three endings floating out there in the ether that have been screened for audiences. While I know what two of them are, I haven’t heard anything specific about the latest ending, other than it is the worst of he bunch, which is probably why Paramount chose it.

At this point I have little hope of ever seeing this film in the theatres, which is a shame as the film certainly seems to have as good a chance as any of being a modern horror film that is actually scary, or God forbid, horrifying. But I will be sure to check it out once it eventually hits DVD, and here’s to hoping the film lives up to its rather strange, but intriguing, hype.

Paranormal Activity Official Site

For those interested I have both trailers after he break.

Original Trailer

[gap][/gap]

New Crappy Trailer

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Found Footage Festival vol 4 @ The Heights

Matt Gamble — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:33:07 +0000

Found Footage Festival vol 4 @ The Heights Where the Long Tail Ends
The always fascinating, yet disturbingly hilarious, Found Footage Festival once again returns to the Twin Cities on December 10th at The Heights Theatre. Their will be two showings, at 7:30 and 9:30, and curators Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher will be present at both screenings. Tickets will be $10 and can be purchased online.

For those that don’t know, the Found Footage Festival is devoted to digging up odd and obscure clips from old VHS tapes that have been found through any manner of ways. This volume’s highlights include:
[gap][/gap]

A collection of the worst Saturday morning cartoons ever to turn up on VHS

Highlights from a 1987 video dating reel found by David Cross

A home movie from a forgettable heavy metal festival in suburban Washington, D.C.

A brand-new compilation of exercise videos featuring Dolph Lundgren, Milton Berle, and WWF’s The Bushwhackers

Still not convinced? Check out these outstanding clips and then try and tell me you aren’t dying to watch this.
[gap][/gap]

[Wolfen]nQ-O3c1sjjI[/Wolfen]
[gap][/gap]
[Wolfen]hr1RYdPrbaI[/Wolfen]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Sound Unseen 2009 Lineup

Matt Gamble — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:43:27 +0000

Sound Unseen 2009 Lineup Where the Long Tail Ends
Due to a busy week I am a little behind in posting this, but make no mistake I am very excited about the latest edition of the Sound Unseen Film Festival here in the Twin Cities. For those that don’t know, Sound Unseen is a festival that focuses on films about musicians and artists, making it quite unique. Per usual the schedule looks very interesting, and I’m particularly intrigued by the 1st Annual Secret Screening on October 2nd. This year the festival will be held at four different locations; the Trylon Microcinema, Cedar Cultural Center, Oak Street Cinema and The Walker Art Center.

Sound Unseen Official Site
Pre-Order Tickets

Tuesday September 29th
7:00 PM – R.E.M. : This Is Not A Show – Director Vincent Moon in attendance, R.E.M. invited (Cedar)

Wednesday September 30th
7:30 PM – Rock Prophecies (Trylon)

Thursday October 1st
7:00 PM – Died Young, Stayed Pretty – Director Eileen Yaghoobian present (Walker)
7:00 PM – Bound For Glory (Trylon)
9:45 PM – Punching the Clown (Trylon)

Friday October 2nd
7:00 PM – Trimpin: Sound of Invention (Trylon)
7:15 PM – Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense (Oak St.)
9:00 PM – International Shorts program (Trylon)
9:30 PM – Stingray Sam – Director Cory McAbee present (Oak St.)
11:30 PM – 1ST ANNUAL SECRET SCREENING (Oak St.)

Saturday October 3rd
2:00 PM – Bound For Glory (Trylon)
4:30 PM – American Astronaut – Director Cory McAbee present (Oak St.)
5:00 PM – P-Star Rising (Trylon)
6:45 PM – Guy & Madeline on a Park Bench (Trylon)
7:00 PM – Local Shorts program (Oak St.)
8:45 PM – All Tomorrow’s Parties (Trylon)
9:30 PM – Dig! – Director Ondi Timoner present (Oak St.)
11:45 PM – Until the Light Takes Us (Oak St.)

Sunday October 4th
1:00 PM – Ed Thigpen: Master of Time, Rhythm and Taste – Director Don McGlynn present (Oak St.)
3:00 PM – Non-Stop: Gogol Bordello (Cedar)
4:30 PM – In Search of Beethoven (Oak St.)
5:00 PM – D-Tour – Director Jim Granto present (Cedar)
7:30 PM – We Live in Public – Director Ondi Timoner present (Cedar)

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Tune in next time for … Steel Dawn

Matt Gamble — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:15:57 +0000

Tune in next time for … Steel Dawn Where the Long Tail Ends
Well I originally had a different film in mind for my next viewing, but considering the news broke today that Patrick Swayze had finally succumb to cancer* I thought it would be best to select one of the few films of his I hadn’t seen during my formative years. That film being the post-apocalyptic epic Steel Dawn. Why I haven’t watched a film with swords, martial arts and futuristic desert wastelands is beyond me, but hear me now, this oversight shall now be rectified!

[Wolfen]rX1nX97yOv0[/Wolfen]

*Don’t cry! Hold it back. Let it turn to something else. Just let it turn to something else, okay? Listen to me. Don’t cry. Don’t you ever cry again as long as you live. Never do it. Do you hear me? Let it turn to something else Mattie. Let it turn. Let it turn.**

** See Red Dawn for why this is genius.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Cutthroat Island

Matt Gamble — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:35:56 +0000

Cutthroat Island Where the Long Tail Ends
At first glance my watching Cutthroat Island might seem a bit out of place with the purported purpose of this website. My goal was to watch lesser known films, specifically films I knew nothing about going into them, in the hopes of finding the occasional gem as well as simply taking a few risks when compared to my standard movie watching habits. I’m as guilty of being selective as anyone else and this seemed like a fun way to test the cinematic waters. And, well, watching one of the biggest financial flops in film history certainly has its own brand of appeal. How often do you get to watch a movie that killed an entire genre of film?

The pirate film, as most probably know, had a long, rich and financially successful relationship with Hollywood since Hollywood’s inception. They would have been considered the “blockbuster” films of their day, at least in comparison to modern day films. Big stars, big sets, bigger production budgets and big, big profits. While over time the popularity of pirate films, and the assured giant box office takes, fluctuated within Hollywood, their were few genres considered as sure as a thing as the pirate film.

By the time Cutthroat Island was being made the pirate film’s greatest glories had long since passed. While they were still being produced with regularity, they hadn’t dominated at the box office in years. So, as production began on Cutthroat Island, word soon began to spread that it would mark a return to Hollywood’s Golden Age, a time when people of all ages could lose themselves in the wonder of the movies. Cutthroat Island, it was promised, would mark the first step of many to a new Hollywood Golden Age.

Even years later I still remember being inundated with the marketing push for Cutthroat Island. TV spots were everywhere, and I specifically remember all the television tabloids like Inside Edition and Access Hollywood offering numerous “exclusive” behind-the-scenes looks at the film. Geena Davis, whose star had steadily risen for years, was being pushed as the next Hollywood superstar, an actress who could excel in both dramatic and action roles. Her husband, and Cutthroat Island’s director, Renny Harlin, was being touted with equal fervor. As the next “it” action director. The press simply couldn’t get enough of this husband and wife duo battling to resurrect a cherished but slightly forgotten genre. Cutthroat Island quickly became a looming juggernaut. A Christmas film that simply could not fail. Would not fail. That is, until it failed. Rather spectacularly as it turns out.

Four brothers possess a map (split into three pieces) that will lead to a legendary treasure. A treasure so vast that it would make each and every one of them and their crew’s richer then they could possibly imagine. So naturally they start killing each other for their pieces of the map. So when Morgan Adams (Geena Davis) learns that her uncle Dawg Brown (Frank Langella) is going to kill her father (Harris Yulin) for his portion of the map. So she sets off to save him, recover the map and reach the treasure before Dawg can.

We should get a few statistics out in the open so everyone knows just how big of a financial failure Cutthroat Island ended up being. Cutthroat Island had an estimated budget of $115 million to make the film and had a total box office take of just over $10 million. Making Cutthroat Island one of the largest box office failures in terms of percentage of revenue lost as well as being the biggest box office flop in terms of sheer money being lost. Of course, this doesn’t even take into account the millions of dollars that were part of the films marketing budget. Based on sheer numbers, and the Guinness Book of World Records, Cutthroat Island is the biggest bomb in the history of film. So, kudos for that!

Like seemingly most people, I had never seen Cutthroat Island before I finally had Netflix send me a copy, so I had no idea if the film was as bad as the size of its financial failure might imply. But since I had just made it through a film that had ruined its production company in Mutant, I figured why not sit through a second film that caused a production company to declare bankruptcy. Though, to be fair to Cutthroat Island, Carolco Pictures declared bankruptcy six weeks before Cutthroat Island made it to theatres. Cutthroat Island wasn’t entirely to blame though, as Last of the Dogmen and Showgirls had financially crippled the studio earlier that summer with their poor performances. Cutthroat Island was simply the final nail in the coffin for a studio that only four years earlier had been on top of the world with Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

So here I was, watching my second film in a row that had taken down a studio, but from the opening moments it became clear that this film was far superior to the mess that was Mutant. Though to be perfectly honest Cutthroat Island is far from a good film in its own right. But its faults are hardly anything unique to the films of that decade. Impossibly choreographed action sequences punctuated with awful one liners being the most obvious offense. Sure, they work great when being uttered by muscle bound Austrian’s, but by Geena Davis? Not so much. But really, the terrible jokes are hardly the biggest issue with Cutthroat Island.

In reality, Cutthroat Island really doesn’t have a biggest problem, which is what makes it so fascinating. The film is by all accounts highly competent, if incredibly uneven. The acting by the leads is fine for the most part, but the majority of the secondary roles are bad caricatures at best. The dialogue can at times be witty and intriguing, and at others a mess of bad jokes and confusing references. Even the action sequences, which are performed perfectly, are hampered by the fact that they are so obviously staged. One particular sequence stands out, in which Morgan jumps from a moving stagecoach into a shop, walks through it rather haphazardly, then proceeds to somersault out the far window and land in the exact same coach that she jumped out of a few seconds earlier. The choreography and execution of the scene is fantastic, yet it is plainly obvious that it could never actually occur, thus yanking the viewer straight out of the film.

Perhaps the most head scratching of all is the strange plot point of the map being written in Latin. Because none of the pirates can read Latin, Morgan must find someone who can. In this case Shaw (Matthew Modine) a petty thief and scam artist who has been locked up by the local militia and is to be sold into slavery. He also just happens to know Latin, and so Morgan purchases his services. But in a stunningly odd twist the map isn’t actually written in Latin, it’s written backwards. Spoiler alert! That’s just fucking stupid.

But how does a competent, if uneven, film become the biggest box office failure of all time? It’s hard to say. The chemistry between Davis and Modine is non-existent, and while Davis is clearly giving everything she has in her role, she’s still badly miscast. Plus Harlin’s odd pacing choices certainly don’t help matters either. It’s easy to see why the film was such a critical failure, as the film has plenty of flaws and is easy to nit pick to death. You might even note that the film really doesn’t have any bankable stars, especially for such a huge budget. Then of course there was the fact that everyone knows that no one wants to watch pirate movies. Or perhaps it was just the release date? Action films, as everyone knows, just aren’t released on Christmas. Clearly that must be the reason. Or maybe it was all Carolco’s fault. By declaring bankruptcy weeks before the film opened they killed any chance of the film being successful. But honestly? I don’t think it was any of those. I think it might have been its PG-13 rating.

Now that might seem like an odd assertion, but here me out. At the time Cutthroat Island was released it was competing against a bevy of films, including Sabrina, Nixon, Grumpier Old Men, Waiting to Exhale, Jumanji and Heat. While the week after Cutthroat Island’s release we saw Mr Holland’s Opus, Richard III and Twelve Monkeys get released. Now of all those films, the two that Cutthroat Island was directly competing with were Jumanji and Heat which were both action films. Now I’m not much a fan of either film, but I think it is safe to say that Jumanji is a comparable film in quality while Heat is clearly superior to both. Jumanji is a sort of swashbuckling adventure story told at a breakneck pace to young kids and it held a great deal of appeal to them, while Heat is a gritty and realistic action film for adults. Both these films highlight Cutthroat Island’s weaknesses; that it is far too stuffy for younger kids, and it seems positively childish when aimed at older audiences.

So when Cutthroat Island was finally released, in retrospect it seems pretty obvious why an average film failed so miserably. It was competing against films that were at worst its equal in quality, but had greater appeal to the demographic that Cutthroat Island was trying to reach. Cutthroat Island was simply stuck in a wasteland called a PG-13 that was struggling to reach outside of a very small window of viewers. And with so many solid films being released it drowned in almost relative obscurity. Of course nowadays studios crave to grab a PG-13 rating, as the market has shifted in such a manner that that rating now has the widest range of appeal. Which makes one wonder, just how well would a film like Cutthroat Island do in today’s market? After sitting through it, I’m quite confident that it would do better then I would have originally believed.

[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (9/10/09)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:00:26 +0000

Coming Soon (9/10/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
Incredibly boring update this week, as only one new film is added to the booking sheet. The film, called The Strip, looks less than interesting. Though is does star Dave Foley, so odds are I’ll watch it. The only other news is that Afghan Star has been tentatively bumped to next week, and The Road has been bumped to Thanksgiving.

That’s all I got. If you want more you’ll be waiting for awhile.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

09/18 Bright Star Uptown
09/18 The Informant! Lagoon ***
09/18 It Might Get Loud Lagoon
09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina
09/18 Afghan Star Lagoon (NEW DATE)

09/25 Burning Plain Uptown (tentative)
09/25 Paris Uptown/Edina
09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***
09/25 Thirst Lagoon ***
09/25 The Other Man Edina (tentative)

10/02 A Serious Man Uptown ***
10/02 Capitalism: A Love Story Lagoon
10/02 No Impact Man Lagoon
10/02 Flame & Citron Edina

10/09 Earth Days Lagoon
10/09 The Boys Are Back Edina
10/09 Amreeka Edina
10/09 Unmistaken Child Lagoon

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon
10/16 Coco Before Chanel Edina
10/16 More Than A Game Lagoon

10/23 An Education Uptown
10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon
10/23 Damned United Lagoon
10/23 Amelia Lagoon

10/30 New York, I Love You Uptown/Lagoon
10/30 Canyon Lagoon

11/06 Antichrist Uptown
11/06 Skin Edina

11/13 Crude Lagoon
11/13 Young Victoria Edina

11/20 We Live in Public Lagoon
11/20 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon

11/25 The Road Edina (NEW DATE) ***

11/27 RED CLIFF Uptown
11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon
11/27 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Lagoon

12/04 The Strip Lagoon (NEW)

12/11 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon

12/18 The Maid Edina

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown

2/12 Rashomon Lagoon (NEW) ***

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

One to Watch – Assault Girls

Matt Gamble — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:23:19 +0000

One to Watch – Assault Girls Where the Long Tail Ends
I know next to nothing about Mamoru Oshii’s latest film. What I do know is that he’s directed some pretty great animated films like Ghost in the Shell and The Sky Crawlers, and judging by the teaser for Assault Girls it should packed with plenty of sand whales, giant guns, angels, Lucifer and cute Japanese girls kicking ass. Really, what more from a fantasy film do you honestly need?

Film: Assault Girls (Asaruto gâruzu)

Director: Mamoru Oshii

Starring: Rinko Kikuchi, Meisa Kuroki, Hinako Saeki

Release Date: December 19th, 2009 (Japan)

[Wolfen]Lf-uGHIfTqU[/Wolfen]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The entire Evil Dead Trilogy @ Plaza Maplewood Theatre

Matt Gamble — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:48:29 +0000

The entire Evil Dead Trilogy @ Plaza Maplewood Theatre Where the Long Tail Ends
From what little I know the Plaza Maplewood Theatre is typically a second run theatre, but that hasn’t stopped them from booking a fantastic triple bill in November. That triple bill being the entire Evil Dead Trilogy, back-to-back-to-back. In case you are wondering, yes, they will be in order with what I assume will be very short breaks in between the films. Screening starts at 9pm, so expect to be there until the wee hours of the morning. But the best news of all? The entire event, meaning all three films (The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness for those who didn’t know), only costs $8. Eight frakking dollars. That is a heck of a deal on three great films. I just might have to make the trek out there myself. Anyone else with me?
[gap][/gap]

Evil Dead trailer

[gap][/gap]
Evil Dead II trailer

[gap][/gap]
Army of Darkness trailer

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Eds Asner appearing at The Riverview

Matt Gamble — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:45:05 +0000

Eds Asner appearing at The Riverview Where the Long Tail Ends
What is perhaps the most outstanding and trenchant film related event I’ve come across in some time, Ed Asner will be appearing at The Riverview Theatre on September 29th for a screening of his latest film Up, where he will discuss his role as Carl Frederickson and talk about aging and intergenerational relationships. The screening is being hosted by Little Brothers, an organization that pairs volunteers with elderly individuals in an effort to help them combat lonliness and isolation that often comes with aging. Hopefully some of you can make it out to what will no doubt be an outstanding event.

Location: Riverview Theater; 3800 42nd Ave S
Schedule: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 Event begins at 6:30 p.m.
Dress: Casual
Tickets: Call to order tickets by 9/23; check or credit card accepted

Tickets may be available at the door; cash or check only
(612) 746-0752 (612) 746-0748
(612) 746-0750 (612) 746-0744
Cost $15 for single ticket; $25 for 2 if ordered by 9/23
$20 at the door
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Independent Indies – Take Out

Matt Gamble — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:48:58 +0000

Independent Indies – Take Out Where the Long Tail Ends
Growing up in the Midwest I never had much exposure to Chinese food, authentic or otherwise. Their may have been a Chinese restaurant in Cedar Rapids but I don’t remember us ever going. In contrast I do remember at least a half dozens different trips to Godfather’s Pizza which involved me gagging on cheese. While my mother would attempt the occasional Chinese dish, she simply didn’t have access to very many quality ingredients, making those meals some of my least anticipated so even once we moved to Wisconsin I rarely, if ever, attempted to seek out any Asian cousine. But once I headed up to the University of Minnesota my world would drastically change.

Take Out is a surprisingly simple film, yet powerfully compelling. It opens with two thugs barging into an overcrowded apartment, searching for Ming Ding (Charles Jang), an illegal immigrant who borrowed money from a loan shark to finance his journey to the United States. But Ming has fallen behind on his payments and the loan shark has sent a very clear message, “I need $800 tonight or your debt doubles!” And just in case that isn’t clear enough the thugs leave a calling card courtesy of a hammer to his back.

Ming quickly sets out to call in the few financial favors he has, and even after that he is still $200 short, with only a single days works as a delivery boy for a local Chinese restaurant as his only chance at scratching out enough in tips. Luckily for Ming it has started to rain, leaving him with a few extra delivery chances while his colleague has promised to bow out for the day, giving Ming a legitimate chance to break even, provided that he works his ass off.

Take Out is the type of film I typically would rarely enjoy. It has your standard plot points of the underdog fighting against all odds along with a backdrop of illegal immigration and the struggles they have surviving in a place that rarely acknowledges their existence, all providing what would typically be moral props to support a cliché film. But Take Out’s neo-realistic style has an emotional immediacy that makes the film impossible to dismiss and far from cliché.

Directors Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou are able to accomplish this because of several reasons. First, the cinematography is truly stunning. Not because it is flashy or even beautiful, but rather because of how organic and intimate it is. The scenes in the restaurant were all shot while it was still open, making every moment that occurs within its walls feel incredibly realistic. And that feeling spills out from the restaurant with each delivery Ming makes. Oh sure, you will figure it out later that each delivery had to be staged to one degree or another, but you’ll be hard pressed to view Take Out as anything but a documentary while the film is running, which is a testament to the quality of the film.

Aiding the cinematography is the fantastic acting from the entire cast. Jang, in particular, is outstanding as Ming. While a predominantly silent performance Jang is able to effectively emote the deep sense of melancholy that practically seeps out of his every pore. But this isn’t a showy performance, quite the opposite, as Ming is resigned to the struggle that saturates his life and is simply do everything he can to maintain his composure. Ming realizes this is a terrible day, but it is just one of a series of terrible days that he has already lived through, just as he will live through many more of them in the future. Ming simply has a job to do and he will put everything he has into accomplishing it.

But while Jang is the true standout performance, it is Wang-Thye Lee as Big Sister who steals every scene in which she appears. When Baker and Tsou decided to shoot at this specific restaurant they wisely decided to keep the effervescent Lee in the film, as she is the actual owner of the restaurant. Every scene of her taking orders or interacting with customers are actual events that Baker and Tsou filmed while the store was open and Lee dominates the screen whether she is cursing out annoying customers in Mandarin or giving a high five to those she enjoys. She is a consummate showman and the film crackles whenever she is onscreen with nary a drop off just because she isn’t a “real” actress, in fact, quite the opposite occurs. Lee’s naturalism helps authenticate the entire film.

When I eventually made it to the University of Minnesota I found myself living in a city that had a huge Asian population, and as a result soon found myself trying out all manner of Asian cousine. It didn’t take long for me to realize that something I had once avoided was something I now relished. And while Take Out is on cursory glance a seemingly standard melodrama, in actuality it is a rich and fascinating film, full of complexities and wonder, and a film I would not only recommend, but have every intention of revisiting again and again.
[gap][/gap]

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Coming Soon (9/6/09)

Matt Gamble — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:57:24 +0000

Coming Soon (9/6/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
Some shuffling of the schedule again as a few moves have their release dtaes pushed to help make room. You should expect this for the remainder of the year at the very least, as their are simply too many strong releases and not enough screens. Don’t be surprised if a few interesting films end up falling off completely as well. Hopefully some of the other Independent theatres in town will snag them.

A couple of documentaries make the booking sheet this week, with We Live in Public being the most well known of the two. But the big addition is clearly the Amelia Earhart bio-pic Amelia, starring Hilary Swank, that will open on October 23rd.

But while that is the marquee addition, the one I am most anticipating is the re-release of the Akira Kurosawa classic, Rashomon, on February 12th of next year. This will be a brand new print, and as Kurosawa is one of my favorite directors, this will be a must see event. Hopefully it will be for you as well.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

09/09 9 Lagoon ***

09/11 The Baader Meinhof Complex Uptown
09/11 Afghan Star Lagoon (NEW DATE)
09/11 The World’s Greatest Dad Lagoon (NEW DATE) ***
09/11 Captain Abu Raed Lagoon/Edina
09/11 Play the Game Edina (tentative)
09/11 The September Issue Edina

09/18 Bright Star Uptown
09/18 The Informant! Lagoon ***
09/18 It Might Get Loud Lagoon
09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina

09/25 Burning Plain Uptown (tentative)
09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***
09/25 Thirst Lagoon (NEW DATE) ***
09/25 Paris Edina
09/25 The Other Man Edina (tentative)

10/02 A Serious Man Uptown ***
10/02 Capitalism: A Love Story Lagoon
10/02 No Impact Man Lagoon
10/02 Flame & Citron Edina

10/09 Earth Days Lagoon
10/09 The Boys Are Back Edina
10/09 Amreeka Edina
10/09 Unmistaken Child Lagoon (NEW)

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon
10/16 Coco Before Chanel Edina
10/16 More Than A Game Lagoon
10/16 The Road Edina ***

10/23 An Education Uptown
10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon
10/23 Damned United Lagoon
10/23 Amelia Lagoon (NEW)

10/30 Canyon Lagoon
10/30 New York, I Love You Lagoon
10/30 Skin Edina

11/06 Antichrist Uptown

11/13 Crude Lagoon
11/13 Young Victoria Edina

11/20 We Live in Public Lagoon (NEW)
11/20 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon (NEW DATE)

11/27 RED CLIFF Uptown
11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon
11/27 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Lagoon

12/11 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon

12/18 The Maid Edina

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown

2/12 Rashomon Lagoon (NEW) ***

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

Quick Thoughts – Carriers

Matt Gamble — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:53:13 +0000

Quick Thoughts – Carriers Where the Long Tail Ends
Evidently Minneapolis is a horror hotbed, as while the newly released horror film Carriers only debuted on ~100 screens nationwide, it somehow managed to make it to 8 screens just in the Twin Cities alone. That seems like a bit of over saturation for a market not exactly know as a gore hound local. This miscalculation seemed to be reinforced when Anna and I went to go see the film at 10am and only two others were present in the theatre. Interesting enough, with the film being put in Southdale’s smallest theatre it almost felt like we were in our own living room. Those types of close quarters should play pretty well for horror films, yet Carriers tried quite hard to not be a horror film.

The biggest issue with Carriers is that it isn’t scary, at all. In fact, its so sappy and sweet that I’d be hard pressed to cal it a horror film at all, as it focuses more on how the relationship’s between the four main characters are barely hanging on, making the film much closer to a melodrama. Think Revolutionary Road with a case of whooping cough and less attractive clothing.

And while that is an interesting idea for a horror film to take, and one that probably could make for a compelling film, these characters were so bland and the dialogue was so awful, that I spent most of the running time just hoping some sort of threat would appear and start hunting them so at least something interesting would finally start happening.

Don’t be fooled by the trailer, any bit of action or suspense in Carriers is crammed into that two minute block, as the vast majority of the film is spent watching our protagonists trying to decide if they will leave someone behind. Someone, I might add, that is so vapid and annoying that they are not worth wasting so much time and energy on, let alone an entire movie.

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One to Watch – Pandorum

Matt Gamble — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:04:53 +0000

One to Watch – Pandorum Where the Long Tail Ends
Pandorum has been rather quietly hovering under most people’s radar for several months now. not much has been known about the film other then the cast, the outer space setting and the perception that this might be a horror film of some kind. With clips of the “monsters” that are in the film being released today (anyone else think they look similar to Reavers), Pandorom should be quickly ramping up the pop culture consciousness. Which is a good thing since it opens theatrically in just a few weeks.

Hopefully Pandorum continues the rather solid string of science fiction films that are being released this year, and it would be nice to have a new space horror film to curl up with.

Film: Pandorum (Official Site)

Director: Christian Alvart

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le

Release Date: September 25th, 2009 (USA)

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Landmark to present an exclusive engagement with Ichi

Matt Gamble — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:08:37 +0000

Landmark to present an exclusive engagement with Ichi Where the Long Tail Ends
Word is the agreements are finally set and Landmark Theatres is going to be having exclusive one night screenings of the film Ichi, the latest incarnation of the martial arts classic series, Zatoichi. As far as I can tell these screenings will mark he US Theatrical debut of this film, which is an extra added bonus. And in case you are wondering, yes this will be a 35mm presentation. Below is a list of the specific Landmark theatres that will be hosting the event along with the date of their screening. Please feel free to contact them directly for more information.

9/17/09 – Esquire Theatre
9/17/09 – Magnolia Theatre

9/24/09 – Edina Theatre
9/24/09 – La Jolla Village

10/1/09 – Century Centre Cinema
10/1/09 – Varsity Theatre

10/8/09 – Aquarius Theatre
10/8/09 – Downer Theatre

10/15/09 – Lumiere Theatre
10/15/09 – Sunshine Cinema

10/22/09 – E Street Cinema
10/22/09 – Shattuck Cinemas

10/29/09 – Midtown Art Cinema

11/5/09 – Main Art Cinema
11/5/09 – Kendall Square Cinema

Trailer for the film after the break!

[gap][[/gap]
[Wolfen]MxGOu2Hauk[/Wolfen]

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Quick Thoughts – 9

Matt Gamble — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:03:23 +0000

Quick Thoughts – 9 Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve been looking forward to Shane Acker’s 9 for well over a year now, and going into this year it was easily in the top handful of films that I was most anticipating. I probably set my expectations far too high, especially for a first time feature film director who was seemingly working in the delicate realm of children’s horror films. And while 9 didn’t meet my expectations, oh man did it come freaking close.

One thing I was not expecting is that 9 is a very simple, straight forward narrative. Not much in the way of deep themes and moral lessons for the kiddies. Oh sure, they are present and there even is a nice montage that explains how much greedy humans are at fault for the destruction of the world but that is hardly the focus of the film. This is a very simply plotted action film that most assuredly will scare the pants off your kids if you bring them to it. And they aren’t the only ones, as I’m quite sure the crazy cobra spider-thing with the disturbing baby doll head (The Seamstress) will haunt my dreams well into the next decade.

Which reminds me, the character design in the film is freaking amazing. Our protagonists are both strangely adorable and tenderly kick-ass at the same time, making it easy to see why Acker has been so quick to latch on to the term stitchpunk for the film. But that is just the beginning, the villains from The Cat Beast to the weird bat-bird (The Winged Beast) to said dream haunter to the Fabricator are all nightmarishly awesome. Whomever ends up making action figures for this film totally has my money, because I want to own every single character from this film.

Oh yes, for those of you insane enough to bring your kids to this film I give you a word of warning. 9 makes Bambi look like Swedish massage. You’ve got biological warfare, AT-AT’s blowing people to pieces, suicide and you even have something that RIPS YOUR SOUL OUT OF YOUR BODY!!! There is a reason this film is PG-13, because it will scare the shit out of you. Yes you, the adult. So don’t drag your 6 year old to this.

9 opens at the Lagoon Cinema on Wednesday September 9th.

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Defendor trailer brings the lime juice

Matt Gamble — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:00:27 +0000

Defendor trailer brings the lime juice Where the Long Tail Ends
Oh yes, THE LIME JUICE!

For those of you that are fans of Special (and if you aren’t what the hell is wrong with you?) Defendor looks to be another low budget masked vigilante film that will tickle your funny bone and tug on your heartstrings. But with Woody Harrelson instead of Michael Rappaport. Defendor will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and hopefully if it plays well there you should see this film in theatres as soon as next spring.

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My One and Only opens @ The Edina

Matt Gamble — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:57:44 +0000

My One and Only opens @ The Edina Where the Long Tail Ends
What a cast! What a story! What a horrible trailer! I probably shouldn’t be saying that but this trailer just doesn’t appeal to me on any level. Even Kevin Bacon doesn’t do it for me, and I adore him. Which is impressive since I once watched Kevin Bacon be raped onscreen by Colin Firth and I really liked that.

Though lets be honest, shall we? The primary reason this trailer looks terrible is because Renee Zellweger is starring in it. I seriously can’t stand her. She’s annoying and perky and she always looks like she has just finished sucking on a lemon. Plus she’s a terrible actress, which makes all the superficial reasons why I hate her stand out even more. Plus she sucks. On lemons.

But then again this film clearly is not intended for me, so hopefully the seniors come out in force to watch her open a terribly trite film out at The Edna. Huzzah!

My One and Only opens this Friday, September 4th at The Edina Theatre.
[gap][/gap]

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Beavis and Butt-head discuss Extract

Matt Gamble — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:56:38 +0000

Beavis and Butt-head discuss Extract Where the Long Tail Ends
What the world needs now, is more Beavis and Butt-head.

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Quick Thoughts – The Baader Meinhof Complex

Matt Gamble — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:46:48 +0000

Quick Thoughts – The Baader Meinhof Complex Where the Long Tail Ends
The Baader Meinhof Complex is an interesting film, in that it incorporates a rather complex and often confusing narrative about terrorists that were convinced that they were opposing Nazi’s. They believed this because they were. After the fallout of World War II much of the Nazi party retained their jobs in an effort to quickly rebuild Germany. As the children of that generation began to grow up they found it odd that the people who were responsible for the horrors of Nazi-era Germany were still running much of the country. And as students began to protest this setup, and the German government continued to punish them for it, it started the inevitable cycle of terror that would rip through the country for the next decade.

Unfortunately I am no where near well versed enough on Germany’s post-war history to be much of an authority, and as such The Baader Meinhof Complex often comes across as a convoluted mess, at least plot wise. But the ideas it is speaking of are both fascinating and challenging. The Baader Meinhof Complex initially romanticizes the actions of the Red Army Faction, as they were students who felt it was their civic duty to stand up to the conservative government that was running the country and was still populated with Nazi’s. But, as their revolution lengthens and more and more generations of revolutionaries join their cause the film shifts in tone, as it recognizes that this course of action results in no winners, just death, destruction and fear.

The Baader Meinhof Complex is a fascinating film, and it certainly argues some very interesting, if not controversial points, but it seems to need a bit more refinement in its plotting to make things easier for viewers such as myself to follow it. I know the big events (the Munich Games and the Lufthansa hijacking for instance) but I know little of the players in this game and the film does little to flesh them out, which results in The Baader Meinhof Complex being an interesting film, but far from a great one.

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Quick Thoughts: World’s Greatest Dad

Matt Gamble — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:57:48 +0000

Quick Thoughts: World’s Greatest Dad Where the Long Tail Ends
Just got home from a screening of Bobcat Goldthwait’s newest film, World’s Greatest Dad, starring Robin Williams. While I really enjoyed the film, it is not without its problems. The acting, particularly from the kids playing the students, is downright awful. Some of the adult leads aren’t much better. The plot meanders for much of the first half of the film which makes it appear to be a pretty standard and dull comedy.But once a rather big plot point occurs the films truly becomes a darkly brilliant comedic film.

Williams is great, as he often is when he isn’t playing to his standard schtick, and the film played surprisingly well to the midwestern audience in attendance. Considering how racy the film can be, I found that a bit surprising, but very pleased. World’s Greatest Dad also works as a perfect compliment to a very iconic 80′s film, that shall remain nameless so as to not spoil the film.

Word of warning, the trailer for the film only draws from the first half of the film, which is both a bonus and a detriment, as it makes the film appear to be rather bland when in actuality it is both biting and inventive, as well as being incredibly dark at times. I highly recommend the film, and hopefully it will be playing somewhere near you so you get a chance to check out this fantastic dark satire.

Sadly the film has had its release here in Minneapolis pushed, so it will no longer be opening this Friday, September 4th. Hopefully on the next booking sheet it will have its new release date listed, as this movie is far too interesting to not get a release.

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The Uptown will see your Pontypool and raise you a Carpenter

Matt Gamble — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:15:34 +0000

The Uptown will see your Pontypool and raise you a Carpenter Where the Long Tail Ends
Great news for the next midnight movie series out at The Uptown Theatre, as one of the upcoming films is the John Carpenter classic (and arguably his best film) The Thing will be playing on December 18th at the slightly misnomer-esque 11:45 PM time slot. Why the excitement? Because prints for The Thing had only been available for reel-to-reel projectors, that is, up until now. As a brand new print has been struck for the more modern platter-style projection systems and that print will be headed our way for this midnight screening.

John Carpenter’s The Thing
Saturday, Dec. 18
Uptown Theatre
11:45 PM l $9

Thanks to Switchblade Comb for the heads up.
[gap][/gap]

[Wolfen]ouZkkIsLiNg[/Wolfen]

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Finally! Pontypool to play in Minneapolis

Matt Gamble — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:00:54 +0000

Finally! Pontypool to play in Minneapolis Where the Long Tail Ends
It has taken some time, but finally the Canadian Zombie but not Zombie film Pontypool will make its theatrical debut here in the Twin Cities at none other then the Oak Street Cinema as part of their Late Night Horror series. The film will play on September 24-26th at 9:30 pm each night.

Minnesota Film Arts is also promising that this will be the first in what they claim will be a weekly horror series. As much as I hope this is true, I’m sure most members of the Twin Cities film community knows better then to get their hopes up when it comes to the Oak Street, and I’m no different. But even though I am unconvinced at the idea of the Oak Street pulling off a horror series, I will still make sure to head over there to watch Pontypool in all its 35mm glory and I hope you do as well.

Of course, once you finally do watch the film be sure to check out my rather long winded essay on the film. It might actually make sense to you then.

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Talk Cinema starts September 12th @ The Edina

Matt Gamble — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:14:31 +0000

Talk Cinema starts September 12th @ The Edina Where the Long Tail Ends
Once again it is time for The Edina to host the Fall/Winter edition of Talk Cinema, a film series run by Harlan Jacobson that allows its subscribers to screen a unique and varied selection of films before their release dates, and then holds a discussion about them afterwards, which are typically led by film critics, scholars or even the filmmakers themselves. Some of the notably films screened for this series at The Edina last year were Everlasting Moments, The Reader, Joyeux Noel, Two Lovers, Wendy and Lucy, Man on Wire and Slumdog Millionaire.

Tickets run $18 per individual film, or you can buy tickets for the entire series for $168 ($14 per film). But the real advantage of this series is for students, as their tickets are a mere $5 per film, which, when including the fact you are watching these films often several weeks in advance, would mean that is probably the best deal in town. Only caveat to the entire series is the films screen at 10am on Saturdays, but to help ease your suffering free coffee is provided at each film. Please register in advance online or by calling 800-551-9221.

Talk Cinema will screen on the following dates at The Edina Cinema:

September 12, 2009
October 3, 2009
November 7, 2009
November 21, 2009
December 5, 2009
December 19, 2009
January 16, 2010
January 30, 2010
February 13, 2010
February 27, 2010
March 13, 2010
March 27, 2010

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Coming Soon (8/28/09)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:07:52 +0000

Coming Soon (8/28/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
An impressive number of big additions this week, specifically with The September Issue, The Maid and Flame & Citron. Yeah, I don’t know what those are either. But just when I thought that those were the only new additions the big guns started rolling in. The Informant!, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and most importantly, The Road. All three have my interest piqued for various reasons, but The Road is a film that I have been highly anticipating for about two years now, and it is a film that I believe stands a good chance of being something that I truly love.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

08/29 The Adventures of Robin Hood Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 The Bride of Frankenstein Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 It Happened One Night Edina (One Night Only) ***

09/04 The World’s Greatest Dad Uptown ***
09/04 Extract Lagoon
09/04 Afghan Star Lagoon
09/04 My One and Only Edina

09/09 9 Lagoon ***

09/11 The Baader Meinhof Complex Uptown
09/11 Captain Abu Raed Lagoon/Edina
09/11 Play the Game Edina
09/11 The September Issue Edina (NEW)

09/18 Bright Star Uptown
09/18 The Informant! Lagoon (NEW) ***
09/18 Thirst Lagoon ***
09/18 It Might Get Loud Lagoon
09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina

09/25 Burning Plain Uptown
09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***
09/25 Paris Edina
09/25 The Other Man Edina

10/02 A Serious Man Uptown ***
10/02 Capitalism: A Love Story Lagoon
10/02 No Impact Man Lagoon
10/02 Flame & Citron Edina (NEW)

10/09 Earth Days Lagoon
10/09 The Boys Are Back Edina
10/09 Amreeka Edina

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon
10/16 Coco Before Chanel Edina
10/16 More Than A Game Lagoon
10/16 The Road Edina (NEW) ***

10/23 An Education Uptown
10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon
10/23 Damned United Lagoon

10/30 Canyon Lagoon
10/30 New York, I Love You Lagoon (NEW DATE)
10/30 Skin Edina

11/06 Antichrist Uptown (NEW DATE)

11/13 Crude Lagoon
11/13 Young Victoria Edina
11/13 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon

11/27 RED CLIFF Uptown
11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon
11/27 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Lagoon (NEW)

12/11 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon (NEW DATE)

12/18 The Maid Edina (NEW)

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown

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Spoiler Alert! – District 9

Matt Gamble — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:58:39 +0000

Spoiler Alert! – District 9 Where the Long Tail Ends
While James and I have been thoroughly enjoying recording the High and Low (Brow) podcast, I have been tossing around the idea of trying an additional format so that we can have the occasional change of pace, for both us and you, the listener.

The idea we came up with would be to review a current release that interests both of us, though we do plan to stick to genre films as those are the films we both tend to be most intrigued by. While the jury is still out, for now we are leaning towards naming this podcast Spoiler Alert!, as we plan on simply having a discussion on these movies with no worries about potentially spoiling anything. The hope is we have more of an organic conversation that just sort of wanders in whatever direction we end up going.

This of course helps cover how in this episode we discuss how 10 year-old James had a God Complex, that film is an inferior medium, and how George Lucas ruined Star Wars. We don’t quite stick to reviewing District 9, but hopefully you find this peek at a conversation between me and James entertaining.

As always feel free to leave us comments and let us know if you like this little experiment.

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All I want for Christmas is The House of the Devil One Sheet

Matt Gamble — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:29:46 +0000

All I want for Christmas is The House of the Devil One Sheet Where the Long Tail Ends
I know more about the odd platform release of the film The House of the Devil then I do the actual film itself, but after seeing the ridiculously good one sheet I plan to find out much more. For those who don’t know, The House of the Devil is going to be released on October 1st through XBox Live and Amazon.com, but with it being picked up by Magnet, it will also get a limited theatrical release on October 30th.

The trailer pretty much sums up all I know about the film, that a young woman agrees to watch a house for an evening, and they turn out to be Satanists. The film is clearly playing homage to 70′s gothic horror films (check out that hair!) and the one sheet stays right in that same realm by being bloody fabulous. Make sure to click on the poster to see a full size version. Now that my interest is firmly piqued, I hope the film lives up to my rapidly growing expectations.
[gap][/gap]

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Hitler learns the Avatar trailer sucks

Matt Gamble — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:01:46 +0000

Hitler learns the Avatar trailer sucks Where the Long Tail Ends
Oh sure we’ve seen this joke before, but I must say, it still is damn funny. Name dropping Piranha 2, Xenogenesis and Dark Angel certainly helps, as does the insults levied straight at the online film community. It even has a nice final line that should make Kurt Halfyard smile. If only they had included a reference to The Wolfman and this would have been perfect. Regardless, this is still worth a watch. Word of warning, the subtitles in the video are not safe for work.

[Wolfen]JAPyipuT-Jg[/Wolfen]

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Tune in next time for … Cutthroat Island

Matt Gamble — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:01:29 +0000

Tune in next time for … Cutthroat Island Where the Long Tail Ends
Coming off of the heels of the terrible Mutant you might be wondering just what am I thinking watching a film widely regarded to being not only terrible, but one of the worst movies ever made? Also, isn’t it a pretty mainstream film? Excellent questions, all two of them. And if I might be allowed to retort.

I have never seen Cutthroat Island, and considering it is the tail end (Ed Note – Hah!) of the summer I thought that a swashbuckling pirate film might be a bit fitting. Also, I am of the opinion that while Cutthroat Island is considered a horrible film, that no one has actually ever seen it, and I point to the bock office receipts as proof. So if no one has seen it, how the hell can it be a mainstream film? Huh? Answer me that! Anyways, here’s to hoping it takes me less then a month to get through this disaster.

[Wolfen]SW7HQk1dnfY[/Wolfen]

What have I gotten myself into?

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Upcoming Minneapolis film events

Matt Gamble — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:58:33 +0000

Upcoming Minneapolis film events Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve been a bit behind in listing all the various events that have been playing around town the past few weeks, and in an effort to give me less work to do I’m just going to throw several of the upcoming film events into one single post. If this format works I might do it on a regular basis, or maybe I won’t. It’s my site, I’ll be as fickle as I want.

Uptown Midnight Movies

In a slight twist The Uptown is going to start showing midnight movies on Friday and Saturday, and it also looks like The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be returning to the Uptown. From what little I know they will be showing it once a month, complete with all the accoutremants that are to be expected with a live Rocky Horror screening.

August 29 – Aliens hosted by Rock & Roll Ray
September 5 – Porky’s w/ comedian Chris Maddock
September 11/12 – The Devil’s Rejects
September 18/19 – The Muppet Movie
September 25/26 – This Is Spinal Tap w/ cover band Shit Sandwich
October 2/3 – The Breakfast Club
October 9/10 – Shaun of the Dead
October 16/17 – The Return of the Living Dead
October 23/24 – Spooktacular! w/ Night of the Living Dead
October 30/31 – The Rocky Horror Picture Show w/ Transvestite Soup

[gap][/gap]

Eureka Seven – One Night Only

The US debut of the anime film Eureka Seven is having a one night only screening on Thursday, September 4th. It will be simultaneously screening at several sites in the Twin Cities, and besides the film they will be showing some interviews and behind the scenes footage. Tickets are now on sale at the following theatres:
Eagan 16
AMC Eden Prairie 18
AMC Arbor Lakes Megastar 16
Kerasotes Block E 15
Brooklyn Center 20
Oakdale Cinema
AMC Rosedale 14

[gap][/gap]

Now See Hear film series

The Oak Street Cinema starts up its new monthly film series on September 2nd. The goal of the series is to focus on underground, experimental and obscure cinema and will take place on the first Wednesday of every month. For the inaugural event The Ex-Lovers will be on hand to provide for a pre-show music set, and then the evening will focus on New York filmmaker City Harvest Black. Tickets are just $8.

[gap][/gap]

Autumn Music & Movies

Presented by Vita.mn, Autumn Music & Movies will be held at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. All shows are free. Music will start at 5:30 pm and the films will start at dusk.

September 12 – Low & Jaws
September 19 – One For The Team & Bottle Rocket
September 26 – Dosh & Time Bandits
October 3 – The Honeydogs & Waiting For Guffman

[gap][/gap]

The Heights presents Audrey Hepburn

Thanks to Take Up Productions, this fall The Heights Theatre will be hosting a series devoted to the films of Audrey Hepburn. All screenings start at 7:30 and will be $8. Or you may purchase five admissions for $25.

September 14 – Roman Holiday
September 21 – Sabrina
September 28 – Charade
October 5 – Funny Face
October 12 – Breakfast at Tiffanys

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Mutant

Matt Gamble — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:19:03 +0000

Mutant Where the Long Tail Ends
When I started this column my main hope was to find interesting films that I had never seen before that I could review. I hoped that I would enjoy the majority of them, but I knew that in sampling such odd fare that it was inevitable that I would eventually encounter some duds. But I also held out hope, as naive as it probably was, that since I was watching primarily experimental films, that I would enjoy at least some aspect of these movies, no matter how terrible they might happen to be. I held out that hope until now. Until Mutant. I just wish this day had never come.

Two brothers, Josh and Mike (Wings Hauser and Lee Montgomery) from somewhere hip and cosmopolitan, are heading to a small southern getaway to engage in some much needed male bonding. It seems that have become estranged for some unexplained reason and this trip to a place that they hate, and hates them they back with equal fervor, will be the perfect place to solve all of their problems. That is, until the vampire acid zombies show up and ruin everything.

I’ve been trying to slog through Mutant for close to a month now. Considering I’ve watched any number of awful films in my day just what possibly could have made Mutant so difficult to sit through? The short answer is really rather simple. Everything. It is difficult to know just where to begin describing the failures of Mutant. It is the kind of colossal disaster that could destroy companies. Funny enough, Mutant did.

Mutant was released as Night Shadows in 1984 by Film Ventures International (FVI), a production company best known for putting out low budget exploitation films that were blatant rip-offs of popular blockbusters, often resulting in massive profits for FVI. Some of FVI’s best known films include the semi-classics Beyond the Door, Grizzly, Day of the Animals and The House on Sorority Row. But by the time Mutant was to be released, FVI was in dire financial straights.

FVI was run by the now notorious producer Edward L Montoro, a man so vile, even douche bags think he’s a douche bag. Montoro was a man clearly driven to make himself as much money as cheaply as possible, everyone else be damned. To do this he would routinely acquire cheap Italian horror knock-offs that he would then turn around and distribute in the US, and when that wasn’t enough money, he would embezzle funds from his own company.

Adding to these issues, in 1980 FVI was sued by Universal Pictures when they released the blatant Jaws rip-off, Great White. Universal won the lawsuit, causing the film to be pulled from release after only one week. As if that wasn’t enough, prior to the release of Mutant, Montoro was finalizing a divorce settlement with his soon to be ex-wife Joan, leaving Montoro and FVI fairly strapped for cash and counting on Mutant to bring in some much needed revenue to keep the production company afloat.

Mutant was filled with problems from the get go. The director originally scheduled to make the film, Mark Rosman, was replaced early on in the production by John ‘Bud’ Cardos, FVI’s regular director for hire. In addition the original script went through an extensive re-write, changing the primary premise from germ warfare to the more exotic concept of toxic waste poisoning. In addition to the plot changes the infected creatures were changed into slow moving, zombie styled creatures, and the script was adjusted to ramp up the violence while limiting the atmosphere, in complete contrast to the intentions of the original screenplay.

These last minute changes, not surprisingly, cause real problems with the film, as the biggest issue is the pacing issues that cause the film to seriously drag for scenes on end. I’m all for a slow burn film, but at an hour and forty minutes, you could easily cut a half hour of surprisingly pointless exposition that peppers the film and bogs down scene after scene with unfinished plot points. At least then the film would have some solid flow instead of the jarring stops and starts that shake you in and out of the film with each successive scene.

In one particular instance, in which Josh and Mike sit around and discuss nothing in particular yet somehow resolve all the issues of their estrangement, was particularly frustrating. Neither of these characters were compelling to begin with, and forcing me to sit in a room with just the two of them as they yammer on about I don’t know what was truly painful. And that their thin back story has no tie-in with the rest of the film, makes the entire scene completely pointless and brings the narrative to a crashing halt. It was a bad scene even when I thought it might lead to a mythical payoff later in the film, and in retrospect it should have been plainly obvious that it should have ended up on the cutting room floor.

The other primary flaw with Mutant is that it routinely breaks every rule it puts in place for the viewers. Vampire acid zombies are harmed by the light? Well, how about we just have one run around in the daylight. Acid comes out of the gashes in their palms? That is, unless sometimes we make any part of their hands acidic, except, of course, when their hands aren’t acidic at all. Or remember when the toxic waste infection took hours, even days, to fully transform someone? Well, except when it takes less then two minutes. And I could go on, possibly with a dozen more examples. Now normally I’m not one to complain one or two questionable cheats by a film, but when they are shoved in my face in seemingly every other scene I tend to grow a bit irritated.

Perhaps one could argue that the changes in the screenplay are to blame. But even arguments that claim they should have stuck to the original concept of an atmospheric horror film don’t hold much water, as the atmosphere that does exist in Mutant is poorly executed at best, or painfully non existent at worst. Our protagonists will walk around with nothing in sight, then turn to their left and see dozens of acidic zombie vampires just inches away. How did they creep up on them? Especially with that annoying house cat yowl they have.

Even worse is the one scene that actually attempts to have some atmosphere. Holly (Jody Medford) is sitting in the car, waiting for Josh to make a quick run into the gas station to buy some Funyuns. Inexplicably a wave of fog rolls in, this effect might have been better if you couldn’t actually see the fog machines under her car pumping out fog, causing Holly to be terrified at the thought of a mediocre John Carpenter film suddenly enveloping her. (I know the thought of being trapped in Ghosts of Mars terrifies me, and it isn’t because the film is scary.) But as the fog swirls, yes, it swirls, Holly thinks she sees something moving in the fog and it ain’t no putty tat.

Ok sure, the vampire acid zombie reveal is handled pretty well, but everything up until that is bungled so badly that it detracts any fear or enjoyment that might be gleaned from the scene. And yes, when the vampire acid zombies melt the car windows so they can attack Holly my interest was finally piqued. It is not only a great idea, but the effect is well executed. But it only takes a moment to realize that once again Mutant has made up yet another subsection to one of their arbitrary rules. If they could melt through the glass then why weren’t they melting through anything else during the entire film?

And that proves my point with Mutant, when it does stumble upon an interesting idea, and make no mistake Mutant has a few interesting ideas, it rarely executes them in anything resembling a competent manner. And this lackadaisical attitude translates to the audience as outright apathy. If the film makers aren’t going to invest any passion into their project then why would I as a viewer?

It seems both critics and audiences shared this sentiment with me when they watched this film way back in 1984. While not an outright bomb, when your film only costs $2.5 million it is difficult to bomb, Mutant was anything but the financial savior FVI needed to stay solvent. With mounting debts and a company on the brink of bankruptcy, Montero did what any sleazeball would do. He took $1 million out of the company coffers and promptly vanished … never to be seen again. One year later FVI followed suit when it filed for Chapter 11, sold off its assets, and disappeared into obscurity. If only Mutant followed both of their leads and escaped into the ether, saving everyone the horror of having to sit through this utter waste of time.

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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

The Tournament trailer hits me square in the 80′s nostalgia

Matt Gamble — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:38:25 +0000

The Tournament trailer hits me square in the 80′s nostalgia Where the Long Tail Ends
While this week marked the trailer release of a couple of better known films, I must admit the new trailer for The Tournament has caught my eye. I had seen an earlier teaser some time ago, but I’m guessing that was really just a test reel to convince people to invest in the project, as this trailer has an almost entirely new cast and the production values are much higher. It even seems they tweaked the story a bit, as what was originally a tournament every ten years is now every seven years. Even still, it isn’t hard to get a Running Man feel out of this film, with the notion of a group of assassins/gladiators hunting each other for sport. Granted this doesn’t have Arnold, but it does have Robert Carlyle and a bad guy with a really cool voice. Which is a plus.

No idea when this movie will get a theatrical release, if at all, but you can be sure I’ll be watching it. Feel free to check out both trailers to see the difference/improvements.

[gap][/gap]

Test trailer (NSFW)

The tournament

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Avatar, I wish I could quit you!

Matt Gamble — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:16:40 +0000

Avatar, I wish I could quit you! Where the Long Tail Ends
So the big news today is that the Avatar trailer was finally released. Its a decent enough trailer, the various aliens and their world certainly look pretty cool, but the CGI clearly isn’t finished yet. With the release of District 9 this past week the bar has clearly been raised and I’m sure those wonderful kiwis at Weta are feverishly working around the clock to finish the effects in time for the release date. But to certainly no avail, as I’m sure the Internet will erupt with exuberant apathy or some such nonsense before the day is out.

But what I am finding far more entertaining then the trailer, is the continual efforts of Fox’s marketing department to shoot this film in the mind controlled foot. First they announce they will be releasing an image, and it turns out to be a blurry and grainy amalgamation that confuses rather then excites. They follow that up with the announcement of a 25 minute preview for Avatar day, but the ticketing system crashes resulting in countless people being unable to get tickets for the event. Finally, we get the trailer release. Nerds have been feverishly waiting for this moment, only to have the Apple Trailers website crash under the weight. At one point their HD versions of the trailers finally make it up, but as if realizing the error of their ways, immediately crash in accordance to seemingly mandatory rules.

Making things even more entertaining, the first working Avatar trailer could only be found on MSN’s FRENCH website, the sort of backhanded marketing triumph that should send Ruppert Murdoch into a veritable tizzy. And while this dysfunction is to this point far more entertaining then anything I’ve seen from Avatar as yet, I simply can’t wait to see how truly disastrous this relationship between film and fans inevitably gets.

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Hey, Minneapolis. You’ve got red on you.

Matt Gamble — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:10:32 +0000

Hey, Minneapolis. You’ve got red on you. Where the Long Tail Ends
Recently I was having a conversation with a friend about the over saturation of zombies. Just when did they suddenly become cool? You seemingly can’t go more then a few weeks nowadays without running into a new zombie film out at the theatre, and zombie themed books are cropping up all over the place. Oh sure Jane Austen could probably use a couple of brain munching ghouls to spice up the prose, but what the heck are zombies doing in my Star Wars Universe?

But sure enough, just a few days after taking this stance my opinion was shaken with news that a zombie themed bar was opening up in North Minneapolis. Not just zombie themed, but inspired by Shaun of the Dead. As if that isn’t enough, the owner of the bar is Leslie Bock, probably best known for owning Saint Sabrina’s and the outstanding biker tiki bar Psycho Suzi’s. If anyone can pull of this kind of a drinking hole, its Bock.

As noted by the Star Tribune, these are some of the more interesting “accoutrements” of the new Donny Dirk’s Zombie Den.

•The floor is covered with casino-grade tiger-striped carpeting. Ridiculous.

• The walls feature brown, custom-made smoked mirrors. “Very hard to find, I might add,” Bock said.

• All of the booths and bar stools are covered in plush Vegas-style tufted vinyl.

• There are three deer heads (one was already there; she added the others for good measure).

• Hanging above the bar is a green neon sign that reads, “Undead Frank Lives.”

• Frank’s legend also lives on in one of the “specialty” drinks, a $3.75 humdinger called R.I.P. Frank (basically a shot of liquor on ice). If you want something a little fancier, try the Donny Dirk signature cocktail, which is the bar’s version of a chocolatey Alexander.

• This week, the bartenders began offering the “Weird Science” interactive cocktail, which is a drink you design yourself. Bock compares it to raiding your parents’ liquor cabinet as a kid. You write down the liquors on a note card, the bartender mixes it, you pay for it. If you like it, they’ll keep your card on file for the next time you come in.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to grab my cricket bat, some electro and head on over to the north side.

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My money is on the bad trailer being the better Werner Herzog film

Matt Gamble — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:06:27 +0000

My money is on the bad trailer being the better Werner Herzog film Where the Long Tail Ends
Most people know that Werner Herzog is directing a sequel/remake of Bad Lieutenant starring Nicholas Cage, and judging by the trailer Nicholas Cage has been unbridled and allowed to roam free in each take, overacting with reckless abandon, and with Val Kilmer and Brad Dourif on set, it might prove entertainingly infectious. But I have to admit, the trailer just isn’t selling me like it is for the rest of the Internet. The production values look horrible, and the one liners are so absurd that I find it hard to believe they will work in the context of the scenes, though I must admit they play well in the trailer. But while Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans has the more entertaining trailer, and thankfully lacks horrible narration from The Trailer Voice Guy, I really don’t think the movie is going to be worth a crap in the long run.

But I feel differently when it comes to My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done. Granted the trailer is so tired it appears utterly lifeless, but the cast is downright amazing. Headed up by the fantastic Michael Shannon, the rest of the cast boasts Willem Dafoe, Chloë Sevigny, Brad Dourif (In a Herzog film? Who would have guessed?), Michael Peña, and Udo Kier. As if that isn’t enough, it is produced by David Lynch, which would lead one to believe the film has far more up its sleeve then this trailer would ever let on. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done may have the lesser of the two trailers, but I’d be willing to bet it ends up being the superior film.

How about you? Which film looks better, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done or Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans?

[gap][/gap]

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Minnesota Premier of Into Temptation @ The Edina Theatre

Matt Gamble — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:01:04 +0000

Minnesota Premier of Into Temptation @ The Edina Theatre Where the Long Tail Ends
As part of The Edina Theatre’s upcoming 75th anniversary, the Minnesota filmed Into Temptation starring Jeremy Sisto and Kristin Chenoweth will have it Minnesota premiere on Thursday, August 27th. Best news of all, it will be a free screening. Details are not quite released, but within the next several days I should know just how people can get tickets for this premiere.

Following the Thursday premiere, Into Temptation will then have a week long run at the Lagoon Theatre, with director/writer Patrick Coyle being present for a Q&A after the Monday, August 31st screening.

And in yet another one of those odd twists of fate that somehow only happen on this blog, I met Jeremy Sisto when he was in town filming this. He stopped in my theatre to watch Then She Found Me, as he was friends with Helen Hunt and was offered the role of Ben Green in the film, which he turned down due to a previous commitment. The role then went to Matthew Broderick. We talked for a little bit before the film and some more once the film ended. He was incredibly nice and seemed like a very decent guy.

Interesting side note, Jeremy Sisto is the only Hollywood celebrity that I have met that I have seen naked, which is thanks to his fantastic role as Billy Chenowith in the outstanding series Six Feet Under. I did not tell him this, because that would have been awkward. Much like this entire paragraph.

[Wolfen]WFoEzf2WTgg[/Wolfen]

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10 quick thoughts on District 9

Matt Gamble — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:18:00 +0000

10 quick thoughts on District 9 Where the Long Tail Ends
I finally got a chance to watch District 9 at the early show yesterday morning. Would have posted something about it then but I had to go straight to work and spent that whole shift attempting to talk everyone into watching it.
[gap][/gap]

1- The documentary style is fantastic.

It effectively creates a very lived in and real world that easily draws the viewer in to this brutal and unforgiving, forgotten corner of the world.

2- The film is a slow burn, almost unheard of in action films, let alone Blockbusters.

While the opening half of the film does have moments of tension, the first action sequence doesn’t occur until almost an hour into the movie. But when they come, look out.

3- The special effects are utterly spectacular.

District 9 is the first film that I have seen in ages that I knew something was CGI, but still thought it looked entirely realistic. From the prawns to the weapon effects to Wikus himself, everything is working on an unprecedented level of perfection.

4- The weapons.

Wow. Seriously, wow. Everything from a lightning gun to a sonic blaster to a freaking pig canon. And every single one seemed cooler then the last. Bravo to the effects artists who both conceived and executed these. You deserve an Oscar my friends.

5- Wikus is one of cinema’s great anti-heroes.

Its not often that you see a blockbuster action film have a complete douchebag as its hero. Oh sure you can say John McClain, but he pales in comparison to Wikus Van De Marwe, who is an outright racist and corporate stooge. Yet by the end of the film, I’d dare someone to not sympathize with the guy, nor marvel at his stunning emotional transformation. Shartlo Copley (Who the hell is this guy and where has he been all my life?) deserves all the praise in the world for this outstanding performance that is the anchor of this entire film.

6- The camera work is truly stunning.

While the documentary first-person style is what is drawing the most attention the camera work in the entire film is really quite stunning and executed with great precision. Despite the huge landscape and the slums where everything can seem very similar, District 9 has a great spatial feel throughout the film. You intuitively know where everything is and the distances involved, without having it constantly told to you through clumsy exposition. The camera work is rarely showy, though the utterly fantastic camera shots at the soldiers carrying guns are certainly so, but it is incredibly effective.

7- The final 45 minutes is one of the greatest action sequences ever conceived and executed on film.

Like I said earlier, District 9 is a slow burn of an action film, taking its sweet time getting to the set pieces, but when things really hit the fan it is almost non-stop for the final two reels. Even more impressive, the extended action sequence never feels tired or overwrought, but rather the breakneck pacing in the final act elevates the film to an entirely new level, and truly earns the moniker of a summer thrill ride.

8- District 9 is a gateway film.

As much as people harp on blockbusters for playing to the lowest common denominator, they put asses in seats. District 9 has capitalized on that by including very real and powerful messages in this film, transforming the standard dumbed down action flick into an art film. Even better? The thing is so damn kick ass that people don’t know they are being preached to, but rather discover that art can be just as entertaining as mass produced schlock. Maybe not everyone will start delving into more artistic fare after watching District 9, but most certainly some will, and that is great news for film as a whole.

9- Neill Blomkamp is who I want to be when I grow up.

Despite all the misinformation about Blomkamp being the reason why Halo was shut down (he wasn’t, the film was shuttered because Microsoft was demanding too much money from the studios) he has come out and created a film that is entertaining, educational, morally challenging and fucking fun. I love Halo, but that film simply doesn’t have the framework to achieve those distinctions and especially not to the degree that District 9 has. In a somewhat shocking reversal, Blomkamp has proven he’s too good of a director for Halo, and kudos to him for pulling that off. Now if you excuse me, I need to go write I <3 Blomkamp all over my notebook and cover it with toddler prawn stickers.

10- If Michael Bay isn’t crapping his pants, he should be.

‘Nuff said.

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Marc Osborne’s More on DVD

James Gillham — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:21:54 +0000

Marc Osborne’s More on DVD Where the Long Tail Ends

Marc Osborne’s award-winning animated short film More has been given the blue ribbon treatment with the recent release of a two-disc special edition. This new edition features a lovingly preserved and unabridged digital transfer of the original six minute short, as well as commentary tracks, links to information about Osborne’s more recent work, an hour long documentary on the making of More, and other short works by Osborne himself and some of More’s principal animators.

The short film is, of course, the most exciting element of this two-disc collection. Originally released in 1998, More enjoyed much critical success and popularity on the festival circuit. It was given an award for best animated short at both South by Southwest and Sundance, and was nominated for an Academy Award for best animated short film of 1998. More is a showcase for Osborne’s creative genius and the work of the film’s talented team of animators. Without dialog, the film portrays life in a stark and twisted alternate reality where individuality is lost. Surely this isn’t the first work to speculate on the nature of life in a place and time like this, but More’s brilliance is in its re-imagining of this world in such a brief and poignant way. Osborne and company’s work populates this world with animated characters possessed of a ghostly vitality. Two tracks accompany the the remastered transfer that feature Osborne’s reflections upon both the thematic and technical aspects of the work.

The hour long behind-the-scenes documentary that accompanies the remaster is called Making More. The film is a compilation of video-taped footage of the day-to-day work on the film from its earliest days, through the bliss and excitement of a successful festival tour culminating in an Oscar nomination. Alongside this footage are interviews with those most intimately involved with the making of More — Osborne and his family; the animators, sculptors, and editors; and those concerned with the film’s financing and distribution. The film follows More from its earliest conceptual sketches through to its release. The audience is given the chance to hear the reflections of Osborne and his crew, a group of student animators and stop-motion animation enthusiasts who, on a meager budget and with borrowed or donated equipment and facilities, found themselves on the cutting edge of large-scale cinema at the time, being the first group to attempt a stop-motion work on 65mm for projection on an enormous iMax screen. The documentary does a fine job of showing that bringing More to life was a grueling labor of love for those on the crew, capturing the obstacles that had to be overcome to bring the miniature world of More to life on an iMax screen.

The disc also features Osborne’s student film Greener, a work that anticipates some of the formal elements of what would become More. A collection of Osborne’s other student works is featured that showcases his abilities in working with a number of different familiar animation techniques. Also of interest is the haunting and beautiful animated short film Mum by Nick Peterson featuring work by David Candelaria, both principal members of the More crew. The interesting work Twice Daily by Keith Lowry, an original crew member as well, is also enjoyable. Both are well worth checking out if you enjoy More.

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Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Or winner, The White Ribbon, finally has a trailer

Matt Gamble — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:49:14 +0000

Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Or winner, The White Ribbon, finally has a trailer Where the Long Tail Ends
Most people know that I am a huge fan of Michael Haneke’s films. They are incredible films that manipulate the hell out of the audience, and are breaking all sorts of new grounds for the horror genre. Most wouldn’t consider his films to be horror films, but I can’t see them as anything else. They are so effective are drawing the viewers straight into the lives of his celluloid creations and implicating them along side hem in the terrible events that are foretold on screen.

Unfortunately, Haneke isn’t much of a name here in the US, as his film Funny Games is the closest thing to well known release as he has had so far, which is a shame. Thankfully Europe, and especially France, loves the crap out of his movies, and his most recent film, The White Ribbon, followed up on his past successes by winning the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize this past year, the Palme d’Or.

I don’t know much about the film, other then it is set sometime around World War I and focuses on a German children’s choir. Haneke has proclaimed that the film is about “the origin of every type of terrorism, be it of political or religious nature.” I’m not sure what he is going to do with that setup, nor do I understand a single word in the trailer, but I’m quite confident I’ll be coming out of the theatre absolutely destroyed after watching this film.

Thanks to Twitch for the trailer.

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Coming Soon (8/14/09)

Matt Gamble — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:11:04 +0000

Coming Soon (8/14/09) Where the Long Tail Ends
Lots of new additions with this update, and several films get their dates shifted around as well. Its hard to decide which is the biggest addition. The documentary It Might Get Loud is certainly nice, their is the LeBron James documentary More Than A Game, Audrey Tatou’s new film Coco Before Chanel finally graces the booking sheet, and even the religion documentary Oh My God? looks to be an interesting addition.

But then we roll out the big guns. Mike Judge’s new comedy Extract, Lars von Trier’s new film Antichrist, John Woo’s Red Cliff and the whale, Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story. Should be an interesting couple of months.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change

08/21 Inglorious Bastards Lagoon ***
08/21 Lorna’s Silence Edina
08/21 Soul Power Lagoon (NEW DATE)

08/28 Cold Souls Uptown ***

08/28 Taking Woodstock Lagoon ***
08/28 Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg Edina
08/28 Into Temptation Lagoon (NEW)

08/29 The Adventures of Robin Hood Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 The Bride of Frankenstein Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 It Happened One Night Edina (One Night Only) ***

09/04 Thirst Lagoon ***
09/04 The World’s Greatest Dad Lagoon (NEW DATE) ***
09/04 Extract Lagoon (NEW)
09/04 Afghan Star Lagoon
09/04 My One and Only Edina

09/09 9 Lagoon ***

09/11 The Baader Meinhof Complex Uptown
09/11 Captain Abu Raed Lagoon/Edina
09/11 Play the Game Edina

09/18 Bright Star Uptown
09/18 It Might Get Loud Lagoon (NEW)
09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina

09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***
09/25 Paris Edina
09/25 The Other Man Edina
09/25 Burning Plain Edina/Lagoon

10/02 A Serious Man Uptown ***
10/02 Capitalism: A Love Story Lagoon (NEW)
10/02 No Impact Man Lagoon

10/09 Earth Days Lagoon
10/09 The Boys Are Back Edina (NEW DATE)
10/09 Amreeka Edina (NEW DATE)

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon
10/16 New York, I Love You Lagoon
10/16 Coco Before Chanel Edina (NEW)
10/16 More Than A Game Lagoon (NEW)

10/23 An Education Uptown
10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon
10/23 Damned United Lagoon (NEW DATE)

10/30 Antichrist Uptown (NEW)
10/30 Canyon Lagoon (NEW)
10/30 Skin Edina (NEW)

11/13 Crude Lagoon
11/13 Young Victoria Edina (NEW)
11/13 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Lagoon (NEW)

11/27 RED CLIFF Uptown (NEW)
11/27 Oh My God? Lagoon (NEW)

12/11 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe Lagoon (NEW DATE)

12/25 Broken Embraces Uptown

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Update – Gentlemen Broncos trailer debuts today

Matt Gamble — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:48:49 +0000

Update – Gentlemen Broncos trailer debuts today Where the Long Tail Ends
Fresh off my recent One to Watch on Gentlemen Broncos, word has come down the grapevine that the trailer for the film is set to debut today over at Apple Trailers. The poster was finally released yesterday, and it is solid if seemingly unspectacular, the fact that the marketing machine for this film is finally starting to pickup is only good news.

The trailer is now up over at Apple Trailers. Initial thoughts are this is much different then I was expecting it to be, which isn’t a bad thing. And while Jemaine looks like he’ll be fantastic it looks like Sam Rockwell just might steal the film as a transvestite space warrior.

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Hugo Award goes to Wall-E and Dr Horrible

Matt Gamble — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:48:51 +0000

Hugo Award goes to Wall-E and Dr Horrible Where the Long Tail Ends
While most people know the Hugo Awards as a literary award for the top science fiction and fantasy works of the past year they also hand out awards for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form & Short Form. The Long Form award typically is for the best film with occasional audio books garnering recognition as well, while the short form is typically dominated by television shows. Like most awards, the Hugo’s are voted upon by the members of Worldcon, which is dominated by science fiction and fantasy authors and creators. In conjunction with the Nebula Awards, the Hugo represents the highest honor for science fiction and fantasy creators.

This year marked a landmark group of possible winners for the Long Form category. Nominees included Wall-E, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Hellboy 2 and METAtropolis (an audio book). One of the more interesting aspects of the Hugo Award voting system is that they not only publish the voting results (you paying attention Oscars) but they also employ run off voting making for some interesting results. As for the actual winners, you might be surprised to learn that Wall-E beat out The Dark Knight to win the 2009 Hugo Award.

Even more exciting was the winner of the Short Form Award, that being the online mini series Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog, which beat out episodes of Doctor Who, Battlestar Gallactica and Lost to take the award. That’s one heck of a feat for a web series to knock off the three biggest science fiction television shows currently going.

For those of us who dig the minutia, the voting results are after the break.

Hugo Awards Official Site

Drama Long — 1074 ballots counted
First Place:
Wall-E 415 415 432 493
Dark Knight 192 193 204 221
Iron Man 164 164 173 194
METAtropolis 124 125 126
Hellboy 2 41 41
No Award 19

Apply the No Award test:
788 ballots rank Wall-E higher than No Award
49 ballots rank No Award higher than Wall-E
Wall-E is confirmed as winner…

Second Place:
Dark Knight 333 334 361 416
Iron Man 307 307 338 400
METAtropolis 164 167 170
Hellboy 2 75 76
No Award 28

Third Place:
Iron Man 479
METAtropolis 214
Hellboy 2 116
No Award 39

Fourth Place:
Hellboy 2 340 351
METAtropolis 287 294
No Award 74

Fifth Place:
METAtropolis 432
No Award 107

[gap][/gap]

Drama Short — 1074 ballots counted
First Place:
Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (n/a) 346 346 353 375 417
Silence in the Library (Doctor Who) 190 190 210 268 318
Revelations (Battlestar Galactica) 101 101 120 132
Turn Left (Doctor Who) 90 90 98
The Constant (Lost) 67 68
No Award 33

Apply the No Award test:
594 ballots rank Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog higher than No Award
67 ballots rank No Award higher than Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is confirmed as winner…

Second Place:
Silence in the Library 280 280 305 418
Revelations 177 177 213 234
Turn Left 135 135 147
The Constant 94 96
No Award 45

Third Place:
Turn Left 334 335
Revelations 212 212
The Constant 110 112
No Award 50

Fourth Place:
Revelations 345
The Constant 166
No Award 78

Fifth Place:
The Constant 323
No Award 111

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One to Watch – Metropia

Matt Gamble — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:30:39 +0000

One to Watch – Metropia Where the Long Tail Ends
I’ve had my eye on this Swedish animated film for what seems like years now, which makes sense, since the pre-production work took four years before they even began to animate it. One of the more interesting aspects of the animation process is that they have taken actual photos and manipulated and stylized them, after which they then animate the results, making for a very distinct, yet oddly realistic visual style.

Not much has been released so far outside of a few stills, even the summary is incredibly vague, referencing a dystopic world where a European Underground is seemingly attempting to break free from the controlling powers that be. No theatrical release date as of yet, but with it starting to make the festival rounds, hopefully that will change sooner rather than later.

Official Site

Film: Metropia

Director: Tarik Saleh

Starring: Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier

Release Date: TBD
[gap][/gap]

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One to Watch – Gentlemen Broncos

Matt Gamble — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:25:20 +0000

One to Watch – Gentlemen Broncos Where the Long Tail Ends
A movie that seems to have flown somewhat under the radar is the new film from Jared Hess, Gentlemen Broncos. A few teaser featurettes caused a bit of a stir last year, but nothing has shown up since, and with the October release date inching closer, it looks like any day now an official trailer should finally start making the rounds. But in anticipation of that day I thought I would post both of the outstanding teasers, which feature Jemaine Clement as the science fiction novelist Dr Ronald Chevalier.
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Official Site

Film: Gentlemen Broncos

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jemaine Clement, Michael Angarano, Sam Rockwell, Jennifer Coolidge, Mike White, Halley Feiffer

Release Date: October 30, 2009 (limited)

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Silent Venom on DVD

James Gillham — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:20:19 +0000

Silent Venom on DVD Where the Long Tail Ends
Silent Venom – The greatest danger to the mission is already on board.

In Fred Olen Ray’s thriller Silent Venom, Luke Perry plays Commander James O’Neill, twenty year veteran of the US Navy up against a court-martial for disobeying a direct order that he felt jeopardized the safety of his crew. Veteran actor Tom Berenger is Admiral Bradley Wallace, a man who hopes to rescue O’Neill from the court martial by sending him on one last mission: escorting the U.S.S. Santa Mira to Taipei, where the Mira — a relic of a pre-nuclear type Cold War submarine — is to be sold to the Taiwanese navy.

En route to Taipei, O’Neill and the Mira’s inexperienced skeleton crew are redirected to the remote island of Maku in the East China Sea to retrieve two scientests engaged in a clandestine research mission on behalf of US Army intelligence to synthesize an anti-toxin using the venom of a rare Asian pit viper indigenous to the island. Recent intelligence reports indicate that the Chinese Navy plans to engage in tactical exercises in the area, and the US fears for the safety of the two scientists and the necessary secrecy of their work. Dr. Andrea Swanson, played by Krista Allen of Emmanuelle fame, along with her bungling and conniving assistant Jake Goldin (Louis Mandylor) are caretakers of a menagerie of deadly venomous snakes in a remote research facility deep in the jungle. Swanson and Goldin, at the behest of the US Army, have cross-bred several diamondback rattlesnakes with the island’s indigenous vipers in hopes of producing the necessary venom upon which to base an antidote the US Army hopes to use to defend against possible neuro-toxin attacks by international terrorists.

Once the two are safely on board the Mira, it is discovered that — along with the few hybrid vipers that are a result of the pair’s research — the assistant, Goldin, has smuggled aboard twenty-or-so of the rare indigenous vipers with the hopes of selling them to the highest bidder. To make matters worse, the hybrid snakes are discovered to be genetically altered as a result of chromosomal damage suffered by the Asian vipers during Chinese nuclear testing in the area. The result of the unfortunate mutation is a dangerous rise in metabolism resulting in rapid increase in growth and aggressive behavior. Soon the snakes are loosed upon the crew of the Mira by a nosy young seaman, and — to make matters even worse — the Chinese Navy begins its tactical exercises ahead of schedule, within the very waters where O’Neill and his crew are traveling with the scientists.

The script, penned by MTV alum Mark Sanderson, is a terse, tense thriller well complimented by the film’s low-key and streamlined production. Perry and veteran TV actor Anthony Tyler Quinn (playing officer Eddie Boudreau) highlight a convincing and likable cast of sailors charged with protecting the lives of Swanson and Goldin. Louis Mandylor is especially likable as the snivelling assistan Goldin. There are plenty of genuinely creepy-crawly thrills in this enjoyable direct-to-DVD creature feature.

2009, 87 mins.
Unrated
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

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Patrick Duffy and The Crab

Matt Gamble — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:04:56 +0000

Patrick Duffy and The Crab Where the Long Tail Ends
Seems Jonathan over at Row Three decided to post the video of Patrick and Duffy and The Crab contemplating a threesome. But what you might not know, is there are three other fantastic clips circling the interwebs and I am going to post them all here for your viewing enjoyment.

You can thank me later. Or in the comments.

I prefer the comments.

Patrick Duffy and The Crab: Facebook
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Patrick Duffy and The Crab: The Dime
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Patrick Duffy and The Crab: American Idol
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Patrick Duffy and The Crab: Threesomes
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Where the Long Tail Ends - Watching what no one else does Copyright 2012 Where the Long Tail Ends

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 5 – Dynamic Duos

Matt Gamble — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:12:50 +0000

High and Low (Brow) – Episode 5 – Dynamic Duos Where the Long Tail Ends
Our first milestone has been reached here at Where the Long Tail Ends, we have completed 5 episodes. When I initially decided I wanted to do a podcast earlier this yer, my goal was to complete four episodes by the end of the year and now James and I have shot by the lofty goal with over four months left in the year. I doubt we will keep this pace up, nor do I want too, but if we can finish three more by the end of the year I’ll be very satisfied. Hopefully you will as well.

In this episode our theme is Dynamic Duos, and we focus on two very different films. The first is the martial arts action film Showdown in Little Tokyo, with the starring duo of Brandon Lee and Dolph Lundgren squaring off in the celluloid circle. The second is the lesser known Spanish produced horror film Horror Express, which stars the famous Hammer horror film duo Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as dueling anthropologists on a Trans-Siberian train that harbors a nasty secret. Will we like either? Will we agree to disagree? Will James invite his own brother to share his bed with him? Find out on our latest episode of High and Low (Brow).

As always, if you have any feedback, suggestions for themes or films for us to watch feel free to email us. If you like the show please feel free to subscribe to us on iTunes or simply follow our RSS feed here for updates. Also you can follow me on Twitter by simply clicking the logo up in the righthand corner. One of these days I’ll finally convince James to join Twitter, and then the real fun will begin. Until then I hope you enjoy the show and thanks for listening.

Show Notes
0:00 – The Donger
2:30 – John Hughes Memorial
8:25 – Showdown in Little Tokyo
29:25 – Horror Express
33:40 – SPOILER ALERT!
54:25 – James reviews Cantankerous
1:03:25 – James and the Giant Bed
1:09:45 – The Selection Show
1:30:20 – Final Thoughts

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The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus trailer has melted my brain

Matt Gamble — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:01:49 +0000

The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus trailer has melted my brain Where the Long Tail Ends
This trailer comes thanks to the efforts of the good folks working over at Quiet Earth. Its one hell of a film website and I highly recommend making it a regular stop. If you’re not reading Quiet Earth, you’re not a fan of film.

Now everyone knows that The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus is the final film that Heath Ledger was working on when he expired, but besides that this is the latest film from Terry Gilliam, who is truly one of the finest directors working today. I’ve been waiting four years since his last film (Tideland, which is divisive, yet still a masterpiece) and with the release date of October 16th quickly approaching, I was beginning to wonder just when we would start to see some actual footage of the film.

Well, that time has arrived and what is contained within the trailer looks bloody fabulous. October can’t get here soon enough.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus trailer

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New Where the Wild Things Are trailer feeds me and I follow it around

Matt Gamble — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:18:06 +0000

New Where the Wild Things Are trailer feeds me and I follow it around Where the Long Tail Ends
I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of any of the promo material for Where the Wild Things Are. The teaser they released about a month or so ago was fantastic, the one sheets were great, but I want more, and I want it now.

Thankfully, Warner Brothers has answered my selfish pleas by releasing a full theatrical trailer just for me. And probably everyone else. In this one you actually get to see several of the Wild Things talk, yet it is still coy enough to not reveal too many details of the actual plot of the film, making the trailer more like an extended teaser. How the heck am I going to make it until its release on October 16th?

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Paris 36 on DVD August 11th

James Gillham — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:30:45 +0000

Paris 36 on DVD August 11th Where the Long Tail Ends
Christophe Barratier’s Paris 36 is an endlessly enjoyable film with all of the vitality, comedy, and intrigue of the grand films of old Hollywood.

Gérard Jugnot plays Pigoil, director of The Chansonia, a small theater on the outskirts of Paris. Following the death of the theater’s owner, The Chansonia falls into the hands of local robber baron and all ’round toughguy Galapiat, played with sinister charm by Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu. Galapiat plans on selling The Chansonia, but the dedicated players and crew of the small theater have other ideas. Cast against the backdrop of the dramatic social changes taking place in pre-war France, the theater stalwarts find themselves in the midst of a pétit révolution, as right-wing nationalists seek to break the changes brought about by the French workers’ rights movement. Clovis Cornillac, as would-be Marxist revolutionary and stage manager/performer Milou, leads the charge of an oppressed (and bewildered) mass of theater workers at The Chansonia who find themselves, paradoxically, owned by their neighborhood’s premier capitalist in the person of Gallapiat.

Things get off to a rocky start as the crew of The Chansonia is met with a chilly reception by the local theater-goers as their variety show bungles its way through lopsided musical numbers and comedy acts that run from the ribald to the inane, particularly the laughable performance of the so-called ‘Master Impersonator’ Jacky Jaquet played brilliantly by Algerian-born French actor Kad Merad. It seems as though Gallapiat will have no trouble at all ridding himself of The Chansonia, that is, until, young upstart Douce, played by the captivating Nora Arnezeder, comes to town. Douce and the gang at The Chansonia get into even deeper trouble as their little revolution soon finds itself in the midst of a lopsided love triangle and a drama that has its beginnings years before Douce comes to town, but nonetheless ensnares the friends of The Chansonia in yet another of life’s little catastrophes. Ah, but to tell any more would spoil the fun of surely the most fun you’ll have watching a movie for some time. You’ll have to check out the DVD next week; you’ll be glad that you did.

Highpoints of this film are its cast. Each and every member plays their part well. Nora Arnezeder is beautiful as Douce. Her singing and acting are second to none, and she captures the wide-eyed energy of her part perfectly. Kad Merad is outrageously funny and poignant as Jacky Jaquet, and Gérard Jugnot’s moving performance as Pigoil — the driving force behind the The Chansonia — is at times hilarious and other times moving. Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu is menacing as Galapiat.

The musical numbers are very enjoyable. They are of the classic variety that so captures the way that older Hollywood films were made and is reminiscent of the French classic Le Million. From its beautiful sets and scenery, to its wonderful story that offers something for everyone, Paris 36 is at the top of the must-see DVD’s to be released next week. But those are just a few of the things to enjoy about this big hearted film that hits all of the right notes. You’ll have to discover the rest for yourself!

120 mins, Rated PG-13 for “some sexuality and nudity, violence and brief language.”

Written & Directed by Christophe Barratier

With:

Pigoil – Gérard Jugnot
Douce – Nora Arnezeder
Jacky Jaquet – Kad Merad
Milou – Clovis Cornillac

Available on DVD Tuesday, August 11th, 2009.

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Dare to be Stupid: Documentaries on objectum sexuals

Matt Gamble — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:14:42 +0000

Dare to be Stupid: Documentaries on objectum sexuals Where the Long Tail Ends
Anna reads Jezebel. I’m not quite sure why, and any time I inquire I’m met with obtuse and what I assume is profane language about her lady bits and my inability to understand them or the deep relationship between them and certain forms of journalism. Yuck, typing that just sounds perverse. But today Anna introduced me to something utterly astounding, and it is all thanks to this Jezebel article.

For those to lazy to click the link, it about a woman named Amy Wolfe that is an objectum sexual (a person who falls in love with objects) and she is one of the subjects in the documentary film Strange Love: Married to the Eiffel Tower, which focuses on this rather strange sect of fetishists.

I’d say more, but I’ll let these clips (here and here) of Amy covering her self in axel grease and then giving a gondola what appears to be some sort of oral … uhhh … I don’t even know. I didn’t even want to know, but since now I do you have to suffer through this with me.

And if you want to see more, you can actually watch the documentary online here.

Article on Amy Wolfe

Review of Strange Love: Married to the Eiffel Tower

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Trylon’s Fall Lineup freaking rocks

Matt Gamble — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:20:15 +0000

Trylon’s Fall Lineup freaking rocks Where the Long Tail Ends
In just a few short weeks Trylon has quickly become one of the best theatres in town. Don’t believe it? Check out this booking schedule for this fall. A 35mm print of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three? Sign me up! And that is just the start. Make sure to check out this great addition to the Twin Cities film landscape.

CRIME SPREE
09.04/05 – The Warriors (1979) 35mm 7:00 9:00
09.11/12 – The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) 35mm 7:00 9:05
09.18/19 – Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Digital 7:00 9:25
09.25/26 – Inside Man (2006) Digital 7:00 9:00

CRONENBERG
10.09/10 – Videodrome (1983) 7:00 8:50
10.16/17 – Scanners (1981) 7:00 9:10
10.23/24 – The Brood (1979) 7:00 9:00
10.30/31 – The Fly (1986) 7:00 9:00

CAPRA
11.06/07 – American Madness (1932) 7:00 8:35
11.13/14 – It Happened One Night (1934) 7:00 9:05
11.20/21 – Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936) 7:00 9:15
11.27/28 – Lost Horizon (1937) 7:00 9:35

The Trylon microcinema – 3258 Minnehaha Ave S
General admission – $8
Discount cards – 5 admissions for $25
(good for up to two admissions at a time)
Online purchasing – trylon.org
Info line 612-424-5468

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Can’t Stop the Serenity @ Riverview Thatre

Matt Gamble — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:59:24 +0000

Can’t Stop the Serenity @ Riverview Thatre Where the Long Tail Ends
As part of the annual browncoat fundraising efforts to raise money for Joss Whedon’s favorite charity, Equality Now, The Riverview Theatre will be hosting a double feature of Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog and Serenity on August 13th. Tickets are $10 for both films, which includes an auction and prize drawings.

From the Riverview’s website:
Can’t Stop The Serenity is the annual global browncoat event featuring Serenity on the big screen with all proceeds to benefit Equality Now, Joss Whedon’s favorite charity. Equality Now is an international non profit organization working to end violence and descrimination against women and girls around the world. The now-annual event began in 2006 when over 40 locations around the globe raised over $60,000 for Equality Now! The 2007 global events topped that with gusto by raising over $100,000 for Equality Now! Minnesota’s participation provided over $2,000 in 2006, and tripled that amount in 2007 by raising $6,160! We raised over $7,200 in 2008!

For more information – mnfirefly.com

Thursday, August 13
Riverview Theatre
7:30 PM – Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog
9:00 PM – Announcements, prize drawings & auctions
9:30 PM – Serenity

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The Vampire’s Assisstant one sheet is, like, totally something or other

Matt Gamble — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:52:21 +0000

The Vampire’s Assisstant one sheet is, like, totally something or other Where the Long Tail Ends
Just when you thought Twilight was all the ladies needed to get their fill of pre-teen vampire lust, along comes the next in what promises to be an excruciatingly long line of films showcasing pale, unemotional vampire’s to the fairer sex.

That’s right, The Vampire’s Assisstant, a book that I know nothing about, which is being adapted into a movie that I only know a scant bit more information, is being made into a movie. Judging by the one sheet it is being released on October 23rd, who knew? Evidently the film (and possibly the book though I will be sure not to double check) is about a boy who meets a vampire and decides he wants to be one himself. A circus is somehow involved as well, though I don’t care enough to research why.

I do know this, the fuzzy camera phone picture I took of the one sheet (somehow still not leaked to the movie blog masses) should be just enough to get Marina at Row Three squirming in that particular way that makes everyone around her uncomfortable. You’re welcome Marina and my apolagies to everyone else.

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[Rec]² trailers continue to scare the hell out of me

Matt Gamble — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:14:34 +0000

[Rec]² trailers continue to scare the hell out of me Where the Long Tail Ends
Just when I thought it was safe to go back to surfing through trailers (Bless you The Fantastic Mr Fox, Ninja Assassin and A Serious Man) along comes yet another [REC]² teaser that once again terrifies me to no end. If they keep this up, I might be too damn scared to leave my house and make it out to the cinema.

Thanks to Twitch for the heads up, and hopefully this film sees a release sooner rather then later as their still isn’t a US release date to speak of.

[REC]² Official Website

Warning! The following trailer is not safe for anyone at any place or at any time. Enjoy!

Original [REC]² teaser trailer

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