filmed but not forgotten

Teeth

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Year: 2007

Writer: Mitchell Lichtenstein

Director: Mitchell Lichtenstein

Budget: ?

Gross: $344 655 (as of May 4th, 2008)

if you listened to last weeks podcast you would have heard me mention the movie Teeth.  during the 'upcoming DVD' segment of the show i mentioned that a movie called Teeth was coming out this week.  i had never heard of it and i actually went to amazon and read a bit of the description on air in my quest to find out something about the film (something about the poster/box cover intrigued me.  well i read a couple sentences and then talked about how it actually sounded good and that i was gonna watch it this week when it came out.  well, that is exactly what i did, and yup, it was quite good.

to tell you what the film is about i'll just quote from the amazon description:

  A coming-of-age tale with a twist, Teeth takes a novel approach towards teen sexual angst. Sunny blonde Dawn (Jess Weixler, a Meryl Streep in the making) promotes abstinence at her high school. Her mother (Vivienne Benesch) is terminally ill, her half-brother (Nip/Tuck's John Hensley) is a tattooed sociopath, and her stepfather (Lenny von Dohlen) does what he can to keep the household together. When Dawn meets doe-eyed transfer student Tobey (Hale Appleman), her celibacy vow is put to the test.

if you read the full synopsis it does give away the 'big twist', although it is something that shows up pretty early in the film so knowing it doesn't ruin the movie watching experience in any way. however, i always like to allow for as clean a film going experience as possible so if some of you don't know what her deal is then try to keep it that way.

i also bring this up, because when the reveal was made i was nicely shocked, but then also wondered where they would go from there.  i mean, it seemed like it had the potential to be a one 'gag' movie to use a term more appropriate of a comedy.  however, i was very happy to see the story develop and use her 'gift/curse' to its full potential both literally and metaphorically.

this was litchensteins first film and it got him nominated for a grand jury prize at the sundance film festival.  and deservedly so.  the film creates this fun happy suburban overtones with its look and music that is in contrast with the horror undertones that emerge at times.  i got a todd solondz feel from it (Welcome To The Dollhouse, Happiness) with the surface hiding the real 'horror' underneath.

the film also got weixler a special jury prize at sundance 'for a special and jaw-dropping performance'. 

i was hoping to make some kind of 'sink your teeth into it' reference in this discussion, but after having seen the film it has taken on a whole other meaning that i would rather not think about too much as it is quite a painful thought.  however, you should see this film.
 

FBNF Podcast #66: Teeth

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News:
- chase to write for the big screen
- one hot actress getting married, another one getting divorced
- the golden trailer awards
- festival purchasing problems

On This Episode:
- Teeth

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and Rachel Kann(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

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The Secret Life Of Words

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Year: 2005

Writer: Isabel Coixet

Director: Isabel Coixet

Budget: $5 million (estimated)

Gross: $20 023

i came to watch this movie by complete chance.  i had tivo'd a different movie on my television, but when i went to watch that film The Secret Life Of Words started to play.  i didn't know anything about it, except for the fact that sarah polley and tim robbins were the stars, and, to be honest, i wasn't really in the mood to watch a slow drama (the film i had been expecting to watch was more of a drama comedy farce).  however, from the moment the film started and the opening credits emerged, with words subliminally appearing within the moments between, and before, the cast and crew's names formed on the screen, i was hooked.

The Secret Life Of Words is about hannah, a hearing impaired factory worker (polley) who is forced to take her first holiday in years and ends up traveling out to an oil rig, where she cares for a man, josef, suffering from severe burns who is also temporarily blind (robbins).  there are six other people on the rig, which has been shut down due to the accident that led to josef's injuries.

we learn right from the beginning that there is something going on with hannah.  we don't know what it is, but watching her quiet, routine, solitary and very organized rituals we get a sense that there is something more to her story.

while that is put out there from the beginning, the film doesn't play like a mystery trying to figure it out.  instead it allows the characters to interact very generically and for any information to come out in a genuine way.  in fact, for most of the film, i didn't care what had made hannah how she was, but was rather just completely interested in seeing her as she was now and how she interacted with the various people on the boat and josef as she slowly came just a little out of her shell.

the odd thing is that normally i would want to know more about her.  to have things given to me over the course of the film so that there just isn't some big 'reveal' at the end that is supposed to make it all make sense. that is a little movie pet peeve of mine, when films do that, but here it works and i think i know why.  in this case the film doesn't feel like it is leading up to some kind of revelatory moment. the characters relations and the main story all stand up before we get to any kind of 'moment'. 

this is a strong script from coixet and a really good job of bringing her story to the screen. if you have a chance to see The Secret Life Of Words either on purpose or by accident you should definitely check it out.

FBNF Podcast #65: The Secret Life Of Words

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News:
- mike judge gets jason bateman
- gibson back in front of the camera
- soderbergh's next film in the hdnet deal
- tribeca festival winners
- seattle film festival
- dimitri martin in ang lee movie

On This Episode:
- The Secret Life Of Words

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and who the funk(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

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PU-239

Year: 2006

Writer: Scott S. Burns (screenplay) & Ken Kalfus (short story)

Director: Scott S. Burns

Budget: $5 000 000

Gross: ? (Toronto Film Festival then went to tv)

timofey, a worker at a russian nuclear facility (paddy considine) gets exposed to a lethal dose of radiation. in order to provide for his family, he steals some plutonium and sets out to sell it on moscow's black market. he meets a bumbling criminal character with problems of his own who tries to help him in order to help himself.  welcome to PU-239.

i heard the film referred to as a comedy at one point, but i have to say that as the film began i wasn't seeing any comedy (dark or otherwise).  however, the way the film can be both highly dramatic and dark and yet also darkly comedic without it feeling at all jarring is one of its many strong suits.

its other strong suites are the acting, writing and directing of this little gem of a movie that premiered at the toronto film festival in 2006 and then ended up going straight to tv and dvd. 

i'm not sure exactly what year the film takes place in, but based on the cell phones they use, it looks like the 90's sometime, probably not that long after perestroika and the problems that arose from such a huge political shift and the emergence of the russian criminal element to the top of the heap.

while timofey is our hero, the film spends plenty of time with the three bumbling criminals (who all work for a much more powerful crime boss) and especially the one that ends up befriending timofey.  the script allows us to get to know them so that they are not just tertiary characters there for a few jokes (although they do have some good ones). 

this is really a great movie that completely surprised me.  it is funny without being stupid, it is touching without being sappy and it is dramatic without being corny.  what it is, is a gem of a film that really should be seen.

Longford

Year: 2006

Writer: Peter Morgan

Director: Tom Hooper

Budget: ?

Gross: (didn't go to theaters)

based on a true story, Longford is the portrait of:

    "british lord frank pakenham (jim broadbent), the 7th Earl of longford, and his controversial headline-making friendship with one of england's most notorious criminals...myra hindley (samantha morton), a young woman serving a life sentence for murdering children with her lover ian brady (andy serkis). though longford encountered public outrage, discouragement from his wife elizabeth (lindsay duncan), doubt from his family, and criticism from his colleagues and the press, he continued to visit and exchange letters with hindley. after learning that she once converted to catholicism, longford encourages her to return to the church and ask for god's forgiveness."(taken from hbo.com)

i should say that i was completely ignorant of who longford was prior to seeing the film, and went into it without any preconceived notions about who he was or what he had done.  i assume this would have been a very different experience for anyone who remembers these highly publicized events and the huge press and tabloid coverage that he received and the public anger that was directed towards him.  i read some discussions of the film that talked about it trying to re-examine and rehabilitate longford's public image.  however, like i said, i came into it with a clean slate and no image of him that needed to be rehabilitated.

what i got was a really moving and interesting portrait of this man and his faith and the toll that his relationship with hindley took on him personally and publicly.  the film isn't about hindley's guilt or innocence  other then how it relates to longford.  this is very much his story.

broadbent is really great as longford.  his voice and manners or speech and movement create a character that is sympathetic and also sad at times.  his belief that everyone deserves forgiveness can be very frustrating when you think about the things that hindley was a part of.  but his willingness to fight for those that have no one to fight for them is something that one can respect even if one couldn't be so forgiving. 

now, to be fair, the film is taking a narrow view of logford and is very much focused on his relationship to the hindley case.  in doing research after watching the film i found some facts about him that were unpleasant, including his strong homophobia and staunch opponent to any kind of gay rights legislation.  however, everyone has multiple facets to their person and the film wasn't trying to tell longford's life story, but rather show a different side to the hindley situation then was in the public press at the time - the tabloids dubbed him lord wrongford. 

the film did play at sundance, but from what i could tell, never made it to theatres and ended up playing on hbo.  if you get a chance to check it out it would be worth your while.

FBNF Podcast #64: Longford & PU-239

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News:
- Harry Potter gets naked in america
- X-files movie title
- The Kind One
- snipes gets three years
- cannes pared down
- labeouf caught smoking

On This Episode:
- Longford & PU-239

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases
- also mentioned great interview with james lipton on The Treatment

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and 3 feet up(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

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Till Next Week

what began as the inclings of a cold last week (if you heard the show you know what i'm talking about) is this week pretty much the full thing.  so, will be taking the weekend off to get better and therefor will be delaying episode #64 till next week.  sorry for the delay and, as always, thanks for listening.

Death And The Maiden

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Year: 1994

Writer: Ariel Dorfman (play & screenplay), Rafael Yglesias (screenplay)

Director: Roman Polanski

Budget: ?

Gross: $2,104,000 (USA)

Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby, The Pianist.  when people think about roman polanski it is usually those films that come to mind (those and the whole underage sex, exiled to europe thing).  however, when i think polanski, Death And The Maiden   is usually first and foremost in my head.  those three other films are great and he has made a few others as well, but i can argue that, for me, Death And The Maiden is maybe my favorite of them all (or at least tied with Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby which i loved).

set in an unnamed south american country, sigourney weaver's character (paulina escobar) is living with her husband (stuart wilson), a high profile attorney.  one day, because of a storm, he is forced to get a lift home from a helpful citizen (ben kingsley).  however, when paulina hears the man's voice she thinks he sounds like the doctor who had raped and tortured her under the old fascist regime...

the film is based on the play by co-screenwriter ariel dorfman and it has been brought to the screen brilliantly by polanski.  the film feels like a play just without the audience and open sets.  i really like it when a film can go so minimalist on sets and basically stage the whole thing in one room or house and make it work.  we are used to that with plays, but with movies the audience seems to expect more because more can be done.  however, sometimes less is more, which is the case here.  95% of the film takes place in the escobar's home with mostly candles for light and the storm outside. 

the film is intense and claustrophobic as paulina tries to get the truth out of him and her husband tries to play mediator between her and the law, not sure if she is right or just traumatized.  the film doesn't make it easy for you to decide either.  what you think is true one minute can make you completely unsure the next.  the use of music is also great as shubert's Death And The Maiden becomes a supporting player in the film.

Death And The Maiden is definitely one of Polanski's least known movies, but it is without question one of his best.

FBNF Podcast #63: Death And The Maiden

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News:
- Charlton Heston died
- argento gets an oscar winner
- the penn's might not be splitting up
- Valkyrie rides to a new release date... again

On This Episode:
- Death And The Maiden

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and 31 knots(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

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La Moustache (The Mustache)

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Year: 2005

Writer: Jerome Beaujour (writer), Emmanuel Carrere (novel, screenplay)

Director: Emmanuel Carrere

Budget: ?

Worldwide Gross: $3 078 324

i have talked a lot lately, especially in reference to 2 crappy movies i saw recently (Jumper & Vantage Point) about films that have a good idea/premise but nothing else.  these movies are easy to pitch and they sound good, but the filmmakers forget that one gimmick or cool idea cant sustain a whole film without a solid story, characters, etc.. around it.  that brings us to La Moustache.  a movie with, not only a good idea, but a lot of interesting stuff around it.

La Moustache is the story of a man who shaves off his mustache and no one notices.  there ya go, thats it. personally i thought this sounded like a great idea, although to some of you it might just seem to simple or silly. however, simple and silly are not words i think anyone could use to describe this film after watching it.

this is emmanuel carrere's film.  not only did she write the novel which the film is based on, but she also wrote the screenplay, directed it and stared in it as the moustache man's wife.

although the premise is simple the story and the turns the film takes are anything but.  One thing i read after having seen the film called is kafkaesque and that really struck a chord with me.  imagine all the ways a film could go that starts off with a guy shaving his moustache and no one noticing?  i bet the way you just thought of isn't the way this film goes.  and to be honest, i've just watched the movie and i'm not sure how it goes.  let me rephrase that.  i know how it goes, but i'm not sure what it all means.  this is one of those films that if you watch it with 4 friends, you would all perhaps have a different interpretation of the ending and what actually happened.

so why do i like this film is i don't completely know what it all means?  well, i enjoyed the ride and the various interpretations that i came up with and read from other people after seeing the film just made it more interesting.

this is emmanuel carrere's film.  not only did she write the novel which the film is based on, but she also wrote the screenplay, directed it and stared in it as the moustache man's wife.  however, i did read somewhere (ya i did a lot of reading after watching this film) that even she doesn't have a concrete idea of what it all means. what i can tell you is that La Moustache is a film worth seeing, besides that you wil have to see for yourself.

FBNF Podcast #62: La Moustache (the moustache)

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News:
- audrey tautou isn't playing nice
- Short Circuit remake
- woody allen suing american apparel
- clooney and the wga credit battle

On This Episode:
- La Moustache

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and edmunds crown(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

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The Notorious Bettie Page

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Year: 2005

Writer: Mary Harron & Guenevere Turner

Director: Mary Harron

Budget: ?

Gross: $1 410 778

the first thing that struck me during, but more so, after watching The Notorious Bettie Page, was how the film didn't feel like a typical bio pic.  now, to be honest, i'm not sure why that is, but i have a few ideas.

the first thing that came to mind when thinking about the film and my reaction to it was the fact that i knew almost nothing about bettie page before watching the movie.  therefor, i wasn't looking for and/or anticipating the historical markers that i usually do when seeing a bio film about someone i am more familiar with, like: ray charles or johnny cash or mohamad ali.

also, the film didn't feel like it was scripted and constructed around said markers, which two of the three films i mentioned did (i quite like michael mann's Ali).

like i said before, i went into this film knowing almost nothing about bettie (besides her status as pretty much the most famous pinup girl ever) and so the film was a true discovery of who and how she was, from her abused childhood to her innocently falling into pinups and bondage/fetish photography and videos.  not only was i very interested in what i saw, but it made me want to go out and learn more about bettie and her story.  the film does a good job of taking us back to the 50's and the attitudes about sex that lay above and below the surface.

the film also stands out in the technical categories as well:  the mostly black and white cinematography is great and gretchen mol's performance as bettie is really a stand-out job that totally got overlooked a couple years back. the direction by mary harron is also a must mention given how she works all the elements together and also co-wrote the script and has added another quality film to her resume of: I Shot Andy Warhol and American Psycho.

those of you who are unfamiliar with bettie will learn about her and what made her do what she did and those of you already familiar with her story should enjoy seeing it played out in such a good-looking way.

FBNF Podcast #61: The Notorious Bettie Page

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News:
- robin williams and wife: irreconcilable differences
- oliver stone's bush biopic
- Lone Ranger movie
- minghella gone
- mckellen wants to play gandolf in The Hobbit

On This Episode:
- The Notorious Bettie Page

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and alice smith(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

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Be Kind Rewind

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Year: 2008

Writer: Michel Gondry

Director: Michel Gondry

Budget: $20 million (estimated)

Gross: $8 933 178 (as of march 9th, 2008)

ahhhh, the title itself brings me back to my childhood and the vhs era.  alright, so this is gonna date me a bit, but i remember when the first video store opened up in my town and my parents would have to rent a vhs machine along with the vhs tapes since we didn't have one at home.  we got one not long after that though, and so began to grow exponentially with each video i rented (or had my parents rent for me) my love of movies.

Be Kind Rewind, the latest film from the wonderful michel gondry has that love of movie smell all over it and it will bring a smile to your face while you sniff it in. 

the film is about a small little vhs-only video store run by danny glover.  while he is out of town he leaves the store in the care of mos def, but his friend, jack black ends up erasing all the video tapes (i don't want to tell you how that happens, because it is quite and odd and funny series of events that leads up to it).  anyway, in order to fix things, the two guys decide to remake the movies themselves using an old camera and low-budget special effects.

not only is this film funny it is also really sweet without being corny and watching them remake all these movies and iconic scenes from them will wake up the film lover in you and make you smile like other movies and movies have (Cinema Paradiso perhaps).  walking out of the theater, my friends and i were all talking about the movies they had redone and which ones made us laugh the most and which 'special effects' were the coolest use of their minimal resources, etc...

gondry is known for his great visual style (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, The Science Of Sleep) and Be Kind Rewind is no exception.  the entire film feels like it is present day, but also about 15 years ago.  it all fits into the feel of the video store that is the center of the movie - a video store that only rents vhs tapes and does so for $1 each.

its like a little time warp within the present and it is definitely a trip worth taking.  im pretty sure the film will be forgotten by the end of the year (if not much sooner), but this is one that i wont forget anytime soon.

FBNF Podcast #60: Be Kind Rewind

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News:
- paul scofield and aurthur c. clark pass on
- another celeb dui
- Comedy At The Edge doc
- next bond release date

On This Episode:
- Be Kind Rewind

Plus:
- two not good movies: Jumper & Vantage Point
- listener feedback
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

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TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

hello Filmed But Not Forgotten fans, or FBNFFs.  to make a long story short, my computer, which has been on its last legs for a while now, finally gave up the fight and has headed off to a better place.  he went quietly and peacefully in the night so there was no pain, and while i am happy for that, it does mean i am without computer for the next little while (maybe another week or two until the new one arrives).  which means the podcast will be on hold until then. 

this sucks cause there is a lot i want to talk about, but thats how life goes sometimes, and it just means the first podcats back is going to be quite plentiful. 

i am very sorry for the delay

p.s. don't see Jumper or Vantage Point. definitely go see Be Kind Rewind

Oscar 2008 Predictions

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sing it with me... oscar, oscar oscar, who will win?  well here is my answer to that question:

Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" (Universal)
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Best animated feature film of the year
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
"Surf's Up" (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Achievement in art direction
"American Gangster" (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit

Achievement in costume design
"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood

Achievement in directing
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson

Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Best documentary short subject
"Freeheld" A Lieutenant Films Production: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
"La Corona (The Crown)" A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production: Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
"Salim Baba" A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production: Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
"Sari's Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James LongleyS

Achievement in film editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor

Best foreign language film of the year
"Beaufort" Israel
"The Counterfeiters" Austria
"Katyn" Poland
"Mongol" Kazakhstan
"12" Russia

Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
Best motion picture of the year
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production) A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Best animated short film
"I Met the Walrus" A Kids & Explosions Production: Josh Raskin
"Madame Tutli-Putli" (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
"Même les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)" (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)" (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production Alexander Petrov
"Peter & the Wolf" (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman

Best live action short film
"At Night" A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)" (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia Production: Andrea Jublin
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)" (Premium Films) A Karé Production: Philippe Pollet-Villard
"Tanghi Argentini" (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production: Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
"The Tonto Woman" A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production: Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

Achievement in sound editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Christopher Scarabosio and Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Achievement in sound mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

Achievement in visual effects
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Adapted screenplay
"Atonement" (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her" (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Original screenplay
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins

FBNF Podcast #59: 2008 Oscar Predictions

listen to filmed but not forgotten #59

News:
- Star Trek news
- Terminator news
- Star Wars news

On This Episode:
- 2008 oscar predictions

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and the jenny dalton(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

Get The Podcast:

 

Four Eyed Monsters

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watch movie: (www.foureyedmonsters.com)

Year: 2005

Director: arin crumley & susan buice

Writer: arin crumley & susan buice

Budget: ?

Gross: (don't think it was ever released in theaters)

it might sound like the title of a big budget monster movie extravaganza, but in reality that couldn't be further from the truth.  the Four Eyed Monsters of the title refers to the entity that is a couple.  two people with four eyes, two heads and eight limbs. i had no idea what it was about or what to expect and it just totally blew me away. 

Four Eyed Monsters is 'love story' for the new media generation made by two people who actually seem to know what they are talking about because they have 'been there, done that'.  this isn't some big hollywood studio trying to cash in on the my space phenomenon and commissioning some staring vehicle for john cuzak and kate hudson about a couple that meets online, blah, blah, blah.... the directors, writers and stars of the film arin crumley and susan buice know of what they speak because it is their story.

the film, to quote the film makers themselves from their website, "tells the true story of how susan and I met online and I stalked her at her work and then we ended up dating but with a rule to never speak in person. Then our lives and minds begin to meld and our fantasies and fears manifest as we become a living breathing Four Eyed Monster."

the film is very independent and the use of music and film techniques and new media ways of telling the story are very much a sign of the modern eye through which these film makers see the world.  however, what really did it for me was the fact that within all that, there was this really interesting and engaging story of these two characters. 

so often these artsy independent films will be all artsy pretension and forget the fact that they are also telling a story.  with Four Eyed Monsters however, the film making technique was just as much in service of the story as it was artistic and completely interesting in its own right.   

the film played at slamdance, won awards at the brooklyn film festival and was nominated for an independent spirit award for its cinematography.  the two film makers were also nominated, and very rightly so, for the john cassavetes award at the independent spirit awards.  however, i don't think the film ever got any kind of release into mainstream cinemas, which is a real shame.

however, you can head on over to their website at foureyedmonsters.com, where you can watch the full movie, check out all the episodes of their video podcast (about their relationship and their art and making the movie) and help them slowly climb out of their large credit card debt. 

just go watch this movie!!!

FBNF Podcast #58: Four Eyed Monsters

listen to filmed but not forgotten #58

News:
- the best and worst Bond girls
- Cloverfield 2
- stallone makes a "shocking admition"
- bay's team to revamp a few more classics

On This Episode:
- Four Eyed Monsters (www.foureyedmonsters.com)

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and the black crowes(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

Get The Podcast:

 

FBNF Awards

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well, awards season is winding down.  the lists have all been made and most of the awards have been given out.  however, an official year of movies is not complete until the FBNF Awards have been handed out, so here they are, the 2007 FBNFs...

best film:
- No Country For Old Men
      - i have said plenty about this masterpiece already

best male performance:
- daniel day-lewis
      - his performance in There Will Be Blood was brilliant.  a towering, powerful performance for the ages.

best female performance:
- ellen page
     - on the surface it might seem like a simple thing to play a sarcastic teen, but the way she gave us this character who young but thrust (no pun intended) in to such an adult situation was really something great.

film that most frustratingly didn't live up to its potential:
- I Am Legend
      - i think i've said and written enough about how i feel about this one

best soundtrack:
- Once
      - great songs that work beautifully in the movie and on their own

worst movie title:
- The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
      - i know it's the name of the book, but the title is so artsy that i'm sure it probably alienated some people from seeing this great movie (not that those it alienated would have appreciated it anyways, but you never know)

best movie title:
- I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With
      - come on, that's a great title.  and the fact that it also breaks down the truth and simplicity of what we really are all looking for in a mate (someone that we just get and gets us and someone that we would be completely happy just sitting and 'eating cheese' with) makes it even better.

best director (tie):
- the coen brothers & p.t. anderson
    - more then just good films, No country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood are masterpieces that go beyond what we expect, take chances and buck conventions with an incredibly sure hand.

best actor who played the same character in two different movies:
- michael cera
      - they had different names, but his character in Juno and Superbad were pretty identical. he played them really well though.

best special effects:
- The Transformers
    - nope, i didn't like the movie, but those special effects were something spectacular and seamless.

most overlooked actor:
- irfan khan
     - he was excellent in both The Namesake and A Mighty Heart (he got an independent spirit nomination, but he deserved much more)... followed a close second by josh brolin: javier bardem is getting all the attention (and he deserves it all), but brolin was great as well in a less 'flashy' but just as important role.

most overlooked actress:
- Tabu
     - she is the heart and soul of The Namesake.

most overpraised film of the year:
- Micheal Clayton
     -sure, it was pretty good, but not best-director-and-best-film good.  that's just taking up places that could have gone to much better movies

biggest drop-off by a director based on his previous film:
- joe carnahan
     -his film this year:Smoking Aces (kind of fun for a bit, but not even a good mindless shoot 'em up) - his previous film: Narc (this is a great movie)

movie that made me laugh more then it probably should have:
- Reno 911: Miami!
     - the tv show makes me laugh and so did the movie, like the award says, probably more then it should have

- biggest oscar gyp (tie):
- The Diving Bell And The Butterfly not getting a best picture nod
      -personally i also think Micheal Clayton should be off the list and replaced with Easter Promises, but the fact that Diving Bell got a best director nod but was replaced in the best picture category by Atonement is just ridiculous.  i know every year there is one best film nomination that doesn't coennside with the best director nominations, and that is fine. however, if you are going to keep Diving Bell off the list then at least replace it with a better film then Atonement (it had a very good first half. however, it didn't provide any kind of background or justification for the huge emotions felt by the two main characters, and therefor i felt no real draw to their plight or desire for them to get back together, which is what the film relies on).

- Eastern Promises getting almost nothing

          - at least viggo got an acting nod, but come on people, the film itself deserved a lot more recognition then it got.  like i mentioned above, get rid of Micheal Clayton on both the 'best director' and 'best film' nomination list and you got room for cronenberg and Eastern Promises.

- There Will Be Blood score not nominated
         -  how did this modern, different and evocative score get left of the nomination list? i think i just answered my own question.

worst sequel:
- Spiderman 3
       - the first two were great, but this one wasn't even that much fun.  too many villains and a dark spiderman story line that wasn't developed to its full potential. (i didn't see Pirates Of The Caribbean 3 by the way)

Best Sequel:
- The Bourne Ultimatum
       - not only was it a really good action movie on its own, but the way it worked within the context of the trilogy it was a great finale to the series. (Harry Potter 5 and 28 Weeks Later are close behind)

most surprising remake:
- I Think I Love My Wife
       - the chris rock film which he directed, starred in and co-wrote is a 'remake/based on' the film Chloe In The Afternoon by eric rohmer

FBNF Podcast #57: The FBNF Awards

listen to filmed but not forgotten #57

News:
- Toy Story 3-D
- 22nd Bond movie gets a title
- stone doing Bush
- the razzie nominations

On This Episode:
- The FBNF Awards

Plus:
- listener feedback
- trailer trivia
- upcoming dvd releases

Music From This Episode:
- chi weapon and troy sinister(podsafe music network)

Email: filmedbutnotforgotten (at) gmail.com

Get The Podcast:

 

Best And Worst Of 2007

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let's start with the best...

it's that time of year again.  ok, so it's a little past that time of year, but there were a bunch of movies i wanted to see before i put these lists together. even with that, there are still many that i haven't got to - i mean i am only one man and i do have to eat and sleep and work.  so, before you go asking where is (put title of movie you think deserves a place on the list here), let me just give you a rundown of some of the movies i just didn't get to at the time i am putting this list together that have been finding there way onto other top lists: Grindhouse, Lust Caution, Sweeny Todd, Ratatouille, Persepolis, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, This Is England, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, 4 months 3 Weeks 2 Days, the Savages, La Vie En Rose, Lars And The Real Girl, The Waitress, In The Valley Of Elah and Into The Wild

with that being said here are my lists for the best and worst movies of 2007 - many of which you can read more in depth discussions of on the site.  let the listing begin...

don't forget (best)                                                         

1) No Country For Old Men
- brilliant.  two filmmakers at the top of their game taking chances with complete confidence                                 
2) Juno 
- a great and very funny comedy that takes an after school special premise and makes it anything but. 

                                                               
3) There Will Be Blood   
- p.t. anderson has guts and talent beyond that of most filmmakers with many more years of experience

                                          
4) Eastern Promises 
- a great film and croenenbergs best work ever

5) Once
- a small and simple love story with great music, so much heart and a little off-hollywood ending which works to perfection.

6) The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

- a movie about a guy who is paralyzed and can only blink his left eye.  doesn't sound like great movie fodder, but shnabel makes a great movie

7) The Namesake

- this film is about so much more then the simple identity crisis played up in the previews.  in fact, the parents and their story are as much a part of this wonderful film as is that of kal penn's character, who gets most of the screen time in the trailer.

8) The Bourne Ultimatum
- the best action movie of the year and the perfect ending to a really good trilogy

9) A Mighty Heart
- even though you know how it ends winterbottom makes the story completely engaging and draws the audience in to the search and the mystery of what really happened with the documentary style, jump cuts and hand held camera.  jolie is great as mariane pearl as well.

10) Eagle Vs. Shark
- this little oddball film might seem to some like just another Napoleon Dynamite, but it is definitely its own film and a very good one at that.

this was a good year for movies. i went back and forth with a few of them and had a hard time narrowing the list down to just 10 films.  and while 10 is the traditional list number, it is also unfair to the quality movies that just missed the cut.  so here they are (in no particular order), a few of which were in and out of the top 10 during the weeding process so when i say 'just missed the cut' i mean exactly that...

don't forget (honorable mention): The Brave One, The Host, Knocked Up, 28 Weeks Later, Gone Baby Gone, the Simpsons Movie, Crazy Love, the Orphanage, Across The Universe, Interview, Breach, Zodiac

as for the worst.  i had a little harder time coming up with this list.  not because there weren't a lot of crappy movies released this year, but more so because i didn't see a lot of them. i avoided the Good Luck Chucks and the Daddy Daycares and The Number 23s (either because they didn't look good or were directed by joel shumacher).  but, i did see my share of not good movies, and here they