Behind The Scenes: Colin's Music Video - by Wal Ozello

July 30, 2016 Wal Ozello

I met Colin when I was in film school in the early '90's. Even back then I wanted to film a music video for him, as I was always impressed with the way he told a story through his lyrics.

So when our paths crossed again decades later, I knew I'd have a chance. The right song never came around until Colin pressed his latest CD, The Best of Colin Gawel: Superior. He shared with me an early mix of track four, called "Dad Can't Help You Now" and I said, "That one's mine." It's a good thing I claimed it early because others jumped at the chance as well, but Colin set it aside for me and I'm grateful he did.

For the past couple Sundays, we've been busy shooting footage for it. A friend of mine and local filmmaker, Alex Williams, offered to be the Director of Photography and another local filmmaker, Maria Clark of Brainstorm Media, offered to be the Producer. Filmmaker Tim Baldwin plays the role of Dad and I cast my son, Sam, as the Son. Colin got two Upper Arlington baseball teams to help out, the Rough Riders and UA Bears, and parents from the teams came out to support. We also got some extra production help from Claire George, Jonathan Rolston, Lucas Lewinter, Sarah Martin, and Ryan Newell.

The film is now in the editor's hands, Eric Ringquist, and we're all impatiently waiting the results of his magic. I should see a rough cut in a couple of weeks. But in the meantime, I'd like to share some behind the scenes pictures. Enjoy!

Wal Ozello is a local filmmaker and the lead singer of the Columbus hairband Armada. He's the author of the science fiction time travel books Assignment 1989 , Revolution 1990 and Sacrifice 2086 and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.

Buggy Eyes and a Big Butt, part twelve: Movies 174-187

July 28, 2016 Rob Braithwaite

Pencilstorm contributor Rob Braithwaite is watching 366 movies this year, so you don't have to, here is part twelve of his continuing 2016 rundown......

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

Ratings key:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ = I can’t see giving anything that I’ve seen once five stars
★ ★ ★ ★ = get to the theater / move it up in your queue
★ ★ ★ = “three stars is a recommendation” - The Empire [magazine] Podcast
★ ★ = if the remote is too far away, you could do worse
★ = if the remote is too far away, get someone to move it closer then throw it at the TV

174
Body Double (1984) ★.5
stars: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry
co-writer/director: Brian De Palma

A struggling actor housesits for a new acquaintance and witnesses a murder across the way.

Yep, this is the De Palma I don’t like. Indulgent and boring.

watch Slam Dance instead

175
Village of the Damned (1995) ★ ★ ★
stars: Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, Linda “Mrs. Crocodile Dundee” Kozlowski
director: John Carpenter

I think this maligned remake of a small town’s mysterious children problem plays better if you imagine it were made in the ‘50s. John Carpenter wasn’t looking to update the storytelling or acting style. He wanted, I’m guessing, to make a horror movie like those of his youth. If you go in with that mindset, you’ll be entertained. Christopher Reeve is good in it. Or you can watch the 1960 original. They are basically the same.

This John Carpenter? What other movies did he make?

double feature pairing: Tremors

176
When a Stranger Calls (1979) ★ ★ ★
stars: Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Tony Beckley
co-writer/director: Fred Walton

It’s the “the call is coming from inside the house” movie.

And that line comes waaaaaay sooner than I thought it was going to. After the first twenty minutes! Where is this movie going to go from here? Well, it becomes a manhunt and character drama, then it becomes its own sequel. Fascinating.

double feature pairing: Scream

177
When a Stranger Calls (2006) ★ ★
stars: Camilla Belle, Tommy Flanagan, the voice of Lance Henriksen
director: Simon West

Now this is what I expected the original to be like. The whole movie takes place over one evening. The first twenty minutes of the original were stretched out to ninety. It’s a good remake, despite ignoring how caller ID works. But, like most creep-around movies, I was done with it two-thirds in.

Product placement has changed over the years. In the original, Babysitter gets a Dilly Bar® from the freezer. I know this because I recognize the wrapper. It isn’t presented in any obvious way, so it hardly counts as placement, really. I guess it speaks more to how many Dilly Bars® I ate as a kid. In the remake, Babysitter gets a Dole Fruit Bar®. from the freezer. I know this because of the delayed shot of the second box of Dole Fruit Bars®.

watch the first twenty minutes of the 1979 version

178
Daddy’s Home (2015) ★.5
stars: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini
director: Sean Anders

I know I watched this. Can’t remember a damned thing about it that wasn’t in the trailer.

watch Max Duggan Returns instead

179
Girlfight (2000) ★ ★ ★
stars: Michelle Rodriguez, Jamie Tirelli, Santiago Douglas
writer/director: Karyn Kusama

Diana secretly trains as a boxer. Finds resistance.

Michelle Rodriguez is great. The pacing is a little too slack.

double feature pairing: Rocky

180
The House Bunny (2008) ★.5
stars: Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings
director: Fred Wolf

A Playboy Bunny is kicked out of the Playboy Mansion and becomes the house mom of a sorority of misfits. She learns some things from them. They learn some things from her. Anna Faris is funny. The movie isn’t.

Produced by Adam Sandler’s company. Totally feels like it.

watch Legally Blond instead

181
Swiss Army Man (2016) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
writers/directors: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

A man deserted on an island discovers a dead body on the beach. It’s this farting corpse that just might be the thing to save him.

The greatest farting movie of all time. There were moments when I was wondering what I was watching. It’s very funny. Incredibly inventive. And not without a deeper, darker meaning. It’s unique.

double feature pairing: Be Kind Rewind

182
Ghostbusters (2016) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon
director: Paul Feig

Fuck the haters. This is funny. It’s a decent remake/remodel/re-whatever. It nods to the original while making its own thing. Some of the most unfunny parts were the forced cameos. Bill Murray’s character was necessary for the story, but he didn’t seem to care. He let his hat do the work. The bust of Harold Ramis was a sweet touch.

double feature pairing: Evil Dead (2013)

183
The Killers (1946) ★ ★ ★
stars: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien
director: Robert Siodmak

A small town mechanic is killed by two hit men. Why? That’s a question for the insurance claims agent to answer.

Yep, the insurance company’s claims agent is hot on the case. No private eye, though the role is played like one, or homicide detective, which makes much more sense, could be torn away from their whiskey and donuts, respectively.

That aside, and ignored when the movie brings it up again, this is a nice little crime picture. The opening scene in the diner must make the Coen Brothers drool. The rhythm of the dialogue is amazing.

double feature pairing: Payback

184
The Killers (1964) ★ ★ ★
stars: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes
director: Don Siegel

Now this is how you remake a movie. Fix what didn’t work before. The investigators of the case this time are the hit men themselves. One of them recognizes the mark as part of a team that stole a great deal of money, so they look into who hired them in hopes of finding the cash.

Both versions are good. I’d give an edge to the original, as it’s a bit more cinematic. This version was originally made for TV but deemed too violent so it got a theatrical release.

This was Ronald Reagan’s final movie before entering politics.

double feature pairing: Payback: Straight Up (director’s cut)

185
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata
writer/director: Taika Waititi

Problem child Ricky is taken in by the loving Bella and problem adult Hec.

Funny and charming. The trailer does a nice job of projecting the tone without ruining plot points.

double feature pairing: Thelma & Louise

186
The Lady Vanishes (1938) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas
director: Alfred Hitchcock

An elderly lady vanishes from a train, and only one person believes she ever existed at all.

Yep. It’s great.

double feature pairing: Silver Streak

187
Star Trek Beyond (2016) ★ ★ ★
stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban
director: Justin Lin

You got the outer space and the people and the explosions and the humor and a city to smash things into during the finale.

I don’t think the movie is bad. The folks I saw it with confirmed that. There’s a lot of action and the story is fine. The pandering, by-the-book humor didn’t go over well. No one I was around laughed much. I was bored by it all. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood. Maybe I’ve reached that point in the summer when I tire of seeing things smash into other things. Happens every year.

double feature pairing: Big Night

Counters:
187/366 movies (23 movies off pace)
25/52 movies directed by women

THE TOP THREE

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

Buggy Eyes and a Big Butt, part eleven: Movies 153-173

July 6, 2016 Rob Braithwaite

Pencilstorm contributor Rob Braithwaite is watching 366 movies this year, so you don't have to, here is part eleven of his continuing 2016 rundown......

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

153
Eddie the Eagle (2016) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman
director: Dexter Fletcher

The not-quite true depiction of the true story of Britain’s first Olympic ski jumper.

If there was a cinematic itch my mom had, it was the against-all-odds, adversity-defying, feel-good movie. This movie ticks all those boxes and nails the training montage. It even perfected the soundtrack of the ‘80s ski movie. Horrible to listen to but fits right in.

double feature pairing: Cool Runnings

154
Shout at the Devil (1976) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Lee Marvin, Roger Moore, Barbara Perkins
director: Peter Hunt

Zanzibar, 1913. A fruitful partnership begins when an American hustler cons a British aristocrat into transporting ivory through German controlled waters. The conflicts with the German governor become more extreme when World War One kicks off.

Descriptions of this movie make it seem it’s all about the true-life bombing of a broken down German ship. That is only about the last half hour or so. The lead in has more in common with The Dukes of Hazzard, The Yank and The Brit butting heads with The Kraut. There are swings in humor’s direction, and some surprising blows of gruesome violence.

Roger Moore’s role should have been cast younger. I forget he’s supposed to be a younger man until a reference is made about it. But, he was James Bond until he was 62, so what do I know.

double feature pairing: The Man Who Would Be King

155
Hush (2016) ★ ★
stars: Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr.
co-writer/director: Mike Flanagan

Here’s the latest attempt at giving the home invasion thriller a new twist. This time the home-alone woman is deaf and mute. She is working on her overdue second novel in her remote home in the woods when a killer darkens her front door…with blood!

There are some suspenseful moments. However, the degree to which the woman is aware of her surroundings varies upon the story's necessity. I was often distracted, trying to figure the logic of some situations. The biggest head scratcher was how she was close enough to another house to gain access to their wi-fi. Not very isolated. As I debated the perceived problems, the run time expired. Now that is how you get movies watched, people! [drops remote]

watch The Strangers instead

[picks up remote]

156
Night Moves (2013) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, Peter Sarsgaard
co-writer/director: Kelly Reichardt

Three environmentalists make plans to blow up a dam.

Like her previous film Wendy and Lucy, Kelly Reichardt sets a relaxed pace. It’s odd that could lend itself to great tension.

double feature pairing: The East

157
Sam Whiskey (1969) ★ ★ ★
stars: Burt Reynolds, Ossie Davis, Clint Walker
director: Arnold Laven

A widow hires Sam Whiskey, a legend in the opening credit’s mind, to salvage the gold bars her husband stole then return them to the mint before their absence is detected. Piece of cake.

An enjoyable reverse heist flick that somehow doesn’t feel very thrilling. It ends with a sense of “So, want to get something to eat?”

Sam Whiskey was one of a few remnants from a Burt Reynolds bender I went on last year. I re-watched a few though mostly focused on movies I hadn’t seen from his heyday, movies I remembered seeing trailers for on HBO but had no interest in them because I was a kid and Burt wasn’t crashing cars or hanging out with Jerry Reed.

I took this bender so far as to purchase a VHS copy of Paternity for $10, because it was never released on DVD. Can’t tell why it didn't make the cut. It’s not bad. There is much worse that not only made the jump to DVD but also received a bluray release. Also, I’d forgotten the frustration that accompanied pan and scan. Grrrrr.

The other title on my list that didn’t get the DVD transfer was Rough Cut. VHS copies were going for fifty bucks on eBay. My bender wasn’t that important. Some things were not meant to be.

As a result, here are my top ten Burt Reynolds movies, top to bottom: Smokey and the Bandit, Deliverance, The Longest Yard, Starting Over, Hooper, Breaking In, Semi-Tough, Switching Channels, Paternity, Stroker Ace.

double feature pairing: There Was a Crooked Man

158
My Man Godfrey (1936) ★ ★
stars: William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady
director: Gregory La Cava

A socialite hires a bum to be her butler after he agrees to belittle himself as her “forgotten man” item from a high society scavenger hunt.

Made me laugh a little. Tried to comment on class issues. Ends in a fairy tale.

watch Trading Places instead

159
Calvary (2014) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Brendan Gleeson, Kelly Reilly, Chris O’Dowd
writer/director: John Michael McDunagh

Father James, a well respected priest of a small Irish town, is told he will be killed in seven days.

Incredibly, this ends on an upbeat. Brendan Gleeson is amazing.

Holy shit! M. Emmet Walsh is still alive?!

double feature pairing: The Player

160
Weiner (2016) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin
directors: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

[dick joke]

An amazing movie to watch for body language.

For an interview with directors, check out the On the Media episode “Trending Topics”

double feature pairing: The Contender

161
Jack’s Back (1988) ★ ★ ★
stars: James Spader, Cynthia Gibb, Robert Picardo
writer/director: Rowdy Herrington

A copycat recreates the Jack the Ripper murders a hundred years later, to the day.

There were a couple turns I wasn’t expecting because I think I was confusing this with another movie and the description on the DVD case uncharacteristically left something unspoiled. A must see for James Spader fans. A regular see for thriller fans.

double feature pairing: Time After Time

162
The Headless Woman (2008) ★ ★.5
stars: María Onetto, Claudia Cantero, Inés Efron
writer/director: Lucrecia Martel

A woman hit something she thinks is a dog and drives off, but as the days pass and word of a missing boy reaches her, she suspects she might have hit more.

A classic tale of people of high status working their way out of consequence. The story lallygagged its way to a fork in the road. It could have gotten there a bit sooner.

watch The Machinist instead

163
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) ★
stars: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman
director: Roland Emmerich

Do I have to tell you about this one? One more moment wasted thinking about this will crush my soul.

watch Mars Attacks! instead

164
The Shallows (2016) ★ ★ ★
stars: Blake Lively, a shark, a seagull
director: Jaume Collet-serra

“Surfboard goes in the water. Girl goes in the water. Shark’s in the water. Our shark. [singing] Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.”

Some nice underwater photography. It feels like a live-action Disney movie sometimes when she’s conversing with an injured seagull. Plausibility can be ignored when the performance and action are this engaging.

double feature pairing: A Perfect Getaway

165
The Fits (2015) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Royalty Hightower, Alexis Neblett, Inayah Rodgers
co-writer, director: Ann Rose Holmer

There isn’t much I should tell you beyond the trailer, except 1) it was filmed in Cincinnati and 2) the scene where she gets the routine down for the first time is one of the happiest scenes I’ve seen in a long time.

double feature pairing: Bring It On

166
Freebie and the Bean (1974) ★ ★
stars: Alan Arkin, James Caan, Jack Kruschen
director: Richard Rush

A couple cops try to keep a local kingpin alive from an assassin’s bullet while they await a warrant for his arrest.

Pretty good when Freebie and Bean are on the job, bickering with each other. Otherwise, this is pretty bad, especially the sub-plot about Bean’s Wife. That’s how Valerie Harper is credited, by the way, “as Bean’s Wife.” oh, and she and Alan Arkin are supposed to be Mexican. oof.

watch Lethal Weapon 2 instead

167
The Children’s Hour (1961) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner
director: William Wyler

Kids say the darndest things. Manipulative kids say the damnedest things.

People’s lives and a business are destroyed from the whisper of a girl mixing an ounce of truth with a lie that is peppered with words she doesn’t really understand. There are many horror movies with children as harbingers of evil. Like Cujo, this is scary because it could really happen. New kids are being made every day! Stop, before it’s too late!

(but seriously, this movie a gut punch and wonderfully performed, especially the trouble making girl. The daggers from her eyes are sharp.)

double feature pairing: The Hunt

168
Rough Cut (1980) ★ ★
stars: Burt Reynolds, Lesley-Anne Down, David Niven
director: Don Siegel

Watching Sam Whiskey reminded my to check on the availability of Rough Cut. VHS, still forty to fifty bucks. Laserdisc… Laserdisc?! Eight dollars with free shipping! I know someone who has a player. Does it still work? I’ll worry about that later. BUY.

A British inspector, in the twilight of his career, fixes his sights on the criminal mastermind who has eluded capture.

Burt Reynolds his is best when he is a wise-cracking scrapper. When he moves too far into tough guy territory, like in Sharky’s Machine, I can’t take him as a serious threat. Here, he tries to work in Cary Grant suave mode. That’s not really his thing either.

The movie’s attempts at humor fall flat. The actors move their bodies and speak words. The camera was in focus. The most interesting part was the heist, but that is completely ruined by the ending (one of four filmed). The inspector was in on it the whole time and stole the jewels before they even left London, which means they didn’t have to go through with the heist at all.

Rough Cut had three directors. The writer removed his name from the project. And no one wanted to put this on DVD. Maybe I should have researched this more. eh, I’m glad I saw it.

watch The Great Muppet Caper instead

169
Marauders (2016) ★
stars: Christopher Meloni, Dave Bautista, Bruce Willis
director: Steven C. Miller

Thieves steal delicate information from safety deposit boxes to expose a [cover-up, conspiracy, whatever, it doesn’t matter; this movie is garbage.]

In a movie with so many clichés, why do you think they decided to turn expectations by replacing a baguette sticking out from a grocery bag with a bag of doughnuts? Was it because a cop was carrying the bag? *sigh* The baguette in a paper grocery bag is one of my favorite clichés.

Also shot in Cincinnati.

watch Inside Man instead

170
Eye in the Sky (2015) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul
director: Gavin Hood

Clearance for an drone air strike has many levels and debates on what is legal, moral and militarily justified.

Good tension from what is mostly people acting in rooms. Alan Rickman’s final on-screen performance.

double feature pairing: In the Loop

171
Death Hunt (1981) ★ ★ ★
stars: Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Carl Weathers
director: Peter Hunt

Not much to this adaptation of a real-life manhunt in the 1932 Yukon — Recluse makes an enemy. Enemy misrepresents the conflict. Mounties and posse converge for shootouts and frozen mountain chases. Entertaining nonetheless. It’s odd Angie Dickinson is in it at all. She shows up to collect her dead husband’s effects, sleeps with Lee Marvin, wonders if they could ever be together (no), then leaves. Pointless to the point of why bother.

double feature pairing: First Blood

172
Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, Jayson Lamb
directors: Jeremy Coon, Tim Skousen

In 1981 a group of kids decide to remake Raiders of the Lost Ark, shot for shot. It takes them seven summers. They get it all except for one scene. Now, thirty years later, they are getting that final scene.

The one-scene-short version made it through the ranks of underground VHS traders to become legend. What these guys don't seem to realize is their project’s true appeal. They were kids, with great ingenuity and no parental supervision, who did a remarkable job recreating a movie they largely made from memory. It isn’t special to raise money to hire a cinematographer, a special effects crew and some guy to build a plane.

double feature pairing: American Movie

173
The Silent Partner (1978) ★ ★ ★
stars: Elliott Gould, Christopher Plumber, Susannah York
director: Daryl Duke

A bank teller catches wind of a robbery in time to skim money for himself. When the robber learns he’s to have stolen more than he has, he knows who to go after.

Not a bad little crime caper. Didn’t expect it to contain one of the more terrifying murders I’ve seen in a movie.

double feature pairing: A Fish Called Wanda

Counters:
173/366 movies (15 movies off pace)
24/52 movies directed by women

THE TOP THREE

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

Buggy Eyes and a Big Butt, part ten: Movies 132-152

June 23, 2016 Rob Braithwaite

Pencilstorm contributor Rob Braithwaite is watching 366 movies this year, so you don't have to, here is part ten of his continuing 2016 rundown......

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

132
Approaching the Unknown (2016) ★
stars: Mark Strong, Luke Wilson, Sanaa Lathan
writer/director: Mark Elijah Roseberg

Some genius learned how to make water from dirt, so he’s going to Mars!

[singing] Here are a few of the terrible things:

The dialogue is awful. At times the narration is from the astronaut’s memoir in-process, working lines over until he gets it right. “This is a one way trip to Mars. I’m not going there to die; I’m going there to live!” He nailed that on his first attempt.

The logic of the mission seems cost prohibitive. First, the genius goes up, by himself. Three weeks later another solo fight to Mars will take off. He will set up the water machine. The other pilot will arrive to establish the barracks or something. They couldn’t go together? Maybe with a few other personnel to help lift things?

The genius constructed his machine within the ship and is constantly tinkering with it. Of course he breaks it.

Video conferencing isn’t as delayed as we know it do be. Calls from Earth to outer space are a little glitchy but you can have a normal conversation. One time the genius wakes from a nightmare and called the other ship to talk. If there was a crew, he could have leaned over the side of the bunk, “Hey, Jones, you awake?” “Yes, genius. How could I sleep with all your thrashing about up there.” “Sorry. I’m a little panicked.” “I would be too. Just because you can remove hydrogen and oxygen from Earth dirt to make water doesn’t mean it will work with Mars dirt.” “Shit, hadn't thought of that.” “…I hate you.”

watch The Martian instead

133
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) ★ ★ ★ ★
writers/stars: Adam Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer
directors: Akiva Schaffer, Joma Taccone

Former boy band star and breakout solo phenom Conner is set to release his second album. It does not go well. Hilarity ensues, even if you don’t know anything about hippity-hop or what a Belieber is.

double feature pairing: This Is Spinal Tap

134
The Lobster (2015) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Coleman
director: Yorgos Lanthimos

It is unlawful to be unmarried. If you are found to be single, you have 45 days to find a mate, otherwise you are turned into an animal of your choosing.

The trailer, presenting a quirky romantic comedy, hides the darkness of the movie’s true nature. The world building is amazing. No examples. You should experience it for yourself.

double feature pairing: The Beaver

135
All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records (2015) ★ ★ ★
stars: Russ Solomon
director: Colin Hanks

The title says it all. It’s a fascinating story.

double feature pairing: Empire Records

136
Burnt (2015) ★ ★ ★
stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl
director: John Wells

Tell me if you’ve heard this before: A talented chef self-destructs with booze and drugs then sobers up for a comeback years later.

Yep, this movie is going to tell you again. Thankfully, there’s a turn or two that keeps it on a path that not completely trampled. The chef, for instance, has a large debt to some shady characters. We are spared the shakedown and beating scenes.

It’s a good cast. And it ain’t doin’ nuthin’ to nobody. It’s fine.

Oh, I just remembered how it almost had an interesting ending, but there was more run time so they pulled bullshit out of their ass and got back to the completely trampled path.

Still, it’s fine.

tv pairing: Kitchen Confidential

137
Lebanon (2009) ★ ★
stars: Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen
writer/director: Samuel Maoz

The first day of the First Lebanon War is seen through the inside of a tank and through its scopes.

Trapping the audience in the tank an interesting way to tell the story, even though it’s a tough vantage point to keep it interesting. The second the gun scope zoomed in to catch the horrors of war, I pretty much checked out. The gunner had a great turning radius so he didn’t miss a thing.

watch Phone Booth instead

138
Zootopia (2016) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idria Elba
directors: Bryon Howard, Rich Moore

A bunny wants to be a cop. She’s told that bunnies aren’t cops. She becomes a cop yet is not respected. She takes on a missing persons case with the help of a con-fox. Life lessons ensue.

Take that, racism! Genuinely funny. And, in cartoon fashion, ends with a rousing song and dance number that you don’t need to watch.

double feature pairing: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

139
Lambert & Stamp (2014) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Christopher Stamp, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey
director: James D. Cooper

If you are a fan of The Who, then you’ve got a couple guys to thank for sponsoring and nurturing the group’s early days. If you aren’t, well, it’s still a great story

double feature pairing: School of Rock

140
Knuckleball! (2012) ★ ★ ★
stars: Tim Wakefield, R.A. Dickey
directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg

There were only two knuckleball pitchers in major league baseball during the 2011 season. Tim Wakefield enjoyed the stability of being with Boston for 15 years. R.A. Dickey struggled to find a permanent home where his pitch was welcome.

There’s no showdown between them or a dramatic reveal. It’s simply a look at a pitch that isn’t respected and the guys trying to make a career with it.

double feature pairing: Bull Durham

141
I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982) ★ ★ ★
stars: Walter Matthau, Dinah Manoff, Ann-Margret
director: Herbert Ross

Clunky Exposition Alert! Libby explains to her grandmother’s grave that she will be traveling to Los Angeles. She wants to be an actress and thinks her screenwriting father, out of her life since she was three, can help. Turns out she wanted to get to know her dad more, and he’s better off that she did. duh.

Neil Simon, not unlike the Coen Brothers, has a pattern to his writing that is his alone. It has a shtick feel about it that doesn’t age too well. I’m still entertained and amused by it. But that music, oof. A piano and stringed instruments, tickling and plucking along. It’s like water torture.

double feature pairing: Matchstick Men

142
Leviathan (2014) ★ ★ ★
stars: Aleksey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
director: Andrey Zvyagintsev

A man fights to save his ancestral home from a corrupt mayor’s desire for the land. This is not going to end well.

…or quickly. There is so much character build-up needed that not knowing more than this was a good movie made it feel longer. I was waiting for that moment that got everything rolling. Rather, more and more was weighed upon this guy until he is ultimately crushed. It’s nothing new to present government and organized religion as corrupt. It is unique to suppose that it is God’s will.

double feature pairing: A Serious Man

143
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago
director: Juan José Campanella

Still obsessed with an unsolved murder and the woman who got away, a retired federal agent tries to write a book about the case to find closure, which brings him closer to those two things that I already mentioned at the beginning of this sentence.

This is an excellent emotional thriller. The action sequence at the soccer (sorry, football) match is impressive. Other good things can be gleaned below from the bad things said about the remake (#152).

double feature pairing: Dead Zone

144
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (2013) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Shep Gordon
directors: Beth Aala, Mike Myers

Shep Gordon is a manager like no other and seemingly one of the greatest people alive. He’s managed Alice Cooper for over 40 years, as well as many other acts. He is inventive (How he got people interested in Anne Murray is incredible.) and visionary (He created the celebrity chef as we know it).

double feature pairing: Parenthood

145
The Trouble with Spies (1987) ★
stars: Donald Sutherland, Lucy Getteridge, Ned Beatty
director: Burt Kennedy

It’s been about a week since I saw this. Can't really remember why things were happening. A bumbling spy was sent to find a missing spy. Ruth Gordon was there. There was a good joke or two. I think the script said “Just slap some images together for 90 minutes. And some naked ladies if you got them.”

In one scene, the bumbling spy came across a vicious guard dog. He left. Drove back to his hotel room. Took part in another scene or two. Grabbed a towel from his room. Returned to the guard dog and wrapped his arm in the towel for the dog to bite into. …I am baffled.

watch The Man Who Knew Too Little instead

146
The Intern (2015) ★ ★
stars: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway
director: Nancy Myers

Clunky Exposition Alert! [speaking into camera] Old Man is retired. He has tried to keep busy but feels he has more to offer. That’s why he is making this video application for an internship, specifically looking for senior citizens, to work for a upcoming online store with an overworked CEO.

There are those nonthreatening piano keys and violin strings again. Like nails on a chalkboard.

Is it progress that the “magical black man” role is played by an old white man? Or is it problematic because the movie doesn’t think an old black man could have had a successful business career for forty years?

watch In Good Company instead

147
Rock the Kasbah (2015) ★
stars: Bill Murray, Leem Lubany, Zooey Deschanel
director: Barry Levinson

This text appears just before the end credits: Dedicated to Setara Hussainzada, who had the courage to sing and dance on Afghan Star.

OK, great. Why didn’t we see that movie? Why tell a story about a shady rock promoter who finds himself stranded in Afghanistan, which allows him to discover a girl (more than half way through the movie) who he gets on Afghan Star?

This movie was bad before I saw the dedication. Before, I wondered why it was in Afghanistan at all. Maybe it was originally set in America, only changing when they learned about Setara. There are over-protective fathers here. There are gangs. There are hookers. And there are singing competitions.

watch Ishtar instead

148
The China Syndrome (1979) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas
director: James Bridges

A news crew captures a near meltdown at a nuclear power plant on film, causing concern from nuclear power protesters and the corporation that own the plant.

NO NUKES! NO NUKES! NO NUKES!

Quiet, you.

double feature pairing: WarGames

149
Tumbledown (2015) ★ ★
stars: Rebecca Hall, Jason Sudeikis, Blythe Danner
director: Sean Mewshaw

Some singer/songwriter dies after one “amazing” sad sack album. The album is so amazing that it creates a community that obsesses over him. An author teams up with the widow to write the singer/songwriter’s biography.

At first, this looked intent to steer clear of the typical romantic comedy resolution. The author had a serious girlfriend with no negative traits. He got to address some of his issues. The widow got some closure and moved on. And then… the author dumps his girlfriend for some reason, and the widow races into his arms.

watch The Woman in Black instead

150
Faults (2014) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Leland Orser, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
writer/director: Riley Stearns

Ansel had a career deprogramming those who had lived in cults. Currently on a huge downswing in life, he jumps at the chance to help a desperate couple with their daughter.

You can probably guess how it plays out in the end — Who knows? Maybe it could be different. Keep watching — but it is well-crafted with good performances.

double feature pairing: Martha Marcy May Marlene

151
Now You See Me 2 (2016) ★.5
stars: Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan
director: Jon M. Chu

The Fast and Furious of magician movies, Now You Don’t (which is what this sequel should have been called) has a little fun. Lizzy Caplan and Woody Harrelson have some nice moments. Sadly, it’s too cartoonish to be enjoyable. Or, good, actually.

watch Ocean’s Eleven instead

152
Secret in Their Eyes (2015) ★ ★
stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts
director: Billy Ray

The U.S. remake of The Secret in Their Eyes (#143) is pretty much the same story except the changes made diminish the impact.

The scope of the story is narrowed. The murder victim is now the daughter of a fellow agent. Of course the victim’s relation would maintain, but it really shouldn’t have the same hold on the former agent. Originally, he can’t shake the case because he had never seen the level of love that he had seen in the boyfriend. And that level of devotion played into the his affections for his boss, longing for that connection with her.

The ending tries to have it both ways. It retains the original’s ending. For a few minutes. Then it brings in the “American” ending.

watch The Secret in Their Eyes instead

Counters:
152/366 movies (22 movies off pace)
20/52 movies directed by women

THE TOP THREE

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

Sing Street - by Ricki C.

May 21, 2016 Ricki C.

Okay, I’m bringing this in at less than 300 words, so there’ll be none of my usual point-belaboring: Sing Street is the new movie by John Carney, who directed the pretty great Once in 2007, and the not-so-great Begin Again in 2013. Once was great partially because of the filming-by-the-seat-of-my-pants/no-stars-musicians-pretending-to-be-actors/quasi-documentary feel of the movie. Begin Again was a frothy, big-budget Hollywood mess of a movie starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo – both of whom I really like – but they just didn’t work in the music biz tale to be told. Too much glitzy rom-com action, not enough heart. (Plus the songs written for the movie sucked.)

Sing Street returns Carney to his roots of shooting on the streets of Dublin, Ireland with a cast of unknown kids, and the result is maybe my second-favorite rock & roll movie – after Almost Famous – of all time. (I realize that’s a Big Hype Statement that might backfire on me, but I’m gonna chance it. I love this movie.) (Previous contenders for second fave r&r movie: 1991's The Commitments and 1978's Cotton Candy.)

The story couldn’t be simpler: a nerdy 15 year old singer/songwriter kid in a new, rough school develops a crush on a 16 year old neighborhood girl with modeling aspirations and asks if she’d like to be in a music video. She says “Yes” and said kid has to write a song, form a band and shoot a video by that Saturday. And then various other rock & roll-ness ensues.

Simple, priceless, beautiful, charming, heartfelt: go see it. – Ricki C. / May 13th, 2016

(ps. Keep in mind: the band that gets formed in Sing Street is Irish kids with guitars essentially playing English synth-pop, my third least favorite sub-genre of music after bluegrass and reggae, and I still love the movie. Now THAT’S film-making.)

Sing Street is playing at AMC Easton Town Center 30, Lennox Town Center 24, Marcus Crosswoods Cinema and the Gateway Film Center just south of campus.

Buggy Eyes and a Big Butt, part eight: Movies 104-120

May 16, 2016 Rob Braithwaite

Pencilstorm contributor Rob Braithwaite is watching 366 movies this year, so you don't have to, here is part eight of his continuing 2016 rundown......

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

104
Gilda (1946) ★ ★
stars: Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready
director: Charles Vidor

A crooked gambler, fresh off the boat to Argentina, goes to work for a casino owner who happens to marry his ex. That’s a big coincidence considering the exes weren’t from Argentina. There’s still a hateful passion between them. Sabotage, self and outward, run rampant. No one is likable. And there are two musical numbers.

Fresh off the Boat is a funny show.

watch The Shawshank Redemption instead

105
The Ascent (1977) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Boris Plotnikov, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Anatoliy Solonitsyn
director: Larisa Shepitko

Two Soviet partisans search for food in German-occupied Russia during World War Two. What begins as a mission for sustenance for their group becomes a exploration of what it means to survive in an occupied land. Leaning on the idea that righteousness is death and compromise fuels guilt, it’s a tough call.

double feature pairing: Red Dawn (1984)

106
Notorious (1946) ★ ★
stars: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains
director: Alfred Hitchcock

The U.S. government whores out the daughter of a German spy to infiltrate a Nazi collective in Rio de Janeiro. She falls in love with her U.S. handler. He loves her. They would run away together if they would only tell each other how they feel. But they don’t, so she goes on with the mission and he acts like a hurt puppy because she’s “going all the way” (read: sex).

Jesus. This is a classic? I’ve always been too critical of Brian De Palma because of his sometimes on-the-nose camera work. I’m aware of his Hitchcock influence but thought he lead the audience much more. My apologies. Hitchcock is just as bad.

If you haven’t figured it out, THE POISON IS IN THE TEA!

watch The Boys from Brazil instead

107
Breathless (1960) ★ ★ ★
stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg
director: Jean-Luc Godard

A man kills a policeman after stealing a car. Risking capture, he returns to a girl he’s infatuated with in hopes that she will run off with him despite not knowing each other that well.

I liked this much more thinking about it afterwards than when I was watching it. His checking the latest version of the newspaper for details of his crime was subtly tense. And the long bedroom scene is great in retrospect.

double feature pairing: Miami Blues

108
Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray
director: Agnès Varda

Cleo is a singer with a few hits on the radio. Her pampered lifestyle is shaken during an afternoon as she awaits test results from her doctor. Her world and mindset free from a restrictive state as the afternoon rolls on. The set design and camera work in her apartment are brilliant.

double feature pairing: Nick of Time

109
The Browning Version (1951) ★ ★ ★
stars: Michael Redgrave, Jean Kent, Nigel Patrick
director: Anthony Asquith

A stick-in-the-mud Latin teacher of a prep school is leaving for health reasons. The kids are happy. His adulterous wife couldn't care less. He lives with regret of not being better or fully understood. The movie is fine. He makes some nice inroads with a student and his wife’s lover. There’s a reason Latin isn't taught in high school anymore: Bor-ring.

double feature pairing: Dead Poets Society

110
Captain America: Civil War (2016) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan
directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Finally! Someone’s punching something! Whoa! That totally blew up! HAHAHA!!!

This is the best Marvel movie*. The action is great. It’s really funny. And there is emotional weight. I never would have guessed the best Marvel series would have been Captain America’s.

“That sounds great,” you say. “I’ve never seen a Marvel movie.”

Well, don’t start here. We’ve reached the point where you can’t jump in and still get the full impact. You’ll be able to follow it, sure — events and personal ties are referenced — but showing is always better than telling.

Don’t worry. You don’t have to watch the twelve others. Six will do…

triple double feature marathon (+1): Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Ant-Man, Avengers: Age of Ultron

*confirmation in 5-10 years.

111
Dealin’ with Idiots (2013) ★ ★
stars: Jeff Garlin, Bob Odenkirk. J.B. Smoove
co-writer/director: Jeff Garlin

What if the camera filming The Bad News Bears were pointed the other way, filming the parents? Then I’d say to turn the camera back around.

There are funny people saying funny things. If it was a straight forward presentation of the personalities of little league parents it might have been better. However, Garlin’s character tells the parents he wants to interview them for a movie he’s researching. This forces some of the interactions in an artificial way that makes the scene look just like that, a scene.

double feature pairing: The Sandlot

112
Remember (2015) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Christopher Plumber, Martin Landau, Dean Norris
director: Atom Egoyan

An Auschwitz survivor with dementia goes on the hunt for the Nazi-in-hiding who killed his family.

Don’t watch the trailer. It gives too much away.

Don’t believe the poster being used for the video release. This isn’t a Taken movie.

Christopher Plumber is amazing. And there are turns I wasn’t expecting.

double feature pairing: Memento

113
The Family Fang (2015) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Nicole Kidman, Jason Bateman, Christopher Walken
director: Jason Bateman

The Parents Fang used The Siblings Fang as instruments in their real-world art projects. Now grown, the siblings are less-than-stable when their parents disappear. One suspects this is another art piece, while the other is prepared for the worst.

I hope Jason Bateman continues directing. Bad Words is good, and this showed some style. It was nice to see Nicole Kidman in something again. Christopher Walken wasn’t the caricature I’ve come to expect.

double feature pairing: The Royal Tenenbaums

114
The League of Gentlemen (1960) ★ ★ ★
stars: Jack Hawkins, Nigel Patrick, Richard Attenborough
director: Basil Dearden

A retired military officer recruits fellow military men for a bank heist, the idea for which he got from the plot of a novel. No joke. These men, each their own brand of shady, robbed a bank like it happened in a book. Where was the Outraged Parents Society in 1960? Books are a path to criminal activity!

The movie is fine. Good bank robbing technique. What was the name of the book again?

double feature pairing: Heat

115
In a Lonely Place (1950) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy
director: Nicholas Ray

A screenwriter with a short fuse is accused of murder. He enters into a relationship with his new neighbor who provided his alibi. She begins to wonder if his jealousy, paranoia and fits of rage aren’t the makings of a murderer after all.

Based on one throw-away line and a 21st century eye, this has an undercurrent of a man suffering from PTSD. I don’t think that is intentional, but it certainly helps in finding some sympathy for an unlikable lead, expertly performed by Bogart.

Includes a descriptor that you don't hear much these days: he made all his money before the income tax.

double feature pairing: Seven Psychopaths

116
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) ★ ★
stars: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam
director: Sidney Lumet

Murder was the train that they gave me.

Maybe this movie wouldn’t have been such a grind if there weren’t as many characters. After an epilogue, we meet fifteen to sixteen people. There’s a murder. Then there are thirteen interviews. There’s a resolution. Then we watch eleven people individually toast two others. Guh, get on with it!

watch Clue instead

117
The Trust (2016) ★ ★ ★.5
stars: Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood
directors: Alex Brewer, Benjamin Brewer

Two cops rob a mysterious vault.

Nicolas Cage has muddied his filmography a great deal, so saying this is his best movie in years isn’t saying much. But, it is his best movie since Joe and his best comedic and vibrant performance since Kick-Ass.

The motivation of Cage’s character is heavily inferred. The movie seems to rely on the viewer knowing this genre to pick up on certain things. It was off-putting at first but I think I liked it this way. As the story progresses, we learned who this person really is, just as his partner does.

If nothing else, this gave me one of my favorite montages.

double feature pairing: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

118
Hell in the Pacific (1968) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Lee Marvin, Toshirô Mifune
director: John Boorman

American Soldier washes up on an island shore that Japanese Soldier solely inhabits. How will they react to one another as World War Two rages on with out them?

The lack of subtitles allows us to share in the men’s frustration in dealing with each other. The cinematography and framing are artful. The performances are impressive. The ending is abrupt and, if IMDb is to believed, a complete fabrication of the studio without John Boorman’s approval. The director’s superior ending is on the DVD as an extra and is in keeping with the rest of the movie.

double feature pairing: Enemy Mine

119
Poltergeist (2015) ★
stars: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris
director: Gil Kenan

What was the point?

watch Poltergeist (1982) instead

120
Night and the City (1950) ★ ★ ★ ★
stars: Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers
director: Jules Dassin

A hustler who's always on the lookout for the next big score finds himself in a position to become a successful wrestling promoter if he can orchestrate some powerful people the right way.

An impressive noir story that doesn’t involve a single gun. The way the plan falls apart is very unique.

Gene Tierney is second billed but has very little to do as the put-upon girlfriend/club singer. Her chummy neighbor is introduced for the sole purpose to make sure she has a man to pick her up at the end. A sign of the times, certainly genre. At least now, she would have… eh, maybe it wouldn’t be too different now. Someone of lower stature would have had that role instead.

double feature pairing: Barton Fink

Counters:
120/366 movies (16 movies off pace)
17/52 movies directed by women

THE TOP THREE

Q&A Intro, 1-17, 18-36, 37-51, 52-66, 67-74, 75-87, 88-103, 104-120, 121-131, 132-152, 153-173, 174-187, 188-221, 222-255, 256-287, 288-314, 315-341, 342-366, Index

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