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At The Theater 2012 #3: Wanderlust

I have been a huge fan of The State since it originally aired on MTV in the mid-90s, so it should come as no surprise that I jumped at the chance to see an advance screening of Wanderlust. And by huge fan of The State, I mean really huge fan. MTV used to rerun the episodes during the week and I would watch the initial airing and then watch every subsequent airing of the same episode that week. I had entire sketches committed to memory and was devastated when CBS completely botched The State’s move there from MTV.

Members of The State are all over Wanderlust. It was directed by David Wain, written by Wain & Ken Marino, who both appeared in the movie with other The State alumni Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter.

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star as George and Linda, a NYC couple that are forced to leave the city after George loses his job in finance. The montage of George and Linda driving south hilariously encapsulates long road trips.

Wanderlust lampoons both the gigantic price and minuscule size of NYC housing to great effect. I know couples who have lived in apartments the size of George and Linda’s studio micro-loft.

The bulk of the movie takes place at the Elysium, a rural hippie commune intentional community that’s full of everything you’d think to find at a rural hippie commune intentional community: vegans, hemp clothing and lots of hairy nudity.

When Joe Lo Truglio’s character first appeared in the movie, I thought he was Radinsky from Lost, but more naked.
Following the screening at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, David Wain, Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Kerri Kenney and Alan Alda sat for a moderated Q&A. Everyone on the stage was super nice. It was very cool to sit a few rows away from these people, because I idolized them so much in high school.

The coolest highlight of this Q&A was Wain and Marino talking about the Bizarro Cut of the movie, which is Wanderlust told completely through alternative takes that did not make the theatrical cut. Characters and plot lines will be transformed! I already want to pre-order this DVD.

The second biggest highlight of the Q&A for me was when David Wain recognized somebody in the crowd and started waving to them. This person must have been directly behind me, because I was sitting there thinking, “Wait, even though we’ve never met or even had so much as a Twitter conversation with each other, is David Wain smiling and waving at me? No, couldn’t be. Then again, maybe he recognizes my Twitter avatar photo, even though I’m not wearing sunglasses right now.” I knew he wasn’t waving at me. That didn’t stop me from wanting to wave back. I kind of wish I did.

The third biggest highlight? Finding out Paul Rudd is such a snappy dresser.

Go see Wanderlust. It is very, very funny. I haven’t last this hard in a movie theater since I saw Bridesmaids last May.

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On The Couch 2012 #2: 2012

I watched 2012 because if the world is going to end this year, I want to know the playbook.

THE SEVEN LESSONS I LEARNED ABOUT THE UPCOMING END OF THE WORLD

1. If you think the 1% are screwing us over now, just you wait until end of the world contingency plans come into play.

2. Since people on the ark had to pay in Euros, now is a buying opportunity for Americans thanks to a favorable exchange rate caused by the current European debt crisis.

3. Avoid Hawaii. It’s going to be one giant pool of lava. That’s fine; it’s not like I’m planning my honeymoon there or anything.

4. When planning a vacation, book it on the cruise line where the two jazz singers performed. The world was halfway through Armageddon before the water got rough for the passengers.

5. During the end of the world, never say “I just feel like there’s something pulling us apart.” The ground will crack underneath you.

6. If a guy says “I wish you could see what I’m seeing,” chances are at that moment you have a direct, unobstructed view of his coin slot.

7. Don’t fuck with John Cusack. Seriously. Date his wife who he’s separated from? You’ll die. Promise to save him and then screw him over in a frozen wasteland? Yeah, you’re dead too. Or maybe you’re a building that wants to fall on his limo. He’ll drive through you! Don’t mess.

Seriously, don’t mess.
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At The Theater #2: The Descendents

The Descendants is a fantastic movie. I definitely recommend seeing it. The acting was fantastic across the entire cast, but especially from George Clooney and Shailene Woodley, who plays Clooney’s eldest daughter Alex.

These two are tremendous.

Despite living in paradise, all of the characters in The Descendants are being weighed down by life. No matter how good they have it, no one has it good in this movie, not even perennially amused Sid.

I’ve now seen two of this year’s Best Picture nominees. While I liked The Descendants a lot, I liked Midnight in Paris more. I’m still rooting for Woody Allen’s time travel romantic comedy to take the top prize this year. But I do hope that Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash win for Writing (Adapted Screenplay), partially because I think they did a great job on this script and partially because I’m big fan of Community and want the man who gives us Dean Pelton to win.

I could also see The Descendants winning for Film Editing. I’m surprised to see it wasn’t nominated for Cinematography as well. I thought the camera work was superb.

Go see The Descendants.

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At The Theater 2012 #1: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a slow movie. It’s almost Melanchoia-slow. It’s hard to keep a movie suspenseful when the pacing is so slow. The filmmakers didn’t have to give it the breakneck pace of an action movie, but I will gladly point them to The Usual Suspects and the films of Albert Hitchcock as examples of suspenses that don’t have me fighting the urge to take a nap.

I never read the book. Were the characters dealing with a lot of inner thoughts? Because there were a lot of shots of people staring at each other or at the walls.

But what Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy did well, it did extremely well. Spies are portrayed as real people in this movie, not the jazzed up supermen of James Bond movies. Their actions and their world, where no one is sure who can be trusted, leaves marks on their psyches and their relationships. Maybe that’s why the characters spend so much time staring at things: they are always trying to figure things out.

Benedict Cumberatch performance was my favorite in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Closey followed by Mark Strong.

The other best aspect of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was the costumes, which were amazing, and set the film clearly in the 1970s.

The score was also amazing. I would bet on this score winning Best Original Score at the Oscars, and that’s without having heard the others.

I wouldn’t recommend seeing Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The slow pace keeps the movie form being engaging. Then again, maybe it’s a movie in which my opinion of it will drastically change upon a second viewing. We’ll have to see.

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On The Couch 2012 #1 – Star Wars Uncut

Not too long ago, fans were asked to redo the original Star Wars movie in 15 second segments. I wish I had known about this. If I had, I would definitely have filmed something. Once the entries were submitted, they were available to view and vote for online. Then they stitched the scenes together to create a new, full length version of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, made completely by fans. That new film is Star Wars Uncut.

The end product is awesome. There is definitely a lot of love and a lot of creativity that went into the submissions that made it into Star Wars Uncut. I loved the amount of variety in the scenes. There’s professional animation, a lot of DIY droids, a whole lot of female Lukes, and a bunch of scenes telling the story solely through action figures.

There were LOTS of Karate Kid Lukes.

Star Wars Uncut is not something to watch while doing something else. Sure, it’s a movie you’re probably already familiar with and a lot of the audio is taken directly from the original movie, but the movie completely changes every 15 seconds. And a lot of the fun in this film is the visual gags and pop culture references that people have inserted into their scenes. I managed to spot Homer and Moe from The Simpsons, The Dude, Walter and Donny from The Big Lebowski, and some Star Trek crew members.

It’s hard to pick a favorite scene. Maybe it was the animated C3P0 oil bath scene that took the dialogue between Luke and C3P0 out of context for a hilarious effect. Maybe it was the tweeted “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” or the message board responses that followed the opening crawl. There’s just too much good packed into these two hours.

Dog Chewie = ADORABLE!

Forget George Lucas releasing all six Star Wars movies in the theaters again in 3D. This is the Star Wars movie to be excited about this year! I love Star Wars Uncut. Something tells me this is going to end up being my favorite movie of 2012. I know it’s very early in the year to be making that prediction, but I can’t remember the last time a movie filled me with as much glee as I felt while watching this.

I really hope they do the same thing for The Empire Strikes Back. I will definitely film a segment for that. I only wish I hadn’t thrown away that Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite costume I made for Halloween last year.

Me, frozen in carbonite, Halloween 2011

You can watch Star Wars Uncut here:
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84th Academy Awards Nominations

The 84th Adademy Award Nominations List was released this morning! They are…

Actor in a Leading Role
Demian Bichir – A Better Life
George Clooney – The Descendants
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt – Money Ball

Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn

Actress in a Supporting Role
Berenice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer – The Help

Animated Feature Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Directing
The Artist
The Descendants
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
The Tree of Life

Documentary (Feature)
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary (Short Subject)
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Film Editing
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Foreign Language Film
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation

Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady

Music (Original Score)
The Adventures of Tintin – John Williams
The Artist – Ludovic Bource
Hugo – Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Alberto Iglesias
War Horse – John Willams

Music (Original Song)
Man or Muppet from The Muppets – Bret McKenzie
Real in Rio from Rio – Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
The Descendants – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Hugo – John Logan
The Ides of March – George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
Margin Call – J.C. Chandor
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
A Separation – Asghar Farhadi

My thoughts…Looking at the Best Picture nominees, my first thought was “Wow, I have seen a total of one of these nine movies!” I’m rooting for Midnight in Paris to win until I see a nominee that I like better. I’m not sure if that will happen, just because of how much I loved Midnight in Paris.

My second thought was “Nine movies? Really?” Last year, there were 10 movies nominated for Best Picture. The Academy received some criticism, saying that this watered down the category too much. So their response is to cut it to nine movies? Granted, I haven’t seen 8 of them, so I can’t speak of the overall quality of the field, but I would have been fine with them keeping it at 10 and throwing 50/50 a bone.

My third thought: One of the writing nominees from The Descendants, Jim Rash…that’s Dean Pelton from Community. I really like him on Community and would like to see him win just to hear his acceptance speech.

My fourth thought: Transformers: Dark of the Moon shall now be referred to as “Two-time Oscar nominee Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” Sorry, make that “THREE-time Oscar nominee Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” It was also nominated for Best Sound Mixing.

Homework:

What movie would you want to see included in the Best Picture category if they had left it at 10 nominees?

What are you winners predictions?

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On The Couch 2011 #30: The Adjustment Bureau

I really liked The Adjustment Bureau. The film has a cool, metatextual theme of what happens when characters start rebelling against their writers. The men, or snazzy dressed angels depending on your belief set, of The Adjustment Bureau guide humans throughout their lives. The adjusters walk around with their notebooks that show how peoples’ lives will turn out depending on what actions they take. The adjusters use their powers over reality to shape the lives of people in order to make those lives fall in line with “the plan.” The plan could also be seen as a story outline for someone’s life.

The movie immediately brought to mind Grant Morrison’s Supergods, where the writer talked about inserting himself as a character in his comic books. This was most notably done in Mr. Morrison’s run on Animal Man, where the title character realizes he isn’t completely in control of his own life and meets his writer.

Is this the closest a comic book character comes to meeting God?

When Matt Damon’s character finds out that the sharply dressed men of The Adjustment Bureau are messing with his life, and preventing him from being with the woman of his dreams, here played by Emily Blunt, he rebels. He does everything in his power to exert his will over the will of his writer. It would be as if Dorothy decided she didn’t want to take on the Wicked Witch of the West and would rather run off with the Scarecrow to raise an adoptive horde of Lollipop Leaguers while flipping the bird to Frank L. Baum.

Emily Blunt’s dress gives the Red Dress of Awesomeness a run for its money.

John Slattery seemed like a very easy casting choice, as he didn’t even have to change out of his Mad Men wardrobe to be in The Adjustment Bureau.

The Adjustment Bureau or Mad Men?

The stand-out performance goes to Anthony Mackie, playing an adjuster with a crisis of conscience. Apparently you can fuck with one guy’s life only so much before you start thinking twice about it.

I want to shop at their store.

One thing that struck me about The Adjustment Bureau was that there were no women in the Bureau. Guys, come on, it’s 2011. Women can wear fedoras too.

I loved that this movie used real New York City locations as much as it did. From the new Brooklyn Bridge Park to the contemporary ballet company Cedar Lake, real New York City locations are all over this movie. A cool special feature on the Blu-Ray allows you to transverse the secret doors around New York City overlaid on a map of Manhattan.

Like other movies based on Phillip K. Dick stories, The Adjustment Bureau follows the theme that “you’re not paranoid if they really are out to get you.” And it does it really well. If you haven’t seen The Adjustment Bureau yet, I highly recommend it. One warning though, it may make you want to buy a fedora afterwards.

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On The Couch 2011 #29: Captain America

There were too many comic book movies this year. As a lifelong comic book reader, I never thought I would say that. But it’s true. There were too many, and they were released way too close to each other. X-Men: First Class and Thor were both great, but when Green Lantern came out to middling reviews, it transformed all the I-gotta-see-all-these-movies momentum I had for comic book movies into “Eh, maybe I can wait for Netflix on a couple of these.”

That said, Captain America is wonderful. I rank it a little under X-Men: First Class, which I loved and a little above Thor, which I really liked. Marvel had a banner year for movies this year and I am super-excited for next year’s Avengers movie. Joss Whedon + Mark Ruffalo + RDJ’s Tony Stark = I will not be waiting for this movie to hit Netflix!

I cannot wait for this movie!

The CGI in Captain America is really cool. At first, I thought another actor was playing Steve Rogers before he was injected with super soldier serum. But then I realized no, that’s Chris Evans, special-effected in a reverse-Hulk way to make him much punier than he actually is.

If this movie was made 15 years ago, would the producers have approached Chris Evans with “Look, Chris, the CGI isn’t there yet. Would you mind losing 90 lbs for the early parts of the movie?”

Stanley Tucci continues to be the King of Supporting Actors, playing the German refugee scientist Dr. Erskine, creator of the Super Soldier formula.

The Tooch does it again!

If you are a Captain America comic book fan, there are so many Easter eggs dispersed throughout this movie. My second favorite was seeing the original Human Torch encased in glass at the World’s Fair pavilion. My favorite was when Dr. Arim Zola was first shown, and his face was seen distorted through a lens as if it were on a screen, foreshadowing his appearance in the comic. It sent my geeky heart aflutter.

Did you catch this brief appearance by the original Human Torch?


I really recommend seeing Captain America, as well all of the other Marvel movies that are leading into next summer’s Avengers.

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At The Theater 2011 #15: Melancholia

Wow, that was a boring movie. Hard-core boring. Like Human Centipede boring. I’ve never rooted for a planet to smash into the earth the way I did in this movie. Dear Lars von Trier, how do you make a movie about a planet hitting the earth so boring?
This should be exciting!
I wanted to fall asleep in Melancholia, but I fought against it. And it was a hard fight. But I was convinced that if I fell asleep I would miss the one exciting scene in the movie. So I stayed awake for the whole movie. That exciting scene never came. I’m convinced half the theater was asleep when the credits were rolling.

I’m not going to completely hate on Melancholia. It’s a beautifully shot movie. It’s as beautiful as it is boring. The cinematographer deserves an award.

 SPOILERS FOLLOW AFTER THESE TWO BEAUTIFUL, BORING STILLS…
So beautiful…So boring…



Melancholia is told in two parts, each named after one of the two sisters in the movie. The first part, Justine, is about Kirsten Dunst’s character Justine’s wedding, held at the massive estate of her sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her brother-in-law, John (Kiefer Sutherland). The wedding doesn’t go well. The bride and groom arrive hours late. Justine is never where she’s supposed to be. Oh, and she fucks some other guy on John’s lawn. So it’s not surprising when her new husband bolts at the end of the night. If only I had his foresight.

Don’t be fooled by the smiles. This is the wedding from hell.

The second part of the movie, Claire, is where the movie really becomes doused in Nyquil. Justine, super-depressed, moves in with Claire and John. Justine can’t take of herself, so Claire does. John seems to hate Justine, and as the movie progresses, so do I. Oh, and remember that entire first half of the movie you just watched? It has almost nothing to do with the second half.

When John realizes that the rogue planet Melancholia is not going to do a fly-by and will actually hit Earth, he offs himself. How could you betray me like that, John? Didn’t you think about the viewer, fighting as hard as he could to stay awake, clinging to your snark to get through the movie? Thanks for nothing, dick.

If you suffer from insomnia, Melancholia is a relatively cheap cure.