Browsing Tag

Movies

How to Do Visual Comedy the Edgar Wright Way

Posted on May 28, 2014

One of my favorite writer/directors is Edgar Wright. His films, including Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, are some of my all-time favorites. Why, you may wonder?

One of the many reasons is his very inventive visual style. He knows how to use a camera and his actors to maximize comedic or dramatic effect. And sometimes he even does both at the same time.

Don’t know what I mean? Fortunately, I don’t really have to explain further because someone else, Vimeo user Tony Zhou to be exact, has already made a video highlighting exactly what I’m talking about.

Watch it. You just might learn something.

[vimeo 96558506 w=560 h=315]

David Lynch’s ‘Return of the Jedi’

Posted on May 21, 2014

You’ve probably heard George Lucas once offered David Lynch the job of directing Return of the Jedi back in 1981. Lynch, of course, turned it down and the movie went on to be directed by Richard Marquand (at least most of it).

But what if Lynch hadn’t turned it down?

That’s what user C-Spit on YouTube wondered too. But instead of just wondering forever, he did something about it. He made a trailer for Jedi as if Lynch had directed it.

It’s pretty spot on. Enjoy.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PALjbTo1D5U?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

A New Episode of The Flickcast

Posted on May 1, 2014

Hey, I do a podcast. You probably already know that. But if you don’t, forgot for some reason or are trapped under something heavy with nothing to do but listen to podcasts, I thought it would be a good idea to mention it again.

In fact, a new episode just dropped yesterday. It’s a pretty good one. Actually, I would go so far as to say it’s very good.

So yeah, I do a very good podcast. It’s called The Flickcast and on it my co-host Joe Dilworth and I discuss lots of geeky stuff like movies, TV, comics, tech, gadgets, beer and a whole lot more. Yes, more. Lots of more.

Heaps of it, in fact. I’m not sure you can handle all the more, but you should try. Trust me, it’s worth it. It’s very worth it.

You can find the podcast on iTunes, on Stitcher and at The Flickcast website. Check it out, won’t you? And if you like it, feel free to tell someone and, perhaps, rate or review it.

Thanks. You’re a real sport.

Some Useful and Interesting Things (Sunday Edition)

Posted on March 30, 2014

For at least a few weeks there I was putting up lists of things I found useful and/or interesting from around the Internets. I would like to get back to doing that. So, in that spirit, here I am with a new list of, you guessed it, useful and interesting things.

Of course, these may only be useful and/or interesting to me. Fortunately, I pay the bills around here, so you’ll just have to take your chances.

Here goes:

• Too much paper clutter in your home or office? Geek Day has the solution.

• Microsoft Office has finally come to the iPad. Who cares, you say? Well, I tend to agree, but what do I know?

• Facebook paid a cool $2 Billion for the Oculus Rift VR goggles and the companuy that created them? But what about the Kickstarter backers who helped make the product a reality in the first place?

• A tale of two pencils. Will the “real” Blackwing 602 please stand up?

• Speaking of pencils. What’s the big deal about vintage ones anyway?

• The new HTC One (M8) looks cool but I don’t think it will replace my iPhone 5s.

• Check out Stanley Kubrick’s annotated copy of Stephen King’s The Shining. Cool.

• As I’m a man and an Altoids fan, here’s 22 Manly Ways to Reuse an Altoids Tin.

• Can the right tools help you write better? I don’t know, I’m just trying to write good … I mean well. Crap.

Finally, here’s the trailer for Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I am not a devout devotee of the original TMNT, so this new version really doesn’t offend me on that level as it seems to have done to others. I’m just not sure it looks like a very good movie. Oh well.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCjsWpM9zFU?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

And heck, while we’re on the subject of movies, here’s the trailer for the next movie from The Wachowskis called Jupiter Ascending. See, her name is Jupiter and she’s, well, ascending … or something. I see what you did there Andy and Lana.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1hW3bWIuDA?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

‘Jodorowsky’s Dune’ Tells It Like It Pretty Much Is

Posted on March 29, 2014

As some of you may know, I worked in Hollywood for a bit. I’m not famous or anything, but I did spend quite a bit of time doing what they call “Production.” Briefly, that’s the nuts and bolts, day to day part of the filmmaking (or TV or commercials) process where you pull all the elements (lights, cameras, locations, vehicles, crew, etc., etc.) together and then push, drag, bribe, cajole, beg, borrow or steal and finally get the whole thing kicking and screaming into the light.

It’s an extremely rewarding experience helping bring something that only exists on paper to life on the big or small screen. It’s also a huge amount of work (I’m talking 15-hour days, seven days a week sometimes) and, on many occasions, a monumental pain in the ass.

The truth is in showbiz sometimes shit just doesn’t go right and often a person in my (former) position is one of the few people who can fix whatever the problems are and get the whole thing working again. But sometimes things just can’t be fixed and you have to cut your losses and move on. Sadly, that happens more often then it should.

That brings me to the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune. In case you’re not familiar, someone tried to make a movie version of Frank Herbert’s novel Dune before we ended up with the one David Lynch (or Alan Smithee depending on the version) ended up making.

That person was cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsk. And this documentary is the story of a monumental failure that ended up changing modern sci-fi movies forever. I have no trouble believing almost (if not) all of what the movie says happened, happened. Hollywood is a crazy bitch sometimes.

Check out the trailer below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WWu1kclNDA?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

‘Star Wars’ Visual Effects

Posted on March 15, 2014

I find this shit fascinating. Also, I really think the “old school” method looks better than a lot of the the CG being done these days. Models look more 3D because they are 3D in real space, not created in a computer.

Of course, I also still often write with a pen or pencil on actual paper, so what do I know? Well, something at least. I know what I like.

Anyway, check out this great video and learn all about stop motion, blue screen and more of the tricks of the trade that helped make Star Wars, Empire and Return of the Jedi the classic movies they are.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIlYk7KQe-s?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ Is One I’m Looking Forward To

Posted on February 3, 2014

I don’t always have a lot of enthusiasm for upcoming movie releases. Some of them don’t appeal to me due to the subject matter or I know they’ve had trouble and are not going to be nearly as good as their trailers make them out to be. And some just look bad.

But that’s the nature of the movie business and my, on occasion, fickle taste in movies. Fortunately, a lack of enthusiasm isn’t something I have to worry about with the upcoming sequel to Captain America: The first Avenger called Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

It. Looks. Great.

Don’t believe me? Check out the latest trailer that dropped during the “Big Game” yesterday.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

‘Lord of the Crumbs’

Posted on December 11, 2013

Let’s just say for the record that I love Sesame Street. I also love Lord of the Rings, both in book and movie form. I even have the extended version of the films on Blu-ray. Don’t judge.

I can’t wait to share them all with Max when he’s old enough. I know he’s gonna love them all too. Sesame Street, in particular, taught me so much when I was a kid and it’s still going strong today.

Naturally, when two of my favorite things get together, as they do in this parody video called Lord of the Crumbs (starting everyone’s favorite cookie-fanatic), I need to watch and bring it to your attention. This video has everything you could want in a Sesame Street parody video, including cookies. Lots of cookies.

And really, who doesn’t love cookies?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nN9lNJuqG4?rel=0]

‘The Wolf of Bedford Falls’

Posted on November 26, 2013

I was having a discussion recently with some pals on Facebook in which we postulated what elements a sequel to Frank Capra’s classic film It’s a Wonderful Life would contain. The possibility of a sequel was in the news recently and we wondered just how far Hollywood would go so it would cater to the lowest common denominator and be a hit with the youth market.

I have to say, it was pretty funny. At least to us. Maybe you had to be there. Anyway, today I saw this.

It’s not exactly what we were talking about, but it’s similar. It’s a recut of an It’s a Wonderful Life trailer to mimic the trailer for Martin Scorscese’s upcoming The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo Di Caprio. I think it’s pretty funny, especially if you know the original film well.

Yes, I know the footage is in color. That’s how this was done. Try to enjoy it anyway.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRf_RN7Dkww?rel=0]

All the Extra ‘Return of the Jedi’ Footage In One Place

Posted on November 25, 2013

This has been going around the Interwebs for some time now but I thought I would just put it here also for easy findability. Yeah, I know, that’s not even a word. So?

As I always say, if you don’t like the way I say things here, you are free to go elsewhere. No hard feelings. However, I do hope you’ll stay and try to be tolerant when I make words up. It’s all in fun, after all.

Okay, now go enjoy some RotJ extra footage.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz56q4t6fek]

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