The Starting Lineup

This weekends starting lineup is short and sweet but it should make for an interesting box office.

Ladder 49 (PG-13)
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, and Jacinda Barrett
Director: Jay Russell

Phoenix plays a young firefighter trapped inside a burning building who looks back on his chosen career and the hard choices he's had to make along the way. Travolta is his former captain and mentor who as the chief seeks to set him free.


Shark Tale (PG)
Starring: Can't You Read The Signs?
Directors: Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson, and Rob Letterman

So much controversy surrounding this film... I'm talking about the plot, not DeNiro's recurring Mafia-esque characters. Smith and Black play a fish and shark respectively cahooting together for what can only be construed as comedic purposes. From the look, hype, controversy, and trailers associated with this film it would seem that cliches abound. In honor of last night's presidential debate all I can say is, "Sir. I knew Finding Nemo. I paid money to see Finding Nemo. I own Finding Nemo. You sir are no Finding Nemo."

A Long and Blogging Road

An Editorial
By M. Chad Durham

Ever since I started taking this blogging stuff seriously I've had mixed feelings about it all. The first thing that usually pops into my mind is but this--why didn't I find out about this years ago? Am I just that dense? Was I sleeping? Why in the world did it take a couple of ditzy broads (and I mean that in the dearest sense of the term) like Jessica Cutler and Wonkette to open my eyes to this brave not-so-new world?

I landed my first journalism gig at the ripe old age of 14 and by the time I graduated high school I was writing for two newspapers. I went to college on a baseball scholarship but I wasn't altogether that good a player. Consequently, the tiny little school that chose me was void of any thing that even remotely resembled a journalism program. That was probably mistake number one. I simply got out of the habit of writing. Or maybe I’d already written so much by 18 that I just didn’t really care to write?

Writing simply wasn’t fun anymore and by the time I wound up penning mundane training manuals and programs in Austin, TX, I’d lost all drive and ambition. I didn't have a clue about where I was going in life. All I really knew was that my girlfriend at the time was really dragging me down spiritually, emotionally, and, most of all, financially. You just can’t imagine how badly I wanted a PC. No. Strike that. I NEEDED a PC. Yet, when push came to shove, I didn’t have the cash or the credit to buy one. So when the Internet was making its big move, and I was designing elaborate databases and boring manuals, I was stuck doing all my writing at home on legal pads. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting a whole lot done. I knew I had to ditch the girl and the town. I was letting them bring me down so I had to make move and finally I left them both for good.

A few years ago I bought a real computer. I joke around and tell folks I had to sell my car to buy one. That’s not really a joke. It is absolutely true. I sold my Pontiac Grand Prix for $1500 and spent just about every penny on a new computer. A friend of mine gave me a copy of Final Draft soon thereafter. That slacker wasn't using it so I guess he figured, "Why let it go to waste?" With a properly equipped PC it didn’t take me too terribly long to hammer out my first REALLY BAD screenplay. Yeah. It was really bad, but it was all mine and it was finished! I didn’t just stall out at page 33—I FINISHED!

When I first started preaching full time in Odessa, TX, I sat down a built this HUGE Web site for our church. It was truly amazing and we were getting over 30,000 hits a month, but I used a software program that quickly became obsolete and since it was virtually obsolete to begin with, I had to pay a small fortune to keep it online. I later purchased a newer version of Final Draft on my own.

Nine screenplays, five treatments, two non-fiction Christian books, and one defunct site later I still wasn’t making dime one off my writing. Oh, it could be argued that, as a minister, I was getting paid, at least in part, for my writing. Every week I was writing articles and sermons and every week I was getting paid to do it but there’s so much more to being a minister than preaching sermons and the fact of the matter is that I just wasn’t even trying to sell my secular work. I’d share it with my wife and a few close friends and that would be the end of it; back to the fireproof safe it would go.

Eighteen months ago I was so stoked about seeing Daredevil I actually sat down at my keyboard and typed a review. I don’t know why I wrote a review. I didn’t have the slightest clue what to do with it after I was through so I just posted it on the message board at Grace Centered Magazine, a place I frequented whenever I was bored. I had some really positive responses. One lady even went so far as to say I wrote reviews like a pro but, flattery aside, I just didn’t think much of it at the time.

That’s when Lee Wilson entered my life. You can say whatever you want about Lee, his politics, and Grace Centered Magazine—just don’t say it in front of me! Lee sent me an Email telling me he was going to revamp the magazine and asked if I would be interested in writing movie reviews for GCM. Would I? Heh! Well, it took us a while to get going and for us to get on the same page but I prayed earnestly to God that He would allow me this chance to write again.

Wonkette popped up on FOXNews with Jessica Cutler. That morning was the first time I’d ever heard of a blog. Do you see the natural irony here? It took a sex-scandal to educate a preacher on the many wonderful uses of Weblogs. Cutler used hers to write about her sexcapades and Wonkette used hers to write about Cutler’s sexcapdes and they both used them to further their writing careers; Wonkette as a foul-mouthed political version of Rhona Barrett and Culter as… well, we’re not too sure what she’ll be just yet.

Feeling a twinge of jealousy in my heart, I was somewhat reluctant to do one of my own. It still seemed pretty silly to me. You know, the type of thing silly girls do; silly girls like Jessica Cutler and Wonkette. I had a journal all my own, thank you very much. Why would I need to keep one online? It’s not like this preacher was getting paid four hundred dollars for a little afternoon delight. Let’s face it—my life just ain’t that interesting.

More time passed. I hopped on Blogger and created one anyway. I didn’t know what to do with it at all. I mean… everything noteworthy went into my own personal journal. Just what exactly was I supposed to do with my newfound place in cyberspace?

I was writing something to this effect in my journal at my office when Michael Savage came on the radio talking to this girl about an article she’d written. I’m not very political, mind you. I just like listening to talk radio. After they came back from a commercial break Savage said her name. It sounded so familiar to me but I couldn’t figure out why. I must’ve wracked my brain all afternoon until I finally went home to hop on the Internet. It didn’t take me long to figure out that LaShawn Barber wrote for the same Christian magazine I did. She was one of the political writers at Grace Centered Magazine!

And she has this blog, ya’ see...

That’s when it occurred to me that I should use my blog to write about what I know best—movies. I also happen to love baseball. Remember? I used to play baseball until I hurt my shoulder. Naturally it seemed logical to take my two great loves (aside from my wife and child) and mesh them into one. The Hot Corner is what we call Third Base in baseball but you might also note that LaShawn calls her blog LaShawn Barber's Corner. I'm sure on some subconscious level even the title of her blog gave birth to mine.

Ever wondered why a non-political movie buff like me has links to two ultra-conservative bloggers placed so prominently in the right hand column? Now you know! This blog wouldn’t be here if not for them. I don’t even know LaShawn and I hardly know Lee, but they are the reason I’m here.

And the reason I have a new…

Well, I’ll share that with you next week. Sufficient to say, it has been a long and blogging road to get here today.

Thanks again for all your love and support!

Hot Off the Wire

Here's some breaking news that has yet to be thwarted:

Nothing is official yet but News Askew, IESB, and Ain't it Cool News are all reporting that Star Wars will be moving to the little screen in The Adventures of Luke Skywalker. Amazing though this may be, it cannot compare to the news that KEVIN SMITH might be given "creative control" over the series.

However, the sources closest to Tons-of-Fun Smith at News Askew are hedging that he probably won't tackle the whole enchilada, opting instead to write/direct certain episodes. Smith has yet to deny this rumor and he's usually quick to do so with the rumors contain zero (or little) substance. Very interesting.

On another Smith related note, within the week I'll have an article published I wrote concerning his fandom. Make sure you come back for the direct link to that column sometime between October 1st and October 4th.

A 5-4-3 Double Play

As expected, an extended version of LOTR: Return of the King will be released just in time for Holiday shopping. This means all you Middle Earth fans will finally catch a break in their pocket book for a few years. They've bilked you enough... for now.

Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz have boarded the wagon train that will lead them to Bandidas, and presumably 1 1/2 - 2 hours worth of comedic crime.

Mena Suvari joins Keira Knightley in Domino. Sadly, Van Morrison seems dubiously absent from the cast. I'd imagine he'll find his way into the film via his classic tune of the same name.

I hate to say I told you so, but here's the proof! T.D. Jakes proves a preacher can make a movie and like Mel Gibson's treatise of the crucifixion, said movie can be rated R for REAL!

Here's a Reuters article that talks about the serious decline at the Box Office since Labor Day.

THE EMPIRE STATE STRIKES BACK! After watching film after film forsake the The Big Apple for the friendlier confines of Toronto and Vancouver they are finally offering tax incentives to filmmakers, including Mel Brooks.

DVD Rundown

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (R)
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, and Tom Wilkinson
Director: Michael Gondry

This flick tops a lengthy list this week. Not necessarily for me, but more so for the Mrs. She really wants to see this one. I would probably be gung-ho to see it as well except for the fact it stars Kate Winslet and to put it delicately let's just say I'm just not a Winslet fan. In fact, if they really could wipe my memory away I'd probably start with all my memories of Winslet, too.

Track Down (R)
Starring: Skeet Ulrich, Tom Berenger, Donald Logue, and Amanda Peet
Director: Joe Chappelle

I don't know much about this film except it is based on the true story of Kevin Mitnick, computer hacker extraordinaire. Ulrich tackles the lead in this film also known as Takedown. Why is it so high up the list if I know so little about it? Because the rest of these films just don't hold much promise.

Walking Tall (PG-13)
Starring: The Rock, Johnny Knoxville, and Ashley Scott
Director: Kevin Bray

The next two films are kind of a toss-up for me. I'm not particularly fond of remakes, either. Why can't Hollywood just leave well enough alone? Regardless, I'm sure I'll rent it soon just to see for myself.

Envy (PG-13)
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Christopher Walken
Director: Barry Levinson

Ostensibly this film looks funny but the fact that it didn't fair too well at the box office or with critics holds no promise for this DVD release. Black offers Stiller a chance to get in on the ground floor of dog-poop removal, Stiller balks at the idea, Black strikes it rich, and Stiller gets jealous. Or is it the other way around? Like it matters. Stiller the straight man. That's all I know for sure.

Footloose (R)

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, and John Lithgow

Director: Herbert Ross

I'm ashamed to say that I actually liked this movie as a child. Maybe being the son of a preacher man who opposed dancing. I didn't go to a dance until I was a senior in high school. (I just decided I was going one night after we won a football game because I wanted to hang out with this girl named Marla. She dumped me a few weeks later. Can you imagine that? I was THE QUARTERBACK for crying out loud. Honestly! What girl dumps THE QUARTERBACK. It was a very humbling experience to say the least. That's okay... the relationship was destined to fail. Alas, she was a Jehovah Witness and while it was okay for her dance and date a drug-dealer it wasn't okay for her to date a preacher's kid. But I digress.) As for Kevin Bacon... six degrees later Footloose is CATV material at best.

The Alamo (PG-13)
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Patrick Wilson, Jason Patric, and Billy Bob Thornton
Director: John Lee Hancock

How do you mess up The Alamo? I mean, it only lasted 13 days and just about every gringo dies. How hard is that? Well, this film should be a case study on how NOT to make a period piece about an important moment in history. I'd say FORGEDABOUDIT! but the wife is a TEXAS HISTORY TEACHER so what's a boy to do? Therefore it stands at CATV.

Super Size Me (NR)
Director: Morgan Spurlock

No desire whatsoever to see this film. Duh! Like we don't know Big Macs are bad for us? Like we don't know we have a problem with obesity in this country? Gee, I thought "documentaries" were supposed to enlighten us. What? Could you think of a less profound topic, Morgan?

Weekend Sweep

I can't seem to remember what movie raked in the dough over the weekend. I keep trying to think of what it could possibly be but the thought escapes me. I just can't put my finger on it! All I know is that it didn't have Katie Holmes in it, which is a shame. Sky Captain held on to second place after a giant tailspin. Mr. 3000 kept swinging and Resident Evil: Apocalypse held Katie and First Daughter back in fifth place.

Star Wars sold like hotcakes last week on DVD. No surprise there.

Kevin Costner got hitched for a second time over the weekend. I guess he figured it was time to give away another small-fortune.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have been dating for some time now but don't expect this to become Bennifer Part Deux. (Sorry. Been sitting on that one for a while.)

Since Shaun still isn't at a theatre near me, here's a little review. By the way, it performed very well in limited release last week so I'm sure it will make its way SLOWLY to West Texas.

Here's an interview with Michael Sheen (Underworld) that shows he's much more than Kate Beckinsale's ex. Actually, we knew that already but what a lucky guy. I wouldn't mind being her ex-boyfriend either.

Speaking of Beckinsale, this article mentions The Aviator and has pictures comparing the actresses to their real-life counterparts. Beckinsale to Ava Gardner and Cate Blanchett to Katherine Hepburn. Also note Jude Law to Errol Flynn. But here's one you can try on your own--Anthony Perkins in Psycho to Collin Farrell, especially note the scene where he says, "We all go a little mad sometimes."

For all-things Beckinsale, visit this top-notch fan site.

Kinda old news now but Tracey Gold of Growing Pains fame was charged with DUI.

James Garner, one of my favorite actors of all-time, will be receiving a SAG award.

Finally, Episode III promises to be something different for Lucas and company.

Free Agency

I'm selling out. Not that I ever had much pride, mind you, but now I'm about to demonstrate my utter lack thereof. You'll notice I made a few changes to The Hot Corner over the weekend. The bottom line is this--I need to make some extra cash so we can have our own domain here at Bull Durham's Hot Corner and so we can build some funds to finance our films through BullDurham Productons. As to the former, I need to purchase a domain which requires an one-time fee and lease server space that will be an ongoing expense. As to the latter, while we do own our own top-quality camera I still need to purchase a few odds and ends before the shooting commences on Needles in a Fountain later next month.

So... I'm selling out. But I never had anything to begin with so what does that make me? Desperate! Here's what you can do to help:

1. You can take the easy way out and cruise on over to the right hand column. There you will find some useful Web sites just a click away. These advertisements are safe, useful to you, and make us a little cash, too. So start clickin'!
2. You can become a BENAFACTOR by making a charitable donation via the Amazon Honor System. It's through Amazon so the connection is very secure.
3. You can surf on over to the Official Online Store for Bull Durham's Hot Corner and BullDurham Productions over at Cafepress.com and buy some of those goodies.
4. You can purchase Needles in a Fountain memorabilia as well.
5. I'm also planning on having some really nice caps for The Hot Corner and BullDurham Productions available in the near future so if you know me, you'll be obligated to buy one!
6. If you have a blog or Web site of your own, you can link to us!
7. Finally, you can Email us to request our affordable monthly, yearly, and lifetime advertising available at Bull Durham's Hot Corner, the fastest growing, hippest, tightest movie blog on planet Earth!

So get in on the ground floor of something we hope is gonna be really big! As always, thanks for all your love and support!

Needles in a Fountain Demo Movie Poster

Although shooting doesn't start until later next month, I've already finished the opening title credits for Needles in a Fountain--BullDurham Productions first official short film. It's actually my third short film, the first was called A Summer Walk and the second was a family thing I like to call Miniature Golf. Needles begins shooting in late October. In January we'll start shooting another short film entitled Java Freaks.

So, since I'd already finished the opening sequence for Needles, I went ahead and put together this demo-poster so I can start shamelessly plugging this little flick even before its in the can. Why not? So here version one...

And here is the latest version...

Shameless Plug

I tried to be subtle but I guess now I must be blunt...

Friends, relatives, and strangers in cyber space... Welcome to Bull Durham's Hot Corner! (The hippest, tightest movieblog on planet Earth, I might add.) I'm glad you're here but I have one major request:

CLICK ON THE GOOGLE ADS IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN!

Support The Hot Corner! Help us move to our own domain!

The ads are perfectly safe since they go through google. To be honest, there are a bunch of them I've gone to visit without clicking on them on my own (I'm not allowed to click on 'em). Most of them have to do with movies. Last week they were running the web site for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Nothing subversive at all

So... help a brother out and do some clickin' while your visitin'...

Waiting on Deck

Shaun of the Dead (R)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, and Nick Frost
Director: Edgar Wright

I can't remember the last time I wanted to see one of the films held back in limited release more than a film going nationwide, but this weekend is just such the case as Shaun of the Dead headlines as my most anticipated film. There is no more adorable actress on the planet than Katie Holmes, but even she can't compete with the walking dead.

First Daughter (PG)
Starring: Katie Holmes, Marc Blucas, and Michael Keaton
Director: Forest Whitaker

Jerry O'Connell's first screenplay is directed by Forest Whitaker and stars Katie Holmes. She may not be able to compete with the walking dead but man is she cute! Just look at her! Plus you know Bruce Wayne is the president, right? Okay, so Mandy Moore covered this comically a few months back but come on! Don't you wanna see Katie Holmes?

The Last Shot (R)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, and Tim Blake Nelson
Director: Jeff Nathanson (Also Screenplay)

Intriguing premise behind this one and it has my curiosity piqued, only... this isn't the best weekend for its release. Not with the aforementioned irresistible Katie Holmes on the weekend slate. This story is based on an FBI sting operation in 1987. A filmmaker (Broderick) is given free reign to make his own film but the catch is that it has to be set in Providence, Rhode Island because the FBI is using the production to try and nab some mobsters. Baldwin plays the FBI heavy and Tony Shalhoub a mobster. Still, it just doesn't have Katie Holmes in it.

The Forgotten (R)
Starring: Julianne Moore, Dominic West, Gary Sinise, and Anthony Edwards
Director: Joseph Ruben

The trailer for this film gave away WAY TOO MUCH! TMI! What might have been a scary film now comes across as silly and what might have been a plot twist seems all-too predictable and I haven't even set foot in the theatre. Let this serve as a lesson to wannabe filmmakers and marketeers--don't put out a trailer that reveals too much plotline. And don't attach the trailer to every stinking movie for the last five years. It can only glean disappointment. Besides that, this movie doesn't have Katie Holmes in it either.

The Motorcycle Diaries (R)
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Mia Maestro, and Mercedes Moran
Director: Walter Salles

I have no idea what this movie is about, but it has to be better than a John Waters' film! Even without Katie Holmes in it.

A Dirty Shame (NC-17)
Starring: Tracey Ulman, Selma Blair, and Chris Isaak
Director: John Waters

Just in case you've never noticed it before, I list new releases and new release DVDs in order based on my desire to see them. Anything with John Waters as its director brings up the rear.

I have never seen a John Waters movie I liked. An old girlfriend told me, "You've got to see Hairspray!" I just gagged. I've seen way too many of his films already. One is too many. I thought Cry Baby was the worst movie I'd ever seen but then I saw Pecker and changed my mind. I thought Pecker was the worst movie of all time, but then I saw Serial Mom. Then I thought Serial Mom was the worst flick of all time, but then I saw Cecil B. Demented. Let's face it, the guy's movies keep getting progressively worse. I don't know, maybe Hairspray is brilliant but everything else he's ever made is so awful I just don't want to risk three bucks on a rental. And I dang sure don't want to waste seven bucks on a new film. Fear not! It is in limited release. That's just one step shy of straight-to-video in case you were wondering. The only way I'd watch this film would if the oft-mentioned Katie Holmes were somehow involved.

Alas... There's only one Katie Holmes movie this weekend. Thank goodness it happens to be a Forrest Whitaker film.

A 5-4-3 Double Play

Forgive. This is the second time I've had to write this. I hit spell check earlier today and it completely locked up, wiping out everything I'd done for the day. I tell you, it is so heartbreaking when that happens. Regardless, I'll try my very best to recreate the fine piece work I finished before.

I have a couple of Star Wars articles to share with you. The first appeared in USA Today and contains quite a bit of trivia. The second comes is a pretty good article based on interviews with the cast from the AP wire.

Ashton Kutchner and Bernie Mac will appear together in the forthcoming remake of Guess Who's Coming to Diner with a racial switcheroo.

Speaking of ethnicity... Shark Tale keeps taking flak over its portrayal of Italian Americans. Just where were all these critics when The Godfather Part III came out? Or Goodfellas for that matter. Where were they when for the Animaniacs "Goodfeathers'? Its just a crazy, kooky mixed-up PC world.

On a lighter note, Ben Affleck will be hosting the season premiere of Saturday Nigh Live on October 2.

Mel Gibson will get his props from the Hollywood Film Festival as Hollywood's Producer of the Year honoree.

Of course, the big news over the past week has been the arrest of Macaulay Culkin. Just look at that mugshot! I can just hear him thinking, "Finally! I had to come all the way to Oklahoma just to get busted so I can ditch the kiddy image once and for all! Now I can have a real career." Am I right? He seems just pleased-as-punch to have been nabbed.

But since I am so shallow, the big news for me is the announcement of the cast for The Fantastic Four, in particular that of Jessica Alba. I must say she is certainly making better decisions for herself. Sin City and The Fantastic Four are certainly a cut-above Honey. Who knows what she was thinking when she took that potential career-killing role.

AND THAT'S A 5-4-3 DOUBLE PLAY!

New Star Wars Ending

I'm not the sort to give anything away but I do think it is worth mentioning that the Star Wars Trilogy contains a new ending... of sorts. So watch carefully. I look forward to finding out what everybody thinks about this little twist of fate.

DVD Rundown

The Star Wars Trilogy hits DVD

TODAY!

Bull Durham's Ratings for the Trilogy...

Episode IV: A New Hope--HOT DATE
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back--HOT DATE
Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi--MATINEE

Mean Girls (PG-13)
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Tina Faye
Director: Mark S. Waters

Tina Faye (Saturday Night Live) penned this sordid little cat fight. The story begins strong, but resorts to cheap theatrics in the end. Very clever though. The biggest problem with the script is that it was obviously rewritten to accommodate MPAA sensibilities and grab that precious PG-13 rating. The movie would have been a lot smarter with a R-rating. Regardless, McAdams steals the show. She can act circles around Lohan any day of the week and she's twice the looker (without the dye job). Bull Durham's rating: RENTAL


Coffee and Cigarettes (R)
Starring: A WHOLE BUNCH OF FOLKS
Director: Jim Jarmusch

The original short film Cigarettes and Coffee starring two of the funniest men alive--Steven Wright and Roberto Benigni--originally aired on Saturday Night Live in 1986. Very funny stuff. Another short came 'round in 1989 featuring Steve Buscemi. Then came a whole bunch more. They have been compiled into this one feature film aptly entitled Coffee and Cigarettes which features extraneous conversations over... you guessed it! Coffee and Cigarettes. I can't wait to rent it to see how the others turned out.

Home Town Thoughts

Here's a quick side-by-side comparison of the new poster for Friday Night Lights and the original book cover. I knew that the poster was just going for the essence of the shot but this will let you see just how many differences there really are. One problem here is that they had the astroturf at Ratliff Stadium replaced with synthetic grass. This change was made not too long ago and since they used Ratliff and the brand new Grande Communications Stadium over in Midland to film scenes for the movie there will be a giant whole in the 1989 setting. From there the other variations are plain to see.

Living in West Texas most of my life I couldn't help but notice a profound shift in attitude around these parts so I'm going to start investigating a few things surrounding this film. Here is a site that details the hard feelings still felt by most of my home town residents just five years ago. However, when the film crews rolled into town everybody just seemed as happy as could be about their presence here in Odessa.

There's more to say here but I think I'll just save it for a later date because I have a deadline today for another article.

All that Matters...

The Star Wars Trilogy hits DVD in 1 day.

Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow (PG)

A Review
By M. Chad Durham

Correction! This is not the digital age. This is the dawning of the Age of the Geek, a time when computer dweebs will rise up to exact much-needed revenge over the artistic, the talented, the technically trained, and the good-looking. We are living in a twisted world, a world in which a nerd who knows how to write software code can write and direct his own major studio motion picture. What’s next? Bill Gates digitizing hip-hop? Steve Jobs building a computer to rival Monet? Considering the fact a major studio shelled out $60 million bucks for this flick, maybe I should just skip film school and concentrate on my programming skills, yeah? I mean, who needs character development when you can type code?

I had some major questions running through my head as I left the theatre; was Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow nothing short of brilliant? Or, was it just an expensive experiment in vanity run amok?

With all due deference, Kevin Conran, the rookie writer/director of Sky Captain, is no mere computer geek or nerd or dweeb. Artistically, his debut is one of the most stunningly beautiful films I’ve ever seen but what impressed me most about Conran is his lucid understanding of cinematic history, in particular the Saturday afternoon matinee serials that graced the big screen so many years ago. Sky Captain will be compared to Raiders of the Lost Ark ad infinitum but Conran’s loyalty to the serial form is even more pure. You can set your watch by it; every fifteen minutes you will get some kind of set-up and every fifteen minutes you will have an ooey-gooey love scene and every fifteen minutes you’ll get a mysterious revelation of some kind and every fifteen minutes there will be a climax and escape, all of which moving the story forward, right into… the next set-up. The sum of which delivers chills and spills on every level.

The appearance of giant robots wreaking havoc on Manhattan sends reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her ex-boyfriend Joe “Sky Captain” Sullivan (Jude Law) on a quest to find the man ultimately responsible for this mess—Dr. Totenkopf (Sir Lawrence Olivier resurrected via the magic of archive footage), but the doctor is seemingly protected on every level by design, by his robotic legions, and by a mysterious woman known as… well, Mysterious Woman (Bai Ling).

This story is just a whole lot of fun. It also happens to be chockfull of CGI-candy. Conran’s software purportedly allows him to make instant movies—just add actors and stir. It’s probably not quite that simple since the end credits seem to go on forever and I’m sure the studio was spending all those big bucks on something, right? Regardless, this new animation process inundates us with images plucked straight from the director’s brain—images heavily influenced by the golden ages of comics and science fiction. The surreal quality of Sky Captain makes it different in every way. Who needs to shoot on location? Who needs a set? All you need is blue screen!

Maybe this is the beginning of the end for celluloid? Somehow, I doubt it. Robert Rodriguez has been gravitating to this end with the Spy Kids series. Fundamentally, George Lucas has been doing the same thing for decades. The greatest minds in filmmaking seem dead-set on eliminating the very cornerstone of their industry—film. Now Conran takes it a step further. Few props, zero sets, no locations? What’s next? No actors? Hmm…

As a novelty, Sky Captain couldn’t get very far in a world already congested with entertainment options. It’s football season down here in Texas, for crying out loud! Conran still has to divert us from our reality to his and while the first chapter unfolds at slow pace it really accelerates as it builds to its conclusion. At some point I finally quit wondering how Conran accomplished this look or captured that scene, succumbing to this wonderful fantastic world he fashioned; a world of tomorrow that takes place many yesterdays ago with a Sky Captain that doesn’t seem to have anybody around to captain; a world with the technology to build ray guns, rocket ships, and giant robots with friggin' laser beams attached their heads with a hero flying around the world in a WWII fighter plane; a world where aircraft carriers fly and planes go under water. It’s just a really cool world!

Ergo, Sky Captain gets my highest rating—HOT DATE. Grab the wife, the kids, and head for the movies. You really need to experience this film in a theatre.

This copyrighted article was also published in Grace-Centered Magazine - A daily publication for Christians that examines tradition and aspects of living the Christian life.

Waiting on Deck

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (PG)
Starring: Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Angelina Jolie
Director: Kerry Conran

Rookie writer/director Kerry Conran wrote a software program that allows him to just insert actors into his 20/20 CGI-vision. Or something like that. Whether or not the public goes for this $60 million dollar experiment remains to be seen. It will take the competition this weekend, but can will it have any legs at all?

Mr. 3000 (PG-13)
Starring: Bernie Mac, Angella Bassett, Chris North, and Paul Sorvino
Director: Charles Stone III

The trailer for this comedy was funny and as an avid baseball fan I have to see every baseball movie ever made. It's a quest... or an obsession... depending on your point of view...

Where was I? Oh, yeah! So Bernie plays a guy who got his 3,000th hit and hung up his spikes. Thing of it is, for some reason, 3 of them didn't count so the pay-check-player has to make a come back and learns to love the game. Give or take a plot-point or two.

Wimbledon (PG-13)
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, and Jon Favreau
Director: Richard Loncraine

There are some mega-talented folks associated with this film... at acting, not tennis. So there's not telling how this romantic comedy will turn out, except to land safely in third place this weekend.

Head in the Clouds (R)

Starring: Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, and Thomas Kretschman
Director: John Duigan

This heavy period-piece is a limitted release for NY and LA.

DVD Review

I've had a chance to take a look at a couple of the new releases this week and here's what I've thought so far...

Man on Fire (R)

The performances of Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning rescue their respective characters from the pit of cliche. Tony Scott's directorial style gives a simple story some complexity. The film runs a little long. Don't expect Washington to become that proverbial Man on Fire until the movie is half-way over, but from there on out it is a heckuva ride. RENTAL

Young Adam (NC-17)

Sexually charged and driven movie about a morally reprehensible guy. The movie unfolds the only way it could to give the story any shot at an element of surprise and I guess the plot twist that this guy is just a first-class jerk. The entire thing kinda defies the notion of what story is supposed to be. Robert McKee's not gonna be happy with this one. I hope it wasn't penned by one of his students. Yikes. Who cares if the performances are good? I didn't care for the story or the characters. FORGEDABOUDIT!

The Girl Next Door (R)

Hit and miss. I really dug the homage to Risky Business early on--the outlandish dreams and the music--and to be honest I really could relate to the the lead character in this film. His sense of quiet desperation at the thought of graduating high school without having done anything he really wanted to do. Surprisingly this story is quite touching through certain sequences but once the homage became cliche (lets face it, it is virtually a remake of Risky Business with porn stars in lieu of prostitutes sans Joe Pantilliano) I became disappointed. Still, Elisha Cuthbert and Emile Hirsch performances elevate this one a cut above standard teenage hormone overload flair. MATINEE

From the Bench

Well folks... It's official... Jessica Simpson will get her Daisy Duke's on.

Here's a lawsuit to keep a close eye on, especially since 40 isn't too far around the corner.

ET has a preview for Wimbeldon, which hits theatres this Friday

Also in theatres will be Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow. They're billing it as the movie of the future, but Robert Rodriguez has been up to these tricks ever since the original Spy Kids and it is not a far-cry from what George Lucas has been doing to some extent for years.

Speaking of Rodriguez... a full length trailer for Sin City is now available on line. WARNING: The trailer contains graphic violence, some obscene language, and brief nudity. This trailer was designed for Comic-Con audiences and it has not been screened by the MPAA. Sin City is based on Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name. Remember, this sort of flair isn't for everybody so click at your own risk. This film has an all-star cast including Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Nick Stahl, Clive Owen, Rosario Dawson, Maria Bello, Carla Gugino, Brittany Murphy, Elijah Wood, Michael Clark Duncan, Jaime King, Jessica Alba, Michael Madsen, and Josh Hartnett.

Not much else to say today. We now have some advertising so make sure you go click on the links!

DVD Rundown

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (PG)
Starring: Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini
Director: Raja Gosnell

Click here for my take on this film as it appeared in Grace Centered Magazine.

Man on Fire (R)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, and Christopher Walken
Director: Tony Scott

I never got a chance to see this film at the theatre but my Sophomore boys Bible class at Midland Christian School last year thought it was really outstanding... for whatever that's worth!

Home on the Range (PG)
Starring: GW Bailey, Roseanne, Steve Buscemi, and Judi Dench
Director: Will Finn & John Sanford

Haven't seen it. Don't care to, either.

Young Adam (NC-17)
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Peter Mullan, and Emily Mortimer
Director: David Mackenzie

Obviously there was some controversy about this film since it was unable to garner an R-rating from the MPAA. Other than that, I can't say. I guess I'll have to find out what all the brouhaha is about.

Dazed and Confused (R)
Starring: Jason London, Rory Cochrane, Wiley Wiggins, Sasha Jenson, Michelle Burke, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Matthew McConaughey, Milla Javovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Marissa Ribisi, and Nicky Katt.
Director: Richard Linklater

Here's another special edition of some kind. Dazed and Confused is the film that launched a dozen careers. Almost every person listed above has gone on to do bigger and better things. As for this film--it gets my HOT DATE rating. It is a highly accurate portrayal of small town life in Texas, especially circa 1976. A classic!

The Star Wars Trilogy hits DVD in 7 days.

Bonus Pic: Bruce Willis in Sin City

Here's a little bonus picture today of Bruce Willis in the forthcoming Frank Miller/Robert Rodriguez film--Sin City. Special thanks to my man Stefan for this one. To say I'm looking forward to this one would be an understatement.

Weekend Sweep

Resident Evil: apocalypse dethroned Hero to take first place at the box office over the weekend. Hero dropped to fourth, Without a Paddle came in third, and Cellular debuted at the number two spot. Napoleon Dynamite managed to crack the top ten.

Kevin Spacey takes a stab at writing and directing in Beyond the Sea, a biopic about the late Bobby Darin.

Since Mirmax hesitated for almost two years in bringing us Hero, Zhang Yimou and Zhang Ziyi are waiting on deck with another flick--House of Flying Daggers.

Hero (PG-13)

A Review

By M. Chad Durham

There is artistry to filmmaking we Americans just don’t seem to get. Hollywood doesn’t get it because they are constantly worried about demographics and the bottom line and the general public doesn’t get it because as consumers we seek out mindless forms of entertainment. I mean, how else do you explain the huge success of Home Alone and Titanic? A lady once told me, “Movies are for entertainment. Period. There’s nothing artistic about them.”

I beg to differ. If we disassembled all that goes into any given film, examining each of its individual parts—photography, choreography, the written word, orchestration, musical performance, acting, etc.—we’d come to the realization that separately, each part is commonly regarded as an art form. For instance, most people would consider a Broadway play to be art. Shakespearean acting is always construed as artistic, as are the plays he so eloquently scripted. We view exhibits displaying photographic works; we pay money to watch a choreographed ballet and to hear the symphony. When we emerge we can just feel the culture pulsing through our veins because, after all, what we just experienced was art! For some reason, when it comes to film, we’d rather watch a bratty Macaulay Culkin running around the house with his mouth agape, screaming like a banshee, with his hands pressed against his cheeks.

Query: if the individual parts are considered artistic why not the sum of its parts? Why not the whole? A film blends all these separate art forms together into one creation. Shouldn’t that creation have artistic merit?

Hero reminds us of what filmmaking can and ought to be—a work of art. Oddly enough, Hero was nominated as best foreign film a couple years ago under the name Ying Xiong, but I guess Miramax didn’t consider it marketable. In fact, they had Quentin Tarantino “present” the film in NY and LA, thus leading to the common misconception that he had something to do with the making of this film. On the contrary, Hero is so masterfully crafted it puts most big-time Hollywood directors to shame. Director Zhang Yimou paints every scene like a delicate Picasso. Only for him celluloid is the canvas. Hero is an epic martial arts feature but Yimou refuses to turn it into a splatter-fest of gore the way a certain American director probably would, had he truly been attached to the project.

The images captured by cinematographer Christopher Doyle are nothing short of breathtaking. Hero targets the lust of our eyes with complicated color schemes, lavish scenery, stylish costumes, extravagant sets, exotic beautiful faces, and hundreds (if not thousands) of extras not to mention CGI-candy by the truckload.

Hero takes place in China’s most fabled era, just prior to the unification of the land under on kingdom and prior the construction of The Great Wall somewhere between 230 and 221BC. Interestingly enough, some of the leading players in Hero are reasonably well known here in the states—Jet Li (Lethal Weapon IV), Donnie Yen (Shanghai Knights), Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon & Rush Hour 2). Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung (Clean) are beginning their trek across the ocean as well. Their stoic performances are either in keeping with the story, or the genre, I’m not too sure which, probably both.

Hero suffers from a lack of depth, both in story and character. The manner by which the story unfolds is rather ingenious if not essential because five minutes into the film most moviegoers will understand exactly why Nameless (Jet Li) sits before King Qin (Chen Daoming). How he got there becomes a matter of perspective. In four acts we see the lie, the supposition, the reality, and the finality, each hewn from the mind of the teller. This unique rendering gives an otherwise shallow tale a plot twist or two. With the focus centered primarily on visual stimuli the intensity of the pivotal relationships within the film remains largely unexplored and perhaps the greatest crime of all is that Zhang Ziyi’s many talents are so limited in the film.

However, these shortcomings cannot negate the achievements of this film. I hope more American directors will take note and remember that their job is essentially this—to take many forms of art and pull them all together into one major work of art. Unfortunately, the tendency is to take all that art and reduce to garbage.

Overall Hero will take my MATINEE rating. Artistically it’s a homerun but story-wise it’s strictly bush-league material. Regardless, Hero and Napoleon Dynamite are a cut above everything else out right now.

This copyrighted article was also published in Grace-Centered Magazine - A daily publication for Christians that examines tradition and aspects of living the Christian life.

A 5-4-3 Double Play

USA Today previews six upcoming films, including Trey Parker and Matt Stone's latest concoction--Team America: World Police.

-----

Broken Lizard guru Jay Chandrasekhar will bring The Dukes of Hazzard to the big screen. Sean William Scott is on board and Jessica Simpson is being considered for the role of Daisy Duke. Go figure.

-----

Robert DeNiro sticks up for himself in this article from Reuters. "You talkin' to me?"

-----

"This town ain't big enough for the both of us!" Actually the only town big enough for both of 'em is BIG-D. Liberals and Conservatives will meet in the streets of Dallas at high noon! Innocent independents best beware and take cover!

-----

Strike up the Odessa Permian Band--Hawaii 5-o just might make it to a theatre near you. Permian hasn't made the playoffs in years though, so they might be a bit rusty on the tune. (If you're not from Texas, then you probably won't get that joke until you watch Friday Night Lights, coming your way soon.)

-----

AND THAT'S A 5-4-3 DOUBLE PLAY!

Waiting on Deck

New to theatres this weekend...

Cellular (PG-13)

Kim Bassinger, Jason Stratham, Chris Evans, Jessica Biel, Eric Christian Olsen, and William H. Macy highlight a very large cast in Cellular. Bassinger is being held hostage by Stratham but she some how manages to get a call through to Evans on his cell phone. Rock-'em/Sock-'em action and adventure are presumed to follow.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (R)

Milla Javovich reprises her forgettable role in this sequel. Zombies are loose in Raccoon City and only Milla and her band of uninfected can contain the virus... or can they? I seem to remember this one had a pretty clever trailer that started off like a cosmetics commercial. As zombie movies go (and I am somewhat a fan of the genre) the first Resident Evil was unimpressive.