Top Ten Landscapes of the Silver Screen | Away.com
Author Laura Kiniry offers her choices for “must-see locations forever linked with their movie roles.” It’s good list with a few obvious choices (Salsburg and The Sound of Music), as well as less obvious ones (Bodega Bay and The Birds). If I were to create my own list I think I’d have a hard time leaving Lawrence of Arabia off of it, being quite possibly the most distinctive visual epic, and I would add the old Vienna of The Third Man.
That obviously begs the question of what I’d remove. I think I’d drop Star Wars and Tunisia from my list because Lawrence of Arabia offers a similar landscape and the Tatooine sequences in Star Wars were clearly inspired by David Lean’s masterwork. I’d probably also remove Petra (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) because it is very much a “set” in the film. It’s not Petra in the movie, so feels more like a movie location than one where the actual place is central to the story (as it Vienna very much is in The Third Man).
Tobolowsky on Groundhog Day
I’m one of those who feel Groundhog Day is a near perfect comedy. I watch the film anytime I come across it and inevitably find something new to enjoy. It quite literally gets better with each subsequent viewing.
Of course, for any fan, it took but one viewing to fall in love with the character Ned Ryerson and the actor who portrayed him, the great Stephen Tobolowsky. He steals every scene he’s in, quite a remarkable feat because he’s opposite Bill Murray in every one of them.
The other day I was listening to a recent Sklar Brothers podcast which included an interview with the actor. He’s every bit as funny and disarming as he is on camera. And while they didn’t discuss Groundhog Day, I was ecstatic to learn that Tobolowsky has his own podcast called The Tobolowsky Files. Needless to say it took me all of two seconds to subscribe.
I went back through the archives immediately to see if there was one concerning the film. Sure Enough, Episode 29 centered on the making of Groundhog Day. If you’re even a passing fan of the film, it’s a must listen. Tobowlosky recounts his experience (which he remembers rather fondly) and gives inside details about how the film came together, a true exercise in “guerilla filmmaking,” he calls it. He weaves story into story, mixing insight, humor and heart, giving the listener an understanding of not just what it was like to be a participant in that particular film but also a collaborator in the filmmaking process in general.
One of the more interesting tales involves the scene in which Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors finally comes to the realization that he is stuck in time. Let’s just say what appears on the screen is far different than what was originally planned (and shot) and that, as Tobolowsky says, the film is far better for it — in fact, might be the movie it is because of it. It’s an incredible look into how “small” changes can radically affect the entire tone and meaning of a film. And Tobolowsky tells the story beautifully.
Listen to The Tobolowsky Files Episode 29: The Classic at Slash Film or download it from iTunes.
Super 8 | Directed by J.J. Abrams
J.J. Abrams new film Super 8 is a throwback to the blockbuster summer fare Steven Spielberg used to make, and it’s not just because the movie is set in the late Seventies, features a bunch of kids, and Spielberg serves as producer. No, it evokes favorable Spielberg comparisons because it tells a compelling story with a generous mix of humor, thrills and heart. There are plenty of special effects, but, like Spielberg’s best work, they’re not the centerpiece but contextual and employed to amp up the action and deliver a few moments of awe. At it’s core, Super 8 is exciting family entertainment.
Much of Spielberg’s work is alluded to here, most obviously E.T. and Close Encounters. But it also recalls the small town paranoia of Jaws, elicits a few Poltergeist-like scares, and features the kind of dysfunctional family dynamics present in all of Spielberg’s early films. Oh, and there’s more than a little Goonies in the core group of children who lead the action (all of whom deliver solid performances, free of precociousness or pretension).
Abrams’ movie is not the equal of E.T., Jaws or Close Encounters; few films are. But it’s a fun and welcome diversion in this age of the prepackaged blockbuster. It has many flaws (it kind of falls apart at the end), but they’re ultimately forgivable because it takes you on a heartfelt, suspense-filled ride.
All right. Enough of that. I’ve got the urge to spin some ELO. I think I’ll start with Fire on High.
Update: A quick look at Rotten Tomatoes reveals Super 8 has received mostly positive reviews. The few detractors all seem to share a common theme: that Abrams’ film is less an homage to Spielberg and more a poor facsimile with little originality of its own. This is true to a degree but greatly misses the point. The audience for this film did not grow up with Spielberg’s films. It’s a new generation, one whose experience with the summer blockbuster has consisted almost entirely of kinetic comic book adaptations, disaster porn, and movies based on toys and rides. That Super 8 is derivative is immaterial. What’s important is that it introduces a new audience to a different kind of blockbuster, the sort that inspired the concept of the summer movie in the first place and had not yet been spoiled by the idea that these sorts of movies need be pre-sold and based on existing material with built-in fan bases.
Best of BTS | Angus R. Shamal Blog
A selection of some of the most awesome Behind-the-scenes shots I’ve seen from some famous movies found at aintitcool.com. Back when set designs were huge and hand made, when special effects where mechanic and photographic and film stars were risking their lives on the set.
via Daring Fireball
Memorial Day Challenge
I dare you to make sense of this article, in which Techcrunch author Steve Gillmour places Twitter and Citizen Kane in close proximity and hopes the words in between will connect them somehow.
10 Best Road Trip Movies | Fodors
Speaking of road trips, Fodors picks its favorite road trip movies including the great Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It’s a nicely varied list, but, c’mon, no National Lampoon’s Vacation? Sacrilege.
Note: I think it’s safe to say this clip would qualify as NSFW.
Think Tank: The Economics of Death Star Planet Destruction | Overthinking It
What’s the economic calculus behind the Empire’s tactic of A) building a Death Star, B) intimidating planets into submission with the threat of destruction, and C) actually carrying through with said destruction if the planet doesn’t comply?
Star Wars. Galactic Politics. The Economics of Intimidation. Prepare to Nerd Out!
Making True Grit | by Jeff Bridges
A collection of black and white photographs from the set of True Grit — taken by Rooster Cogburn himself.
The Adjustment Bureau | Directed by George Nolfi
The first time I saw a trailer for The Adjustment Bureau I immediately thought, “Well, that looks pretty much like Dark City.” And on a superficial level they are similar. They’re both high concept science fiction with a shared premise: there exists a mysterious group which more or less controls the lives of its world’s inhabitants. Both films use a lead character — who by way of a glitch in the system sees behind the curtain and attempts to change his fate — to consider what it means to be human when all is preordained. Where they ultimately differ (beyond general differences in the respective stories) is in the execution, and sadly, The Adjustment Bureau doesn’t deliver nearly as well as the Alex Proyas film.
After a sort of clumsy start, The Adjustment Bureau regains its footing by the time the characters played by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt meet some 15 minutes in. It’s genuinely interesting and even intriguing for much of the first two acts. Unfortunately it devolves greatly in the third act, the entire film undermined by an incredibly silly plot device used to generate some late action. I won’t get into it because it would 1) be very difficult to explain and 2) give away a bit too much of the story. Let’s just say it involves hats. That’s probably all you need to know, and it’s just as ridiculous as it sounds.
It’s too bad because in here somewhere is a genuinely good film. It’s very well acted and nearly all of the characters are likable - both the good guys and the baddies (Terence Stamp is as always great - Kneel before Zod!). Damon and Blunt deliver solid performances and have real chemistry. But oddly enough the love story, the primary focus in Bureau, isn’t nearly as affecting as the one in Dark City. And Dark City was a more squarely sci-fi noir thriller.
All this isn’t to say Bureau is bad, just that it isn’t nearly as good as it could have been and probably not worth a trip to the theater.
