Blog Archives
Movie Trailers: A Gift and a Curse
I tried something new at SXSW this year. I went blind. No, I didn’t lose my sight (although that would make all my movie reviews very unique). I went in blind to every movie I saw, which from Friday to Wednesday was a grand total of 23. Let me explain: Usually, when I get to SXSW the first thing I do is look at film listings so I can search trailers to get a jist of what movies I might want to see. This helps get my schedule ready so I can surgically jump from venue to venue seeing as many movies as I can. Like a mother-fucking movie seeing James Bond. However, this year I stuck with just reading the text synopsis and looked at the single photo that came along with it.
Here’s an example of what SXSW puts out for each movie:
A small synopsis, director, writer, some cast, a photo and that’s it. Nothing about the score or soundtrack, no spoilers and nothing really to prepare you for what you’re about to see. Which is a good thing.
I have been taking more chances this trip, largely because i’m trailer free. Trailers, for me, are the judge-a-book-by-it’s-cover-type shit and I won’t have it. In the past, if I saw even the smallest thing in a trailer I didn’t like, I would immediately write that movie off. which isn’t fair. Trailers can be misleading, ruin story elements and make a film feel totally not what it actually is. So I got rid of them.
I know it’s almost impossible to avoid mainstream trailers, for two reasons. One, they are fucking awesome, especially for a trailer from a film franchise you love. And B, they are literally everywhere: before YouTube videos, TV commercials, movie theaters, billboards… fuckin’ Spotify! A MUSIC streaming app has movie trailers, think about that. I know the process it would take to avoid trailers, so I guess what i’m saying is take a chance on new movies and try seeing movies without having any predispositions before doing so. Head to your nearest art house or indy theater and see something. Hell, pop open Netflix and search for something there!
Avoid trailers……except when we post them on here. Always watch the trailers we post. ALWAYS.
-Matt
Do Not Throw Bread At Steve Harwell, The Lead Singer of Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is apparently still playing music, and the lead singer Steve Harwell apparently hates when you throw bread at him. Throwing things at musicians is kind of a crummy thing to do, but if you’re going to get hit with something, bread is a pretty good pick. The fans weren’t throwing batteries or rocks or live bats. They were throwing pieces of bread. At worst it hits you and you’re fine and at best you now have a piece of bread to eat. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. Unfortunately for fans at this music festival, Steve Harwell did not see it that way. While we can’t all agree on this bread fiasco, I think we can all agree that the worst part of this festival had to be that Smash Mouth was actually playing music there.
– Ryan
– via UPROXX
Flashback Friday – Bob Dylan Playing at the Newport Folk Festival 50 Years Ago
We (Rhode Islanders) often forget how special where we live really is. We have world renowned beaches, pretty ideal weather (if you like 4 full seasons), and views that are meant for postcards. It is also easy to forget the history Rhode Island has. We have been around since the inception of America, and with that comes a lot of great memories. Here is a flashback to 1964 when the great Bob Dylan graced the stages at the annual Newport Folk Festival.
-Matt
PS- Mr. Tambourine Man is my favorite Bob Dylan song.
Sylvester Stallone Won’t Retire Until “His Ass Falls Off”, Has Officially Lost His Mind
Expendables – When I exclusively reported earlier this month that Millennium Films was planning a massive stunt with the cast of The Expendables 3 storming the Croisette today, I had a feeling it would be rather extraordinary — but I didn’t know it would end up to be one of the most entertaining events I’ve attended in 17 years in Cannes. The action brigade rolled into town this morning – on tanks no less – giving throngs of onlookers something to gawk at, and journalists inside a packed press conference the hourlong thrill of seeing mega-franchise stars riffing on everything from their advancing age to the state of today’s action films, how their competitiveness has waned from the ’80s and why this movie will be PG-13. “We are children with arthritis, we are young forever,” said writer- star Sylvester Stallone to great applause when he was asked how he and his cronies will know when it’s time to hang it up on actioners. He added, “I think if you wake up in the morning and your ass falls off, it’s time to retire.”
I don’t know what this means, and to be honest I don’t want to try and decipher it either. I’ve never been able to understand Sylvester Stallone and there’s no point in trying now. All I know is he’s legitimately insane and I wouldn’t want him any other way. I hope one day we see Expendables 10 and its rated Q because Stallone decided to create his own rating system. I also hope his ass doesn’t fall off because that sounds like it would be horribly painful.
– Ryan
Let’s Talk About the Time I Got Into a Choking Contest With a Stranger
Unfortunately there is very little documentation of this because when someone challenges you to a good old fashioned choke out you don’t wait for someone to film it you just start choking each other. And that’s exactly what happened Sunday night in Austin. What I thought was going to be an innocent game of indoor shuffleboard turned into a championship showdown of who could incapacitate their opponent. My vision is a little cloudy so I don’t remember how we got on the subject but I do know I felt like I was talking to this kid for 12 hours. Before I knew it, he was showing me choking techniques and the rest of the night was pretty much a blur. Since this kid used to be a Marine he won in every facet of a competition a human being can win at. But after this experience I now know how to choke someone out as long as they’re not too tall. That’s the beauty of SXSW: you go in expecting to learn the in’s and outs of the film business and you leave a trained fighter. I can’t wait to see what I learn next year.
– Ryan
Sorry Ms. Jackson: Outkast IS Reuniting to Co-Headline Coachella
Coachella just got a little bit funkier. The world misses the collaborations of Andre 3000 and Big Boi, and lucky for us, the wait is finally over. I can’t wait to see what the crazy talented group have in store for us.
– Ryan
H/T Buzzfeed
American Hustle Set to Close Dubai Film Festival
According to the Hollywood Reporter, David O. Russell’s newest feature film, American Hustle, will headline and close out the Dubai Film Festival, which runs from December 6th-14th.
DIFF artistic director Masoud Amralla Al Ali said: “We are thrilled to bring David O. Russell’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning films The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook to DIFF audiences this year. With one of the most exciting filmmakers working today at the helm, an outstanding cast and compelling story, this is a film that is set to blow audiences away and end the 10th DIFF on a high note.”
Hustle has had serious Oscar buzz surrounding it for quite some time, and with good reason. O. Russell stockpiled an incredible cast, and not only are they talented, but most of the cast have worked with the director before. Amy Adams and Christian Bale starred in The Fighter, while Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were the two leads in Silver Linings Playbook. Add in the supporting actors (Renner, Louis C.K. and De Niro) and it’s easy to see why critics and fans are eager for the premiere. If the film is anything like O. Russell’s last two films, the honor of closing the Dubai Film Festival may be the first in a long line of deserving awards.
– The Average Nobodies
P.S. If you haven’t yet, check us out on Movie Pilot.
HBO Original Documentary – Seduced & Abandoned
Ever wanted an inside look at the Cannes Film Festival? Well HBO documentaries has you covered, as the next installment of their Fall Series, Seduced and Abandoned, gives viewers an in depth look at the famed film festival. The documentary is centered around director James Toback and Alec Baldwin trying to secure financing for a film project, and all the personalities they encounter along the way. The trailer may only be 46 seconds, but it’s clear Toback and Baldwin give a fascinating look into a secret world that very few see from the inside out. Seduced and Abandoned premieres next Monday on HBO.
– Ryan
