Movie of the Day: "Sweeney Todd" (2007)

Tim Burton week concludes with one of my favorite films of 2007, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This was a dark, violent musical adaptation of the stage play, but gloriously entertaining in all its bloody excess. The sets and costumes were superb as always (it even won the Oscar for art direction), and Johnny Depp was nominated for Best Actor for his performance here. Of course, the singing is not what it was on stage, but the music is still terrific in spite of that. I don't understand why it's not even considered thinkable anymore to have your voice dubbed if you can't sing- Helena Bonham Carter was good in the movie, but she really can't sing, so why isn't that a possibility? Aside from that though, this was a fantastically fun movie that pays tribute to a lot of silent horror movie classics with Burton's unique visual style. One of his best.

Trailer: 

POSTER: "Anchorman 2"

Just days after the new trailer, we now have a new poster. The sequel to Anchorman is coming out Dec 20th. 

Oscar Update: In Theaters This Weekend

Oscar season's kicking into high gear, as a number of contenders are making their way into limited release and expanding further, while Gravity and Captain Phillips continue to do well and have received excellent reviews, solidifying their top positions so far. Here's what's out there, if you're looking for something to see this weekend:

First up, there's 12 Years a Slave, which is doing well in limited release, but expands further this weekend, and is set to go wider next weekend. Right now, this movie is still the frontrunner for every major award, and just started receiving recognition with the Gotham awards yesterday, as they were the first to bestow nominations. It's gotten the best reviews of the year (along with Gravity) and being deemed the Schindler's List of slavery movies is not something to take lightly. The only question mark is how this film will do with the public, because many are wondering whether it's too violent for audiences to handle. That didn't turn out to be a problem for Schindler's List, obviously, but I suppose the issue of slavery comes with a deep-rooted American sensitivity that may put people off the brutal subject matter. Many reviews have stated there's never been such an uncompromising, unflinching look at the subject on film before, which has made some wary of seeing it (which is really unfair, as the quality of the film isn't in question here, and it's not as if violent films haven't won or gotten attention before, but that's the way it goes, I guess).

Next, Ridley Scott's The Counselor comes out this weekend, and this has gotten a pretty dismal critical reception (36% on Rotten Tomatoes), and will likely do nothing at the box office to be deemed a failure almost immediately. With such a big name cast and the first screenplay from No Country For Old Men author Cormac McCarthy, it was expected to do much better, but most critics savaged it as a slow, mystifying, confusing thriller that doesn't know what it wants to be.  So, clearly it's a non-starter as far as Oscars are concerned.

Then there's All is Lost, Robert Redford's one man show- a struggle for survival out in the ocean. This film from director J.C. Chandor received stellar reviews (100% fresh with Top Critics) and the legendary Robert Redford is guaranteed a Best Actor nomination, perhaps even a win (his only other acting nomination was for The Sting back in 1973, where he lost to Jack Lemmon). He's the only person in the movie, has practically no dialogue, and yet the film's terrific reception also gives it an outside chance at a Best Picture nomination, since there's usually 9 nominees now. Definitely look for this one, which is in limited release across the country.

And finally, Blue is the Warmest Color, the French film that won the Palme D'Or in Cannes, is coming out this weekend. This love story between two young women has garnered amazing reviews as well, along with controversy and hype regarding its sex scenes, but because of those scenes, it was of course labeled with the NC-17 rating, which usually limits the amount of theaters that will play it. Still, it's out there now, and seems to be well worth seeking out (91% fresh), as it remains in contention for Best Actress (the 19-year-old lead, Adele Exarchopoulos, is said to have given one of the best performances of the year) and Best Screenplay. This won't be France's Oscar submission for Foreign Language Film though, since it debuted in France past the deadline for that. Which is unfortunate, because all year it seems to have been the only foreign film that was receiving any attention (I have no idea what the other contenders are in that category yet).

So, if you want to keep up with the Oscar race or are just looking for something good to see this weekend, seek out 12 Years a Slave, All is Lost, and Blue is Warmest Color, as all three will end up on top ten lists as some of the best films of 2013, and go ahead and skip The Counselor.

NEW PICS: "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Several new pictures from next summer's X-Men movie have been released, before the trailer drops next Tues. Check them out (from EW and Empire): 

REVIEW: "Blackfish" (2013) Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Blackfish is a searing indictment of SeaWorld and all that it stands for, and if this film gets the publicity and promotion that it deserves, it could strike a severe blow to the corporation that treats whales in wholly unnatural and inhumane ways with nothing but the profit motive in mind. The exploitative practices of this industry are downright barbaric- aren't human beings supposed to have progressed from this? The fact that we direct this treatment toward mammals with no human rights does not lessen the impact of the victims' suffering, who are highly evolved and intelligent living creatures.

Gabriela Cowperthwaite displays a fierce passion and advocacy for the rights of orcas to live in their natural habitat, and takes the time to document the brain and the emotional part of it that these animals possess, comparing them to dolphins in their intelligence and nearly human like in emotional capacity. Orcas develop familial relationships with other orcas in the wild, and children do not ever leave their mother's side after they're born. The whalers and the employees at SeaWorld practice various techniques and methods of ruling over these creatures that are antithetical to their natural way of life, even separating calves from their mothers in painful segments that will break your heart as you see them wail for hours, looking for their lost child.

Cowperthwaite draws testimony from former SeaWorld employees and whalers who explain what they did and the effects it had on the whales they were purportedly taking care of. They also testify to the outright lies they were directed to tell the public, covering up nearly a hundred incidents of whale aggression towards trainers over the last 20-30 years, expose the carelessness of SeaWorld regarding its employees' safety, and the unnatural process of breeding the whales themselves for artificial insemination. The focus of the documentary is one particular whale named Tilikum, who was abused as a calf by his trainer and treated badly by older whales, a process which served to shape him into an aggressive adult male, who had already attacked and killed one woman before being transferred to SeaWorld, who wanted the 12,000 pound whale for breeding purposes. SeaWorld never made the employees aware of Tilikum's history and continued to let him participate in training and shows which culminated in the death of another trainer, Dawn Beachum, in a highly publicized incident from 2010.

There is ample evidence presented in the film to suggest Cowperthwaite's thesis, that captivity makes naturally friendly orcas into frustrated, aggressive animals who are dangerous to humans, is right on the money. SeaWorld refused to be part of the documentary, and denies the mistreatment of the animals, along with covering up the records of violent incidents over the years, but this film is a provocative and morally outrageous accusation that raises serious questions about the rights of these whales and the ethics of the entire existence of these parks. As someone who's never been to SeaWorld, but always wanted to go as a child, I can say right now that I'd rather burn my money than set foot in the place after watching this film. Sprinkled throughout are the familiar commercials and promotional videos of SeaWorld selling itself as a happy place for children and families, where imprisoned and mistreated whales perform for human entertainment. In 2013, these ads read as ghoulish and it's time for the barbaric and devastating practices of these parks to end for good.

* * *

Movie of the Day: "Edward Scissorhands" (1990)

One of my favorite Tim Burton movies, I still think this character is one of the sweetest, saddest and most memorable out of all of his films. Johnny Depp again stars (although this was their first collaboration) in the lead, as the boy with scissors for hands, created by an old inventor Vincent Price (in a neat cameo) who dies before he can give him real ones. So Edward remains a type of humanoid, and when he finally leaves the old mansion where he lives he must interact with the suburbanites with whom of course, he doesn't quite fit in. It's still one of Johnny Depp's best performances, and Winona Ryder is good too as the girl he falls in love with. Even now, Tim Burton cites this movie as his most personal one, and it has one of the all time best Danny Elfman scores, the kind where once you hear the music it will forever be associated with the movie in your mind.

Original Trailer from 1990: 

Tom Hardy to play Elton John in "Rocketman" Biopic

The Elton John biopic Rocketman, has cast Tom Hardy in the lead as the music icon himself. The movie's set to start shooting this year and is supposed to be an old-fashioned birth to present day kind of biography, as well as a musical extravaganza (Elton's supposedly re-recording a lot of his own hits for this, so I guess that means we won't be hearing whether Tom Hardy can sing). What do you think? Is he good casting for this? He's probably best known for Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, so he'll be totally unrecognizable from that, but he's already shown he can do all kinds of things (Inception, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Warrior). I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

TRAILER: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

The new Captain America trailer is here, coming out next April. Aside from how cool it is to see Robert Redford in a movie like this, it still looks a little generic if you ask me. And I have a feeling this is something that's going to plague Marvel films from now on, as they keep coming out with two or three every year.

Gotham Independent Film Awards Nominations

These indie awards have the honor of being first out of the gate this year in nominations, even if they aren't a big predictor of anything that will happen in the Oscar race, or even the Independent Spirit awards. Still, it's worth seeing what they deemed worthy this year. The criteria for the Gothams is having an American distributor and being made on a low budget. Looks like here's where 12 Years a Slave starts what's sure to be a big awards season run:

Best Feature:

• 12 Years a Slave
• Before Midnight
• Inside Llewyn Davis
  
• Ain't Them Bodies Saints
• Upstream Color

Best Actor: 

• Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) 
• Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) 
• Robert Redford (All is Lost) 
• Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) 
• Isaiah Washington (Blue Caprice) 

Best Actress: 

• Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) 
• Scarlett Johansson (Don Jon) 
• Brie Larsen (Short Term 12) 
• Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color) 
• Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now) 

Breakthrough Actor/Actress: 

• Dane DeHann (Kill Your Darlings) 
• Kathryn Hahn (Afternoon Delight) 
• Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) 
• Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) 
• Robin Weigert (Concussion)
  

Breakthrough Director: 

• Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) 
• Adam Leon (Gimme the Loot) 
• Alexandre Moors (Blue Caprice) 
• Stacie Passon (Concussion) 
• Amy Seimetz (Sun Don't Shine) 

Best Documentary: 

• The Act of Killing
• The Crash Reel
• First Cousin Once Removed
• Let the Fire Burn
• Our Nixon

Major snubs here for films that were considered eligible were Frances Ha, Mud and The Place Beyond the Pines, but they could still show up at other critics awards and the Spirits in the coming weeks.

Movie of the Day: "Sleepy Hollow" (1999)

The story of Ichabod Crane is given a Tim Burton spin, and he turns out to be the perfect choice to reboot the classic tale. Johnny Depp, in another one of his uptight, befuddled performances, is the police officer in 1799 who comes to town to investigate a series of mysterious murders, only to find out the town itself seems to be off its rocker. The story of the headless horseman is given new life and style in this movie, the art direction is eye-popping in typical Burton fashion, and Johhny Depp and Christina Ricci as Katrina make the perfect kooky couple. The film falls apart a bit in the final act (a recurring problem with a lot of Tim Burton movies), but it's stylish and spooky enough to make it well worth seeing this month.

Trailer: 

TRAILER: "The Book Thief"

A late entry into this year's Oscar race, this film based on a best-selling novel tells the story of an orphan girl who goes to live with a German couple (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson) as WWII breaks out and they help to shelter a Jewish refugee. Seen by some as a children's film, but you know how the Academy loves that WWII subject matter. The movie comes out Nov 15th.

Happy Birthday Ang Lee

One of our best and most eclectic directors was born today. From period epics to forbidden love stories, hulks and visual 3D extravaganzas, the Taiwanese-born master has proven that he can tackle just about any subject on screen, but if you had to pinpoint it I suppose you could say that he connects to stories about emotionally closed off people entrapped by their surroundings. in honor of the two-time Oscar winner's birthday, here's a tribute that takes a look at my three favorite Ang Lee films:

1) Sense and Sensibility (1995) Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet 

Still one of his best movies, this exquisite Jane Austen adaptation introduced Kate Winslet to the world and possesses one of the most heartwrenching happy endings you can imagine.

Trailer: 

2) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Chow-yun fat, Michelle Yeoh 

This crossover hit was a cultural phenomenon with some of the most amazing action scenes ever put to film, plus two butt-kicking heroines (Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi) in lead roles to boot.

Trailer: 

3) Lust, Caution (2007) Tony Leung, Tang Wei 

Kind of a divisive movie, but I think one of his best and most underrated, that explores the duplicitous relationship between a Chinese spy in World War II-era Shanghai and the sadistic government agent she is forced to seduce.