Tag Archives: Joe Carnahan

MOV122: Can I please get that hour and 26 minutes of my life back?

This reel of COL movies takes us back into the past to see the very very very very very low budget movie “Blood Guts Bullets and Octane” is this late 90’s take on the Tarantino style of film worth watching, or would we rather get run over by a 64 Pontiac LeMans? Next we jump to the present to watch the again oddly released Horror film “The Possession” Is this modern take on a classic genre a good one or has it left us wondering what possessed them to make it? Next up we jump to the not so distant future to talk about the release of “Cloud Atlas” will this be the film that regains the Wachowski’s the film making crown? Or are we expecting another Speed Racer? All this plus some news about theater ninjas, Jos Whedon writing shakespear? Oh god…another Transformers movie? All this plus some google powered 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon with COL Movies 122 “Can I please get that hour and 26 minutes of my life back?”

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News:

The Past: Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane
Rotten Tomatoes 43% Rotten; 37% Audience

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Director: Joe Carnahan

Staring: Joe Carnahan, Mike Maas, Nick Fenske, Mark Priolo

Trivia:

  • The Pontiac LeMans central to the story is a 1964 model, not a 1963.
  • Mr Reich claims to have doused Vernon with propane and roasted him in a motel room but when propane is decompressed and introduced into any atmosphere warmer than -43°C (-45.4°F) it instantly evaporates
  • There are several claims in the movie that the main car in the film was a 1963 Pontiac LeMans convertible. Yet, the car in the Movie was actually a 1964 Pontiac GTO convertible. On top of that, the Car on the Cover is a different generation GTO than the one in the movie. The GTO was not in existence in 1963.
  • As of 1999, the film had been negotiated to be developed by Carnahan and producer Bob Levy as a prime time series on NBC. However, the series has not materialized.

Talking Points:

  • The annoying switch from hand held to not…
  • The horrible dialogue
  • Budget: $7300, Earned: $13,674

What We Learned:

  • The best Car Salesmen in the business are fabulous magicians
  • You have to understand the nature of the sale to in order to understand the sell
  • you cannot sell shit, cuz shit don’t sell.
  • Sometimes in life you have to do things sight unseen
  • Johnny Cash got fucked at Folsom.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Well, the first 24 minutes was weird. I wonder what the rest was like.
Ray: Its like a bad copy of a bad copy….I felt like this was watching the director/writer/lead actor masturbate on screen while he was watching himself masturbate on screen… perhaps for a drunken riff trax? other than that.. kill it with FIRE. Should have had a more accurate title… like “Bad Acting, Horrible Dialogue, and No Production Value” This is what happens when you try and copy Tarantino, but can’t actually write.
Steve: I don’t even know what I just watched. Clearly, it’s a car movie so Ray put it in – but I hate to say it but that just sucked. First – guys like this wouldn’t have dialogue like that, Second – there were too many characters, Third – this movie wishes it was Fargo and Reservoir Dogs. A definite skip-a-roo-ski.

The Present: The Possession
Rotten Tomatoes 37% Fresh; 55% Audience

Director: Ole Bornedal,

Starring: Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick

Trivia:

  • Was originally rated R by the MPAA for “violence, terror and disturbing images” but the film was eventually edited to receive a PG-13 rating for “mature thematic material involving violence and disturbing sequences.”
  • While promoting the film on Craig Ferguson [airdate 8/29/12], Jeffrey Dean Morgan reported that strange incidents took place during production that couldn’t be explained. Lights exploded during the filming of key scenes; and just two days after wrapping principal photography, all of the props for the film, stored in case of re-shoots, were destroyed in a fire that mysteriously erupted from within the storage-house.
  • The story is based on the allegedly haunted Dybbuk box. Bornedal cited films like The Exorcist as an inspiration, praising their subtlety.
  • Bornedal stated that he was drawn to the script for The Possession, having seen it as more of an allegory for divorce than as a true horror film.
  • The owner of the Dybbuk box, Jason Haxton, offered to send it to producer Sam Raimi, who was both interested and reluctant. Raimi laughingly told an Entertainment Weekly interviewer, “I didn’t want anything to do with it. I’m scared of the thing.” He also told the interviewer that he was raised in a conservative Jewish home: “You don’t hear about dybbuks when you go to synagogue. I know the demonic lore of The Exorcist. But what does my faith believe about demonic possession? … The stories chilled me to the bone.” Jeffrey Dean Morgan felt similarly: “In the research I did, I started getting creeped out. My girlfriend was like, ‘Let’s just make sure that we don’t actually go near the real Dybbuk Box.'” “We were like, ‘Hell, no,'” recalls screenwriter Juliet Snowden. “‘We don’t want to see it. Don’t send us a picture of it.'”

Talking Points:

Critic Notes:

  • Positives: The first half was very creepy and set a cool atmosphere around the box; If you believe in demons it will scare you to death; it’s eerily enjoyable fodder; One of the better “exorcism-inspired” films of recent years; Interesting twist involving Jewish faith rather than Christianity
  • Negatives: Didn’t really add anything to the genre; formulaic and predictable; relies on cliche’s rather than sucker punches; Raimi did it for the money, Bornedal phoned it in

What We Learned:

  • Pizza doesn’t grow on trees
  • Moths are just butterflies without the pretty color.
  • Don’t touch the box.

Trailer:

Recommendations :
Jeff: I hated it but I don’t. This is really not my type of movie but really felt it wasn’t too bad, if I liked this type of movie.
Ray: This movie has a strong start, but an awful finish. It made me jump a couple times, which is why we go to scary movies right? I think this would be more of a at home in the dark film than a theater movie.
Steve: Any PG-13 horror movie is already going to have me questioning just how good it is. However, considering that fact, I actually found it interesting. The effects, albeit lame story-wise at times, looked really cool – especially the times they were trying to show something inside someone trying to get out. I’m probably affected by the fact I actually saw the source material and see how they brought it to life – so I encourage others to do the same. I was satisfied.

The Future: Cloud Atlas

Release: October 26th, 2012

Director: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant

Summary:

An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.

Talking Points:

  • The structure of the book, will it translate to film?
  • “Extended” trailers – over 5 mins? really?

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff:. This looks like a very interesting, multigenerational plot. I’ve always liked the idea of history repeating itself and this kinda sorta goes in this direction. More of soul mates finding each other in each reincarnation, but that’s still an interesting story. I want to see it.
Ray: Looks like a very ambitious project, but from what I know about the book… I’m not sure how well this will translate to the screen, If the Wachowski’s can pull it off it will be an amazing film. Hopefully Ill have read the book by the time it comes out, but I’m excited to see it.
Steve: Wow…this kind of takes me back to our conversation about “The Tree of Life”. So not the kind of movie I seek out. It looks interesting, particularly visually. The concept seems pretty cool…but very heady. I think I just need to learn more about it before I can commit.

The Past: Mean Girls

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The Present: Resident Evil: Retribution

The Future: Oz: The Great and Powerful

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MOV005: “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Ray, Steve and Jeff discuss the announcement of the next Transformers Villian, Voltron coming to the big screen, a Wizard of Oz Prequel, Bear City Premieres, Chuck & Buck, The A-Team, and the Inception Trailer.

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News:

The Past: Chuck & Buck (2000)

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Director: Miguel Arteta

Staring: Mike White (Buck) , Chris Weitz (Chuck)

Trivia:

  • Mike White who wrote and stared in chuck and buck got himself eaten by a zombie in zombieland by violating rule #2, Beware of Bathrooms.
  • Chris Weitz went on to direct and produce such *cough” masterpieces like New Moon and The Golden Compass.
  • When Chuck turns to the TV in his office and claims to have signed the band whose video is playing, the TV is showing They Might be Giants playing their song “Dr. Worm”.

Talking Points:

  • James Keller says the film explores “the hysterical fear of exposure some heterosexual males experience” when they have had sexual relations with another man
  • Have any of us had straightboy crushes or crushes on the guys we’ve been trying to figure out?

What We’ve Learned:

  • Mike White can be really creepy.
  • Stalkers are scary, don’t entertain people who you think may be displaying stalker-ish behaviors!.
  • You never know when you’re going to run into people from your past!! So be prepared!!
  • “I’ve got freedom of my heart, it’s a brand new start” will give you nightmares if you hear it too often in one sitting.
  • Oodalee oodalee oodalee FUCK YOU! MAKE IT STOP!
  • Never invite your straight best friend over so you can blow him when you’re starting to get over him.
  • And Jeff can never watch this movie, not because he doesn’t want to, but because he’d run screaming from the room for 99% of the movie.

Trailer:

  • Impossible to find an embeddable one, but there are 2 versions on IMDB. Link.

Recommendations:

Jeff: Can’t recommend it. Can’t not recommend it either.
Ray: If the Idea of a Gay Stalker version of Napoleon Dynamite doesn’t scare you..go see it!
Steve: Wouldn’t recommend it to just anyone.

The Present: The A-Team

Director: Joe Carnahan

Staring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel

Trivia:

  • Bruce Willis was considered for role of Hannibal Smith
  • Common, Ice Cube & The Game were all rumored for BA Baracus
  • John Singleton was the first director, but left when the film went into turnaround by the studio
  • Woody Harrelson & Ryan Reynolds were considered for Murdock
  • Amber Heard & Olga Kurylenko auditioned for role of Lt Sosa
  • Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson was originally scheduled to face his heated rival Rashad Evans at a December UFC event. Jackson’s decision to act in The A-Team movie led to a war of words between himself and Dana White, president of UFC. Due to the conflict, On September 22, 2009, Jackson wrote on his website that he is “done fighting”, and would officially retire from the sport. However, now that filming is complete, Jackson and Evans are fought on May 29, 2010. Evans won via unanimous decision over Jackson.

Talking Points:

  • CGI vs Staged Stunts – which is better??? Did anyone else think the end sequence felt very Indiana Jones & the Crystal Skull??
  • Is it a new trend to show teasers in the trailer that aren’t actually in the movie for the big budget flicks? (noticed this both for A Team – window washing scene BA didn’t whistle the A Tram theme & Iron Man 2 – Tony didn’t do the “You complete me” quote)

What We’ve Learned:

  • Not only can OLD helicopters do barrel rolls, they have bullet proof rotors
  • Its completely possible to fly a tank
  • BA Baracus is a very complicated character
  • Only good guys can shoot accurately
  • Never trust the government
  • If a complete stranger shoots you in the arm..its ok as long as your both ex Army Rangers

Trailer:

Recommendations:

Jeff: See it! See it NOW!
Ray: If you were a fan of the show or fan of over the top action flicks..see it..otherwise its wait for video.
Steve: Would recommend it to people who like action, shoot-em-ups & who liked the original TV show.

The Future: Inception

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Berenger & Michael Caine

Trivia:

  • Leonardo DiCaprio was the first actor to be cast in the film. He and Nolan spent months talking about the screenplay. In addition, Nolan took a long time re-writing the script in order “to make sure that the emotional journey of his character was… the driving force of the movie”.
  • During production, details of the film’s plot were kept secret. Christopher Nolan, who wrote the script, cryptically described it as a contemporary sci-fi action thriller “set within the architecture of the mind.”
  • Early on, James Franco was in talks with Christopher Nolan for a role. However, due to scheduling conflicts, he was unavailable to join the cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was ultimately cast in the role offered to Franco.
  • The labyrinthine style of the movie’s logo resembles the logo of Christopher Nolan’s production company Syncopy.
  • Evan Rachel Wood was Christopher Nolan’s first choice to play Ariadne, but she turned it down.
  • After Evan Rachel Wood turned down the role of Ariadne, Christopher Nolan considered casting Emily Blunt, Keira Knightley and Emma Roberts, but chose Ellen Page instead.
  • Christopher Nolan’s first film since his feature debut, Following (1998), that is a completely original work. All of his films between them are either remakes or based on comics, novels or short stories.
  • Tom Berenger’s first film to receive a theatrical release in the U.S. since Training Day (2001).
  • Leonardo DiCaprio was Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan’s only choice for the role of Cobb.
  • The name of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character is the same as that of the protagonist in Christopher Nolan’s first feature film, ‘Following’.
  • Nolan worked on the script for 9 to 10 years
  • Script is loosey based on movies like The Matrix, Dark City & Thirteenth Floor where the main priciples are that the world around you might not be real.
  • In the spring of 2010 a viral marketing campaign was started for the film. On June 2, 2010 a manual was sent out to various companies. The manual was filled with bizarre images and text all relating to Inception. No one was really able to make out what it all meant and how it ties into the film. As the month went on, more and more viral marketing began to surface including, posters, ads and strange websites all related to the film
  • Special effects expert Chris Corbould and his team built giant rotating hallways and a massive tilting nightclub for scenes where dream-sector physics become chaotic. One of the film’s actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, spent several weeks learning to fight in a corridor that spun like “a giant hamster wheel”. Nolan said of the device, “It was like some incredible torture device; we thrashed Joseph for weeks, but in the end we looked at the footage, and it looks unlike anything any of us has seen before. The rhythm of it is unique, and when you watch it, even if you know how it was done, it confuses your perceptions. It’s unsettling in a wonderful way”.

Talking Points:

  • Inception was first developed by Christopher Nolan, based on the notion of “exploring the idea of people sharing a dream space-entering a dream space and sharing a dream. That gives you the ability to access somebody’s subconscious. What would that be used and abused for?”
  • Furthermore, he thought “being able to extract information from somebody’s brain would be the obvious use of that because obviously any other system where it’s computers or physical media, whatever – things that exist outside the mind – they can all be stolen … up until this point, or up until this movie I should say, the idea that you could actually steal something from somebody’s head was impossible. So that, to me, seemed a fascinating abuse or misuse of that kind of technology”.
  • He had thought about these ideas on and off since he was 16 years old, intrigued by how he would wake up and then, while falling back into a lighter sleep, hold on to the awareness that he was dreaming, a lucid dream. He also became aware of the feeling that he could study the place and alter the events of the dream
  • He said, “I tried to work that idea of manipulation and management of a conscious dream being a skill that these people have. Really the script is based on those common, very basic experiences and concepts, and where can those take you? And the only outlandish idea that the film presents, really, is the existence of a technology that allows you to enter and share the same dream as someone else”.
  • Originally, he had written the film as a heist film but found that “traditionally [they] are very deliberately superficial in emotional terms”. Upon revisiting his script, he decided that basing it in that genre did not work because the story “relies so heavily on the idea of the interior state, the idea of dream and memory. I realized I needed to raise the emotional stakes.”
  • Nolan has said that the film “deals with levels of reality, and perceptions of reality which is something I’m very interested in. It’s an action film set in a contemporary world, but with a slight science-fiction bent to it”, while also describing it as “very much an ensemble film structured somewhat as a heist movie. It’s an action adventure that spans the globe”.

Summary:
Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible—inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. This summer, your mind is the scene of the crime.

Trailer:

Excitement:

Jeff: Intrigued
Ray: Hope it doesn’t end the way im thinking it will.
Steve: Effects look cool…interested in seeing how it all comes together.

Coming Attractions:

The Past: Soldier’s Girl
The Present: Get Him To The Greek
The Future: Resident Evil: Afterlife

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