10 pounds ‘o blog

paterfamilias

In an intriguing piece, Business2.0’s Erick Schonfeld offers his prescription for what’s been ailing his employer, Time Warner. One of his suggestions is that the company reduce its dependence on high-cost blockbuster films, and instead focus on, in his term, nichebusters — small, cheaper products that target fans devoted to a certain area. The case for niches has been bandied about for a while, particularly since the term “long tail” has been popularized. But does this strategy make sense for Time Warner? Schonfeld argues that media can no longer depend on megahits, a statement that is probably based on recent weak ticket sales. But due to the nature of the industry (the economics of which are similar to pharmaceuticals and venture capital), profit outcomes are highly variable. Looking at a few years of data and drawing a conclusion is like rolling three sevens in a row in craps and declaring that the dice must be loaded. Even if low-cost, niche content will be big (and the popularity of Youtube, et. al. suggests it will), there’s a fundamental reason Time Warner shouldn’t alter their strategy: they have no competitive advantage in this area. What a company like Time Warner has is its ability to marshal the hundreds of millions it dollars it takes to make blockbusters these days. This is a great barrier to entry, one of the few advantages of mammoth size, and not something they should forfeit too readily. While the big media companies have a lot of adapting to do, if they’re going to thrive in the digital age, quitting production of popular movies wouldn’t be a wise strategy.

aubade

White Noise…………..The 10 Pound Review

I meant to catch this flick back when it came out. That may seem like a joke to some but I honestly did for 3 reasons. For one thing, I really like Keaton, always have. Maybe it was his comedic roots in movies I grew up on like Mr. Mom or perhaps it’s because he was a kick ass Batman. Regardless, I like Keaton for the most part. Secondly, I thought that the studio and the producers put together a unique marketing schtick for the movie. They had the traditional trailers and commercials but the shit that I liked was the “EVP Documentaries” which gave me goose bumps which are a good sign for me. Lastly, I like ghost movies, they scare me. Some psycho with an axe doesn’t scare me, I can run and I can fight. Monster movies don’t do it either, they entertain me but they don’t scare me. Ghosts on the other hand are something that you just can’t defend yourself against, they may not be able to physically hurt you (I guess they can though if you dug on the Poltergeist movies) but they can damn sure torment you into dementia which is what tingles my scrote, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I wanted to watch this flick a while back but then I got busy and it didn’t really have that long a run in the theatres. I actually watched it last night cable TV, HBO on demand stuff. I didn’t expect much going into it (RT has a 9% rating on it!!) and I wasn’t surprised. This movie sucks. There are a FEW moments of delightfully scary tingle but other than that I was waiting for it to end. Lemme give you a little premise before I dig this little bitch its grave. Michael Keaton plays successful architect Jonathan Rivers, whose peaceful existence is shattered by the unexplained disappearance and death of his wife, Anna (Chandra West). Jonathan is eventually contacted by a man (Ian McNeice), who claims to be receiving messages from Anna through EVP. At first skeptical, Jonathan then becomes convinced of the messages’ validity, and is soon obsessed with trying to contact her on his own. His further explorations into EVP and the accompanying supernatural messages unwittingly open a door to another world, allowing something uninvited into his life. Keaton’s character is so completely gullible that I was shaking my head in disbelief. He doesn’t offer ANY resistance to the idea that his dead wife is trying to reach out to him via the static in the airwaves. I found it hard to believe that anyone who proofed this script never changed that. Despite a few heart-stopping moments generated by a sudden, looming tortured face or burst of thunderous sound, White Noise lacks that certain something essential to any movie intended to frighten, disarm or disorient: plausibility. Nobody seems taken aback by all of this odd behavior. Nobody really freaks when Keaton’s counterpart, Kara Unger seemingly throws herself off a balcony backwards about 10 minutes after saying she doesn’t wanna die. WTF? White Noise completely implodes in its nonsensical climax, which at least has the shock value of something finally happening. Mostly, this plodding, lumpy excuse for a thriller sits Keaton in front of a bank of computers and lets him look and listen, which is as inherently unthrilling, incoherent, and unsatisfying as scrambled porn.

Oh yeah, here is my final parting shot…..nice product placement SONY!! Absolutely everything electronic in this film has a Sony logo on it. Phones, TVs, computers, VCRs, DVDs, DAT recorders…………it took me a while to realize it but then it dawns on me that I just watched a 90 minute commercial for Sony.

2/10 stars

PS. to quote a line from my past …………..”Forget that noise”

genuine

I guessed 5 oscar wins correctly

Best Picture - Crash
Best Director - BrokeBack Mountain (Ang Lee)
Best Costume Design - Memoirs of a Geisha
Best Adapted Screenplay - BrokeBack Mountain
Best Original Screenplay - Crash

affectate

Capote….the 10 pound Review

This moving film lives and breathes on the powerful shoulders of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s stunning performance in the title role. Hoffman captures all of the unique physical characteristics that made Capote such a familiar public figure in his lifetime and invests them with a humanity that is almost unbearably poignant. The film focuses on Capote’s research on the book “In Cold Blood” and the personal journey that his relationship and identification with killer Perry Smith became (Capote says at one point that it was like they grew up in the same house, and he went out the front door while Perry went out the back), a compelling and complicated relationship that this uncompromising film presents in moving detail. But what truly makes it a unique work of art is the brilliant work of Hoffman - always an interesting actor - whose performance as Truman Capote should elevate him to the pantheon of film giants.

Beautifully told, masterfully performed, harrowing, amusing, cruel, moving. A sensational achievement. I sat there disturbed and transfixed. Witnessing the impossible. Truman Capote with the mask, without the mask. The same man, different men, all men, no man. The creature at work, thinking of work, planning his work, working his work, wheeling an dealing. Living his life, life as work, work as life. An ego bigger than his talent and all talent and no ego. Feeling without feeling. Cunning, innocent, blasphemous, a child, a monumental son of a bitch. Philip Seymour Hoffman surprising us again. To be totally honest I’ve never seen a photograph of Harper Lee but I imagine her just like Catherine Keener. The film is a miracle of sorts. Hoffman won best male lead last night at the Independent Spirit awards and is a heavy favorite tonight at the Oscars.

9/10 stars

PS. The cinematography blew me away…..stunning visuals.

toothsome

Last night I watched the Spirit Awards….a precursor to the Academy Awards which is tonight. This is a toned down, cooler, hipper event wich struggles to recognize Independant films and film makers. It is held in a huge tent on the Santa Monica beach and is a lot less glamourous than the oscars but a lot less pretentious as well, which is why I like them a bit more. Sarah Silverman hosted (natch!) and did an admirable job including upholding the tradition of simply stating “goodnight” when the whole schanzz is over.

A little background and conjecture first….
The Independent Spirit Awards honor films that are produced at least in part outside of Hollywood’s studio system and traditionally rewards low-budget, cutting-edge films. Of course, this year’s batch of Spirit winners may be more a harbinger of Oscars to come than years past. Nearly every winner in the Spirit Awards’ 12 major categories is also a contender tomorrow night–though the Spirit Award winners were quick to point out that an Academy Award would neither overshadow nor underscore their wins Saturday. (woud we expect them to say anything less?)

There were some truly and genuinely funny moments. The Spirit awards are not a family or network TV friendly event. Plenty of F-Bombs were dropped and racy jokes abound but I enjoy this (for one thing I myself am quite vulgar) because it seems as if these film makers and actors and truly letting go and relaxing some. To be honest, I would have killed to be there to hob knob and chill with these folks in such a low-key atmosphere.

Highlights included….

Sarah Silverman kicks things off by saying George Clooney “has proved himself both artsy and fartsy,” and “Felicity Huffman, I am such a huge fan of his.” She also mentioned sopmething about her “vagina being very fresh tonight”. She is hot AND funny.

“It’s ludicrous, and I’ve been given enough,” Capote’s Best Actor winner and Oscar favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman said. “It’s all nerve-wracking.”

The ceremony shot for odd presenter pairings: first Billy Baldwin and Sandra Oh, then Julie Delpy and Vin Diesel. Virginia Madsen [who drops the F word] and Aaron Eckhart, who come out eating popcorn (hmm, Popsecret is a sponsor) and cracking unscripted jokes.

Regarding the host, Silverman…”Finally there’s an award show host that you’d wanna fuck,” Kevin Smith says. He had a long dirty story about the winner being able to “fuck my wife tonight” to tell before announcing the best director winner. He also mentioned going “all Heath Ledger on John Stewart”

When she gets her award, Felicity Huffman does all the icky agent-thanking and then tells an involved, terrific story about working on Transamerica and it ends like this: the key grip was working under crummy conditions, and said, “This fucking movie better win some fucking awards because it’s a fucking pain in the ass.” There you go, key grip Bob Izzo.

Here are the winners……if you want to see the nominees then go to www.filmindependent.org
Feature: Brokeback Mountain
First Feature: Crash
John Cassavetes Award (best feature made for less than $500,000): Conventioneers
Director: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Screenplay: Dan Futterman, Capote
First Screenplay: Duncan Tucker, Transamerica
Male Lead: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Female Lead: Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Supporting Female: Amy Adams, Junebug
Supporting Male: Matt Dillon, Crash
Cinematography: Good Night, and Good Luck
Documentary: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Foreign Film: Paradise Now
IFC/Acura Someone to Watch Award: Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana, Cavite
Truer Than Fiction Award: Garrett Scott and Ian Olds, Occupation: Dreamland
AMC/American Express Producers Award: Caroline Baron, Capote and Monsoon Wedding

I didnt keep track of my score because I didnt really prepare one in advance. I do have one for tonights Oscars though and I may have to revise it because I saw Capote last night and its was fucking great. Hoffman is the dogs balls.

simalcrum

I took a quiz to see which Sci Fi ship I would best fit into. I love the end result allthough I am somwhat disappointed that the Galactica fell so low on the list since it is my favorite addiction right now.

You scored as Serenity (Firefly). You like to live your own way and don’t enjoy it when anyone but a friend tries to tell you should do different. Now if only the Reavers would quit trying to skin you!!

Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics)
created with QuizFarm.com

largess

Here are some of my best guess’s for Oscar night this Sunday.

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
Terrence Howard in “Hustle & Flow” (Paramount Classics, MTV Films and New Deal Entertainment)
Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
Joaquin Phoenix in “Walk the Line” (20th Century Fox)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
George Clooney in “Syriana” (Warner Bros.)
Matt Dillon in “Crash” (Lions Gate)
Paul Giamatti in “Cinderella Man” (Universal and Miramax)
Jake Gyllenhaal in “Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
William Hurt in “A History of Violence” (New Line)
David Strathairn in “Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Judi Dench in “Mrs. Henderson Presents” (The Weinstein Company)
Felicity Huffman in “Transamerica” (The Weinstein Company and IFC Films)
Keira Knightley in “Pride & Prejudice” (Focus Features)
Charlize Theron in “North Country” (Warner Bros.)
Reese Witherspoon in “Walk the Line” (20th Century Fox)
(this was a hard one for me to decide on)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in “Junebug” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Catherine Keener in “Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
Frances McDormand in “North Country” (Warner Bros.)
Rachel Weisz in “The Constant Gardener” (Focus Features)
Michelle Williams in “Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)

Achievement in cinematography
“Batman Begins” (Warner Bros.)
“Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)
“Memoirs of a Geisha” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
“The New World” (New Line)
(more of a hope than a guess, I really liked Batman Begins)

Achievement in directing
“Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)Ang Lee
“Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)Bennett Miller
“Crash” (Lions Gate)Paul Haggis
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures) George Clooney
“Munich” (Universal and DreamWorks) Steven Spielberg

Best documentary feature
“Darwin’s Nightmare” (International Film Circuit)Hubert Sauper
“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” Alex Gibney and Jason Kliot
“March of the Penguins” (Warner Independent PicturesLuc Jacquet and Yves Darondeau
“Murderball” (THINKFilm)Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro
“Street Fight”Marshall Curry

Best motion picture of the year
“Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
“Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
“Crash” (Lions Gate)
“Good Night, and Good Luck.”
“Munich” (Universal and DreamWorks)
(I think Crash will probably take it but I want Brokeback to win it)

Original screenplay
“Crash” (Lions Gate)
“Good Night, and Good Luck.”
“Match Point” (DreamWorks)
“The Squid and the Whale” (Samuel Goldwyn Films
“Syriana” (Warner Bros.)

dilettante

I watched OldBoy last night. That was a fucking ride my friends. I was under the false impression that it would be a typical revenge flick where the hero becomes mondo bad ass and rips-shit berzerker style across the Korean landscape. Not true. While the protagonist did morph into something of an ass kicker, the lead baddie was no slouch himself. Oh Dae-su was tricked and manipulated into the exact path the villian desires. The outcome is a finale that is far worse than the 15 years of imprisonment. But I digress………..perhaps a plot outline is necessary.

On a drunken night out with a friend, Korean businessman Oh Dae-su gets arrested for disorderly conduct and causes a scene down at the station. On the way home, he rings his young daughter, before mysteriously disappearing while his friend’s back is turned. When he awakes, he finds himself in what appears to be a hotel room – complete with dodgy-looking wallpaper, ensuite facilities, weird and somewhat disturbing art on the walls, and a TV.

Except, it’s not a hotel room, as he can’t get out. Why he’s there, he doesn’t know. Food is shoved through a hole in the securely bolted metal door, and periodically gas is piped into the room so that his personal hygiene can be attended to by the warders. On the TV news he sees a report that he is the prime suspect for the murder of his wife. As weeks, months and eventually years pass, Oh Dae-su slowly loses his mind. The thought of ants crawling out of his skin and onto his face plagues him for years. Carefully, he embarks on a rigorous training schedule, tracing the outline of a man on the wall and pounding it with his fists until he has huge calluses on his knuckles. He’s also found a way out – slowly, he carefully carves his way through a wall until he can stick his hand through the outside wall to feel rain for the first time in over a decade.

As he makes his escape, Oh Dae-su encounters a tramp who gives him a mobile phone and tells him he must investigate the circumstances of his incarceration. Immediately, he enters a sushi restaurant and recognises the chef, Mi-do, as a minor TV celebrity cook. As she provides him with raw, live squid, he has a phone conversation with someone unknown to him who calls to say he knows something about his imprisonment, eats the squid somewhat messily, and falls unconscious.

What follows is his investigation as to why he spent the last fifteen years locked up, coupled with the search for his daughter, an intense love affair with Mi-do, and a growing, deep-seated need for revenge. Who is the mysterious man who is tracking him? Where was the prison where he was held? And was he actually allowed to escape?

While many will see similarities between this story and The Count of Monte Christo………….the tale is not that simple. There is a lot of graphic violence, sexuality and overt nihilism but dont let that overshadow the STORY. For Christs sake the story is the star here. I could not shake it from my mind.

Now I ranked the little bastard an 8/10 and when I went on IMDB I found that viewers had ranked it 8.3/10 by 20,425 votes. Not bad huh? Well then I went on to read some user comments and found some hating which really surprised me. I suppose you cant please everyone. Except me…I can be pleased, especially by films as imaginative and creative and visually pleasing as this one. Korean film noir…..who knew?

UPDATE: Yeah the version I got was over dubbed…I prefer subtitles. Bear this in mind if you hate one or the other.