Friday, April 30, 2010

Fantastic Short Film Friday - The Raven















And we are back with another weekly installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we look to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film. Sometimes you can come across a short that's so well made it forces you to stand up and take notice as you scratch the back of your head going, "Damn!!" This is one of those shorts. Beautifully shot and skillfully edited, The Raven is written and directed by Ricardo de Montreuil with music composed by Angelo Milli. Sure there's nothing new here, but its a wonderful feat of technology nonetheless.

Here's the synopsis: Chris Black possesses a power that could lead to the destruction of the current regime, and they will stop at nothing to destroy him. The chase is on as Chris runs for his life in this sci-fi thriller set in an alternate and futuristic Los Angeles.

It seems like the shorts at the cutting edge these days are all science fiction films. As technology becomes more adaptable and accessible, filmmakers with a lot of drive and ingenuity are able to create such vast and beautiful worlds that leave the viewer going, "how did they do that. How much did that cost?" Answer: shot with a Red Camera and completed for $5,000. Wow. Neil Blomkamp's District 9 was born of a short film called Alive in Joburg and Carl Erik Rinsch's short The Gift is causing all kinds of waves and bidding wars in Hollywood (I'll be featuring that short next week). So yeah, its a good time to be a geek and a lover of short films.

So sit back with that coffee as you tap tap tap over your keyboard and let the world of The Raven take you over. Enjoy.


Thursday, April 29, 2010

What I Think Of: In a Day (2006)

Here is look at the 2006 indie romantic drama, In a Day. Written and directed by Evan Richards, the film stars
Lorraine Pilkington as Ashley, a sandwich shop worker who experiences an unpredictable yet wonderful day with a stranger named Michael (Finlay Robertson). What are Michael's motives in showing Ashley a good time and is he as altruistic as he seems? Here are some of my thoughts concerning In a Day:

  • This is a very different kind of indie romantic drama than I thought it would be. Sure it has all the trappings of an indie film- low-budget, bland set locations, quirky characters and story, but there's always a hint of dread, like your waiting for the character of Michael to show his true colors, like he can't be this perfect. You think these things because this isn't a mainstream film, so they don't need to end with happy endings. There's just these looks, these stares from Michael that led me to ponder while watching the film, please don't make this another Audition. I don't think I could handle that.
  • As much as this is a romantic drama it is also a meditation on the effects that childhood relationships (i.e. bullying) have on people even into their adult lives. It's that meditation, that study, that brings so much more to the film.
  • The acting is fantastic. Finlay Robertson as Michael has this stalker kind of cool charm that he amazingly somehow pulls off and makes endearing. But the one who steals the show is Lorraine Pilkington as Ashley. She's fantastic, bringing about the sad lonely women who is also both gifted and strong. Looking at her filmography she has done a lifetime's worth of television show's, but after seeing her in this, I'll have to make sure to keep a look out for her in the future. She's just that good.
  • Seriously though, this is incredibly low budget, I mean amazingly so. If a director is really good, he can hide the imperfections that a low shooting budget can bring, and while first time feature length director Evan Richards does an admirable job, it's his direction that I feel really made the film feel cheaper and brought down some of my enjoyment.
  • I couldn't tell until the end if In a Day was going to be a romantic drama or a horror film, and perhaps that's why the film feels so uniquely enjoyable. The story and dialogue all feel familiar and traditional, but its the music and the acting that leave the taste of prevailing dread in your mouth as it seeps through every frame of the film. Kudos to the actors for that.

So there you have it. If you like indie romantic dramas like I do (this is a very poor man's Before Sunrise/Before Sunset) and are looking for something a bit different, then give In a Day a try. I can't say it's for everyone and I can see many people disliking it, because damn if it doesn't have pacing issues, but if you're patient and stick with it, I do feel that the viewer will be rewarded with a unique spin on a tried and tired genre.


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Movie Talkback - The Complete Metropolis!!!





















In a world of a mythical and terrible apocalypse, if only one movie survived, if only one movie could be watched over and over, I would hope it would be Fritz Lang's 1927 silent German experimentalist sci-fi classic, Metropolis. I could write a whole dissertation on the film (and sadly I have) so I won't belabor the fact. But if you like Blade Runner, the Matrix films, Star Wars, Lost, the films of Tim Burton, Tron, Robocop, my personal favorite The Fifth Element or nearly every single sci-fi fantasy film/tv show, you owe a huge debt of gratitude to this film as they are all heavily influenced by this monumental and orgasmic creation.

If you've never seen the film or have only seen the truncated "missing" version of the film like everyone else, it's time to rejoice and thank the heavens. Back in 2008 a nearly complete copy of Metropolis was found at the Buenes Aires Museo del Cine (the film museum of Buenes Aires). The found copy contained an additional 25 minutes of lost footage which comprises a fifth of the films original running time. It took nearly a lifetime to find this 147-minute version, so I feel confident in saying that this may be the most complete version of the film that will ever be found.

All this comes to a head at the end of 2010, as Kino releases the dvd and blu-ray version of the newly-restored Metropolis. Not just that, but in celebration of the re-release, Metropolis is hitting theaters in all major markets in the US and Canada. If you live in NY like I do, the film is hitting my favorite spot in NY, The Film Forum starting May 7th. If you live in other cities or want to find out more information about the film and it's re-release check out Kino's site: here.

So as film lovers around the world let out a collective gasp in awe at their good fortune here's a newly released trailer that showcases what we can all expect starting May 7th. If you don't have a smile at the end of the 2-minute trailer, well, there's no saving you. Enjoy.


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Book Review - The Dark Storm by Kris Greene (fiction)

Publication Date: 2010

Synopsis:

Gabriel is a New York City college kid who loves to bury his nose in books, looking up stories of long-dead cultures, lost languages, and forgotten legends. He never imagined one of those legends would come looking for him—until a tough-talking girl named De Mona Sanchez thrusts an ancient weapon into his hands...and recruits Gabriel in a dark epic war he was born to fight.

Banished centuries ago by warrior knights, a demonic army is storming through a dimensional rift into our world. Stalkers are prowling the streets. Corpses are rising up to fight. And Gabriel—a descendant of one of the original warriors—has no choice but to drop his textbooks and start kicking demon butt alongside his new friend De Mona…who has a few secrets of her own. If Gabriel fails, humanity loses. If war is hell, this is hell on earth…


Joshua's take - 2/5☆

Why did I pick up this book? - because the cover caught my eye and I'm always interested in urban-fantasy novels where the main protagonist is male (since that's very rare), especially one from a female author. So that really peaked my interest.

The Dark Storm is the first book in a new urban-fantasy series from author Kris Greene and while it does have some decent writing, it is amazingly generic. It's almost like what if you took a bunch of stuff from other books- a world of demons, agents of light, vampires, goblins, knights, werewolves and mystical weapons of power, blended them all together and weaved the story around the template on "how-to" write an urban-fantasy novel. If this was any more by-the-numbers I would have sworn I'd read it already.

The main problem I had with this book is it's characterization, or lack there of. There's just way to many characters crammed into this slim work (the story constantly shifts through multiple POV's), that I felt like I was missing half the novel, like it was incomplete. There's a sequel to The Dark Storm as there generally is with this sub-genre, but that's no excuse to have such a flimsy table setter. I mean you want readers to come back for the rest of the series right? Also, the two "main" characters of the book, Gabriel Redfeather and De Mona Sanchez (and yes that's her real name!!) are so poorly formed as characters that they feel like they're cursory characters in the background, rather then the one's the whole series is based around. And they both whined and whined so much, especially Gabriel, that I had to re-read the earlier pages and remind myself that he wasn't a freshman in highschool, but already in college!!!

However, I did like the magic system with the witches, warlocks and mages all having different functions in the world, and how there are numerous classes and castes within each magical house. I also liked the back story of how there was a holy war centuries ago between the forces of light and the denizens of hell, and how the ancestors of both sides are fighting over the souls again years later. But man, the most important aspect of the story, the very foundation the world is based around, the magical weapons, felt the weakest in the entire story. Their characteristics and attributes are never fully thought out and explained, their powers appearing more as poor imagination rather than weapons that can control the very fabric of the world.

It's all just so generic that in 2 weeks I probably won't remember the story anymore and sadly I won't be coming back for the upcoming sequel Demon Hunt.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Invasions (animated)















And we are back with another weekly installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we look to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film. This week we have the fantastic animated short, Invasions, directed, animated and composed by Clement Morin. This is a wonderful story about a little alien who visits our planet and the extraordinary lengths he goes through for romance. It's all kinds of cute and at the end I couldn't help but smile and let out an audible, "awwww."

I couldn't find out much information about the animator Clement Morin, beyond that he's a Frenchman. If you wish to see more of his shorts you can visit his website here.

So there you have it. We hope you enjoy Invasions and we'll be back again next week as we try to spotlight more films of the cinematic short order.


Thursday, April 22, 2010

What I Think Of: Bandslam (2009)

So Bandslam, yeah. Believe it or not, I've actually been eagerly waiting to watch this movie. Sure it looked perhaps a little to High School Musical for my tastes, but Vanessa Hudgens is hot and there are worst ways to spend the day than watching a non-threatening teenage rom-com. However, Bandslam shattered all my expectations. Thing is, this is not the fluffy coming-of-age story I was expecting, but rather an emotional drama with finely thought out characters. Sure it does deal with teenage love, but it feels real, rather then sugarcoated, touching without being preachy.

Basically the film is about introverted geek Will Burton (Gaelan Connell) who when not writing e-mails do David Bowie (who of course never responds), spends his days listening to "hipster" music and being an outcast because of his tastes. One day he meets and befriends Charlotte (Aly Michalka), a once popular girl who creates a band with some social misfits. Will soon becomes the bands manager, using all his music knowledge to propel the band forward with their sound, as they seek to enter the annual battle of the bands, Bandslam. Along the way Will befriends a weird loner named Sam (Vanessa Hudgens). Is love in the air for Will and does Sam have hidden talents that she is hiding? Here are some of my thoughts concerning Bandslam:

  • Seriously, this movie is nothing like I was expecting. It's actually really good and I think if they marketed it with the more indie styling that it has, the hipster heart that it beats, it would have done a lot better. Think a much more refined and honest look at young love than Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's just a shame the movie didn't even make its budget back.
  • Vanessa Hudgens is cute as all hell and she puts out quite the performance in this film which has made me look at her in a totally different light. She's more than just a cute face.
  • On that note: in what world is Vanessa Hudgens an outcast? Her character doesn't even dress differently like Rachel Leigh Cook in She's All That to hide her hotness. She dresses exactly like Hudgens always dresses. Oh my god she likes books and she used to stutter as a kid. Who cares!!! Look at her!! Come on. Why is the geekiest male outcast the only one interested her? I know this film is not real life but shes dating Zach Efron. She doesn't look different here. Where's the next movie where Megan Fox is the science geek that no one wants to date? Bandslam 2.
  • I love the fact that the main character Will is obsessed with David Bowie. Who can blame him. Even better, David Bowie does make an appearance in the film.
  • The music is quite good although I will say that the final song that the band performs at Bandslam was a bit week, especially after all the build up. But it was a great performance.
  • Lisa Kudrow as Will's mom also puts forth a great showing but she's like her fellow Friends actor Matthew Perry, always acting the same.
  • Lastly, I don't want to oversell this movie, but Bandslam is really much more than you think it's going to be. Great performances, Gaelan Connell is going to be a star, it's really a moving coming-of-age story that won't leave the viewer feeling old. In a great way, it just wasn't what I was expecting.

So there you have it. Check out Bandslam on dvd. I really think the film and Vanessa Hudgens will surprise you.

Here's my favorite scene from the movie.


Leftovers - District 9's Sharlto Copley reprises his role for Funny or Die














Readers of the blog know that I'm a big fan of the online celebrity comedic sketch site Funny or Die. Well looks like they've done it again, this time with Sharlto Copley (of District 9 and the upcoming A-Team fame) reprising his role as Wikus, the bumbling manager of MNU Alien affairs from Neil Blomkamp's sci-fi thriller. Turns out, Wikus is real and District 9 was more documentary than fiction, and Wikus being Wikus, he thinks he's an up and coming movie star. So he sets out to find fellow South African actress Charlize Theron in order to ask her to co-present an award with him at the South African Music Awards. You can imagine how it turns out.

I'm a big fan of District 9 and it's great to see Sharlto Copley playing Wikus again as we wait hopefully for a District 9 sequel. So enjoy the 4 minute sketch Wikus and Charlize courtesy of Funny or Die. Oh and it also turns out it's directed by Sharlto as well. Who knew?


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Book Review: Serena by Ron Rash (fiction)

Publication Date: 2008

Synopsis:

The year is 1929, and newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the North Carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. Although George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, Serena is new to the mountains--but she soon shows herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving her husband's life in the wilderness. Together this lord and lady of the woodlands ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Yet when Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons' intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel as the story moves toward its shocking reckoning.



Penny's take - 4/5☆

I just recently finished the book, Serena by Ron Rash. I was interested in reading this book because Joshua informed me that this was going to be made into a movie starring everyone's favorite vixen, Angelina Jolie. The novel focuses on the Pembertons, a newly wed couple building their timber/lumber empire in North Carolina. They bully and coerce their way to the top, leaving a trail of blood behind them. When Serena (the wife) goes after George's (the husband) illegitimate child, who was conceived prior to Serena, things get complicated and very exciting.

I liked the backdrop of the story, pre-war, small mountain town in North Carolina. I also liked the characters. Serena is a very strong female character, who's knowledge of the timber business and hunting/training skills are unmatched by any man. George's position is difficult, he has a wife he loves and obeys but he also has a child he has a very, very mild soft spot for--the child not conceived with Serena however. The storytelling is greatly paced though I found at times a bit slow and that may only be because I don't care much about the tree cutting industry. This is a recommend.


Joshua's take - 4/5☆

Why I picked up the book - because I heard that director Darren Aronofsky's is developing a big-screen adaptation of this book staring Angelina Jolie as the main character Serena and I thought, "holy crap."

Stunning, simply stunning. Reading Serena is like watching a Hitchcock film, you have a sense of dread, you know somethings lurking just outside the camera vision, things break and tip, and your dread keeps building as Hitchcock plays with the filmatic devices at his disposal, prolonging the tension until the final nail comes down, bringing your emotions to a crescendo of relief and horror.

I'm not generally a fan of contemporary literature. I've always found them somewhat of a chore, as the narrative weaves in and out of heartbreaking sob story, to tragic family escapades. Give me a classic and you'll find a man in deep concentration with a smile from ear to ear. However author Ron Rash is an amazing writer. He's able to convey so much emotion in so few words, that his writing reminds me of Melville, or Rash's contemporary, Cormac McCarthy, sparse yet elegant. While I do find McCarthy a better writer than Rash, I find Rash's style lends itself to a more enjoyable read.

Serena is a beautifully tragic and heartbreaking story, however not in the way one may think. It's really the story of two young women living in the early 1900's and how they cope with the times. One raising a young child alone and penniless and another rich, stomping across anyone who gets in her way. It's about the duality of nature, of nurture and destruction. Serena is one of the most disturbing modern villains because everything she does, she does for a reason, with the unwavering belief that what she is doing is right and for the best. In truth, what I like so much about this book is that while it's written by a man, populated by men, the two women in the story are the one's who hold the most sway, hold the destinies of the other men in the actions that they take- fortunes rise and fall because of them.

This is a must read for anyone looking for a taut thriller with literary aspirations. Read it before the movie comes out

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

New Addition to the Cinema Cafe Podcast - Book Reviews!!!

Penny and I love books. I mean really love books. My place is just surrounded with hundreds of books, stacked around as they build the fort that is my life. Penny's three great passions are shoes, clothes and books. My three great passions are comics, film and books. So we decided why not add a new "aspect" to the blog. The podcast will still be just about movies. But for anyone who has listened to our podcasts knows, most movies out of Hollywood these days are remakes or adaptations, so when a movie is released that's adapted from a book, we always try to compare and contrast both forms of entertainment. So starting this Wednesday we will have our first book review of hopefully many. Every time I finish a book I'll put up a review of it on the blog, and every time Penny finishes one, hopefully she can do the same. We hope that everyone who reads this blog can share in our love for both films and the written word and we hope everyone enjoys the new addition. Because as I always say, if you don't like books then well, that's probably because you can't read. Enjoy!!!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Episode 60: Kick-Ass, Date Night and Clash of the Titans

Hello there and welcome to the 60th episode of the Cinema Cafe Podcast, the bi-weekly, twice monthly film podcast by the fans, for the fans. Join us each week as we review new movies releases, look at some dvd's, talk some film news and share our general love for all things cinema. The main goal is to have some fun and hopefully provide the listener with some helpful insight. We are back and the podcasting world is alight once again.

This week we have a treat: it's our 60th episode, which means we've been bringing you "bi-weekly" content for more than a year now. This week we take a look at 4 movies that have been recently released or are on dvd. With that said here's a look at what we discuss on this weeks podcast:

* Clash of the Titans
* An Education
* Date Night
* Kick-Ass
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 4.23.10 and 4.30.10

Also, film news and more, only on the Cinema Cafe Podcast. We hope you enjoy and happy movie watching.

Thanks as always to all our loyal listeners for sharing the ride with us as we've reached this milestone for the show. It's all due to your support that we have kept things going and we hope you continue to share the ride with us in the coming months.

We're now on Itunes so head there and subscribe to the Cinema Cafe Podcast. Thanks!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Fantastic Short Film Friday - The Secret Adventures of the Projectionist
















And we are back with another weekly installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we look to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film. Penny was kind enough to do the past 2 weeks of the series, bringing you some fantastic and better known shorts in the form of Spike Jonze's I'm Here and the Academy Award winning Logorama. This week I want to shine the light on the short, The Secret Adventures of the Projectionist from German filmmaker, Max Sacker.

Here's the synopsis: While setting up a black and white, silent Metropolis-type film, a movie projectionist finds himself pulled into the silver screen becoming the star of a myriad of films as he tries to save the same femme fatale from death in each of the films, only to find himself her unwitting victim. Each "film" clip is an homage to a classic film, so anyone who has watched a lot of movies will no doubt get even more pleasure from this short as they piece what scenes and what dialogue each clip is referencing.

I couldn't find out much more about the short so there will be no link to the filmmakers site, but The Secret Adventures of the Projectionist is a wonderful ode to cinematic history, with fantastic use of color and black and white. While short, its a lot of fun, the music is great, the cinematography beautiful and it definitely deserves whatever awards it may have won. Even better is that there are two versions of the short, the regular version and then one with an alternate ending and a behind the scenes look at the short. I am including both, with the shorter regular version first. Seriously, check these shorts out. They're are lot of fun and it's just these types of short films that keep me loving the short form of cinema. Enjoy.





Thursday, April 15, 2010

What I Think Of: [Rec] 2 (2009)

There are some movies that just stay with you years after you first see them, their memories fondly tickling the back of your brain. The memories can be momentary flashes of scenes as you go through your daily life, quotes or sayings that pepper your everyday conversations. Then there are those movies that haunt you, scare the wits out of you, leaving you begging for mercy... or more if that's your preference. 2007's Spanish horror film Rec is one such film that has haunted me, now three years after seeing it (so much better than the far lesser American remake Quarantine). It's images still swim in my head as I remember how great and gruesome the tale was and how a great idea can work wonders even with little money. 2 years later, the original filmmakers, Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza, got back together to create a sequel to their huge shaky-cam hit. Taking place literally minutes after the end of the first movie, Rec 2 follows a group of soldiers as they try to find out whats happened inside the apartment complex and the truth about the outbreak that has left the apartments inhabitants with uncontrollable rage. I don't want to give much away for those that have not seen the original, but yeah, since the events take place minutes after the first film it is necessary to have seen the original film to fit in all the pieces of the story. Here are some of my initial thoughts while watching Rec 2:

  • My god this is incredible. It's really like Aliens to Alien, a sequel to an amazing film that ends up somehow better and more amazing. This is how you do a horror movie!!
  • On that note, it's sad that foreign films generally do so poorly Stateside. I get that people don't like to read, but it's because of that reasoning that Hollywood keeps remaking every successful foreign film which inevitably pale in comparison.
  • Still on that note, it used to be at least 10 years in a films release before it got remade by Hollywood, now it's more like 6 months before a remake hits. It just leaves me mind numbingly asking, "whats the point?"
  • I love how the filmmakers play with the "shaky-cam" film motifs. Since this one has soldiers in it, each soldier is equipped with their own helmet cam so all their other squadmates can see what they see if they ever split up. You can imagine the kinetic rush and chaos that ensues as they watch their teammates get attacked by the apartment tenants, attempting to rush quickly to try and save them. Scary as all hell and fantastically done.
  • I also love how short the film is (at around 85 minutes) and yet it never feels short. The filmmakers do such a fantastic job telling their story, that it's just so well paced that you get everything you want and more in just 85 minutes.
  • On that note, I like how 1/3rd through the film, the film cuts to a parallel story of three teenagers who end up in the apartment building. So you're watching the same events that occur just from different points of view, until 2/3rds into the film, where the teenagers meet up with the soldiers. So it's like you get two movies in one and it just works brilliantly.
  • I love the while "virus" and how it spreads. It works like a zombie outbreak, through a bite or a scratch, but it's not a zombie outbreak since the infected don't want to eat people. Without giving anything away for those that haven't seen the first film, rather than a "virus", it's more like a "possession" and I love how the film explains things.
  • For a horror film, the plot for Rec 2 is really well scripted. It's engaging, makes complete sense and leaves the viewer thinking of the possibilities, which is amazing since horror films are not generally known for their plots.
  • Seriously, I can not express how awesome this film is. And there's a brilliant cameo 3/4ths into the film that will leave fans of the original applauding as they fall out of their seats with happiness.

It seems like Mexico and Spain is where the great next wave of horror movies are coming from with The Orphan, Fermat's Room and of course every Guillermo Del Toro film and frankly, I could not be happier. Rec 2 is light years ahead of the 20 or so horror films that get released each year here in the States that still follow the J-horror wave that I thought died 5 years ago. Magnolia Pictures (my favorite genre distributor) has bought the rights to release Rec 2 here in the States. It will be getting a limited release this July 2010. Do yourself a favor and see it on the big screen. It's just such a glorious and fulfilling experience, not just for horror fans but for movie fans.


Friday, April 9, 2010

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Logorama
















You all may remember Joshua's post a few weeks back on Fantastic Short Film Friday on Logorama. Well, this isn't a re-post or a re-tweet. Instead, since I follow @ThatKevinSmith, he sent around the full short for Logorama, which you can view here. Logorama won the 2010 Academy Awards for Best Animated Short.

I've checked it out and as someone who works in advertising there were two things that stood out for me. One, calling this "Logorama" is a bit of a misnomer. All the "logos" you see in this computer animated short are not logos. Some are branding elements of a brand and others are mascots. I know that's a technicality but as a responsible MadMan, I just wanted to point that out. Second, I saw brands here that I have worked with in the past and one a current Client so that's very cool and I'd like to know how the usage rights were handled.

Anyway, I'll put my marketing hat off and say that this is quite an interesting short. Being able to incorporate all those logos and branding elements must have been difficult enough and to do it in such a creative way and weave a story with social commentary attached is quite a feat. This was well done, well thought out, and very creative. And the social commentary regarding consumerism is spot on. It's not preachy or over the top but subtle enough to get the message across.

Enjoy, here's the link again: Logorama

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Movie Talkback - I Am A Zombie Filled With Love (short story)























I read a lot, or at least I try to. I know I'm a dying bread, the man obsessed with books, who loves being surrounded by books, e-readers be damned. I get it. None of my friends read. Penny thankfully does. But I do get it. In this fast paced world of moving images, trips around the world in hours and connectivity at your finger tips, who wants to take the time to read? Who wants to sit still hours on end and just read words on a page? Well for me, I've been reading all my life, studied literature in college, and well years later I'm still reading, just now surrounded by more paper. What does this all mean? Not much really, but I wanted to express that as much as I love films (and god I do), I love books just as much. That's why I read so many of the books turned into movies and review movies n contrast to their original source material. So yeah, I love books, movies, and oh yeah, zombies. Here's something that unites the three.

I Am a Zombie Filled With Love is a short story by Issac Marion, a first person point of view from a zombie who falls in love during the inevitable zombie apocalypse. It's humorously dark, gross and charming- all things I find genuinely amusing. Anyway, the short story is being turned into a book called Warm Bodies and it's the book that looks like it's going to be turned into a movie with director Jonathan Levine (of The Wackness and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane fame) at the helm. It's still too early in development, but I hope this film does finally hit the silver screen. A Zombie love story told from the point of view of a zombie, warts, guts and flesh eating faces all. Seriously, what more could anyone ask for?

I cannot wait until Warm Bodies finally hits bookstores, but until then check out the short story, I Am A Zombie Filled With Love.

Also check out the Warm Bodies book trailer created by author Isaac Marion. Enjoy.


Friday, April 2, 2010

Fantastic Short Film Friday - I'm Here
















I'm Here is the new "short" film by Spike Jonze. It debuted at this year's Sundance Film Festival and is about 30 minutes long with daily caps on the number of viewings. Tre exclusive.

I must say I watched this the other night when I was very tired, about to nod off but the story really captured me. It's a world where humans live side by side with robots. And these robots do not look high tech, they actually remind me of the old Apple computers of the 80s. But these robots are oddly human. Cliche yes but the story works. This is a love story of two robots, and one so giving, while the other seems almost destructive. I was so touched by the film and want to sing it's praises to anyone who will listen. Please take the time out and watch.

Here's the trailer if you needed any more enticement:





- Penny

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Leftovers - 160 Greatest Arnold Schwarzenegger Quotes

I love Arnie, you love Arnie. I mean he's one of the greatest and yet worst actors of all-time. I spent my childhood watching his movies, and now as an adult, I've realized I've probably left a part of myself within those movies. I'll never forget Arnie's quote from Running Man: "Killian, here's your Subzero, now plain zero." If you love the governor of California like I do then you'll love this greatest hits of his worst, I mean "best", quotes from all of his movies. Enjoy.