Register

NEW DVD AND CINEMA REVIEWS NEW

DVD review: Clone Hunter

article thumbnail

Often, sci-fi and low budget indie productions go together about as well as chocolate and onions. The high budget demands on special effects eventually hamper the entire story. Clone Hunter is indeed  [ ... ]


What to make of the ending to Inception?

article thumbnail

So far, my favorite film this year is Christopher Nolanís Inception. Not only does it deliver all the action and thrills expected of a big budget summer blockbuster, but it has inspired endl [ ... ]


DVD Review: The White Ribbon

article thumbnail

The White Ribbon is a drama starring Christian Freidl, Ulrich Turkl and Burghart Klaussner. Directed by Michael Haneke.

There is something wrong here. In a seemingly quaint German village pre-WW1, [ ... ]


DVD Review: Shutter Island

article thumbnail

The film begins on an ominous note. Eerie strings play as the film fades to white. Soon, a ship appears out of the fog. Cut to a gumshoe, looking and speaking as if he has stepped straight out of a [ ... ]


Top Ten Movie Lists from indiefilmchat.com
10 Best Movie Soundtracks PDF Print E-mail
Written by Trent Daniel   
Monday, 26 April 2010 17:40
ImageThis is not a best score list, nor is it a list of best musicals. Iíll save those lists for later. Instead, this top 10 focuses on films that successfully incorporated songs, either written for the film or from the era in which the film is set, that mesh so beautifully that they truly enhance the film as well as any scene or character. Some of these films are truly classics-and all would likely not be without their soundtracks. 

A Hard Dayís Night (1964)


Why the top? Itís The Beatles in their prime, singing the title track, plus ìAnd I Love Her,î ìI Should Have Known Better,î ìShe Loves You,î Canít Buy Me Love,î plus other classics. Case closed.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)


Though dismissed for a long time, this soundtrack, highlighted by BeeGees classics, such as ìMore Than a Woman,î Night Fever,î ìHow Deep is Your Loveî and ìStaying Alive,î has rightfully regained much respect and is now considered a classic. Like many great soundtracks, it perfectly captures a particular time and place. It also symbolizes Tony, John Travoltaís character and his need to escape from his mundane existence and make something of himself. The soundtrack is arguably the second most important character in the film behind Travolta. It simply would not work without it.
Add a comment
Last Updated on Monday, 26 April 2010 17:53
Read more...
 
Trent's Fearless 2010 Oscar Predictions: Recap PDF Print E-mail
Written by Trent Daniel   
Thursday, 11 March 2010 12:09
Just to prove Iím an honest man, Iíll compare my predictions for the Academy Awards to the actual results.

Final tally: Out of 24 awards, I got 13 right (54%)

Of the ìBig 6î (picture, director, the 4 acting awards), I got 4 right (67%).
Since some were admittedly a crap shoot (such as best documentary short), Iím satisfied with how I did. I admit to missing the big one (Best Picture), but rumor has it that the vote was close. If I could do one over, it would be Best Actor-I mistakenly predicted an upset when Bridges was clearly the sentimental favorite.

(My hits are marked with an X.)

Category
Prediction

 Actual Winner

 

Best Picture

Avatar The Hurt Locker  

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

 X

 Best Actor

 Jeremy Renner, ëThe Hurt Locker.í  Jeff Bridges, ëCrazy Heartí  

 Best Actress

 Sandra Bullock, ëThe Blind Sideí  Sandra Bullock, ëThe Blind Sideí  X

 Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz, ëInglorious Basterdsí   Christoph Waltz, ëInglorious Basterdsí   X

  Best Supporting Actress

 Moínique, ëPreciousí  Moínique, ëPreciousí  X
Add a comment
Last Updated on Thursday, 11 March 2010 12:29
Read more...
 
Trent's Fearless 2010 Oscar Predictions: All Other catergories PDF Print E-mail
Written by Trent Daniel   
Saturday, 06 March 2010 21:11
MY OTHER 2010 OSCAR PREDICTIONS:

Best Animated
Feature Film

Up
Pixar is a juggernaut in this category.
Best Original Screenplay Quentin Tarantino, 'Inglourious Basterds'
Unless ëBasterdsí pulls off a major upset, this will be the main recognition Tarantino will get for the night. Plus, he deserves it for having the audacity to successfully rewrite the end of WW2.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner-'Up in the Air'
The one award won by arguably the ì4th placeî film this year.
Best Foreign Language Film The White Ribbon'-Germany
Best Original Score Up -Michael Giacchino
Best Original Song The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)' from 'Crazy Heart'
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
Best Documentary Feature Food, Inc
Best Documentary
(Short Subject)
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
Best Short Film (Live Action) The Door
Best Short Film (Animated)  A Matter of Loaf and Death
Best Art Direction Avatar
Best Cinematography Avatar
Best Costume Design The Young Victoria
Best Makeup Star Trek
Best Film Editing The Hurt Locker

Best Visual Effects:
Avatar

Best Sound Editing:
Avatar
Best Sound Mixing: Avatar

Add a comment
 
Trent's Fearless 2010 Oscar Predictions: Best Actor/Best Actress PDF Print E-mail
Written by Trent Daniel   
Thursday, 04 March 2010 12:09
Best Actor Choices:

CRAZY HEART

THE HURT LOCKER

INVICTUS

A SINGLE MAN

UP IN THE AIR

Jeff
Bridges

Jeremy
Renner

Morgan Freeman
Colin
Firth

George Clooney

Best Actress Choices:


THE BLIND SIDE

AN EDUCATION

JULIA & JULIA

PRECIOUS

THE LAST STATION

Sandra
Bullock

Carey
Mulligan

Meryl
Streep

Gabourey
Sidibe

Hellen
Mirren


This is a very tough call. Perhaps surprisingly, I feel Freeman is the least likely to win. The Academy might feel it has awarded Clint Eastwood (the director of ëInvictusí) enough lately, Freeman won only a few years ago for ëMillion Dollar Babyí and ëInvictusí was a box office disappointment. Firth was somewhat of a surprise winner at the BAFTA awards earlier this month, but the Academy might be more inclined to honor smaller American films this year instead of a little seen British film. The Oscar I feel is a three way contest between Clooney, Renner and Bridges. ëUp in the Airí was a leading Oscar contender a few months ago, but perceptions of the film have cooled a bit, which hurts Clooneyís chances (and being a recent winner hurts his chances a bit as well). Bridges is a well respected veteran who has never won and he has received critical praise for his performance as a down and out country singer. However, few have seen his film and his upset loss at the BAFTA awards to Firth might mean he can no longer ride the momentum of critical waves all the way to the Oscar. Renner is an up and comer, but received rave reviews as well for his arresting and believable performance as a soldier addicted to the danger of war. In a slight upset, the Academy will decide to further honor the co-best picture of the year by giving the award to Renner (deserved, IMHO).

My pick for best actor: Jeremy Renner. 



View my pick for Best Actress after the fold.
Add a comment
Last Updated on Thursday, 04 March 2010 12:50
Read more...
 
Trent's Fearless 2010 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor/Actress PDF Print E-mail
Written by Trent Daniel   
Thursday, 04 March 2010 12:09
Best Supporting Actor Choices:

INVICTUS

THE MESSENGER

THE LOVELY BONES

INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

THE LAST STATION

Matt Damon

Woody Harrelson

Stanley
Tucci

Christoph
Waltz

Christopher Plummer

Best Supporting Actress Choices:


NINE

UP IN THE AIR

CRAZY HEART

UP IN THE AIR

PRECIOUS

Penelope
Cruz

Vera
Farmiga

Maggie
Gyllenhaal

Anna Kendrick

Mo'nique

Who will win best supporting actor:
I feel this is the strongest lock of the night. Waltz has picked up every award in sight since Cannes for his star-making turn as the villainous Col. Landa. Equal parts charming, funny, cruel and fearsome, he dominates every scene he is in. It is also worth noting that his role required him to act in four languages. The other nominees were in films either hardly seen (ëThe Last Station,í ëThe Messengerí) or box office disappointments (ëInvictus,í ëThe Lovely Bonesí). Waltz will win and deserves it.

My pick for best supporting actor: Christoph Waltz 



View my pick for Best Supporting Actress after the fold.
Add a comment
Last Updated on Saturday, 06 March 2010 20:40
Read more...
 
Trent's Fearless 2010 Oscar Predictions: Best Director PDF Print E-mail
Written by Trent Daniel   
Monday, 01 March 2010 12:02
The movies up for Best Director:

AVATAR

THE HURT LOCKER


INGLOURIOUS
BASTERDS

PRECIOUS

UP IN THE AIR
James Cameron

Kathryn
Bigelow

Quentin Tarantino
Lee Daniels
Jason Reitman

The Academy will make history (which it likes to do) by making Bigelow the first female Best Director winner. If ëAvatarí edges out ëThe Hurt Lockerí for Best Picture, then Bigelowís win will be the Academyís way of awarding the co-best picture of the year. Her main competition is her ex-husband Cameron. His formidable case for winning is that ëAvatarí further solidified the argument that he is the best mega-budget blockbuster director of all time (perhaps even ahead of Spielberg). However, with a substantially smaller budget, Bigelow made an extremely powerful and poignant film-and the most critically acclaimed film of the year. Bigelow will and should win.

My Pick for Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow




Add a comment
Last Updated on Monday, 01 March 2010 12:09
 
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next > End >>

Page 2 of 7

twitter_logo

SUBSCRIBE to the INDIE FILM KIOSK MINI CATALOG for valuable news, coupons and discounts! Get the pdf catalog downloaded to your computer and into your Itunes or other xml/rss feed reader:

Subscribe in a reader

Lifesize Entertainment - The Indie Film Kiosk Mini Catalog - The Indie Film Kiosk Mini Catalog
subscribe with Itunes!
Documents


Get the Walter Ego Podcast!
Image
edward flynn - Walter-Ego-Critic-at-Large - Walter-Ego-Critic-at-Large
subscribe with Itunes!

Sponsored Links

Top Ten Lists PICK

Top Ten Mind Mess Films
In the wake of Inception, I thought it might be fun to create a list of 10 of the best mind mess movies. All of these films are very good, with some masterpieces. What they have in common is a tendency to question re
Top Ten Worst Endings
To quote David St. Hubbins of
Top 10 Rules for Horror Movies
As one who has seen way too many hor
Dennis Hopper's Top 5 Performances
Dennis Hopper, in memoriam:
<

FROM THE NEWS WIRE! FRESH

  • ‘Gatekeepers’ Director Seeks Understanding Over Laurels

    21 May 2013 | 3:32 pm

    Like many documentary filmmakers, Israeli director Dror Moreh seems less concerned about awards, and more concerned that his story is heard. “I’m overwhelmed by the reaction to my work,” Moreh said about his Oscar-nominated documentary The Gatekeepers. “These topics are[…]

    Read more...
  • Microsoft’s New 'Xbox One' Includes Blu-ray Drive

    21 May 2013 | 1:57 pm

    Microsoft unveiled its next-generation gaming console May 21, the Xbox One, an “all-in-one home entertainment system” that includes a Blu-ray Disc drive, live TV capability, built-in motion and voice controls, and HDMI input and output. The inclusion of a Blu-ray[…]

    Read more...
  • Inception Distributing Skechers Music DVD at Retail

    20 May 2013 | 9:52 am

    Inception Media Group May 21 will release a music DVD from the animated 2012 film Twinkle Toes: The Movie, which was distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment and based on a line of popular girls’ footwear from Skechers. Twinkle Toes[…]

    Read more...
  • Shield of Straw: Cannes Review

    20 May 2013 | 7:35 am

    An elite police unit has 48 hours to transport a psychopath across Japan, dodging bounty hunters along the way, in Takashi Miike's latest, premiering in the Cannes Competition.read more

    Read more...
  • Aussie Website to Sell Movies With UltraViolet Functionality in the U.K.

    20 May 2013 | 4:27 am

    Access Digital Entertainment Ltd. May 19 said it plans to launch a website in the United Kingdom selling digital movies with UltraViolet functionality. Australia-based ADE said that when WowHD.tv launches, it will be one of Britain’s first download-to-own and VOD[…]

    Read more...
  • Bends: Cannes Review

    18 May 2013 | 12:49 pm

    Carina Lau and Chen Kun star in Flora Lau's melancholy drama about a Real Housewife of Hong Kong and her personal driver, both facing crises.read more

    Read more...
  • American Dreams in China: Film Review

    18 May 2013 | 1:22 am

    Veteran Hong Kong director Peter Chan returns with a familiar rags to riches story spanning 30 years and beginning in 1980s China.read more

    Read more...
  • Indies Staying Alive

    17 May 2013 | 7:07 pm

    John Tiratsuyan, owner of Video Hut in Hollywood, Calif., looks up and down the street from his Santa Monica Boulevard store and sees what everyone sees: Nearly all the chain video stores are gone. “They had so much overhead; it[…]

    Read more...
  • Like Father, Like Son: Cannes Review

    17 May 2013 | 6:40 pm

    Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu returns to the theme of children living apart from their families.read more

    Read more...
  • Best Buy Selling 4K TVs in 700 Stores

    17 May 2013 | 3:04 pm

    Best Buy Co., beginning May 19, will start selling Sony’s 4K ultra high definition televisions in about 700 Best Buy and Magnolia stores nationwide, according to a company tweet. 4K monitors offer four times the resolution (8.3 million vs. 2.1[…]

    Read more...
  • Fox Releasing 23 Classic Films For First Time on DVD

    17 May 2013 | 10:21 am

    Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release 23 movies on DVD for the first time at major retailers from its Fox Cinema Archives collection over the course of the next five weeks. Launched in 2012, Fox Cinema Archives includes more[…]

    Read more...
  • New Releases: May 21, 2013

    17 May 2013 | 4:49 am

    Theatrical, Direct-to-Video and TV Movies Title Formats Studio Beautiful Creatures DVD, Blu-ray Warner The Last Stand DVD, Blu-ray Lionsgate Parker DVD, Blu-ray Sony Pictures Side Effects DVD, Blu-ray Universal Stand Up Guys DVD, Blu-ray Lionsgate Lego Batman: The Movie: DC[…]

    Read more...
  • Paramount Picks Up Rights to ‘Ghost Team One’

    15 May 2013 | 10:20 pm

    Paramount Home Media Distribution has picked up the worldwide distribution rights to the horror comedy Ghost Team One. The independent film — produced by Flying Monkeys Entertainment and Foresight Entertainment — follows two roommates trying to impress a girl, and[…]

    Read more...
  • HBO Home Entertainment Launches ‘True Blood’ Contest

    15 May 2013 | 10:08 pm

    HBO Home Entertainment is giving “True Blood” fans a chance to win autographed copies of the fifth season, out on disc May 21. Through May 17, fans can enter missing words from a “Psalm of Lilith” (#fillintheblood) via the show’s[…]

    Read more...
  • 'Safe Haven' Secures Top Sales Spot; 'Jack Reacher' Tops Rentals, Blu-ray Sales

    15 May 2013 | 9:00 pm

    Two recent theatrical hits, both new on disc, bowed in the top spots on the national home video sales charts the week ended May 12. On the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks overall disc sales, the romantic drama[…]

    Read more...