"I have vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals."

I can’t remember how old I was when I first saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but I do remember liking it instantly. I think it was my mom who suggested I see it, as was the case with most of the memorable movies from my childhood. And whenever I happened to come across it on TV I would always stop and watch whichever scene happened to be playing; there were no boring ones. I finally picked up the recent Ultimate Collector’s Edition version of the film on DVD and watched it with some really good friends. Almost 40 years after its initial release, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid remains one of the best films in Hollywood.

Paul Newman and Robert Redford star as the title characters, respectively, and base their performances on the real life members of the Wild Bunch gang (though in the film the group is referred to as the Hole in the Wall gang due to Sam Peckinpah’s ‘The Wild Bunch’ film which was released the same year). Butch and Sundance’s gang was responsible for a number of bank and train robberies in the old west. They were eventually forced to flee to Bolivia when a highly skilled law enforcement posse began hunting down the infamous duo. The majority of the film retells the story of Butch and Sundance’s illegal exploits while avoiding “those guys”.

“Who are those guys?”

For someone who hasn’t actually seen this movie it probably sounds like any other western film. I haven’t seen all that many western movies but I would venture to say that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is unique in many ways. First and foremost is the amusing relationship between the main characters. Newman and Redford became famous for the entertaining quality of their on-screen partnerships and this movie is no exception. The banter between the two is the meat of this film and provides for many memorable and quotable lines. And the delivery is perfect with Newman and Redford giving a performance that would have them teaming up again for the Academy’s Best Picture winner ‘The Sting’ 4 years later.

In the spirit of Billy the Kid, Jesse James and Bonnie & Clyde the film instantly has you cheering for the bad guys, although they are portrayed in a light that makes you wonder who the real bad guys are. Despite their thieving, fighting, shooting and blowing things up, you can’t help but like Butch and Sundance. It makes the relentless hunt that much more engaging and you find yourself watching right up to the climactic ending, hoping the anti-heroes will ultimately make their escape.

“Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?”

Despite the fact that the film was first released in 1969, the restored DVD looks pretty darn good. Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic widescreen the video image is colourful and clear throughout. I was actually surprised at the picture quality in a few of the scenes as I had always remembered the film as a grainy, washed-out, old-west flick. Now there are still some grainy scenes and I did notice a definite aging of the film, but overall it still looks good and doesn’t detract from the storyline at all. The Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack is also quite good, considering the age of the film.

The Ultimate Collector’s Edition DVD comes with a second disk of special features including a couple of commentaries, behind the scenes featurettes, documentaries and interviews. All Of What Follows Is True: The Making of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the better making-of documentaries I’ve seen for a film. Both actors, the writer and producers take a look back at Butch and Sundance and offer their thoughts on the huge popularity of the film. There are numerous insights and facts given about the movie and how it was originally conceived and created. Definitely worth a watch.

“Kid, next time I say “Let’s go someplace like Bolivia,” let’s GO someplace like Bolivia.”

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid went on to earn 7 Academy Award nominations and won 4 of them, including Best Song for ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head’ (now you know where that song came from). Although it was initially panned by the critics it became a huge success and remains one of the most popular westerns of all time. If you haven’t seen this classic Newman/Redford film you owe it to yourself to watch it as soon as possible. Having said that, I get home around 5:00pm so bring your popcorn and we’ll starting watching at 5:01. Don’t be late; the opening scene is very good. So is the one right after it. And the one after that…and the next one…

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid gets 9 and ½ sticks of dynamite (out of 10).
Reach for the sky, then click here for ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ trivia.

"Must go faster."

It’s been a busy summer for me this year. It seems like it’s gone by in a blur. There was a vacation in Penticton where I actually burned my feet on the sand, literally. There was a camping trip that almost didn’t happen, a wedding celebration where I learned the art of the ‘sandwich’ (thanks Anthony), a weeklong camp with teenagers (yes, I’m insane) and a couple days at the Baker’s cabin where I water-skied for the first time. Sort of.

So basically, it’s been a terrible summer…for watching movies.

I have some serious catching up to do, but in the mean time here’s a rundown on the few flicks I did manage to watch.

When I was in high school a friend of mine and I were addicted to baseball and would spend all our time sorting through boxes of baseballs cards, practicing our curveballs in the backyard and watching Major League. While there are a few campy moments and a completely unnecessary romance plot, the finale of this film is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. It’s a rousing, roaring celebration that comes together perfectly. An incredibly fun film with some hilarious acting by Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and a chameleon-esque performance by President David Palmer.

The Great Escape deserves a full length review, as does the excellent 2-disc Collector’s Edition DVD. For now let’s just say that if you haven’t seen this World War II classic then you owe it to yourself, and the rest of film-lovers everywhere, to see this one as soon as humanly possible. It’s the true story of a group of Allied POWs who plan a mass escape from a German prison camp and stars some of Hollywood’s most famous actors including James Garner, Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson and James Coburn. Despite being released more than 40 years ago The Great Escape remains exciting and entertaining.

The quintessential gangster movie, Goodfellas pretty much defines the roles that Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci have become famous for. The film is based on actual events, which is scary considering the kinds of things going on throughout. Goodfellas gives a no-holds-barred look at mob life in the 60s, 70s and 80s and uses clever voice-over narration to describe the thoughts and ambitions of each character. Ray Liotta gives a terrific performance in the lead role but is easily overshadowed by De Niro and Pesci who were simply born to play these characters. Another classic that deserves your attention.

I recently finished reading the non-fiction book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. It’s easy to see how it inspired Ridley Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer to team up and create Black Hawk Down, a film based on the events of Mogadishu 1993. After finishing the book I was eager to watch the film again. It’s a completely different experience when you are familiar with the individual soldiers involved in the conflict and are aware of how they were feeling during the battle. Although a very hard movie to watch for some (it’s basically the Saving Private Ryan of modern war) I think it’s an important one. And it just happens to be incredibly exciting and entertaining as well.

It’s hard to give Hotel Rwanda a proper review (even a mini-review) since I’ve only seen it once, several weeks ago. I was so wrapped up in the drama unfolding on-screen that I never really considered how it measured up as a film. Maybe that’s a good thing for a movie that is simply retelling events that actually happened (I seem to be watching a lot of those lately). I do recall thinking that Don Cheadle is an amazing actor. Just watch Ocean’s 11 (Basher) and then Hotel Rwanda (Paul Rusesabagina). He never has to worry about getting typecast, that’s for certain. The movie itself is definitely engaging and worth seeing. I would like to learn more about the real story and watch it again before giving my full opinion though; I’ve heard rumblings that some key elements may not be entirely accurate.

Independence Day is just plain fun. What else would you expect from a movie about aliens attacking earth? This film is all about the script. When Dave and I first saw this together at the theatre back in 1996 (whoa, that’s 10 years ago!) we were quoting the film backwards and forwards every chance we got. Will Smith steals the show with his hilarious quips and Jeff Goldblum is a terrific addition. Although I felt the film was a little too patriotic, it was to be expected (it is named after the single most important American holiday). The Limited Edition DVD includes some additional footage but not much. All in all it’s just a great ride and one that will give any action/adventure seeker his fill.

That just about brings us up to date. I did manage to watch three films while at Camp (of course I did), but I’ll leave that for another day. Right now I must start watching more movies!

"Gentlemen, trials are too important to be left up to juries."

In order to catch up on some important movie watching Shauna and I are heading out to Penticton for the next 10 days or so. We’ll pitch our tent, cook some hot dogs and then set up the portable DVD player and watch movies the whole time.

I wonder if Shauna knows that that’s what we’ll be doing? Oh well. I’m sure we’ll find some time for the beach and maybe a round or two of golf. And of course we’ll have to visit the many fruit stands as well as take a tour of the local micro-brewery. I think we will be swinging by the used bookstore also and possibly having a dinner a couple times at a few of the nice restaurants in town. And we’ll likely just do some sitting around, relaxing, sleeping in. You know, vacating.

Ok, so maybe I won’t have as much time for movies as I think. Regardless, I won’t be around to update the blog so here’s a brief rundown of the films I’ve been watching lately. Enjoy!

Although Apocalypse Now has been hailed as a war-classic for many years, I had never actually seen it until about a month ago. While I’m glad I got a chance to finally watch it, I’m not sure it has stood the test of time as well as some other classics. It’s obvious that the film is trying to convey the horror of war and uses Vietnam as its canvas, but the pacing feels as stoned as most of the characters. The only real shining moments are those scenes that feature Robert Duvall and the famous helicopter attack. The Redux version is particularly lengthy and drawn-out and I found myself simply waiting for the film to be over so I could finally say I had seen it. Although credited as a ‘must-see-before-you-die’ movie I really don’t think you’re missing too much if you skip this one.

Despite the fact that Tom Cruise has lost his mind recently I still think he is a good actor. At the very least he has been in some very good films. A Few Good Men is certainly among the best. His courtroom performance with Jack Nicholson is one of the most memorable in film history. Who hasn’t, at one time or another, raised their fist and firmly stated “You can’t handle the truth!”? Director Rob Reiner has an impressive resume, including The Princess Bride and Stand By Me, and A Few Good Men is just another fine example of his ability to draw the audience in and tell a great story. Definitely a must-see.

Every year Shauna and I add the Best Picture nominee films to our list of movies to see. Sometimes it takes a while to get around to actually seeing them but we finally caught Good Night, And Good Luck on DVD. This is a really interesting look at some events that took place during some big communist hunt in the States a while ago. Ok, I could probably have given a much better description of the film but I can’t really remember all the details. The performances were really good and I enjoyed the film; I just can’t tell you what it’s exactly about. But it’s good. No, really.

Another Academy Award nominee, Munich is a gripping look at a country’s retaliation against a group of terrorists who murdered the 1972 Israeli Olympic team. Eric Bana gives an incredible performance as one of the assassins secretly hired by his government to carry out the executions. The film is not only entertaining purely from an action/suspense point of view, but is also an incredibly intense look at justice and revenge. There seem to be a lot of Academy Award nominees that are best on true events and Munich does a superb job of retelling those events and the terrible consequences they had on everyone involved.

I’m a big fan of John Cusack’s films. I really like his acting style and the characters he plays are both entertaining and intriguing. Runaway Jury is no exception. Based on the John Grisham novel, Runaway Jury is about a couple who con their way onto the jury of a Federal gun case and attempt to offer the verdict, for sale, to either the prosecution or defense. Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman give incredible performances and Cusack keeps the audience guessing his true motives throughout the film. I really enjoyed this flick and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good court room suspense/drama.

Believe it or not, Shauna actually wanted to watch this one. There are only a few Adam Sandler films that we both like and for some strange reason Happy Gilmore is one of them. It’s just really funny. Adam does what he does best and takes a simple concept, in this case an ex-hockey player who has an incredibly long golf drive, and makes it interesting and hilarious. Filled a number of those wonderful, quotable lines (“That’s your home, ball. Why didn’t you go home? Are you too good for your home?!”) Happy Gilmore is a ton of fun.

My history-teacher friend, Dave, recommended that we watch Battle of Britain not too long ago. I had never seen this film classic and I was looking forward to learning more about this brief period during World War II when England faced desperate odds while defending their country against countless German air raids and bombings. The film boasts a huge roster of famous actors and it was fun to see them in their prime. While the special effects are a little dated the film itself has stood the test of time well. The pacing seems to accurately reflect the actual battle and gives the viewer an in-depth look at how battle unfolded. If you have any interest in WWII, I highly recommend it.

The Red Violin is definitely one of Shauna’s favourite films and it’s not hard to see why. Filled with beautiful music and encompassing an epic span of time The Red Violin follows the life of a magnificent violin and its numerous owners. This is a relatively unknown film that was actually produced in Canada and should be seen by anyone who has any love of music. My only complaint is that the film has been released in three separate DVD versions and two of them are horrible. I originally owned the first horrible one, sold it and replaced it with what I thought was the good version. Nope, horrible version number two is now in my collection. A good chunk of the film is in other languages and so the film has numerous subtitles. But for some reason this version of the DVD leaves the subtitles out, so the only way to understand the film is to turn on the closed captioning which gives you subtitles for everything; foreign language scenes, English language scenes, even sound effects and music cues. I can’t tell you how annoying it is. If you ever see the Lion’s Gate or Atlantis releases of The Red Violin, avoid them like the plague. If you ever see the original Universal release immediately buy two copies; one for you and one for me. I’ll pay you back. No, really.

When I get back from my wonderful vacation I’ll update you on some of the other films I’ve been watching. In the mean time don’t forget to have a look at the movie actor/character quiz that was posted last week.

I wonder if Penticton has good prices on DVDs…

"What was I supposed to do? Call him for cheating better than me?"

My DVD collection contains many blockbuster films from recent years. Filled with incredible special effects and thunderous DTS surround sound, these films are fun to watch again and again. However, there are a few classic movies in my collection that are actually older than I am, and Shauna and I were able to add a few more recently.

Using a gift certificate I got from a very good friend I was able to finally pick up the Special Edition DVD of ‘The Great Escape’ (1963). It’s a fairly pricey DVD, which kept me from adding it to the collection earlier, so many thanks to JR! I also picked up two classic Paul Newman / Robert Redford films, ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (1969) and ‘The Sting’ (1973). All three DVD editions come with bonus discs filled with special features and I can’t wait to learn more about these memorable films.

Over this past weekend Shauna and I got together with another great friend, Vince, to watch The Sting. Shauna has seen it many times and was actually the one who got me to see it for the first time while we were dating. Vince claimed he had seen it before but soon realized that he was thinking of another movie. It was the perfect audience; a long-time fan who has loved the film from childhood, an eager movie addict who had only seen it once, and an interested friend who got to experience the original ‘big con’ for the first time.

Robert Redford plays Johnny Hooker, a small time con artist in the 1930s who inadvertently scams $10,000 from a man working for infamous criminal banker Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw, ‘Jaws’). Lonnegan, looking to make an example of the petty thieves, has Hooker’s partner murdered. Seeking revenge, Hooker teams up with Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to target Lonnegan as the mark in “the big con”. With Lonnegan’s goons still hunting for Hooker, an FBI investigation into Gondorff’s activities and a police detective out to profit from it all, Hooker and Gondorff will have to play every angle to make sure the sting goes off without a hitch.

I think the main draw to seeing this film has to do with Redford and Newman. If you’ve ever seen Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, you know what I’m talking about. Of course, if you’ve seen The Sting then you would know what I would be talking about if I was talking about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The point is that Redford and Newman are an impressive duo and their chemistry on-screen is unparalleled. You can tell that these actors not only enjoy working together but that they are likely very good friends in real life. Shauna was telling me that Paul Newman is old enough that he is probably only going to do one more movie and he has indicated that he would like to do it with Robert Redford. Watching them play off each other in The Sting is impressive and incredibly entertaining. They have a way of drawing you into their scheme and making you feel like you’re a part of it all.

Each actor is incredibly talented in his own right. Paul Newman gives one of the best performances of his career in the poker scene on the train. This scene set the bar high for films like Rounders, Ocean’s 11 and Maverick. That’s impressive for a film that’s now over 30 years old. And it’s that staying power that proves how great The Sting really is. The story is one that would do well in today’s theatres, as is the acting, script and direction. It’s not surprising that The Sting garnered 10 Academy Award nominations in 1973 and went on to win 7 of them, including Best Picture. I was surprised at how modern the film felt, despite its age.

The Special Edition DVD of The Sting is a wonderful treatment of this classic film. The first of two discs contains the feature film in a beautiful 1.85:1 Anamorphic transfer. The sets and costumes might look dated (the film is set in the 1930s) but the picture quality is anything but. Colors are sharp and crisp, detail is incredible and there are no image artefacts or scratches to be seen. Universal has done a fantastic job of cleaning up The Sting and they even include a DTS 5.1 sound track! The film doesn’t really make much use of all that 5.1 can offer, but it certainly goes a long way toward drawing you into the movie. Voices are clear and the music is perfectly balanced with the action on-screen. Again, for a movie that is over 30 years old this DVD is a truly impressive presentation.

A second disc contains a number of special features, which I haven’t had a chance to look at yet. However, I am considering a full review of this DVD, along with 2 others, as part of my application for a DVD-review job with digitallyobsessed.com. So stay tuned for more details on The Sting as well as information regarding my rise to fame as a world renowned DVD critic.

The Sting is an incredible film. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are perfect together and their performances are very entertaining. The script is fantastic and keeps the story moving at a pace that will have you gripped from start to finish. In the end The Sting is just a ton of fun. This is the film that truly inspired the ‘big con’ films like Ocean’s 11, The Italian Job, The Color of Money and Heist. And, arguably, none of them have done it as well as The Sting did. You owe it to yourself to see this film.

The Sting gets 9 winks and a nod (out of 10).

Find a sweet mark, make sure everything’s jake and click here for ‘The Sting’ trivia.

What's in a name?

Due to the enormous success of the movie quote quiz I posted a couple of weeks ago I’ve decided to create another quiz for my multitude of adoring fans. I’m sure all four of you will enjoy it.

This time you need to identify the actor. I’ve provided 10 groups of character names. Each group contains 4 characters that were all played by the same actor in different movies. It’s up to you to figure out which actor played all 4 roles in each group, resulting in 10 actor names.

For bonus points, identify the movie each character is associated with.

Obviously the idea of the quiz is to see how good your movie-character knowledge is; not how good your internet research skills are. So avoid using the internet, or any other source, to identify the actor names and movies. After all, if you all used the internet to do this quiz, you would all get 100% and where’s the fun in that? So raise your right hand and repeat after me: ‘I will not cheat. I am not a cheater. Cheaters never prosper. Cheaters get scratches all over their DVD collections and there is never enough butter on their popcorn.’

Email your answers to this email address and I’ll pick a winner by July 13th, 2006. Good luck!

Group 1
Father Brian Finn
Derek Vinyard
King Baldwin
Aaron Stampler

Group 2
Rusty Ryan
John Smith
Jeffrey Goines
Detective David Mills

Group 3
Parcher
Major Konig
Christof
Carl Fogarty

Group 4
Professor G.H. Dorr
Carl Hanratty
Jimmy Dugan
Andrew Beckett

Group 5
Bobby Darin
Lester Burnham
Prot
Hopper

Group 6
The Mariner
Lt. John Dunbar
Ray Kinsella
Crash Davis

Group 7
Col. William A. McNamara
Korben Dallas
Harry S. Stamper
Dr. Malcolm Crowe

Group 8
Nathan Algren
Lt. Daniel Kaffee
Chief John Anderton
Cole Trickle

Group 9
Nicholas Easter
Martin Q. Blank
U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin
Denny Lachance

Group 10
Ed Bloom
Spec. John Grimes
Renton
Lincoln Six Echo

Another nail in the coffin

Last week, Shauna and I went to see X-Men 3 in the theatres.

Ok, calm down and let me explain. First of all the main intent of the outing was to meet some friends of hers from work and just have a good time. Second of all, the film does have Hugh Jackman in it, so it would have been pointless to resist. And third, since we hadn’t been to the movies since Star Wars Episode III it seemed like a good opportunity to finally compare the home theatre experience with the big screen.

Having said that I think I am officially done with the theatres. I just can’t justify the cost.

In my mind, here are the cons of going to the theatre, as compared to just watching a DVD:

It costs a LOT

I guess when a movie costs 8 gazillion dollars to make the studios need to make their money back somehow. Thus the ticket price of $10.75. I guess that’s not too bad for 2 hours of entertainment. But $4.86 for a medium iced tea? We even had a coupon for a free popcorn and our total for the evening came in over $35.00! I can buy the DVD cheaper than that and watch it whenever I want, as often as I want, with whoever I want.

Commercials

I feel like I’ve been taken complete advantage of when I’m forced to sit through 5 minutes or so of advertising after I’ve already paid a fair chunk of change to see the movie. And I’m not talking about previews for other films but rather the actual commercials we’re used to seeing on TV at home. Again, I can only assume that the exorbitant costs associated with making a blockbuster film force the studios to sell advertising time at the beginning of those films. But do they really think I can afford to buy a new car after spending $17 on a chocolate bar?

Picture Quality

This was a big one for me (no pun intended). After getting our big screen TV I was told by several people that the picture quality in the theatre is still better. I could believe this since film is about as high quality as you can get, where DVD is still a digital image and is limited by the resolution of the disc itself. I won’t go into all the technical details but I was expecting a high definition picture in the theatre. Well apparently I’ve been spoiled. Not only was the picture not crystal clear but there were scratches and lines and specks of dust throughout. Not to mention those pesky ‘cigarette burns’ that appear during every reel change (watch Fight Club for an explanation). I probably wouldn’t notice it as much if I wasn’t looking for all the defects but the fact remains that if I go searching for defects on a DVD at home I wouldn’t find a tenth as many as I did in the theatre.

Other People

We planned our trip pretty well and managed to avoid the crowds. The film had already been out for several weeks and it was a Monday night. So the theatre itself was virtually empty. And yet we still had people sitting directly in front of us, behind us and on one side. The guy on my immediate left must have had a nervous condition because he felt it necessary to rapidly tap his fingers on his knee throughout the entire movie. Tappity-tappity-tappity-tap… I would have thrown my drink at him if I didn't have to take out a loan to afford another one.

I’ll admit that I was fairly certain that my trip to the theatre wasn’t going to convince me that that DVDs aren’t the way to go. I had already decided that a while back. But I certainly didn’t plan on an experience that made me hate the theatres even more! Ultimately it’s not really the theatre’s fault; I used to love going to the movies and it didn’t seem to bother me much at all back then. But then I got a home theatre set up and I’ve seen the light. The movie theatre just can’t compare to the home theatre experience. They can’t compare to the cost, the comfort or the convenience. And it would appear that they can no longer compare to the quality either.

As far as I can tell, there are really only two good reasons for going to the theatre:

1) You get to see the movie earlier than if you wait for it on DVD. Though I guess that’s only a good reason if time is that important to you. Personally, I have no problem waiting a mere 5 or 6 months. When I finally do see the movie, it will look better and I’ll enjoy it more in the comfort of my own home. And I won’t have to sell my kidneys to afford it.

2) It’s a chance to get out of the house and have a date. It’s hard to argue with this one. It definitely is nice to get out once in a while, but I think I can come up with some alternatives to the movie theatre that are more reasonable when it comes to money and time.

Anyway, there’s my rant about the theatres. If you’ve got some opinions or thoughts, please feel free to add your comments. I’d love to hear what you have to say, especially if you’ve got some arguments for the theatre. Maybe I’m missing the big picture (pun intended).

Oh, and the movie itself was pretty good. Something about mutants I think.

Movie Quote Quiz Results

The first official ‘Down In Front’ Movie Quote Quiz is now over! Well done to all those who gave it a try. And congratulations to my wife, Shauna! She got all 10 quotes right, as well as the bonus question. I’m so proud. Of course, I would expect nothing less from the wife of an obsessed movie geek.

However, in the spirit of fairness, Shauna has chosen to decline any of the prizes so that others may reap the rewards. And so we go to second place, where there is a tie between my good friend Anthony and my own Mother! That’s right folks, my MOM did better than most of you! Don’t feel bad though, she’s a pretty smart mom.

As promised, there are prizes available to both Anthony and Mom. You can each choose one of the following DVDs:

Cast Away
Fight Club
The Karate Kid
Spaceballs
The Usual Suspects
Walk the Line
Cinderella Man

And for those who did not win, stay tuned to Down In Front. There will a new quiz next week for you to try…with prizes!

Finally, here are the answers to this week’s Movie Quote Quiz:

Title (Bonus) – Fight Club
#1 – 12 Monkeys
#2 – Apollo 13
#3 – The Breakfast Club
#4 – Dances With Wolves
#5 – The Full Monty
#6 – The Fellowship of the Ring
#7 – Men in Black
#8 – My Cousin Vinny
#9 – Saving Private Ryan
#10 – Three Amigos!

Stay tuned!

So far I’ve received several responses to the Movie Quote quiz I posted earlier this week. Good job to all of you have given it a try and for those who haven’t yet, you better hurry! There is definitely a prize to be given away to the winner.

Answers will be posted on Friday (tomorrow) and the winner will be announced at that time.

Good luck!

"I have to believe that when things are bad I can change them."

I’ve been a fan of Ron Howard’s films (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Apollo 13, Ransom) pretty much since 1988 when he directed an amusing fantasy film called Willow. I’m also a big fan of Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential, The Insider), especially considering he starred in two of my all-time favourite films, Gladiator and Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World. Howard and Crowe came together for the first time in 2001 to create another brilliant true-life film called A Beautiful Mind. And when I heard that they were teaming up once again to portray the life of boxer Jim Braddock I expected great things.

I love it when my expectations are realized. Especially when they’re in the form of a $7.99 previously-viewed DVD from Blockbuster.

Cinderella Man depicts not only the life of a supposedly washed-out boxer named Jim Braddock, but also the lives of most people trying to survive the Great Depression of the 1930s. At the height of his career Braddock had never been knocked out and was a contender for the championship. But the stock market crash and resulting depression took nearly everything Jim had. Cinderella Man shows the struggles and triumphs of Braddock and his family as they do everything they can to simply survive. Which just happens to include a return to the boxing ring.

There are a number of factors at work that make Cinderella Man such a terrific film. First and foremost has to be the story itself. There are many inspiring real-life stories out there but I can’t imagine a time when America would have needed one more than during the Great Depression. Ron Howard pulls no punches (pardon the pun) in depicting the quality of life for those affected, specifically Braddock (Crowe), his wife Mae (Renee Zellweger) and their three young children. Watching this family struggle through thick and thin is all the more incredible when you realize that it’s a true story. While Braddock’s rise to fame in the boxing ring is terrifically stirring, it’s Braddock’s character and integrity as a husband and father that are truly inspiring.

Added to a wonderful story is wonderful acting. Russell Crowe does a fine job as the under-estimated boxer Braddock. Not only is it obvious that he prepared physically for the role, but he convincingly displays the traits one would expect from a caring family man who must do just about anything to ensure his family stays together and survives. Renee Zellweger plays the character of Braddock’s wife with enthusiasm and realism. I’m not a huge fan of the Zellweger herself, something about her just irritates me, but I can’t deny that she’s a talented actor (e.g. Chicago, Jerry Maguire) and this is probably the best work I’ve seen her do. Paul Giamatti (Sideways) portrays Braddock’s relentless trainer and promoter, Joe Gould. I’ve always liked Giamatti and I think he’s one of Hollywood’s under-appreciated actors, though he did receive an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Cinderella Man. Gould’s own struggles during the depression are brought to life with an incredible performance by Giamatti.
Bringing the story and the acting together in perfect unison is Ron Howard’s superb direction. There seems to be a lot going on in this film but the pacing is such that you never feel overwhelmed or confused by any of it. Everything from the sets and costumes to the lighting and cinematography are near perfect in every scene. You really get a good feel for the lives of both the rich and poor during the early 1930s while becoming wrapped up in the incredible life of Jim Braddock and his family. It might be hard not to think of Rocky when you’re watching a boxing movie, but Howard makes it easy to realize that Cinderella Man is much more than just a boxing movie. He makes you believe that Braddock really did bring a nation to its feet at a time when it needed it most.

The DVD itself is presented in an Anamorphic 2.35:1 video format and the picture is just fine. The colors are washed out slightly in order to portray a more drabby image of the depression era. However the sharpness and contrast of the film does not suffer one bit and the picture looked near high definition. A Dolby Digital 5.1 track is included and I can’t really find anything to complain about it other than the fact that it’s not DTS (for shame!). To be perfectly honest I didn’t realize pay too much attention to the picture or the sound. The story and the film are just so well done that it probably wouldn’t have mattered. In the end though, the video and audio simply add to an already enjoyable movie experience.

I realized after the fact that a 2-disc Collector’s Edition exists for Cinderella Man. You’d think I know by now there’s always another edition. As it is, the bonus features included on the single-disc version aren’t bad. Several deleted scenes are included, all of which are terrific moments that, in my opinion, could have easily been left in the theatrical cut. I guess I’m in a minority of people who actually enjoy 3 hour films. Also included are no less that 3 full-length feature commentaries and a number of featurettes that I haven’t the chance to watch yet. With all this it’s hard to imagine what else would be included on the 2-disc set. For $7.99 though, you really can’t go wrong with the single-disc version. Beware though! A dreaded ‘Full Screen’ edition also exists. I don’t need to tell you to avoid it like the plague. Right?

Cinderella Man has only increased my appreciation for both Ron Howard and Russell Crowe. They’ve managed to create another fantastic film that entertains and inspires. If you liked A Beautiful Mind I can’t imagine you not loving Cinderella Man. So leave a comment and let me know when you’re coming over to watch it. I’ll have the popcorn ready.

Cinderella Man gets 9 right-jabs (out of 10).

Duck, weave and throw a left-hook here for ‘Cinderella Man’ trivia.

"The first rule of __________ is, you do not talk about _________."

Here’s something fun for all my readers to do while you anxiously await my next blog entry. I’ve been known to create the occasional movie-quote quiz and I thought I would use my blog as an excuse to create one more. So here are 10 movie quotes for you to ponder. The catch is that the title of the movie itself is contained within the quote, which has been removed and replaced with blanks. Fill in the blank and you have your movie title!

Some should be fairly easy, while others might give you a bit of a hard time. Your only hint is that all the answers come from my own personal DVD collection, which can be viewed by using one of the links found on this site. It may come in handy to solve the 10 quotes below and the bonus quote found in the title of today's blog.

You can email your answers to this address. If I get enough responses there might even be a prize in it for you!

Try not to cheat, and good luck!

Quote #1

“Then, they took everything about me and put it into a computer where they created this model of my mind. Yes! Using that model they managed to generate every thought I could possibly have in the next, say, 10 years. Which they then filtered through a probability matrix of some kind to - to determine everything I was gonna do in that period. So you see, she knew I was gonna lead the Army of the ____________ into the pages of history before it ever even occurred to me. She knows everything I'm ever gonna do before I know it myself. How's that?”

Quote #2

"Al Shepard's ear infection has flared up. And we've all been bumped up to the prime crew of ____________. Straight to the head of the line and the Fra Mauro highlands.”

Quote #3

“Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, ____________.”

Quote #4

“You are the only white man I have ever known. I have thought about you a lot. More than you think. And I understand your concern. But I think you are wrong. The white man the soldiers are looking for no longer exists. Now there is only a Sioux named ____________."

Quote #5

“No way, no, and never. In that order, kid.”
“Excuse me? No one said anything to me about ____________."
“But you heard ‘em. We got to give ‘em something your average stripper don’t.”

Quote #6

“Nine companions. So be it. You shall be ____________."
“Great! Where are we going?”

Quote #7

“You'll conform to the identity we give you, eat where we tell you, live where we tell you. From now on you'll have no identifying marks of any kind. You'll not stand out in any way. Your entire image is crafted to leave no lasting memory with anyone you encounter. You're a rumour, recognizable only as deja vu and dismissed just as quickly. You don't exist; you were never even born. Anonymity is your name. Silence your native tongue. You're no longer part of the System. You're above the System. Over it. Beyond it. We're ‘them.’ We're ‘they.’ We are the ____________."

Quote #8

“We have an attorney in the family!”
“Great. Who?”
"____________!"

Quote #9

“I don't know. Part of me thinks the kid's right. He asks what he's done to deserve this. He wants to stay here, fine. Let's leave him and go home. But then another part of me thinks, what if by some miracle we stay, then actually make it out of here. Someday we might look back on this and decide that ____________ was the one decent thing we were able to pull out of this whole god-awful mess. Like you said, Captain, maybe we do that, we all earn the right to go home.”

Quote #10

“Well, you dirt-eating piece of slime, you scum-sucking pig, you son of a motherless goat.”
“Who are you?”
“Wherever there is injustice, you will find us. Wherever there is suffering, we’ll be there. Tell us we will die like dogs.”
“What?”
“Tell us we will die like dogs.”
“You WILL die like dogs.”
“No, we will not die like dogs! We will fight like lions! Because we are…”
“The ____________!"

Roll Credits II

It’s time for another look at the incredible people who work so hard to make the films we love (or hate). A while back I decided to use a portion of my blog to explain some of the titles we often see during the final credits of a movie. In an effort to shed some light on who all those people are and what they do, I bring you Part II of Roll Credits.

Line Producer – This individual is in charge of the movie’s budget. They manage all the expenses right from the actor’s salaries to the everyday costs of keeping the cameras rolling. When you see this credit scroll by on the next big, epic movie you see you can silently thank that person for ensuring that the film’s budget was so exorbitant that you had to shell out an extra $4.50 for a squirt of butter on your $12.75 small popcorn.

Film Loader – Pretty much what it sounds like, this person is responsible for loading and unloading the film magazines onto the cameras, as well as ensuring that the loading room stays clear and clean. This person is also commonly referred to as the ‘Clapper Loader’, because they are also responsible for operating the clapperboard (slate) at the beginning of each take. The loader is a very important job since it’s not only important to ensure the camera has film, but to be certain it is the right kind of film for the shot.

Camera Operator – Again, pretty easy to figure out what this person does. They’re responsible for not only operating the camera, but to ensure that the scene the director wants captured is perfectly framed. And if you’ve ever watched a behind-the-scenes special feature and heard a director yell “Check the gate!” you now know that it’s the camera operator’s job to visually inspect the film gate on the camera after each scene. He’s checking to make sure nothing has jammed in the gate, usually a human hair, which could ruin the entire shot. If there’s nothing in the gate then “It’s a wrap!”

Finding the Bourne Intelligence

A few weeks ago my church had their annual Parish Retreat up near Sylvan Lake. I’ve attended these retreats for three years in a row and they are always a fun, relaxing and spiritually engaging time. I was especially excited this year as the theme of the weekend was ‘Movies!’. In the words of Monty Python, “Say…no…more!”

The idea of the weekend was to see how God can speak to us through mainstream Hollywood movies, even though the movies themselves may not (and usually don’t) intend to have any kind of specific Christian message. There are times when our Pastor likes to use movie clips to help emphasize a point in his sermon and I’ve often heard a specific movie quote or watched a specific scene and thought ‘That would be a good clip to use in a sermon’. But on the whole, I rarely examine an entire movie closely to see if there are any specific themes that could relate to Christianity. It was a fun and interesting exercise to spend the weekend watching films, trying to identify scenes that God could use to illustrate a point or communicate a message.

Our first film was Finding Nemo. One of my wife’s favorites (which was too bad since she was not able to attend). I’ve seen the film a number of times but had never really looked for specific Christian themes. As it turns out, when you go looking for such themes they are all over the place. The father and son relationship, the determination and dedication of the father searching for his child, lost sheep, letting go, trust, love, faith, hope; they’re all there. At the end of the film we got into groups and wrote down the numerous moments we recognized as having a Christian theme or message. I wish I had a copy of that sheet because there were far more than I would have expected. I’m sure that if you go looking for any kind of theme in a film you’re likely to find it, but it was a unique and eye-opening way to watch a movie. Not to mention the fact that Finding Nemo is just a terrific movie on its own. I highly recommend watching it and letting yourself see those moments that maybe you didn’t recognize before. God can speak to us in so many ways.

The next day we watched The Bourne Identity. One of my favourite films. I was really excited about this one simply because Jason Bourne has got to be my single most favourite spy character around. And once again I was amazed at the number of thematic elements that could easily be interpreted with a Christian message. Searching for one’s self, examining past actions/sins and seeing how they form who we are today and who we want to be tomorrow. Forgiveness, redemption, truth, sacrifice, good, evil. I found this exercise of looking for such themes to be a very satisfying addition to an already enjoyable film. Our group started to dig a little deeper in our analysis of The Bourne Identity and started asking ourselves ‘What defines me?’, ‘Who am I?’ One of my favourite films had become one the most engaging and thought provoking.
I found out what the last film of the weekend was going to be a few hours before we actually saw it. And I have to admit that when I was told it was going to be A.I. Artificial Intelligence I was very disappointed. A.I. was one of the worst movies I had ever seen. I had high expectations for it (Steven Spielberg directing, how can you go wrong with that?) and that probably made my disgust even more acute after wasting a good 3 hours of my life on it. I was not at all happy to learn that I would be wasting another 3 hours watching it again.

Fortunately the exercise of looking for thematic elements and quotes made it much more bearable. It’s still a terrible, terrible movie, but at least I got something out of it this time. Another soul searching film that explores who we are and what our purpose is. The relationships that the robot boy, David, forms can be linked to many of the relationships we form in our own lives. Ultimately, however, the film is about unconditional love and the quest to become that which we were created to be. David was made to love and he soon realizes that he must become something different in order to love as fully and as completely as he was created to. It was an interesting way to view a Christian theme that can often be overlooked or underestimated in our daily lives. Who were we created to be and how to we change in order to fulfill that destiny?

As I’ve said if you go looking for any kind of theme or message in a film you’re likely to find it or something very close to it. The point of the weekend wasn’t to prove Hollywood movies are filled with subliminal Christian messages. It was to show that God can speak to us through anything and that He will use anything and everything to remind us of His love for us. It was a very fulfilling exercise and I strongly encourage all my readers (all 6 million of you) to take the opportunity, the next time you watch a movie, and look for some themes or messages you didn’t know were there. You’ll simply be adding to an already wonderful experience.

Your search is over. ‘Finding Nemo’ trivia can be found here.
I could tell you that ‘The Bourne Identity’ trivia is here, but then I’d have to kill you.
Intelligent, but not artificial trivia for ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’ can be found here.

I've mostly been remiss in my blogging...mostly.

My sincere apologies to the hundreds of thousands of 'Down in Front' fans who have had nothing to read on my blog in the last month or so. I am ashamed! I admit that my movie watching has suffered somewhat over the last few weeks due to unforeseen circumstances. Ok, well maybe the circumstances weren't completely unforeseen, but honestly, how could I have known that I would get addicted to a new computer game? In the words of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, 'It's not my fault!'.

I have recently posted a brief review of Capote, which you'll find below this post. And in the coming days I promise to get caught up on reviewing a few other movies I've seen. You can find a list of what I've been watching in the sidebar to the right.

I'll also get cracking on the second installment of 'Roll Credits'. I'm sure you're just dying to know what a clapper-loader and a focus-puller are.

So stay tuned! Many great reviews are coming your way soon!

Unless I start getting close to level 30...

"It's the book I was always meant to write."

I’m not sure what’s wrong with me but I haven’t been watching nearly as many movies lately as I should be. I think I only watched eleven movies this month. 11! It’s just not right. I know I should be ashamed of myself. But I’m not. I’m too busy playing computer games. Pretty soon I’m going to have to quit my job so I can play games and watch movies full time. Shauna’s going to love that…

Despite my recent addiction to WoW, I did find time to watch Capote on DVD. This is a fascinating movie about Truman Capote and how he came to write ‘In Cold Blood’, one of the first “non-fiction novels” that relates the real life events of November 15, 1959 when two men entered a house in Kansas and brutally murdered a family of four. Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Magnolia, MI:3) portrays the eccentric Capote who sets out to learn more about the killers and why they did what they did.

Essentially, Capote is a biographical film, of which we’ve been seeing many lately. Though it is one of the only non-musical biographical films I can remember. Ray, Walk the Line, De-Lovely, Beyond the Sea and a host of other films have become quite popular in recent years. Capote is no exception and delivers a thought provoking look at another famous life. Truman Capote himself is intriguing and mesmerizing in his manipulation of others. The saying about genius and insanity being separated by a fine line is evident in the life of this man who is fascinated with a brutal family murder and sees it as his opportunity to produce the greatest book of his time.

“When I think about how good my book could be, I can hardly breathe.”

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the reason to see this film. I can completely understand why he won the Oscar for Best Actor. This character is unlike any you’ve seen before and Hoffman manages to get to the very core of who Capote was. His mannerisms and speech alone are impressive, but the subtle manipulations and chameleon-esque behaviour are without equal. Several times I was surprised and stunned by Capote’s decisions and motivations. I’ve seen Hoffman before in a number of roles but he completely disappears into this character, creating a totally believable Truman Capote.

The highest praise for this film is simply this; I would now like to read ‘In Cold Blood’ and possibly other Capote novels. At the very least I feel I got an important education on one of history’s more influential authors. It’s a wonderful look at an intriguing individual and I highly recommend it.

Click here for 'Capote' trivia.

May the 4th be with you!

Today is International Star Wars day!! w00t!*

It's nice to know that one of my favorite movies of all-time has it's own International Day. Too bad it's not an International Day-off. Maybe I should start lobbying for that. Then we could all take May the 4th off to watch the Star Wars Trilogy. I think I would be a-okay with that.

In other Star Wars news, it looks like the original trilogy is going to be released on DVD. Again. Actually, this will be the 3rd release of the original trilogy on DVD. Due to overwhelming demand for the unaltered original version, Lucas is releasing this next edition in September which will include the theatrical versions of the original trilogy. That's right Star Wars fans, we'll be able to see Han Solo shoot first! Finally!

Of course, this means I will have to buy yet another copy of Star Wars. This will be my 5th version of the trilogy. Sigh...I'm so weak.

You can read about the upcoming release here: http://www.starwars.com/episode-iv/release/video/news20060503.html

Have a great Star Wars day! And remember, the 4th will be with you...always.

Especially in May. Right after the 3rd.

*See Wikipedia definition of 'w00t' here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woot
(I've been playing too much World of Warcraft lately.)

"And one day there will be no more frontier...but once, we were here."

While out browsing for computer games with a good friend of mine, I came across the Director’s Cut DTS Edition of ‘The Last of the Mohicans’. I had only seen the film once but from what I remembered it was quite good. Since it was only $9.99 and included the ever-coveted DTS audio track I quickly added it to my collection. For the price I paid I’m happy to say that the DVD measures up. Only just barely.

Last of the Mohicans is set in 1757, during the French and British battle for control of the North American colonies. Both sides have the help of various native American war parties and the British troops enlist the aid of local colonial militia men who are afraid to leave their frontier homes unguarded against the French soldiers and native tribes. Three remaining men of the Mohawk tribe, one adopted white son and his native father and brother, find themselves escorting a solider and two daughters of a British officer across the wild frontier. Nathaniel (Daniel Day-Lewis) falls in love with one of the women, Cora (Madeleine Stowe), and risks everything to keep her safe from the vengeful leader of a Huron war party.

My friend Dave would almost certainly be able to provide a better description of what was really going on during the British/French war in the 18th century. The film doesn’t go to great lengths to explain exactly what the battle is about or which side we should be cheering for. This is probably a good thing since the story is not about the war itself, but rather the involvement of the native tribes caught up in it. It’s a sweeping, epic view of the last days of the frontier and the start of the colonization of the Americas.

I first saw Daniel Day-Lewis in the incredible film ‘In the Name of the Father’. His character had a thick Irish accent (which my wife would have loved) and was completely different than his character in Mohicans. I found Nathaniel to be a little over the top and too serious to really take seriously. Er…yeah. I’ve heard that Day-Lewis often goes to extremes to get into character and that he actually spent several months living and camping in the wilderness prior to filming. His character comes across harsh and to-the-point, which is probably what you would expect from a man trying to survive in the war-torn frontier. It does make it a little hard to believe that Cora would fall for him so quickly, which she does. It’s a touching love story but just a little hard to believe.

The real star of the show, however, is the cinematography. As expected the sweeping vistas and scenery of the American frontier in the 18th century is reproduced with stunning results. From grasslands and forests to fog enshrouded lakes and thundering waterfalls, virtually every scene has something beautiful to see. Even the war torn forts, complete with smoking cannonballs streaking across the sky, are displayed as accurately as I would imagine them. The Last of the Mohicans is partially about the changing landscape of the time, which is terrifically displayed through the incredible cinematography.

Although the scenes themselves are something to behold, the video transfer of the DVD itself left much to be desired. I couldn’t help but notice a ton of grain, haze and distortion in many of the scenes. Colors were muted and faded and the print had an overall dissolved look. I’m not sure if this is due to the age of the film (1992) or if it’s simply a poor transfer. My guess is the latter considering the high quality video of many older films on DVD. Had the 2.35:1 Anamorphic widescreen print been of higher quality this DVD would look amazing. That being said, there is one scene in particular, where Nathaniel leaps through a giant waterfall that looks incredible.

Fortunately there is a 5.1 DTS audio track which makes up for the poor video quality…almost. I definitely felt immersed in the wilderness as the surrounds conveyed all the sounds one would normally expect to find there. Birds chirping, twigs snapping, leaves rustling. And the battle scenes are thunderous, putting the subwoofer through its paces. Overall I was quite pleased with the audio.

As for bonuses, there are none to speak of. So I won’t.

The Last of the Mohicans is an enjoyable film but it seems to lack a certain something. Everything seems to be building to an epic climax but I just wasn’t brought in enough to feel it. The music is fantastic, the scenes are beautiful and the acting, for the most part, is spot on. But the glue that holds it all together is just a little weak. I would say that if you are interested in colonial America and native tribes, then you would certainly enjoy Mohicans. If not, there’s still a chance you would enjoy this film but it’s not going to knock your moccasins off.

The Last of the Mohicans gets 7 tomahawks (out of 10).

Click here for ‘The Last of the Mohicans’ trivia.

"Ask him, Edie, how come he's so good at killing people?"

Most of us recognize Viggo Mortensen from his role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Although it was the role that gave him worldwide renown, it was certainly no where close to being his first major motion picture debut. Viggo has also had significant roles in A Perfect Murder, G.I. Jane, Crimson Tide, Carlito’s Way, Young Guns II and Witness. He’s shown that he has the chops to be a good, dramatic actor, and his latest fare, A History of Violence, is no exception. The movie itself leaves something to be desired, however.

Directed by David Cronenberg, A History of Violence tells the story of Tom Stall, a mild mannered family man and owner of a diner in a small Indiana town. After killing two would-be thieves (albeit, really bad, murdering thieves), Tom is confronted by a man who claims to know his violent past. Tom must attempt to get his life back in order while reassuring his wife and children that he is not the murdering gangster this new arrival claims he is. Or is he?

One of things that I liked about this film, aside from the intriguing plot, was that the director keeps you guessing. Right from the opening scene, Shauna and I were making assumptions and guesses that I assume the director wanted us to make. Most of them ended up being wrong, which is nice, since predictable movies can often be too, er, predictable. You never really learn the truth about the whole situation until about an hour into the film, at which point a lot still needs to be resolved concerning Tom Stall and his family.

Ed Harris (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind) gives a chilling performance as Carl Fogarty, a disfigured mobster who claims Tom is really Joey, an equally ruthless criminal with violent tendencies. Some incredible tension is created in the film as Carl continues to push his case against Tom and his family, becoming more convincing with each scene. Figuring out whether Carl is right or not is part of the fun of A History of Violence. In either case, it almost certainly means some terrible consequences for the Stall family.

Although the plot and acting are interesting and entertaining, the film falls apart at several other stages. Maria Bello stars as Tom’s wife, and it seems like her only reason for being in the film is to provide a somewhat accomplished actress who is willing to take her clothes off. She has a knack for starring in questionably sub-par films, including Payback, The Cooler and Coyote Ugly and it doesn’t appear that A History of Violence is going to do anything to change that reputation. Although the film is designed to take a close look at a specific kind of violence in society, there are a number of scenes that simply didn’t need to be there. Some might disagree but I can certainly say that I really didn’t need to see them. Fair warning.

The film is also quite short, which I was surprised by since the plot seemed to have so much potential. That being said, I can appreciate what Cronenberg was trying to do. This is really just a short story, a small excerpt from one family’s life. I will admit that the movie does get you thinking and it’s likely that that is all Cronenberg had in mind. It’s definitely a film that makes you go ‘hmmm’, though I don’t think I’ll want it to make me go ‘hmmm’ a second time. I guess this is one of those movies that might be good to see once but is certainly not a re-watcher.

The DVD is presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic widescreen, which always looks good on a widescreen television. I didn’t notice anything terrible or wonderful about the picture quality though, as I was too busy analyzing the film and trying to decide if I liked it or not. I’m still not sure on that one. And although the trailers might depict this as an action/thriller, you can be sure that the moments of violence are brief. Don’t get me wrong, those moments are still very, very violent. They're just short, which is probably for the best. Ultimately it's not a movie that really needs fantastic picture quality. The audio is provided via a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack which, again, is adequate enough that I didn’t notice any glaring problems, but is nothing stellar.

There are a number of bonus featurettes included on the single-disc DVD, as well as a director’s commentary and some deleted scenes. I only watched a few of the bonus features and was intrigued by some of the filmmaking stuff, but it seemed like the majority of the information concerned the philosophical issues that the movie raises. Cronenberg’s statement is that human history is rife with violence of all kinds, and this film merely takes a look at one specific instance of violence and how it affects the lives of Tom Stall and his family. There is probably some really interesting stuff in here if you’re into that sort of thing.

In the end, A History of Violence wasn’t nearly as good as I was hoping it would be. In fact, it wasn’t even the kind of film I thought it was going to be. That doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad film, but I can’t say it was a good one either. It had a few entertaining moments and some great acting by Ed Harris, yet it still left something to be desired. There was a lot of potential that just didn’t get realized.

I’m not sure if I should recommend this one or not. Let’s just say that if you weren’t interested in seeing it, you’re not missing anything. And if you really do want to see it, consider yourself warned, but hopefully you’ll still get something out of it.

A History of Violence gets 5 bloody noses (out of 10).

Relax, just click here for ‘A History of Violence’ trivia, and no one gets hurt.

Roll Credits

I thought I would start a new feature here on 'Down In Front' to help explain all those crew roles you see listed in a film's credits. One of the many things I enjoy about watching movies is watching the credits themselves. First of all, the music is often very significant to the end of the film and I find it provides an all-encompassing feeling of what the film was about. When Shauna and I used to go to the theatre, we almost always sat through the entire credits. Usually because we wanted to see who played such-and-such a role or which composer scored the film. But often it was simply to listen to the wonderful music. Sometimes there is so much happening on the screen that we miss the subtle musical cues that can really bring a film to life.

I am also fascinated by the filmmaking process. I love learning about all the tricks and techniques used to create a feature length film. I'm amazed at how much I've learned in the last several years, especially since movie studios started including comprehensive special features as part of the DVD releases.

But I think we would all agree that there are usually just way too many names scrolling by in the credits to bother reading them all. And often the crew title itself is confusing. What the heck is a clapper loader?

Well, in an effort to encourage my readers to sit through the credits more often, I present 'Roll Credits' - a regular feature where I'll define a few of those confusing credit titles. Hopefully this will give you a better understanding of what's going on during the film making process, and ultimately give you a greater appreciation of what's involved in creating those movies we all love so much.

Gaffer - The Gaffer is the head electrician on set and reports to the Director of Photography. They arrange the lighting and electrical requirements on set as needed, and supervise the other electricians.

Grip - A grip is a person who works on set with all of the camera support equipment. They organise camera mounts when the director wants the camera on the side of a moving car, they move dollies, cranes, lay tracks and generally make it possible for the director to put the camera in more places than just on a tripod. A Key Grip is the person in charge of the grip crew and reports to the Director of Photography.

Director of Photography - A.k.a. Cinematographer. The Director of Photography is the person who is responsible for the cinematic look of the film, which includes selecting the right film stock, lighting each scene to achieve the director's requirements, choosing cameras and lenses, supervising the grips and electricians, and the other members of the camera department (camera operator, clapper/loader, focus puller, and camera assistants). Together with the Director and the Production Designer, the Director of Photography holds a key responsibility for the final look of the film on screen. In the USA and Canada, Director of Photography is often abbreviated to "DP"; in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, it is normally "DOP".

Cinematographers who have achieved a certain level of recognition amongst their peers are normally invited to join one or more of the national cinematographer societies. Members are identified in the film's credits with a series of letters after their name:

A.S.C. - The American Society of Cinematographers
C.S.C. - The Canadian Society of Cinematographers
A.C.S. - The Australian Cinematographers Society
B.S.C. - The British Society of Cinematographers (not to be confused with the Society for British Cinematographers...splitters!)

"It wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast."

Before the Lord of the Rings films, I had no idea who Peter Jackson was. This was probably true for most people. After grossing more than $1 billion worldwide, I think it’s now safe to say that there are few people who have not heard of Peter Jackson. The Lord of the Rings trilogy blew me away and I was excited to hear that Peter’s next project was a remake of the classic monster flick, King Kong.

When Kong made its debut in the theatres, the critic’s response was less than stellar. The main criticism seemed to be the film’s 3 hour-plus length, though I’m sure many critics couldn’t resist comparing Kong to The Lord of the Ring’s success. Six months later I knew I would see the film on DVD, but was unsure if I would end up adding it to my collection permanently. A few friends, who know me well, advised that the movie was right up my alley and that I would not regret blind-buying the 2-disc Special Edition.

So that’s what I did. And about a week ago I hosted a movie night where myself and several good friends got to watch King Kong for the first time.

Peter Jackson, you’re my hero.

Ironically, although most people know what King Kong is essentially about I would wager that few of them have actually seen the 1933 original. I haven’t. We’ve all seen clips here and there, usually showing Kong high atop the Empire State Building or fighting prehistoric dinosaurs on Skull Island. But considering that few of us have ever watched the original from beginning to end, it’s a testament to Kong’s popularity that we all know who King Kong is. I was excited to finally have a chance to see Kong’s story in its entirety.

Peter Jackson’s King Kong tells the story of Carl Denham (Jack Black), failing filmmaker, who charters a voyage to the mysterious Skull Island to finish his masterpiece. Joining him, whether willingly or not, are Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), a struggling actress, and Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Carl’s scriptwriter. Together they set out to explore Skull Island, where they discover a lost world filled with savage tribes people and terrible monsters. The most fearsome of them all, a 25 foot giant ape called Kong becomes obsessed with Ann Darrow, while Carl becomes obsessed with capturing Kong.

I don’t think I’m giving anything away by telling you what the crew find on Skull Island, or that Carl manages to bring Kong back to New York, where all hell breaks loose. Ultimately this is a story that most of us are familiar with and know exactly how it all ends. The joy of watching King Kong is not in discovering what happens, but rather how it all happens. Peter Jackson stays true to the story of King Kong while showing it to you in a way you’ve never seen before. It’s a wonderful tribute to the original film. It does not attempt to replace the 1933 classic. On the contrary, it made me want to watch the first King Kong. That’s about the best praise a remake film can achieve.

King Kong is a terrific story filled with interesting characters and intriguing circumstances. It’s a good hour before we finally get to see Kong himself, but trust me, it’s well worth the wait. Once on Skull Island, King Kong becomes a thrill ride the likes of which I haven’t seen in a long while. Even though there were only seven of us watching, the room was filled with gasps of surprise, moans of empathy and whatever you call those sounds people make when they get the heebie-jeebies really, really bad. I can’t recall the last movie I saw that produced so much vocal expression from its audience. Peter Jackson definitely knows how to involve you in the action and make it real enough to almost feel.

And talk about action. The roller coaster ride of Skull Island is relentless in its thrilling, terrifying and awe-inducing pace. One minute you’ll be chased by herds of rampaging brontosaurs, crying out as each thunderous footstep narrowly misses (or doesn’t) the fleeing crew. The next minute you’ll be catching your breath as the characters find some haven of relative safety and without warning you’ll be plunged head-first into the fast-paced action once again as the crew realize they are never truly safe on Skull Island. I was amazed at how many different scenarios unfolded before my eyes. It seemed almost too much, and yet Peter Jackson manages to keep you not only interested, but filled with excitement at every turn. Storytelling and characters aside, King Kong is a terrific ride.

King Kong is also filled with some incredible performances, not the least of which is Kong himself. Andy Serkis provides the motion capture and facial expression for the giant ape. That’s the same fellow who gave us Gollum’s performance in Lord of the Rings. While Kong may not have as many lines as Gollum did, the physical performance and emotional expression is on par with Serkis’ incredible ability to give CG characters a life of their own. Jack Black (Carl Denham) also gives his best performance to date. That may not be saying much, considering his somewhat typecast roles. However, I believe his acting ability has certainly gone up a notch. While there are still typical ‘Jack Black’ moments, we do get to see another side of this obviously versatile actor. Adrien Brody (Jack Driscoll) and Naomi Watts (Ann Darrow) do a fine job, though they are easily overshadowed by Kong and Denham.

The special effects alone are worth the purchase price of King Kong. WETA Workshops have raised the bar in the CG department, bringing an entire island of creatures to life. Creating creatures that are believable and realistic gives the film its ability to draw the audience in and achieve those ‘ooh-aah’ moments. I found I could easily ‘buy into’ the creatures – they looked right, they moved right and they sounded right. There was only one moment, during a brontosaur stampede, where the lighting seemed a bit off, giving away the CG illusion. Other than that the only thing convincing you that what you’re seeing isn’t real is the fact that your mind knows it isn’t real.

The DVD is presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic widescreen and looks fantastic. The colors are crisp and clear. I didn’t notice any blurring or graininess anywhere. From the depression-era streets of New York city to the lush green jungles of Skull Island, everything looks vibrant and alive. The picture quality is just stunning. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is equally impressive. This is a film that really benefits from a surround sound system and mine was put through its paces and then some. A DTS track is always preferred but I guess there’s only so much room on one disc for a 3-hour film like this one. Extended edition, Mr. Jackson?

The second disc of the 2-disc Special Edition contains an entire collection of Peter Jackson’s post-production diaries. If you have any interest in film making then you’ll absolutely love these featurettes. Shauna and I watched all 3 ½ hours of them in one sitting and were ready for more. The diaries take you through virtually every aspect of the film’s post-production, from scoring and effects to motion capture and editing. There is a completely separate DVD for sale that contains the production diaries (principle photography) which I will almost certainly be picking up. These are some of the best special features I’ve seen since Lord of the Rings. Here’s hoping other directors and studios decide to follow Peter Jackson’s example.

I was completely blown away by King Kong. It was so much more than I was expecting. In all fairness, it was probably more than a lot of other people wanted. The 3+ hour running time is probably frowned upon by most movie go-ers. But then, I’m not most movie go-ers. The longer, the better, as far as I’m concerned. Of course, I wouldn’t say the same thing if I had to sit it out in a public theatre. I’ll take the comfort of my own couch any day of the week (and three or four times on Sundays). If you’re looking for a thrilling adventure movie and are willing to suspend your disbelief (which is the point of most movies) then you cannot go wrong with Kong.

It’s been a while since I’ve given away a 10...but…

King Kong (2005) gets 10 enormous bananas (out of 10)!

Beat your chest proudly and click here for ‘King Kong’ trivia.

Movie Review Catch-Up Part III

I bet you thought I wasn’t going to post Part III today, didn’t you? Yeah, I know you. There you are sitting by your computer refreshing my blog every 30 seconds, hoping for my next posting, which usually happens much earlier in the day. You probably started to get the shakes worrying that maybe I wouldn’t post today. Well have no fear because here it is! The Movie Review Catch-Up Part III.

There’s a quote from Return of the Jedi about “delusions of grandeur”. I think it applies to me.

Courage Under Fire – I can’t even remember where or when I first saw this movie. I’m not even 100% sure how it ended up in my DVD collection. It might have been a gift. Possibly from my wife. Anyway, the point is, like the majority of the movies in my collection, Courage Under Fire is a terrific flick. Although it follows a bit of the same pattern as other military dramas the characters are very engaging and the performances incredibly entertaining. Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Matt Damon, Scott Glenn and Lou Diamond Phillips star in this story about the first Medal of Honor to be awarded, posthumously, to a woman for her actions in combat. Combined with numerous flashbacks from different points of view, Courage Under Fire is intelligent and exciting, and will keep you guessing. “It’s the consequences. Imagine a life without consequences.”

Brotherhood of the Wolf – I borrowed this movie a while back and only just got around to watching it a few days ago. I never really knew what it was about but thought it looked cool and had some potential. I knew it was a French film, with English subtitles, but most of the foreign films I’ve seen are pretty good. Well this one starts out really good with some incredible cinematography and impressively choreographed fight scenes. The story is also quite intriguing. (From IMDB) ‘In 18th century France, the Chevalier de Fronsac and his native American friend Mani are sent by the King to the Gevaudan province to investigate the killings of hundreds by a mysterious beast’. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Well, unfortunately the story falls apart about 2/3rds of the way through and what I originally thought would be an intelligent, creative explanation for the killings turned out to be quite weak. I was disappointed. I can understand bad movies being bad, but this was a good movie that went bad. Maybe the ‘best-before’ date expired while I was watching it. “Instead of singing songs, they should be saying prayers.”

The Legend of 1900 – It’s like finding $20 in your coat pocket while searching for your keys – completely unexpected and delightful. The Legend of 1900 is one those movies that few people have heard about but stands out as one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. Tim Roth stars as 1900, born on a cruise ship in the same year (thus the name) and who lives his life on the ocean, never setting foot on land. And as fate would have it, he is a prodigy piano player. Filled with wonderful music and poetic dialogue, Legend is just as much fun to watch as it is to listen to. And the DTS soundtrack just makes me giddy when I play it. It may not have the best acting in the world, but the writing and music more than make up for it. It’s a beautiful, funny, romantic and haunting film that anyone with any taste would enjoy. So, if you don’t like it, you have no taste. My, I’m being quite judgmental today. Well it’s one of the perks of having a blog, I guess. “Land is a ship too big for me.”

The Full Monty – I’m still convinced that it was Anthony who first recommended this film to me but he swears it’s the other way around. Either way this is definitely a film that appeals to the kind of sense of humour that Anthony and I share. First of all, it’s British. And let me tell you, the British know humour. Monty Python. Need I say more? Second of all…well, there really isn’t a second of all. There doesn’t have to be. I mean, it’s British! The Full Monty is about a group of out-of-work steelworkers who get the idea to perform a male strip show in their local town to earn some extra money. And in order to top those Chippendale hacks, they decide to go for the full monty – total nudity. While it may take the novice viewer a few rewinds here and there to fully understand the dialogue, what is clear is that these chaps are not what you would expect in a male dancer. Quite the opposite, in fact. But what they lack in, er, talent, they more than make up for with heart. If you can watch this film and not have a huge grin on your face by the end, then you have no soul. Ok, I think I need to reign in the judgmental-ness a little. “Anti-wrinkle cream there may be, but anti-fat-bastard cream there is not.”

Out of Time – Another selection from my roommate’s collection and one I’ve never seen before. Denzel Washington stars in this “thrilling” film about a police chief who has to race against the clock and his fellow detectives in order to prevent himself from becoming the main suspect in a homicide investigation. Maybe I was expecting more or maybe I built it up in my mind long before I got around to seeing it, but Out of Time just didn’t do it for me. It was entertaining, a little, and had a few funny moments. But in the end it didn’t quite live up to…whatever it was I was expecting. There’s a good chance I was just in the wrong mindset because Denzel doesn’t usually disappoint and I do recall several exciting scenes during the film. Maybe I have to watch it again. Shauna is definitely into these kinds of films so she’s probably a better judge than I am about this one. I’ll have her watch it and then I’ll get back to you. How’s that for a cop-out? “A beer in the hand is worth two in the fridge.”

Well that almost covers all the movies I’ve seen in the last few weeks. I’m only a couple movies behind now so this is probably a good place to end the Movie Review Catch-Up. Thanks for reading! Send along your comments on any of these films, or other films, or anything film-related. Or un-film related. I just like getting comments.

Until next time, turn the volume up loud, the lights down low and the cell-phones OFF!