A big bowl of wrong

I've always taken a perverse pride in admitting when I'm wrong, and last night's Academy Awards show was the best I remember, well, in forever.

Generally recognized as a relatively weak year for movies, this year's Oscars were shorter and faster-paced; as Rob Peaslee pointed out, they even cut way down on commercial breaks. And Hugh Jackman was a fine host, like Christopher Walken and others with song and dance in their backgrounds, Jackman is a natural for musical theater.

No surprises among the winners, but having previous winners announce the acting awards was touching and classy. My personal favorite was the screenplay nominations, illustrated with clips while presenters Steve Martin and Tina Fey read from the scripts. Bravo, all around.

Now I just have to find time to see Slumdog Millionaire...

Does anyone outside the industry care about the Oscars?

Not a new question, but one that has become increasingly urgent in financial terms. Courtesy of Wes Wise, a terrific piece in yesterday's New York Times about the current challenge: "A best-picture nomination for Wall-E, from Walt Disney and its Pixar Animation unit, if not The Dark Knight, from Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures, might have done it. Even an acting nomination for Clint Eastwood, whose crusty appearance in Gran Torino, from Warner, turned out his biggest box office to date, would have helped. But the academy gave no points for popularity. And the company folks noticed." The Academy has long favored middle-brow artsy projects for Best Picture, and moved toward smaller, artsier fare in recent years. By ignoring popular favorites [or relegating them to minor award categories], the Oscars insist on their own irrelevance to the industry they serve. Now, if the Best Picture nominees included The Dark Knight and Iron Man, lots more people would care who wins tonight. Among the nominees, I'm rooting for Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon, but The Departed it ain't.

Oh, and if Mickey Rourke gives yet another acceptance speech, maybe this time he could thank screenwriter Robert D. Siegel for creating the character that made Rourke's comeback possible. That's about as likely as anything other than Slumdog Millionaire winning Best Picture.

Gran Torino: B

OK, there is some predictability about the narrative, but not so much that Gran Torino wasn't worth making, or watching. The script should have received an Original Screenplay nomination, in its better moments it breathes if not amazes. Eastwood plays his own Dirty Harry persona in retirement, but what is best here are the Michigan locations [the production brought much-needed capital to the rust belt] and the bigger picture of neighborhoods and culture in transition. Revenge is among our species' oldest narratives, and it plays out with more intelligence than usual here -- the conclusion is certainly more satisfying than the final act of Million Dollar Baby [2004].

Film Fund-amentals: The Horror, The Horror

Note: The following guest post by Dennis Toth is reprinted with the generous permission of R&R Consulting.

As the weekend success of the new Friday the 13th has demonstrated, you seemingly can't go wrong with a horror film. Well, sort of.

Despite its $45.2 million dollar take at the box office, the film will redoubtably drop like a rock from here on out. That is the destiny of any modern horror movie. The audience for these films is actually pretty marginal and the potential is normally depleted after the first few days. Yet there is a method to the madness -- as long as it follows some basic rules:[Excerpt Only]

• Keep the budget as tight as possible to $15 million dollars (even closer to $10 million would be best). Nobody goes to these movies for plush production values, so forget about it. The new Friday the 13th strictly adhered to this rule. With a budget of $20 million dollars, My Bloody Valentine in 3-D broke this fundamental law and went belly up faster than a horny teenager at Camp Crystal Lake. Granted, the budget difference is marginal. But everything in this genre is about narrow margins.

• Stick to the known brands. There are nearly two dozen more horror films coming down the pipeline, most of which are remakes of movies from the 1980s. Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street are the genre's version of Pepsi and Coca-Cola. The original My Bloody Valentine wasn't even close to being an RC Cola. Name brand recognition is supreme.


• Forget 3-D. Nobody goes to these flicks for the technical gimmicks. They go to these movies to see young people (and the occasional oldster bit player) get massacred in an R-rated but gory manner. It's all about sexual anxiety and taboo violations. Everything else is immaterial.


• Don't worry about the opening weekend. The first-run life span of a horror film is roughly three weeks. The real money is then made with the DVD release, which will normally double (at a minimum) whatever was made at the box office. That is why My Bloody Valentine in 3-D will still make a profit despite its lackluster performance (barely $48 million first-run). Much like the porno trade, more people prefer to watch extreme violence in the privacy of their homes.


• Last but not least, don't get too hung up on cinematic value. Most of these movies are incredibly stupid and artistically dead, but most attempts to expand beyond this (e.g. Wolfen and Mimic) have commercially failed. Most successes have struck to the basic formula that was neatly broken down and spoofed by Wes Craven in the Scream series (a must-see study guide to the genre).

Of the many horror films coming out this year, only one might succeed in breaking the artistic dead end of the form. I doubt if Zone of the Dead will travel far in first-run. But a Serbian horror film that promises to be a mix of Night of the Living Dead and Assault on Precinct 13 (the original, not the crappy remake) located within the aftermath of the recent Balkan Wars promises to be the first major cult movie of the twenty-first century. Too bad the midnight movie circuit is basically a zone of the dead.

-- Dennis Toth

got us surrounded

Even a low-end surround sound system greatly increases presence, an elusive quality perhaps best expressed by the current ad for Turner Classic Movies: the images on screen occupy the space beyond the frame. We watch and are immersed. For a quick guide to various surround decoders, see 5.1.com.

Examples of superior 5.1 mixes abound, discs where the possibilities of three-dimensional sound have been used imaginatively by the sound mixers. One is the opening sequence of Falling Down [1993], in which Michael Douglas's frustration while stuck in traffic on a hot day is expressed by sound effects and music swirling around the sound mix in a gradual crescendo. The soundtrack captures the moment his character snaps, which motivates the story that follows.

Music dvds normally spread the instruments out to all five directional channels, but with live performances, this creates the sonic impression of being on stage. OK for air guitar I s'pose, but I prefer the sound mix on U2: Rattle and Hum [1989], which uses the rear channels only for crowd and echo effects, keeping the music in the front of the soundfield, where it would be if you had seats front and center. Over the opening Paramount logo, Bono says "This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles. We're stealing it back." Helter Skelter shows what a difference a great 5.1 mix can make.

Coraline [2009]: A

Friend and colleague Rachel Kennedy introduced me to the critical concept of the female gothic last fall, a phrase coined by scholar Ellen Moers thirty years ago. While subsequent debate has concerned whether this subgenre is defined by the author’s gender, Rachel sided with those who define it in terms of the protagonist’s gender, and applied it to Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth [2006]: a young female heroine embarks on a fantastic voyage of self-discovery in a gothic house. A similar narrative and visual/thematic sophistication informs the latest 3-D release, Coraline.

Director Henry Selick, best known as the director of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas [1993], has adapted Neil Gaiman’s 1992 novella into a rich, entertaining film with lush visual and aural textures. While Selick has used computer-generated imagery in the past, Coraline is, astonishingly, made with stop-action animation, and demonstrates a deep affection for hand crafts onscreen and off. The score by Bruno Coulas and They Might Be Giants is subtle and perfectly suited – if you can see Coraline at a day and time when the theater is not full of kids, you’ll be glad.

And, if possible, do see it in Real D. As 3-D movies go, Coraline is only a distant cousin of those which use 3-D effects for cheap thrills [stay through the end of the closing credits, though]. It is more like Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder [1954], using the special effect to reinforce visual and thematic elements already woven into the text’s fabric. There’s an overhead shot near the end with a chandelier in the foreground which looks like a direct homage to Dial M, and hints of The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and other fantasy classics abound. The unity of visual and thematic elements involving the circus, eyes, and fabric crafts raise Coraline to the realm of popular entertainment which also functions as fine art.

Jon Stewart on Bill O'Reilly's Right to Privacy

If someone made this argument in print, it would be dull but true. The Daily Show's video memory vault and Stewart's wit make it entertaining but true:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=217706&title=bill-oreillys-right-to-privacy

updates and stuff

It is now less than a month until Zach Snyder's big-screen adaptation of Watchmen arrives, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox sorted out their legal dispute and all is happiness in geekland. The British Financial Times' film critic, Nigel Andrews, has written a terrific essay about the relationship between cinema and the comics, in which he discusses Watchmen at some length:
"In the best comic books and graphic novels, movement is the deferred magic that gives the pages their dormant power and dynamism. In the greatest cinema, stillness is the magic to which motion nostalgically, primally aspires to return. That is why the relationship between the two forms, though it may never be a marriage, will always be alive, mysterious and passionate as a romance."
That is not to say there aren't too many comic-based movies, but traditional storyboards drawn to plan cinematic shots are themselves virtual comics, so the love affair runs deep.

* * *

Christian Bale apologized, so at least he knows when he has behaved badly, something we all do occasionally. Ain't It Cool News' Harry had it right, the audio recording never was news, and its sudden appearance many months after the incident suspicious.

* * *

Michael Phelps has apologized too, but is losing sponsors right and left. Too bad, except for the camera it seems like it ain't nobody's business. The Huffington Post's Lee Stranahan pointed out the real hypocrisy:
"Kellogg's has profited for decades on the food tastes of marijuana-using Americans with the munchies. In fact, we believe that most people over the age of twelve would not eat Kellogg's products were they not wicked high... [W]e the undersigned plan to BOYCOTT your products. And we're serious. Even though the Pop Tarts thing will be HARD."
Ditto Subway, although I can understand corporate concerns over image, the role-model thing is tricky business. Here's a solution: legalize it, regulate it just like alcohol, and tax the nation's largest cash crop. Pay off a large chunk of the federal budget deficit. Free up some jail cells and courtrooms for criminals who hurt others or steal stuff.

To follow or not to follow

My friend and colleague, Sam Bradley, has introduced me to the sometimes mundane, sometimes astonishing world of Twitter. Sam's recent post on the etiquette of following others on Twitter expresses a view of Twitterquette with which I essentially agree.

I'm not writing this post to convince anyone to explore this relatively new social medium, my own experience with it has been rewarding, but I realize it's not for everyone. Whether you do or don't Twitter is your business, dear readers.

But I just blocked someone on Twitter for the first time, and the circumstances seem to me to capture something about our present cultural moment. Someone added me to their follow list, and I added this person back, usually open to the possibilities. That I disagreed with some tweets did not bother me in the least, I follow lots of people I disagree with, it's a good way to learn a thing or two.

The next morning, I received a Direct Message from this person, not in any way personalized, just a link with a politically provocative description involving imminent civil war in the U.S. Having been on the losing end of the last couple of Presidential elections, and having gradually become convinced the 43rd President will be remembered among our nation's worst ever, I still felt like I managed not to be a sore loser. Lots of sore losers this year, fine, everyone's entitled to their opinion.

The following morning, I received a similar Direct Message with another link, still not in any way addressed to me. Then I discovered that both links had been tweeted by this person, so that any followers could see them. What then was the purpose of duplicating the link directly, except to insist I stop what I was doing and read what someone wanted me to read. BLOCK!

It's like a neighbor knocking on the door or ringing the bell unannounced. First try is neighborly. Second and third try are simply refusals to accept no for an answer. It's like people who talk through movies in theaters as though no one else is there, something regular readers know makes me crazy. So I don't go to the movies much, and that makes me sad. When did we all forget simple good manners?

I include myself in that rhetorical question, it's a broad cultural problem. I suggest we heed the words of the late George Carlin and try to "Be excellent to each other." If excellent is asking too much, how about just considerate?

Mano a Mano

I'm on the fence regarding comic book movies, wasn't a comic nerd as a kid, and my memories of Speed Racer and Spiderman in their 1960s animated tv incarnations dwarf the Hollywood franchises that have arrived in recent years. Still, eye candy for its own sake is ok with me.

But it's hard to enjoy even the most dazzling movie images if they aren't held together with some storytelling. Yes, Heath Ledger was a talented young actor with much promise, and he managed to make us forget Jack Nicholson's Joker, no small feat. But, as The New York Times' David Carr wrote on the last day of 2008, "in an industry that seems unable to find a way to end a story, the Batman’s third act stands out as an amazing mess... Iron Man, on the other hand, may land somewhat prosaically — and the fight with Jeff Bridges is a bit cheesy — but there is a satisfying crunch to the end."

Today, for good measure, I was reminded how much I don't like Christian Bale. He was well-suited to the first role I saw him in, Patrick Bateman in Mary Harron's clever reworking of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho [2000]. But after hearing Bale's on-set tirade at the cinematographer on the upcoming Terminator Salvation, I think the Bateman performance was a fluke, the actor was just a lot like the character. Robert Downey Jr. made his Batman look like a mannequin.

Bruce on video

The Superbowl half-time show was a bit more Vegas than most Springsteen shows, less intimate than usual. But he is the quintessential American singer/songwriter of recent decades, so it was just a matter of time. For those wanting some more Bruce on video, here's a sample:

Born to Run: 30th Anniversary Edition [1975], which includes a dvd concert recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in London in 1975. High-energy show, main drawback is the goofy hat the Boss is wearing.
MTV Unplugged [1992]
Blood Brothers [1996]
The Complete Video Anthology [2001] includes two songs from No Nukes [1980], an acoustic “Born in the U.S.A.” recorded on The Charlie Rose Show in 1998, and popular videos by John Sayles, Brain DePalma, and Jonathan Demme, as well as lots more concert footage.
Live in New York City [2001] and Live in Barcelona [2003], both concerts with the incomparable E Street Band; the earlier set wins my heart because it was filmed at Madison Square Garden.
VH-1 Storytellers [2005] More talk than song, but it's insightful and intimate.
Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band: Live in Dublin [2007]
Working on a Dream [2009], like the Born to Run Anniversary Edition, includes a bonus dvd.

My favorite video of Bruce and the E Street Band is not commercially available, it was included in the original Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. "Bo Diddley" > "She's the One" > "Bo Diddley," and the band drives that groove into the ground. Great to see the late Danny Federici on keyboards.

But the end of the Inaugural We Are One concert was pretty wonderful, too, Bruce and Pete Seeger side by side singing Woody Guthrie. Chills.