“What do you think about these tiles?” I remember watching 15 Minutes back in 2001 and thinking Vera Farmiga‘s captivating foreigner played quite well off of Ed Burns and Robert De Niro. Sadly, until five years later with a spate of high profile films leading to the A-list status she now holds, I still never knew she was an American born in New Jersey. I therefore had no knowledge of independent film Down to the Bone despite it proving a Sundance-winning piece for both her and director Debra Granik amongst…
Read MoreMonth: June 2010
FILM MARATHON #2: Terrence Malick – A Perfectionist’s Oeuvre as Marathon
And the marathon series continues. Entry one ended up being somewhat of an enlightening experience, opening my eyes to the fact that when Julia Roberts is given a good role, she really can nail it. With a couple clunkers turned gems after rewatching, as well as a couple seen for the first time shocking me with their quality—Pretty Woman ending up being quite the enjoyable film—I have no complaints with my friend Christa’s selections. Roberts was not someone I necessarily wanted to open up my time towards, but she surprised…
Read MoreFILM MARATHON: Julia Roberts #5 – Erin Brockovich [2000]
“They’re called boobs, Ed” It’s one of those stories to show no matter how bad things are when you’re flat broke, single, raising three kids, and unemployed, sometimes having the high-paying job makes it so your personal life is even worse. Erin Brockovich is a fascinating case study on how a tenacious attitude, street smarts, and an ability to talk to people as though you’ve known them your whole life—with a not so subtle flash of cleavage—can allow you do accomplish pretty much anything you want. Down on her luck,…
Read MoreFILM MARATHON: Julia Roberts #4 – My Best Friend’s Wedding [1997]
“This is my whole life’s happiness; I need to be ruthless” Okay, for some reason the opening credit sequence to My Best Friend’s Wedding is sort of brilliant. Showing four women dressed for a wedding, they lip-synch the words to “Wishin’ and Hopin’” (with a version surprisingly sung by Ani Difranco) while performing choreography on a solid pink backdrop. It’s equal parts cute, endearing, and over-the-top, much like the film itself. I’ll admit that my first viewing and impression of the movie was a bit harsh. Watching again, over a…
Read MoreFILM MARATHON: Julia Roberts #3 – The Pelican Brief [1993]
“It’s rally around the leader time” It’s only fitting that the director behind one the of the great films of the 70s, All the President’s Men, Alan J. Pakula would be tasked with bringing John Grisham’s own look into political espionage and White House scandal, The Pelican Brief, to the screen. Admittedly I am not a fan of Grisham’s stories as they generally become convoluted and way to convenient, pandering to the audience at every turn, pretending to be suspenseful and unique. But I think perhaps this, along with The…
Read MoreREVIEW: La fille du RER [The Girl on the Train] [2009]
“Once a liar, always a liar” Split into two halves, titled Circumstances and Consequences, the French film La fille du RER [The Girl on the Train] tells the based on a true story tale of a girl wanting simply to be loved. Young Jeanne and her mother are inseparable, carrying on their lives to their hearts’ content. Louise stays at home babysitting others’ children while her daughter rollerblades around the city, headphones blaring music as a soundtrack to her life. Needing to find a job in order to sustain her…
Read MoreARTWORK: Buffalo, Consumerized – FC Buffalo Part 2
Without any inclination to continue my Buffalo, Consumerized series, I found a photo from the FC Buffalo victory against FC Sonic that worked for me. I liked the diagonals contrasting against the previous entry’s horizontal lines, moving the logo and stars into the empty field at left, ready to be taken out by the soon to be struck ball. There isn’t really much more to say. The image once more deals with the lower bodies of the players, focusing on the feet and the real action of the game. By…
Read MorePHOTOGRAPHY: FC Buffalo defeats FC Sonic 2-0
The FC Buffalo Blitzers played their rematch against FC Sonic on June 19, 2010. After losing 1-0 on June 11 due to a questionable call late, revenge was in the air and the Blitzers went for the jugular all game, never relenting after going up 1-0 early. Goal scorers were Andy Tiedt in the 16′ and Mike Unwin in the 80′. Goalkeeper Dan Panaro registered his second clean sheet victory of the season and was named man of the match. FC Sonic was undefeated and at the top of standings…
Read MoreREVIEW: Toy Story 3 [2010]
“Let’s go see how much we’re going for on eBay” After ten cherished films filled with heart, soul, and comedy, Pixar finally made their first cash grab. That fact is not necessarily a bad thing since anything they touch, no matter how forced a project it may be, is still pure gold, if not certified platinum. But, when I left the theatre after viewing Toy Story 3, I couldn’t shake the feeling that even though I laughed hard, the resonating warmth of humanity and spirit was lacking. The film’s end…
Read MoreREVIEW: Day & Night [2010]
“Embracing differences” You have to enjoy the fact that Pixar continues to usher in new creatives from inside, grooming them to one-day helm their own feature film. The newest member of that club is Teddy Newton, a guy from Brad Bird’s crew on The Iron Giant, who has worked on a few films as an artist and voice actor, cutting his teeth on a short film with adult themes called Boys Night Out. With his latest, Day & Night, Newton has brought to life what could be my favorite of…
Read MoreREVIEW: Despicable Me [2010]
“Oh yes, I have pins and needles I’m sitting on” Yet another hat is thrown into the ring. Illumination Entertainment joins the stiff competition of Hollywood animators, bringing along with it a stellar voice cast and the ever-present 3D format. Christopher Meledandri—the man behind Fox’s steady rise into becoming one of the top three studios of the medium alongside Pixar and DreamWorks—left his executive job to head up this new company, pilfering artist Chris Renaud to co-direct the firm’s debut Despicable Me with Pierre Coffin. Let’s just say that it’s…
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