arob

An angle on Stone of Destiny looks pretty decent . I can tell by the way they pour scotch here that they think the rock is magic. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3446/3270345404_3ac5431bc0.jpg So apparently this movie is based on an incident that really happened, on Xmas day 1950. This movie is directed by Charles Martin Smith and stars Charlie Cox, (Stardust), and Robert Carlyle of (Trainspotting, Full Monty) but on the open market... how much is the Stone of Destiny really worth? http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/3270345310_280c568568.jpg

I thought it'd be Nic Cage or Tom Cruise... but Mickey Rourke? Mick Foley (aka Mankind) loved this movie and says so in this slash film article on The Wrestler. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/3102848393_29122040d6.jpg Typical sports movie, The Wrestler starts with a washed up hero looking to rebuild his career. Randy “The Ram” Robinson was at the top of his game in the nineteen eighties, but twenty five years later he finds himself starting over again every night at the low end of the business. Mickey Rourke is a warrior with a lot of old wounds in Darren Aronofsky's movie; rather than retire on his earnings, Randy still fights young men for money, simply to survive. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/3102848763_6fc340d41b.jpg This isnt the WWF 'professional' wrestling where everything is just play acting, but rather this is the bone crushing B circuit weekend matches where life hurts in painful untelevised fights in front of local crowds, screaming for blood. Any wrestling fans out there?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/3021660219_23d8504fdd.jpg Harvey Milk was a Gay Rights activist is San Francisco in the 1970s. One year after being elected to office (the first openly gay politician to be elected to public office in the United States) Harvey ran into some trouble with a rival city councilor named Dan White (Josh Brolin) defending a family values platform. WARNING Five minutes into the flick there's a love scene that's hard for heterosexual men to watch, but after that you forget Penn is playing Harvey Milk and the character really comes alive... You root for him in the political rallies, feel sorry for him, and celebrate his struggle. Directed by Gus Van Sant, the biopic must have been helped along by the success of The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, an Academy Award winning documentary on the same subject. Milk stars Sean Penn, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna and Josh Brolin. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/3024683533_c2b7d9c377.jpg Is this something you'll watch in the theatre? or on DVD? or on an airplane if there is nothing else?

Because of the controversy surrounding the title, Kevin Smith could have his first 30 million dollar opening weekend. In this story Zack and Miri are lifelong childhood ‘buddies’ who find themselves deep in debt and can’t pay their rent. To make extra cash they decide to make a porno movie to sell on the internet. The problem is... they are in love. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3019/2964530282_1f825f0bd6.jpg Zack And Miri Make A Porno is written and directed (and edited by) Kevin Smith and stars mostly Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks, but it also features Jason Mewes, Craig Robinson, Traci Lords, and also Kenny Holtz from Kenny vs Spenny. This is a ridiculous idea. Would you make a porno for extra cash? You would have to be VERY confident of your abilities.

Yes, isn't that ironic. I wondered about that too - will this film show how it REALLY HAPPENED or a made up fairy tale with Charlize Theron pregnant in crowd and Woody chasing her...?? or her attacker - the crowd becomes like a force of nature instead of passionate human beings desperate for change.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/2910112910_2e927e979d.jpg Battle in Seattle is the Hollywood dramatization of the real 1999 WTO protests in Seattle. The movie stars Woody Harrelson as a tough cop, Ray Liotta as the Mayor of Seattle, and Charlize Theron as a pregnant retail sale clerk that gets kicked in the stomach. In December 1999 the media covered the protests against the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Seattle, but most people had no idea how violent this event really was.. The movie has five good stories from five different points of view and each seems to offer a different answer to the question: is violence necessary to make protests effective ? http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/2909265547_886e7c49ae.jpg

Can you name any Canadian #1 box office hits? I can. My Big Fat Greek Wedding made $240 million in 1992. Norman Jewison’s The Hurricane starring Denzel Washington made $50,668,906 in 1999. But it’s not really Canadian... its not a Canuck story anyway. Porkys made $105,500,000 in 1982. Can we do it again? Paul Gross and Justin Trudeau star in Paschendale which I believe hits theatres in September, but I'm not a fan of Paul Gross. I find him too smart-alecky. My hopes rest in the new Canadian movie, Blindness. Don McKellar has fashioned a blockbuster premise in his screenplay adaptation of José Saramago's popular novel. This movie depcits a situation wherein blindness is contagious - its scary realistic horror. I love sci-fi movies, and I think this might be Canada’s next Blockbuster. What do you think?

Yesterday I had the pleasure to attend an advance of The Stone Angel which is the feature film adaptation of Margaret Laurence's classic novel, and will be in Limited Release on May 9th, 2008 and enjoy a wider release on May 23th. http://www.travellerspoint.com/photos/144017/The_Stone_..Bursten.jpg The witty, irascible and fiercely proud Hagar Shipley escapes from home when her son Marvin and daughter in law Doris try to force her into a retirement home. Hagar sets out on a preposterous journey in search of a way to reconcile herself to her tumultuous past. What a powerful movie! The film is every bit as heartbreaking as the book, and leaves the viewer marveling at all senior citizens. Ellen Burstyn's performance is impeccable - I think even Margaret Laurence would be proud of her. The movie also features performances by several well known Canadian actresses including, Ellen Page of Juno.

This film might not look like much, but its a real winner - Collin Farrell is actually quite funny as Ray in this movie, and the other guy... what's his name Brendan Gleeson steals the show as Ken. They have great chemistry and its fun to watch them together - pretty soon you forget its Collin and settle for a nice story that really moves In Bruges stars Ralph Fiennes, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson and the last guy, Gleeson steals the show. http://lifecaptureinc.com/wc/img_005_inbruges_468x60.jpg My favourite line is 'Two mangy prostitutes and a racist dwarf, I'm out of here!' The film is full of surprises - because it has no formula or VERY mixed up plot points, its strangely refreshing and fun to watch.

the book was better

I want to talk about Be Kind Rewind which will probably be the best comedy of 2008. When Jack Black accidentally erases all the movies in the local video store, he and Moss Def work to reshoot the classics to save Moss's job. It's a hilarious premise, and this Be Kind Rewind trailer is super fun. Will the music of Moss Def be featured in the soundtrack? And for that matter will Jack Black contribute? he is a musician too... isn't he?

The new Coen bros movie is awesome. But different. First of all don't be fooled into thinking that Josh Brolin is the hero of the story - he isnt. Its Tommy Lee Jones and even though he is a boring sheriff who ignores the reality of the 'changing times' the movie begins and ends with him so he must be the hero ... right? The movie is okay... no its good because of Javier Bardem as Anton Ciqure, the air cannister welding villain that is strangely unlike anything I have ever seen before... His motivation is obvious but his methods are definitely fresh and original and his operating code of ethics is downright weird. Already there are web games celebrating this dude. Check out Shot in the Head!

Japan maintains that this is part of its culture as a marine nation. They can point to cave drawings in Korea that show the tribes of the Pacific Rim indo china nations (which includes Japan) hunting whales using Donyges or boats made of cork like wood and ropes. The whole sorry History of the American Whale Oil Industry was faithfully preserved on Fuel Ghoul just last week. The Americans used to hunt in Japanese waters in the late 1890s - it was a rich hunting ground. Now they all must go to the south pole to catch whales - and yes its a business , not research. There are now two rouge Greenpeace esque millionaires who have sturdy vessels and they use them to ram the Japanese whaler boat, which like the mini pride of the fledgling Japanese navy. I can't remember their names but they will be very famous soon. Anyway - it wont last much longer - the price of whale meat is dropping because even though it is delicious apparently, the young people of Japan don't eat whale meat anymore and everyone seems to have way more respect for these gentle sea creatures.

I felt this film was weak in the myth dept - Neil Gaman or whatever his name the famous author isnt really all that great in my opinion and doesn't put enough thinking into his fantasy worlds - they seem too arbitrary and whimsical and this movie really shows off the setting as a place where anything can happen. It could be just me but after spending time in a world where anything can happen for so long I get tired and just long for the end. I dont know who to cheer for because I dont trust the rules .

Mr Mondo, Have you ever met John Cooper Clarke? I have been reading about him in blogs that are linked to the Manchester scene music. I hear he's a pretty wierd dude. i love his cameo in Control. I think that's the best part of the movie.