A Face in the Crowd


A new favorite. Really amazing film and best Andy Griffith performance ever (also his first) what a different career he could have taken based off this though, I wonder why he chose the route he did.

It's well acted all around (Walter Matthau is the spine of the movie in a great performance as well) also beautifully shot, well directed and written. It quickly reminds me how many short cuts are taken in movies these days and how the stories suffer from it most of the time.

Andy Griffith is really the reason to watch the film, its one of the most raw, solid, adrenaline fueled performances I've ever seen. It reminded of the first time I saw Johnny Boy walk into a room and how with each subsequent entrance you just wonder what he is going to make worse or say this time, what is going to come out of that mouth, what is he about to do, who is he about to piss off. It's like that but a good ole boy singer and 15 years of different worlds to comment on between them.

One day I'll do a triple feature of this, Network and Bamboozled.

Whatever Works



Larry David+Woody Allen...yes its funny.

Run on thoughts about structure in 3, 2, 1...


In reference to structure I noticed there's a similarity with this and Vicky Cristina (besides both featuring characters who frequently have 3-ways) in that halfway through a female character shows up and completely tears down the established new way of life for the protagonist and ultimately is the driving force of seperation that is never overcome by the films end. Boris and Cristina needed a new person to show up or else it was just going to be happily ever after.

In effect the new character is there to tell the b-story character (Melodie and Juan Antonio - both mentors who are changing the protagonist) that this is wrong and cannot stand. They are the manifestation of what the protagnoist was worrying about in the beginning. They overcame it somehow (between the invitation to live together and the convincing its a good idea somehow, in both) and chose to be with this new person and now the new person is having the boat rocked (cliche) on what they convinced the protagonist of.

The whole first half is a regular love story where opposites attract and then here comes the midpoint reversal saying hold on a minute. If you just ended it in the scene before Boris goes into the bathroom while Melodie does the hilarious bit with the knock at the door you would have a traditional happy ending love story with character change and everything but its Woody Allen so its time to tear down all the relationships in an interesting way that works itself out somehow in the end.

I didnt really care for the very last scene but watching the characters ride out their journey to it was fun to watch and I thought I would think Larry David 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' the whole time but oddly I didnt (or wasnt aware of it) Boris is somehow even a bigger everyday prick than Larry David (not in a bad way of course, its his thing). I didnt mind the southern accent and I didnt think Larry was tripping over his lines or anything, he's never been the smoothest talker anyway.

I completely forgot Patricia Clarkston was in this (another connection to Vicky Cristina) but she really brought a lot to the table when it was starting to need it. She did a great job. Ed Begley Jr kind of looked dusty the whole time somehow and I thought that whole plot of him coming to try to win her back only to find out he's gay was kind of weak, its like New York suddenly became the magical black person of the movie and was helping every person it was touching. And the country rubes coming to the city and embracing some sort of 'taboo' from their former life, ugh, horrible, its barely forgivable with Patrica Clarkston (the photography thing kind of made it worthwhile but it didnt have much meat to it besides an excuse for the mother to not be so uptight anymore) and then we get Ed Begley Jr closet homosexual ex-bible thumper getting his first view o' the big city and jeeze whizz maybe there's more to life than rules and religion, shucks. It was just too much so I kind of didnt care for him in this. Sorry Ed.

Despite those criticisms (they really are minor, despite my run on thoughts)its still definitely worth watching.



Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel





Funny movie (which I'm assuming was low budget) but frustrating in that it doesn't show enough or take the concept far enough (it does in some respects, in others not so much).

Its kind of like that episode of the Clerks Animated Series where they make fun of movie Clerks by everything exciting happening outside the Quickstop only being described to Dante and Randal who can't go out and actually see it because they are of course stuck in the store.

That being said its worth watching and still a lot of fun. If they do the whole lets remake everything with this and make a US version I could actually see it being funnier (and not in a US vs UK humor taste) with some more money and more of an epic scope and yeah I know its not supposed to be epic but when your time traveling to the post apocalyptic future and there's giant ants there should be other stuff in the movie that matches up somehow.

I'll probably watch it every once in a while but probably not if I wasn't such a time travel movie weirdo.



Let the Right One in



I think I heard too many people call this a masterpiece before I saw it but still I really enjoyed it. I dont remember the last time I enjoyed a Vampire movie (although I havent seen any of the zillion tween Vampire things but I'm sure they're of amazing quality) and this is definitely of that realm but so realistic and toned down and simple and genuinely spooky.

I dont really like horror movies but when theyre done like this and there's actual atmosphere and its not just loud noises and leather trench coats then they turn out pretty good.

The bluray looked fantastic too, amazing picture/sound.

If you havent seen it now would be a pretty good time, its cold and October.

Red is who I want to/who I think should win, the filled in bubbles are my best guesses to win an office pool. The ones with no red means I probably haven't seen any of those yet.

Hopefully my next post is my top 10 of 2008. Also a recap of the meal at 'Animal'.

It's been a little while since the last Dark Knight Viral Marketing event

recap here:

http://insulinfunk.net/2008/05/02/the-dark-knight-viral-marketing-campaign-its-all-a-part-of-the-plan-los-angeles/


and now the Dark Knight is set to begin it all again this Friday the 13th with a focus on the Harvey Dent election, you can register and do the voting here:

Gotham Election Board

www.gothamelectionboard.com

There is also coverage from:

Gotham Cable News

www.gothamcablenews.com

And to the Joker phones a new text message...

“OK clowns, are you ready for some laughs?"

...to which a 'yes' reply will get you the response “You make me smile. Hope you’re not superstitious" (alluding to the 13th obviously) no word on what response you get if you're the one person smart enough to get a Joker phone yet stupid enough to reply with a 'no' but all signs point to this Friday, let's see what they have in store for us this time around.

Bonus Site: http://maidenavenuereport.com/ what the hell is this? You decide.

Learn to draw The Dark Knight! NOW!

The Dark Knight Got Milk

Do You?

If the Milk isn't enough maybe you need some cereal for it.

Body By Milk

BOF

Synecdoche, New York Poster

The poster for Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York has been unveiled. The writer's directing debut is scheduled to come out later this year.

Choke Poster

Fox has unveiled the poster for the upcoming film based on Chuck Palahniuk's book 'Choke'. The film is directed by Clark Gregg, was purchased at this year's Sundance Film Festival and recently had its released date pushed back from August 1st to September 26th to avoid the clutter that is the August release schedule, presumably.

Stuff I've done today so far...

Edited some scripts at www.zhura.com if you like writing go join so you can critique my stuff.

Posted these...

http://insulinfunk.net/2008/05/20/synecdoche-new-york-clips/

3 clips from Charlie Kaufman's much anticipated directorial debut Synecdoche, New York popped up online, the film is set to be screened at Cannes in a few days.

Also here is an interview with Kaufman about the project.

And in case the clips and the interview weren't enough information here's a link to the script if you want to just take control of your destiny and ruin the whole thing.

(via, Cannes, Yahoo! News, Being Charlie Kauffman)

http://insulinfunk.net/2008/05/20/castle-crashers-completed/

After a LONG wait the eagerly anticipated (at least by anybody who's played Alien Hominid) Castle Crashers is done with it's lengthy development and is finished says Behemoth founder/artist Dan Paladin. No release date is set but anybody following the progress of this game knows this is big news; the project was first announced at Comic Con back in 2006.

Castle Crashers Development Blog

http://devblog.thebehemoth.com/?p=137

I got an eye patch on Friday cause I scratched my cornea while I was sleeping, I've had the weekend to get annoyed by it and get plenty of jokes/looks, its fine though I kinda of enjoyed that part just the itchy eye under the patch is no fun at all.



Burgers with Mango/Red onion toppings (I'm sure its missing something to refer to it as a salsa so I won't try)

Well like we usually do Laura and I made burgers...



These are hers but I'm not a big fan of cheeseburgers I usually just like mayo and pickles and I don't need anything else on it but she loves the cheeseburger so there you go.

I think mine we're delicious (I barely used any seasoning besides Worchesire (sp?) and salt and pepper, going after that more natural dead cow taste).



The Indiana Jones Whopper Meal

Not impressed and it cost me like 8 bucks, I hope this isn't a sign of things to come with the movie but I'm still excited and it's less than a week away so we'll see, good thing is I won a free crossaint, shao won a free burger which he gave to me cause he hates BK and I have a game piece I still haven't scratched, I hope I win a Crystal Skull.

Got it, Got it, Need it, Got it

Here's the variants on the 'Gotham City Thug' Dark Knight Movie Masters figures, as far as I can tell there's 5 and I've hunted down (though I'm surprised nobody else has done this, well nobody else that a google search would bring me to) all the pictures and crappily copied and pasted the best versions I could find together, one is all of them and the bottom one is the one I have...the hunt continues.

I've been working at Pilgrim Films and Television transcribing/logging (with some other stuff in there) for 2 YEARS now! Nuts, I didn't think I'd be doing this this long when I started or that I'd be doing it on top of going to school and entering screenwriting contests in the 3 minutes left a day. I feel like I'm working really hard out here yet...



Where I thought I was going to be by now.



Where I still am.

Time to do some thinking...

p.s. -


Trying to extent my screenwriting reach so I'm not transcribing forever (see above) and I'm trying to utilize any websites, here's one of them

http://www.zhura.com/user/profile/2497

Thats my profile I think you have to sign up to see it (meaning no one will) and its supposed to be a sort of Myspace for Screenwriters and you work on stuff and people critique it (ideally) we'll see how it works out.

Next one I have to sign up for is PitchQ but unfortunately I don't have an extra 30-50 bucks a month, soon though hopefully.

Follow up to the Dark knight viral thing last Monday...

http://insulinfunk.net/2008/05/02/the-dark-knight-viral-marketing-campaign-its-all-a-part-of-the-plan-los-angeles/

Batman Viral Marketing Monday April 29th 2008.

And another thing I've never posted about but follow intensely close is the Dark Knight viral marketing Campaign (which you can catch up with here http://batman.wikibruce.com/Timeline ) but today I'm finally going to participate in something so I'm going to post about it damnit.

So last week we had another contest (read that link) and eventually uncovered this

http://www.whysoserious.com/itsallpartoftheplan/







And if you click on each picture for whichever city there is a countdown (that was pointing to today) and a message to show up in a specific location and the coordinates for that location.

Now today we've already got those 5 new posters and London has already started their part of the contest.

If you click on the london picture it leads to this...

http://whysoserious.com/itsallpartoftheplan/loc/london/safe.htm




If this is opened it leads to this.




and then this...




http://whysoserious.com/itsallpartoftheplan/loc/london/23kl4nf.htm

Cannot wait for later tonight.




It's getting close.

New Dark Knight Posters

Well I never post this stuff but I'm always looking for it so since it's been months and months and I've yet to mention anything about it, here's some of the new posters originally posted here...

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/22893243.html#cutid1

and

http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/new-dark-knight-posters-of-plenty-6-new-ones.php

Lunch 4-24-08




Delicious, I just wanted to post a picture, ha, best non Chili my Soul chili I've had in a while suprisingly and the cobb whatever sandwich was nice and refreshing, the Avocado really brings it alive.




Nacho Libre

I just assumed this movie was not going to be funny especially with that rating but somehow it manages to be funny and non offensive, I know that should be respected since its easier to be dirty to get a laugh and I kind of do like that about it but there is really no reason for me to hold something like this in higher regard than something like Superbad which is more dirty idiot humor funny, this is just silly and thats pretty much the same level in my book, definitely worth checking out a couple more times though.




Half Baked

This movie is still funny but I've seen it so many times it's kind of boring now, it still has its moments but I used to like it a lot more before I could tell you what's coming in the next scene instead of focusing on what I'm watching.




Steve Martin - Born Standing Up

Best book I've read in a long time, I love Steve Martin though so maybe that has something to do with it. I like the book so much the day after I finished it I picked it back up reread it again in 3 days which I haven't done since I read the last great rise to fame book (more or less) Rebel Without a Crew, I'm always looking for books like this about people who's work I admire (though with Rodriguez I think I just like hearing him talk about filmmaking more than the actual films that come out of it).

I think I should probably pick up one of his novellas next, we'll see.




Superman/Batman - Vengence

This is completely crap, I can't remember the last comic book storyline that I disliked so much, its like Super Mario Brothers 2 but in comic book form, lots of weird hard to explain shit happens but don't worry, in the end it's all just one big game to focus on the character who could have done nothing to avoid it, lame. Also Batzarro and Bizarro could have been a lot of fun (and a couple times they are kind of) but they just come off as annoying, I know they're not supposed to be smart and they talk backwards but there has got to be a better way to handle them and all the leftover plot twists from other story lines is really stupid considering the ending, oh well they can't all be winners. Bullshit.




Pineapple Express - Script

Funny script, I had heard (from Rob mostly) most of the scripts this group of guys comes up with arent very funny and its all about the on set improv but this one if they stick to the script will be funny any way so whatever else they add to it on set sounds like it'll be a bonus, plus what I read in this

http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/seth_rogen

About Rogen loving the testing process because they can make each line a laugh, thats really cool and I can't wait to see what they come up with or the Zack And Miri trailer thats hopefully attached to it come August, hope I don't get burned out on these guys because they may not make the smartest films on the planet but at least they're funny unlike most of the bullshit coming out (Fool's Gold, I'm looking in your direction you stupid idiot of a movie).




Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle - Unrated

Look at that funny translation, ha. The movie looks dumb and I expected it to be dumb but I liked it and I've watched it 4 or 5 times now, its a good movie that I dont have memorized yet so its entertaining still, yes its a dumb stoner comedy about 2 guys going to white castle so your not going to get a bunch of character growth or powerful drama but the sequence where he marries the bag of weed and the scenes of it as his wife? That's some instantly classic stuff right there.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Went to the midnight screening of this last night, there was a really long line when we got there but it was for that Forbidden Kingdom movie and it was mostly asians but the screening we got in was pretty full too (but in the largest theater even over 100 people dont look like much).

I've been looking forward to this one for a while being a fan of all the comedies these guys do (and realizing how popular that opinion is and not thinking twice about going with popular opinion on this one) and I have to say I think I might have built it up a bit too much but its a funny movie, don't get me wrong.

The premise is simple girl breaks up with boy, boy tries to get away to forget about the girl, girl (with new boyfriend) is where boy decides to go.

Jason Segel wrote this and acts in it and he's good but he keeps playing the same character (i suppose the same could be said for Seth Rogen but his is an inherently likeable guy you would want to hang out with, Segel keeps playing these overly obsessive boyfriend types) and while they are relatable to a degree its not enough to sustain an entire movie, even so I did enjoy this a lot and its worth checking out, Russel Brand manages to steal most of the scenes he's in, Jonah Hill has a very nice (but very small, maybe 5 minutes of screen time, maybe) running joke, Bill Hader is genius in just about anything he does, the Sarah Marshall girl is really white and makes even me feel less white and that 70's show girl proves she can be more than just annoying (one of my favorite lines from the movie is when she screams 'I can see your vagina from here', the scene from the trailer) and actually seem really cool, I'm beginning to warm up to not being annoyed by her.

Do I think this one is as funny as Superbad, Knocked up or Walk Hard? No, not as funny but its definitely one of the comedies they make that backs up all its dick and fart jokes with a little heart. There is this weird relationship with all these Apatow guys and Kevin Smith and John Hughes and all of them attempt the same kind of humor with heart (even Kevin, yes) and it'll be interesting to see what happens when Kevin Smith and Seth Rogen finally get together and what they come up with for Zack and Miri.

For Jason Segel, I like the guy and have seen tons of his stuff but I think the next movie he does he should try a different character so he isn't typecast but I guess the next thing is a Muppet Movie so it might be a while before we see if he actually can.

Walk Hard Unrated Dvd - commentary

I saw this and laughed my ass off and I got the unrated dvd and instead of watching the unrated cut and laughing I choose to watch it with the commentary because I was writing and didn't want to be too distracted, turns out its a pretty funny commentary (not as fun as Superbad or Knocked up though) and Reilly is fun to listen to and since this movie flopped I hadn't read a ton about it (also I avoided the reviews) so it was that much more interesting.

Can't wait to check out the rest of the dvd which includes 16 live performances, something about a real Dewey Cox and some other stuff, funny movie if you hadn't heard so you just did.

Dinner - Subway - Prime Rib sub

Day before I get paid, don't have tons of money what better to get to eat then a 5 dollar foot long sub?



It was actually more delicious than I expected, I got Prime Rib, Provolone on Jalapeno Cheddar with pickles, mayo, lettuce, a little red wine, carrots and salt and pepper, really delicious.

And a random pic of Frank I forgot to put on the last blog.

Weekend of April 4th - 6th

Left work sick Friday around 11am, went home and slept till Saturday morning around 11am (but didn't fall asleep till like 4 or so).

Got up Saturday still amazingly sick, couldn't even walk Frank without feeling nauseous so regretfully had to skip class Saturday but worked on writing and homework anyway.

You know what the best thing to do when you're sick is? Make Pizza!







Cliche Two face shaving picture.