You can’t get away from the ads on TV, and now PROJECT X has invaded MMP as well. The premiere is tonight, to be followed by an after party featuring performances by Tyler the Creator, A-Trak, and Hundred in the Hands (none of whom I’ve ever heard of, but I’m sure they’re all lovely young …
Monthly Archive: February 2012
Feb
28
The Indie on Demand Movie Review: RETURN
Sooooo many movies available now through on-demand, but what’s worth watching? Well, the mainstream stuff you know about… it’s crap (okay, not all, but the odds aren’t good). The independent releases that now pop up with increasing frequency on VOD, however, are a different story. Obscure titles with little-to-no media attention, how do you know …
Feb
27
Cinefantastique Spotlight: Public Domain Pandemonium I
The universe of the genre film is filled with many strange and wonderful things: heroes; demons, attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion (oh, Roy Batty, we miss you). But nothing is so strange or, at times, wonderful as the sight of movies that, by accident or design, have fallen out of copyright …
Feb
25
ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN: Indie on Demand Movie Review
Trying something new here: a radio show evocatively titled Indie on Demand Movie Reviews. They’re short, snappy reviews of indie films that have recently been released on-demand. This episode’s on the gritty Brazilian police/political thriller, ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN; new eps will post on a weekly basis. Check it out and let me know …
Feb
24
Joshua Marston on THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD
Fiddler on the Roof notwithstanding, there are probably some traditions that are best to be abandoned. At the beginning of THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD, a longstanding feud between two Northern Albanian families results in murder, and the kin of the now-fugitive killer finds itself paying for the crime by imprisoning itself at home as a …
Feb
19
Cinefantastique Spotlight: GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE
In a pair-up as enticing as a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE combines the rich, nutty goodness of Nic Cage with the tasty junkiness of the Neveldien/Taylor directing team. Transporting Marvel’s tortured, soul-sucking biker to Eastern Europe, the sequel has him joining forces with Idris Elba and Violante Placido to save …
Feb
17
Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando on CHICO & RITA
Amidst the swashbuckling felines, fast-talking lizards, and kung-fu pandas — plus a cat in Paris — that occupy this year’s Oscar nominees for animated feature, there’s actually a tale featuring human beings, stylized though they may be. In CHICO & RITA, live-action director Fernando Trueba (BELLE EPOQUE) joins forces with artist/designer Javier Mariscal and his …
Feb
16
André 3000 Benjamin Wants You to Embrace Your Style (Sponsored Video)
Frankly, the closest I get to style is to wear a clean Blue Sun T-shirt with my jeans. But it doesn’t mean I couldn’t up my game if I had sufficient motivation, and, in the sponsored video below, Gillette has brought in André 3000 Benjamin (aided and abetted by fellow facial hair sporters Adrian Brody …
Feb
12
Cinefantastique Spotlight: STAR WARS: EPISODE I – THE PHANTOM MENACE
There was no shortage of curiosity when George Lucas announced that he was converting his STAR WARS features to 3D, and no little disappointment when it was revealed that the first film to undergo the process would be the almost universally reviled EPISODE I – THE PHANTOM MENACE. Nevertheless here we are at the longest …
Feb
10
Ti West on THE INNKEEPERS
There are compelling reasons why, when traveling, one should skip the chain lodgings and stay at one of America’s classic hotels. There’s the friendly and courteous staff, the opportunity to experience a true piece of Americana, and the chance that you’ll encounter a spectral manifestation that wants to rip your immortal soul from your still-screaming …
