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Celebrating The Wizard of Oz at 75

In 1939, MGM hoped to bring the classic children’s story The Wizard of Oz to the big screen, but the production was fraught with difficulties from the beginning and even before a single frame of film was shot, the studio nearly pulled the plug on the film. Through the casting process — which almost rivaled that of another 1939 production, Gone With the Wind — spiraling costs, on-set accidents, and a never-ending stream of directors (five in all!), one man knew that this film had to be made, Arthur Freed. Freed championed the film, the fourth director Victor Fleming, who got exactly what Freed envisioned and then had to go save that other 1939 classic before the end of production (George Cukor then finished the film), and its young star, Judy Garland (the studio wanted Shirley Temple), as well as her signature song “Over the Rainbow,” which was nearly cut because MGM felt it dragged the film to a stop and they wanted to get to Oz as quickly as possible.

It’s safe to say that without Arthur Freed, we would probably not have The Wizard of Oz to celebrate this year, it’s 75th anniversary, or not the film we know and love today. And on this wondrous occasion, the folks at Warner Brothers (which owns the classic MGM library) have gone back to the film once again — having restored it beautifully already for the 70th anniversary — to give it a new sparkle, luster, size and dimension to give long-time fans and a new generation a completely new experience when viewing The Wizard of Oz.

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Bombs, bloodshed, babes, and bullets abound in the ridiculously fun Machete Kills

I haven’t talked much about the concept of the “exploitation” film, but this is partially due to the very fluid definition of the genre. Exploitation movies tend to be low on the budget and heavy on the sex and violence, often focusing on hyper-specific cultural or counter-cultural elements, such as “Blaxploitation,” “Nazisploitation,” and of course, “Mexploitation.” Filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are professed admirers of the exploitation movies, even making a specific release called Grindhouse which combined Tarantino’s Death Proof and Rodriguez’s Planet Terror — the latter had a hilarious fake movie trailer for a movie called Machete with Danny Trejo, a character actor known for his gritty appearance and roles in basically all of Rodriguez’s movies.

It could probably be argued that the first Rodriguez, hyper-violent, ultra-low budget (only $7000) movie El Mariachi was also an example of “Mexploitation.” When he finally made the feature length version of Machete, it combined over-the-top violence, an improbably invulnerable and sexually irresistible hero, and an extremely unsubtle political message against anti-immigration (a lot of racist white people die). The movie was pretty enjoyable, if ultimately forgettable, but it did seem much like a more modern version of an exploitation film, albeit with a much, much larger budget ($10 million). The end tag of that movie promised that Machete and his young protege/girlfriend, played by Jessica Alba, would be back in Machete Kills and possibly Machete Kills … Again!. So … is he?

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Glee delivers an emotional tribute to Cory Monteith

“Everyone wants to talk about how he died, too. But who cares? One moment in his whole life…” When Glee’s producers announced that they were preparing this week’s tribute episode, a great many of us had our doubts. Glee has had an uneven track record over the years, and while they’ve done their “very special episodes” quite well,  producing an hour of television that wouldn’t be perceived as callous would be difficult. How can you ask these actors to portray their grief for America to see?

I think it is pretty obvious that it worked. While it must have been difficult for these actors to say lines about “Finn” that obviously carried the emotional weight of Cory, what they did was kind of beautiful. Kurt’s voiceover that followed the wonderful rendition of “Seasons of Love” set the ground rules: yes, the lines fit the context of the story, but only because they had to. Maybe on a different show, it wouldn’t have worked, but it did here. “The Quarterback” was filled with these moments: Burt talking about hugging more, Puck breaking down, Sue talking about the wasted potential … these were people talking about losing their friend.

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Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi helm a solid Captain Phillips

In 2006, director Paul Greengrass brought United 93 to theatres. It was the first major motion picture about the events of 9/11, and despite the nearly five years that had passed, many questioned if the nation was ready to see the tragedy play out on the big screen. But Greengrass’ measured film allayed those fears and helped turn a page for American audiences. In Captain Phillips, he takes much of the same approach, finding a way to tell the story in an accurate, subdued, not hyper-dramatized way.

Tom Hanks plays the titular Phillips quite well. The captain is an everyman, but an intelligent, measured leader of men. There is something special about the way that he plays both sides of that. On one hand, there is a great deal of Cast Away’s Chuck Noland in his performance … an ordinary guy who just found himself in an extraordinary situation, but one prepared for it. The film is peppered with moments that showed Phillips thinking faster than those around him, but Hanks and Greengrass were careful not to let the hero become a superhero. It is a subtle line, but Captain Phillips manages it quite well.

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The Hangover Part III on Blu-ray finishes an unlikely trilogy

I doubt when The Hangover was being made, anyone ever thought it would gross over $400 million dollars and spawn two sequels. I had the (mis)fortune of seeing Parts I and II basically back-to-back and was dumbfounded by all of the “this is the funniest movie ever” comments I had heard. The first one was mildly amusing — perhaps it played better with a large audience rather than on home video — but the second one was a carbon copy with the same comedic beats set in a different location.

I suppose I’m a glutton for punishment, or just a completest, so it was with much trepidation that I attended an advance screening of The Hangover Part III before its theatrical release. Surprisingly enough, I enjoyed it much more than either of the first two movies simply because (and this seems to be the reason a lot of people disliked it) it was different. A completely different story with the same characters, and returning characters from the first movie including someone who was just mentioned in passing, that totally ignored the series’ title! There was no hangover-induced confusion, no constant “what is going on here?” wailing, just a pretty tight story that picks up after the end of Part II and then pretty much ignores it in order to backtrack to events that happened off-camera in Part I.

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New on home video: After Earth, The Hangover Part III, Curse of Chucky

Big stars come to home video this week including Will Smith, Bradley Cooper, Joss Whedon and everyone’s favorite killer doll, Chucky! Not all of them fared well theatrically. Smith had an uncharacteristic flop with After Earth (blame Shyamalan?), Cooper had a hit with The Hangover Part III, Whedon got some critical acclaim with Much Ado About Nothing, and Chucky … went straight to video. And now you have the chance to judge them on their own merits as they arrive on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital formats. Classic movie fans should enjoy new Blu-ray releases of Fantastic Voyage and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, while more recent classics like The Exorcist and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life get new anniversary editions (40th and 30th, respectively). The Warner Archive Collection brings Billy Rose’s Jumbo to Blu-ray, and The Criterion Collection spiffs up I Married a Witch for high definition. The Conjuring, Monsters University, and The Way, Way Back also get early digital releases. These and many more titles come to home video October 8, so have a look at our shopper’s guide and click on a link to get more information or to make a purchase.

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Agents of SHIELD – Can the team trust Skye?

Agent Grant Ward has been leery of Skye’s inclusion on the team from moment one. You can’t really blame him; what little we know about the Rising Tide does not lead one to believe that their goals would overlap with SHIELD’s. Her “I’m in” text at the end of last week’s episode implies that she is working with someone on the outside with a completely different agenda from Agent Coulson and the rest of SHIELD. Was she ordered to infiltrate SHIELD, or was that just a happy coincidence? And who exactly is calling the shots?

As long as the Rising Tide remains a mystery, the audience cannot simply rush to judgment on Skye. In fact I don’t think you can even assume that her text was to someone in that particular group. Sure, she obviously still has connections with them, apparent through her quick acquisition of an invite to Ian Quinn’s party. But there is no guarantee that she is being run by the Tide; I think it is just as likely that the Rising Tide was another organization that she was sent to infiltrate. Until there are more clues to go on, it is simply guesswork and supposition.

Despite her origin story, and whatever agenda her controllers might have, the allure of a white hat and a family – non-standard as it will likely be – is something that is going to weigh on Skye as the season goes on. She has been impacted in her training sessions, less so physically but more the emotional connection she is establishing with Ward (For someone who is trained to notice the little things, his concern on his ability to connect to her is so obviously misplaced … he is just connecting differently than he expected). Continue reading 'Agents of SHIELD – Can the team trust Skye?' »

The Mentalist – Who is Carmen Lee? I think I know. …

I can’t be the only person who thought it odd that, while Patrick was in the hospital with Lisbon, a nurse entered the room merely looking for someone named “Mrs. Carmen Lee,” and then exited the room. The look on Jane’s face told it all: there was something very odd about that encounter, and it wasn’t just an accident. I believe I know what it was: a clear hint from Red John.

I’ve gone ahead and done some digging around for you, in case you’re not as insane as I am and decided to spend a late night searching for clues about this. It is quite obvious and simple, though. …

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Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years is a beautiful history book, but is it canon?

Companion books have always been a mixed bag; sometimes they are boring, nonsensical technical documents and others they are rich volumes that truly complement their source material. Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years is definitely the later. Originally released in December as a part of a set that included a “pedestal” (with an audio introduction by George Takei as Hikaru Sulu) and additional artifacts. This week, Titan Books is releasing the book for purchase separately.

150 Years is one-part storybook, one-part textbook. The title is a bit of a misnomer, as the history begins with Zefram Cochran nearly 100 years before birth of the Federation. The book uses beautiful illustrations (historic artwork in the context of the story), “first-hand” accounts and “found” documents from the various races instrumental in the founding of the Federation.

The biggest question with text like these how much they are considered canon. David A. Goodman, the tome’s author, told TrekMovie.com that he considers the material canon. Memory Beta – one of the many excellent Trek related resources on the web – disagrees. I am a Trek fan, but by no means a historian. Goodman says in the interview that he filled in a lot of what didn’t appear in The Original Series and Enterprise based on his work on the former and discussions he had with some of the other writers after he departed before the fourth season. So, sounds good right?

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There is really no reason to go see Runner Runner

It is said that “everybody gambles,” which is a gross oversimplification and misunderstanding of reality — this is said by this movie. But is it true that everybody gambles? In a sense, people take risks all the time, whether it’s choosing to have insurance or not, investing in anything at all, or asking someone out. But there’s a difference, a line crossed, when it becomes solely about risking large sums of money to make larger sums of money. Really, that’s what we mean when we call it that. I won’t get into the silliness of the title of the movie because it gets a bit technical, but essentially a “runner runner” in poker means that the final two cards dealt give you the hand you need to win. Is the metaphor apt for this movie? A slick name for an important part of a game, but ultimately meaningless for those unfamiliar with it. Sounds about right … except that Ben Affleck is involved.

Runner Runner fancies itself a sort of thriller in the style of Ocean’s 11 or even The Social Network, to some extent. Justin Timberlake stars as Richie, a grad student getting his Masters in Finance at Princeton, about whom we are explicitly told has “a gift” but we are never clear on what that actually means. Richie has been working as an associate for an offshore online gaming website, promoting it on campus, which is a strict “don’t do it” sort of obvious thing. So right away we’re introduced to a guy we are again told is “always right” and “has real potential,” but due to some never seen or really fleshed out people on Wall Street, he lost his job and money. And he was guaranteed a seven figure bonus, so easy to relate to! But then Richie loses everything gambling his tuition — but using his “smarts” and other people’s math skills, he figures out he’s been cheated. So he travels to Costa Rica to find the mysterious Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), wanted man in the US, to tell him.

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