All Manner of Plugs: Issue 8 (10.10.2010)
Today is 10/10/10. Take advantage of such a cool date! This week The Film Tome Report continues to get bigger and badder (and by that I mean "bigger and gooder"), we explore the songified, and have all sorts of fun. Ch-ch-check it out!
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"Ip Man" - (Disclaimer: Contains bloodless martial arts violence) I'm sure this film is going to be all right (at least all right), but the preview is so bad it's funny. That movie-trailer-voice is just painful. You gotta see it. Honestly, it seems like a spoof on trailers, but I'm very afraid it is not. It is not fair for this 2008 Hong Kong film to get such a marketing campaign in the United States. The injustice delivered to foreign films through their American releases is a damn shame sometimes. Still, enjoy the unintentional comedy while we have it. A truth to live by: "Whilst in sad times, find the humor in it." I look forward to seeing this one and giving it a fresh start once the opening credits roll (in its intended language of course, dubbing is a form Satanism).
ENLISTED*
*Lists are always good. I am both a consumer and maker of the lovely things. AllMoPs is about plugging others, so you won't be seeing my lists here, but those that I find and feel ought to be seen/studied. Joy!
Entertainment Weekly - "12 Documentaries That Changed The World." There are several on here that I haven't seen and so I enjoy this nice batch of "To Watch" recommendations. Of the ones I have seen, I full-heartedly agree on their influence to cause change. This week I saw "The Cove" for the first time. It is brilliant. I also re-watched "Fahrenheit 9/11" this week. Still brilliant.
IMDb - Top 20 Horror Films of the Past 20 Years. As part of their 20th anniversary (see "The Good" below), the editors of IMDb have made several lists. This one will surely surprise any cinephile. Having seen most of the films mentioned I have some definite agreements ("The Descent") and some definite disagreements ("Twilight"? Horror? Really?). Any list or ranking is going to stir some controversy. That's one aspect I savor about them.
a weekly recommendations email
Written by J.S. Lewis
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PLUG IN
Today is 10/10/10. Take advantage of such a cool date! This week The Film Tome Report continues to get bigger and badder (and by that I mean "bigger and gooder"), we explore the songified, and have all sorts of fun. Ch-ch-check it out!
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MVOTW
Simply, this music video is a treat to watch. The creators of Japanese televisions set-pieces are some of the most creative Earthlings around. You'll see dozens of these physical feats and tricks throughout the four minutes. The two white guys you'll see are the Pet Shop Boys (Neil and Chris, two English chaps) and their sweet synthy song accompanies the ballad of madness.
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MONKEY DO
MONKEY DO
I like monkeys. That's why I started this segment. However, sometimes the headlines will reveal a tragic account: On Wednesday a monkey kidnapped and killed an infant (human) in Malaysia. Read more.
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RANDOMONIA
Okay, so I'm getting around to highlighting the Gregory Brothers, their Auto-Tune the News, and any other "songified" works. Sorry if this is nothing new for some of you, but I feel it is yet another major event in all things gone viral and therefore important and worth documenting. Quite recently a couple of people, first my roommate then my classmate, introduced me to such to these. Perhaps some of you may not know about it. Last year getting "sweded" was the rage, now it's all about what folk can "songify."
First, watch this: Original SunnyD and Rum (Yum Yum). Now, see how they songified it: SunnyD and Rum - THE POP SINGLE!
The stars worth noting here are the Gregory Brothers, a musical group that specializes in songifying. Perhaps now they are most know for what they did with "The Bedroom Intruder." Again, there's the original and then the songified version (i
s that Motab at 1:42?!). There is one version with over 30 million views... it has become an internet phenomenon. I even know someone who is going to be Antoine Dodson (the eccentric bandana-wearing star) for Halloween! Wow.
Here are some other videos put out by Auto-Tune the News:
and my favorite Swinging (featuring Weezer). This one has a sweet chorus and hooks to boot! Love it!
You can bet on more songified clips being plugged in future AllMoPs!
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THE FILM TOME REPORT
THE TRAILER ROUND-UP
"Yogi Bear" - Jared Hess, you were beyond wise to pass this "opportunity" by. The first trailer came out last month and I failed to make an announcement. A second trailer has now been released. I watched them both. My thoughts? Well, if anything, it can serve a a tech demo for which CGI animation is put into a live action world. But really, "Jurassic Park" did a better job at that 17 years ago. I realize I am probably not the target audience (at least I sure hope not!). Having never seen the original cartoon I've nothing invested here. Those of you who are older and have, might take your kidlets and go see it with an optimistic attitude. I just hope you find something to enjoy because these trailers seem void of such a feature. Oh! Oh! Oh! And guess what! It's in 3-flippin'-D! It comes out Christmas Day. Sorry Warner Bros., I'm gonna be seeing "True Grit" instead.
THE TRAILER ROUND-UP
"Yogi Bear" - Jared Hess, you were beyond wise to pass this "opportunity" by. The first trailer came out last month and I failed to make an announcement. A second trailer has now been released. I watched them both. My thoughts? Well, if anything, it can serve a a tech demo for which CGI animation is put into a live action world. But really, "Jurassic Park" did a better job at that 17 years ago. I realize I am probably not the target audience (at least I sure hope not!). Having never seen the original cartoon I've nothing invested here. Those of you who are older and have, might take your kidlets and go see it with an optimistic attitude. I just hope you find something to enjoy because these trailers seem void of such a feature. Oh! Oh! Oh! And guess what! It's in 3-flippin'-D! It comes out Christmas Day. Sorry Warner Bros., I'm gonna be seeing "True Grit" instead.
I remember "Four Lions" making noticeable waves at Sundance earlier this year. It looks like a brilliant satire on terrorism and yes, "funny." November 5th somewhere.
"Ip Man" - (Disclaimer: Contains bloodless martial arts violence) I'm sure this film is going to be all right (at least all right), but the preview is so bad it's funny. That movie-trailer-voice is just painful. You gotta see it. Honestly, it seems like a spoof on trailers, but I'm very afraid it is not. It is not fair for this 2008 Hong Kong film to get such a marketing campaign in the United States. The injustice delivered to foreign films through their American releases is a damn shame sometimes. Still, enjoy the unintentional comedy while we have it. A truth to live by: "Whilst in sad times, find the humor in it." I look forward to seeing this one and giving it a fresh start once the opening credits roll (in its intended language of course, dubbing is a form Satanism).
I have not seen a Julie Taymor film. I really want to (namely, "Across the Universe"). She is (as the trailer says) what we call a "visionary director." It's kind of a trite phrase because every director is a visionary in his/her own right. However, it seems to especially fit the bill with her. She is a filmmaker whose products are so stylized that they are as far from generic as could be. Much like Tarsem. Here is the bewildering and beautiful trailer for her adaptation of another Shakespeare work (she previously made "Titus"), "The Tempest." In theaters December 10th.
The trailer for "Never Let Me Go" (scroll down to reach the trailer) has been out for months now, in fact, the film is already out in select theaters. It stars Carey Mulligan who was magnificent in last years "An Education," the ever-exquisite Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield who was part of "The Social Network"'s knockout cast. It looks inventive, classy, and very pretty. I'm quite excited to see this one!
A second and longer trailer for "True Grit" burst out this week. I have a hard time backing it up because I feel it gives much too much away. Still, it looks splendid. Still, I prefer the first trailer (as plugged in AllMoPs 7).
Toss of the Week: The second trailer for "127 Hours" is even better than the first and gets this week's top prize in The Trailer Round-Up, "Toss of the Week." Just from witnessing the trailer I guarantee James Franco is going to get several nominations for Best Actor. Director Danny Boyle is one of the most diverse filmmakers under the sun (he even took us to the sun in "Sunshine") and I'm always amazed by what he delivers. "127 Hours" looks amazing. You can count on finding this one in a theater near you on November 5th. Less than a month away!
ENLISTED*
*Lists are always good. I am both a consumer and maker of the lovely things. AllMoPs is about plugging others, so you won't be seeing my lists here, but those that I find and feel ought to be seen/studied. Joy!
Entertainment Weekly - "12 Documentaries That Changed The World." There are several on here that I haven't seen and so I enjoy this nice batch of "To Watch" recommendations. Of the ones I have seen, I full-heartedly agree on their influence to cause change. This week I saw "The Cove" for the first time. It is brilliant. I also re-watched "Fahrenheit 9/
IMDb - Top 20 Horror Films of the Past 20 Years. As part of their 20th anniversary (see "The Good" below), the editors of IMDb have made several lists. This one will surely surprise any cinephile. Having seen most of the films mentioned I have some definite agreements ("The Descent") and some definite disagreements ("Twilight"? Horror? Really?). Any list or ranking is going to stir some controversy. That's one aspect I savor about them.
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD*
*I've a couple of "inspired by" credits to acknowledge here:
I was inspired by the magazine Game Informer to have a segment like this.
This title was inspired by the recent South Korean film of the same name (which was inspired by the epic Sergio Leone film, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," which is what Game Informer uses). Basically, I take recent film news that I deem worth sharing and feature it in one of the three headings.
THE GOOD
IMDb (AKA "Best Website Ever") is celebrating it's 20th Anniversary on October 17th. Every day over the next little while they are having a "Star of the Day" talk about movies. They are having a year by year countdown to 2010, each day another year. And there are all sorts of other features. Click here to check some of the goodness out for yourself. Congratulations IMDb! Happy anniversary!
This semester, as part of the Brigham Young University Motion Picture Archive Film Series, Dr. James D'Arc (curator of BYU's Motion Picture Archive) is hosting a series called, "When Hollywood Came to Town: Moviemaking in Utah." This comes in nice conjunction with the release of Dr. D'Arc's book of a similar name. It's been going on for a month now and I've been to each installment. It is a divine opportunity to see older westerns (possibly my favorite genre) shot in Utah the way they were meant to be seen. Hearing the history and seeing a few of the movies so far, I am more and more proud to be a Utahan, born and raised in this amazing place (especially the distinct beauty of Southern Utah). Most of the films are not available on DVD, so it might be one's only chance to see some of these. The next film to be shown will be "Ramrod" (1947) on Oct. 22. If you're in the area, I highly endorse attending. Admission is free. 7:00 PM in the Harold B. Lee Auditorium.
THE BAD
Other then "Yogi Bear"... Nope.
AND THE WEIRD
Word on the street is that Mel Gibson delivers a home run performance in "The Beaver" and is a possible Oscar contender. The plot synopsis as found on IMDb reads, "A guy walk around with a puppet of a beaver on his hand and treats it like a living creature." I'm intrigued. Jodie Foster, who directs the strange flick, has called it "one of [Gibson's] most powerful and moving experiences." Read more in this Deadline article. The question is if Gibson could/would be considered after all the drama surrounding him as of late. Drama. I for one think we should separate the going-ons in any artist's life and let their work be judged fairly for what it is. If his performance in "The Beaver" is as good as we're hearing, he better be nominated!
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UNPLUG
Oh my giddy aunt! If you have any comments, questions, requests, complaints or threats please let your voice be heard by allmops@gmail.com. If you wish to be removed from the AllMoPs send-list, let me know. If you wish to add someone, let me know. Remember, all previous AllMoPs are available at my blog, All Manner of Posts. Start enjoying the fresh Fall and thanks for plugging in
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