Recent Comments:
The Long-Awaited TV Spot for 'Disaster Movie'! {Cinematical}
Aug 3rd 2008 1:33AM Ugh. I wish Cinematical would stop spotlighting these films. Just ignore them, they don't deserve to be covered in a blog that celebrates movies. They aren't movies, they are vile garbage.
Don't give them free publicity. Their audiences are so low-brow, no one who watches these movies is going to actually read your article to find out you don't like them. They are just going to see the poster and scream out, "ME EXCITED FOR FUNNEE MOVIE" while smashing things.
EXCLUSIVE: 'Doubt' Poster Premiere! {Cinematical}
Aug 3rd 2008 1:26AM I saw this poster in the movie theater earlier this evening. Knowing nothing about the play or movie, the sheer harsh graphic beauty of the poster drew me from across the room. Delightful to see such a bold, minimalist approach! I couldn't stop looking over at it while waiting to sit down.
Apple's quality dwindling: My MacBook Pro sob story {The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)}
Aug 1st 2008 12:45PM It's so scary how many fanboys are out there that take the stance that Apple should be given a free pass for everything. The above story is insane and Apple should be ashamed to put any customer through that.
Also - no one should ever accept a refurbished computer if that is not what they explicitly ordered. How ridiculous that anyone would think Apple did the right thing by trying to pass of a refurb as a new computer...since when is a corporation pulling wool over its customers' eyes an admirable trait?
For god's sake, Apple is a company, not your best friend. They're in it for the money and when they make egregious errors like this, they deserve to have their name smeared.
If it isn't pointed out, they can't learn from their mistakes.
Fan Rant: Critics of 'The Dark Knight' Are Allowed to Hate {Cinematical}
Jul 25th 2008 6:01PM I think this disturbing behavior has little to do with movie criticism and more to do with a larger trend on the internet in general. On every site I visit that allows comments, threads are regularly hijacked by members who have incredibly low tolerance for differing opinions.
What disturbs me most is the level of anger that will come out over something as stupid as a movie, video game, electronic device, etc. Clearly these people must feel in real life that they aren't heard or respected and are using the anonymity of the internet to express their anger at being so small.
To me, it is pathetic on a level that I can't even fathom. To become violent-minded, racist or just foaming-at-the-mouth outraged over an inanimate object or a work of art that you had NO part in creating and have NO personal vested interest in is just morbidly stupid. It gives new meaning to the phrase "get a life."
They call these people "fanboys", but I think that title is way too kind. "Losers" is the word that best sums them up.
The Exhibitionist: Buy Concessions (Please) {Cinematical}
Jul 20th 2008 11:18AM 1.) I buy concessions whenever I go to the movies. At the very least, a soda.
2.) I do this because, for me, it's part of the whole splurging experience of going to the movies.
3.) I largely disagree with your article. As others have mentioned -- any well-run business (other than charities) does not rely on the kindness of it's customers hearts to stay open. Getting customers to buy your products is a matter of carefully balancing pricing, demand, quality and customer service. If you aren't doing that -- you will go out of business eventually.
The one possible exception to that is independent theater chains that enhance the quality of film in your neighborhood. I'm talking about places that don't play blockbusters to sold out crowds, but rather indie films and documentaries. I think buying a concession so those theaters make a little more profit makes sense -- because they generally also happen to have good quality food and really nice customer service. This is a return thank-you for not being faceless, greedy corporations -- but just trying to bring some art to an otherwise fairly artless medium.
Your article was rambling and it was difficult to follow your logic. I'm guessing you've worked in theaters and have seen their bad economics first-hand and are therefore swayed by your own passion. If you still work in one, pass along these tips for enticing people to buy:
• Mandate friendly customer service among cashiers. Apathy, ignorance, stupidity and slowness will drive people away every time. If they aren't friendly - fire them. That's how they do it at good retail stores.
• Pop fresh popcorn. Getting stale popcorn is about a 50/50 chance in big theaters. Mandate some quality control -- throw it out after a certain amount of time and make it fresh. Also -- if you are going to serve pre-popped popcorn from bags -- keep the door to your storage room closed so that patrons (like me) don't peek in and see stacks of it.
• Sell real bags of candy at closer-to-normal prices. Sorry, if retail stores can make a profit selling Reeses pieces for $.45 cents, so can you. Or, at least, you can do it for $1.00 and not $4.00. Putting a small bags worth in a larger bag doesn't trick anyone.
• Clarify your menus -- they're often too jumbled and filled with "deals" to make sense of it all.
• Don't be stingy with ice in drinks -- the soda has to stay cold for 2 hours -- not just through the credits.
• Offer Pepsi. God, every theater in NYC serves Coke -- Diet Coke from a fountain tastes like metal. And, if you are serving Coke because you get a kickback from them for exclusivity -- then why are you charging so much in the first place?
• Have vending machines for drinks (some places do) in case people get there too late to stand in line for a concession.
• Worth repeating -- fast, friendly, easy customer service.
Diablo Cody to Pen Something Secret for Steven Spielberg {Cinematical}
Jul 16th 2008 8:02PM For some reason, I just cannot like Diablo Cody. Her entire affected "quirky-girl" persona drives me nuts. She seems to be powered entirely by meta-referencing and retro hipster tedium.
I truly wasn't wowed by Juno, which was cute but hardly an Oscar-worthy screenplay. But hey, maybe she'll write something new and surprise or delight me. That would at least justify her win for me.
The Smurfs Are Headed for the Big Screen {Cinematical}
Jun 14th 2008 10:00PM I think they'll look really fantastic in 3D - provided the animators don't try to over-texture them (e.g. Shrek.) If they are treated as cartoon characters and stylized accordingly (e.g. The Incredibles, Horton, Ice Age) it could really work.
Found this post that supposedly shows early CG models. Very close, if not identical to the 2D representation:
http://www.mushroomvillage.com/shroomroom/showthread.php?t=807
Mixing in live action, on the other hand, could turn everything horrific.
Review: Mother of Tears - Jeffrey's Take {Cinematical}
Jun 8th 2008 2:33PM p.s. - this move is incredibly misogynistic. It may be deeply uncomfortable/offensive to anyone sensitive to things of that nature. Argento clearly has issues with women (the least of which is that he films his daughter nude.)
Review: Mother of Tears - Jeffrey's Take {Cinematical}
Jun 8th 2008 2:30PM Just saw it this weekend, it was a truly ridiculous gem of a movie. I laughed a lot during it, and I agree that it manages to have a unique personality while living squarely in B-movie territory.
The question for me is -- is humor Argento's intention? If it isn't than his movies are all miserable failures. He is often (absurdly) compared to Hitchcock; but has a deeply flawed sense of timing, acting, writing, etc. If he knows it -- then perhaps a more apt comparison is to Ed Wood.
Regardless, if you go into Mother of Tears looking for a funny good time with a couple of disturbing moments/scares and lots of fake gore you will not be disappointed. I certainly wouldn't classify it a masterwork on any cinematic scale -- but it's an entertaining way to waste a couple of hours.
Fantastic New Clip from 'The Incredible Hulk'! {Cinematical}
May 23rd 2008 3:59PM I love The Hulk; I really, really want to like this movie; but every time a clip has been released, I've just had a really hard time getting past the CGI. I've posted here before about it, but Hulk is still stuck squarely in the uncanny valley.
The Hulk's movement is too smooth and the weight and gravity of his body doesn't quite align with the real-world objects around him.
Also -- that helicopter was pretty fake looking. That's a surprise, since CGI of mechanical objects has been perfected in big-budget movies. That doesn't bode well -- to me that says the post-production might have been rushed.
Still, I will buy a ticket and go see it (albeit with low hopes.) It'd be a wonderful treat if it turns out that all of this early footage was unfinished and the final movie has a quality and sheen that raises the bar.
