I was surprised to see Back to the Future trending on Twitter the other day.  When I investigated further, I found out that Nike has apparently made the shoes with “power laces” from Back to the Future II.  Why did they decide to do this?  Michael J. Fox explained this on Letterman:

This news made me think of two things.  First, I need to get some new shoes.  Second, I love Back to the Future.  A while ago I bought the trilogy on Blu Ray, and as I watched the original 1985 film, I had an overwhelming sense of nostalgia that I meant to write about on this blog.  Like most of the ideas I have to write about, it lost out to more important things in my life, like working, tickling a 2 year old (don’t worry, I’m legally alowed to), eating, or just sitting on my ass watching some sort of brain cell killing shite on tv.  However, these new shoes, have brought back the nostaligia that I thought I’d share with you.

I love that moment when someone is getting to know me and they realize that the frame of reference they had of me as a “movie buff,” was completely wrong.  They don’t understand that they have actually just met one of their future lifelines when they get a movie question they don’t know on some gameshow.  The look of horror, mixed with bewilderment when I start talking about Directors of Photography and Art Direction inevitably leads to the question, “How did you get this way?”  Well, maybe not that exact question, but you get the idea.

I usually say something like, “I don’t know, all the other useful hobbies were taken.”  It’s true, if I were a train on Thomas and Friends, I would be sad, because I would not be very useful (that was for all the parents reading).  Sure, if I happen to be walking down the street, and Cash Cab pulls up and the person asks me which actor wore the Darth Vader suit in A New Hope, I will be able to help you win some money.  But, if your Cash Cab pulls over because something’s wrong with the carba-whatever, I’ll only be able to lend you my phone to call triple A.

So, how did I get this way, and what the hell does this have to do with Back to the Future?  Well, I would say that Back to the Future was my gateway to geekery.  Here’s the story of how I saw the film, back in 1985:

I remember sitting in the car as my Mom went into the Okey Dokey down the street from my Grandma’s house in Freeport, IL.  I was very excited because my Mom was taking me to some kids movie I wanted to see.  Now, this is where the memory is pretty hazy, because I do not recall what movie had my attention at the time.  (I hope it wasn’t a Care Bears movie).  When my Mom got back into the car with the local paper, she had to inform me that the film I wanted to see was no longer playing.  I remember feeling pretty down about this, and my Mom suggested we see a different film, and she suggested Back to the Future.  I had not heard of it, but the description my Mom read to me sounded fine and I remember, quite vividly, seeing this photo in the paper:

I had heard of Michael J. Fox, and look!  There’s a car, and some fire, and he has sunglasses!

To say that I loved the movie is quite the understatement.  My 9 year old self thought I had just seen the greatest film ever created.  It was thrilling, funny, and for the first time, I felt like I loved a “grown up” film.  Later that year when the Academy Awards were on television, I turned to my Mom and said, “Do you think Back to the Future will win Best Picture?”  She had to inform me that my beloved film was not even nominated, and the news completely puzzled me.  How can the greatest film of all time, NOT be nominated for Best Picture?  I remember trying to figure out what was considered an “awards” type film, and one that was just…popular.

I’ve obviously seen the film quite a few times since then.  I’m certainly not as gung-ho about the sequels, although I’m in the minority of actually liking the 3rd one better than the 2nd.  But they both are miles away from the original (how could they not be without Crispin Glover!).

So, that’s my story.  That’s how this sickness began.  I owe it all to my Mom making a random suggestion in an Okey Dokey parking lot in 1985.  What’s your gateway “drug” to movies?

Cory

“TOTAL MASSACRE”

Well, it’s been awhile since I decided to put some of my thoughts about a film on the interweb for folks to peruse, but I found some inspiration last night!  Takashi Miike’s amazing, 13 Assassins was just what I needed to get back into the habit.

I have only seen two of Miike’s previous films, Ichi the Killer and Audition.  Both of those films could be described as ones that a person had to endure, and although 13 Assassins definitely has its “Miike Moments,” I found it’s story completely engaging.  Going into a film called “13 Assassins,” you have certain expectations on what will make its way on screen, so I was nervous that the setup portion of the film would be boring…or, just something to get through before the swords come out.  Miike does an excellent job of setting up the characters, the stakes, and the conflict between loyalty and morality.  The villain of the film is amazingly evil, and you have to love the odds these samurai find themselves in.  The last 45 minutes to an hour is one of the most intense battle sequences I’ve ever seen.  Bottom Line:  If you don’t mind arterial sprays of blood and severed heads, or maybe that’s what you like most in films…either way, 13 Assassins is the film for you!  4 Stars!

Louder Than a Bomb

I saw my first poetry slam in college.  Feeling the energy and emotion from the poets as they told their stories had a great impact on me.  I was always a person who responded to people expressing themselves through any art form, but there was something different about this.  The last film at Ebertfest this year was the festival’s third documentary, Louder Than a Bomb.  It follows a select group of high school students as they compete in the Chicago poetry slam competition of the same name.  I’m a sucker for films about kids finding their voices through creativity.  You should definitely see this film with a crowd…and cheer after Adam Gotlieb’s poem about poets.

Tiny Furniture

What makes some quirky indie films set in New York induce eye rolls and others emotionally satisfying?  I think it’s very difficult to find authenticity in films that relish in how “unique” the characters are and how “snappy” they like to talk to each other, but Lena Dunham was able to do it in Tiny Furniture.  I really have nothing in common with these characters, but I believed them as real people, even in the ridiculous situations.  I still can’t believe that this film cost $25, 000 to make!

Leaves of Grass

Who would have believed that the most fascinating and intelligent guest at Ebertfest this year would be Delmar from Oh Brother Where Art Thou?  Tim Blake Nelson’s film, Leaves of Grass, is an amazing exercise in tone.  It’s equally comfortable in comedy, drama, philosophy, and violence, sometimes in the same scene.  Edward Norton gives a great “double” performance and I feel this is the type of film the Coen Bros. made many years ago.

Me and Orson Welles

I often cringe when films (or anything for that matter) are described as “charming.”  So, let’s say that Me and Orson Welles was the most “crowd pleasing,” film I saw at Ebertfest this year.  Actually, I think that description is probably worse.  Don’t worry, I’ll resist the urge to call it delightful, no matter how true it is.    If I’m being honest, this was the one film I was most indifferent to when I saw the list of films being shown, despite the fact that I was truly excited to see the director, Richard Linklater speak.  I think my prejudice was due to the star of the film, Zac Efron. (What can I say,  I’m not a tween, but a judgmental old man.)  I was very wrong to be indifferent, because this is a great film, with, what feels like, a very authentic glimpse into the world of theater.  I would say this could be a great double bill with another one of my favorite films about Welles, Cradle Will Rock.

Ok, so I was hoping to just finish up this summary, but I’m out of steam.  Hopefully I will have Part 3, the final part of this exercise in summary, posted soon!

Cory

The wonderful people at WordPress created this awesome new theme that I could not pass up!  I love Hitchcock, and Vertigo is one of my favorite all time films!  I thought a new look could mean a fresh start for me to increase my post frequency on this site!

So, let’s start with my Ebertfest 2011 summary!

I did a few quick posts from Ebertfest this year, so I hope you check them out, and I gave most of my instant reactions to the films I was seeing on twitter, so check them out!  (@cohms).  Overall, this was an amazing festival, with some truly stellar films.  This is my 4th Ebertfest, but my first with a pass to all films.  I saw 12 of the 13 films in 5 days!  (The only one I missed was one that I saw in college, “Only You,” with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.)  Here’s Part 1 of my rundown on this year’s films:

A Small Act

I would have to say that the most affecting and emotionally satisfying film I saw this year was the HBO documentary, “A Small Act.”  I usually have a strong aversion to cheesy and sentimental films, but I didn’t stand a chance against this film.  It’s the kids!  How could anyone not be moved by a kid from poverty stricken village in Kenya say, “I can’t even express how much knowledge I want.”

I AM LOVE

The all caps on the title of the next film is intentional on my part.  This film is massive.  It’s lush and incredibly beautiful.  Tilda Swinton’s performance was amazing and I think she summed the film up very well in the Q&A after the film concluded.  She said that nothing said in the film is of great importance, and that the emotions of the film were told visually and by the wonderful music supplied by composer, John Adams.

Natural Selection

I would say that what sets a successful quirky indie film from an unsuccessful one has everything to do with someone like Rachael Harris.  She’s an incredibly funny actress, but this film shows that she can do so much more than just comedic supporting roles.  I believed every moment of her performance and the pain and sadness behind the smile.  I’m so glad that I stayed up until 1am to see it after the 2.5 hour mammoth of a film, Metropolis.  More on that film in Part 2!

Funny story: So the first two days I found a seat in the balcony that I liked. It had a good view and lots of leg room. The second two days, this old lady beat me to it. I felt like challenging her to a duel. Well, this morning in this line, the lady right in front of me, was my nemesis. I discovered this, because she started telling her friends in line about how she’s been racing some tall guy to “her seat.” I could have totally ran her over and beat her this morning, but I let it go. Old ladies need their seats.

The historic Virginia Theater is missing it’s nose!

See my tweets for Ohms movie by movie!

Cory

“Well it’s safe to say we’ve all learned something from this, be yourself, speak from your heart, some shit like that, I don’t know”

After an absence many months long, I returned to a movie theater this past weekend with my lovely wife, Ann.  My in-laws were kind enough to watch our son, Ben, while we had the cliched “date night,” and I couldn’t have been more excited!  Unfortunately, our options were limited, as the only “Oscar season,” film still in theaters in our neck of the woods was Best Picture Winner, The King’s Speech.  We gave that one a thought, but we were both not in the mood for an awards-bait historical drama.  So, after some convincing, my wife agreed to go see Paul.

I’m finding it difficult to write this review.  You see, I love Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s past collaborations, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and I think the BBC show, Spaced, is one of the best television shows of all time.  Paul had a lot to live up to, and I would be lying if I said the trailers and commercials didn’t have me worried.  This is their first film together without Edgar Wright at director, but stepping in for him was Greg Mottolla, who’s previous films Superbad and the amazing, Adventureland are in my DVD library.  This had to be good right?

Well, I would definitely say that Paul is good, but it is not great.  The inevitable comparison to the other titles mentioned above carry expectations that, after seeing Paul, create unfortunate dissapointment.  Let me be clear, my dissapointment is directly linked to my own expectations, and in no way a reflection on the film itselt.  I think Paul is a well-crafted, often very funny, love letter to sci-fi geekery.  Pegg and Frost obvisously understand this world very well, that is how they have created classics in the past.  The unfortunate thing is that in creating a film that seeks to appeal to more people, the cultists who have followed them and loved their work, myself included, don’t have that feeling of seeing something truly special once again.  I understand why it was done, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

So, here’s the good.  Paul is a good geek movie, with excellent voice work, once again, by Seth Rogan.  (I loved his previous voice work in Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens)  Pegg and Frost have once again created two sweet and relatable geeks, who I would gladly go on a road trip with.  I also loved all the geek-culture references, and thought there were some nice character moments between all the leads in the RV. 

What was lacking for me in this film was the basic plot.  I know that this is a basic chase/road-trip movie, but did the dialogue between Jason Bateman’s character and his “boss” have to be so stilted and cliched?  The “why” things were happening never felt important or real to me.  It felt more like a string of funny sequences cut together, with a very flimsy plot. 

So, if you haven’t seen this yet (judging by the box office numbers, you haven’t), make it a rental.  There’s a lot to like here, but it’s not a classic.  2 and half stars.