Avatar

"Just relax and let your mind go blank. That shouldn't be too hard for you." -Grace

James Cameron's Avatar is about crippled, ex-Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who goes to the alien planet of Pandora, which is being ruthlessly mined by a corporation. Sully has volunteered to take his twin brother's place after he dies and must now go amongst the natives (who are living on top of the biggest mineral deposit) in his alien "avatar" to study them and find their weaknesses. However, the more time he spends with the natives the more he comes to respect them and the more torn he becomes between the peaceful, diplomatic Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and the war-mongering Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). And when war becomes inevitable, which side will he choose?

I'll just preface this whole thing with two facts: this is James Cameron's first film in over ten years and it cost over $250 million to make. These two facts can explain why I went to see this movie at all because it had nothing to do with the trailer. I will also say that the visuals were spectacular. Live action and animation blended seamlessly and presented the image of a beautiful and inventive alien world. And even though it was 2 1/2 hours, I was never bored. However, this is not a great movie. This is an enjoyable movie that I have now seen once but that I will never go out of my way to see again. And the reason is two words: character development. It's a novel thing that some people put in their scripts, James Cameron. I suggest you try it sometime. In fact, it was while watching this movie that I finally realized why I never liked Titanic. Rose's fiancee is unrealistically selfish and cruel and Rose and Jack are too wonderful. Same for Avatar. All the characters except for Jake are flatter than paper dolls with no complexity and little to no character motivations. Quaritch is evil because he is a Marine officer, therefore he MUST want to completely wipe out indigenous peoples and laugh about it later. Grace is the tough but fair scientist who wants to study the indigenous people, therefore she MUST sympathize wholeheartedly and unreservedly with the natives. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) is a native princess, therefore she MUST be one with nature and commune with Mother Willow the Tree of Souls. Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) is a businessman, therefore he MUST be a soulless corporate tool. Beautiful, James Cameron. How long did it take you to come up with these characters? As for the protagonist, Jake Sully, his "transformation" is about as stereotypical as you can get. Slightly disillusioned military man realizes the "savages" he has been sent to kill are actually wise, noble people and their nature worship is far better than our crazy civilized ideas. BORING!

On top of that, this movie is so green, it recycles the plot. Man of European descent comes to a strange place with strange people and realizes that the very thing he has been searching for is amongst the very people he was sent to fight. Also, he should fall in love with one of the natives, preferably the chief's daughter, thus making a rival out of the chief warrior.

Studio Exec: Hey, James Cameron, do you think we should change it up at all? Maybe add some unexpected twist or unique character?
James Cameron: No, if it worked for Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves, it will work for us!
Studio Exec: But do you think people will notice that we ripped off a bunch of other movies?
James Cameron: I already set it on an alien planet which I've cleverly named Pandora! What more do you want?
Studio Exec: Touche.

Ignoring the blatant rip-offs, let's examine the plot itself. I'm sick of movies about the "noble savage" and this movie doesn't redeem them in my eyes. I suppose this goes along with characters but can someone please explain why the natives are all perfect while we're all corrupt!? Note to Rousseau, those "noble savages" become us. Which means that the corrupt people in our society are in their's too! They are not perfect! We are not horrible! Once again, flat and stereotypical. The rest of the plot had several amusing plot holes which include Quaritch's ability to identify individual natives, the fact that Jake must be chosen by a banshee but can use any old "Last Shadow," and the fact that Jake's twin in never mentioned again after the first 15 minutes.

As I am quickly running out of time and space, I would like to add a couple final points. The acting, especially the voice performance by Zoe Saldana, were amazing and at times, completely heart-wrenching. Also, James Cameron is a master of emotional manipulation which is how he gets away with as much as he does. I recommend it for a one time viewing specifically for the graphics, but if you keep the above quote in mind, you'll enjoy the whole thing! 3 stars.

P.S.-Listen for the credit song and think fondly back to Titanic...

Baker's Dozen

Twelve days of my favorite Christmas movies (in no particular order) plus one which I just kind of think is funny:

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): In which Jack Skellington learns the true meaning of Christmas Halloween Christmas(?). Is it for Christmas? Is it for Halloween? Nobody knows but the Oogie Boogie Man has a song and dance number!
   
2. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992): In which Michael Caine learns the joy of acting with inanimate objects. My most favoritist version of A Christmas Carol that I watch every year without fail. Minus that one song about the love being gone... No dice, Mr. Goodman.
   
3. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005): In which Robert Downey Jr learns the benefits of a botched robbery. Even if it's not about Christmas spirit, this noir-influenced comedy set during the holiday season makes me all warm and fuzzy inside anyway. Nothing like watching RDJ and Val Kilmer banter about the proper use of bad and badly to put you in a holiday mood!
   
4. Joyeux Noel (2005): In which the German, French, and Scottish armies learn the joy of soccer. Based on a true story, the armies call a truce on Christmas Eve to bury their dead, have a prayer service, and play a game of soccer before continuing the war. A truly moving film that perfectly embodies Christmas without beating you over the head with a stick.
   
5. Brazil (1985): In which the audience learns the meaning of weird. Terry Gilliam’s masterwork tells the futuristic holiday tale of materialism and bureaucracy gone horribly wrong. Upon first viewing, you’ll probably wonder what the hell just happened, but that just means you should watch it again!
   
6. A Santa Clause (1994): In which Tim Allen learns the inner workings of the North Pole. I don’t care what anyone says, I liked it then and I like it now. No other movie has made hot chocolate look quite so good or David Krumholtz so cute. But I do believe that I’ll pass on the sequels.
   
7. Edward Scissorhands (1990): In which Johnny Depp and Tim Burton learn the joy of each other. Everyone knows the tale of tragic Edward Scissorhands and though it may be a bit of a downer, I bet after watching it you’ll want to invite that weird guy who always muttering to himself and can never figure out the printer over for Christmas dinner. Huh, huh? Well, then maybe just just try saying hi to him? Every other Friday?
   
8. It's a Wonderful Life (1946): In which Jimmy Stewart learns to never trust handicapped people. An all-time Christmas (and Frank Capra) favorite. No one's year is complete without hearing, "Every time a bell rings, an angel get it's wings," at least once.
   
9. The Shop Around the Corner (1940): In which Jimmy Stewart learns the joys of having a pen pal. Also starring Stewart, this Christmas movie is much more about stubbornness and love than Santa but it's still a winter charmer!
   
10. Tokyo Godfathers (2003): In which Americans learn that Japan celebrates Christmas. The story of three homeless social misfits who find a baby on Christmas Eve, it's an unusual but brilliant Christmas anime.
    
11. Die Hard (1988): In which John McClane learns that people with German accents are evil (and probably terrorists). Bruce Willis kicks ass when the company Christmas party is attacked by evil TERRORISTS (played by the lovable Alan Rickman). Who could ask for anything more?
    
12. Love Actually (2003): In which Hugh Grant learns that the only thing easier than being a CEO is being the British Prime Minister. This tells the story of several couples finding love at Christmas, when life is wonderful and little children dress up as lobsters and sing Mariah Carey covers. My favorite is Billy Mack! ...this also has Alan Rickman...
    

PLUS:

1. Eyes Wide Shut (1999): In which Stanley Kubrick spits in the face of everyone who likes Christmas. Here is a film that is long, explicit, and depressing and has nothing to do with the holiday season other than to mock the human sentiment that goes along with it. Here's to you, Stan!

Post your Christmas Favorites! I know someone's just dying to say Elf.

Tim Burton: Batman

"Haven't you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?" -The Joker

Based on his success with Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Warner Brothers hired Burton to direct Batman, the script of which is loosely based on The Killing Joke and written by Sam Hamm with Warren Skaaren, writer of Beetlejuice, doing rewrites. Avid Batman fans were less than pleased when they heard of this venture, having only Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice on which to base their opinion of Burton, and thinking this would be another campy remake. Their fears were not lessened when they heard that Michael Keaton, a comic actor with whom Burton had worked in Beetlejuice, had beat out other, more conventional choices such as Mel Gibson and Pierce Brosnan for the title role. In fact, they were so displeased that they sent over 50,000 letters of protest to the studio. Like usual, this didn't actually change anything, but comic book fans everywhere became happier when Jack Nicholson was cast as the Joker (chosen over other interesting choices like Tim Curry, Willem Dafoe, and David Bowie) and Kim Basinger was cast as Vicki Vale (after considering just about every young actress in Hollywood). With this cast, Danny Elfman (Burton's trademark composer) and Roger Pratt (a cinematographer who commonly works with Terry Gilliam) as part of the crew, Burton went into production with a budget of $35 million (later raised to $48 million).

Batman was shot in England due to the media interest and, because of a writer's strike, the script was still undergoing rewrites during production. Nicholson was particularly demanding, requiring a $6 million paycheck, a percentage of the film profits, and a certain number of hours off each day, making him the best paid actor for one role to date and grossing over $50 million. However, during production, attempts at leaks were the main problems. A publicist was offered 10,000 pounds for pictures of Nicholson as the Joker and two reels of footage were stolen, making it a hellish experience for Burton. All of this was added to the stress of having the ending being written while they were filming it. But on the bright side, Anton Furst's production design and Bob Ringwood's costume design were a success. Furst designed the sets with an expressionistic influence and deliberately mixed architectural styles to create a harsh, ugly environment. Ringwood had the different challenge of making Keaton, a man with a medium frame, appear large and intimidating. All was pulled off successfully, earning an Oscar for Art Direction.

Anticipation for the film was so high that they cut a trailer as soon as they could and released it without music to theaters causing instant excitement. Comic book fans were reassured and people would buy a ticket just to see the trailer, promptly leaving after it was done. "Batmania" broke out and $750 million worth of merchandise was sold in one summer. When the film was released, it broke several box office records and earned a total of over $400 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews, some complaining it was too dark, others complaining about the Prince songs, and still others complaining about deviations from the comic book series, but overall, it was well-received. It also created a new standard for comic book movies as well as a new market for them. So, everyone can say a big thank you to Tim Burton the next time a superhero blockbuster comes out.

Personally, Batman has never been a favorite of mine. As much as I love Jack Nicholson as the Joker, Michael Keaton just did not work for me. I've never been able to become emotionally engaged in the film, so as much as I can appreciate the themes of good vs evil, dual identity, outcasts in society, totalitarianism, etc, I just don't really care. And although it does not have as many trademarks as most of Burton's films, it does center around a misunderstood outcast, with dark themes, and stylized sets. Plus, for any Batman fans, it's a must see as the one that started it all. 3 stars.

Note: The above picture is Burton's concept art for the Joker.

Tim Burton: Beetlejuice

"This is my art, and it is dangerous! Do you think I want to die like this? " -Delia

Following the success of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Burton began to work the Batman script, but Warner Brothers was reluctant to begin production on it. He was being sent numerous, and what he considered "uncreative," scripts but became interested when he read Michael McDowell's Beetle Juice script, an original, but gruesome horror story. The first draft features a graphic death scene for the two main characters, numerous attempts to maim/kill the Deetz family, Beetlejuice as winged demon who takes the shape of a Middle Eastern man, a rape instead of marriage of Lydia, and mutilation by squirrel. However, due to creative differences, Burton hired a different writer, Warren Skaaren, to do the rewrites. Skaaren changed the film into a horror comedy that toned down all the unpleasant, turned Beetlejuice into a mildly threatening pervert, and added humorous elements. With the script, Burton began casting, with Sammy Davis, Jr in mind for the title role. The studio suggested Michael Keaton (Batman, Batman Returns) instead with whom Burton was pleasantly surprised. He quickly signed Winona Ryder (Edward Sissorhands) and Catherine O'Hara, but the other cast members, who would eventually include Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Jeffery Jones, required more convincing on such a "weird" script. Burton decided on a "B horror movie" look and with that he went into production with Bo Welch (Edward Sissorhands, Batman Returns) as his production designer, Thomas Ackerman ("Frankenweenie") as his cinematographer, Aggie Guerard Rodgers (Pee-Wee's Big Adventure) as his costume designer, and Danny Elfman as his composer doing both Burton and Elfman's second feature length. As an interesting side note, Warner Brothers did not like the name Beetlejuice and instead wanted House Ghosts. Burton jokingly suggested Scared Sheetless but regretted it when the studio seriously considered it.

Beetlejuice is about the young Maitland couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who accidentally drive off a bridge and return home to find out that they are now ghosts. As they try to adjust to their new states of being, a family from New York moves in featuring a stressed businessman (Jeffery Jones), a Goth teenage girl named Lydia (Winona Ryder), and a flaky "artist" (Catherine O'Hara) who wants to turn the Maitland's entire house inside out. Finding themselves unable to frighten the unwanted guests away, they turn to the "bio-exorcist," Beetlejuice, only to discover that they can't control him. Now, the Maitlands and Lydia, the only person who can see them, must work together to stop Beetlejuice from terrorizing the house.

Made on a budget of $13 million, Beetlejuice was a box office hit, earning $73 million in North American theaters. It was also received generally positive critical reviews with a few exceptions. It won several awards for make-up and special effects and is currently on the AFI Best Comedies list. Beetlejuice features several of Burton's directorial trademarks. It's bright colors and exaggerated production design give it a modern Gothic feel that would be in most of his later films. It also has a dog related to death ("Frankenweenie"), costumes with black and white stripes, and numerous scenes with claymation (Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride). Though not the main character, Beetlejuice is a misunderstood outcast with a unique physical appearance and personality like many of Burton's characters. Additionally, it has one of his signature opening credit sequences in which the credits play over a long moving shot of an object important to the film without being frequently seen.

Though not his best comedy, Beetlejuice is certainly a solid and creative film with excellent performances all around. There are many humorous moments and the plot keeps you guessing because of its pure originality. Obviously an early film, but a good watch none the less. 3.5 stars.

Tim Burton: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Pee-Wee: What did you do?
Mickey: Well, I lost my temper and I took a knife and I uh- Do you know those "Do Not Remove Under the Penalty of Law" labels they put on mattresses? Well, I cut one of them off!
Pee-Wee: Jee...
Mickey: Yeah, I have a real bad temper.

After leaving Disney, Tim Burton received an offer from comedian Paul Reubens to direct his first feature length film. Reubens' show, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, was doing so well that Warner Brothers wanted him to write a feature script and, having seen "Vincent" and "Frankenweenie," Reubens and the producers wanted Burton to direct. Burton was drawn to both Pee-Wee as a character and the humor of Pee-Wee's Playhouse and gladly accepted the job.

The film tells the story of Pee-Wee Herman, an eccentric man who cherishes his bicycle about all things. When it is stolen, Pee-Wee enlists the help of a psychic who sends to the basement of the Alamo to look for it. Along the way, he has run-ins with many quirky people who help him with his mission.

It was a commercially successful picture, making over $40 million in theaters compared to its $7 million budget, and the reviews, although mixed, were generally positive. Many elements of Burton's film making can already be seen in this film in everything from the central character being an eccentric loner to the use of some stop-motion animation. His overly colorful, cheerful sets in Pee-Wee's house and the town are strongly indicative of Edward Sissorhands. His exaggerated characters can be seen in his later comedies. Even his use of Danny Elfman, who composed his first film score for this movie, would set the standard for his future films. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure gained popularity over the years to become a cult classic and Burton was now considered to be a worthwhile risk for studios.

Personally, I would probably like this movie more if Pee-Wee himself were not so annoying. His incessant laughter is frustrating as is his make-up. Additionally, the story loses steam in the last act when it should be reaching it's climax. While the movie was excellent from a technical aspect, with fantastic production design, some excellent shots, and several good jokes, it is not something I would seek out or recommend just because of the main character's obnoxious personality. The depiction of Texas and Texans was very amusing however, and they did shoot on location in San Antonio. 2 stars.

Vampire Movies

"Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make!" -Dracula

So what's the deal with vampires? They're always mentioned along with werewolves, zombies, witches, and ghosts but they seem to be dominating current books, movies, and TV shows. Yes, Twilight did open up a whole new audience of tween girls to the genre, but even before that, they were the most popular of the supernatural creatures. Of course, it helps that now most vampires seem to be sexy, brooding young men who can't help but fall madly in love with the girl next door and, having sworn off humans, can live on the blood of unpopular animals such as rats. But even scary vampire movies are drawing people to the theaters! Whatever the reason the reason is, there are certainly a lot of vampire movies, many of which I've seen. And, it being the wonderful month of October, I have compiled this list of must-sees and must-nots to help your Halloween renting.

Nosferatu (1929)
Directed by F. W. Murnau
Here's the one that started it all. This classic German silent film is the first screen adaptation of Dracula and is one of the best. Amazingly well-done, still creepy today, and influential to all future vampire films, Nosferatu is a must. 4.5 stars.

Dracula (1931)
Directed by Tod Browning
While I'm all for sticking with the classics, this one just doesn't stand the test of time for me. It certainly set the standard for future Dracula films in America with Bela Legosi's mannerisms becoming the standard for the famous vampire and Dwight Frye as his sniveling henchmen, however the theatrical acting, a relic of silent films, doesn't hold true today. But classics are always worth giving a try, so if this one floats your way, make sure to watch it. 3 stars.

Vampyr (1932)
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
This Scandinavian film tells the story of a traveler named Allan Grey who stumbles upon a supernatural mystery featuring our favorite undead creature! Although not frightening anymore, this cleverly shot film is highly entertaining and has several changes to the vampire myth to great effect. I highly recommend this film but make sure you get the Criterion version or the print may be unwatchable. 4 stars.

Blood for Dracula (1974)
Directed by Paul Morrissey
I don't know exactly what happens in this movie since I couldn't get past the first 20 minutes but the general idea is that when there are no more virgins in Romania, Dracula travels to Italy in search of blood only to discover that virginity a hard thing to find. This movie is unbearably slow. If it wasn't for that, I'd probably think the horrible acting, obvious continuity issues, and wanton nudity was funny. Apparently Andy Warhol had something to do with it, so if that interests you, check it out. Otherwise, stay far, far away. 0.5 star.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Directed by Fran Rubei Kuzui
Written by Joss Whedon, this is the movie before the TV show and, unusually enough, is worse. However, that doesn't mean it can't be a fun watch! A teen comedy rather than a horror movie, look at it as Bring It On meets Dracula and you'll be in good shape. Just don't expect any of the same actors or characters (excepting Buffy). 3 stars.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
So, if Bram Stoker dropped acid and had 40 million dollars just lying around, this is the movie he'd make. Although, probably not with Keanu Reeves... I honestly got lost somewhere in the weirdness of it all which seemed to be making up for general lack of story. Really, Francis, I expected better from you. 1 star.

Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Directed by Neil Jordan
Any movie that stars both Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise can't be bad! Although they both have to make up for their tragic long hair with good acting. Based on an Anne Rice novel, this is a surprisingly interesting and well-written movie. However, don't expect a horror film with a lot a jumps. This is a character-driven, introspective piece about the nature of vampirism. 4 stars.

Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
Directed by Mel Brooks
Think Young Frankenstein except with Dracula. And in color. And less funny... 2.5 stars.

Immortality: The Wisdom of the Crocodiles (2000)
Directed by Po Chih Leong
Ok, so you know how a said that Interview With the Vampire is a character-driven, introspective piece about the nature of vampirism? Now, imagine that it's poorly written with weak characters and painfully arty. It magically transforms into Immortality! Not even Jude Law could pull this one off because, God bless him, he somehow thought he could play a role other than arrogant but charming hero. Silly boy! 1 star.

The Queen of the Damned (2002)
Directed by Michael Rymer
This hilariously bad semi-sequel to Interview With the Vampire answers the time old question of what do you do when immortality's got you down? Why, become a rock star of course! This movie is so bad that apparently it was necessary to keep Lestat shirtless for the last 20 minutes. Good for 100 minutes of laughs with friends! 1.5 stars.

Underworld (2003)
Directed by Len Wiseman
Everyone knows this one. It's the simple tale of Romeo and Juliet except this time with vampires and werewolves! Kate Beckinsdale kicks ass in leather pants while Scott Speedman just tries to keep up. A guilty pleasure more than a legitimately good movie, this is a good mindless action flick. PLUS VAMPIRES! 3.5 stars.

Van Helsing (2004)
Directed by Stephen Sommers
With Wolverine AND Faramir this movie should kick just as much ass as Underworld, however it lacks a certain something. We'll call it... coherency. This summer blockbuster features a combination of flat characters, crude humor, and a weird variation on the Dracula myth. 1 star.

Night Watch/Day Watch (2005/2006)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Although not strictly a vampire movie, Night Watch (and its sequel Day Watch) are visually stunning, terribly violent, and generally mind blowing. Timur Bekmambetov was born to direct action sequences and these movies have some doozies! Starring my favorite Russian, these movies are sure to show you something new. 4.5 stars/3.5 stars.

30 Days of Night (2007)
Directed by David Slade
This is a pretty basic vampire horror movie. The vampires are ridiculous and it stars Josh Hartnett but it's got a few jumps and little suspense to keep you watching. 3 stars.

I Am Legend (2007)
Directed by Francis Lawrence
I not sure whether these are vampires or zombies but they can't go into sunlight, so we'll put them here. This is actually a good horrorish movie with Will Smith as the last man on earth, still desperately trying to find a cure for zompirism. It's got a few scary moments, an adorable golden retriever, and some interesting themes. 4 stars.

Twilight (2008)
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes, this is technically a vampire movie. Yes, I have seen it. Yes, Edward Cullen is a running joke in my apartment. Yes, Robert Pattinson is a running joke in my apartment. Yes, vampires are in fact "sparkly" in the movie. Yes, I died laughing when I found this out. 2 stars.

Let the Right One In (2008)
Directed by Thomas Alfredson
Let's end this on a positive note. This is a Scandinavian film which is FREAKISHLY AMAZING! A young boy with no friends and an unhappy home life makes friends with the mysterious girl who moves in next to him and teaches him to stick up for himself. This is at times sweet, heart-wrenching, brutal, and beautiful and I would strongly recommend this movie to everyone whether you like vampire movies or not because this is so much more. 5 stars.

Tim Burton: Introduction, "Vincent," and "Frankenweenie"

Note: In honor of Alice in Wonderland, which is to be released March 2010, I have decided to do an overview of Tim Burton's work to date beginning with his early career with Disney. Enjoy!

"Vincent Malloy is seven years old,
He's always polite and does what he's told.
For a boy his age he's considerate and nice,
But he wants to be just like Vincent Price."

This opening narration from Tim Burton's 1982 "Vincent" could just as easily be used to describe Burton himself as it could the over imaginative slight morbid main character in the short. His long time love affair with early horror films, especially those of famed director Vincent Price and the exploitative, sensational films of the 1950s, is prominently displayed throughout his work lending his films a unique, distinctive visual style that is both instantly recognizable and highly imaginative. Additionally, his quirky personality and difficult home and school life have led to scripts centered around a lonely, misunderstood outsider with whom audiences both instantly sympathize and relate. This winning combination of style and story has quickly propelled Burton to one of the most popular directors in Hollywood.

Burton started his career as an animator for Disney who recruited him right out of college based on his hand drawn short "The Stalk of the Celery Monster." After being removed from The Fox and the Hound due to his roadkill-like concept art, he was reassigned to The Black Cauldron. He often relates this work to having a piece of his brain cut out and preferred to work on his own, more macabre shorts.

The first of these is "Vincent," a six minute animated short about a young boy who imagines that his life is like a movie by his hero Vincent Price, who actually narrates the short. The piece is set to a poem that Burton originally intended to turn into a children's book. It features black and white animation with stark lighting and harsh, distorted shadows creating an eerie, Gothic feel that would soon become a trademark. It also introduces his preferred heroic archetype of misunderstood outsider while at the same time, making fun of it to give it a lighter, more kid-friendly tone. It went on to screen at several film festivals and to win the Audience Award at Ottawa International Film Festival, but Disney didn't know what to do with it, so after giving Burton a pat on the back they put it to the side and all but forgot about it.

Burton's second short made under Disney is "Frankenweenie," a half hour, live-action short about a child Frankenstein who brings his dog Sparky back to life after he is hit by a car. Shot in the same black and white, Gothic style as "Vincent," this short takes a slightly more serious tone, developing strong family relationships as well as the love between a boy and his dog while managing to both spoof and homage his favorite classic horror films. Although this film is imaginative and charming, Disney deemed it to be too frightening for children and fired Burton for wasting company resources. Of course, this did not stop them from later releasing both shorts on their DVD release of The Nightmare Before Christmas once Tim Burton had become a name in the film industry.

Now free of Disney's restrictions, Tim Burton was free to pursue the promising artistic direction he had established in his early shorts.

Treasure Planet

"Now, you listen to me, James Hawkins. You got the makings of greatness in you, but you got to take the helm and chart your own course. Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails, and show what you're made of! Well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light coming off you that day." -John Silver

Disney's Treasure Planet is a futuristic sci-fi version of Robert Louis Steven's Treasure Island, a tale about Jim Hawkins who is part of a crew in search of Captain Flint's treasure only to discover that the ship's cook, Long John Silver, is a pirate planning a mutiny in order the get the treasure all for himself. In this particular version, Jim Hawkin's is voiced by my future Hollywood bestie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which on its own would make it worth watching. However, this also came from an interesting time in Disney animation. Having only intermittent success since Aladdin, Disney was now being challenged by Fox and Warner Brothers as the dominant family animators. And the threat wasn't coming in their typical genre.

In 1999, Warner Brothers released The Iron Giant, a sci-fi adventure film directed by Brad Bird. Though it was poorly marketed and under released, this charming story about a boy and his giant space robot gained a level of critical acclaim that Disney had not seen since 1994's The Lion King. The next year, 20th Century Fox released Titan A.E., a post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure film about Cale (Matt Damon) and Akima (Drew Barrymore) as they search for a space station that can save mankind. Though this film also underperformed due to poor marketing, it must have been a blow to Disney's ego and consequently forced them to expand into the heretofore untouched sci-fi adventure genre with strong male leads searching for excitement and their spunky female love interests to help them.

Thus, Disney released Atlantis: The Lost Empire in 2001. Michael J. Fox voices Milo who, on the eve of World War II, has found a map to Atlantis. However, when he gets there, he discovers that Atlantis may need more help than it can give. Although Atlantis did better than the other two movies in theaters, it still did not make enough in the US to cover its production costs. Unfortunately, Disney could not blame this on poor marketing like The Iron Giant or Titan A.E. as was reinforced by the generally average to poor reviews it received. Accused of having a general lack of character and plot development, perhaps Disney had just strayed too far from what they knew. They were willing to give it another shot the following year with Treasure Planet.

With this, finally, they had done it. By using their already established skills of adaptation, they too had produced an family-friendly animated sci-fi film that had relatively good reviews on par with Titan A.E. Disney even went all out on the animation, layering 2D animation over 3D to create a unique and stunning visual effect. Plus, they made a new first by simultaneously releasing it in regular theaters and IMAX. It was a success! In everything but box office figures that is. High DVD sales and good reviews weren't enough to make up for a box office flop and Disney washed its hands of that crazy fad to return to more comfortable movies like 2003's Brother Bear.

And so the animated sci-fi genre ended soon after it began, but not without leaving a few gems worth watching. The Iron Giant and Titan A.E. of course but I would personally add Treasure Plant for it's stunning animation, well-adapted plot, and charming lead. If you can forgive the feel-good Disney end added to the original Treasure Island story, I think you'll find the lack of romance an interesting twist to the Disney formula. It's an adventure story pure and simple with the most developed relationship that of father/son. These short-lived sci-fi films show a great deal of potential in children's entertainment that could be equal to the Disney princesses given the right marketing. Each of these thrilling tales has it's own cult following and hopefully that will be enough to respark interest in the genre soon.

The Boy With Green Hair

“Please don’t tell why his hair turned green after you’ve seen The Boy With Green Hair!”

The Boy with Green Hair is a sci-fi movie released in 1948 about a boy whose hair turns green the day after he finds out he’s a war orphan. A fairly obvious parable for how wars affect children, this is a pretty average movie which is not nearly as entertaining as its name suggests. However, was is interesting is the theme song for the film, none other than “Nature Boy” by eden ahbez. If you don’t recognize the name, you’ll definitely recognize the song as it is the opening in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! The original recording of the song plays throughout the film creating an odd effect because of its modern associations. Funny how things happen... 2 stars.

“There was a boy,
A strange enchanted boy.
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea.
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he.

And then one day,
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings,
This he said to me,
"The greatest thing
You’ll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved
In return.”

"Shoot That Motherfucker"

Tonight I was bored. I wanted to watch TV. "Wanted" was on. I heard it wasn't very good, but I though maybe it wasn't THAT bad and figured it would nevertheless be entertaining and action-packed.

Apparently, no one impressed upon me just how bad this movie was. I thought if I had to hear James McAvoy say "oh my God" again or see another close up of his sweaty, vein-popping face, I was gonna flip. His American accent was believable, but it was still weird. And annoying at times.

The part where James McAvoy jumped through a window and started shooting people was pretty badass... I have hard time seeing him as a badass though.

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of his. But I just didn't enjoy him in this movie.

This movie did keep me busy for about an hour and half or however long it was, but it wasn't worth it. Shucks. I could've watched SVU or House instead.

Well, now I'm kinda tired but I'm probably gonna watch Buffy or something before I go to bed. That way, I will have weird dreams about vampires instead of about killing my father and shooting dead pigs.

Chungking Express

"If memories could be canned, would they also have expiry dates? If so, I hope they last for centuries." -Cop 223

Chinese director Kar Wai Wong's Chungking Express tells the story of two Hong Kong cops both disconnected and lonely in the big city. The first story is about Cop 223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who has been dumped by his long time girlfriend and decides that by the end of the month he will either win back his girlfriend or lose her altogether. In the second, Cop 663 (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), recently dumped by his girlfriend, catches the attention of an eccentric waitress (Faye Wong) determined to help his find happiness again.

This beautifully shot, impressionistic film is not plot driven or even necessarily character driven. It is emotionally driven and so powerfully so that you get lost in the poetry of the camerawork and the depth and honesty of the characters. Loss, heartache, isolation, new love, and hope are all brilliantly portrayed with the help of the wonderfully understated but well-written script. With its skillful use of color and motion and its subtle storytelling ability, this poignant film will take your breath away. 5 stars.

Cry-Baby

"Juvenile delinquents are everywhere. Right here in this community. Boys with long hair and tattoos who spit on the sidewalk. Girls who wear tight slacks. Hysterectomy pants, I call them." -Mrs. Vernon-Williams

John Water's Cry-Baby is a fun-loving, campy musical set in 1954 about a "square" turned "drape," Allison Vernon-Williams (Amy Locane). Tired of being good, Allison falls hard for Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker (Johnny Depp), named for his ability to shed a single tear, who (crazily enough) has got it bad for Allison. But between Allison's disapproving boyfriend and grandmother and Cry-Baby-obsessed Lenora, the two have some difficulty finding their happy ending.

One of Johnny Depp's lesser known and John Water's best known movies, Cry-Baby is a quirky and original romance that features a wide array of interesting supporting characters and random humor that reminds us why we love musicals. It does an interesting job of retelling the boy-and-girl-from-opposite-sides-of-the-tracks story and is completely charming while doing it. I've seen it a couple times and it has become one of my favorite musicals from sheer camp value and soundtrack alone. If you have any fondness for the 50s and its music, you'll love this movie. 4 stars.

Gerry

"Fuck the thing! It's probably just some thing at the end of the trail." -Gerry

And with these words, the two Gerrys who are hiking in a "wilderness area" get utterly lost where they walk and walk and walk and walk and walk and very occasionally talk. That is the entire plot. I'm not summarizing or exaggerating. That's it. This extremely arty movie is directed by Gus van Sant, stars Matt Damon and Casey Afflack, and is co-written by the three. Which couldn't have been that hard considering how little dialogue there is. This is a movie in which nothing happens very slowly. As a metaphor for life, it is interesting enough but it's definitely a movie to watch while doing something else. Like watching paint dry. Then you could double your enjoyment. If someone recommends this movie to you, it's as a joke. Fair warning. 2 stars.

Public Enemies

"You ain't going nowhere. I'm gonna die an old man in your arms. We're too good for 'em. They ain't tough enough, smart enough or fast enough. I can hit any bank I want, any time. They got to be at every bank, all the time. That's why we're on top of the world. Ain't nobody can lay a glove on us. No ... I ain't going nowhere. Neither are you. What you got to say about that?" -John Dillinger

As we all know, Public Enemies is about the life of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) starting with his prison escape in 1933 and taking us through his crime spree that drew the attention of the newly formed FBI and ultimately made him into Public Enemy #1. Christian Bale plays Melvin Purvis the FBI agent trying to take him down, Marion Cotillard plays his girlfriend Billie Frechette, and Billy Crudup plays J. Edgar Hoover. Several well-known gangsters from the time period such as Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson also make appearances.

I expected Michael Mann's Public Enemies to be a summer blockbuster but what I didn't expect was gritty cinematography and sound design in a period gangster movie. With handheld camera work, frequent tight facial closeups, and a fair amount of location sound, the action scenes are much more real and startling especially when compared to the highly romanticized style of most period gangster movies. This, combined with the depiction of both gangsters and FBI men as lunatics capable of atrocities makes an interesting variation to the usual noble cops or noble gangster idea. Dillinger himself is of course depicted through rose-colored glasses. Although he is shown shooting guards or cops, he is the most admirable of the criminals and is redeemed of all shortcomings through his love for and devotion to Billie Frechette. Also, for an action movie, it's not afraid to have quiet moments or linger on a person's face as they are thinking. The acting was all-around convincing, the characters engaging, and it never for a second felt like two and a half hours. I highly recommend it. 4 1/2 stars.

Movies to Look Forward to This Summer

In answer to your question Mary, these are the movies we must see this summer:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Of course. Midnight showing and all. July 15

(500) Days of Summer
Marc Webb. Joseph Gordan-Levitt. Zooey Deschanel. Need I say more? July 17

Adam
Adorable looking movie about an autistic man and his neighbor. July 29

Julie & Julia
Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in a movie about Julia Child and the woman who cooked her way through Child's cookbook. Passion. Ambition. Butter. August 7

District 9
Comedy? Drama? I don't know, but aliens in India equals me in a theater seat. August 14

Ponyo
Looks like another classic from Studio Ghibli! With the voices of Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Lili Tomlin, and the Jonas Brothers youngest. August 14

Inglorious Bastards
Quentin Tarantino's World War II epic starring Brad Pitt, BJ Novak, and Mike Meyers. How could this be bad? August 21

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

"My father was a wheel! The first wheel! And do you know what he transformed into? Nothing! But he did it with honor!" -Jetfire

Micheal Bay's Transformers 2 was just as hilariously entertaining as the first. The plot is loosely that the Transformers' ancestors landed here during the caveman days with some huge machine that would gather power presumably by destroying the sun, but while all the other Transformers wanted to leave humans alone so that they could flourish and thrive, the Fallen wanted to blow up the sun out of laziness so that they wouldn't have to find another energy source. So, they incapacitated the Fallen and put the "Matrix of Leadership" under protection so that no one could operate the machine. But in present day, the Fallen has resurfaced and only Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), under extraordinarily slim reasoning, can find the matrix and SAVE THE WORLD! Of course, he has the help of his attractive girlfriend (Megan Fox), conspiracy theorist college roommate (Leo Spitz), some racially stereotypical Autobots, and his government nemesis from the last movie (John Turturro).

With plot holes left and right, an overabundance of action scenes (with plentiful explosions, of course), lots of revolving cameras, and some incredibly cheesy dialogue, this movie is worth watching only if you're willing to laugh when you should gasp. After all, what other movie would have the US military putting all of their trust into a college freshman with whom they have had little to no communication over the past two years or, without explanation, bring back the protagonists parents so that they too could in slow motion outrun explosions in the desert or have soldiers using standard military guns as their only weapons against giant transforming alien robots or have one Transformer that can look like a human while all the rest look like cars with bad paint jobs. The funniest parts of the movie come from a pair of Mexican-style Transformers who are clearly there for comic relief but if that's not enough Bay throws in Sam's roommate, who seems to appear and disappear at random, and Agent Simmons just in case you got bored for a second. And although Bay prides himself on his action scenes, it is rather difficult to know which Transformer is winning in hand-to-hand combat when you can't tell where one starts and the other ends. One of the funniest movies of the summer for all the wrong reasons. Here's to a trilogy! 1 star.

The Brothers Bloom

"Trick to being cheated is to learn how to cheat" -Penelope

In Rian Johnson's second feature length film, Adrian Brody (Bloom) and Mark Ruffalo (Stephen) star as two brothers and con artists who, as their last con, fool eccentric millionaire Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz) into believing they are art smugglers and take her on a trans-Atlantic adventure. Younger brother Bloom is tired of the life and becomes more and more angst-ridden as he falls in love with Penelope, while older brother Stephen looks at each con as a chance to tell a story that will give everyone what they want. With the help of silent explosive expert Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi) and fellow con man The Curator (Robbie Coltrane), The Brothers Bloom successfully tells an entertaining story with some witty dialogue and well-developed characters that is definitely worth watching.

Or at least that's what I thought until the last half hour. Johnson's mistake was that he had two endings and the first was better than the second. Just when I thought it was over a new problem arose that was annoying, repetitive, and unsatisfactory. Also, the inclusion of mentor turned villain, Diamond Dog, was both unnecessary and unexplained. While the characters were charming, the majority of the plot was interesting, and the numerous references to James Jocye's Ulysses thoughtful, these story problems caused the film to be a let down after feature debut, Brick. However, I do not give up hope that Rian Johnson is in fact a talented writer/director to keep an eye on in the future and I will definitely being seeing his next film, Looper, a sci-fi thriller expected to come out next year. 3 stars.

Interesting bit of trivia: Joseph Gordan-Levitt and Nora Zehetner, the leads from Brick, have a cameo in the bar scene in the beginning.

Bent

"I saw you by the river. You were making a fool of yourself, and I said, someday I'll be in Dachau with that man moving rocks." -Horst

Bent, a Holocaust film directed by Sean Mathias and written by Martin Sherman, is about Max (Clive Owen), a homosexual who is put into the concentration camps where he claims to be a Jew. He is forced to do horrible things by the Nazis in order to survive the trip to the concentration camp but, once there, meets Horst (Lothaire Bluteau). While hauling rocks from one end of a field to the other, they fall in love and Max becomes torn between his love for Horst and his desire to survive.

Thanks to this movie, I now know how much more explicit verbal sex between two men standing three feet apart and not looking at or touching each other can be than actually seeing the deed. This was probably the most exploitative scene in the film and seems to be added as a "crowd-pleasing" move. Aside from this and a few of the other more manipulative elements that are found in any movie about Nazis, it was an interesting take on the Holocaust and an overall touching film. The acting was excellent with Clive Owen in one of his early and non-action oriented roles that foretells his part in Closer. Lotharie Bluteau was perfect in his supporting role although I believe the rest of his career is sadly made up of appearances on Law and Order. Jude Law has a ten second role as a stormtrooper which was very amusing and Ian McKellen plays a small role as Max's discreetly gay uncle. However, the actor that takes the cake is Mick Jagger who has a cameo as Greta, a drag queen performer in a gay night club. What stripped the film of most of its potential sentimentality was the simplicity of the script, score, and desolate wide shots that conveys an feeling of resigned despair. The character development is strong and the ending poetic making Bent a strong film that explores an overlooked area of history with only the occasionally unnecessary scene. 3 1/2 stars.

FYI- This movie is rated NC-17, probably for the aforementioned scene. This would have been helpful to know before watching it...