"CSNY - Deja/Vu" Review - Traverse City Film Festival
July 31, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
| Film: CSNY Deja Vu * Official Site | In Theaters: July 25, 2008 (limited) |
| Runtime: 96 minutes | Directed by: Bernard Shakey |
| MPAA Rating: R for some language and brief war images | Gecko Rating: |
Now here’s a well-done documentary that really gives audiences something to think about. The film follows the legendary Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young on their 2006 “Freedom of Speech” tour that criss-crossed America. While the band’s message is clearly anti-war, I appreciate that both sides of the issue were given.
Much of that is because Mike Cerre, who co-wrote the film with Neil Young, has seen both sides of the issue. He was embedded with an American troop in Iraq, and in this film, he’s embedded with the band on their tour bus. I’m not sure anyone else could have given us the well-rounded film that Cerre did.
Read More…
Sam Raimi Teams with Disney for "Transplants"
July 31, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
I didn’t really expect Sam Raimi to go Disney anytime soon, but the director who helmed 30 Days of Night, Drag Me to Hell, and the Grudge trilogy is taking the leap.
He’ll produce “The Transplants,” an action-adventure pitch from scribes Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, under his Stars Road Entertainment banner he runs with partner Josh Donen.
Not much is known about the project, though it’s been described as a four-quadrant ensemble superhero story with a comedic bent.” Hmmm…that could mean anything.
I just wonder if Raimi can dial it down enough to satisfy the Disney folks — and their audience. The edgiest thing they’ve done in recent years is National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
What do you Raimi fans think? Is this a good fit?
Image: Sam Raimi, Spider-Man, Columbia Pictures, 2002; Source: Hollywood Reporter
"Up the Yangtze" Review - Traverse City Film Festival
July 30, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
| Film: Up the Yangtze * Official Site | In Theaters: Screenings |
| Runtime: 93 minutes | On DVD: Nov. 18, 2008 |
| MPAA Rating: Not Rated | Gecko Rating: |
Directed by Yung Chang, this beautifully shot documentary chronicles the changes taking place on the Yangtze River in China. Luxury cruise boats such as Victoria Cruises, motor up the river, carrying Western tourists eager for a final glimpse of the legendary river’s ancient and revered sites. Massive changes are about to take place.
In a huge engineering feat, China has decided to harness the Yangtze with the world’s largest hydroelectric dam known as the Three Gorges Dam. Soon, the river will rise, displacing everything — and everyone — in its path.
Read more…
"Helvetica" Review - Traverse City Film Festival
July 30, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
| Film: Helvetica * Official Site | On DVD: Nov. 20, 2007 |
| Runtime: 80 minutes | Directed by: Gary Hustwit |
| MPAA Rating: Not Rated | Gecko Rating: |
I now know pretty much everything I need to know about Helvetica. The humble typeface graces everything from Coca-Cola ads to American Airlines planes to Run DMC album covers. And though it fell out of favor at one point in typeface history, it now reigns supreme once again.
Why? Because, as the experts in this documentary tell us, it’s clear, concise, easy to read, and works well in any instance needing a typeface.
Read more…
"Dancing" - Traverse City Film Festival
July 30, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
The Traverse City Film Festival is off to a great start. I saw three films today — all documentaries. Reviews to follow.
It’s amazing to me how smoothly the event runs with only one paid employee, Deb Lake, who’s truly the Energizer Bunny of the film festival set. How she coordinates everything is just incomprehensible to me. There are also hundreds of volunteers who love movies and are passionate about bringing them to Traverse City. More power to them.
Prior to one of the films I saw today was a short little feel-good flick called “Dancing.” It’s been making its way around the Internet, and its home base is WhereTheHellIsMatt.com. Matt Harding spent 14 months and danced his way around the world — through 42 countries. The music, “Praan” — by Garry Schyman, vocals by Palbasha Siddique — is available on Amazon MP3. Check it out:
New on DVD: July 29, 2008
July 29, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
Shine a Light (2008). Martin Scorsese’s documentary-homage to The Rolling Stones. Gecko Review. Official Site. Buy It.
Top Gun (Blu-ray). Tom Cruise stars as a maverick trainee pilot who refuses to follow the rules at a Navy aviation training facility. Released in theaters, 1986. IMDB Page. Buy It.
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School (2007). New “wizards in training” Alex (Selena Gomez) and her brothers Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin) love to use magical potions brews and spells to cut corners on things like homework and chores. Gecko DVD Giveaway. Official Site. Buy It.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008, Unrated 2-Disc Special Edition). John Cho and Kal Penn star in this crude flick that takes the pair on an ill-fated flight to Amsterdam, during which they’re mistaken for terrorists. Official Site. Buy It.
Read more…
DVD Giveaway: Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School
July 29, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
THE DVD: We LOVE the Disney Channel around here, so were pretty excited when Wizards of Waverly Place premiered last fall. The characters are fun, the storyline entertaining, and there’s always a good message about doing the right thing.
The show revolves around Alex (Selena Gomez) and her two brothers, Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin). They’re just average kids living in NYC except for one thing: they’re wizards in training! This DVD includes four episodes, including when the kids adopt a pet dragon, try to learn the ropes at wizard school, and attempt to charm their parents into letting them use more magic. 90 Minutes. Rated TV-G. Bonus Feature: Behind the Scenes with the Cast.
THE GIVEAWAY: I have THREE DVDs of “Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School” to give away. To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday, August 2, 2008. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winners will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winners for their snail-mail address after the contest ends. Good luck!
Image: Amazon.com
Jennifer Lopez to Star in "The Governess"
July 29, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
I guess the twins aren’t keep Jennifer Lopez busy enough. Variety is reporting that she’ll star in the upcoming romantic comedy, The Governess, with Nigel Cole directing.
The story centers on a professional thief who, in order to pull off a major bank heist, poses as a nanny to the three unruly children of a wealthy widower. When she starts to fall for the kids and their father, well… you know the rest of the story…
The Governess was written by Kevin Wade, who also wrote another Lopez movie, Maid in Manhattan (I loved that movie!).
Shooting is scheduled to begin in Massachusetts in the fall. Lopez is currently in pre-production on the indie project, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits.
WHEN does she have time to do all these projects?! I know, she and hubby Marc Anthony probably have five nannies on staff.
Image: Maid in Manhattan, Columbia Pictures, 2002
Asimov’s "Foundation" Heads to Big Screen
July 29, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation is headed to the big screen, with Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, New Line founders-turned-producers helming the project through their Unique Features banner.
Based on Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy, Foundation centers on a society that has figured out how to predict the future based on a method called psychohistory. A foundation is set up to explore ways to protect and ensure the society’s survival.
The project, which features such characters as the prophetic Hari Seldon and a villain called the Mule, spans hundreds of years, essentially tracking the rise and fall of civilizations.
Shaye and Lynne say if the first book adaptation is successful, they might follow New Line’s Lord of the Rings lead and develop the second and third books.
Image: Amazon.com
DVD Giveaway: Hannah Montana, Zack & Cody, Cory in the House
July 28, 2008 by Jane Boursaw
1) Wish Gone Amiss. Three episodes from the hit Disney Channel shows: 1) Cory (Cory in the House) wishes himself into the presidency; Miley (Hannah Montana) wishes she could be Hannah Montana all the time; and Zack and Cody (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) wish themselves into superheroes. Bonus Feature: I Wish I May, I Wish I Might: A Guide to Making Wishes, hosted by Hannah Montana’s Jason Earles. 68 minutes.
2) Cory in the House: Newt & Improved Edition. Three episodes from the hit Disney Channel series: 1) Cory and Meena come up with a clever plan to help Newt in the “romantical department,” 2) The guys totally clash when they have to write a hot new song for their band, and 3) Cory almost destroys the cherished Presidential Seal. Bonus Feature: Breakin’ Down Cory in the House - Get the Inside Scoop on How an Episode is Made form Start to Finish. 90 minutes.
THE GIVEAWAY: The winner will receive BOTH of the above DVDs. To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Thursday, July 31, 2008. Be sure to include a valid email address. A winner will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winner for their snail-mail address after the contest ends. Good luck!
Image: Amazon.com
