Author Archives: The Filmsmith

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold: title fail

Posted on June 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

Morgan Spurlock’s debut documentary, Super Size Me, didn’t offer any revelatory information (eating McDonald’s everyday is bad for you? Say it ain’t so!), but actually seeing the food’s physical effects on Spurlock in heavy doses made you question the merits of even the occasional Big Mac. Spurlock’s latest venture, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, again declares the obvious (product placement exists), but gives little motivation to ring the alarms. Continue reading →

X-Men First Class gets B- (but kind of hates women and minorities)

Posted on June 3, 2011 | 9 comments

The re-boot: what an intriguing concept. A production company just Etch A Sketches the previous narrative to start a new one. One motive is the hope of re-invigorating a franchise that’s hobbling along; both Spider-Man and X-Men got their re-boots (Spider-Man hits next year) after weak third installments. Or maybe you just don’t want to spend the money to maintain your now-expensive lead actors and directors. For the audience it’s almost like losing the lottery: you spend three films (over the course of a decade) investing in the characters and their narrative, only to be told you’ll have to re-invest (maybe that’s more like the stock market). Fortunately X-Men First Class offers some legitimate incentives to do so, but it’s not without its flaws. Continue reading →

9 Comments

Posted in Reviews

Tagged James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Vaughn, Michael Fassbender, Misogyny, race, representational politics, women, X-Men: First Class

George Lucas Strikes Back – and it’s hilarious

Posted on June 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

George Lucas, once a God to nerds around the world, has become their whipping boy thanks to the terrible Star Wars prequels. Now, someone has explained what led Lucas astray in the delightful video, “George Lucas Strikes Back.” Continue reading →

Everything Must Go: Will Ferrell more than a funny man

Posted on June 1, 2011 | Leave a comment

The recent films of Will Ferrell have been hit and miss. The Other Guys was a fantastic return to the improv magic of Anchorman (both were directed by Adam McKay), while Land of the Lost and Semi-Pro were not met with kind reviews or box office figures. If Ferrell isn’t a guaranteed hit-maker, he does have a great opportunity to try his hand at other roles. And as the lead in the drama Everything Must Go, he’s something to behold. Continue reading →

DVD Pick of the Week: Kaboom

Posted on May 30, 2011 | 2 comments

In light of recent discussion of Cannes here at The Filmsmith, it is all too fitting that Gregg Araki’s latest film, Kaboom, should come out on DVD this week. Last year at the festival, it inaugurated a brand new award – The Queer Palm, Cannes’ first LGBT prize – showcasing the best queer film at the fest. Kaboom had a very limited theatrical run, so now that it’s available on DVD it demands to be seen. It will be enjoyable for those familiar with the director’s previous works, or just as great for those interested in seeing a stylish, exuberant, youthful coming-of-age tale. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Reviews

Tagged comin of age, Douglas Sirk, Greg Akari, LGBT, sexual odyssey

Cannes 2011 Rewind

Posted on May 27, 2011 | 1 comment

As The Filmsmith predicted, Terrence Malick’s nostalgic, personal epic The Tree of Life collected the top prize on Sunday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. But the week was filled with upsets and snubs, directors lauded and thrown out, and a mysterious silent film that surprisingly was one of the most beloved films in competition. Here’s the rundown of what may have been one of the best festivals in years. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in News

Tagged 2011, cannes, drive, lars von trier, rundown

Videogames: Fun, but no story.

Posted on May 25, 2011 | 4 comments

When Halo:Reach was a released back in September 2010 it made almost 200 million dollars in a day. Over an extended weekend (Wednesday-Sunday), the biggest blockbuster can only muster $125 million. These figures, combined with growing attempts by the video game industry to become more accessible to the general public (Wii, Xbox 360’s Kinect), make it a medium on the rise. The only problem is we have yet to see a truly great story told by this technology. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in Articles

Tagged alan wake, Art, Cinema, controversy, Movies, roger ebert, story, video games

The Burden of Dreams: Five Films that Barely (If Ever) Got Made

Posted on May 20, 2011 | 2 comments

Several weeks ago, Flicker Alley released a documentary called Henri Georges Clouzot’s Inferno, which chronicled the attempt to make the titular film by the titular director. Clouzot was famous for his thrillers in the 50’s (Le Corbeau, The Wages of Fear, Les Diaboliques), and with his newest venture attempted to make his masterpiece. Unfortunately, until now, what he was working on never saw the light of day, because Clouzot suffered from an unlimited budget, a strict deadline, an insurmountable vision, and in the end, the loss of his lead actor and a heart attack. But Clouzot is not alone; rather, he is surrounded by cinematic greats when it comes to lost, or nearly lost, projects that almost killed them. Hee are several of his companions in the desolate locale of brilliant failure. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Articles

Tagged Don Quixote, fitzcarraldo, incomplete films, Inferno, Napoleon, Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Unfinished Masterpieces

Bridesmaids not just for the ladies

Posted on May 18, 2011 | 2 comments

The ad agency responsible for Bridesmaids‘ promotional material should be fired, because this is not The Hangover for women. It’s a comedy with heart that will have both men and women cackling with glee. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Reviews

Tagged Bridesmaids, Comedy, Judd Apatow, Kristen Wiig, Romance