movie galleries art 2011: September 2009

Rabu, 30 September 2009

Gamer

Dir: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank, Crank: High Voltage)
Cast: Gerard Butler, Amber Valletta, Alison Lohman, Michael C Hall, Logan Lerman, Kyra Sedgwick, Ludicris, John Leguizamo, Zoe Bell
USA, 2009

Seen: September 4, 2009 at Scotiabank

Reason to see: Gaming-centric film with Gerard Butler? I'm exactly that target market.

Wow. I'll give Gamer 2 things and 2 things only. 1) Michael C. Hall was fantastic as the eccentric monopoly megalomania . 2) They totally tricked me! The trailers had no hint at all of a huge section of the film filled with gender crap and gaming/virtual reality scenarios where women are subjected to awful potential or actual scenarios and are literally treated like objects. Have any doubts? Look at the characters names listed for the film, specifically Rick ____.

The side of the film that they do show in the trailer with the prisoners-are-being-played-in-extremely-violent-scenarios is only about half of the film and the action for it was extreme but not bloody (ratings choice?). The world created was reminiscent of something between Starship Troopers and Repo! The Genetic Opera but without singing or aliens. The gaming worlds itself was full of loopholes and rarely provided clear explanation to how or why things happened.

I'm shocked I stayed to watch it in full. I don't think I'll be seeing any more films for me by these directors.

Shannon's Overall View:
I hated it
I will not watch it again
I'd recommend it people who liked Crank, which was a Non-Review

15 minutes of preshow including 5 commercials and 5 previews: The Wolfman (2010), Surrogates, Jennifer's Body, The Fourth Kind and Saw VI

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2009

Monthly Wallpaper - October 2009: Vampires

That's right, we're all about the Vamps for October, as you can see with this month's movie calendar wallpaper.

Count down to Halloween with no less than four Draculas, two vampire lesbians and one lost boy, and don't forget to vote for your favorite Drac in the latest MD Poll.

All you have to do is click on the picture above to enlarge it, then simply right click your mouse and select "Set as Background". (You can also save it to your computer and set it up from there if you prefer.) The size is 1024 x 768, but you can modify it if needed in your own photo-editing program.

Black Sunday / La maschera del demonio

Dir: Mario Bava (Black Sabbath)
Source Material: Short story "The Viy" by Nikolai Gogol
Cast: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici, Enrico Olivieri
Italy, 1960

Seen: September 26, 2009

Reason to Review: Vampathon: Vampire Film Marathon *

Gems like Black Sunday are the exact reason I do marathons and to see films lists, because you never know when you are going to uncover a truly fantastic film. I had preconception of the film other than noting it placed high on a vampire film list. In terms of a vampire film I would say that is stretching the definition a little bit as there are elements of vampirism but overall the film is more in a religious good & evil vein. And yes, I still liked it. Loved it in fact.

It's in beautiful black & white, has a creepy undertone and impressive effects for 1960. There were even moments that grossed me out which I wasn't expecting. Barbara Steele is absolutely fantastic in the film bringing complete and total evilness alive on the screen. Her performance is captivating and steals the show every time she appears. Even thought this was the first time seeing the film, I felt nostalgic about it given the extremely straight forward characters and motivations, the classic settings and it also had a strong adventurous spirit to it which we don't always see in horror. A great film to watch on a Sunday afternoon with a big bowl of popcorn and the curtains drawn.

Also called The Mask of Satan

Shannon's Overall View:
I love it
I own it
I'd recommend to fans of classic & horror films

Return to Film Reviews, See all Vampire Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2009

* Vampathon is a 16 week marathon explore vampire films from Nosferatu (1922) up to the upcoming release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Whiteout

Dir: Dominic Sena (Gone in 60 Seconds)
Cast: Kate Beckinsdale, Tom Skerritt, Gabriel Macht, Columbus Short, Alex O'Loughlin
USA/Canada, 2009

Seen: Sept 24, 2009 at AMC

Reason to see: Action film with Kate Beckinsdale - I'm in.

I'll preface this review by saying that it was the first film I saw after TIFF'09 closed, which means it the deck is pretty much stacked against it. After seeing 39 high calibre films from around the world, a regular blockbuster doesn't stand be best of chances. And I chose watching it over Jennifer's Body regardless even being aware of it's really low rating on Rotten Tomatoes (6% as of Sept 30/09).

All that being said, it was ever so slightly better than I expected. Which doesn't mean it was great by all means but it was mostly entertaining and I love seeing locations filled with snow. I enjoyed Kate Beckinsdale's US Marshall character, although I find it hard to believe Antarctica would have a US Marshall - especially after seeing the documentary Encounters at the End of the World. I also enjoyed seeing Tom Skerritt on screen, even though it's ingrained in my brain to think of him as Dallas (from Alien) and even while taking notes during the film I wrote "Dallas does...", etc.

The film started to lose me when I was picking up how reminiscent it was of other films (The Thing, The Thing From Another World, Real Genius, etc) and kept loosing me when the it swung from mystery vibe to gross horror to drama. But what really threw me off was that the sense of sense of space, distance, different groups of people and locations was not very well defined. Often I was thinking - where are they now? Who are those people? How would someone get there? Some of that could be the mystery angle, but certainly not all. There was definitely and interesting idea in there, but I found it got lost somewhere along with way.

But, because of the beauty of locations, getting to see snow and the fact that I just like a lot of the actors I would watch it again.

Shannon's Overall View:
I didn't love it
I would watch it again
I'd recommend it as light action/thriller fare

16 minutes of preshow including 4 commercials and 5 previews: Fame, Alice in Wonderland (2010), Surrogates, The Fourth Kind and Lovely Bones

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2009

Pandorum

Dir: Christian Alvart (Case 39, Antibodies)
Cast: Ben Foster, Denis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Chun Le, Eddie Rouse
USA/Germany, 2009

Seen: September 25, 2009 at AMC

Reason to see: Sci Fi got me in the door, plus looking forward to see Ben Foster in a more leading role

First off, this is not really a science fiction film but rather a horror film in a science fiction setting. Not really knowing that is what I get for liking to go see films with so little context. As a horror film, has some decent tension, it can make you jump but mostly with jump scares. As for the Sci Fi element it's lacking in a lot of ways. Primarily the story, where there are a few interesting ideas they are often under explored and throw us back to a random action scene. So many things are left unexplained and the amount of inconsistencies, incongruities or the worst was something conveniences 'fixing' a scenario to keep moving forward had me stifling laughter.

It was quite a disappointment, especially given the cast but it doesn't seem like they had much to work with. The performance by Cam Gigandet was quite strong, and I will keep looking forward to more work from Ben Foster but this film wasn't a great showcase for anyone. I will give it the nod that I didn't always know what was going on, but I'm not sure how much of a compliment that is.

Shannon's Overall View:
It has a lot of problems
I would watch it again though, I'm such a sucker for Sci Fi
I'd recommend it if you like SciFi/Horror and don't mind incongruities

16 minutes of preshow including 4 commercials and 5 previews: Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Fourth Kind, Law Abiding Citizen, The Road and Up in the Air

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2009

Selasa, 29 September 2009

DIY Entertainment Club: September 2009

Another month, another DIY Entertainment Club! This month was inspired in equal parts of vampires and film festivals.

The Lost Boys
80's classic vampire film with lots of cool boys and a girl named Star. It's also next weeks selection for the Vampathon.

Interview with the Vampire
I think I'm becoming a vampire completist or did I just not want ayone to know I own Queen of the Damned but not Interview with the Vampire? Cat is out of the bag now! Also will be featured as a selection for the Vampathon.

Repo! The Genetic Opera
One of the craziest screenings at Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2008. I listen to the soundtrack a fair amount and at the time it was on amazon for a steal around $6 so I couldn't say no!

Chrysalis
Great French futuristic SciFi/Action that was one of my faves from TIFF back in 2007, which had a Q&A that led me to see the awesome Eyes Without a Face as it was inspirational to the film. I'm thrilled to now have it as part of my collection.

Titles available on Amazon.ca (Canada):

Titles available on Amazon.com (US):

Reverend's Reviews: Babs Goes Mellow

Barbra Streisand's new CDLove is the Answer was just released today in the wake of her well-received September 26 performance at the Village Vanguard in NYC. It was Streisand's first performance at the jazz club since 1961. Nearly 50 years later, Babs is still knocking 'em dead.

Her new disc is a mellow, intimate affair that reflects both her awareness of the vocal limitations that come naturally with age and the influence of the CD's guest producer, Diana Krall (who also provides piano accompaniment on several of the tracks). This is Streisand's sparest recording yet, with only a small backing orchestra and none of her trademark theatrical flourishes.

The song selections are classic grooves reflecting on the highs and lows of that thing called love, and serve as a perfect compliment to a romantic evening. They include "Here's to Life," the CD's beautiful opening track, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "Make Someone Happy," "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Streisand's longtime muses, are paid homage to via the inclusion of "Where Do You Start?" and "You Must Believe in Spring," the latter of which is a bonus track on some CDs.

Streisand is, as usual, in fine voice throughout. Now in her mid-60's, she seems to be adapting well to the inherent challenge of remaining active and relevant in one's "golden years." One can hope she will still make at least one more movie too; she is reportedly still interested in adapting Larry Kramer's never-filmed AIDS play, The Normal Heart.

While only a handful of personal friends (including Bill, Hilary and Chelsea Clinton) and 100 very lucky people selected at random actually attended Streisand's performance at the Village Vanguard, several videos from the event can be viewed at her official website.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Movie Moxie on the Unnamed Movie Podcast - TIFFing Out

If you missed it live you can now listen online or download from iTunes The Unnamed Movie Podcast Episode 28. You can listen to Andrew and Douglas of gmanReviews and I chat about film news, new trailers (Fish Tank, The Trosky, Everybody's Fine) and including highlights from the experience that was TIFF'09. The guys also review mumblecore film Nights and Weekends.

MD News Desk: Thrills & Chills

Keep up to date with all the latest from the entertainment world with the MD News Desk:

Women We Love:
- Off the wall Karen Black on Airport 1975, The Blue Tooth Virgin and playing transsexual.
- Xana-doll Kerry Butler on motherhood, Rock of Ages and Catch Me If You Can.
- Entourage moll Debi Mazar on Dancing with the Stars, Maks' butt and her gay fans.

Tune in to TCM:
- Turner Classic Movies kicks off their new series A Night at the Movies this Friday with "The Suspenseful World of Thrillers".

GLBT Entertainment:
- Visit the set of Otto; or, Up With Dead People's Bruce LaBruce's next gay zombie flick, L.A. Zombie, including run ins with porn superstars François Sagat and Francesco D'Macho.
- AfterEllen.com catches up with the cast of The L Word.
- OUTtv reality stars Chris Carter and John Simpson are returning to find "the next Halloween Superstar!" Didn't we already see this with The Search for the Next Elvira?
- Coming to Logo: The Gay Houseboys of New York, possibly featuring fashionista Marc Jacobs.

Coming Soon:
- Remake ... or sequel? The Hollywood Reporter says Warner is remaking The Hunger, but author Whitley Strieber's Imdb page says The Hunger 2 is in development.
- In more unnecessary WB remake news: the fourth (yes, fourth) version of A Star is Born (possibly starring Beyoncé Knowles) is finally moving forward.
- Instructions for the following: find a grain of salt, take it ... a Friends movie?

Out in Film:
- Nominees for the Stonewall Awards, which "celebrates people who have had a positive impact on the lives of British LGBT people", include Being Human's Russell Tovey and Milk's Dustin Lance Black.
- Broadway hottie Cheyenne Jackson rehearses Finian's Rainbow.
- Alan Cumming chats with The Advocate about his new solo album, I Bought a Blue Car Today.
- New York to name Tommy Tune a "Living Landmark".
- Recent Emmy winner Cherry Jones honored by the Point Foundation.

Videodrone:
- What if ... such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ghostbusters and Forrest Gump were made during the classic era? These "pre-makes" on YouTube have the answer.
- That ain't right: The "extended" version of The Jetsons theme song.

From Screen to Stage:
- The national tour of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, starring original Broadway cast members Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley, begins tonight in Rhode Island.
- Forget about it: David Mamet's "dark and scary" version of The Diary of Anne Frank.
- The Stephen Schwartz opera based on Séance on a Wet Afternoon had its world premiere in Santa Barbara last week.

Senin, 28 September 2009

New Moon Mondays - Catching Up on a Whole Lotta Awesome

TIFF'09-ness
September has sure been a month of TIFF and with the festival wrapped up, so a fair few Mondays this month were spent in various theatres and not collecting TwiNews. But, the good thing is the festival featured various TwiStars and vampire films so all is not lost! In fact, one of the films I was sad to miss was the rock it to ya vampire film Suck, but low and behold it got picked up by Universal Pictures so hopefully it will be heading to a theatre nearby soon. Suck is written & directed by Rob Stefaniuk and stars Rob Stefaniuk, Jessica Paré, Dave Foley and Malcolm McDowell along with musicians Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, Moby, Alex Lifeson, Carole Pope and Dimitri Coats. See more on Suck on its IMDb Page. But that wasn't the only vampire film at TIFF, I did get out to the Midnight Madness screening of the Spierig Brothers' Daybreakers starring Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill. The film was a lot of fun, as was the introduction and Q&A with Michael & Peter Spierig, Willem Dafoe & Sam Neill. The moon doesn't set just yet as more works from Twilight cast were on display including football biopic The Damned United (starring Michael Sheen) and the fantastic-but-not-for-the-faint-of-heart horror flick & Midnight Madness Audience Choice Winner The Loved Ones (starring Xavier Samuel) which had a great introduction and Q&A with Sean Byrne. The screening I went to of The Loved Ones didn't have any actors in attendance but they were at the Midnight Madness screening and you can see footage of those shows over at Sheleigh: Before the Screening and Q&A, and over at The Substream.

New Moon Trailer - #3
Amidst all this madness the New Moon trailer was released and I have to say I reacted a little like when I saw the first Twilight trailer which was that it feels like they are showing a heck of a lot of the film in the trailer. Thoughts on the trailer are discussed over at Episode 21 of Before the Dawn.

Stephenie Meyer's The Host Screen Rights Picked Up
Word is out that producers Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz have picked up the screen rights for Stephenie Meyer's book "The Host" and Gattaca director Andrew Niccol has been attached to the project. I only got through the first chapter of this book, but it looks like I'm going to have to give it another go. I'm down with the Sci Fi angle, but had a feeling it would end up being religious in nature. Should be interesting to see how this one plays out.
Source: Row Three, Variety

Nightmare on Elm Street Trailer
/film has posted a teaser trailer for the upcoming remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Watching the original film recently I had no idea it was so cheesy, but the trailer of the revamp looks pretty scary. Sadly there only seems to be a glimmer of Twilight's Kellan Lutz role shown. Trailer also notes a April 30, 2010 release date shifting the film 2 weeks past previously announced April 16, 2010 release date.
Source: /film

I Want Some More: Vampathon
The Vampathon: Vampire Film Marathon continues with reviews of more vampire films including the hilarious Canadian vampire comedy Blood & Donuts, the upcoming 2010 release of Daybreakers and getting back to classics with the 1932 Vampyr - Der Traum des Allan Grey. Coming up this week for review is Mario Bava's Black Sunday / La maschera del demonio.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - 4 Episodes to Enjoy!
One positive to being off kilter for a while is lots to catch up on - You can listen to Marina & I's discuss a whole lotta Twi-news and views with:
Episode 19 - Vampire Diaries - book series adapted to TV show on the CW
Episode 20 - News to September 4, 2009
Episode 21 - News to September 18, 2009
Episode 22 - Vampire Lore

Did I miss anything glaring in the TwiWorld?

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 22: Vampire Lore

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 22 is up!

Tune in to Before the Dawn to hear Marina & I return with a theme show and the topic this week is all about vampire lore. Trends in vampire films & books from past to present covering themes, lore and insights. Vampalicious!

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast is a weekly 1/2 hour podcast meeting all your audio Twilight needs!

Memo from MD: Twitterpated

Well, we resisted long enough: we are now on Twitter and Facebook.

You can follow Movie Dearest on Twitter here, as well as our sister blog, The QuOD - The Queer Online Database, here. All of the regular blog posts will be "tweeted", as well as any breaking news and/or random ramblings.

You can also visit my personal Facebook page here and be a friend or a fan if you so choose. You can find all of the links to the social networking sites we're on listed in the upper left hand sidebar as well.

Week in Film Vlog

Films Discussed
TIFF'09 Coverage now complete!
In Theatres: Whiteout, Pandorum
Vampire Films: Black Sunday
Random Watching: Macbeth (2006 version with Sam Worthington)

TIFF goes bye-bye:

Awesome Selection at the AMC:

Minggu, 27 September 2009

TIFF'09 Coverage

At the End:

Film Reviews - Gaming

Another Perfect World
Dungeon Masters, The
Gamer
King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, The
Second Skin
TRON: Legacy
Wild Hunt, The

Back to Genre List

Film Reviews - Domincan Republic

Soga, La *

*indicates co-production

Back to Countries List

Film Reviews - Lebanon

Every Day a Holiday / Chaque jour est un fête *

*indicates co-production

Back to Countries List

TIFF'09 Wrap Up

10 Days, 40 Features and 3 Notebooks later.... Let's take a look at the highlights from TIFF this year.

Overall Stand out Films: Valhalla Rising, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, La Donation / The Legacy, Whip It, The Loved Ones, The Damned United, Timetrip: The Curse of the Viking Witch / Vølvens Forbandelse

Best Performances (ladies): Paprika Steen in Applause / Applaus, Élise Guilbault in La Donation / The Legacy, Juliette Lewis in Whip It, , Robin McLeavy in The Loved Ones, Gemma Arterton in The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Sophie Lowe in Beautiful Kate

Best Performances (gents): Mads Mikkelson in Valhalla Rising, Martin Compston in The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Andrew Garfield in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Jens Andersen in Deliver Us From Evil / Fri os fra det onde, Trevor Hayes in The Wild Hunt, Manny Perez in La Soga

Artistic works of wonder: Valhalla Rising, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

They made my cry: Mao's Last Dancer, Whip It

They made me laugh: Castaway on the Moon / Kim Ssi Pyo Ryu Gi, Like You Know It All / Jal Alijido Motamyunseo

Standing Ovations: None. That's a first.

Favourite Program: Tie between Midnight Madness and Discovery

Best Experience: Closing the festival off with Ong Bak 2: The Beginning was a great choice, so many buddies were there and the film was a lot of fun.

Changing the collective experience: I think it's time we let the anti-piracy 'Arggggggg!' go. Three years is a good stint, but it's time to move on.

Best Q&A's: Valhalla Rising, Solomon Kane, Daybreakers and La Donation

Weirdest Q&A question: Why did you make this into a film? (Answer: Because I'm a filmmaker)

Still has me thinking: The Wild Hunt

The weird and bizarre: Face / Visage, Symbol / Shinboru

Most impressive first feature: The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Weirdest reoccurance: People texting. Seriously. They mentioned before each screening and people still do it. 5/39 screenings had texters in them - one women I could even hear her typing. Get a grip y'all - you can spend 2 hours away from technology.

Fullest Screenings: Daybreakers, Mao's Last Dancer

Oddly worked in favour: So many screenings at Ryerson. Usually I avoid it but wasn't able to this year. Turns out it was one of the only theatres that used spotlight for intros & Q&A. Many of the vids are really dark this year unless the screening was at Ryerson.

New this year for me: Seeing an omnibus film Sawasdee Bangkok and seeing a film at Jackman Hall.

Wish I hadn't missed: [REC]2, Mr. Nobody, Mother and Suck

Unbelievable Moment: One day I forgot my notebook. Yes, that is the most unbelievable moment!

Random Learning: Scotiabank staircase has 75 stairs

The Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 10 - 19, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Poll Results: Overall My TIFF'09 Experience Was....

Looks like overall people had a good year at TIFF! Highest nod goes to Satisfying at 47% and Amazing is close behind at 39%. Only 8% had an OK time and 4% Not a great year.

47% - Satisfying, will be a regular thing
39% - Amazing! I'll be first in queue next year
8% - Ok, will consider revisiting
4% - Not a great year for me

Thanks for voting!

The Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 10 - 19, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Reverend's Reviews: Heavenly Movie Soundtracks

This post is part of Film Babble Blog's "Soundtrack September".
As an avid collector of original motion picture soundtrack albums since the 1970's, being asked to choose the best from among the 400+ I own is akin to a parent being forced to publicly identify their favorite child from among several! So rather than make a ten-best list, I've decided to write about a dozen or so from my collection that I consider significant not only to me personally but in the genre of music composed specifically for the silver screen. Some are former Oscar nominees or winners that remain celebrated today. Others have been woefully forgotten and are deserving of renewed attention.

While the first soundtrack recording I recall buying was the inescapable Star Wars by modern movie music maestro John Williams, it was Williams' follow-up score for Superman: The Movie that really struck a chord (no pun intended) with me. I will never forget the dramatic impact Superman's main title march had on me, accompanied as it was by the film's literally soaring opening credits. Williams brilliantly utilized a variety of styles to underscore the superhero's story, from his origin on the doomed planet Krypton to his climactic showdown with arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. The score also includes the song "Can You Read My Mind?", although it is performed in the film by Margot Kidder as more of a spoken word recitation, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.

The Superman score was nominated for a 1978 Academy Award but lost to Giorgio Moroder's innovative electronic score for Midnight Express. Moroder would go on to score a number of successful 80's movies, including Flashdance. In my opinion, however, Moroder's best work is his alternately lyrical, intense and sexy score for the 1982 remake of the horror classic Cat People. David Bowie co-wrote and performed the film's title song, which was recently resurrected to awesome effect in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

There are many big-screen musicals in my collection including my all-time favorite, the underrated 1967 Doctor Dolittle, but I want to single out another soundtrack LP from a similarly unappreciated movie: Popeye. Robert Altman's big budget, live-action take on the classic cartoon character got a wildly mixed reception, as did its song score by pop songwriter-singer Harry Nilsson. Popeye ended up being Nilsson's first and last feature-length film score, as he unexpectedly passed away just a few years later. It is a charming score, with simple but often witty and emotionally resonant songs performed by Robin Williams in the title role, Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl, and the great Ray Walston as Poopdeck Pappy. The soundtrack has never been released on CD, which is a shame as it includes a couple of songs that were cut from the film and better orchestrations.

While the movie-musical for which they were written is painful to sit through, Richard O'Brien's songs for 1981's Shock Treatment are great. This misbegotten sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show attempted to send up both television and the psychiatric profession. Skip the movie, but try to hunt down its rockin' soundtrack. You'll be singing the virtues of "Denton, U.S.A." as soon as you hear the song of that name!

During the Christmas season of 1981, two historical epics were released with primarily instrumental scores by composers accustomed to writing lyrics as well as music: Reds, by musical-theatre titan Stephen Sondheim, and Ragtime, which was Randy Newman's first film score. While both scores are excellent and deserve continued recognition, only Newman was honored at Oscar time with two nominations for best original score and best song, the tender "One More Hour." Sondheim has rarely written for movies since, with 1990's Dick Tracy a notable exception, while Newman has become one of the most sought-after film composers of our time and finally won an Oscar (after 15 prior nominations) in 2001.

No list of great film scores and composers would be complete without the late Jerry Goldsmith, and his Oscar-nominated work on 1982's Poltergeist ranks among his finest achievements. The music zigzags, not unlike the movie, from jaunty, comedic tones to intense sequences of musical menace. Goldsmith's similarly-styled scores for the mid-80's fantasies Gremlins and Supergirl are also noteworthy.

Two other composers who must be mentioned are John Barry and Ennio Morricone. Barry's ravishing, Oscar-winning score for Out of Africa is my personal favorite of his, while The Mission by Morricone has not only withstood the test of time but is one of the most spiritual recordings of all time ... if a recording can be said to be spiritual.

Asian influences in film music have become more pervasive this decade, but the progression began with the acclaimed, memorable scores to Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and The Last Emperor. Both were composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, the latter with an assist from "Talking Head" David Byrne. Also worth noting in this regard is Stomu Yamashta's appropriately magical score for 1982's Tempest, Paul Mazursky's update of Shakespeare's comedy The Tempest.

Danny Elfman crossed over from Oingo Boingo front man to film composer with a series of great scores to accompany director Tim Burton's flights of fancy. His score for the first big-budget Batman movie in 1989 was so successful that Elfman became the go-to guy for a while for superhero movies, including Darkman, Spider-Man and Hulk. But it is Elfman's work on Batman Returns that remains his finest hour. He created memorable themes for the villainous Penguin and Catwoman, and created a cool song for Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Face to Face," out of the latter's.

Lest one think I'm stuck in the 80's when it comes to my faves (although I can see how it is tempting to do so), there are a number of both older and more recent film scores that are close to my heart: Max Steiner's unforgettable Gone With the Wind; the admitted guilty pleasure Lost Horizon (1973), with songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David; Halloween, composed by its director, John Carpenter; Carter Burwell's haunting Gods and Monsters; the driving, minimalist score for The Hours by Phillip Glass; John Corigliano's passionate, Oscar-winning score for The Red Violin; A Beautiful Mind by James Horner; and this year's fabulous Coraline, with a creepy-cute score by French up and comer Bruno Coulais.

I think I've mentioned more than a dozen here, contrary to what I set out to do. Obviously, when it comes to film music I have difficulty restraining myself! I sincerely hope readers will check out any of these scores you are unfamiliar with, as well as identify your own, time-tested favorites.

Click hereto purchase any of the above soundtracks from Amazon.com.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Sabtu, 26 September 2009

MD Poll: The Drac Pack

We're getting into the Halloween spirit a little early here at Movie Dearest with today's launch of a special four-part vampire-themed "Mega-Poll"!

With so many cinematic bloodsuckers out there nowadays, we couldn't limit our poll to just ten, so we're giving you thirty. That's right, three separate polls, one each for the next three weeks. This week's poll asks to pick your favorite movie Dracula, while next week's will cover the remaining movie vampires and week 3 will spotlight TV vamps. Then, the winners from each week, along with the remaining top vote getters for all three weeks, will compete in a two-week poll to decide the "Ultimate Vamp Champ", who will be revealed on (naturally) Halloween day.

You can vote now for your favorite movie Dracula in the MD Poll located in the right hand sidebar. Note that we stretched the contenders to include characters directly inspired by Bram Stoker's original "Prince of Darkness". Also, be sure to note that this poll will only run for one week, so vote now! Fangs a lot!

UPDATE: This poll is now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the next MD Poll.

MD Poll: Ryan's Hope

It was a tight race in this year's battle to be named the Hottest Summer Movie Hunk and the final victor was Ryan Reynolds (who also gets our vote for Hottest Magazine Cover ever).

The sexy star of The Proposal (on DVD and Blu-rayOctober 13) beat off such strong contenders as his X-Men Origins: Wolverine co-star Hugh Jackman and Public Enemies #1 Johnny Depp, who tied for third place. The surprise second place finisher was Star Trek's new Captain Kirk, Chris Pine. Beam me up, hottie!

See the comments section below for all the studly stats.

movie galleries art 2011