Movie Moxie Podcast 32: Insidious & Animated Films

I know it feels quick for yet another Movie Moxie Podcast, but that’s what happens when one week I’m behind – the next week things comes so quickly! This week I chat about the recently release of the supernatural horror film Insidious, take on Animated films as a genre (even though they aren’t *really* a genre) and lust after the Tron: Legacy DVD release!

Show Notes
0:00 – 1:30 - Introduction
1:30 – 7:00 – Insidious Review
7:00 – 8:00 – Hexed-ness!
8:00 -12:20 - Misses of the Week & Question of the Week
12:20 – 31:30 – Animated Films as a Genre
31:30 – 33:30 – DVD releases for April 5, 2011
33:30 – 38:30 – Upcoming Next Week
38:30 – 39:24 – Outro

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Show Notes:

• Reviews of Films Mentioned: Insidious, Tron: Legacy, Rubber
• If you love the paranormal, check out my sister podcast Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural
• List of DVD releases for April 5, 2011

Question of the week:

• If you feel asleep watching a film, do you count if as a film you’ve seen, or not?

Animated Film Show Notes

• No definition for animated film as a genre, as I consider it a format, not a genre.
• Shannon’s favourite animated films: Despicable Me, The Sky Crawlers, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Kung Fu Panda, The Secret of Nimh, Finding Nemo and I can’t believe I forgot to mention the amazing film How to Train Your Dragon!
• Scary-to-Shannon animated films: Spirited Away & Watership Down
• List of all Animated Film Reviews (literally the smallest list of reviews I have!)
• I mentioned the following go-to resources for animated films: Life in Equinox and the Fused Film Podcast Animated Fascination

IMDB Top 50 Animation Films (as of April 7, 2011)
1. Toy Story 3 (2010)
2. Spirited Away (2001)
3. WALL·E (2008)
4. Up (2009)
5. Princess Mononoke (1997)
6. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
7. The Lion King (1994)
8. Mary and Max (2009)
9. Toy Story (1995)
10. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
11. Barefoot Gen (1983)
12. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
13. Finding Nemo (2003)
14. The King and the Mockingbird (1980)
15. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
16. Ratatouille (2007)
17. Castle in the Sky (1986)
18. The Incredibles (2004)
19. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
20. Cat City (1986)
21. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
22. Persepolis (2007)
23. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
24. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
25. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
26. Toy Story 2 (1999)
27. Waltz with Bashir (2008)
28. Whisper of the Heart (1995)
29. 5 Centimeters Per Second: A Chain of Short Stories About Their Distance (2007)
30. The Little Fox (1981)
31. Shrek (2001)
32. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
33. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
34. The Iron Giant (1999)
35. Mind Game (2004)
36. Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1975)
37. Tangled (2010/I)
38. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
39. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
40. Millennium Actress (2001)
41. Fantasia (1940)
42. Ninja Scroll (1993)
43. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
44. Akira (1988)
45. Aladdin (1992)
46. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
47. When the Wind Blows (1986)
48. Porco Rosso (1992)
49. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
50. Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Insidious

Dir: James Wan (Saw)
Cast: Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey, Lin Shaye, Andrew Astor, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson
USA, 2011

Seen: April 2, 2011 at AMC

Reason to see: Supernatural horror is always a must-see for me.

I'm always excited when a new supernatural film comes out and especially supernatural horror because those are the ones that can really creep me out. Yes, I like my horror subtle scary over slasher scary any day. When Insidious was bring promoted as "from the people who brought you Saw (re: director James Wan) and Paranormal Activity", I was excited because I loved Paranormal Activity, but hesitant with the Saw connection. Good thing I threw that hesitation to the wind as the lasting impression that carries through all three films is intensity, a good story and the fact that the filmmakers really know their audience.

I really enjoyed Insidious, and it definitely scared me and those are the two very important factors in a supernatural horror movie. The film is centred on the Lambert family, including couple Renai & Josh (Rose Byrne & Patrick Wilson) and kids, who have enough normal family drama for the audience to easily connect to, until things start to get creepy at which point you are already with them and need to just hold on for the ride. The slow transition from normal to unnerving is a great one filled with a great combination of normalcy and subtly that keeps you in in enough light to know you are going somewhere...but not sure where. The film did a great job of building the tension and playing well to the audience, bringing and old school vibe with an up to date feel. I also really enjoyed Rose Byrne's character of Renai and was particularly fond of Barbara Hershey portrayal of Josh's mother Lorraine.

I'm a big fan of less is more with supernatural films, and I felt that Insidious when it played that card it played it very well. I felt that it came through softly strong with the great story at the heart of the film, but there were also louder, brasher elements that aspect of the film in terms of the art direction and score which were the only things that I didn't love about the film. Other than that, it was completely solid. I enjoyed the story, I connected to the characters and empathized with their journeys and it certainly had some great scares. Great paranormal fun.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it *and* it scared me: win-win!
I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it fans of supernatural films and horror films

Also see: All 2011 Films Reviewed and All Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011

Reverend's Reviews: Hooters & Orgasms

Sexual desire among women -- and the complications that arise when said desire is not or cannot be met -- is the subject of two very different new releases. The OWLs (now on DVD from First Run Features) was fairly well-received on the 2010 GLBT festival circuit despite its dark storyline. Written and directed by Cheryl Dunye (The Watermelon Woman), its protagonists are all former members of The Screech, a fictional band whose members were the hottest lesbian music-makers around ten years earlier.

Now faded into obscurity, depressed and/or alcoholic, the ladies refer to themselves as "OWLs": Older, Wiser Lesbians. Their accumulated wisdom becomes highly suspect, though, in the wake of an accidental death at a pool party hosted by former band leader Iris (a great performance by Guinevere Turner, best known as the star, producer and writer of 1994's rightly-heralded Go Fish). They conspire to cover up the event and succeed... that is, until a mysterious stranger (Sklyer Cooper) shows up at their doorstep one night.

According to the press notes, Dunye intentionally set out to imitate "pathological lesbian" films such as The Children's Hour and The Killing of Sister George. One OWLs character notes, "Even sisters can stab each other in the back," and another states, "We're always trying to be the alpha male in our community." Do we really need to project such images in this more liberated day and age? Dunye seems concerned that younger lesbian women aren't aware of the struggles their foremothers endured. To my thinking, though, this makes as much sense as re-making 1980's notorious Cruising so young gay men today will be more cognizant of the stereotypes that previously defined us. The original versions of all these invaluable time capsules are available on home video. It would be better to screen and discuss them and note how far we've come than to recreate them.

The narrative of The OWLs is oddly interrupted at times by interviews with the actresses regarding their roles and their "collective" approach to the project. Even with these, the film runs just over an hour and its hard to think of the interludes as anything but padding. There is also a documentary about the making of The OWLs -- somewhat derisively titled Hooters -- being released separately. If lesbian viewers think I'm off, I'm certainly willing to hear from you. As it is, I can't recommend The OWLs very highly.

On the other hand, the current theatrical release Orgasm Inc. (also from First Run Features) is a must-see for women and men alike. This expose by award-winning documentarian Liz Canner delves into the pursuit of a Viagra-style drug to treat "Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD)", aka the inability by a reported 43% of women to have an orgasm every time they have sexual intercourse. As one expert interviewed on camera notes, "(FSD) is the first corporate-sponsored definition of a 'disease'."

Orgasm Inc., which was filmed over nine years, reveals with often-clinical precision the expensive and mostly fruitless research that has gone into developing pills, creams, devices and even a nasal spray to assist affected women. The result of such labor? Viagra works as well for some women as it does for men; pornography is the most effective stimulant for both men and women; and the pharmaceutical company-backed, long-term solution of combining estrogen pills with testosterone patches can cause cancer. Wisely and thankfully, the latter proposed "treatment" was rejected by the FDA.

One interviewee's giggly likening of female orgasm to "a blooming flower" and some unnecessary animated sequences threaten to undermine Canner's insights into a very serious issue. But so long as the filmmaker sticks to disturbing facts and figures such as "The USA makes up just 5% of the world's population but it accounts for 42% of the world's spending on prescription drugs, and yet Americans don't live any longer than others," Orgasm Inc. provides a stiff tonic indeed.

Reverend's Ratings:
The OWLs: C
Orgasm Inc.: B+

UPDATE: Orgasm Inc. is now available on DVD from Amazon.com.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

DVD Release for April 5, 2011 and April 8, 2011

We don't have tons of selection for DVD Releases for April 5, 2011 and April 8, 2011 but it's made up for in volumes of versions of the releases!

• Tron: LegacyEasily one of my faves for last year has two generations of Flynns battling in an alternate world that is very, very blue. Wow, this is the big release today and it's coming to you in many, many versions including regular DVD, or if you prefer a re-release of the original TRON (easy to pick out as it's being re-branded Tron: The Original Classic) or if you can't decide you can get them both including with a comprehensive 5-Disc BD Combo Pack (3D BD+2D BD+DVD+Digital Copy+Tron: The Original Classic Special Edition BD) [Blu-ray]. That's a lot of Tron! End of line.
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treaderif you are looking to catch up with that Pevensie siblings adventures you are going to have to wait until Friday April 8, 2011 to travel back to Narnia.
• La Nostra Vida an Italian drama that was just released last weekend in limited release.
• Treeless Mountain highly acclaimed South Korean film about two young sisters fending for themselves.
• Reste avec moi / Stay with Me five parallel stories of testing love, relationships and friendships.
• Behemoth I can't say it better than the IMDb synopsis "Scientists discover a giant creature under the Earth that is wrapped around the entire planet. When the creature wakes all grumpy, it causes worldwide destruction."
• Friday Night Lights Season 5 Never seen this show, but did catch movie last year and now I wish I *had* jumped on this boat long ago!
• Little Fockers Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro star in this third film in Fockerland following Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers.

Titles on Amazon.ca(Canada):


Titles on Amazon.com (US):


La Nostra Vida & Reste avec moi not currently available on Amazon.com

Movie Moxie Podcast 31: Sucker Punch, Hobo with a Shotgun & Martial Arts Films

This week on the Movie Moxie Podcast Shannon talks about the recent releases of Sucker Punch and Hobo with a Shotgun as well as tackles Martial Arts films as a film genre. As always, the Movie Moxie Podcast is 100% spoiler-free!

Show Notes
0:00 – 1:20 - Introduction
1:20 – 10:00 – Sucker Punch Review
10:00 – 18:15 – Hobo with a Shotgun Review
18:15 – 40:00 – Martial Arts Films as a Film Genre
40:00 – 43:00 – DVD releases for March 29, 2011
43:00 – 44:50 – Upcoming up Next/This Week
44:50 – 45:55 – Outro

You can subscribe to the Movie Moxie Podcast here:
Or subscribe through iTunes here.

Show Notes

• Sucker Punch Review
• DVD releases for March 29, 2011

Martial Arts Films as a Film Genre Show Notes:

• Shannon definition of a Martial Arts Film: Martial Arts films follow a martial artist and/or martial arts community or a film where the plot or setting is centred on martial arts. Martial arts films often follow tournaments or competitions, the fight against injustice and often can be historically set.
• Wikipedia Definition of Martial Arts: Martial arts (literally meaning arts of war[1] but usually referred as fighting arts) are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat. Martial arts all have similar objectives: to physically defeat other persons or defend oneself or others from physical threat. Some martial arts are also linked to beliefs systems such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism or Shinto while others follow a secular code of honor. Martial arts are considered as both an art and a science. Many arts are also practiced competitively, most commonly as combat sports, but competitions may also take the form of "forms competition."

Martial Artists & Film Mentioned *

• Bruce Lee: The Chinese Connection, The Big Boss, Enter the Dragon
• Jean Claude Van Damme: Bloodsport, Universal Soldier, JCVD
• Steven Seagal: Above the Law, Hard to Kill, also: Under Seige
• Jackie Chan: Rumble in the Bronx
• Jet Li: Lethal Weapon 4
• Tony Jaa: Ong Bak, Ong Bak2 , Ong Bak 3, The Protector
• Marko Zaror: Kiltro, Mirageman
• Gordon Liu: Heroes of the East, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin & see vids of the Q&A of the screening I mentioned
• Michael Jai White: Black Dynamite, Blood & Bone
• Donnie Yen: SPL, Flash Point, IP Man, IP Man 2, Hero
• Channing Tatum: Fighting
• Cam Gigantet: Never Back Down
• Also mentioned Chocolate, B1 and out of the box suggestions of The Karate Kid (original), Hunt to Kill and They Live
• Also mentioned the TV Show Fight Quest and the film festival ActionFest, along with the Toronto After Dark Film Festival & Midnight Madness program at TIFF.
• See list of all Martial Arts films reviewed
• Somehow forgot the phenomenal film Redbelt, Big Trouble in Little China and the mockumentary Finishing the Game, all fantastic films to add to the lists!
• * almost all have many more to explore, but the films mentioned are the ones that I mentioned in the podcast.

Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 1, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 1, 2011!

In limited release this week we have lots of films to choose from, 8 films in fact! And out of those we have a 3 feature film directorial debuts: Exit 67 / Sortie 67 from Bastien Jephté, HappyThankYouMorePlease from director Josh Radnor and Wrecked from director Michael Greenspan. We also have the comedy The Last Godfather starring Harvey Keitel, drama Monogamy starring Chris Messina & Rashida Jones, Italian film La Nostra Vita / Our Life and WWII set Dutch film Winter in Wartime / Oorlogswinter. Rounding out the limited releases is the Thursday March 31, 2011 release of Essential Killing starring Vincent Gallo.

In wide release this week we have four releases including the supernatural horror flick Insidious from Saw director James Wan, but the word is it's not a gore fest but scary tension-centric film and I know I'm going to see it although I fear the trailers have shown too much. I should make a macro to type that out for me, I write it far too often! We also science fiction thriller Source Code and I'm really looking forward to seeing what this second film from Duncan Jones is like, because I absolutely adored Moon and the fact that it stars Jake Gyllenhaal is icing on the cake. Also out in wide release is the combination live action & animated film Hop about a one-day-to-be Easter Bunny decides to think outside of the basket and look for adventure in life. Rounding out our wide releases is the Bollywood film Game. Wowzers. Another jam-packed week of film! How the heck to decide what to see?

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Cinéfranco
14th Annual Celebration of International Francophone Cinema
Continues until April 3, 2011 at TIFF Lightbox Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Images Festival
24th Annual festival of independent film, video and other time-based media
March 31 - April 9, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reel World Film Festival
11th annual festival celebrating diversity in film, video, and new media
April 6 - 10, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sprockets
Toronto International Film Festival for Children and Youth
April 5 - 17, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Silent Film Festival
Continues until April 7, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thursday March 31, 2011 Releases

Essential Killing
Dir: Jerzy Skolimowski (Four Nights with Anna, The Adventures of Gerard)
Cast: Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle Seigner, Zach Cohen
Poland/Norway/Ireland/Hungary
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Friday April 1, 2011 Releases

Exit 67 / Sortie 67
Writer/Dir: Bastien Jephté - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Henri Pardo, Natacha Noël, Benz Antoine, Jacquy Bidjeck
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Game
Dir: Abhinay Deo - feature film directorial debut
Cast: bhishek Bachchan, Sarah-Jane Dias, Shahana Goswami, Boman Irani, Gauhar Khan
India
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

HappyThankYouMorePlease
Writer/Dir: Josh Radnor - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Zoe Kazan, Kate Mara, Tony Hale, Pablo Schreiber, Richard Jenkins
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Hop
Director: Tim Hill (Alvin and the Chipmucks, Muppets from Space)
Cast: James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco, Elizabeth Perkins, Gary Cole, Chelsea Handler
Voices: Russell Brand, Hank Azaria, Hugh Laurie
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Insidious
Dir: James Wan (Saw)
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Andrew Astor, Leigh Whannell
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Last Godfather
Writer/Dir: Hyung-rae Shim (Reptile 2001, Dragon Tuka, Tirannoui baltob )
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Jason Mewes, Blake Clark, Hyung-rae Shim, Jon Polito, Jocelin Donahue
USA/South Korea
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Monogamy
Dir: Dana Adam Shapiro (Murderball)
Cast: Chris Messina, Rashida Jones, Meital Dohan
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

La Nostra Vita / Our Life
Dir: Daniele Luchetti (My Brother is an Only Child, Ginger and Cinnamon)
Cast: Elio Germano, Isabella Ragonese, Raoul Bova
Italy/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Source Code
Dir: Duncan Jones (Moon)
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga, Russell Peters, Jeffrey Wright
USA/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Winter in Wartime / Oorlogswinter
Dir: Martin Koolhoven (AmnesiA, Het schnitzelparadijs)
Cast: Martijn Lakemeier, Jamie Campbell Bower, Yorick van Wageningen
The Netherlands/Belgium
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Wrecked
Dir: Michael Greenspan - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Adrien Brody, Caroline Dhavernas, Ryan Robbins
USA/Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of April 1, 2011**

Reel Thoughts: Strangers on a Train

It’s unusual for a big budget action film to have deep moral and emotional resonance, but Source Code, directed by Duncan Jones, is not your usual action film. It plays with the idea of alternate realities, untapped brain potential and fate versus free will in a way that Inception could only dream of doing. Along the way, it poses some very deep questions about what we expect of our soldiers and at what point does the greater good give you the right to trample on a person’s human rights.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Colter Stevens, a heroic Army captain who finds himself transported from his battles in Afghanistan to an isolation chamber in some unknown location. How did he get there? Is it outer space? Underground? We’re as confused as Stevens. The last thing he remembers is being on a Chicago commuter train in the body of another man. Christina (Michelle Monaghan), the beautiful woman sitting across from him, carries on a conversation as if she knows him. She’s confused by his actions, but tells him everything will be all right. At that moment, the train explodes, killing everyone onboard and propelling Stevens back to the pod.

There, he discovers that he is part of a program that places his mind into the body of a passenger for the last eight minutes of his life. Stevens has this time to unmask the bomber or he will strike again with a dirty bomb that will level Chicago. His only human contact is the sympathetic but business-like controller Carol Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) and the mission’s creator, Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright in a sinister performance). Slowly, Stevens unravels the truth behind the "Source Code" program, the gravity of his mission, and what has happened to him. He is desperate to change the events on the train and save Christina and the other passengers, but Source Code makes you wonder whether or not that is even possible. The film’s terrorist underpinnings are explored intelligently without feeling exploitative as it plays with our prejudices.

Jones, the son of David Bowie, was widely lauded for his sci-fi film Moon, which was equally ambiguous psychologically. Gyllenhaal presented him with the Source Code script, Jones explained at a Q&A earlier this month, and he was drawn to the film’s complexity. He added levity to what was a more serious, 24-like thriller. Jones also added the film’s mysterious, time-bending twist ending, which truly elevates the film above other, more formulaic time travel films. Jones recognized similarities between the film and cult TV show Quantum Leap, so he hired Scott Bakula to play Stevens’ father. There is a reveal towards the end of the film that is so visually powerful, audience members at the screening could be heard stifling tears. When a Hollywood action film can achieve that, you know that you have seen a unique story that bridges the standard genres of science fiction, drama and war films. Source Code may have a generic-sounding title, but it is a stunning original.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.