Lots of cool stuff this week. Enjoy these links as you unbuckle your pants and sink into your food coma.
Funny: Kevin Smith's merits as a director are certainly debatable (he'd be the first to knock himself, no question). But as an emissary for the Geek world, well, few are as eloquent and hilarious. Check out this recently dug up clip of him breaking down why Twilight is invaluable to the larger sci-fi/fantasy community.
Speaking of Smith, here is part two of an EXYTEMELY candid interview with the man himself.
Here are two very cool very handy guides to defeating movie villains as well as what you need to know if you ever find yourself trapped in the past.
Analysis: A marvelous video essay on Truffaut's 400 Blows. Those guys at the House Next Door never fail to impress.
With the release of Me and Orson Welles cinematical has provided this handy guide for Welles beginners. God I love Welles.
Lists: Devin over at CHUD made his own list for Thanksgiving. This one features his top ten turkeys (which is to say-absolute crap films).
Cracked has compiled a list of 7 popular chick flicks that secretly hate women.
Here's a list of top 14 fictional movies within other movies.
And with the holidays fast approaching you probably want gift ideas for the nerd in your life (you must have at least one in your life if you're reading this blog). No worries, Quint of Ain't It Cool News has your covered here, here and here.
Showing posts with label Orson Welles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orson Welles. Show all posts
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Celebrating with the world's greatest train-set enthusiast
Some important birthdays today. First off my brother, who in all likelihood is unfamiliar with this blog's existence, though I have a feeling his not dicking around on the internet is the reason why he recently got promoted at his fortune 500 company job. Still he's my brother and I love him and am proud of him.
In the world of cinema however there are three major birthdays. First off is Brian De Palma regular Gregg Henry (Body Double, Scarface and Femme Fatale to name a few), the man is to De Palma what Campbell is to Raimi. Henry has stolen scenes from leading men as varied as Mel Gibson (in Payback) and Nathan Fillion (in Slither). He can currently be seen as Eddie Izzard's extremely corrupt and lecherous boss on the marvelous FX series The Riches. He's 56 today, but he brings the smarm of a man twenty years his junior.
Next, modern film's greatest leading man, George Clooney is turning a stately 47 today. I've waxed rhapsodic on Clooney before but I could still go on for days about how the American cinema is a much better place for having Clooney in it. From his early mullet'ed, humble beginnings on The Facts of Life and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes to mega-starrdom with countless examples of pitch perfect work (sure Leatherheads was a misfire but pobody's nerfect, am I right?). JA over at My New Plaid Pants has five great performances in mind and you really should check them out here. My own favorite Clooney performance you ask? I guess I'd have to say it's Ulysses Evrett McGill. In addition to having the good sense to be a Dapper Dan man and being fortunate enough to be blessed with the gift of gab, Evrett is always more than happy to spit out reams of good advice, like so:
Lastly, today commemorates borth of the man I consider to be the King of Movies. You can argue that our King in question is more of Lear figure, a once great man shamed in old age but the fact remains that Orson Welles changed movies forever. He's one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time and as practically a boy, made the American cinema grow-up. I love Welles in all his incarnations, the boy genius, the writer, the director, the actor, the radio impresario, the camp figure, the bloated pitch man, the basso profoundo narrator and all his other iterations. I could go on and on about Welles but it's all just a roundabout way of saying that Orson Welles IS cool. His coolest character? That would have to be as the third man himself, Harry Lime. Here are the scenes that fans of the movie should get a chill down their spine over and if you've never seen The Third Man well then you are in for the treat of a lifetime.
First we have Lime's introduction, coming after nearly an hour's worth of build-up and everyone talking about Harry Lime, who is SUPPOSED to be dead:
Then we have one of the most famous speeches in movie history. Glorious:
In the world of cinema however there are three major birthdays. First off is Brian De Palma regular Gregg Henry (Body Double, Scarface and Femme Fatale to name a few), the man is to De Palma what Campbell is to Raimi. Henry has stolen scenes from leading men as varied as Mel Gibson (in Payback) and Nathan Fillion (in Slither). He can currently be seen as Eddie Izzard's extremely corrupt and lecherous boss on the marvelous FX series The Riches. He's 56 today, but he brings the smarm of a man twenty years his junior.
Next, modern film's greatest leading man, George Clooney is turning a stately 47 today. I've waxed rhapsodic on Clooney before but I could still go on for days about how the American cinema is a much better place for having Clooney in it. From his early mullet'ed, humble beginnings on The Facts of Life and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes to mega-starrdom with countless examples of pitch perfect work (sure Leatherheads was a misfire but pobody's nerfect, am I right?). JA over at My New Plaid Pants has five great performances in mind and you really should check them out here. My own favorite Clooney performance you ask? I guess I'd have to say it's Ulysses Evrett McGill. In addition to having the good sense to be a Dapper Dan man and being fortunate enough to be blessed with the gift of gab, Evrett is always more than happy to spit out reams of good advice, like so:
Lastly, today commemorates borth of the man I consider to be the King of Movies. You can argue that our King in question is more of Lear figure, a once great man shamed in old age but the fact remains that Orson Welles changed movies forever. He's one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time and as practically a boy, made the American cinema grow-up. I love Welles in all his incarnations, the boy genius, the writer, the director, the actor, the radio impresario, the camp figure, the bloated pitch man, the basso profoundo narrator and all his other iterations. I could go on and on about Welles but it's all just a roundabout way of saying that Orson Welles IS cool. His coolest character? That would have to be as the third man himself, Harry Lime. Here are the scenes that fans of the movie should get a chill down their spine over and if you've never seen The Third Man well then you are in for the treat of a lifetime.First we have Lime's introduction, coming after nearly an hour's worth of build-up and everyone talking about Harry Lime, who is SUPPOSED to be dead:
Then we have one of the most famous speeches in movie history. Glorious:
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Nostalgi-ah
Bear with me, this isn't super movie related and I've had a week that's been...awkwardly similar to the last movie I reviewed.
Today as I continued to work on the big move to LA (tear) I was going through books to give away/sell (I have a lot, more then I have DVDs which is saying something) and eventually my hands passed by my high school senior year book. I probably haven't looked at this thing in...oh let's say about seven years. I used to look at it a lot during freshman year of college (because I was THAT guy) but had completely forgotten about it's contents. Well, it was quite an eye-opener. For one thing, I was in amazing shape and looked really good in high school. Really, really good. I wish to god I had dressed better but hot damn I was handsome. It's scary. If I could retroactively go back and have my current brain in my old body and purchase a way better wardrobe (apparently I used to have a closet of nothing but muscle shirts and black jeans...shudder) I probably would've gotten laid every single day. Stupid, stupid high school Sickness.
Which brings me to today's topic. As bad as the world is (Sub-prime mortgage crisis, Darfur, unrest in the Middle East, human rights violations in China, Matzah shortages, anything connected to the Bush administration, celebtards) it's tempting to lose yourself in an earlier time, a time when three massive celebrities could cram (and I mean cram) themselves into tuxes, go through a sketch that they were clearly running through for the first time while the cameras rolled and then go into a song and dance number. While I've never seen a whole episode of it, I love, LOVE the Dean Martin Show. There are a plethora of clips (and pinatas) on youtube but this one is one of my favorites. They were classy (everyone in formal wear) but at the same time silly, bawdy and chauvinistic (hot women everywhere) and had a real intimate "you're in on the joke" kind of atmosphere. Plus it's just cool to see the legendary stars of the 50's and 60's let their hair down (so to speak). Oh also it's great that time has rendered the whole Rock Hudon and Tab Hunter joke a million times more amusing (plus now we get why the boys are smirking). Much thanks to Dr. K's 100-Page Spectacular for directing me to this clip. They're doing an awesome Matt Helm (Dean Martin's spy character-yes it's as awesome as it sounds) tribute all week long so check them out.
Today as I continued to work on the big move to LA (tear) I was going through books to give away/sell (I have a lot, more then I have DVDs which is saying something) and eventually my hands passed by my high school senior year book. I probably haven't looked at this thing in...oh let's say about seven years. I used to look at it a lot during freshman year of college (because I was THAT guy) but had completely forgotten about it's contents. Well, it was quite an eye-opener. For one thing, I was in amazing shape and looked really good in high school. Really, really good. I wish to god I had dressed better but hot damn I was handsome. It's scary. If I could retroactively go back and have my current brain in my old body and purchase a way better wardrobe (apparently I used to have a closet of nothing but muscle shirts and black jeans...shudder) I probably would've gotten laid every single day. Stupid, stupid high school Sickness.
Which brings me to today's topic. As bad as the world is (Sub-prime mortgage crisis, Darfur, unrest in the Middle East, human rights violations in China, Matzah shortages, anything connected to the Bush administration, celebtards) it's tempting to lose yourself in an earlier time, a time when three massive celebrities could cram (and I mean cram) themselves into tuxes, go through a sketch that they were clearly running through for the first time while the cameras rolled and then go into a song and dance number. While I've never seen a whole episode of it, I love, LOVE the Dean Martin Show. There are a plethora of clips (and pinatas) on youtube but this one is one of my favorites. They were classy (everyone in formal wear) but at the same time silly, bawdy and chauvinistic (hot women everywhere) and had a real intimate "you're in on the joke" kind of atmosphere. Plus it's just cool to see the legendary stars of the 50's and 60's let their hair down (so to speak). Oh also it's great that time has rendered the whole Rock Hudon and Tab Hunter joke a million times more amusing (plus now we get why the boys are smirking). Much thanks to Dr. K's 100-Page Spectacular for directing me to this clip. They're doing an awesome Matt Helm (Dean Martin's spy character-yes it's as awesome as it sounds) tribute all week long so check them out.
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