Our necks can not take it anymore... Let alone our minds!

That's right, every few years there's a pattern or fashion to follow.

We had the natural disasters: Dante's Peak, Twister, Volcano...
We had the alien invasion: Independence Day, Signs, Men in Black
Now it's the vampires!

And thanks to the Twillightmania, it has taken over tv too!
It started with the tv series True Blood. The creators of Six Feet Under were hired to do another hit show.
Well, like a writer with his second novel, they suffer the same pressure. It's the hardest to write and normally it turns out to be a crap! Totally the case of True Blood.

But anyway, then the Twilight thing comes and the rest is history. The film is now three films; True Blood is going for the second season and now we have another show starting... The Vampire Diaries!
Don't even get me started on this piece of shit... The lead guy (star vamp) was chosen, surely due to the resemblance to the star of Twilight...
The script is a mix between the big hit movie and all the other vamp-stuff we've all heard and are sick of hearing about.
Bad writing with a serious lack of originality.

Please let the sun come out a clear us from this tired darkness...

Documentary

Awareness is the result of a successful documentary.
Creating consciousness and the "eye opening" effect that rise from watching a film is probably the biggest victory of this type of art.

I saw "The Corporation" today.
A few months ago I saw "Sicko".

Both films are shocking, interesting and have revealing stories.
"Sicko" focuses in the American healt service and "The Corporation" talks about the effects of worldwide companies in the lives of humans and animal life, as well as the entire planet.

Michael Moore is the director of the first film and actually appears in the second one.
In it's own particular way he exposes the injustices and lack of consideration in which the insurance corporations deal with it's costumers (yes, the sick and needy) in "Sicko".

"The Corporation" film ends with one of his statements.
He explains the irony of being promoted and paid by big film corporations, when his job is to criticise them!
He wonders that the coop orations probably think that people that see the films in theatres or TV will just not do anything... He on the other hand thinks, it might just have some effect on us and make us somehow act.

I try to have my small very (maybe for some insignificant) own contribution.

And hey... I did wrote this post. Isn't that something?

First Rated Films

Wim Wenders - Der Himmel über Berlin - 1987

ÉCU II

A few days later, but here is the verdict!
The 4th edition of the ÉCU was a pleasant festival. Good films projected in a nice place in Paris.
The organization wasn't free of mistakes, but what is? And after all the Festival is only on it's 4th edition. There is enough time to correct old mistakes and make new ones.

The best thin of it all?
During the awards ceremony, the majority of the filmmakers and producers taking the stage would always have nice words to recognize the efforts of the Festival's organization. Especially their courage to organize such an event.
An Independent Event.

Let's hope for more and better.
See you next year.

European Independent Film Festival - ÉCU 2009

Tomorrow, the 13th of March 2009 is the first day of the ÉCU. The Festival is on its fourth edition and going strong! Hopping to become Europe's Sundance, the three day event will be projecting 113 films filled with creativity, movement and low budgets, of course!

The place is Paris, in the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand , from 13th to 15th of March and it is open to the public which makes it even more cool.

For film makers and film-students it is a chance to get your projects in a new and innovative event. If you are just another film lover it's your chance to check out film's new talents and watch an entire weekend of good cinema for free.
For everyone? It's a chance to support and participate in a young project that can become an European world-known film event.

Let's hope so.
Reviews on the event on Monday. In the meantime if you want more info, check the official website.

De Niro versus Pacino

You know, it really gets to me when people talk about "favourite actors" and put Robert de Niro and Al Pacino in the same level...
I'm sorry, I just can't agree.

How can one say that a guy like De Niro, that has done so many different roles, can be compared to Al Pacino that survived thanks to one role: The GodFather. The role. The only really decent (and first, so that should tell you something) film he stared in.
After a few years he did Scarface and it was the end. Every single performance brings me back to Scarface. And it's not even a good film...

Both actors have a career of too many gangster films. De Niro is especially criticized for it.
But you'll have to agree that each gangster character, even if all gangster, has it own special something. Just think of Raging Bull, Once upon a Time in America or Jackie Brown!!! and even smaller roles like Sleepers. The man is good!

Al Pacino on the other hand, no matter if he is a gangster, a cop or the Devil himself, he is always playing Al Pacino.

That's how you define a good actor, isn't it?
Can he transform himself on screen, can you forget you are watching your favourite actor... Or is he always there?

To Tullio Pinelli 1909-2009

La Dolce Vita - 1961

Shit on Screen

Where I am at, the metro stations are full of these annoying film posters.

Marley and Me is based on a novel, a recent novel if I'm not mistaken. One of those novels, everyone who never reads (anything decent at least) tells you it's a great book. "That you are going to love for sure."
You know? The kind of people that can't even pronounce the name of some of my favourite authors?

Anyway...
You can just see it, can't you?

Another laim and sickening-sentimental story of two people, that come together because of a dog...!
And the couple they chose! Holy shit! Aniston?! Wilson?!

Can you hold the vomit?

Let me tell you, it's kind of difficult in the metro stations.
And we're talking some dirty, old metro stations here...!

Script A-Like

I recently had the chance to see the film I Am Legend.
After all the publicity I really wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Well, it was a big surprise to see that the story was almost a copy of another film I had seen a few years before. Remember 28 Days Later? Danny Boyle?

Did anyone have the feeling we were watching the same film again? I did.
Let’s review, shall we?

I Am Legend
Dr. Robert Neville (Will Smith) drives around the ghost-town of NYC.He is the only survivor of an epidemic that devastated an entire city, country or planet…?

28 Days Later
Jim (Cilian Murphy) wakes up of a coma to find himself alone in a hospital, city, island, planet… He is the only survivor of an epidemic.

Both characters in both films run from the only other people that share the cities with them. The Infected. In both films, the virus is rabies. Of course, the action is all about these escapes and near death (infection) experiences, meeting un-infected, thought unexisting (but then where would the films go?) people on the way.

So, anyone see a resemblance?

Film - Religulous

Move over Michael Moore!
Get a life Al Gore!
Give some room for Bill Maher!

This is what making films, especially documentaries, is all about. To make you think! Few, though, can make you think and laugh. Religulous is one of them!

Bill Maher is an American funny man. He is a stand-up comedian, a television host and a political commentator. His opinions have always been somewhat “Political Incorrect” - a name of a show he used to host - and his positions inciting.

In the film, Bill takes us on a trip throughout the world, to the “home” of many religions, where he tries to clarify some doubts about their origin. Catholic truckers, Evangelists preachers, Jewish inventors and many others explain Bill why they are believers or saviours, while Bill embarrasses them with some funny facts about their beliefs.

All done in a provocative and always funny way, Religulous make you think and wish documentaries like this would take on more air space on tv.

Film - Burn After reading and TCC of Benjamin Button

Brad Pitt has been for some time a symbol for a quality film.
Since his performances in films such as Snatch, Seven or Fight Club, one was forced to acknowledge that this was really not another pretty face and some genuine talent was born. On the other hand, it is obvious that these high rated actors don’t always make the right choices. In his personal history, Brad Pitt has examples such as Ocean’s Elevens trilogy to prove it.

Burn After Reading and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are two kinds of quality films. One quality-writing at its best, the other a case of lost script.

Burn After Reading is another “brother Cohen’s pearl”.
A mix of casual events with government employees and gym workers, one of which is Pitt himself, turns out to be a serious and hilarious political incident. A great cast that also includes John Malkovich, George Clooney and Francis Macdorman with outstanding performances, working a great and well-though story of negotiating, spying, sex and plastic surgery?!
Brad Pitt’s character is a difficult one. He plays a somewhat mentally-challenged gym worker that finds a disc full of information “Numbers… Intelligent Stuff…!”
Again, he proves to be a skilled actor that can offer audiences a different character, that sounds, moves and speaks unlike any other he has played before.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is another story.
Pitt’s performance fades throughout the film, which is also lost in its own succession of events. The tale of Benjamin Button seems like a “curious” one - I couldn’t say for sure because I haven’t read Fitzerald’s book - but the films looses intensity, trying with such effort to combine the life of Button with the historical events.
The special effects, used to successfully alter his physical appearance turning the actor from an 80 year old man to young Pitt, are also used in an abusive way to create realistic events and sceneries of the XX century. The film looses spunk and turns into a fairy-tale story.


When it comes to acting some are good choices, others not so good.
But when it comes to Brad Pitt, nothing could be as bad as Mr. and Mrs. Smith.