The Whackness (TRAILER)

Read about this film in High Times.

Definitely something I'll pick up when it comes out on DVD. I guess the film is already out in SELECT theaters but...



popGURU

If I was a little younger...

If I was a little longer, this movie would probably scare the shit outta me.

Dark Knight-Trailer

Dark Knight Trailer
by sniderz

In honor of Heath Ledger(RIP), and cause this flick looks completely bad ass...I'm gunna make an honest effort to see this one in THEATERS!

I'm Baackkk (joker laugh),

pop-ular//GURU

Michel Gondry's NEXT film

Be Kind Rewind starring Jack Black and Mos Def hits theaters January 25th but what is he working on NEXT?

A film set in Japan and a film about kids who hear music when they drink water (interestinggg)

for more click here

pop.GURU

Hostel pt. II review (contains spoliers)

*This review contains plot spoilers. I suggest you don't read it unless you've seen the movie, otherwise you will be disappointed

Hostel pt. II essentially followed the same format as the first Hostel. A group of unsuspecting, young, beautiful kids embark on a trip to Europe. Somehow they're misguided from their previous plans and end of in Slovakia (sp). At this point they meet a beautiful native that acts a tour guide. All the while they experience moments of fear, usually the main character notices them the most. Each group has an outcast, a girl or guy that doesn't fit in with the others. That member is the first captured, and first killed. Despite the fact that one of their friends goes missing, they continue on having fun. Ultimately the whole group is killed off except for the main character. He/she is saved at the expense of his/her long time friends.

The difference between the pt 1 and p2 is the second dynamic that Eli Roth adds. This part allows us to see the "behind the scenes" of the killings. We get to meet two businessmen, one who is very masculine and tough; the other who is hesitant and shy.

I honestly believe that some people would participate in something like this. It's sick to think about but I'm sure there are business men who would actually get off killing an attractive woman. I've been around people similar to the characters in the movie. Obviously they aren't murders but that doesn't mean they're not sick individuals. Eli Roth makes a comment about this in the special features; essentially saying the same thing-some men are dogs.

My problem with Hostel pt II and I guess part I, was the ending. Eli Roth leaves us on a total limb. Sort of like a Quentin Tarantino, Death Proof limb, except that was expected. All of a sudden everything just comes to an end. Out of know where, the cute, responsible main character turns around and kills two people with out an ounce of guilt? There's a huge difference between a sad ending and a bad ending. I love ambiguity and all that but I know the only reason why they ended the movie this way was to make a sequel. It's exactly what they did with Saw II and III and IV. If this was the last Hostel, it would have been fine (with a few tweeks) but I know this series isn't finished.

In Eli Roth's defense, the second part of trilogy can somtimes be the worst but only because part three would be the overall resolution. I can't really think of an example in film(godfather 2-the best) but it makes sense theoretically (you can't get to the end with out a middle, sometimes a long, boring middle).

Anyway, I still loved the film cinematically, could have spent more time in the torture chambers but that's only my sick sense of horror.

Enjoy the film,

popGURU

Wristcutters: A Love Story(trailer)

Let me just say, it's not what you think. You may see "wristcutters" and immediately speculate that this film is a tragic, depressing tale of suicidal freaks-you're wrong. I add this film to my list of "feel good comedies".

Check out the trailer:



I wonder when/where this is playin?

popGURU

Saw IV is out in theaters!

I probably wont get a chance to see this until Sunday. It's become a bit of a ritual for my friends and I to all see the latest Saw flick on a Sunday before school. I'm expecting a lot from this film, I hope it doesn't disappoint me!

You can view the trailer/teaser HERE!

Gotta get my hits in,

popGURU

Wes Anderson short FILM?

EDIT:

Wow I stumbled upon this great short film on I-TUNES. The film is called Hotel Chevalerie and was directed by Wes Anderson(The Darjeeling Limited), the film stars Jason Shwartzman and Natalie Portman. The short was produced as a prelude to The Darjeeling Limited but is great just on it's own. This is one of the great short films I've been privileged to see, considering this was done but a very accomplished director and with professional equipment that doesn't come as much of a surprise though. In a way, this could just be a scene from a larger feature(the darjeeling limited?) but then again I guess all shorts could.

Even though Portman didn't say or do much I got the feeling that she's a real great actress. I've seen her in other great performances but I think this short really challenged her. Wes' short actually features a pretty explicit sex scene and Portman handled it very well. I guess it's not really a sex scenem because it's not implied that sex actually happens, but you definitely see some skin.

Anyway, if you have i-tunes download HOTEL CHEVALERIE for FREE, this film really makes me want to go out and see 'The Darjeeling Limited'.

uno,

popGURU

if it's HALLOWEEN it must be SAW

Just like that it's been a whole year since the last 'Saw' film. Seriously, just when you thought this series was done they hit you in the face with another one. I suggest if you haven't seen any of the Saw films you get started watching them. If you watch one Saw every week leading up to 26th of October, I promise you, you'll be that much more excited for Saw IV(that's basically what I did for Saw 3). Even if you don't like horror movies, I suggest you atleast see Saw 1 because it's simply an amazing film, no matter what genre you consider it.

Here's the official TEASER for Saw IV, the scheduled release date for this film is the 26th of October!



-popGURU

The anatomy of a SCENE "The Darjeeling Limited"

Check out this clip from 'The Darjeeling Limited' the film just screened opening night @ the NY Film Fest(9/27) , the clip has commentary from director/writer Wes Anderson.

enjoy,

oh wait CLICK here for the CLIP

popGURU

Thank GOD for Michel Gondry

The director of such films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and A Science of Sleep(2 of the best films you will ever see) is coming out with a new film called Be Kind Rewind. The film stars Jack Black and Mos Def as...well why don't you just watch the trailer and do the research!



Judging by the trailer(which is never an accurate depiction) this seems like one of Gondry's most commercial releases. What I think you can expect though is great directing, innovative shots and effects as well as a qwerky (sp) plot.

I believe this is scheduled for an early 08 release.

more info coming soon,

Kurt Cobain-About a Son

"About a Son" is an original film about the late Kurt Cobain directed by AJ Schnack. Cobain, best known for his contributions to the band Nirvana, committed suicide in 1994. Honestly, if you don't know who Cobain is, or haven't heard a song by Nivana you've obviously been sleeping under a rock, do some research.

What's great about this film though is it's told by Cobain. The director took segments from unheard interviews with Cobain and transformed them into a story. What I also like about the film is, it's not trying to mimic anything, it's not trying to put a spin on Cobains life. So often with bio-pics you get a version of reality that comes from the writer or directors mind (the doors, last days), this isn't the case with "about a son"; it's literally Cobain's life told in his words.

Take a minute to check out the trailer,

Official Kurt Cobain About a Son Trailer

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The film was directed by AJ Schnack and is scheduled to come out October 2007 (according to the trailer).

more info as it becomes availible,

iHUSTLE

Eastern Promises REVIEW(no spoilers)

Today I was fortunate enough to check out David Cronenberg's new film, Eastern Promises. The film stars Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts. I don't really feel like giving the typical plot summary/thematic rundown, you can just click HERE for that.

Eastern Promises reminds me a lot of Cronenberg's last film, A History of Violence. The film starts off very mellow but establishes the plot early. Both have twisted plots that are highlighted by extreme violence. I was a bit turned off by the audience I watched the movie with, they found the violence to be humorous. I don't know if it was because the violence isn't believable or if that's the natural reaction to a man getting his figures cut off. Promises tops A History of Violence on the blood meter in my book. Usually you don't see people's throats being cut open-you see that numerous times in Promises. The pinnacle of the violence comes when Mortensen fights off two hitmen, naked in a shower room.

Another aspect of Eastern Promises congruent to Cronenberg's past films is the ambiguity that he leaves the audience with. Both with "a histoy of violence" and "eastern promises" I couldn't tell when it was going to end. If you haven't seen either movie, you won't know what I'm talking about, but if you have-you will, HAHA. Basically the first two acts of Cronenberg's movies make sense and then the third act takes you on a wild ride that leaves you with an clear sense of what's actually going on.

All in all I love the movie, it's a shame that more people haven't gone out to see the film. There's so much more I could say about this movie but it would be best expressed in a small discussion group, not an online article. If anyone wants to discuss the film, hit me on the email tgiffilms@gmail.com (im serious, im a nerd)

peace,

iHUSTLE

Death Proof(extended, uncut version) REVIEW

Ok, so I finally got a chance to sit down and watch the recently released version of Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. Here's my info and opinions.

I think there were only two significant scenes added to the retail version and they didn' t really add anything to the plot. Regardless though, the movie is a classic in my book. The movie didn't do well at the box office, because it wasn't marketed/packaged right. Planet Terror and Death Proof should have been released separately. I think a lot of people just over looked the film because they didn't understand it. In order to appreciate "grindhouse" you need some prior knowledge of the genre and the directors themselves. Now not everyone is a film geek like me(I watched just about every interview and read all the articles online about the film) so I blame that on the distributor, The Winestein Co.

Even if they released them separately, I don't think people would be lining up to see either movie but that's the nature of Tarantino's work. He's so well respected in the industry and by his cult following, it's a shame average American's aren't smart enough to appreciate his art.

What I really liked about this film is the cinematography and the visual appearance of the shots. I believe they shot everything in Texas, it provided a real beautiful back drop for the whole film. Tarantino always has great day time scenes. Tarantino is very meticulous with his colors, you always see a lot of vibrant yellows, and reds-Death Proof stays true to this theme.

The best part of the movie though, were the stunts. I saw it in theaters and the car chase scene still amazed me. Zoe Bell(plays herself) is an amazing stunt woman, just think about how much danger she overcame to get those amazing shots on top of the hood. Honestly, the whole time I was thinking, "how they hell does she do that".

One negative thing I noticed about the movie was the serious issues with continuity. For those of you film retarted, that means things don't match up between shots. For example if someones holding a cigarette to their mouth and the director cuts to another shot of the actor and they don't have the cigarette(easier to explain visually); there were a lot of continuity problems like that. Obviously, the average viewer won't pick up on that kind of stuff but I noticed it nonetheless. I attribute these problems to the complexity of the shots, there's always a lot going on, usually a group of actors interacting with one another so there's really no way around it

All in all, I'm going to add this one to the shelves along with some other great movies. If you haven't seen the film, go rent it, steal it, I don't care. If you're a true Tarantino fan and you liked Resevoir Dogs, you must see Death Proof.

I am stunt man Mike,

iHUSTLE

Woody Allens next film

Woody Allen's next film is called Cassandra's Dream, it stars Colin Farrel and Ewan McGregor. Like most Allen films, there's not much info regarding the plot but it's roughly the story of two brothers with serious financial problems who turn to crime in order to make some cash.

I'll try to get some more info on this film as it comes.

I found a bootleg trailer on you tube, nothing official but here it is.

I gots mines (QT's Death Proof)

I picked up my copy of Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, the unrated, extended version that screened @ Cannes. It's important to note, you can ONLY get this film in BLOCKBUSTER stores, or ONLINE (click here). The price is a bit steep I must admit, it came to about 31 bucks! I have no problem paying 31 dollars for a 2 disc classic, but I can see how some may.

I guess if you don't want to pay the 30 beans, you can rent it @ Blockbuster or wait for it in demand/tv?

anyway, I'll probably watch it Thursday or over the weekend. I want to watch it @ night and at a time when I can enjoy the movie.

peace,

iHUSTLE aka popGURU

ps: check out the TRAILER if you've been sleeping under a rug for the past year(just watching 15 seconds of the trailer brings back memories)

Darjeeling in the news

second day in a row, millions of people are trying to get info on this film. Don't forget "The Darjeeling Limited" starring Owen Wilson and Adrian Brody is premiering @ the NY film festival on the the 28th of September. Get your tickets!

Just for the record, I reported on this film, before the 10th.

I call myself popGURU for a reason!

iHUSTLE aka popGURU 1.00023212333

Into the Wild TRAILER(sean penn film)

There's a great new movie coming out this fall based on the novel, Into the Wild. It's about a kid from a wealthy family that decides to disown his family name, donate all his savings money to charity and go embark on an adventure to Alaska. The film was directed by Sean Penn and stars Emile Hirsch.

No only is the actual story amazing but the story of making the movie is too. It took 8 months to shoot the film. They shot most of the film on location(meaning in alaska, cold). It took Sean Penn years to actual make this film; his original cast stared Leonardo DiCaprio and Marlon Brando.

I have to let people know ahead of time, this is going to be a very sad movie, it's no secret how it ends. I love the idea of going off "into the wild" and surviving on your own though. I could honestly see myself doing something similar after college. If you're like me and don't enjoy the classic hollywood epic, where the protagonist is beaten, starved and ruined but somehow manages to survive, go see "into the wild" when it comes out!

here's the trailer:



uno,

iHUSTLE

this was my 100th post for the blog! yay!

1 day! until DEATH PROOF

lets get it, lets get it, lets get it, lets get it

nuff said,

iHUSTLE

5 Days and counting(GRINDHOUSE)

PRE-ORDER

enough said,

iHUSTLE

David Cronenberg movie-EASTERN PROMISES

David Cronenberg's(a history of violence, crash)new film looks nuts! Those of you that have seen A history of Violence know how great of a director this man is. I loved Viggo Mortensen in a history of violence. It looks from the trailer Mortensen gives a great perfomance in this movie as well, and with Naomi Watts playing the lead...WHHHAT!

I'm willing to bet this movie will scare the average movie goer, more than most horror movies that have come out in the last couple of years! They don't show much in the trailer but I can already tell this is going to be a twisted film.

Those of you that haven't seen Cronenberg's other films, check them out, I have to do the same.

HERE THE TRAILER:



Can't get enough,

iHUSTLE

PS. Look @ my posts times, haha