Several years ago, before Josh and I moved to LA, we came out here for a conference. At the conference we met a friend who was trying to become a producer. His name was Rich.
Almost 3 years ago, when I decided to move to LA, I contacted Rich. He was very friendly and had some great suggestions on how to survive out here.
Then my brother Josh moved out here and the three of us went to lunch. Rich told us he was working on an idea for a documentary about a high school football team in Memphis. We liked the idea but didn’t give it much thought beyond that. He told us he was going to be out of town for a while shooting a sizzle reel to get people interested in paying for the doc.
Time went by and Rich checked in with a few links to the sizzle reel. We were impressed. The “characters” in this documentary were rich and interesting. A few months went by and we found out Rich had gotten the money he needed. And then he was gone. For over a year.
When Rich surfaced again, he was excited about the documentary. It began to play the festivals and got a lot of interest. And then The Weinstein Company picked up the documentary.
But that wasn’t the end of the story. A few weeks back, it was announced that Rich’s little football documentary, Undefeated, was nominated for an Oscar — for Best Documentary!
Rich is now an Oscar-nominated producer. It has been so much fun to watch Rich’s story play out.
You never know where your path will lead you. Rich’s story inspires us to go ahead and take that first step.
Josh and I were finally able to see a preview screening this last week. The film is incredible. Think Friday Night Lights meets The Blind Side.
Check out our reviews on the film plus a trailer over at FilmGeekTweets.com. And go see Undefeated when it releases in theaters. It opened in NY and LA Friday, February 17th, 2012.
Today we launched a brand new website called FilmGeekTweets.com — as the banner says: Movie Reviews in 140 Characters (or less.) This is an idea Josh and I have been bouncing around for a while. Finally after partnering with Ricky Brigante (of InsidetheMagic.net fame) we’re ready to go. We bring you movie reviews of current and classic movies in real time. As we watch them, we review them.
Here’s the basic idea –
We love movies. No doubt you do too. But life too often gets in the way, leaving precious little time to enjoy a good film. So it is our FilmGeeks’ goal to get you to watch, enjoy, and appreciate more (and better!) films by providing short, personal, film snob-free reviews of our favorites – and least favorites. Our Twitter-length movie reviews spark conversations, provoke thought, and offer spoiler-free opinions of films so you can quickly decide what to watch tonight.
The site has some great features. Try sorting the reviews by star rating, title, reviewer, or chronologically. Want to see more films from the 1980s? Check out our reviews from that decade.
Also, check out the NEW IN THEATERS portion of the home page to get our thoughts on the most recent films so you don’t waste $15 at the movie theater.
One of my favorite elements of the site is the WHAT TO WATCH button. You can “spin the reel” and get an instant movie recommendation for those times you’re just too indecisive about what film to watch next. Plus find links to buy/rent/stream it. Try it.
Join in the conversation. You can post your thoughts on each one of our movie reviews. If you agree or disagree with our take on a film, tell us about it. We love a good movie discussion.
Follow @FilmGeekTweets on twitter for all of our FilmGeeks’ reviews and be sure to check out the site — FilmGeekTweets.com
The Four Feathers is a glorious Technicolor example of one of the Golden Age of Hollywood’s great adventure epics. This 1939 version of a classic English tale was to the UK what Gone with the Wind was to the US. The majestic and beautifully shot cinematic masterpiece represents all that was good and right about the glory of the British Empire, and yet, at the same time, manages to show the injustices of war.
When a British army officer in the late 1800s decides to resign his commission, he soon receives three white feathers from his fellow officers. The feathers represent a vote of cowardice and he interprets his fiancée’s rebuke to be the fourth feather. Alone in the world, he sets off for Egypt and the Sudan to prove his bravery by secretly aiding his former comrades while disguised as a mute Arab. He then manages to rescue all three of his accusers and returns to England to reclaim his fiancée’s love and admiration.
I cannot overstate the beauty of this gorgeous film. In particular, the post battle scene where injured officer Ralph Richardson wanders about the sweltering desert is stunningly memorable – you can practically feel the sweat dripping from his forehead. And the interior scenes are just as carefully constructed, with every bit of pomp and majesty popping off the screen as well-dressed ladies parade about with their uniformed escorts.
The entire cast is quiet good, particularly the little known John Clements as the demoralized ex-soldier. Clements gives a fine performance as the young man with unpopular ideas of how best to serve God and country and is surprisingly convincing when disguised as a native, unrecognizable to even his closest friends. But the real standout for me is Richardson as the blinded soldier who returns home to find what he thinks is love from his friend’s ex-fiancé. The moment he discovers the object of his devotion only feels pity for him is one that will break your heart as it simultaneously fills you with admiration for a man who suddenly realizes where he stands and what he must do about it. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.
The Four Feathers airs Thursday, February 16 at 9:15AM on TCM
A few months ago, I took a trip up the coast of California to see a place I’d heard about but have never seen: the mountain home of newspaper magnate and movie mogul William Randolph Hearst. The official name for it is La Cuesta Encantada but it was referred to by Hearst and others as “the ranch” or “San Simeon.” Today it is simply and most appropriately called Hearst Castle.
As a Film Geek, my desire to see the Castle came from my love for the film Citizen Kane. It is common knowledge that Orson Welles based the character of Charles Foster Kane partly on William Randolph Hearst. (Some would argue that the character of Kane has many elements of Welles’ own personality and history as well.)
In the film, Kane built a lavish mansion on a mountain and filled it with antiques and sculptures from all over the world. He called this mountain paradise Xanadu. But Kane never finished the house because he ran out of money. He died with it still under construction.
And that’s exactly what happened to Hearst.
Picture for a second growing up watching a movie like Star Wars and seeing the Death Star on screen, being incredibly fascinated by such an amazing location. Then someone says to you “Hey, you know the Death Star was based on a real place” and you are able to go and visit it. This was my experience going to see Hearst Castle. It was like stepping into a movie.
We were shown where Hearst partied with friends and movie stars. Where he played tennis with Charlie Chaplin. Where a young animator named Walt Disney screened the first feature length animated film so Hearst could give his blessing.
The whole mountain top villa had an extremely creepy aura about it. The art was amazing but thrown together in a hodge-podge. Hearst didn’t care about keeping baroque elements separate from gothic. And because of this, the entire decor had a schizophrenic feel. Amidst all of this wealth there was something tacky about it.
In the end, I was saddened by all of the extravagance. Here was a living testament to a man who had so much wealth and was never satisfied. Just like in the movie Citizen Kane.
When I first watched Citizen Kane as a child, I didn’t get it. ”Rosebud? What does that mean?” But now having walked in the footsteps of Hearst (and to some extent Kane), I get it more than ever.
Watch a clip of Citizen Kane that features Xanadu here.
To read more about the history of the Castle check out the Wikipedia page or go to the official site - www.hearstcastle.org.
And check out the pics I snapped with my iPhone:
Last month, after the final Harry Potter film was released on DVD/Blu Ray, my sister and I watched all 8 films over the course of a week and then took a road trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. Technically, it’s part of Universal Studios Orlando in the Islands of Adventure park but the Wizarding World is a destination in itself.
My sister had never seen past the second film and has never read the books. Watching all 8 with a newbie was definitely an enjoyable experience but it does point out some of the flaws in the movies. There are parts that make absolutely no sense to those who haven’t read the books. Overall though, the movies are an incredible achievement with every single character played by the same cast member (except Dumbledore) over the course of 8 movies.
I don’t necessarily think all of the Harry Potter movies are great but there is one thing you can not deny: the world is amazingly creative and rich. That’s what I love about them and that’s what you experience by going to the Wizarding World.
The Wizarding World is a place for fans of Harry Potter. It’s very much like Comic-Con. People from all over the world congregate there and share their unashamed love of all things Potter. It is not uncommon to see people dressed up as their favorite characters. In line for the rides you’ll hear debates about various things relevant to the Potter mythos.
I must admit, I got caught up in the excitement. I spent way too much money on Butterbeer (a rich butterscotch/cream soda drink), Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, and Chocolate Frogs.
The unique element that the Wizarding World has that most Theme Parks do not have is that the designers chose to fully immerse you into the world as much as they could. The shops in Hogsmeade have regular doors rather than the double wide automatic doors that most theme parks have. They want you to feel like you are actually in a shop that Harry and his friends would visit. And you won’t find merchandise that says ‘Harry Potter’ in the shops. It’s all about the reality of the world — you aren’t in a theme park.
My favorite shop is Olivander’s Wand Shop. They sell all of the movie wands as well as wands that are specific to your birthday. The show in the wand shop is amazing, recreating the scene from Sorcerer’s Stone for one lucky park guest. This always has a long line so be sure to see it first thing in the morning. It’s a short show but it is NOT to be missed.
And yes, I did buy a wand. How could I not?
(Thanks to Ricky Brigante of Inside the Magic for taking this picture.)
By far the coolest thing to see is the attraction Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It combines the animatronics and sets of a dark ride with a great simulator ride. I won’t say anything more than that — I don’t want to spoil the experience. It is definitely my favorite theme park ride — and that’s saying a lot considering I’m a huge Disneyland/Disney World fan. Watch out for Dementors!
I had a great two days immersing myself into everything Potter casting spells and drinking Butterbeer. I felt like I was 11 years old.
Check out the pictures we took and go plan your trip today! You won’t regret it. If you want to know more about the Wizarding World, head on over to InsidetheMagic.net and see their comprehensive coverage.
The best TV sitcom ever to grace the small screen is The Dick Van Dyke show. Created by Carl Reiner, it starred a cast of brilliant comedians including Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, and Carl Reiner himself. Garry Marshall (of Happy Days fame) was a writer for the show.
If you aren’t familiar with the show: it’s about a TV writer who uses his experiences at home with his wife and son to inspire the comedy scripts he writes for the show. Dick Van Dyke stars as the writer, Rob Petrie, with Mary Tyler Moore as his wife, Laura. This show is important to me for two reasons — it’s partly to blame for my desire to write for TV/Film. It looks like so much fun. The other reason — Laura was my first crush. Those capri pants and that 60′s hair… wow.
A few weeks ago, Josh and I had the pleasure of attending the 50th Anniversary of the show held at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, and Garry Marshall spoke for about an hour and they showed 3 classic episodes on the big screen. (That was a rare treat.)
As we waited for the show to begin, a woman was wheeled into the auditorium and an applause errupted. It took Josh and myself just a few seconds to realize who the woman was. Rose Marie. This woman is a living legend. She’s been performing since she was Baby Rose Marie when she was three years old. She always had a trademark bow in her hair, always on one side.
There were also a ton of guest stars and relatives of the cast and crew. One of the most prolific directors of the show and cast member Jerry Paris’ sons were in attendance and sat a few feet from us.
The entire night was just another reminder that these shows and films we love aren’t made by the superhuman – they’re made by people. And Josh and I are people. There’s no reason why we couldn’t do what they do.
We recorded the hour long discussion and I’ve uploaded it for you all to listen to. There’s a rare treat about 15 minutes in when Dick Van Dyke performs the theme song to the show with his a cappella group, The Vantastix.
And to show you how star struck we were, here’s a terrible picture of Carl Reiner leaving the men’s bathroom after the show.
One side note — my parents introduced us to this show when Nick at Nite ran a marathon of the entire show in the early 90s. My family was camping that week — we had set the timer on our VCR to record the shows. But the tapes always ran out with 2 hours left each night. So, we’d pack the family up and drive all the way back to our home, pop in a fresh tape, and drive back to the camp site. Every night. At the time, we thought our parents were a little strange. But after watching those tapes till they wore out, we now know why this was so important. Thank God for DVDs.
Ryan Gosling is an extremely busy man. This summer he’s appeared in the rom-com, Crazy, Stupid, Love, he has a film coming out in October in which he co-stars with George Clooney, and according to imdb.com he has at least three more films either in production, or in pre-production. But before you see Ryan with George, you’ll have the chance to see him in the stylish heist film, Drive, which opens Friday, September 16th.
If you’ve been following his career at all, you may have noticed that Gosling is a bit of a chameleon on the silver screen. He first came to notoriety for playing the romantic lead in The Notebook. Then the hot young actor did something unusual and starred in the low budget indie, Half Nelson, only to follow that up with the oddball role of Lars in Lars and the Real Girl. Now the handsome, blonde, and blue-eyed fresh face of Hollywood has yet again done something completely different – he’s playing the man of mystery in his latest film, a Neo-Noir, or should I say Neon Noir (it’ll make since when you listen to the recording).
Just the other day, I was among a small group of press with whom Gosling sat down and talked about Drive, his approach to acting, his emphasis on change, and his career plans for the future. Let’s just say it’s not a fluke that he decided to work with Clooney who’s an actor who became a director, but it’s better if you hear it for yourself. The reporters who surrounded me were very bright and asked some great questions that allowed for a great flow of conversation, and a nice bit of insight into a rising star that’s obviously in the game for the long haul.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with John Sayles about his latest film Amigo. Amigo is an historical drama that opened August 19th. It’s a beautifully shot film set on a small, occupied island during the Philippine-American War.
Although the cast is mostly unknown to American audiences, the performances are exceptional, performed by an appealing cast led by Filipino actor, Joel Torre. With a story that centers on a small village thrust into a war they understand very little about, the film’s theme holds a striking significance for the modern audience given the events happening all over the world today.
When I first arrived at Du-Par’s at the Farmers Market in LA I had intended to ask Sayles about his filmmaking process, from the point in which he becomes interested in a project to the development and producing of the final product. I was particularly interested in this because Amigo, like most of Sayles’ films (Brother From Another Planet, Matewan, Lone Star) has a certain degree of social consciousness, and yet manages to maintain a high level of entertainment throughout the picture. I had my list of questions carefully planned out, but you know what they say about best-laid plans.
As you will hear from the recording below, I didn’t get around to hardly any of the questions I had in mind. Instead, the conversation took on a life of its’ own. And well, I was enjoying listening to Sayles so much I just let the topic go where it wanted. As you’ll soon hear that’s the best thing to do when interviewing a master storyteller, because what they have to say is far more interesting than anything you may want them to say. And man, can Sayles talk. From observations about bicycling in LA, to the use of locals in his films, to memories of going to the drive-in as a kid, and more, Sayles can tell a fascinating tale.
What you’re about to hear starts off with Sayles mid sentence reacting to the fact I rode a bicycle to the interview, and it just flows in all directions from there. If you like Sayles (or even just listening to an intelligent director) you’re going to like listening to him as much as I did. And if you don’t know Sayles, you’re going to want to after listening to this recording. I recommend starting out with Amigo since it’s in theaters now, and follow up with putting Lone Star and Eight Men Out on your NetFlix list. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
As I posted earlier, on June 2-3, Josh and I were invited to cover the Grand Re-Opening of Star Tours at Disneyland as well as the Grand Opening of the new The Little Mermaid attraction at Disney California Adventure.
Today, I wanted to share with you about The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. We were there for the opening ceremonies where none other than the voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson, was on hand to perform a medley of songs from the film. This was an experience that I’ll never forget. She’s still got it! Check out the video:
This new attraction is the next generation “dark ride.” Picture any of the attractions in Fantasyland injected with steroids. It’s the same idea — floating through various scenes like you would in Peter Pan, Snow White, or Pinnochio. But instead of small rooms, with half size figures, The Little Mermaid ride is MASSIVE with life-size characters. The Ursula is especially large and foreboding.
If you are a fan of The Little Mermaid, you’ll love the ride. If not, it may not be your thing. No thrills. What you see is what you get. But I liked it very much. And I was excited to see how the Imagineers used new technologies to achieve the same “dark ride” experience on a bigger scale.
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We teamed up with Ricky Brigante of Inside the Magic to cover the event. Head on over to InsidetheMagic.net to view full coverage of the events including video and pictures.
A few weeks ago, Josh and I attended Comic-Con in San Diego. Thankfully, because of our status as filmmakers, we were able to score Producers Passes — free.
We had a wonderful time both inside the convention hall and outside roaming the streets of beautiful San Diego. I thought I’d share a little bit of our experience.
I started each morning riding the San Diego Trolley along with several hundred other geeks. The sense of community is thick. We’re all there because we love elements of pop culture. Sometimes those things overlap and sometimes they don’t. But we can all respect each other.
The convention is held at the San Diego Convention Center right on the water and adjacent to the Gas Lamp district.
Advertisements can be found everywhere. They were really pushing Cowboys & Aliens hard.
Part of the fun of Comic-Con is seeing geeks dressed up as their favorite characters. Here’s someone dressed as my favorite character – Marty McFly.
But I’d have to say the best costumes I saw were The Frogg Brothers (played by two teen girls) from the movie Lost Boys.
Another fun element of Comic-Con are the random promotional stunts that are pulled. As we were walking the streets, we saw a long line of people at an ice-cream truck. Upon further investigation, we found that Seth Green was giving out free Ben & Jerry’s Ice-cream to promote Robot Chicken and Adult Swim. I snapped this photo.
With so much going on in the streets and on the convention floor (seems like MILES of booths to peruse,) it is easy to get distracted. But once I focused, I set about getting into the mythical Hall H. This is where they have all the biggest panels. It’s fairly tough to get into because once you are in, you’re in all day. The catch is, if you leave, you can’t get back in without waiting for hours and hours.
On Thursday night, I saw a discussion between Jon Favreau and Guillermo Del Toro. It was fascinating. And for any Disney fans, be sure to listen to the audio — they talk about their future projects based on Disney Theme Park attractions. You can listen to that audio here: Jon Favreau and Guillermo Del Toro.
But by far, the most amazing part of Comic-Con was seeing Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson live. They spoke about Tintin among other things. Here’s a picture of them with a fan who wore a shirt that said something like “It would make my day to shake Steven Spielberg’s hand.” So they invited him on stage and took photos with him. It was very sweet.
You can here the audio from their talk here: Spielberg and Jackson
I attended for 2 days. The con went on for another 2 but I had had enough. The crowds were almost unbearable. But looking back, I wish I had stayed longer. It’s incredibly fun. I highly recommend getting tickets… though getting tickets seems to be extremely difficult nowadays.
