As posted a few weeks ago, Josh and I had the amazing privilege to attend the third annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. This was by far our favorite of the three years.
Because we’d been the previous two years, we’d already had the opportunity to see some amazing classics on the big screen. Two of our favorites from previous years were Casablanca and Singin’ in the Rain. Both of these were screening again this year and because we’d already seen them, it freed us up to experience movies we hadn’t seen yet and in some cases, hadn’t even heard of.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
We kicked off the festival with a tweet-up in the Marilyn Suite at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. There we were given free food and drinks and a chance to mingle with TCM’s PR team as well as other tweeting attendees from the festival. The hotel room was small but had a great view of the pool. It is named the Marilyn Suite because Marilyn Monroe lived there for a few years.
After the party, we headed over and caught our first film of the festival Sullivan’s Travels (1941) at the Chinese Multiplex. Written and directed by the great Preston Sturges (one of the first writer/directors), it’s an important film blasting important films. I’d seen it before back in college but it’s one of those that always stuck with me and I’m glad I got to see it again on the big screen.
There were more films screened that evening but we decided to go home and get some rest. We had a busy three days ahead of us.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Friday morning, we started the day with The Searchers (1956) at Grauman’s Chinese. Both Josh and I agree that this is John Wayne’s finest performance and possibly John Ford’s best film. One of our favorites to be sure. We both got into filmmaking partly because of this movie: it is featured in the Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World.
Next up was Elmer Gantry(1960) at The Egyptian. Neither of us had seen this one before. It’s a powerful film with great performances by Shirley Jones and Burt Lancaster. A must see for classic film fans but not one of my favorites.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) at Grauman’s Chinese was next. Kirk Douglas was there to introduce the film. He’s 95 years old and has had some major strokes that have left him with a strong speech impediment but his mind is still sharp. Seeing him was one of the highlights of the festival. He even sang a verse and chorus of “Whale of a Tale.” Revisiting the film revealed a very weak script but it’s so much fun and the world is so imaginative. I wonder if 20,000 Leagues would have been the Transformers of its day.
You can hear the audio of Kirk Douglas introducing the film here:
Kirk Douglas at TCM Film Festival
The next film was our first big risk of the festival. We went to see a Film Noir called Cry Danger (1951) at The Egyptian. It was here that we were introduced to a man named Eddie Muller who has written several books on Film Noir. He’s the unofficial expert on the genre and he programmed all of the Noir films at the festival. He pegs this film as one of the best and we both agree. It was so good. We skipped seeing Vertigo at Grauman’s Chinese in order to see this but it was so worth it.
The final film of the day was Grand Illusion (1937) at the Chinese Multiplex. The film started after 9pm and we were pretty wiped out so we didn’t see the film under optimum circumstances. It’s all in French which made it doubly hard to stay focused. I didn’t care for the film but I’ll definitely give it another chance in a couple years. I’m a little bummed we passed up on Chinatown at Grauman’s Chinese but at least now I can say I’ve seen Grand Illusion.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
First up was an Abbott and Costello film called Who Done It? (1942) at the Chinese Multiplex. This is the first feature length I’ve seen of their films and to be honest, I didn’t like it. Bud and Lou are best in short form, in my humble opinion.
We watched one short during A Fine Mess: Laurel and Hardy Shorts at the Chinese Multiplex. We had to leave early to get in line for the next film –
Snow White (1937) at Grauman’s Chinese! This was spectacular. Ginnifer Goodwin and Leonard Maltin introduced the film. What’s not to love about classic Walt on the big screen?
The next film was the hardest choice we had to make at the festival. We passed on Casablanca to see a Harold Lloyd film called Girl Shy (1924) at The Egyptian. I’m so glad we did. I’d never seen a Harold Lloyd film in its entirety. Only clips in film school and on TV. With a live orchestra, there is no other way to see these classic silent films. Last year I was introduced to Buster Keaton’s films and I became an instant fan. The same with Lloyd. He’s a genius.
The second hardest choice was to pass up Singin’ in the Rain for Gun Crazy (1950) at The Egyptian. It was another Film Noir introduced by Eddie Muller. Again, it paid off. Such a good movie. We were exposed to several Noirs that were made outside the studios. Josh and I know a lot about the studio features during the 30s, 40s, and 50s but our knowledge of indie films is very little. It’s been so much fun learning about these great classics!
As much as we wanted to see A Night to Remember on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, we were told by several people that we absolutely cannot pass up Seconds (1966) at the Chinese Multiplex. It’s a crazy sci-fi thriller made in the 60s by John Frankenheimer and starring Rock Hudson. It’s a small club of people who have actually seen it, much less know what it is. But once you’re in the club, you instantly want to start adding members. It’s very bizarre but gripping. Find a copy somehow. It’s not easy but you won’t regret it.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The last day. We started it with a special screening of How the West was Won (1962) at the Cinerama Dome.
Cinerama is a gimic process created in the 60s where three cameras were used to extend the size of the screen. It had to be projected with three projectors. We were privileged to see the film projected on a screen where it was shown in the 60s in the way it was shown.
And what a movie! It was always one of my favorites as a kid and it holds up. So much fun. And it was very meaningful to both Josh and myself. The film captures the spirit of the American pioneer going west to seek his fortune. We can identify plenty!
They had an actual working Cinerama Camera in the lobby.
Next we saw Raw Deal (1948) at the Chinese Multiplex. It’s a lesser known Film Noir like the others in the festival but very good. I didn’t like it as much as Gun Crazy or Cry Danger but it had some interesting elements that sets it apart from other Noirs. Worth a look for sure.
Our last film in the Grauman’s Chinese was Rio Bravo (1959), a western starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Angie Dickenson. It was directed by the great Howard Hawks. I loved it as a kid and I loved it on the big screen. I haven’t seen it in probably 20 years. And this time, I had a great appreciation for Angie Dickenson in the role of Feathers. She was on hand to introduce the film and shared some fun stories.
And this brings us to the last film we saw at the TCM Classic Film Festival. The Thief of Bagdad (1924) at The Egyptian. We chose this over seeing Annie Hall. I’d never seen Douglas Fairbanks in a film even though he was one of the first BIG STARS of Hollywood. I enjoyed the film. The sets and stunts were fantastic and the special effects at the time would have been like watching Jurassic Park. But it was long (two and a half hours) and after seeing 14 movies over the last few days, I was struggling to get through it. We actually left halfway through once we realized the film was streaming instantly on Netflix. Haha. (This is unfortunate because the last hour is definitely the most impressive.)
So that’s it. We had a wonderful time and we appreciate TCM inviting us to cover the festival.
Check out all of our FilmGeekTweet reviews from the TCM Classic Film Festival here.
For the last two years, Josh and I have been privileged to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. We are stoked as ever to attend once again. The 2012 festival begins in just a few short days.
In anticipation, we thought we’d post a link to all of our previous coverage:
2010 TCM Classic Film Festival
2011 TCM Classic Film Festival
Adventures in Filmmaking contributor Carrie Specht has written a wonderful run down of which films she recommends and which she doesn’t. Even if you aren’t attending the TCM Classic Film Festival, this proves a valuable resource as you determine what movie to rent/stream on a Friday night.
Be sure to follow our posts on Twitter. We’ll be live tweeting the events at our personal accounts — @joshdaws and @jeremiahdaws — as well as tweeting movie reviews for FilmGeekTweets.com from our FilmGeek accounts — @filmgeekjosh and @filmgeekjer.
It has been way too long since Josh and I stepped out of our writing cave and actually directed a short. In February we decided to get back in the saddle. We wrote a tight little script and in March, we shot for a day with some friends/actors/crew. Today we give you the fruit of that effort.
We are very proud to present the latest Daws Brothers film, Like a Child.
This film is proof that no filmmaker is limited. This short had an entire budget of $36 — and that all went to Subway. We borrowed all the equipment. And one of our actors is a member of SAG. Their New Media classification is a god-send to us digital filmmakers who love working with good actors but are still trying to create on a dime.
The point is: all you need is a good idea. Heck, shoot your film on an iPhone for all I care. But make sure the story’s good.
Our friend Justin Copeland did the storyboards. I’ve uploaded a few boards for you to see his amazing work.
You can view more of Justin’s work here.
We’re grateful to all who worked on the short including Hayden and Morgan Livesay and Stephen Van Dorn for their work acting in the film.
The Livesay Brothers (Nolan and Jason) composed the music. You can check out their work at Livesaymusic.com.
We shot on the Canon 60D with all natural light. Jared Isham was our DP. Check out his stuff here.
If you liked the film, we’d appreciate it if you would Tweet and Facebook about the film (and any other form of social media.)
And here are some behind-the-scenes photos:
There’s no doubt about the amazing talents of famed director Billy Wilder. His very prestigious resume ranges from the Academy Award winning drama The Lost Weekend to what many consider to be the funniest film ever made, Some Like It Hot. And there are so many more great films, including this weeks TCM Pick of The Week: The Seven Year Itch.
Many people know about this film without knowing they know, and having never seen it. You see this is THE film where Marilyn Monroe poses standing above the subway vent as her skirt flies up. It’s one of the most iconic images in all of cinema. So iconic that the dress Marilyn wore in that shot just sold at auction not too long ago for over a million dollars. But this film has a lot more going for it than just one memorable moment. As a comedy it’s as good as anything else Wilder ever did, and is far better than anything you could possibly see today in the theaters.
It’s a simple enough tale about a 1950’s married man living in New York City who falls for the blonde bombshell upstairs while his wife is on vacation. An incredibly likeable and funny Tom Ewell plays the man and Monroe is the bombshell. Comedy ensues when Ewell’s overactive, over-vivid imagination goes into overdrive imagining what could be with his new neighbor, and then actually attempts to make the moves on the innocent minded young hottie. It may sound like the pitch line for a modern film but the big difference is in the deft writing of the script and the sublime directing of Wilder. No one has ever handled sexual innuendo as comically as Wilder, and no one ever will.
I promise you won’t be disappointed, and more than likely you’ll be searching for more Wilder films to add to your must see list. You can watch The Seven Year Itch this Friday, March 30 at 5:00PM (PST) on TCM. You can thank me later.
Anyone familiar with animation knows that its success as a medium of entertainment originated primarily in Hollywood. Amazingly, Los Angeles has been absent of any annual animated film festivals. A couple of years ago John Andrews and Miles Flanagan sought to fill this void. Since 2010, the Los Angeles Animation Festival has been a celebration of this art form, be it domestically or internationally, inside or outside of the studio system.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending this year’s festival, and it was a showcase of collaboration and diversity. Cat in Paris, Akira, and Fantastic Planet were among several unique pieces shown over the course of the festival, some of which had never been screened in the U.S. In addition, a Sunday afternoon showing of Shrek was held to mark the 10th anniversary of the first Oscar win in the Best Animated Film category.
The festival also honored the great Bill Plympton, an independent animator with a career spanning over 3 decades.
Attendees included fans, artists, and a few celebrities. Tom Kenny, Mr. Spongebob Squarepants himself, was the Master of Ceremonies. It was indeed fitting to delegate someone so animated (in both real life and pencil) for the task.
Brad Bird showed up at the Friday night charity screening of Iron Giant, along with Eli Merienthal (Hogarth Hughes) and Christopher McDonald (Kent Mansley). After the film he held a Q and A with the crew.
This year’s event presented a wide spectrum of talent and art. It was also a wonderful opportunity to interact with fellow animation enthusiasts and collaborators. I look forward to next year. If you work in the industry or just happen to be a fan, I highly recommend checking it out. You are bound to be exposed to something you have never seen before.
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.
