Film

Serenity now!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

I rented the movie, Serenity a few months ago, which is the feature film installment of the cancelled yet renowned TV show, Firefly. While I didn’t expect all that much going into it cold, I was starved for some sci-fi. As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised. Serenity was different—way different. And different is good.

This led me to borrow the complete series from a friend at my office. In the interim between finishing* Doctor Who season 3 and getting my hands on BSG season 3 after a long wait and vigilant spoiler avoidance, Firefly (2002) has been exactly what I needed. To get the lowdown on the series, read the wiki. It’s a Joss Whedon series, so that should tell you a little but about why it’s different.

*We have a cable-free house and traditionally wait for our favorite shows on DVD via Netflix. The upside is watching the shows on our schedule while avoiding cable fees. The down side is waiting out a full season and avoiding spoilers.

You'll find the back story on this series from the wiki entry and how 20th century fox cancelled it before the end of the first season. It continues to amaze me how the really interesting and promising shows can get killed off by short-sighted TV execs who can’t see the potential of anything beyond weekly ratings. Firefly has sold a boatload of DVDs and spawned a pretty good motion picture. Not bad for a cancelled show. As I have worked my way through the episodes, I am simultaneously enjoying this great show/cast, and saddened that the story won’t go on.

Aside from BSG and Doctor Who imports, is there anything else on SciFi worth watching? Last time I checked, there isn’t.

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Hollywood looking for the cluetrain

Friday, August 25, 2006

I just added a link to Robert X Cringley on my links list sidebar. It’s about time. Check out this insightful quote from Friday’s column about what has Hollywood loosing sleep:

“Something is wrong with the movie business. Its core market of boys and young men have stopped going to the movies and are, instead, surfing, texting, SMS-ing, gaming, and making and watching these stupid videos [on YouTube, etc.]. Time and money previously spent at the multiplex is being spent at home and online and Hollywood is hurting as a result -- hurting not just because of revenue and profit shortfalls, but because the industry no longer has confidence that it knows for sure what its core market wants to see on-screen.”

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You can get the whole article on his PBS column site. For a while there, it seemed as if someone in Hollywood had this figured out with the ostensibly brilliant blogosphere run up to Snakes on a Plane. But then the movie came out and grossed only a $15.2 million opener. Could it be all those coveted 18 to 30 year olds were already downloading it on Bit Torrent?

I have my own humble opinion on all this—and I do think maybe a few Hollywood execs get it. Audiences are conversations.

Whether you are talking old-school film production or user-generated Web media, good stories are what really matter. Build your film business by bringing good stories into the conversation. This will make all the difference.

Staring into the MirrorMask

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

I was pleasantly surprised by a recent Netflix rental. MirrorMask, directed by Dave McKean and starring Stephanie Leonidas, was an outstanding blend of storytelling, art and animation. Written with Neil Gaimen and featuring the art and vision of McKean, MirrorMask is a dream fantasy tale of the highest order, brilliantly acted by Leonidas. Read the plot summary on the imdb, and go check it out for yourself. If you’re a fan of Labyrinth and The Neverending Story, this movie will take you back into those worlds, but in a whole new way. Highly recommended for large format HD viewing.

A shameless plug for the Cinecast Podcast

Thursday, March 23, 2006

My good friend (and proud new daddy) Brian turned me on to this podcast with current film reviews and commentary. I’m impressed. While I call myself a fan of movies, I’ve never really qualified as a film buff or learned critic. Still, I’ve been looking for a good source of criticism for both mainstream and art house fare to help me focus my attention on the most worth-while films (and avoid wasting my time or 7 bucks on useless drivel). I think Cinecast may be the ticket. Thanks, Brian.

Walking the line with my dad

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

For a really long time I've avoided a deeper exploration of Johnny Cash and his music. While appreciative of his legacy, it was always one of those things that I never got around to. Was I too caught up in flavor-of-the-month, chick folk singers? Were all those Tanita Tikaram CDs worth the time I gave them in the 90s? Probably not. Well, I'm all grown up now--and I have a budding appreciation for an artist that I can share with my retired father. And that's pretty cool. Thanks to the film, Walk the Line, many will be connected with both the story and music of Johnny and June. The film is extraordinary--great star performances and great music without robbing the story of its poignancy.

I guess it's too easy for me to think my parents didn't mix in too much of the more worldly music in their younger days (they were pentecostal ministers). Then last week, as I'm telling my father about the new film, he starts to sing, "We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout..." the lyrics to Jackson, a duet made famous by Johnny and June and covered more recently by one of my favorite bands, Hem. I played him the Hem version on my iPod, which is much slower. Any way, it was a cool conversation and musical connection with my Dad. And my fixation on female singers comes full circle with Hem and Cash.