Thursday, December 29, 2011

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL (2011)


Directed By: Brad Bird
Written By: Josh Applebaum & Andre Nemec
Based on the television series by: Bruce Geller
Cinematography By: Robert Elswitt
Editor: Paul Hirsch

Cast: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Lea Seydoux, Josh Holloway, Anil Kapor, Michael Nyqvist


TANNER HALL (2009)


Written & Directed By: Francesca Gregorini & Tatiana Von Frustenberg
Cinematography By: Brian Rigney Hubbard
Editor: Michelle Botticelli, Sharon Rutter & Lauren Zuckerman

Cast: Rooney Mara, Brie Larson, Amy Ferguson, Tom Everett Scott, Chris Kattan, Amy Sedaris, Tara Subkoff


THE ORPHANAGE (2007)


Directed By: Juan Antonio Bayona
Written By: Sergio C. Sanchez
Cinematography By: Oscar Faura
Editor: Elena Ruiz

Cast: Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep, Geraldine Chaplin

COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011)


Directed By: Jon Favreau
Written By: Robert Orci, Alex Kurtman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
Story By: Steve Oedekerk, Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
Based On The Graphic Novel By: Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
Cinematography By: Matthew Labitque
Editor: Dan Lebantal, Jim May

Cast: Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Paul Dano, Adam Beach, Clancy Brown, Sam Rockwell, Abigail Spencer, An de la reguera, Toby Huss, David Carradine, Walton Goggins

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES: HALL OF FAME: FILE #0017: TAPE (2001)


Directed By: Richard Linklater
Written By: Steven Belber (Based on his play)
Cinematography By: Maryse Alberti
Editor: Sandra Adair

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Uma Thurman


RAMPART (2011)


Directed By: Oren Moverman
Written By: Oren Moverman & James Ellroy
Cinematography By: Bobby Butowski
Editor: Jay Rabinowitz

CAST: Woody Harrelson, Robin Wright-Penn, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Anne Heche, Ben Foster, Cynthia Nixon, Ned Beatty, Jon Foster, Jon Bernthal


SLEEPING BEAUTY (2011)



Written & Directed By: Julia Leigh
Cinematography By: Geoffrey Simpson
Editor: Nick Meyers

Cast: Emily Browning, Racheal Blake


SERAPHIM FALLS (2006)


Directed By: David Von Ancken
Written By: David Von Ancken & Abby Everett Jaques
Cinematography By: John Toll
Editor: Conrad Buff IV

Cast: Pirece Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Anjelica Huston, Michael Wincott, Ed Lauter, Xander Berkeley, Tom Noonan, Kevin J. O’Connor, Angie Harmon, Wes Studi, Jimmi Simpson


Jeff's Early thoughts on THOR 2



Patty Jenkins Has dropped out of Directing Thor 2. Which was an odd fit from the beginning. That gave me hope either she would make the film more dramtic and character based with ok effects or effects heavy showing that Jenkins could be more of a mianstream director.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES: HALL OF FAME: FILE #0016: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990)


Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Caroline Thompson
Story By: Tim Burton & Caroline Thompson
Cinematography By: Stefan Czapsky
Editor: Richard Halsey
Production Design By: Bo Welch

Cast: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price, Alan Arkin, Conchata Ferrell, O-Lan Jones


MY LIFE AS A DOG (Mitt lliv som hund) (1985)


Directed By: Lasse Hallstrom
Written By: Lasse Hallstrom, Reidar Jonsson, Brasse Brannstrom & Per Berglund
Based on the novel by: Reidar Jonsson
Cinematography By: Jorgen Persson
Editor: Christer Furubrand & Susanne Linmann

Cast: Anton Granzelius, Tomas Von Bromssen, Melinda Kinnaman, Leif Ericsson


Sunday, December 4, 2011

NICE GUY JOHNNY (2010)



Written & Directed By: Ed Burns
Cinematography By: William Rexer
Editor: Janet Gaynor

Cast: Matt Bush, Ed Burns, Kerry Bishe, Callie Thorne, Jay Patterson


FORMULA 51 (2001)



Directed By: Ronny Yu
Written By: Stel Pavlou
Cinematography By: Hang-Sang Poon
Editor: David Wu

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Meatloaf, Rhys Ifans, Ade, Sean Pertwee


Sunday, November 27, 2011

ZOMBIE STRIPPERS (2008)


Written, Directed, Edited and Cinematography By: Jay Lee

Cast: Robert Englund, Jenna Jameson, Roxy Saint, Penny Drake, Whitney Anderson, Jennifer Holland


Saturday, November 26, 2011

THE DOOM GENERATION (1995)


Written & Directed By: Greg Araki
Cinematography By: Jim Fealy
Editor: Greg Araki & Kate McGowan

Cast: Rose McGowan, James Duval, Johnathon Schaech, Cress Williams, Nicky Katt, Skinny Puppy, Margaret Cho, Dustin Nguyen, Amanda Bearse, Christopher Knight, Perry
Farrell, Heidi Fleiss, Parker Posey

Thursday, November 24, 2011

CAN'T HARDLY WAIT (1998)



Written & Directed By: Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont
Cinematography By: Lloyd Ahern II
Editor: Michael Jablow

Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green, Lauren Ambrose, Charlie Korsmo, Peter Fancinelli, Marisol Nichols, Clea Duvall, Sean Patrick Thomas, Erik Palladino, Freddy Rodriguez, Jamie Pressly, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, Tamala Jones, Chris Owen, Jason Segel, Paige Moss, Liz Stauber, Nicole Bilderback, Sara Rue, Selma Blair, Leslie Grossman, Victor Togunde


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

BABE: PIG INTHE CITY (1998)



Directed By: George Miller
Written By: George Miller, Judy Morris & Mark Lamprell
Based On Characters Created By: Dick King-Smith
Cinematography By: Andrew Lesnie
Editor: Jay Friedkin & Margaret Sixel

Cast: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Mickey Rooney, Mary Stein (With the voices of) E.G. Daily, Steven Wright, Miriam Margolyes, Adam Goldberg, Roscoe Lee Browne, Glenne Headly, Danny Mann


Friday, November 18, 2011

ESCAPE FROM L.A. (1996)


Directed By: John Carpenter
Written By: John Carpenter, Debra Hill & Kurt Russell
Based On Characters Written By: John Carpenter & Nick Castle
Cinematography By: Gary B. Kibbe
Editor: Edward A. Warschilka

Cast: Kurt Russell, Cliff Robertson, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, A.J. Langer, Pam Grier, Bruce Campbell, Valeria Golino, Peter Fonda, Michelle Forbes, Breckin Meyer, Robert Carradine, Leland Orser


PRINCE OF BROADWAY (2008)


Directed, Edited and Cinematography By: Sean Baker
Written By: Sean Baker & Darren Dean

Cast: Prince Adu, Kat Sanchez, Karren Karagulian, Aiden Noesi, Keyali Mayaga, Victoria Tate


Sunday, November 13, 2011

BROKEN ARROW (1996)


Directed By: John Woo
Written By: Graham Yost
Cinematography By: Peter Levy
Editor: John Wright, Steve Mirkovich & Joe Hutshing

Cast: John Travolta, Christian Slater, Howie Long, Samantha Mathis, Delroy Lindo, Frank Whaley, Bob Gunton, Vondie-Curtis Hall, Jack Thompson


Thursday, November 10, 2011

HOW DO YOU KNOW? (2010)

Written & Directed By: James L. Brooks
Cinematography By: Janusz Kaminski
Editor: Richard Marks & Tracey Wadmore-Smith
 
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson, Mark Linn Baker, Dominick Lombardozzi, Tony Shalhoub, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Price, Lenny Venito, Tara Subkoff
 

Star softball player, Lisa, has just been cut from the national team; Scholarly businessman, George, has just been indicted from his father's company. With everything that they know in their lives taken from them, Lisa and George attempt to find romance. Lisa's potential boyfriend, Matty, however, is as clueless and perpetually single as they come, and George's girlfriend just dumped him. A chance hook-up through mutual friends, Lisa and George may be able to form a friendship or more, that can help them climb out of the piles of lemons that life has handed to them 

 I think this is a good film, but though it was made recently it feels like a film out of place. If this film had been made in the 1950s to 1980’s I think the film would still be seen as lighthearted and as fluff but as a penetrating piece of fluff. 

As it does well by exploring the issues and mindsets of the characters. It's just that the film feels so breezy, Laidback, and easy-going. Which is also how the performances go in the film. That there never truly feels like there is anything at stake there is conflict but the conflict is not that vital so the stakes are very low. 

Which makes the audience feel relaxed and like there is nothing worth paying too much attention to. The film is the happiest that James L. Brooks has made. His films are usually romantic but also paint a more cynical look at love and romance and the characters involved in them. They usually have a certain bite and are quotable. Here this film feels like it runs away from its usual trademarks and is just trying to make a crowd-pleaser. 

It feels like a lightweight Jerry Maguire. Where it is just as romantic with great odes to loves spoken by the characters. It just feels more false than truthful. The cast is enjoyable, Though felt Resse Witherspoon never had the proper chemistry with any of her love interests. Owen Wilson even seemed out of place in this film. I guess he felt goofier than real in the film. 

Jack Nicholson is here more as a supporting character that was a last-minute favor to the director as Bill Murray was supposed to play the role but dropped out at the last minute. He does good work but his role feels like an afterthought and like he is just there. Will admit this is one of the most strangely cast films I have ever seen. It almost seemed like the cast names were picked out of a bad or if the roles were offered to other bigger names and these were just the first to say yes as they went down the list. 

 The film has all the ingredients to make a truly good film, but the ingredients are mixed not to the right amounts so that while it has a unique taste it doesn’t come out the recipe is supposed to come out. I really wanted this film to be better but even when I saw the previews knew it didn’t look like the type of film I wanted to see. Even though I love most James L. Brooks films. This is the first one when I saw the trailer I really had little interest in the film. So much so that I actually avoided it in theaters. 

Which is a shame, not that I think I would have enjoyed it if I had seen it there. The film is very colorful and it is nice to see actors like Mark Linn baker have roles on the big screen again. The film feels closer to a theatrical stage play that is more expressive with locations than a Motion picture. The film just feels more focused on character and dialogue than most modern films. Which is supposed to be a good thing. It just feels like the cast was not up to the task to really sell the material and the Situations could have felt more vital than how they are presented. 

 The budget for the film was $120 million. Which while the film looks good doesn’t look like it cost that much so I am guessing a good chunk went to salaries. The film only made $30 million worldwide. The film isn’t horrible. I just can see what it strives to be and unfortunately falls short of. 
 
GRADE: C

THE ICE STORM (1997)



Directed By: Ang Lee
Written By: James Schamus
Based on the book By: Rick Moody
Cinematography By: Frederick Elmes
Editor: Tim Squyres

Cast: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Jamey Sheridan, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Henry Czerny, Adam Hann-Byrd, David Krumholtz, Katie Holmes, Kate Burton, Allison Janney, Colleen Camp, Courtney Peldon


Sunday, November 6, 2011

BACK TO SCHOOL (1986)




Directed By: Alan Metter
Written By: Will Poter, Harold Ramis, Steven Kampmann & Peter Torokvei
Story By: Rodney Dangerfield, Dennis Snee & Greg Fields
Cinematography By: Thomas E. Ackerman
Editor: David Rawlins

Cast: Rodney Dangerfield, Burt Young, Robert Downey Jr., Keith Gordon, William Zbaka, Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman, Robert Picardo, Paxton Whitehead, Sam Kinison, M. Emmett Walsh, Edie McClurg, Adrienne Barbeau


Thursday, November 3, 2011

THE SKIN I LIVE IN (2011)


Written & Directed By: Pedro Almodovar
Based on the novel "Trantula" Written by: Thierry Jonquet
Cinematography By: Jose Luis Alcaine
Editor: Jose Salcedo

Cast: Antonio Banderas, Elena Ayana, Blanca Suarez, Marisa Parades, Jan Cornet, Robert Alamo, Barbara Lennie


Saturday, October 29, 2011

FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART VII - THE NEW BLOOD (1988)


Cast: Lar Park-lincoln, Kane Hodder, Terry Kisey, Susan Jennifer Sullivan, Heidi Kozak

Directed By: John Carl Buechler
Written By: Manuel Fidello & Daryl Haney
Cinematography By: Paul Elloit
Editor: Barry Zetin & Mary O’Connell & Martin Jay Sadoff


FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART 5 - A NEW BEGINNING (1985)


Cast: Shavar Ross, Miguel Nunez Jr., Anthony Barrie, Todd Bryant

Directed By: Danny Steinman
Written By: Danny Steinman & Martin Kitrosser & David Cohen
Story By: Martin Kitrosser & David Cohen
Cinematography By: Steven L. Posey
Editor: Bruce Green


FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART 4 - THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)


Cast: Kimberly Beck, Lawrence Monoson, Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover, Barbara Howard, Camilla Moore, Carey Moore, Lisa Freeman, Bonnie Hellman

Directed By: Joseph Zito
Story By: Bruce Hidemi Sakow
Written By: Barry Cohen
Cinematography By: Joao Fernandes
Editor: Joel Goodman


FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART 3 (1982)


Cast: Dana Kimmell, Larry Zerner, Nick Savage, Jeffrey Rogers

Directed By: Steve Miner
Written By: Martin Kitrosser & Carol Watson & Petru Popescu (Uncredited)Cinematography By: Gerald Feil
Editor: George Hively


Saturday, October 22, 2011

FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART 2 (1981)


Directed By: Steve Miner
Written By: Ron Kurz
Based On Character Created By: Victor Miller
Cinematography By: Peter Stein
Editor: Susan E. Cunningham

Cast: Amy Steel, Adrienne King, Warrington Gillette, Kristen Baker, John Furey, Walt Gorney, Betsy Palmer


Friday, October 21, 2011

ALIEN RAIDERS (2008)


Directed By: Ben Rock
Written By: Julia Fair & David Simkins
Cinematography By: Waly Lloyd
Editor: Auggie Hess

Cast: Carlos Bernard, Matthew St. Patrick, Rockmund Dunbar, Courtney Ford, Derek Basco, Bonita Firedericy


TOOLBOX MURDERS (2004)


Directed By: Tobe Hooper
Written By: Jace Anderson & Adam Gierasch
Cinematography By: Steve Yedlin
Editor: Andrew Cohen

CAST: Angela Bettis, Rance Howard, Juliet Landau, Marco Rodriguez, Sherri Moon Zombie, Adam Gierasch

Sunday, October 16, 2011

THE CRAZIES (2010)


Directed By: Breck Eisner
Written By: Scott Kosar & Ray Wright
Based on the original Screenplay by: George Romero
Cinematography By: Maxime Alexandre
Editor: Billy Fox

Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Danielle Panabaker, Joe Anderson


THE RITZ (1976)


Directed By: Richard Lester
Written By: Terrence McNally (Play & Film)
Cinematography By: Paul Wilson
Editor: John Bloom

Cast: Jack Weston, Treat Williams, F. Murray Abraham, Jerry Stiller, Rita Moreno, Kaye Ballard, John Ratzenberger

FACE/OFF (1997)


Directed By: John Woo
Written By: Mike Werb & Michael Colleary
Cinematography By: Oliver Wood
Editor: Steven Kemper & Christian Wagner

Cast: John Travolta, Nicholas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola, Nick Cassavetes, Gina Gershon, Robert Wisdom, Dominique Swain, Harve Presnell, Colm Foere, CCH Pounder, John Caroll Lynch, Danny Masterson, Margaret Cho, Thomas Jane, Kirk Baltz, Lisa Boyle


Monday, October 10, 2011

DOGHOUSE (2009)


Directed By: Jake West
Written By: Dan Schaffer
Cinematography By: Ali Asad
Editor: Jake West, Will Gilbey & Julian Gilbey
Production Design: Matthew Button

Cast: Stephen Graham, Noel Clarke, Danny Dyer, Christina Cole, Lee Ingleby

Sunday, October 9, 2011

NOWHERE (1997)


Written, Edited & Directed By: Greg Araki
Cinematography By: Arturo Smith
Production Design: Patti Podesta

Cast: James Duval, Jeremy Jordan, Mena Suvari, Rachel True, Jordan Ladd, Sarah Lassez, Christina Applegate, Nathan Bexton, Kathleen Robertson, Guillermo Diaz, Ryan Phillippe, Heather Graham, Debi Mazar, Shannen Doherty, Traci Lords, Rose McGowan, John Ritter, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Devon Odessa, Staci Keenan, Denise Richards, Teresa Hill, David Leisure, John Enos III, Charloette Rae


MAX MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME (1985)


Directed By: George Miller & George Ogilve
Written By: Terry Hayes & George Miller
Cinematography By: Dean Semler
Editor: Richard Francis-Bruce

CAST: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Bruce Spence


Thursday, September 29, 2011

A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE (2011)


Directed & Edited By: Adam Wingard
Written By: Simon Barett
Cinematography By: Chris Hilleke & Mark Shelhorse

Cast: Amy Seimetz, A.J. Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Whitney Moore


Sunday, September 25, 2011

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES: HALL OF FAME: FILE #0015: PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (2002)


Written & Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cinematography By: Roger Elswit
Editor: Leslie Jones

Cast: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Luis Guzman, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mary Lynn Raskjub, Robert Smeigel

DRIVE (2011)


Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn
Written By: Hossein Amini
Based On The Novel By: Jamie Sallis
Cinematography By: Newtom Thomas Sigel
Editor: Matthew Newman

CAST: Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Oscar Issac, Christina Hendricks, Russ Tamblyn

U-TURN (1997)


Directed By: Oliver Stone
Written By: John Ridley; Based on his book “Stray Dogs”
Cinematography By: Robert Richardson
Editor: Hank Corwin & Thomas J. Nordberg

Cast: Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, Billy Bob Thornton, Claire Danes, Powers Boothe, Joaquin Phoenix, Julie Hagerty, Jon Voight, Brent Briscoe, Liv Tyler, Abraham Benrubi

Sunday, September 11, 2011

THE DAY AFTER (1983)



Directed By: Nicholas Meyer
Written By: Edward Hume
Cinematography By: Gayne Rescher
Editor: William Paul Dornisch & Robert Florio

Cast: Steve Guttenberg, JoBeth Williams, Jason Robards, William Allen Young, Arliss Howard, John Lithgow, Amy Madigan


PARTY GIRL (1995)



Directed By: Daisy Von Scherler Mayer
Written By: Daisy Von Scherler Mayer & Harry Birckmayer
Story By: Sheila Gaffney & Daisy Von Scherler Mayer & Harry Birckmayer
Cinematograhy By: Michael Slovis
Editor: Cara Silverman

CAST: Parker Posey, Guillermo Diaz, Anthony DeSando, Liev Schrieber, Omar Townsend, Donna Mitchell, John Ventimiglia, Dwight Ewell

Saturday, September 10, 2011

MYSTIC RIVER (2003)



Directed By: Clint Eastwood
Written By: Brian Helgeland
Based On The Novel By: Dennis Lehane
Cinematography By: Tom Stern
Editor: Joel Cox

Cast: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, Tom Guiry, Emmy Rossum, Spencer Treat Clark, Ari Graynor


Thursday, September 8, 2011

KISS ME GUIDO (1997)


Written & Directed By: Tony Vitale
Cinematography By: Claudia Raschke
Editor: Alexander Hall

Cast: Nick Scotti, Anthony Barrile, Anthony DeSando, Domeinck Lombardozzi, Christopher Lawford, Jennifer Esposito, Molly Price, Dwight Ewell, Rebecca Waxman, Guinevere Turner


Saturday, September 3, 2011

RED STATE (2011)



Written, Edited & Directed By: Kevin Smith
Cinematography by: David Klein

Cast: Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, Stephen Root, John Goodman, Nicholas Braun, Michael Angarano, Marc Blucas, Damian Young, Kevin Alejandro, Ralph Garman, Kevin Pollack, Anna Gunn, Matt L. Jones, Kerry Bishe, James Parks


Thursday, September 1, 2011

Offspring (2009)




Directed By: Andrew Van Den Houten
Written By: Jack Ketchum
Based on the Novel by: Jack Ketchum
Cinematography By: William M. Miller
Editor: Douglas Buck

Cast: Pollyanna McIntosh, Amy Hargreaves, Art Hindle, Ahna Tessler, Erick Kastel

Monday, August 29, 2011

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1992)



Directed By: Fran Rubel Kuzui
Written By: Joss Whedon
Cinematography By: James Hayman
Editor: Jill Savitt & Camilla Toniolo

Cast: Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, Rugter Hauer, Paul Ruebens, Donald Sutherland, Hillary Swank, Natasha Gregson Wagner, David Arquette, Stephen Root, Andrew Lowery, Thomas Jane, Ben Affleck, Candy Clark, Mark DeCarlo, Alexis Arquette, Ricki Lake

THE WARD (2010



Directed By: John Carpenter
Written By: Michael Ramussen & Shawn Ramussen
Cinematography By: Yaron Orbach
Editor: Patrick McMahon

Cast: Amber Heard, Jared Harris, Mika Boorem, Danielle Pannabaker, Maime Gummer, Laura-Leigh, Lyndsey Fonesca


Monday, August 22, 2011

THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (1998)



Written & Directed By: Whit Stillman
Cinematography By: John Thomas
Editor: Andrew Hafitz & Jay Pires

Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevingy, Robert Sean Leonard, Chris Eigeman, Mackenzie Astin, Jennifer Beals, Matt Kesslar, David Thornton, Tara Subkoff, Burr Steers, Jaid Barrymore, Michael Weatherly