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Toronto Silent Film Festival 2013: King Vidor’s The Crowd is throng medicine
3 hours ago
Directed by King Vidor
Written by King Vidor and John V.A. Weaver
USA, 1928
The Crowd is that rarest of all Hollywood productions – a studio-made film that was never intended to make money. Released by industry leader MGM in March 1928, this magnificent cinematic treatise on the pitfalls of American Dreaming was greenlit by F. Scott Fitzgerad’s “Last Tycoon” himself, wunderkind Irving Thalberg, who believed that true success in the entertainment industry entailed tossing the occasional “pure prestige” production at the public, whether they wanted it or not. Made at the height of America’s dizzying 1920s business boom, The Crowd is perhaps even more timely today than it was 85 years ago, and Saturday’s Tsff screening (endlessly enhanced by the improvisational piano work of accompanist Laura Silberberg) proved that it has lost none of its capacity to dazzle and unsettle contemporary viewers, in equal measure.
King Vidor’s »
- David Fiore
Last of Us #1 shows depth worth getting excited about
10 hours ago
Last of Us American Dreams# 1
Written by Neil Druckmann and Faith Erin Hicks
Art By Faith Erin Hicks & Colorist Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover By Julian Totino Tedesco
Published by Dark Horse Comics
A prequel to the much anticipated survivor horror game The Last of Us by Naughty Dog studios (they of Uncharted fame), The Last of Us American Dreams#1 follows a young girl by the name of Ellie as she struggles to adjust to a mandatory military school for orphaned teenagers. There, she deals with bullying and contempt on all fronts: from an excessively militant and controlling administration, to malevolent older boys. When a tough older girl with attitude to spare named Riley comes to her rescue, they begin a rivalry and a tenuous partnership that looks to be the foundation of the upcoming series.
Ellie quickly establishes herself as a girl easy to like. Not as tough she wants to be, »
- Alex McKinnon
The 5 Best Music Videos Of The Week
10 hours ago
5) The Flaming Lips & Bon Iver “Ashes In The Air”
Kicking off this week’s 5 Best Music Videos Of The Week is the latest from both The Flaming Lips and Bon Iver. This collaboration caused quite a stir and the video created an even bigger outrage. The pairing of The Flaming Lips and Bon Iver on paper sounds really cool and promising but in reality the outcome is a bit too weird and disappointing. The video follows the adventures of an astronaut which feature splattered brains and half-nude figures. This is probably the strangest thing the Lips have placed their name against in a decade.
4) Tyler, The Creator “Ifhy”
Directed by Wolf Haley
Technically, this was released last week but I couldn’t find a spot for it so it gets a mention this week. This is the second single off “Wolf” and even weirder and better than the first. I »
- Tara Costello
Grimm Episode 2.17 “One Angry Fuchsbau”: Old friends make a welcome reappearance
10 hours ago
Grimm Episode 2.17 “One Angry Fuchsbau”
Written by: Richard Hatem
Directed by: Terence O’Hara
Airs Friday 9.00pm Est on NBC
Anyone else keep confusing their Coyotls with their Hundjägers or their Lausenschlange with their Skalengeck?
As the cast of Wesens has grown and grown, it’s become difficult to keep them all separate, so it was like meeting old friends to have a familar Löwen, Mauzhertz and Ziegevolk all on screen (or almost) at the same time. These are all Wesens we’ve met before and without the need for introductions, this time the Wesen characteristics could really start to play off each other. The storyline was also recognisable from a well known human version of the courtroom drama (hence the title) except this time the question was not ‘is he innocent or guilty?’ it was ‘will he get away with it?’
No is the answer, not with Team Grimm on the case. »
- Cath Murphy
Doctor Who, Ep. 7.08, “The Rings of Akhaten”: Beautiful character beats, visuals marred by sloppy writing
11 hours ago
Doctor Who, Series 7, Episode 8: “The Rings of Akhaten”
Written by Neil Cross
Directed by Farren Blackburn
Airs Saturdays at 8pm (Et) on BBC America
Last week, Doctor Who came back from its midseason hiatus with a fun, but frustrating, episode introducing the audience to the third incarnation of season 7.5 Companion, Clara “Oswin” Oswald. By the end of the episode, Clara was not yet a Companion, officially, but that is quickly resolved this week, with Clara joining the Doctor for an adventure to see “something awesome”, the one-in-1000-years Festival of Offerings on the rings of Akhaten. While this episode is a clear step up from the midseason premiere, there are still plenty of problems making this, disappointingly, one hell of a fridge episode. Alfred Hitchcock coined the term, referring to those internal inconsistencies or plot holes that may not be glaring when first watching a film, but occur to viewers later, »
- Kate Kulzick
‘El Cojonudo’, directed and co-written by Fede Alvarez
21 hours ago
Today’s film is the 2005 short El Cojonudo. The film is directed by Fede Alvarez, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Rodo Sayagues. Alvarez gained attention as a filmmaker with a series of short films, some of which caught the eye of Sam Raimi. Alvarez, however, really rose to prominence when he was tapped by Raimi to make his feature film debut with Evil Dead, a remake of Raimi’s 1981 horror classic. Evil Dead opened in North American theatres this weekend.
Note: This short has English captions that can be activated by pressing the cc button at the bottom right.
****
»
- Deepayan Sengupta
Toronto Silent Film Festival 2013: Ozu’s ‘Tokyo Chorus’ sings in counterpoint to The Crowd
6 April 2013 2:25 AM, PDT
Directed by Yasujirô Ozu
Written by Kôgo Noda
Japan, 1931
After launching its 2013 schedule with one of the most unrelentingly somber works of art ever committed to celluloid, the Tsff took a more genial tack on the second night of its run. Revered for his celebrated series of post-World War Two family melodramas, Yasujirô Ozu actually began his career as a comedic filmmaker – and this rambunctious movie (which befited immensely from keyboardist Laura Silberberg’s jaunty live accompaniment) reflects that. As special guest speaker (and Shinsedai Cinema Festival co-programmer and co-director) Chris MaGee argued during his introductory remarks, Tokyo Chorus occupies a crucial place in Ozu’s oeuvre, announcing a “familial turn” that would eventually produce masterpieces like Late Spring (1949) and Tokyo Story (1953).
The intense dramatics of those later efforts are mostly absent from Tokyo Chorus, but that does not mean that this isn’t a serious film. In fact, »
- David Fiore
Extended Thoughts on ‘Muppet Treasure Island’
6 April 2013 2:00 AM, PDT
Directed by Brian Henson
Written by Jerry Juhl
Starring Tim Curry, Kevin Bishop, Jennifer Saunders, Billy Connolly
It is, admittedly, strange to criticize a movie adaptation of a well-worn classic for being too faithful. Some movies, of course, are too stuck on the books or plays they’re adapting, unable to break free from the tethers of the previously written word. But most often, we want our movie versions of beloved stories to be very much like those stories. Otherwise, what’s the point? Sometimes, however, the more faithful an adaptation is, the less successful it is as a movie. We have to remember that a book and a movie may tell the same story, but they can never tell it the same way. This point got lost in the shuffle during the Harry Potter franchise, but it’s pertinent: whatever experience you had reading those books, »
- Josh Spiegel
Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 90: ‘Muppet Treasure Island’
6 April 2013 2:00 AM, PDT
Yarr, mateys! We caught you with yer pants down, didn’t we? Yes, just because your pirate crew took an unexpected vacation last week doesn’t mean we’re not back this week with cannons at the ready! Today, Josh, Mike, and Gabe head back to the high seas, but not with the Pirates of the Caribbean! No, this week, we join Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and more of the Muppets with the 1996 film Muppet Treasure Island! And prepare to be shocked–your fearsome Captain is the most positive one of all! How could Mike and Gabe not love the goofiness onboard the Hispaniola? How could the silly humor and Tim Curry’s over-the-top performance as Long John Silver not be enough for them? Find out on the new show!
iTunes
»
- Josh Spiegel
Great TV/Film Sets and Locations: ‘The Prisoner’ and ‘Local Hero’
5 April 2013 8:08 PM, PDT
On a number of past occasions, I’ve written, in various contexts, about what I consider to be that most elusive of on-screen elements: a sense of place. “Sense of place” is the difference between a location serving as mere background, and being a character in its own right. It’s about getting the viewer’s head there, getting us to feel like we know what it’s like to walk that ground, smell those smells, feel the chill or suffocating heat in the air. When I talk “sense of place,” I think of the autumnal Boston of Peter Yates’ The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), the bracing, exhilirating chill of the Rockies in Sydney Pollock’s Jeremiah Johnson (1972), the urban grit I feel on the back of my neck watching John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy (1969), the musty, dusty stale-beer-and-cigarette-smoke feel of Robert Rossen’s The Hustler (1961). It’s a special »
- Bill Mesce
New Girl, Ep. 2.21, “First Date”: The Return Of Tran And Fancyman
5 April 2013 6:40 PM, PDT
New Girl, Season 2, Episode 21: “First Date”
Written by J.J. Philbin & Berkley Johnson
Directed by Lynn Shelton
Airs on Tuesdays at 9pm (Et) on Fox
Many New Girl fans have been waiting all season to see Nick and Jess in a real date setting and this week’s episode finally gives us a first taste of that, kind of. Nick’s decision to take Jess out on a date stems from a great scene he shares with Tran, the old Asian man from “Menzies” and Nick’s personal confidant. Nick isn’t good at expressing his emotions but when we see him just talk at this old man it’s great. He addresses the issue and comes up with a plan of action. The result, however, is nowhere near as assertive as he originally plans.
Whilst this is happening Schmidt and Winston are left at the loft to their own devices without Nick. »
- Tara Costello
Elementary, Ep.1.19: “Snow Angels”: homicide, robbery and a surprising new supporting character
5 April 2013 6:40 PM, PDT
Elementary, Season 1, Episode 19: “Snow Angels”
Directed by Andrew Bernstein
Written by Jason Tracey
Airs Thursdays at 10pm (Et) on CBS
“Snow Angels” has it all; gun action, robbery, new characters, snow…it all begins with an interesting cold opening – forced entry, a tall blonde and a would-be homicide. But it seems that this little snippet of action is easily overshadowed by the remaining 40 minutes or so.
The beginning of the episode focuses on the robbery of the latest cell phone – in this day and age, it sounds like a very plausible crime but it seems like another step in the show’s subtle targeting of tech aficionados.
Given certain references on the show i.e. the past endorsement for Windows Surface, Holmes using Instagram, Watson enquiring about a smartphone app to magnify a tampered lock while he uses a magnifying glass (nice nod there, Tracey) – it all seems so »
- Katie Wong
‘Simon Killer’ tries to get too much mileage out of the mundanity of Simon’s routine
5 April 2013 6:38 PM, PDT
Directed by Antonio Campos
United States, 2012
Philadelphia Film Festival
We probably see the back of characters’ heads nearly as frequently as their faces in Antonio Campos’ follow-up to his 2008 brooder, Afterschool. Favoring a handheld, following camera, a pulsing synth soundtrack that cuts abruptly in and out, slow zooms that seem to be fast becoming a trademark of BorderLine Films, and ambiguous red-light transitions, Simon Killer seems culled equally from Frank Perry character studies and the sinister commonplace dread of a Bertrand Tavernier thriller.
Simon (Brady Corbet) is a college graduate (or so he says) roaming aimlessly in Paris. Recently broken up from his unseen American girlfriend, Simon takes up with a prostitute Noura (Mati Diop). The two spend their days having sex and scheming to rip off Noura’s clients.
Little is explained in Simon Killer. Whether Simon is entirely unreliable is completely up for debate, and left »
- Neal Dhand
Hannibal, Ep.1.01: “Apéritif,” a smart, taut thriller and NBC’s best pilot in years
5 April 2013 12:40 PM, PDT
Hannibal, Season 1, Episode 1: “ Apéritif”
Directed by David Slade
Written by Bryan Fuller
Airs Thursdays at 10pm Est on NBC
How many TV shows about serial killers can networks create before audiences grow tired of the genre? Earlier this year, we welcomed Fox’s The Following and A&E’s Bates Motel to the already crowded TV lineup that already includes Dexter and Luther, to name a few. Doctor Hannibal Lecter was first introduced in the 1981 novel Red Dragon followed by The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Red Dragon has been adapted twice to the big screen, the first was Manhunter, which features Brian Cox as “Lecktor,” and later in 1991, Anthony Hopkins won an Academy Award for his portrayal of the character in The Silence of the Lambs. He would reprise the role in Hannibal in 2001 and in a second adaptation of Red Dragon made in 2002. With two of »
- Ricky da Conceição
‘Man-Trap’ struggles to find a cohesive voice although it displays a few great noir qualities
5 April 2013 12:00 PM, PDT
Written by John D. Macdonald and Ed Waters
Directed by Edmond O’Brien
U.S.A., 1961
Some people offer to keep promises whereas others are either forced or compelled to offer payback in return for another person’s deeds. The former sounds very much like a nice, virtuous act while the latter tends to fall into a more sour category, like a chore.. Funny then how easily those notions can be flipped on their heads, subverting expectations in the process. For instance, one can promise to avenge an affront or gladly pay back someone who was kind enough to assist them in the past. Both notions easily intertwine depending on the circumstances and neither is necessarily an indication of a purely good or evil intent. What one advertises as a promise to fulfil a good deed may hide ulterior, more nefarious motives. Edmond O’Brien, one of the great »
- Edgar Chaput
Thursday Comedy Roundup: ‘Community’ 4.08, ‘Parks & Rec’ 5.17, & ‘Archer’ 4.12
5 April 2013 11:48 AM, PDT
Community, Season 4, Episode 8: “Herstory of Dance”
Written by Jack Kukoda
Directed by Tristram Shapeero
Airs Thursdays at 8pm Et on NBC
“Herstory of Dance” is a surprisingly sweet episode of Community. What initially seems like a rather lazy Abed plot, another example of him attempting to enact fictional tropes in the real world, is granted another, deeper level when Brie Larson’s Rebecca assists him in his hijinks. In that moment, it transcends the emptiness of Abed’s arc this season and becomes truly affecting. It also nicely incorporates itself into the A-plot as Abed interrupts Sophie B. Hawkins to declare his love to Rebecca. A moment particularly moving because, while Abed is again exploiting a trope, he’s doing it out of genuine human emotion rather than a calculated attempt to remove himself from the world, to neatly pack the chaos of reality into three-act boxes.
The A-plot »
- Justin Wier
Wednesday Comedy Roundup: Modern Family 4.19
5 April 2013 11:23 AM, PDT
Modern Family Season 4, Episode 19: “The Future Dunphys”
Written by Elaine Ko
Directed by Ryan Case
Airs on Wednesdays at 9pm (Et) on ABC
Though all of the stories in this week’s Modern Family are very separate, “The Future Dunphys” still delivers a solid half hour of family TV comedy. The episode is a little weak at times but still features the fun gimmickry than we know and love as well as more scenes with the hilarious Lily.
The least entertaining plot of the episode is Manny and Jay’s adventures at a private school. Jay takes Manny to his interview and unresolved issues surface when Jay relives his history with snotty private schools. Working for the privileged led to Jay not being treated well and as the tour of the school continues, Jay realises that he in fact wanted to be one of them – something that all of us could have guessed. »
- Tara Costello
Sketchy Episode 61 – ‘Space Ghost: Coast to Coast/The Creed’
5 April 2013 8:51 AM, PDT
This week is the long-lived Cartoon Network series “Space Ghost: Coast to Coast,” an animated, late-night talk show featuring old Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Later, Kevin James talks about his new film project “The Creed,” and we talk about musical guilty pleasures (except Matt Sinclair and Richard Thornton who were too cool for school at age 11). Also, tune in at the end to hear about an opportunity to guest on the show. Enjoy!
Listen on iTunes
www.indiegogo.com Search “The Creed“
Songs
Moving Backwards
by The Appreciation Post
Follow Sketchy
SketchyPodcast.com
facebook.com/SketchyPodcast
twitter.com/SketchyPodcast
SketchyPodcast@gmail.com
»
- Ryan Clagg
‘Carrie’, the latest adaptation of the Stephen King novel by Kimberly Peirce, releases a new trailer
5 April 2013 6:55 AM, PDT
Stephen King has become one of the most prolific authors of the past 30 years, with numerous bestsellers and a name that’s nearly synonymous with horror fiction. Numerous stories of his have thus seen film adaptations made of them, with varying degrees of critical and commercial success. The newest adaptation comes from director Kimberly Peirce, who tackles King’s breakout novel Carrie, working from a script by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, making his feature film writing debut. Chloe Moretz steps into the titular role this time around, joined by a cast that includes Judy Greer, Julianne Moore, Portia Doubleday, and Michelle Nolden. A new trailer for the film has now been released, and can be seen below.
(Source: CinemaBlend) »
- Deepayan Sengupta
The Mad Titan Returns in Thanos Rising
5 April 2013 5:37 AM, PDT
Thanos Rising #1
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Simone Bianchi
Colours: Simone Peruzzi
Letters: Vc’s Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
While Marvel’s cosmic line has remained dormant for years, last summer’s secret ending to The Avengers has brought it back in a big way. Once everyone realized that the big baddie at the end of the flick wasn’t a purple Hellboy, comic aficionados could regale the newcomer’s with tales of the Mad Titan aka Thanos. While not exactly a household name, Marvel is doing everything in their power to make sure the public is up to speed with their reboot of the entire cosmic line. After last week’s excellent debut of Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s time to turn our eyes toward the untold tale of Thanos’ youth.
Thaons Rising, a five-part series by superstar writer Jason Aaron, plans to shine some light on the troubled upbringing of Thanos, »
- Sean Tonelli
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