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Archive for February, 2011

22 items.

DEANZIE’S GUIDE TO BUSINESS CONVENTIONS

February 1st, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

Cedar Rapids starring Ed Helms comes out on February 11 and I’m kind of on the fence about it. As an Iowan, I’m particularly sensitive to media that insists on portraying us as complete rubes and I kind of feel like that’s what the trailer for this movie is trading in.

I also get the vibe that this movie is trying to ride on the coattails of The Hangover a little bit. In this regard, having Ed Helms as your lead doesn’t help.

But here’s the thing… I really like Ed Helms. I think he’s very accessible and emotionally honest as a comedian and that makes him likable. Also, any movie that features John C. Reilly acting thoroughly unhinged gets a pass in my book. I’ve really enjoyed Reilly’s transition from a dramatic to a comedic actor in the last few years. He’s been very deft about it and I can’t think of very many actors who have made the transition as seamlessly as he has.

That’s why this link to Deanzie’s Guide To Business Conventions is kind of a hoot. In the movie, Reilly plays a cock-sure salesman named Dean Ziegler and this web site is written in his voice. I think what makes it funny to me is I can totally envision Reilly delivering those lines.

Embedded in the site are clips from the movie. You might enjoy checking them out. I think it’s warmed me up to the idea of seeing Cedar Rapids a little more. Plus, positive early reviews from the Sundance Film Festival have helped. I’ll be keeping my eye out for it in the next couple of weeks.

Is anyone else anticipating Cedar Rapids?

└ Tags: Cedar Rapids, Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, The Hangover, trailer
[ 3 Comments ]

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EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP – REVIEW

February 4th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
Exit Through The Gift Shop, documentary, Banksy, street art

Having heard about Exit Through The Gift Shop for the better part of a year, I finally had a chance to sit down and watch it last night with Cami when she asked “What documentaries do we have in our Netflix queue?”

For the record, she balked on watching Helvetica. So watching famed British street artist Banksy’s documentary was kind of a compromise.

Despite effusive praise of the movie from both friends and reviewers a like, I didn’t have a concept of what the film was actually about. I was pleasantly surprised.

It’s not the definitive documentary of the street art movement, if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s not filled with a bunch of talking heads discussing the sociological imprint of this bastardized version of pop art. The history of street art informs the narrative, but Exit Through The Gift Shop is not explicitly about that subject.

Instead, Banksy takes footage assembled by a French shop owner (by way of Los Angeles) named Theirry Guetta and slowly turns the camera on him.

Guetta is presented as a passionate (if someone guileless) chronicler of the street art movement. He obsessively videotapes everything and after visiting with his cousin – the renown street artist known as “Invader” – does he fall head first into their world.

Despite the threat of prosecution for what is (in the law’s eyes) graffiti and destruction of prosecution, several street artists agree to be captured by Theirry’s lens under the assumption that he will cut together a documentary about their medium. Their art is temporary and often quickly removed. It deserved to be documented.

As the movement grows, Banksy is introduced as Guetta’s white whale. Highly prolific, satirical, political and elusive, Guetta is convinced his “documentary” cannot be completed until he captures Banksy on film. He eventually befriends the artist and gains his trust. But things turn south after Banksy prompts Guetta to make the film he’s long alluded to.

With no film making skills of his own, Guetta produces an unwatchable mess called Life Remote Control. A spastic, channel-surfing montage of footage with no coherent narrative.

It is at this point that Banksy convinces Guetta to leave the raw footage with him and prompts him to become a street artist in his own right.

Just as Guetta was once consumed with chronicling the lives and work of street artists, he takes to the streets of Los Angeles pasting buildings with his work under the pseudonym “Mr. Brainwash.”

What follows is an astonishing turn of events as Guetta creates a studio, hires hundreds of artists to construct pieces of his vision and launches a gallery show and becomes an art celebrity in record time.

The film pulls no punches by portraying Guetta’s work as manufactured and derivative. Nor does it spare any scorn for art scenesters who go along with the fraud so readily.

What ultimately emerges is an incisive critique of the art world and how something as intentionally guerrilla and ideologically subversive as street art can be co-opted, homogenized and turned into a product by enterprising entrepreneurs like Thierry Guetta.

“There’s no one like Thierry,” admits Banksy. “Even though his art looks like everyone else’s.”

Fans of street art movement might not get all of their questions answered by watching Exit Through The Gift Shop. But they’ll get an unflinching look at the role authenticity plays in creating meaning from art.

└ Tags: Banksy, documentary, Exit Through The Gift Shop, review, street art, Thierry Guetta
[ 5 Comments ]

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CAPTAIN AMERICA TEASER POSTER

February 4th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
Captain America, poster, teaser, Chris Evans

Marvel officially unveiled the teaser poster for Captain America this morning. What’s your take?

Personally, I don’t think they needed to add the word “AVENGE” over the top of it. The image of Captain America is already so iconic, why add another layer to it?

I also kind of think they’re over doing it with the grime and splatter. It’s almost like they’re doing anything they can to tone down the otherwise cartoonishly bright color elements of Cap’s costume. Maybe that’s necessary. But, y’know… strike a balance.

Marvel has already announce trailers for Captain America AND Thor will air during the Super Bowl. Until then, we have this to pick apart. What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below!

[Marvel]

└ Tags: Captain America, Chris Evans, Marvel, poster, teaser
[ 2 Comments ]

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Feb07

BLAME THE BEEF

February 7th, 2011 | by Tom
  • Comics
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars6 Stars7 Stars8 Stars9 Stars10 Stars
(12 votes, average: 7.83 out of 10)
BLAME THE BEEF

So as you may have heard, Shia LaBeouf got in a bar fight over the weekend. I read the headline in my Twitter feed on Sunday and immediately said “Well, there’s my comic for Monday!”

Yeah, yeah. I know it’s Tuesday. Sorry about that. I had the comic drawn and inked Sunady night, but my eyes were giving me trouble. They wouldn’t stop watering, so I had to call it early. Better late than never, right?

At any rate, LaBeouf got in a bar fight with a guy that was laughing at him and called him a gay slur. He got in the guy’s face, tried to take a swing at him and got popped in the lip. Cops showed up, cuffed both combatants but let them go when neither of them wanted to press charges.

I don’t particularly care to rake LaBeouf over the coals for the altercation. But it does stand as evidence toward every negative impression I have of the guy. The level of insecurity on this guy must be pretty high if he immediately feels the need to get in a fight because some random dude insults his masculinity. Also, I doubt LaBeouf would have been so tough if he weren’t being backup with with the dozen or so friends he brought with him that night.

I guess what I find most befuddling is why LaBeouf is hanging out in bars when he’s an admitted alcoholic?

Then again, that never stopped Charlie Sheen.

Oh, well. Just another night on the town in Young Hollywood, I suppose. He has his fun and I have mind.

Tell you what, Shia, just to make it up to you, how about I share the Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon Super Bowl spot with everyone. Looks like another signature Michael Bay explode-o-thon to me. I caught the commercial during the game on Sunday and really couldn’t make heads or tails of it. It doesn’t tease anything. It doesn’t tell you much at all. It basically tells you, “Hey, this movie exists.” Oh, and “BOOOOOOOM!”

But you can make your own decisions…

So, what did you think? Why not leave your comments below? Oh, and don’t forget to keep your eye on the Bonus Materials blog for more reactions to some of the Super Bowl trailers that came out this weekend. It should be a good time.

Not a fun as a bar fight, but still a good time.

└ Tags: bar, blame, fight, hate, rivalry, Shia LaBeouf, trailer, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon
[ 5 Comments ]

CAPTAIN AMERICA SUPER BOWL AD

February 8th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

I know that talking about ads that aired on the Super Bowl three days after the fact is like asking you to study ancient Sanskrit in internet terms, but I’m getting caught up, okay? I’m not going to dig into ever trailer that aired during Sunday’s game. Just the spots that got my attention. And I’d say – out of all of them – the trailer for Captain America is the one to beat.

The spot is cut together pretty fast. It’s almost “you blink and you miss it” fast. But I think it hits all the right notes in terms of flashing iconic images of Cap’s shield and The Red Skull unmasking himself. These image do what a good teaser clip should – they make us want to see more of the movie.

I’m still a little freaked out by Chris Evans’s gigantic head on a tiny body, but the effect is otherwise seamless. I’m also a little disturbed that the Super Solider serum apparently gives you boobs. But that’s neither here nor there.

What was your impression of the Captain America trailer? Leave your comments below!

└ Tags: Captain America, Chris Evans, Super Bowl, teaser, trailer
[ 13 Comments ]

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WRONG MOVE, CREEP

February 9th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

Robocop, Detroit, Peter Weller, statue

Yesterday it was reported that Detroit’s Mayor Steve Bing took to Twitter to deny any plans for the city to erect a statue of Robocop as part of their revitalization plans. The Mayor’s office has been soliciting for suggestions online.

I’m sure the suggestion was tongue-in-cheek and the mini-firestorm it set off yesterday was probably equally playful. But as sympathetic as I am to Mayor Bing’s decision to reject the proposal, I’m personally disappointed it’s not happening.

Realistically, you don’t want to erect a statue of a character from a movie that was a pretty savage satire of commercialization in the United States (the police being owned by a large corporation) while using Detroit’s reputation for urban blight as a backdrop. I get that. Truthfully, you could argue that Robocop did more to harm Detroit’s reputation than help it. So why celebrate it.

But on the other hand, Robocop is awesome. There’s no two ways about it. If someone wanted to present me a statue of Robocop, I’d put it up in my front yard.

What’s your reaction to this disappointing news? What other cities might benefit from having statues of movie characters erected in their cities? Sound off below!

└ Tags: Detriot, mayor, Robocop, statue, WTF
[ 4 Comments ]

SUPER 8 SUPER BOWL TRAILER

February 9th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

Last year’s teaser trailer for J.J. Abrams’s Super 8 was as vague as it was violent. Which made me think it was some kind of indirect sequel to Cloverfield. Which, in turn, made me apprehensive about seeing it.

But the Super Bowl trailer released on Sunday puts Steven Spielberg’s name as producer up front and the tone of the piece deftly blends hazy mid-70’s nostalgia with a hint of the unknown through the eyes of a child – a Spielberg specialty. I walked away from this trailer with a sense more akin to E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial or Close Encounters of the Third Kind than I did before.

What was your reaction to Super 8? Leave your comments below!

└ Tags: J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, Super 8, Super Bowl, trailer
[ 3 Comments ]

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X-MEN FIRST CLASS FACEBOOK TRAILER

February 10th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials
Magento, X-Men First Class

X-Men First Class is doing something interesting to generate attention in the release of it’s first trailer – they want you to become their Facebook friend!

By clicking the handy “LIKE!” button (potential) fans of the movie will be able to check out the trailer literally SECONDS before the rest of the internet does. The trailer will be released sometime today, Thursday, February 10.

But wait! There’s more!

According to the press release, “As the number of fans who share the trailer grows, a specially designed X-App will subsequently unlock special content. The X-App gives users the power to evolve their Facebook experience and customize their profile pictures.”

So, basically, I guess you’ll be able to change your avatar like everyone one their Mom did last year when they came out with that Mad Men avatar generator?

Oh, well. What can it hurt? I’m already a fan of “Sleep” on Facebook. This can’t be much worse…

└ Tags: Facebook, trailer, X-Men: First Class
[ No Comments ]

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I WANNA DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS

February 10th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

Stop what you’re doing and look at this poster for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off designed by Joshua Budich.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Joshua Budich, poster

I saw Budich’s work a couple of days ago over at Geek Tyrant and immediately fell in love with it. I’d love to get my hands on a copy, but they’ve only produced 75 copies for a John Hughes gallery show and aren’t available online. Bummer.

Looking at a poster like this and posters like those that show up at Mondo Tees from time to time totally make me want to try my hand at something similar. I’ve had it in mind for a long time and I’d like to try and apply this treatment to my very own Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy poster. Done right, I think the reaction would be huge.

One of these days, I have to find time to do it.

└ Tags: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Joshua Budich, poster
[ No Comments ]

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X-MEN: FIRST CLASS TRAILER

February 11th, 2011 | by Tom
Posted In: Bonus Materials

As promise, Fox released the trailer for X-Men: First Class on Facebook yesterday. Although, considering the speed at which it proliferated the internet, I feel a little dirty and used for agreeing to “Like” the movie on Facebook in the first place.

Oh, 20th Century Fox. Will you still respect me in the morning?

If you haven’t yet seen it, here’s the trailer for your eyeball consumption.

Here’s my take… The trailer is very well crafted. I like the fact that they’re staging the action within the context of the 1960’s and the Cuban Missile Crisis. I think they’re doing the right thing by placing the focus on the ideological differences between Professor X and Magneto. In other words, this trailer was very effective at making me anticipate the movie much more so than I have been previously.

But I still can’t help but feel like there is something sinister lurking in the background – something they’re not showing us. The fact that January Jones shows up as Emma Frost when she was presented as a teenager in X-Men Origins: Wolverine trouble me. That Beast shows up in full furball mode is another glaring continuity error.

If the movie can keep these characters in the background, then I can overlook them. But Fox has always had a problem when it comes to anticipating what it is that fans of the comic books are actually looking for. In their minds, the more mutants, the merrier. Because by the law of averages, your BOUND to include a character that happens to be someones favorite. In my opinion, too many mutants ruin the broth. I’m still very much wait-and-see on this one.

What was your reaction to the X-Men: First Class trailer? Leave your comments below!

└ Tags: Facebook, trailer, X-Men: First Class
[ 8 Comments ]

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