Why The Japanese Are Way Cooler Than Us Americans

Perhaps a bit overstating there, but in many ways it seems true. For example, Americans created baseball, and it is our national pastime – but even though we have always been rather dominant in the sport, once an actual world championship was created (the World Baseball Classic), Japan showed the world who’s got game (they’ve won both tournaments so far). That’s just cool.

Know what else is cool? Studio Ghibli. I mean, these guys are just the absolute greatest at what they do – and what they do is make awesome animated films.

… I’m looking at that last sentence and it’s not doing it for me. “Awesome” is a word that simply gets bandied about too much, and has lost its punch. Ok, how about this: Studio Ghibli makes films that will instill a wholly childlike sense of awe and wonder in you, and make you wish that the film never ends so that you never have to go back to the real world. Alright, I like that better, but it still doesn’t do them justice. The films these guys put out there just exude a coolness on a level that no American animation even comes close to – not even our mighty Pixar.

Helmed by the masterful Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has created some of the most wonderful films (and think about that word a minute – wonderful … FULL of WONDER) the world has ever seen. The films are so wildly successful in their native Japan, that Disney secured rights to dub them in English for North American release. If you’ve ever seen a Japanese movie dubbed in English, you might think this is a terrible idea – but in their defense, Disney does the right thing by Miyazaki’s films, hiring the right actors to get down the rightly translated dialogue. While I usually insist on watching anime in Japanese with English subtitles, Disney’s dubs of Miyazaki’s films are a pleasant exception, and are excellently done. They are even so well received here that Spirited Away won the Academy Award for best animated film in 2002.

Last year, Japanese audiences were treated to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s newest film – and the slow process of properly translating the script, finding the right actors and redubbing it in English has finally come to fruition for Disney, who will be releasing Ponyo on August 14th. Check the trailer, then get the family together and tell them not to make plans for August 14th!

- Goodchild

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A Vote For 3D IMAX Movies

With Hollywood’s current shifting towards 3D films, I’ve taken a real interest in something that moves alongside this: ticket prices. It’s bad enough that I have to pay between 12 and 13 dollars when I want to catch a flick with friends after work in New York City – but when you want to go see something in 3d, the price jumps up from there. With nights out at the cinema reaching ridiculous prices, it’s easy to feel like you’re just not getting your money’s worth. This is why you simply have to pick the correct overly expensive movie ticket to buy.

For around $16 a ticket, I can go see a “3D IMAX Experience!” movie at the Lincoln Center IMAX on 68th street. The screen is enormous, the sound system is awesome – if it’s the right movie it’s well worth the money. But how do you know it’s the right movie? Well, reading the book first helps.

When it released, I hopped the 1 train up to the IMAX theater to see the 5th Harry Potter movie. How did I know that it would be well worth the admission? Because I’d read the book, and knew that there was an incredible spectacle of an action sequence in the 3rd act that would not just be something to watch, but more something to experience.

Well, it’s almost time once again, my friends, for the show that is far from ending (as the final book 7 is being broken into 2 movies). This week, the 6th Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, is released, and you can expect some incredible action and some awesome sights and fights to behold this time around. If you’ve got an IMAX theater near you, I highly recommend dropping the extra loot for it – it’s going to be quite the experience when [EDITOR’S NOTE: The end of this post has been removed for spoilers of the worst kind. Though, you really should have read the books by now. Seriously, you’ve got no excuses.]

- Goodchild

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(2) Weeks Until (500) Days

Anyone who knows me knows I have a strange fascination following the career of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I liked his old sitcom (3rd Rock From The Sun), and always thought it was weird turning the TV on and seeing John Lithgow talk to the kid from that silly, silly movie Angels In The Outfield. Stupid Angels … nobody likes Anaheim …

I didn’t really take a shine to him until I saw him in one of my proudly admitted “guilty pleasure” movies, 10 Things I Hate About You. I’m a Shakespeare geek, and it was Shakespeare. And it was awesome. So, when a movie called Brick came on HBO one day, I saw he was the star and watched it – and not only was the movie amazing, but he was absolutely great in it – the kid was all grown up, and can act his damn ass off. In case anyone thought different, the same year Brick came out, so did The Lookout – another great film, with Gordon-Levitt as the star, and doing one hell of a job. So, I get a little excited about almost anything he’s in – it seems he picks real winners (we won’t talk about the upcoming disaster he’s in called G.I Joe).

On July 17th, his new film, (500) Days Of Summer, comes out. It has him starring opposite a great actress I also really like, Zooey Deschanel. You know her from Yes Man, Almost Famous, a brief stint on the show Weeds, and my personal favorite bit of her resume – The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.

This movie has gotten rave reviews at its showings at film festivals, and after seeing the trailer, I know where I’ll be on July 17th.

- Goodchild

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Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland coming 2010

Oh yes, it's true Tim Burton's live-action version of Lewis Carroll's classic Alice in Wonderland is coming in 2010. There are some obvious Burton faves casted like Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen but it is definitely an all-star cast. Check out this IMDB link for the rest of the casting and for now check out this video with some early pictures from the set along with the first look at Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

- Sonic

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Movie Releases: May 29th

A lot was made about Wall-E when it came out. Many people thought that an animated family movie that starred a non-speaking robot and that had minimal amounts of dialogue would be lost on the children that were its target demographic. As we all know, this was obviously not the case – the movie was a huge success, and as such can be construed as a step forward for the art of Pixar Studios.

A quick look at a list of Pixar’s major motion pictures reads as a list of 9 titles – and only one of those films had human protagonists (The Incredibles – though the characters in the lead role were superhuman). So, when we look at Up!, the 10th major release by Pixar, we can’t righteously call it a “return to form” when we see it’s a film about a human. In fact, it’s quite abnormal – and if we factor in that the story revolves around a man in his 70’s (who does NOT have any super powers), we see that Pixar is pushing their own envelope again, trying to do something new instead of playing it safe and rehashing old ideas.

Earlier in the year, the film’s director and producer screened the first half of the movie for a select few (no, I was not there, but I read about it) and it seems that once again Pixar is looking to take a more artistic route, and have sections of the movie without dialogue. They’re quickly becoming a family friendly studio akin to the Cohen Brothers (Blood Simple, No Country For Old Men, etc.) in that respect.

Up! seems to have a great story, as well. An old man decides to floa t his house to South America in order to fulfill the travel dream he had with his late wife. A nice and touching story, with room for fantastic adventure and great comedy. I am a huge fan of Pixar, and though I might have to see Drag Me To Hell first, I’ll be seeing Up! as soon as I can.

- Goodchild

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Movie Releases: May 22nd

Not a particularly exciting week for movie releases but today we are featuring The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story, which is a documentary film about the Sherman Brothers who pretty much wrote all of the songs from the early Disney movies.

The Girlfriend Experience comes out in limited release today as well, this is the film I featured during Tribeca Film Festival week starring adult film actress Sasha Grey.

- Sonic

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Movie Review: The Brothers Bloom

Pick a genre of film – any genre at all. Horror, fantasy, drama, thriller … pick one, and when you’ve got it, proceed to name every movie in that genre. Not easy, right? Here, let me try.

Bottle Rocket. Rushmore. The Royal Tenenbaums. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The Darjeeling Limited. Hmn … One more in there …. Oh yeah! The Brothers Bloom.

While not a classically established genre, this list represents films from a new grouping for cinema: the Wes Anderson film. While some of them are a bit iffy, especially those at the beginning of the list – you know, the ones by Wes Anderson – the one at the end is really, really great. And, it’s the only one not by Wes Anderson.

Second time filmmaker Rian Johnson’s new film, The Brothers Bloom, does something very odd – it created this new genre. All of Anderson’s films have a very distinctive quirkiness to them, and when you watch one, you know the film is by him. Johnson obviously liked them so much, that he decided to write and direct one, himself. So … when you take established parameters, create art within them, and by adding your own voice improve upon them … and not maliciously – there is nothing in Johnson’s film that feels like he is “ripping off” Anderson’s ideas – doesn’t that mean that a new genre has been created for artists to work in?

Well, whether it does or it doesn’t, The Brothers Bloom is one hell of a great film. Basically, it’s the story of two brothers who, after a life of moving from foster home to foster home perfecting scamming people, are con men grifting their way through life. Stephen (Mark Ruffalo), the elder, dreams up the cons and writes them thematically with his brother Bloom (Adrian Brody) “starring” in them as the subject of each tale. With their partner Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi), a Japanese explosives expert who is silent by choice and a scene stealer by nature, they try for “one last con” on Penelope, a rich shut in played by Rachel Weisz.

The dialogue flows beautifully; the sets and locations are exquisite and exotic; and even when the situations are at their worst, the characters are simply delightful to watch. Weisz is the best example of this – her Penelope is one of the most instantly lovable characters I’ve ever seen on screen. From her entrance in the film (a car crash of habitual routine), to the montage of her showing off all her home-learned skills (such as juggling chainsaws while riding a tall unicycle), to her blossoming romance with Bloom (containing the funniest make-out scene I’ve seen in a long time), every second of her screen time made me smile and just say “Awww …” When I last saw her in a movie, it was in My Blueberry Nights, and her supporting role helped me to me fall in love with star Norah Jones (if I ever meet her, I WILL propose to her) - but her role here was unlike any other I’ve seen her play. Innocent, childish, energetic and wildly cute, she is the movie. As it stands, the film is an excellent character piece, with great comedy, drama, action and thrills to keep a smile on your face from beginning to end.

I strongly recommend that you see this when it opens – if you like laughing and have an imagination. It is delightful, it is extremely well crafted, and best of all – it is pure fun.

+ The Brothers Bloom Review [Movie Moron]

- Goodchild

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Movie Releases: May 15th

THE BROTHERS BLOOM:

In 2005, a movie came out called BRICK that I’d never heard of. It was not until one lazy afternoon in 2007 that I happened to see the movie listed on HBO OnDemand. Not knowing what it was, I put it on – and a few hours later when it was over, I could not believe how unbelievably coooooooooooooool the film had been. To those who don’t know it, it is essentially a old school noir detective story, complete with the 40’s-ish dialogue you’d expect in a film like that – but it takes place in a modern day high school.

Now, it might sound a bit gimmicky, but I assure you it worked with aplomb. The writing on the film was superb – an obvious labor of love for the writer. And the acting was absolutely spot on – the director, whoever it was, had gotten excellent performances out of his players. The cinematography was great, the soundtrack was perfect – I couldn’t believe I’d never heard of it.

So, I looked into it, and turns out the film was written and directed by a newcomer to the scene named Rian Johnson – his writing and directing filmography for before BRICK consists of a short, and that was it (though he apparently edited the quirkily cool flick MAY back in 2002). His freshmen effort paid off in spades, it seemed – the film won many nominations and awards at film festivals the world over.

Well, Johnson has been on my radar since then (boy, that just doesn’t look right after typing it …), and I am ridiculously excited for two things:

1. I have off from work on 05.15.2009

2. I live in New York City.

Rian Johnson’s new film, THE BROTHERS BLOOM, comes out today in a limited release in New York and Los Angeles. The next week, it will see a widespread release around the country and in Toronto. I plan on seeing it as early as I can, so check back here for my thoughts on Johnson’s sophomore endeavor.

- Goodchild

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BIG MAN JAPAN:


This movie is probably going to be terrible or AWESOME, but the trailer is just hilarious. I know, I know, Japanese people are crazy.

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ALSO COMING OUT TODAY:

High Hopes For:
- 99
- Summer Hours

Not So Much:
- Management
- Angels & Demons

- Sonic

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Sam Raimi: A Return To Form

Sometimes, when the little guys stop being little guys in Hollywood and get a bit too big for their britches, they tend to forget where they came from. This, luckily, is not always true.
Sam Raimi, you beautiful bastard, you’re up to your old tricks again!

Many know Raimi’s name from some of the more recent Hollywood blockbusters he’s directed – movies like Spiderman, Spiderman 2, and Spiderman 3. Some more know him from smaller Hollywood films, like The Gift, For the Love of the Game, or A Simple Plan. But, for some of us, Raimi is, and will always be, the incredibly cool horror director that gave us the Evil Dead trilogy (and who introduced us to Bruce Campbell).

The Evil Dead movies might have been low budget and campy, but they had scares, laughs, zombies, demons and – in the case of Army of Darkness – some of the worst best one-liners in cinema history. Plus, they had an overflowing wealth of imagination, humor and wonder that even made a scene where a girl gets raped by trees possible, acceptable and if nothing else, just a little awesome.

The thing is it seemed to us horror fans that Raimi had given all that up. Hollywood had called, he’d answered the phone, and Campbell was given bit roles in all the big films as they moved further and further from what had gained them notoriety in the first place. But that all ends this May 29th!

That’s right – in less than 3 weeks, Drag Me to Hell releases into theaters! To be honest, I don’t know if I could be more psyched. Midnight show, opening night … anyone else down?

- Goodchild

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Movie Releases: May 8th

Everyone knows the new Star Trek Movie came out last night, but here are some of the lesser known films coming out today.

ADORATION:


- SYNOPSIS: Sabine, a high school French teacher, gives her class a translation exercise based on a real news story about a terrorist who plants a bomb in the airline luggage of his pregnant girlfriend. The assignment has a profound effect on one student , Simon, who lives with his uncle (Scott Speedman). In the course of translating, Simon re-imagines that the news item is his own family's story, with the terrorist standing in for his father. Years ago, Simon's father crashed the family car, killing both himself and his wife, making Simon an orphan. Simon has always feared that the accident was intentional. Simon reads his version to the class and then takes it to the Internet. In essence, he has created a false identity which allows him to probe his family secret. As Simon uses his new persona to journey deeper into his past, the public reaction is swift and strong. Then an exotic woman reveals her true identity. The truth about Simon's family emerges.

+ Cannes Review: Adoration [Cinematical]

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JULIA:


- SYNOPSIS: Tilda Swinton gives the performance of a lifetime as Julia, a middle-aged alcoholic who totters around nightclubs on six-inch heels, and gets by on nickel-and-dime jobs sandwiched between shots of vodka and one-night stands. Julia is manipulative , unreliable and a compulsive liar, and when an opportunity presents itself to make a substantial amount of money, she jumps at the chance and commits a desperate act. As the repercussions spiral beyond her control, she is forced to make a choice between sacrifice and redemption.

+ Tilda Swinton Devours Julia [Village Voice]

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RUDO Y CURSI:


- SYNOPSIS: Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna play two brothers scraping by as laborers in rural Mexico , until one day a scout spies their friendly game of soccer and sign them on as star athletes for rival teams. They quickly learn that the high life of top players-fame, money, and beautiful women-has a dark side. And when their professional rivalry turns bitter and personal, the brothers see that they must reunite before they lose everything they once dreamed of.

+ Rudo y Cursi Review [Variety]

- Sonic

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The Peek: Transformers 2 - Revenge of the Fallen

The new Transformers movie is due out June 24th and this is the first time I've seen the trailer for it so I'm putting it up for all you guys. As well all know the only thing director Michael Bay is good at is action sequences, but even that can be a miss at times. Having said that though I really enjoyed the first Transformers and aside from Megan Fox looking super hot the trailer for the new movie looks pretty nuts. Don't watch it for plot or character development, but if you just want to be entertained for 2 hours I think it will definitely get the job done.

- Sonic

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Movie Releases: May 1st

Goodchild already did a bit on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie, but here are some more films being released today.

NAKED AMBITION, AN R-RATED LOOK AT AN X-RATED INDUSTRY:

Aside from the fact that I probably will watch any documentary on the porn industry, this is kind of a cool angle from the eyes of photographer Michael Grecco. Although I'll have to admit I won't go to the theaters for this, but I definitely want to check it out at some point.

+ Naked Ambition: And R-Rated Look at an X-Rated Industry [Variety]

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THE MERRY GENTLEMEN:

This is Michael Keaton's directorial debut about a love triangle that forms between a woman starting a new life from an abusive relationship, a suicidal hitman and an alcoholic detective. I'm definitely curious about how Keaton does as a director, and people have been saying good things about the film. Let me know how it is if anyone sees it.

+ Sundance Review: The Merry Gentlemen [Cinematical]


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THREE MONKEYS:

A politician working on his re-election finds himself in a hit-and-run accident. He then convinces his driver to take the rap in return for some under the table financial compensation. This Turkish film explores the effects of this devil's bargain on the driver's family. The trailer is pretty intense, and I'm sold.

+ Cannes Review: Three Monkeys [Cinematical]

- Sonic

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Piracy: X-Men Origins - Wolverine

Months before X-Men Origins: Wolverine's actual release date – this Friday, May 1st - an actual mastered copy leaked onto the internet. Fox was quick to release a statement saying that it was only a workprint, and wasn’t finished – in fact there were entire scenes missing, and/or with unfinished visual and audio effects. As the film’s release nears, reviewers have seen the “finished” copy and have noted that the leaked workprint wasn’t far off the mark – in fact, with the exception of the scenes with unrendered effects, it is the same film. So, this becomes an important moment in the industry’s case against piracy – will the leaked copy hurt ticket sales opening day?

Personally, I would never watch the leaked copy if it wasn’t 100% done. I’m excited for this flick, and I want to see the finished product. Even if it’s only a few seconds of missing material, that will throw off my whole experience of the film – maybe I’m a bit snobbish about this, but I couldn’t deal with that. I’ll be seeing the film this weekend – will you?

+ Wolverine Origins Review [Comic Book Movie]

- Goodchild

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The Quick Guide: Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival is going on right now and although I can't feature even close to all of the films that are part of the festival I figured I can do a few that caught my attention. There are a ton of films so make sure you browse through the site yourself!

- Tribeca Film Festival

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE:

You may have heard about this film, but this is the film by Steven Soderbergh about a NYC call girl which stars real life pornstar Sasha Grey. I don't think there is much else to convince me to see this, but from the looks of it Soderbergh mad a bold but great decision in casting Grey.


+ Public Showtimes:
Tue, Apr 28, 9:00PM BMCC Tribeca PAC
Wed, Apr 29, 8:00PM SVA Theater 2
Sat, May 02, 5:30PM AMC Village VII 2

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KOBE DOIN' WORK:

This is a Spike Lee film about the day in the office kind of thing but a day in a game rather of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. Spike is a hardcore Knicks fan mind you, but out of all the stars I think he made the right choice as Kobe is probably a more mature and experienced player than the likes of Dwayne Wade or Lebron James. I love basketball so this is another one I would love to check out.

+ Public Showtimes:
Thu, Apr 30, 3:30PM AMC Village VII 3
Thu, Apr 30, 9:30PM BMCC Tribeca PAC
Sat, May 02, 9:30PM Tribeca Cinemas Theater 2

- Sonic

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Movie Releases: April 24th

IL DIVO:

- SYNOPSIS: Award-winning filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino (The Family Friend) writes and directs this cinematic portrait of seven-time Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti, whose controversial legacy peaked when he was tried for Mafia ties and subsequently acquitted. A leader with close ties to the Vatican, Andreotti was also tried and acquitted for the murder of an Italian journalist, and remains a senator for life.

I'm very interested in this one, the film is based on a true story and a rather crazy one at that. The performances look great but I'm really curious to see what went down.... and since I'm too lazy to research it, this film should get the job done!

+ IFFR 2009: Il Divo Review [Twitch]

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TYSON:


- SYNOPSIS: Assembled from over 30 hours of interviews with the controversial heavyweight champion, director James Toback takes the helm for a feature-length documentary exploring the life and career of self-destructive pugilist Mike Tyson. From his early years under the wing of famed boxing promoter Don King to his notorious match against Evander Holyfield and his conviction on sexual assault charges, Tyson's turbulent life is explored in the kind of comprehensive manner that could only have been made possible with the subject's willing participation.

I'm totally down to see what Mike Tyson has to say about his crazy life.

+ Tyson Movie Review [View London]

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THE SOLOIST:


- SYNOPSIS: The Soloist is a biographical drama about real-life musical prodigy Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, who dropped out of Julliard after developing schizophrenia and became a homeless musician on the streets of Los Angeles. Journalist Steve Lopez discovers the former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives.

All 3 of this week's featured movie releases are based on true stories, and I can honestly say that I am intrigued with all of them. I mean it's not everyday a journalist encounters a schizo-homeless-musical prodigy on the street.

+ The Soloist Review [City Beat]

- Sonic

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Movie Releases: April 17th

AMERICAN VIOLET:

- SYNOPSIS: Based on true events in the midst of the 2000 election, American Violet tells the astonishing story of Dee Roberts, a single African-American mother who struggles to clear her name after being wrongly accused and arrested for dealing drugs in an impoverished town in Texas.

Hey guys, I usually put a quick blurb on what I think about the film, but I haven't slept in 40 hours so yeah, it's about that time... for sleep that is. Have a great weekend everyone!

+ American Violet Review [Metromix]

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LEMON TREE:


- SYNOPSIS: A drama based on the true story of a Palestinian widow who must defend her lemon tree field when a new Israeli Defense Minister moves next to her and threatens to have her lemon grove torn down.

+ Lemon Tree Review [Variety]

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STATE OF PLAY:


- SYNOPSIS: A petty thief is gunned down in an alley and a Congressman's assistant falls in front of a subway - two seemingly unrelated deaths. But not to wisecracking, brash newspaper reporter Cal McAffrey who spies a conspiracy waiting to be uncovered. With a turbulent past connected to the Congressman and the aid of ambitious young rookie writer Della Frye, Cal begins uprooting clues that lead him to a corporate cover-up full of insiders, informants, and assassins. But as he draws closer to the truth, the relentless journalist must decide if it's worth risking his life and selling his soul to get the ultimate story.

+ 'State of Play' a Slick Political Thriller [Yahoo News]

- Sonic

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Reflect and Review: Adventureland

Adventureland is one of the films we covered last week, and I got a chance to catch it in the theaters. This is a film written and directed by Greg Mottola who was also the director for Superbad. I was expecting a laugh-out-loud kind of comedy and although there are some good laughs in there it was a bit more serious. In that respect it wasn't really marketed that well, and I can see people being disappointed.

Set in the 80's this film was a rather authentic reflection of just everyday life and situations, and the comedy wasn't over the top. I think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to this film which I feel is it's best attribute. The performances are great and you can't help but feel connected or even fall in love with the characters.

It gets a little slow at times, but it's definitely a good one to catch.. just don't go in there expecting Superbad.

+ Adventureland Review [Twitch]

- Sonic

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Movie Releases: April 10th

Ok everyone, it's about that time to go over the films being released this week. BUT.... it's not looking too promising this weekend so I am going to do a quickie.

The trailer posted above is for the film Lymelife, which is about an awkward family whose lives get turned upside down due to a Lyme disease outbreak in the community. It stars 2 Culkin brothers, Emma Roberts, Alec Baldwin, Jill Hennessy, Timothy Hutton and Cynthia Nixon. Looks like the performances are pretty good, kind of an interesting plot, but just not one I would jump on.

Other movies being released today:

Dragonball: Evolution - I mean I loved the manga/anime when I was younger but a live action movie? I'll give them credit for doing Dragonball rather than Dragonball Z (where Goku turns into the Super Saiyan with over the top spikey blonde hair), but I'm gonna have to pass.

Hannah Montana: The Movie - You know it was coming.

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh - At first glance this looked kind of interseting.... College graduate with mobster dad's coming of age story as he meets a hot chick and her thug boyfriend. Graduate lusts for the girl, but befriends her boyfriend who lusts for the him? Huh? Sienna Miller looks super hot in this but I don't think that can save this one.

Observe and Report - Mall cop comedy with Seth Rogen and Anna Faris. I'm sure it's going to be decently funny but it seems like they are just counting on Seth Rogen's charm. I'll Netflix it.

- Sonic

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Tech Check: Wild Things in Brooklyn Laboratories

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Click this link and read the article now.

As reported in the New York Times, scientists at a state university in New York, where I live in Brooklyn, seem to have found the molecule in the brain that reminds us of trauma. Also, they’ve developed a drug that can block the molecule. While it’s only been used on animals so far, they potential for this is great – a sort of traumatic memory eraser. This, of course, reminds me of Michel Gondry’s kick ass film, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, where a new service can erase memories for people so they can get on with their lives.

Now, reading this article – which I really hope you did by clicking the link at the top of this post – made me think about a million and a half things. I started thinking about all the things I’d want “erased” out of my mind: My absolutely overwhelming phobia of dogs. Any memories of any Michael Bay movies I’ve ever seen. Junior High. Any time I ever spent in Boston. You get the idea.

While the practical – let alone the designer – applications for this are a long ways away, it’s very interesting to see where the research and development is headed. And, if nothing else, it made me think about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind again, and I said to myself, “Hey, self, wasn’t Mark Ruffalo in that? I don’t remember seeing him in anything recently, not since Zodiac - I wonder what he’s been working on?”

Booyah.

Where The Wild Things Are. Are you kidding me? This was one my favorite books growing up – right up until I started reading Michael Crichton novels. And Spike Jonze doing it? Oh man. October can’t come fast enough. If only Brooklyn scientists could find a way to erase time between now and October 16th.



+ Brain Researchers Open Door to Editing Memory [NY Times]

- Goodchild

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Movie Releases: April 3rd

BART GOT A ROOM:

- SYNOPSIS: Nerdy high school senior Danny (Steven Kaplan) has spent six hundred bucks on the hotel room, the limo and the tux for his prom. He’s only missing one thing—the girl. Hampered by well-intentioned but clueless advice from his newly-divorced parents (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines) and unsympathetic mocking from his best friends (Brandon Hardesty, Alia Shawkat), Danny battles peer pressure, teen angst and his own raging hormones as he desperately searches for a prom date.

This one's got a very familiar plot, but it looks a little more realistic than the typical Hollywood over top teen comedies out there. William H. Macy is usually great, and it might just remind us all of how horrible but fun high school was.

+ Tribeca Review: Bart Got A Room [Cinemtaical]

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ADVENTURELAND:


- SYNOPSIS: It's the summer of 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick and Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip , James has little choice but to take a lowly job at a local amusement park.

This one was written and directed by Greg Mottola who of is best known for Superbad. It's got a great cast including Bill Hader and Ryan Reynolds, and I like that it takes place in 1987 which opens up a lot of doors for some good comedy.

+ Adventureland Review [Film Junk]

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THE ESCAPIST:


- SYNOPSIS: Frank Perry is an institutionalized convict twelve years into a life sentence without parole. When his estranged daughter falls ill, he is determined he make peace with her before it's too late. He develops an ingenious escape plan, and recruits a dysfunctional band of escapists - misfits with a mutual dislike for one other but united by their desire to escape their hell hole of an existence. Much of the action takes place within the tunnels, sewers and underground rivers of subterranean London.

Starring Brian Cox, Damian Lewis and Joseph Fiennes, the film won a few awards in Scotland and in the UK. Might be a Netflix-er for me, but check out the trailer.

+ Sundance Review: The Escapist [First Showing]

- Sonic

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