FP4 pick of the week - FP4 entry 20071130

Friday, November 30, 2007

FP4 entry 20071130

Krumpers UNITE!!! FP4 pick of the week

PICK:

“Stomp the Yard” (2007) Director: Sylvain White

Info & Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/308924

OR

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Stomp_the_Yard/70053461?strkid=1202931635_0_0

ENTRY: Welcome to the FP4 entry of the week. Our pick this week is “Stomp the Yard.” It is a movie I normally wouldn’t have gravitated towards but having many people in my life that enjoy the art of dance, I decided to give it a chance. Though I am far from being a professional dancer myself, I can appreciate passion for any form of art. I hope you aspire for the same.

SYNOPSIS: DJ Williams (Columbus Short) plays an exceptional role and does awsome character development which begins in the heart of the urban dance and club scene where many experimental dances begin today. After the tragic death of his closest brother, he carries a large level of guilt into his future. He pursues a college degree where he battles his roots against the compromising contradiction of conformity of college life. The step squad he joins with portrays struggles in a paradoxical way against the priority of brotherhood and the importance of team work which is pitted against the powerful force of personal identity and uniqueness. This, I am sure, is a struggle most professional or life-dedicated artists feel at some stage of their career.

SCOPE: You will enjoy this movie if you like the movie “Drum Line” or “Honey” as it tackles some of the same topics. You don’t necessarily need to be tied to classic dance to enjoy the movie. “Stomp the Yard” shows an alternative view of raw and basic passions of the urban struggles and lifestyle through dance. You may enjoy this movie if you enjoy alternative views to classic thought and classical education. It effectively questions the authority of team over individual needs. It’s rebellious in its thematic approach but at the same time embraces tradition and history. If long dance scenes in musicals have gotten boring to you, you may want to skip this one. But if you give it a chance I think you might be pleasantly surprised. I hope you like it! Let me know your thoughts if you do.

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See rules of blog at very bottom of this post: http://zozfp4.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html

FP4 pick of the week - FP4 entry 20071121

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

FP4 entry 20071121

Anthony Hopkins lovers… FP4 pick of the week

PICK: “Fracture” (2007) Director: Gregory Hoblit

Info & Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/280778

OR
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Fracture/70058016?strkid=98633185_0_0

ENTRY: The FP4 entry this week is “fracture” with Anthony & Hopkins Ryan Gosling. The movie is has a well chosen cast for the plot. It’s not your typical horror flick with Hopkins however. It’s more of a suspense/mystery genre. The scope this week is a little more concrete and definitive compared to the last two weeks.

SYNOPSIS: The movie stars Hopkins as a professional engineer with a lovely wife. Hopkins finds himself obsessed with his wife’s external and private life. His love for her borders on obsession and wanting to control and possess her. He perhaps suffers from OCD or is just plain insane in the membrane which he takes to the extreme. The story doesn't take long to take off so an impatient viewer will be very satisfied with this pick.

I can’t tell you a lot about the plot but I can assure you the twists and turns are not forced and create a natural feeling & flow to the story. At the end, you will not feel manipulated or mislead in the ending. The nemesis for Hopkins is a hot shot assistant D.A. that is exiting the public service for a prestigious private practice. However, he decides to take one last case before he leaves (simply because he wants the challenge to bring down Hopkin's character). However, this emotional decision he makes puts his future in jeopardy not only with the DA but his potential new job. The two lead actors go head to head in a dangerous game that will have detrimental affects on either party if they loose their legal battle. The conflict does not center on the court room like you might find with a John Grishim book or film (which becomes quite boring). The story centers more on the minute by minute developments in the plot and will suck you into the story.

Scope: You will enjoy this flick pick if you like Anthony Hopkins. He plays the role beautifully and seems effortless to slip into this script. If you like mystery, suspense and plot development, you won’t be disappointed. You tend to be a person that enjoys reading books that are in the same story genre. You may dislike gruesome horror or murder mysteries... this movie a has tasteful orientation which tones down the visual shock. Hope you enjoy it! Love to hear your feedback.

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FP4 entry 20071116

STEEEEEELLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAA!!!!! FP4 pick of the week

PICK: “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) Director: John Huston, Original stage production: Tennessee Williams

Info & Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/24813 (sorry, no trailer that I could locate)
OR
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Night_of_the_Iguana/60011275?strkid=975714856_0_0

ENTRY: This week’s pick delves into a traditional screen play format… and yes, it is a classic and untouched by Ted Turner’s silly tecni-puke-colored crayons. It’s from ’64 which is before high budget movies and elaborate special affects. As you may know the success of a live production at this period was solely based on the content of the plot and script along side of the quality of the performance… I am challenging you to take a step back in time and truly enjoy a story telling/stage experience… so many people today are lazy MTV viewers that are only taken in by lighting fast scene changes, subliminal absorption, over simplified plots and lots of eye candy. Welcome back to the age of jive my friends. Please pay close attention to the scope so you are not wasting your time watching the movie. I chose this movie based on several elements. One, the original script, if untouched, would have outperformed Tennessee Williams hits in “streetcar” and “cat on a hot tin roof.” Many of T.W. plays were taken to the big screen. This one however deserves much more attention that it received in the theatres. T.W. is the master at creating continual conflict and constant social and sometimes sexual tension between characters. Often his focus of the main characters shifts and goes beyond social psychology issues and takes you inside the character’s thoughts and internal struggles. This holds true with this weeks pick more than most of his “plays converted to movies.” (and there were lots of these, some made for TV only)

SYNOPSIS: Richard Burton & Ava Gardner… a good thespian combination for the setting of this flick. Filmed on location in Mexico at Puerto Vallarta, the scenery and the backdrop becomes a big part of the feeling of the movie. The lead, Rev. Shannon is a tired and exasperated priest who is making a meager living as tour guide via bus. His busload of occupants are entertaining in the movie… a group of fundamental conservative teachers on holiday (along with one very passionate and “coming of age” young vixen who plays the part of one of Shannon’s antagonists) The group takes refuge at the earthy and run down resort which is run by Maxine – a close and long time friend of the Rev. Shannon. At first, the group is just happy for a bed to rest in but as time progresses, the teachers protest against the clergy’s plan for a long, multi-day siesta. Other characters enter and the story becomes more like an episode of “survivor” or a day time soap opera instead of being a beachfront resort… they don’t seem to be on holiday as there is constant conflict among the group. The themes of the movie are strung throughout the movie… redemption, religion, spirituality, forgiveness, eternal salvation, shame, denial, love, loneliness… Play close attention to the elderly poet as he recites his prose finale. This poem embodies the message that Tennessee wanted to portray about life. A defrocked priest trying to find sanctuary in his soul is the backdrop to this moving film. The details of the captured “iguana parallel” is not a clearly defined to Rev. Shannon struggles and leaves some room for interpretation. Guess what? This week’s pick MAY have a happy ending… you will have wait and see. If you don’t mind reading, you may want to locate a copy of the play and read it because it is much more robust and detailed in dialog.

Scope: You will be a good target for this movie if you enjoy any of Tennessee William’s plays/films. There are some similarities with this script among his vast collection. But this one symbolizes an authoring shift in TW’s creativity and thematic content which took TW in a writing tangent only now realized in hindsight. Some say this play exposes more about TW’s own internal turmoil than past productions. For those under the age of 30 or unaware of TW, well, I will need to give you a little more to go on for this scope. You enjoy visual art and still-life. You enjoy the healing and nurturing feeling from a day at the beach and in the sunlight. You may also have a friend or family member that has dedicated their life to serving as a clergy or has a life commitment to a “social-working” affiliation or calling. You most likely are intrigued by social psychology and the nature/nurture argument. You may or may not be religious but you are mostly enamored by the thought of mortality. You value the various elements in life that create an emotional sanctuary and recollected tranquility. You realize that humans are not perfect and you embrace the ying/yang of life’s experiences. Forgiveness for you is not always about forgetting but more about an act of compassion. Most of all, in conclusion to this scope, you have freely forgiven someone in your life that didn’t really deserve it (perhaps yourself?).

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FP4 entry 20071109

Allrightythen, FP4 pick of the week

PICK: “Amores Perros” Director, Alejandro González Iñárritu

Info & Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/155372

OR (for you netflix freak-a-delics)

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/60020243?trkid=73

ENTRY: I promised a pick for my blog visitors on a more earthy tone and to satisfy visually coarse viewers. Though it's not a horror or slasher movie, I got the perfect one for you. It is not so extreme that other profiles/viewers won’t enjoy it however. This is one of my personal flick favorites and it was given as a gift from my brother-in-law after his graduation from Brattleboro, VT Peace Corp Masters ESL program. Ironically, the movie is very un-peace-corp like but it does raise some interesting scenarios and how life can deal a lousy hand of cards once and a while. The story speaks for itself.

SYNOPSIS: The movie is SPANISH and can be watched with or without subtitles. However, I usually despise sub-titles but this film helped me get past that. As a viewer, most of the movie is about absorbing the action and character interaction on the screen anyway. Not a large amount of dialog is needed to be involved with the story. You could watch it with out knowing Spanish or reading subtitles and find it rewarding all the same. The movie is not your regular antagonistic plot approach (which is refreshing in itself). Another warning… it is however, visually disturbing at times. There are some scenes that Michael Vick may have been motivated by in his recent escapades. There is "suggested" scenes that portray animals in a painful situation. Animal lovers might cringe at this... a warning to my one friend that can't watch this type of movie :-) The creative elements of the movie are more about three intertwined character sketches. The characters themselves are where the common theme applies. “Amores Perros” means “life is a bitch” or the “love of a dog.” That translation is very true in the movie… the story has a raw and abrasive side all while maintaining “an almost-out-of-reach” potentially optimistic and romantic approach to life and relationships. The three stories all involve K9s... and that is the only thing the three characters have in common. I really can’t tell you more on the plot without killing the story. Also, Gael Garcia Bernal stars in this movie. He has been on several American commercials and also movies including “Babel,” “Motorcycle Dairies,” and “Bad Education.” He is a great actor. I hope you agree.

Scope: Don’t plan on being lightly entertained; it will suck up emotionally and visually. If you like Quenten Tarantino’s script and character profile approach in "Pulp Fiction," then you will love this movie. I don’t have a lot of personality profile info in the scope this time. It’s a hard one to peg because it spans a large spectrum of taste and culture. WARNING-You may need to be partially tolerant to sub-titles and some graphical scenes. I am going to only say a few words about animals (the movie may tie into dog ownership but it isn’t consumed in the plot, it's merely structure to the character development). If you have ever had a dog you loved, you will be taken by this movie. If you ever had the hard decision to have a dog put to sleep, you will connect with this movie. If you ever had your pet killed in an accidental situation or if your pet ran away and never came back, you will “click” with this movie. Also, be prepared for a bitter-sweet end to the story - it does serve up satisfying closure but not in a way you could ever anticipate. It is not a Cinderella, story-book ending. Watch the trailer and take a chance. Would love to hear your feedback since this movie has had a variety of reactions from friends. Please write and let me know!!!!

See rules of blog at very bottom of this post: http://zozfp4.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html

FP4 entry 20071102

Here we go, FP4 pick of the week

See rules of blog: http://zozfp4.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html

PICK: “Warm Springs” Director, Joseph Sargent

Info & Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/264081

Entry: With our national election day coming up next week, I thought it would be prudent to have a pick dedicated to the public servants in the USA… love them or hate them, they are a force that controls the fate of our country and affects world wide influence also… and it is an awesome responsibility. Though the public servants are in the limelight, they do carry the burden of being ridiculed for mistakes and shortcomings far beyond most professional people (sometimes more publicized than movie stars - which usually don’t get the “boot” from their jobs for being human). From a judge to a commissioner, from a senator to a congressman - the responsibility and pressure of delivering results in an almost impossible world of complicated bureaucracy, the task at hand for their jobs can be overwhelming.

(I am already breaking my rules by offering two picks this week. In case you are light hearted about the election-day’s influence on the world, see the 2^nd selection for a more humorous approach to our system.) However, the lime light selection this week is the “true pick,” Here we go my friends… and don’t forget to vote next week or else you are not allowed to complain or criticize our public servants!

PICK: “Warm Springs” Director, Joseph Sargent

Info & Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/264081

SYNOPSIS: A short story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL HISTORY MOVIE, READ ON… This movie is a snap shot during a difficult and trying period in not only the couple’s lives but the nation’s post depression maturity. The movie gives and intrinsic view of one of the most private sections of the couple’s lives and a view into, unarguably, one of the most effective and productive President’s the US has ever seen. The movie is not about bi-partisan and social issues, republican or democrat, war or peace, etc… The movie is set with the advent of FDR’s point in his life where he contracts polio and his heightened career begins a tumultuous tumble as he struggles with the disease. Self absorbed and self-pitying consume his thoughts. However, a glimmer of hope enters his life as he finds a resort in Georgia that has warm springs and rumors that the water has a therapeutic affect on the disease. Though, FDR finds some healing affects of the resort and treatment, his is still unsatisfied and doubts his value in the world. His true remedy is creating an environment/treatment center for polio victims and an avenue for the medical world to study and create solutions for the afflicted. Helping others is helping your own soul and afflictions. The passion for public service starts to reignite at this moment for FDR. Meanwhile, backtracking into the plot, Eleanor refuses to let either his political career or their temporary disintegration of the marriage hurt Franklin’s career and becomes a public figure herself. Though the marriage is on rocky ground, the couple continues a bond through the toughest time of both their lives alongside of the nations own rehabilitation… a parallel that isn’t forthcoming in the script. The couple’s impact of their efforts during his political re-awaking are still felt today through social programs, financial security, public land preservation, occupational training, medical programs, etc…

Scope: You may like this movie if you thoroughly get enthralled with successful and popular public figures. You admire, mentor and study such people and wonder what makes them tick, what allowed them to persevere through failure and trails. Having three friends who have felt the affects of polio, I simply have a small window into how the disease and how it may affects a person’s life. The movie will satisfy the history buff only slightly as it is more of a character development story. You will receive little historical satisfaction from the movie but I STILL would urge you to give it a chance. Though it is a HBO movie, the cinematography, script and actors are top notch. One of the best HBO films I have ever seen… a story of love, marriage, self-confidence and perseverance. Enjoy.

****2^nd choice for the lighthearted approach to election-day:

2^nd Pick: “Election” Director, Alexander Payne

Info and Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/134226

This is with Matthew Broderick and a break out role for Reese Whiterspoon. It is somewhat a dark comedy that continually digs the two stars into a comical but sad life-situation dark hole. Take a chance if you like dark comedy and let me know what you think.

See rules of blog: http://zozfp4.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html