Shiny, Sayest Thou?

Comic book lovers, sci-fi nerds, and fans of short-form musicals about supervillains all know who Joss Whedon is.  He, does, after all, have one of the most anticipated films of the next year, The Avengers, coming out soon, which based on the trailer will kick some serious keester.

Now add to his fan base...Shakespeare geeks?

Yes, unbeknownst to apparently 99.99% of the world, Joss Whedon has done a Shakespeare play.  Or more accurately, a film adaptation of a Shakepeare play - even more accurately, Much Ado About Nothing.  Huffington Post reports:

“Nathan Fillion, the current "Castle" star who reached Geek God status by playing Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Whedon's sci-fi series "Firefly," tweeted late Sunday night a link to muchadothemovie.com. That leads to a marquee poster of sorts that reads at top, "Bellwether Pictures is proud to announce the completion of principal photography," and at bottom, "A Film By Joss Whedon, Based On A Play."

Also apparently involved are a lot of Whedon alumni, including Sean Maher (“Firefly”), Amy Acker (“Angel” and “Dollhouse”), Reed Diamond and Fran Kranz (“Dollhouse”).  Little else is known about it - the website has few other details, no release date, and no other links, but it does note that this is “Based on a Play.”  Which ought to clear up any misconceptions that, yes, it’s THAT “Much Ado About Nothing.”  Then again, he said A play.  Not THE play.  Hmm.  Maybe it’s based off of Hamlet.

This may seem like a strange move for the guy who created a series featuring cowboys and Chinese curse words - often at the same time - but as it turns out, Whedon is apparently a Shakespeare fan of his own.  As Tom Hiddleston, who will be starring in The Avengers, pointed out, “Joss is a huge Shakespeare buff.”  See?  You really do learn new stuff every day.

It sure sounds like Whedon is adapting the play and not just taking it verbatim, based on the fact that it’s only based on a play.  This also looks to be an indie film, since Bellwether Studios, the outfit that is putting this out, doesn’t appear to have a website.  And Whedon certainly has experience with that sort of thing - speaking of which, where’s Neil Patrick Harris in all of this?

More details will likely be forthcoming.  The whole effort seems to have been done mostly in secret, with the project just really being announced to the world over the past few days.  But if this proves anything, it’s that Joss Whedon is a Jedi master.  I mean, doing a big-budget flick filled to the gills with A-listers AND cobbling together an indie production of a popular and revered play?

Yep.  Jedi master.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/24/joss-whedons-much-ado-about-nothing_n_1028070.html

Cesar and Morris

The Ides of March was a movie dripping politics. From the subject matter, to the dress code, to the way all of the actors conducted themselves; there wasn't a hair out of place, and in the political world that is how you need to look.

**Note: This review is coming from someone who worked for three summers on Capitol Hill for the Senate SAA**

George Clooney is dreamy. The ladies want him, men want to be him. That's just the way it is. Clooney starring as Gov. Mike Morris plays the part very naturally. It might be because he wrote, directed, and produced the movie, that's he's a really good actor, or some combination of the above options.

Ryan Gosling, the lead role as Gov. Morris' head campaign manager at the start of the movie, plays a staff member to a tee. Being around senators and their staff showed me more then one or two interactions between the two. Gosling must have really done his homework. His portrayal of a staffer was spot on, not only as a singular character, but in all his interactions with Evan Rachel Wood's character (a lowly intern) and with Clooney (his boss).

The movie it's self is decent, and has an interesting story, but it felt like Clooney didn't quite know how to end the movie. There is some drama that forces the movie down certain story lines that don't move the overall story along, but that are essential so the audience realizes the kind of stress and pressure these people deal with on the campaign trail.

IMDB.com gives the movie a 7.5 of 10 rating. I feel that's .5 too generous. The movie will not win best picture, but there are some wonderful moments from wonderful actors. Phillip Seymour Hoffman (my favorite actor) plays his part very well, as does Wood, and Paul Giamatti is (like he always is) fabulous in a serious role.

I give Ides of March a 7.0. I would give it a 6.5 but Gov. Morris is running as a Democrat, so I must show respect where it is due.

Go see it and enjoy.

p.s. I tried to avoid Julius Caesar references, it would have been FAR to cliche, I hope you understand.

A Comedy With Braaaaaaaaaaains

(Courtesy Continue With Me Today Blogspot)

ZOMBIELAND (2009)

Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

You’ll like this movie if: You think a zombie apocalypse could actually be fun.

One thing I can’t quite figure out is why zombies - that’s the slow-moving, Dawn of the Dead kind of zombies - are particularly frightening.  What, is America really in the kind of shape that we can’t just outrun the slowest horror villains known to cinema?  And have we not figured out how to deal with zombies by now?

So a good zombie-based comedy, like Zombieland, is always fun to watch, even if the zombies are the sprinting, 28 Days Later kind.  For one thing, they treat the idea of a zombie outbreak the way it probably deserves - with a little bit of humor.  The people in this sort of movie end up having a lot of fun taking zombies out in particularly imaginative ways.

Case in point: Woody Harrelson’s character in this movie, “Tallahassee,” who really seems to enjoy it a bit too much, if that is even possible.  (Watching Zombieland, it’s easy to make the argument that it isn’t.)

But a lot of the movie actually doesn’t involve zombie killing.  The focus of the story is that age-old question: Is it possible to make friends during a zombie apocalypse?  Hey, we’ve all thought about it, and rightly so.  Really, if you haven’t at least considered what your zombie plan might be, you’re making a mistake.  There is no such thing as too early, folks.  And for those who say it can’t happen...it’s still a great conversation starter.  (Mine?  Armored RV up to Alaska.  Always a classic, and I hear the scenery is beautiful.)

To the characters in Zombieland, the answer to the above question is definitely no, to the point where they each avoid calling each other by their actual names.  It sounds excessive, yes, but in a world where most humans would sooner take a bite out of your arm than shake your hand, it also makes a small amount of sense.  And of course, it makes for a very nice message about the value of friendship, family, etc. etc.  (I put it to anyone reading this: Do we really, really need a message like that in every movie we see?)

The best parts of Zombieland are the parts where the characters come up with imaginative ways to kill the undead.  And there are some pretty good ones.  But this movie is a good one because it doesn’t limit itself to cheap zombie-based humor - and how easy would that have been?  There are a lot of good zombie-less jokes to be had, and one very funny cameo (which I won’t give away but which you probably know about).  Really, the single biggest criticism I have about Zombieland is that it’s just too durn short.  Seriously, not even an hour and a half?  You telling me there couldn’t have been a few more profanity-laced jokes or creative zombie destructions in there?  Some movies are too long for their own good - this one is too short.

But that’s a minor gripe on the long list of all-time gripes, and considering the film was fairly successful, the laws of Hollywood basically requires a sequel (or seven, why not?).  So it isn’t like we won’t have more chances to guffaw or cringe in the future.  And Zombieland, for a zombie movie, is quite light-hearted and doesn’t take itself particularly seriously.  And it might just give you some ideas for your zombie plan.

Show me the Moneyball!!

Take me out to the ball game!

Moneyball is a movie about how Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane changed the way we look at baseball. The method of scouting, what to look for in a player, and what to expect from them when you put them on the field. This is a movie about baseball, but it isn't only for people who love baseball.

As a baseball fan it is easy for me to become engrossed in the story of the 2002 Oakland Athletics. While 2002 wasn't all to long ago, for some who do not follow baseball, it can seem like a lifetime ago.

In 2002, there was no such thing as a smartphone, LeBron James was a junior in high school, Bernie Madoff was still stealing our money, and the Dixie Chicks were still making music. And while all that was happening baseball scouting was getting a facelift.

Beane (Brad Pitt) gave the sport world a brand new way of looking at baseball players. This movie gives the viewer a look into how the A's followed up a playoff run in 2001 using "misfit" players while losing three All-Star caliber players in Jason Giambi, Johnny Damen, and Jason Isringhausen.

This is a movie for people who love baseball and people who don't know anything about baseball. Any screenplay that has Aaron Sorkin's name attached to it will make sure everyone understands what is going on, even in confusing scenarios (like the infamous MLB trade deadline). For those who love baseball like I do, you will appreciate the intricate details of the statistics, the players that played in certain situations in certain games, and the pitching motion of Chad Bradford. For those who aren't baseball fans, nobody could expect the events in the movie to actually unfold the way they do. But because the movie was based on real events, the story is that much more intriguing.

I loved this movie because of the detail that was used while writing, directing, and acting throughout the movie. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill's chemistry on screen is wonderful, Pitt's performance as Billy Beane is remarkable, even down to the slight twang in his voice. The movie reminded me how magical the game of baseball can be, the drama, the excitement, and the unpredictability of the 9th inning.

I highly recommend you go see this movie. It isn't in 3D so you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to see it. It has a dynamite cast, a great script, and wonderful cinematography.

In short, it's a Home Run.