Monthly Archives: July 2011

Awards, Documentary, Independent Film, On My DVR, Oscars

On My DVR: GasLand (2010)

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Currently on my DVR is the 2010 Sundance award-winning documentary GasLand. This HBO film was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar this past year and is currently nominated for four Primetime Emmys in nonfiction programming categories, including directing, writing, and cinematography. I’m not sure how a film that has both theatrical and television distribution can be eligible for the top prizes in both media, but I’m sure it’s got to be great. Here’s the synopsis from the film’s IMDb page:

It is happening all across America—rural landowners wake up one day to find a lucrative offer from an energy company wanting to lease their property. Reason? The company hopes to tap into a reservoir dubbed the “Saudi Arabia of natural gas.” Halliburton developed a way to get the gas out of the ground—a hydraulic drilling process called “fracking”—and suddenly America finds itself on the precipice of becoming an energy superpower. (Written by Sundance Film Festival)

Director: Josh Fox
Screenwriter: Josh Fox
Producers: Trish Adlesic, Josh Fox, Molly Gandour
Cast: Josh Fox
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: HBO Documentary Films
Runtime: 107 min.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZe1AeH0Qz8]
Comedy, Foreign Film, Independent Film, Narrative, Short Film

Short Film: “Signs” by Patrick Hughes

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I first watched this short a couple of years ago and loved it. Watching it again, I like it, but it doesn’t have the magic that I seemed to remember the first time.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0HNWto0UY]
Actors, Coming Soon, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, Preview

DRIVE Goes Full Throttle at Comic-Con

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Fresh off its run at Cannes and a presence at 2011 Comic-Con, filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn brings his latest feature, Drive, to theatres on September 16. This Ryan Gosling-starring vehicle also stars Bryan Cranston (TV’s Breaking Bad), Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks (TV’s Mad Men), Albert Brooks, and Ron Perlman. Here’s the official trailer, synopsis, and photos from Comic-Con.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eup3tFOgbk&feature=channel_video_title]
Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, New Release, Preview, Sci-Fi

New Web Series: Death’s Door

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My friend Stephanie just produced a new web series called Death’s Door, which will be premiering next month. Check out the trailer and synopsis below. Also, be sure to stop by the YouTube page, where you can watch exclusive interviews with the filmmakers and cast.

The first time Marcus died, he thought his life was destroyed. The second time, he discovered what life is. Death’s Door is a 10-part sci-fi web series that starts August 7. New episodes will release weekly on Sundays at 8pm.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81LMpuCJDls]
Coming Soon, Narrative, Preview, Trailer

Official Trailer: Martin Scorsese’s Hugo

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Not even Martin Scorsese is above the lure of 3D. This Thanksgiving, his latest offering Hugo hits theatres, and it looks to be a family friendly piece of eye candy with heart. This is Scorsese’s first feature narrative in nine years to not star Leonardo DiCaprio.

I think famed production designer Dante Ferretti might need to clear some space off his mantle for another Oscar. (He’s already won twice for The Aviator [2004] and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street [2007].)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-kP-olcpM]
Actors, Awards, Coming Soon, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, Oscars, Preview

Meryl Streep Is Made of Iron

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The most nominated actress in Oscar history is working hard for her 17th nomination next year. Meryl Streep has been consistently nominated at least every few years since her first Academy recognition in 1978’s The Deer Hunter. Despite her two wins, you can call Streep the new Susan Lucci. Her last win came nearly 30 years ago for Sophie’s Choice (1982). Thirty years! For some reason, the Academy can’t bear to honor who is arguably the greatest actress of all time just once more. Perhaps it feels “she’s won twice, so let’s honor someone new—all the while, we can’t not recognize her talent, so a nomination will be enough for her.” Enough for her? Maybe. Enough for her fans? Hardly. All these years later, Streep still turns out some truly inspired performances. (I still get goosebumps thinking about what she did for her character in 2008’s Doubt.)

Continue reading Meryl Streep Is Made of Iron →

Uncategorized

The Greatest Thing I’ve Ever Seen

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I wish I made this.

IMDb

IMDb’s Amazingness: Watchlist

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People are always telling me, “Oh, you have to see this movie!” So I would add the film’s title to a running alphabetical list I kept on my phone. And then I discovered the Watchlist.

In the second part of my “IMDb’s Amazingness” series, I’m focusing on the site’s Watchlist. Here, you can gather a list of all of the movies you’d like to watch. Each film’s page includes an option to add the film to your Watchlist, where it will join your running list of movies. Had this existed eight years ago when I started my 170 list, I would have used this to organize my films. I love my list. I just unchecked a couple of films I’ve since watched. 🙂

Classic Film, Narrative

The Homestretch: 10 More to Go!

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This past weekend, I watched Patton, the 1970 Best Picture winner that took home a total seven Academy Awards. That’s one more film checked off my 170 list, leaving me with 10 more to go and 127 days left to watch them. Here we go—the final 10:

The Crowd (1928)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Continue reading The Homestretch: 10 More to Go! →