Possibly the greatest ending shot ever.

Paul and I watched the genius film The Third Man tonight, and we felt the need to share this incredible piece of filmmaking. This ending shot doesn't spoil much if anything and it's resonance and power is something that you can't pass up watching. No ifs, ands, or buts: this may be the most perfect ending shot ever.

Welcome to the worst movie of 2010.

I saw the trailer for the movie To Save a Life when I saw Fantastic Mr. Fox tonight (review forthcoming) and I just had to share it with everyone. The following trailer looks like the absolute most godawful piece of tripe ever committed to celluloid. Doing some extra digging brings up the fact that this is a movie with a strong Christian agenda and backing which, well, isn't surprising. From what I can tell, the basic story is everyone hates a highschool hot shot because he befriends a "lame" Asian kid, and then God is in there too, or something. I don't really know. It's unclear what the story is but everything is there for you to understand how miserable it would be to sit through this movie. It looks below even Lifetime channel standards.

Anyhow, feast your eyes on To Save a Life.

Review: Paris (2009)

by Evan A. Salazar

The worst thing that can be said about Paris is that it's uneven. Not uneven in all regards, but uneven where it counts. You see, Paris is a film of vignettes, all loosely tied together. In movies with no central story or main character, each story we're presented has to be strong, and it has to stay strong throughout the film. We, as an audience, have to be invested in each current story but also we must anticipate the progression of the other stories, thus keeping us interested in the movie throughout. Stories can't falter and become boring for a scene, and certainly the story itself can't be boring to begin with. It's only it's story telling that Paris trips on itself - not horribly, mind you - and we're left with moments thinking, "couldn't this time be used with another character?"

Phil Villarreal's Top 100 Movies (Which are as misguided as you'd expect)

How Phil Villarreal somehow tricked the Arizona Daily Star into thinking his opinions on film are valid will forever be a perplexing thing. Movies that take a bit of work to enjoy are of no use to him, he defends insipid movies because of that fact, and sheepishly gives four star reviews to movies that critics with actual clout give four star ratings to because he doesn't want to seem like a dolt.

And now, I have come across the worst best (or best worst?) list ever, Phil Villarreal's favorite 100 movies ever. It's filled with movies that have no place on best of lists, movies that again Phil feels the need to like, and movies that are actually quite good that he raises to biblical proportions (just wait till you get to his top 10. There are certainly some good movies in there, but top 10 ever?).  You get the impression from reading the list that Phil only likes movies that came out from the time he started reviewing movies, and anything else before is again something that Phil feels the need to like, which I only base on his taste from more recent movies. Not only is the main list itself offensive, but Phil very cheekily put in some dumb lists on the sidebar with such condescending titles such as "Good Films with Bad Titles" and "Movies to Use as Sleeping Pills," to show how much better he is than you.

So, without further ado, Phil Villarreal's Favorite 100 Movies of all Time.

"Don't you want to be a part of the experience?"

As I posted earlier, I watched Hannah and Her Sisters tonight, which is one of Woody Allen's finest films. I'd only seen it once before, and on this second viewing I was really blown away by it. One scene in particular is quite affecting, and I thought I'd share it with you all.

Be warned, this is a scene that happens almost at the end of the movie so it is a spoiler-heavy scene. I'd be wary of watching it if you intend on seeing the film (which I highly recommend you do), but if you have no intention to or have already seen it, relish in this wonderful scene that is one of the most life-affirming things ever set to film.

Holy Shit! Tauntaun Sleeping Bag!

Wow. The people over at ThinkGeek have crafted this amazing Tauntaun sleeping bag, which you'll obviously recognize as an homage to the warm intestines of one Tauntaun in The Empire Strikes Back. If this shit wasn't $100, I'd buy one like that.

A Few Great Quotes From A Great Movie

DO THE RIGHT THING (Dir. Spike Lee) (1989)

"If Mike Tyson beats my ass in a dream, he better wake up and apologize."

-Sweet Dick Willie

"Tina, you ain't got a forehead, you got an eighthead."

- Mookie

"The fuck is wrong with you? This ain't about money, I could give a fuck about money. You see this fucking place? I built this fucking place, with my bare fucking hands. Every light socket, every piece of tile, me, with these fucking hands."

- Sal

(More after the jump)

Top 5 Favorite Black and White Films from 1960-2009

 by Paul Gordon

By the year 1960, color movies had gradually become the norm, not just for musicals and westerns but for all movies, and it was a conscious decision for a director to make a film in black and white from that point on. But whether it was for effect or to fit the budget, black and white films were still made after then, and are still made every once in a while now. I personally love it when a director takes the risk of making a black and white film nowadays, and without further ado, I present my favorite black and white films from 1960-2009. (Make the jump to see the list).

If you want to watch two Thanksgiving movies that don't suck...

After I eat unhealthy proportions of turkey, mashed potatoes, and an assortment of pies tonight, I'm going to head back to my house and watch these Thanksgiving movies that are actually worthwhile. Shocking that such things exist, I know. Personally, I'm waiting for a movie that is to Thanksgiving as Die Hard is to Christmas, but until then, these will do:

HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (Dir. Woody Allen)

THE ICE STORM (Dir. Ang Lee)

Get Cultured with New Criterion Releases, You Philistines

My first experience with the Criterion Collection was when I was 15 years old. I had just finished Hunter S. Thompson's celebrated novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and having thoroughly enjoyed it, wanted to see the movie. So, being young and naive, I went to my neighborhood Blockbuster and attempted to locate the movie... but no luck. I asked the cashier where he thought I'd be able to find it and - with much disdain I might add - he said I should go across the street to Director's Chair Video, the local mom and pop video rental store. I took him up on it and walked across the street to the now out-of-business Director's Chair Video and found the movie. But along with the movie, I found a whole slew of other strange films - some foreign, some American - that I had never heard of before. The covers were odd. I had never heard of the directors. I didn't think much of it and rented my movie and went home.

After the sort of culture shock of a mom and pop video store, I popped in the DVD and found the above logo appear before the film. From there, I looked into what Criterion was. Their personal definition is, "a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films... dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements." I'd have to agree. Criterion, time and time again, have proven to treat movies with more respect than any other company, whether it be a distributor or production company or whatever else. The films they release are movies that challenge and raise the bar for film, which is honestly why you probably won't find them in a Blockbuster, which I obviously wasn't aware of at the time. I am a huge fan and supporter of their collection of films and that's why I'm writing this.

Criterion have some really exciting films coming out that I encourage you all to seek out on their release dates. A list of their upcoming releases can be found after the jump.

Great Musicals Can Be, Well...Great.

Whenever I think of musicals, I always think of those old, classic titles such as West Side Story, The Sound of Music, or Fiddler on the Roof. Not many great musicals come to mind that were made before 1970 or so. I think there's a reason for this: people aren't interested in a musical, let alone a good one, these days. And although I can't say that the musical is my favorite genre, or even close to my favorite, I can say that I do love to watch those time-honored classics every once in a while.

There's something enchanting about watching the main characters' wild expressions and movements during an upbeat number, or hearing their somber yet beautiful voices during a sad one. It's wonderful to see how an actor can capture a character's feelings in a song, whether they're joyous or doleful, and I can't help but admire just how much raw talent the actors have, not to mention how naturally attractive they tend to be.

I recently watched the musical Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall, for the first time in a few years, and I was reminded of just how much energy and charisma that movie has and how well it holds up to the classics. Chicago brought to mind the pure fun and entertainment a great musical can bring, and because of this, Marshall's first musical in seven years, entitled Nine is one of my most anticipated films of 2009. With Marhsall at the helm again and an absolutely spectacular cast including Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, and Marion Cotillard, this movie has some serious promise. Nine will be released on December 25th, and you can be sure I'll be one of the first in line to see it.

Zemeckis Thinks Motion Capture Deserves Own Oscar

Just saw this ridiculous article over at /Film (which is a great film blog that you should read if you don't already) and thought I'd share it's retardation with you all. It's about how once relevant and talented filmmaker Robert Zemeckis believes that a technology he has used for his past few movies deserves it's own Academy Award category.

The technology he refers to is motion capture, a technology he didn't even pioneer, but rather ran into the ground with his horrid films The Polar Express, Beowulf, and the recent A Christmas Carol. Zemeckis seems to think that what he's doing with motion capture isn't animation, nor is it live action, so because of that, it deserves it's own Academy Award. Since no one else in Hollywood is obsessed with motion capture like he is (maybe because all fully motion capture films look fucktarded?), his movies would be the only ones in the category. Sure, other live action movies use motion capture, but these are not what Zemeckis is referring to.

It basically boils down to this: Zemeckis doesn't want a special effects win, or an animation win, but would rather have a category tailored just for him and his dumb movies that no one else makes because no one else wants to waste their time. Your head has gotten quite big, Zemeckis.

Trailer: Third teaser trailer for "Toy Story 3"

Yes! Here is the third teaser trailer for Pixar's upcoming Toy Story 3. I am a huge Pixar nerd and hold the Toy Story films pretty close to me, so every new bit of news or footage always gets me pretty stoked. This trailer doesn't show much else that wasn't seen in the second teaser trailer (which I prefer over this one), but it's still fun and exciting and makes me that much more pumped for it's June, 2010 release date.

If you want to watch the previous two teaser trailers for Toy Story 3, they are conveniently placed after the jump.

New releases for 11/25/09

THE ROAD (Dir. John Hillcoat)

Based on Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Road finally sees the light of day after being delayed for a year and a half. The novel is extraordinary and I've heard nothing but the absolute best about this adaption. This is one of my most anticipated of the year and you better bet the second it comes to Tucson that I'll be the first in line for it.

ME AND ORSON WELLES (Dir. Richard Linklater)

This is one I'm very much looking forward to. The trailer makes it feel like one of those smaller, charming movies that you can't help but like... and I'm a fan of those, let me tell you. Richard Linklater is obviously a genius and from reviews I've read it seems he's operating in both his mainstream and independent realms of filmmaking. I've also heard Christian McKay is a dead ringer for Orson Welles, from physical appearance to vocal patterns to his general presence. Consider me excited!

OLD DOGS (Dir. Walt Becker)

From the douchebag who brought you middle-class dad fodder Wild Hogs comes more middle-class dad fodder with Old Dogs. Who cares? This blog sure is funny, though.

NINJA ASSASSIN (Dir. John McTeigue)

Ultra-violent anime and video game inspired action movie. Reviews claim it takes itself too seriously, which is a shame for a movie called, well, Ninja Assassin. Also, it has a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. I think that says it all.

Review: Orphan (2009)

by Evan A. Salazar

I am of the persuasion that the horror genre over the past decade has really dropped the ball. I can't think of the last time I saw a trailer for or read a review of a horror movie that looked in the least bit appealing. And not only appealing to my tastes, but just simply done well. As there is for everything, there are exceptions to this rule. That's a given. But for as long as I can remember, all Hollywood seems to muster up are either remakes of foreign horror films or boring and safe PG-13 "jump!" movies. Nothing compelling or artfully shot or very horrifying, really. But as I said, there are exceptions to this rule. Orphan happens to be one of those.

Trailer: Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg"

Watch the trailer in HD here.

Here is the trailer for Noah Baumbach's sixth film as writer/director, Greenberg. I really like three of his movies (Margot at the Wedding, The Squid and the Whale, and Kicking and Screaming), and admittedly haven't seen his two other ones. I think he has a unique voice as far as writing and directing goes so I'm looking forward to this. I also don't mind Ben Stiller doing some dramatic stuff. I've always been a casual fan of his (who doesn't like Heavyweights or Meet the Parents?), but he's never really been in a movie I truly cared about outside of The Royal Tenenbaums. I have high hopes for this.

Greenberg comes outs March 12, 2010.

On the Moment the Lights Fully Dim and the Nature of Watching Film

by Evan A. Salazar

My friends hate seeing movies with me. They get frustrated, annoyed, and roll their eyes at my ridiculous idiosyncrasies and my overblown neuroticisms. I like (re. need) to get to movies at least thirty minutes before they start. At least. I like to be the first in the theater, because I need to make sure to get the seat I like, which is usually somewhere a bit below the middle of the theatre (so the screen is all encompassing), and my seat in the exact middle of the row. Exact. Middle. Being a bit off-center irks me and annoys me, which in many cases I have begged friends to switch spots if they are even the least bit closer to the middle than I. People fussing with bags of popcorn or candy annoy me. Whispering, even slight grunting is unacceptable. The list, well, it goes on.

Welcome.

This is a film blog. Essays, reviews, lists - anything I want to write pertaining to film will appear here. Welcome.

Evan