Review: Art School Confidential (2006)

Art School Confidential (2006)

Grade: C-

Directed by Terry Zwigoff

With Max Mingella, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, and Anjelica Huston


Terry Zwigoff has directed several offbeat films over the years. A couple have been favorites of movie critics; one, Bad Santa, has a well deserved cult following. And I'm a huge fan of Ghost World, a movie that does that the unimaginable -- make Steve Buscemi a romantic leading man.

Art School Confidential reunites Zwigoff with the writer of Ghost World, Daniel Clowes, who first wrote both stories as graphic novels. The story centers on Jerome (Max Minghella), the would-be artist who tries while studying beside other would-be artists, under the tutelage of John Malkovich (he has a character name, but as usual with Malkovich, such specifics are beside the point).

There is enormous comedic potential in this subject matter. Gather together a bunch of young artistic loners -- the goth chick, the jock, the cynical know-it-all, the attractive girl -- plus a bunch of over-the-hill artistic loners -- Malkovich, the drugged-out alum (Jim Broadbent -- who seems to be having fun), the arrogant success. Add Zwigoff, who knows how far to push outrageous comedy, and the mix seems almost too good to be true.

Unfortunately, it is too good to be true. For whatever reason -- and I blame the script as entirely underwhelming -- this movie is just not very funny. There are a few laughs, but it seems rather empty. All of the parts are effectively done -- even Malkovich fits seamlessly into the film -- but it still feels as if its missing something. The characters are too stereotypical (even Malkovich).

Where Zwigoff found real humanity amidst the idiosyncrasies of Ghost World (aided by great performances by Buscemi, Scarlett Johansson, and Thora Birch) and the humor in the relationships between those characters, here there seems to be almost a paint-by-numbers approach. Given this, the odd murder mystery subplot, which might be charming with more compelling characters, just feels like it doesn't belong.

Skip this movie. Watch Ghost World instead. Or watch Bad Santa again.

Rated R for language including sexual references, nudity and a scene of violence.

Oscar Season Trailers: "Doubt"

With this post, I hope to reenergize this blog. In an attempt to post more, I plan to write shorter pieces, sometimes reviews and sometimes news. We'll see how it goes.

Recently, a new trailer was released of the upcoming film version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Doubt by John Patrick Stanley. You can view the trailer here. The Broadway production featured a Tony Award-winning performance by lead actress Cherry Jones, but all of the stage actors have been "upgraded" for this Oscar-seeking film.

I'm sad to know that Jones' well-regarded performance (which I would have liked to have seen) will not be in the film. But it's difficult to argue with the central casting of the film: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Huffman, and Amy Adams. And it is exciting to know that the film has been directed by the playwright himself.

Oscar season is almost upon us.

Live (to Tape) Reactions of the 2008 AFI Ten Top Ten List

That's right. This post was composed as the list was announced, film by film. Of course, I wasn't creative enough to actually live-blog, so this is live-to-flash-drive-and-now-to-the-blog blogging. Enjoy!

For the 11th year in a row, the American Film Institute released a poll of top movies -- this year it is the top ten movies in ten different genres.

The purpose of programs and polls like this is to create interest and stimulate discussion. Mission succeeded. Here are my comments, in real time watching the unveiling of the list.

Category #1: Animation

• #10 Finding Nemo -- This makes sense, as it is Pixar's 2nd best movie, after Toy Story 2.
• #9 Cinderella -- Overrated.
• #8 Shrek -- Perhaps the place to say it: I haven't seen the list of nominees for each genre (though I know I can download it online). I wonder if sequels have been omitted from the nominees -- or at least most of them. I ask because Shrek 2 is better than the first Shrek. But if voters couldn't vote for the sequel, did they add prestige to the franchise-beginning movie?
• #7 Beauty and the Beast -- Underrated. Underrated!!!!!! My #1 (though I'll concede Snow White, even though I think it's #2) does not deserve to be #7 -- period. Some people have no appreciation for animation as art; if they did, they would recognize the beauty, as well as the nearly perfect story and superb music, of this film.
• #6 Toy Story -- Important because of its status as the first feature-length computer-animated film. But not even the best Toy Story -- Toy Story 2 is superior in every way (and coincidentally is still Pixar's best film) -- hard to believe that it was initially planned as a direct-to-video release.
• #5 Fantasia -- It had to make the top ten. Amazing, though misguided, effort. Of course, it might not be as misguided as Disney's rather ludicrous attempt to interest people in seeing Fantasia 2000.
• #4 The Lion King -- Everybody liked The Lion King. I did too, but I still think it's a little overrated. I mean, Disney is credited with an original story, unlike most of the other animated films, but I'm not sure that this retelling of Hamlet really counts as an original story. But the music is pretty good, and it moves along.
• #3 Bambi -- Most emotionally powerful of the early Disney movies. So I'd definitely have it in the top ten, just not ahead of Beauty and the Beast.
• #2 Pinocchio -- I don't know. Great song ("When You Wish Upon a Star"); great character ("Jiminy Cricket"). I'd put it down just ahead of Shrek.
• #1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -- It had to be. No self-respecting critic will put it lower than #1. As Cameron Crowe said win his interview, it is an amazing film still, with fantastic visual angles and a strong look.

What's missing? Sleeping Beauty. Walt Disney's favorite animated film (reportedly); certainly the one that he thought was his studio's masterpiece (even over Snow White). It can replace Cinderella. Frankly, it can replace almost every movie on this list.
What's also missing? As mentioned above, Toy Story 2.

Category #2: Fantasy

• #10 Big -- OK.
• #9 The Thief of Baghdad -- Never seen it, but from the footage, I'm sold. I know that it's often listed as one of the truly great silent films.
• #8 Groundhog Day -- Yes.
• #7 Harvey -- Yes again.
• #6 Field of Dreams -- This is a sports movie. This is not a fantasy film. This is a sports movie. And it's better than I imagine at least half of the films on the sports list will be (at least). But if you have to call it a fantasy, I guess this is about right.
• #5 Miracle on 34th Street -- Another family film. Or a great holiday film. But if those aren't possible, this is OK.
• #4 King Kong -- YES!
• #3 It's a Wonderful Life -- A fantasy? If you say so.
• #2 The Lord of the Rings -- Why do three movies count as one? Were they afraid they'd take up three of the top ten spots? Not if the voters were honest -- only The Fellowship of the Ring (probably in lower top ten) and The Return of the King (top half of top ten). But if you really feel that strongly about Big...
• #1 The Wizard of Oz -- Yes. No questions asked.

What's missing? Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The modern Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, should have made at least one appearance in the top ten, preferably this second installment of the franchise.

Category #3: Sci-Fi

• #10 Back to the Future -- OK.
• #9 Invasion of the Body Snatchers -- I prefer Forbidden Planet myself, though it's much cheesier. Invasion of the Body Snatchers plays the paranoia pretty straight.
• #8 Terminator 2 -- I admit it, I've never seen any of the Terminator movies. (One of these days, I'll get around to it.) But I know how influential this movie is, so my hunch is that it is a couple of spots too low -- especially if they merge all three Star Wars movies (the real ones, not the imposters) into one spot like they did The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
• #7 Alien -- OK.
• #6 Blade Runner -- OK.
• #5 The Day the Earth Stood Still -- OK, I admit. I forgot about this movie when I made my Forbidden Planet reference. But I prefer both Forbidden Planet and Invasion of the Body Snatchers to this film.
• #4 A Clockwork Orange -- Kubrick's best Sci-Fi movie (for those of us who think 2001 is a bloody bore) deserves a place on this list.
• #3 E.T. The Extra-terrestrial -- Hm, not a children's film? Not a fantasy? But otherwise, I think this is the proper rank.
• #2 Star Wars: Episode IV -- OK, so why did they put all three Lord of the Rings movies in one spot? This is the most influential Star Wars movie, so it should be at this point in the list (or #1, though I bet that's going to be The Matrix). Of course, The Empire Strikes Back is a better film, but darker and less popular.
• #1 2001: A Space Odyssey -- Overrated! Star Wars is better, even though I know that without the fantastic special effects of 2001 Star Wars might not have been made. But I don't know anyone who can watch this movie without falling asleep. OK, so where's The Matrix?

What's missing? The Matrix. Better than, and more influential than, The Day the Earth Stood Still or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. And I know the critical acclaim over the years for 2001, so I guess it should be in the top ten, but where's The Matrix?

Category #4: Sports

• #10 Jerry Maguire -- Is this a sports movie or a romance? I think it's more of a romance myself, but okay. If it's a sports movie, I'd put it right here. As long as there's room for Hoosiers and Rudy. And Field of Dreams, though I know that won't happen.
• #9 National Velvet -- Because when you think great sports movies, you think Elizabeth Taylor.
• #8 Breaking Away -- Happy to see this on the list. I wouldn't expect it to make the top ten, but I'm glad it did. It's a good movie.
• #7 Caddyshack -- And on the screen, there's the great Harold Ramis. And Bill Murray. Perfect.
• #6 The Hustler -- Yes, yes, yes. Jackie Gleason is brilliant. And Paul Newman is OK too. Another of my favorite movies retells this story (though it's not quite a sports movie) -- The Cincinnati Kid (poker movie with Steve McQueen).
• #5 Bull Durham -- As long as The Natural is still to come, this is OK. For a while, I thought Kevin Costner was only good in baseball movies, but that's a bit overstated. This is an unconventional sports movie, very well done, which is why it's always been rated high.
• #4 Hoosiers -- Yes! Great performances all around; great story.
• #3 The Pride of the Yankees -- OK. The speech -- all that need be said.
• #2 Rocky -- Yes. I was shocked when I first saw the movie because of it's cheesy reputation. (And because I had my doubts that Sylvester Stallone could write a good screenplay.) But I was wrong. It is great -- maybe the perfect sports movie.
• #1 Raging Bull -- I have to confess: one of the few Scorsese movies I've never seen. I'll bump it up on my list. But it's Scorsese, so I can believe it's great.

What's missing? Field of Dreams -- it's a sports movie. Otherwise, men would never have watched it. Didn't people listen to James Earl Jones' speech near the end of the movie about the centrality of baseball in American culture? But if not that -- where's The Natural? I'm serious: it's too often imitated to not be on this list.

Category #5: Westerns

• #10 Cat Ballou -- Cat Ballou?? You've got to be kidding me. If not for Lee Marvin's great dual performance, I'm not sure it'd even be a good movie.
• #9 Stagecoach -- Yes. Just right.
• #8 McCabe and Mrs. Miller -- OK. The first real revisionist western (revisionist before revisionism was cool -- AKA Unforgiven).
• #7 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid -- Only #7? I'm not sure I would put six films ahead of this. I think of High Noon, Tombstone, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, and I'm probably forgetting one. So I'd put it at #5.
• #6 The Wild Bunch -- Now I know which movie I'm forgetting -- The Magnificent Seven. I'm wondering if military films are going to be a separate genre. Can you tell I've never seen this movie?
• #5 Red River -- I'll be honest. This John Wayne movie kind of blurs into several other John Wayne movies in my mind. I'm watching the film clips, and I still don't really remember which ones it is. Hmm, now I wonder if The Searchers is going to make the list.
• #4 Unforgiven -- OK. Perhaps a little overrated, but should certainly be in the top ten. It certainly is a beautiful film, a definite classic (regardless of genre).
• #3 Shane -- Hm, which one of my suggestions won't make the top two? The perpetually underrated Tombstone, of course. But this is OK. A really unique western.
• #2 High Noon -- I've always wondered if this is overrated or not. But I dare not watch it too often, for fear that I'll never be able to get "Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darling" out of my head. But certainly a no-brainer for this list.
• #1 The Searchers -- Interesting choice for #1, I think. It's certainly a fantastic film; of course, I'd have put The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence here (which is not an anti-western, or a revisionist western, but a movie that hails the end of the westerns). But the AFI didn't ask me.

What's missing? The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. Without question. I mean, Cat Ballou? Cat Ballou? I was planning my typical Tombstone diatribe (also missing from this list), but this classic John Ford movie is even more deserving. At the very least, it should be no lower than #4 on this list.

Category #6: Gangster

• #10 Scarface (1983) -- I swear, I may turn off the TV if the original Scarface does not make this list. It should be #2, if not #1. Otherwise, this selection is a farce. Michael J. Fox says that when he thinks of Scarface, he thinks of Brian DePalma -- I think of Paul Muni.
• #9 Little Caesar -- OK. Not may have seen it, given that it was made in 1931. But maybe the first gangster movie (if not The Great Train Robbery in 1903).
• #8 The Public Enemy -- Gosh, it's been a long time since I saw this movie. I wouldn't think of it off the top of my head, but I'm glad they did. It belongs here.
• #7 Pulp Fiction -- OK. It's Tarrantino, so OK.
• #6 Scarface -- Underrated. Why are people so scared of black and white?
• #5 Bonnie and Clyde -- The first modern gangster movie. Certainly should make the list, just not ahead of Scarface.
• #4 White Heat -- I've heard of it. But I've never watched the whole thing. Amazingly, I've seen most of the films mentioned tonight. I'll give a count at the end of the list.
• #3 The Godfather Part II -- Hm, guess The Godfather Part III didn't make the top ten. I wonder how many people will question whether this should be ranked higher on this list than The Godfather.
• #2 Goodfellas -- Ahead of The Godfather Part II? I don't buy it. Ahead of Scarface? It's almost just a silly joke.
• #1 The Godfather -- It's taken six categories before getting a Marlon Brando picture on the list. He was due.

What's missing? I'm actually not sure. Maybe I'll think of something by the end of the night. But these titles feel about right (well, maybe except for the remake of Scarface).

Category #7: Mystery

• #10 The Usual Suspects -- This is a mystery? Crime movie, yes, but mystery? That's pushing it.
• #9 Dial M for Murder -- OK.
• #8 Blue Velvet -- Never seen it. But there has to be a reason why movie studios give David Lynch money to keep making his random movies.
• #7 North by Northwest -- Great Hitchcock film. But again, I'm not sure I'd classify it as a mystery. I'd call it a thriller. Which probably means that there is no thriller category.
• #6 The Maltese Falcon -- OK.
• #5 The Third Man -- I'm confused. What category are we in? I mean, this is one of my favorite movies, but I've never thought of it as a mystery.
• #4 Laura -- If you say so. Clearly this is a confused genre/category.
• #3 Rear Window -- I have a suggested title for this category: Hitchcock. Then I'd understand. Otherwise, I'm just completely confused. But I'll be really confused if Vertigo isn't one of the top two movies.
• #2 Chinatown -- I've always thought that this was an overrated movie. I mean, it's a great film, but I don't really think that it's the end-all, be-all that other people seem to think it is. Some people think it's one of the greatest movie scripts; I don't see it.
• #1 Vertigo -- Yes, you see, this isn't the mystery category. This is the Hitchcock category.

What's missing? Um, a coherent genre. Before I have that, I can't pick any other films.

Category #8: Romantic Comedies

• #10 Sleepless in Seattle -- There are nine better romantic comedies than this? Let's see, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn made six, so you can put all six of them on the list. And then When Harry Met Sally. And this movie should still be two spots higher. Ooh, ooh, tell me that The Graduate makes this list!! This is ridiculous.
• #9 Harold and Maude -- This movie is dated. And it's not better than Sleepless in Seattle (get ready to read that a lot).
• #8 Moonstruck -- OK. But not better than Sleepless in Seattle.
• #7 Adam's Rib -- Here is Tracy/Hepburn film number one. Actually it might be the only one on this list, surprisingly. And I'll concede that reasonable people might think that this is better than a certain film lower than this on the list.
• #6 When Harry Met Sally -- Some people are going to be very angry about this. Personally, I was unhappy that this movie turned into a romantic comedy; I wanted the sexual tension to never be relieved. But they don't let me near a film lot. A lot of people think that this is the gold standard though. It gives me hope that some classics may yet be on the list, like It Happened One Night or maybe The Thin Man (now that's a mystery!).
• #5 The Philadelphia Story -- Yes.
• #4 Roman Holiday -- The classic live action princess story. And you thought it was only a Disney thing. I kid because I love.
• #3 It Happened One Night -- Yes! Maybe the perfect romantic comedy.
• #2 Annie Hall -- If you like that sort of thing. Maybe at #9. At least it's not #1.
• #1 City Lights -- I'm shocked. I never would have imagined Chaplin on this list -- I don't know why. And I certainly wouldn't have expected him at #1. I still think I'd rate it lower than It Happened One Night (but I guess maybe not lower than Sleepless in Seattle).

What's missing? Tootsie.

Category #9: Courtroom Dramas

• #10 Judgment at Nuremberg -- Great film. Had to make the list.
• #9 A Cry in the Dark -- Never seen it. Never even heard of it. I suppose it's not to be confused with A Shot in the Dark.
• #8 In Cold Blood -- I wouldn’t call this a courtroom drama at all. In fact, this might be better classified as a "mystery." I must say, now I'm worried that this is going to be, by far, the weakest list of films.
• #7 Anatomy of a Murder -- Now this is more like it. Ben Gazzara says it’s the best courtroom drama film ever made. I think he might be right. So I guess it's ranked about six spots too low.
• #6 Witness for the Prosecution -- OK. I'd put it below Anatomy, but otherwise OK.
• #5 A Few Good Men -- I'll admit it. I love Aaron Sorkin's writing. And this was his first movie, based on his play. But it's consistently overrated. And if The Caine Mutiny doesn't show up on this list, I'll be very angry.
• #4 The Verdict -- I guess. It's a good movie, though I'm not convinced it's a great courtroom drama. I mean, they're going to include To Kill a Mockingbird in a second, and that makes more sense.
• #3 Kramer vs. Kramer -- Maybe I'm getting tired, but this seems a very weak category. I know this movie won Best Picture, but it was overrated then, and, obviously, now.
• #2 Twelve Angry Men -- Can you believe that this was the first movie that Sydney Lumet directed? His first feature. It's a one-room movie -- the hardest kind of film possible -- and it's flawless. So dramatic.
• #1 To Kill a Mockingbird -- You expected something else?
• What's missing? The Caine Mutiny, as mentioned above. But I'd put something else as a category here, probably Military Dramas. It would be a better list.

Category #10: Epic

• #10 The Ten Commandments -- I love this movie, but even I think this is too high on this list.
• #9 Reds -- An epic that probably shouldn't have been made, which I think has made it more loved. But I have no complaints with its inclusion here.
• #8 Saving Private Ryan -- Give me a break. I'm serious. This is worse than a joke. It's offensive. This movie has no business being on this list. If my previously wished for category of Military Dramas was ranked, it wouldn't belong on that list either. Perhaps if the movie was only 40 minutes long, it would be great.
• #7 All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) -- I'm not sure if I've seen this movie. If I had, though, I'd probably be offended that it was included on a top ten list that also included Saving Private Ryan.
• #6 Titanic -- Yes.
• #5 Spartacus -- I am Spartacus. Really. I am Spartacus.
• #4 Gone with the Wind -- It's not #1? Wow. It's not my #1 epic, but almost everyone disagrees with me about these things.
• #3 Schindler's List -- Not better than Gone with the Wind. Not better than Titanic or Spartacus or (a movie that obviously will not make this list) Dr. Zhivago.
• #2 Ben-Hur -- At least the #1 will be appropriate for this list. But this deserves the #2 spot.
• #1 Lawrence of Arabia -- A bold choice. And the right one. So right, I've started writing this before it's announced. This is the epic of epics. And it is, in my humble opinion, still the most beautifully shot film ever.

What's missing? Dr. Zhivago. Or Patton, since my desired military drama category wasn't covered. They can replace the Spielberg movies on this list.

I've seen 84 of these films, which is about five fewer than I expected, though it's more than I've seen of any other AFI list (when they were announced -- I usually add some of these films to my "must-see" list). And of the 16 that I've not seen in their entirety, I've seen part of about half of them.

As for the overall lists, I would ask only one question: where is the movie musical category? That is an obvious, and indefensible, oversight. That's a more significant category than "courtroom drama" or even "fantasy." I understand that certain larger categories have been covered on other AFI lists (dramas, comedies, romances, thrillers), but they've never done musicals. No action category either, which is almost as big an oversight.

But on the whole, there were only a couple of completely stupid movies to make the lists, so that's pretty good for a popularity contest like this.

New Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

There is a new review posted at Cinema Utopia of the anticipated fourth Indiana Jones movie: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Senior-citizen Harrison Ford dons the fedora and leaps off again in this fun action movie set in the 1950s. Grade: A-.

Click here to go to the review.

See you at the movies!

New Review: Juno (2007)

Hello all.

There is a new review posted at Cinema Utopia of the Academy Award-winning film Juno, starring Ellen Page (nominated for Best Actress) and featuring Michael Cera, Allison Janney, J. K. Simmons, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman. It was excellent, though perhaps the Best Picture nomination was a stretch.

Click here to read the review.

See you at the movies!

If I Picked the Winners: Best Picture

Well, I've now seen all of the 2007 films nominated for Best Picture, having finally watched Atonement.

If you've forgotten, here are the nominees for Best Picture:

• Atonement (Focus/Universal), directed by Joe Knight
• Juno (Fox Searchlight), directed by Jason Reitman
• Michael Clayton (Warner Brothers), directed by Tony Gilroy
• No Country for Old Men (Miramax), directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
• There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

And the winner is:

No Country for Old Men.

I know, how convenient for me to agree with the Academy, but I do. Of these films, there's no contest -- the Coen brothers' thriller is by far the best. Interestingly, there's more competition for second place, as I greatly enjoyed both Atonement and Michael Clayton. If forced to rank them, I would put Michael Clayton slightly ahead. Of the five, I think that only one film really doesn't belong -- There Will Be Blood. I think that there are a few films more deserving of this nomination, including the one whose review I published today, Charlie Wilson's War.

As I watch more films, I will try to post my winners in a few key categories. And no, don't expect to see my pick for Best Documentary, Short Form. Even I don't watch those.

New Review: Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

There is a new review posted today at Cinema Utopia of the 2007 Mike Nichols' comedy Charlie Wilson's War.

Click here for the full review.

There is also a capsule review of Enchanted, Disney's latest princess movie starring Amy Adams.

New Review: No Country for Old Men

A new feature review has been posted of the Oscar-winning Best Picture of 2007, No Country for Old Men. This much-honored film, itself an adaptation from Cormac McCarthy's much-honored novel

Click here to read the full review.

New Review: Evan Almighty (2007)

Hello all.

As we get into the thick of Oscar-bait season (look at all the glamorous performances by people trying to snag an Acting nomination), here is a review of a movie that won't even be remembered by Oscar time, Evan Almighty. Let's just say, it's not very good.

Here is a direct link to the review.

Don't forget to vote in the current Cinema Utopia poll. And if you don't like the choices, feel free to email your suggestions for our next poll.

See you at the movies!-- Cinema Utopiawww.cinemautopia.com/index.html

New Review: Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Today there is a new feature review posted at Cinema Utopia: Pan's Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno) (2006), a Best Foreign Film Oscar nominee earlier this year. This Mexican film tells a visually stunning story about a girl's fantasies in war-torn 1944 Spain.

This film was chosen for review by last month's blog poll (which all of one person voted on). The new poll starts today. Submit your vote for a film you'd like Cinema Utopia to review.

Here is a direct link to the new review: www.cinemautopia.com/panslabyrinth.html

See you at the movies!

Cinema Utopia
www.cinemautopia.com/index.html

New Review: The Lives of Others (2006)

Today there is a new review posted of The Lives of Others, this year's Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Film. This German film tells the story of the surveillance of an artist by the East German secret police in the 1980s. Fascinating and complex, this thought-provoking film features an excellent script, sure direction, and strong performances.

Here is a direct link to the review: www.cinemautopia.com/thelivesofothers.html

Don't forget to check out recent Capsule reviews: www.cinemautopia.com/capsule.html

And don't forget that you can be a movie critic too! Submit your review now to Cinema Utopia.

See you at the movies!

"On the Lot" -- final result

So, evidently very few people were watching "On the Lot." Very few. The final show, when the winner was revealed, attracted an audience of about 2.5 million people. I think there might be reruns of "SportsCenter" that attract a larger audience. (I'm only slightly kidding.)

But the competition ended well, if the final show was very, VERY drawn out. In the end, sentimental favorite Will Bigham won. This is not that much of a surprise -- he is very much like Steven Spielberg, someone who is a strong visual storyteller and whose films wear their hearts on their sleeves.

The end of the episode was pretty anticlimactic. After being announced as the winner, Will Bigham was driven to the front gate at Dreamworks Studios, where he was personally greeted by Steven Spielberg, who handed him the keys to the kingdom (actually a key that was supposed to be for his new office).

And he was never heard from again. Maybe. It's possible because there has been NO news coverage of the result of the show. No promotion. No interviews with the winner. No news releases. It doesn't bode well. But a development deal is still a development deal. Personally, I hope that something comes of it for the young filmmaker.

New Review: Murderball (2005)

Today, there is a new review posted at Cinema Utopia of the 2005 documentary Murderball. This film is fantastically interesting and entertaining as it shows part of the life of members of the US quadriplegic rugby team. This film is very well-crafted and was nominated for an Oscar (Best Documentary, Feature).

Here is a direct link to the review.

And don't forget to visit the blog to vote for which film you'd like to see reviewed in the upcoming weeks.

See you at the movies!
Cinema Utopia
www.cinemautopia.com/index.html

"On the Lot" -- The Final Four

And then there were four. The final four contestants on "On the Lot" were announced this evening before they each showed new films. The most recent director voted out was a bit of a surprise -- early favorite Zach (the special effects guy) was voted out after two weaker efforts. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I think he will be hired by someone, perhaps as a special effects guy, though my guess is that he will be given a job as an assistant director on a special effects-laden film. Eventually, I expect to see his name as a feature director, though.

But on to the final four. Each of the films was solid, but one was truly excellent and one was notably weaker than the rest. Based on this, my hunch is that Sam will be voted off because his film seemed like a poor man's 9 to 5.

Otherwise, the film's were inventive, technically strong, and funny. Will (who I think now is the favorite) had his best moment of the competition with his film, a screwball comedy about office politics. Afterwards, all of the judges praised him effusively. But Garry Marshall went farther and gave him a compliment I don't think he'll ever forget -- telling him that when one person in a film is funny, it's because he's funny, but when several people are funny, it's because of the director. You could see in his eyes how much he was struck by the judge's positive compliments.

But the real surprise of the evening was Adam, whose film "Army Man" was inventive, zany, and had a better ending than most studio films. In fact, given that each of the films was about a man who wakes up in a dress, Adam's last line reminded me of Some Like It Hot, which as one of the greatest last lines in movie history.

Anyway, it was another exciting episode. It has been fun and educational to see these young directors develop over the summer. They've been given access to Hollywood level actors and technical people, and their films have gotten more sophisticated as they've learned to use these tools. And, watching the decisions they have to make, makes it easier to appreciate how much skill directors of bad movies must have (I know that I've seen movies that I thought could have been directed by random people on the "behind the scenes" studio tours).

New Review: Becket (1964)

Today, there is a new review posted at Cinema Utopia of the classic 1964 film Becket, starring Richard Burton as Thomas Becket and Peter O'Toole as Henry II. Nominated for 12 Oscars, the film is a strong adaptation of the acclaimed stage play about the struggle between the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury in medieval England.

Here is a direct link to the review.

See you at the movies!
Cinema Utopia
www.cinemautopia.com/index.html

Pick an Upcoming Feature Review

Here's a great opportunity for you to see what you want to see on Cinema Utopia. Once every couple of weeks, we'll post a list of movies on the blog: vote for the one you'd like Cinema Utopia to review.

You can vote multiple times. You can vote for multiple movies. And if you don't see a movie you'd like reviewed, please feel free to submit suggestions to Cinema Utopia.

New Review: Hairspray (2007)

Today, there is a new review posted at Cinema Utopia of the new movie musical Hairspray, starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, and newcomer Nikki Blonsky. The film is a rousing adaptation of the Broadway musical.

Here is a direct link to the review.

See you at the movies!
www.cinemautopia.com/index.html

"On the Lot" -- Directors in the Making

I am not the biggest reality show fan. But I think that Mark Burnett (producer of "Survivor," "The Appretice," and other reality shows) and Steven Spielberg have created a fantastic show in "On the Lot." The show pits young filmmakers in a competition for a development deal with Dreamworks Studios.

Unfortunately the ratings for "On the Lot" have not been very good. I imagine that FOX is disappointed with the low ratings for an original summertime show. But the show itself has been very good. The 18 semifinalists produce films (at the rate of 5 or 6 per week). A celebrity panel of three judges, featuring two big Hollywood names -- Carrie Fisher (not just an actress, but also a respected author and screenwriter and, rumor has it, respected script doctor) and Garry Marshall (director of such good films as Pretty Woman and Overboard and such not so good films as The Princess Diaries 2) -- and a third guest judge each week. Just like "American Idol," the show appears live each week and viewers can vote for their favorite films/directors after each show (though unlike "Idol," the voting is basically free through phone calls, text messaging, and Internet voting). Directors receiving the fewest votes are sent home. The others live to direct another short film.

So far, the competition has been straightforward. Evidently, 12,000 people submitted films to try to earn a spot in the competition, and 50 aspiring filmmakers were on the first 2-hour episode. But of the 18 semifinalists, but even among these, there was a clear distinction between the top 5 or 6 directors and the others. All of these people have talent, and perhaps all of them will someday work professionally (though not all as Directors -- many probably as 1st and 2nd Assistant Directors), but a few of them have demonstrated real talent. Now that the competition is down to the final 8 (and 6 as of next week), it is a competition amongst the cream of the crop.

In a future post, I will comment further on these really good contestants individually. One is a special effects whiz; one is a fantastic visual storyteller; one is the most polished; one has the best heart in his stories. What I am impressed by is that these people are clearly making the most of their chance to use Hollywood level talent (both actors and crew). My guess is that, regardless of who wins the development deal with Dreamworks, at least 4 of these aspiring directors will sign development deals with studios by the end of the year and some of their films will be released in 2008.

So if you're not watching, you should be. It will give you a greater appreciation for the craft of movie-making, and it will give you hope about some of the up-and-coming behind the camera talent -- especially those that seem to have real story-telling abilities.

For example, last night's program featured Action movies (each movie is a 2 1/2 minute short). All of the action sequences showed skill; in fact, I thought it was, on the whole, the best evening of short films in the series so far. The biggest surprise was from Jason, whose action short was an action comedy called "Sweet" about a guy trying to buy a last minute anniversary gift. It was perfectly done -- an inventive spin on a familiar story, well paced, with great visuals and great action, and with humor and affection. Jason's earlier films had shown promise, but this was fantastic, and suddenly moves him into contention in the competition.

Lastly, a few words about the judges. Carrie Fisher and Garry Marshall have both been very strong, particularly Carrie Fisher, who has been unafraid to be fairly honest with the contestants, but who also has been supportive of them even in her criticism. Garry Marshall tries too hard to be funny, but there is a great deal of wisdom in many of his comments. The guest judges have been a mixed lot, but mostly good. The one real surprise was blockbuster director Michael Bay, who was exceptional -- all of his comments were to the point and on the nose.

TCM's new Spielberg interview

Last night, TCM premiered a new documentary about the films of Steven Spielberg, appropriately titled "Spielberg on Spielberg." The film is an edited interview with Spielberg, intercut with scenes from his films, lasting about 90 minutes.

I am a huge fan of Turner Classic Movies. I love that all of their films are telecast uncut and in their original theatrical aspect. And most films features brief introductions; sometimes, I will just watch the introductions to films to learn a little more about them. In addition to this, TCM continues to produce original interviews with famous actors, directors, and producers. Some of these interviews are fascinating, such as the 2006 interview with Angela Lansbury ("Private Screenings: Angela Lansbury").

This was a slightly different sort of interview. The interviewer, Time Magazine's long-time film critic Richard Schickel, does not appear on screen and his questions are never heard. Instead, Spielberg's comments are given film by film, usually in chronological order. I think that this was done to maximize Spielberg's comments in the film.

But I found the entire documentary rather hum-drum. I missed the interaction between interviewer and interviewee. Partially it made Steven Spielberg appear more as a talking head than someone having a converstion. But it also made the affair somewhat choppy, as the comments were clearly edited (for length) and then placed in context film by film. So there were few overall evaluations of filmmaking or Spielberg's career or the specific genres that he has been successful at. And few of Spielberg's comments were that surprising on a film by film basis. Perhaps they weren't very insightful; mostly they felt that they'd all been said before in previous interviews.

It would be hard to describe the documentary as a waste of time. Spielberg is one of the classic directors, and it is worthwhile to hear him comment on his films. But it would also be hard to encourage people to go out of their way to see it. So, on the whole, I would classify it as a disappointment.

Evidently, Paramount is excited about Transformers

More to the point, executives at Paramount Studios are thrilled -- possibly ecstatic -- over the box office performance of their heavily touted and very expensive summer movie Transformers.

How excited are these executives? They released the Tuesday box office numbers on Wednesday morning, which was itself the July 4th holiday no less. $27.4 million in tickets sold on Tuesday, plus $8 million more on Monday night (see one article).

I cannot remember any studio releasing such midweek numbers before. I think that George Lucas released these numbers for the second Star Wars trilogy, but otherwise the box office estimates are released on Sunday afternoon.