Kris blogs about entertainment, media, and technology that sparks her imagination. She gets perspective on the creative process, like hitting a giant restart button and waking up with better ideas. Here's to hoping, anyway.
I’m working on my “list of movies that have inspired me” list. But for now, I thought I’d share my answer to a meme that’s being passed around on Livejournal.
So, in honor of my favorite movie:
I bought this movie for my dad around Christmas ‘97 and I don’t think he ever watched it. I ended up sticking it in the VCR and from that day on, the desert and these characters have never left me. It’s a movie you either fall in love with or you hate. I see the reasoning behind both camps. Gabriel Yared’s soundtrack for this film is my favorite of all time. It introduced me to the poet, Michael Ondaatje, another favorite. I love Ralph Fiennes as the iconoclast Count Almasy who wants to live in a world without borders. The cinematography, writing, music, cast….everything about this movie is seductive: at times romantic, at times intense. Basically, as pretentious as this all of this may sound…the movie has stood the test of time for me and I’m still under its spell. It doesn’t fit into my usual favorite categories of spies, robots, ass-kicking, or the post-apocalypse…but this movie might as well be made of magic powder. Where’d I put my hanky?
Just as I’ve settled into my excitement for “Southland” - TNT’s excellent cop drama series that has me faithfully parking my butt in front of the television every Tuesday night – along comes another promising show that has me all eyes and ears… On March 16th, the FX Network debuts its new series “Justified”, starring Timothy Olyphant.
Not only is this man one of my favorite actors, he’s also stepping back into the shoes of a lawman that’s coming to clean up town: a role he first perfected in HBO’s critically-acclaimed ”Deadwood” as Sheriff Seth Bullock. Whether or not Olyphant has an affinity for playing these kinds of characters is irrelevant… I fully admire his instinct to take on characters that kick ass, take names, and wear the badge out of politeness!
Here’s the preview clip that first drew me into the project… It reveals like gospel to me that if Garth Ennis’ powerful “Preacher” comic were ever to become adapted for screen, Olyphant would be just the right actor to do justice by the great Reverend Custer…
Watch and make the call for yourself:
(Note: The title has since been changed to “Justified” to avoid being mistakened for Steven Seagal’s reality cop show.)
This trailer for Spike Jonze’s latest short film caught my attention because I’ve been enjoying fiction over the past few years that has anything to do robots. (I think my interest might have started when I first saw “Robocop” as a kid.) Its concept reminds me a bit of something that would come out of Michel Gondry’s ”Be Kind Rewind” movie…the idea that you can turn something made of ghetto parts into something fabulous. The trailer is thoughtful and just the right amount of unusual. Totally right up Spike Jonze’s alley.
I’ve marked April 16th on the calendar for this fetching piece of absurdity. This might be the last teaser I’m letting myself get suckered into watching…and I’m okay with that because it leaves me with high hopes for the movie.
Already released in the UK as of September ‘09, this is on my radar to watch. Why? Because director, Andrea Arnold, somehow makes the film’s reality more real than real life. Because I forget that mise-en-scene counts for something, even if the setting is the slums. And because…is that really Michael Fassbender?
I loved both the regular and redband trailers for “Kick Ass” but a good friend shared this clip that made me look forward to the movie even more. As if I needed further persuasion…
If you haven’t seen the redband trailer, by the way…do yourself a favor. What do you think? Am I the only one who thinks this movie will live up to its previews?
Note: The title has since been changed to “Justified” to avoid being mistakened for Steven Seagal’s reality cop show.)