Story of my life.

Ok, so maybe I am. This post was actually stolen straight out of the July 7 issue. It’s the first in what I hope will be a continuing column of mine that is supposed to talk about movies. I’m easily distracted, so there’s a good chance other topics will come up. But this first one is on target, just like Luke bullseying womp rats in his T-16 back home. And because I’ve feeling productive, I’ll even throw in a few illustrations that you can’t get anywhere else (except out on the web where I found them). But I mean you can’t get them in the print edition…. which you really can’t get anymore because it’s been off stands for a while. So, yeah, here’s the column.

Redo redux

Last week three of the top five highest grossing movies in the country were either a) a sequel or b) based on a 1980s franchise. Prevailing wisdom seems to think that this is because Hollywood has gotten lazy or uncreative. Why bother coming up with something new when you can just steal something bankable from the past?
I’m not so sure that’s really what they’re thinking, though. I believe they’re far more perceptive than we tend to give them credit for. The Spanish philosopher George Santayana said those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, and I would posit that those who remember the past too fondly will suffer the same fate. I’m not so sure if this recent spate of nostalgic reminders of childhood isn’t more than a reflection of the collective narcissism of a generation.

Lesser known quote: "You folks from the '80s are screwed."

Admit it, whether called Gen Y, the Millennials or Boomerspawn, kids who spent even part of their childhood in the 1980s have an almost uncanny ability to wax romantically about how awesome things from their youth were, be it the Thundercats or OK Soda (technically of the early 90s). And I’m not judging here; I include myself in that group.

The epitome of awesome.

Thing is, Hollywood is full of smart people. They might be money-sucking vampires, but they’re not stupid. They see this collective obsession and run with it. And can we blame them? Obviously people are willing to fork over good money to see these re-imaginings or in cases reboots like Batman (which for people like me will always be a 1989 movie because we won’t talk about the 1966 version). Are they the bad guys for capitalizing on that?
My problem is that I’m afraid it’s going to get out of hand, if it hasn’t already. Hollywood is traditionally not exactly a poster child for restraint. I’m afraid they’re going to go to the well a few too many times here, and instead of movies like the A-Team and Karate Kid – both of which I’ve actually heard good things about – they’re going to be strip mining the past for anything that will strike a resonating chord enough to get us to the box office.
For example, a re-imagining of Small Wonder. Except to make it grittier, combine the franchise with a reboot of Terminator.
(In case anyone from Hollywood is reading this, I’d appreciate royalties for the idea).

She'll be back.

Here’s how I imagine that going:
Studio Executive: The A-Team and Karate Kid are killing us! Can’t you feed the writers some LSD? Give them a magic marker, a turtle and a grand piano and see what happens.
Underling: Well, sir, we have this idea. It’s not very good, but it involves sending a Voice Input Child Indenticant cleverly named “Vicki” back in time to kill the leader of a human resistance. The working title is Terminal Wonder.
Executive: That’s garbage! But if we had her go back in time to kill the TV writers who created her, that would make us original…
Underling: Magnificent idea, sir! But that wouldn’t really make us original since the movie would be fiction, and we live in reality.
Executive: Not if I say we don’t. Green light.
Granted, I’ve never worked in Hollywood, but I’ve been to production meetings that sound something like this. I just imagine the view is better in California.
If it comes to that, though, I’m not sure we’ll have anyone to blame but ourselves.

Tis a sad day, for the Little Rock Film Festival is now a year away, and I didn’t get to see nearly as much of this year’s incarnation as I’d hoped. I did, however, get the honor of meeting and introducing Carol Dysinger, the filmmaker behind a wonderful documentary called Camp Victory: Afghanistan. From the website:

“Camp Victory, Afghanistan is a verité documentary that tells the story of several U.S. National Guardsmen stationed in Herat, Afghanistan and the Afghan officers assigned as their mentees. These Americans along with a band of Afghans have been given the enormous task of building the 207th Corps of the nascent Afghan National Army into an institution capable of providing security, stability, peace and justice to a tattered, volatile nation.”

Dysinger said in the Q&A following the Thursday showing that her goal was to bring back what she saw over there and show it to people – a good, clean honest look. In turns it’s funny, sad and scary. Above all, it’s poignant. And it’s definitely worth seeing. Dysinger said she’ll continue to make the festival rounds and plans to sell DVDs of the movie through the website later this year. Stay tuned.

In other festival news, my friend and colleague Jeff LeMaster had a chance to sit down and talk to some folks involved with a project they’re hoping to get off the ground called Arkansas Traveler. It’s too late to get to the teaser screening, but I’m fascinated by the plot and hope to see this film get made.

Lastly, I got the email below this week from the festival’s Levi Agee and wanted to pass it on. I recognize the short notice, and that’s my bad for not being quicker about an update. Story of my life.

Friends,

We’re doing auditions this Saturday for a Southern Comedy entitled “Cotton County Boys” that has a great script and a big heart. It’s kind of a throwback to old fun comedies. Just think Buttercream Gang meets Jackass. My friend and colleague Collin Buchanan is directing it, he’s won ton of awards for his docs and shorts in Conway and screened at Hot Springs and at a Filmmaking Professor Convention in Colorado recently. We shoot in July and August and are auditioning this Saturday. If you know anyone funny with a lot of time on their hands and can act and look like some good Southern folk please send them our way. Please put this on facebook, twitter, myspace, hollywood.com? Just get the word out because the film will be special like me. Here is the details on the film and the audition:

Southern Comedy Film – Open Casting Call
June 12th 2:00 – 6:00PM
The Public Theatre – Little Rock
616 Center Street Little Rock, AR 72201

Inquiries: email kwadfilms@gmail.com or call (479) 871-0801
This is a non-SAG shoot.

Title: COTTON COUNTY BOYS
Producer: Allison Hogue
Production Company: KWAD Films
Director: Collin Buchanan
Exec. Producers: Levi Agee, Collin Buchanan
Dir. of Photography: Jonathan Childs

SHOOTING DATES: mid to late July and August 2010
Paid meals, gas/transportation and film credit

GENRE: Southern comedy
SYNOPSIS: Three simple-minded brothers enter an “America’s Funniest Home Videos”-style game show in an attempt to win the money to save their mother’s house from foreclosure.

FEATURED ROLES:
- BOBBY (MALE, 20s) – Shy and soft-spoken, but warm and intelligent
- SAMUEL (MALE, 20s) – Dimwitted and somewhat irritable, mostly good-natured
- HATTIE (FEMALE, 20s) – Sweet and compassionate love interest of BOBBY
- BETTES (FEMALE, 40s or 50s) – Good Southern woman with a powerful presence, mother to BOBBY and SAMUEL
- MERLE (MALE, 60s) – A man of few words, deceptively wise, boyfriend of BETTES

EXTRAS
Other smaller roles and Extra parts available.

If you are unable to attend one of our auditions, email your photo, resume, and contact information to: kwadfilms@gmail.com

Not creepy at all.

There is a compelling story and certainly a visceral edge to director Niels Arden Oplev’s Swedish film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which opens today at Market Street Cinema, but ultimately the ending proves mildly unsatisfying.
Still, it is a film that has won some acclaim, including the Swedish Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actress along with the Audience Awards at the Swedish Oscars and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The movie is based on a novel of the same name by the late Stieg Larsson.
Set in Sweden and spoken in Swedish, the subtitled mystery begins with the libel conviction of discredited journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist). Apparently in Sweden this kind of white collar crime nets you a few months to think about your bad deeds before going to serve your sentence (and a cozy, Internet-wired solo cell complete with laptop to do it in).
So with this kind of “jail” hanging over his head, Blomkvist gets a call from Henrik Vanger, head of the Vanger Group, a company run by a very powerful, very dysfunctional, very wealthy family who lives on a remote island somewhere north of the Arctic Circle, I think.

The Vangers are the Ewings of Sweden.

Anyway, Henrik is troubled by a 40-year-old mystery, the disappearance of his favorite niece. It happened while the whole clan was on the island for a board meeting back in the ’60s, and naturally he suspects one of them did it. But after so long, he has little hope of seeing resolution before he dies. He reveals that this niece once gave him a framed picture of a flower on his birthday, starting an annual tradition. After she disappeared, he kept getting the pictures — in the mail – from her killer.

“Pretty sick, huh?”

Of course, Henrik’s reasons for picking Blomkvist are based on more than just his career. Harriet, it turns out, was the journalist’s babysitter when he was a young lad. Still, not prone to leave the mystery in the hands of anyone, Henrik had Blomkvist checked out first via a hacker for hire who researched his conviction and argues he was framed. She’s a bisexual with a penchant for piercings named Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace). She takes an interest in Blomkvist’s work and follows his progress remotely. She’s got troubles of her own, though. Despite being 24, her wealth is held in trust and the lawyer-type who controls the purse strings wants sexual favors from her in return. She also happens to be crazy, as she proves when she pays him back for how he treats her.

You'll get yours, buddy. Just wait.

After pouring through police reports, some personal effects and lots and lots and lots of photos (think Russell Crowe’s character in American Gangster), Blomkvist starts to get somewhere, particularly with Lisbeth’s help. Together they figure out that the missing Harriet discovered a certain disturbing pattern, one which doesn’t reflect well on someone within the Vanger family.
It’s a little convoluted, but to say more would give too much away (honest). It’s really not hard to follow, though, even having to read the subtitles. And the suspense translates well.
The only disappointment is that the resolution is a little shallow, given that the police detective who worked the Harriet Vanger case says he’s obsessed over it for 40 years. If so, he kinda missed an obvious lead, which Lisbeth comes up with in a matter of a few weeks – and it’s one which, in a way, kind of makes the entire plot unnecessary, even if it is fairly entertaining.

Now with more iron. And a rail gun.

So, obviously the big news at the box office is Iron Man 2, which brought in a cool $133.6 million over the weekend, more or less kicking off the official summer blockbuster season. Unless you count Clash of the Titans as doing that. Or unless you believe it can’t start until Memorial Day. Either way, there are some big names right around the corner: Gladiator 2 Robin Hood May 14, MacGuyver MacGruber and the new Shrek May 21, Sex and the City (2, ostensibly) May 27, and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time May 28. And that’s just this month.

Both golden rocks, but not the same.

Meanwhile this has been a hot week for local film news as well. Of course, there was the announcement of the lineup for the Fourth Annual Little Rock Film Festival last night at the Clinton School of Public Service. Looks like things kick off with Winter’s Bone, directed by Debra Granik. Along with the slate of narrative features, documentaries and shorts, there’s a new competition this year for a $10,000 cash prize, The Best Southern Film Award given by Little Rock’s very own Southern literary and culture magazine, the Oxford American.

Order before July 13.

Also kicking off this week were a couple of movie series worth checking out. Over at Market Street Cinema, in conjunction with The Dave Elswick Show on KARN News Radio 102.9FM /920AM, they’re presenting a series of classic films (some more so than others). First up was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The remaining schedule looks like this:
June 8: North by Northwest
July 13: Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (!)
Aug 10: Shane
Sept 14: Top Gun
Oct 12: Friday the 13th
Nov 9: The Godfather
Dec 14: White Christmas

Not coincidentally, all those dates are the second Tuesday of every month. Showtime is 7 p.m.; tickets are $5 each. Children under 12 are admitted for free.

Like this. Except integrated.

For the retro experience, consider heading over to the Arkansas Flag and Banner building on the second and fourth Saturday of each month now through July to check out the Dreamland Drive-In. Complete with cartoon shorts, news reels and a feature-length movie, the experience is designed to take you back. Or, if you’re like me, to see how people lived way back when, before the cineplex. Schedule looks like this:
May 22- Reefer Madness/Sex Madness
June 12- Night of the Living Dead
June 26- The Outlaw
June 10- The Little Princess (family night)
July 24- The Fast and The Furious
Gates open at 7:30pm and the movies will start at sunset. Concessions of beer, soft drinks, hot dogs, and more will be available for purchase. Admission is $20 a car (pile in to save) or $5 person for walk ups. Proceeds go toward the Dreamland Ballroom renovation project, which is an effort to restore and preserve the historic Ninth Street venue.

The hair is somewhere in the middle.

Lastly, in Netflix news, I gotta say I’ve been slacking. I got Frost/Nixon and Pandorum and have sat on the forever. Besides Avatar and Sherlock Holmes, I hadn’t updated my queue in ages. But for this week I’m thinking Daybreakers and Legion, two flicks I never made it to the theater to see. I know, it’s very angels and demons… and I don’t mean the Dan Brown adaptation where Tom Hanks has that atrocious hair. What I can’t wait for: The Road, which releases May 25.

This is a smile.

Oh my, it has been a while since my last update. Luckily nothing very important has happened in the movie world since then. What? The Oscars? Oh, well, those aren’t really a big deal. And that Avatar film topping the money charts to become the greatest thing since eyeballs learned to see, well, that happens all the time. Wonderland? Whatever, man.
The important news is that my life is complete. As a kid, I was a huge fan of Clash of the Titans. So much so that it may or may not have had anything to do with my majoring in Greek and Roman history in college. So I’m kinda stoked that there’s a remake out there, even if I oppose remakes in general. My case,which I cannot embed for some reason:

The 1981 version

The 2010 version

All nostalgia aside, I really don’t think this is a contest, so I’ll move on.

Note: You're screwed.

Another remake reboot, and this time I’m dubious at best. I’ve been a fan of horror movies for as long as I can remember, and Nightmare on Elm Street has always been, in my opinion, among the best franchises out there. Oh sure, It is not without its cheese, but something about the idea of a monster who kills through dreams is utterly terrifying. I mean, sleep is when we’re at our most vulnerable and dreams are entirely beyond our control. Those two factors don’t bode well for anyone targeted by a certain Mr. Krueger.
For the series to be something new, they had to do away with Robert Englund. I understand that. But can it be Nightmare without him? We’ll see come April 30, though it’s got his endorsement:

“I really am looking forward to how they exploit the dreamscape with CGI and all of the new technologies that they have at their fingertips. That is something I think that is appropriate and that’s what I’m looking forward to. But I hope they make it their own. I hope they change it.”
http://www.fearnet.com/news/b15904_exclusive_robert_englund_on_jackie.html

… but not that of franchise creator Wes Craven:

“I don’t even know who’s doing it and I’m not interested. It’s actually really painful to think about it.”
http://movies.ign.com/articles/992/992845p1.html

Craven said he used his entire life savings to make the 1984 original and, after shopping it for 3 years with no response, desperately signed away his rights to make the deal he did, never imaging it would lead to an army of sequels (or remakes, for that matter).
That Michael Bay is associated at all makes me cringe, especially after last year’s reboot stupid and entirely unnecessary travesty that was Friday the 13^th – which, of course, reportedly has a sequel coming next year.

Hop Litzwire in his home studio talking about his work as a musician and filmmaker. Photo by Spencer Jansen.

If you picked up last week’s issue, you may have seen that I had a chance to sit down with musician and filmmaker Hop Litzwire, a super nice guy who welcomed me into his awesome home office/studio to chat about his life and times. Those discussions included talk of his documentary Silent Storytellers, which is about the importance of preserving cemeteries. From the footage I saw, it looks absolutely beautiful. I plan to see the whole thing this weekend at the public premier:

What: Silent Storytellers
When: 6 p.m. Friday, March 5
Where: Clinton School of Public Service
Admission: Free*
*Reserve a seat by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501.683.5239

If you can’t make it Friday, tune into AETN for the broadcast premier at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11. Here’s an AETN interview Litzwire about the doc:

Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” made household names of many of its cast members in the early 1990s despite the fact that few of the original gang stuck with show for its entire 10-year run.
But unlike, say, the cast from “Friends,” the mostly teenage stars of this iconic TV show didn’t accelerate to greater heights, which begs the question recently debated by myself and colleagues at lunch: “What’s the best movie to have a star from the original 90210 gang in it?”
We’re not necessarily looking for a movie they starred in or their biggest role, just the best movie that had one of them in it.
While the pickings may be slim, there are at least a few surprisingly good titles in the mix.

Douglas Emerson – played Scott Scanlon, the forgotten kid. He’s not even in the credits. But you remember David’s nerdy friend in the first season and a regular through season two, right? Unfortunately, that’s where the character accidentally shot himself and died. Sadly, the actor’s movie career is equally as tragic, marked at its height before 90210 even started with the 1988 remake of The Blob, in which he, as a teenager, played a crying Eddie Beckner and was comforted by his mother.

The Blob. Not pictured: Douglas Emerson.

Brian Austin Green – speaking of the geeky David Silver, Green most recently got attention for the tragically canceled “Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles,” in which he played Derek Reese, a freedom fighter from the future. On the big screen Green’s notable credits include an ironically uncredited role as a party guest in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People and Kickboxer 2: The Road Back, a sequel to a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie that doesn’t even have Van Damme in it. Ouch.

Fox cancels all their good shows. Not pictured: Brian Austin Green.

Gabrielle Carteris – Unlike the rest of the 90210 gang who were, you know, actual teenagers, the actress who played serious student Andrea Zuckerman was only months from turning 30 when the show premiered. So it’s understandable the titles to her name are more recognizable: Spider Man 3, Minority Report and Avatar… except that the first two are video game voice acting credits and the last is one episode of the animated show, not the blockbuster James Cameron flick. Film-wise, the most notable she’s got is Raising Cain, a 1992 crime drama starring an evil John Lithgow (yes, the dude from 3^rd Rock!).

The lovable Dr. Dick Solomon. Not Pictured: Gabrielle Carteris

Ian Ziering – Ziering’s character Steve Sanders was a stud: popular, monied, and in with the ladies. He also drove a cool car. It’s worth wondering if the actor has the same signs of success. Though he can claim the character Wildwing in the The Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face Off, an animated feature based on the franchise established by the 1992 Emilio Estevez movie, his most notable credit is probably in No Way Back, a forgettable 1995 thriller starring Russell Crowe as a FBI agent out to avenge his slain partner (aka the most least original plot ever).

Wildwing. Not pictured: Ian Ziering.

Jennie Garth – One of three characters to reprise her role for the 2008 spinoff called simply “90210,” Garth also voiced her character Kelly Taylor in the The Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. If you think that shouldn’t count in this contest, she also had a part in My Brother’s War, about a CIA guy and an IRA guy working together. Yeah, it’s only vaguely familiar to me, too.

This was a different and more recent My Brother's War. Not pictured: Jennie Garth

Tori Spelling – Like Kelly, Spelling’s Donna Martin (Silver?) came back for “90210” and appeared in the Family Guy movie. Spelling, though, can otherwise be remembered for her appearances in the made for TV “Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?” and as herself in Scream 2. Even before growing up to attend West Beverly as Donna, though, Spelling was already in the same ZIP code, having had a part in the 1989 Shelly Long comedy Troop Beverly Hills. She also shows up in Cthulhu, a 2007 drama/thriller based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Tori Spelling R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn. Not pictured: Cthulhu.

Shannen Doherty – Who wasn’t shocked when Brenda left for London? And she was only supposed to be gone a year. They should have made a show about her hooking back up with Dylan there, because Doherty certainly wasn’t distracted by major movie projects. Her most memorable part? Before 90210 as a Heather in 1988’s Heathers, about a girl who, with her boyfriend, murders members of the “in crowd” clique, all named Heather. During the show (after she left) she also appeared in the Kevin Smith directed Mallrats.

Yep, that's Shannen, Winona (not a Heather) and two other girls. Not pictured: Good fashion sense.

Luke Perry – Speaking of Brenda’s loner boyfriend, it is the actor who played Dylan McKay who makes the first real challenge for the title in question. In addition to showing up in the movie version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which pales compared to the show), Perry played the starring role of Lane Frost in the 1994 rodeo flick 8 Seconds. But more importantly, he can be seen early on in The Fifth Element.

See, he is in it. He even signed it so you would know it's him. Not pictured: Milla Jovovich almost naked.

But the winner is…

Jason Priestly – Brandon Walsh wasn’t without his problems, but he could always be relied on to be the good guy and give the good advice. Proving that nice guys don’t always finish last (except, he is technically listed last here), he takes the title not for appearing in the Family Guy movie along with the others, but for playing Deputy Billy Breckinridge in the 1993 western Tombstone, which is not only the best movie in this list, it ranks among the best movies of all time in any category. Don’t agree? Wanna fight about it? I have two guns, one for each of ya.

Image courtesy of Mr. Priestly's official site. Nice bowler, Mr. Priestly.

That’s right, next weekend is the Little Rock Big Lebowski Fest at Market Street, which is like, far out man.

There will be showings of The Big Lebowski” at 6 and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12-13 and at 11:15 on Sunday and 6 on Monday. Tickets to all shows are $5.

It’s a chance to see the greatest cult movie of the past 15 years (at least) on the big screens with other fans of his Dudeness.

Oh, and mark it 8. That is, mark down 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday night, because there will be trivia and costume contests (with prizes) to test your knowledge of El Duderino and pay homage to your favorite character.

Jesus.

The Market Street Cinema
Market & Merrill Center
1521 Merrill Drive
Little Rock, AR. 72211
501-312-8900
www.marketstreetcinema.net

Sponsored by : Market Street Cinema, Little Rock Film Festival, Millennium Bowl

The movie runs 117 minutes and is rated R, if for no other reason than because “the f word” gets used 260 times throughout, or more than twice a minute on average.

Do you have to use so many cuss words?

Maybe that wouldn’t have been the case if Shakespeare had written the movie.

I remember seeing the trailer for this film some time ago, but I never caught it. It’s a documentary about the group, Young@Heart, which is a collection of senior citizen singers with an average age of 80 who sing popular rock songs from the Rolling Stones to Coldplay. The film, shot by Stephen Walker, follows the group over seven weeks in 2006 as they prepare for an “Alive and Well” concert in their hometown of Northampton, Mass.

As one coworker put it, how can you not want to see your grandmother singing “I Wanna Be Sedated”?

Also, there’s a giveaway for the DVD of the movie and free refreshments. Following the screening, a community discussion will be held with panelists from the Arkansas Department of Health Services Division of Aging and Adult Services and other senior services organizations. More details on the Hendrix website.

lol at 1:38

“Storage” writer/director Austin Franke

If you’re in Conway this weekend or downtown Little Rock next week, consider stopping by the Bear’s Den or On the Rocks to help support a local film.

Organized by writer/director Austin Franke, an undergrad film student at UCA, parties at both locations will feature live music, with proceeds from the cover charges being donated to help with production costs of Storage, a project that will be shot this semester.

The Conway gig will be on Saturday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. and will feature performances by Natural State, Chase Pagan, Townsend and Don’t Stop Please. The On the Rocks show will be Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 9 p.m. and will feature Natural State, Apartment 5, This Holy House and Sean Michel.

Both shows should be around $5 cover, according to Franke, who hosts a radio show about local music called “Under the Radar” on 91.3 The Bear. Franke said knowing the bands through his show, he approached them, himself, to ask they’d be willing to do the pro bono gig to help the cinematic production and all agreed.

The movie itself, which will be shot, edited and go through post-production this semester, is about a divorced couple rummaging through their son’s things in an attic. Despite the current distance between them, particularly from the frosty, remarried female half of the pair, the assorted junk sparks memories of their time together, including both being part of a band in the early 1980s.

The money raised from the shows, said Franke, will help pay for things like costumes – some 40-50 period ’80s outfits were mentioned – as well as funds to pay festival fees when the film is finished.

See also the Facebook page for the Conway event.

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