FILM CLUB

Hello everyone, here is a little slideshow I put together that kind of showcases Film Club. What it's all about as well as the films that we have enjoyed so far. Check it out!

http://portal.sliderocket.com/AUNDG/Film-Club

Spins a web, any size...

Catches thieves just like flies, look out! Here comes the Spider-man!

So, they've released the new "teaser" trailer (though it's like 2 and half minutes...) for the new Spider-man reboot entitled The Amazing Spider-man, starring Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Never Let Me Go) as the web-slinging title character and Emma Stone (Easy A, Superbad, and the forthcoming The Help) as the gorgeous, blonde haired Gwen Stacy. I won't lie...I'm a huge fan of Sam Raimi and his version that was released in 2002 (almost 10 years ago, yikes!), I thought everything worked real well in that version, the characters, the story the humor and the action (in appropriate quantities...though, what really is an appropriate quantity of anything when Sam Raimi is involved?), everything jived and made for an engaging and all together entertaining movie-going experience, which is why I'm kind of skeptical about this new version. That said, I'm also very excited about this version for a number of reasons. 1. I think the cast is pretty solid, Andrew Garfield is a pretty decent actor (he did very well in the The Social Network), I love Emma Stone and the supporting cast is extensive and awesome, including but not limited to: Martin Sheen, Rhys Ifans, Dennis Leary and Sally Field (to name a few.) 2. The director is Marc Webb, who's 2009 film (500) Days of Summer what funny, heartfelt and all together wonderful. I have faith in him, and 3. It's not Spider-man 3 (ok, I'm sorry, but it was awful).

Final thoughts: I don't think that it's a necessary reboot (they hardly are), and I really love Raimi's Spider-man and Spider-man 2, (not to mention the Bruce Campbell cameos), I feel like they're trying to reach a younger, more angst-filled crowd (think Twilight, ughh, sorry), especially with this trailer...I hope that isn't true of the film itself (trailers can, and most often are, deceiving in the tone they set), but we shall see.

Here's the trailer, what are your feelings on the matter?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XayxMPrUP4

A Couple New Films

I love hearing about new films that are going to be released in the near future, especially when they look good or when they are directed by a director I really like, the following are two such films.

1. Contagion (Directed by Steven Soderbergh)

Soderbergh is one of those directors that I love because of his broad range of films, whether it be Ocean's 11, 12, 13, Erin Brockavich, the remake of Solaris, Traffic, the experimental The Girlfriend Experience or the mania that is Schizopolis, (to name a few), I always find myself enjoying them. You never really know what to expect from the man because he can pull off the ridiculous, the serious, or the moderately/wildly humorous. This looks like a film that I think will be at the very least, entertaining.

See the brand new trailer here: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/contagion/

2. A Dangerous Method (Directed by David Cronenberg)

Probably my second favorite living director (behind David Lynch), Cronenberg is one of those directors that deals directly with the source of horror, love, anger, hatred or what-have-you....human beings themselves. Known for somewhat having invented the pseudo-genre of "Bio-horror" his films don't just deal with human beings, they rip them apart, bury themselves deep inside them or mutate them into horrific creatures (most often revealing what they really are on the inside to begin with). When I hear his name certain titles jump to my head immediately: The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch (all together different than the book), The Brood, A History of Violence, and probably my favorite, Videodrome. This new film about Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung looks like it will be nothing short of wonderful.

Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ7JKmcLTsI

FILM CLUB

Hello everyone, this is your film club update. What could be better than watching a movie, for free, at the library? Now, I know you're thinking the answer couldn't be anything other than "nothing", but that would be wrong. The answer is TWO movies for free at the library, in the same night! Yes, that's right, we will be watching two films for film club this month. I said that we would be watching Duck Soup by the Marx Brothers, and we will be, but that's only half right because due to bad planning on my part (after rewatching Duck Soup) I realized that it's only like 68 minutes long...which would just be too short. Sooo, I've decided to also show Horse Feathers by the Marx Brothers. While not as good as Duck Soup, it's probably my second favorite. Soooo, Film Club will be on Thursday, July 21st at 6:00 PM (I've moved the time up 15 minutes to somewhat accomodate the fact that we will be watching two films instead of just one.)

Horse Feathers (1932)

Directed By: Norman Z. McLeod

The film revolves around college football and a game between the fictional Darwin and Huxley Colleges. (Thomas Henry Huxley was a defender of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.) Many of the jokes about the amateur status of collegiate football players and how eligibility rules are stretched by collegiate athletic departments remain remarkably current. Groucho plays Quincy Adams Wagstaff, the new president of Huxley College, and Zeppo is his son Frank, who convinces his father to recruit professional football players to help Huxley's team.

Duck Soup (1933)

Directed By: Leo McCarey

The wealthy Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) insists that Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) be appointed leader of the small, bankrupt country of Freedonia before she will continue to provide much-needed financial assistance. Meanwhile, neighboring Sylvania is attempting to take over the country. Sylvanian ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern) tries to foment a revolution, woos Mrs. Teasdale, and attempts to dig up dirt on Firefly by sending in spies Chicolini (Chico Mar) and Pinky (Harpo Marx).

Come on out for a night of ridiculousness, nonsense and outright hilarity. You will not want to miss this Marx Brothers double feature event.

Check out the trailers:

Horse Feathers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FULBocWy2cE

Duck Soup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bonpelSt2ME

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Hey friends, for all you fans of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, check out this trailer for the American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo film (if you haven't seen the Swedish version I recommend you check it out immediately). Normally I don't go for remakes and what have you but this trailer is just so well made I can't help but get a little excited. This version is going to be directed by David Fincher who's most recent film was The Social Network (also worth watching). If the music from the trailer is any indication of what we can expect I'm totally psyched. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame is teaming up with Fincher again to do this soundtrack (he was also responsible for the wonderful soundtrack to The Social Network).

Have you read the books? Seen the Swedish films? Have a favorite? Let me know!

Check out the trailer here:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/thegirlwiththedragontattoo/

FILM CLUB

Hey everyone, film club is on it's way again, so for once I'm going to put this up well in advance, so you all have plenty of time to decide if you'd like to see it or not! (isn't that nice?) This next film will be Thursday, June 16th at 6:15 PM in the large meeting room located on the second floor of the library.

This next film is:

Pan's Labyrinth (Rated R)

(Directed by Guillermo Del Toro)

The film takes place in Spain, five years after the Spanish civil war, during the early Francoist period. The narative of the film interweaves this real world with a fantasy world centered around an abandoned overgrown labyrinth, and a mysterious faun creature, with which the main character, Ofelia, interacts. Ofelia's stepfather, the Falangist Captain Vidal, hunts the Spanish Maquis who fight against the Fascist reign in the region, while Ofelia's pregnant mother grows increasingly ill. Ofelia meets several strange and magical creatures who become central to her story, leading her through the trials of the old labyrinth garden. The film employs make-up, animatronics and CGI effects to life it's creatures. (From Wikipedia)

As always, Del Toro delivers a tale that is full of wonder and imagination yet grounded in a reality that is, at times, grim. Don't miss this fantastic film!

Check out the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYiSlkvRuw

Film Club Summer Line Up

Alright, I think I'm going to go with with these films for the summer...

JUNE: Pan's Labyrinth (Directed by Guillermo Del Toro)

JULY: Duck Soup (Directed by Leo McCarey)

AUGUST: Days of Heaven (Directed by Terrence Malick)

(Duck Soup will be a nice, light, buffer between the two other, heavier, films.)

Hope to see some new faces! For those unfamiliar, I will be posting a little information about Film Club)

Here are the trailers for the films in case you wanted to check them out:

Pan's Labyrinth-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYiSlkvRuw

Duck Soup-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bonpelSt2ME

Days of Heaven-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlZDsMCW0U4