Black Sheep's Blu-Tuesday

This week's new releases are a delicious bunch, stuff you can really sink your teeth into.  And I do mean your teeth.  Specifically, I mean yours and not my teeth as I already sunk mine into the big release this week once before and I think I may have chipped a tooth.  It was definitely way too hard to swallow for me, but you all love it.  I don't see why you do but you do.  I am speaking of course of ...

TRUE BLOOD SEASON 2

I know you are probably expecting me to tell you what lies in store for Sookie and friends in the second season of the crazy cult hit, TRUE BLOOD but the truth of it is, I have no idea and I just don't care.  I watched Sookie go from a brave and interesting character at the beginning of the first season to a complete joke like everyone else on this show by the end of it and subsequently, I could care less what comes of her or of creepy, unattractive vamp boyfriend, Bill.  I want to see this season about as much as I want to drink the bottle of TruBlood I have in the fridge.  I got it at a promotional event and I can only imagine that it must be pure syrop sickness.  Still, it can't be any worse than the show itself.  I know you guys are fans though so enjoy!  I will be over here, watching another cult favorite instead ...

DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG

Originally conceived as an online project, DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG has become an underground musical sensation.  It has been available on DVD for some time now but today it makes its BD debut.  There isn't anything new on the BD but if you have never heard of this three act musical before, just pick it up.  Directed by the adored Joss Whedon, and starring Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible and Nathan Filion as Captain Hammer, this farce is far too savvy to miss.  The songs, written by Whedon and his brother, Jed, are complicated constructions but also hilarious and infectious.  Good vs. Evil has never sounded so great and also never been this gray for that matter.  BD extras include behind the scenes footage, commentary and a full length musical commentary, which features all new songs.  Give it a try!

THE ROAD

This little seen film is a haunting tale of one man and his boy struggling to survive after the apocalypse.  Sure, we've seen a lot of post-apocalyptic films these days.  Everywhere you look, the sky is falling.  The sky has never looked so many shades of dust and grey though as it does in this John Hillcoat picture.  Viggo Mortensen is the man in this movie (that is actually his character's name - its a "this could happen to anyone" thing).  His performance is haunting, heavy and was sorely overlooked during awards season.  Whereas most end-of-the-world movies heighten the sense of urgency and danger by having characters in perilous nature situations, THE ROAD allows for basic human needs to demonstrate the depravity of mankind.  It is certainly not an easy film to enjoy but definitely easy to appreciate.

ALSO NEW THIS WEEK:The supposedly gorgeous, Channing Tatum, goes to war and gets by with letters from his girl at home, the supposedly popular, Amanda Seyfried, in DEAR JOHN.  If you're looking for something more substantial, you could rent pretty much anything but more specifically, look for classics, SPARTACUS and STAGECOACH, to make their way to BD for the first time.

Source: blu-ray.com

Black Sheep @ The Box Office: Avatar Goes Far!

There are two major points to discuss this week when it comes to the box office. The first is that giant blue movie, AVATAR. Studios avoided pitting anything against the anticipated juggernaut, except for a feeble and unsuccessful attempt on Sony's part to counterprogram with DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? (The answer to that question, by the way, is no, no one has apparently heard of them.) AVATAR may not have done the business they were expecting but it was still certainly an event. I caught the film on Saturday morning and as the theatre had not opened yet, there were lines of people around the block waiting to get in. The IMAX screenings were sold out for the day but yet the people were still pouring in to the lobby in hopes of a miracle. Fox insists that AVATAR would have grossed even more if it weren't for the snow storms in the North East of the country and they are probably right. Despite the excuses though, AVATAR still made over $70 million, an average of over $21K per theatre, and with the holidays and inevitably good word of mouth to follow, it will certainly go on to justify its own hype.


The other story at the box office this week is the influence of the Golden Globes, if there is any such thing. AVATAR itself scored a Best Picture nod but I doubt that had any influence on anyone's decision to see it. Fellow Best Picture nominee, UP IN THE AIR continued its successful expansion, going from 72 to 175 screens and seeing its gross increase by nearly 30%. The film goes wide on Wednesday, hitting 1800 screens, and looks poised to be a holiday favorite. Another Best Picture nominee, Rob Marshall's star-studded musical, NINE, platformed on 4 screens this week before going wide next Friday. The result was an impressive $62K per screen average. Reviews are mixed though so it should be interesting to see if audiences find it amidst the busy frame. Tom Ford's A SINGLE MAN, nominated for Best Actor (Colin Firth) and Best Supporting Actress (Julianne Moore), dropped off by 36% this week but still managed a healthy $15K average before its wide expansion next week. Troubling figures came in for Peter Jackson's THE LOVELY BONES. The film has not been seeing much awards love and dropped off over 60% in its second frame. It too goes wider next weekend. Two other actor nominees, Emily Blunt in THE YOUNG VICTORIA and Jeff Bridges in CRAZY HEART made their debuts. Bridges fared better with an average of $21K on four screens and Blunt pulled in a decent $7.4K on 20 screens. And finally, PRECIOUS expanded past its 664 screen count where it had stalled a couple weeks back to hit over 1000 screens. The Best Picture nominee still dropped off 12% though, signaling that its once bright hopes for Oscar gold are dwindling.


NEXT WEEK: It's Christmas! This means big titles and small chipmunks apparently. ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKUEL opens on over 3700 screens on Wednesday, hoping to duplicate the success of the original. Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin hit 2800 screens with their Golden Globe nominated comedy, IT'S COMPLICATED. And Guy Ritchie's remake of SHERLOCK HOLMES, starring Robert Downey Jr, will hit more than 3600 screens. There will be plenty of presents under Hollywood's tree this year.

Source: Box Office Mojo

THE ROAD

Written by Joe Penhall
Directed by John Hillcoat
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron and Kodi Smit-McPhee


Man: I think it’s October but I can’t be sure.

We all walk it. At times, we might think we know where it’s headed but we would be lying to ourselves if we said we knew that with utter certainty. The fact is that the world outside your window is constantly changing and one day, it may not even be there. It is the manner in which you handle that fact that defines a significant part of who you are. You could not bother with any of it seeing as how it is all essentially meaningless anyway. On the other hand, you could see the time before you as precious and infuse it with everything you have in order to create your own meaning in this great, big world. There is no right or wrong way to do it but your shot is now and you’re walking down that road whether you want to or not. Do yourself a favour though and see John Hillcoat’s post-apocalyptic reflection on the human spirit, THE ROAD, while you’re out there.


Just as it is in the Pulitzer-prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy that the film is based upon, there is no confirmation as to what halted life as we knew it. It could have been a nuclear disaster or a solar explosion but how it happened hardly matters. What does matter is what is done after it happens. Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron are a seemingly happy couple before and tragically divided after. All he can see is how fortunate they are for having survived and how they must persevere given this particular fortune. All she can see is how everything worth living for before is now gone. Caught between them is the young boy (fresh face, Kodi Smit-McPhee) that was conceived before and born after the world ended. There isn’t much plot to speak of, just a journey to find hope in the form of food or comfort or warmth and security. Luckily, Mortensen leads with a strong command and a determined sense of purpose that both impresses and inspires a similar determination in the viewer.


The road for the movie itself was a lengthy one. THE ROAD was due to be released last fall but the studio felt that the marketplace was crowded and that the film could benefit from a stronger post-production period. I can’t say how the film stood up a year ago but it certainly stands up straight and tall now. Cinematographer, Javier Aguirresarobe (VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, NEW MOON) paints bleakness with so many shades of gray that the absence of colour becomes a colour all unto itself. Of course the canvas he has to fill is inspired by an incredibly detailed and realistic production design. This is a world covered in ash and littered with abandoned vehicles and discarded belongings. Barren trees crash to the ground without warning and empty basements might be filled with much sought after canned food or people simply wasting away and waiting to be eaten by other people. It isn’t an easy world but it is still the only one they've got.


You know what they say, right? It isn’t at all about the destination. As Mortensen and Smit-McPhee make their way south, they teeter back and forth between belief and defeat. They don’t know what’s waiting for them; they just know they have to keep heading there. Just like the road underneath your own feet, THE ROAD is not an easy experience. It is however one of unconventional beauty that is rich with meaning and that leads to a place of deeper understanding. You just have to walk it.

Black Sheep Previews: TIFF 2009 (part two)

Another day has passed and I still haven't heard back from the wonderful people at TIFF as to whether or not they intend to accredit me for this year's festival. I sure hope they do. I would love to see Steven Soderbergh's THE INFORMANT or Drew Barrymore's WHIP IT or Jason Reitman's UP IN THE AIR. In the meantime though, I will focus my energies on the films I actually might be able to catch through the graciousness of Alliance films. Alliance has a strong showing at this year's festival and today, I will focus on the four that I am so excited to see: CAPITALISM: ALOVE STORY (Michael Moore), THE ROAD (John Hillcoat), A SERIOUS MAN (Joel and Ethan Coen) and YOUTH IN REVOLT (Miguel Arteta).

CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY
Directed by Michael Moore
Special Presentation


It's an important year for Mr. Moore. It is now 20 years that he has been making movies and rewriting what it means to make a documentary. And he has decided to tackle a topic this time out that is very close to America's heart and, more importantly, their wallets, the economy. Moore actually embarked on his criticism of America's love for capitalism before the economic downturn last fall so maybe, when he's done making movies, he can embark on a new career as a psychic.

THE ROAD
Directed by John Hillcoat
Starring: Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron
Special Presentation


THE ROAD, based on the Corman McCarthy (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN) novel about a post-apocalyptic struggle for one family, was scheduled to be released last year but was pushed back a whole year for more fine tuning and to avoid an already cluttered awards season. Apparently, the hard work has paid off as the cinematography and art direction are already being buzzed about. This is to be the thinking man's apocalypse movie.

A SERIOUS MAN
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg


Last year, the Coen brothers showed up at TIFF fresh off their Oscar win for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN with BURN AFTER READING. It was the North American premiere and, aside from George Clooney, every cast member was present, from Brad Pitt to Tilda Swinton. This year, they return with what is being billed as their most personal story ever and they are doing it without any glitz. With no recognizable names in the cast, the Coen brothers have decided to let the story speak for itself.

YOUTH IN REVOLT
Directed by Miguel Arteta
Starring: Michael Cera, Ray Liotta and Justin Long


I had a difficult time convincing friends of mine that Arteta's CHUCK & BUCK was one of the best films I had seen that year. It was an easier sell a couple of years later when he released THE GOOD GIRL, with Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal. His third feature film should prove to be his most wwell received as it stars not just one Michael Cera but two! Cera somehow splits into two personalities in order to win the love of a girl. I don't care how far fetched the premise is. I can't wait to see Cera play bad ass to his goody goody at the exact same time!

That's it for now. The schedule is online now at the Toronto International Film Festival website so get cracking. And if you're reading this and you happen to work in the media department at TIFF, call me!