YouTube Doubler

So, my roommate is out to the movies and I'm here all by myself just killing time on StumbleUpon when a truly excellent site comes up. It's for some YouTube Doubler Beta, which is simply a place where you can plug two different YouTube video urls in and they'll play them together providing you with a mash-up of the two videos. Here's the link to the mash-up that popped up when I saw the page because it's pretty awesome. I've seen an interview with the guy on the left during an episode of the wonderful show IFC Media Project. If you get IFC you should totally check out that show, too.

100 Important Directors of Animated Short Films

I'm going to try and see all of these. I am making it a mission. I've already seen a couple, but that's not nearly enough...

Whoa, TCM, WHOA.

I love Turner Classic Movies. I really, honestly do. I think it is a wonderful channel and one of my favorites, no doubt about it. And now I see that (thanks to an article on the movie blog ropeofsilicon) TCM has released a series of 32 "re-imagined posters" for some classic films. Some of these are really lovely. My two favorites are the following:


These are two of my favorite classics, so I'm happy TCM did a great job with their reinvented posters. But I have to say, I'm a huge fan of contemporary takes on classic movies in general. One of my other favorite examples are what Vanity Fair magazine has done a couple of times in the past. Their 2007 Hollywood Portfolio was a modern take on the film noir genre and involved some of my favorite actors and actresses. And then in 2008 their Hollywood Portfolio was made up of current actors and actresses reenacting famous Hitchcock moments. Both are lovely shoots by Annie Leibovitz.

Anywho, if you're a fan of this sort of thing check out the full set of posters and then the Vanity Fair shoots. All good stuff.

Why I want to see Jennifer's Body

I'm really hoping Diablo Cody brings it, and this little PSA is giving me hope...


EMBED-Megan Fox Public Service Announcement - Watch more free videos

Some thoughts about the blog thusfar...

So, I'm actually rather enjoying having this blog, you know. Though I don't know why. I think the only person who reads it is my best friend (by the by, if you don't happen to be her, I suggest you gander at her blog, as well, as it often time appears far more interesting than mine and her vocabulary is infinitely better than mine, too) and, really, just about everything on this here blog has been discussed with her at some previous time already so it's kind of pointless for her to just read it again online.

Yet I completely intend to continue with this little venture, anyway. I think this is because on a deeper, more personal, more embarrassing level I'm a bit full of myself. I honestly think I like cool things and that other people should like these cool things, too, and so I've created this blog to spend my time talking about these things hoping someone will find it and agree with me. 'Cause...um...that's what I want - someone to agree with me. Believe me to be correct. Inflate my ego, I suppose. I don't know why, but that's what I believe to be the root of this thing. Plus, I really like to talk. I'll go ahead and blame four years of competitive speech for that, but I'll admit that it's more likely that I did four years of speech because I like to talk so much rather than the other way around.

And, much like I said in the beginning, I also love lists and organizing things and having knowledge and thoughts all in one handy-dandy spot: This here blog. And I think it's because of my love of listing and organizing things that I've started things like the Spotlights and the Cool Comics of the Month. But I think, honestly, I'm just going to cancel those while I'm ahead. Though I love the idea of titles and sections, I think I'm just going to go with the flow instead of trying to label and organize every little thing. It seems to come off a bit forced to me when I do it like that, and the end result makes me unhappy. So that's just gonna end right now. After I post this I'm going to go back and edit the tags.

But anyway, I guess that's about it. I just wanted to lay these thoughts out in type. Now it's time to go reorganize, something I love almost as much as simply organizing.

About the lack of Cool Comic of the Month...

I have an excuse for that! And the excuse is, the comic I have decided to feature is currently not in my hands. I loaned it out to the best friend and she hasn't read it yet. SO! There will be no Cool Comic for the month of July, I'm afraid. I really want the volume in my hand so I can refer back to its awesomeness, you know? But perhaps I will have it back within the next couple of weeks. There's no guarantee, but you also never know.

In case you're wondering, the Cool Comic is Wormwood Gentleman Corpse Vol. 1 by Ben Templesmith.

Anyway, in the hopes of distracting anyone who cares about Cool Comic of the Month, I present a short clip from the delightfully strange Korean film I'm a Cyborg But That's OK. Now, I know without any context this clip is going to seem VERY BIZARRE, but I almost think it's better that way...

Wes Anderson's The Fantastic Mr. Fox Trailer

I know if there's anything I should be posting right now it's the Cool Comic of the Month, but I can't get over the fact that a new trailer is out from one of my All Time Favorite directors, Wes Anderson. I heard about him directing The Fantastic Mr. Fox a while back, but never really thought about it. That is, when I saw the trailer and realized it was all in stop-motion I just kind of lost it, having not considered that a movie about talking foxes would likely be animated in some form. The movie looks very visually appealing, very funny, and very interesting. It also has an amazing cast. So, without further ado, THE TRAILER!

Ahaha...

The hilarious Cleolinda has graced us, her adoring fans, with her version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 15 minutes. It is, of course, delightful. Her "Movies in 15 Minutes" are always wonderful, and something I recommend any and all of you read when you get the chance.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. If you scroll down to the comments you will also find a hilarious gif...if you've seen the movie you'll know it when you see it. And you'll know why it's hilarious.

ALSO: Cool Comic of the Month is probably going up later today. I'm still deciding which one to do...I've read quite a few this month, you see.

Until then!

The Route V50 Short Film

I was looking over the blog, particularly at the neat little video bar, which was showing a selection of Wong Kar Wai clips, one of which was a short film he directed for BMW starring Clive Owen, Forest Whitaker, Adrien Lima, and Mickey Rourke. I won't link to that since it'll show up in the bar, but after watching it I remembered another short film for a car company I had seen a while back, and this one starring my favorite actor Robert Downey Jr. I looked it up and watched it again today, and I still enjoyed it as much as I had the first time.

Thus, I thought I'd post it here. I think it's a really interesting, clever little short. It's about a man looking for the town of Confidence. His search takes place in a Volvo V50, and along the way he meets some very interesting fellows. Here's parts 1 & 2.

Part 1:



Part 2:

Movie Spotlight: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Here are some thoughts I typed up a week ago about the movie. Thought I'd post them here, as well.

So, I just got back from the theatre and my thoughts are all over the place. The most present feeling is one of enjoyment. This movie is REALLY FUNNY. It's almost too funny when I think about it, because it seems that the filmmakers thought that being funny was more important than being cohesive.

I say that because I think, if you look at this movie as an actual film, you'd find it falls short in a lot of arenas. Important aspects of the plot are either non-existent or way too obvious. What needed to be explained wasn't and what needed to be a mystery was basically revealed by the half-way point. Things are brought up at one point and ignored at the next, and when you're looking at the proper structure of the whole thing, you can't do that and expect to have a perfectly sensible story.

But I also feel it's important to say that I'm not an objective viewer. After the third movie, I've just learned to let plot mishaps go. Having read, loved, and basically devoted myself to the story in the books, I don't really give a flying flip about the plot in the movie. If they mess up some really important story detail (Hey! The Maurader's Map was really made by Harry Potter's father and his friends! Hey! Neville could have just as easily been "The Chosen One" instead of Harry! Hey! The Half-Blood Prince is someone who's half muggle-half witch/wizard and who's mother's maiden name was actaully "Prince!") what do I care? I know what happened. I just enjoy seeing it on the screen.

And speaking of seeing this movie on the screen; oh my stars, it is GORGEOUS. This movie's cinematography is stunning. Random unnecessary fight at the burrow? I don't care! Harry running through the cornfield (corndfield, what?!) was beeeaaaaaauuuuuuutiful. Death Eaters destroying a muggle bridge? Wait - WHY? Who gives a shit? Man, is it impressive looking. And there's just some beautfully staged scenes...I won't say which ones because I'm trying not to give away major spoilers.

And then there's the actual actors/characters. Some were just phenomenal (Malfoy/Tom Felton, Harry/Daniel Radcliffe) and some just didn't live up to what I wanted (Dumbledore/Michael Gambon, Snape/Alan Rickman). The good first. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy is just wonderful. I'm really happy that Tom Felton got the chance to really take Malfoy's character somewhere. Maybe it's because I haven't read the 6th book in a while (which may also have something to do with why I did enjoy this movie so much - I don't remember all the little details they ignored), but I really felt more sympathetic towards Malfoy than I ever remember being in the books. The scene in the bathroom where he just rips his sweater vest off and cries at the sink I totally bought. Without even a second thought I was feeling sorry for Malfoy. For the whole story with Malfoy I felt that way.

And then there was Harry, who I thought was super hilarious this time around. It seems like a lot of characters got to be funny in this movie (especially, no surprise, Ron), but Harry stole the show when he was under Felix's spell. The bit about the pinchers had me literally slapping my knees. I think Daniel Radcliffe is a really talented actor...I think he just gets better with every movie. I still find his crying a bit uncomfortable, but just about everything else he does I love. But the line about the pinchers with his voice and his hands...ahahahahaha.

And now or the ones I didn't like. It's too bad I was disappointed with Dumbledore, because he's kind of crucial. Don't get me wrong, I cried at the end, but for a lot of it I didn't buy it. That big important cave scene, where I really wanted to feel for what was happening to the old wizard - I just didn't. I didn't believe that any of his pain was coming from an honest place, and part of that isn't Gambon's fault. It's the fault of whoever wrote his experience as more physically painful than emotionally painful. And if you've read the book, you know it's really coming from an emotional place.

And then Snape. Again, my disatisfaction with his character isn't necessarily Alan Rickman's fault so much as it is the person who decided to downplay all of the emotions going on with Snape in those final scenes. Part of the reason Snape's character is so contrary is because of how he handles that final showdown with Harry. To have him remain so calm and cool with Harry totally downplays what his character is really experiencing. If they had kept him as furious as he is in the books, I think it would have helped to totally make the viewers stop and consider his earlier actions. If Snape had completely lost his composure, as he originally does, it would have made the audience stop and think, wait...what could have possibly made Snape so unstable? As opposed to just making him as collected as ever, not giving the audience a chance to stop and consider the motive behind the night's events.

But ultiamtely, at the end of the night, I still have to totally reccommend this movie. It's a great way to spend a couple hours. If you're not someone who pays much attention during a movie, but instead gets caught up in what's happening the moment it's happening (like me) this movie probably won't seem lacking to you. If you're someone who pays attention to all the little details, you'll probably wind up both unsatisfied by how simple the main plot was, yet confused by the intention of other parts of the story. Either way, I laughed. I laughed a lot.

For your viewing pleasure, heres the trailer:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince stars Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, and Alan Rickman