FilmRoar

The Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winning documentary Why We Fight (2005) tries to shed light on the American drive to constantly be at war. At the heart of the analysis is president Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address to the nation warning of the rise of the Military-industrial complex. The superb speech by a sharp mind with a clear understanding of both government and military gives a direct and succinct warning to dependency on a military economy. It is really too bad that Why We Fight could not emulate the clarity of message or purpose.

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Writer Barrie Keeffe in his only produced film script delivers an intelligent and engaging gangster film in The Long Good Friday (1980). The movie, best known for bringing film notoriety to then TV actor Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Nixon (1995), Felicia’s Journey (1999)) spans a period of two days during which London crime boss Harold (Hoskins) is trying to secure a business deal with backing from the American Mafia. His efforts to woo his New York counterpart, Charlie (Eddie Constantine (Europa (1991))) are put into jeopardy by the unexplained assassination of Harold’s right hand man Colin (Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981))) and bombing of one of his restaurants. Eager to not loose the business opportunity and to find and punish those responsible for the attacks on his organization. To make matters worse one of the bombs has exploded in the car that took Harold’s mother to Good Friday mass leaving her traumatized and in the hospital. As Harold states later in the film “You don’t crucify people! Not on Good Friday!”

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OK Serenity fans, time for another stupid timewaster this time it is the Which Serenity character are you? personality quiz.

Which one did I get? Why
You scored as Jayne Cobb. The Mercenary. You are in this for the money, plain as that. You like things simple that way, but mainly as anything else confuses you. You get the job done, and don’t care what people think. Not as long as you get paid anyway.

Which Serenity character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Of course.

Check out this rough footage of scenes deleted from Star Wars IV: A New Hope as well as some bloopers and outakes.

A documentary about kids going to the national spelling bee, how interesting could that possibly be? As it turns out: Very. Spellbound (2002) introduces and briefly follows eight kids as they obsessively train to become the regional spelling. Through interviews with the kids, their families, teachers and bits of other footage we get a glimpse of the lives of the champions and of the mounting excitement as they draw closer to the national championship.

The first two thirds of the movie are interesting enough, I particularly enjoyed the übergeek impromptu humor of Harry Altman, but the real payoff comes in the increasingly tense moments of the last rounds of the competition. Close ups of the kids faces show the relief of being given a word that was studied and remembered, the panic of hearing a word for the first time, the relief of surviving to see the next round and the inevitable agony of defeat for all but one of the contestants. Inter-cut with commentary by anxious parents and spelling coaches the young faces contorting in concentration speak volumes about inner struggle and closely checked emotion. Caught up in the moment I found myself literarily on the edge of my seat remembering I was watching a short movie about a bunch of kids spelling out words.

A news article in Dark Horizons reports that:

The Jim Henson Co. has set animated series creator Genndy Tartakovsky (”Samurai Jack”, “Star Wars: The Clones Wars”) to direct “Power of the Dark Crystal,” sequel to 1982 fantasy film “The Dark Crystal”

The sequel will place the Brian Froud designed characters in CG background and is set to start production summer of 2006.

Apple has posted a movie trailer for The Notorious Bettie Page (2005). The lead role had originally been ear marked for Liv Tyler but went to Gretchen Mol. I have respect for Ms Mol and wish her success in the role, but I must admit disappointment at the casting change. I would really have loved to have seen Liv Tyler give the performance the devotion and enthusiasm she expressed in early interviews.