Category Archives: Film

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Film Trailers From Hell

by Chris Gore
April 24, 2009 - 10:24 am

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Trailers from Hell

No movie-going experience is quite the same without trailers. Movie trailers preceding the feature presentation is a combination as inseparable as peanut butter & jelly or Raisinets & popcorn. And whenever I’ve arrived late to a film without seeing the trailers, well, there always seems to be something lacking from the experience… .like sex without the foreplay. But I digress; trailers are an art form unto themselves – they spur debate among film freaks, they sometimes ruin the movies themselves and they pump us full of hype for the next blockbuster.

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Film American Harmony

by Chris Gore
April 21, 2009 - 10:31 pm

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American Harmony: The Movie

You know you are into music hardcore if you understand what the following stands for: SPEBSQSA.  Any guesses?  For me, it’s as easy as “Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America.”  There’s a personal reason that I know all too much about the world of Barbershop singing, my father was in a Barbershop quartet.  And he chased after a first place medal for years as the lead in quartets such as the Vagabonds and Center Stage.  In fact, he would often take me on road trips where I would see him sing in front of audiences of 10,000 or more.  Dad was a rock star among this adoring and appreciative audience of Barbershop lovers and I couldn’t be prouder.

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Film For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism

by Chris Gore
April 8, 2009 - 10:35 am

“…as a critic I’d give myself three out of five stars.”

Along with tax auditors, parking meter attendants and totalitarian dictators, film critics rank among the world’s most hated types of persons.  I should know since I’ve dabbled in this profession on occasion.  Honestly, it’s how I began my career more than a decade ago, though I’ve never considered myself a decent critic.  In fact, as a critic I’d give myself three out of five stars.  Seriously, I’m more of a fan who enjoys championing the movies I love and bashing mundane crap when it’s deserved.  However, having worked on both sides as a critic and a filmmaker, this also makes me perhaps one of the most qualified human beings on the planet earth to review a movie about film critics.

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Film Joe Swanberg: Mumblecore’s Soft Spoken Saint

by Chris Gore
April 2, 2009 - 9:23 am

Joe Swanberg’s first feature, Kissing on the Mouth, cost a mere $1,200 and his expectations for it were realistic.  He thought a few people might kind of like his little movie.  Joe didn’t expect his heart-wrenchingly realistic autopsy of male/female relationships to spawn a style that quickly evolved into a movement known as “Mumblecore.”

Mumblecore is indie films’ tastiest flavor and it’s about to emerge onto the shores of the mainstream.  Swanberg’s latest, Alexander the Last, premieres at SXSW and, in a bold move by distributor IFC, will bypass theatrical distribution and debut as VOD (video-on-demand) for anyone with internet access to see.

Joe reminisces fondly about film, fun and South by…

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Film Video Pulling John

by Chris Gore
March 30, 2009 - 7:55 am

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“…a contest that will end in a glorious win… or a humiliating loss.”

You’ve probably seen the Sylvester Stallone sports film Over the Top.  You saw Sly rise in the world of professional arm wrestling as he struggled to put away opponents in a battle of mind over muscle.  And no one can make a sport look as exciting and visceral as Stallone, but what is it really like?

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Film Modern Love is Automatic

by Chris Gore
March 26, 2009 - 10:02 am

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“…yummy boom-shooka-bow-bow actress Melodie Sisk is the appeal of watching Modern Love is Automatic.”

When a bored nurse named Lillian catches her boyfriend with another woman, she snaps out of her mundane life into something new… a life as a part-time dominatrix.  Things get complicated when a new roommate with a desperate need for attention as a model enters the picture.  Her neediness along with her horny boyfriend throw Lillian’s life into turmoil, or at least, a temporary nuisance with a dangerous solution.

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Film Monsters from the ID

by Chris Gore
March 24, 2009 - 10:16 am

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“…a documentary that does not contain any monsters, but it will scare you.”

To be clear, Monsters from the ID is a documentary that does not contain any monsters, but it will scare you.  The film argues that science has been at the root of solving our modern problems, but their aren’t nearly enough scientists to tackle what lies in our future.  And we’re distracted by the media’s obsession with new kinds of heroes.  The heroes of today score points in sports as professional athletes, score fans rocking out on stage as rock stars or score laughs as a reality TV stars — these are the heroes revered by the public and the media.

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Film I Love You, Man

by Chris Gore
March 20, 2009 - 12:09 pm

“…delivered a load of laughs onto the smiling faces of the audience attending the SXSW premiere…”

I Love You, Man is the latest film in the ever-growing “bromance” genre.  Paul Rudd plays Peter Klaven, a man head over heels in love.  But after proposing to his sweetheart, he realizes that he is sadly lacking in the male friend department.  So, in a rush to secure a best man for his wedding, he seeks out a dude to fill the coveted spot.  After a series of hilariously uncomfortable “man dates,” our hero meets Sydney Fife played by Jason Segel.  The two attempt a friendship built on a love of Rush, real estate and conversations about BJs. The whole affair is filled with enough single, double and triple-entendres for an adult film featuring an all-male cast.

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