Monday, June 30, 2008

"Wanted" Review



If you liked Fight Club your going to love "Wanted". It's the perfect antidote to the cubically challenged.
James McAvoy does a great job as a loser who is just being walked on by life. Wanted's Geek Gone Bad is a throw back to Michael Douglas in "Falling Down". McAvoy snaps into his new life after a wild chase filled night with Angelina. Once you get past the fact that most of the stunts are impossible and you are seeing an alternative world the movie is a blast.

The opening window jump scene is nice and definitly a Matrix knock off, but still well done and great to watch.
Timur Bekmambetov brings such cost effective approach to filmmaking. It's unbelievable how successful he is on the budget given. He is on trajectory to becoming a great director.

Spikes

http://stacyspikes.blogspot.com

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Wall-E Review




My wife and I took our 2 year old daughter to see Wall-E this weekend. She woke this morning saying "Daddy We See Wall-E today"? "Yes Honey, we will...". Wall-E is fantastic on so many levels. Pixar has made a poignant and important movie with a message for our times. It is a call to our kids to rise up and fix what we have so resourcefully broken.

The music soundtrack is just wonderful. Wall-E has discovered our ancient romantic past in old movies. He is ripe for love when his angel EVE comes from the heavens in a thundering ship. EVE is sent to find plant life on Earth.

The adventure of Wall-E is a protective layer for a true love story. Simple in it's innocence, you realize that love and sacrifice are the fundamental ingredients for survival. The love and fight for life displayed by Wall-E and Eve smashes our person video screen image of ourselves like the hammer in "1984". In an instant we are transported from the world of the ME back to the future of the WE.

This love story between 2 machines has the power to wake us from our 700 year sleep. They show us the way home and help us to believe again.

Pixar Team good job!

Spikes

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Sunday, June 22, 2008


Miracle at St Anna

The trailer for Spike Lee's new film Miracle at St Anna was on the head of The Incredible Hulk. The film looks spectacular. You can see that Spike has really become a master of his element. Despite all the silly back and forth with Clint Eastwood, it's probably a good thing that there have not been many WWII stores about the Black Soldiers. It leaves the door open for Spike to tell them.

I will be there to salute their memory and service to us and our counrty. Opens September 26th.
Here is a trailer link... Source Yahoo  http://Movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809947151/video/8293703

Stacy Spikes

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Icon A5 Launch - Silicone Valley Takes Flight



Icon Aircraft headed up by former F-16 Pilot Kirk Hawkins and the designers from Burt Ruttan are launching the ICON A5. A 2 passenger Amphibious Light Sport Aircraft. With a flight range of 300 nm, cruising speed of 120 mph and price tag at about $140k. Oh and wings fold up so you can park it in your garage.

http://www.iconaircraft.com

Spikes


Friday, June 20, 2008

BMW New Campaign



BMW is once again breaking new ground with a mockumentary campaign to launch it's 2009 Series 1 in the form of a Ramp that will jump the car from Germany to the US. http://www.rampenfest.com/ BWM has always been the most cutting edge when it comes to auto marketing if not marketing in general but I must sat that this Cloverfield approach leaves you missing the good old days of the BMW film series.

An "A" for effort, but bring back the film BWM series that launched such stars as Clive Owen. You had it right. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Spikes

YouTube - Launches Filmmaker Section


YouTube announced today that they are launching a special filmmaker section called Screening Room this coming Wednesday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8oHN6Hi6bc This section is to be a home for Indy Filmmakers. So the question is will this make a difference for filmmakers.

In addition to just having a regular place to load films they will allow filmmakers to generate revenue with a buy now button to sell their films as well as allow filmmakers the opportunity to get advertising revenue against their film.

In someways this seems bold and revolutionary, but it also seems a simple re-branding of sorts since filmmakers have been loading their films for years on YT. Is this a frontal attack on the growing number of indy film site? New sites like Hulu.com and Filmaka.com are making an impact. This is feeling very circa: 2000 with images of Atom Films and IFILM.

It seems that the age old problem still exists. How do you cut through the noise and clutter and get your film seen. Word of mouth or Advertising. Narrative filmmaking is a very different animal from the usual OMG car crash material that you find on YT. So will this new screening room be a breakthrough for filmmakers or the beginning of the channelization of YT. We will watch and see.

Spikes

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Hulk - Counting Days


So I went to see the Hulk this weekend. I was impressed and surprised. I went with the full expectation to be disappointed. It was much improved from it's prequel. Ed Norton (Bruce Banner) does a great job as an anger management junkie in recovery counting days since his last relapse. When military goons come, led by Tim Roth, to drag (Banner) back to the lab our green eyed friend goes on a bit of a bender. It was great to see Tim on the screen and he still has that Pulp Fiction swagger about him. The CGI is cheezy at times, but the story underneath makes up for it. Worth seeing for good summer fun.

Marvel has another hit.

http://incrediblehulk.marvel.com/

Stacy Spikes