Popcorn 'N Roses

Subject:CINEMA #108 - "Summer Blockbuster Preview"

TC and Kim bring you the 411 on the hot blockbuster movies of the summer!

Plus, this week's edition of The Callback, Kim's first "Resolution Solution" for American Grafitti, wrapping up two weeks of Dancing With The Stars, and a full review of the Michael Angarano/Jackie Chan/Jet Li blockbuster The Forbidden Kingdom!

Don't miss our special Thursday edition of Subject:CINEMA this week, with complete coverage of the 2008 Independent Film Festival of Boston, with tons of coverage including reviews, impressions and more!

IFFB Coverage now up and running

The Independent Film Festival of Boston is underway, and you will want to keep up on every aspect of this highly-thought of annual festival.

We are providing complete coverage and reviews of a number of films on PNR's sister sites Boston Popcorn and IndieFilmSpotlight.

Already featured - a full review of WE ARE WIZARDS, a fantastic new documentary focusing on the Harry Potter fandom worldwide, with an emphasis on "wizard rock", with bands like Harry And The Potters and Draco And The Malfoys.

Still to come - reviews of BLOOD CAR, FLASHPOINT, NATURAL CAUSES, CRAWFORD, and several other films, and more on the festival itself and what's upcoming.

I can't say how much we hope you check out the coverage.

Also, later this coming week, we'll be providing a complete wrap up of the IFFB 08, including discussions and reviews about several films, on a special mid-week edition of Subject:CINEMA, which returns to it's regular schedule tomorrow - i'll be updating the schedule calendar in the next couple of days to reflect the changes made during our time away due to Kim's illness and a couple of other things.

In any case, check out the coverage on IFS at http://indieflimspotlight.com and the BRAND NEW Boston Popcorn site at http://bostonpopcorn.net!

OK, so we couldn't even make THIS date, heh heh heh

With regrets, I must inform our loyal listeners that the planned Thursday edition of Subject:CINEMA is just not going to come off.

Kim is still having problems with her illness, and between that and our hectic schedule with a film series at the Brattle and the beginning of the Independent Film Festival of Boston this week, we had no time to get things ready. So due to our overly full schedule these past two weeks, we're going to have to postpone the Auto Racing show indefinately, and we may scrap the Horse Racing show with it, since they were planned to compliment each other.

We'll make a final decision on these two planned Thursday shows and let everyone know about it sometime in the next day or so. Watch the calendar area of the site for changes as we finalize what we're doing. What we will probably do is postpone the racing shows until later in the year, and move our special on the IFFB from next Wednesday to next Thursday.

We WILL DEFINATELY have this Sunday's edition of Subject:CINEMA, our annual Summer Blockbuster preview show, ready ON TIME. It will also be filled with a TON more stuff that we plan to bring you, including coverage of the recent Japanese film series at Cambridge's Brattle Theater, some coverage of the IFFBoston, and reviews for at least one movie, The Forbidden Kingdom, and possibly one or two others.

We would rather scrap a show when we don't have time to properly pull it off than bring you a substandard edition of the show, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.

Keep watching PNR for continuing coverage of the IFFBoston in the days ahead!

Schedule Changes for Subject:CINEMA

Due to some ongoing issues, plus coverage of the Nikkatsu series at the Brattle this week, and the Independent Film Festival of Boston running this coming Thursday through the following Wednesday, we've had to adjust our schedule for Subject:CINEMA for the next couple of weeks, and we apologize for the changes on such short notice.

There will be no show this Sunday, April 20 - instead, the auto racing show will air on Thursday April 24, followed by the Summer Preview special the following Sunday, April 27, and the horse racing show the following Thursday, May 1.

Sorry for the delays - it's only because we want to give you the best podcast possible!

We'll see you Thursday, April 24 on S:C with "To The Checkered Flag"!

Independent Film Festival Of Boston prepares for launch

It's that time of year again...time to discover some of the biggest indies of the upcoming year!

The Independent Film Festival Of Boston kicks of a week of great indie films next Wednesday, April 23 and runs through April 29. Beginning this weekend, Popcorn N Roses and its sibling sites BostonPopcorn (see related story) and IndieFilmSpotlight, will be providing extensive coverage of IFFB, with news, reviews, film spotlights and more. Subject:CINEMA will also be doing an IFFB-centered podcast at the conclusion of the festival.

In the irony that IS the Boston film market, none of the films in the Independent Film Festival of BOSTON will actually be screened IN Boston itself, but in the surrounding suburbs. Films will be screening at Brookline's Coolidge Corner Theater, Cambridge's Brattle Theater, and the Somerville Theater in Somerville (where else?).

As noted a few weeks ago in this column, “TRANSSIBERIAN” directed by Brad Anderson, written by Brad Anderson and Will Conroy, and  starring Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, and Sir Ben Kingsley will open the festival on Wednesday, April 23rd at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. This marks a return to Boston for Brad Anderson, who previously shot his features NEXT STOP WONDERLAND and SESSION 9 in the city. Brad Anderson, Will Conroy, and cast will be in attendance for the Opening Night screening.

“ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD” directed by Werner Herzog, will close the Independent Film Festival of Boston on Tuesday April 29th at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline.

In-between those two movies are some 59 features, countless shorts, and over 20 special guests who are appearing with the screenings of their movies.

This weekend, we will publish a day-by-day calendar for the festival by venue, so you can pick and choose which films to see..and it's going to be a very hard choice for the most part for those flicks screening opposite each other!

To check out the original press release on Boston Popcorn, go HERE

For full info on the festival, visit http://iffboston.org

For tickets to IFFB, go HERE

DON'T FORGET - REEL LIVE IS ON TODAY!

Subject:CINEMA's Reel LIVE! will be on LIVE from 6-6:30 PM Today, April 13th! We hope Subject:CINEMA's fans and regulars will all be there to chat about movies!

http://blogtalkradio.com/subjectcinema

You can call in beginning at 6 PM at  (347) 326-9291 !

See You Then!

Subject:CINEMA #107 - "Directors' Chair: Close Encounters Of The Spielberg Kind"

TC and Kim take a look at the career of Steven Spielberg!

We touch on every film that Mr Spielberg has directed over the course of his career, as well as his early television work. Plus, all the usual fun stuff - The Callback, The Bonehead of the Week, Dancing With The Stars coverage, and a dip into the E-mail Bag!

Don't forget - Subject:CINEMA's Reel LIVE! This evening at 6:00 PM ET from BlogTalkRadio.com! You can get the call-in number by clicking the "Reel LIVE!" Button on the sidebar!

Next week - two shows about racing - cars and horses!

See you then!

Bugged Thoughts...about multiple DVD releases...and greed...

Like many other film fans out there, we're amassing quite a collection of DVDs. I'm usually in line to pick the ones I can't wait for up on opening day. Come next Tuesday, i'll be heading for my local Borders or Newbury Comics for Juno and The Final Season, and next Tuesday week for Cloverfield.

But once you're at the store to get them...that's turning into quite an adventure.

Why?

Because chances are good there will be several different DVD's out with different configurations, that's why.

First you have to check and make sure that the DVD you're getting is widescreen, unless you like the fullscreen ones (why ANYONE these days would still prefer the fullscreen ones I have no idea...heh heh heh...)

Then, you have to check which disc you're buying. Sure it's easy enough to find the TITLE, but finding the right grouping...well, now that's ANOTHER matter entirely...

Let me use a fictional movie as an example...and believe me, sadly this is more real than fiction...

I want to go to the store - lets say it's a big box mart of some kind - to pick up the movie Metalhead.

I walk in the store, and chances are good i'm gonna find FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT VERSIONS of the same damn movie!

Let's see...there's the single-disc bare-bones DVD, for $17.99 on sale.

Then there's the two-disc version with some behind the scenes extras for $24.99 on sale

But Wait...there's the two disc, "Special Edition" version, with different extras and both widescreen and fullscreen versions of the movie for $27.99 on sale

And lookatthis...there's the Store Exclusive edition with a third bonus disc of interviews and stuff from the Metalhead website and a lenticular cover photo for $34.99

And don't forget, there's also the Fullscreen single disc edition, the full screen double disc version..you get the idea.

And now, there's the Blu-ray edition for $42.99...

AARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

Why do the studios have to be so darn greedy?

I think it's highly unfair to have to buy the same damn movie three or four times to get all the features. It stinks that the studios to this to consumers. There should be just TWO versions of each type of movie - A cheaper, barebones single disc for those who aren't interested in extras, and a special edition with ALL THE EXTRAS - and maybe both aspect ratios of the film -  for a slightly higher price.  THAT'S IT!!!

Two different special editions and a store specific edition - this is getting really annoying, and I won't put up with it now, or EVER. The only time I have EVER bent into this was when BestBuy shipped me the WRONG edition of the Across The Universe soundtrack CD, and I waited too long to return it, so I had to buy the double disc later.

I DO NOT do this with DVD's and never will...

Wait a minute, I tell a small Lie....I found a "Blockbuster"-exclusive edition of Lords Of Dogtown which had an extra disc and did buy it...through E-bay for about 1/5 the original price. And it turns out I had the supposedly "exclusive" stuff already...having downloaded it from the LOD website...so I wasted my money in the long run and will NEVER do it again.

I think it's high time the consumers start putting their foot down with this practice. I'm really DREADING the Cloverfield release, for although only one "official" version has been announced, I know of at least three different retailers that are already advertising "store exclusive" versions of the discs, which means the fans get screwed AGAIN...

We need to start sending a message to the studios that we're MAD AS HELL AND WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!

(Gee, that sounds familiar...where have I heard that before? Can't think of it...)

It's BAD ENOUGH that the studios stopped including those informative little booklets with the DVDs around 2005 or so, because those were really nice to have.  But i've learned to live with no booklets - and you can usually find what you're looking for that was in said booklets by going to the website for the movie in question.

But this constant shilling for money by the studios by offering different versions with different extras? This crap has to STOP NOW!

Don't get me wrong here - i'm NOT complaining about special extended versions, anniversary issue reissue discs, or the excellent Criterion Collection types of releases here. These are fine, often come several years down the road, and often are worth getting for the enhanced quality and treasure trove of previously unknown or unavailable extras. What I'm addressing here are the same day (or within six month) releases of the same movie with no extra footage and a variety of extras that very from disc to disc.

If there's a new cut of the movie involved, such as with Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy, that's cool with me up to a point. The point for that particular series was the releases of the combo packs in 2005 where both the theatrical version and the extended version were put on one disc and coded to pull up the different versions when each was selected. Did we REALLY need those? No.

I think we should start voting with our pockets, and force the studios and the stores to knock it off. You do that by buying ONLY the two configurations mentioned above, and then writing the studios and stores and telling them that you saw the other editions but won't pay to buy the film twice just for additional extras, but you would have paid a couple bucks more for all the extras in ONE SET. Sooner or later, they'll get the idea...if it's not filling their coffers, they won't do it anymore...

Ok, well, obviously, it's HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS...of COURSE they'll keep doing it...but they'll lose money every time they do...and eventually they WILL have no choice but to listen to consumers wishes...

Well...I can DREAM, Can't I?  Sheesh!

Subject:CINEMA #106 - "Prehistoric Paradigm"

TC and Kim discuss dinosaurs in the movies and television!

Plus, a huge catch up e-mail section, and our goodbyes to Moses himself, the legendary Charlton Heston!

See you Sunday with "Directors' Chair: Close Encounters Of The Speilberg Kind!"

Subject:CINEMA #105 - "A Hard Days Night - Beatles Movies!"

Kim and TC take a look at the movies of the Fab Four! Included in our look, all five movies starring The Beatles - A Hard Days Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, Yellow Submarine, and Let It Be!

Plus Cheese and Whine returns with Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and a RetroRewind from September 2007 about Julie Taymor's Beatles-based Across The Universe!

And of course all the usual claptrap, including a short edition of the Callback, coverage of two weeks' worth of Dancing With The Stars, this week's Bonehead, and a review of SpineTingler:The William Castle Story!

THIS WEEK'S NOTES:

We ran a bit long, so E-mail will return on our special Thursday catch-up show this week!

Thank you for your patience while Kim has been recovering from a nasty bout with the stomach flu, which then morphed into a nasty cold which left her with no voice and a bad cough for four days - I also had some trouble this week after apparently getting bitten by a spider, which left my left arm in agony for three days...

Hopefully things will get back to normal as the next week goes on...

See you this Thursday with Prehistoric Paradigm!

Bugged Thoughts...about the Print/Internet schism...

Over the last week or so, several articles about the recent spate of film critic firings or retirements have been making the rounds. These articles have all been lamenting the loss of PRINT film critics in some of the most influential papers in the country. Much has been made of the fact that the Village Voice cut its film critic staff in half a couple of weeks ago.

Today, Variety's Anne Thompson chimed in on the crisis thusly:

Over the years, critics helped audiences appreciate the likes of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane," Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde," Bernardo Bertolucci's "Last Tango in Paris," Brian De Palma's "Dressed to Kill," Robert Altman's "The Player," the Coens' "No Country for Old Men" and Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood." Where would we have been without them? It will soon be up to Pajiba or Cinematical Indie to influence readers to seek out small releases once heralded by critics.

Once again, the print critic is implying that the internet critic is less legitimate than themselves.

Can't we all just get along?

Why must print critics, and the entire movie industry, treat internet critics as though their criticisms are less important? Why does Ms Thompson (of whose weekly column I am a huge fan) insist on implying that it's not good that readers seek out Cinematical Indie or Pajiba (or PNR, IFS, or some other internet critic) over the opinions in the print newspapers?

I just don't get it. Why are our opinions not every bit as valid as, say, the fantastic A.O. Scott of The New York Times or Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times? Didn't they have to start somewhere also?

And it isn't just the print journalists, either.

It's the studios themselves.

Over the past three years, I have worked myself crazy trying to get Popcorn N Roses accepted as a legitimate media outlet by the Hollywood studios. We are accredited members of the International Press Association, and members of several other media groups. Yet because we're on the internet, many studios consider us unworthy of being included for press screenings and screeners. I can't even get most of the major studios to accept us as part of their press group that is able to access information, press kits and photos for upcoming features from the internet.

SOME indie companies have been very willing to work with us - and for that, we're forever grateful. Filmmakers also consider us to be a legitimate source of publicity, which is why we've been quoted on a number of movie release sites, and even on the DVD cover for a recent release. We were even good enough to be accepted as a contributor to Movie City News' end of year critics roundup in 2007.

So why are the studios so reticent to cooperate with sites like ours?

In a word, paranoia. It all springs from their fear of piracy.

And yet, by denying us the materials and access to what we need to do our elected jobs, the studios only screw themselves. Indie filmmakers know this - they know that word of mouth, and good press coverage on independent websites, can help their movies get noticed. That's why so many indie filmmakers have been very good to internet writers like myself and to podcasts like Subject:CINEMA - they know we can be counted on to give an honest assessment of the product, and also spread the word about their films.

The Mumblecore movement could NEVER have taken off the way it did without the JOINT help of the print media and the internet press. If it had just been one or the other, it would have fizzled out very quickly. But because indie filmmakers like the Duplass brothers, Joe Swanburg, and Aaron Katz have worked both sides - print and internet - they have huge fans on both sides of the journalism tree. And they know that both are important.

It's a shame that the Hollywood studios, and the majority of the print media, can't grasp this fact. We're here because we love film, and want to help, not to harm. And the one percent of people out there who DO pirate films are not the majority of sites and writers.

It's time for print journalists to quit slagging on internet journalists, time for the studios to give internet journalists the legitimacy they work hard for and deserve to have, and stop playing favorites.

If the print industry and the movie industry keep trying to make enemies of the internet, they'll both end up on the slag heap...just like the once thriving now completely and utterly morally and financially bankrupt music and record industry.

And it DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. But it is bound to happen, so long as the industry continues to shoot itself in the foot.

(Ann's entire Variety article is at
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117983482.html?categoryid=2508&cs=1 and well worth the read!)

Boston's Chlotrudis Society names "Once" Best Picture

Boston MA - Despite a strong showing by THERE WILL BE BLOOD, which came
away with Trudies for Paul Thomas Anderson (Best Director), Daniel Day
Lewis (Best Actor) and Paul Dano (Best Supporting Actor), this year the
Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film bestowed its Best Film award to
the charming Dubliner film ONCE, which had received a sole nomination in
that category.

The prestigious Buried Treasure award was won by Rumania’s 12:08 EAST OF
BUCHAREST. In order to be eligible, Buried Treasure nominees had to have
earned less than $250,000 in US box office.  Chlotrudis created the
category in order to shine a spotlight on those films the society feels
deserve wider attention and a second look.

Beating out Julie Christie and Ellen Page in their Oscar nominated roles
in AWAY FROM HER and JUNO, respectively, was Kate Dickie for her riveting
performance in RED ROAD.    In yet another category of strong nominees,
Jessica Yu’s PROTAGONIST emerged as first among contenders, winning Best
Documentary.  Cate Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress for I’M NOT
THERE; Visual Design ended up with PAPRIKA and PAN’S LABYRINTH sharing the
win; WAITRESS walked away with Best Ensemble; and the writing awards went
to the original THE LIVES OF OTHERS and the adapted AWAY FROM HER.

The winners from the 8th Annual Chlotrudis Short Film Festival were also
officially announced during the show.  The Audience Award went to FISH
BUT NO CIGAR, directed by Tara White & Lyn Eliot, while GIRLS ROOM by
Maria Gigante, took away the Best Film win.  Ms. Gigante made the trek
from New York to accept in person.

Presenters and guests included many members of the Boston film community,
among them nationally respected film scholar Gerald Peary and Peter
Keough, film editor for The Boston Phoenix.  In addition, representatives
from the Independent Film Festival of Boston, the Boston Jewish Film
Festival, the Boston Latino International Film Festival, Women in
Film/Video New England, the Boston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and the
CineMental queer film series participated in the night’s festivities.

This year’s musical numbers extolled the virtue of the night’s nominees
and honoree while emulating a Feist video, and while taking on a Sondheim
operetta.  Many guest presenters had fun with their moments in the
spotlight, some even going so far to arrive with their own props in tow.

But the highlight of the night was the heartfelt and forthright speech by
Alberta Watson, the year’s special honoree, as she accepted the Society’s
Career So Far award.  Ms. Watson, an actress perhaps best known on film
for her costarring role in SPANKING THE MONKEY, and on TV for her
supporting role in LA FEMME NIKITA, pulled no punches as she spoke about
her career’s highs and lows, and her feelings about the state of the film
and television industries today, in both her country of Canada, and in
Hollywood.

The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is a Boston-based non-profit
group that teaches people to view film actively and experience the world
through independent film, and encourages discussion.  The group works with
film festivals, local art-houses and theatres, production companies,
directors and actors to bring creative, quality films to the attention of
audiences and film-lovers.  Visit its website, http://www.chlotrudis.org
for more information.

Full list of winners:

BEST MOVIE
Once

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – There Will Be Blood

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day Lewis – There Will Be Blood

BEST ACTRESS
Kate Dickie – Red Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Paul Dano– There Will Be Blood

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett – I’m Not There

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE CAST
Waitress

BEST VISUAL DESIGN (tie)
Pan’s Labyrinth and Paprika

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Away From Her

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Lives of Others

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Protagonist

BURIED TREASURE
12:08 East of Bucharest

Delays, Delays

As you all know, Kim came down with a bad case of the stomach flu last week. She has since gotten over it, but it has morphed into a nasty chest cold, or more accurately, a throat cold. She can't stop coughing and has a wicked sore throat and almost no voice at all. These combined illnesses made it impossible for us to participate in this past weekend's 14th Annual Chlotrudis Awards as planned, and I have to say a great big THANK YOU to Michael and Scot from Chlotrudis for their kindness and understanding in what was going on. We actually trekked out to the Brattle to make a go of it, because Kim's always the show biz trooper, but once she got there realized that she wouldn't be able to do her part of the opening number. Seeing how sick she really was, they were more than helpful and understanding, and their kindess will always be remembered!

That having been said, because she still has no voice, we will NOT be doing another episode of the show until this coming Sunday, April 6th. And because of a date conflict with a family event on that date, we will be moving the next edition of "Reel LIVE!" from April 6th back one more week to Sunday, April 13th.

You get all that? Heh heh heh....

Seriously, though, we appreciate your patience and concerns, and to make up for the problems we have been having, we have scheduled an additional Thursday show this month so we can finally get the damn Dinosaurs taken care of, heh heh heh...

All of the schedule adjustments are noted on our calendar under the "Subject:CINEMA" group on the right sidebar.

Thanks again, and we'll see you on the air Sunday!  But don't go away...there will be more blog entries between now and then, betcha!

:-)

TC