Popcorn 'N Roses

Subject:CINEMA #113 - "Don't Shoot, G-Men - The Good Guys!"

TC and Kim wrap up their Made May series with a salute to law enforcement in mob movies and beyond!

Plus: The Callback, a brand new Attack Of The B-Movies, a midweek Bonehead Of The Week, and the latest edition of the Casting Couch!

We hope this will give your midweek blues a boost!

Schedule Change: The Indie Film Spotlight show scheduled for this Sunday has been moved to June 15, as TC is not done with the interviews yet, and he's come under the weather in a major way. Right now, we're scheduled to have a show on Sunday, but if TC's voice disappears, we may have to reschedule...yet again...

Join us Sunday for "Space: The Final Frontier - Space Exploration Movies"

See you then!

Subject:CINEMA #112 - "Modern Day Mobsters"

Continuing Made May, TC and Kim look at mobsters and crime figures in modern movies.

Also, This week's Callback; the finals on Dancing With The Stars; Kung Fu Theater looks at The Snake The Tiger The Crane and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin; and our complete review of Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Don't miss our special Wednesday show as we wrap up Made May with "Don't Shoot G-Men - The Good Guys!" See You then!

Latest S:C Update - Made May to run final two episodes on Sunday, Wednesday

Still trying to allow time for Kim's illness to run it's course. Her voice is very scratchy now, but hopefully we'll be back in place for this Sunday's edition of Subject:CINEMA.

The final episode of Made May will air Wednesday, May 28.

This new schedule supersedes plans to do two shows this weekend, because we just are not going to be able to make time for both shows.

Thanks for your continued patience and understanding as we get near the end of Kim's illness and prepare to get her feeling better as the summer goes along!

"Daily Call" taking this week off, will return Memorial Day

Due to circumstances beyond our control, and Kim's ongoing illness, Daily Call is taking this week off. Things have been crazee around here, and we would rather take the time off to get things together rather than produce a show that isn't up to our usual standards.

Daily Call will return next Monday, May 26.

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

TC

NO S:C This Sunday...

Sorry to be so late in announcing it, but there will NOT be a new S:C this weekend - Kim spent 5 hours at the ER yesterday getting two saline and one anti-nausea I.V.s...obviously, her illness is still ongoing, and we're still trying to discover exactly what is going on with her.

As a result, we have cut the last planned episode of Made May, the Godfather Saga, and will reschedule it sometime this fall. Which is good, because i'm so backed up on indie screeners and the new Cheese And Whine boxsets we got last week that I don't have time to catch the whole trilogy right now..

Thanks for your patience and understanding about what has been a very frustrating two months for us. Hopefully we'll get this under control soon, and find out what's wrong and get her back on her feet 100%!

Watch for the final two Made May shows in a double shot next Saturday and Sunday!

Horror Fans furious about Dish Network dropping Monsters HD Channel

Got this forwarded to me today from the LA Screamfest, and thought it was worth posting here. For you horror fans, and especially those of you who are Dish Network subscribers, this is for you!

***

Earlier this week Satellite provider Dish Networks made the RIDICULOUS decision to remove the Monsters HD channel from its lineup (as well as a whole bunch of other great channels from the Voom Network). I am personally furious by this decision, as are many other people in the horror community! The channels have been replaced by some not so amazing channels like The Fishing Channel! A petition to save the channel from extinction has been made and I encourage all of the readers to sign it. Even if you are not currently a Dish subscriber, please help out and sign this. 

http://www.petitiononline.com/monsthd/petition.html

Let¢s show the jerks who made this fatal decision that we horror fans are serious business! Perhaps we should rally around DIRECT TV to pick up the network and capitalize on DISH Network's stupidity.  Send DIRECT TV an email at www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageIF.jsp?assetId=P4560006 and get them to carry the network.

The channel was doing great things in the world of horror by playing uncut horror films 24 hours a day without commercial interruptions in some of the best HD broadcast that I have seen. They ran a show called Monsterrama hosted by Elvira where she would showcase people in the horror industry, cool toys and pay tribute to the olden days of horror. It was even an old show, but I still watched and recorded it every time it was on. You have seen the ads for the channel in the Horror magazines and online, in a beautiful EC Comics like renderings and the zombie Uncle Sam. MonstersHD is made BY HORROR FANS, for the horror fans and Dish Networks is making a big mistake by neglecting to regard the community of HORROR FANS who want this.

Help the community by showing Dish network that we don¢t want them to exist without Monsters HD. Please sign this and help, and also forward this on to as many people that you know, blog about it, post it on your Myspace, or Digg it, and help spread the word.

As horror fans we have been treated as a lesser than community for a long time. That time has to end! Each and every one of us can demand more quality by showing our passion for the genre by doing things like this and then continuing on to get even more horror brought to each and every one of us. I, personally would love to get Fearnet, Chiller and Monsters HD on the same cable provider. Can you imagine 3 channels devoted to us?!? I know that Fearnet is getting aggressive as well, and as soon as I get more info on their plans I will pass it on as well.

http://www.petitiononline.com/monsthd/petition.html

One last thing. We are hardcore fans like you and anytime a company makes a decision that effects us as a community, the community suffers as a whole. Lets not let this happen.

Bugged Thoughts...about the inexplicable failure of SPEED RACER

For those of you who may have missed it on this past weekend's edition of Subject:CINEMA, I was absolutely APPALLED and utterly gastiflabbered by the seemingly overwhelming number of negative reviews for the film SPEED RACER. I named it not only one of the best films of the year but OF ALL TIME, giving it 5 stars and naming it my new number one pantheon film, knocking the much revered HERO to #2 and WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY to #3.

OH MY GOD, what HAPPENED?

WHY did this movie totally TANK at the boxoffice?

I just do NOT understand the hatred the reviewers showed for this absolutely fantastic, fun blast of a movie. It is perhaps the most visually stunning movie of all time, its incredible CGI work absolutely unbelievable (and NOTHING like TRON, as so many reviews tried to hang on it). The score is fantastic. And the performances, from Emile Hirsch as Speed all the way down through the fantastic supporting cast including John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Roger Allam, Rain, Kick Gurry, Paulie Litt, and Christina Ricci, are all DYNAMITE!  The plot is simple, sweet, and to the point, and SO VERY OBVIOUS I don't know WHY most reviewers can't seem to find it. And more to the point, both times I saw it last weekend, it seemed to me that EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the whole theater - kids, adults, grandparents, parents, college students, teenagers, EVERYBODY -  absolutely LOVED IT!  Where is the hatred coming from?

No, actually, that first statement in the last paragraph is WRONG. I DO Know why a good deal of reviewers hate it - because they know that it takes square aim at EVERYTHING that is their livelyhood - corporate greed, power, success, corruption - all of which are rampant in both industries - Hollywood AND The Media. And they want to look like they couldn't possibly support such things as (GASP!) FAMILY VALUES! And the idea that GOOD triumphs over EVIL.  We all know Hollywood prefers it when EVIL wins these days...look at movies over the past several years and you'll figure out what I mean...

Well, NOW is your chance to show the reviewers out there - AND THE STUDIOS - what the public REALLY THINKS.

I'm coming to you to ask you to help save SPEED RACER from undeserved premature extinction...and boost chances for a possible sequel down the road (if Emile is willing...he dropped his agent this week; hopefully it wasn't because of Speed Racer, because that would be wrong...).

Here's how we're gonna do it.

1) Make time and GO SEE IT this weekend - at least once, but if you really love it like we did, go a couple of times - and if you've already seen it, SEE IT AGAIN!!! SKIP whatever else you were planning to see this weekend (except PRINCE CASPIAN if you're planning on seeing it) and use the bucks to see something worth the money like SR and not some goofy, gawd-awful comedy or horror film. Above all else, we want to make sure that despite the studios, the trades, and practically everyone else giving up on it way way WAAAAAY too quickly,  and despite the bad reviews, that word of mouth will make sure it STAYS in the TOP 3 This weekend - if everyone gets it together, and goes with their friends to see this movie (which is the kind of fun movie that families and friends will LOVE seeing together) we CAN stay at #3 behind Caspian and Iron Man...and maybe we can even beat one of them...great word of mouth has saved other great movies that the critics (and the fanboy haters) have unfairly maligned..and we can DO IT AGAIN!!!

2) Broadcast how much you liked it (assuming that, like Kim and especially like me, you will love it) on EVERY FRIGGIN' WEBSITE you have - MySpace, Facebook, Digg, and whereever else you're webbing at, and tell people to GO SEE IT!

3) Spread the word everywhere else - let people know that if they miss this movie in the theater they'll regret it because while fantastic on the big screen, the effects will be lost in many ways when it comes to DVD this fall, BluRay or no BluRay

4)If you have a local newspaper that gave SR a negative review and you don't agree with the reviewer, let them know by sending them an email or snail mail and telling them so in a polite businesslike manner

5)And most importantly, LET WARNER BROTHERS STUDIOS Know! Go to http://warnerbrothers.com and check for contact info and let them know in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS (but POLITELY!) that they'll be making a big mistake if they give up on it so soon...

Let's ALL come together - Speed Racer fans, anime fans, Wachowski brothers fans, Emile Hirsch fans - and help Speed Racer get the weekend IT DAMN WELL DESERVES at the box office - and make it a hit that WB will be sorry they gave up on so soon...

Subject:CINEMA #111 - "A Piece Of The Action - The Chicago Gangsters"

In the second installment of Made May, TC and Kim take a look at real-life and fictional gangsters based in Chicago during the 1920s.

Plus - This week's Callback, Dancing With The Stars coverage, E-Mail, and a VERY indepth review of the new film SPEED RACER starring Emile Hirsch.

Then, TC addresses the film community about what being a podcaster means to him, and why Speed Racer had an effect on the conclusions he came to...

Be forewarned - although not profanity laced, TC and Kim do drop the S word several times during the last hour...sorry if we offended anyone!

See you next week for the next installment of Made May, and throughout the week with columns and such!

Marquee Mix is in serious jeopardy...PLEASE help us save it!!

As mentioned on last week's Subject:CINEMA and as posted on the Marquee Mix site this past Sunday,
we're so happy that so many listeners have found Marquee Mix and its sister channels a great station to turn to for the latest in movie music.

But now, we find ourselves fighting for survival.

Within the last month, Live365 has implemented a new pricing structure which has raised our costs by almost 40% for each of the stations we run. Live365, still the best priced radio network on the network, implemented the pricing increase because they are being hit hard by the RIAA and the CRB decisions. And because of those decisions, we too are being hit hard, and it has triggered some hard thoughts about the future of Marquee Mix.

At the time of the increase, we had several more mini-channels on the project block including two Marquee-branded stations: Marquee Mouse, featuring all Disney songs, and Marquee X, a channel geared at extreme sports fans. Now we have had to temporarily postpone the launch of these channels, both of which were starting to get some pre-debut buzz from listeners.

In order for our fledgling network of stations to survive, we are coming to YOU - the loyal Marquee Mix listener.

Effective immediately, Marquee Mix and its sister channels Marquee Classics and Marquee Scores must be able to begin generating at least enough revenue for the stations to break even every month. If they do not, it unfortunately will mean a series of changes aimed at saving the stations will have to be enacted that could see the disappearance of the mini-stations, and even endanger the existance of Marquee Mix itself.

Between now and June 15, we need to generate at least $500 in donations from our listeners. If we are unable to do so, both Classics and Scores face at least going to premium-only listenership, and possibly complete extinction. And Marquee Mix proper will have to drop our from our current program level, and be unable to bring you the continually expanding and already extensive library of classic movie songs you have grown to love listening to.

The easiest and most painless way to help Marquee Mix out is to sign up for a recurring monthly donation. We have recurring donation levels at $2, $5, and $10 a month that are deducted automatically from your PayPal account. Selecting one of these ensures that you are always donating, which helps not just operating expenses for Marquee Mix, but for all PNR projects.  Your donations are what help us to grow and expand our operations, adding more music to existing channels and also adding new specialty channels for niche audiences.

We hope that for providing you with some great musical selections, you will come to our aid in our time of need to help save the entire Marquee Mix network.

Please DON'T assume that your donation isn't necessary because the next person will donate - that is simply NOT the case. We need EVERYBODY to help out. And that kind of thinking will surely lead to the extinction of the network.

You can also make a one time donation if you'd rather not sign up for a recurring donation, and that's cool as well - every dollar is one dollar closer to our goal, and believe me...IT HELPS!!!

You can donate and help save Marquee Mix and its family of stations by going to the "Film Fund" and clicking on the button of your choice - $2 a month, $5 a month, $10 a month, or a one-time donation.

Thank you for your support and for your generosity!  And pass the world to your friends - the more we can generate in the next 45 days, the better we'll be able to serve you in the future!

Sincerely,

TC Kirkham
Programming Director
Marquee Mix

Bugged Thoughts...about the CLOVERFIELD DVD

Sorry we've been away with this for the past couple of weeks...as most of you know, things have been a real BEAR this past two weeks...

Anyway, back to Bugged Thoughts...

As everyone who knows me, or who listens to Subject:CINEMA, or reads PNR knows, CLOVERFIELD was one of my favorite movies so far this year. The innovative first person camera story of a monster on the rampage in New York was FAR BETTER than Roland Emmerich's gawd-awful version of Godzilla ten years ago. With JJ Abrams as producer and writer, and Matt Reeves directing, CLOVERFIELD was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year so far, and deservedly so.

The DVD came out last week...and I have to say i'm SEVERELY disappointed.

Don't get me wrong..the movie is STILL GREAT (no matter WHAT incorrect opinions my friends and my other half may harbor...heh heh heh), and so are the extras on the behind the scenes stuff. I've seen the Best Buy exclusive disc of material as well, and it's pretty cool.

It's not what is there on the DVD, but what ISN'T there...

The term "viral marketing" was tailor-made for the way Paramount and Abrams rolled CLOVERFIELD out. The untitled teaser for the film that appeared with TRANSFORMERS last summer was the first taste. The movie had only been shooting for 10 days when they showed that clip, and it really got people talking.

Then, several months of buildup, and the appearance of some really intriguing websites...none of which directly mentioned the movie, but which insiders started to leak out(with the usually secrecy-intent Abrams leading the way) were related to the "untitled" movie.

By the time January rolled around, these websites had taken on a life of their own as Abrams watchers began obsessing about what the movie was all about.

There is video on line of a disaster happening at an oil platform owned by a Japanese company called Taguruato, who had been plagued by an environmental group called TIDO Wave for sometime for their drilling policies. This video, which is news footage of the disastrous collapse of the Chuai Ridge platform, is available in a number of different languages. Taguruato also owned a number of subsidiary companies, one of which was the makers of a popular frozen drink called "Slusho!", whose main "secret ingredient" was something found in a very cold part of the ocean bottom.

There were over half a dozen seemingly unrelated sites, many with original video and pictures.

But sadly, NONE Of these have been included in the dvd release.

I admit it - Abrams and Reeves have me hooked - i've become a regular visitor to the various CLOVERFIELD sites (which continue to operate) checking out the latest discoveries by other fans, and trying to get a handle on the sequel (rumored to soon be shooting with an eye on a March 2009 release date). And while a link to the official site of this info (http://www.cloverfieldfiles.com) has been included if you watch the DVD on a computer, there's nothing yet there besides behind the scenes stuff that was not included on the DVD. Great stuff, but NOTHING on the related backstory of Taguruato or the oil rig collapse, or even "Slusho!" (which I now have just ordered a tee shirt for, so I guess that makes me officially obsessed with this movie).

It would have been nice to have included all the extra stuff, and maybe a few clues to more stuff which led to sequel-related materials, but I guess we'll have to make do...RATS...

All I know is that if JJ Abrams plans this same kind of thing for the release of STAR TREK, we've got a LOT of great stuff coming...

UPDATE: Apparently, some of the video mentioned above is included on the disc as a hidden Easter Egg...i'll let you know if I can find it or not...

More Bugged Thoughts later this week...

Subject:CINEMA #110 - "Hollywood Vs The Mob: Real Life vs REEL Life!"

On the first installment of Made May, TC and Kim tackle how Hollywood has glamorized gangsters and mobsters for the big screen

Plus, this week's CallBack, the Bonehead Of The Week, Dancing With The Stars coverage, the debut of the Subject:CINEMA Casting Couch, and a complete review of Robert Downey Jr as IRONMAN!

Made May continues all month long - don't miss it!

Subject:CINEMA #109 - "Independent Film Festival Of Boston Wrap up"

This week, we go inside the Independent Film Festival Of Boston...or try to, anyway...

You See, we both got sick and we couldn't attend as many films as we wanted to, but we still got to see some of them, thanks to the generosity of the filmmakers...

So this show is dedicated to the films we saw, and a great concert too...reviews of WE ARE WIZARDS, CRAWFORD, and THE GREENING OF SOUTHIE...plus complete coverage of the fantastic WizardRock concert.

Plus a segment on the recent Brattle Theater series of Nikkatsu films, email, and a few other odds and ends.

Don't forget the beginning of Made May, which starts TOMORROW with "Hollywood Vs The Mob - Real Life vs Reel Life". Full notes and photos for this show will also be up by tomorrow as well, with TONS of links to the filmmakers, the stars of the movies, and more!

See you TOMOROW!

Weekend Schedule - Two, count em TWO, great shows for you!

Things have been very hectic and illness filled this week. Kim continues to be ill and has been through several tests this week, while I have been suffering through the longest lasting migraine in history - it started Sunday night and is still bothering me off and on for awhile every day.

As a result, we have not had the chance to get the IFFB show up. It's recorded, but i've not had the chance to edit it, plus I want it to sound great for the filmmakers who have taken the time to show us their films. And with the summer movie season starting tonight with the release of IRON MAN, I won't have time to get it done this evening, either.

Therefore, this weekend you get DOUBLE the Subject:CINEMA for your buck! (well, so to speak...)

Subject:CINEMA #109 - Independent Film Festival of Boston Wrapup, will premiere Saturday at Noon ET

Subject:CINEMA #110 - Hollywood Vs the Mob: Real Life vs Reel Life, the first of our Made May series, will premiere Sunday at Noon ET

Thanks for your continued patience and understanding as we get through the next few weeks, and get back on our feet from our illnesses...it's much appreciated!

IFFB Wrap Up!

Well, the 2008 Independent Film Festival of Boston has called it quits for another year. We are sorry we were unable to provide daily coverage as we intended, due to illness. However, our coverage isn't done yet...

We will be featuring a complete wrap up of the festival, it's happenings and goings on, and reviews of several films, on a special edition of PNR's podcast Subject:CINEMA, which will be up and running on Friday morning.

In the meantime...here are the winners of the festival competition...

JURY COMPETITION

Narrative:
Grand Jury Prize: BALLAST
Special Jury Prize: MOMMA'S MAN

Documentary:
Grand Jury Prize: SONG SUNG BLUE
Special Jury Prize: SECRECY

Short Film:
Grand Jury Prize: MAN
Special Jury Prize: GLORY AT SEA!

Programmers Choice Award: GOLIATH

AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS:

Narrative: MY WINNIPEG

Documentary: LIFE. SUPPORT. MUSIC.

Short Film: TONY ZOREIL (TONY ZEAR)

Congrats to the winners.

We will continue to post reviews of festival films throughout the weekend and in fact, throughout May as we see a number of the films we missed both in theatres and through screeners.

And Subject:CINEMA will be featuring a different narrative film all month long as part of our ongoing Film Festival review series, so dont' miss it!

Thanks to the IFFB for a great week of films!