Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Want to be an Extra in David O Russell’s The Fighter? Want to see Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale fight it out in a boxing ring? Do you live near Lowell Massachusetts? Details after the jump.
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Not familiar with George Hardy’s work as an actor? Click here to watch a packed audience reacting to him on screen . It’s totally worth it.
About a week ago, while drinking slushies on a beach, I attempted to brainstorm a hyperbolic-geek intro for this interview that was impossibly cheesy and awful, yet aptly expressed my sentiments about the subject. As follows: It would be very difficult indeed to find a dentist who has contributed to more smiles around the globe than would-be actor, Alabama dentist, and newly-championed cult icon George Hardy.
For those who don’t know, Hardy was one of the lead human stars of 1990’s Troll 2; over the last few years, the shittastic fantasy-horror movie has rocketed in cult status and is a viable contender for a next-gen Rocky Horror Picture Show. Made for MGM by a crew of non-English speaking Italians, Troll 2 ironically exists today as an innocent, warped time-capsule of 1980s’ American summers, American culture, and genre films. In the role of the movie’s aloof dad, Michael Waits, Hardy is renown for the silly parental anecdote, “You can’t piss on hospitality!!” His performance is regarded by a growing number of cult cineastes to be one of the worst and most cherished of all time. Patton Oswalt, the Alamo Drafthouse, and Edgar Wright are counted as huge fans. The basic storyline is that of a generic Vacation knockoff meets slime and plot holes worthy of a drug trip: Hardy hauls his family (and a grandfather’s ghost) in a van to spend a summer in a dusty, desolate town called Nilbog. Goblin spelled backwards, Nilbog is populated by devilish country-folk and vegan Druid non-Trolls. In the end, the Waits fam defeats them and their leader, an STD-plagued witch, using a mystical bologna sandwich. Or do they?
Best Worst Movie, the new documentary about the reunited cast of Troll 2 and its international fandom, is a 2009 favorite of the /Film and /Filmcast staff. Directed by Troll 2’s former “child star,” Michael Stephenson, much of Best Worst follows Hardy as he temporarily leaves his life as a small-town dentist to encounter the ups and downs of modern fame and his performance’s excavated notoriety. Thanks to a compelling story and the sharp twists and turns of real life, Best Worst can be enjoyed with or without having viewed the flick that spawned it. George called me from his lake house to discuss all of this while eating a sandwich. For our interview with Michael Stephenson, click here.
New York’s Museum of Modern Art will present an exhibition of the art from director Tim Burton’s career, beginning November 22, 2009, through April 26, 2010. The exhibition will include “over 700 examples of rarely or never-before-seen drawings, paintings, storyboards, moving-image works, puppets, maquettes, costumes, and cinematic ephemera, and includes an extensive film series spanning Burton’s 27-year career.” This event also coincides with The Art of Tim Burton book that Brendon wrote about in April. Read the full press release after the jump.
Essay: Is Kevin, the Tropical Bird in Pixar’s UP, a Nod to the LGBT Movement?
Posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 by Hunter Stephenson
Yesterday, CBS News aired a segment on an “ongoing blogger debate” over the representation of black people and negative stereotypes in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. Of course, after previous and longer segments on the failing economy and Air France, even the way in which Katie Couric mentioned “bloggers” carried a decidedly trivial tone connoting birds-on-a-wire. Snob. However, given that hardly anyone has seen a near-complete version of the fourth-quarter film, I have to agree that any “chirped” anger, feigned or genuine, is premature. Also: the world is mad, get over it.
But heated discussions about Disney’s movies, especially in this case, do have precedent: clips from the studio’s infamous 1946 film, Song of the South, are forever available to support and fan the issues of political correctness. Moreover, theories about sociological, hidden and subliminal messages in Disney films and characters are so prevailing that I have enjoyed intriguing classes on the very subject in junior high (for free) and at university (for a repossessed Porsche).
Which brings me to Disney’s Pixar, where animated films are made to awe kids and—and arguably more-so—adults. Feted, beloved, and at times “progressive” as it may be, Pixar is not immune to similarly “bloggy” issues regarding political correctness; a debate over the absence of female lead characters in their films began earlier this year and remains a valid and popular talking point.
For Hunter’s reviews/wrap-ups of the previous two episodes of Breaking Bad leading up to last Sunday’s divisive finale, click here for ep 11 (”Mandala”) and here for ep 12 (”Phoenix”).
Now that most everyone has caught up with the season finale of Breaking Bad, entitled “ABQ,” on their TiVo and what not, let’s take a look at what went…down. Actually, for the sake of disclosure, the mini-delay of this write-up is also due to the episode being a surprising disappointment in my eyes. For a series that is deftly founded on madcap realism, the natural awes of science, and the odds of consequence, I found “ABQ” to stretch way beyond the show’s established believability (and viewers’ trust therein).
We wrote a while back that former King Kong champion Steve Wiebe was going to try to reclaim his title at the E3 video game convention in June. As you know, Wiebe was the first person on record to break a million points in Donkey Kong, a high score that he ultimately lost to his nemesis Billy Mitchell as documented in the great film The King Of Kong: A Fist Full Of Quarters. It is now June, and Wiebe will be playing live, not only at the expo, but live on the web via a JustinTV stream. Want to watch the King of Kong star try to reclaim his title? Watch the stream after the jump!
Interview: Director Michael Stephenson on Best Worst Movie, Troll 2 as Geek Phenomenon, the Alamo Drafthouse, Skate Vids, and Pizza!
Posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 by Hunter Stephenson
One of the best documentaries of 2009 is Best Worst Movie. Whether you have read about it on /Film or watched it unfold before your eyes at a film festival, its very existence is miraculous. At its core, the doc marks the unlikely, unflinching reunion between director Michael Stephenson—the child star of 1990’s Troll 2 (renown for being the worst movie of all time)—and his estranged Troll 2 co-stars and filmmakers. Over the last few years, the notoriety and fandom of Troll 2 has exploded into packed screenings nationwide, fan-organized parties, utterly deranged Internet memes, and frothy endorsements from the likes of Patton Oswalt and the Upright Citizens Brigade. But similar to the broad and hearty appeal of Best Worst Movie, Troll 2’s allure reaches outside the niche yet increasingly mainstream gates of a celebrated B- or F-Movie.
Troll 2 is the Kubrickian starchild of terrible movies. It’s incomparable badness is such that it warps our very definition into slime-colored brain candy that pops with cinematic pseudo-genius. The basic plot is a fairy tale-gone-sour about an All-American ’80s family that vacations in a deserted town called Nilbog. Based on the name alone, it’s no surprise that Nilbog is a human trap created by small vegan creatures in burlap sacks; ones obsessed with milk and looking cheap. As played by Stephenson, the family’s uber-annoying son, Joshua Waits, is surpassed in corniness only by his confident, clueless Southern father (would-be actor, definite cult legend George Hardy). Now an esteemed small-town dentist, Best Worst Movie catches up with Hardy, and follows him as he rides out Troll 2’s renewed popularity around the globe in the Era of Internet Fame and Unabashed/Fleeting Geekdom.
Stephenson also tracks down other cast members living at differing and fascinating levels of obscurity, normalcy, and dysfunction. In our interview with Stephenson below, he explains that after outgrowing the embarrassment, years later he found himself searching out this make-believe but very real family. And Best Worst Movie goes one step further. It documents how impossibly connective and family-esque movie culture has become outside the eye and coffers of Hollywood. Such is Troll 2’s power to entertain and unite that it can break through the stale dung of 1,000 McGs like water rapids through a wicked temple built by Druid goblins. Combined, Best Worst Movie and Troll 2 get us back in touch with what it means to love movies, to make them, and to have our lives changed by them for better, and sometimes Worst.
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien Debut: What Did You Think?
Posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 by Hunter Stephenson
The debut of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien ended just minutes ago, with Will Ferrell as the sole guest (nice entrance), music by Pearl Jam (good choice for the youngs?), and Andy Richter adding a welcome, if plentiful, laugh track. Also: myriad Choco Taco jokes. The show began with Conan—his red wave on high—introducing a pre-taped segment in which he sprinted in a suit from New York to his new HQ in L.A. on the Universal lot. His soundtrack? Cheap Trick’s “Surrender.”
For the most part, Conan played it safe with the transition. There was a bit of his signature hyper-giddiness schtick per the takeover, but no big surprises or real inventiveness. His monologue even contained a flat L.A. Clippers joke that too closely mirrored one (of thousands) that Jay Leno phoned in during his womp-womp send-off last week. (Though Leno’s final monologue tribute to Rodney Dangerfield was respectable.) For me the two highlights tonight were the new set, which looks huge on the tube and incredibly classy in high-def, and knowing that The Chin is finally gone…albeit still on NBC in an earlier slot.
Unlike Ferrell, who proclaimed that Conan’s success was a “crapshoot,” we think he’ll do fine. What did you think? How do you foresee Conan, his hair, Andy and Max doing in the months and years ahead?
Editor’s Note: I’ve included a video of the show’s opening after the jump.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Live-Action Season Finale This Sunday…With T-Pain as Frylock
Posted on Saturday, May 30th, 2009 by Hunter Stephenson
Post-Finale Update: So that was delectably epic.
This Sunday at 11: 45 p.m. ET, the rolling, clueless glob better known as Meatwad enters our Meatspace. Sort of. He’ll appear as, erm, an exercise ball, as seen above. In celebration of the season finale, Aqua Teen Hunger Force is airing its first ever live-action episode during its six seasons on [adult swim]. Vocoder rapper, T-Pain, will portray Frylock, the show’s patient, levitating box of French fries. Red Alert: TP’s neck blingee features Mooninites. This fall, T-Pain will also play The Ghost of Spring Break, alongside Lil’ Wayne, Andy Samberg, and Rick Ross, on the [adult swim] special The Return of Freaknik, an animated ode to Atlanta’s infamous ass-bash. Check out the rude and ridic trailer.
Rounding out the cast for Sunday’s Force is cool comedian H. Jon Benjamin (Human Giant, Demitri Martin) as Master Shake and possibly our fave: open audition-winner, Dave Long Jr., as the wife-beater-lovin’ human disgrace known as Carl Brutananadilewski. Pictures and the esoteric episode synopsis after the jump…
Would you like to own a piece of cinematic history? I’m not talking about a small prop or piece or wardrobe…. but a location. Cameron’s house from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is now on the market, for only $2.3 million.
Designed by A. James Speyer and David Haid, the Ben Rose Home features two steel and glass buildings cantilevered over a ravine, offering “incredible vistas of the surrounding woods.” Built in 1953, the 5300 square foot, four bedroom, four bath property is located in Highland Park, Illinois.
I have included the scene from the movie embedded after the jump. For more information on the property, go to Realtor.com.
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Breaking Bad: Episode “Phoenix,” Flynn’s Ugly Website, and Season 2 Finale Predictions
Posted on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 by Hunter Stephenson
Our recap and mini-essay for last week’s Breaking Bad proved surprisingly popular. We’re glad to see so many /Film readers tuning in to this superb AMC series; it’s a show that frantically cooks up smart debate…as well as predictions for several main characters that are exceedingly bleak and exciting. Today, we discuss “Phoenix,” the 12th episode leading up to next Sunday’s whoa-insured finale. Beware of major spoilers below. Feel free to share your theories on the end of season two, or opinions on the show’s growing comparisons with The Wire, in the comments.
Jaron Pitts has created a trailer for a Green Lantern movie starring Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordon. Pitts combined superimposed computer effects with clips from Firefly, JLU, Star Trek and many other movies and television shows (full list after the jump). It’s too bad that we’re going to have to wait another 2 years for a real Green Lantern film. But for now we have this trailer. Watch it after the jump.
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