Happy Hunger Games boys and girls,
TyT here for another installment of my weekly Film of the Week blog entry, brought to you by Those Dudes Podcast. I know I'm coming to you all a little late this week, but I've been busy so get off my back. I do come to you, however, bringing the gift of my infinite filmic knowledge, which I will apply to this years biggest film...THE HUNGER GAMES!
Let me just start by saying how awesome the entire film was. The sets and designs were stunning, the script written almost flawlessly, all the actors were cast perfectly and their acting was sublime. I can't stress enough how well the whole film was made. In a day and age when so many movies cater to throwing money at a problem and not caring if it works or not, The Hunger Games comes in and really applies the material from the adapted novel of the same name in all the right ways.
Going into the film, I knew enough about it to know how they were supposed to handle the story. For those who don't know, The Hunger Games is a yearly competition where teenagers, 12-18 years old, from twelve districts in a futuristic world are selected randomly to fight one another until only one is left alive. That's right, teens killing teens as mandated by The Man. This isn't a totally original theme as there have been several films and historically similar situations. The one that rang bells on my end was a 2000 Japanese film called Battle Royale. That revolves around a high school class all being put on an island and forced to kill one another or being remote detonated to an exploding death. I was expecting a lot of that from The Hunger Games, but found that it had it's own original sort of mythos and plot turns to make it stand out. At it's core (I know I say that every time), the film is about a group of 24 kids who are forced to survive not just against each other, but against a dynotopic society where a bitter president who has read way too much into Machievelli's The Prince, to the point where he wants to keep his kingdom in check by forcing their offspring to be gladiators. The film works best then, when these kids are forced to advertise themselves on TV shows and at lavished banquets to gain sponsers and put on a good show before eventually murdering one another in brutal fashion.
Perhaps the film's strongest assets at work are the actors, who skate around the script like a Disney on ice show. They're all professional in their own ways and it helps anchor the experience in such a way as to properly distribute the emotions the audience carries for each one. You may not really care for Elizabeth Banks' character because she's a painted faced cog in a harsh system, but you never really get around to hating her. The same thing goes for Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz who play Haymitch and Cinna. Both are part of the Hunger Games system, but both command their character's detest for the sport that makes them redeemable. The best acting, however, comes from Katniss herself, Jennifer Lawrence. Many people still don't know who Lawrence is yet and all I can say is, "why?" She killed it in Winter's Bone a few years back and last year in X-Men First Class, so it was no surprise when she signed up for The Hunger Games. As I expected, she has a fearless, at times daunting gaze that drives home the quiet mindset of Katniss. She isn't a heroine who whines and cries over vampires or shirtless werewolves because she can't make a choice (BELLA!), she makes a choice in the beginning of the film to save her little sister and the rest of the film revolves around her honoring that choice (with the risk of losing her life). Definitely one of the stronger young female role models in fiction over the last few decades and Lawrence carries the weight of Katniss like a champ.
All and all, the film was filled with sublime acting, stunning sets and killer action towards the third act. Everything else was like an insight into the human condition and how to cope. The reality of these characters are serious and dire, as apposed to something like Twilight. It's a darker, more realistic seriousness than any Harry Potter, but in the spirit of that franchise, Gary Ross and his crew have made it compelling and honest. This is a turning point for the industry. Good writing honored with good, hard work yields monster results in the box office. As the 3rd highest grossing opening of all time ($153 million in 3 days), The Hunger Games will return with a sequel for sure. We can only hope it is as engaging and beautiful as the first.
TyT's Vertict: EPIC AWESOMENESS (256 stars)
Find TyT on Twitter @bakstar_inc or through Those Dudes @ThoseDudesShow and check out Those Dudes Podcast at www.ThoseDudesShow.com!
3.22.2012
TyT's Film of the Week : 21 Jump Street
Greeting all,
TyT in the house, coming back to you with another installment of TyT's Film of the Week! This week, I've chosen the recently released television remake film comedy adaption, 21 Jump Street. Let's get cracking.
Bottom line, this film is hilarious. I had a chance to see the midnight showing of it with some friends and we all agreed about the comedy content of the flick. It's fresh, smart writing with fits of raunchy behavior, but mostly carries that whole awkward swagger of the modern age that we've come to enjoy (originally brought about with The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up). I know a lot of us are fed up to the forehead with remakes and reboots and "re-imagined" versions of shit we've already seen, but 21 Jump Street goes after this tired approach understanding and empathizing with the audience here. This leads the film to blossom as a story for today's audience, based around the plot structure of 80's at home audience.
For those who don't know about the film, it is the story of two baby faced cops (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) who are fast-tracked into a secret police operation where they will go undercover as teenagers. They need to find the supplier of a new brand of synthetic drug being dealt at a local high school. Needless to say, it seemed as if Tatum would be out of place in a comedic role. Before this, he's done action or romantic films with a few dramas thrown in. Fortunately for us, the kid is at the top of his game here and at times overpowers Hill and the rest of the cast with his comedy chops. That's not to say Hill is bad, he's great too and as one of the writers of the story, it clearly has his brand of comedy built in.
At it's base, 21 Jump Street, makes a case for lower budget films (it rang in at $42 million to make) that don't need shallow characters played by mega stars and senseless CGI or pyrotechnics (though there are a few fireworks) to draw a crowd. The jokes land, the characters are well established and likeable. The story, however been there and done it it is, is brought together by all of this and turns out to be well worth watching. Add in a strong cameo from the one and only Johnny Depp and you've got yourself a well balanced comedy that overshadows anything Adam Sandler has come up with in the last decade (sorry Sand-man, you're lack of enthusiasm shows).
This film has taken Jonah Hill five years to find it's way onto screens and that is evident in how much care and love is put into the work. It's a win for those of us who want more Step Brothers and less Couples Retreat. It's also somewhat of a loss, because Hollywood won't see the content of the comedy or the high caliber care put into making 21 Jump Street work, they'll only see the box office receipts and critic buzz. They'll see the wrong things and continue their pilgrimage down the reboot path without regard for what the world needs (fresh ideas). We don't need more John Carter, big budget flops ($250 million cost against $30 million opening weekend) we need more thin budget films with heart and characters and plot structure and scripts that weren't written with crayon. 21 Jump Street is that kind of film and I'm glad to have it, but I don't know that Hollywood will see the same sort of victory that audiences will.
TyT's Vertict : Must See, Bitches!
Hit TyT up on Twitter @Bakstar_Inc or @ThoseDudesShow and be sure to check out Those Dudes Podcast on www.ThoseDudesShow.com
TyT in the house, coming back to you with another installment of TyT's Film of the Week! This week, I've chosen the recently released television remake film comedy adaption, 21 Jump Street. Let's get cracking.
Bottom line, this film is hilarious. I had a chance to see the midnight showing of it with some friends and we all agreed about the comedy content of the flick. It's fresh, smart writing with fits of raunchy behavior, but mostly carries that whole awkward swagger of the modern age that we've come to enjoy (originally brought about with The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up). I know a lot of us are fed up to the forehead with remakes and reboots and "re-imagined" versions of shit we've already seen, but 21 Jump Street goes after this tired approach understanding and empathizing with the audience here. This leads the film to blossom as a story for today's audience, based around the plot structure of 80's at home audience.
For those who don't know about the film, it is the story of two baby faced cops (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) who are fast-tracked into a secret police operation where they will go undercover as teenagers. They need to find the supplier of a new brand of synthetic drug being dealt at a local high school. Needless to say, it seemed as if Tatum would be out of place in a comedic role. Before this, he's done action or romantic films with a few dramas thrown in. Fortunately for us, the kid is at the top of his game here and at times overpowers Hill and the rest of the cast with his comedy chops. That's not to say Hill is bad, he's great too and as one of the writers of the story, it clearly has his brand of comedy built in.
At it's base, 21 Jump Street, makes a case for lower budget films (it rang in at $42 million to make) that don't need shallow characters played by mega stars and senseless CGI or pyrotechnics (though there are a few fireworks) to draw a crowd. The jokes land, the characters are well established and likeable. The story, however been there and done it it is, is brought together by all of this and turns out to be well worth watching. Add in a strong cameo from the one and only Johnny Depp and you've got yourself a well balanced comedy that overshadows anything Adam Sandler has come up with in the last decade (sorry Sand-man, you're lack of enthusiasm shows).
This film has taken Jonah Hill five years to find it's way onto screens and that is evident in how much care and love is put into the work. It's a win for those of us who want more Step Brothers and less Couples Retreat. It's also somewhat of a loss, because Hollywood won't see the content of the comedy or the high caliber care put into making 21 Jump Street work, they'll only see the box office receipts and critic buzz. They'll see the wrong things and continue their pilgrimage down the reboot path without regard for what the world needs (fresh ideas). We don't need more John Carter, big budget flops ($250 million cost against $30 million opening weekend) we need more thin budget films with heart and characters and plot structure and scripts that weren't written with crayon. 21 Jump Street is that kind of film and I'm glad to have it, but I don't know that Hollywood will see the same sort of victory that audiences will.
TyT's Vertict : Must See, Bitches!
Hit TyT up on Twitter @Bakstar_Inc or @ThoseDudesShow and be sure to check out Those Dudes Podcast on www.ThoseDudesShow.com
3.13.2012
TyT's Film of The Week : HUGO
Alright kids,
TyT in the bloggosphere to bring you a weekly blog series for all you Those Dudes fans out there (so like, two people). If you've heard the show you know I am a man of many references and most of which are extremely obscure or just downright random. So I figured I would give you all a little insight into the cinematic chasm that is my endless knowledge and passion for film. So, I will bring you weekly installments of what I'm calling : TyT's Film of the Week.
Each week, I'll pick a different film whether it be in theaters, recently released to home video or just an old classic I feel you need to know about. Not all will be praise-worthy, but I promise each selection has been picked to help to either expand your filmic knowledge or at very least, keep you from seeing a real piece of shit.
Let's get started shall we. This week, I've chosen the recent 5 time Oscar winning film...HUGO.
For those who don't know what Hugo is, it is a fantasy fiction film adaption of the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, written by Brian Selznick. The film is directed by arguably the greatest American director (or greatest period) ever, Martin Scorsese. If that name is unfamiliar, you should probably just kill yourself because I can already tell you don't know shit about movies, but I'm sure you'd seen some of his films (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Departed, Goodfellas, The Aviator, Mean Streets, Casino,Gangs of New York, The King of Comedy, Shutter Island, and he is also responsible for bringing Boardwalk Empire onto television). The film has a number of amazing actors, including and especially Ben Kingsley, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Sasha Baron Cohen (yes, Borat) and of course Hugo himself, Asa Butterfield.
The film plays in a fantastical way mainly because Scorsese has a fantastical vision of the novel and story. At it's heart, Hugo isn't about flashy things or big budget ploys to make money, it's about enduring love of artists and their dreams. Meanwhile, the whole thing is spirited towards the heart and the healing of broken things. That is not to say the film doesn't look great, because it is perhaps the best looking film of the year and definitely earns it's Oscars in Visual Effects, Art Direction and Cinematography.
I think the thing I enjoyed about it, besides of course the love song to one of the founding pioneers of film, is how unique Scorsese's vision is and how separate it is from his hard, gritty gangster films like Goodfellas and The Departed. The movie works hard to build the story in the right way while keeping the characters relevant, all the while proving that a beautiful film doesn't have to be short on story or heavy on explosions (MICHAEL FREAKING BAY). Where so many studios now-a-days don't give a shit about bringing a story to life and building a strong connection between the audience and the characters on screen, Hugo does only that while it tells the story of an orphan boy who lives in a Paris train station and attempts to rebuild a automata (robot) as a way to rebuild himself.
What the film boils down to, at it's rawest form, is that dreams are something worth having and without them, you may never find your way in the dark, reality that is life. Each character has their own dreams, each character deals with these dreams in their own way, but the whole film plays like a blue tinted dream itself, while keeping it's feet on the ground. You won't see this kind of affection from a Transformers or a Twilight movie, because they filmmakers and producers don't give a damn about sending a message or making something worth testing time. They're after dollar figures and capitalizing on the audiences willingness to pay money to see poorly executed everything. I suppose we are to blame for that, because we are the ones who put up the cash.
Hugo is not that. Hugo is anything but that. Hugo is the work of a film genius, who genuinely cares about quality and story and wanted to get a great story out. Scorsese went way out of his niche mainly because he is the kind of diverse auteur who can, but also because he believed in what the story of Hugo Cabret was and wanted to share that with the world.
I've heard one of two people say the movie is slow paced, which I don't believe is the case here. I do, however, believe we have forfeited what cinema is about in order to be entertained by mindless fireworks and flat, nonredeemable characters. We'll never get back to the days where a filmmaker's labor was made from love and money lines or box office receipts, but with Hugo, at least it's good to know some of them are still after making art and dreams.
TyT's Vertict : Must See, Bitches
Hit TyT up on Twitter @Bakstar_Inc or @ThoseDudesShow and be sure to check out Those Dudes Podcast on www.ThoseDudesShow.com
3.03.2012
The Krampus
What's up peeps! TyT here to address the monster in the room. Jaffy and I had our good friend and special guest G-Baby drop by the studio this weekend to sit in and record our newest podcast. We got into a number of topics, from American Idol (or A Merkin Idol as Jaffy calls it) to Rosie O'Donnell, but there was one topic we just couldn't get enough of...The Krampus.
Since you awesome listeners won't be able to hear the show for another week or so, I felt it only right to preface this episode with a blog explaining what exactly the Krampus is exactly. According to the Alpine Region of the world, the Krampus is a creature of lore that accompanies Saint Nick when he makes his rounds on Christmas. Where Santa man give the good boys and girls presents, Krampus goes another route. In fact, it's the most extreme route possible. Basically, he steals the naughty children, licks their heads, pulls their ears, beats them with switches and brings them back to his rape cave where he then cooks the children as his very special holiday dinner.
Yes, you read that all right.
This is what some European cultures believe as children and I have to say it is awesome. Set aside everything and enjoy this authentic picture (coming to you from National Buffoon Blog) and if nothing else, it is a testament to the awesomeness that is this evil, Christmas rape monster.
I think what is even more disturbing is that on the same blog page is an image of what appears to be a real person either portraying the Krampus or perhaps the real Krampus himself...not a monster or myth, but a man with very handsy hands.
I'll leave you guys with that last image to destroy your brains. Be sure to tune in at www.ThoseDudesShow.com for next weeks episode. We will be on the Krampus for a solid 20 minutes.
You can also follow us on Twitter @ThoseDudesShow and on Facebook.
TyT Out
Since you awesome listeners won't be able to hear the show for another week or so, I felt it only right to preface this episode with a blog explaining what exactly the Krampus is exactly. According to the Alpine Region of the world, the Krampus is a creature of lore that accompanies Saint Nick when he makes his rounds on Christmas. Where Santa man give the good boys and girls presents, Krampus goes another route. In fact, it's the most extreme route possible. Basically, he steals the naughty children, licks their heads, pulls their ears, beats them with switches and brings them back to his rape cave where he then cooks the children as his very special holiday dinner.
Yes, you read that all right.
This is what some European cultures believe as children and I have to say it is awesome. Set aside everything and enjoy this authentic picture (coming to you from National Buffoon Blog) and if nothing else, it is a testament to the awesomeness that is this evil, Christmas rape monster.
I think what is even more disturbing is that on the same blog page is an image of what appears to be a real person either portraying the Krampus or perhaps the real Krampus himself...not a monster or myth, but a man with very handsy hands.
I'll leave you guys with that last image to destroy your brains. Be sure to tune in at www.ThoseDudesShow.com for next weeks episode. We will be on the Krampus for a solid 20 minutes.
You can also follow us on Twitter @ThoseDudesShow and on Facebook.
TyT Out
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