In the vein of iconic monster/adventure properties like The Monster Squad, Scooby-Doo even The Iron Giant comes Laika’s follow-up to their hit film Coraline. ParaNorman, is a fantastically intricate stop-motion (or “stop-frame” to you film fans in the UK) animated film that follows Norman, a young boy who is more than a little obsessed with the macabre…he can actually see and communicate with ghosts. He takes it all in stride but is most definitely an outcast but like all great outcasts, he’s destined to save the day because of his eccentricities. It’s a common story but from the mind of Chris Butler, this more or less familiar theme is spun just enough and is ‘wonky’ enough…
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G-S-T Review…Klown
Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen, the stars and writers of Denmark’s Klown, should find themselves in good company among the most prominent members of the raunchy comedy pantheon. Alternately, the remorselessly profane Danish duo might repulse their peers just as easily. Klown, the cinematic evolution of the television show Hvam and Christensen created and featured in together for four years, pushes every boundary of good taste with a smirk and a cackle; there’s gleeful deceit to how the film frequently builds toward redemptive kindness before pulling the rug out from under our feet. But if the film’s primary interest lies in taking the mickey out of Frank, Casper, and the audience, its…
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“The CineMagic 8-Ball” – In Theaters 8/17/12
When so many movies are released each weekend and trailers often seem better than the movie itself, what should one do? In this precarious situation, we consult the The CineMagic 8-Ball (TM) to help us see through the nebulous marketing haze. Doing so just might save us all a disheartening trip to the cinema and spare us unnecessarily springing for $7 popcorn. See what the 8-Ball says about this week’s releases… ——————————————————————————————————————————————- THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN Happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy shows up on their doorstep…
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G-S-T Review…The Odd Life of Timothy Green
If you stop and think about the impact that Disney has had on all of our lives, it’s simply staggering. It would be almost impossible to find someone you know who has never seen a Disney film or TV show. Disney’s formula for success is often imitated, but there is only one Disney. With The Odd Life of Timothy Green, you have a Mary Poppins tale of sorts. You understand it’s a Disney family film and you suspend disbelief, just long enough to allow yourself to get sucked into the movie. You put the Disney name on a film and it’s almost guaranteed to make a profit. But, does Odd…
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Sweet Trailer…'For Ellen'
We posted a brief announcement about the stirring Paul Dano led film For Ellen a few months back but since it was only popping up on the festival circuit, we kind of forgot about it…until now. Coming off the success of Being Flynn, and the enjoyable comedy Ruby Sparks, Dano’s star is on the rise. For Ellen follows an aspiring rock star who wanted nothing more than to “make it”. In the midst of a low period in his life, he agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife in order to see money from the sale of their home, only to discover that by signing the papers, he will forfeit all custody of…
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Sweet Trailer…'Seven Psychopaths'
It’s been four years since Martin McDonagh directed his first feature-length picture, but the wait between In Bruges and McDonagh’s next project is almost over. Today, Seven Psychopaths gets its first trailer, which should blow away any preconceptions you may have formed about the film in your head based on the title. For me, this is nothing but good news; with one two and a half minute clip, McDonagh’s placed his sophomore effort firmly on my radar for the fall season. Put more simply, Seven Psychopaths looks hilarious and deranged, but what else can you expect from a filmmaker with such a black sense of humor and a cast containing everyone from Walken to Rockwell to…
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Video Interview…’ParaNorman’ Writer/Co-Directors Chris Butler & Sam Fell
In Laika‘s follow-up to their animated hit film Coraline, comes the similarly unique and oddball adventure ParaNorman; the storyabout a boy (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) who’s able to speak with the dead, and must to save his small town from a centuries-old curse. The brainchild of Chris Butler, he and co-director Sam Fell bring the delightfully dreary and phantasmically funny film ParaNorman to life and in Stereoscopic 3D! Go,See,Talk got the chance to sit with both Butler and Fell to talk about their “stop-frame” film. We discuss its development (a dizzying 16 years in the making), its distinctive look, and more. Enjoy! A misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead, takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save…
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Ohhh, Look…Mondo's 'ParaNorman' Posters
This week we’ll see the release of Laika Animation’s stop-frame film ParaNorman. A mix of John Hughes meets John Carpenter, this 80’s styled throw-back from Chris Butler and Sam Fell is bound to tickle your funny bone if you love all things creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky. One of a couple stop motion animated films left in 2012, this looks highly original all kinds of fun (having seen it, we can vouch for it on both counts). To get us closer to ParaNorman, which hits theaters this weekend, Mondo has released the digital versions of the posters they had printed up a few weeks ago. Here are 3 of the better ones,…
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“What’s New on Blu?” – Week of 08/13/12
Whether you rent or buy movies, Blu-ray offers the ultimate in sight and sound. Streaming is convenient, but if you plan on watching the movie more than once, you need Blu. So, What’s New On Blu? you ask. Well, good, bad or indifferent, Go,See,Talk offers up a number of titles that are being released each week. Check out what’s hitting the shelves this week… ——————————————————————————————————————————— A swat team arrives at a rundown apartment block with a mission to remove its owner, a notorious drug lord named Tama. The building has never been raided before, never been touched by police. Seen as a no go zone it has since become a…
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G-S-T Quick 5 – Favorite Chris Messina Films
Last week saw the release of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ‘ highly entertaining ensemble indie comedy Ruby Sparks. While high marks go to the directing duo (who also gave us Little Miss Sunshine) and even higher ones going to star/writer Zoe Kazan, this post is an effort to highlight the unsung hero of that charming and highly original film; one Chris Messina. He’s the likable every-man but also has the chops to pull off any and all roles from “that guy” to a capable leading man. Just a solid staple in every film he’s in, his star is steadily rising but he still hasn’t quite broken out yet. In the film world we’ve seen actors like…
