At a glance, Looper almost feels like an outlier in Rian Johnson’s minute body of work. Unlike Johnson’s flawless debut, Brick, or his disappointing sophomore effort, The Brothers Bloom, Looper operates within a grand, wide-spanning scope that reaches across time; the central story here is intimate, just as in his other films, but it’s set against a backdrop of classical science fiction world-building and the machinations of time travel. We’re not in high school, Montenegro, or Prague anymore, but rather a dystopic vision of the future which we experience at two very different points in history, both populated with hover bikes, mafia button men, rampant poverty, and telekinetic mutations. Robbed…
-
-
G-S-T Review…Liberal Arts
If you’ve ever mused on the appeal of Josh Radnor, Liberal Arts quite handily offers the most succinct, sincere answer possible. Why do people like him so much? Because he’s likeable. Maybe this is an unsatisfactory conclusion to a burning question for some of you, but regardless, it’s true. Whatever other qualities Radnor possesses as an actor (and a writer, and a director), he has amiable, if snooty and uptight, charm in spades. Whether he’s giving a physical presence to Bob Saget’s voice-overs in How I Met Your Mother or serving as the centerpiece and the architect of his own films, he’s harmlessly agreeable, though for some that could be…
-
G-S-T Double Take Review…End of Watch
What’s better than one GST staff writer’s perspective on a film? How about two? For this round of Double-Take reviews, Bill and Andrew crack their knuckles and dig into David Ayer’s latest street cop drama, End of Watch: By Andrew Crump: If insanity can truly be defined as doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results, then Einstein would’ve immediately pegged David Ayer as a bona fide lunatic. Since his runaway success with Training Day in 2001, Ayer has done nothing but write and, more recently, direct crime films set in Los Angeles at large or South Central in the specific, crafting narratives that are embedded either…
-
Ohhh, Look…Extended First Look At Les Misérables
I know many of us were prepared to accept that Lincoln would dominate come awards time, but we made an oversight: we didn’t let Tom Hooper speak his piece. And now he has. Today, Universal Pictures has released a four minute clip of behind the scenes footage from Hooper’s upcoming adaptation of legendary musical Les Misérables (via Regal Cinemas’ Youtube channel). Put simply, the production looks and sounds spectacular, but watch the clip below yourself and see what you think: The foremost element of the clip is the heavy focus on the live singing, which makes sense. Eschewing prerecorded tracks in favor of letting the cast belt out their own…
-
Sweet 2nd Trailer…'The Hobbit'
We’re wading further and further into Tolkien week, and as each day goes by, that venerable rogue Peter Jackson continues releasing new media for the upcoming first entry in his latest Middle Earth venture, The Hobbit. A day ago, we were treated to a bevvy of hi-res images from the film; today, we have a new trailer on which to feast our eyes. While the clip released earlier this year played a bit broadly, this latest bit of footage focuses much more on establishing tone, and it should be to no one’s surprise that Jackson appears to have nailed it. The Hobbit represents the lighter side of Tolkien’s fantasy; humorous…
-
Spooky (Red Band) Trailer…'Sinister'
Let me be forthcoming: I initially laughed, nay scoffed, at Sinister based on its production credentials. I wondered if Jason Blum possessed an ambition to direct a trilogy of mono-titled horror films. Perhaps, I speculated, we’d see Malicious next, and if that made enough money we’d likely see the trifecta expanded to include such titles as Unpleasant and Eeeeevil. Of course, these thoughts all preceded my first viewing of the original trailer, which creeped me out and showcased what looks like a strong performance from Ethan Hawke. I’m all for atmospheric, built-up horror films that center themselves around really talented actors, so that first impression I had dissolved within mere…
-
Going Back to the Cabin: The Horror of Formula
At first blush, Drew Goddard’s long-awaited meta-horror film Cabin in the Woods (my review) is designed to foster invested discussion of its genre among both its core and secondary audiences. It’s an unavoidable byproduct of meta-filmmaking of any kind; movies that peer behind the scenes, so to speak, lend themselves to more intensive conversation by virtue of their defining sense of self-awareness. Put differently, movie fans like talking about movies that are about movies, and Cabin, brandishing the tropes of horror cinema with an inwardly critical sense of pride, certainly fits that description. The film pulls off a tricky balancing act, existing as a genuine entry in horror canon while also serving as…
-
Sweet Trailer…'Lincoln'
I’m asking, in earnest, for someone to explain to me the “trailer for a trailer” phenomenon that’s gaining more and more popularity as days go by. What’s the point? What’s the purpose? Is the intended effect one that truly lives up to the word “tease”? Do studios think that teasing upcoming trailers will ensure that those clips receive more hits than they would otherwise? There are few things that bug me to the point of needing to simply kvetch about them openly when it comes to film, and this trend happens to be one of them. But that’s maybe besides the point. DreamWorks teased out footage from the full trailer…
-
Guillermo Del Toro's 'Pacific Rim' Gets 3D Converted
Back in July, GST favorite Guillermo Del Toro talked to Collider about his upcoming kaiju film, Pacific Rim, specifically speaking to his decision to forsake the use of 3D technology. The short version is that employing 3D technology to shoot robots of the size he has in mind could lead to issues with scale and perspective in the finished picture, something that any smart filmmaker and artist wisely wants to avoid. But the integrity of Del Toro’s vision and the passion of his sentiment wasn’t enough to defend his project from Warner Bros’ bean counters, as the studio is aiming to give the film the post-conversion treatment in time for its mid-July…
-
The Criterion Files: Homicide
Homicide: Directed by: David Mamet Written by: David Mamet Starring: Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy, Ving Rhames Cinematography: Roger Deakins Music by: Alaric Jans Released: October 9, 1991 David Mamet might today have greater notoriety as a font of controversy and ideological invective than as a filmmaker (and perhaps even as a playwright). Maybe one could argue that that’s merely a symptom of being a conservative convert in an industry dominated by adherents of liberalism, but the more likely cause for his infamy is his own mouth; Mamet’s anti-left wing diatribes could turn even Ann Coulter a bright shade of red. But common wisdom dictates that we can separate the art…
