McG hearts the Mitten.

A few hundred eager area moviegoers were treated to a nice bonus on Monday night, when an advance screening of Terminator Salvation turned into a meet and greet with the film's director, the man know as McG.  Kalamazoo born and bred Joseph McGinty Nichol has made a splash in Hollywood with his glossy, hyper kinetic music video take on the Charlie's Angels flicks, and now he's traded Drew Barrymore for killer robots. The director was full of smiles and homeboy love for his fellow Michiganders, as he fired up the already juiced crowd, hyping the pic and hurling t-shirts into the cheap seats. He even hinted that our pleasant penninsula might host the next man vs. machine slugfest, saying: "Maybe we'll bring the sequel here and you guys can come hang out with Bale". Dude's got a point, if you need a post apocalyptic wasteland; look no further.

After the credits rolled McG was mobbed in the lobby by throngs of appreciative fans, thier ears still ringing from the the movies nonstop dolby explosions, and thier heads filled with the promise of more star sightings in the near future, as the state continues to transform into a 21st century filmaking hub.    

ALL HAIL JACKIE EARLE HALEY

I was a pup when I first saw Bad News Bears; developed a heady childhood crush on Tatum O’ Neal, as a matter of fact. Be that as it may, what really got me was the anti-heroics of 14-year-old Jackie Earle Haley — as Kelly Leak— the smirk-y, cigarette-pack-in-sleeve badass whose manner bucked all kid-’70s suburban conventions, down to the motorcycle wheelies in the baseball diamond. His rock star features and swagger shaped wet dreams of a teen-girl nation; he was what ’70s cornflakes like Willie Aames or Leif Garrett or Scott Baio wished they were. I’d often wonder about Jackie Earle Haley and what happened to him, where he’d gone, how he survived. He sidestepped dire “Where are they now?”-type TV shows and by my imagination’s connect-the-dots, seeped into some self-medicated netherworld (I figured just below Cahuenga and Hollywood.) Shit, Haley could’ve been dead.

Then, from nowhere, came 2006’s Little Children, the spectacularly literate and engrossing Todd Field film adapted from Tom Perrotta’s novel that peers scarily below contemporary suburban conventions. Field brilliantly cast Haley as the odd and oedipal child-molester who, in an act of self-sacrifice, lops off his own cock on a child’s swing in a park at night, a few feet away from Kate Winslet’s Sarah Pierce. Little Children was Haley’s first film in 13 years and he was a stunner. He got nominated for an Oscar. It was the comeback of the century.

Haley’s glorious return barely blipped public radar, though — no kisses from Sean Penn, no triumphant and hyperboliffic headlines — partially because child actors are mostly considered freaks and who remembers Bad News Bears or Breaking Away anyway? But his rise was bigger, better, and more profound than Mickey Rourke’s recent star-popping (re)turn in The Wrestler, where he essentially plays himself. Rourke, by the way, was just as spot-on as the meth dealer in 2002's Spun, the one who sodomizes Brittney Murphy. But you didn’t see Spun, did you? Remember, after 1976’s Bad News Bears and 1979’s Breaking Away, Haley all but vanished. He was done. His star fall was hard and mighty, like how talkies killed off John Gilbert and Pola Negri — in those down years Haley worked as a limo-driver and a pizza delivery guy, a descent any celeb kid with even a hardened psyche wouldn’t/couldn’t have endured.

Now, Haley’s the take-no-shit Rorschach in The Watchmen — he’s basically Kelly Leak from Bad News Bears, but all grown up. In a world of pretend, Rorschach’s who you’d expect young Leak to have evolved into, a crushing, noirish presence of ominous shadows and existential badassness. I held the freckly, smooth-skinned Haley in high esteem because his Bad News persona saw a kid who lived outside compromise, and he did it naturally. In The Watchmen, his Rorschach — with that Snake Pliskan-doing-Dirty Harry dialog delivery — lives life without compromise; Rorschach sports Leak’s weird aura of untouchability, but with harder, more sobering stares. (And Haley’s face is narrower now and his complexion’s coarse like Scott Glenn's, hard years etched in lines.) He’s more dimunitive than I'd thought too, but his presence is mighty tall. You can’t keep your eyes off him as he snaps limbs and torches SWAT guys.

See the feature on Haley running in the print edition of Metro Times that hits streets Wednesday.

Jackie Earle Haley: Existential badass

Morons at the movies.

The president has been pushing for more civility lately, but it can't come soon enough to the multiplex. Last night I attended an advance screening for a hard R rated slasher movie, one held at a later time of night than usual. Exactly the sort of event where you wouldn't expect to hear the cries of an infant, but there were at least two in the theater. And strangely enough, the babies did what babies do in dark places with scary noises, they cried, through the whole two hour movie. While horror movies are not known for audience decorum, and there was plenty of screaming, hooting and talking back at the screen "Don't go in there!" "Oh My God you idiot he's behind you!!", etc. No biggie, when adults do it, but a child can't help them selves, because kids under five don't belong in a freaking movie theater! 
    
To make matters worse, when the lights came up we spotted several kids under 13 in attendance, including two cute young girls around ten, who just watched roughly 14 murders involving knives, axes, arrows through the head, a wood chipper, a bear trap, and several topless women getting diced into cat food sized chunks.

An annoyed colleague chased down this family and asked the mother why in hell she brought kids to a flick like this, and her answer was "If only I'd known". Right. Because there's no possible way to know that a twenty eight year old film series about a blade wielding mass murderer, would be, you know, violent or something.


So who's to blame?

Well mostly the classless, dim witted twits who think that bodily fluid exchange qualifies them for parenthood. The promotion company is tasked with getting a good turnout, and can't really control who shows up or gets in, but they should at least include a disclaimer on the passes, which will of course be ignored. But if you ask me, the studios, the theater chains and the MPAA, are all guilty, for failing to create or support in any way a true rating that works for adults. NC-17 is seen as the kiss of death, because they just can't dream of giving up a nickel to the lucrative teenage crowds they peddle gore, slime and choas to. 

Mitten Movie Night

Every month for the last few years, the Mitten Movie Project has taken to the screen, showing some of the best short subject films from around the state and beyond. It happens the first Tuesday night of every month, half-screening, half-party, a way to showcase local talent and bring local movie folk together.

If you’re a local filmmaker, you probably already know what’s on offer. But for those considering plopping down $10 for some unknown films, it can be a gamble. Well, now, through the miracle of Internet video, those who are unsure what to expect can drink in some teasers when making up their minds.

For a gander at one of the evening’s more serious films, take a look at this clip for It All Adds Up, a doc about Wayne State University’s Math Corps program.

For a peek at a documentary about feet, called, um, Feet, there’s a trailer online to help get you in step with what that’s about.

But best of all, you can view the final entry in its entirety, Snippy's New Year. When animated clay figures discover booze, can Plasticine puke be far behind? (We thought not.) And if you like the little blue guy, he now has his own website: snippyworld.com. Enjoy!



Mitten Movie Project is Feb. 3, at the Main Art Theatre (118 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-263-2111); mix-and-mingle reception starts at 6:30 p.m., films roll at 7:30 p.m.; afterglow at Mr. B’s (215 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-399-0017); tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at door. See myspace.com/mittenmovieproject for more info.

Oscar List: Robert Downey, Jr is In, Detroit Snubbed!

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its list of nominated films, this morning.  

On the list for the 81st Oscars are some obvious picks -- Sean Penn in "Milk", Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" and the numerous nods for "Benjamin Button". 

One shocker is how well the voters liked "Benjamin Button" -- 13 nominations overall. Also, Clint Eastwood received a shutout for his work on Detroit lensed "Gran Torino". Speaking to some critics, they felt Clint would get something for the film because it is said to be his last acting role. But not all is lost for Mr. Eastwood, his other film in 2008, "Changeling" received multiple nominations -- but none for the 78-year-old mulit-talent and multi-award winner. 
 
But the real shocker on the list -- for me -- is that the Academy gave a nomination to this guy for this role:



If I'm correct, that would make Robert Downey Jr. the first actor nominated for a role featuring an actor in "racially incorrect" make-up. But, what's interesting about Downey in "Tropic Thunder" is how he uses that characterisation to mock the pomposity of Hollywood types. Check out this video for more on his feelings about doing the blackface role:



Beyond Downey -- who will probably lose out to Heath Ledger -- it was good to see Mickey Rourke for "The Westler" on the list. Too bad the film itself only received two nominations -- Rourke and co-star Marisa Tomei.

That's just my quick observation of the list. I'm looking forward to what my fellow "Film Forum" hosts on WDET, Jeff and Corey, have to say about it.

Here's the full list:

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor”
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon”
Sean Penn in “Milk”
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in “Milk”
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder”
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt”
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married”
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling”
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River”
Meryl Streep in “Doubt”
Kate Winslet in “The Reader”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in “Doubt”
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis in “Doubt”
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler”

Best animated feature film of the year
“Bolt”
“Kung Fu Panda”
“WALL-E”

Achievement in art direction
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Duchess”
“Revolutionary Road”

Achievement in cinematography
“Changeling” Tom Stern
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Claudio Miranda
“The Dark Knight” Wally Pfister
“The Reader” Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
“Slumdog Millionaire” Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design
“Australia”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Duchess”
“Milk”
“Revolutionary Road”

Achievement in directing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” David Fincher
“Frost/Nixon” Ron Howard
“Milk” Gus Van Sant
“The Reader” Stephen Daldry
“Slumdog Millionaire” Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
“Encounters at the End of the World” Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
“The Garden” Scott Hamilton Kennedy
“Man on Wire” James Marsh and Simon Chinn
“Trouble the Water” Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject
“The Conscience of Nhem En” Steven Okazaki
“The Final Inch” Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
“Smile Pinki” Megan Mylan
“The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“The Dark Knight” Lee Smith
“Frost/Nixon” Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
“Milk” Elliot Graham
“Slumdog Millionaire” Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year
“The Baader Meinhof Complex” Germany
“The Class” France
“Departures” Japan
“Revanche” Austria
“Waltz with Bashir” Israel

Achievement in makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance” James Newton Howard
“Milk” Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire” A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E” Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”, Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”, Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire”, Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best animated short film
“La Maison en Petits Cubes” Kunio Kato
“Lavatory - Lovestory” Konstantin Bronzit
“Oktapodi” Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
“Presto” Doug Sweetland
“This Way Up” Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” Reto Caffi
“Manon on the Asphalt” Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
“New Boy” Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
“The Pig” Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)” Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”

Achievement in sound mixing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”

Achievement in visual effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”

Adapted screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Doubt” “Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Original screenplay
“Frozen River”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges”
“Milk”
“WALL-E”

A nice, shiny and vintage Gran Torino

Finally saw Gran Torino last night, an early evening show in a Birmingham theater filled with white grayhairs and their grandsons, fans of crusty old Clint. I was keen to see shots of Detroit in the film, to know that the weeks-long road obstructions last summer around Highland Park weren't for naught. In some sweet nostalgic way, the street obstacles reminded me of negotiating those in Los Angeles where you couldn't spit in any direction and not hit a film crew and its associated trucks, trailers and cops directing traffic. Film crews have diplomatic immunity in L.A., and apparently do here too, now. Nice that some type of "art" created in America — even if it is dull, celebrity-driven goo-gah — can still earn benevolent gestures from a community at large, and Lord knows Detroit could use the film industry's filthy lucre here.

So, if you've not seen Gran Torino, the scenic wonderland that is near Oakland Avenue between Caniff and the Davison freeway gets much play, the neighborhood in which Clint's Pabst-swilling, racist character resides. Just as they do in real life, the old Detroit homes creak and yawn drunkenly, as do ghosts of industry past — the dilapidated store fronts, desolate pastures of overgrowth and shadowy monoliths of an abandoned factory or two, stand tough and stoic in inner-Detroit, much like Clint's character, a retired Ford factory man. And his car, the film's namesake, is a big shiny metaphor for days of yore when the economy bloomed and the world was a courteous, safe and clean place to live. Indeed, the Motor City was a fine setting. More, the movie's subtext of a rushing society ruined by greedy suburban Americans — where the only hope of spiritual salvation is through tolerance and the melding of cultures and religions — was a bit too convenient in Torino, the fake Hispanic and Asian gangs notwithstanding. And the movie's cornball let's-get-profound finale sees Clint in full-on Jesus pose, dying for the sins of others.

Neat stuff, truth be told, with popcorn and iced beverage in hand. Clint's a monster too. And Detroit is what it is, blown up on the big screen with old Dirty Harry.

So you wanna be a filmmaker?

A new book called How Not to Make a Short Film (Secrets from a Sundance Programmer) just arrived in our office from Hyperion, and what a joy it is. Seems its "expert" author, Roberta Marie Munroe, is a rather witty filmmaker herself whose head happens to be crammed with insider-y film-biz knowledge, which basically fills these 300 or so pages.

Inside this paperback — whose chapters run a kind of "how to" gamut for those looking to create a short film — we found a section called "Top Short Film Maker Cliches." It got us howling. Its eagle-eyed analysis of hackneyed film devices is broken down into dozens of questions filmmakers must ask themselves. Said chapter's readymade for stints atop your toilet. Below are few highlights from a list that was partly assembled, Munroe writes, from unnamed "programmers, filmmakers and distributors." To wit:

-Is there a Japanese tea ritual opening scene?

-Is there a woman in your film masturbating to poetry/spoken word?

-Is there a ninja in your film? 

-Is Deborah Harry in your movie? Alison Janney?

-Does your black male lead really really really want to be a rapper/basketball player?

-Does someone vomit in your film? Does it look like milk and Oreo cookies.

-Is there a convenience store robbery that goes awry? Are the owners a Korean couple stumbling through broken English?

-Is the reason the robbery goes awry due to the English-as-a-second-language issue?

-Are two men in an argument (Black, Caucasian, Asian, whatever) where one calls the other bitch? Bro? My Niggah?

-Is there a tall Black man with a bad Jamaican accent telling your white lead to find Jah? Go back to his girlfriend? "Slow down, man"?

-Are your main characters late for a wedding? Funeral? Does this cause them to fight and the woman to go back to smoking?

-Are any of the characters in your film a mime?

-A zombie? A robot?

-Is the character in the wheelchair in your film actually wheelchair bound?

-Does your film have a lesbian or gay subtext that never materializes?

-Are there white guys in their twenties sitting around a table doing lines of cocaine?

-Are there four guys driving to Vegas and one of them accidentally dies?

Clint Puts "Gran Torino" on a Trailer

This past summer, Clint "Dirty Harry", "The Man with No Name" Eastwood was in town shooting a little film called "Gran Torino".

Check out the trailer!




As your good pal Corey Hall, Metro Times reviewer and "First Friday Film Forum" co-host, says it looks like "Grumpy Old Men" meets "The Enforcer".
 
"Gran Torino" opens limited on December 18th before going wide in January.

The question is will Warner Brothers remember Detroit and release it here as part of the limited schedule?


 

The Old Picturehouse

     I don't know if you feel as I do, but when I walk into a place like the Fox Theatre or the Detroit Film Theatre, I'm struck with a sense of awe. It's just amazing that these places were made for film. They don't make 'em like that anymore and the multiplex just doesn't have the same character. 

Is Hollywood Ripping You Off?

In the world of tax incentives, there are winners and losers. This week, City of Detroit approved a $135,000,000 tax abatement over 25 years for General Motors to build the Chevy Volt electric car at the Poletown plant. For that, GM says it will hire 550 additional employees.

This is usually how it works: a company (A) wants to make something (B) and asks the government for financial consideration (C)even though everyone knows they have the cash to pay for it itself.

Much is the same with Hollywood.

But, earlier this year, Lansing approved tax incentives to bring left coast lens-men (and women) to town. Since the Michigan Film Incentive Program was approved 60 films have been approved to shoot around the state. And since then, people have been stargazing. Michael Cera in Youth in Revolt, his Juno co-star Ellen Page and Juliette Lewis in the Drew Barrymore helmed Whip It, Clint Eastwood starring/directing Gran Torino, The Butterfly Effect: Revelations (Part 3) and several others. There's also talk of David Fincher using Detroit for interiors in the upcoming Matt Damon film about Elliot Ness and a serial killer called Torso.

Last year, before the incentives were approved, only three films were shot in the state.

So, where are we roughly six months into the incentives?

According to State Representative Andy Meisner (D) of Ferndale, the program is helping more than just film production companies.

State Senator Tom George(R) of Kalamazoo says he backs the incentives program, but its cost is too much. He says Michigan has given away $144,000,000 since April. George has a bill pending in Lansing that would limit the Michigan Film Incentive Program to $100,000,000 a year.

Meanwhile, fellow Republican State Representative Chuck Moss created this video poking fun at the incentive package and the current state of Michigan�s business tax structure.

While both sides talk it out. What do you think?

Give us a call: (313) 577-1019

First Friday Film Forum on Detroit Today
Friday, October 3^rd at 11am
On WDET 101.9FM • Detroit Public Radio

www.detroittoday.org or www.wdetfm.org

“I didn’t know there was a number 2?”

Out and about today I happened upon another film crew taking in the sights around Detroit. At Woodward and Congress, just up from "the fist" and "the spirit" and just south of Campus Martius Park filming was underway in a little diner for the third installment of The Butterfly Effect.

The Butterfly Effect 3? I know what you are thinking, I didn't know there was a number 2? The original Effect premiered in 2004 and is a supernatural thriller starring That 70's Show actor and Demi Moore husband, Ashton Kutcher. It got decent notices. Meanwhile, Butterfly 2 went straight to DVD. That appears to be the fate of this third installment currently going before the lens here in Detroit but there is a bright spot.

The Butterfly Effect 3 will be released as part of the horror/cult fan favorite series 8 Films to Die For in January. That means a limited theatrical release across the US, including Detroit, and then on to DVD.

You might be willing to write it off "straight to video" as trash, but, if you talk to my good friend Jim Olenski at Thomas Video and DVD in Clawson, the 8 Films to Die For series have had a few gory gems over the last several years. Jim recommended Frontier(s) from the 2006 edition of the series the last time I was in the store. So, if you head to Thomas Video, tell Jim that Rob St. Mary sent you.

The B-Roll

May 2009

March 2009

February 2009

January 2009

November 2008

October 2008

September 2008

August 2008

July 2008