Sound On Sight Podcast Rewind: Episode #63 – Paul Newman Special
Paul Newman is without a doubt my favorite actor of all time. Today is his birthday and so I figured it would be fun to spotlight one of our older podcasts. In episode 63 of the Sound On Sight podcast … [Read the Rest]
Thursday Comedies: 30 Rock 6.03 & 6.04, Parks and Rec 4.13, Archer 3.05, Unsupervised 1.02
30 Rock, Season 6, Episodes 3 & 4, “Idiots are People Three!” & “The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell” “Idiots” Written by Robert Carlock, Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller “Ballad” Written by Matt Hubbard, Directed by Jeff Richmond Airs Thursday at 8pm … [Read the Rest]
Friday Noir: Director Ray makes a great first impression with ‘They Live by Night’
They Live by Night Directed by Nicholas Ray Screenplay by Charles Schnee U.S.A., 1949 Young love is a powerful thing, even dangerously so when it blinds people from reality. When the hearts of two youths are intertwined as they are … [Read the Rest]
Sundance 2012: ‘The End of Love’ asks how lives and dreams fall through the cracks
The End Of Love Directed by Mark Webber Written by Mark Webber 2012, USA In The End of Love director and actor Mark Webber creates a reality steeped in grief. At the center of the story is Mark (played by … [Read the Rest]
Sound on Sight Podcast #305: David Cronenberg’s ‘A Dangerous Method’ and ‘Crash’
We have a long and storied history of feting David Cronenberg over here at SOS – hell, the first iteration of our podcast was called The Naked Lunch. Our Cronenberg fanboyism gets seriously tested this week, though, with the opening … [Read the Rest]
George Lucas: One (mega) hit wonder?
It’s a phrase out of the music industry: one-hit wonders. Those bands that come out of nowhere, hit the top of the charts with a catchy – maybe even impressive – single, or have one chart-topping album, and then never … [Read the Rest]
Sundance 2012: ‘West of Memphis’ heartwrenching and triumphant, but no victory lap
West of Memphis Directed by Amy Berg 2012, USA You might think you know the story of the West Memphis Three as it was covered extensively by the press and the Paradise Lost documentary trilogy throughout the last 18 years. Then … [Read the Rest]
Finishing the Disc: Six Great Series to Marathon
Most people watch TV passively, as a way to wind down their day or relax with their family. Then there are TV fans, who sit forward in their seats, eager to be challenged and inspired as well as entertained by … [Read the Rest]
Sound on Sight Podcast #304: Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Haywire’ and ‘Contagion’
No year is complete without at least one new Soderbergh vehicle, and despite his proclaimed status of sorta-retirement, 2012 will bring two of them; the first is the Gina Carano-powered actioner Haywire, which reteams him with Limey / Kafka scribe … [Read the Rest]
‘Theatre Bizarre’ resurrects the horror omnibus
The Theatre Bizarre Directed by Richard Stanley, Buddy Giovinazzo, Douglas Buck, Karim Hussain, David Gregory, Tom Savini and Jeremy Kasten USA/France, 2011 A horror anthology in seven parts, The Theatre Bizarre is a throwback to the tradition of the port-manteaux … [Read the Rest]
‘The Wicker Tree’ successfully reimagines Hardy’s masterpiece
The Wicker Tree Written by Robin Hardy Directed by Robin Hardy UK, 2011 Made nearly 40 years ago, Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man has become so engrained in the public imagination that spiritual and religious beliefs have actually sprung from … [Read the Rest]
‘The Love Bug’ evokes the era of Disney as underdog innovators
The Love Bug Directed by Robert Stevenson Written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on the book Car, Boy, Girl by Gordon Buford 1968, USA, imdb As I mentioned during the Mousterpiece Cinema podcast about The Love Bug, when … [Read the Rest]
‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’ offers the bitter with the sweet
In the Land of Blood and Honey Directed by Angelina Jolie Written by Angelina Jolie U.S.A., 2011 It is no secret that Hollywood darling Angelina Jolie invests time and energy in far more than just her film roles. She is … [Read the Rest]
‘The Grey’ an effective survival thriller with an existential streak
The Grey Written by Joe Carnahan and Ian Mackenzie Jeffers Directed by Joe Carnahan USA, 2012 Man vs. nature may be a narrative as old as time, but Joe Carnahan’s The Grey would probably have been most at home in … [Read the Rest]
‘Man on a Ledge’ never plunges to greatness
Man on a Ledge Directed by Asger Leth Written by Pablo F. Fenjves U.S.A, 2012 It feels safe to assume that ensemble pieces are rarely an easy proposition. The matter of juggling good writing and proper screen time between a … [Read the Rest]
‘Présumé Coupable’ is frustratingly good
Présumé Coupable (English title: Guilty) Directed by Vincent Garenq Screenplay by Vincent Garenq and Serge Frydman France. 2011 There are few things which can grip a nation’s passions quite like a striking, controversial and prolonged court case. In some instances, … [Read the Rest]
‘Red Tails’ drops the ball a number of times in its execution, but it deserves an A for effort
Red Tails Directed by Anthony Hemingway Screenplay by John Ridley 2012, USA George Lucas tried for more than twenty years to get a movie made about the Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black fighter pilot unit that served during the Second World … [Read the Rest]
‘Coriolanus’ is well-acted, poorly directed Shakespeare
Coriolanus Written by John Logan Directed by Ralph Fiennes UK/Canada, 2011 Adapting Shakespeare for the screen is a tough thing to do, especially in a modern age when people have a great deal of trouble simply understanding the dialogue. One … [Read the Rest]
The Varied Face of the Biopic
It seems that every award season cinemas big and small are assaulted by a glut of biopics. Whether they are a retelling of an inspirational personal triumph al a 127 Hours or whether they retell the stories of life’s … [Read the Rest]
5 Films That Wasted Their Potential
Sitting through an awful film is an excruciating experience, especially when you feel compelled to keep going for the sake of critical merit. The whole thing feels like a colonic irrigation that, lets face it, is even more wasteful … [Read the Rest]
Risk vs. Reward: How a Midseason Premiere Can Help
With the holidays out of the way and new episodes of TV starting back up again, it’s time for the networks to start their second round of premieres. The first is of course in the fall, when Premiere Week means … [Read the Rest]
Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot?: Six Series about Starting Over
The beginning of each year is a time for reevaluation, renewal, and resolutions. Every year, millions of people decide to turn over a new leaf in one part of their lives or another, to finally quit smoking, to keep to … [Read the Rest]
2011 Box Office: It’s Deja Vu All Over Again
Want a prediction for 2012 at the movies? It’s going to look a lot like 2011. An awful lot. It’s going to be a case of, If ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well, actually, the creative machinery in Hollywood is … [Read the Rest]
The Best Quebec Films From 2011
The “foreign” film, product of another world where people converse in odd dialects and act in peculiar ways. We need to be honest that the vast majority of films that most people consume every year are either American mainstream blockbusters … [Read the Rest]
Staff List: The 30 Best Films of 2011
With more movies in limited and general release than ever before, 2011 was a ridiculously crowded year for both casual and discerning moviegoers alike. One by-product of the glut is a refreshing lack of consensus; so many films have been … [Read the Rest]
Staff List: The 30 Best Films of 2011
With more movies in limited and general release than ever before, 2011 was a ridiculously crowded year for both casual and discerning moviegoers alike. One by-product of the glut is a refreshing lack of consensus; so many films have been … [Read the Rest]
Memento Mori: Remembering those we lost in 2011
In October of 2010, Sound on Sight asked me to do my first commemorative piece on the passing of filmmaker Arthur Penn. I suspect I was asked because I was the only one writing for the site old enough to … [Read the Rest]
Sundance 2012: ‘The End of Love’ asks how lives and dreams fall through the cracks
The End Of Love Directed by Mark Webber Written by Mark Webber 2012, USA In The End of Love director and actor Mark Webber creates a reality steeped in grief. At the center of the story is Mark (played by … [Read the Rest]
Sundance 2012: ‘West of Memphis’ heartwrenching and triumphant, but no victory lap
West of Memphis Directed by Amy Berg 2012, USA You might think you know the story of the West Memphis Three as it was covered extensively by the press and the Paradise Lost documentary trilogy throughout the last 18 years. Then … [Read the Rest]
Sundance 2012: Blog entry #1: The Sundance experience, and buzzed-about films
“In the course of ten days, Sundance is a great exercise in prioritizing and decision making. Follow your instincts or the buzz of the crowd, watch the truly independent films in the competition line up that desperately need an audience … [Read the Rest]
20 Notable Premieres at Sundance 2012 (Pt. 2)
The annual Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off this weekend, is one of the most renowned film festivals on the circuit and has been known to launch the careers of many a rising talent. The Festival has changed over the … [Read the Rest]
20 Notable Premieres at Sundance 2012 (Pt. 1)
The Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off this weekend, has been known to launch the careers of many a rising talent. The Festival has changed over the decades from a low-profile venue for small-budget, independent creators outside the Hollywood system … [Read the Rest]
Ten UK premieres in stand-out FrightFest line-up for Glasgow FF 2012
The UK’s favourite horror fantasy festival returns to its second home at the Glasgow Film Festival for the 7th year with its biggest line-up ever. From Friday Feb 24 to Saturday Feb 25, Film4 FrightFest will be screening eleven new … [Read the Rest]
Filmfest Hamburg `11: `Sleeping Beauty´ or what happens to fairy tales reductio ad absurdum
Sleeping Beauty Directed by Julia Leigh Screenplay by Julia Leigh 2011, Autralia Title and synopsis of Julia Leigh’s directorial debut suggests it to be an intriguingly dark and twisted version of the most well known and in film most frequently … [Read the Rest]
Sundance 2012: Special event: Hit RECord at the Movies with Joseph Gordon-Levitt
HITRECORD.ORG is a project started by JGL back in 2005 which has evolved into a professional open collaborative production company in which they create and develop art and media collaboratively on the site. It is a place where individuals gather … [Read the Rest]
Sundance 2012 Announces Feature and Documentary Premieres
The Sundance Film Festival (apart from Venice) remains the only major film festival that we have not yet had a chance to fully cover. Hopefully 2012 will change that situation. It is one of our goals for next year and … [Read the Rest]
Sound On Sight Podcast Rewind: Episode #63 – Paul Newman Special
Paul Newman is without a doubt my favorite actor of all time. Today is his birthday and so I figured it would be fun to spotlight one of our older podcasts. In episode 63 of the Sound On Sight podcast … [Read the Rest]
Sound on Sight Podcast #305: David Cronenberg’s ‘A Dangerous Method’ and ‘Crash’
We have a long and storied history of feting David Cronenberg over here at SOS – hell, the first iteration of our podcast was called The Naked Lunch. Our Cronenberg fanboyism gets seriously tested this week, though, with the opening … [Read the Rest]
The Televerse #21- Spotlight on Justified / Terriers with Alyssa Boehm
We’re chock full o’ vampires this week, with Simon and I both reporting on our respective Vampire Diaries catchups. Then there are a few more pilots and premieres in Our Week in TV before we spotlight Justified’s season three premiere, … [Read the Rest]
Sound on Sight Podcast #304: Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Haywire’ and ‘Contagion’
No year is complete without at least one new Soderbergh vehicle, and despite his proclaimed status of sorta-retirement, 2012 will bring two of them; the first is the Gina Carano-powered actioner Haywire, which reteams him with Limey / Kafka scribe … [Read the Rest]
Sound on Sight B-Sides: ‘Like Crazy’ / ‘A Better Life’
This is what we like to call the B-sides, a series of podcasts produced and hosted by Sound On Sight staff writers, outside of the regular Sound On Sight radio hosts. On this deportation double feature, Josh Youngerman and Simon … [Read the Rest]
Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 29: ‘The Love Bug’
Even though it’s been over 40 years since he first drove onto the silver screen and captured America’s heart, there are a lot of questions you can ask about Herbie, that famous Volkswagen Beetle. Why does he act like a … [Read the Rest]
Sound on Sight Walking Dead Podcast, #15: Inspirations: 28 Days Later
While we wait patiently for The Walking Dead to return to AMC with the back half of its second season, we’ll be taking a look at some of the previous zombie works that have influenced the series in one significant … [Read the Rest]
The Televerse #20- Spotlight on The Good Wife/Wonderfalls with Dan Toland
It’s a mixed bag this week, as Simon and I tackle yet more midseason pilots and premieres in Our Week in TV before spotlighting The Good Wife‘s most recent episode, “Bitcoin for Dummies.” Then we welcome Dan Toland from Earth-2.net … [Read the Rest]
Movie Lovers Podcast Episode #1 – ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’, ‘War Horse’ and Best of 2011
Welcome to the first episode of the Movie Lovers Podcast. Official podcast of FilmsWeWatched. Movie Lovers Podcast is a film podcast by a couple so out of their gourd about film, they were clearly meant for each other. Highlighting older … [Read the Rest]
Sound On Sight Podcast Rewind: Episode #63 – Paul Newman Special
Paul Newman is without a doubt my favorite actor of all time. Today is his birthday and so I figured it would be fun to spotlight one of our older podcasts. In episode 63 of the Sound On Sight podcast … [Read the Rest]
Mondo’s ‘Planet of the Apes’ Poster Series
Mondo has partnered with Sideshow Collectibles and a handful of notable poster artists to produce a set of posters for each of the classic Planet of the Apes Films (Planet, Beneath, Escape, Conquest and Battle). The five prints went on … [Read the Rest]
Video Of The Day: Robin Hardy in Conversation with Richard Stanley at the 2011 Fantasia Film Festival
Last year The 15th annual Fantasia Film Festival unleashed one of it’s biggest and best slates to date. Among its 114-film lineup were gala world premieres of Robin Hardy’s long-awaited The Wicker Tree – a film which Sound On Sight’s … [Read the Rest]
Short Film Of The Day: ‘Foodsploitation’
Foodsploitation Video of the Day Foodsploitation Courtesy of the YoungCuts Film Festival www.YoungCuts.com What’s It Called? Foodsploitation Who Made It? Written and Directed by Adam Bagatavicius Where Is It From? Canada (Quebec) How Old Is the Director? 25 What Is It? … [Read the Rest]
Tumblr Round-up: X-Rated ‘Shame’ Poster, ‘Laugh-A-Lympics’ and more (possibly NSFW)
The Tumblr round-up is a compilation of images, links, posters, stories, videos and so on, taken from the Sound On Sight Tumblr account. We simply do not have the man power nor time to write articles on every interesting movie … [Read the Rest]
George Lucas: One (mega) hit wonder?
It’s a phrase out of the music industry: one-hit wonders. Those bands that come out of nowhere, hit the top of the charts with a catchy – maybe even impressive – single, or have one chart-topping album, and then never … [Read the Rest]
Catching Up with a Classic: ‘The Third Man’ exists to impress, over and over again
Throughout January, SOS writers will be biting the bullet and finally sitting down with a film they feel like bad film buffs for not having seen already. The Third Man Directed by Carol Reed 1949, USA When I sat down … [Read the Rest]
Short Film of the Day: ‘Snowball’
Snowball Courtesy of the YoungCuts Film Festival www.YoungCuts.com What’s It Called? Snowball Who Made It? Written and Directed by Eric Bent Where Is It From? Canada (Quebec) How Old Is the Director? 23 Who Is the Director? Eric Bent is … [Read the Rest]
Sundance 2012: Blog entry #1: The Sundance experience, and buzzed-about films
“In the course of ten days, Sundance is a great exercise in prioritizing and decision making. Follow your instincts or the buzz of the crowd, watch the truly independent films in the competition line up that desperately need an audience … [Read the Rest]
Thursday Comedies: 30 Rock 6.03 & 6.04, Parks and Rec 4.13, Archer 3.05, Unsupervised 1.02
30 Rock, Season 6, Episodes 3 & 4, “Idiots are People Three!” & “The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell” “Idiots” Written by Robert Carlock, Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller “Ballad” Written by Matt Hubbard, Directed by Jeff Richmond Airs Thursday at 8pm … [Read the Rest]
Justified, Ep. 3.02: “Cut Ties” follows season protocol, with added complications
Justified, Season 3, Episode 2: “Cut Ties” Written by Benjamin Cavell Directed by Michael Watkins Airs Tuesdays at 10pm ET on FX Moreso than with most “prestige” dramas, seasons of Justified tend to follow a pretty set formula in terms … [Read the Rest]
Obsessive, Compulsive, Procedural #9: The Finder
The Finder USA, 2012, imdb Thursday, 9PM, Fox Created by Hart Hanson, based on characters from The Locator book series by Richard Greener Episode 1.01 “An Orphan Walks Into a Bar” Directed by Daniel Sackheim Written by Hart Hanson Episode 1.02 … [Read the Rest]
Finishing the Disc: Six Great Series to Marathon
Most people watch TV passively, as a way to wind down their day or relax with their family. Then there are TV fans, who sit forward in their seats, eager to be challenged and inspired as well as entertained by … [Read the Rest]
Once Upon A Time, Ep. 1.10, “7:15 A.M.” – So that’s what happened to Stealthy!
Once Upon A Time, Season 1, Episode 10: “7:15 A.M.” Story by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz Written by Daniel T. Thomsen Directed by Ralph Hemecker Airs Sundays at 8pm (ET) on ABC Another week devotes itself to the story of … [Read the Rest]
Chuck Ep. 5.11, “Chuck Versus the Bullet Train” raises the stakes for next week’s finale
Chuck Review, Season 5, Episode 11, “Chuck Versus the Bullet Train” Written by Nicholas Wooton Directed by Buzz Feitshans IV Airs Fridays at 8pm (ET) on NBC Ever since they left the CIA, Chuck and Sarah have been struggling to … [Read the Rest]
Grimm Episode 1.09 ”Of Mouse and Man”: Too much Disney, not enough dismemberment
The death of a bully confronts Nick with another Grimm creature: this time a mouse-man with father issues. Munroe gets a warning that his involvement with a Grimm is not meeting with approval with certain Grimm-world factions. Grimm Review, Season … [Read the Rest]
Fringe Ep. 4.09, “Enemy of My Enemy”: Strong villain lends seasonal direction
Fringe Review, Season 4, Episode 9: “Enemy of My Enemy” Written by Monica Owusu-Breen and Alison Schapker Directed by Joe Chappelle Airs Fridays at 9pm (ET) on Fox This week, on Fringe: Both Universes unite against a common enemy, Asptrid … [Read the Rest]
Revenge Ep. 1.13, “Commitment”: I’ve Always Wanted A Big Sister!
Revenge Review Season 1, Episode 13, “Commitment” Written by Mark B. Perry & Liz Tigelaar Directed by Kennet Fink Airs Wednesdays at 10pm ET on ABC Louis Godfrey: Since the beginning, we’ve known that Revenge is headed towards Emily and … [Read the Rest]
