lovehatethings - When popular culture gets you down, get your rant on and proclaim your lovehate for everything, no matter how guilty the pleasure is.
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When culture gets overinflated, yet refuses to pop, I want to be there with the needle. Enlightened cynics of the world unite! Express your love or hatred of things from the sacred to the mundane.

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thinglets: Another "I Can't Believe I Saw It In A Theater" Movie

Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn is an absolutely horrid science-fiction film that is a disservice to the genre. To top the fact that I've "seen" the film, I saw it the premiere in a theater in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. Other than the novelty of getting 3D glasses and a magic-motion sticker on the way, there was little to save this 1983 effort. Believe it or not, this is the plot summary and probably the pitch that was given to sell producers on the concept:

A seeker named Dogen rescues Dhyana after her father is murdered by the evil Jared-Syn. To avenge her father's death, Dogen must find Jared-Syn's hideout in the mysterious "Lost City", but the only person who knows where it is an aging, burned-out seeker named Rhodes. Along the way, they will need to do battle against the hunter Baal and his Cyclopean minions for engaging Jared-Syn in a final encounter.

With soap opera regular Jeffrey Byron in the lead role, it seems that most of the Hollywood establishment found a way to avoid this stinker. Even Kelly Preston's second film role couldn't save this. Richard Moll (aka Bull from Night Court) rounds off the "star power" in this one. Being 15 when this piece of crap came out, I was savvy enough to know how crappy it was, and have used it as a pop culture reference to illuminate all that's wrong with 80's sci-fi film since then.

Filed under  //  film   metalstorm   sci-fi  
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thinglets: The "I Can't Believe I Saw It In A Theater" Movie

The Fish That Saved PIttsburgh is one of the worst films I've ever seen in my life. To top the fact that I've "seen" the film, I saw it during its opening (and only) week in a theater in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. Believe it or not, this is the plot summary and probably the pitch that was given to sell producers on the concept:

The Pittsburgh Pythons are the worst team in the NBA. Most of the players think the reason why they are in the cellar is because Moses Guthrie who they feel is monopolizing the spotlight. So when they walk out, the towel boy, Tyronne decides to consult with an astrologist, Mona. They in turn decide to hold open tryouts and they only select players who are born under the same zodiac sign as Guthrie, Pisces. And what they get are some weirdos but they play together, they are phenomenal. When they start winning the owner decides to rename the team the Pisces.

Dr. J (Julius Erving), Meadowlark Lemon, and Jonathan Winters couldn't save this brick, nor could Flip Wilson's final film performance. This film is almost [and I emphasize ALMOST] so bad it's worth watching. If you're very bored, very lonely, or very high, maybe you could get more enjoyment out of this than I did as an 11 year old.

Filed under  //  basketball   film   movie  
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thinglets: Filming of a Ghost

A fantastic two minutes of film called Ghost by Marco Brambilla that is supposed to represent "än investigation into the obsessive behavior of the public eye and it's lingering effects on those chased and caught by it."

I'll leave to you as to whether it succeeds on that score, but I will say that the result is gripping, stylish, and tragic in 120 seconds. Another great find at Vimeo - much more pleasurable to wade through than YouTube.

Filed under  //  film   short   vimeo  
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thinglets: Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Peter Sellers

I know you may not have the time to sit back and watch all of these clips, but even if they spark a memory of this comic genius all over again, and send you to relive some hilarious memories, consider the time spent worth it.

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Filed under  //  acting   comedy   film  
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thinglets: Stop (Time) Motion (Lapse)

Since I was a kid, I always thought timelapse and stop motion videos were cool. I'll never forget, a bit older, seeing "The Grid" section of the film Koyaanisqatsi for the first time and being blown away by a 24 hour cycle in 10 minutes with the magical repetition of Philip Glass behind it.

Vimeo has an entire section of these types of videos and I encourage you to check some of them out. Here are a few of my favourites upon a very short scan of a scant few of over 500 pages in this category alone:

Filed under  //  film   video  
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lovehate podcast 160: Forget the Montage. Embrace the Monologue.

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A different lovehate podcast about the magic of the monologue in film and life. Without trying to be too instructive, I hope to provide you some examples dramatic monologue and perhaps you'll be able to revel with me in the power of the spoken word.

Filed under  //  drama   film   public speaking   style  
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Podcast 159: The Day The Movies Died

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My movie going heart died a little bit inside when I met (read: sat behind) a guy who became the definition of lowest common denominator.

Filed under  //  comedy   film   stereotype  
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thinglets: I will not see any summer movie that...

With the myriad of films released each summer, it takes a discerning formula to parse out the titles I will NEVER see from the ones that I might. As such, I offer up a filtering system to reduce your summer wallet suck to a minimum.

I will not see any summer movie that...

  1. Has Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, or Jack Black.
  2. Has Sara Jessica Parker, Renee Zellweger.
  3. Has people wearing leather armour, chaps, or quivers.
  4. Has the word Fockers, Karate, or MacGruber in it.
  5. Has candy-ass sparkle vampires.
  6. Has the words Nightmare, Elm, and Street.
  7. Is an animated film featuring a green ogre, an over-sized dog, step-dancing or cheerleading.
  8. Has a title beginning with "Legend of the Guardians" or ending with "The Owls of Ga'Hoole".
  9. Has 3D in the title.
  10. Is a sequel, remake, re-imagining, has a "Part" or colon in the title.

Wow... guess I just saved ALL my money this summer.

Filed under  //  2010   blockbuster   film   summer  
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thinglets: A Brief Bit About First Impressions

via youtube.com

While "No Such Thing" by Hal Hartley is not, by far, my favourite film, it's one I'll never forget. I was captured right from the opening monologue which began with, "I'm not the monster I used to be."

Not the greatest monologue in film history, nor the greatest character, but one of the great introductions to a character and an impactful way to introduce that character. If I had seen only this introduction, I would definitely have wanted to see the film after. Lucky for me, I saw it all at once.

While it is not incumbent on a film to be as stark or shocking off the top to attract me, here's a distinct case where an opening monologue, and perhaps an opening line alone, captured me.

Filed under  //  film   hal hartley   monster   no such thing  
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Podcast 145: Unhitch The Trailer

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How the litany of a two minute film "previews" are coming close to ruining every film I'm excited about.

Filed under  //  film   film   movie   movie   preview   preview  
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