The next Orgconfuz review is a birthday request by a loyal fan, FangoC. Check out the teaser trailer for Q: The Winged Serpent.

As I have never heard of this film before, I am excited to see what its all about! Yay!

Esparanza: You know you can’t go to the past to fix the future.
Henry Poole: You sound like a fortune cookie.
Esparanza: [laughs] Cookies can’t talk.

Henry Poole is Here
AMC Stony Brook - August 21, 2008

By now, my love of independent film should be apparent to the Orgconfuz audience, based on the variety of reviews ventured on thus far. May it never be said that I did not give a fair shot to the poor yet earnest filmmakers of this world. The plight of the independent filmmaker is a noble one, an uphill battle the whole way. Getting films produced - particularly in an struggling economy - is hard enough even before it graces the big screen. And for that I applaud you. May Hollywood continue to take a chance on the underdog!

Having said that, Henry Poole is Here is a great example of the “indie formula” at work. Not so much in the film gone awry way, in the cookie-cutter “inject obligatory star into everyman role and place him in emotionally wrought but surmountable circumstances” way. In the wake of indie gems such as Little Miss Sunshine, Hollywood has turned up its ear to stories about “real people” and “real problems” set to a quirky soundtrack (with maybe a couple plot points suspended by disbelief). The familiarity of a neighbor or a loved one, even a checkout girl, rings true to life and becomes accessible in a way that a fairytale or comic book character never could.

This by no means is to discredit Luke Wilson, who gives an effortless portrayal of the title character for which the film is named. I’m sure after the Royal Tenenbaums came out, both he and his brother Owen could wipe their butt with every film school script with quirky promise they were offered. (and for good reason, I might add). “I liked the script a lot. I mean, obviously, I guess I do more comedies so I just read the script and I liked it. It seemed like something different. I liked the idea of playing a guy that’s kind of given up hope. That seemed like kind of an interesting place to start a movie, with a guy that’s just kind of trying to fade away. I thought that was kind of interesting. And then he kind of keeps getting drawn out.” The script didn’t read like a comedy. Instead, Wilson says it’s just where his mind took the story. “There was stuff that was funny, but I don’t know. That’s just my first instinct is to go to that, to think about stuff like that. I mean it had humorous aspects, but it read definitely more like a drama.” (source)

The film opens as Wilson says, with a guy in despair… the kind of rock bottom that only a straight diet of champagne and Krispy Kreme doughnuts can append. We don’t know why he’s so sad and reclusive, but as stated several times in the movie, anyone with two eyes can see it. He buys a house in the neighborhood where he was raised. Despite the kind offering of the real estate agent, Poole insists that no repairs be made because “he’s not going to be there very long.” A nosy neighbor, Esparanza - which means Hope - brings a housewarming plate and tries to get to know him, revealing that she knew the man who lived (and died) in the house before him. One day, Esparanza discovers something on walls outside of Henry Poole’s house: an impression of the face of Jesus within a water stain from a lousy stucco job. Even though all he wants is to be left alone, this discovery leads only to a constant, but comical intrusion by many onlookers. The subject of faith and the belief in miracles are debated at length when Poole cynically argues with her regarding the inexplicable healing powers that she believes to be miracles. By some stroke of luck, a beautiful single mother lives next door with her adorably mute daughter, who charms Poole by recording his conversations and then playing them back to him. The plot continues to unravel and blur, revealing through flashbacks the true source of Poole’s depression and reveals his waning faith. The ending… well, for those inclined I’ll discuss that in the spoilers section below.

Roger Ebert cast a positive light in regard to the film’s religious aspect: “Henry Poole Is Here achieves something that is uncommonly difficult. It is a spiritual movie with the power to emotionally touch believers, agnostics and atheists - in that descending order, I suspect. It doesn’t say that religious beliefs are real. It simply says that belief is real.” FilmJabber reviewer Robert Bell writes: “To dismiss Henry Poole is Here as a maudlin rumination on faith and religion would be to ignore the inherent human struggles and blatant annihilation anxieties rumbling beneath the surface, which are exposed only through the central “religious” plot device that unites a group of people who would otherwise have little to do with each other. Surface thematic interpretation aside, systemic cultural incertitude surrounding sincere emotion and the fear of complex mortal thoughts outside of the minutia that society is socialized to value and prioritize will likely cause most to ignore the film’s deeper human themes, which is really a shame as it’s one of the better films thus far in 2008.” Which basic boils down to this: Though religious plot device may be the catalyst, it’s the raw human emotion underneath that counts. It is clear that the characters in this movie feel things and deeply. The connections that take place are heart-felt and endearing, though the overall tone has a sense of impending gloom and doom. The balance of emotion was off-putting at times, but nonetheless you genuinely feel for the characters.

Director Mark Pellington first came across the script for Henry Poole Is Here back in 2003. Although he was touched by the story about a man who returns to his hometown for solace, he passed on the project. A year later, he changed his mind when his wife passed away, suddenly leaving him a single dad to their 2 1/2 year-old daughter. In an instant, he had much more in common with Henry Poole than he ever would have expected, “To be able to basically find a story where all the characters were dealing with loss or the possibility of loss-I felt comfortable in that world.”

It was a large surprise when I researched the film to find that Pellington had directed Arlington Road, a fantastic movie from the 90’s starring Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins. (Rent it!) A filmmaker with a deep music video catalog which includes Pearl Jam’s groundbreaking “Jeremy” and Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love” which has a distinctive Mulholland Drive-esque quality to it. Mark Pellington has always been a master of atmosphere and mood. In Henry Poole Is Here, though, he rolls the dice on a much more personal story, and elevates the script written by Albert Torres. On his inspiration for the film, Torres explains, “I grew up Catholic and heard about these kinds of things happening (faces appearing on objects) and how they affected people in certain communities. I started to think about what kind of person, who would be the worst person for something like this to happen to and that was the starting point.” Though Henry Poole may be cynical, Pellington never allows the film to be.

MAY THE SPOILERS BEGIN! …………………………………………………………………..

Now that I am safe to speak freely about the ending, I have to blurt this out… COME ON! I mean, I understand that the tone of the film, nor Henry Poole’s character would not necessarily lead to an explosive conclusion. But COME ON! You were told you would die from a horrible, fast-moving disease. You give up everything you have to buy a house down the street from your childhood home (that you fail to procure after obsessively pursuing it). You drink and eat Krispy Kremes all day. The house you buy becomes an oracle and tests your faith at the worst possible time. Neighbors are nosy are shit (but lovable). You reject HOT single next-door mother that you are clearly falling for - cause you told her you were going to die and not anyone else. After all this, you take out all your rage on your house which falls on you, landing you in the hospital where you are informed….. that you were never sick to begin with?????? Reaction: A) Go home happy cause a little girl spoke. B) Make some livid phone calls to your prior doctor, demanding an explanation!!! Yeah, I think I would go with B. At least in the movie Last Holiday, there was a plausible scapegoat with the faulty CAT-Scan, they didn’t even name the disease here! Geez.

In summation, I left the theater feeling emotionally drenched and uncomfortable with my reaction. It wasn’t until after I learned of the makers of the film that style and context aided my retrospective take on the story. And apparently, it was a big hit at Sundance Film Festival, which is always a good sign. I’d hate to belabor a point that was already made at the beginning of this review, but I love these movies. I love that these kind of movies are made. Nevertheless, I realize that they are not all going to blow me away. That lesson was learned with the Savages. Even though the Savages also had a melancholic tone, there was a believable through line with the character’s situation. Also, I am sad to say that this film could have been better, yet I can’t think how. My mother summed it up nicely by saying “It either needed to be a lot funnier, or it needed to be much more serious.” I am reminded of HBO’s Six Feet Under and wonder what Alan Ball might have done with a situation like this.

Possible still that I may come around even more upon subsequent viewings, but that is what DVD’s are for.

RATING: ***/5
Recommendation: It was worth seeing. If you have a free afternoon, it makes for an evocative matinée. Otherwise, its a rental.

The time has come to expand the Orgconfuz Family…Introducing the Incomparable Turtle!

Jon/Jack/Turtle has been added as an Author to Organized Confusion and will now be contributing movie and TV reviews! Turtle and I have been friends for a long time, and I trust that his reviews will not only be informative, but entertaining!! He has graciously included me in Friday Movie Night, an unbreakable tradition between he and another friend, Brian. Many of the films referenced at the AMC Stony Brook Theater have been included on the Organized Confusion roster as a result of this precious time together. As far as a personal bio, I’ll leave the details (if any) up to him to share.

He has also expressed interest in dueling reviews between Turtle and myself. Could be an interesting concept. Move over Siskel and Ebert!

Dale: You’re gonna go off to college soon… and you’re gonna start listening to bands like Godspeed, You Black Emperor! and the Shins… and then you’ll dye your hair black and become a lesbian… and then you’ll dump me… so go ahead and have fun!

Pineapple Express
AMC Stony Brook - August 15, 2008

Seth Rogen has become the next go-to funny guy of Hollywood. It seems that instead of succumbing to typecasting, he has decided to embrace his personality and make films that he himself would want to see. After all, he and his writing partner Evan Goldberg are responsible for the teen comedy hit, Superbad. Bringing their experiences with “certain extra-curricular activities” in a fictitious yet hilarious odyssey was enjoyable, but also challenging. As quoted in a recent interview, “Pineapple Express is the highest budget stoner comedy ever made, but it’s also the lowest budget action movie ever made.”

Pineapple Express (sober) Trailer

The plot summary is simple: A pothead named Dale witnesses murder. He then involves his drug dealer Saul by leaving traceable evidence at the scene. Somehow, the situation escalates to a mass drug war, catalyzed by the mishaps of these two gentleman. Dale’s high-school aged girlfriend (as referenced in the headlined quote) and her family are forced to flee from a “meet the parents” dinner into hiding. Car chases and hunt-downs galore! All the while, the pothead and the drug-dealer become best friends. Most of which you can surmise from the trailer. It’s as much as I can say without blowing the movie… which I don’t want to do quite yet. Without giving anything away, I will say that all I wanted at the end of the movie was for Dale to show up at the Days Inn motel door and say “You’re good. You can go home now.” (It may be a Ferris Bueller cliche, but it works. Seth - if you are reading this, maybe my DVD extended ending wish will come true!)

What really made the film for me was the dialogue. The character interaction did not feel hokey, contrived, or even dumbed-down like some other gems of the stoner genre. Not to diss on Harold and Kumar, but somehow Seth Rogan and James Franco seemed to be - I don’t know - more developed? (or maybe just further along in their drug-using years.) These guys make H&K look like purely recreational tokers! The idea of a functioning stoner by contrast to someone who has clearly gone past the threshold to watching 227 and recreating an Native American Teepee community on their bed? Well, it’s all relative I guess… as well as good/funny in different ways.

One film reviewer stated that for every two winning jokes, one would fall flat, causing the movie to trip and constantly play catch up with itself. I wholeheartedly disagree. The humor kept the plot moving and propelled the story with just the right amount of insanity and dubiousness. Ha ha… get it? Doobieous?? Oh, nevermind. When facetiously asked by Judd Apatow (who worked with Rogen on 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and with both him and Franco on the short-lived TV series Freaks and Geeks) about his “process” and what kind of research he did to create the illusion of being under the influence of marijuana, to great laughter and applause Seth Rogen replied, “Um, I’m from Vancouver. It’s different over there. Kinda lax laws, I guess you would say. And yeah, I smoke weed. So what?” (Watch video) The Pineapple Express script was written back in 2001, but it wasn’t until Rogen had appeared in a couple of Apatow’s films that the script was considered for approval. Interestingly enough, the dialogue was treated by the writing team as the last piece of the puzzle. Goldberg and Rogen spent a lot of time outlining the plot: for instance, if they worked for two months on the script, 6 weeks were spent on the outline and only two weeks on the dialogue. “We don’t care, as long as the emotions are there and the story is structured right… We always just want to have it seem as natural as possible and we don’t pretend that we can write exactly how people speak to one another at all times. We just love to have people kind of do what they want.”

This organic and collaborative approach obviously agreed with director David Gordon Green, who hit it off with them right away. Like Judd Apatow, Green gives his actors room to improvise, but he emphasizes performance over line delivery. “Dave’s direction is a lot more attitude-based, and he doesn’t worry about changing the lines that much. But he’ll give you a direction: ‘Say it like a robot. Say it like a drunk robot. Now say it like you’ve got ear wax in your mouth.’ He’s much more a performance-based director.” (source) Though I am not familiar with Green’s work, I may give a couple of his films a try now. (Apparently, he was a producer on the indie film, Great World of Sound.)

Fighting the preconceived notions about the film was the biggest challenge. Even with the full lexicon of stoner films through the years, there is still a stigma about displaying marijuana on screen. By comparison to other genres such as the horror/torture movement of the Hostel and Saw series, one would think that there wouldn’t or shouldn’t be as much backlash for this type of subject matter, if done respectfully of course. Even the trailer had to be edited so that the smoke did not indicate the joint. Who they think they are fooling by advertising altered footage from what will eventually be seen in the movie? And what they gain by it, I’ll never know. I wonder if there’s a conspiracy in Hollywood to cover up the most obvious part of the movie, so that parents will let there teenagers see it. Curious…

Watch the Rated R “Red Band” trailer

Then again, this film’s predecessors are not meant to be revered with works such as Citizen Kane. In fact, the spirit of the genre throws a lot of caution to the wind, some end up whimsical, and some downright cheesy. Rogen adds this point: “We knew that there was a really bad version of the film. When I first heard the idea for it, I thought… this isn’t going to be good,” Rogen shared on Reel Talk. Apparently, the original concept was pitched by none other than Judd Apatow. “Judd had a kind of loose idea for a weed action movie. We thought, that’s a strange notion. Then we kind of realized there hadn’t really been a weed movie that was that good and actually functioned as a real movie. So we thought, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a really good weed movie, [better yet] an action-packed weed movie, and we kind of just went from there.”

James Franco and Seth Rogen in Pineapple Express

Casting for Pineapple Express did not exactly pan out as planned; Seth Rogen was originally slated to play the drug dealer Saul. However, when James Franco read for the film, “he brought the character to a whole other level.” In another one on one interview, Franco views Pineapple Express as a love story, alluding to the blossoming of Dale and Saul’s friendship. In response, Rogen mirrors the beginning of said relationship in his own life, in so far as he’s had a few annoying weed dealers that he doesn’t want to hang out with. Due to Franco’s dashing good looks, they tried to dirty him up for fear of portraying an unrealistically “GQ looking” drug dealer. Unfortunately, when Rogen consulted some females about this decision, they revealed that Franco had just become a new version of hot, expanding his appeal to completely different set of ladies. I have to say that Franco is refreshing in this role. A departure from the clean-cut friend turned villain in the Spiderman trilogy, I look forward to seeing what future roles he takes on.

Though mad love is rightfully bestowed upon Seth Rogen who wrote, starred in and also produced, the underdog of this film is definitely Craig Robinson as Matheson. Infamous for his role as Darryl on NBC’s “The Office”, Robinson does an outstanding job as the tough but sensitive and somewhat unbalanced henchman. His relationship with Budlofsky (notably portrayed by Kevin Corrigan) expands the film’s emotional range to almost a Pulp Fiction level. Major props to you, Craig! Also Danny McBride, who based on pictures of him, completely disappeared into the role of “Red” in the ‘Wow, that was him?’ kind of way. Other cameos include a severely mellowed Rosie Perez whose character is partners in crime with drug lord played by Gary Cole, forever etched in my mind as the parody of Mike Brady or Bill Lumbergh in Office Space.  (SPOILER: I have to say I enjoyed the fact that they started out just as partners in crime and not a couple. It was just about doing business and getting off on the power trip together. Therefore, their kiss during the fight scene kind of annoyed me because it negated that whole possibility of them just being evil partners. boooo. )

A lot of chatter revolving around whether Pineapple Express would dethrone the Dark Knight after its successful four week box-office reign… My answer to that is: Who cares? TDK is quickly becoming one of the top grossing films of all time (if not, the top grossing film of all time as long as it stays in theater long enough. I remember Titanic being in theaters for FOREVER, so keep it up Batman!)

Another thing is that technically the film was released on a Wednesday, which seems puzzling to me. According to Getthepicture.net, the theory/reasoning behind the Wednesday premiere of Pineapple Express is that it’s original release date (last Friday, August 8th) was in direct competition to the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Ha! As if the target audience for this film was going to stay home on a Friday night and spark up to Beijing’s larger than life performance spectacle… Hello? That’s what Tivos are for!

So now with Superbad and Pineapple Express under their belt, there is already talk of a sequel. Though Rogen and Goldberg valiently refused to allow the studio to produce a sequel to Superbad, their efforts have gave way to even better and unique concept:

James Franco Teases at Superbad/Pineapple Express Crossover

That’s right! A combined Superbad sequel/Pineapple prequel!  James Franco reveals that studio bosses have been leaning on Rogen/Goldberg to write a sequel to Superbad, even before it was released in theaters. Franco tells MTV, “They really didn’t want to write a sequel. And so, the [compromise] is to do a Superbad/Pineapple Express crossover, an unprecedented crossover movie with two directors, Greg Motolla and David Gordon Green, each directing half of the movie and somehow getting these characters together, which doesn’t make sense at all, but could work. I’m guessing that Saul could sell the Superbad characters something and the kids could get into some trouble and we’d help them out of it. Seth plays characters in both movies, so somehow we’d have to kill one of them off.” Franco is currently going for his MFA in writing and looks to one day write and produce his own films, filling the large example set by Seth Rogan.

Do I hear Parent Trap? Or maybe they could pull a Samantha Who? and the cop from Superbad gets hit on the head, suffers from amnesia and lo and behold… he is Dale Denton! An ex-cop could become a process server; that could totally happen. Just a few soap opera ideas… lol.

Fact: Pineapple Express is the name for the ultimate weed substance used in the movie. According to Seth Rogan, the name Pineapple Express comes from a weather system that affects the Pacific-Northwest where warm air comes up from Hawaii and causes unseasonably warm winters.

Watch Huey Lewis and the News perform The Pineapple Express Theme Song

After being approached by Seth Rogan, Huey Lewis loved the idea and composed this track for the movie. Rogen requested a song in the band’s beloved 80’s style, particularly similar to  “The Power of Love” which became the one of the theme songs for Back to the Future (the other was “Back In Time” written specifically for the movie).

Overall, this was a great time. Can’t wait for the crossover!

RATING: ***%/5 (4.5 of 5… Haven’t decided if I’ll own it yet. Have to see the DVD features)
Recommendation: If you are into that sort of thing, then definitely see it. It can be seen sober too!

Can I just take a minute and say how god awful the poster design is?? I would have much preferred a derivitive 60’s psychedelic design than this flat, lifeless, non-poster. Better luck next time, fellas.

Hunter S. Thompson: I’d like 3 margaritas and 6 beers.
Waitress: Are you expecting additional parties, sir?
Hunter S. Thompson: Well, you can find out what the people next to me want, but I want 3 margaritas and 6 beers.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson
Cinema Arts Centre - August 3, 2008

Unfortunately, I have come to realize how rare it is that I venture on a film documentary or as the industry deems it, a “bio pic”. Not the biggest fan of PBS or the History Channel, I tend to focus more on fiction rather than fact, for no particular reason really. So when I come across a subject of interest - like a crazy but brilliant writer like Hunter S. Thompson - the opportunity to learn perks up and this review is the result. Now, it would be nice to think that this may turn into a 9th grade book report on Hunter’s life and work, but that’s what the movie is all about. That and the many shocked and inspired reactions that come from witnessing a life lived beyond the edge.

When someone rattles the cages of society, it garners attention. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. It shifts focus to what’s really important and causes people to look at things differently. Hunter S. Thompson was one of those people, and for much longer than most (that is to say I) realize. I learned a lot from and about this man and here are some of the highlights for me:

- This film opened up my eyes to how journalism can affect the willing public.

- In 1966, Random House published the hard cover Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. The book launched Hunter’s career and was a expose on the controversial lives of the Hell’s Angels, with whom Hunter spent a significant amount of time not only observing but participating in the debauchery of avid drugs and mayhem. Hunter disbanded his relationship with the Angel’s after a few gave him a “stomping” and was renounced by an Angel on live television, citing that most of his book was bull.

- How government officials can seize on an seemingly significant indiscretion that ruins a Presidential campaign, only to allow another politician to take office and proceed to do much more egregious acts by comparison. (McGovern v. Nixon) These articles were combined and published as Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72.

- Thompson for Sheriff: In 1978, Hunter ran for the Sheriff position in Pitkin County, Colorado (A fact I never knew). The platform included promoting the decriminalization of drugs (for personal use only, not trafficking, as he disapproved of profiteering), tearing up the streets and turning them into grassy pedestrian malls, banning any building so tall as to obscure the view of the mountains, and renaming Aspen “Fat City” to deter investors. In the article for Rolling Stone entitled The Battle for Aspen, he ran under the the same platform as Joe Edwards who had run for Mayor of Aspen.

Wiki: Though unsuccessful, the Edwards campaign was notable for its attempt to garner nearly all of its support from ‘freaks’, ‘heads’, and ‘dropouts’ from the surrounding areas - Freak Power, as it was dubbed. Thompson, who became de-facto campaign manager for Edwards during the race, devotes much of the article to the local politics of Aspen and the entrenched politicians it supports. Simultaneously a screed against politicians who sacrifice the quality of life of their constituents for short term gain or notoriety, and an outline of optimism regarding the possibility of the marginalized to take power, the article details the campaign from its inception through the run-up to election and ends with a consideration of the results and the impact they may have had.

After also unsuccessful gaining the post, Pitkin County officials changed the election rules so that no one like him could ever run again… lol

- Hunter drank a bottle of whiskey a day, in addition to whatever he consumed in pill form. For many, many years.

- The Birth of Gonzo: Hunter pioneered a new writing style called Gonzo Journalism, a mixture of fact and fiction written in first person narrative. Read as rantings and ravings coupled with keen observation and a sprinkling of truth.

- Ralph Steadman first met Hunter when Scanlan’s Monthly hired Steadman to do the illustrations for Thompson’s first venture into gonzo journalism called “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.” Hunter became interested in Ralph Steadman as an illustrator and commissioned him to do some work. They became fast friends and continued to do many projects together. However, there is a clearly noticable change in Steadman’s work after meeting Thompson. According to his wife, Steadman had never done hard drugs before. You be the judge, to me it’s amazing either way.

Steadman’s art prior:

Ralph Steadman Artwork Courtesy of the British Cartoon Archive

British Cartoon Archive

Steadman’s art post-Thompson:

“Gonzo is the essence of irony. You dare not take it seriously. You have to laugh.” - Steadman

- Hunter became inspired by Jimmy Carter when he spoke at a press conference. Instead of running for his frequent cigarette break, he went and grabbed his tape recorder and proceeded to play it for anyone who would listen.

- He had two wives and a son (Juan Fitzgerald Thompson) by his first wife Sandy Conklin. The couple had conceived five more times together. (Three were miscarried, two pregnancies produced infants who died shortly after birth.) Hunter and Sandy divorced in 1980 but remained close friends until Thompson’s death. He had married his long-time assistant, Anita Bejmuk in 2003. In the film, she states that Hunter had promised her ten years together.

- After Bush’s re-election in 2004, Hunter became very depressed, according to his wife. Based on all the amazing advocacy he has done in the past, its a wonder he didn’t start an uprising. Could you imagine the resurgence of anti-political support if Hunter had stood up and led the charge?

- His suicide had been planned for a long time. Hunter always knew he was going to kill himself, it was just a matter of where and when. He erected a statue for his memorial modeled after the two thumbed hand carrying an peyote pellet seen on his sheriff poster. His son recalls the time before his death as somewhat oddly, a warm family bonding experience.

Highly recommended as a rental, due to its short-lived theatrical run. There is also another pair of documentaries about Thompson’s life which are heavily referenced in this film called “Breakfast with Hunter” and “Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride” which I will soon be renting from the local library.

RATING: *****/5
Recommendation: Rent it when it comes out… or if you own Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, you should buy it.

The Animation Show
IFC Center, NYC  - August 10, 2008

Year Four of the Animation Show! This will be a short review as I doubt many will have seen it (or will be able to see it based on limited runs). The Animation Show website has all the information on each animated short featured in the 2008 (and all previous years) programs. There is also a Wiki dedicated to the Animation Show.

PES - Western Spaghetti

It was good. There were some that were funnier than others, particularly the PES short entitled “Western Spaghetti” (see video above). Of course, the famous Bill Plympton includes the third installment of the Dog series: Guard Dog, Guide Dog, and now Hot Dog! (see below).

Bill Plympton’s Hot Dog (trailer)

Other notable shorts from this year’s program (in no particular order) are:

Show Opener: War Photographer by Joel Trussell

Operator by Matthew Walker - To find out how to reach God, click here for the Operator

Also, Matthew Walker had another sweet little short called John and Karen. It’s about a polar bear apologizing to a penguin for a fight they had gotten into earlier, and then having some tea and cookies. Awww…

Raymond by BIF Productions - As always, there are parts of the Animation Show program that are disturbingly beautiful…

the Psychotown shorts - The linked short is about friends staging a coup. Reminiscent of Terence and Phillip from South Park, but from down under! There were three shown, but I can’t find my favorite one. Maybe there is a DVD boxset… from the demented mind of thedavecartershow.com (Interview with Dave Carter)

Angry Unpaid Hooker - Apparently, this short is an excerpt from a upcoming HBO show called The Life and Times of Tim

Key Lime Pie - Animation Show Listing This one reminds me of Sam Keith’s The Maxx a little…

This Way Up - Animation Show Listing This is very Burtonesque, and fun!

the USAVICH shorts: I think this one was called Beware of Dance

From the makers of the Adventures of Ricardo comes a new creature named Yompi, who has a terrible habit. I’m all for claymation, but this puts even Gumby to shame!

LOVE SPORT:Paintballing - Very cute. Link on right of Youtube page for high res video.

Forgetfullness - Julian Grey, meet Michel Gondry…

Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Hazen, and Mr. Horlocker - LOL Love it!

These are all from the same Art school in Canada, Gobelins:

Burning Safari - which reminded me a little of Wall-E

Blind Spot - An unfortunate place and time for all.

Voodoo - So good that I wish it were longer!

And last but not least, Jeu by Georges Schwizgebel, my favorite fine art animator in the collection. I just love his technique of using a large pane of glass and painting the transformation in one grand motion. Outstanding! (trailer)

Georges Schwizgebel does Cinderella in Les Jeune Fille Et Les Nuages

From Year 3 comes The Man with No Shadow = L’homme sans ombre

Please see my Animation Show Year 1+2 DVD Boxset review for more information on great animation!

I also received the Animation Show 3 DVD for my birthday. It was also good, but I have to say nothing beats the first year with all the Don Hertzfeldt shorts. With Hertzfeldt’s big announcement that he will no longer be a part of the Animation Show Programming, my heart broke a little as he was the reason I got turned on to the Animation festival circuit to begin with. (Actually, it was my friend Mike who dragged me to my first Spike and Mike Sick and Twisted Animation Festival, and to whom I owe my sick and twisted sense of humor.) Word on the street is that the program has suffered as a result of this loss. Though Don’s silly insanities will be missed, I look forward to see what comes from this. Will another animator step in to curate? Bill Plympton perhaps? Can’t wait until next year!

I wonder if After Effects projects are considered if they are mostly text based. there are some great short clips from design students that I have come across recently. Here is one that advertises the Showtime TV series, Dexter:

Pretty great, makes me want to create something myself! Hmm, maybe next year.

RATING: *****/5
Recommendation: Love this stuff! Wish there were more festivals during the year!

Spent the time I had to write my review watching The Goonies on the Spanish Channel and uploading pics to Flickr… If you haven’t checked out my Flickr account yet, it is accessible through the widget in the right hand column.

Coming up on Orgconfuz:

GONZO: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson

2008 Bejing Olympic Ceremonies / Zhang Yimou Tribute

The Animation Show 4

Avatar: The Complete Series

Just a couple of things to look forward to… Thanks for reading!

Just hit 2,000 visits! Whoo hoo!

Marking the Dark Knight as the 50th post, wholehearted thanks to all the Orgconfuz Readers…

A quick follow-up to my I Survived a Japanese Game Show Review to congratulate Justin Wood for winning the competition. Truthfully, my money was on Donnell to win as he was a very worthy competitor. Interesting as I saw no further announcements of this win on any of the daytime talk shows today. Not even ABC’s Live with Regis and Kelly or Good Morning America… You would think that the TV station would want to promote the winner of this great show, even just to wrap-up the season. Hmmm, does that indicate lack of popularity or no second season in the works?? That would be a shame.

In another life, I might have tried out for this show. At times, I thought that I might do well at the game’s kooky challenges. Where do they come up with this stuff? According to Wikipedia, the original ten contestants were told that they were going to compete in a game show, but not told what the nature of the show was. How is that even possible? Did the competitors somehow get on a Reality show mailing list and signed up with no knowledge of the show? Details are a little fuzzy as to how this all came together, but after seeing the show, I bet a lot of people would want to audition for it (including myself). I’m not super spry, but I would have a strong sense of team strategy and quick wit going for me. Plus, living in Japan for a couple of weeks, competing for $250,000?? Sounds like a dream. Then again, I might end up like Darcy… getting lucky, but mostly falling on my face. hahaha  Seeing the Super Majide challenge for the title made me realize the difficulty of each game, plus the dizzy factor. Yeesh! I don’t know.

Shout-out to the wonderfully hysterical host Romu and Judge Bob. Very entertaining and I hope they bring it back again next year!

Here is a link the show’s wiki for a breakdown of each episodes challenges.

The Meaning of Majide! - Thanks, Peter!

5 Lessons American TV should learn from Japanese Game Shows

Hole in the Wall is Coming to America! This is also known as Human Tetris. Damn! Missed those auditions too… right in Times Square Dave and Busters. I’ll bet that will be exciting to see!

RATING: ****/5
Recommendation: ABC execs: If you are reading this, please bring this show back! (and send me an application… haha)

Organized Confusion has long awaited the opportunity to include music alongside its many film reviews for the past 6 months. (Wow, has it been that long already??) By poking around the internet, I was able to find a free way to include mp3’s on the site! Yay!

To celebrate this, a glass of champagne has been raised to the inaugural Orgconfuz podcast celebrating the first of many entitled The Organized Confusion Playlist. Click the link below and bookmark for future reference.

http://www.orgconfuzmusic.wordpress.com

Also a quick reminder to friend Organized Confusion on Myspace to receive bulletins on post updates for both blogs, as well as an image archive and see other Orgconfuz readers! I may even be able to stream the podcast straight from Myspace. (Haven’t figured that one out yet, so all advice is appreciated.)

Since schedules have eluded me recently, the weekly post structure has yet to be set. So maybe we shall just play things by ear to start out with… The goal is for a weekly update of some kind, so please stay tuned!

The Joker: If you’re good at something, never do it for free.

The Dark Knight
AMC Stony Brook - July 18
Island 16 - July 28, 2008

Summer blockbusters have officially been taken over… by superheroes! First, I am certain that in recent years the Spiderman series had a hand in fermenting the early summer as the season for comic book heroes to shine. (However, tribute must be paid to the fore fathers of the action-scifi genre, aka Independence Day and the Terminator). As a follow-up act to several other supernatural film releases, one could get the impression that not only has Hollywood embraced the fanboys of graphic novels, the genre has been taken to the next level. To Hellboy with Hancock, this is the best superhero movie made in years!

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Proceed with Caution!

Forsaking all film renditions that came before, director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer set out to create a brand new vision for one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time, Batman. In order to successfully reinvent the franchise, Nolan’s goal was to convey the superhero storyline in a realistic and grounded fashion. As of 2004, Batman’s origin story had never been fully addressed on film, so they started quite literally at the beginning… hence the title of the first film, Batman Begins which was released in 2005. This film dealt with the genesis of the saga: the definitive transformation of Bruce Wayne from a scared little rich orphan to Gotham’s watchful protector of the night.

Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne

It was very important to Chris Nolan to find someone who not only could don the Batsuit, but portray a convincing Bruce Wayne as well, not just someone who’s marking time til the good stuff starts. Nolan found in Christian Bale all that he was looking for. “Within his eyes, you can see the possibility of someone like him devoting his life to something this extreme. There had to be an intense brooding quality alongside an animalistic aggression in his nature. Christian insisted that every detail must contribute to this end, especially the Batsuit.” In the new film The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne addresses the need to develop an improved Batsuit because although he’s established his role in Gotham society as Batman, he continually grows and adapts based on his experience in order to best equipt himself for the task at hand.

Bruce Wayne: I need a new suit.
Lucius Fox: Yes, three buttons is a little ’90’s, Mr. Wayne.
Bruce Wayne: I’m not talking fashion, so much as function.
[hands him a diagram]
Lucius Fox: You want to be able to turn your head.
Bruce Wayne: Sure would make backing out of the driveway easier.

Said “new suit” (pictured on right) was constructed from 200 unique pieces of rubber, fiberglass, metallic mesh, and nylon (producing an impression of sophisticated technology), with elastic banding added for tightening the costume to fit Bale. The objective was to make Bruce Wayne (and by proxy Christian Bale) more comfortable and agile in his performance.

This was not the only Batman-related item to get streamlined. After an explosive tank chase scene, the Bat Mobile is catastrophically damaged. What will Batman do? Hitch a ride in the Volkswagen with the two random boys parked under a bridge, pretend shooting at air with no parent driver in sight? Of course not. All of a sudden, a few adjustments are made and… BLAM!! VRROOM!! Go go Gadget Bat-Mobile! That was pretty awesome… turning the front two wheels into a whole separate vehicle. Damn Lucius, what will you think of next?

A quick but much deserved shout-out to Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman for outstanding excellence throughout this film. They bring such life to the characters they portray and are greatly valued and appreciated!

However, I am a little ahead of myself here. I cannot in good faith proceed without bringing up one slightly perturbing point… Didn’t Batman catch the Scarecrow in Batman Begins? Isn’t that the ultimate point of these movies, to tie a bow (or handcuffs) around the villain at the end of each adventure? What the hell was that in the beginning? I got thoroughly confused, even after the second viewing. So allow me to explain my interpretation, which is open to corrective comments! I guess the Scarecrow’s crazy-making fear smoke wore off on him in just enough time for him to escape. Then saddled with the huge amount of fear drugs, he decides to try and sell it to the Chechen aka the guy with the BIG angry dogs.

The Chechen: [after bringing out a man under the influence of fear toxin] Look at what your drugs did to my customers.
Scarecrow: Buyer beware. I told you my compound would take you places. I never said they’d be places you wanted to go.
The Chechen: My business…repeat customers…
Scarecrow: If you don’t like what I have to offer, you can buy from someone else. Assuming Batman left anyone to buy from.

So what, he pulled a fast one? I still think I missed something somewhere. Suddenly, there are copycat Batmans everywhere beating the crap out of everyone, the real Batman gets bit and jumps on a van, then next thing you know they are all “captured” aka sitting on the ground with their hands tied up while Batman leaves???? Totally and completely gratuitous if you ask me. With superb bad guys like the Joker and Two Face, why add time to a two and an half hour movie with crap you don’t need? I mean, seriously… what was the point of that?

In The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne is challenged by a new but familiar evil to the audience, The Joker. Iconically portrayed by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s Batman, many fans were interested in who would land this much coveted role. Robin Williams, Paul Bettany, and Adrien Brody all expressed interest before Heath Ledger was cast. When Chris Nolan was asked, “Why Heath?” he responded, “Because he’s fearless.” And boy is he ever. Christian Bale happily admits to Heath completely stealing the movie, and rightfully so. Across the board, I have heard nothing but unanimously glowing accolades for this performance, even outcries for an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It would not only be well-deserved for a beyond brilliant execution and commitment to a completely psychotic character, I believe it would be the first Oscar win for a comic book character. Ever. And that’s saying something.

Heath Ledger as The Joker

Recapping the plot at this point seems frivolous because by the end of the movie the Joker’s goal is clearly met. Being a man of no rules and an agent of chaos, The Joker is out to shake things up. Hell, he even says it better himself.

The Joker: Do I really look like a man with a plan, Harvey? I don’t have a plan. The mob has plans, the cops have plans. You know what I am, Harvey? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one. I just *do* things. I’m a wrench in the gears. I *hate* plans. Yours, theirs, everyone’s. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans. Schemers trying to control their worlds. I am not a schemer. I show schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are. [...] Look what I have done to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple bullets. Nobody panics when the expected people get killed. Nobody panics when things go according to plan, even if the plans are horrifying. If I tell the press that tomorrow a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will get blown up, nobody panics. But when I say one little old mayor will die, everyone loses their minds! Introduce a little anarchy, you upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos, Harvey? It’s fair.
[with the gun in Two-Face's hand, he places the gun to his forehead; Two-Face pauses and takes out his coin]
Two-Face: [showing the unscarred side] You live.
The Joker: Mm-hm.
Two-Face: [flipping, showing the scarred side] You die.
The Joker: Now we’re talking!

To prepare for his role as the Joker, Heath Ledger lived alone in a hotel room for a month, formulating the character’s psychology, posture and voice (the last one he found most difficult to do). He started a diary, in which he wrote the Joker’s thoughts and feelings to guide himself during his performance. He was also given Alan Moore’s comic “Batman: The Killing Joke” and “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth” to read. According to IMDB Trivia, Christian Bale stated that during the interrogation scene, Ledger wanted him to seriously beat him as hard as he could in order to get the real feeling of what was required from the scene.

WNYC’s Podcast looks at how Music Heroes Inspire Super Ones

Ledger took inspiration from A Clockwork Orange’s Alex, Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols, as well as Sid Vicious, whose pop counterculture look inspired the costume designer Lindy Hemming on The Joker’s wardrobe. According to IMDB, she is quoted to have based his look around his personality: “someone who doesn’t care about himself at all.” This is an interesting point which contrasts Chief Gordon’s description of the Joker’s clothing as “handmade with no labels, nothing in his pockets but knives and lint…” Any serial killer who takes the time to hand-tailor a purple and green suit (or even pay to have it made special) obviously cares quite a bit about creating an exact persona, all the way down to the strategically placed lipstick lines.

There is an horrifically disturbing picture on the internet of the Joker’s face in extreme close-up. I couldn’t even bring myself to post it here, so I chose the less abrasive shot with very little make-up pictured to the left (I barely saw this image in the movie - it went by so fast). The Joker’s facial construction was composed of three pieces of stamped silicone, which took less than an hour to apply on each day of shooting. Ledger described it as “new technology which is much quicker to apply than regular prosthetics”; he felt he was not wearing any make-up at all. Heath’s visual transformation, however stunning, still played second fiddle to his amazing talent. His walk, his voice, his mannerisms, his inflection and gestural emphasis… all played a huge part in creating one of the most terrifying villains I have ever seen. So evil you can sink your teeth into it. Love it!

And where there is evil, somewhere there is good. Never more true than in Harvey Dent. Aaron Eckhart (who consistently surprises me with his body of work - in a good way of course, as does the bulk of this cast) depicts a character that you can’t really compare to previous incarnations either. We first meet Harvey Dent on the heels of a huge victory against crime in Gotham. With the Big Mob Boss Kahuna in Arkham Asylum (re: Batman Begins), Harvey has somehow managed as District Attorney to wrangle something like 500+ criminals under one charge. There is so much hope in Harvey Dent’s plight to clean up Gotham that he is deemed Gotham’s White Knight. There are allusions to Harvey’s subjectively grey areas, meaning he’s not afraid to step on some toes to get things moving. All in all, his mission is clear. His emotional balance over the course of the film is portrayed so smoothly that you can’t help but believe in Harvey Dent. (And I guess I couldn’t help going there either. Pass the cheese grader…)

Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face

Regarding the love triangle between Harvey Dent, Rachel Dawes (we’ll get to her in a minute) and Bruce Wayne, there are a lot of petty jealousy and antics on Wayne’s part, but somehow it all works to the advantage of his secret identity. For example, hijacking the entire Moscow ballet company on his private boat not only prevents Harvey and Rachel from a romantic evening of ballet, it conveniently works as a cover so that Batman can fly off to Hong Kong and hijack one of the greed mongers in cahoots with Gotham’s crime elite. Convenient plot device or brilliant superhero plan? hmmm. You decide.

Sadly, the Joker catches wind of the situation and uses the love triangle to his advantage for a clever twist but tragic end. Due to these circumstances, Harvey Dent suffers two terrible losses: the love of his life and of half his face. This catapults him into villainous terrain and he becomes his alter-ego, Two Face. (Well-done on the special effects! By comparison, the damage portrayed here was significantly worse than any other depiction I have seen before. Really, that’s a compliment!) Seeking only revenge, he goes after everyone involved in Rachel’s death and finally pays the ultimate price himself (or did he??) The sad truth is that Bruce really did believe in the good in Harvey, even in the end. Now more than ever, Batman needs all the help he can get. Haphazard plot recap aside, I felt for the duality of this character. Ahh, there is so much more to this plot, but I already feel like I’m writing a dissertation (at this rate, I probably could!)

Anthony Michael Hall. Yeah, that’s how random his cameo is.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaces Katie Holmes as Bruce Wayne’s childhood lack-there-of sweetheart Rachel Dawes, had this to say about Rachel’s choice between Bruce and Harvey. [Paraphrased] “Because she loves them both for sharing her fight to make Gotham a better place, it really comes down to who is more noble in her eyes. Harvey does what he has to do to make things right, but he does not go above the law. Batman does whatever is necessary to stop crime and corruption by any and all means available to him [in addition to all the cool toys lol]. He chooses to operate outside of the system because of how corrupt it has become. Harvey, on the other hand, acknowledges the system is broken and still chooses to operate from the inside the law, despite the corruption. Therefore, she chooses Harvey because they can battle together on common ground.” Yeah, that’s true. Plus, on the ground, literally.

Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes

Rounding back to a stray, yet valid point… Rachel Dawes. Unlike most characters in the movie, Rachel Dawes does not exist in the Batman comic saga - or any other DC Comics’ series, for that matter. An ex co-worker of mine once discussed his great disdain for this “unnecessary infusion of Hollywood love/sex” and that there was a perfectly logical explanation for Batman not being capable of a romantic relationship. He argued that Bruce Wayne could never and therefore should never have a genuine love interest because he was so psychologically damaged by his parent’s murder, he couldn’t connect with anyone on that fundamental level. Except maybe Alfred as his only family, Wayne remains forever tortured and clawing for redemption through acting the part of the savior. This deepens his character, the co-worker purported, much more than trotting out some hot chickie just so he can be set up to fail. Since the company I worked for at the time specialized in making children’s toys displaying Batman and other animated characters, I considered this source to be quite knowledgeable on the subject and can see the point he made, even more in the second film.

Not for nothing, I am all for strong female characters and this film featured practically no super female heros or villains. It only seems right to have at least one woman to round out the cast. But not if she’s just gonna chose Harvey then die… How does that help develop Batman’s character? Dangling the carrot of a relationship the whole time, forcing ultimatums such as “don’t make me your one chance for a normal life” and worst of all, Alfred continuing to let Bruce believe that he ever had a chance with and burning the letter??? Ugh, maddening! Almost makes it not worth it. Sometimes, its not better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. But at the end of the day, this is Hollywood we are talking about… can’t not have a love interest, right?

According to IMDB, Rachel Dawes was created by Goyer and Nolan, who wrote in the character with Katie Holmes in mind. No other actresses were in serious consideration; the role was hers to lose. And clearly, it was. In The Dark Knight trivia, it states that although she was offered double what she presumably made for Batman Begins (a mere 2 million) Katie still refused to reprise the role, citing “scheduling conflicts”. I wonder what could have topped working on the latest kick-ass Batman? In the review for Mad Money, I already discussed my feelings on the subject of Katie Holmes. And if we have to have a love interest at all, I’d have to agree with Richard Roeper (of Ebert&Roeper) that Maggie Gyllenhaal is definitely an upgrade. Gyllenhaal claims she sought Holmes’ approval before accepting the role, but then turned around and approached the character in a completely new direction. “I just thought of Rachel as a whole new woman. I don’t think it would’ve served anyone for me to try and imitate Katie. You can’t do that as an actress; I have to feel open to do my own thing. It was important to me that she be smart, feisty and real - not just the girl in the action movie whose only job is to act scared.” It is rumored that Christian Bale first won the role of Batman over Maggie’s brother Jake Gyllenhaal, which if things had turned out differently, may have made things very interesting (a Brokeback lovers’ quarrel perhaps? and an incestuous… eww, let’s not go there.)

Both Christian Bale and Maggie Gyllenhaal spoke very highly regarding Nolan’s collaborative directing style. They appreciated the creative freedom to incorporate their ideas for their respective characters. “Chris Nolan insisted that we all play everything for truth… so much so that at times, it didn’t even feel like a comic book movie. As if including Batman was incidental to the crime drama we were filming. A lot of times in big movies, the truth gets overlooked or just doesn’t matter,” said Gyllenhaal, waving her arms to indicate the “truth” being metaphorically pushed aside. “Even though the situations were often larger than life and based in fantasy, he wanted us to play all of those moments with as much emotional honesty as we could find in them.” The movie was successful in that regard. The fast-paced action balanced with the engaging plot makes this one of the better action films and will gladly join my DVD collection.

Christian Bale also revealed in a Reel Talk interview that if there will be a third movie, it will be entirely up to Christopher Nolan to continue his vision. Extremely protective of his portrayal, Bale firmly states that he would not want anyone else to reprise his role, but also expressed concern based on the precedent of trilogies in cinema. “Sequels very often exceed the original, such as Empire Strikes Back and the Godfather II. Rarely does a third film exceed the others.” (Christian Bale on Reel Talk TV) I sincerely hope they do continue the saga. Wouldn’t it be great for this to turn into the next Friday the 13th or Halloween? Just continually releasing new kick-ass adventures! Not that it wouldn’t make money… I think box office is up to 400 million now? Rock on!

Phew, that’s a long one. And I could go on! But I won’t. Suffice to say that I was blown away by all the elements of the film: the cast, the effects, the action, the plot… I want to see it again, right now!

RATING: *****/5
Recommendation: See it 5 more times in the theaters! Let’s kick Titanic’s ass! Yay! lol

P.S. I loved all the movie posters for this film that I’m going to break tradition and post all four of them!
P.P.S. See, it is possible to get through a Dark Knight review without mentioning Heath’s death. Damnit, almost made it…

RIP Heath, you will be missed. Great job!

Yes, Orgconfuz has been M.I.A. the past few weeks, but is back with a total of 5 reviews! Not only that, I am going to back date all the new posts closer to when I saw them… sweeping this sabbatical right under the rug. Mwah-hahaha!!! Stay tuned this weekend while I play catch up!

Enjoy one of my latest photos while you wait…

Journey to the Center of the Earth
AMC Stony Brook - July 13, 2008

This is a fun, serious suspension of disbelief flick with great CGI and a fast pace. Great for kids and adults alike, though some references are targeted to the pre-teen and older crowd. The 3D was fun, but kinda unnecessary at times (could have done without not one, but two spittakes in the 3-dimensional face).

RATING: ****/5
Recommendation: See it, but not before other exciting summer blockbusters yet to be reviewed!

Ship’s Computer: Voice confirmation required.
Captain: Uhhh…
Ship’s Computer: Voice confirmation accepted.

WALL-E
Island 16 - July 8, 2008

Just like the movie’s main character, I’m going to keep this review short and sweet.

I love Pixar. They can’t do wrong in my book. It’s not just because I’m a kid at heart - which I am - it’s their mastery of child-like wonder. The sense of excitement and strong family values that pulls a story together about a little robot who finds a friend and saves the world. Pretty simple, but gorgeously executed.

This film is adorable. That is the overwhelming feeling that comes over me, even now looking back on it. It’s just enough heartwarming to put a smile on your face to say, “Hey, that was a great time.”

RATING: *****/5
Recommendation: Kid at-heart tested, Mother approved. (I went with my mom and she agrees! lol)