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The Killers on New Moon Soundtrack 0

by Sinoun • News • Tags: ,

the killersThe entire New Moon soundtrack was available for free listening on its official Myspace page a few days ago, and surprisingly, there was actually some good stuff. Artists like Thom Yorke, Lykke Li, Sea Wolf, Death Cab For Cutie and Muse are all featured. Even Lupe Fiasco has a track (albeit, an iTunes exclusive only). The best song, in my unbiased opinion, is from The Killers, who give off a gothic-Beatles vibe in “A White Demon Love Song” which is perfect for such a film. I think that if Brandon Flowers regressed to his former flamboyant self, with his sleek suits and trademark guyliner, he’d make an even hotter vampire than Robert Pattinson (which is no easy feat). In that perfect world, I would be Bella Swan and Christian Bale would round out the cast in place of Taylor Lautner. But of course, no one would pay to see that. And that’s unfortunate.

Meeting Eli Roth at Inglorious Basterds Premiere 0

by Sinoun • Favorites, News, Reviews • Tags: , , ,

Special thanks to my pal Walter for the following post on his meeting with the surprisingly hot, Eli Roth.

Is it wrong to liken a Jewish guy to the first pope?
by W.J. Lyng

The first time I saw Reservoir Dogs was a major moment in my life. The film not only introduced me to Quentin Tarantino, it also opened the door to the myriad of pop culture which had inspired the auteur, exposing me to a world of awesome I’m not quite sure would have been otherwise as easily accessible. Obviously, since then, I’ve been an insane QT devotee, taking as gospel not only his own directorial efforts, but the films of his well known entourage as well. If Quentin liked Robert Rodriguez so much, then I probably would too. This turned out to be absolutely true. Later, when his non-sexual man crush turned towards the young cocky horror director / geek Eli Roth, I followed along and have come to develop an admiration for him too. Of course, it helped that I’m kind of a big horror guy and that Roth had seemingly chosen to devote the entirety of his career to bringing us fantastically executed splatter fests.

Try then, just try for the briefest of moments, to imagine my excitement as I sat in Concordia university’s hall theatre at a quarter to ten on the closing night of the Fantasia film festival, awaiting not only a three week early preview screening of Quentin Tarantino’s latest oeuvre Inglorious Basterds, but also an appearance by none other than Eli Roth himself, one of the film’s stars.

At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, it was like getting an audience with the apostle Peter instead of seeing J.C. himself. This right here was THE MAN’S right hand man. My head was gonna pop.

I sat as close as possible to the screen without my eyes getting wet. As they went through the boring motions of naming the winners of the various categories from the festival, I could see Roth standing a few rows behind me against the wall, flanked by some studio heavies. Finally, Roth was called to the stage. I’m pretty sure I came close to restraining-order levels of cheering. At the very least, I’m relatively confident that I was the first to stand up and give the guy a standing O.

Roth proceeded to gush about his overwhelmingly positive relationship with Fantasia over the years, talking about the terrific sensation he felt when a then unknown Cabin Fever screened at the festival back in the day to an amazing crowd reaction. He explained, that Quentin himself had forced the studio’s hand to arrange this special screening, ensuring that Montreal’s fantasia crowd would be the first audience in Canada to see Inglorious Basterds. (Suck it Toronto).
It was almost like my whole life had been leading up this one moment …

The movie came and went in a Nazi-riddled frenzy of blood, guts and snappy dialogue. Just to talk a little about the film itself ( a novel concept), Basterds simultaneously delivers everything you expected out of the film based on the trailers, plus a whole hell of a lot more. It’s ‘guys on a mission’ combined with revenge combined with revisionist history. It’s also a movie about movies and not in the referential way that all of Tarantino’s movies are but in more of a tangible way that film, war and history buffs will likely appreciate. It’s over the top at moments and subdued by QT standards at other moments. It’s pretty freakin’s awesome, all in all.

Then the movie was over and it was Eli time again. He came back on, almost just as psyched as the audience. They opened it up to Q&A and you can bet your ass that I got a question in. Admittedly not a very original question, I got to ask if Eli was the only one considered for his role as the bat wielding “Bear Jew.” Although uninspired, the question drew good anecdotes from Roth about working with Tarantino and the revelation that both Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen had been considered for the role. I was in geek heaven … and then it got better.

The Q&A finished and Eli was quickly ushered out of the theatre. Damn, I thought. So much goes my chance for an autograph … of course I just happened to have copies of Hostel 1 and 2 on me … I exited the theatre and THERE HE WAS! Just standing around!!! I got the autographs first and then quickly went to retrieve my camera and cell phone from security, with whom we’d had to check the items for concerns of piracy.

I went back into the swarm of fans (ok, not THAT big a swarm) and asked Eli, whom I now considered to be a close personal friend, if a picture would be too much to ask for. Of course he obliged. And now I have Facebook profile picture that shall never be changed.

It was just the pinnacle of awesome.

Eli Roth and Walter J. Lyng

Are You Having a Quarter-Life Crisis? 1

by Sinoun • Clips, Trailers, Favorites, News • Tags:

It’s kind of strange how things work sometimes.

If you read this site regularly (anyone?) you’ll notice that I haven’t been doing many updates these days. I’m not sure exactly what to attribute this to. It could be due to lack of interest, or lack of interesting occurrences in Hollywood. Or an existential crisis.

I usually do quick internet searches for notable stories or movie releases worth mentioning, but lately, I’ve come away empty-handed. I just don’t seem to care anymore. There’s nothing interesting to talk about, nothing important to relay, nothing that sufficiently addresses the underlying uncertainty of “what exactly am I doing this for?”

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my own life, my own aspirations, trying to figure out the patterns that have prevented me from attaining true happiness – the kind that can weather temporary setbacks, that keeps you afloat amidst oceans of negativity. Having recently reached that quarter-century milestone, I feel a sense of inadequacy, a sense that my ideal and real self are poles apart.

I’m nowhere near the person I had always set out to be, or imagined I would become at 25. I don’t have a best-selling book, and the self-help guru within has yet to emerge. What’s worse, all the goals that once gave way to a secure sense of identity have unraveled like a loosely fastened knot, detaching a boat from its dock. And here I am, stranded without a paddle in a sea of confusion, hit with the realization that dreams are sometimes just illusions, and degrees don’t always come with guarantees.

In short, I am having a Quarter-Life Crisis. It’s kind of like the mid-life crisis, but for us young folk. Apparently it’s a phenomenon – as in, there are tons of others in my age-bracket going through the same thing. It’s even on Wikipedia, which means it’s true. John Mayer sings about it too.

So what exactly does all this have to do with my movie blog?

Well, I was starting to wonder if merely watching and writing about movies was a waste of time, time that could be better allocated towards self-discovery perhaps. But suddenly, by a random hybrid of chance and fate, I came across a movie that happened to address the very issues I’ve been facing.

It’s called How to Be starring Robert Pattinson (who’s no doubt a household name, having starred in two Harry Potters and all). Rob’s character, Art, is a socially maladjusted 20-something who’s determined to overcome his depressive existence by seeking the guidance of a self-help author, whom he invites to live with him in his parents’ home. Comedic developments are sure to ensue on this road to self-actualization.

But it’s more than just a comedy. It’s one of those instances of art imitating reality, and not an overly-stylized MTV reality of airheads and jocks and a backdrop of sprawling mansions, but a reality of actual relevance – a reference to a life its audience actually knows, though one they may not fully understand. This is a movie that speaks to the subset of our generation who still don’t have it all figured out, who harbor fears about the future and who still wonder “What is this really all about?”

Of course, I haven’t seen the movie yet, so I can’t say whether it satisfactorily addresses these issues. Maybe I’ll decide that it’s a weak attempt at exploring the concerns of the undecided young adult, or that I actually can’t relate to it at all. Maybe I’ll hate the movie.  But final verdicts aside, discovering the film at that exact time was the impetus I needed – to continue writing about and watching movies, to see that it isn’t a complete waste of time, and to realize that there is a certain normalcy in being undefined. For now, at least.

Sherlock Holmes Unofficial Movie Poster 0

by Sinoun • News, Uncategorized • Tags: , ,

sherlock-holmes

This is pure awesomeness, courtesy of my new pals at Latino Review. The photo was snapped at ShoWest (yes, it’s a photo hence the discoloration and brightness) where RDJ took the stage and introduced a few clips from the movie. No word on whether this will be the official poster, but it tickled my anticipation for sure. Featuring Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, the movie opens on Christmas Day – hooray!

(my) Hollywood Dream Teams 3

by Sinoun • News, Updates • Tags: , , ,

If this is indeed true, then the gods of cinema are GOOD!

The other day I wrote a post about 25 actors I would pay to see. Well, of those 25, there’s rumoured to be some exciting collaborations!

Ryan Gosling, Elijah Wood and Cillian Murphy have been reportedly tapped for the filming of The Mechanic, a remake of the Charles Bronson classic of the same name. Wow, that’s like a hat trick for the film world. That’s like Kovalev, Komisarek and Kostitsyn right? (Um, no. Those are just the names of three hockey players. A hat trick is three goals, duhh). Oh. Anyways, three in one is my kind of fun!

Speaking of hot collabos, let’s take a look at a few of my other notable unions in theaters this year:

Public Enemies: This one’s already been established as the big poppa of popcorn partnerships – Christian Bale and Johnny Depp, the ultimate on-screen duo. I don’t want to jinx it by being overly-excited, but damn it, I’m so excited (can I really hide it?) I still can’t find the trailer anywhere though…

Star Trek: Zachary Quinto and John Cho, and for a little six-degree of separation, John Cho is playing Hikaru Sulu, a role immortalized by George Takei, who actually starred in Heroes which is home to Zachary Quinto! Cool beans!

Year One: Laugh attacks are pretty much in the sac with Michael Cera and Jack Black, who take you back in time, Fred Flinstone-style. I’m banking on this one to be a box-office hit – the trailer’s already promising a gay old time!

Che: Benicio del Toro and Santiago Cabrera are currently in theaters with this four-hour intermission-required film experience. BdT won the Cannes award for best actor, and Santi-C gets my award for best-looking actor in a historical/war drama about Che Guevara.

And there’s ongoing talk about The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, starring Heath Leger with Johnny Depp filling in…but I have to wait til my sources (google) deliver more on that fact front.

So that’s pretty much it for now…yup, dream team supreme for the screen!

Christian Bale Apology – Accepted! 4

by Sinoun • Clips, Trailers, News, Updates • Tags:

christian-bale-2I’m happy to report that my imaginary relationship with Christian Bale is “on again”, after that little meltdown incident that left me doubting his sanity a few days ago. He has issued an apology, and it’s not one of those contrived PR statements – no, it’s the real deal, it’s his voice and what I believe to be, his genuine sentiments. Of course, he has to save face you know, after all, the success of Terminator depends largely on his likability as a person and an actor, and unfortunately he’s had some bad press lately. It’s all too ironic.

His relatively low-key life changed after he donned that fateful cape. After years of toiling away from the spotlight, he’s finally received the recognition he deserves. But now it seems he’s a household name for all the wrong reasons.

The public seems to know more about his volatile temperament than his laudable accomplishments.  I guess the media has a way of shaping people, of creating whole identities out of isolated incidents. And collectively, consumers can be easily convinced.  Sweeping statements about his anger issues are now the focal point of this man’s impressive career, and little regard is given to the sacrifices he’s made to get here.

Here’s a man who keeps it real. He’s no prima donna, there’s no false pretense, he knows he was in the wrong and he’s sorry. Call me naive, but I believe him. And seriously folks, how can one not forgive  a man with such a bad-ass accent?

Here’s the official apology/explanation/statement/excuse to hear his great English mannerisms:

020609_bale-mp4.mp4

Joe Jonas Floats My Boat 2

by Sinoun • Clips, Trailers, News • Tags:

joe-jonasOkay, this is not something I publicly admit (in RL), but if I had a boat, Joe Jonas would be the water – or the element that enables said boat to stay afloat.  I know that’s not cool. Because you know, he’s Joe…Jonas. Not Joe Black, or even Joe Sixpack… “he’s like Mickey Mouse!” my detractors have retorted, “He’s just a kid, a Disney character!”  Hmm. I see. I see the argument there, and it’s convinced me that my infatuation with the metro-bro is a bit… embarassing. So I’ll just go ahead and lie and say that I was just joking about the whole thing. Really, I was. No really.

Okay, but do YOU have a movie coming out, in 3D?? No, didn’t think so, but  Joe Jonas does! (Oh, his brothers are in it too). Yeah, apparently the concert that had me screaming, is now burning up the screen! “So what are you saying? You’re gonna go watch this thing?” No… No! But that won’t stop me from replaying the trailer over and over until my speakers explode!

My apologies to family, friends, co-workers, neighbours or anyone remotely linked to me who might feel shamed by association. Thanks. Please don’t be concerned.

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