Darth Vader wasn't too keen on this year's crop of Super Bowl trailers. And he wasn't the only one.

The Super Bowl. Probably the single biggest sports day in America every year. With approximately 111 million people tuning in to this year’s game, it’s understandable why commercial spots reportedly were coming in at $3.5 million for 30 seconds–with a captive audience you know your commercial is going to be seen by a lot of people.

With that in mind, I didn’t think this year’s crop of trailers provided any Earth-shattering splashes. Almost all the trailers shown this year employed a good mix of combining new and old footage. What I didn’t like this year was the whole “teasing” or “previewing” and even releasing of trailers and commercials days before they were to air. To me, you spend all this money to play it before a captive audience and I just feel it dilutes the commercial by releasing it online before the game. Isn’t the point to try and make people stay to watch your commercial and not give them a reason to not watch it during the game? I don’t know, maybe that’s just me.

In any case, there were some things that got me excited for the upcoming crop of films that we’re going to get later this year. A thing to remember about these “mini-reviews” is that they mainly talk about the level of excitement that I felt for the film after watching the trailers AND NOT on the potential quality of the films.

THE HUNGER GAMES :: Pre-Game :: Excitement Level: 4/5

As we’re only about six weeks out from release, it only made sense that Lionsgate released a trailer from the film. While there was old footage shown, I thought we got a lot great new footage as well. Of the new stuff that we saw, I think I enjoyed seeing the interaction between Stanley Tucci’s TV host character and the District 12 tributes in the scenes where they’re being interviewed. The sacrifice of the Reaping and the hardship of the games themselves were definitely conveyed well in the trailer as well. On a side note, fans will be happy to know that this trailer wasn’t just limited to being seen during the Super Bowl. The minute long trailer is also a theatrical trailer and will be playing in front of select movies at a theater near you.

21 JUMP STREET :: Pre-Game :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 3/5

I thought there were some really great one-liners that this trailer brought out that definitely are playing up the comedic vibe of the film. I don’t really recall ever watching the TV series, but I don’t think it was a comedic television series. Jonah Hill we all know can bring the funny and hopefully by playing off straight-man Channing Tatum will make the new 21 Jump Street a fun action comedy.

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE Pre-Game :: Trailer :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 2/5 Wasn’t too excited by this trailer. Probably the best thing going for it is that there seems to be some really well done CGI action sequences which come through from the trailer. Other than that, there’s not too much to write home about.

ACT OF VALOR :: Pre-Game & 4th Qtr :: First Reaction(s) :: Excitement Level: 4/5

Probably what I liked best about this trailer was that they mixed great footage with Eminem’s Not Afraid–which by itself was pretty good to begin with. However, what really made it better was that they sync’d it to the chorus; which I thought really fit with the theme of the film and the scenes they showed in the trailer. Inspirational, harrowing, a sense of brotherhood . . . all the things Navy SEALS represent or convey.

SAFE HOUSE Pre-Game :: Trailer :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 3/5 I think it’s safe to say that anytime you have Denzel Washington going guns-blazing, in hot hot heat, and getting into Ryan Reynold’s head (which all appear in this trailer) . . . you’re going to end up with a fun time at the movies. The trailer plays up the movie’s strengths: the chemistry between the two leads and showcasing the action. Formulaic to be sure, but it’s got everything you need for a solid star driven action film.

THE DICTATOR Pre-Game :: Trailer :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 2/5 I actually think it was a good movie to cut this trailer for the Super Bowl. With the exception of the introduction about knowing the final score of the game, all the footage is from the current theatrical trailer. When it played, everyone at my viewing party seemed to get pretty good laughs out of it–a good indicator that the current trailer hasn’t had too much exposure. Personally, I’m not a Sacha Baron Cohen fan, but like I said, good exposure for the film.

BATTLESHIP :: 2nd Quarter :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 3/5

I don’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that for maybe the first 10-15 seconds of this trailer, people thought that it was another installment of the Transformers franchise. I will say that I liked seeing a lot of new footage of the aliens and a lot more action sequences. What definitely troubles me is that we actually saw the aliens themselves and I don’t ever recall the last time we’ve ever had “cool looking” aliens. After seeing the new footage in this trailer I’m a little bit more excited for the film, and hopeful as well because it was partly shot in Hawaii.

	JOHN CARTER 2nd Quarter :: Trailer :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 1/5 I just don’t know what it is about this film, but I can’t really get excited for anything about it. I thought the clip-collaging in the shape of the film’s title was the most uninspiring thing in the world. It was as if the title of the film is more important than showing us what it’s about. Granted the extended version (linked above) shows more full screen footage that shows off the film, but what we saw during the game didn’t have that. Not good when you only have a few seconds to make a great (or not so great) impression.
	DR SEUSS’ THE LORAX 2nd Quarter :: Trailer :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 3/5 I have no idea what The Lorax is about, but I do know it’s vibrantly animated and appears to have a few good laughs. What I like is that even though the film is from a different production company and studio than the previous Seuss movie (Horton Hears a Who), it pretty much looks to have the exact same style–definitely a good thing as those that liked Horton will probably come back for more. It should also bring in people who like great animation as well.
	STAR WARS: EPISODE I – THE PHANTOM MENACE 2nd Quarter :: Trailer :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 1/5 What I didn’t like about this trailer was the fact that they mixed in footage from the Original Trilogy (OT). I can sort of understand why they did it (it’s because Episode I kicks off the entire trilogy in 3D), but it really felt like they were trying to bamboozle people by saying that the OT films will be in 3D.

THE AVENGERS :: 2nd Quarter :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 5/5

This was by far my favorite trailer from this year’s Super Bowl and I was actually kind of surprised because I hadn’t heard any pre-game buzz about a new trailer coming out. What I liked was that we saw the superheroes working together more in the clips in this trailer. The best part definitely had to be towards the end where there was the camera shot spinning around the team–talk about money shot. Then to top it all off, in the extended version (embedded above) the final sequence is of the Hulk jumping in the air and taking down some flyers. Can’t wait for May!

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION :: 2nd Quarter :: First Reaction :: Excitement Level: 4/5

You have to admit, the visuals alone definitely make this movie look exciting. The film is based off a cartoon so some of the more “out there” moments have to be expected . . . I just hope that they learned their lesson from the first installment and allocated more of the budget to the CG effects AND a better story. The Rock seems to be a solid choice to be in the film, especially since he looks almost like his character from Fast Five. Though I think the addition of Willis maybe a bit over the top.

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This year’s Super Bowl also featured a number of movie related commercials that weren’t movie trailers. I thought it was a cool and smart move by these companies to go this route as it definitely offered a different hook for their spots and overall I felt left a good impression with viewers. Something else that stood out was that a lot of the spots were also directed by feature film directors as well.

Honda CR-V’s ‘Matthew’s Day Off’ :: Directed By – Todd Phillips (dir. The Hangover)

It was probably one of the most anticipated commercials going into the weekend . . . before Honda released the trailer online. They did a really great job of teasing the spot by releasing a short 10 second teaser the Thursday going into the weekend. However, by the next day the full spot was online, which I definitely think deflated its appearance during the game. Nevertheless, I liked the spot and how it riffed off of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, though I didn’t really notice the car in the commcercial. An extended 2+ minute version was also cut and released. In the extended version, there are more Day Off references and more shots of the CR-V.

VW’s ‘The Dog Strikes Back’ :: Directed by – Lance Acord (cinematographer – Where the Wild Things Are)

The movie reference in this commercial doesn’t happen till the end, but I thought it was really fun that VW referenced their Super Bowl spot last year by putting Darth Vader in the Mos Eisley Cantina as a post-credit stinger of sorts. Short, sweet, smart, and funny.

Chrysler’s ‘Halftime in America’ :: Directed by – David Gordon Green (dir. Pineapple Express)

Aside from The Avengers, I’d have to say that this was the commercial that I liked the most. The only movie reference that you’ll find in this commercial is that actor turned director Clint Eastwood narrates and appears in the spot. It’s edited together very movie trailer-like with Eastwood’s narration providing inspirational and uplifting words. Though I thought the metaphor was a little off, I still thought it was really well done and built on their “Imported From Detroit” message that they started last year with the Eminem Super Bowl spot.

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With another Super Bowl in the books, luckily us moviegoers won’t have to wait till the fall to see if the excitement from these trailers is warranted. Was there a particular trailer from the big game that you liked or another movie related commercial that I missed? Hit us up in the comments to let us know and share your thoughts!

Sundance Film Festival - January 19-29, 2012

Lost in all the hoopla of awards season and the announcement of Academy Awards nominations is the fact that the 2012 Sundance Film Festival is more than halfway finished. Now before you go any further, sadly no, I’m not in snowy Park City Utah watching films. I’m still here in sunny Hawaii. However, as I briefly touched on last year, Sundance is the biggest film festival in the United States and is important because of the wealth of independent cinema that the festival fosters.

Why Sundance is so big and important? It’s mainly because film discovery happens at Sundance. When you hear the word ‘Indie’ or ‘Independent Cinema’ being thrown around (both can be used interchangeably I think), don’t automatically consider it a film that’s artsy-fartsy that you can’t understand (though there are a lot of films like that). The term ‘indie’ mainly means that a film was independently financed. What does “independently financed” mean?

Movies made by studios (Paramount, Warner Bros, Universal, Disney, etc) are all bankrolled by those particular studios. Since they’re fronting their money to pay for their films to be made, there are generally a lot of hoops and guidelines that filmmakers have to follow when making a studio movie. In contrast, independently financed films are films that a filmmaker finds funding for on their own. Whether it’s finding investors or completely paying for the cost of a film out of their own pocket, an indie film gives the filmmaker freedom as they are able to convey their true vision for their project unencumbered by studio interference.

Festival-goers waiting to get into the Egyptian Theater.

The downside is that though a film is made independently, it’s quite another thing to have it shown in theaters across the country. That’s partly where the importance of Sundance comes in . . . studios and distributors go shopping at Sundance. When a film gets “picked up” it generally means that a distributor has paid for the rights to distribute a film (distribution models vary these days, but theatrical distribution in theaters is most desired).

Having said all that, you can begin to see why Sundance is such a big deal. Not only does it provide an outlet for filmmakers to tell their own stories, it also provides a way for their vision to be seen by a larger audience should their film get picked up by a distributor or studio.

With only a few days left in the Sundance Film Festival, here are a few films I’m interested in seeing that may or may not make it to a theater near you sometime this year. Most of these films don’t have trailers as they’re playing for the very first time at Sundance. I’m going to let the images and official synopsis do the heavy lifting, but I will throw in some brief thoughts about what piqued my interest in these films.

THE WORDS *picked up for distribution by CBS Films*

Synopsis:
Rory Jansen, a struggling writer, aspires to be the next great literary voice. When he discovers a lost manuscript in a weathered attaché case, he realizes he possesses something extraordinary that he desperately wishes he had created. Rory decides to pass the work off as his own and finally receives the recognition he desperately craves. However, he soon learns that living with his choice will not be as easy as he thought as he faces a moral dilemma that will make him take a hard look at the man he has become. //via Sundance Film Festival

Why I’m Interested:
What initially caught my eye was the story about the film. Basically you have a guy plagiarizing work and the film looks at the struggles he goes through in dealing with that, which I thought was a pretty interesting premise to begin with. However, you also have a bunch of known Hollywood actors in it as well such as Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, and oh yeah . . . Zoe Saldana and Oliva Wilde as well.

LIBERAL ARTS *picked up for distribution by IFC Films*

Synopsis:
Newly single, 35, and uninspired by his job, Jesse Fisher worries that his best days are behind him. But no matter how much he buries his head in a book, life keeps pulling Jesse back. When his favorite college professor invites him to campus to speak at his retirement dinner, Jesse jumps at the chance. He is prepared for the nostalgia of the dining halls and dorm rooms, the parties and poetry seminars; what he doesn’t see coming is Zibby—a beautiful, precocious, classical-music-loving sophomore. Zibby awakens scary, exciting, long-dormant feelings of possibility and connection that Jesse thought he had buried forever. //via Sundance Film Festival

Why I’m Interested:
The film opened to a standing ovation at it’s first screening this past Sunday, something I’ve read doesn’t happen too much. However, the film seems to have some great performances and the growing relationship between the two leads (last year’s Sundance “It Girl” Elizabeth Olsen and Josh Radnor) carries the film. What really blew me away though was that this film not only starts the guy from How I Met Your Mother, but it’s written and directed by him as well! I had no idea he was so talented. While there was been some talk about distribution, no deals have been made yet.

THE FIRST TIME

Synopsis:
Dave, a high school senior, spends most of his time pining away over a girl he can’t have. Aubrey, a junior with artistic aspirations, has a hot boyfriend who doesn’t quite understand her or seem to care. Although they go to different schools, Dave and Aubrey find themselves at the same party. When both head outside to get some air, they meet. A casual conversation sparks an instant connection, and, over the course of a weekend, things turn magical, romantic, complicated, and funny as Aubrey and Dave discover what it’s like to fall in love for the first time. //via Sundance Film Festival

Why I’m Interested:
From the reports I’ve read, the film seems to have a modern day Can’t Hardly Wait vibe to it. Truth be told I guess I’m a sucker for these high school movies where the guy pines away for the seemingly unattainable girl (I mean, seriously, haven’t we all been there?). The film seems to be getting pretty decent reviews and lots of mention for the strong performances by the leads Britt Robertson (The CW’s Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle) and Dylan O’Brien (MTV’s Teen Wolf). Sadly there doesn’t seem to be too much talk about the film being picked up by a distributor so I’m not confident about our chances for eventually seeing this film.

THE RAID *scheduled for release March 23, 2012 by Sony Pictures Classics*

Synopsis:
At the break of dawn, an elite SWAT team descends upon a rundown tenement in the mammoth city of Jakarta, Indonesia. Their mission? To take down the ruthless and powerful crime boss Tama, who rules the building and its inhabitants with implacable brutality. Holed up on the top floor with an array of security cameras and a legion of massively armed underlings, Tama appears to be untouchable. The police initiate their assault with precision as they make their way through the lower floors of the building. But when their cover is blown, a bloody cataclysm erupts, first with bullets, then with a storm of fists and feet. //via Sundance Film Festival

Why I’m Interested:
Ok, this is kind of a cheat because this film has already played at another film festival and it’s one of my most anticipated films of this year (second only to The Dark Knight Rises). However, since it’s playing at Sundance I’m going to take this opportunity to talk about it. The Raid looks like it’s going to be a crazy good movie with a ton of awesome fight scenes. The level and intensity depicted by said fight scenes, I’m just in awe and really blown away by. I was a little worried that the trailer I saw of the film was all hype. Much to relief HIFF Programming Director Anderson Le assuaged my fears (read from the bottom up):

But don’t take our word for it. Watch the trailer and see for yourself . . .

THE SURROGATE *picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight*

Synopsis:
The quest for love appears insurmountable when a man confined to an iron lung determines, at age 38, to lose his virginity. Based on the autobiographical writings of Berkeley, California–based journalist and poet Mark O’Brien, The Surrogate chronicles his attempt to transcend the limbo between childhood and adulthood, in which he is literally trapped. With the blessing of an unusual priest and support from enlightened caregivers, the poignantly optimistic and always droll O’Brien swallows his fear and hires a sex surrogate. What transpires over a handful of sessions transforms them both. Rivetingly, sensitively, and humorously portrayed by John Hawkes and Helen Hunt, the couple’s clinical exercise becomes a tender, awkward, and gracious journey from isolation to connection—corporal and spiritual. //via Sundance Film Festival

Why I’m Interested:
Probably the most high profile of acquisition of the festival so far, media buzz has been extremely positive for this film with even talk of Oscar worthy potential. HIFF Programming Director Anderson Le is also predicting that the film will win the audience award at Sundance. A lot of praise is being given to the director for taking a somewhat awkward subject material and turning it into a story that’s heartwarming and has a lot of weight. Should be interesting to see what Searchlight has planned for this.

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Want a bit more info about what’s going on at Sundance? Here are two good reports courtesy of Indiewire:

Box Office Be Damned: For Buyers, Optimism Rules at Sundance 2012
-Insight into the state of acquisitions

What’s Hot, What’s Good and What the Critics Can’t Agree On
-A look at what’s trending at Sundance

Academy member Jennifer Lawrence and AMPAS president Tom Sherak announced this morning the Academy Award nominees for last year's films.

The 2011 Academy Award nominations were announced early this morning (3:30am Hawaii Time) and I wanted to give my first impressions on them. Since I’m writing this right after I read the nominations these are literally my first thoughts on this year’s nominees . . .

NINE BEST PICTURE NOMINATIONS

For the past two years The Academy has nominated ten films for the Best Picture category. After last year’s ceremony it was announced that going forward (starting with the 2012 ceremony) there would be between five to ten nominations for the category, provided that a film earned 5% of first-place votes during the nomination process. Going in to this year’s nomination announcement, Oscar pundits weren’t exactly sure which films would be nominated since there was no set nomination number. Granted, at minimum there would be a minimum of five, but would five other films gather enough first place votes to give the category the full ten nominations?

If I had to say, I don’t think anyone was thinking we would have nine nominees, especially since most people considered 2011 to be a down year in cinema. While there are some titles on the nominee list that were to be expected (The Artist, The Descendants, Hugo), I definitely know of two that I think will be considered “surprises” by Oscar prognosticators.

The 9 nominees for Best Picture.

*6 of 9 nominees viewed*

Those two surprises being The Help and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. The reason I say that The Help may be considered a “surprise” is because I hadn’t heard it being mentioned at all as potentially snagging a nomination in the Best Picture category. However, going back to having nine nominations, obviously the more nominations there are the more chance there is for surprises like The Help to be nominated. While we’re on the subject of The Help, it definitely is the most mainstream nomination in the group as it is the only nominee in the group to have brought in over $100 million in box office grosses ($169 million to be exact). That distinction definitely makes it a mainstream pick since it’s the nominee that has been seen by the most people.

The other surprise I think is Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. I’ve been saying that this film has Oscar bait written all over it, however, there has been almost zero Oscar buzz on this film since its limited release last month. The film also failed to snag any Golden Globe, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, or Producers Guild nominations (usually good indicators of what films will be nominated for Academy Awards) and so I’m sure many will consider Extremely Loud’s Best Picture nomination to be a surprise.

The rest of the field though I feel is pretty standard Oscar nominee fare and a pretty good mix with films by great directors (Spielberg’s War Horse and Scorsese’s Hugo), art house faves (The Artist, The Tree of Life), big studio pictures (Moneyball), and art house crossovers (Midnight in Paris, The Descendants) all in the mix for the top prize.

BEST DIRECTOR *3 of 5 viewed*

• Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
• Alexander Payne, The Descendants*
• Martin Scorsese, Hugo*
• Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris*
• Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

The Artist is definitely the one big blind spot in my Oscar viewing that I need to rectify sometime soon. Though my heart is with Alexander Payne (this is going to be a recurring theme here in my support for The Descendants) I can definitely see Woody snagging this award as I thought he wonderfully brought to life a number of different characters.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE *2 of 5 viewed*

• Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
• Viola Davis, The Help*
• Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*
• Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
• Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Ugh, a category that I’m grossly unqualified to talk about since I’ve only seen two of the nominees in action: Viola Davis in The Help and Rooney Mara in Dragon Tattoo. However, you have the always great Meryl Streep also nominated and even though I haven’t seen her performance, I’m sure it’s worthy to be listed in this category.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE *3 of 5 viewed*

• Demián Bichir, A Better Life
• George Clooney, The Descendants*
• Jean Dujardin, The Artist
• Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*
• Brad Pitt, Moneyball*

Despite the media circus surrounding Clooney & Pitt and their “at odds” storyline that the media is hyping between the two, I do think they are the front runners having not seen anyone else in the category. I won’t be surprised if I see either of these two win.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE *2 of 5 viewed*

• Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
• Jessica Chastain, The Help
• Melissa Mccarthy, Bridesmaids
• Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
• Octavia Spencer, The Help

Ok, what even sadder about my viewing of performances for this category is that I actually only seen one film, The Help, which has two supporting noms. Octavia Spencer is probably the front runner since she did already pick up a Golden Globe just last week for this same category. Hopefully I’ll have more to report back after seeing The Artist and maybe Netflixing Bridesmaids.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE *3 of 5 viewed*

• Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
• Jonah Hill, Moneyball*
• Nick Nolte, Warrior*
• Christopher Plummer, Beginners*
• Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

What I love about this category is the variety of films that these nominees come from. While Jonah Hill and Christopher Plummer were somewhat expected, seeing Nick Nolte nominated for Warrior is great to see as his performance was pretty good in that film. Max von Sydow’s nomination is also contributing to the Extremely Loud “surprise” that I mentioned earlier. Again, a nomination for that film seemingly coming out of the blue.

A FEW MORE THOUGHTS . . .

To view a complete list of this year’s nominees, head over to ceremony website (PDF, printable)

Hugo led the way in receiving 11 nominations with The Artist close behind at 10. Close to my heart, The Descendants picked up five.

The one nomination that I was hoping for that seemed like an outside chance of happening was for Shailene Woodley to pick up a nod for best supporting actress. I thought she was really great in The Descendants and there was some early buzz for her performance.

Another favorite for me from this year that didn’t fair well with the Academy was Drive, picking only a lone nomination for Sound Editing.

One big thing to remember is that not everyone in Hollywood gets to vote for The Academy Awards. Only members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) get to nominate and vote in the Academy Awards process. Who’s in the Academy? An official listing has never been disclosed, but just being nominated for an Academy Award gets you in (for a better idea, here’s a link to the AMPAS entry on Wikipedia) Having said that, Academy members are not your average moviegoers so predicting the nominations and then the awards does have quasi-science to it since you’re trying to get inside the head of Academy voters. This is also a reason why Oscar winners and nominations never fully match up with the expectations of critics and your average moviegoers.

Look for Oscar coverage to continue here at the Red Band Project during the next month as we gear up for the awards ceremony on Sunday, February 26. Until then I leave you with one of only two of the nominees for Original Song for this year’s awards . . . Man or Muppet from The Muppets.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (left) and Shame (right) are both getting some buzz this awards season.

Awards season in film is heating up with the Golden Globes to be awarded on Sunday, January 15 and then the Academy Award nominations to be announced nine days later on the 24th. With this in mind, some of the films that are awards contenders will be coming to Consolidated Theatres Kahala 8–which is great considering January is usually a Hollywood dumping ground as far as the quality of their releases goes.

In fact, one of the films that I mentioned I still wanted to see from 2011, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, is out now not just at Kahala, but a bunch of other locations on Oahu. Here’s a few other Oscar bait films that could be coming to Kahala relatively soon:

Now, release dates and films might change since some of these smaller releases are really dependent on a number of studio factors AND the potential for how well they could do locally. If/when they do make it here, you better see it quick too since there’s no telling how long it will be in theaters. Out of the films listed, I already mentioned Tinker Tailor, but I’m also interested in seeing Shame. I actually talked about Shame in my Most Anticipated Fall Movies of 2011 back in September, so I’m actually glad to see it show up here in early 2012. Be warned though, Shame isn’t for the faint of heart as it carries a rating of NC-17:

Another movie that I want to try and check out before Oscar night is A Separation. It’s Iran’s submission for the Academy Award Foreign Language competition and has made a number of critic “Best of” lists for 2011 so again I’d like to see what all the buzz is about that as well. Consolidated’s website currently lists A Separation as having a February 10 release locally.

The Tree of Life made the Honolulu Weekly's list of 'Best of the Year' in film. Find out what the others were and what else we should see before we close out 2011.

As 2011 comes to a close I stumbled upon the Honolulu Weekly’s Best Films of the Year (So Far). ‘Best of 2011’ lists are all the rage right now, especially in movie blog and critics circles where many organizations have come out with their lists for what was “good” in 2011. While it’s great to hear about what these guys thought was good in 2011, the Honolulu Weekly list got me thinking about what films I enjoyed this year. Looking through their list I could only find two films that will most likely make my own ‘Best of 2011’ list. Here’s what the entertainment guys over at the Weekly had on their Best of the Year list (listed in alpha order):

• Bridesmaids
• Contagion
• The Debt
• The Descendants
• Hugo
• Edgar
• Margin Call
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Take Shelter
• The Tree of Life
• Weekend

I think it’s actually a pretty good list with a range of films from both mainstream Hollywood and independent/art house filmmakers. Of the eleven films listed here, I haven’t seen four of them. Here are a few brief thoughts on the ones that I have seen and where they could potentially stand on my list . . .

I thought Contagion was a really well put together film. In a movie about a deadly disease that wipes out a good number of the world’s population, director Steven Soderbergh (like any good surgeon) worked with clinical precision and constructed a gripping narrative. Even with a phenomenal cast, the movie keeps you at arms length as you trot the globe following each of the characters. A good film, but I don’t know if I would go so far as to call it great.

The Debt actually surprised me a little. I was expecting one thing from having watched the trailer, but got something else when I realized exactly what ‘the debt’ was. With some thrilling moments and great performances by Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain, it’s definitely a solid movie to check out.

Ok, I’m sure you’ve heard many people wax poetically about how great The Descendants is (myself included) and it may be a homer pick since it was filmed in Hawaii and is a movie ABOUT Hawaii, but Descendants has already locked up a spot on my ‘Best Of’ list for 2011. Just go out and see this movie if you haven’t already.

I really enjoyed Hugo. Again, this was another movie where I was expecting one thing, but got something else. The story is just so great and I have to say . . . you need to see this movie in 3D if at all possible as it’s probably the best use of the format since Avatar. Scorsese I feel can do anything at this point and I wouldn’t be surprised if his next film is him walking on water.

You’ve got Eastwood being Eastwood and DiCaprio being DiCaprio, ie: decent direction and performance respectively. While I thought J. Edgar was an interesting character study, I thought it was a just ok biopic about the former head of the FBI.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a pretty solid entry from a franchise that we all thought was dead. While the plot was entertaining and engrossing, the special effects and the performance capture were definitely awe-inspiring as well. I’d buy the blu-ray just to find out how they made this movie.

While you have a really great performance by Michael Shannon and the always great Jessica Chastain, I thought the movie dragged on for far too long. I believed in the unravelling of Shannon’s character, but after a certain point I thought things just got repetitive. Then, when things finally start to come together in the last half hour of the film, I really didn’t know what to think by the time I got to the end (I know it’s vague sounding, but I’m trying to list spoilers).

More 2011 in 2012

One of the things I liked most about the Weekly’s list is that there’s acknowledgement that we haven’t yet seen all of what 2011 has to offer. It’s right there in the title (Best of the Year . . . So Far). Sadly for Hawaii, being a cinephile out here means having to wait a while longer for smaller art house and independent releases. Though we do get all of the major Hollywood releases, it’s these smaller films that can sometimes be really great discoveries.

I think one of the reasons why average moviegoers are afraid to see indie/art house films is because they fear that they won’t be able to understand them. Granted, there are indie films out there that are stereotypically “artsy” and will leave you frustrated. However, for everyone of those, there’s also a Slumdog Millionaire or The King’s Speech is understandable and entertaining that you just need to take a chance on.

For the most part, the rest of the films from 2011 that I want to see are of the indie/art house variety. However, take a look at these trailers and tell me that at least one or two of these choices doesn’t interest you.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – January 20, 2012

Ok, so it doesn’t look like the happiest of stories, but you’ve got Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, and an awesome ensemble cast tugging at your heartstrings in a story about a son trying to discover what his father left behind for him.

Coriolanus – Limited Release January 20, 2012

Bear with me, yes the film is based off of one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays. BUT, it’s got Leonidas vs Voldemort in it (Butler vs Fiennes). How great does that sound? And it seems like there’s some action and a whole lot of political intrigue to be a pretty good watch.

Rampart – Limited Release February 10, 2012

Ok, if you can look past all the Oscar-baity quotes in the trailer, Rampart looks like a great character study of a corrupt LAPD officer. Woody Harrelson is no stranger to great dramatic fare and he looks really good as this cop that seems to be spiraling out of control.

The Artist – Now Playing at Consolidated Kahala 8

By all accounts, this is THE Oscar front runner for best picture and that’s the main reason why I want to see it. However, there’s one big thing you need to know about The Artist . . . it’s a silent film. I’m not sure exactly when the last time any of us have seen a silent film, let alone one in a theater, but I think that’s one of the best reasons to check it out . . . it’s something none of us have probably seen before.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Out Now in Limited Release

I have to admit, I wasn’t all that into Tinker Tailor when I first saw the trailer. Over time though I’ve actually opened up to wanting to see this slow burn thriller about a mole in British Intelligence. I don’t think it will be for everyone as the pace will probably be slower that what the average person is used to, but it’s got a great cast and is getting Oscar buzz. Though it’s been in limited release since early December, I’m hopeful it will hit Hawaii shores in another week or two.

We Bought a Zoo – Out Now

Probably the most mainstream selection out of what I still want to see, I think We Bought a Zoo is definitely going to be a crowd pleaser. Zoo was done by Cameron Crowe, the guy that brought you Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, and Almost Famous; and though sadly his last two outings weren’t that hot (Vanilla Sky & Elizabethtown), from what I’ve heard Crowe seems to have returned to form in this film.

So, that’s about it for 2011 films. There are a few more movies out on DVD that I’m going to try and squeeze in before I put together my final list. Hopefully I can get to that around late January, right around the time Academy Award nominations come out. If you have any considerations I should be aware of, I definitely welcome those in the comments or online. Just let me know of any good stuff I might be missing out on.

That’s a Wrap on 2011 . . . For Now

Unless some earth shattering movie announcement happens or I get some really creative juices flowing before midnight tomorrow, this will probably be my last blog post for 2011. If you’re still reading this post by now I just want to thank you for sticking around and for checking out any of my other posts this year. Have a safe and happy new year and we’ll see you in 2012.

Screened at The Green House on Friday, December 16, 2011.

This past Friday the Red Band Project was invited to see the final cut of Hawaii Previous, a short film produced by screen2play which was their entry in last month’s Showdown in Chinatown film competition. A local version of The 48 Hour Film Project, teams basically have a set or limited amount of time to put together a film with specific guidelines in place (required use of a prop/s, specific genre/theme, etc). At it’s core, the Showdown in Chinatown pushes the skill and creativity of local filmmakers in a friendly competition.

Movie posters for the film lined the walls of The Green House.

What or who exactly is screen2play? screen2play is masterminded by Dan Zelikman, whose resumé is long and distinguished, but ultimately has a passion for film at heart. Through the wonders of social media I’d been following Dan on Twitter for a while and eventually stumbled onto his social media screenwriting efforts over at screen2play. To give you some more background, here’s an excerpt from his initial post:

I thought it might be fun to collect ideas for a screenplay using social media. Everything from the characters, their backgrounds, the story, conflicts, resolutions, etc.

As a community we can write it – and I’ll do my best to keep it in a direction that tells an interesting story.

You never know, maybe we’ll put something together that’s worth filming.

I guess that’s the project.

Though their Showdown in Chinatown entry was limited to seven minutes, the screen2play team put together a final cut of Hawaii Previous that was ten minutes long. Knowing that their film had been a finalist in the Showdown event, we decided to drop by and check out their work. Besides, who doesn’t love seeing a director’s cut now and again?

A big sign announcing the film and people involved greeted everyone upon entry.

The screening was held at The Green House, a new “learning lab, shared workspace, innovation hub” in Kaka‘ako. Co-owned by John Garcia, who also shot and edited the film, he hopes that Hawaii Previous will be the first of many showcases by local creatives at The Green House.

Everyone mingling in The Green House before the screenings of Hawaii Previous.

To kick things off that night, Dan introduced himself and all the players involved with the film and also laid out what was in store for everyone. Throughout the introductions, questions asked after the film, and a few personal conversations with Dan himself; you could definitely sense the exuberance that he had for the project. From funny things that happened on set to the nail-biting loss of all their footage after they had wrapped, everything was spoken with a great sense of pride and ownership.

Evan and Dan introducing the film before the screening.

Probably what I admire most was Dan’s ‘just go out and do it’ mentality. From what he told us, it didn’t sound as if he had a lot of experience with filmmaking. However, the project was something that he wanted to do and he had the drive to do it, so . . . he went out and did it. In many ways I can identify with his ‘just do it’ mentality. Sometimes you just have to go out and do something instead of talking, discussing, or planning it too much. Yeah, things may not always work without the right planning, but I think sometimes inaction can be just as bad. Anyway, I digress . . .

Hawaii Previous . . . the film

A scene from Hawaii Previous.

Before we go any further I’d be remiss to mention that the screenwriter for the project was Evan Nagle. While most people think that the director is the one that comes up with the story for a film, a lot of the time this is not always the case. Films usually start off being written and developed by screenwriters, and Dan was quick to give credit and praise to Evan for his smart screenplay.

So what exactly is Hawaii Previous about? Here’s background on the project and a synopsis from the Hawaii Previous – Film Debut & Screening event page:

The initial idea for Hawaii Previous stemmed from the The Showdown in Chinatown challenge of making a film about a Hawaiian Tale, which also needed to have the Pacific Ocean in the film. When we heard the criteria, we figured the other teams were going to go in the direction of shooting a beautiful Hawaii filled with gorgeous blue oceans, palm trees and explosive sunsets.

We decided to go a different route.

Hawaii Previous is set 2,000 years in the future where Hawaii is stuck smack in the middle of the oceanless continent Amasia (after the Pacific plate subducted, America and Asia became one continent).

Joon and Mestiza are two members from a tribe that live in Hawaii Previous and search for edible food remnants everyday. That is, until they find something in their digging that is of a greater interest.

Initially it was a little difficult to get into the film, mainly due to the audio as I couldn’t quite make out what our two protagonists were saying. When I was finally able to make out what they were saying, I hit another stumbling block . . . I sort of didn’t understand the things they were saying. They weren’t speaking another language, but they weren’t speaking normally either. Then finally everything clicked, and not just with me, but with everyone in the audience it seemed as well . . . the characters were speaking in a way where they knew they were in a film and were breaking the fourth wall by referencing things such as their lines and an upcoming scene. The characters also referenced their past in a unique way by citing those things as “previous” (ex: the nonexistent ocean as ‘water previous’ or ‘ocean previous’; the land they were standing on as ‘Hawaii previous’, etc).

Joon and Mestiza searching for food in a scene from Hawaii Previous.

While I won’t venture into spoilers, I will say that I did enjoy the film and wish I could have watched it a second time–to catch what I missed in the first few minutes of the film and to watch it knowing what I know now about the film. The premise of the story is interesting as we follow the two protagonists Joon and Mestiza as they search for sustenance in the wasteland of Hawaii Previous. As made apparent as the film goes on, the world they live in harsh and devoid of color, both literally and figuratively. As I mentioned earlier, though they speak in English, the syntax that Joon and Mestiza use is unique to this time period. Is this a result of the catastrophe that befell Earth? No reason is given and figuring it out isn’t the point. Following them on their journey for food is.

In the end it’s this combination of weird syntax, acknowledgement of the existence of the camera, and the situation that our protagonists find themselves in that makes the film engrossing and at times humorously entertaining. I give Dan, Evan, John and the rest of the crew tons of praise for putting together a really great film.

One pressing question I had about the film on Friday was, so how did the film do in the Showdown in Chinatown competition? Despite their best efforts, another team took home first place. However, as I mentioned, the film is great and is definitely something for them to be proud of. Hell, I’m proud to have gone and seen it. And I hope that people have the opportunity to see it.

New signage on the front marquee announces the opening of the Keolu theater.

Residents on the Windward side of Oahu will be happy to hear that a new family friendly theater will be opening in their neck of the woods starting today. Taking over the old Wallace/Hollywood Keolu 4 Cinemas location, The Water Gardens Keolu 4 will be a sub run and family oriented theater. What exactly does “sub run” and family oriented mean? Sub run films are movies that have typically been released in the past 6-12 weeks.

So wait, they’re going to show old movies here?

Just follow me for a second cause I know that’s what you’re thinking. Yes, the films won’t be brand spanking new, but they’re not going to be super old either. The benefit of showing films that have been in release for 6-12 weeks is that the theater can charge lower ticket prices! Here are the prices via the Water Gardens Keolu 4 Facebook:

• $5 – All Tickets

• $1-3 – Drink & Popcorn Sizes

• $2 – Hot Dogs

• $2 – Cotton Candy

• $1-2 – Candy

The price structure definitely factors into the family friendly orientation. With a $10 bill, you can get your ticket, popcorn, a drink, and candy. I’m sure that’s very appealing for anyone that wants to go to the movies and wants to save some dough.

Another aspect of the family friendly environment is that the theater will not be showing any ‘R’ rated films. Kids can come with their friends without having to worry about having an adult to purchase tickets and parents will almost certainly be able to find a movie that the whole family can enjoy. In fact, look for these films to open this weekend at Water Gardens Keolu 4:

Footloose, In Time, Puss in Boots, Real Steel, and Tower Heist are the films that will be shown on opening weekend.

If you were wondering just who’s behind Water Gardens Keolu 4, look no further than local boy and owner Scott Daniels. Growing up in Kailua, and literally right down the street from the location of the theater on Keolu Drive, Daniels is a movie lover whose most memorable movie experience was camping out at the old Cinerama to see Star Wars (Episode IV – A New Hope) when it first came out in 1977.

In talking with Daniels about the Water Gardens, though they occupy the same building as the previous theater, extensive renovations needed to be made to the space in order to get it ready for their opening. Remediation was done in areas where there was water damage from rain collection, birds had found their way into the building and had been nesting, the concession area needed to be redone, and old seats and projectors were taken out to make way for newer equipment. However, after a lot of hard work, Water Gardens Keolu 4 is ready to open its doors to the Windward community.

A few more details about Water Gardens Keolu 4:

• For showtimes, visit their page on Facebook or search Google for ‘Water Gardens Keolu 4’

• Water Gardens Keolu 4 will be running on a matinee schedule (showtimes begin around 11:00/11:30 and finish before midnight) now through the beginning of January during Christmas vacation, Saturdays, and holidays.

• Regular Monday-Friday schedule showtimes will run from about 3:00pm to midnight and will begin in early January when area schools are back in session.

• The Water Gardens Keolu 4 will be closed on Sundays.

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More on Water Gardens Keolu 4 from local media:

‘Movie theater to open in Kailua Friday’ – Pacific Business News

‘Keolu Center theater to reopen’ – Honolulu Star-Advertiser (subscription required)

Now playing at a theater near you.

Ah the holidays . . . it’s a time for turkeys, family get togethers, gifts, and for some reason movies. The months of November and December not only bring good holiday tiding, but also pull us out of the dreck of the nothingness that usually line the film slate in September and October (with a few exceptions). Generally we’re so busy with things that how anyone (aka Hollywood) ever decided to bring out really great movies during this timeframe is beyond me.

I guess it has to do with the fact that students have Thanksgiving and holiday breaks. Kids have time off and hence, families have time to go to the movies. While The Adventures of Tintin and Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 are on the horizon as potential family holiday movies, here’s a look at two films out right now that are family friendly and worth the price of admission . . .

The Muppets

Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and the entire Muppet gang are back in a new adventure.

For a little backstory, I was never a big fan of the Muppets. I didn’t hate them or anything, I mean I grew up with Sesame Street so I did find puppet characters to be entertaining. However, I never wondered where they went after I started growing into my teens. So when I heard Jason Segal (How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) was going to bring the Muppets back to the big screen I wasn’t overly excited, but I was definitely intrigued since he did put a puppetry performance of sorts at the end of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It seemed liked the right guy was working on this project.

After all the hype, all the parody trailers, and all the parody posters, The Muppets are finally here and back on the big screen. And I have to say . . . Segal really hit a homerun with this film. The movie is so smart and funny that I think it really is one of the best comedies of the year.

Walter, Mary, and Gary make their way through Los Angeles in The Muppets.

The film definitely harkens back to the Muppets’ variety show roots as the basic premise of the story is that they have to all come back together to put on a show to save their former studio digs. The driving force behind the Muppet roundup is Walter (a puppet who is not a Muppet) and his brother Gary (played by real life human being Segal). Together with Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), they manage to roundup Kermit and the rest of the gang to put on this show.

As I mentioned earlier, the comedy of the film is probably the thing I loved most. The jokes were really smart and I ate up the self referential humor the characters had. If there ever was a fourth wall in the film, it was totally demolished by the end. Sometimes it can take you out of a film when the characters know that they’re in a movie and make references toward that fact. With The Muppets though, they did it in such a way where they made fun of common movie devices (such as montages and plot holes) that were smart and that I’ve often questioned myself in other films.

80's Robot (driving, right) provides one of the funniest laughs of the film in this scene from The Muppets.

Another aspect that made the film fun were the Muppet characters themselves. The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan were probably the best Muppet movies and in this new film the filmmakers definitely keep each of the characters’ personalities intact. Though the voices may have been a little different, the characters on screen now are the same Muppets that I saw in those older films. Maybe a little older and a little more seasoned, but definitely the same characters.

Like any character that’s been out of the spotlight for a while, I liked the fact that all of the characters seemed a bit more serious since they all had moved on from their Muppet Show days. Even Kermit, who generally is the straight man in the Muppets organization, seemed a bit more serious that before–which I didn’t mind, but thought it made him seem more real and more contemporary.

The rest of the elements of the film are icing on the cake. The musical numbers are fun and provide their own laughs as well. There’s also a ton of cameos by a number of celebrities (Jack Black, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez just to name a few) that provide more jokes and laughs as well. Last, but not least, the heartwarming feel good story of any Muppet movie is there as well. While you may see it coming, that doesn’t take anything away from the genuine feelings that you develop for the Muppets over the course of the film.

Red Band Project rating – 4/5 stars // Rated PG // runtime – 1h 38m

Arthur Christmas

Arthur Christmas (pictured above) is Santa's youngest son and sets out on a quest to deliver the last Christmas present in the film that bears his name.

Not going to lie, I didn’t think much going into Arthur Christmas. I thought it was going to be just another cheesy holiday film about Christmas. However, from the opening sequence alone I was pretty much sold on this film.

The film opens on Christmas Eve as Santa and his elves are delivering the last bunch of presents. When they return home to the North Pole Santa proclaims that he can’t wait to do this all again next year, much to the chagrin of his oldest son Steve-who expected his dad to step down after this year. Amidst all this celebration, it is discovered that one present went undelivered. Out of 2 billion kids what’s just one missed present? That sets up a quest (and the plot of our protagonist) for Santa’s younger son Arthur. For what little time is left on Christmas Eve, Arthur strives to deliver this last present. For what does Christmas ultimately mean if even one child loses faith in Santa?

Santa on the bridge of the S1, a new sleigh for the new millenium.

My vision of Santa (yes, I still believe in the dude) is the one I think that most of us have: old guy with a beard wearing a red coat bringing presents to children all over the world in his sleigh pulled by reindeer. Yeah well, that’s how Christmas was 50 years ago. These days the story is different. While the job is still the same, Arthur Christmas shows us how Santa has modernized his operation for the new millennium. Old wooden sleigh . . . gone, replaced by the snazzy starship-like S1 which mimics the night’s sky on it’s underside. Santa’s little helpers . . . they’re still here in this version, though they’re now an elite elf tactical team that employs special forces-like precision to make sure that presents are delivered on time, to the right boys and girls, and above all– unseen. Oh, did I mention Santa’s arsenal includes all kinds of specialized gadgets that would make Q from the 007 series green with envy. I’m generally a sucker for military movies, especially contemporary ones that show modern day forces and tactics. This is exactly what the opening of the film gives you and I ate it all up.

Not to say that the film goes downhill from here. Solid storytelling and characters definitely propel the film through all the way to the end. Each member of the Santa family is definitely fleshed out and is fun to watch, especially when the Santa family gathers for a post-Christmas dinner. You may see shades of your own family’s awkward holiday dinner interactions in that scene.

Arhur gets a little help from Grandsanta (left) and Bryony (center) in Grandsanta's old wooden sleigh.

The solid character building eventually leads to another thing that I liked about the film . . . there’s no “bad guy.” While the setup is perfect for the older son Steve to be the bad guy, things don’t turn out this way. I guess since it’s a Christmas movie the filmmakers may not have wanted to present anyone as “the bad guy,” but I actually think this strengthens the story and makes part of the message of the film fit with Arthur’s goal of delivering the last present . . . what happens when you take the magic out of Christmas and reduce it to statistics and values? Like I mentioned, there are no bad characters in the film–just good people not making the best decisions. While I won’t give away the end, let’s just say that the spirit of Christmas is preserved and the Santa family comes to realize what Christmas is really about. Something all of us need to remember every once and a while.

On a final note, if you can help it, Arthur Christmas doesn’t need to be seen in 3D. Save the kids and yourself the trouble and see it in 2D if you can. There wasn’t all that much 3D-ness in the film that warrants the price of the 3D surcharge.

Red Band Project rating – 3.5/5 Stars // rated PG // runtime – 1h 40m

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Arthur Christmas and The Muppets extra helpings:

Really great interview with Arthur Christmas director Sarah Smith over at Cinemablend

Local review of The Muppets by Myong Choi over at Nonstop Honolulu

Local review of The Muppets by Ryan & Jen over at Popspotting

Local review of The Muppets by David Nishimoto over at the Honolulu Examiner

Have a happy holidays at the theaters everyone!

The talk of this year's Hawaii International Film Festival is finally out in theaters.

HIFF 31 wrapped exactly one month ago, and while the hoopla from the closing night film The Descendants died off a short while after that, it’s all being ramped back up again as the film makes it way to local shores today in an expanded limited release. Seriously, more about The Descendants!?! Yes, more Descendants! More Clooney! More Shailene Woodley! (who?). Anyway, here are a few reasons why you should go out and see The Descendants this Thanksgiving weekend . . .

1. IT’S SET IN HAWAII :: Yes, us locals are always suckers for when Hollywood productions are set or filmed in Hawaii. I’m not sure about everyone else, but films about or shot in Hawaii always get a few more points in my book, mainly because I think it’s good exposure for the state AND it’s sort of a thing of pride. It also features a lot of local Hawaiian music, predominantly from Gabby Pahinui but also from other local singers as well. Tons of movies are filmed/set in New York or LA. Movies filmed or set in Hawaii are few and far between so anytime I can brag to people about a movie from Hawaii . . . I’ll take it!

1. GREAT PERFORMANCES :: While George Clooney is the headlining star of the film, he’s not the only one that stands out. Right next to him should be Shailene Woodley who plays Clooney’s daughter in the film. She’s just as great if not better than Clooney. Also count solid performances from Judy Greer, Matt Lillard, and Robert Forster and you’ve got a bunch of great actors contributing to the film.

1. GREAT STORY :: The story by local author Kaui Hart Hemmings is masterfully adapted to the screen by director Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt) and perfectly folds humor and sadness into the heart wrenching plot of the film. You can literally be laughing in one scene and then crying in the next. It’s storytelling at it’s finest.

1. OSCAR BUZZ :: Even before it’s release last week Wednesday, The Descendants has been gathering a lot of positive Oscar buzz on the film festival circuit. Come Academy Awards time February, don’t you want to be able to say you saw at least one film that deserves to have an award? You’ll be able to contribute to any Oscar conversation as I’m sure The Descendants will pick up multiple nominations.

Where to see The Descendants?

So, here comes the tricky part. Though the film has been released today, it’s not a ‘wide release’. Wide releases are your typical Hollywood films that are released at every theater in your city/town. The Descendants is a film brought to you by Fox Searchlight. While Fox Searchlight is associated with 20th Century Fox (one of the big six studios) it is its own entity and is actually a smaller studio/film distributor that focuses on independent and art house cinema. The film is making it’s way to Hawaii via an expanded limited release. Limited release films generaly start off playing in New York and Los Angeles and gradually expand to playing in other, less populated, cities in forthcoming weeks.

As such, The Descendants is only playing at three theaters on Oahu:

• Consoldiated Ward 16 Theatres (with reserved seating)

• Consolidated Kahala 8 Theatres

• Regal Pearl Highlands Stadium 12

Choose the appropriate location for your movie viewing.

Anything else I should know?

I know it can be a bit much taking my word for it on seeing The Descendants. So, here’s what other local film bloggers have been saying about the film (we pretty much all agree that you should see it):

Jen and Ryan over at the Popspotting podcast

Ed Morita over at NonStop Honolulu

Suzie Setzler over at the I Adore Books and Film blog

Burl Burlingame over at Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s HonoluluPulse

Mindy Pennybackers over at the Honolulu Weekly

]]> http://redbandproject.com/2011/11/23/go-out-and-see-the-descendants/feed/ 0 yoda808 1123-01_PosterClooney http://redbandproject.com/2011/11/04/interview-dane-neves-giant-monsters-attack-hawaii/ http://redbandproject.com/2011/11/04/interview-dane-neves-giant-monsters-attack-hawaii/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:42:21 +0000 yoda808 http://redbandproject.com/?p=1554 ]]>

Director/producer Dane Neves operates the puppet Zillabong while shooting his latest film, Giant Monsters Attack Hawaii!

Dane Neves’s short film, Giant Monsters Attack Hawaii!, will be screening with Jurassic Park this coming Monday, November 7th as part of Consolidated Theatres’ Hana Hou Picture Show ‘Movie Monster’ edition. The Red Band Project sat down with the director to talk about his film leading up to its debut.

Red Band Project: For those not familiar with your background can you talk about your work with puppetry and how it’s a prominent feature in this film as well as some of your other works.

Dane Neves: I’ve been a big fan of puppetry in movies since I was very little. Films like Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, Gremlins all the Muppet movies, and Star Wars (the original trilogy) have been great successes without the use of CGI, which is, sadly, overused these days. Puppets = practical movie magic, things that audiences feel they can reach out and touch. Although CGI does do wonders, some movie characters shine much more as live human-operated puppets. That’s why all of my non-human characters are in-camera puppets.

RBP: The puppets that you use are unique to your films. Can you talk about how you come up with each puppet, their “look,” and what is involved with physically creating them (does creation limit design?).

DN: There are three hand-held monster puppets, one man in a suit monster and a remote controlled robot in this film. When designing a puppet, the character must first be conceptualized on paper. I had four concept artists (all UH art/animation students) draw their own interpretations of each of the four monster characters featured in Giant Monsters Attack Hawaii!. I picked the best designs out of those and sent them to Sonny Vegas (credited as Eddie Horn), a professional puppet maker who lives in Chicago. It’s Sonny’s job to build these puppets for a human (or two) to operate. He tries his best to match the drawings and they are really close (you can see some of the concept art here). The puppets are made out of latex to give their skin a realistic look. The puppet in [my previous film] The Green Tie Affair was conceived in the same way, but he was made out of Antron fleece (a.k.a. Muppet fleece), which allows for easy color dying.

RBP: Getting to Giant Monsters Attack Hawaii (GMAH), how did you come up with the premise of the film?

DN: I always try to come up with premises for movies that all ages can enjoy, that appeal to the geek in all of us, and that represent Hawaii in a positive light. Pixar shorts were my main inspiration because they all feature an underdog protagonist and they are less than 10 minutes long (the shorter your film is, the more a film festival is likely to screen it). As for the actual concept, I realized that Hawaii has never been the target of a disaster flick…but it has so much potential for that. “Family-friendly Godzilla in Waikiki” became my pitch line.

RBP: In the plot outline you reference Godzilla and Cloverfield as films that GMAH answers to. Are the monsters in the film inspired by any specific movie monsters?

DN: These characters in GMAH are cliche movie monsters. You’ve got the commanding demon-like monster (Abercrumble), the sea monster (Cruehl), the flying insect (Maulister), and the amphibious one (Zillabong). Notice that their names are parodies of famous clothing brands: A&F, Ruehl, Hollister, and the oddball of the bunch: Billabong.

RBP: How does this film compare to others you’ve done in the past in terms of scope and production?

DN: Twice the scope, twice the number of people working on it, six times the amount of time it took to complete it. A normal short film usually takes about 2 months to shoot and post/edit. This one took a year. We did have some visual effects (note that none of the characters are fully CGI…I still practice what I preach) and that is what took the longest to finish…I only had one guy working on it.

Zillabong with his voice actor Grant Uchida.

RBP: Along with being the director, in some ways you’re also an actor in the film since you operate some of the monsters as well. Can you talk a little about what’s involved with working with the puppets and what it takes to capture their performances?

DN: Being a puppeteer is no job for a weakling. You need to be crouched down in a slew of awkward positions, holding the puppet up with one arm for endless amounts of minutes staring at a video monitor and trying your hardest to keep the puppets eyes looking at the right spot on screen while making it lipsync to pre-recorded dialogue, opening the mouth on every vowel. It hurts, to be honest. Zillabong was actually the only puppet that could be operated by one person. Abercrumble and Cruehl needed two, three, or even four people to work.

RBP: I noticed that for both GMAH and your previous film, The Green Tie Affair, original music was composed for each. What made you decide to go with an original score/soundtrack, and do you have a background in music?

DN: To avoid having to deal with copyright issues, I figured I’d just compose everything myself. Doing that is one of my favorite parts of the production process because it allows my creativity to peak, no limits. Classic Godzilla film scores (heavy on the horns) as well as the Wall-E score (which incorporated a lot of futuristic orchestral music) were my main inspirations for the soundtrack. I’ve been playing piano since 1994…17 years.

RBP: Puppetry in film seems to be making a comeback, first with Forgetting Sarah Marshall and then this year with two films; a great documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey and The Muppets–both being released within a month or two of each other. Can you venture a guess as to why we’re seeing a resurgence and what it is about puppets that people find entertaining?

DN: I think it’s making a comeback because of all the fans that grew up with puppets in the 80s and 90s. We’re all adults now with real jobs and bills to pay. Just a taste of nostalgia is all we need to get excited and bring these things back into the limelight. I will always cherish when my mom bought me the VHS of the Muppet Movie and seeing/hearing Kermit the Frog sing “Rainbow Connection” on a log. I will always cherish the transformation of a Mogwai into a cocoon then into a Gremlin. I will always cherish seeing that Tyrannosaurus Rex’s eye dilate while harassing those kids in that stalled car. These are the puppets the movie-going masses hold dear to their hearts.

RBP: I know that right now you’re busy with getting GMAH out there for people to see. Once this is done, do you know what your next project is or what you want to do next?

DN: The Hana Hou screening will be GMAH’s public premier.  That is just the beginning. A lot of people assume that once a film is wrapped, that’s the end of it and the director moves on to a new project.  In actuality, promotion and exhibition of a film (feature or short) is a job in itself. I will be spending the next year sending this short film off to as many film festivals as possible. I have a lot of cool ideas in mind for my “next” film, but none that really stand out and pop.  I don’t want to be spending months on end working on something mediocre. When the right time comes, I will make another film. For now, I’m strapping myself in and hanging on for the ride with Giant Monsters Attack Hawaii!

If you want to be one of the first people to check out Giant Monsters Attack Hawaii! tickets are available for Monday’s Hana Hou Picture Show at the Consolidated Ward 16 Theatres via Fandango.