I was in New York for the first time last week. My brother was in South America for six months, and he wanted the person he loves the most to spend the last week of his trip (double meaning?) in New York with him. After his girlfriend said she couldn’t come, our parents were busy, and his best friend refused, he invited me. So I came.

We saw a lot of celebrities, including: Samuel L. Jackson, Jodie Foster, Johnny Depp, Hugh Grant, Jennifer Aniston and even Barack Obama. All in Madame Tussauds. For real, we did see James Gandolfini after his Broadway show God of Carnage. He was really nice, signing autographs and answering rich old ladies’ questions. Tony Soprano would have strangled them with a wire.

I was there for 8 days and saw a movie a day. To save you the money and heartache, here is my advice about each of them:

8. Bruno

This makes Borat seem like a Disney movie. It’s politically incorrect, outrageous and most of all hilarious: The woman who sat in the row in front of me kept saying “Oh my god!” and the woman in the row behind me kept saying: “Oh my gosh.” As all comedians know, comedy is about knowing where the line is, and crossing it. (Just look at Channel4’s most outrageous comedies.) Most comedians cross by a little – let’s say from Manhattan to New Jersey. Sacha Baron Cohen crosses from Manhattan to Australia (if you are weak in geography, it’s far, very far).

My Rating: 10 – Couldn’t stop laughing

7. Public Enemies

Johnny Depp and Christian Bale emerge from two of the biggest blockbuster series of all time (Pirates of the Caribbean and Batman) to star in this crime drama from Michael Mann (Heat). Depp stars as legendary gangster John Dillinger, while Bale plays FBI agent Melvin Purvis. I came with high expectations and was quite disappointed. It’s too slow, I couldn’t identify with any of the characters, Bale delivers another monotonous, expressionless performance (in Batman it was fine; here it’s not). Not a bad movie, but it could have been much better.

My Rating: 6 – I never thought a gangster movie starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale could be boring.

6. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

In this remake of the critically acclaimed movie from 1974, a subway dispatcher (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system to outwit hijackers who are threatening to kill passengers unless a ransom is paid. It’s a problem when you make a remake of a great movie. People will always say: Why did you have to ruin it? Couldn’t you just leave it alone? Never mind comparisons to the original, this is a very good movie: thrilling, intense, fast paced.

My Rating: 7 – Good, but don’t skip your son’s Bar Mitzvah for it.

5. Year One

This comedy stars Michael Cera and funnyman Jack Black as men who are banished from their ancient village, causing them to travel across the world and encounter historical characters. With a supporting cast that includes Olivia Wilde, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Vinnie Jones and David Cross, with director Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day) and super-producer Judd Apatow, nothing could go wrong, right? Wrong. There wasn’t one laugh-out-loud moment in this hugely disappointing movie.

My Rating: 5 – It’s Life of Brian and History of the World: Part 1 - without the laughs.

4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

J.K. Rowling’s sixth novel is brought to the screen by David Yates, director of Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson are back as the beloved Hogwarts students, and Oscar winner Jim Broadbent joins as Horace Slughorn. It’s the darkest of the Harry Potter movies, not suitable for children in my opinion. It might also be the best movie of the series: I was pleasantly surprised. If I had to say one bad thing about it, it would be that it’s a bit too long. I had to pee and I thought the movie was about to end any second, so I waited. It ended many seconds later. Very unhealthy for my bladder.

(This is a very important article about Harry Potter.)

My Rating: 8 – Take your kid to the restroom before the movie begins, and don’t forget to go yourself.

3. (500) Days of Summer

After his girlfriend dumps him, a greeting-card writer reflects on their 500 days together to try to figure out where their love affair went wrong. I came to this movie expecting yet another nice indie romantic comedy. What I got was a fantastic, clever and witty movie. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are both great. It’s original and heartfelt and has real insight about relationships. One of the best movies I’ve seen, not just this summer, not just this year, but ever. (Okay, maybe being on vacation in New York helped).

My Rating: 10 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, your name is too long.

2. Whatever Works

Woody – nothing works. You already told that joke, and that one too, and you already said those things about religion, politics and relationships. Larry David in his first major movie role steps into the shoes of the neurotic, depressed, brilliant Jew (or of Woody Allen) quite comfortably. He is pretty good (as Larry likes to say) but it’s not enough to save this movie. The people in the audience who laughed probably did so because: 1. It was the first Woody Allen movie they ever saw, or 2. (more likely) they just wanted to appear smart - “We are laughing in a Woody Allen movie, so we must be intellectuals.” Larry David and Woody Allen are both geniuses; it’s too bad their collaboration failed.

My Rating: 5 – Curb Your Enthusiasm regarding this movie.

1. Away We Go

Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) ventures into comedy with this film starring TV regulars John Krasinski (The Office) and Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live), in which a couple about to have a baby take a road trip to find the perfect place to raise a family. After the awful Revolutionary Road, Mendes is back in form: this is “dramedy” at its best, just the right amount of funny and touching moments. Most of the humor comes from Krasinski (Jim to you), while funny woman Rudolph is great in her slightly more dramatic role. It’s realistic, heartwarming, slow, yet not even remotely boring.

My Rating: 9 – Jim, does Pam know you’re seeing other women?

And a bonus, two additional movies I want to see:

Ponyo

In this film, the story of The Little Mermaid is brought to modern-day Japan, where a small fish named Ponyo wants to live with a five-year-old boy named Sosuke. The trailer went something like this: From the great genius who brought you Spirited Away comes Ponyo, the best movie of the last 114 years, the movie that will change your life for ever. Ponyo – the bible of animated movies, Hayao Miyazaki – the Japanese Jesus. I’m considering converting to Ponyoism. And a word to Mr. trailer narrator: relax, it’s only a f–g cartoon.

Funny People

Judd Apatow rounds up the usual suspects - Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, and Jonah Hill - as well as Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman, and RZA - for his third feature as a director. Despite another all-star-cast, hopefully Apatow’s Year One fiasco will not repeat in this story of a popular comedian who comes far closer to death than he ever imagined. I really wanted to see it but the studios didn’t agree to push their release date earlier and I couldn’t stay any longer in New York since my boss didn’t agree to extend my vacation. Plus my spending allowance finished – what’s with the outrageous $12.50 per ticket??

Technorati Tags: movie, film, Movie Genome, summer 2009, Bruno, comedies

Popularity: 12% [?]

The Ugly Truth is hitting cinemas this week, in more ways than one. Romantic comedies can be saccharine, sticky, kitsch, and banal - and might make you want to puke. But not all romantic comedies are bad.

Here are ten signs that a romantic comedy is going to be bad: Richard Gere, Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Drew Barrymore, Jude Law,  Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron Diaz, Colin Firth, Renée Zellweger.

And now for the good: Here are 10 examples, or tips, for all you directors out there planning your next rom com, on how to make one that won’t be kitsch, formulaic or boring (or, in the case of The Ugly Truth, like a not-too-promising mix of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Hitch …):

10. The Tip: Let the man be middle-aged, beer-drinking, poor, a once-promising boxer. Good. Now give Adam Carolla the role. No kitsch, guaranteed.

The Movie: In The Hammer (2007), Jerry Ferro (Adam Carolla) has reached his 40th birthday but still has plenty of fight. After getting fired from his construction job, Jerry decides to get back in the game with a return to his original love: boxing. This comeback comedy also stars Heather Juergensen, taking care of its romantic side.

9. The Tip: Take the opposites attract thing to the extreme. Make them more different than Charles Manson and Mother Teresa.

The Movie: A dozen years of analysis aren’t enough to rid Ira of all his neuroses in Ira and Abby (2006). A desire for change sends him to the nearest gym, where he meets easygoing Abby (Jennifer Westfeldt). She unexpectedly proposes marriage and he - even more unexpectedly - agrees. Their coupling seems ideal until Ira discovers that he’s her third husband, and his fears begin to take over…

8. The Tip: Let one of the characters receive messages from a freeway sign.

The Movie: In L.A. Story (1991), a gentle send-up of life in L.A., a TV weatherman stuck in an unfulfilling relationship and embarrassing job receives a mysterious message from a freeway sign saying the weather will change his life. Soon his life is turned upside down: He loses his job, his agent, his girlfriend, and all his reasons not to start living life to the fullest.

7. The Tip: Make the guy a short, ugly petty criminal, and the girl a blonde angel with superpowers, never-ending legs and martial arts skills. Not quite your generic romantic comedy couple.

The Movie: Self-described liar Andre (Jamel Debbouze) is down on his luck and in debt to Parisian gangsters in Angel-A (2005). Desperate, Andre finds himself on the edge of one of the City of Light’s majestic bridges, ready to plunge into the river below. Then he catches sight of a tall blonde woman, crying, also standing on the ledge. Forgetting his problems for a moment, Andre pleads with her not to jump. She does anyway, and he goes in after her, dragging her to safety. Andre soon discovers that meeting the girl, Angela, was no accident…

6. The Tip: Take a great movie that’s not a romantic comedy and adapt it. You could even take Schindler’s List and write a script where Oscar Schindler meets a nice lady… This one is a romantic version of K-Pax:

The Movie: Ruby (Marisa Tomei) is a compulsive co-dependent searching for true love in Brad Anderson’s idiosyncratic Happy Accidents (2000). She finds romantic bliss with Sam. But mysterious clues hidden in their apartment gradually suggest he is not who he claims. When Ruby confronts him, he tells her he traveled back from the future because he fell in love with her photograph in a curio shop. Strange coincidences begin to make his story seem true. If Sam is telling the truth, he may change her life forever, but if he’s lying, then what?

5. The Tip: Don’t make life easy for the two love pigeons. Example: If the guy touches the girl – she dies. It’s obvious there can be sex without love, but can there be love without sex?

The Series: In Pushing Daisies (2007), Ned (Lee Pace) is a pie-maker with a very special gift: he can bring dead things - from his dog Digby to rotting fruit to people - back to life with a simple touch. But the second he touches them again, they return to their previous state. If he doesn’t, something else meets a dire fate. He uses his ability to solve murders. But when he begins to look into the death of his childhood friend and lost love, Ned can’t bear to leave her among the dearly departed.

4. The Tip: In the final tear-jerking scene, when the man and the woman confess their true feelings for each other, put the woman on a toilet seat. It really brings things down to earth.

The Movie: After the success of Knocked Up, Seth Rogen pairs up with another comely comedienne in Zack & Miri Make a Porno (2008). In this Kevin Smith comedy, two desperate friends decide to earn a little extra money by creating their own adult film, but they also discover that they may be more than just pals.

3. The Tip: Let the male lead fall for a brain. Just a brain, no body. Sex only complicates things anyhow.

The Movie: In The Man With Two Brains (1983), a madcap brain surgeon, married to a beautiful but evil woman, falls in love with the brain of another lady who has everything he wants - except a body. The brain is voiced by Sissy Spacek in this wildly funny film.

2. The Tip: The relationship between the two shouldn’t seem difficult, it should seem impossible. Example: The man’s love interest could be a lesbian.

The Movie: When handsome young comic book creator Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) meets cute young comic book creator Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) in Chasing Amy (1997), romance seems preordained. But Holden is soon confronted with Alyssa’s complex sexual history.

1. The Tip: Make the man work for it: Climb a mountain, participate in a sword fight, overcome a giant and win a mind game with an obnoxious bald guy who keeps saying “Inconceivable!”

The Movie: In The Princess Bride (1987), lovely Buttercup learns that “As you wish” really means “I love you” when she falls for her charming farmhand, Westley. While trying to seek his fortune, however, he disappears at sea, an apparent victim of the Dread Pirate Roberts. A few years later, Buttercup, engaged to the oily Prince Humperdinck, is kidnapped by an oddball trio of rogues. As they sail away toward the Cliffs of Insanity, they notice the pursuit of a man in black…and the adventure begins.

Search on Jinni for -
Love and Romance * Wooing * Feel Good * Touching * Self Discovery * Sentimental * Fall In Love * True Love * Unfulfilled Love * Impossible Love * Unlikely Couple * Offbeat * Date Night * Comedy * Romance * Odd couple * Battle of the sexes *

Technorati Tags: movie, film, romantic comedy, romantic comedies, rom com, The Ugly Truth

Popularity: 18% [?]

It’s the biggest blockbuster event of the summer – the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. What is it about Harry Potter anyway?

(from PostSecret)

I think it’s the integration of magic and everyday teenage life. The magic gives us spells, evil wizards, curses… and lots of special effects. Teenage life gives us relatable coming-of-age issues like identity, family, and managing love and school.

In our Movie Genome, this is represented by a combined search for “fantasy” and “teenage life” or “coming of age.” The results underscore the popularity of combining fantasy and teenage worlds.

Warning: Spoilers ahead…

10. Twilight (2008)

If you somehow failed to hear about the Twilight books and big-screen hype, you could watch almost half the movie without realizing it’s a fantasy. The look is realistic, and the feel is of a regular falling-in-love story between Edward and Bella, two socially awkward teens with goth tendencies. Of course, Edward is actually a vampire, though a “vegetarian” one - which makes things difficult for the young lovers and justifies them staring meaningfully into each other’s eyes for most of the film.

Like it or not, this is the greatest example of the last year for how popular teenage life and fantasy can be together.

9. Tin Man (2007)

This fascinating 6-hour miniseries takes the story of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to a whole new level. With much more focus on fantasy and sci-fi elements, along with deep character psychology, the story deals with DG, a teenage girl who feels out of place in her life.

Sounds typical? Well, imagine what happens when DG and her typical teenage problems are thrown into a world of wizards, strange torture methods, and robots who were apparently DG’s parents the whole time…

This was the highest rated miniseries of 2007, and was nominated for 9 Emmy awards.

8. The Incredibles (2004)

True, The Incredibles is really more focused on family life than teen life. But there is one character who uses her special powers in the regular teen world in such an endearing way, that I couldn’t resist including her.

I’m talking, of course, about Violet, the teenage daughter of the Parr/Incredible family. As a teenager, she is a shy social outsider. She uses her superhuman skills – especially the invisibility one – to hide from a boy she has a crush on. How incredibly teenage-like!

Through the movie, Violet gains control of her powers – and thus self-confidence. When she returns to school she doesn’t hide anymore, for her adventures in the film have also been a coming-of-age journey.

7. Smallville (2001 ongoing)

This successful TV series (9 seasons so far and still going) is the classic example of regular teenage life combined with fantasy – the beloved character Superman.

Set when Clark Kent (aka Superman) and his arch-nemesis Lex Luthor were still just teenagers, the series ranges from Clark battling villains that aim to destroy Smallville to his school experience, friends and one of the biggest issues of the series: coming to terms with his alien origins.

The pilot episode of the series was extremely successful and broke the rating records for The WB network with over 8.4 million viewers.

6. The Golden Compass (2007)

Lyra is a 12-year-old orphan, a smart, somewhat rowdy tomboy. Most of her time is spent playing with her friends or telling creepy stories - but Lyra actually lives in a fantastic world, parallel to ours, in which there are witches, armored bears and daemons.

Through the movie, Lyra comes of age, starting with adoring her elegant female relative and trying to simulate her, and ending with the realization that not everything beautiful is good.

Unfortunately the movie was not very successful financially, and in the US it actually flopped. Fans of the books felt the movie fails to capture its complexity. But Lyra’s character is one of the stronger aspects of the movie, and is very interesting to watch.

5. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Oh, the troubles the three Baudelaire kids face! Teenagers Violet and Klaus and their baby sister Sunny have been orphaned. Their evil relative Count Olaf receives custody over them, but he is only after the family fortune and constantly tries to kill them…

The siblings are launched on a strange, magnificent journey, in which they try simultaneously to take care of each other, find out the truth about their parents’ death, and always keep one step ahead from the evil count.

Visually stunning and wickedly funny, this film really takes advantage of the fantastic world as a vehicle to depict real-life troubles.

4. Merlin (2008 ongoing)

Merlin is a relatively new BBC series based (loosely) on Arthurian legends and myths. What differentiates it from countless other movies, TV shows, books and plays on the topic is the focus on Merlin and Arthur as teenagers.

In the first episode, Arthur, the “king of the class,” bullies nerdy Merlin.
Merlin, on his part, is busy flaunting his magical talents to his friends and keeping them secret from the adults.

At some points it feels like Freaks and Geeks set in medieval times. But of course there’s a strong fantasy element, with dragons, knights and plenty of spells.

The show was very successful and a second series was commissioned by BBC. Once again, the teenage-fantasy combination proved its worth.

3. Coraline (2009)

This film differs from other in this list in that 11-year-old Coraline Jones is not a teenager, rather a tween. But Coraline is already dealing with many coming-of-age issues. She movies to a new town, her parents have hardly any time for her, and there’s no one her age except a weird boy wearing a metallic scull mask…

This movie is real eye-candy. The stop motion animation is beautiful, similar to The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride only more colorful and fantastic-looking. And the way Coraline’s everyday world integrates with the fantastic one really gets the best of both worlds.

2. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

Of all the teenage-magic combinations, this is the most similar to Harry Potter (the earlier movies). Kiki is a 13-year-old apprentice witch who, as part of her training, must leave her home town and family. Accompanied by her talking cat and second-hand flying broom, Kiki sets off for her adventure.

As the story develops it becomes clear that Kiki’s journey is also a coming-of-age process. In order to fully complete this year of training, she must discover her special skills, learn how to take responsibility, and recognize the value of money and hard work.

Kiki represents the magical side, whereas the city she lands in is completely “ordinary” magic-free. Kiki needs to convince everyone she can do good with her powers, while also dealing with regular teenage issues like boyfriends and having nothing to wear to parties…

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

The 6th book brings Harry’s teenage life and magical life to a climax. Harry finally experiences truly falling in love, while Ron and Hermione move between jealousy, anger and affection. (Check out this overview from the cast on ReelzChannel.) It’s not easy being a teenager while the entire world around you crumbles, and you’re supposed to save it!

So will Harry Potter be the biggest hit of summer 2009? Will it top Transformers? Comment and let us know what you think!

Search on Jinni for -

Magical * Based on a Book * Wizards and Magicians * Teenage Life * Curses, Spells and Rituals * Coming of Age * High School Life * Fantasy * Fall in Love * Socially Awkward * Vampire * Mini Series * Androids and Robots * Good vs. Evil * Hit TV Series * Superhuman Powers * Family Life * Journey * Orphan * Witch * Talking Animals * Boyfriend * Stylish * Stop Motion * Anime * Legends and Myths

Technorati Tags: movie, film, Movie Genome, Harry Potter, HP6, HBP, Half Blood Prince, fantasy, teenage life, coming of age

Popularity: 6% [?]

Perhaps the most terrifying moment in a father’s life is when his daughter tells him: Daddy, meet the man I am going to marry. What if she made the wrong choice? What if the guy she chose is a real creep??

To observe wedding season, counteract the flood of summer rom coms, and toast Bruno (one of the most cringe-inducing movie personas ever), I’ve gathered 10 characters from cinema and television that you fathers out there would definitely not want your daughters to bring home. It’s therapeutic: After reading this article, you’ll be pleased with just about any guy your daughter decides to marry.

10. Mr. Blonde (Reservoir Dogs, 1992)

Who is he? A psychotic parolee who enjoys an occasional walk on the beach and a killing spree once in a while.

Bottom line: He’s charming and your daughter is crazy about him, but you recognize a glint of insanity in his eyes. You look inside his bag and guess what you find? An ear.

9. Richard Alpert (Lost, 2004)

Who is he? One of the most significant “others” from the mind-boggling TV series Lost. Oh yes, he doesn’t age.

Bottom line: First of all, you should never trust a man who looks much younger than his age. Secondly, a big (huge) age difference between two individuals in a relationship is not a good thing, just ask Anna Nicole Smith’s late husband. And Richard is at least 80 years old. If that’s not enough, he also wears eyeliner.

8. Chewbacca (Star Wars, 1977)

Who is he? Han Solo’s towering furry sidekick. Looks like a giant yak.

Bottom line: He is the ultimate male: he’s very hairy, big and strong, and he doesn’t say much. All of that can also be said in a derogatory sense: He’s way too hairy, so big that if he accidentally falls on you the outcome could be deadly, and he really isn’t much of a conversationalist.

7. Rodney Dangerfield (Doesn’t matter which movie)

Who is he? A comic legend that got no respect. Declared about himself: “I had plenty of pimples as a kid. One day I fell asleep in the library. When I woke up, a blind man was reading my face.”

Bottom line: “Dad, isn’t he great? He’s got a great sense of humor!” “Honey, I’ll admit he’s funny, but his sense of humor is too crude and vulgar for me. I mean, come on: ‘Some dog I got too. We call him Egypt. Because in every room he leaves a pyramid.’ That’s disgusting. Other then that, are you blind? I’ve never seen an uglier man.”

6. Dr. Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)

Who is he? A ferociously intelligent serial killer. Oh, almost forgot, also a cannibal.

Bottom line: “Wow, sweetie, you really hit the jackpot with Hanni, a man who not only knows how to cook, but also loves it! What’s for dinner today Hannibal?” “Liver, fava beans and some nice chianti.”

During dinner: “The liver is fantastic, but you have to tell us, where did you buy this fantastic tofu?” “Oh, that’s not tofu, it’s our neighbor Cindy’s brain.”

5. Jimmy Livingston (Bubble Boy, 2001)

Who is he? A young man born with an immune deficiency, who is forced to spend his life inside a sterile plastic bubble.

Bottom line: This is one son-in-law you know you’re not going to get grandchildren from. But there’s also a positive: he won’t break your daughter’s heart with infidelity.

4. Dexter Morgan (Dexter, 2006)

Who is he? A serial killer who preys only on other serial killers. He works as a blood splatter expert in Miami, giving him a close view of other murderers and their handiwork.

Bottom line: He looks like an ideal son in law: he’s polite, he’s got a decent job, he speaks softly and he’s in good physical shape. It’s a shame he’s got that hobby of killing people with knives and keeping a sample of their blood as a souvenir…

3. Borat Sagdiyev (Borat, 2006)

Who is he? A heavily mustachioed TV host from Kazakhstan who spreads anarchy wherever he goes.

Bottom line: He really likes prostitutes, he sometimes wrestles nude men, he is extremely racist, he carries naked pictures of family members in his wallet and when the mood is right, he puts his feces in a bag and brings it to the dinner table. Plus look at his bow tie, it’s really ugly.

2. Francois Pignon (The Dinner Game, 1998)

Who is he? His name is Francois, and he is an accountant whose favorite hobby is making matchstick models of famous tourist attractions.

Bottom line: If dictionaries had pictures next to each word they would be much longer and heavier. Other then that, his picture would be perfect next to the word “loser.” There comes a time when one should ask one’s daughter: “Look me in the eye and give me an honest answer, is he really the best you can do?”

1. Anton Chigurh (No Country For Old Men, 2007)

Who is he? An amoral psychopath with an absurd haircut and a pressurized weapon that’s used to murder cattle.

Bottom line: It’s not his psychopathic nature and multiple murders I have a problem with, it’s three other things: What kind of a man makes his decisions based on a coin toss? Shame on you! What’s with the haircut, are you trying to look stupid? And worst of all, he’s got no sense of humor.

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Psychopath * Outward Appearance * Loser * Fish Out of Water * Love and Romance * Couple Relations * Parents and Children * Gag * Secret * Marriage * Family Disapproval * Weddings and Preparations * Meet the parents * Wooing * Dating *

Technorati Tags: Bruno, Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen, movies, film, Movie Genome, bachelors, Hollywood

Popularity: 5% [?]

As an update to our previous post, we’ve now spoken further with Netflix and have a better understanding of the issues at hand. The team at Netflix tells us they are working now on adding ratings history access to the API. Although this is a complex process, they are working hard to make this available as soon as they can, in order to provide the best experience for importing ratings. We appreciate the good will and initiative from Netflix in providing an API that is of great value for developers and services like Jinni.

Technorati Tags: Netflix, Netflix API, OAuth

Popularity: 4% [?]

Death of an American Idol

Michael Jackson. King of Pop. American icon. One minute he’s about to make what was supposed to be one of the biggest comebacks in music, the next minute he’s gone and we’re watching his funeral at lunchtime.

Cinema loves stories of cultural icons, especially if they are controversial or die young. (And it seems that great talent attracts sickness, addiction, and untimely death…) So I guess we can start the countdown to a movie about the rise and fall of MJ (possibly starring Johnny Depp). What can we expect? Here’s a look at ten other outsize musical lives and deaths, as captured on the big screen. July 4th is the perfect time to have a look at these icons, mostly reflecting American culture, influence and the American dream…

(Quick aside: I remember the nights when the video clips of Thriller and Black or White premiered. In my country there was just one TV channel back then, and we were all glued to the screen. Those clips still stand out, along with Bad, as successful short movies - made by directors at the peak of their careers, John Landis and Martin Scorsese. Can you imagine that happening today? Black or White even introduced groundbreaking special effects, before their cinematic breakthrough in Terminator 2.)

10. The Glenn Miller Story (1953) – Jazz and a plane crash

James Stewart gives a warm performance as the legendary band leader who met an untimely end in a World War II airplane crash. Though much of Miller’s story has been sentimentalized here, the great Big Band music is really what it’s all about, including performances of “Little Brown Jug,” “Moonlight Serenade,” “Pennsylvania 6-5000,” “In the Mood,” and many more. The movie was nominated for 3 Academy Awards.

9. Bird (1988) – Jazz, drugs and alcohol

Charlie “Bird” Parker was Clint Eastwood’s hero since childhood. This is a true jazz fan’s movie about the music. The film shows how Parker, a genius who changed the face of modern music, was hampered and eventually destroyed by his appetite for women, food, and drugs. With wit and warmth, Bird tells the story directly, avoiding sentimentality. Eastwood used Parker’s original solos, and also patterned the dark, moody look of the film after old photos of musicians who used to appear in jazz magazines. Music lovers will be thrilled with the result, and movie lovers will find plenty to engage them in this moving tale of a great man battling his demons.

8. Beyond the Sea (2004) – Pop, jazz, folk, country… and illness

Kevin Spacey did it all in this swinging biopic: directed, wrote, produced, starred - and even sang! He plays legendary crooner Bobby Darin, whose 1950s hits included “Splish Splash” and “Mack the Knife.” Left with a bad heart after a childhood fever, Darin nonetheless seeks out the high-pressure world of stardom, performing every number like his life depended on it. Through it all, Darin keeps reinventing himself, going from Elvis-style rocker to Vegas crooner, and even long-haired 60s folkie. In their own ways, both Spacey and Darrin proved that anything can be done in America.

7. Walk the Line (2005) – Country music and collaboration

Primarily the story of the love between country stars Johnny Cash and June Carter during the early years of Cash’s career, the film also follows the early stages of Cash’s touring career alongside musicians such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley… and of course June Carter.

Walk The Line is different from the other in this list, both because Cash’s death was at age 71 (not so untimely, but still the result of bad health), and because the movie is the result of intense collaboration between director James Mangold and Cash himself. Though both Cashes died in 2003, they oversaw the script’s development.

Mangold and Cash’s insistence that the film’s stars would actually sing paid off. Reese Witherspoon’s singing is lovely, and Joaquin Phoenix’s contains the raw energy and soul that defined Cash’s sound.

6. The Rose (1979) – Rock and OD’ing

This is not an official biography, but is considered to be based on the life story of Janis Joplin. Bette Midler, in a star-making performance, plays Rose, a talented rock star whose entire life is controlled by her cutthroat manager, Rudge (Alan Bates). Pulled down by raging alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as her own insecurities, Rose’s life begins to deteriorate to the point of complete self-destruction. This raw, uncompromising, witty, and ultimately heartbreaking film includes several incredible musical performances by Midler in actual concert settings.

5. The Doors (1991) – Rock & OD’ing 2

Val Kilmer stars as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s electrifying profile of The Doors, which takes the group from its inception to its demise with the death of the “Lizard King” in a Paris hotel room in 1971. In the early days, Morrison is just a guy hanging out at the beach writing poetry. But soon The Doors’ fame begins to spread, with Morrison as the focus of attention. As Morrison’s drug consumption and erratic behavior increase exponentially, the rest of the band begins to grow tired of his late arrivals, the increasing number of cancellations, and the drunken recording sessions requiring infinite retakes. But no one can help Morrison as he spirals downward into an inferno of drugs, alcohol, public obscenity, and depression, bringing the music to an untimely end.

4. Tupac: Resurrection (2003) & Notorious (2009) – Rap, hip hop and murder

The fierce and tragic rivalry between these two rappers generated several movies.

Tupac: Resurrection is an inventive documentary, which celebrates the life of one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures. But rather than rely on friends and family, the director lets Shakur himself do the talking, as if he’s speaking from the grave. Raised by his mother, a high-profile Black Panther, Tupac grew from a deeply sensitive boy to become the voice of a generation of disenfranchised youths. Run-ins with the law, stints in jail, and feuds with east coast rappers all precede the night when he was shot five times in NYC, and his eventual murder in Las Vegas at the age of 25.

Notorious is the story of Tupac’s east coast rival, who was murdered in retaliation, shortly after Tupac’s murder, also at the young age of 25. Christopher Wallace started out as a hustler and dealer, and found himself in run-ins with the law just like its rival. But his talent and determination drove him to stardom as Notorious B.I.G., one of the greatest rappers at the time.

Love them or hate them, these movies capture the contradictory glory, and are a must-see for anyone interested in pop culture and American history and culture.

3. The Killing of John Lennon (2006) – Rock, pop and assassination

Numerous movies have been made about this legend. This recent contribution delves deep into the mind of Mark David Chapman, the crazed gunman who shot Lennon. Basing his script on Chapman’s own words from interviews, writings, court transcripts, and depositions, director Andrew Piddington retraces the events leading up to the shooting, showing Chapman’s obsession with The Catcher In The Rye and vision of himself as the hero who must root out the phonies of the world.

Jonas Ball gives a quirky debut performance, part Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, part Rupert Pupkin in The King Of Comedyshot, part Valerie Solanas in I Shot Andy Warhol; while Piddington manages to hold viewers in suspense even though they know what is going to happen.

2. Sid & Nancy (1986) – Punk and OD’ing

Alex Cox’s riveting biopic tells the bleak, heroin-drenched story of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his disturbed American girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. Gary Oldman delivers a bravura performance as Sid, matched by Chloe Webb’s unhinged Nancy. The two lovers’ childlike tenderness toward each other contrasts sharply with their violent nihilism. While the script implies that Nancy’s death was accidental, the line between intention and accident is deliberately blurred.

The film’s dreamlike style and hypnotic score dramatize the schism between Sid and Nancy’s world and the world around them - and the inevitable horror when those worlds collide.

To relax from Tupac’s and Biggie’s all-American mayhem, following is one completely non-American music icon, yet one of the greatest ever - and a classic case of untimely death:

1. Amadeus (1984) – Classical music and sickness

Milos Forman’s riveting, Oscar-winning Amadeus is a fictionalized account of the real-life mysterious death of Mozart, perhaps the result of jealous actions taken by Salieri against Mozart. Determined to keep Mozart from lasting recognition, Salieri set himself on a course for Mozart’s destruction that led to his own as well. Mozart continued to mount beautiful, moving operas (incredibly staged in the film), but became obsessed with writing a Requiem as his friends, family, health, and resources wasted away. It is hard to imagine anyone - whether they are knowledgeable about classical music or not - not held captive by this superb feast for the eyes and ears.

Back to MJ, here’s a clip of one my favorites, back in the days he had the right groove, look and…. color :-) R.I.P

Also, a Spill blog has a nice take on biopics as an indie subgenre. To find more, search on Jinni for:

Pop * Rock * Jazz * Country * Music concert * Music * Musical * Untimely death * Musician’s life * Music band * Addiction * Alcohol abuse * Drug abuse * Rise and fall * Downfall * Rise to stardom * Classics * Health situation

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