I Love You, Beth Cooper

Year:2009

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 102mins

Rating: PG-13

IMDB Score: 5.2/10 (7,690+ Votes)

Director(s): Chris Columbus

Writer(s): Larry Doyle (novel and screenplay)

Plot/Synopsis: A nerdy valedictorian proclaims his love for the hottest and most popular girl in school – Beth Cooper – during his graduation speech. Much to his surprise, Beth shows up at his door that very night and decides to show him the best night of his life.

Forethought(s): I’m thinking this is going to be dull uninspired bullshit that has been done to death with just a few laughs in the whole movie.

Fun Fact/Trivia: Hayden Panettiere who stars in this is 21 years old and stands at 5’4”. She is dating Wladimir Klitschko who is 13 years older than she is and a whole foot two inches taller. I’m thinking this chick has some daddy issues.

Audio: Pass Plus. I don’t know why but I’m a bit shocked at just how good the audio in this movie is. I guess it’s due to the fact this is a comedy and lot of comedies just do not have this high level of audio quality. None thing over powers anything when something is going on and is something is loud for a reason why the actor start to speak the background noise levels out. You can hear every sound gag in the movie like it was meant to be heard. You can hear what a foot sounds like when stepping in cow crap, you the pitter-patter of feet on the ground, you can hear everything and that’s just something you don’t get in a lot of movie now in days. The one thing I didn’t like was the soundtrack it just wasn’t the music I like,however,the music they did pick fit very well for the scenes that it was paired with.

Acting: Pass. Only one person really stood out in any way what so ever in this movie and it wasn’t even a star or co-star it was Alan Ruck he just came off to natural in this movie. Now that I give it some thought Paul Rust who is one of the stars of the movie did a real good job at playing the awkward teen dork who pines over the character of Beth Cooper. He seems to tap every nerd character in a John Hughes movie who is going for the chick who is out of his league.

This proves chicks can't drive.

Visual: Pass/Pass Plus. There were sight gags galore like Spider-Man tighty whitites, stepping in cow crap, crazy ass driving, tampons in a place that they don’t belong. There was a few decent action sequences in this movie but none thing to really write about. Coruse you have Hayden Panettiere who has some very nice legs (I’d love to hump her till she grew two sizes in a day!) and she wears some tight clothes. The other two chicks in her group in the movie are not bad on the eyes either,however,one is bit heavier but still very humpable.

Writing: Pass. This movie hits the mark on the good guy dork who’s in love with the head cheerleader. I’m guessing the writer was the dork in high school or he interviewed a lot of dork/geeks/nerds or he is currently in high school and is seeing all this stuff first hand. I just can’t image that he can write something like this without living thru it.

If this was an R rated movie this would have been a sweet part!

Afterthought(s): Four minutes in and I wanted to turn off the film, twelve minutes and I wanted to punch myself in the face for watching that long, thirty minutes and I finally get a laugh. I make it to the end of the movie and am glad I did because it wasn’t nearly as bad as I the first fifteen-twenty made you think it would be. The laughs are not flowing like you normally get in a movie like but they are there and when you get them they are good. This movie PASSES and is worth a rent but I really think many people would want to watch this movie than once every few years.

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-HAHA Bill was called a tween.
-Isn’t South Dakota hell?
-Jason has brains?
-Eww she has to marry her half brother.
-Yeah that would kill the mood talking about killing someone.
-From now on I will say drink me instead of suck me or the like.
-Eric has an odd ring tone for the type of person he is.
-Yeah she would be crazy to trust them.
-Drunk Sam is fun in a mean way.
-Bitches do need to shut the fuck up.
-I’d watch her try on outfits. Hell I may ever try them on myself.
-Holy shit it’s Hotys mom, she is crazy and funny.
-Terra was deff not expecting that.
-I bet Hollys mom hated her,fuck I hate her.
-Fuck it just turned into the Puppet Master series lol
-When doesn’t Eric have a plan?
-I don’t think I have ever heard the phrase “Let’s fuck” so dirty.
-He loves her already?
-Since Russell is way older he should go up in smoke a lot faster but I’m guessing he’s going to live.

Persons Unknown-And Then There Was One
Things become critical when the captives discover that their food and water have disappeared. Meanwhile, Renbe and Kat go to a medical examiner with their one remaining piece of evidence.

-Creepy.
-Taking things into your own hands have worked so well in the past.
-The cam work (spinning) around Janet and Joe is really good and the best the show has done.
-It’s fucking Nick Fury,again!
-No shit it was the cuff link.
-Sweet Leim exploded just wish they showed it.
-Janet is starting to look like a “watcher”
-Think Charlie was the one to “kill” Blackham.
-Fuck that was violent.
-He died from a fall that was 3feet than the bottoms of hit feet? HAHAH that’s some dumb writing but it works out for faking the shit so they can make it out.
-Damn Nick Fury sunk up on Joes ass.
-Yeah I was right about Charlie.
-Nice ending.

Persons Unknown-Shadows in the Cave
The captives survive a van crash and split up to complete their escape. Janet ends up in a hospital where the Program attempts to recover her. Meanwhile, Kat and Renbe return to San Francisco after learning that Janet has surfaced, but find the police on their trail.

-This is the season/series finale. This show was meant to be a maxi series that could be spun into other seasons/series. I’m unsure if NBC will make a new maxi series on this show or not. Yeah it got crap ratings but A) it was a Summer show B) NBC didn’t back it like they could have C) NBC let the show run the full 13eps even though one of them was an online only ep. If NBC is feeling frogy we may get a mini as a mid season show. As much as I would like to see more of this show I feel that they need to drop some apples into their sack and see how it does during the normal TV watching season with them backing it.

-I think Janets black eye is due to a poor ham sandwich she made.
-They got to Morocco?
-Nice car.
-Jumpsuits in the hospital didn’t stand out to anyone else?
-Why didn’t they show why one of the guards went down?
-Fury on four screens!
-Fuck the Holo doc from Voyager is wearing one ugly ass white hair wig.
-Oh come on! They have the fucking world video taped?
-Lots of running in this ep.
-Liked how they brought Tori back.
-I expected Mark,Kat,the Det. and Mr.Fairchild to be placed in the program and I was 1/4th right. I was not expecting Joe to be back at the start.
-How did they get them all back? Was it Graham,Blackham or someone all together?
-This show was deff a non-horror version of The Cube.
-I hope NBC get’s frogy and gives us this show for a mid season fill in.
-The last 10mins or so was beyond great. What a fucking way to end it.

Rookie Blue-To Serve or Protect
Andy and Sam look for proof that Andy’s dad didn’t committ a murder while he was blacked out from drinking. A masked vigilante steals Chris and Dov’s squad car which in turn unintentionally helps a drug dealer.

-They both don’t have keys?
-Loving the comic book refs so far I hope they keep em coming.
-Looks like Luke and Sam are OK.
-This Guardian char is into parkour.
-It’s looking like Andy’s dad popped a dude but I’m guessing he didn’t.
-She get’s more pale?
-A flashback scene would have been great when Sam and Andy were on the beach.
-Her mom should have told her to get a light tan.
-Yeah the car ride deff gave away that the wife did it.
-Love it when Peck shows some cleavage.
-Bar as her home is not a good sign lol.
-Next week is the Summer Season Finale.

Philadelphia

Year: 1993

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 120min

Rating: PG-13

IMDB Score: 7.6/10 (52,900+ Votes)

Director(s): Jonathan Demme

Writer(s): Ron Nyswaner

Plot/Synopsis: When a man with AIDS is fired by a conservative law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.

Forethought(s): I saw this movie when I was about 12 or so and at that time I had a very rudimentary understanding of what gay meant and what AIDS was but now I understand what gay means and what AIDS is so I feel I’m really going to see this movie differently. Not differently in a bad way but in a grown up way. I recall liking the movie back then and I’m sure I’m going to like it now but how does it stand the test of time? I’m gonna find out.

Fun Fact/Trivia: In the film, Denzel Washington’s character says he prays that Philadelphia Phillies win the pennant. The year this movie was released, the Phillies did just that.

Audio: Pass Minus. All the audio was really soft and you have to jack it up (not off) in order to hear much of the dialogue. The soundtrack was wonderful. Wonderful and moving. When you hear the opening song “Street Of Philadelphia” by The Boss a.k.a Bruce Springsteen you know you are in for some tunes that are going to accompany the film in such a way you would think that both film and music were one.

Acting: Pass Plus. Damn this is acting at it’s finest! Tom Hanks gives what I call an award winning performance and if he didn’t win anything for this role I need who won and for what because this is truly one hell of a job. I just looked and Hanks won an Oscar for best male lead for his role in this movie. Denzel Washington’s role as a homophobic was played so well one will ask themselves if he is indeed (at least during the making of the movie) a homophob. He did almost as good of a job in this as Hanks did. I would hate to be the people who had to pick who got the Oscar for best lead in ’93. Shit even Antonio Banderas -who has a small role in this movie- did a good job and I’m not much of a Banderas fan. For of you Grey’s Anatomy fans out there -which I’m one- a young 24yr old Dr.Bailey has a bit part in this movie. Can;t really judge her acting but man he voice was different back then. It’s something to hear.

Visual: Pass. Visually speaking this isn’t a movie that sticks out in any way what so ever. It is just very normal. Sure they have some scenes with a dying Beckket (Hank’s character) but I think if they got to visual it would have really taken away from the story itself and had less of an impact on the viewers.

Writing: Pass Plus.The plot sounds like a corny comedy that would be on Comedy Central but let me tell you you will not be laughing at this movie. The writing is real and intriguing, it makes you thankful that we live in a world where irrational fears of homosexuality are not as rampant as they once were and if you are around my age (28) will make you ask yourself “How there ever could be fear of gay people?” and “Why does it matter that anyone is gay?” There is indeed a message in this movie and it a simple one, homosexuals are people like anyone else. The real good thing is that this movie does not overly preach that or anything else for that matter. It is written in such way that you just come to conclusions. All the characters are different from one another just like how you and your friends are different from each other. The character development in this movie is top notch for one of the characters and decent for the rest.

Afterthought(s): The flick gets a Pass/Pass Plus. This is a great movie and anyone who loves compelling drama should see this, if you haven’t seen it by now do yourself a favor and go see it. If you haven’t seen in a long time re-watch it and let me know what you think about the movie.

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TrueBlood-I Smell A Rat

Sookie is warned about the dangers she will have to deal with. Dark memories surface for Sam. Arlene must ask Holly for help while Jason faces unexpected dealings with Tara and Crystal. Jesus’ interest in V’s qualities is aroused. Russell vows to inflict punishment on his enemies. After precautions, Eric satisfies a wish.

-HAHAH she’s a fairy.

-Let me get this straight, Vampires took out Fairies? Vamps aren’t that strong.

-Nice flashback for Jason.

-Sam in a suit is a bit weird.

-Like the HBO sing on the TV in Sams 1st flash back that was nice little touch.

-They are deff trash.

-Sams brother is right he’s not good for her at all.

-So is Lafayette going to become a Magic Man?

-Tommy is in fact and idiot.

-I do not like the shirt Terry is wearing.

-The tripping scene is fucking tripy.

-The voice switching is cool.

-Well Sams got a bit of a dark past doesn’t he.

-Nice punch Hoyt.

-Like the drag away with Bill from Jasons house.

-The last scene with Russell was creepy even for this show.

Persons Unknown-Identity/Seven Sacrifices

The new night manager lays down the law, locking everyone into the hotel. Meanwhile, Kat and Renbe’s quest takes them to an abandoned duplicate of the town.

- The Seven Sacrifices part is a web only ep.

-NBC will be playing the final eps next week (unless your area pro football team has a game) it will be a two hour finale

-NBC never backed this show.

-The new Night Manger was the person Joe killed to get into the project?

-That was a shitty shot of the gift tag.

-I’m thinking The Event may be a squeal to this show LOL.

-Blackhams dinner looked good.

-did Erica kill her cellmate?

-SO Kat and Mark are at a different project it would seem.

-Sick but smart idea with the thumbs.

-he was able to sneak the thumbs on board of a plane, just another reason why security doesn’t work.

-Are they trying to show up Janets rack or is it just a coincidence.

-Pain pills from cancer kids…interesting.

-That was a nice upper cut by Joe and he should have done more.

-Aww crazy lady and marine dude boned so sweet.

-HAHAH Charlie slapped Blackham like a bitch.

-Damn Janet is playing Leim so well.

-Yo the 1st Night Manger can play Nick Fury now!

Rookie Blue-Big Nickel

During a routine prison transport, Andy and Sam’s frustrations over their strained personal relationship come to a head when the inmate escapes. Dov and Gail search for clues to an amnesiac John Doe. Meanwhile, Detective Barber has Traci and Chris help him reconstruct some missing court case notes.

-The push ups seemed to be a bit over the top.

-Seems like over all the shooting test was just for his fun.

-HAHAH “Can you please be nice?”

-Nice pseudo techno music when McNally and Sam were getting into the car.

-HAHAHA Naked dude looked so happy.

-Good choice of words McNally. You’re easy lol.

-Wow Ray is a fucking talker if I ever heard one.

-Diaz is not a bright person is he?

-Even I know not to open a when the prisoners feet facing the door.

-I think 2% would be a neat nickname.

-The forest they are running thru is very pretty.

-They should have had Sam walk out while they were kissing then looked sad then walked back in.

]]> http://buckonstuff.com/?feed=rss2&p=1362 0 http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1353 http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1353#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:07:54 +0000 TheBuck http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1353

The Ghost Writer

Year: 2010

Genre: Drama/Thriller/Mystery

Runtime: 128min

Rating: PG-13

IMDB Score: 7.6/10 (19,570+ Votes)

Director(s): Roman Polanski

Writer(s): Roman Polanski (screenplay) and Robert Harris (novel and adaptation)

Plot/Synopsis: A ghostwriter hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy

Forethought(s): This movie came and went so quick I think it was a virgin in a whore house on nickel night. I know only the plot and none thing else about but the plot does sound interesting.

Fun Fact/Trivia: Roman Polanski has not been in the U.S since 1978 because he was convicted of statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl and fled to Europe to escape incarceration.

Audio: Pass. As long as no one with accents were speaking everything was just fine. For whatever reason I found when the folks with accents were speaking in this movie that it was very soft and low so it made it hard to hear all the lines without turning up the volume a lot. That is a down fall since most of the actors in this movie had a British accent. I’m not lowing the rating of the audio because of since it’s not a technical issue with the movie but more of my ears. The music in this film was good it was all ominous. Not one note played was cheery at all. It really added to the film.

Acting: Pass. Ewan McGregor,Pierce Brosnan and Olivia Williams are the key leads in the movie and all play very well off each other. Olivia Williams is by far the best performance in this movie, the other leads just don’t have a huge range of emotions in this as where Olivia runs the gamut. At times I just felt like McGregor didn’t really know how to play the scene but it was only like twice.

Visual: Pass/Pass Plus. This gets a slash pass plus due to the fact that this movie is set in the U.S but since Polanski can not step foot on U.S soil it was film in Germany and everything had to be replicated to match U.S looks. So what you say? Well that means a ton of work on sets and locals and they match it very well to the point that unless you are from that address you wouldn’t know that it was not shot over here. Also the way that Polanski shoots scenes is refreshing due to him always shooting just off center. I can’t really explain it but it really does make the movie more entertaining.

Writing: Pass. For the most part it was well written but it had a real lack lustard reveal at the end. Even with knowing that you will still pay attention to everything that’s going on and try to figure out who the baddie is and why they are that way.

Afterthought(s): This under the radar movie gets a PASS and should be watched if you like movies that make you want to try and figure out who’s who and whats what, however, if you want a mindless movie look elsewhere. Now I do like Polanski as person since he fucked 13yr old but he is definitely one hell of a director.

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Repo Men

Year: 2010

Genre: Crime/Sci-Fi/thriller

Runtime: 115mins

Rating: R

IMDB Score: 6.3/10 (13,700+ Votes)

Director(s): Miguel Sapochink

Writer(s): Eric Garcia (screenplay and novel) & Garrett Lerner (screenplay)

Plot/Synopsis: Set in the near future when artificial organs can be bought on credit, it revolves around a man who struggles to make the payments on a heart he has purchased. He must therefore go on the run before said ticker is repossessed

Forethought(s): Thinking this may be like Repo! The Genetic Opera but without the music and without the herps inducing Hilton.

Fun Fact/Trivia: Forest Whitaker is one of the stars in the movie and he has been studying Filipino Kali for server years now.

Audio: Fail Plus. The soundtrack was crap and the audio levels were to soft.

Acting: Pass Minus. It felt like the stars in the movie -Jude Law and Forest Whitaker- just phoned it in and the rest if the cast was not much better.

Visual: Pass. A mix of modern tech and semi futuristic tech give the world natural feel to it. There’s some blood and tits in it so it will please the pervs out there and well the fight scenes were well done.

Writing: Pass Minus. The idea is clearly taken from Repo! The Genetic Opera almost so much so that you can be “OK and here this song plays.” Fuck they have a singer in this movie who has fake eyes that can change colors. What does that sound like to you? If you were on the fence about this movie you sure really check out Repo! The Genetic Opera you will like that one.

Besides all the comparisons you can do with this and Repo! The Genetic Opera. This movie is to long due to the character development that felt empty and cliched to the point where you don’t feel for the lead at all.

Afterthought(s): This movie gets a Pass Minus over all and really should be passed on if money is involved, if it’s on TV and you have some time and none thing else is on go ahead and watch it.

]]> http://buckonstuff.com/?feed=rss2&p=1344 0 http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1342 http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1342#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:04:09 +0000 TheBuck http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1342

True Blood-Everything is Broken

The Vampire Rights Amendment is close to being ratified so Nan confronts Eric at Fangtasia about the whereabouts of the Magister. Russell vows revenge against all his vampire and human adversaries. Bill discovers the truth about Sookie’s true identity. Unexpected help arrives as Jason goes up against Felton and Calvin. Arlene is overcome by a sense of futility about her future while Tara meets up with a new ally and with someone who caused her pain in the past. Sookie meets a new family member. Hoyt addresses his real feelings head on.

-Really the bar bitch is going scream over a little thing like Slivering?

-The Vfeds look pretty bad ass.

-HAHA Sookie is just so OK with dead body’s now lol.

-LOL “I have the gun!”

-WTF kind of name is Nan?

-The blond has nice tits and body.

-Good god that voice Jason did when he called the cops was just down right bad and funny.

-AHHAHA “Maybe God loves fags.”

-Just something about this Holly person I want to punch in the face.

-So not Bill is in that dream world where Sookie was, what’s going to be told to him that Sookie is evil and should not be trusted?

-Love when the teeth pop out accidentally.

-I’m gonna have to try and order the veggie burger with bacon sometime.

-Carrying around your murdered love is a bit creepy.

-Sweet going Sam. Shit that felt good.

-Love the vampire explosions.

-Oh I so hope there’s more killing coming up.

-Russell stole the show at the end.

Rookie Blue-Girlfriend of the Year

During the investigation of a highway accident, Chris and Gail find a license plate matches that of an Amber Alert. When disturbing secrets come to light after the parents are questioned, the entire division becomes involved in the search for the 9-year old girl.

-HA “Because the lights came on.”

-You don’t put glass with water in it into the freezer it will brake.

-I think Diaz did the right thing with the I.A thing.

-And what’s wrong with salads in a bag?

-What did he say about stones?

-I like the tone these later eps are taking it makes the show feel like a cop show and not just a freaking love triangle show.

-I think Epstine wants that chick.

-Was that Epstines “chick” on the photo with the bad man?

-Guess not.

]]> http://buckonstuff.com/?feed=rss2&p=1342 0 http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1334 http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1334#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:59:10 +0000 TheBuck http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1334

Date Night

Year: 2010

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Romance

Runtime: 101mins

Rating: PG-13

IMDB Score: 6.6/10 (19,000+ Votes)

Director(s): Shawn Levy

Writer(s): Josh Klausner

Plot/Synopsis: In New York City, a case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple’s attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening into something more thrilling and dangerous

Forethought(s): Not sure how much I will like this movie. I do like Steve Carell in comedies but I’m not a big Tina Fey fan. I’m thinking this is going to be a movie you watch with your lady just to make her happy since you force her to watch movies that involve lots of blood,fights and tits.

Fun Fact/Trivia: The budget for this film was 55mil and it has grossed over 98mill. By those numbers the movie is considered a failure since it has not grossed double the budget.

Audio: Pass. The movie starts off with a good song called BLITZKRIEG BOP and I was filled with hope for the movie. The rest of the soundtrack is a weird mix of Tehcno,Rock and Oldies. The audio levels for this movie is good you can place the volume on your favorite and just leave it there for the rest of the movie. No audio gags in this movie and you felt that anytime there would be some kind of audio gag but nope.

Acting: Pass. You tell me how weird this line up Steve Carell;Tina Fey;Mark Wahlberg;Jimmi Simpson;Common;William Fichtner;Leighton Meester;Kristen Wiig;Mark Ruffalo;James Franco;Mila Kunis and Bill Burr. Well it’s very weird but it works out, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cast play off each other so well as a whole,however,not everyone was believable in the roles they played. I think Common is fairly good actor but god damn I think he over did his pissed off role cop. Lighton Messter I feel should have played her baby sitting role a bit more sluty, OK so that’s just because I want to be inside her. James Franco does a horrible job with doing a different voice other than his. Luckily those three have small roles and does not effect the over all rating for the acting very much. Steve Carell played this role a bit much like Maxwell Smart from the movie Get Smart so at times I was wondering I was really watching Date Night or not.

Visual: Pass/Pass Plus. For one reason and one reason only do I give this area a Pass/Pass Plus and that is with the car chase scene. This scene was not like anything I have seen in movie ever (I wouldn’t be shocked if it has happened in another movie but I can not recall any that have done it the way this movie has) I know I bet you’re asking yourself how does a car chase scene really improve the over all rating? Well because the movie takes one yellow cab and one Audi (some sports model) and locks the two up by the front bumpers and the chase begins! It really is something to watch.

Writing: Pass Minus. This just was not a very funny movie. I chuckled about 15 times and laughed once. The idea was solid and the trouble the leads get into were but this is marketed as comedy and it was not funny.

Afterthought(s): The movie gets a Pass Minus/Pass over all. If you’re a dude and are looking for something really funny look else well, if you’re a dude who has a chick and want to score some points with her watch this one with her.

I sit down with a film student who is also an indie film maker. Does one need to be a film student to be  a film maker? Read on and find out.

1 ) Let’s start with a fun one. Who is the biggest baddest beardiest

bastard you’ve ever worked with and would you would work with that

person again?*

The biggest, baddest, beardiest bastard I’ve ever worked with has to be Justin Lesniak. I would only work with him again if he wears the same black leather jacket and if the shoot was during the same 90 plus degree weather. The man is dedicated haha.

2 ) What’s the hardest part of making a film and how do you over come

that?

For me, the hardest part about making a film is dealing with technical issues on set. Writing the script, hiring actors, securing equipment, these are all things that for the most part a film maker should be able to control. When you’re on set, ideally you want to stay focused on getting successful shots. However, expecting a shoot to go completely smooth with no hiccups is not realistic. Every shoot has mishaps and that’s something I learned early on. The best way to overcome them is to not get frustrated and fix the problem. Getting mad or frustrated will only delay the solution.

3 ) Do you feel that film school is really needed to become a great

film maker?

I go to a film school but I don’t think it’s needed to become a great filmmaker. A lot of the material I watch in class was created by drop outs. You can’t teach spirit, creativity or imagination. You can however teach someone about ideas and show them things that they would otherwise never have seen. Film school also opens doors and puts you in an environment where you’re surrounded by like minded individuals working towards become better at the craft.

4 ) What advice would you give the aspiring editor?

I would suggest an aspiring editor watch good films (obviously) and look into newer video art. When I look back on old projects I’ve done, the shots are pretty boring. Pointing a camera and shooting a scene isn’t enough it’s not interesting. Editing is the same way. Putting shots into a sequential order is boring. An editor has a tremendous power and shapes the film, run with that idea. Video art has helped me a lot with editing. You see a lot of interesting angles and ideas expressed visually that you wouldn’t see in mainstream cinema.

5 ) How are some tips on submitting to film fests?

If you are interested in submitting to film festivals, the first step is to go to them. There’s a misconception with young filmmakers (myself included) that just because you have what you consider an awesome piece, it’ll be accepted and even place first time out. Not the case. Once you go to festivals you will see that some works are tailored to the specific theme, or audience’s tastes. Just because your film matches broad guidelines doesn’t mean its the best fit. Websites like wihtoutabox.com are good too.

6 ) People think you need to spend a lot of money to make a good indie

movie, what do you say to those people?

To those people I would ask if they have ever seen Primer or El Mariachi. Each movie is notable in their own right and reportedly made for around $7,000 each. Primer was shot using super 16 and I hear that Robert Rodriguez donated blood and subjected himself to medical experiments to raise the money. If you want to do something and have enough passion, I believe you will find a way to do it.

7 ) You were once a child actor for a kids show, how do you think that

molded you as a person?

Being a child actor was great. You get those kids that try to put you down for it but I was always the type to brush that kind of stuff off. I really feel like it lead to a lot of my non film related success. For me, I treat interviews for jobs as auditions and presentations as a performances and because of that, I feel confident. I read people and present myself as the person they want to hire or see present a film even though deep down I may feel self conscious or nervous.

8 ) What is your dream project?

I don’t know if I have a dream project yet. For the most part I think within my means and sometimes that can stifle creativity. But on the other hand I have found a way to create all of the projects that I really wanted to do. I’m working on a script now but It needs a few more drafts before I set off to make it a reality.

9 ) Has there ever been moment that made you say to yourself “Fuck this

movie making bullshit.” and if so what made you say that?

I definitely had that feeling towards acting, and that’s what lead me to filmmaking. It hasn’t quite gotten to that point though. I have felt burnt out and kinda lost my drive for a minute but then I will see a picture like Inception and talk about it for hours with my roommate, another film student, and suddenly the spark is there again.

10 ) Would you say you emulate a certain film maker or not?

When I watch films, certain plot devices or techniques really stand out that I want to do. But its rare for me to see a film and think, “wow this film maker did everything in a way I would want to,” and from there create a similar piece. I make pieces thinking I want this to be my own piece.

3 Random Questions

1 ) Game time! Fuck,Marry, Kill. I give you three items and you

tell me what one you would Fuck,Marry,Kill and you have to explain why.

Boston,Ma;Syracuse,Ny;Los Angeles,Ca

Hmm.. toughie. I would probably fuck Boston, marry LA, and kill Syracuse. Although Boston and LA could go either way, one is my home now the other is my future.

2 ) What has more N words in it;The Boondocks cartoon or a Tarantino

movie?

Isn’t there a rule in TV these days that says you must keep N word usage below the Tarantino level? Definitely exists.

3 ) Would you ever punch a quadriplegic in the face if it meant you

could do dirty nasty things to whoever your #1 hottie is?

Hopefully my number one hottie, Maya Angelou, would be impressed with me before having to resort to such awful awful means haha.

Want to check out what Melvin C. Benson has done then check out the following:

www.MelvinCBenson.com

Twitter- @MelvinCBenson

*I have in fact worked with Melvin on student film and wore a black leather jacket during 90 plus degree weather. That was bitch and a half but was fun.

]]> http://buckonstuff.com/?feed=rss2&p=1328 0 http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1320 http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1320#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:05:17 +0000 TheBuck http://buckonstuff.com/?p=1320

Death At A Funeral

Year: 2010

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 92min

Rating: R

IMDB Score: 5.10/10 (5,200+ Votes)

Director(s): Neil LaBute

Writer(s): Dean Craig

Plot/Synopsis:A funeral ceremony turns into a debacle of exposed family secrets and misplaced bodies.

Forethought(s): A remake of a 2007 British film by the same name…fucking Hollywood and not pumping out original ideas. With that said I still think this is going to be a funny movie to many funny men in this for it not to be.

Fun Fact/Trivia: Four of the actors in the movie have directed their own films.

Audio: Pass. The audio was just fine in this movie but lacks a memorable soundtrack. I checked out the soundtrack listing online and they have a few good songs but I do not recall them being played in the movie.

Acting: Pass. Lots of funnymen in this movie: Kevin Hart,Martian Lawrence,Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock but the two funnest characters in this movie are two that you NEVER would have guessed;Danny Glover and James Marsden. Danny Glover plays an old uncle who is filled with hate but it’s hate for everyone and everything and it plays out well, while James Marsden to me is not someone who is known for his HAHA roles but I have to say he can really do comedy and by far he was the funnest character in the whole movie. As for the rest of the acting is was fine no one was bad everyone was at the very least decent.

Visual: Pass. This movie takes place at pretty much one place; a house and it’s a nice house but beyond that not many different visuals go on since the story is about a funeral. Well there is Regina Hall and Zoe Saldana so there is some eye candy.

Writing: Pass Minus. A very unoriginal story since this movie was a remake of a 2007 flick! I have never seen the 2007 film from start to finish so I can not say if the dialogue is pretty much the same or not but something tells me it is and that’s just a cheap lazy way of doing things.

This seems like my Sunday nights

Afterthought(s): Over all the movie Passes but is not something I would tell anyone to rush out and buy. Really unless you really like the actors in the movie and feel a need to see all their stuff I would probably tell you not to waste your time on this movie if you’ve already seen the 2007 version.