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Review: There Will Be Blood (2007)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on January 23, 2008.

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Anderson strikes it rich

There Will Be Blood is the latest offering from director Paul Thomas Anderson, and marks his first film since Punch-Drunk Love in 2002. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, the film was just released widely this past weekend. The word-of-mouth on the film was that it was a masterpiece; one critic even referred to it alongside The Godfather and Citizen Kane as possibly the best of all time.

I don't know if I'd go that far, but one thing is for sure: There Will Be Blood is certainly filmmaking at its finest.

Anderson, who in films like Boogie Nights and Magnolia focused on an ensemble of characters and their relationships, this time turns his lens on a single oil prospector (Daniel Day-Lewis) in the early 1900s as he attempts to find the land with the most oil that he can buy for the cheapest price. Morality is not an issue, as he has no regard for any other human life except his own -- in his own words, "I see the worst in people." He will lie, cheat and even resort to murder, all in the name of profit.

In his quest for wealth, Plainview encounters a rival in the form of Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), a religious fanatic who opposes anything that might prevent people from coming to God -- specifically, through his church. And it is in this conflict that Anderson shows how he has matured as a filmmaker, for he focuses not only on character development but also on thematic development. Though in past films he frequently focused on the relationship between parents and children (and this is still present here), he broadens his view this time to also examine the American ideology that was born in the rush for oil in the early 1900s.

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonJanuary 23, 2008Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Plainview, Eli Sunday, Paul Dano, Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be BloodComment

Feature: Adam Brody on In The Land of Women

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 19, 2007.

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Brody takes on first leading role

Adam Brody, the actor probably best known for his role as Seth Cohen on the television series The O.C., can next be seen in the film In The Land of Women. It's a film that puts Brody in his first leading role, in company with well-known co-stars such as Meg Ryan and Kristen Stewart.

The actor said he was drawn to the film by the power of the script.

"I really loved the script. It's such a mature script," Brody said. "This is a very old-fashioned, kind of sweet story. It's a very kind of hopeful, sweet, nonviolent story which I think there's a distinct lack of if you look around at movies today."

Brody stars as Carter Webb, a television writer who goes home in an attempt to find healing after his girlfriend breaks his heart. It's a role the actor said has the potential to connect with the majority of viewers.

"I don't want to say [my character's] an average guy," Brody said. "But he's just looking for some answers and, I mean, he gets broken up with. I think everyone can relate to that."

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonApril 19, 2007Adam Brody, In The Land of Women, Jon Kasdan, The O.C.Comment

Feature: The men behind Hot Fuzz

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 19, 2007.

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Pegg, Frost, Wright talk Hot Fuzz

First zombies, now cops.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the comedy duo perhaps best known for their appearance in Shaun of the Dead, will light up the screen again this weekend in the buddy cop action film Hot Fuzz. In the film, Pegg stars as Nicholas Angel, a police sergeant so good at his job that his co-workers conspire to get him assigned to a quiet little town with no crime. With the help of a new witless partner (Frost), he'll have to solve a series of suspicious events that hint the town may be more than it seems.

This was a departure for Pegg, who had to play a more serious character than usual.

"It was difficult because I couldn't rely on the comic devices I could use if I was playing a more comic character. Shaun was very much closer to myself, in the sense that he was a regular guy," Pegg said.

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonApril 19, 2007Edgar Wright, Hot Fuzz, Nick Frost, Simon PeggComment

Feature: The 10th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 19, 2007.

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Full Frame turns 10

The 10th annual Full Frame documentary film festival took place in Durham, N. C., last weekend and attracted filmmakers, press and visitors from all over the country. Approximately 120 films were screened, with around 80 being in competition for various awards.

The festival officially kicked off with a screening of Castells, a film by German director Gereon Wetzel that followed a human pyramid team in Catalonia, Spain. The film had viewers on the edge of their seats with its depiction of towers rising dozens of feet in the air, composed solely of human beings.

To honor the 10th anniversary of the event, 10 curators were invited to each present a film they felt was a particularly meaningful and relevant representation of the genre. The special guests included, but were not limited to: playwright Ariel Dorfman, author Walter Moseley, documentary filmmakers St. Claire Bourne and Michael Moore, and feature film director Mira Nair. Martin Scorsese also submitted a film, though he was unable to attend the festival in person.

Julia Reichert, director of A Lion in the House, presented Michael Moore's first film, Roger and Me, as her choice. She felt the film marked a turning point in documentary filmmaking, as it proved that documentaries could be humorous and entertaining, as well as reach mainstream audiences. In a conversation after the screening, Moore revealed that this was exactly what he was intending to do.

Review: Grindhouse (2007)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 5, 2007.

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Get a blast from the past with 'Grindhouse'

Filmgoers are about to get a blast from the past this weekend with the release of Grindhouse, a double-feature that pays homage to the grindhouse exploitation films of the '60s and '70s.

Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) and Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) have teamed up to direct a tribute to the edgy, low-budget films of their childhood. The result is a film lover's dream come true, and a damn good time as well.

The film begins with Planet Terror, an over-the-top zombie gore-fest directed by Robert Rodriguez. Rose McGowan stars as Cherry, a go-go dancer who teams up with an old boyfriend, El Wray (played perfectly by Freddy Rodriguez) and a slew of other eccentric characters to take on a horde of flesh-eating zombies and the corrupt military officials behind the infection.

Gore oozes out of every scene, the violence is nonstop, and there are so many explosions you'll think you accidentally walked into the next Michael Bay popcorn flick.

Feature: Hilary Swank and Idris Elba on The Reaping

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 5, 2007.

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Movie roles challenge more than skill

Hilary Swank is an established actress, having already won two Academy Awards for her performances in Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby. This weekend, she can be seen in the supernatural thriller The Reaping, alongside Idris Elba, a relative newcomer to the world of film after having appeared on a variety of television shows, most notably The Wire on HBO.

The Reaping follows a young woman who specializes in debunking supernatural phenomena. It chronicles what happens when she investigates a small town that is apparently being tormented by the 10 biblical plagues.

"It's a smart supernatural thriller," Swank said. "Even though I read the script and act in the movie … when I watched the movie I got scared at certain points."

Her co-star was also attracted to the project by the script.

"The script really opened up my mind while I was reading it. And, you know, the way my character and Hilary's character interact and the relationship they have as they go debunking miracles is really interesting to me," Elba said.

Swank plays a former Christian missionary who is disillusioned by the faith. However, the actress herself claims to be less of a skeptic than the character she portrays.

"I'm more faith driven than skeptic driven," Swank said. "It was definitely interesting, though, to read about these people who are skeptics and how they feel like there's a scientific answer for everything. But I'm definitely more of the faith side."

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonApril 5, 2007Hilary Swank, Idris Elba, The Reaping, biblical plagues, spirituality, supernaturalComment

Review: Blades of Glory (2007)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on March 29, 2007.

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Blades of Glory sticks to formula, with good results

It started with dodgeball. Then it was NASCAR. Now it's figure skating. Hollywood seems to be going through a phase of sports-themed comedies, and this weekend will see the release of Blades of Glory, the latest Will Ferrell movie in which he plays the same egotistical-jerk-at-the-top-of-his-game as usual. Really, does he play anything else?

Will Ferrell and Jon Heder play Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy, respectively - professional figure skaters whose rivalry for each other eventually results in them being permanently prohibited from skating singles in the Olympics. However, the pair discover a loophole that will allow them to skate as a pair. They'll have to put aside their differences if they're going to steal the gold from the favored competitors, Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler).

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonMarch 29, 2007Amy Poehler, Blades of Glory, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Will FerrellComment

Feature: Jon Heder talks Blades of Glory

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on March 29, 2007.

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Napoleon takes to the ice

Jon Heder is probably best known to most as the socially inept yet lovable Napoleon Dynamite. However, ever since that small film became a cult sensation, the actor has had the opportunity to work with many veteran directors and actors and make a name for himself in Hollywood. He can next be seen alongside Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory, a comedy about two male figure skaters who end up competing as a pair.

According to Heder, it's a film audiences are lucky to see. There was a brief period of time during which it was nearly cancelled, after the actor broke his ankle during training.

"I wish I could say it was a cool accident and I was doing a cool trick, but I wasn't. I was going into a spin and my foot stayed stuck in the ice, so I just kind of crumpled on top of it," Heder said. "There was a brief time where we really thought the movie wasn't going to happen."

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonMarch 29, 2007Blades of Glory, Jon Heder, Will FerrellComment

Feature: Mark Wahlberg talks Shooter

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on March 22, 2007.

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Shooting up the screen

Mark Wahlberg has risen through the ranks of Hollywood like few have. Once known as the crotch-grabbing rapper Marky Mark, he went on to become admired for his acting talent, even going as far as to achieve an Oscar nomination for his role in last year's The Departed. The actor can now be seen this weekend in Shooter, an action-packed shoot-em-up meant to pay homage to the action-conspiracy films of the '70s.

"The high-intensity action movies that they've been making lately aren't really the kind of character-driven movies that I love and that I grew up watching in the '70s," Whalberg said. This is kind of a throw-back to that."

FeaturesAndrew JohnsonMarch 22, 2007Mark Wahlberg, ShooterComment

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