Hey ya'll! Long time no blog! I've missed you my lovable peeps! I've had so much to write about that I've had nothing to write about. Does that make sense? No? Hang with me for a little while and it will! I apparently get overwhelmed when I have more than one thing on my mind to write about. Who knew? Anyhow, since I wasn't sure which thing I had going on in my life to start from, I decided to try something different. A movie review. A movie review over...drum roll please... Amber Benson's movie THE KILLING JAR. Yeah, I know...she tends to appear in my blogs quite often. Deal with it! It's part of my charm! :o) It's not typical of me to do a movie review. I haven't really reviewed one since high school when I used to review films for both my Drama class and my AP Pop Culture class. I may be a little rusty at it, but I'll give it a go and you guys can let me know what you think! WARNING: I do NOT advise eating while watching this film. I mean really...fast first. And away we go!
You know how sometimes there are films that move really slowly? Typically thriller and action type movies that are set in one specific place, for instance, a diner in the middle of nowhere, tend to be a little on the boring side and have a hard time catching your attention. Sure they promise you blood, gore, and scary dreams, but in the end, it just leaves ya kind of hollow. I was all on board with watching the movie THE KILLING JAR, namely for three reasons: Amber Benson(LOVE HER!), Kevin Gage(HE'S BEAUTIFUL!), and Michael Madsen(WONDERFUL ACTOR!). Even though I was kinda skittish about seeing the film because given Amber Benson's talent for nailing roles that she's killed in, I didn't think my heart could handle seeing her die...again. I made peace with the fact that it was a very distinct possibility that she could, what with the growing body count in the Copral Grill being one of the main aspects of the film, but I decided I'd watch it anyway. For a film that I had only sat down to watch for the primary purpose of looking at Kevin Gage's eyes and hear him speak, and yes also to support Amber Benson's acting venue, I was impressed! Let me back up right here and say that while I am a fan of certain actors, I am at least not blinded by my like of their acting style to know when the project they've worked on wasn't the greatest. For example, the movie TABOO. Even though Miss Benson did well with her role, the scripting just wasn't there, and the whole film was kinda lame in general. Which is in no way the cast members' fault. They can only give as much as the scripting allows them. That being said, I was pleased that THE KILLING JAR wasn't such a film. The script was well done, the casting brilliant, and plenty of surprises that you never once saw coming.
While it is your standard movie of a psycho looney tune goes into a restaurant and starts shooting people up, it goes way beyond standard with the intricate character details. Each character has their own secrets, a depth to them, which is kind of hard to find in a lot of thrillers that tend to circle around one primary antagonist. You always seem to find out little tidbits of info about the bad guy, but never the people that the bad guys kill. I was very pleased to see that the characters were real people. They had families with names, they had quirks, things they were good at, and a specific voice. You had Noreen(Benson), who was a self declared dumb waitress that was trapped in a marriage she should have left years ago, but she could count! Miss Benson seemed to be channeling her Alabama roots in the film because her slight Southern drawl stayed intact throughout most of the movie. She seemed to be the voice of reason in the film, and I was very pleased to see that the role kind of differentiated from some of the other roles she's done. Then you had Doe(Madsen), a random guy that just stepped into a diner wanting something to eat that wound up taking his frustrations for the day out on everybody in the diner. His character was simply rage. All out rage, but he was a smart guy! Michael Madsen played the part well. The role seemed to have been written just for him. Whether it was or not, I don't know. But I do know that he played it to a "T". Then you had Dixon(Harold Perrineau), a fast talking salesman that just wanted to get home after he'd been working. I call him reaction guy. He'd assess the situation, and most of the time act accordingly. The part was brilliantly played. Hank(Gage), was a soft spoken ex-military man that would stop in for some conversation twice a month with Noreen and Lonnie(Lew Temple). He seemed to be more of a quiet strength type character. Didn't say much, but when he did it really meant something. I felt that Gage portrayed that character in a way few other actors could have. He wasn't overly dramatic and you could sense every emotion his character seemed to be going through. You have all these subtexts going on under this main storyline and it's just kind of...typically I wouldn't use the word refreshing for a film like this, but we'll go with it... it was kind of refreshing to see director and writer Mark Young be able to interweave these little tidbits of the different characters lives into the primary plot to give it more substance. It takes a real talent to do that well, and he was spot on.
So the plot... big man that's highly ticked off, big gun, you do the math. I can tell you from experience, this is absolutely NOT a film to watch whilst eating anything with the slightest tinge of a red hue to it...as a matter of fact, I'd fast before watching the film if you happen to be a tad on the weak stomached side. I was eating a bowl of spaghetti...I can't even BEGIN to tell you what a mistake THAT was! The goal of the characters trapped inside the diner in the movie? To get out alive. The reality? The odds of that happening are pretty much impossible. If ya like blood, this is your movie, because there is definitely blood and lots of it! It is kinda nice to see a film that doesn't shy away from events as they actually happen.
All in all, I give this film a big round of applause. It may be a low budget independent film, but it's definitely one that shows what can be accomplished on a small budget as long as you have good casting, good scripting, and well developed characters. Another heads up for you! Listen to the song the credits are rolling to. It's none other than the song stylings of Miss Amber Benson! The song is called THE ONE I NEED, and the musician in me says it's a cool tune. Not to mention the vocals are awesome! If you're curious about the song, check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQyv6ztdV7A My advice...watch THE KILLING JAR and enjoy. And remember... NO EATING!
Till next time guys! :o)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I Need Your Opinion!
Hey guys! I'm still kinda ticked over the whole thing with Amber Benson's DRONES and the SyFy Channel's series "Human Relations". I just finished an article that didn't make me feel better about the situation. I posted a comment, trying to be as objective as possible, but I don't think I was all that objective. I tend to side with Amber. But I tried! Anyway, here's the comment I posted. You guys let me know what you think! I anxiously await your feedback!
"My opinion. I love Amber Benson. Although there are coincidences made in the creative world, I don't believe this was one of them. I was priviledged enough to see DRONES at the Slamdance Film Festival and remember thinking what a neat concept it was. I also remember the trailer being covered on SyFy, which leads me to believe they knew exactly what they were doing when the idea for "Human Relations" was pitched. In a previous entry, there was the comment from Prendergast saying he'd been working on it since 2008, which still places it being brought to the table AFTER the wheel for DRONES was set into motion. Also, the comment wondering where their synopsis came from, at film festival I attended, the verbal introductions were the same as the synopsis given by Benson in her blog. Also, it wasn't her idea that was claimed to be lifted... it would have been Acker and Blacker's idea. I'm not saying it was lifted, but I fully believe that SyFy knew exactly what they were doing when they set the field in motion for "Human Relations". To be fair, most people don't even know the name Amber Benson, unless they followed "Buffy", and still most only know her as Tara. Adam Busch's name definitely isn't "Big Hollywood", and while Prendergast's name is an mostly unknown except for maybe as the director of KABLUEY, he's still working for a major television network, so I'd consider that more "Big Hollywood" than Amber Benson or Adam Busch of late. Who's to say this isn't possibly a publicity stunt for SyFy? It certainly isn't harming them that their new program is getting buzz, negative or otherwise. Say the idea wasn't ripped off of Acker and Blacker's work. It still begs the question why SyFy would choose now to come out with this concept for a series. I think it's a possibility they could have known what would happen. Either that or they thought Amber and Adam were too stupid to figure out what was going on before the show aired. It doesn't explain why they would wait until 7 months before DRONES is set to release to make a series from it if they've had the concept all along. All this being said, I don't believe Benson owes anyone a retraction OR an apology. She never came right out and said the idea was lifted; she merely said that it was coincidental. And that point of fact CANNOT be argued. If she has no tangible proof, so what? He doesn't have any either. It's your basic argument of "he said/she said". If anyone is at fault, I believe the blame lays with SyFy. They fully know what is being promoed on their site, and I can guarantee you at least one person from the network made a film festival to see DRONES, so I believe they were fully cognitive of the situation. There is room in the market for similar products, but even in regards to knock off items, have the decency to let the one that was developed first get on its feet before adding to the mix. Indie films have a hard enough time making it as it is, no matter who's directing."
So there ya have it! What do ya'll think?
"My opinion. I love Amber Benson. Although there are coincidences made in the creative world, I don't believe this was one of them. I was priviledged enough to see DRONES at the Slamdance Film Festival and remember thinking what a neat concept it was. I also remember the trailer being covered on SyFy, which leads me to believe they knew exactly what they were doing when the idea for "Human Relations" was pitched. In a previous entry, there was the comment from Prendergast saying he'd been working on it since 2008, which still places it being brought to the table AFTER the wheel for DRONES was set into motion. Also, the comment wondering where their synopsis came from, at film festival I attended, the verbal introductions were the same as the synopsis given by Benson in her blog. Also, it wasn't her idea that was claimed to be lifted... it would have been Acker and Blacker's idea. I'm not saying it was lifted, but I fully believe that SyFy knew exactly what they were doing when they set the field in motion for "Human Relations". To be fair, most people don't even know the name Amber Benson, unless they followed "Buffy", and still most only know her as Tara. Adam Busch's name definitely isn't "Big Hollywood", and while Prendergast's name is an mostly unknown except for maybe as the director of KABLUEY, he's still working for a major television network, so I'd consider that more "Big Hollywood" than Amber Benson or Adam Busch of late. Who's to say this isn't possibly a publicity stunt for SyFy? It certainly isn't harming them that their new program is getting buzz, negative or otherwise. Say the idea wasn't ripped off of Acker and Blacker's work. It still begs the question why SyFy would choose now to come out with this concept for a series. I think it's a possibility they could have known what would happen. Either that or they thought Amber and Adam were too stupid to figure out what was going on before the show aired. It doesn't explain why they would wait until 7 months before DRONES is set to release to make a series from it if they've had the concept all along. All this being said, I don't believe Benson owes anyone a retraction OR an apology. She never came right out and said the idea was lifted; she merely said that it was coincidental. And that point of fact CANNOT be argued. If she has no tangible proof, so what? He doesn't have any either. It's your basic argument of "he said/she said". If anyone is at fault, I believe the blame lays with SyFy. They fully know what is being promoed on their site, and I can guarantee you at least one person from the network made a film festival to see DRONES, so I believe they were fully cognitive of the situation. There is room in the market for similar products, but even in regards to knock off items, have the decency to let the one that was developed first get on its feet before adding to the mix. Indie films have a hard enough time making it as it is, no matter who's directing."
So there ya have it! What do ya'll think?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Miffed
Hey guys! Long time no talk! I wanted to share something with you all that has really irritated me. A few months ago, a film called DRONES, co-directed by Amber Benson and Adam Busch and written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The trailer for the film looked promising, and it didn't disappoint. I don't want to give much of it away for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to see the film yet, but trust me when I say it takes a lot to impress me with a film, and this one did.
This little indie film is set in an office environment and takes place over the course of a week, following the life of Brian Dilks, an office drone who discovers that he may... or may not... be working with aliens who may... or may not... be planning to take over the earth. Yeah, I'm not telling which it is because I want you guys to be sure to see the film when it comes out. The lack of special effects in the movie make it that much better than almost anything mainstream Hollywood would ever be able to put together. The screenplay and dialogue is witty, catty, and just plain hillarious all at the same time thanks to the incredible writing team of Acker and Blacker, who also do the Thrilling Adventure Supernatural and Suspense Hour in Los Angeles; if you're out that way, make a stop in and check it out. The directors, what can I say? It's clear on the film that they knew what they were doing one hundred percent. Everything sounds peachy keen, right? So, you may be wondering what the downside is. I'm about to tell ya.
I have this pal o' mine that was nice enough to keep me posted on all things Twitter while my internet was down from moving over the weekend. I get a text message. "The whole DRONES thing sucks for Amber Benson." I was like, "Wait, what?" I was very confused. You never realize how much you miss until there's no cyber space... Anyhow, back to the story. After waiting patiently, and kinda worriedly, for the next text, I find out that the SyFy Channel is releasing a television series that is remarkably similar to the DRONES movie. I could have hit something. Namely... the SyFy Channel people. You know what? It doesn't even deserve capital letters. syfy channel. There. I like that better. I don't lose my temper all that often, but seeing someone's hard work just ripped off like that... infuriates me. Amber Benson was more diplomatic in her blog about this subject, but I don't have to be. I said RIPPED OFF.
When someone takes the mind spawn of two brilliant men like Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, changes the names of the character and the name of the show, but has the same plot line. IT'S THE SAME THING WITH A DIFFERENT NAME! I mean, COME ON! Acker and Blacker wrote the script in six days. Angela Bettis was brought on one day before filming. The crew pulled up dolly track so the camera could make a full circle, for Pete's sake! Hence the reasoning of the irritation, considering it's pretty much unheard of for a script to be done in that amount of time, or for an actress to do that well in a film in only one day's time. Chances are, the Syfy Channel, a mainstream cable network, probably took all of two seconds to rip the idea off.
Like Amber Benson said in her blog(found here: http://amberbensonwrotethis.blogspot.com/2010/07/drones-tv-show.html) people have similar ideas for programs and products all the time. I mean, look at Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Similar and yet different. However, truth be told, the recipe for Coca-Cola was stolen from an INDEPENDENT Pharmacy and taken to a pharmaceutical CHAIN to be used as cough syrup before the carbonation was added to make it a tasty beverage. So, yeah, not so much a fresh idea as a rip off... much like syfy has done to the creators and proud parents of DRONES. I, for one am miffed, and don't plan on sitting idly by. I'm thinking boycotting the network's programs. I've started a petition which can be signed here: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/saveourdrones
If you guys want to band together to possibly help getting the network to not release the series, sign the petition(for anyone) and add a DRONES twibbon to your Twitter profile pic, for those of you who have Twitter. Be sure to see DRONES when it is released in March 2011. Let's bring 'em down!
BRING IT ON SYFY!!!!!
This little indie film is set in an office environment and takes place over the course of a week, following the life of Brian Dilks, an office drone who discovers that he may... or may not... be working with aliens who may... or may not... be planning to take over the earth. Yeah, I'm not telling which it is because I want you guys to be sure to see the film when it comes out. The lack of special effects in the movie make it that much better than almost anything mainstream Hollywood would ever be able to put together. The screenplay and dialogue is witty, catty, and just plain hillarious all at the same time thanks to the incredible writing team of Acker and Blacker, who also do the Thrilling Adventure Supernatural and Suspense Hour in Los Angeles; if you're out that way, make a stop in and check it out. The directors, what can I say? It's clear on the film that they knew what they were doing one hundred percent. Everything sounds peachy keen, right? So, you may be wondering what the downside is. I'm about to tell ya.
I have this pal o' mine that was nice enough to keep me posted on all things Twitter while my internet was down from moving over the weekend. I get a text message. "The whole DRONES thing sucks for Amber Benson." I was like, "Wait, what?" I was very confused. You never realize how much you miss until there's no cyber space... Anyhow, back to the story. After waiting patiently, and kinda worriedly, for the next text, I find out that the SyFy Channel is releasing a television series that is remarkably similar to the DRONES movie. I could have hit something. Namely... the SyFy Channel people. You know what? It doesn't even deserve capital letters. syfy channel. There. I like that better. I don't lose my temper all that often, but seeing someone's hard work just ripped off like that... infuriates me. Amber Benson was more diplomatic in her blog about this subject, but I don't have to be. I said RIPPED OFF.
When someone takes the mind spawn of two brilliant men like Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, changes the names of the character and the name of the show, but has the same plot line. IT'S THE SAME THING WITH A DIFFERENT NAME! I mean, COME ON! Acker and Blacker wrote the script in six days. Angela Bettis was brought on one day before filming. The crew pulled up dolly track so the camera could make a full circle, for Pete's sake! Hence the reasoning of the irritation, considering it's pretty much unheard of for a script to be done in that amount of time, or for an actress to do that well in a film in only one day's time. Chances are, the Syfy Channel, a mainstream cable network, probably took all of two seconds to rip the idea off.
Like Amber Benson said in her blog(found here: http://amberbensonwrotethis.blogspot.com/2010/07/drones-tv-show.html) people have similar ideas for programs and products all the time. I mean, look at Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Similar and yet different. However, truth be told, the recipe for Coca-Cola was stolen from an INDEPENDENT Pharmacy and taken to a pharmaceutical CHAIN to be used as cough syrup before the carbonation was added to make it a tasty beverage. So, yeah, not so much a fresh idea as a rip off... much like syfy has done to the creators and proud parents of DRONES. I, for one am miffed, and don't plan on sitting idly by. I'm thinking boycotting the network's programs. I've started a petition which can be signed here: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/saveourdrones
If you guys want to band together to possibly help getting the network to not release the series, sign the petition(for anyone) and add a DRONES twibbon to your Twitter profile pic, for those of you who have Twitter. Be sure to see DRONES when it is released in March 2011. Let's bring 'em down!
BRING IT ON SYFY!!!!!
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