Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Hunter S. Thompson is the stuff of legend.  In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, he brought is into the drug-fueled wasteland of Vegas in past and under Terry Gilliam’s deft direction created one of his most iconic performances.

In The Rum Diary, Depp is sort of recreating that spirit.  There’s a vein of Thompson to be seen in the trailer, but The Rum Diary is a much more subdued and straightforward story with far less drug use than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Though the trailer seems to work hard to make it feel like a new Fear and Loathing, the book is nothing like that.  This does look good though.

You tell me: Is this something you think you’d like to see? Or does it seem too much like they’re trying to have lightning strike in the same place twice?

The description of “Silver Tongues” did not at all do it justice. I went into this film with a bit of a chip on my shoulder, and I assure you, that this movie is worth every minute of viewing pleasure. Simon Arthur makes you hate the main characters so thoroughly throughout the entire movie, and then flips you to guilt when you feel for them.

Spoiler ALERT! if you don’t want the plot line ruined you may wanna just skip the next section.

“Silver Tongues” is a very dialogue driven movie, and very rarely has an opportunity to use imagery to develop the story. The few times it does are breath taking. During one of the first scenes a newly married man walks down a hotel hallway towards a room containing his very upset wife. The tension you feel as he slowly drags down the hallway translated so very literally for me. Maybe it’s because i’ve been in trouble with my wife before, or maybe it’s because the shots were so well placed. (The second is the real reason, don’t tell my wife I made the first joke.)

At one point in the film you find yourself thinking that the sadistic bastard played by Lee Tergeson is finally getting his when a cop uses his same techniques to discover that he has murdered his “wife” played by Enid Graham, the web twists you in so tightly only to discover that the fake murder was an elaborate plot conceived by the couple to shock and baffle the officer.

The sheer sadistic nature of the two in the film is enough to make your stomach churn. The key moment that shows that Lee Tergeson is truly a bad man with a sense of humor is depicted during a visit to an old folks home. Lee secretly takes a puzzle piece from an old woman who is slaving away on her project. Only a true bastard would rob a woman of her puzzle completion, and enjoy it.

Spoiler over:

The webs woven in this intricate film can only be thought up by someone with either a knack for sadistic ideas or a young man with brilliant ideas. After meeting with Mr. Arthur to discuss his film, I tend to believe its the latter portion. If you are near any film festival that has this movie playing, don’t think, don’t wonder, simply cancel whatever thing you have going on, and make sure you are there. If you have a chance to purchase it on DVD simply hand over the money. This artistic ride is worth every minute of your time, and every dollar you may spend.

In case you missed it here is the trailer one more time.:

For those that attended the Salt Lake City Film Festival there was an incredible documentary about a band that helped influence an entire generation of musicians throughout the 80’s. If you missed it, please find a way to see it, the show left me breathless. Co-Writer and Director Lev Anderson was good enough to share his thoughts on working on the film, and we here at BSR figured you’d like to hear them! Thanks again to Mr. Anderson for taking the time, and as always feel free to discuss below!

BSR: What inspired you to make the film on Fishbone?

Lev: We figured that if you are to choose one music documentary, Fishbone would be a great band to cover as you can talk to all kinds of musicians from metal-punk rockers to jazz or hip hop artists. Also they had a an interesting story of how they met and started playing this wild mix up of musical styles. Their story, and music, kind of paralleled what was going in L.A.’s Black community over the last 30 years starting with being bused into the suburbs as part of desegregation efforts, dealing with the rise of gangs and the crack epidemic and the whole Rodney King thing as well. Plus, even just watching them perform you can just tell they could be great characters to follow around with a camera.

BSR: Was Fishbone a band you listened to growing up?

Lev: I listened to the band growing up as my dad used to bring home all kinds of records, and he took me to see Fishbone when I was 10 years old. Like many people, I sort of lost track of them starting in the mid-90s and would just see them pop up here or there. Little did we know, they never stopped. They didn’t break up and have kept at it for almost 30 years.

BSR: What was your favorite part of making this film?

Lev: We got to see a lot of Fishbone concerts! Really, just knowing the guys on a personal level and being inspired by their creative fire and love of the music. A lot of musicians may have given up at some point but they are dedicated to their dream of making funky hardcore music that is different than anything else you might hear. Angelo is coming up with stuff non-stop whether picking up new instruments like the theramin or taking his Dr. Madvibe solo act into unchartered waters.

BSR: Many documentaries seem to have a “breakthrough” moment where an interview hits an emotional high, were there any points in the filming of the movie like that?

Lev: There may have been a couple breakthrough moments. First, and I don’t want to give away the movie, but a missing character returns, there was a lot of mixed emotions around that and it sort of allows for some resolution for this group of guys that have loved and fought like brothers for so long.

BSR: How long was the film in production before you were ready for release?

Lev: We worked on the film for almost 4 years. Part of that was that we were based in San Francisco and the band was in Los Angeles. This was a DIY effort all the way so between paying gigs, we would make road trips and get as much footage or research done as possible. But it was probably the right way to do it as you can see the ups and downs of the rock n roll life and we could allow for a story to naturally play itself out without having to impose some fake drama.

BSR:At the end of the movie it seemed that Fishbone was going to continue playing together, what is the band thinking as far as next step?

Lev: The band is rocking still and they have been doing well. They are currently touring in Europe and will be releasing a new album this October, at about the same time we will be starting our theatrical run of the film. We’re excited to hear the new music and it’ll be fun for the band to continue the hard work. It’d be great if the film’s audiences that had never even heard of the band before get a chance to experience a Fishbone show!

BSR: What other festivals have shown the film? Where are you headed after the SLC Film festival?

Lev: We’ve been screening at a lot of festivals, including the Los Angeles Film Festival, the SXSW Music Festival (where they performed with the Wu Tang Clan), and we also screened at the Southern Utah Documentary Festival in St. George. It was that festivals first year but they had a lot of great films and the band even got to perform there. The film screened, and the curtain came up and there was Fishbone live in true 3D! We will launch our theatrical run in October, starting in NY and L.A. and then hitting as many other cities we can, hopefullky with the band in tow.

BSR: Will the film be available for purchase for anyone?

Lev: We will be releasing the film on DVD towards the end of the year. People can keep track of DVD release and other news on our facebook and twitter pages and our website www.fishbonedocumentary.com

BSR: What are your next projects?

Lev: I am working on a new film about the City of Irvine California, the safest city in America. Chris will likely be helping out with that one as well. And we’re always looking for fun stories so we’re keeping our eyes wide open.

Once again I can’t stress enough what a great film this is. Keep an eye on their site so you can order a copy if you missed it, and if you need convincing you can read my review here.

It’s been a long, great summer for superhero movies and Jeff and Jimmy have been hard at work watching and reviewing them.

We thought it would be great to round up all their reviews from over the summer as we kick off a new season of the show here on Big Shiny Robot!

First, let’s start with the first big superhero movie of the summer: Thor:

Then we have Green Lantern:

Does Transformers 3 count?

Then Cowboys and Aliens:

And finally we have Captain America: The First Avenger:

What did you guys think of the summer?

Disney’s D23 expo was the site of Marvel’s unveiling of the Avengers (much to the dismay of the Comic-Con audience) and they brought out most of the principle cast and showed some footage. We managed to get video of the presentation and thought we’d offer it here to you.

The Hollywood Reporter got some interviews afterward and they offered some great tidbits.

Here’s Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey, Jr.:

Tom Hiddleston discussing his part as Loki:

And Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson talking about fight scenes and injuries on set:

The Avengers hits screens next year. You can read about the footage shown in this report from earlier today.

The Marvel Movies facebook page (which you should all join) was on hand at D23 and they posted a description of the Avengers footage shown. I know a lot of people were upset that they were showing the footage at D23 instead of Comic-Con, but it was no less effective in getting the word out instantly.

You can read the full description on the Marvel Movies facebook page, but my favorite part?

The ending:

Loki sees the camera and knows that the Avengers are watching him.
Lord, Thor’s arms are MASSIVE.
“You talk about peace and you kill cuz it’s fun.” – Fury to Loki
Loki looks even more menacing than he did in Thor…wow!
Loki’s hair looks longer. Maybe that’s just me.
We got to see Hawkeye loose an arrow. LOOKED GREAT.
Big explosion!
Renner also using guns. But he has a full quiver of arrows on his back.
Tony Stark is doing a headcount of the Avengers: A couple of master assassins, a demigod, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend
Iron Man and somone battling. Maybe Thor?
And the last scene of Tony Stark talking? It was to Loki!
To Loki: “And you, big fella, managed to piss off every one of them.” Loki: “I have an army.” Stark: “We have a Hulk!”

I’m still having a hard time believing that we get to see this movie in our lifetime. This sounds like everything we’ve wanted, everything we’ve asked for, everything our heart desires.

I still feel like I’m living in a dream and the other shoe is going to drop and we won’t REALLY have an Avengers movies.

It comes out next year, and the word on twitter from producer Kevin Feige at D23 is that they have only 2 weeks of filming left.

I can’t wait.

Until then, we’ll be on the lookout for the footage if it ever comes out for you to look at.

On my blog a couple of months ago I wrote about why I was more excited for Fright Night than any other film this summer. After having seen it – I am not at all disappointed. It looked to be a fun late summer popcorn flick – and that is exactly what it is. It looked to be a smart and fun remake of an 80’s classic – and that too is exactly what it is. If you have seen the original there is no great twist. No “I thought it should have ended THIS way” corrective story telling on part of the director. It is just a remake. But what you would hope MORE remakes would be. Entertaining, smart, fun, funny, well done, with great casting, and a story that is perched perfectly between staying close to what made the original great but not too close as to be boring or nonsensical.

[ Spoilers from here on out]

In the original 1985 classic Charlie Brewster is a late night tv watching horror movie buff and hormones raging teenager. In a Rear Window like twist he spies on his new neighbor and becomes convinced that the man’s odd behavior can mean nothing less than that he is a vampire. The struggle for that Charlie is to convince his friend, his girl friend, and a late night TV movie show host that he isn’t nuts, his life is in peril, and he needs all their help to kill the vampire before it kills him.

The new Fright Night had obvious challenges to overcome in modernizing if it were to stay anywhere near close to the original story. But they succeeded seemlessly. They break the basic formula down further from “Rear Window with a Vampire” to “Your neighbor is a murderous vampire – and once he knows you know, he will kill you; react”. So the new Charlie Brewster is popular and clueless of his neighbors actions. His ( now ex) friend “Evil” Ed (who in the previous movie was side kick and victim) is now the one that suspects Jerry the neighbor to really be a creature of the night. This is a very smart twist if you ask me. I was wondering how they would get around the obvious parallel to “Rear Window” and more importantly to “Disturbia” – a rear Window remake and film that is a bit more well known by the teen demographic. Who are the prime targets studios putting films like this out hope to draw in most. By Ed being the one who sees and connects the dots it’s a smart lil’ side step around that. Other changes make great sense in modern context. In the original Charlie’s Mom is a specter in his life – the token 1980’s absentee kind of parent that was common in film and the real world at the time. But in today’s world of helicopter mom’s Charlie’s Mom is now the very present, aware, (sometimes a bit too) honest modern Mom that has a relationship with her son. Peter Vincent – who in the previous film was a washed up horror film actor and later late night TV host is now an eccentric and less than affable Las Vegas stage magician and occult expert.

They create a very simple reasoning to explain why you even NEED the character of Vincent at all in the age of Google in that Charlie is follows Ed’s tracks – and that leads to Vincent. It is a very simple plot device to keep the character (which the average film buff will most likely sneer at). But it is thankful – because a large amount of the laughs later in the film come from David Tenants take on the character. I love Dr. Who – and David Tenant is certainly a favorite. Watching him as Vincent was a tremendous treat as he has not done many movies in his post Dr. Who career opting for theater work instead. (Note: With the majority of friends of mine that have also been excited for this film – it is because of Tenant as they are Dr. Who fans too). Colin Farrell as the vampire neighbor Jerry Dandrige is a wonderful pitch perfect mix of skanky douche bag and creepy intimidating. Less Über hottie and more Über creeper. A lot of skoffing I have heard from guys (other then the general apprehension about remakes) had to do with the casting of Farrell as Jerry. Given the popularity of Twilight, True Blood, and Vampire Diaries I think the cynisims is warrented. It could easily be mistaken as yet another token sexy vampire on the big screen. But to quote Evil Ed “he isn’t romantically misunderstood. he’s the shark from jaws.”. So if you were holding back on seeing Fright Night because of cultural fatigue for the vampire trends of late I would say think again. Fright Night brings vampires back over the line from lover to monster.

I could all to easily see this getting a sequel. It will depend on how big the box office on it is. But if you are looking for a bit of summer movie/ popcorn film fun – I highly recommend it.

A few years back ol’ Nicholas Cage became Ghost Rider in a not-so-great but not-completely-unwatchable film adaptation of the Marvel character. Well, as you’ve probably heard Marvel felt it did well enough to have a second go at the character so the hired the directing team of Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine (the guys who brought us Crank and Crank: High Voltage) and said, “Make an action-centric sequel using lots of slow motion.”

We now have our first look at this follow up to Ghost Rider via the trailer below. No word yet on if Nicholas Cage will appear without his shirt on again with CG “enhanced” muscle definition since he apparently can’t be bothered to hit the gym.

So yeah. There it is. I am honestly at a loss of words. I’m not the world’s biggest Ghost Rider fan by any sense of the imagination, so I’ll leave it up to you readers to provide thoughts on the actual treatment of the character. From my point of view, looks like it will at most be a fun action-filled popcorn flick, but I doubt anyone is expecting this to be even close to the caliber of other Marvel hero films. You can definitely see the influences of the new directors, especially if you have seen either of the Crank films (Read: Lots of ludicrous action scenes and slow motion). It might just be me but I can’t exactly discern a clear plot out of this trailer, it just looked like a lot of action cut together with some vague voice-0vers. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance may end up being a step above its predecessor, but I don’t think that’s saying much.

We will all be able to cast out geeky verdicts upon Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance when it hits theaters on February 17, 2012.

PS – Swallowing bullets and spitting them back? Kind of lame. Ghost Rider pissing fire? Definitely lame.

Sound off in the comments below on what you think of the first trailer for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance!

Everyday Sunshine is an emotional introspective into a group of talented musicians who never quite hit it. From a musicians standpoint they had success in almost every facet of the industry, they toured Europe, Japan, the United States, and influenced artists in every genre. The only thing they never quite had was the financial success. This documentary features interviews from musicians I’ve followed and idolized while growing up, hell I idolize most of them today.

The creative and exciting look into the early world of punk rock that Fishbone helped build is something that a lot of the general public wouldn’t have an opportunity to experience. I find it rare that a film pushes me to run out and make changes, but watching “Everyday Sunshine” brought back the same feelings I had the first time I heard punk rock. The music was raw, guttural, fast, poignant, and Fishbone… was everything else. After finishing the film I found myself feeling guilty for not knowing their music, and also seeking out their albums to add to my collection.

I really wish I had a longwinded statement to fill pages to talk about how much I enjoyed this movie, but I simply don’t. It was a phenomenally made documentary that turned me on to a band that helped feed a movement that I was a part of throughout my teenage years. The characters are real human beings that are easy to understand and care for. They simply love music, love to share it with others, and don’t ever want to give up their dream.

We’ll be posting an interview with the directors later today, and the film will be playing at the SLC Film Festival Saturday August 19th at 930 pm at the Tower Theater, and again on Sunday August 20, at midnight at Brewviews Cinema Pub.

GO SEE IT!

As a young boy Johnny Morgan (Dark Rising‘s Andrew Cymek) helplessly watched as his sister was kidnapped by a vicious murder known as “The Wolf.” Johnny dedicated his life to tracking down the killer and bringing him to justice. But now that “The Wolf” has been caught and sent to Parker’s Asylum Johnny’s thirst for revenge remains unquenched. Deep in the underground halls of the asylum Johnny finds himself in the midst of madness when the inmates escape their cages and terrorize the overwhelmed staff (which just happens to include his estranged wife Jamie, played by Brigitte Kingsley).

In the audio commentary from director/writer/actor Cymek discusses the long, laborious process of making Medium Raw and how the original ideas behind the story changed due to budget constraints. The film, clearly a labor of love, is filled with great ideas; too many ideas. It’s tone swings from campy to dead serious and while the villains are masterfully drawn the rest of the characters are woefully flat. Despite being married in real life, the relationship between Cymek and Kingsley feels forced, cliché and unnecessary for the main plot. Positives? William R. Davis is fantastic as Dr. Robert Parker, the art design is quite good and the claustrophobic cinematography is effective. Medium Raw is the sort of horror film that is frustrating because it has the makings of being something quite good but ultimately falls short of its promise. Fans of the horror genre will still want to give the film a chance. Young filmmakers will also want to give Cymek’s excellent audio commentary a listen. Genre fans should also note that Buffy’s Mercedes McNab has a small role as does The Lord of the Rings’ John Rhys-Davies.

Bonus features also include an alternate ending (which I prefer), a trailer as well as deleted and extended scenes.