Podcast Pleasures

Just thought I'd throw up a few links to the various podcasts I listen to (film related):

Filmspotting - Film reviews by 2 regular joes. Very casual but insightful and fun. Just a good way to here other people's take on films and sometimes get the head-up on films that would otherwise fly under the radar.
http://www.filmspotting.net/


Smodcast - Kevin Smith's podcast - totally uninhibited and random with some references to film. But I think Smith has this innate charm in pondering hypothetical situations that can really get your gears churning (just don't listen while drinking milk or you can expect it to be sqirting out of your nose).
http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/2009/04/12/smodcast-82/


Creative Screenwriting Podcast - Plenty of insightful interviews with screen writers and filmmakers.
http://www.creativescreenwriting.com/podcasts/main.html


Reel Horror Podcast - The recent posts don't seem to be as good as the past ones (I think the hosts changed recently). But there are some interesting insights into the filming of horror films, decent interviews, and informal review of films.
http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=18410


This American Life - Not really film related but very thought provoking in how in delves into a diverse array of stories, experiences, memoirs, investigations, contraversies, etc. Very well produced - a treasure trove of script ideas.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio_podcast.aspx

Gran Torino in stark contrast

There's a lot of hype around Gran Torino, good and bad. But any film that sparks some debate (above just bringing attention to itself by sensationalizing) has some merit. I should start by saying that I can't remember seeing a film with some of the best acting and some of the worst acting all in one package. But the odd thing is that the bad acting card is played very well in terms of the over-all experience of the film. I rather enjoyed the racial quips and bad attempts at humor because it ultimately led to a fairly suspenseful ending that wasn't necesarily unpredictable and fresh but satisfying nonetheless because it made you think one way or the other. It made me at least think of what answer would tidy all the conflict the film presents and the ultimate answer fits nicely (if not a little too neat and sentimental). One last note is that while it's good to see more Asian Americans on the screen, they really need to step up their acting (though Asians were the least of the performance problems in this film). It's like everyone else says though, the reason to watch this film is for Clint, he certainly delivers - but even Clint trips in moments.

Che Part 1

Just saw Che Part 1 (of 2). Very much a biopic if I've seen one. It had the same tone as the "Fidel" biopic that aired a few years back on HBO (I think it was) - a mix of Che's UN speech inter cut with the Cuban revolution. At times it moves slow but I appreciate how the film avoids spectacle by letting the character breathe and talk and contemplate. In which case I suppose it's marathon running time can somewhat be justified. It's interesting how unnoticeable Soderberg is in this film - the film could have easily passed as an import from an under appreciated foreign filmmaker. Of course Del Toro couldn't have been anymore perfect for the role. From scene to scene there is no anticipation of plot but rather the feeling of history unfolding which is what fascinated me (my wife said the film seemed interesting but she quietly lost interest a quarter of the way through). So I wouldn't say this film is for everyone.

Look forward to seeing the other half. Interestingly the film was shot on the digital RED camera (although some scenes seemed to have been treated to look like 16mm). Celluloid would seem like the logical choice for such a gritty biography like Che but the in watching the film, there is no distracting qualities that come through from it's digital acquisition. It actually looks quite good.

A Quick Round of Movie Reviews

Dark Knight on Bluray - Friggin amazing as it seamlessly switches from full screen 16:9 (IMAX scenes) to widescreen matted.

Speed Racer - I liked it, but it seems like the rest of the world hates it.

The Lookout - A decent thriller if Memento was never made. Good performances.

Clerks 2 - I realized I was never into Clerks 1 but I've been listening to Kevin Smith's Smodcast and that's one hilariously random rant about gay sex, ass kicking, Nazi's, religion... you name it.

The Bank Job - If you expect the Transporter you won't get it - an exceedingly average film.

Rocky Balboa - I thought I could appreciate this film but I think it falls flat, at least Rambo had gratuitous violence.

Red Belt - Interesting film but the dialogue is weirded and surreal, the actors speak in simple sentences and repeat what they say. Maybe it's a Mammet thing.

Journey to the Center of the Earth - I should have known better than to rent this garbage.

Starship Troopers 3: Maurader - A friend's recommendation, yeah it's bad - the bad kind of bad. If you have Casper Van Deen listed as the main actor yet only really makes a guest appearance, you got one big pile of dung.

Paranoid Park - I thought I could appreciate this one too especially with Doyle behind the camera (and in front of it) but there wasn't enough in it to intrigue me.

Hellboy II - It was OK. Good effects and imaginative but it didn't seem to have any relevance - it didn't make me think or love or hate or feel... Hellboy I was kind of the same experience for me.

Tekkon Kinkreet - Very cool animated style and world. A kind of an evolved Akira story.

A little taste

5D2 Test Shoot from Sam Yano on Vimeo.

Here are some test shots I took with my 5D2 with a 70-200mm f2.8 Canon lens. Shot at 1080p 30fps - tested various shutter speeds and f-stops. Edited in Avid at 1080p 23.976fps. Be sure to have the HD set to "on" to enjoy full 720 resolution - the uploaded version is a little more contrasty than the original.

http://vimeo.com/2688573?pg=transcoded_embed&sec=2688573

Happy New Year!


Sam