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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Leslie Nielsens Conviction

I LOVE IT!!! I seem to be getting a lot of hits/views on the blog, which is so amazing, I love watching the number go up. This means 1) People are just being nice and just go on my blog and keep hitting the review button or 2) People are actually reading...Thank you greatly either way.

For those of you who are visiting why not vote on the movie poll on the right there, or add a comment. Maybe you've seen the movie(s) I'm talking about or recommended or you want to let us (or me) know. Maybe you want to cry out about some of the movie news, even if you want to say I'm an idiot....I'll take it

To recap the movie poll, Out of the AFI (American Film Institute) top 5 movies of all time, which one would you like to see (or if you've seen them is your favorite)...We got a total of 3 votes (kinda weak but I'll take it) and all three of those votes were allocated to 3 different selections. It was a 3 way tie between Citizen Kane, Casablanca (My pick), and The God Father....do your part, ROCK THE VOTE!!

now for the movie review...
Conviction


Conviction is the story of a brother and sister, Betty Anne and Kenny Waters, played by Hillary Swank (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby) and Sam Rockwell (Safe Men, Moon, Iron Man 2), that are an inseparable duo, from rambunctious childhood to a much more complicated adulthood. Kenny is a low life, trouble maker with a little daughter and Betty Anne is a "try to do good" mother of 2 boys. Both are from a small suburban town outside of Boston. Based on a true story, a murder was committed and Kenny was pinned with the heinous act but swears up and down he's innocent. Betty Anne can't just sit around and let this injustice go on, she decides to enroll into law school and become a lawyer no matter if it tears her, her family, and even her and Kenny apart. Sibling love ensues.

Conviction, directed by first time big screener Tony Goldwyn ("Dexter", "Damages", "Justified) is based on a true events and is a big time character based movie. Acting drives the film from one scene to the next, along with the story line and dialogue, but mainly by the acting. I wanted to see this film because I'm a big fan of Sam Rockwell. He reminds me of Jeremy Piven ("Entourage", PCU, Smokin Aces) in the sense of his mannerisms and nonvocal communication. Not as jerky, abrupt or grand as Pivens, but so precise and seemingless. He nails his character, so cool but yet a bad ass, who loves himself, his sister and his daughter. His transformation throughout the film is remarkable, you watch him grow up and become a man. Hillary Swank I didn't buy at first. I feel like everyone's now trying to get into a movie where they can try to show off their "Bahstan" accent. I didn't buy hers at first, but she grew on me. She has some intense sad scenes which I felt like she may have over done, but still great. The one who stole it for me though was Juliette Lewis. (National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation, Natural Born Killers, Old School) She played an ex-girlfriend of Kenny's who testified against him at the trial. Later on they talk to her again, strung out on drugs and alcohol and the guilt of putting Kenny to jail. The 5 min scene she had revisiting the court case, mixed with a cigarette, a never ending glass of wine and whatever drugs she was on stuck with me after it was done.

The dynamic of the brother and sister, when younger and older, was captivating as well. I have a younger sister so it resonated with me pretty strongly. The play on the relationship was a key factor in the movie for me. They, being the actor/actress, the writers and director made it feel real, that this sister would spend 20 years of her life fighting for her brother. Not one of her parents, or a lover/husband, her brother and they made it believable.

A slow movie you have to committed to to get the payoff at the end. Keep a close eye on the actors/actresses and it will help.

A Tribute to Leslie Nielsen


I remember the first Nielsen movies I saw was Naked Gun 33 1/3 and it was right up my alley. Stupid, dry, simple humor, crude jokes and vulgar happenings. Leslie Nielsen will be remembered as a funny man. His characters were never to bright, but they always knew how to deliver a punch line. He passed away November 28th 2010 and left behind some of the funniest movies of all time. Ask the AFI, who voted Airplane the #10 funniest movie of all time. I'm sure Leslie Nielsen had a hand in making that movie as funny as it was, even if that hand was on a busty women's breast by accident, someone's crotch, or on his gun. Starting on a string of tv shows starting around 1950, he had rolls in some comedies some dramas, with a roll in one episode on the famed "Bonanza". He then scored a roll as the Captain in the original The Posideon Adventure, followed by a roll in one episode of the hit tv show, turned movie "M.A.S.H." After scoring a roll in a couple of episodes of both "Kung Fu" and "S.W.A.T' he made it into his first "hit" movie in The Kentucky Fried Movie which was what made him become famous. Airplane hit in 1980 which will be Nielsen's big start and his corner stone. Followed by a bunch of movies and tv shows I've never heard of, The Naked Gun series started in 1988. It was followed by a sequel in 1991 and a final chapter in 1994. His movies all had a spoof theme, and he followed that all the way to his death. His humor will be missed, but u can always pop in a VHS to feel it again.





Netflix Instant Watch of the Week:
Army of Darkness. A mash up of horror and comedy, but all "its so terrible its good". Bruce Campbell is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home. When he finds the Necronomicon its hilarious, the whole movie is hilarious.

Netflix DVD of the Week: Airplane. Leslsie Nielsen's cornerstone and the #10 funniest movie of all time according to the AFI. If you're looking for silly humor and really good one liners, spoofs out the rear end and some crude jokes this movie is for you.



now some movie news...
Tis the season....for villains
Great list of the top 5 movie villains of all time. The list comes from Metro.co.uk http://www.metro.co.uk/film/849692-the-best-christmas-movie-villains

The director from Tron 2 started doing commercials
The new director for Tron, Jospeh Kosinski, is a rookie. He hasn't done anything big screen yet but this commercials is speculated to have gotten him the spot. The commercials is very simple but you can see where producers would pull this guy in. See the commercial at Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/watch-joseph-kosinskis-fake-iphone-commercial/#more-93694


Thanks to errbody, and my editor-in-assistant-chief Amy

2 comments:

  1. Big up the Christmas villain list from England! Haha I read that paper every day on the tube. Joseph Kosinski ad was sweeeet!

    R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen. He will be missed! I have seen the trailer for Conviction and thought it looked good. I dont know when it is being released here though!

    What were the other films in the top 5 list? 12 angry men maybe?

    Oh and you neeeeeeeeed to watch (and review) the film "13 Tzameti". Do it!

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  2. Chris "13 Tzameti" is def on my que, and I wanna see it. 12 Angry Men is #87 on the list...The AFI top 10 list is

    1) CITIZEN KANE
    2) THE GODFATHER
    3) CASABLANCA
    4) RAGING BULL
    5) SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
    6) GONE WITH THE WIND
    7) LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
    8) SCHINDLER'S LIST
    9) VERTIGO
    10) THE WIZARD OF OZ

    and I had no idea that was an englis mag, cause if I woulda known I def would not have used it...haha

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