If you missed Super when it hit the big screen Friday before last, don’t feel alone. It got a very limited run, much less than it deserved. Which is why the IFC VOD project was started. With Video On Demand, Independent films that formerly were only heard of can now be seen by a much wider audience almost as soon as they are released. Go to the IFC web page and select your provider to find out if you can see it now. They started Super today, and they launch 1 to 2 new independent titles per week. It is a great way to keep up with new quality films that break the Hollywood mold and tell a different kind of story.
Who is John Galt? If you have been asking this question since the mid 1950’s, the wait is over. The Ayn Rand sci-fi classic Atlas Shrugged is finally seeing widespread release on the big screen this week. It is flagged as Part 1, hopefully that means there is a Part 2 on the horizon as well. Before the ’70s the number of genre books recognized as actual Literature across the decades could be counted without having to take your shoes off, and this masterwork was one of them. Since the 70’s a tendency to claim one’s work was a normal drama about the human condition that just happened to have a setting on another planet with a protagonist from another dimension became the PR ploy du jour for serious literature authors. Just in case you haven’t read this, take a peek at the trailer. As usual, it gives you a set of scenes and dialog meant to encourage you to buy a ticket, but this one also gives you momentary images of a huge number of world-class actors who all wanted to be in on the production. You don’t see that without a world class story and incredible characters to drive actors to excel at their craft, so I have high hopes for this one.
The feel-good family friendly choice for this week is Rio, about a non-flying Macaw (raised in a cage in a small town in Minnesota) who travels to Brazil to meet a girl, and gets a LOT more than he bargained for. The animation is from the same team who did the Ice Age series, so get ready for non-stop visuals and action of the highest caliber. I’m thinking, one film Friday, one Saturday.
Top of the list this week is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. There is a related package release covering multiple movies, but to me it makes sense to wait until you can get them all in a single box, if you have not been picking up each one as it comes out.
Ga Rei Zero is the story of the Paranormal Disaster Countermeasure Headquarters, a team used by the Japanese Ministry of Defense to protect the homelands from threats supernatural and paranormal. After a disastrous encounter they find themselves at risk of being absorbed into an equivalent organization reporting to the Ministry of the Environment. Also out this week, Needless Collection 2 takes place in the mutant ghettos after WWIII.
Ga-Rei-Zero will be released this Tuesday; here is a taste…
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Screen Gems has picked up the rights to distribute Attack the Block in the US. This fun little teen space invasion film has already been picking up awards around the festival circuit, and includes Nick Frost in the lineup.
Episode one of Tiger and Bunny is now streaming online over at Anime News Network, a superhero Anime series including some giant mecha drivers.
One of the things I love watching (and listening to) online is music, from amazing artists from all over the world. Back when I was a DJ for a living I had a fun thing I used to announce with a quote like the third of one in a row, where I would play multiple versions of a single song. This is one of those kind of things, using the classic song “Summer Wine”.
The original, from Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood, was an instant classic, along with several other songs that couple recorded. To this day I still believe she never would have gotten into the studio without daddy’s influence, but I find I currently appreciate her limited talents a lot more, because I really do enjoy all her songs.
Noticeably better than the original is this rendition recorded live by the Corrs and Bono;
From France (but still sung in English) comes this version by Emilie Simon and Alain Bashung, recorded live at La Music. Emilie Simon is one of my four favorite French vocalists, a truly amazing talent you would do well to pay attention to.
My vote for best version of this song goes to the Euro-Couple Ville Valo & Natalia Avelon, who had an entire production company promoting their movie behind them. The movie was titled Das Wilde Leben which translated into English is The Wild Love, telling the tale of the “It Girl” from 1968 Germany, Uschi Obermaier. Born Ursula Obermaier in 1946 Munich, she found her way to Commune 1 in Berlin, where she was much more interested in Free Love and partying than supporting The Party. She was one of the forces which eventually brought the Berlin Wall down, through her influence on popular opinion over the next few decades and her refusal to be anyone but who she was. I believe Natalia Avelon was a brilliant choice to play her, and a perfect vocal balance for Ville on this song.