Trailer for Colin Firth’s “The King’s Speech”
The film recently won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. This film looks really lush. Danny Cohen’s cinematography looks like it could be a real contender at the Oscars this year, not to mention the costume design and set decoration. Just from the trailer alone it looks like Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are both locks for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominations, respectively. I’m so glad Firth is finally getting to do films that are worthy of his talent.
You can watch the trailer here at Yahoo! Movies. The film is set for a November 26th release by the Weinstein Company.
Movie Quote of the Day – Grosse Point Blank, 1997 (dir. George Armitage)
Martin Q. Blank: Dr. Oatman, please pick up, pick up! It’s Martin Blank! I, I’m standing where my, uh, living room was and it’s not here because my house is gone and it’s an Ultimart! You can never go home again, Oatman… but I guess you can shop there.
Blockbuster Filing For Bankruptcy Soon
Here’s the story from AP:
Troubled video-rental chain Blockbuster Inc. could file for bankruptcy protection as early as Wednesday, according to a Wall Street Journal article.
Citing unnamed sources, the Journal said Blockbuster is working with creditors to develop a bankruptcy restructuring plan that would free it of debt and allow the company to keep some stores open and focus more on digital distribution.
If Blockbuster misses an interest payment on Sept. 30, more than $900 million in debt will be due in full.
The article says billionaire investor Carl Icahn owns one-third of Blockbuster’s debt and would return to the company’s board once it exits Chapter 11. He resigned from the board in January.
Blockbuster and Icahn did not return calls for comment.
Once a home entertainment powerhouse, Blockbuster, based in Dallas, has been losing market share for years as more consumers switch to video subscription services like Netflix Inc., video on demand services and curbside rentals such as Redbox.
Blockbuster peaked at about 9,100 stores in 2004, but it has since shut many to cut costs and is down to about 5,800 as of August. In the same period, Netflix membership has grown from 2.6 million to about 15 million.
I grew up in the middle of nowhere, so to be honest I don’t know that I’ve ever even been in a Blockbuster. I also am a huge fan of Netflix. Still, it’s sad to see the end of an era.
New Poster For Clint Eastwood’s “Hereafter”
Word out of the Toronto International Film Festival was pretty mixed, with a lot of critics calling the film “bland.” I still want to see it because I love Eastwood’s work and will always give him the benefit of the doubt. The new poster is pretty great too. Hereafter stars Matt Damon and Cécile de France and is set to open on October 22nd.
Movie Quote of the Day – Practical Magic, 1998 (dir. Griffin Dunne)
Gillian Owens: You ever put your arms out and spin really, really fast?
Antonia Owens: She does it all the time.
Gillian Owens: She does? Well, that’s what love is like. It makes your heart race. It turns the world upside down. But if you’re not careful, if you don’t keep your eyes on something still, you can lose your balance. You can’t see what’s happening to the people around you. You can’t see that you’re about to fall.
Auteur of the Week – Jason Reitman
I went to a screening of Thank You For Smoking in February of 2006 because I was a big fan of his father, Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters, Kindergarten Cop, etc.) and wasn’t sure what to expect. I ended up really loving the film and actually got to meet Reitman afterwards and told I thought it was an amazing debut feature film and I looked forward to seeing more from him in the future. Jump to over four years later and he’s now a four-time Oscar nominee, twice for directing. Suffice to say, he has not let me down.
Movie Quote of the Day – Wild At Heart, 1990 (dir. David Lynch)
Lula: This whole world’s wild at heart and weird on top.
Oscar Vault Monday – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966 (dir. Mike Nichols)
I saw this for the first time about a month ago during TCM’s Summer Under The Stars and I was completely blown away by it. It’s compelling and perfectly shot, featuring some truly exquisite black-and-white cinematography. It sinks its hooks into you from the very beginning and doesn’t let up for a minute, ending with one of the most simultaneously heartbreaking and tender finales in cinematic history. It also features one of the greatest on-screen, as well as off-screen, couples, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, in some of their greatest work. It was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, winning five: Best Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, Best Film Editing, Best B&W Costume Design (won), Best B&W Cinematography (won), Best B&W Art Direction (won), Best Supporting Actress Sandy Dennis (won), Best Supporting Actor George Segal, Best Actress Elizabeth Taylor (won), Best Actor Richard Burton, Best Director Mike Nichols and Best Picture. It was up against The Sand Pebbles, Alfie, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and winner A Man For All Seasons.
Movie Quote of the Day – Never Been Kissed, 1999 (dir. Raja Gosnell)
Sam Coulson: Sorry I’m late. It took me forever to get here.
Josie Geller: I know what you mean.
Film, A Love Letter
Last night I watched William A Wellman’s 1927 masterpiece Wings, which was the very first film to win the Academy Award for Best picture. Within the first 15 minutes I thought it was more dramatic, romantic and exciting than most films made today. How wonderful, I thought, a film that was made 83 years ago can still feel so fresh and amazing, positively timeless. (On a side note, this film is not available on DVD and it’s a crying shame. You can vote here on TCM to try to get it released on DVD, and even if you haven’t seen it I urge you to do so).
This got me thinking about how much I love film, and why I love film. The other day someone on Twitter asked me how many films I watched a day and I replied, “as many as possible!” I told someone else that I think I have celluloid in my blood instead of iron. I can’t remember my life before I discovered films; I’ve been watching them always. Recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to watch more than ever; I’ve already seen 271 new-to-me films this year! This is because I’ve graduated from college, but have yet to find a full time job (I substitute teach once or twice a week), I’m single and I’m childless. That leaves a lot of time to watch films. I also live in a household that has TCM, my absolute favorite channel on television.
I haven’t yet answered why it is I love film so much. I think part of it has to do with the escapism film allows. For two hours you’re in a perfect world, or a dystopic world or whatever, and it can be the best place you never knew existed. With each new film you meet new friends, characters that are as dear to you as anyone you’ve ever met in real life or ones you hate more than you ever knew you could.
But I’m also in awe of the people who make the films, not just the actors and directors and screenwriters, but the crew. Every single film you see was put together by hundreds of people, who spent hundreds of hours working to bring this new world alive. It’s just so incredible.
Also, with every film I watch I always think, “This is someone’s favorite movie ever” or “I bet someone absolutely loathes this film!” It’s phenomenal the emotional response a film can get out of people. And then there are people who can’t see the art in any film, who don’t see the point of film at all. Those people make me sad. How could something that brings me and so many others so much joy, mean absolutely nothing to others? It’s unfathomable.
So while I’m at this unique place in my life where I’ve got more free time than I probably will ever again, I’m going to fill it with films. All films. As many films as I can get my hands on, as often as I can stand it. I don’t know that’ll I’ll ever have another opportunity like this, to spend all my time with the love of my life, with film. I just hope film loves me as much as I love it. Regardless, this is how I choose to spend my time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
the diary of a film history fanatic 