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| My Life On the InternetsThe internet is an interesting thing. Scratch that. The internet is THE thing that defines modern man. In it's short time here, it has taken over for libraries, clubs, arcades, music stores, theatres... the list goes on. Anyway... the reason I bring it up, is that this long overdue UPDATE about my for ya'll mainly pertains to the internet. Cuz it's my friggin lifeblood these days as sad as that sounds.
1. I have updated my WEBSITE! Please please please go take a look. It has a new front page, new design, some new images and well... its pretty much just awesome.
tyrellcannon.com
2. I was in a show! sort of. Beth Hetland and Kyle O'Connell recently graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. For their final show, they put up a shelf containing comics from students, alumni, and others. Each comic was free to be taken by anyone attending the show. I was honored to have two of my mini comics in this show. If you are interested in seeing what they looked like, they are adaptations of two works on my website, "simon: symmetry" and an untitled piece in the "other" section.
3. My XBOX360 finally joined the RROD club. What does that mean? RROD=Red Ring Of Death. What does THAT mean? Well it means that biotch be DEAD. I had to send it back to microsoft for a (hopefully FREE) repair. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, considered the 360 has a reported 53% failure rating. YIKES. This keeps my online activity a bit lower this week, as I cannot go online to kill and be killed by other losers. Plus, I was partway through my playthrough of the new (and old) Riddick games! As soon as I finish that, look for a review.
4. John and I have posted a couple more Backslash Homies after a long hiatus.
Backslash Homies
We'll maybe be a little more consistent as I try to change the site around a bit. But more sporadic than before. I think John is working on a new site for his work, which I'll link ya'll to when it's done. Cuz John's my homie.
That's all for now! Next time:
- my 'chip of the month' club review
- my Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena review | | |
| TOP TEN FILMS: 2008 (part II)5. GRAN TORINO
You gotta love Clint Eastwood. Ever since he stepped behind the camera, he has made films with heavy handed metaphor and very little apology for their blunt nature. But I absolutely love that. Gran Torino is a simple film. Which is the best kind. If you want to say anything about everything that is life... you should really focus on trying to say ONE thing. And this film does that. It's about an old selfish man that learns the importance of being selfless and caring for something other than himself. Clint gives a great performance as the aged Dirty Harry (come on, we all know that's who the character is). His gruff and mostly straight-up offensive demeanor is given a chance to breath so that we can understand who he is. Clint doesn't apologize for his character being a close-minded, offensive, racist... he just shows us shows us how that serves him. The film is a bit unfair to the non-actors cast, in that they are up against Clint's intensity in Clint's film. And it also is a tad heavy handed.... well... maybe a LOT heavy handed. BUT... I like films that take a character and show you who they are and what they go through in the course of the story. In the end that is what makes you think about everything else around them. In this case, his background, nieghborhood, family, racial tensions... the list goes on. Well done Clint.
4. PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
Whoa, a comedy in my top ten? One with Seth Rogen, no less? David Gordon Green is a cool cat. I love that he decided to direct this film. A lot of people complained that it lacks his stamp or even anything to set it apart from the 'stoner-comedy' genre. Blasphemy! I say! The film is ripe with hidden gems of comedy and construction that elevate it past the jokes in the forefront of the film. Everything from the AMAZING costuming, to touches like a 'footprints in the sand' poster on Franco's wall. The mise en scène is THICK in this one. Each moment gives more clues to character's backgrounds and motives. The end result is characters that are much more flushed out than their actual lines set them up as. It helps that James Franco and Danny McBride are so good in their parts. Franco has always underwhelmed me, as he always seems like he's trying SO HARD to ACT. He seems much more at home in this role (whatever that implies). McBride is really the saving grace of some of the more Rogen-esque ad-lib stuff. He doesn't always fall back on the same dead pan deliveries for humor. Anyway... I liked this movie.
3. BURN AFTER READING
Huh? Another comedy on my top ten??? Well it is a Coen Bros. film, so... But anyway, I had a great time with Burn. It was nice to see the Coens not feel the need to just make another No Country for Old Men, as many people saw that as their "triumphant return". The went back into the ripe territory of genre blending/updating. The film did showcase some old Coen characteristics like complicated plots, dark humor, and colorful characters. But though the film is a 'black comedy', I still found myself surprised by it's incredible bleakness. I mean.. this film is relentlessly dark. There is really not a likeable character in the film other than maybe Richard Jenkins as Ted the gym boss. Everyone else is so incredibly self serving, manipulative, and narcissistic that it's sickening. We are given a world where there is no help for anyone and no one who deserves the help in the first place. And in the end, it's all swept under the rug and forgotten. That's DARK. So to be as funny and engaging as this film is with such a dark theme is quite nice. It brings black comedy to a new level, as there is not even an illusion of redemption in this one. Additionally, I have to say how good the supporting actors are. Particularly J.K. Simmons, Davide Rasche, and the aforementioned Richard Jenkins. The A-listers were okay. MacDormand was her usual reliable lead and John Malkovich doesn't dissappoint (we all know what to expect from him).
2. RAMBO
I really really really liked this movie. See above in my blurb about Gran Torino how much I appreciate and respect films that zero in on one character or one idea and just NAIL it. This film does that. The character is Rambo. The idea is war. And they nail the SHIT outta it. Because Rambo IS war. Stallone is very smart in keeping this tale simple, short, and bloody. We are given a very (sadly) real backdrop of Burma. This seemingly hopeless situation is approached by those that think they can make a difference in war by bringing peace. Unfortunately, they are wrong. Rambo is there is 'save the day', but unlike what you might expect, nothing is really saved in the end. There is still war and there are even more dead bodies at the end of the film than there is at the beginning. However, we see the character change as he has accepted his own bloodlust and function in the world. The character finds peace for himself by embracing war. I'm not saying this should or shouldn't be uplifting. I'm just saying that I feel this is what the film is about and I'm meeting it where it is. Additionally, the film made me think about the state of American cinema, particularly the action genre. I feel that we've come to a point where we are so jaded that we laugh at the old 80's-90's action films that were about one man/woman/group making a difference in their surroundings (albiet through violence). I appreciate that this film shows that violence was the only course of action in the circumstances, though does not glorify in a way that gives a false sense of solving a larger problem. It does this without long-winded speeches and political discussions. It does it on Rambo's terms. Blood, Guts, and Bullets. Also, I can't help but notice that we have Stallone (63), Bruce Willis (54), Clint Eastwood (69) basically attempting to save the action film or save films that stand for some type of idea of masculinity and STANDING UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT. What does that say about the current generation of male stars? Am I crazy to long for something genuinely TOUGH? But this is for a whole other discussion.
1. The Wrestler
Along with Button, Gran Torino, and Rambo... I feel the need to again mention how the aspect of age is handled in this film. Not only the age of the characters, but the age and personas of the actors playing them. We are talking about aging characters that will not go quietly into the night! I am impressed by these characters/actors pushing forward new territory in the genre's that they made their careers with. It just saddens me that they are the only ones doing it. Where are our action heroes today? Where are our creative action directors? The idea of an action hero is not only integral to our country's heritage, but a must for every generation since storytelling began. But again I digress... The Wrestler was almost taylor made for Mickey Rourke. Luckily, he is amazing in the film and seizes the day to bring new life to his career. The film itself is understated and beautiful. Shot in a 'documentary-style' with plenty of over the shoulder camera placements. This is more important than it may seem, as it helps us empathize with a 53 year old professional wrestler... which is something I don't think many of us have been. Marisa Tomei is also a treat to watch (not cuz she's a stripper). Both characters are not presented doing anything that is out of character. This might seem like an obvious statement, but often films betray the character they have set up in order to make their 'point'. This is a film that lets the characters and their struggles define where we end up, rather than letting where we end up determine the characters. The film holds to this strategy to the last magnificent frame. There isn't a lot to say about the wrestler, other than it is a magnificently acted and directed film, using every tool of the trade to tell it's story. And what more could someone want from a film?
Honorable mentions...
MONGOL
I love Asano. He's one of my favorite actors. So when I heard he was playing Ghengis Khan I was stoked. The film is not really about ruling half the world though. It's more about a guy that runs around getting caught and escaping. However, I did find it to be a brave take on the history, with a great lead performance.
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE
Taking it's namesake and premises from two of the best Punisher series of all time, I was certainly excited to for this. I am a huge Punisher fan (duh), so I've always wanted them to make a perfect Punisher movie, as he is probably the easiest character on earth to adapt to the screen (one would think). This is not that perfect film. It is fun and had a lot of good gore, but lacks in cohesive and engaging action scenes, and suffers from a blah plot. The big mistep it (and many other comic book movies) takes is trying to blend all the different characters and storylines into one movie. This ends up watering down great characters and engaging stories. Well... maybe we'll get a good Punisher someday...
SPEED RACER
we all know I'm a Wachowski apologist. I love those guys. Is this film great? no. But it does have some of the most amazing (yet overlooked) effects sequences to date. Which is really what we should expect from them. Plus John Goodman, who should have been in a Coen brothers film to make my year.
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
This was a huge improvement over the first film, though it still suffered from a saturday morning cartoon plot (the bad kind) and some embarrassing dialogue. The effects were tons of fun and it had some good action though
Cloverfield
Worst of the Year...
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Yeah... Speilberg and Lucas have officially lost their minds. This is not even close to an Indy movie. And every effect in the film sucked. Period.
THE SPIRIT
Frank Miller has also lost his mind. He thinks he's a film director now... poor poor man. His success has gone to his head. He needs an editor to take his ego away and maybe he'll return to making good work. The Spirit is NOT Will Eisner's The Spirit. It's Sin City 1.5... and it SUCKED.
CLOVERFIELD
I don't get why people thought this was good. It was Blair Witch with some CG. It was Godzilla with less action. It was 2 hours of characters yelling at the camera and freaking out.
Movies I didn't see but probably should have...
Wall-E
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Doubt
My Winnipeg
Son of Rambow
RocknRolla
Movies I'm stoked for THIS year:
Fast and Furious
Watchmen
The Expendables
Inglorious Basterds
Terminator: Salvation
Ong Bak 2
Thirst
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| TOP TEN FILMS: 2008Okay so I know it's been a while. But hopefully it's worth the wait. I'll update with more news soon. I may actually move my blog to my website if i can. I have not decided. But anyway... today I'm here to talk to you about
TYRELL'S TOP TEN FILMS OF 2008!!!
I ended up writing... uh.. a LOT ... I broke it up in two parts. Here is part 1:
TOP TEN FILMS of 2008
It was a decent year for movies. However, I think last year I had a lot more stand outs for me. With a year that included beautiful and dark films like The Assassination of Jesse James, No Country for Old Men, and Zodiac... 2007 was a great year for someone with my tastes. I will say that this year I avoided seeing as many BAD movies as I had seen in 2007. There were a few though (more on that later). The other aspect is that I now have Netflix... and I spent a lot more time this year catching up on stuff I hadn't seen from years and years past. I should do a list of best movies I rented this year... maybe some other day. In any case... Here are the top ten films I saw in 2008:
10. WANTED
I really did not want to like Wanted. The comic mini-series was total fun and insanity, full of gore, action, great lines, and amazing J.G. Jones art. It was a great concept too, about a world run by super-villains. When I heard they were making a movie, I was at first excited, as I thought the comic (like most of Mark Millar's work) would be EASILY adapted into film. But then I heard they basically changed everything about it, only retaining the name. It turned into a stupid plot about assassins (instead of villains) and a crazy mystic weave thing telling them who to kill. Which, is all still lame. HOWEVER, the movie succeeds in great visual flare and some totally fun action pieces... particularly the final fight scene. I did have fun with this and gained a little more respect for MacAvoy and lost a little more for Morgan Freeman. BUT it was a FUN movie... which is getting harder and harder to find. Oh... and it's shot in CHICAGO.
9. IRON MAN
Wow, I never thought I'd like Robert Downey Jr. in a movie. But he really stepped up here and put in a great performance. He is the perfect Tony Stark and hits all nuances of the character as I've known him. This movie does not do anything particularly flashy or ground breaking. It is simply a very solidly made superhero action movie. The plot is suitably far-fetched, but cruises along so smoothly that it isn't really a distraction. The effects are wonderfully done, making some of the most comprehensible action scenes in recent memory (as many of you know, I can't stand the shaky camera-work that has become standard issue for all modern action films). This is not a film that will go down in history. It will probably not even go down as the best super hero movie ever. But damn it was slick. And The Dude is the villain. Classic.
8. IN BRUGES
I didn't want to see this movie. I don't really get the appeal of Colin Farrell. And this seemed to be another one of those forced funny/gritty/british movies that have been so hot since Transpotting and Lock Stock. However, it was strongly recommended by a friend (thanks Jen) and has Brendan Gleeson, who totally rules. This movie surprised me by it's incredibly understated direction and genuinely dark humor. Gleeson obviously is the better actor, but Colin at least gives him a little to work with. And of course, Ralph Fiennes is great as the scene chewing villain. In Bruges pulls very few punches in the violence department, but each scene of violence still maintains quite an emotional punch, rather than always playing for humor. Then there are these little touches, like the final chase scene with Farrell and Fiennes both showing sub-par running skills and being out of breath (something that is rarely thought about when you get the occasional foot chase on film). All in all, I enjoyed the dark humor and sentimental undertone of In Bruges. Don't watch any of the horrible trailers for it, as they don't do the film justice.
7. THE DARK KNIGHT
Everyone loved this movie right? I must say it was a lot of fun to watch. Not that it had particularly good action scenes or a plot that made any sense (it most certainly didn't), but more for the performances and underlying themes. Everyone agrees that Heath Ledger was amazing in this film. And that's because he was. His Joker will stand as the best joker incarnation on film or tv for a long long time. His performance is both big and small at the same time. Wild movements are contrasted by small inflections of his voice and little ticks in his mannerisms. On top of this, he has one of the best Joker scripts ever to work from. The Joker is not funny. The Joker is fucking nuts. And they get that right. The themes of darkness, loss, choice and justice are explored in thought provoking scenes brought to life by Ledger and the overlooked (but magnificent) Aaron Eckhart. These aspects redeem the films overly complex (for no reason) plot, horrible transitions, incomprehensible action scenes, and Christian Bales riDICulous Batman voice. Oh... and it get points for being shot in CHICAGO as well!
6. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
This was up higher on my list... then I realized that it shouldn't be. I did like it. It was beautifully shot and thematically interesting. But it tended to fall a bit flat for me. It's easily dismissed as Forrest Gump with a gimmick. It IS that to a lesser degree, but still works on many levels. I found myself thinking about the importance (or unimportance) of age and the fears/stigma that come along with it. Button questions the very idea that you are completely limited by your circumstances, whether they be age, social standing, intelligence, appearance, etc. Mostly I was happy that the film defies an the horrible assumption that your life is over once you are "old". I've been obsessed with this lately. Once someone is "old" (usually determined by those around them), they are no longer seen as being able to live every day fully or go on adventures or learn new things or impact those around them... etc. etc. Button obviously puts forth that a person can live fully, despite their age. However, I think Gran Torino actually touched a little more poiniently on this idea...
MORE TO COME in a day or so!!! | | |
| what's wrong with the worldThis is what's wrong with the world part 1:
http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/
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