yewknee.com

The Box

So the trailer for Richard Kelly's (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) next movie The Box is online and I gotta say it looks like one helluva Made for TV movie. Sadly, it's an actual theatrical release. I'm guessing this won't be my last post on the works of Richard Kelly but my interest level has now officially dropped to zero in terms of caring what he's up to.

Via Davis.

S. Darko

So the official trailer for s.Darko is now out and about. You know the one, the sequel to Donnie Darko? The one about his sister that apparently suffers from the same affliction of psychosis and derangement that a man in a bunny suit is going to bring the apocalypse. Honestly, I can't even understand how this is becoming a franchise but ever since the release of the Directors Cut of Donnie Darko I've been pretty convinced that the original release was a total fluke in its success and that wherever it went from that point on couldn't really do the name any harm because it was accidentally good in the first place, know what I mean?

Second Skin

Second Skin is a documentary showcasing the lifestyles of a number of people heavily involved in the world of MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). The trailer only seems to feature one guy that is particularly "crazy" - the rest may seem odd on some level but that one guy really sticks out.

This is yet another documentary in the vein of Darkon or Drakmar but I welcome it - such a bizarre subject with fascinating characters.

Link via Arlo via the Camden Film Festival.

Drakmar: A Vassal's Journey

Drakmar is a documentary about Colin Taylor, a 14-year old who finds retreat from school bullying and home troubles by immersing himself in medieval role playing. The trailer looks pretty great (and this clip is out of this world). I would love to see this cross paths with Darkon in some undeniable Internet mash-up.

Fortunately, Dramkar is already available on DVD / Netflix.. so consider it queued.

Movaroiding

Mason Bernard has been posting altered Polaroids on his Flickr Stream as part of an ongoing project that, for lack of a better word, we'll call Movaroiding. The idea is simple, get a group of friends together to watch a movie, take Polaroids of each other, then draw all over them in the theme of the film you just watched. For me it's a toss up between the Darkon series and the Blank Check series but there's not a single one on there that isn't brilliant in its own way.

So who wants to start their own Movaroid night?

Donnie Darko 2: Samantha Darko

Duncan gave me the heads up on this news that a Donnie Darko sequel is in the works. S. Darko, supposedly, picks up with the Darko family seven years later and follows Donnie's sister Samantha (Sparklemotion) on a roadtrip with 'bizarre visions.'

I guess the Director's Cut of the film wasn't bad enough and any semblance of goodness left to be associated with Donnie Darko should be dragged through the mud. Some sequels just shouldn't be made.

Southland Tales - just as feared

So I watched Richard Kelly's Southland Tales this weekend and it turned out to be pretty much exactly as I previously suspected - not good. I can only imagine the studio pressure to put out something magnificently epic after the sleeper success of Donnie Darko but this is absolutely a case of trying to do way too much at once.

The casting looks impressive on paper but in reality it ends up being distracted. Almost every character is played by someone recognizable - even Cheri Oteri and Jon Lovitz make the cut, as two subversive badasses. Doesn't that sound any alarms for anyone else? Cheri Oteri and Jon Lovitz as mercenary types? Though that's the least of a movies casting problems when The Rock, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Seann William Scott are your lead protagonists (though I will admit, Seann William Scott was quite good for the part). Justin Timberlake, Amy Poehler, Mandy Moore, Nora Dunn, Miranda Richardson (aka poor mans Julianne Moore) and Kevin Smith are also amongst the cast. Impressive on paper, distracting in execution.

But none of that speaks to the plot of the film that was nothing if not entirely ambitious. And by that I mean it was trying to tell a six-part story by delving into parts 4, 5 and 6 with a crap load of narration up front to help catch you up. It's a lot of information to take in for a plotline that's convulted to begin with. Your basic plot points are: 1984 style government security takeover being attacked by subversive Marxist movement, high-profile actor with amnesia attempts to research a role while unknowningly fulfilling a prophechy and a pair of police officers possibly unraveling the fabric of space and time. That's a lot to stuff into 144 minutes. In fact, too much.

In this case I think the movie studios did the right thing by burying this and, hopefully, it will see a quiet DVD release and no one will need speak of it again. My fingers are crossed that the next Kelly film will deliver the way Darko did - not with a bang but with a quiet, building initial whisper.

Darkon: The Movie

I recently watched the IFC documentary Darkon. If you've not heard of this, or don't know what LARPing is, you should go and watch the trailer immediately. Basically the movie follows a group of LARPers and contrasts their daily lives with the life of their Darkon character. Overall, it's fascinating and I absolutely recommend watching it.

I think what struck me most about the film is that the people involved in the LARPing world keep saying they "don't get to be a hero in the real world" - as if the lives they lead outside of the mythical realm are incapable of making them a worthwhile individual. It's a self perpetuating downward spiral of shame to think that the only way you can achieve greatness in anyones eyes is to wield a foam sword and lead 30 of your friends into faux battle. Maybe the meaning behind the word "hero" has become skewed over the past few years but seems like there could be an easier way to gamble with your self esteem.

So, aside from that little rant, it really is a great film. The Dark Elves are, far and away, the most impressive group of LARPers featured in the film, seemingly taking it to a lifestyle level as opposed to some weekend getaway.

Southland Tales - Where You At?

The other day I was wondering where's the next full-length film from Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly? I mean, it's been six years and his supposed next film, Southland Tales, is nowhere to be seen (despite showing at Cannes over a year ago). IMDB says there is a March 2008 release date but that seems so far off.

Regardless of it's release, there are several clips to watch but they aren't much to get excited about (particular this). Is this a case of a sophomore slump or the Idiocracy syndrome?

Movie Roundup

Children of Men looks to be an interesting sci-fi drama of sorts. Basically the women of the world have become barren and the lack of hope for mankind leads to an anarchist society. Clive Owen is recruited to transport a woman to a safe zone because, surprise suprise, she is pregnant against all odds. That's as much as I can tell from the trailer but I'm told from good sources that the film is pretty great, so I'd keep it in mind.

Darkon - you know, I've seen this trailer before but never managed to see the entire film. Someone please tell me they've seen it and it is as incredible as I hope it is.

Skeleton Shirt

Why do I want this Skeleton shirt so badly? The "Waffo" text on the back is terrible and I typically hate prints that take up an entire shirt but I'm drawn to it.. finding it hard to resist. Maybe it's the Donnie Darko feeling I get from it or maybe it's the vague nostalgic feeling of 7th grade science class. Whatever it is, it is great. Anyone want to go in on the Buy 2 get 1 free deal (preferably someone not in Nashville so we don't have that embarrassing run in of both wearing skeleton shirts!)?