Digital Popcorn

Some advice for someone in my situation: Bring your binoculars

2008-07-15T01:32:39Z

{Courtesy bhphotovideo.com) What’s far out is knowing that I own a terrific pair of binoculars. I’m going to throw a link right up here for you: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/488933-USA/Nikon_7253_7x35_Action_Binocular_Black_.html . If, say, Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton were to scorch a tightly spun vessel up into the night and down quickly into right field for his fourth home run against only 3 outs (out of 10), it’s cool to see that action through a great set of glasses like those. Now it's 10 home runs and still just 6 outs made! He's the outright first-round leader now!

The End: Digital Popcorn bows out

2008-05-12T20:12:03Z

We've decided to merge our Digital Popcorn film blog into our staff-wide Urbanite blog, under the category 'Movies'. So farewell, loyal reader; see you over at Urbanite!

10 films to see on Tribeca Film Fest's final weekend

2008-05-02T15:40:11Z

As the Tribeca Film Festival ends its run on Sunday, we present our 'ideal viewing experience' for this weekend: Ten interesting films (plus a short) that seem worth the sacrifice. Sacrifice? What sacrifice, you ask? Well, advance tickets are pretty much sold out at this stage of the festival. So if you wanna catch anything at Tribeca before it closes, you're going to have to stand in line for 'rush' tickets. Tribeca holds quite a few tickets back for each film; generally, they advise if you get there early--an hour early has worked for us in the past--you should be able to get in. Especially for films earlier in the day, and films that sound unexciting to the average viewer. But you're no average viewer, and neither are we--so below are the films that caught our eye. Since Urbanite is a collective entity, we may even wind up seeing all of them this weekend--look for us with our amNY.com glow-in-the-dark pens. * See Celebrity photos here; Tribeca videos and trailers are here * List of Tribeca Film Festival competition winners is here, with full weekend schedule here]]> Friday, May 02 -9:00PM: Playing for Change: Peace Through Music AMC Village VII 3 "When you play on the streets, you don't have a particular audience--you have all the world coming to you," says Clarence Bekker, a street musician from the Netherlands. And I think all the world should see the opening sequence of this global music documentary--it's absolutely one of the best things I've ever seen in a movie theater. Read more of our review here -9:00PM: Ramchand Pakistani Village East Cinema 2 The most haunting frame of Ramchand Pakistani may be its first. Over a black screen, the words appear: adapted from actual events. The world is full of mad facts, but among the maddest is that in 2002, as Indian and Pakistani troops massed against each other on the countries' border, an eight-year-old boy named Ramchand wandered over the invisible line separating his own side of the desert from that of India's and was taken prisoner. Going in search of Ramchand, his father followed him across and was captured as well Saturday, May 03 -10:45AM: Baghdad High Village East Cinema 4 'Baghdad High' is one of those films you know will be good as soon as you hear the concept: Two journalists gave four Baghdad teens video cameras to capture their senior year of high school. Who knew, though, that it'd be the breakout hit of this years festival? Read more of our review here -11:00AM: My Marlon and Brando How far would you go for love? The real-life heroine of My Marlon and Brando was willing to slip into Iraq at the start of the 2003 war. The film, which won director Hüseyin Karabey the Tribeca Festival's award for best new narrative filmmaker, is based on the frustrating and poignant struggle of the leading actress, Ayça Damgaci, to be with her Kurdish beloved. Read more of our review here -2:30PM: Gunnin' for That #1 Spot AMC 19th St. East Theater 1 Throughout the year, in parks and playgrounds around the country, boys of all ages try to show each other up on the blacktop, invoking the likes of Michael, Magic, LeBron, and Kobe. Some of them possess a talent that rises above the others, and united with unparalleled determination, focus, and strength of will, they go on to excel in high school, becoming potential stars of tomorrow. In the fall of 2006, 24 of these top prospects were brought together at one of the most legendary courts in America: Rucker Park. -5:00PM: Bart Got a Room AMC Village VII 1 All you need to know about this father/son fable is William H. Macy has a Jewfro in it. See our interview with director Brian Hecker (and yes, see that hair) by clicking here. -7:45PM: Head Wind Village East Cinema 4 How can authoritarian governments defeat their citizens' hunger for knowledge in the era of the "information revolution"? Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof takes a candid and searing look inside the Islamic Republic, revealing its losing battle for control over the flow of information into the country from the outside world. Sunday, May 04 -10:45AM: Man on Wire AMC Village VII Theater 4 On the afternoon of August 6, 1974, an international group of conspirators, disguised as construction workers and armed with fake IDs, snuck into the World Trade Center to perpetrate what would be called "the artistic crime of the century." The following morning, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit walked on a cable strung between the Twin Towers-not once but eight times over a 45-minute period. -1:45PM: A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy Acclaimed director Robert Drew recut his documentaries from the 60s to create 'A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy,' in part because of all the interest and comparisons surrounding Barack Obama's campaign. It's almost eerie seeing the similarities--and differences--unspooling in this record of a more innocent era. See our interview with Robert Drew here. -4:00PM: Fighter AMC 19th St. East Theater 1 Fighter is an affecting girl-power fable set amid the Turkish émigré community in Copenhagen. Natasha Arthy's film centers on Aicha, a spirited high school senior whose conservative parents expect her to become a doctor-but this girl dreams in kung fu. Dutiful to her family demands, it's only on the kung fu mat that Aicha feels truly at home. Aicha secretly enrolls in an elite, co-ed kung fu school, where she meets and falls for Emil, the sweet and challenging Dane assigned to her as a training partner. -7:00PM: Great Genius and Profound Stupidity (short film program) AMC 19th St. East Theater 1 This experimental documentary-which includes interviews with Avital Ronnell, Oliver Sacks, and Merce Cunningham-explores pilgrim mathematician Paul Erdős, Hellen Keller, and the philosophical ideas of genius and stupidity. * More Tribeca blog coverage here Images from Fighter, Bart Got a Room, and Ramchand Pakistani courtesy Tribeca Film Festival/filmmakers

Gearing up for "Indiana Jones"

2008-04-30T20:50:06Z

In honor of the long-awaited addition to the "Indiana Jones" series (the last one — "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" was released in 1989!), it's worth taking a second look at the three films that led up to this point in Indie's life. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Last Crusade" are available in a convenient DVD set, and feature all kinds of extras and fun tidbits. (Yes, I totally watched all three over the past two weeks.) Fun trivia: * Director Steven Spielberg, for example, added a gazillion more snakes than he originally planned to (and a bunch of hoses) in the Well of Souls scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark." * In the same scene, Harrison Ford actually had a sheet of Plexiglass separating him from that nasty cobra that hissed in his face. * Tom Selleck was originally offered the role of Indiana Jones, but turned it down to do "Magnum, P.I." * "Temple of Doom" was Kate Capshaw's second film. Production is keeping mum on details about "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and the trailer (above) doesn't disclose much, either. But if it's any indication, the new film possesses the usual Indiana Jones elements: action, adventure and, well, cheesiness. — Korin

'Baghdad High' breakout hit of Tribeca Film Festival

2008-04-30T19:37:32Z

'Baghdad High' is one of those films you know will be good as soon as you hear the concept: Two journalists gave four Baghdad teens video cameras to capture their senior year of high school. But like most of the packed house Tuesday night at the Tribeca Film Festival, I had no idea the finished documentary--gleaned from more than 300 hours of footage--would be great. After the film, the Q&A (everybody stayed), and four rounds of applause, I felt like calling and emailing and texting everyone in my life, telling them to Go See This Film! (Or, Wait For it To Air on HBO Later This Year!) Hayder, Anmar, Ali, Mohammad... if fame were based on merit, these four extraordinary teens would become as well-known as Brandon, Dylan, Kelly and Donna. They catch themselves and each other, up close and personal, rapping (badly) to Tupac, singing (hilariously) to Britney, stressing about exams, playing soccer, celebrating holidays. Plus the mandatory teen preening and male bravado (Anmar at one point flexes for the camera, and with a grin says, "Look at my body--extraordinary, the champion.") Mixed with telling displays of how much they care for each other (like a shot of them all lying in the warm sun, piled on top of each other). But there's also gunfire, driving through checkpoints, a bombing, electricity rationing, hiding in the dark, worries for a girlfriend, relatives forced to move in because of safety concerns.... They "feel like you're in prison," Hayder says at his lowest point.]]> Remaining showtimes/ticket info for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday here * More Tribeca blog coverage here; see Celebrity photos here; Tribeca videos and trailers are here *Ten Muslim New York teens share their lives, via stories/photos/videos

Tribeca Film Festival: Must-see movies

2008-04-28T22:07:12Z
New Yorkers are standing in long lines--or playing the 'don't you know who I am?!' card--as the Tribeca Film Festival gets underway with its usual mix of dazzling small films and interesting major productions. And the normal geographic confusion--this year it seems most of the 120 feature films from 31 different countries are actually screening in the East Village. * See an interview with Bart Got a Room director Brian Hecker (and yes, see William Macy's Jewfro) * Click here for fellow film fanatic Emily Ngo's interview with acclaimed director Robert Drew about his recut documentary, 'A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy'--and the comparisons with Barack Obama. * Click here for trailers for many of the films. And my early favorites thru Tribeca's first weekend--from Muslim women playing soccer to fighting with chicken, crab and halibut--are after the jump.]]> Football Under Cover This documentary about a German and an Iranian women's soccer teams struggling to play a match in Tehran is exactly what you want out of a film fest: a peek into the lives of strangers more interesting than yourself, but whom--it turns out--you can totally relate to. Because it's about women playing soccer I'm forced to mention it's as stirring and memorable as Bend it Like Beckham... but without the cloying sweetness and pat resolutions. The players include Marlene, a sweet but determined German who comes up with the idea for the match and faces down bureaucrats and pigheaded men to make it happen. And Narmila, a pretty student at one of Iran's top colleges who learned soccer from her mom, plays the electric guitar and seems to dress entirely in things that have the Nike logo on them (except for her mandatory headscarf). The film gives New Yorkers the rare chance to see what ordinary Iranian people are really like--the food, the culture, the great pride, the strong women, the sly humor, the stubborness, and of course the tensions between the regime's version of Islam and people's desire to lead fulfilling, normal lives. There are some mesmerizing scenes near the beginning of the film of driving through nightime Tehran, set to a jazz soundtrack. And the directors skillfully intercut shots of the penultimate soccer match (played entirely in modest Islamic dress by both teams) with those of rambunctious, horn-blowing, protesting fans in the stands (all women). It's a must-see; and afterwards, you gotta go out for chelo kebab (or bratwurst and beers). -Remaining showtime and tickets here The Chicken, the Fish and the King Crab Speaking of food... "My priorities are chicken, crab, and halibut. What about my girlfriend? Oh! Well, chicken, crab, halibut, and then my girlfriend." So says one of the chefs preparing for the Oympics of cooking, the Bocuse d'Or competition. And indeed, master chef Jesús Almagro--head of the Spanish team at the 24-nation competition--spends much of this documentary obsessed with the 2007 contest's chosen ingredients, as he and his all-star collection of chef friends frantically search for the perfect recipes and techniques in the months leading up to the high-pressure competition. If you think you've had bad meetings at work, wait until you see the withering criticism Almagro stomachs when he presents his first efforts. His fellow chefs, determined to end Spain's 20-year victory drought, stand in a ring around his offerings and rip everything from the taste to the shape to the color to the chosen plates for his dishes. But even after an unbelievable amount of hard work that tops anything you've ever seen in Kitchen Stadium, it's not until--sacrebleu!--the proud Spanish chefs bring in a turncoat ex-winner from France that Almagro's team really starts cooking with gas. The finale shows the best of the best sharing laughs, grimaces, and best dishes, with the winner raising high a golden statue of legendary chef Paul Bocuse. Which, oddly, looks a bit like Oscar after one too many five-course meals. -Remaining showtime and tickets here My Marlon and Brando How far would you go for love? The real-life heroine of My Marlon and Brando was willing to slip into Iraq at the start of the 2003 war. The film is based on the frustrating and poignant struggle of the leading actress, Ayça Damgaci, to be with her Kurdish beloved. She left her home in Istanbul and made her way alone to the Turkey-Iraq border, before being forced to detour their meeting to a small village in Iran. Damgaci isn't what you'd expect as a romantic lead--she's cherubic, hot-tempered (screaming at an elderly neighbor at one point; justifiably, I'd say), and almost ruthless in her desperate pursuit of companionship. Director Hüseyin Karabey follows along as Damgaci retraces her harrowing journey, mixing CNN Turkey coverage of the buildup to war with the actual 'video postcards' sent out of Iraq by Damgaci's boyfriend to create a faux documentary in the style of Iranian directors Abbas Kiarostami and Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Or, This is Spinal Tap, just without the zaniness. Karabey revealed after the screening that a major moment in the film was not based on the real story at all, but came out of his desire to put a face on the nearly 3/4 million Iraqis who have died in the war. -Remaining showtime and tickets here Playing for Change: Peace Through Music "When you play on the streets, you don't have a particular audience--you have all the world coming to you," says Clarence Bekker, a street musician from the Netherlands. And I think all the world should see the opening sequence of this global music documentary--it's absolutely one of the best things I've ever seen in a movie theater. A street musician in Santa Monica, California starts singing a plaintive version of Stand By Me; through the magic of digital editing a deep-voiced singer in New Orleans is layered in, followed by singers from all over Europe, South Africa, India, Tibet, Native Americans.... By the end of it more than 35 diverse musicians from 18 locations can be heard doing Ben E. King's classic, in a variety of languages and vocal styles. It gave me goosebumps--and the audience gave it an ovation when it ended. After that amazing start the 76 minute documentary, culled from more than 200 hours of footage, meanders a bit, with a fuzzy narrative and a lack of backstory about some of the musicians who flash on screen. (You can find some of their biographies on the website.) And although the sound quality is wonderful--the filmmakers dragged their studio equipment around the world and miked all the performers to make sure it sounds like we're there--I think there is a tradeoff when musicians caught on the street sound so crystal-clear. You lose the ambience, some of the sense of place; it's weird not to hear traffic noises when you can see cars passing, and jarring to see the performers wearing headphones under sunshine. Indeed, the filmmakers sometimes even pluck the musicians away from their people, posing them against backdrops that--while beautiful--seem sterile compared to the energy of scenes actually shot in the streets. But these are just things that keep the film from becoming great; it's still good. You'll walk out remembering not just the Stand By Me sequence, but also the electrifying sitar player in India, the almost-Biblical power of musicians in New Orleans, the oh-so-cool drummer perched on a porch in the Congo, the bewitching Tula in Israel, the Cuban musician making music from a tube of bright red industrial plastic in Spain.... And for a taste of the film, check out this interview by my uber-colleague Lauren Johnston with Playing for Change's directors, Jonathan Walls and Mark Johnson. -Remaining showtime and tickets here All film stills courtesy the filmmakers, via Tribeca Film Festival

Loving Sarah Marshall

2008-04-24T00:11:20Z

Jonah Hill and Jason Segel in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" was supposed to be too crude to love, but it defied expectations. I hate the other stuff from Judd Apatow's clique ("40-year old Virgin," "Knocked Up"), but I loved this. Yes, there is raunchiness. Nude scenes. Plenty of dry humping. And cursing galore. But there is unexpected depth to the characters and the plot. Even the bitchy Sarah Marshall, played by Kristen Bell, turns out to be someone you can sympathize with. The British comic who plays Sarah's new boyfriend, Aldous Snow, is Russell Brand. He's an absolute scene stealer with deadpan lines like, "Well, I wanted to listen to your CD, but then I decided to just go on living my life." The movie audience couldn't stop laughing. I couldn't blame them. — Emily

James Mac in action

2008-04-23T20:47:32Z

James McAvoy = hot As if there weren't enough reasons to be totally hot for James McAvoy (he charmed as a fawn in "Narnia," he showed his uber-romantic side in "Atonement," he was simply amazing in "King of Scotland"). McAvoy plays an assassin alongside Angelina Jolie in action thriller "Wanted," set to hit theaters this June. He worked out for the role. Clearly. And we thank him for it. The plot reminds me a bit of the first "Matrix." Also, the chemistry between he and Jolie is ripe, judging by the trailer. Someone tell me how McAvoy can play every archetype of man possible. — Emily

What's worth standing in line for at the Tribeca Film Festival?

2008-04-16T13:47:53Z

Get a better feel for what films you want to see and check out around 50 trailers from the Tribeca Film Festival, which starts a week from today on April 23. Click here to see the trailers. You can get tickets here on their website. Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images

Separated at birth?

2008-04-13T21:06:08Z

(Left to right: Matthew McConaughey at the UK premiere of "Fool's Gold"; George Hamilton) Note to Matthew: When you're more tan than George Hamilton, there's a problem. — Korin

Where ya been, Claire?

2008-04-13T19:38:43Z

Claire Forlani, arguably best known for her role as the devil's love interest in 1998's "Meet Joe Black," hit the red carpet today for the UK premiere of "Flashbacks of a Fool." According to IMDB.com, Claire's been keeping herself busy with a slew of forgettable movies (some made for TV!) and a role on "CSI:NY." Who knew? — Korin

This is why we love Danny DeVito

2008-04-09T19:40:52Z

The man knows how to leverage his assets! Danny DeVito, who appeared to be drunk on "The View" two years ago after a limoncello bender, plugs Danny DeVito's Premium Limoncello liqueur in Las Vegas yesterday. — Korin

Casinos drawn to "21"?

2008-04-09T17:35:29Z

Sturgess takes Vegas for millions in "21." A recent Newsweek article has presented a fair question in regard to the gambling hit "21," in which an MIT big shot finances his education by counting cards/cheating at the blackjack table. But why, why, oh why, would casinos be rushing to embrace and host the premiere of a movie that portrays them getting scammed? "This movie is great for Vegas. It perpetuates the myth that blackjack is beatable," an MIT dude told Newsweek. Counting cards to up your gambling chances is much harder than actor Jim Sturgess makes it look, apparently. — Emily

Get a glimpse of 'Tropic Thunder'

2008-04-08T22:31:54Z

The "Tropic Thunder" trailer has arrived! And it looks funny as heck. The Ben Stiller-starring flick follows a group of actors who are dropped in a jungle to film a war movie. Through a series of unfortunate events, they find themselves in danger, but think it's all part of the plot. Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. also star in the film. The movie's scheduled for an August release. — Korin

No love for 'Valkyrie'

2008-04-08T21:30:48Z

"Valkyrie," Tom Cruise's pet project about a German assassination attempt on Adolph Hitler, has had its release date pushed back yet again. For the record, this is the third date that has been listed for the drama's theatrical release. The movie has been plagued with rumors about the need for reshoots to fix Cruise's (allegedly) poor acting skills. Originally, the film was scheduled to hit theaters this Fourth of July weekend. Odds are, studio heads figured there's not a huge demand for a Hitler assassination story in the midst of all the summer blockbusters, because they pushed the flick back to Oct. 3. The studio's official reason for the move? A big aerial scene still needed to be shot. Now, ladies and gents, the movie will be released on Feb. 19, 2009! For real! Mark those calendars! Just do it in pencil. Cause, you know, it could change again. Check out the movie's trailer, above. And, um, don't pay attention to the "Summer 2008" ending note. — Korin