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#24/39 - The Golden Compass

Phasekitty — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:56:52 -0800

I wanted to read the books before I watched this film, because I hear they’re phenomenal and I badly wanted to do a book to film comparison, but I never expected it to be nominated.

In an alternate dimension where people’s soul’s live outside their body in the form of “daemons,” Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) is an orphan who is chosen to have a golden compass that can answer any question she asks it. Her best friend is taken by Gobblers, evildoers who are part of the dominating Magisterium, and she sets out on a quest to the north to find him. Accompanied by aeronaut Lee Scoursby (Sam Elliott) and a warrior polar bear Iorek (voiced by Ian McKellan), she begins her adventure with the golden compass. While this movie looked beautiful, it was utterly boring. There were very few action sequences and all set up and explanation for two more movies that aren’t likely to get made after this one’s lackluster turn at the box office. Even the “climactic final battle” of the film seems like it should have a minor scrap in the middle, leading up to a bigger fight (which I’m sure would have come in sequels). There are plenty of trilogies out there that blatantly set up the next film (Lord of the Rings, Narnia), but each film has an ending that is satisfying at the end of two hours. This one does not.

Nominations:

Best Art Direction
The beauty of this film is honored in both of its nominations. The drab tones of the orphanage, the sterile colors of the Magisterium experiment, and the clean, pure look of the snowy winter give every setting their own unique feel. However, there were a lot of far better looking films this year that make this one pretty forgettable.

Best Visual Effects
When I saw this nomination, I assumed that it was simply for its polar bears. However, the daemons are very real looking and unique visual effects characters and a lot of the scenery is effects as well. There’s a beautiful scene in which characters fly above the city in a hot air balloon/blimp thing that is stunning. However, I don’t think it stacks up to the magnificent Transformers.

The Golden Compass - Shiny but Dull

yiddidea — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:55:41 -0800

So, as a person who has not read The Golden Compass, I did not have a lot of expectations going into this movie. I saw the previews, which painted a action pacted family film along the lines of The Chronicles of Narnia. Boy was I dissapointed.

The only part of The Golden Compass that I really enjoyed was the visuals. The film is chock full of beautiful images, animation and special effects. It even has a few good performances, notably Nicole Kidman, and some interesting themes. However, NONE of the characters are fully realized and the story falls completely flat. You are never given enough information or back story on the characters or the world they live in to really invest any interest. All of the provocative themes of religion or anti-religion that are surrounding the film are barely evident and completely watered down. You are left feeling as though you just watched a quick review of a story instead of an actual fleshed out film.

Oh, and this is NOT a film for kids. The film is rated PG-13 for a reason. There is one fight scene that shocked even me. Usually when I have seen movies in the past that were based on books seeing the film makes me want to go and read the book. Not in this case. I left the theatre feeling annoyed. The filmmakers seemed to make a film that only those who read the books could actually appreciate since they had all of the information going in and would not mind the broad strokes. For people like me, good luck.

Oh, and it didn't help that I had a row of 12 year old girls next to me talking throughout the entire film. Parents, please teach your kids that talking in movie theaters is not okay.

The Golden Compass

wynter — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 05:58:56 -0800

We took the boys to see this last night. It was good, but...not quite what I was expecting. I haven't read the books so I don't know how closely the movie followed the books. I would definitely had waited until DVD release and not felt bad about it though. It's not a *must see* for a theater. It didn't really hold the boys interest until the last 45 minutes or so (mine either to be honest). There was only 10 cars in the theater parking lot so we almost snuck off to see Enchanted and left hubby to watch this one, lol (We went to the 4 pm matinee so that's why it was so empty)

If this movie had anti-religion tones, it flew over my head so I seriously doubt my kiddos got it either, lol I don't see what the fuss was about. It was an okay fantasy movie...that's it.

*In all fairness, I was sleepy and I'm feeling not so great again so that could have influenced how I felt about this movie.

Best Art Direction

Phasekitty — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:40:28 -0800

This is a great category that really appreciates all the beauty in film. The nominees this year are:

American Gangster
Atonement
The Golden Compass
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood

Prediction
Sweeney Todd. I think the Academy will make up for it's lack of love for Tim Burton by appreciating his eye. The colors in this film are beautiful, from the drab present day London, to the sunbathed flashbacks, and the candy colored day dream of Mrs. Lovett.
What Should Win
Sweeney Todd, for sure. There's no question to Tim Burton's return to fine filmmaking with this film and his production design has soared to new levels with this one.

Best Visual Effects

Phasekitty — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 01:41:26 -0800

All three films are great contenders in this category this year. Unfortunately for defending champ Pirates of the Caribbean their visual effects were nearly unchanged in the most recent installment from what won last year, so I don’t think they’ll honor the same effects twice. The nominations in this category are:

The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Transformers

Prediction:
Transformers. The stunning, clean effects will be hard for the Academy to ignore.

What Should Win:
Transformers. Those giant robots may not have made a lick of sense, but they sure looked nice.

New Line Cinema Panel - San Diego Comic-Con 2007

Phasekitty — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:52:18 -0700

New Line offered some amazing eye candy in the form of spectacular action sequences, amazing visual effects, and Clive Owen.

Shoot 'Em Up
We were treated to three action sequences from this film, each one more fantastic than the last. It is some of the most exciting action I've seen in a long time; very similar to the Transporter series, though with a new comedic element. Clive Owen's character is protecting a woman and a child from a hit man (Paul Giamatti), and spends most of the action sequences out-shooting people with one hand and carrying the infant baby in the other. As always, Clive Owen is not only easy on the eyes and ears (I love that voice!), but puts in a great performance as well. I can't wait to see this one in theaters.

Be Kind Rewind
Ever since I heard the concept of this film, a guy accidentally erases all of the tapes in his video rental store and him and a friend replace them with their own homemade takes on the films, I've been looking forward to seeing footage from it. I love Michael Gondry and this is just the original concept that he seems to shine with. The trailer they screened for this was hysterical. The film stars Jack Black and Mos Def and is set to release by the end of the year. I can't wait!

The Golden Compass
I'm intrigued by this film- I know nothing about the story or books, but I loved Narnia and this film looks almost too much like it. We got to see a five minute clip with a lot of footage not shown in the trailer, which was nice as I previously couldn't tell what this movie was about. The footage they showed gave a much better sense of the universe, and the different dimensions, focusing some time on Lyra's (Dakota Blue Richards) personal demon, Pan, and their journey up north to free kidnapped children. Nicole Kidman appears to fit as comfortably into the role of the villain as Tilda Swinton did in Narnia. I probably won't see this one in theaters, but I can see the appeal to kids and fantasy lovers alike.

Below are two pics from the Shoot 'Em Up panel:

Director Michael Davis and Clive Owen.

Taylor Swift Finds Taylor Lautner Hot

kty — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:11:15 -0800

By Blane Bachelor
Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner are no longer an item – but the country music sensation still thinks her Valentine's Day costar is something special. In Elle magazine's April issue, Swift is asked who she thinks is hot, and she's shy about her answer: "Um, well …Taylor Lautner." The two Taylors casually dated last year before calling it quits in late December. No word, however, on whether Swift will use their time together as fodder for future songs, though she admits her love life often fuels her writing. "A letdown is worth a few songs," she says. "A heartbreak is worth a few albums."Swift, 20, also shares the difficulties that come with her celebrity status. "I've had countless opportunities to do some really bad things," she says. "And then people start combing through everything I do trying to find the next mistake and misperception, which leads to more scrutiny." The Nashville darling also admits the constant media spotlight creates extra challenges that she has no control over. "Like, if I go to a bar, even if I'm not drinking, who's to say that a source isn't going to say that I was doing something I shouldn't have been doing?" she continues. "So it's not only about your own moral compass, but the moral compasses of other people that you don't know."

EXCLUSIVE: Chris Weitz Returns to The Twilight Saga: New Moon for the Blu-ray and DVD Release

sharpysunshine — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:04:21 -0800

There's never been a phenomenon aimed at young women quite like Twilight, and its seeped into every aspect of the current pop consciousness. The first film based on Stephanie Meyer's romantic supernatural novel series was a success, and it created a new era of vampire fetishism the world of entertainment had never quite seen before. When the second film in the franchise The Twilight Saga: New Moon opened, it was deemed a box office blockbuster and one of the biggest surprise hits of the year, grossing $706 million worldwide to become the fourth largest domestic hit of 2009. Now, the film is poised to make a killing on DVD and Blu-ray when it is released at midnight to its throng of impatient fans on March 20th. Taking over the directorial reigns from Twilight's Catherine Hardwicke was Chris Weitz, who continued to push this franchise towards cinematic greatness. Best known for his work as a producer on the American Pie franchise and for helming The Golden Compass, the director managed to create a truly epic chapter in the The Twilight Saga, though his tenure as a director on this series has been limited to just one film. To celebrate the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release, we caught up with the director to find out more about the experience. Here's what Mr. Weitz had to say about The Twilight Saga: New Moon: I'm sure you've seen the Jimmy Fallon skits. Which begs the most important question of the day: How bothered is Robert Pattinson? Chris Weitz: How bothered is he? Here's the thing. I am a pop culture moron. You'll have to tell me what happened. Pattinson climbed into the tree with Fallon for Late Night's Bothered skit. Chris Weitz: I haven't seen that. How bothered is Robert? He doesn't seem terribly bothered at all. No. I think he will be able to handle it. What has the transition been like from New Moon to Eclipse? Is David Slade bringing his own style to the project? Or did you guys discuss how to get the look and feel of what both you and Catherine Hardwicke have created into what he wanted to do? Was there a lot of back and forth between you three directors for continuity? Chris Weitz: I think the continuity is supplied by the actor and the series of books. I can guarantee that David is bringing a new look and feel to it. Just as New Moon looked different from Twilight, I'm sure Eclipse will look different from New Moon. That is good. I don't want to make anybody follow any type of particular aesthetic. The reason he was brought on was to make every movie different. I think Eclipse is much more action-intensive. For instance, I am pretty terrible at shooting action. He is much better in that regard. Were you disappointed that you wouldn't be continuing on in this world? Or was once enough? Chris Weitz: That was always planned. David needed to go into prep while I was cutting my movie. Because these films are staggered in terms of their release. There was no disappointment. I miss the cast. I do. I liked them very much. By the time I was done with New Moon, I was completely exhausted. I don't think I could have done it anyway. If that was ever the plan. I paid attention to the promotional tour for this film, and it looked exhausting. What did that entail for you exactly? Chris Weitz: It was very strange. It involved a lot of traveling. For a couple of weeks every day, you would show up in a new country, go do a press conference, and then be displayed to what could only be considered a stadium full of Twilight fans. Who were screaming so loud, your ears would short out like a speaker that has its volume turned too loud. It was unlike anything I have ever encountered in my whole life. There is something really wonderful about that. There's also something wonderful about knowing that isn't going to happen every time I step out in public. As for the kids, it's a bit different. They have to deal with the ramifications of this franchise for the foreseeable future. Did you almost feel like an interchangeable cog? Or do you feel like you were able to bring something out of the franchise that another director may not have found in the material? Chris Weitz: Let me see. I don't know if that is for me to say. You would have to ask the actors. What I really care about is working with the actors. Giving them free reign to do what comes naturally to them. I would say that our relationship is very, very close. That is what makes it work. That's what the fans care about. Okay? I've done lots of CGI before. That stuff is very familiar to me. And I was able to work with the people who'd get it right. But what mattered most was working closely with the actors. This may have been one of the most popular yet most critically derided films of the past year. What do you think the fans see in it that the critics just don't get? Chris Weitz: The critics are probably people that haven't read the books. Thus, they're not attached to the books in a way that the fans are attached to the books. I'm not incredibly surprised that it took a bit of a critical drubbing. There is an adherent disconnect between the fan base of the books and the critical base of people who review movies for a living. No surprises there, really. There aren't many Twihards amongst the reviews working for newspapers and websites. Also, it's a very female driven franchise. We still live in a state where pop culture is dominated by male desires. I've heard this many times over from friends who have seen the film: New Moon is a more male friendly film. Did you consciously try to make the film more appealing to those young males in the audience? Or do you think guys are just buying into that so they don't feel ashamed about watching the movie? Chris Weitz: (Laughs) It might be a more male friendly film. There are more things in there that fanboys tend to get into. Like special effects and fights. Those types of things. If I were male, I would care a lot about Kristen Stewart. Also, this is a great place to meet girls. But guys don't always think that way. They prefer for things to explode. Guns to be fired. We never really set out to make it male friendly. I don't know. Perhaps once something becomes big enough in the popular culture, everyone feels they have to check it out. The most interesting characters to me are Eric Yorkie and Tyler Crowley, because, as someone standing outside the franchise, you never hear about them. How important do you feel Eric was to this second chapter? And how did you want to utilize him on the screen? Chris Weitz: Its great to give a young actor a chance at any time. One thing that my brother and I always try to concentrate on is that everyone on screen thinks they are the stars of their own movie. Subsidiary actors, or character actors, are very important to us. In a lot of films, characters only exist as foils for the main actors. To me, it's always a pleasure to not only choose experienced actors or very popular actors. But to also give people their shot at it. Let's switch gears for a minute. There's all this talk swirling around about American Reunion. Can you tell us anything about this upcoming fourth installment of the American Pie series? And Who you will be bringing back? Chris Weitz: I know that Universal wants to do it. We want to be involved in it. Because of the affection we hold for the story and the characters. We want to get as many former cast members back as possible. Its funny, but look at someone like John Cho. He had a very small part in all three films. Now he is a big deal. He's in Star Trek and FlashForward. I'm not sure if we'd be able to get him. Since we first cast him in the original film, I thought he was great. And it would be great if we could get him back, too. It's been ten years, and a lot has happened in terms of comedy since that first "Pie" gag. Do you guys have a plan for that one great set piece that always ties the films together? Chris Weitz: 3D! (Laughs) 3D sperm jokes. In some ways, like any reunion, it would be about the nostalgia element. For the time that it came out. For how people felt when they first saw it. And now to experience it again with all the pathos and humor that implies. You say 3D sperm jokes. You need to have that scene be one where the audience is told to put the glasses on at a certain point in the film, just like the characters. And then do the 3D sperm joke. Chris Weitz: (Laughs). I know what you are talking about. You hear a tone, and then you put your glasses on. That is a very 1950s kind of concept. We were just talking about that today. Who knows? I am sure that everything will have to be in 3D now that Avatar is successful. Everyone will have to bring their glasses. The Twilight Saga: New Moon DVD and Blu-ray will be in stores on March 20th at midnight! Be sure to reserve your copy today.

Coffee Party activists say their civic brew's a tastier choice than Tea Party's

liliblu — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:41:00 -0800

By Dan Zak
Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, February 26, 2010

Furious at the tempest over the Tea Party -- the scattershot citizen uprising against big government and wild spending -- Annabel Park did what any American does when she feels her voice has been drowned out: She squeezed her anger into a Facebook status update.

let's start a coffee party . . . smoothie party. red bull party. anything but tea. geez. ooh how about cappuccino party? that would really piss 'em off bec it sounds elitist . . . let's get together and drink cappuccino and have real political dialogue with substance and compassion.
Friends replied, and more friends replied. So last month, in her Silver Spring apartment, Park started a fan page called "Join the Coffee Party Movement." Within weeks, her inbox and page wall were swamped by thousands of comments from strangers in diverse locales, such as the oil fields of west Texas and the suburbs of Chicago.
I have been searching for a place of refuge like this for a long while. . . . It is not Us against the Govt. It is democracy vs corporatocracy . . . I just can't believe that the Tea Party speaks for all patriotic Americans. . . . Just sent suggestions to 50 friends . . . I think it's time we start a chapter right here in Tucson . . .
The snowballing response made her the de facto coordinator of Coffee Party USA, with goals far loftier than its oopsy-daisy origin: promote civility and inclusiveness in political discourse, engage the government not as an enemy but as the collective will of the people, push leaders to enact the progressive change for which 52.9 percent of the country voted in 2008.
The ideas aren't exactly fresh -- Tea Party chapters view themselves as civil, inclusive and fueled by collective will -- but the Coffee Party is percolating in at least 30 states. Small chapters are meeting up, venting frustrations, organizing themselves, hoping to transcend one-click activism. Kind of like the Tea Party did this last year, spawning 1,200 chapters, a national conference and a march on Washington.
"It's like trying to perform surgery in the dark," says Park, 41, a documentary filmmaker. She's exhausted, overcommitted, passing whole days on Facebook, not collecting a paycheck, hopping between conference calls, sending e-mails at 4 a.m., smoothing out conflicts over strategy. She has been swept up in this project, and so have others. Within two weeks of forming, the Los Angeles chapter produced a five-minute video in which citizens yearn for sensible progress and lament obstructionist truth-twisting.
Progress is patriotic, they tell the camera. Wake up. Espresso yourself. Something is brewing, America.
* * *
Need something to wash down that heaping helping of American angst? Tea or coffee? (Must we choose?)
Deep down, underneath the Tea Party's Revolutionary War garb and the Coffee Party's faded HOPE stickers, they seem to want the same thing. To save America. Which raises the question: "From what?"
The easy answer is "each other," when really their complaints are similar and eternal: The political system is broken, elected officials ignore the people, and the media warp truths and pit sides. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that two-thirds of Americans are "dissatisfied" or "angry" with the federal government," the highest level in 14 years, and many have sought solace in social networking. The Coffee Party, whether it grows or fizzles, is the latest effort to turn virtual disenchantment into real-world results. Its members are incited by Tea Party tactics, which they believe obstruct reform and discourage thoughtful deliberation, and the Tea Party -- well, the Tea Party has not heard of the Coffee Party.
The Coffee Party is not so much a party or movement as a slow-drip ripple through online nano-politics. Within the past 10 days, its Facebook fans rose from 3,500 to more than 9,200, which is far more than the 5,900 fans of the central page of Organizing for America, the DNC-funded group supporting President Obama's agenda. What does that mean, though, when nearly 100,000 Facebook users have joined the Tea Party Patriots Facebook page and 1.5 million have joined a joke page titled "Can this pickle get more fans than Nickleback?"
"So what are we doing here? What's the objective?"
Alan Alborn, a retired executive and former Army officer who voted for both George W. Bush and Obama, crosses his arms over his maroon sweater and leans back in a Manassas cafe last Friday. With him are Park, her boyfriend and fellow filmmaker Eric Byler, and Elena Schlossberg, who co-writes a blog focused on Prince William County politics. The quartet, first united by their involvement in the county's fiery immigration debates in 2007, discusses Coffee Party talking points, staying positive and coming up with a marketable phrase. Maybe "What does America really think?"
"And we need a big idea that's separate and stands alone," says Alborn, 61, who appreciates the basic tenets of the Tea Party but can't subscribe to what he views as its stonewall strategy and jumble of church and state. "We need to find people who will pledge to be one-term candidates, so that we get citizen politicians."
On Sunday afternoon, Stacey Hopkins, a 46-year-old mother of five who lives in Hapeville, Ga., speaks on a conference call with a half-dozen organizers of the Atlanta Coffee Party.
"You're dealing with a nation that's jaded, paranoid, distrustful, broke, angry -- it's like they just woke up from an eight-year meth binge," Hopkins says. "We've become so polarized. Once we say our political affiliations, everyone goes to their corner and then comes out swinging. . . . A lot of people have the same goals and desires."
Park views the Coffee Party as an extension of that desire for conversation instead of closed-mindedness, as an evolution in wiki-government, where technology enables fuller citizen participation.
"We have to relearn how to talk to each other, to deliberate," says Park, driving west on I-66 to the Coffee Party meeting in Manassas. "It's also about regaining confidence that we can come together, that we can come to the middle and agree on things."
The Coffee Party believes the middle is consensus. The Tea Party believes the middle is the Constitution.
The parties continue to post videos and recruit fans of all ideological stripes. On Sunday, a handful of San Antonio Coffee Partiers joined a small MoveOn.org rally to counter a Tea Party event. Coffee meet-ups are planned for this weekend in the District and Herndon, and there's talk of a conference or march in the summer. On Saturday, there will be 50 Tea Party rallies around the country to mark the first anniversary of the movement, and hundreds more are planned for tax day on April 15.
So: Tea or coffee? While the movements are at different points in their life cycles, both view themselves as silent majorities who have found their voice, as sleeping giants who are now awake, caffeinated on activism, ready to persuade or react to the other side, if there are sides at all.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022505517.html?hpid=artslot
Coffee Party USA
http://coffeepartyusa.com/

How About Some Compassion

PinkNC — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:25:43 -0700

If you want *OTHERS* to be happy, practice compassion.

If *YOU* want to be happy, practice compassion.

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